The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-06 00:00:00

Chanabers'B Journal.

This journal has of late been much improved,
and the variety of the contents is sure to impress
the reader. The new tale of " Lord Lynn's Wife,"
is a very clever sketch of life ; there is a mixture of
the sensational element in its details which, of course, will
greatly heighten its attractions to the generality of readers,
Even in simple and unassuming narratives this exciting
style is now demanded, and authors will soon be puzzled to
invent new horrors and fresh mysteries. The poems in this
periodical are also above the average merit, thus contrasting
favourably with the exploits in the versification line that
appear in the pages of many contemporary serials of the
day.

The Musical Monthly
Is more than usually interesting this month. The
article on Meyerbeer is well written,. and the Tea.
party with Music is also a good contribution. The
interesting tale, "Modest Mignon," is continued,
and with the musical notes, notices, and reviews,
make up a very good number. The presentation
piece for the piano is a simple ballad, entitled " In my
Dreams." It is of the usual description, rather melancholy
vc
and lackadaisiacal, but pretty withal. We cannot under •
stand how it is that pieces of sterling merit are not included
in these " presentations." If originals cannot be procured
there are plenty of pieces at command which, whiletheyi
e
would add variety to the series, would be of essential service
to both proficient and student. We must take v 2
objections to the public announcements on the wrapper seriousapper of
this magazine. As this publication is intended for young
ladies, more circumspection should bewhich are
exercised than evi-
dently is the case. There are advertisements
highly objectionable under any Circumstances, but when
accompanied by diagrams they become positively offen-
sive.e
These certainly ought to h
publication as the Nusical ,lio excluded from such a
ntillY—indeed they must be,

At half-past 7 o'clock a second series of performances
was given by the members of the A.D.C., with a success not
inferior to that attained on the previous evening; and at 10
o'clock the demonstration at Cambridge in honour a their
Royal Highnesses culminated in the ball given by Trinity
College. This brilliant entertainment, compared by mem-
bers of the Royal party to the Guards Ball, which has
attained so prominent a niche in the temple of festi-
vities, was held under a marquee covering the entire
of Neville's-court, advantage being taken of the
cloisters or piazzas surrounding this court on three sides to
form continuous avenues richly draped and ornamented,
where the guests could promenade or repose at pleasure.
The large marquee and awnings, furnished by Edgington,
were lighted by spreading circles of gas, with glass shades,
to subdue the glare. The crimson tint thrown down from
the walls and ceiling of this spherical apartment, 130 ft long
by 90ft wide, exercised a wonderful effect in mellowing the
hues of the many-coloured assembly, and in winning the
very atmosphere to harmony with their pursuits. About
1,100 guests were present, among those included in the
Royal circle being the Duke of Cambridge, the Chancellor
of the University and Lady Louisa Cavendish, Lord and
Lady Hardwick°, the Duke and Duchess of Manchester,
the Duke of Rutland, Lord and Lady Palmerston, Lord
Granville, Lord and Lady Fitz william, Lord and Lady
Spencer, Lord Powis, Marquis Camden, Marquis of Hart-
ington, Lord Newry, &c. Dancing began immediately after
the arrival of the Royal party, who were very early in their
attendance, and was kept up with spirit, to the strains of
Jullien's band, on the part of the general company, until
four o'clock. On this occasion her Royal Highness laid
aside the sombre dress that she had worn during the pre-
vious portion of her visit, and appeared in rich evening cos-
tume of white, with headdress and necklace of brilliants. It
was remarked with satisfaction that notwithstanding the
amount of exertion entailed by the day's proceedings fewer
traces of fatigue were visible than on the former evening.
Supper, with the details of which Mr. Gunter was charged,
was served about one o'clook, in the spacious hall of the
college. The appioaeh to this from the ball-room was by
a flight of steps upon which hundreds of valuable plants
given by Mr. Sto.ndieh of tha Royal Nurseries, Ascot, and
by Mr. Waterer, of Bagshot, were so arranged as to sug-
gest the idea of a balcony or tribune. The effect produced
was one of the most noticeable features in arrangements
threnghout characterised by excellent taste. About half-
past two o'clock their Royal Highnesses retired to
!he state rooms fitted up for their accommodation in the
Master's Lodge, the same which her Majesty occupied on
'her visits to Cambridge in 1813 and 1817. The more aris-
tocratic portion of the assembly took its departure shortly
afterwards, and as carriage after carriage with its lights and
servitors flashed out of the ancient gateway, it was difficult
to believe that some grand West-end gathering was not dis-
solving, and that the scene then coming to an end really
occurred within the tranquil precincts of the University.
On Friday night what for the sake of distinction may be
called the public portion of the visit to Cambridge ended,
and if the universal pleasure it afforded and the smoothness
with whLh all passed off be accepted as tests, no doub'z can
exist of its entire success. The weather from first to last
was favourable, and there was not a hitch of any kind in
the arrangements. Everything took place at the time fixed,
and in passing from point to point there was not the least
obstruction. The authorities, aware that the tranquillity
of their ordinary life was by no means a good preparation
for the crowding and excitement of a Royal visit, placed
themselves, as far as external preparations were concerned,
unreservedly in the hands of the A division. To Superin-
tendent Walker, the head of that division, upon whom de-
volved the duty of organizing and executing all the details,
an official communication was made expressing thanks and
satisfaction with the results attained by his energetic super-
vision. .

On Saturday, shortly after 12 o'clock, the Prince and
Princess of Wales paid a visit privately to the library of
Trinity College, a building erected in the 17th century, and
remarkable, among many other attractions, for its beau•
tiful statue of Lord Byron, by Thorwaldsen. About
half-past twelve o'clock the Royal party drove to
Madingley-hell, the seat of Lady King,
where during
his stay at Carabri.lge as an undergraduate his Royal
Highness took up his residence. At this point the Hun-
tingdon Mounted Rifles, commanded by the Duke
of Manchester, enjoyed the well-earned distinction
of being reviewed by the Prince of Wales. The review did notindeed take place on Lady King's demense, as there ap-
peared to be an impression that a body of cavalry so well
appointed might destroy the turf. But a field close at hand
was found for the purpose,
in which an opportxnity was
afforded to those good swordsmen, and still better horsemen,
of displaying their proficiency. His Royal Highness ex-
pressed great satisfaction with all that he had seen, and re-
quested that his acknowledgements and those of the Princess
might be conveyed to the corps for the part they had borne
in a reception so highly gratifying. From Madingley-hall
the Royal party returned to Magdingley Cottage, where they
launched with the master, the Hon. and Rev. L. Neville.
The thoroughfares leading to the railway station were nearly
as crowded as on the day of the public entry, and the
University Volunteers, under the command of Colonel
Baker, attended, as on the former occasion, to line the plat-
form as a guard of honour. The Heads of Colleges, who
were supposed to have taken leave of their Royal High-
nesses the previous evening,surprised
attending
of the
at the
University,railwa fully rob
to
seethem
edt f
depart,
htorem R
presented to
the Royal party on their arrival was very brilliant. The
e scene and as a the party by
dig-
nitariesd the nucleus
of a fashionably-dressed assembly,
the
station-master, whose admirable arrangements during the
visit to Cambridge are entitled to recognition, had a special
train in waiting, to which was attached the elegant saloon
carriage recently by
pthreeciUserleyatitEmasotveernd
aCnetmapf a lye .
At half-past thr
Cambridge,dwureirnegc
thheeeirre d w
stay.
i t h
At
mostt less s
oefutthheussitaascmi
stations
along
nagt
terminus, and the Prince and. Princess, as they quitted
ptahanrseeysel
:period
a ap speßoyalctators
ea
them
adtparty,
oe mbsubetel e
thhaeri
speed
ypeeoaanndsyi dtahet
anything
ghl eioafhinumbers
ca
occug-
pants pants of the carriages. At Hitchin, where a delay of a
few minutes took place, a little incident occurred very
characteristic of the relations between the Royal family
and the English people. Just as the train was about to
wove on again, a bouquet of white and red roses was thrown
towards the window of the Royal carriage. Its appearance
showed that it had come from a humble garden, and not
from a conservatory. It was a small bouquet, and it fell
short. A railway l orter, unwilling that it should lie on the
rails to be crushed, or possibly with some indefinite notion
of finding the owner and returning it, picked it up and
carried it along in his hand. But the occurrence had been
seen from the Royal carriage. Time was wade to call back
the porter awl to take in the bouquet, and as the train sped
on its way, the renewed intensity of the cheering from the
platform showed what pleasure had been given by this
hasty but spentaneous act of courtesy.

SPLENDID FlSHlNG.—Gencral Grey was out on
Monday angling on the Involcauld fishing ground.
In the course of a few hours the general was successful
in landing- with the rod no fewer than nine splendid
salmon. The spot where they were caught was the Clarak
Pool, close beside the Old Bridge of Invercauld.--Dundee
Advertiser.

LONDON, MONDAY, JUNE 6, 1864.

Another six days and the armistice will come to
an end in the north of Europe. The London Con-
ference, in consideration of that armistice, being
virtually powerful for good during the interval—if
it can contrive somehow or other to be so, that is !
On the 12th of this month, we shall know whether
the armistice is to be prolonged or not. If pro.
longed, the session may yet be tided over by Minis-
ters—supposing, that is, that the Conference can
manage thereby to potter on successfully so far as
to contrive the further consumption of time. So long
as the Conference continues to sit during the period
of an armistice among the belligerents—the lips of
the Opposition are closed effectually Within the Lords
and Commons. Let the Conference but prove inope-
rative of any satisfactory patch up—let the armis-
tice even close on the 12th without a prospect of
its renewal or prolongation—the close of it being
announced by the resumption of hostilities—and the
whole of this complex question must at length be
thoroughly ventilated within the walls of Parlia-
ment. Then at last will come the tug of war be-
tween Parties, both in the Lords and in the Com-
mons, bat especially in the Commons. The position
so far is imminent. So imminent in one contin-
gency, we believe that it might almost be expressed
thus without exaggeration—That at the firing of
the first gun again in
anger in Schleswig, the
signal will have been given for the pulling
down of our shaken and, so far as its
foreign policy is conc.rned, most
unpopular Govern-
ment. Otherwise--by simply 'whiling away the
iime—hy merely lengthening cut this Conference—
by extending the ormistice adroitly—this
wretched
dawdling do-nothing session may yet be dully
tided over, leaving Earl RUSSELL still at thePoreign
Office until next year, to the delight of the great
aggressive powers of Europe, and to the mirgled
shame and chagrin of the great mass of the Earl's
own fellow•countrymE.n. Five years ago this very
month, the sccond PALMERSTON ministry began—
with '1
what Sir TIUGII CAIRNS aptly termed at the
time, in the June cf 1859, a dodge ! That dodge
yr as Ectrl RUSSELL'S---consisting, as will be
very well remembered, in his ingenious device of ,

those now notorious " abstract resolutions" of his
about reform, It began with a dodge, this great
Reform-burking and Foreign-policy meddling-and-
muddling Administration. It is being preserved
and continued in power by a wonderfully clever
succession of other dodges ! " See, my son I" the
old Scandinavian statesman might have said to
his heir, now-a-days—not " with how little
wisdom " but with how small a modicum of
sly contrivance "men may be governed !" The
famous words of AXEL OXENSTIERNA run thus,
according to the original utterance—" .Nescis,
mi
fili, quaratilla prudentia honzines regantur." But
they certainly admit now—those words—of the
modification at which we have hinted.

Further rumours about General LEE having re-
treated are now brought to Europe by the last mail
from North America. Probably to be followed—
these rumours—by new announcements that General
LEE has, again, not retreated at all.

From New Zealand cornea the agreeable intelli-
gence that, at one place, the British troops have been
worsted by the insurgent aborigines. Another tes-
timony of the good reason the old Duke had in
avowing his peculiar and especial antipathy to a
" little war." Implying absolutely, and with some
slim of reason, a positive preference by him for a
great war, in comparison ! And with some
show of reason, as we have just said, for
these " little wars,"— wars such as we
are now experiencing, the protracted anguish
and worry of at our antipodes, such as we ha' e
again arid again in past times experienced at the
Cape—really according, to use a familiar phrase in
London slang, as it were, do nothing else than
establish a raw. It is the opening of a seton at
one of the extremities of the body politic in every
instance of a little war. A seton that, once opened,
we know not whe❑ it will ever again be thoroughly
closed and healed up.
Tidings from the seat of war in China again come
to us of successes won over the Teeping revolutionists
by the Imperial troops, led, shall we say, by British
mercenaries, or Condottieri 1 And this too, as an
effect of our Foreign Policy, when Non-Interven-
tion is ostensibly our guiding Principle! So con.
sistent are we, or rather is our Government !
And all the remonstrance that can be
made with the development thus of a flag-
rant inconsistency of this kind, far away there at
the oppcsite extremity of the eastern hemisphere
on the remotest b)rders of the Empire of China
—all that can be adventured upon by way of re-
monstrance, with our Governmental inconsis-
tency in thus interfering in China, at the very mo-
ment when no considerations will induce England
to interfere in Denmark, in Poland, or in North
America, is—what ? The introduction of a motion
into the House of Commons by Mr. COBDEN, in a
noble speech, merely to the end that, after a little
useless discussion of that motion, the motion itself
should, after all, be quietly withdrawn without any
divisio❑ whatever !

It is very desirable from time to time to institute
nquiries and to ascertain in what state the laws re,
ating to certain departments of society are in. Thus
only can we expect to remedy deficiencies and to con-
form to the growing requirements of the day, No one
oould imagine, until they had looked minutely into
the subject, how many discrepancies exist, and how
faulty are the workings of some of those measures
which were considered at the time of their intro.
auction to be almost perfect, or at all events, most
efficacious in their designs. Foremost among those
enactments which call for a remedy is the statutory
law affecting masters and workmen. This regula-
tion is wrong in its fundamental principle, which
consists in this, that the breakers of contracts that
occur on either side are treated very differently,
those of the masters being dealt with according to
the civil law, and those of the workmen under the
criminal law. Such a distinction bears on the face
of it a fatal discrepancy, which necessarily militates
against the right adjustment of the difficulties to
be dealt with, end creates a want of uniformity
which is destructive of all chance of success in the
execution of the plans proposed. What could
have induced the framer of the law to devise
such a system it is really difficult to
determine ; it is quite contrary to the spirit which
actuates the generality of our statutes and makes
justice the birthright of all classes, not the heritage
of wealth or the appanage of rank. Exclusiveness
is always greatly to be deprecated, but if one case
more than another seems to demand its banishment,
it may be said to be this one in point, for masters
and workmen are net so dissimilar in some respects,
or so totally divided by the influence of rank or
position as may sometimes occur in other matters
where the upper seem to have the advantage over
the lower classes. There is always more jealousy
between those nearly alike, or, at all events, not far
dissimilar, and it is of great importance to obviate
all provocation to irritated feeling as much as pos-
sible, and certainly that mode of management is to
be deplored which fosters angry sentiments, and
gives rise to bitterness and sullen feelings. The
inequality and injustice of the system cannot be
better exemplified than by stating that, while the
workmen can only obtain redress for their griev-
ances by summoning the offending principal in the
county court, or by proceeding in the common law,
the master, on the occasion of a breach of con-
tract on the part of his workmen, can take
proceedings in a criminal court, where if
a conviction is obtained, it is not possilale to
inflict a fibo, but the delinquent must be sent to
gaol for a certain time with hard labour. This is
a gross inconsistency, and deals out most unfair
measure to men who are consenting parties to an
agreement. It is not at all the way to make things
work smoothly or pleasantly in the complicated
details of business for both sides to be at variance,
to feel that no cornea°, bond of equity unites them,
but that a one-sided bargain has been struck,
wherein one party may count his gains and the
other lament his losses, When it is borne in mind
that the workings of the existing statute are press-
ing very heavily on the working part of the com-
munity, it is high time that some remedial attempt
be made to rectify the evil and put an end to the
anomalous state of affairs which at present confuses
our notion of right, and makes the administration
of the law a source of complaint and an occasion for
comment and cavil. The peculiar ideas which
actuated the framers of these obnoxious regulations
in our statutes are greatly to be censured ; but,
surely, there can be no need to perpetuate their
mistake, and to hand down their badly devised
end faulty schemes to another generation. There
ought to be brains enough wrong the legislators
of our own time for the difficulty to be got over,
anduntil it is there will be always something rotten
in the system relating to employers and employed.
Considering this present unfortunate aspect of
affairs, and the great number who suffer from the
evils of the unequal pressure of the agency now at
work, so many as 6,000 committals to prison having
taken place in one year through the working of
these lass's, it is not a matter of surprise that an
attempt has been set on foot for the purpose of
obtaining some remedy for their inconveniences. The trades societies
throughout the United King-
dom have at last resolved to do something in the
right directiuu, and A combined moetment has been

made which bears a promise of succest. The un-
dertaking was first set on foot in Glasgow, and
from thence communications were made to all parts
of the kingdom, Finally, a conference of trade
delegates met last week for the purpose of consider-
ing this important subject. There is no reason to
doubt that they will proceed in their
task with more promptitude, and eventually
achieve more than the dignified assembly
at the West-end, but here they will have put some
heart into their work, and be really anxious to
reach a speedy and satisfactory conclusion. The
delegates represented as many as 300,000 members
of trades' societies. The result of their deliberations
was that they drew up a series of resolutions, which
appear to set forth their difficulties in a concise
form, and to explain the urgent necessity that
exists for a change being introduced without delay
into the contracts of service between masters and
workmen, The chief bearing of these suggested
alterations is to the effect that all the provisions of
the law should be of a civil character, and that no
favour should be shown to either side, and " what-

ever remedies are open to masters against their
workmen should be equally to workmen against
their masters, so that both may be equally dealt
with as to all questions arising under their mutual
contract." This last passage contains the gist of
the affair, and it certainly represents a principle
which is characteristic of the old English love of
fair play, and must meet with approval from all
who have the welfare of the subject at heart, and
cherish an honest conviction of the rights of labour.
An interview took place between the delegates, and
some members of Parliament in a committee-room
of the House of Commons. The result was, that it
was agreed upon to introduce a bill into Parliament,
so that in a select committee the subject could be
duly investigated. It is also very satisfactory to
find that Mr. MILNER GIBSON has promised a
deputation of the London trades that he would give
the subject his earnest consideration. There is thus
every reason to hope that before long a better
arrangement will be come to regarding this ques-
tion, so important in itself and so intimately con-
nected with the interests of the community. The
inequality of the present system has been fruitful
in the production of strife and disagreements, and it
is a social wrong to allow things to remain in their
present most unfair and unequal standing. All that
tends to create bitterness of feeling, or a sense of
injury between employers and employed is a
grievous evil, and no wise statesman or learred
political economist but would censure the
practice, end condemn the theory, that occasions
such direful consequences, and has framed such a
mistaken and mischievous code as this Statutory
Law.

The Admiralty has been seized with a fit of
economy. What will happen next ? What social
revolution of the most unlooked for nature may we
reasonably anticipate after such a beginning. Will
Lord RUSSELL grow pugnacious and Sir CHARLES
WOOD progressive since the House of Commons

has been roundly reproved for urging the Admi-
ralty to uncalled-for expenditure. Cynics might
hint that such urging was unnecessary, but wanders
will never cease; and in defiance of SOLOMON we
have something new at last, for, upon an appeal
on behalf of the masters in the Royal Navy, here
is Lord C. PAGET declaring that it is " due to the
public" to resist any demands for increased pay,
and Mr. GLADSTONE supporting him with a fiery
denunciation of the wicked extravagance of this
present House of Commons, chiefly with regard to
branches of the public service. Englishmen gene-
rally labour under a. serious misapprehension.
They are in the
-habit of thinking that pounds,
shillings, and pence are not looked at very closely
in Admiralty dockyards. They have an impression
that sometimes a little more than need be is spent
in those quarters, and it appears to their deluded
minis to be somewhat singular that vessels built at
enormous cost and comparatively new are always
requiring docking for repairs and alterations. They
do not quite understand why, if the Admiralty
prefer a ship in a certain form, they do not have
her built originally to their liking instead of adding
a deck, apparently for the purpose of its being
taken off again. But all this misapprehensioe
is now clearly shown to be nothing more than vile
suspicion and absurd hypercriticism. Henceforward
the public will know that the sole object of the
Admiralty is the protection of the public interests,
and that Mr. GLADSTONE'S first considera-
tion in life is the pocket of the tax-payer.
But giving our naval authorities credit for all those
virtues, whoseopposite vices they have been hitherto
supposed officially to possess, it is not quite clear
on what grounds the right of masters to promotion
in the service is objected to. Neither of the oppo-
nents of their claims found it convenient to dwell
much on this point. They found it more conve-
nient to turn off to those declamations about public
interests and official duty which come so glibly to
the official tongue. It is probable, however, that
the House scarcely needed the information. They
could find the explanation of the mystery too readily
in the professional jealousy and the old routine pre-
judices which have barred the way of so many
promising officers. Sir L. PALK, who took up the
case on Friday evening, observed that a master
began with a sense of inferiority which clung to
him through life and marred his hopes of fame and
rank. Why this extraordinary odium is attached
to the post is not easy to see, for a master's duties
are onerous and important, and he starts from a
rank held by the highest officers in the service. A
midshipman, when he has passed his examination
for a lieutenant's commission, can be appointed al
master's mate; and after passing a further exami-
nation he may become a master when his duties
include the navigation of the ship. The captain is
ex officio responsible for the course steered, as was
decided in the loss of the Conqueror in the West
Indies, when the Board of Admiralty reversed the
judgment of the Bermuda Court-martial, and held
the captain responsible for the loss of the ship. Yet
practically the master has the entire direction.
Tl3llB, as Sir LAWRENCE PALK pointed out to the
House, the duties of a master in the Royal Navy
are only second to that of the captain or comman-
der of the vessel in which he acts. Bat notwith-
standing their responsible position, masters cannot
rise any higher in the service; even although of late
years masters have been entrusted with the com-
mand of sloops and other small craft, their rank in
the service is still the same. Men with any pro-
spect of advancement through influence, or other
means, decline to become masters, and this onerous
office is generally held by hardworking men, who
from lack of interest have little hopes of promotion.
If a master held the same position as a lieutenant,
and had in consequence the chance of rising to the
higher grades of the service, the office would become
popular, and our naval officers would have a much
better idea of navigation, and consequently keep
their vessels out of some of the difficulties they oc-
casionally get into. The bottoms of her MAJESTY'S
ships would not probably make acquaintance with
quite so many shoals were this reform carried into
effect. But, in truth, this may be one of the ob-
stacles to the scheme. Young lieutenants might
not like to be put into awkward comparison with
ablera hilOWlage of and experienced men, who have a thorough
ctical
their busizess. If talent
p