The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-02 00:00:00

♦iolation of the laws of truth and honour. In the
sight of God and man the Prussians are showing
their contempt for the dictates of justice, and are
putting aside the claims of equity, It is a wilful
perversion of right that might may triumph, that
has arranged, planned, and carried to a consumma■
tion this Danish business from the fast. A day of
retribution must and will come, however, even if it
tarries in its advent until the chief actors in the
disgraceful scenes have passed away to their last
account. All history's living page bears witness
to the decay that is planted with the germs of such
actions. It may seem all straight and fair showing
now, but when a page or two of the volume of the
future is turned, this generation or its successor
will see a heavy doom awaiting Prussia. Sho has
thrown away opportunities and neglected chances
that might have given a tone to the Constitution,
and shed a new and brighter lustre over her his-
tory than any which past renown in arms could
have afforded. Instead of this she has aped the
tyrany of the despot, and tried to retrograde in the
sight of Europe, carrying us back to those dark
ages of thraldom and oppression, from which it was
the boast of this century that we had been severed

tor ever. " All is lost but honour" is reckoned a
noble and worthy remark amil the chances and
changes of life, but the Prussians seem to think a
good name is only of secondary importance, and a
possession that they can well afford to part with.

The approach of winter heralds the time of death and

distress for the poor, and already the increasing severity of

the temperature must tell upon those who have no regular

place of refuge for the night. It is therefore very
satisfactory to find that the Poor-law Board has

issued full and complete directions to the guar-

dians of the various unions and parishes through-

out the metropolis as to the carrying out of the

provisions of the act with respect to the houseless poor,

which was passed at the close of last session. The pub-

is mind had been so strongly excited by the details of
ho shocking cases of death from absolute want of the

common necessaries of life which were so pain'ully fre-

quent during the intense cold of last winter, that it was

elt by the Legislature that something must be done be-

orc another winter's keen winds and sharp frost claimed

their victims from the houseless, hungry, thinly-clad
ranks of the destitute. There are doubtless many who

have " seen better days," who would shrink from avail

ng themselves of its benefits ; but it is impossible for

,he law to provide relief for such pet sons, and the care

of them must be left to private charity and kindness,

It is enough if the statute provides that no person need

wander houseless and foodless about the streets of this

wealthy city during the bitter nights of the winter
months before us. If they will, all can have sufficient

rood to keep the flame of life still burning, and sufllcien

shelter to prevent the sharp winds from penetrating their
thinly-clad frames. The directions just issued to the

guardians contain very full and precise directions as to
the manner in which the provisions of the act should ba

carried out, stipulating that there should be proper ac-
commodation in different wards, for males, and females,

and children, with a bath at hand, and with some means

of heating the sheds during severe weather. Where the

admissions are likely to be numerous, it is farther re.

commended that there should be a superintendent in

each ward, and the exaction of a task of work

in return for the night's food and lodging is strongly

insisted upon. This is doubtless very necessary as a check

upon mere vagrancy, and it is stated by the board that they

have found it as the result of their experience that in those

unions where the task of work has been strictly insisted

upon vagr►noy has sensibly diminished, and they strenu.

ously recommend the universal adoption of this test instead

of the plan which has been adopted in some unions of al-

Lowing the casual paupers to forego the task on condition

of dispensing with the morning meal. There may, however,

bo instances in which the casual paupers may be real!),
uaequal to the task set before them, and it would have been
as well if the board had reminded the guardians of the

possible existence of such cases. The publio would gladly

see a little more liberal measure meted out to this class, so

.hat they may be spared the pen and disgrace of the

weekly record of deaths from starvation in the midst cf the

plenty of the metropolis. The difference of a shilling or

half-a-crown a week spent in the relief of the casual poor

would be little felt even by the poorest parishes, while it
would make a vast difference in the general management

of the board. If the task of Work be insisted upon the

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parish will get the money value of the relief given, and if

_ .
the masters, porters, and relieving officers can be got to
give the paupers the benefit of the doubt there will
be many lives saved during the winter. The difficulty

lies in reaching those sufferers of the more respectable

class, such as poor widows, needlewomen, and others who

shrink from the workhouse even in the last extremity. A

melancholy case was recorded a few days ago, in which a

poor woman, who earned a miserable living by making the
bodies of shirts, succumbed to actual want. She got four-
pence for each body, and could with difficulty make one a

day, the result being naturally her death from want and

hunger. Another similar case occurred in Bethnal-green,
in which a poor bootbinder, who it was stated in the evi-

deuce never earned sixpence a day, died from want of the
common necessaries of life. It is this class who cling to
their miserable rooms as long as possible, though the land-
lady in one case at least seems to have shown little enough
feeling, that are not easily reached by any form of public
relief. Still a groat point has been gained by the passing of
the recent act, and we may reasonably hope that it will d:
miniah not only the number of deaths in the highway from

want and destitution, but the sufferings of the large class

which they represent, whose misfortunes never reach the

public ear.

HER MOST GRACIOUS MAJESTY,

A new and exquisitely characteristic portrait of
her Mejesty the Queen has but just now made its
appearance from Mr Mitchell's well-known (stab-
lishment in Bend-street, It is announced as pub-
lished by command, end is dedicated to their Royal
Highnesses the Princesses. The engraving, which
is produced in the finest style by Wm. Holl, is
from a painting by A. Gracile. Attached to this
eminently beautiful work of art, inextricably assc-
elated with it, are a few at least among the lovely
words of that now world•famous benediction of the
Poet Laureate

• .
His love unseen, but felt, o'ershadow then ;
The love of all thy eons encompass thee;
The love of all thy daughters cherish thee;
The love of all thy people comfort thee,
Till God's love set thee at his side again."

And touchingly appropriate is the quotation thus
emblazoned beneath the engraving, seeing that
beside the seated figure of the Sovereign, arrayed
in her widow's weeds, there is the marble effigy of
her Majesty's lamented Consort, Albert "The G:eat
and Good." No more charming portraiture of our
beloved Monarch—"ltcvered Victoria"—has ever
been produced. It will be gratefully welcomed by
loyal and attached people.
D

EATII OF LIEUTENANT-GENEIIAL BENTINCK.—
Another coloneley becomes vacant by the death of Lieut.
Gen. Chas. A. F. Bentinek, colonel of the 12th Foot, who,
while on a visit to his brother in law, Count Waldeck, at
Bergheim Castle, in Germany, died in a fit of apoplexy on
Friday afternoon. The melancholy news reached the family
in London on Sunday last. The gallant officer was the
brother of General Sir Henry Bentinek.
THE CHAPEL ROYAL, SAYOY.—The Queen has
been pleased to approve of Mr. Sidney Smirke's
designs for the restoration of the Chapel Royal, Savoy,
which, it may bo remembered, was burnt down last sum-
mer, and the works aro being Proceeded with at her
Majesty's expense, Messrs. Myers and :.-on being the
builders. The council of Kieg's College F eve granted to
the chaplain of the Savoy (the Rev. 11, White) the use of
the chapel of the college for Sunday event g service, The
first service will be held on Sunday ov ning next at a
quarter after seven,