The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-11 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCII 11, 1864.

Tl:c las t account of the death of an European King
was followed HO rapidly and so startlingly by all
sorts of diplomatic complications, eventually even
by war (the war now in progress upon the soil of
Denmark) that it is not without a qualm that the
flows brought to us last night from Munich inti-
matd the dem:so of the Bavarian King MAmmt-
LINN 11. The " consternation " referred to by the
previous day's telegram indicating the dangerous
malady by which the late monarch was known to
have been suddenly prostrated, the consternation
s,tid by the telegram of Wednesday to have then
prevailed among the Bavarians, it should b:
remembered at once, had
no significance whatever
of a political kind. It
was simply the tribute of
affliction paid by a grateful nation to a popular

ruler—and, certainly, of all tokens it was the one
most distinctly demonstrative of the reality of that
ruler's popularity. The consternation was that
purely of a profound sympathy for a beloved
Monarch suddenly stricken down by a mortal
disease in the very prime of his manhood.
The late King of Bavaria, MAXIMILIAN 11.,
shines all the more brightly, it must be confessed,
by contrast with his immediate predecessor, the ex-
King Louis, still surviving sixteen years after his
compulsory abdication. The history of the reign
of that ex-King Louis, in effect, yet lives in Euro-
pean remembrance as one of the most grotesque
episodes in the annals of the Continent. The late
incidents in the reign of that Bavarian Louis
especially seem to us still, in the remem-
brance of them, more like scenas from a
serio-comic opera, an opera hestitating mid-
way between melodrama and burlesque. The
heroine of that strange eventful history being
no other than the beautiful and notorious LOLA
MONTES, that ex-ballet-dancer, who had then con-
trived to pirouette herself into a Countess of
LANSFELD. The principal male character in the
piece, affecting half the young lover, half the old
buffoon, being the KING himself, who was
literally led the strangest dance imaginable
by the wild vagaries of the bewitching
danseuse. A beleagured palace and tumul-
tuous streets, riots and emeutes ad lzbitton,
eventuating, as our American cousins would have
it, not unnaturally in the love-crazed monarch's
abdication. The old King, having begun his reign
as a Liberal, ended it thus prematurely as a reac-
tionist. Instead of caring for the interests of his
people,he devoted the latter years of his mistaken and
disturbed tenure of power to the cultivation of the
Fine Arts in the capital of his kingdom, exhausting
the revenues of his State in a lavish adornment of a
Royal Museum, with costly works of art
of all descriptions, these principally of
course being paintings and statuary. While
the character of his son and successor, the
late King MAXIMILIAN 11., was kindred to that of
Louis, inasmuch as it likewise was that of a genuine
savan and of a patron of arts, science, and literature,
the son throughout his reign—a reign ending con-
sequently with his death, and not with his abdi-
cation—evidenced a profound and conscientious
interest in the fortunes, political, social, and
material, of the people entrusted to his charge.
Hence his popularity. Hence the consternation
excited among his people by the tidings of his
dangerous illness, and the dismay with which the
fatal termination of that illness has since then been
learnt throughout Bavaria.

The arrival of a new viceregal authority must
always be a matter of interest and importance in
any country removed from the actual seat of the
ruling power. The vast colonial possessions of
England give occasion to many such cases of dele-
gated authority, while the sister kingdom, as we
all know, is under the same form of Government,
although, from her close proximity to England, she
is in a different position from countries where many
miles intervene between the central authority
and the viceregal power. In such cases so much is
necessarily left to the discretion of the Governor-
General or the Lord-Lieutenant that the question
of individual character becomes of paramount im-
portance. Tact, temper, and experience, the firm
hand) and the courteous manner, are all needed in
an especial degree by a man in such a position.
More especially is it necessary that the rulers
should have qualities and capacities fitted to the
arduous and responsible post of governing their
fellows, if they are not to rule over Englishmen
whose natural steadiness, love of order, and sense of
justice, make them, in the words of a great states-
man concerning education, " easy to lead, but
difficult to drive—easy to govern, but impossible to
enslave." In place of thus mixing with their
own countrymen, they have to deal with men 'of
another race and history, speaking another lan-
guage, worshipping according to another faith, and
following different customs and habits of their own.
We have a striking instance of this in our vast
Indian Empire, where large possessions and an
immense population are to be governed by an
Englishman often new to the country. His
advisers are often too much biassed by old tra-
ditions of policy and government, to be safe and
trusty guides ; and however well he may be versed
in the mutations of Indian history or the intricacies
of the many languages of the country, he will have
yet much to learn respecting the character of the
natives, and the best mode of dealing with them
which can only be gained by personal intercourse
and experience. It is therefore a matter of great
satisfaction that the Governor-General recently ap-
pointed to the viceregal dignity in the most impor-
tant of our possessions, should be a man to whom
all these difficulties are old familiar friends; who
has already passed through the preliminary stage
of learning bow to govern, and who is fit and ready
at once to deal with questions of practical govern-
ment. His long and brilliant career in the Punjaub,
which he preserved to us during the terrible year
of the mutiny, was an admirable preparation for
assuming a still higher and more responsible office.
There was no need in this case for Anglo•lndians
and native leaders to speculate anxiously on the
character of the new Governor, or to watch for his
coming with doubtful feelings. The name of LAW-
HENCE is known and honoured throughout his
adopted country, and he has proved in the hour of
desperate trial that be is equal to any emergency,
while his humanity and justice towards the native
1 1 tribes may b 3 securely relied upon. India is happily
no longer shaken by the storms of '57 ; but although
outwardly peaceful and prosperous there is scope 1
for the active exertions of an able legislator
for many a long year to come. Her great need now
is those measures of internal reform which have
been so long delayed ; the extension of the irriga-
tion works, the reclamation of the waste lands, the
general development of her national resources. The
surprising change Effected in her prospects during
the last few years is highly gratifying. Notwith-
standing any temporary embariasement of the cur-
rency, it is almost difficult to believe that a very
few years back men of experience and ability were
absolutely desponding as to her prospects, and some
even recommended abandoning our Eastern Empire
in order to avoid the heavy pecuniary loss it was
certain to entail upon as. Since then the finances
of India have been managed on a different system,
with what good result we all know, and there is
now no reasonable doubt that before long, instead
of an encumbrance, India will be a fertile source of
wealth to her little island ruler. Sir JOHN LAW-
RENCE is the very man for the post, and we look
confidently fora
ender
his es.
idtaraougsrreiscsin all reforms and
improvements
We are not sur-
prised to learn from the mail just arrived, that he
was applying himself as closely to work as any
clerk, in order to dispose of the accumulated tureen
of business. The suppression of the war on the
frontier fortunately leaves him free to devote all his
energies to civic business, and renders his journey
northwarde no longer immediately necessary. He
is summoning to his counsels those who formerly
assisted him in the Punjab, and we also learn from
the Times of India that Sir HUGS Rose has been
invited to Calcutta for a conference
- on military
matters, and the agent for the It pootana States
has been likelviae requested to meet the Oovernor-

General to discuss the affairs of the provin:e. Sir
JOHN LAWRENCE is thus resolved to enter upon
every subject thoroughly, and is already giving
every encouragement to sanitary and progressive
measures. His indifference to mere State etiquette
has surprised and mortified some of the Calcutta
grandees, but that very characteristic be an
advantage, as tending to check the extravagance so
common in Anglo-Indian life. The inauguration of
such a ruler promises well for the affairs of the
great country for whose well-being we are nation-
ally responsible.

A question of great social importance was dis-
cussed the other evening, and one that affects the
health of the community to a great extent. The
Cattle Diseases Prevention Bill came ceder consi-
deration, and Mr. BRUCE very forcibly explained
the great evils that arose from the prevalent prac-
tice of supplying bad meat. The question is a very
difficult one to deal with, and hitherto the evils of
the case have not been at all successfully encoun-
tered, although there have been no less than four
acts relating to the subject. Those who are igno-
rant of the details, or indifferent to the notices of
such subjects, will be surprised to learn that so
much as £6,120,000 is the annual value lost by
disease of cattle in the United Kingdom. The
most fatal, by far, of the diseases among cattle is
that called pleuro-pneumonia, as it carries off
nearly one-half. Tisis is supposed, with good
reason, to be contagious, and is often transmitted
by the cattle imported from other countries.
During the course of embarkation the poor ani-
mals have to undergo a great deal of fatigue, and
suffer from thirst, and various other causes tend
to increase the risks and develop the malady.
Mr. BRUCE very properly laid great stress on
the fact that a great quantity of diseased meat
was annually sold in various stages of disease.
This is a matter of considerable moment to many,
and it seems very strange that so little attention
has been paid to the subject for so long a period.
It would be difficult to estimate the iniquity of
such a nefarious proceeding as that of distri-
buting bad meat among the markets, and cer-
tainly it is almost impossible to exaggerate the con-
sequences. The hindrances that seem to impede
the progress of those who would ameliorate this
condition of things ought not to be allowed to
be insuperable, and one plan after another should
be tried until something feasible is hit upon that,
with the continuance of care and caution, may
render the evil of brief occurrence. The details
which Mr. BRUCE furnished to the House are
enough to excite the disgust and indignation of
all who heard them, and all who peruse the report
of the speech which contains them. Daring the
process of killing it is the practice in some
slaughter-houses to " dress extremely dis-
eased carcasses, and polish the meat."
The lean and diseased animals are rubbed over
with the fat of the healthy ones, so combined as to
give them a good appearance. A salesmaster in
Ireland has gone so far as to intimate that the
sellinglof diseased cattle is necessary, and that un-
less the farmer resorted to this expedient he could
not pay his rent. This is, certainly, bringing things
to a pretty pass, but still the remark proves that
the practice is most prevalent. It is high time
that something very effectual be done to stop this
pernicious custom. Mr. BRUCE made several pro-
posals, which seem to promise well, and certainly
deserve a trial. One important change was to alter
the regulations which restricted the importation of
diseased cattle from Ireland and Scotland as well
as from foreign countries. At present this was not
practicable, because the expression, " parts beyond
the seas," was not held applicable to portions of the
United Kingdom. This shows the extreme neces-
sity that exists for the exercise of caution in de-
vising those schemes, because sometimes after very
elaborate plans have been adopted the end is not
gained, and the primary purpose still remains
unfulfilled. Mr. BRUCE also proposed an admirable
suggestion, that the railway authorities should be
compelled to cleanse the trucks in which cattle were
carried, and also to water the animals once in 12
hours. The cruelty of leaving these poor creatures
to suffer from thirst is very great, and also it must
exercise the most pernicious effects on their health.
Also, it is suggested! that inspectors be appointed,
with powers to seize any sheep or lambs exposed
for sale at fairs and other places. At any rate, Mr.
BRUCE has proposed quite enough measures to deal
with the evil for the present, and to mitigate, if
not greatly to stop it. The Bill has been read a
second time, and referred to a select committee. It
is a great satisfaction to notice that so important a
measure has been taken up in the right spirit; and
though some hon. members amused themselves by
sneering at the detat!e, they may be allowed to
laugh, for it will not interfere with the beneficial
results of the plans which have been skilfully
devised for the preservation of human health, and
the best interests of the community.

The British Museum on Sundays,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Stn,--The Prime Minister's reply to the deputation is
so very candid and encouraging, that, if the working men
do but act upon the very significant hint his lordship was
kind enough to give them, they will soon obtain the object
of their reasonable wishes, as they will find their efforts
strongly backed by the whole nation of shopkeepers, who
are as much interested in the matter as their mechanical
countrymen; and although it cannot be denied that a diffe-
rtnce of opinion exists, and that the other side, being reli-
giously conscientious, is entitled to respect, still the Lon-
doners feel that, as they ars under the same laws as the
Greenwichers and the Hampton Courters, they have a right
to the same privileges, and they think that that which is
good in the country cannot be wicked in London—and I
think so too.—l have the honour to be, Sir, your most obe-
dient servant, G. E.

March, 1864.

THE MULREADY EXHIBITION at the South Ken-
sington Museum will be opened to-morrow,
THE Charivari this week has a caricature of John
Bull in convulsions of grief by the side of the British lion,
crouching like a cur, with a tin kettle, labellod " Schleswig-
Holstein," fastened to his tail. Mr. Bull is exclaiming that
the lion is " biers malade."

ONE HUNDRED 'IIIO[7SIND SALMON EGGS arc
being hatched by Mr. Francis, at Twickenham, under the
direction of the Acclimatisation Society. As soon as the
young salmon are fit, they will be rEmovd to various rivers.
It is hoped that salmon may be caught off Chelsea next year.

DISCOVERY OF A MSS. AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
SILVIO PELLICO,—The .Revista Italiana announces
that a manuscript containing a life of Silvio Pellico, written
by himself, has been discovered amongst the papers of the
late Marchioness of Barolo. It is well known that after
leaving Spielberg ho became librarian to the Marchioness,
who died tho other day. It is stated that the memoir is
shortly to be published. _

OUR TRADE IN ►SWEETS.—In the year 1855 the
total amount of confectionary made in this country
did not exceed 8,000 tons, whereas in 1862 the amount had
risen to 25,000 tons per annum. The Messrs. 'Schooling
alone consumed between 400 and 500 tons of sugar, and 200
tons gum arabic, and sent outlo,ooo boxes containing sweets
last year. As the trade has increased, many houses have
adopted certain specialities. Thus, one establishment
makes hundreds of tons of jams and marmalades in the
year, another makes 150 tons of lozenges and comfits, a
third nothing but medicated lozenges, another acidulated
drops, which are an entirely English manufacture, not
being known abroad. Then again, gum goods are spa-
cially by one house, 5c.,3, The English manufac•
turers, having fairly set their shoulders to the wheel, are
fast distancing their foreign competitors. Hitherto great
purity from noxious adulterations of sweets produced
abroad has been in their favour, but now the English ma-
nufacturers are as free from these as those of their neigh-
bours, whilst they do not, like them, use flour and other
farina to bring up the colour of their comfits, a habit uni-
versally indulged in by continental manufacturers.—Once
a Tretdc,