The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-18 00:00:00

The Roman Wall.

At the first meeting of the Society of Antique•
ries last evening, Earl Stanhope, the president, in
the chair, Mr Tite, M.P., read an interesting paper,
in the form of a letter addressed to Mr Frederick
Ouvry, the treasurer of the society, descriptive of
some recently discovered remains of the walls of
Roman London. lie stated that in the year 1853 a
beautiful tasselated pavement was found by him
under Graham House, in Broad-street. This inte-
resting discovery had always led Mr Tite to believe
that similar remains existed in the same neighbour-
hood, further strengthened by the fact that in
Trinity.square, just adjoining, a portion of the
ancient wall of London still existed above ground,
which, though not Roman, was supposed to rest on
Roman foundations. In 1841 the 131ackwall
way, much further north than this point, cut
through Roman remains of the great wall, but
beyond that slight indication things remained in
the same state until the autumn of this year. In
August, 1861, certain very large works were under.
taken in Cooper-row for the erection of immense
warehouses to meet the increasing trade of London.
These were entrusted to a London architect, Mr
Clifton, a friend of Mr Tite, who in August of this
year brought him a photograph of some curious
remains discovered in executing these works. Mr
rite visited the spot, and found a very extensive
fragment of a Norman wall, with archer arrow
slits and other defensive appliances. The fragment
was 110 ft long, and in height from the bottom of
the foundatioii to the top of tt,e parapet 41ft. All
the foundations end a considerable portion of the
low er wall were undoubtedly Roman, built of square
stonee in regular courses, with bonding courses of
Roman brick of intense hardt ess and excellent
cement. Mr Tite stated that the cement was so herd
that he could not procure a whole brick for exhibi-
tion, but had obtained one broken in half. This spe-
cimen seemed to be es hard as any red earthenware,
and was, as was always the case with the Roman,
more of what we should call a tile, being about a
foot square, and 1! thick. '['he mortar between the
bricks, unlike our modern system, was nerrly as
thick as the bricks themselves, and abounding in
portions of pounded brick. Mr Tite showed the
exact place of these remains in an ancient plan of
London in the reign of Elizabeth, when the walls
and gates were in existence. He then pointed out
a few other localities where undoubted Roman re-
mains of these walls were traceable—viz., Cam°,
mile-street, the street still called London-wall, and
near Moorgate. In referring to the history of Ro-
man London Mr Tite pointed out that there could
have been ;no walls at the time whoa Suctonius
abandoned it A.D. 61. He quoted some Norman
historians, who referred the walls toe period as late
as the Empress Helena, but his opinion seemed to
be that they dated about the second century of our
era. Of the distinctly Norman work above this
level Mr Tite attributed that to the period when
Archbishop Langton and William Marshal, Earl of
Pembroke, had failed in their first endeavours to
prevail on King John to restore the ancient laws
contained in the Great Charter; the associated
Barons assumed their arms, and with their forces
marched first to Northampton and thence to
Bedford. They were favourably received there
by William de Beauchamp, and there also
came to them messengers from London, who
privately advised them immediately to go thither.
On this they advanced to Ware, and arrived at
Aldgate after a night march on the 24th of May,
1215, the Sunday before Ascension Day. Finding
the gates open, says Roger de Wendover, they en-
tered the city without any tumult, while the jobs.
bitants were performing Divine service; for the
rich citizens were favourable to the Barons, and
the poor ones were afraid to complain of them.
After this, the walls being in a ruinous state, they
restored them, using the materials of the Jews'
houses existing in the neighbourhood and then de.
stroyed to build up the defences, which, as Fitz.
stephen relates, were in a subsequent reign in a
high state of excellence. Mr Tite pursued his his,
tory of the wall of London through its various
phases
Mayor,ofcirtuizinen,anadndr, e vival
draperu n
It
ph
he pxaotsroieoitymn
eL,ord
in
1477, completely restored all the walls, gates, end
aassistedby
Sirb by
John
Gtoowldesrmiths' s,
companies,wahnidchothweorrk
he
was Crosby, a member of the Grocers' Company. The
gradual increase of the necessities of the citizens for
more space and the Great Fire of 1666 completed
the destruction of these once important defences,
and but few remains now exist to show their ex.
tent and value. Mr Tite stated that the total area
enclosed by the walls which still constitutes the
great City of London is only about 380 acres. The
paper read by Mr Tite was illustrated by beautiful
drawings of the remains by Mr Brass and Mr Tyer-
man, and was listened to with much attention. It
gave rise to a conversation, in
which
Fellow of the society, took a
prominent l‘ ir
part. Black,
a

- -
SINGULAR CAPTURE OF A HARE AND A SKATE
AT LITTLETIAMPTON.—A hare, which had doubt-
less been disturbed in the fields at the back, in attempting
to cross the river, jumped from the quay on board the Uncle
Tom, and---the hatches being off-fell into the hold in-
jured, and was easily taken. A cod of about 201 b was
hooked by our fishermen on Friday, which had been just at
hauling seized by the head by a very large skate. So
firmly had the skate taken its hold on the head of the fish
as for it to be easily taken with the cod.
THE COTTON MANUFACTURING !DISTRICTS.--
STOCKPORT.—The return just issued of the state of em-
ployment in the mills of Stockport, shows an increase of
40 in the number out of employment. Thus the total num-
ber of persons at work in prosperous times was 20,330; at
presentandfive
week,areB34 shorter time, whilst the number
unemployed is 7,850. As compared with the previous fort-
nightly return, 1,689 more are working full time, and 1,814
four and five days, whilst 3,543 have gone from short to
longer hours. The number wholly unemployed has, how-
ever, increased by 40.

LONDON, FRIDAY, NOV. 18, 1861.

The arrival of the New Z:laland mail gives us
some interesting particulars of the recent doings in
that troubled colony. The most important part of
it relates to the complete submission of a large porn
tion of the Maories, known as the east coast natives,
and their unconditional surrender of their lands
into the hands of the Governor. Such a proceeding
ii most encouraging, not only as indicating that the
natives aro abandoning all hope of successfully pro-
secuting the war, but as seeming to show that they
are at last convinced of our superior pawer, and that
they must henceforth remain good subjects of Queen
VICTORIA if they hope to retain their possessions.
After such au outbreak, and indeed after the long
angry contentions about the possession of particular
bits of land it was quite impoesiblo that things
should be left on their old footing, and it was indis-
pensable to the safety and prosperity of the colony
that matters should be definitively arranged by
Government authority. Tho Alnories, who have so
long held arms against ns, cannot, of course, expect
the same recognition of their rights as the friendly
natives, bat as yet those who have laid down their
arms have no right to complain, for the great object
of
.the Government is to secure peace rather than to
gun land. Teem Is no chance of avoiding colli.
sions with the natives unless they aro fully con-
vioccd of our superior strength snd determination
preeerve our property. In this relation more
than in any other, the best preservation for peace is
preparation for war, for although the Maories are
altogether of a higher class than ordinary
savages, yet it is d fficult for them to dis.
b.;ciate levity from fear. After pushing on
the war with so much vigour, and gaining no
neany decisive advantages we e zsla well afford to show

tl7tra that mr,rcy and indultze.nce which we have
always felt, but which it has not been prudent to
P xhi bi , and they will now accept as an act of
grace what they might previously have thought was
extorted through fear. The natives of thelVaikato
trilx,s have not indeed made any submission, and
it is thought in some (Fluters that they will take

up arms again in the spring. We should hope,
however, that the useless and desperate nature of
the conflict will by that time have been fully im-
pressed upon them, for it must not be forgotten
that the natives are also suffering from the war,
and have often been driven to great hardships,
besides losing numbers of their men. WILLIAM
TemaHots', the great leader of the King move-
ment, is said to be near Taurange, and to be openly
declaring that come what may nothing will induce
him to lay down arms, while a vestige of Kingism
remains.- Perhaps by the spring he may find that
not a vestige does remain, so that his pledge may
be very easily kept. • Already the west coast na-
tives, who believed the cause of the King to be
under special divine protection, have been com-
pelled by the misfortunes of the cause to adopt a
new creed, and are busy learning the Mosaic law,
which is to be the code of the god RURA, their new
deity. The King himself and his chief supporters
are assembled at Taranaki, which has been selected
as his Majesty's place of retreat on account of its
difficulty of access and other advantagea, which it
offers for the maintenance of a savage court. Ge-
neral CAMERON proposes to employ the winter
months in a campaign against this stronghold of
barbaric state, and if he could be fortunate enough to
capture the King and break up the King party, a
most decisive blow must be struck at the
rebellion. There is intelligence of the escape of
about 200 rebel prisoners from Kamon on the 10th
of September. They have been captives ever since
last November, and have been treated as prisoners
of war, excepting that a very slight guard has been
kept upon them. It is mentioned as an instance of
the native nobility of the Maori character that
these men never attempted any act of violence,
although the Governor and his staff were often
among them unarmed ; and none of the residents
in the vicinity felt any uneasiness at the close
neighbourhood of such numbers of the formidable
Maories. The Governor and some friends made a
pleasure-trip round the island of Kamon a short
time before the escape, when several of the prisoners
manned the boat and remained in charge of it while
the party went ashore. They made no attempt to
escape, and were faithful to their charge, but at the
beginning of September they contrived some means
of getting across the narrow strait which separated
their island prison from the mainland, and no more
has since been heard of them. Some persons hope
much from their account of the kind and liberal
treatment they have received; others fear they will
endeavour to regain their prestige by a call to arms;
but nothing is yet known of them. Something,
too, may be hoped from the clemency which the
Governor has shown to the natives whn laid down
their arms at Tauranga. Owing to a large body of
rebels having made their submission to Col. GREER,
the Governor visited Tauranga, and held a meeting,
at which the principal chiefs expressed their un-
conditional surrender. " I mean," said one, " that
the Governor is to hold the land as his own, to do
what he likes with it. When we made our sub,"
mission to the Colonel we gave up our arms and
ourselves, and the question about the land
was left for the Governor to decide." Another
chief was equally conclusive. "We give up the
land to you, you may occupy it yourself, or permit
us to do so, or refuse to allow us to do so, as you
please." Certainly nothing could be more uncon-
ditional than these terms. Whether the chiefs
hoped to obtain from clemency what they could not
gain by force is uncertain, but, if so, they had no
reason to be disappointed in the conduct of the
Governor. At a second meeting, held the next day,
he told them that he was unacquainted with the
exact boundaries or extent of their lands, but that
he should order that settlements should be at once
assigned them in such localities as they might
select, to be secured by Crown grant to themselves
and their children. And further, in order to mark
his approval of the honourable manncr in which
they have conducted the war, he promised them
that the confiscated portion should not exceed once
fourth of their lands, and that seed potatoes, and
other means of settling, should be given them. The
friendly natives were assured by the Governor that
their fidelity should be rewarded and their rights
scrupulously respected. Such terms were more
liberal than the Maories could have hoped for, and
it remains to be seen what effect this well-timed
clemency will have had upon the still contumacious
rebels,

COLSTON'S Day in Bristol is always a very magi.
nificent
_affair, and on the late occasion it was
celebrated with no lack of enthusiasm on either
side. The Liberals and Conservatives seemed to
vie with each other in their endegvours to do
honours to the occasion, and the presence of 'those
who will be the rival candidates at the forthcoming
election of course imparted an additional excitement
to the gathering at the strongholds of the respec-
tive partied. Mr. H. BERKELEY, after making an
effective allusion to his long connection with the
city as its representative, congratulated his hearers
upon the prospect which they had of possessing in
their new member ono so eminent as Sir S. MORTON
PETO. The bon: member's description of the
political state of parties was humorous, if not
always strictly true in its definitions. He exulted
in the idea that the Liberals had pulled forward so
badly in the cause of Reform that the/ had dragged
the Tories after them. Certainly this is not very
apparent, and has not been so of late years, for it
has been conspicuous that those who aspired to be
the true exponents and real representatives of
Reform have lagged in the course, and been the
means of preventing any successful attempt in that
direction. It was hardly fair on his part either to
be so vehement in his detraction of the efforts made
by the Conservatives to bring in a Reform Bill, and
certainly silence would be more consistent than
expressing satisfaction at the manner in which
that endeavour' was frustrated. Mr. BERKELEY
gave good advice, however, when he said that if
the people really wanted Reform they must work
for it themselves, and make their wishes evident.
lie of course made mention of his labours during
many years to advocate the introauction of the
ballot, and declared that some who ought to
support it choose to say that it would
not do so much as its friends believed.
"What does he expect it to do," remarked the hon.
member. We believe it will protect a man in
giving an honest conscientious vote. We want
nothing more. We believe it will be a check upon
bribery, and therefore we aro not to be condemned
by BERNAL OSBORNE or any one else. Sir F.
MORTON PETO made a long and rather interesting
speech, in which he explained his views and inter).
tions in coming forward as their representative. He
was very decided spinet the notion that we ought
to have supported Denmark, and declared that we
should have had a thirty years' war, and injured
our trade in such a manner that " our children's
children would have felt it." That the total, un.
conditional, and absolute repeal of the Church-rates
would be the cause he should ever advocate with his
wb°l° might and main wa., of course, no news tt,
his hearers,but i.e expressed his views in an honour.
able and straightforward manner, that reflects
credit upon any exposition of opinion or enunciation
of belief. Mr FREMANTLE, the Conservative can-
didate, made his debut at the Dolphin, and appeared
to give satisfaction to his friends. At all events, he

spoke out with energy and determination, and
seemed resolved that no efforts should be spared on
his part to meet the requirements of the task put
upon him. He had one advantage on his side,
which was that he could claim some sort of con■
nexion Red relationship with the good and famous
man whom all parties met together that day to cele-
brate. His advocacy of the Conservative cause
was very ably done for a beginner, and he addressed
himself to some of the most salient points of atten-
tion in the consideration of his subject. He declared
himself a moderate Conservative, and denounced the
insidious tactics of those who are al ways avowing that
the Conservative policy is synonymous with a re-
trograde one. "Progress, not needless change," he
expounded as the motto of their cause. Mr. FRE-
MANTLE'S conclusion was very happily timed, for
he made allusion to the Society which brought them
together, and observed that he had been told that
the "Dolphin" had the largest brain of any crea-
ture in the world, but that he thought it had the
largest hettrt, for " large-heartedness and open-
handedness, and all that goes to make up true
liberality, were the principles of the Bristol Conser-
vatives,' Sir STAFFORD NORTUCOTE'S remarks
were in excellent keeping with those of his friend,
and he also laii great stress upon the test that the
Conservative party did not withdraw from any of
their recently expressed opinions regarding Reform
or improvements in the questions of the day, As
for the notions that some people spread about
as to their being a " Conservative reaction,, he de-
clared that he did not think much of it, and it was
likely to be misinterpreted. Taking all things
into consideration it does not appear that a very
vast difference exists between the different sides,
or will exist when they are tried by a standard
which will measure them in the world, and not by
the extreme views that both sides are tempted to
take when they are only addressing a party of their
immediate supporters and friends. COLSTON'S day
on its annual appearance has brought many changes,
bu,, perhaps, none more conspicuous than the ex-
treme alteration that has taken place in the condi-
tion of parties and the mode of carrying on poli-
tical warfare. The fact is that now there is not
much for either side to do but to follow the wishesot
the nation. If there is any particular advantage
on one side more than another, it is on that of the
Conservatives, for they really come forward and
put actions on record instead of merely adhering
to words. On the other hand, the Liberals have
had all the game to themselves for years and years,
but nothing decided or definite is done. We are
constantly hearing of the impracticability of their
opponents and of the feeling of the country being
against them, but we do not see much that comes
of their exclusion from office. When a new Reform
Bill comes it will be the reflection of the wishes of
the people, and there will be no occasion for either
side to declaim ab Jut their own merits and decry
the conduct of others. Still, whe❑ taking a retro-
spect view of passing events, it must appear evidl/4nt
to all that the most serious stumbling block in the
way of reform has been put by the so-called
disciples of that school. By their exhibition of
bliod..intolerance that was a disgrace to the prin-
ciples they professed, they prevented the other side
from carrying out their measure, and thus showed
that they would rather not have the thing at all
than be indebted to those whom they had scorned
and ridiculed as their hindrances in the work.
Such conduct is very inconsistent with that of
straightforward policy, it.can neither serve indivi-
dual interests or admit the national wants. If at
the forthcoming elections the lame insidious tactics
are to be resorted to, the more they are denounced
the better, for they will defeat their so-called pur-
pose of serving the country, while they damage
the character and iejure the credit of our leading
public men,