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

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING„TUNE G, 1864.

and efficiency were made the test of promotion
what would become of the "Dowbs," who by no
means restrict their efforts to serve the state to one
profession ? It is worth noticing that all the
speakers on Friday evening paid tribute to the
general merit of the masters as a class, and as we
have said the only arguments broaght against them
were the anxiety of the Admiralty to keep down
the expanses, and the assertion first that the masters
had no grievances, and, secondly, that they had no
more to
.complain of than the Custom-house officers
and other public servants. Lord C. PAGET, who as a
naval officer of long-standing shares in the prejudices
of the old school, admitted that it was a sore point
with the masters that on the quarter deck they
ranked below the junior lieutenants, but be con-
tended that this was not the sort of question to be
settled in Parliament. One hon. member indeed
objected to the interference of the House, saying
that it was their duty to check expenditure, not to
increase it. But Mr. HANKEY seemed to forget
that the House has higher duties than those of a
mere comptroller of accounts. It is the business of
its members to regulate the affairs of the country)
and most especially to secure just and equal govern-
ment to all classes of the community, and to serve
as a court of appeal to all who have wrongs of a
public nature to redress. That the injustice of the
treatment of the masters is very apparent is shown
by a few of the statements. When a master has
served twenty-five years he obtains the ncminal
rank of staff-commaner and £1 per diem ; when
a lieutenant has served nine years he gets his
promotion as commander, and is in receipt of £1
per diem. In five years more the lieutenant is a
post captain with from £4OO to £BOO a year, but
the master can never rise above his £365 per annum.
Neither is he permitted to share in rewards for dis-
tinguished service, although such rewards have
been often earned by them. Mr. GLASTONE's pero •
ration in favour of official economy received an
awkward comment in Mr HENNESSY'S reminder
of the proposed outlay of £50,000 for the Exhibition
building, besides other little official indiscretions,
but the House failed to support Sir LAWRENCE
Poues temperate and sensibla motion. The matter
must, therefore, be left in the hands of the public,
who are certainly closely concerned in obtaining
able and efficient men for the navy—an end not
very likely to be attained by the present method
of administrating affairs in the service.

ADELPIII THEATRE.—At the end of the present
Week one of the greatest attractions of the metro-
polis during the last twelve months will most certainly be
withdrawn, viz, the representation of " Leah " by Miss
Bateman. The success of the lady has been extraordinary;
from upwards of 200 nights, with but a very short break,
she has drawn overflowing audiences at this theatre, and
during the same period she has rendered her name famous
amongst the dramatic stars of the present time. It is much
to be regretted that arrangements cannot be made so as to
enable Miss Bateman to remain with us for longer period,
but we believe such a circumstance is altogether hopeless,
and on Saturday, therefore, we shall have to take farewell
of ono of the most powerful and pathetic actresses that has
for many years appeared on the board of a metropolitan
theatre.

DIE SOUTII PREPARED FOR A LONG WAR.—We
are a hundred times better prepared for war than
three years ago. You might not send us another pinch of
powder from Europe, and wo should not miss it, We have
nitre bureaux, nitre beds, and powder mills—in Augusta,
Georgia, the largest powder mill in America. You in
Europe can form no conception of the progress we have
been driven by necessity to make in the arts. We weave
our soldiers' cloth, make the leather for his shoes, our own
artillery, waggons and caissons, our own harness and saddle
and other equipments, We cast our big guns and the most
beautiful brass field-pieces you ever laid your eyes on. I
can take you to Columbus, Georgia, and show you a Colt's
pistol factory, for which every machine for every part was
designed and fashioned on the spot. In the same building
is a bayonet factory. Swords, spurs, military bridle bits,
and the like are made in every town and village. We have
besides our foundries, military arsenals, and navy yards, in
which you would be surprised to see what the mother of
invention has done for us. Our ordnance yards and depots
contain all that is required for modern warfare. Formerly,
you know, we had to depend upon Yankees for so simp:e a
thing as a lucifer match; the Confederate article supplies its
place now. In the printing business Southern mills furnish
our printing paper, and ink is made at home. Thera is in a
newspaper office in one town a machine invented by the
foremen for making letter envelopes. It turns out several
thousands a day, and of course pays very handsomely. Soon

after the blockade many thought that we should " ga up"
on the salt question—couldn't salt our meat, and should be
starved into subjection—it has turned out like the panic
about powder. The salt mines of Virginia, the saline
springs of Alabama, and the exhaustless ocean and gulf
washing our coast have invited labour and ingenuity, and
there is no longer scarcity of salt.—the Index.
THE LAST DAYS OF A MAN OF GENIUS.—After

leaving Osnaburg-street our sculptor was no longer
sustained by that vivacity
which had in a great measure
upheld him in his severest trials. In his poor abode in
Charlotte-street he surrounded himself with a meagre sal-
vage from the dispersion of his works. He maintained the
appearance of occupation ; there was always a wet clay bust
' in the room, but his sitters were few, and they now paid in-
differently. He was much concerned about his dog, which
was complained of by the landlady, but he said with deep
feeling that, after a warm attachment on both sides for so
many years, ho could not poison him. A fortnight before
his death he complained of tingling and twitching at his
finger ends, and some short time afterwards he fell suddenly
in the street. The same thing occurred a second time, after
which he was conveyed to Middlesex Hospital, where he
received every attention. He was not aware that death was
so near at hand, although he felt he had not long to live.
He was visited by his deaf and dumb assistant, with whom
he communicated freely by means of the manual alphabet
and signs. Behnes threw his head back, and placed his
fingers on his eyelids, as if closing them. his companion
nodded. The sculptor's next act was convey his wish that a
cast of his features should be taken after death, which he
did by running his fingers round his face from the forehead
to beneath the chin. His deaf and dumb friend again nodded,
He instantly understood a sign, but the dying sculptor, for
such was his condition, was precise in his instructions.
Having assured himself that (lawn perfectly understood
him, he wished to express " not yet," for his own impres-
sion was, that he had some time to live ; and this he did, it
is reported, by applying his thumb to his nose, so making a
sign that in street slang is called "taking a sight." The
poor deaf and dumb sculptor, who had been many years
faithful to him, carried out his instructions—a cast was
taken, from which it is proposed to execute a bust for pre-
sentation to the Royal Portrait Gallery,—Cornhill Maga-
sine, for June.
THE DURHAM OTTER HOUNDS.—Thispack,under
the care of Mr. Taylor,
has been having a week's
hunting in the :North Riding rivers. The Black Beck, the
Old Derwent, the Rye, the Riccal, the Teven, and the Costa
have all been tried, with varied success, and with grand
sport on Tuesday and on Thursday. Although the meets
were generally about daybreak, a very large number of
attendance.gentlemen ci
gentlemen, angnleTrso,esadnady a
large otter was scented in the
sportsmen have been in regular
theCo morning'sst, and after
ftersrpuonrtniwnagstahberodprag
tfy stopped owing to the otterin fine style for some time
bolting up a large pipe drain to escape the hounds, only to
be smothered. On Thursday, before daylight, a very large
meet took place at Butterwick-bridge, on the Rye, where
the veteran hound Wrangler almost at once gave notice of
game—a very large and strong otter. By 4 o'clock they
were in full scent, and the drag was run in fine style. After
four hours' hunting up the Rye and about the Riccal and
Dove river mouths scent was lost, but soon regained, and
an attempt to kill the otter by spearing was ineffectually
made. Subsequently a most exciting scene occurred. The
otter took to mid-stream, and was swimming directly up
voices. The
hounds boetitnerg
g once again, and took to ato by hundreds of human
with the full pack swimming after him, the joyful cry of
trrieesdpodnoddgiedli
bill, but the terriers very soon dislodged him, and ho was
compelled to take once more to deep water. Eventually he
showed signs of distress, and some of the most venturesome
sportsmen tailed him and got him on shore, where a game
fight with the hounds was held for some time before he
finally yielded. His weight was about 201 b. and certainly
the drag of a gamer otter was never run. It was midday
before many of the sportsmen turned homewards.
WI M WINO RACE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.—
A swimming match for the two-mile champion cup
and 1200 will take place this evening in the Thames, from
Hammersmith to Putney, between Professor Beckwith (the
present champion), and Mr. E. B. Mather, of Manchester.
The trophy for which they are to contend is offered for
public competition by the London Swimming Club, and
has to be held three consecutive years before its winner
becomes finally entitled to it. Beekwith, who won the last
champion contest, is the favourite ; but as Mather has since
his defeat increased in skill, and has also youth and strength
on his side, he is not without hope of success. For the
accommodation of gentlemen desirous of witnessing the
raco two steamboats will leave London-bridge at half-past
four, calling at all intermediate pim UP to jianaraermith,