The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-01 00:00:00

Tiit, CrSN, LON k;o_,,
VRIDA
r 71 vaArt
,0-1 V kinLY 1 IV

latervenliao—we may now rejoice to our very
hearts' content, over the mingled shame and igno-
miny secured to us by our left-handed adoption
of a 'kind of blustering yet craven travestee of the
Peace-at-any-Price policy.

The administration of relief to the destitute has
always been one of the most serious perplexities
which lie in the path of the legislator. To steer
between the two dangers of encouraging idleness
and improvidence and of neglecting the really
needy is a problem which has at all times been
most difficult to solve, and which, in spite of all
our efforts and experiments, cannot yet be said
to be satisfactorily settled. Even in our own
metropolis we have frequent reason for doubting
now far our elaborate poor-law system fulfils its
task; and the evils of the cad plan, which fell
into the opposite error from that now common,
are still fresh in the memory. The condition of
the poorer classes in the sister country is not such
as to ireauce us to suppose that the present arrange-
ments are perfect, and therefore Mr. HENNESSY
deserved better success in endeavouring to excite
some interest in the discussion of the Irish Poor
Law. The hon, member, in moving the second
reading of the Poor Law (Ireland) Acts Amend-
ment Bill, explained that its object was to em-
power the Poor Law Commissioners of Ireland to
allow out-door relief to be given to such classes of
the able-bodied poor to such extent and in such
manner as they may think fit. This permission
does not seem at first sight to contain any objec-
tionable feature, being, in fact, copied from a
similar clause in the English law ; but the prin-
ciple of out-door relief as applicable to Ireland is
strongly objected to by a large number of persons.
The principle is, as we know, readily recognised in
this country, and complaints are often made that
the line is often drawn too tight, and that, in their
desire to avoid the old mistake of encouraging
vagrancy and rewarding thriftlessness, guardians
and relieving officers often inflict unnecessary hard-
ships on the poor. It is quite evident that it is
cheaper to give a little out-door relief than to take
a whole family into the workhouse ; and at first
sight it may therefore seem strange that the con-
dition of entering the House is generally in-
sisted on ; but the workhouse authorities
know better, and are fully aware that the
dislike to surrendering independence, to break-
ing up a home, and the consequent dis-
ruption of family ties, is sufficiently strong to
keep a good many half starved persons from apply-
icg to the parish. But the question remains
whether these are not the very persons whom we
should most wish to help ? It is the better class of
the struggling poor who shrink from the " house"
and its restraints; those who have some self-respect
left, and who take a pride in their little belongings,
and have a care for their families, and it is these
wno in times of sickness or distress have to bear
sore straits to avoid the object of their dread. This
argument may well be brought forward on le:halt
of the poor of Ireland, and Mr. HENNESSY, in ad-
vocating the change he proposed, especially dwelt
upon the debasement which the Irish poor felt when
they entered the Union. He was convinced, he
said, that the law now in operation in Ireland for
the so-called relief of the poor tended very much
to p►omote that excessive emigration which is so
much regretted, for the labouring man who had
been forced to become an inmate of the workhouse
was eager to leave the country: The social and
moral interests of the poor should, as Mr. HEN-
NESSY very justly observed, be consulted in this
matter of public relief, and certainly these arc not
adequately considered when the only resource from
starvation is a " workhouse, where they receive
wurso than prison diet." There is no reason why
harder measure should be dealt to the Irish than to
the English poor; but the plea against any altera-
tion of the law is that it would tend to raise the

rates—a result much to be deprecated in so poor a
country. But ii it is really the object to keep the
rates low, a very considerable saving might be
made by paying a little attention to the manner in
which the money now raised in poor rates is laid
out since. On Mr. HENNESSVS showing, it appears
that a very great amount of relief might be given
with trifling expense, and in fact one of the prin-
cipal arguments which the hon. and learned gen•
tleman adduced in favour of his measure was its

economy. He anticipated that it would produce
an actual reduction in the rates by assimilating the
Irish poor law to the English system, since
the cost of the maintenance and clothing

per head is in England and Scotland about
ls. 6d. per week, white in Ireland it is 2s. 3d., and,
with other charges, amounts altogether to 33. 10d.,

so that more than twice the number might be re-
lieved on the English system. The increased cost
is not occasioned by a different or more luxurious
manner of treating the paupers—the secret lies in
the official expenses. According to Mr. HEN.
NESSY'S statistics, in one of the unions in Donegal
£333 was expended in the relief of the poor, £209
in the salaries and rations of the officers, and £123
tor other expenses, so that for every eightpence
expended on the poor sixpence wee laid out on the
officials. In another union the establishment
charges were £OO, while the amount spent on the
poor was £502. After this it is certainly some-
what inconsistent to talk about heavy rates, and is
is high time that some inquiry was made into the
matter with a view to restoring a juster proportion
of things. Mr. HENNESSY contrasted tLese returns
with those of the Union at Holyhead, selecting that
part of England as being nearest Ireland. In
Holyhead the poor rates amounted to £lO,OOO, of
which £9,300 was expanded on the poor, £415 only
being charged for official expenses. The heavy
expenses, he contended, were mostly due to the
indoor relief system, for the proportion of outdoor
relief given in Ireland is only one-thirtieth against
one-sixth in England. The rule is more oppressive
applied to a poor county like Ireland, where the
means of the labouring population are at beat
scantier than it would be in our own land, and the
benefit of giving a little temporary relief to out•
door labourers when deprived of work by frost or
other causes is very great to the ratepayers as well
as to the recipients. In Ireland the families of
such men are driven into the workhouse, and become
too often pauperised, whereas by a more liberal and
enlightened system the barrier between the children
and pauperism need not be broken down. It is
no light thing to familiarise our working men's
families with the inside of a Union, and it is cer•
tainly not the way to lighten the burdens of the
ratepayers.
We hear a great deal about not in-
&basing the temptations to live on the public
bounty, but gentlemen who argue exclusively on
this side of the question will do well to consider
whether in their anxiety to diminish the attractions
of the Union to the worn and tempted pauper they
are not at the same time heightening the attraction
of the gaol.

The subject of " Park-lane Improvement" haf
of late engrossed much attention, and those who
take an interest in the matter, or are desirous o
acquainting themselves with its details,
cannot dt
better than peruse the letter of Mr. NELSON to for
limes of yesterday. Tnis gentleman is F.v e r set,
the suggestion recently made of opening Hamilton.
place as a means of obviating the mess of traffio:;

and in lieu theceof, he considers that the crianee
bhould be made before and not after Park-lane.
There are no lees than seven streets opening north-
wards between Park-lane and Berkeley-street, at
both which points the rush of traffic is truly " in.
cessant." Mr. NELSON propnses that soma of these
streets which are either cuts de sac, or ending in
inconvenient routes, should be opened. This pro.
pcsai appears to ba a reasonable one, and the
eaplanatiocs given on the subject seem to be satis.
factory. There is no doubt that for some time past
there has been great negligence displayed in per.
milting Piccadilly to remain in such a blocked up
state. What is everybody's business is nobody's
has been proved by the discomfort and danger that
have attended the traffic constantly taking place in
this favourite street of the metropolis. It is proposed,
then, to continue Clarges-street northwards to come
out opposite to Charles-street, Grosvenor.square,
and this could be dose in an economical manner.
The other suggestion is to make South Audley•street
go on to Piccadilly. By this means there would be
a direct thoroughfare between Oxford-street
and Piccadilly, and also another thorough-
fare from Piccadilly to Park-lane. Mr.
NELSON deserves credit for his ingenious sug.
gestions, and it certainly appears that they contain
more to recommend them than is often found in the
proposals of a similar nature which continually
abound. It is truly slated in this letter that these
proposals will prove cheaper in the end than the
plan of opening Hamilton-place, for the houses there
are so much more valuable than in the other twu
localities, that large compensation will be obliged
to be given to the owners. It must seem, besides,
on consideration, that the change in Hamilton-place
will not effect the benefit, nor secure ail the advan-
tages that, at first sight, it appeared to promise.
It will be but a temporary alteration, and not be in
the right place for removing the traffic so as to en-
able those who suffer so much inconvenience there-
from to enjoy the requisite relief. It is to be wished
that the Metropolitan Board displayed more ability
and judgment in the consideration of these mat•
ters. They seem to exhibit neither discernment to
recognise evils nor wit to remove them when others
have found them out. The task of improving the
streets and accommodating the thoroughfares of
a great metropolis ought not, however, to be
so lightly spoken of, as is too often the
case. It was the boast of an Emperor in past
days that he found Rome brick and left it marb,e,
and this was not an unreasonable theme for self-
congratulation, but the spirit which prompted Oe
men of old times to improve their capitals has never
rightly been comprehended or sufficiently partici-
pated in by those who regulate the streets of
London.

We have all heard of the princess and the
crumpled rose leaf, and, absurd as it may seem to some
in theory, there are many now-s-days whc carry it
out in practice. Perhaps one of the most absurd
forms in which this ultraartfiaement and excessive
particularity has of late shown itself has been the
crusade that has been made against street music.
The humorous remarks that were made during the
discussion that took place the other evening showed
how utterly unfounded were the complaints made.
It ir, however, to be observed that in some respects
the provisions of this bill are most unfair they con•
tain hard and harsh measures against the itinerant
musicians, and are quite at variance with the
general principles of English law. It is a pity that
people become so infatuated about a subject that
really is of so little importance. In the first place,
many of those who complained so bitterly of the
nuisance inflicted upon them by the " organ grin-
ders" are absent frone.town during a great part of
the year, and it is most unreasonable to interfere
with others in their mode of gaining an honest liveli-
hood. Sir J. TRELAWNY spoke out plainly and
to the point when he said that the " bill was a piece
of peddling legislation," and truly declared that the
rolling of carriages at night was a great annoy-
ance to some people. It is idle to say that this bill
only sends the musicians from one part of the town
to another, because in any neighbourhood there
may be persons who are possessed of this
horror against street music, and hence the
measure must be regarded as a tyrannical
provision which sacrifices the interests of a humble
class, and the pleasure of many poor persons to the
infatuated prejudices of a few privileged individuals.
It is impassible to procure quiet in its reality in
London, and those who require, or fancy that they
require, absolute calm for the prosecution of their
studies, should betake themselves elsewhere, for es
fast as they have put down one nuisance another
will start up, and their energies will be consumed
in the struggle for rest, while they will be as far off
their object as ever. The promoters of this bill have
succeeded in passing a clause which the Attorney
General has called " totally unprecedented," and it
is greatly to be regretted that their zeal, which is
indeed worthy of a better cause, did not show more
moderation in its demands, and exhibit more reti-
cence in its judgment. Considerate persons will
not pursue their avocations the more peacefully be-
cause the stringent regulations of the law have
driven the poor musician from street to street, till
in despair he ventures to defy its mandates, and
finds himself in a prison. When released from
thence, who shall say what his future course may
be ? It is always an unwise act on the part of
legislators to strain a point, so that a conviction is
almost sure to take place, and these social innova-
tors seem resolved that, come what may, the organ-
grinder must be guilty, and that the sooner he be
brought to condign punishment the better.

The Bishop of London has appointed July ith
for the annual distribution, at the Society of Arts,
of the prizes and certificates in religious knowledge gained
by the members of literary and mechanics' institutions,
young men's societies, working men's clubs, and evening
classes, in unicn with the Metropolitan Adult Education
Association."

PROSPECTS OF A GENERAL ELECTION.—The
Parliament House— the chief seat of the Whigs in
this city—is in motion. For ,he past three or four days every
horse-hair in it has been on end. There has been a running
to and fro such as has not been observed since the last
general election, and and anxiety which indicates a feeling
the very opposite of comfortable. Out of doors, too, certain
supposed leaders or authorities among the Whigs are be-
coming quite bland and courteous, if not positively obse-
quious, to those that at any other time they would not care
to recognise or remember. The Tories leek jubilant, and
rumours are current that in the event of a dissolution they
mean to contest this city against its present misrepresenta-
tives, or whoever else may appear in the field.—Caledonian
Illercury,
A POLICEMAN SHOT BY A BURGLAR. —On
Tuesday night two county constables, names] Hotton
and Waldron, were on duty in Hale-road, Hate-head, when
they Met a man of suspicious appearance. In order to have
a better view of tho man Waldron struck a match, and
then the officers saw that ha fully answered the description
of a man who was wanted for a burglary. Waldron seized
him by the back of the neck, when the prisoner drew a
pistol and fired. The shot, however, missed ; and he almost
immediately fired another pistol, this time with more suc-
cess, the ball striking the officer in the right side. A des-
perate struggle then took place bei ween the prisoner and
the tvvo officers, Hotton,though wounded, still assisting his
brother officer. While he was doing so, the prisoner
stabbed him several times with a chisel. After consider-
able difficulty the prisoner was handcuffed. The constable
;ies in a dangerous state.

NATIONAL SRAKSPEBE COMIIITTEE.—Mr. Ger-
man Reed has liberally contributed £25 55., being the
,ntire receipts of one night at the Gallery of Illustration ;
Nlr Sothern, of the Haymarket Theatre, has subscribed
.£2O ; and Mr Buckatone, the lessee of the same theatre,
has announced his intention of giving £24-411 is aid of
the Shakeme MoUURICnt Fund,

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

LREUTER'S TELEGRAMS.]

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE CHINA.
NEW YORK, JUNE 21 (Evening).
Gen. Grant's whole army was before Petersburg
on the 17th instant. Oa the following date Grant
assaulted the Confederate works, but was repulsed,
suffering a loss of from 6,000 to S,OOO in killed and
wounded. He maintains, however, his entrenched
line within a mile of the city.
The Confederate line forms a semicircle in front of
Petersburg, the flank resting on the A ppomatox.
Lee's whole army is supposed to be at Petersburg.
Smith's corps left Petersburg, and returned to
Bermuda Hundreds,
The Confederates have reoccupied their position
in front of Bermuda Hundreds.
Butler's troops returned after having destroyed
several miles of the Richmond and Petersburg

railroad.
Sheridan has advanced within five miles of Gor•
donsville, where the Confederates were strongly

entrenched.
Sheridan reports that on the 12th inst. he had
defeated the Confederates at Trevellian station, and
destroyed several miles of the Virginia Central
Railroad south of Gordonsville.
Hunter is reported to be within six miles of
Lynchburg.
On the 13th inst. a large Confederate cavalry
force was reperted to be advancing up the Shenan-
doah Valley.
Sherman reports that the flanks of Johnstone's
army have been considerably withdrawn.
Johnstone still holds Kennisaw Mountain as the

apex of his position.
Secretary Stanton has issued an order that five
Confederate general cfficers shall be placed under
fire, before Charlestoe, in retaliation for Federal
officers 'having been ced under Federal fire in
that town.

The steamer Searen has been captured.
The North American was intercepted off Cape

Race.

NEW YORK, June 23 (Evening).
(By Telegraph to H Mites.)

Oa Monday Bierney's corps bouroarded Peters-
burg at a range of 1,200 yards—doing, however,
little damage.

Lee reports that the Richmond and Petersburg
Railway has been repaired.

Richmond papers report that Hunter's attack on
Lynchburg on Saturday had been repulsed.

Ewell has left to oppose Hunter.
Sheridan has returned to Fort Monroe.

Sherman reports severe fighting on Snnday,when
Howard gained an important position and repulsed
the Confederates with a loss of 700 men who at-

tempted to retake it.
The Confederate advance up the Shenandoah
Valley has been denied.

The Chicago DAnocratie Convention has been
postponed until August.

The Peace Democracy has resolved to support
no presidential candidate who is in favour of the

war.

Grant's whole army is before Petersburg. He was
repulsed on the 17th and Mh with heavy loss in
an assault on Petersburg. He maintains his en-
trenched line within a mile from Petersburg.
On the 20th Generals Grant and Butler and
Admiral Lee held a consultation on the flag-ship
in the James River.

An important fresh movement by Grant was
progressing on Wednesday, the 22d inst.
COMMERCIAL 'INTELLIGENCE.
NEW YoRK, June 23 (Morning).
Money tighter. Gold excited at 210.
NEW YORK, June 23 (Evening).
Money tight. Gold had advanced since the
passing of the Gold Bill to 230, but has sines de
alined to 210. Exchange on London, 230. The
market is excited, and the financial situation has
caused much apprehension in commercial circles.
Stocks dull. New York Centrals, 132/—Illinois
shares, 128—Erie, 114-6 per cent U.S. Bond
Twenty-fives, 105. Cotton advancing—middling
Upland, 145c.—flaur, wheat, and corn advancing.
Provisions dull. Coffee and sugar good inquiry.
Molasses steady. Petroleum (crude), 46c., refined
70c.

The bankers of New York have sent a deputa-
tion to Washington to urge a modification of the
Gold Bill.

F RANCE.
PARIS, JULY 1 plorniug).

The 211oniteur of this morning says

"A telegram from General Martimprey, dated
the 2711 ult., announces that all the tribes of the
Fiittas, who were still in a state of revolt, havt
been driven into their last refuges and have surren-
dered unconditionally. 4,000 prisoners are retained
by us as a guarantee for their submission.
"General Martimprey was to embark on the 29th
ult. at Mortagenem to return to Algiers."
The Constitutionnel of to-day publishes an article
on the praise bestowed by Earl Russell in the
House of Lords upon the Emperor NaPnle"' en.
eluding thus :—" If we point out this manifestation
of the British Cabinet, it is because it seems to us
of great value, and we congratuive ourselves from
the double point of view of patriotism and
at the prospect of a general peace ; in the first place
because we are happy to
we are Our Government re-
spected, and in the second, becausepleasure
convinced
that the good and courteous relations between
France and England are the surest guarantee for
the interests of civilisation."

BOURSE, Jane 30. .--.. The reponse de primes
(option) was made at G6f. 85c. for the Three per
Cents. The market has been firm. Threes nn-
varied at 65f. 75c., and Mobilier at 1,051 f. 25c.
The market closed as follows :--
Italian Loan 69 80
Ditto Threes —
New 31exican
.——
Russian
Do. end month 69 50

41 per Cents. 93 25
Do. end month
3 per Cents
Do. end month 65 80
Credit Mobilier 1052 50
Do. end month 1051 25
Bank Shares 3302 60
Credit P ander 1245
Roman
npuo,

Austrian
Spanish Threes 5l 25
Flows Debt
Deferred
felts.
Cash. Account.
Orleans ............... 865 •—• • • 8.,6n5n
Northern ....e .. 990 • • °"
Lyons and MeditArrau"e.,„,.. 881 25 .. 880
New ditto .
........ .....
Southern . 640 648 75
Western .......... 497 ° " 500
Eastern ................ 463 7o- .. 462 60
Sardinian ............. 365 • • 365
Austrian .............. 402 50 .. 466 25
Lombard ............. 533 75 .. 531 25
North of Spain .......... 420 422 50
Saragossa .................... 562 50 562 50
Ditto to Barcelona
... 250 • • 1-2'°
THE DAM-GERMAN WAR.

COPENHAGEN, JUNE 29, 10 14 A.M.
Last night an attack was made by the enemy or
Alsen, After a violent conttitt they succeeded
in
effecting a landing on the peninsula.
Oar toes has been severe, and our troops have now
withdrawn between Uikebot and Sonderskov.
PASSAGE OF THE ALSEN SOUND BY THE

PRUSSIANS.
FLENSBURG, JULY 1,

The passage of
the Alsen Sound by tho main
body of the Prussians was effected in 120 boats,
conveying 3,000 at a time.

The troops landed between Schwabeek and the
moat southerly point of Satrupho!z.

Notwithstanding the sharp fire of the Diner,
their etrAnd batteries were taxa,

Y;f: Rolf Krake was twice repuleed and w

on fin.

Two thousand foul: hundred Dices, including
one hundred officers, were taken prisoners.
Colonel Kaufmann was severely wounded.
The Danish loss is severe. The Prussian loss is
three officers killed and 17 wounded, with 300
men killed and wounded.

LITER&TURE,

-_-- -.-
Charles Dickens's New Serial Story,

Our Mutual Friend. No. 3. By Charles Dickens.
Chapman and Hall.

Chapter Nine of Book One, page 84 of Number
Three, has at length brought the hypercritics the
explanation of Mr. Dickens's title—the title flouted
by those same hypercritics as not only enigmatical,
but ungrammatical. The elucidation of the little
mystery is complete and triumphant. And, remem-
ber, it is one not interpolated by an after-thought for
the purpose of explaining away a difficulty but—as
the very fact of the phrase being the title of the
book plainly enough indicates on the surface of it—
appearing quite as a matter of course in the pre-
arranged flow of the narrative. " Oar Mutual
Friend," then, is the phrase by which Mr. Beffin—(a
strictly ungrammatical personage as all the world
knows by this time)—the phrase by which
Noddy Boffin of the Bower, and the dust
binns, and the ash mountains at Harmony Jail,
designates (while addressing Mrs. Wilfer) that
mysterious occupant of the first floor at Wilfer's,
Mr. John Rokesmith to wit! " I may call
him Oar Mutual Friend," said Mr. Buffin. " What
sort of fellow is Oar Mutual Friend, now ? Do you
like him ?" And so forth. What sort of fellow we
take him to be, we have already, now a couple of
months ego, when noticing the first number, petty
plainly indicated. But of that—not a syllable more
shall we write henceforth until our author
makes, at his own good time and pleasure, his own
revelation. To say that the number before us—No.
3, just issued with the July magazines—is crammed
full of good things, of intensely humorous whims
and oddities, is, as usual, with any instalment of a
aerial tale from the same Master Hand, to give ex-
pression to a mere matter of fact. Specimens of
some few among the good things, however, we take
it,witl be infinitely preferable, given one by one, th,n
any simple statement as to the fact of their being
here in the lump. Young B:'ght,the dismal bay who
is in his small person the " managing cte.rk, junior
clerk, common law clerk, ceeveyancieg
chancery clerk, every refinement and department
clef k," in Mr. Mortimer Ligte.wood's (the soli •
ci or's)chambers in the Temple is the first good thing
we come to in this number—and he for that matter
is thorougniy good troen beginning to end. Y. uog
Blight's interview with Old Boa, must be turned
to and read ws a whole, in its entirety. Ditto the
interview that afterwards takes place between
Noddy Boffin and Monimer Lightwood. As the
former is leaving the latter's chambers at the end
of it, enter the young blasf" barris-er, Euge'ne
IWrayburn ! Who—on being told by Beffia
"Nothing like work. Look at the Bees !"—pro
tests (as a biped) against being referred to the bees,
to the dogs, the spiders, or the camels I. "I freely
admit," he says, " that tee camel, for instance, is an
excessively temperate person. But he has several
alomacs to entertain himself with, and I have only
one." As to the bees, however, he maintains that
he whole case is assumed. " rney work—ye-es ! "
but asks Eugene, "don't you think they rather over.
do it ? They work so much more than they
need—they make so much more than they can
eat—they are so incessantly boring and buzzing at
their one idea till Death comes upon them—that,
I don't you think they overdo it ?" Noddy Boffin's
street-talk with Mr. Rokesmith (who off-Jrs himself
I as his Secretary) is capital—particularly where at

the outset Mr. Boffin is divided in his doubts as to
whether the stranger will propose a game of skittles,
or meet a country gentleman, or produce an article
of jewellry—Noddy, at the mere conjecture of such
possibilities, carrying his Familiar Spirit, the Big
Stick, in his arms, as Punch carries his, ready for
any en.sirgency. Yet more droll, however, is the
descriptionf in the next chapter, of the Boffios' turn-
out in a four wheel chaise—liable to hiccup itself apart
at the crossings—drawn by a hammer headed old
horse and driven by a hammer headed young man
—the latter "entombed by a jobbing tailor of the
district in a perfect Squlchre of coat and gaiters,
sealed with ponderous buttons." The juvenile ctatf
of the neighbourhood, as this imposing turn-out rolls
into the street—such as "Down with the dust,
Bof fin !" and the like—prepares us, as by an appro-
priate flourish of trumpets, for the morning edits
made by those wonderful newly-installed carriage-
folk. CaLs---first upon the Milveys—afterwards
upon the Wilf,rs. The poor curate's family of the
Milveys of '`a quite young man, expens
sivcly educated and wretcoedly pain, with a quite
young wife (charming y emphatic in her conversa-
tion), and half-a-dozen quite young cltildren."
Wonderful tun—On the Buffos' getting (atter
;rest perseverauce on the part of the
i-miner. headed young man entombed in the
S-puctire) into the Wilfer's tittle hall—ines-
pressibly ridiculous fun, is made of the three
pairs of listening legs upon the stairs above—Mrs.
Wilfer's legs, Miss B,lla's legs, Mr. George Samp-
son's legs—of the strained attention on the part of
those same three pair of legs—and, in the end, of
their excited fight. Tne meaning of the two
visits, here to the Milveys, there to the Wilfers,
being simply this, that at the curate's the Buffias
ire in search of an orphan (to adept and re name as
John Harmon), while at the clerk's they are bent
upon hospitably inviting to their habitat Miss
Bella, the dissappointed wife, set apart by
Ad Harmon for—the supposed dece4sed. The
tenth chapter of Book 1., closing this third
number of " Our Mutual Friend," makes us
disagreeably acquainted with an odious couple,
to wit, the mature young gentleman and the
mature young lady, previously met at the Veneer-
ing's, and now married I Alfred Lammle, with the
gingery whiskers, and Sophronia, nee Akershem,
powder and all ! A horrid pair—only tolerable in-
deed as we track them along the sands, during their

honeymoon, on the( coast of the Isle of Wight, only

barely tolerable as we track them there, and thus
tolerable simply for the casual Mention of Mr.
Lammle (previously spoken of es being "rather like
a spurious Mephistopheles, and an unacknowledged
member of that gentleman's family") the casual
mention of him here as he trails his stick after
him along the wat sand, "as if he were

of the Mephistopheles family indeed, and
walked with a drooping tail !" Numberless
admirably clever touches, bring out vividly to
view the incidents and the people at the wedding of
this wretched twain at the Veneerings. Twemlow's
increasing bewilderment as to the Veneering's in-
:imacies—the panegyric upon Shares as the Be
All and End All of City Lite—(" 'Where does be
come from P Shares. Where is he going to P
Shares. What are his tastes ? Shares. Has he
any principles? Shares.")—horrible old Lady T►p-
pins's checking off the bridal array and its para..
phanalia—thet delicious record in one of Dickees'a
marvellous parentheses of that same old Lady
Tippins's dead husband's having been (" knighted
in mistake for somebody else by his M jests
King George the Third, who, while per-
forming the cer( tawny, W4S graciously pleased
to observe ' What, what, what ? Who, who, who ?
Why, why, why ?'")--the wedding breakfast at
he Veneerings with the Buffers whispering
C:;ir•ty Tneu-s,And Pou-nd' ! " with a smack and
relish suggestive of the very fiNest oysters"—the
Pokey Unknown, amzed to find how intimately
They know the Veneerings, poicking up their spirits,
olding their arms, and beginning to contradict him
tefore breakfast—the said combined unknown,
fter the bridal pair have gone, returning to the
gorgeous drawing-rooms, and there doing " malig-
nant things with their legs to ottomans, and taking
is much as possible out of the splendid furniture"—
dl these and how m'-ch more in the way, of
oimitable touches of the richest. rßciest humour
ill continue to render the pages of " Oar Mutual
Friend" not unworthy additions to that beloved
shelf in the National book-room, on which stand

rang in radiant array the well-thumbed volumes

I 4IIP, 13-7, library.

Can ycz; Forf,%*re 'kr? Trollop:.
No. VII. en,pmao bud Had,

From the beginning to the end of the number
we are with Alice V.vasour at M.-itching Priory.
About the only incident in the whole instalment is
That of the moonlit talk between Alice and the
Lady Glencora in the Priory ruit s—to the exceed-
ing vexation of Mr. Plantagenet P,liiser. Lady
Glencora is seemingly upon the very brink of a
fathomless pool of trouble, in which she appears to
meditate precipitating herself suicidally. Mr.
Bott, the red whiskered giant of an M.P., renders
himself more odious than ever. So also
does old Lady Midlothian, who makes her ap-
pearance for a brief interval at Matching Priory,
with the intention of rating Alice, there, however,
getting rated herself by Alice instead. Most
of the characters in the story ate very odious, and
the situations, into which these are thrown, often
intolerable, almost sometimes to the extent of being
disgusting. Instance—Alice's can224;:ss jilting of
the man she loves, and to whom, as such, she was,
reasonably enough, engaged to bo married. In-
stance—still more flagrantly—the unlawful love
yet cherished by the Lady Giencora for her former
suitor Burgo—even though she, Lady Glencora, is
by this time the wife of Mr. Palliser.

The French Press on the Conference,

The Ministerial statements in Parliament have
not given rise to any difference of opinion in Paris.
All agree in pronouncing them the most hutriiiat-
ing confession of impotence that could be expected,
even on the part of a Ministry whose object pusil-
lanimity had already reduced the prestige of Eng-
land to zero. The Constatttionnel ties a very able
letter from M. Parnin Limayrac, in which the
writer points out with unanswerable logic that tin-
Government knew perfectly well when the.
Conference met that France would not go to war,
and therefore that it is but a poor-spirited, meat).
and sneaking excuseto allege the mean- ion of F atqc,
as an excuse for their own. The Constitutionnel
says :—" Tne British Cabinet pronounces tun qui-
vocally in favour of peace. It thee not intend to
go to war to protect the conlinental posse-sions of
D. nmark, and thus leaves the German Powers to
act within those limits. It is only in the event ot
war being transferred to the D4nish Islands, ot
Copenhagen being attacked, or King Christian
being made pr.soner, that E,,gland would depart
from her reserve, and reconsider the matter.
Tate-se dtclarations m:. de are precise-, but
are they prudent also? Do they not give
too wide a field to one ot the two bel-
ligerent parties, which now knows how far it
can go without provoking the intervention of Eng
land, and is it not even told in positive terms tha,
it may not ga f Arthet ? Moreover, are these d-cla
rations in accord with those previously made ? ano
does not the motive for this new attitude, as ex-
plained by Lord Palmerston, when he said that
' England was not diTased to bear the whole bur-
den of the enterprise unaided,' appear more like a
pretext than a reason ? Has not the Cabinet of St.
James's long known the feeling of the French
Government, always sympathising with the weak,
but recognising the legitimacy of national aspira-
tions, and having no interest of honour or any of
those material interests which connect England
with the Dano-German conflict ? The attitude and
language of France have been such from the very
origin of the conflict that no mistake on the sub-
ject has ever been possible. All Europe admits this,
and the English Ministers candidly ecknowledged
the fact when, in suggesting arbitration as a means
of ending the dispute, they proposed tlie Emperor
Napoleon as arbitrator. Every one knows that we
have rendered full justice to the last efforts of Earl
Russell and Lord Palmerston, but it is impossible
for us not to remark the distance existing between
the resolutions which those statesmen have just
taken, and the policy which, by the press, by public
speeches, and by despatches, excited passions which
it was not to satisfy and indulged in menaces which
were to remain without effect."

The Pays is instructed to hold forth in the same
sense, and, in addition, points out that England, or
rather the English Government, has taken up a most
peculiar position, aggressive towards both bellige-
rents, scolding and threatening both by turns,
trying to protect Denmark by bullying Germany,
and endeavouring to restrain Germany by bullying
Denmark. The Pays also points ,iut (not wit hotr
some satisfaction) that England "appears to have
laboured to unite passions, or smother resentment,
and to strengthen cot ling pretensions. She is
'eaping what she bras sown. At Copenhagen spite
and distrust. At Berlin and V.enna haired and
lontempt. It is now her shame to see that her
promises henceforth will not be rega►ded morn
seriously than her threats." At Paris, the Pays
might have added, the feeling is contempt, largely
/Gingled with exultation at the hutuidation of a
ivai.

The Opinion Nationale is more vigorous and
earnest :—'• It the nuintliation of Eigiund were
cslculattd to cause us joy We eheuid h.ve but lithe
'o desire. It now stands recorded that the protec-
ion of England means nothing—that her alliamte
is powerless—that her name t the foot of a treaty le
no guarantee—and that the map of Europe may
be constructed without consultiog her views
any more then those of the ducny of Baden ce! the
kingdom of Wurtemberg. Those who have SO
long been wearied with the interminable enumera-
ration of the merits and superiority of England
could easily turn the tables now, and point out the
sad spectacle of that decline—the destinies of Eng
land left to the decision of the wits, an aristocracy '1
in its dotage, an unwieldy middle class bursting
with fat and egotism (this is text ual—e. g , crevant
de graisse de richesse, etd egoisrne); a people so
absorbed by money-making as not to have time to
see that England is struck from the roll of the
great powers—all this might afford ample scope to
the jealous malignity of the rivals of England.
But, unfortunately, we remember that the humi-
liation now endured by England, we suffered
ourselves last year. What is now taking place
is but tit for tat. Last year, by refusing her
co-operation, England forced us to inac
tion ; now, France by absttlining condemns
England to deep degradation. Last year we were
conipelled to undergo the polished impertinence of
Prince Gortschakoff ; we now oblige her to bow,
beneath the coarse insolence of Count Bismark. Is
not this a policy worthy of two great countries ?
Does it not give them claims to the gratitude of
' humanity and civilization ?"
The Patric is still more bitter. In an article
headed, " Sauvons la caisse ! " i.e.," Save the cash-
' box," it charges England with being actuated by
purely sordid motives, and predicts for her the fate
of Venice and Holland, and also other countries
which place their material welfare far above con
stderations dictated by honour and duty.
The Debuts expresses itself in these terms
The weoie meaning and bearing of the reserv,
made by England amounts to this—For th,
Cabinet to believe the moment come not to inter-
vene in favour of Denmark, but to deliberate on tb
question as to whether it shall du un or not, Danmark
must be attacked either in her isittntl,, in the heart
01 her StAes, in her capital, f.q. Log Ctiristial
must be a prisoner ip the hands of the Germans!
That is the final decision—the great stc,•,r, th.
manifesto of Lord Peirce:sloe ! The Daily _News
appears not less edified ; alone the Post and the
Herald utter an indignant protest."

It is remirke t that the second series of gars
invited to Fontainaleau contains not an single Engin,:

mune.

" TIMES" AND THE VOTE t F CENSURE.—
A critic ought to have a long memory. The Times ye,.
rerday was very sarcastic upon the terms of Mr Disraeli'
motion, and falls especially foul of the expression thn
" the just influence of England has been lowered." 'll,
nines asserts that there is no such thing as lowering Ol
lessening a " just influence," since if not exerted it ceasee
to exist. Mr Disraeli has doubtless laughed to hinasei
that the leading journal can extract nothing worse out 0
his motion than a bit of verbal refining. Ha will laug
the more las:triily if he turns to the limes of Juoe '2l, t,
first leader of which asserts that " it 'his cJuutry atlo%,
the war to begin again the just influence of England will
be seriously impAired,".—Liverpool Courier,