The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-25 00:00:00

1864,

THE CAPE MAIL.

CONDEMNATION OF BISHOP COLENSO.

RUMOURED MURDER OF DR. LIVINGSTONE.

The mail steamship Cambrian arrived at Ply-
mouth yesterday with the above mails and 28 pas-
sengers. She left the Cape on the 21st ult. ; St.
Helena on the 29th; and Ascension on the 2d inst.
The waather continued fine at the Cape, and har-
vest prospects were good. Provisions were abundant
and cheap, and money plentiful. The vineyards
promised well, and the orchards were loaded with
fruit. The supply of wool was considerably greater
than in former years, in both the western and
eastern districts. Freights were rising. _ _

Bishop Colenso's trial was concluded on the 16th
December. The presenting clergy accused Bishop
Colenso of heresy on nine counts. The suffragan
bishops found him guilty on all the nine. The
Metropolitan agreed in that opinion, and sentenced
Bishop Colenso to be deprived of his see and all his
rights of office therein. The defendant not being
present to hear the judgment pronounced against
him, the Metropolitan gave him antil the 4th of
March next to file in London a full, unconditional,
and absolute retractation in writing of all the here-
tical extracts referred to in the counts or otherwise ;
to the 16th April next, to file a like retractation in
Cape Town. On Bishop Colenso so complying the
sentence becomes null and void. Dr. Black pro-
tested against the proceedings, the validity of the
judgment, and gave notice of appeal.
The inquiry into the death, at Angra Pequina,
of James Gray, mate of the barque Saxon, took
place at Cape Town on Dec. 2.
Messrs. Rowley and Miller had returned from
the Zambesi. Dr. Livingstone had received the
news of his recall, and had admitted his expedition
to be a failure. A rumour had reached the colony
of his having been murdered near Lake Nyassa.
The new lieutenant-governor, Sir Percy Douglas,
arrived out in the Golden Fleece on the 2d Dec.
The electric telegraph was in operation to Moseel
Bay.
Disturbances still existed in the Transvaal.
Mr. Brand had been elected president of the Free
State.
The schooner Eveline had been wrecked on
Danger Point. Four lives were lost.

Coburg-Gotha and the Sleswig-Holstein
Question.

In consequence of the motion brought forward
by Austria and Prussia in the Federal Diet, the
Government of Coburg Gotha addressed the follow-
ing note on the 4th inst. to the Austrian and Prus-
sian Ministers at Dresden :
The undersigned, sincerely thanking his Excellency for
his communication of the Ist inst., relative to the joint mo-
tion of the Sleswig affair brought forward by Austria and
Prussia in the Federal Diet on the 28th ult., has the honour
to make following reply :
When this Government was called upon by Denmark in
1852 to give its adhesion to the London protocol, it con-
sidered it to be its duty to have a thorough understanding
on the legality of the question. After careful investigation
and consideration the understanding arrived at was that,
after the extinction of the male branch of the elder Royal
Danish line, the hereditary right of the Augustenburg
House to the Duchies of Sleswig and Holstein could not,
according to the right of the first born, admit of any well-
founded doubt.
There being no mention in Denmark's request for adhe-
sion to the London protocol that the " arrangements"
made therein would have to be completed by obtaining
the renunciation of the hereditary agnates, as well as the
consent of the Sleswig and Holstein representative bodies,
the Grand Ducal Government could only see in the execu-
tion of the resolution contained therein a violation of the
well-founded hereditary rights of a German princely house,
and of the equally well-founded constitutional rights of a
German country, and it therefore refused its adhesion.
Under these circumstances, and considering the constitu-
tional indivisibility of the two duchies, this Government,
after the death of his Majesty the King of Denmark, could
so much the less hesitate to express its just conviction re-
specting the succession question, as in every other case of
succession in a German Federal country, by the immediate
recognition of the legitimate successor, the hereditary
Prince of Augustenburg as Duke of Sleswig and Holstein,
as the London protocol had never officially been communi-
cated to the Federal Diet, and therefore, as far as the
latter is concerned, has legall} no existence, as, moreover,
it had been acknowledged by Denmark that the consent,
both of the nearer hereditary claimants, as well as of the
Reichsrath, to the new order of succession was a necessary
condition in order to render it valid.
Neverthless, this not having been obtained, the falfilment
of the condition of the treaty in reference to Sleswig Hol-
stein must be regarded to those duchies with respect espe-
cially and generally an event to come. This would in fact
have been the case with Denmark, had not the Danish
Government been successful in at last obtaining the con-
sent of the Danish Reichsrath, which had at first been
refused.
If this Government has so swerved from this, its
proper conviction, as to vote at the sitting of the Federal
Diet on the 7th ult., in conformance with the wishes of the
opposing Governments, it considered itself justified in so
doing, because a portion of the decision relative to the suc-
cession has lieen expressly withheld ; on the other hand,
however, this Government considered itself in duty bound
not to oppose the freeing of Holstein from foreign troops,
under whatever title this might be effected.
But if now, in pursuance of the proposition from the
other side, the royfd Danish Government shall be requested
not to carry out the constitution of the 18th November, so
far as regards Sleswig, but definitively to withdraw the
same, the consent to this proposition would be still more
directly opposed to the above. mentioned views maintained
on this side ; since a revocation of the said constitution is
not to be thought of, its validity at that time being ac-
knowledged. The constitution, however, was only issued
by the present King of Denmark, c msequently, according to
our conviction with regard to Sleswig, by a government not
entitled to do so. According to the views of the ducal
Government in respect to the question of right, this funda-
mental law is consequentiy deprived of every legal basis,
and it cannot therefore in any way consider it as being

legally in existence.
Under these circumstances, this Government is unable to
bring the opinions of the opposite Governments in harmony
with its own conviction, and will therefore, to its regret,
not be in a position to participate in the motion brought
before the diet by the two governments, unless the report
to ba submitted by the committee should unexpectedly
contain points which would justify a modification of our

views.
In conclusion, the undersigned avails himself of this op.
portunity to renew the expression, &c.,
(Signed) VON SEEBA.CH.

Gotha, Jan. 4, 1864.

COOKE AND JOHN KEMBLE--CONTRASTED BY
WASHINGTON IRVING.—The finest group I ever
saw was at Covent Garden, when Cooke, after long dis-
grace for his intemperance, reappeared on the boards to play
lago to John Kemble's Othello. Mrs. Siddons played Des-
demons, and Charles Kemble Cassio, beautifully. Kemblo
[John] had sent for Cooke to rehearse with him at his
room, but Cooke would not go. " Let Black Jack"—so he
called Kemble—" coma to me." So they went on the boards
without previous rehearsal. In the scene in which lago
instils his suspicion, Cooke grasped Kemble's left hand with
his own, and then fixed his right, like a claw on his shoul-
der. In this position, drawing himself up to him with his
short arm, he breathed his poisonous whispers. Kemble
coiled and twisted his hand, writhing to get away—his right
hand clasping his brow, and darting his eye back on lago.
It was wonderful. Speaking to Cooke of the effect on me of
this scene, after his arrival in New York [in 1810], "Didn't
I play up to Black Jack ?" he exclaimed. " I saw his dark
eye sweeping back upon me." I was at John Howard
Payne's, near Corlier's Hook, the night of Cooke's arri-
o
val in New York. I was thero by invitation, t
meet him. Cooke came in, a little flustered with drink.
Was very much exasperated at the detention at the
ehe
Custom House of some silver cups, possibly presents,
had brought with him ; and would break forth, every now
and then, with, "Why did they keep my cups ? They
knew they would melt !" with significant emphasis. He
was harsh and abusive when drunk, but full of courtesy
when sober. Mr. Irving dwelt upon `the easy jollity'
with which he played Falstaff.....l asked which he pre-
ferred—John Kemble or Cooke ? 'Kemble had, perhaps,
more the sympathy of his audienr, because he played
nobler characters—Cooke the villains ; but, in his range,
which was limited, he was the greatest actor."'—
Life by his .Nephew.
A PORTION OF THE SITE of the International Ex-
hibition, it is now decided, will be converted into a
museum. There are many of the finest specimens of stuffed
animals at the British Museum which, for want of space,
have been put away, and these will be removed to South
Kensington. As the spot selected is close to the Horticul-
turtd Gardens, it will make a most valuable addition to the
attraction of those grounds.
A CANDLE DANCE BY FORTY REGULAR STICKS.
—A really "brilliant effect" is produced by the new can-
delabra-dance in the ballet " Morgano," performed at the
Berlin Opera. About 40 " gentlemen of the ballet" appear
in fancy costumes, each wearing a golden candlestick with
five flames on his head. The strikingly magnificent im•
pression the various groupings of the 200 splendid lights
produce is sit to be beyond description.
RESIGNATION OF SIR J. B. EAST, M.P.—This
hon. gentleman has, wo learn, just resigned his seat for
Winchester. Sir James East is a conservative, and has re-
presented Winchester for nearly thirty years.