The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-01 00:00:00

The Schleswig-Holstein question is not yet
finally at rest, even retrospectively, and treaties,
protocols, letters, remonstrances, and addresses are
still quoted and referred to, discussed and re-dis-
cussed, by those who want to find a plausible pre-
text for rather suspicious-looking conduct.
Prussia having taken firm hold of the Duchies,
despoiled their property, and maltreated their in-
habitants, talking all the while very loudly about
the rights of nations, and the fulfilment of sacred
duties, is now very much disinclined to give up her
"material guarantees." Her statesmen and writers
are, therefore, very busy in trying to prove that
the Dachies belong of right to Prussia. that she
never cordially approved of their union with Den-
mark (which is likely enough), and that she always
intended to appropriate her conquests, even when
she was proposing to be only the agent for the
enforcement of Federal rights. The experience of
the past might certainly have taught the Diet that
they were performing a rash act when they suffered
Austrian and Prussian troops to represent them in
'he Duchies, for that such customers were easier
admitted than dislodged. The tone of German
morality on this question is curiously shown in a
letter addressed by Count USEDOM, now Prussian
Minister at Turin, to the son of Baron BUNSEN,
whose name, as we all know, Was appended to the
famous Treaty of 1852. Baron von BUNSEN was
himself opposed to that Treaty, and many of his
friends objected to his signature being &faxed to a
document of which he disapproved, but Count
USEDOM affirms that Baron BUNSEN declared that
he would affix his signature, in order not to render
still more heavy the sacrifice which the KING, his
master, had to make. The sacrifice of pretensions
which are totally unjustifiable, and based on no
surer grounds than the rapacity of the strong
against the weak, and crazy ambition of an exclue
sively military nation to become a great naval
power. It seems, indeed, that in Baron BUNSEN'S
view the whole Treaty was merely a temporary
device to pacify all parties for the time being,
waiting for a fair opportunity of again bringing
forward Prussian pretension. " It was," says
Count USEDOM, " a pragmatic sanction, raised
up artificially by parties unconcerned in
the matter against the wishes, the rights, and the
interests of those really concerned—in short,
against the nature of things." It is curious that
the diplomatist should make use of the epithet
" pragmatic sanction," which at once recals to the
reader the days of CHARLES the SIXTH and MARIA.
THERESA, and the very questionable means by
which Prussia became possessed of the fair pro-
vince of Silesia. Doubtless the London Treaty, ie,
the eyes of shrewd German politicians, even in, the
days of its first existence, was re
gavded inh
c
as FREDERICK, " commonlalled the Great,"
mach,
y c
regarded poor CHARLES the Sirrer:s elaborate
pre-
cautions
to secure to his dsu
It was an en
eeter the A:
engagement
undisputed
possession of her heritage.
formally entered into w;ith all due
all `.citing ceremonial and
and compliment,
Pomp of word
phraseology, but
was a mask which it
ecaurtly
convenient to
wear for the time, and whi
was only
be flung off
'with very little scruple or delacy'a could
n
the three for action came. This conduct, though
not exactly what historians can approve or more-
' '.-tsts extol, is at least comprehensive and cone
sistent, bat even in our high-flown and grandie
loquent days it is rather uncalled for and aggravate
ing to find Prussia still protesting that' she has
acted for the good of the Duchies, and that the
real likings and sympathies of the Schleswig-Hol-
steiners ever troubled the secret Cabinet at Sans
Souci. We are told by the statesmen who knew
him well that the chief characteristics of FREDE-
RICK WILLIAM 11. were " an unchangeable human
benevolence and a genuine sympathy of heart,"
and that these qualities rendered it especially
prompt for him to agree to the Treaty of Lon-
don. " As a politician the King delivered up the
Duchies to their fate; humanly this resolve cost
him a hard struggle." This is likely enough,
but the struggle was rather with the dislike to
relinquish a share of his neighbour's goods than
any sensitive sympathy for the political hard-
ships of the people of the Duchies. Prussia just
now presents us with a spectacle of inconsistency
so manifest as would be ludicrous were not the
circumstances so grave, yet she seems to be happily
unconscious of the ridiculous spectacle which she
offers. A King and a Government who have been
in open nOlll%lOll with their own ibubjects, who are
everywhere held up as the representative of all that
s most tyrannical iu civilised authority, come lot*

ward professing the deepest concern in the injuries
of a mixed population who are allowed the use of
both languages, who have a separate representa•
tion and a share in the general government of the
Kingdom, and a dozen other advantages which the
Prussians have not. But the pretext is a very
flimsy one, and Europe has long been aware of the
real truth—that Prussia has been long determined
on annexing the Duchies, and that her assent to
the Treaty of 1852 waa never meant to be more
than a temporary evasion. What if France should
regard the Treaty of 1815 in the same light, so far
as Germany is concerned ?

• For lack, perhaps, of more stirring subjects of
thought and discussion, sanitary measures are rising
into unwonted importance both here and in India.
The late season of the year, and the long continued
drought, perhaps account for the sudden anxiety
manifested among our rulers for details of the public
health, for disquisitions on the sanitary condition
of watering places, and similar topics ; while the
publication of the Reports of the Registrar-General
and the Officers of Health, have served to direct
attention to many other questions intimately
effecting the physical wellbeing of the
people. Lancashire, we know, is getting good
out of evil by the carrying out of those
long deferred sanitary measures so greatly
needed by her large and densely packed population,
and all parties in that county are gladly availing
themselves of the favourable opportunity for remes
dying past neglects. But in India, where those ne•
glects have reached a pitch never dreamed of in
clean and orderly England, while the exigencies of
the climate render every sanitary precaution most
imperative, the position of the would-be reformers
is anything but an agreeable one. It is impossible
for the most ignorant not to be aware that the utter
defiance of all sanitary laws and regulations in
which Hindoos live is not only fatal to themselves,
but dangerous to all around them, Any attempt
at official investigation brings to light a state
of things so shocking as scarcely to bear
repetition to English ears, but still the evil remains
more difficult to deal with. English authority
may indeed be unquestioned, but it is a very diffi-
cult if not desperate task to deal with popular pre-
judice and time-worn custom. The quiet Hindoos
have also an inconvenient strength from their total
absence of that energy and activity which is the
main spring of English life. They listen and sub-
mit apparently to the superior wisdom of the sahib,
but they go on their own way notwithstanding,
following it with a stolid indifference to all results
that is perplexing to an English mind. One would
think that they were naturally sufficiently acute
to have gathered from actual facts enough
knowledge to be aware that impure water
is unwholesome, that swamps breed malaria,
that decaying bodies, whether human cr
and decomposing vegetable matter, of whatever
kind, are most prejudicial to health, and that any
accumulation of filth near places of habitation are
apt to generate fevers. These plain and simple rules
might, one would imagine, have been drilled into
their minds long before this if only from personal
observation. But fever and pestilence go on their
way unheeded, and we hear of stagnant ponds used
for baths, washhouses, and cisterns alike—of oreen
pits into which every description of refuse -:s flung
close to their places of abode—of graves in which
the dead are interred so near thee surface that the
jackals dig them up at nigh!... When we add to
all this the heat of au Indian sun magnifying
every evil, intensifyieig every danger, we need not
wonder that fever and cholera have their recognised
(levelling places in the native towns. It is very
difficult for the Government to act, yet act it must,
unless it is prepared to abrogate one of the chief
functions of an executive—the care for the lives of
its subjects. It is impossible to regulate all the
internal arrangements of a household by public
decree, yet something is within our ken, and much
may be done by a vigorous hand guided by a firm
will and a temperate and conciliatory dis-
position. It is very evident that the Hin-
doo is totally deficient of any sense of
cleanliness, decency, and order iu, his domestic
affairs, yet that is no reason why he should be
allowed to trifle with the public health by the ene
couragement of nuisances which in a more tem.
perate clime would be objectionable and dangerous,
but which in India are deadly. It has been sug-
gested that the Government should at once under-
take the sanitary regulation of the large towns,
since the task is manifestly too hard for the munie
cipalitiea ; and this suggestion is, we think, a
wise or.e, since the native justices are worse than
indefferent in the matter. In all questions
of social routine or of points of internal
law, &e., the natives may fairly be repre-
sented ; but with regard to sanitary regulations
the full authority of the Government will '
be necessary to carry out any important reforms.
It might be rendered a legal offence to dig those
shallow burying places which are productive of so
much mischief—mischief of so revolting a charac-
ter, and which the Hindoo, who professes to be
so especially scrupulous regarding the disposal
of the dead, seems quite unconcerned about.
The Government itself is not conscience clear about
the water apply, but energetic measures might be
taker to enforce a separation of the laundress's dee
"eartment from the bath and the source of household
supply. Inspectors might keep a strict watch
over any open receptacles of rubbish and refuse, '
and might render the owner of the house
or hut in its immediate vicinity liable to a floe.
Some such means will have to be adopted before we
get the public health in India to be at all what it
might be, and before the terrible epidemics of fever •
and cholera become, as they may hereafter do, as 1
rare in Hindostan as in England.

BREECII-LOADING RIFLES.—Ttie Secretary of
State for War is desirous of receiving communica•
tions from gunmakers and others on the subject of the best
means of converting the Enfield rile into a breech-loader,
under the following conditions :-1. Cost not to exceed I'l
per arm; 2. Shooting of the converted not to be infsricr
to that of the unaltered arm. Descriptions of methods pro-
posed, accompanied by spzcimen arms, should be sent to the
Direeor of Ordnance, War-office, Pall-mall, on or before
the 20th of September. These descriptions and specimens
will then be considered by the Ordnance Select Committee,
who will select such of the plans as appear to them prima
facie promising, Six rifles will bo delivered for conversion
to each of those gentlemen whose plans have been selected
as above. They must be returned altered within five weeks
of the date upon which they are sent, accompanied by 1,000
rounds of such ammunition (and to be ignited in such
manner) as the competitors think most suitable. A sum of
£2O will be paid to each of the selected competitors, to
cover tho expense of converting the six rifles and of the
supply of ammunition required.
A FELLOW-DE-CE-IVID.—A stranger last week
entered a druggist's shop in Maryport, and asked
for a strung dose of poison to kill rats. The shopkeeper
observed something. strange about the appearance of the
man, and made him up a packet of magnesia, labelling it
"poison." The stronger went immediately to a public-
house and called for a pint of ale, into which he emptied
the packet of supposed poison and drank it off, He then told
the landlord and others in the house what ho had done,
showing them the paper labelled " poison." The supposed
victim then took an affectionate leave of his companions,
and left kind messages for his friends—still there was no
mptoms of approaching dissolution. It; the meantime the
landlord slipped out to the druggist's and learned the secret
of the hoax. To punish the fellow an emetic was admi-
nistered, and some one, professing an anxiety to relieve the
sufferer proposed, for the want of a stomach pump, to in-
troduce the landlord's spiril syphon, but the tubes were not
flexible finough. The after-sickness endured by the man it
is hoped will cure him for the future. Ile was turned over
to the police, as he might have been, for his deadly intea-
tiol3,-00/iber(onr?.Pae2wl,

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

SPAIN.

MADRID, August 31.
The Opposition journals assert that Senores
Salverria and Canovis have resigned. All these
rumours are at present, however, unfounded.
,THE CONGRESS AT MALINES.
(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

MeantEs, Aug. 31.
A second day of the Congress has added a good
deal to its interesting character. The real practical
good to be effected by such gatherings is, after all,
the making acquainted with each other men who
ought to know each other, who have already corre-
sponded together, or know each other's name and
biography, but who might never have been brought
tegether in any other way. This second session
already shows that a great number of Catholics
of all countries look to the Congress as their yearly
holiday, and will return to Malines periodically ;
so that a regular set of Malines' men will be formed
in the course of time. The word of union among
men of such fraternal religions feeling is affected
not so much by meeting as during those intervals
when the members of the Congress disperse theme
selves into groups about the large courtyard before
the hall, and form themselves into an immense open
air convertazione. Moreover, this year two large
halls have been devoted to evening conversation,
where the real congressional work is going on
nightly with BUll more effect than in the
courtyard aforesaid by day, The Congress
seems also this year to be still more cosmo-
politan than last year. My making the
acquaintance yesterday of a young Mexican priest,
who was educated in a great measure in England,
led me to the discovery of a whole group of Spanish
priests and laymen, among whom there seem to be
several very learned theologians and jurists. I
understand that they displayed marked ability and
learning yesterday morning at the meeting of the
first section, which began like that of the four other
sections at about a quarter past nine. The first
section treats of religious works. The question
before the meeting was the all-interesting one of
the mortmain. Many of the Belgians present,
imbued with their own modern French legal
notions, thought of making light of and of opposing
the ancient principles of the mortmain legislation,
which were amply vindicated, first by oar Spanish
friends who showed that it completed most effec-
tually the great work of social organisation, which,
without it, was constantly threatened with a ten-
dency to dispersion. The same side of the question,
I hear, was taken also by Major O'Reilly, M.P.
who delighted the audience by the quiet, clear, and'
masterly way in which he analysed the whole sub•
ject. All were delighted with the deep and solid
learning so well displayed by the brave commander
of the Irish Pontifical Brigade.
For my part, I selected once more the fifth section,
on the press and publications, as my special section,
and soon became an attentive listener to the advo-
cacy of cheap Catholic journals by a M. Stoflet, who
was succeeded by a worthy parish priest, who called
attention to the practical way of selling them by
constituting hawkers for the purpose in each village,
The speaker also suggested the :institution of
regular village religious songsters, to counteract
instanced the disteiet of Yp
the evils done by the general run of songs, and
res as one where it had
been already
successfully tried. M. Coomans, a
memb-er of the Belgian Parliament, suggested the
`.vision of journals into morning and evening sheets
to make them smaller, fresher, and more easily read,
He gave us a most amusing sketch of the histury of
journals, from the primitive weekly Gazette to the
steam-wonders of three or four editions a day. He
was followed by the Abbe Mullois, one of the Em-
peror of the French's private chaplains, a priest
whose name is specially known from the success he
has had in his ministry among the Paris workmen.
The rev. chaplain spoke in the most witty and
amusing manner upon the important point of mak-
ing the most of the booli given as prizes in the
various schools, which are the only given books
which arc truly appeciated and read with
interest by the whole of a family, and which there-
fore ought to be selected with great care as to
proper spirit and suitable talent of composition, that
they might thus turn to a full account their insured
good luck, in point of number of interested readers.
The Abbe Mullois is himself a well•known author
of little books specially adapted to the taste of the
workpoople. A well known writer, the witty
author of Les ferpents, and the Evangile selon
Renan, was the next speaker, and proposed as a
practical conclusion to the Abbe Mallois proposal,
that an international committee should be formed,
to give a kind of catalogue ralSollire of the works
that should be recommended not merely for their
orthodoxy but for their literary merit. A. M.
Collinet of Liege, called attention to the importance
of selling good books and journals by means of the
general hawkers, by making them a great reduction
in price. The Rev. Father Dechamps, a well-known
Redemptorist preacher and writer, brother of the
Minister of State of that name, called attention to
the good to be effected by each one personally, by
lending good books to friends and dependents. The
Baron de Montreuil stated that a committee very
much like the one suggested by M. Laterre to recom-
mend good books, of suitable literary merit, already
existed at Paris under the presidency of the well-
known philanthropist, the Vicomte de Melun, and
published in periodical bulletins. M. Wigley sag-
gested that, to give such a committee the proper
international character, the committee should not
limit itself to giving lists of French books, but also
of English, German, Italian, and Spanish works.
He found that, as London correspondent of the
Monde of Paris, many private correspondents
selected him to recommend them English works
for general reading, translation, and educational
purposes. The Abbe Mullois observed that the
Vicomte de Melun's committee was already known
to him; but that he thought a committee coming
from the Malines Congress would be more effective
and international. The Able de Geslin suggested
that the Academie Catholique to be created at
Brussels as a bond among Catholic writers of vari-
ous countries, should be selected as the literary
tribunal required. The motion of M. Lasserre was
was then unanimously adopted. The meeting of
the section concluded by taking into consideration
the means to refute the errors and calumnies so
generally spread against the Church. The pro-
gramme suggested local committees to be formed
formed for the purpose. m. Wigley suggested also
to adapt to this purpose the British remedy for
grievances in general of
I, writing to the 2 imes,',
in theshape of Catholics writing to thejournals when
they discovered that any calumny was spread against
the Church. M. de Poncheville, a young Paris
student, then made a most interesting speech on the
institution of the
Catholic Club of the Luxembourg
in Paris, and upon the organisation of such clubs,
offering on the part of the Paris Club to admit re.
ciprocally to the benefits of the club the members
of all other similar institutions. M. Neut, the
chairman of the section, announced that this reci-
procity had already been agreed upon by the Catholic
clubs of Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Liege, &e., in
Belgium. The meeting of the section adjourned at
twelve.

At 3 p.m. the general meeting of the Congress
began. I do not dwell upon the interval, which
was filled up by one of those delightful open air
conversazioni—and a most agreeable gathering at
dinner in the large refectory hall of the S6rniouire.
At 3 p.m. the chair was taken by the venerable
president, the Brron de Gerlache, and M. Ducpe-
tiaux read the report of the Central Committee on
the labours of that committee to carry out the reso-
lution of the first Congress. Much enthusiasm was
displayed at the entrance into the hall of General
Campianmont, the chief conservative candidate at
the recent elections for Brussels, and who made
himself so well known. in 1857 for his skilful sup-
pression of the democratic riots of Ghent. The
General thanked the meeting in a few words uttered
in a fine manly and military spirit and tone. M.
Dacpetiaux had not proceeded far with the
reading of his report, when another and
much louder outburst of enthuaiaatic feeling

Departure of their Royal Highnesses the
Duke and Princess Mary of Cambridge for
Germany.

Their Royal Highnesses and suite left last night by the
8.30 p.m mail train of the London, Chatham, and Dover
Railway from N ictoria station for Dover, where they em-
barked immediately for Calais on board the London,
Chatham, and Dover Company's special mail packet the
Wave. Their Royal Highnesses were received at Victoria
and Dover by the principal officers of the railway company.
The train ran for the first day on the Admiralty Pier at
Dover, alongside the mail packet. We understand that
both the morning and evening mail trains of the London,
Chatham, and Dover Railway Company will in future
land and embark the mails and passengers and their bag-
gage to and from the trains and mail packets at the Admi-
ralty Pier, thus entirely superseding the use of small beats
and saving the transit to and from the packet and railway.
This will be a greatboon to travellers on dark and boisterous
nights, and save them the expense of cab or omnibus hire,
and the well-known exactions of that almost now defunct
body of plunderers, the Dover town porters.

Her Imperial. Highness the Grand Duchess Marie
of Russia, his Excellency Count Strogonoff, and Countess
Tolstoy, have left Claridge's Hotel for Torquay.
His Excellency the Turkish Ambassador has left
Bryanston-square for Edinburgh. Madame Musurus and
daughters have arrived at Paris en route to Germany.

His Excellency Count Szielen has left Claridge's
Hotel for Paris.

The Earl and Countess of Lichfield are about to
receive a succession of visitors at their seat, Shugborough,
Staffordshire.

The Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, accompanied by
Lord George Hamilton, have left Chesterfield House to
join the Countess at Tunbridge Wells.

The Countess of Dalkeith will leave town to-day
For Scotland.

The Countess of jersey arrived in Barkeley-square
yesterday from Osterley Park, Her ladyship will shortly
leave town for Brighton.
The Countess Craven and the Ladies Craven have
returned to Ashdowne Park, Berke, from a tour of visits.
Viscountess Stratford de Redcliffe has arrived at
Oxon Heath, Tunbridge, Kent, on a visit to Sir William
and Lady Geary.

Lord and Lady Forester, who arrived in London
a few days since from the Continent, left town yesterday
for their seat, Willey Park, Salop.
THE DUKE OF HAMILTON.—The Bulleti de Lois
publishes a decree, maintaining and confirming in favour of
William Alexander Louis Stephen, Duke of Hamilton, the
hereditary title of Duke do Ohatellerault, created by Henry
II , King of France, in favour of James Hamilton, Earl of
Arran.

MAP AND CENSUS 1861.—A1l of us have a lively
recollection of an inquisitorial government paper being left
at our residences in April, 1861, requiring our christian
and surname, profession, and age ; from which even the
fair sex were not exempt. The collection we imagined was
for the weal of the State, but are now agreeably surprised
at the same being placed before us in a personally interest-
ing form. This manipulation of otherwise dry figures has
been brought out in the form of a map of England, that
shows on the railways the various towns, with the popula-
tion according to the last census ; the counties are tinted
and their names prominently coloured, so that the ready
student, or the interested rustic, instantly traces his native
place, the rail by which it is reached, and the number of
the human family there located. In addition, we observe
against each place the name of the agent of Messrs Horni-
man, who have caused this map of such wide-spread utility
to be prepared, and exhibited for public view at the various
railway statious throughout the kingdom,