The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-29 00:00:00

,
Ztit

LONDON, THURSDAY, DEC. 29, 1804.

The intelligence which:,is brought to ns by the
Haws, demands to be received with extreme
caution. It is generally advisable to read the
Northern accounts of their victories, cum grano
soils, bat there are several points about the re.
parted capture of Savannah which make the story
more than nant,ll7 doubtful. It is of course pos-
sible, though improbable, that SHERMAN'S troops,
weary and exlaanatcd by a, long march through a
hostile country, and diminished in numbers by the
casualties of the way, should have captured
a strongly entrenched city like
Savannah,
with a triple lino of defences Stlis age.
P e
r tended by the first military engineer of his
But that this capture should have been effected
in eiyht hours, and that 11,000 men should have
been taken prisoners with the city, is certainly in.
credible. Eleven thousand men, efficiently led and
organised, and animated by the spirit which firs
every Southern breast against the ruthless invaders,
ought to have held a city fortified like Savannah

against ten times their number. BEAUREGARD,
we are told, had left Savannah for Charleston,
which seems most improbable, as he must
have been aware that the great point of
interest and danger was at Savannah. Certainly
the Federals must have improved in assault, or the
Confederates have deteriorated in their skill in de-
fence, if Savannah has been captured after eight
hours' fighting, when Charleston has held out for
three years. But, as we have said, the account
must be received with grave doubt and reserve. It
is likely enough that the reported capture of Fort
M'Allister is authentic ; but that is a very different
thing from the capture of Savannah itself I Fort
M'Allister is situated on the Ogechee river, some 13
or 16 miles south-west of Savannah, and about six
miles from the mouth of Ossabaw Sound, and con-
sequently its possession has put SHERMAN in com-
munication with Admiral DAHLGREN and his
fleet. The Admiral's despatches to Washington
rejoice over this achievement, but it is noticeable
that the rumour of the capture of Savannah only
came by a circuitous route—a steamer which left
Charleston Bar at eight o'clock on the morning
of the 14th December having brought the report
to Baltimore. Now, as the steamer in question
left Charleston Bar on the early morning of the
14th, and it was not until the 14th that Fort M'Al-
lister itself was captured, how is it possible for the
news of the fail of Savannah to have reached Char.
leston at that time ? Again, Mr STANTON, in his
despatch of December 16th, says that up to that
hour (half-past 8 p.m.) nothing had been heard
from SHERMAN beyond the news of the capture of
Fort M'Allister in the Richmond papers of that
day. Since then Admiral DAHLGREN was in com-
munication with SHERMAN and also in active com-
munication with Washington, it is probable he
would have forwarded such gratifying intelligence
with all possible speed. Another part of the
the news received by the Henn refers to
HooD, who, according to his version of
affairs, has been attacked and driven back Iby
THOMAS with the loss of sixteen guns and one
thousand prisoners. The whole complexion of the
Hansa's intelligence is so evidently Northern that
it is difficult to know how much or how little to
believe. The Nashville part of the business is cer-
tainly less improbable than the oaser, but we
should not be surprised if that should also turn out
to be greatly exaggerated. It is difficult to see
what the Federal authorities gain by this system of
spreading canards and of embroidering facts; but
it has been so often proved that they do condescend
to such pitiful devices, that it is quite impossible
to accept their information au pied de la leltre. Our
peace-at-any-price-party will read with some ap.
prehension and uneasiness the newa respecting
Canada. As might have been expected, the discharge
of the St Albans raiders has greatly incensed the
Northern States, and General Dix very coolly
issues a proclamation announcing that he feels
bound to protect the people of the frontier States
from rebel marauders, and he therefore authorises
all military commanders on the frontiers, in case of
further acts of depredation, to shoot the offenders,
if possible, but should they cross the boundary, he
directs the commanders " to pursue them wherever
they may take refuge," and under no circumstances
to surrender them. This is tolerably cool, even for
Yankee assurance, and it proves that Lord RUS-
SELL'S lessons have not been thrown away. What
can be said of the suicidal folly of the Northern
Government in thus incensing England and driving
her to do what it deems she has not sense or spirit
enough to do of herself—to recognise the South P
The language of Mr. CHANDLER, in the Washing-
ton Senate, clearly enough indicates the temper
of the Federals, who now quietly propose to de•
mend from Great Britain an indemnity
for the whole value of the Northern ships de-
stroyed by the Confederates. The South will,
perhaps, in their turn demand compensation for
Southern property destroyed by English and Irish
men in the Federal service, or for damage done
by Birmingham guns. "It is not intended," we
are told by Northern organs, " ihat there should
b 3 any frivolous excuse offered. The consequences
rest entirely with the British authorities—they
may have war or peace—but the United States
Government is determined to have justice." Pos-
sibly they may get that justice in a wholesome
but unpalatable form. It would certainly
be quite consistent with the whole con-
duct of the Federal Government Generals
and soldiery throughout the war if an in-
vasion of Canada were organised at a season
when it is difficult for English aid to reach the
colonies, bat New York and Washington had better
subdue Richmond before they talk quite so largely
about Quebec and Montreal. It would be a pain.
ful but a salutary lesson that Federal pride would
have to learn at our hands, and although we may
certainly be absolved from any desire for war, we
have been to blame for our culpable weakness and
timidity in dealing with them. When they saw us
afraid to maintain our rights, submitting to a sys-
tem of spying, obeying their most arrogent dic-
tates, while we disregard plain justice towards the
Confederates, tolerating the enlistment of our sub.
jects, and the ex port of the munitions of war;
while we objected to unarmed vessels leaving our
shores for Southern ports, even Yankee 'cuteness
may be pardoned for supposing the old country to
to.have grown either helpless or supine.

The Relief of Distress is the subject which is
uppermost in the social world just now, but it yet
remains to be seen how effective will be all the
deliberations on the question, and what advantages
the poor will reap from them. At all events, it
may be hoped that with the increased attention
paid to these sad and mournful themes another
winter may ❑ot find us so sadly unprepared to meet
the emergency as this has done, and that grim
want and gaunt starvation may no longer stalk
along our streets unchecked and unhindered by
private charity or public provisions. The arrow
that flieth in darkness, and the pestilence that
destroyeth in the noonday, are rivalled, if
not eicelled, in horror by the perpetual vision be-
fore us of our fellow creatures literally perishing
from want and privation, worn down in strength,
neglected in sickness, forsaken in death. It ap-
pears strange that in this age of invention, and
this land of enormous wealth, no plan can be devised
which shall, at all events, mitigate the evil. In.
difference to the wants of the poor is a real feature
of the generation in which we live. There are
societies and institutions to a great extent, but these
are as drops in the ocean, and the only Bp-
parent stopgap to the wide-spreading of want
and wretchedness, the Union may, without eiags
geration, be simply designated a failure. This has
been well known for some time paet, yet it is not
seen that any steps are taken by those in authority to
remedy the want or redress the wrong so bitterly
complained of, and whose ill effects are so constantly
before our eyes. In the meantime many sugges-
tions are being made which it would be wise to
take into consideration, since in the multitude of
counsellors there is wisdom, and amid several plans
and provisions it is not unnkely that some should
discover the right mode of dealing with the diffi-
culty. A gentleman connected with the Society
for the Relief of Distress has written to the limos
of today, and his remarke are we'A worthy of at.

tention. The " long and painful interest" which
he avers to have taken in these subjects, entitles him
to consideration, and we may be sure that he speaks
of what he knows, and does:not jump at conclusions
and imagine events, but discourses of what is too
sad not to be true. He proposes that in each parish
there should be a more marked difference between
the "establishment provided for true suffering and
helplessness and that for the accommodation of the
genuine and accomplished tramp.'' Such an idea
is a very good one, and if half of the trouble now
taken to drive claimants away were devoted to a
discriminating purpose, how much better it would
be for the interests of individuals and the welfare
of society. At present because some pau-
pers are idle or unworthy, the whole are classed
together as vagrants, not only in the sight
of the officials of the place, as too often
happens, but also in that of the world at
large. The easy well-doing persons who think the
object of life is to make themselves comfortable,
and spend their time in this world in heaping up
goofs which they cannot take away with them
when they leave it, look with a jaundiced eye upon
the propositions for affording extra relief, and think
too much is done already for them. These anti•
philanthropists have been allowed their own way
long enough in all conscience, and it is time for
some kinder, more humane, and sympathising prin-
ciples to make their way, if we would not incur the
reproach of being the must wealthy and wretched
community in the world. Another remark
made in this letter merits notice, and
that is the importance of outdoor relief being
afforded, It is, as here truly stated, "an economy
in the long ran." It will be indeed a blessed day
for the indigent when this truth becomes recognised
by the donors of that enigmatical boon, parochial
relief; but doubtless much has first to be learned
before this desirable ultimatum be arrived at. It
is said in this letter that the object of refusing out-
door assistance is to " stave off" the application,
meaning, as they do, that such offers will be re.
fused ; but too often in many such instances the
unfortunate family eventually become paupers, and
are chargeable to some parish or other as " chronic
paupers." What a fatal error of judgment it must
be which thus induces the hosts of officials to per-
sist in this practice. And in a pecuniary sense it
is a failure very often, for a little timely aid would
often prevent a grand crash or final breaking up of
homes, and casting forth of the inmates upon the
world. A friend in need is proverbial for its value,
but never, it may be affirmed, can such assistance
be procured at the places called Reliefs and
Houses on the principle of lucus non lucendo.
Another victim has just died, and swelled the long
list of those who preferred a death by starvation in
solitude to exposing herself to the tender mercies of
parochial aid. Nothing seems to move the adaman-
tine resolves, and shake the stoical indifference of
those who have to deal with the Poor-law arrange-
ments, but the time has surely come when the
public should take the matter up, and decide for
themselves how much longer inaptness or unwil-
lingness is to deal out scanty portions for starving
thousands in so grudging a style that life's severest
privations and death's most gloomy advent is pres
ferred infinitely to the ordeal of receiving their
donations. No other department of the State is suf-
fered to go on in error without any attempt being
made to rectify its abuses and remedy its deficiences.
Why then, it may be asked, is the Poor-Law Board
left so long unmolested, and allowed to escape with
impunity from the much required and long deferred
reform of its mechanism and machinery ? And
during the next session it will be a very great
disgrace to all concerned, if the subject is
❑ot brought on and the question thoroughly
sifted in all its details, It is not the way to get
on to let everything alone till the last fort-
night or so of the Session, and then to
smuggle in some temporary proviso to keep up
appearances and apparently to provide for
the exigencies of the time. When a system is
proved to be wrong in its working, it is _evident
that some great mi,chiti must rank in its fundas
mental principles; and those who call themselves
the friends of the people had better prove them-
selves what they profess by setting to this task. It
may bs an ungracious and ungenial one, but its ab-
solute necessity has been shown by incontrovertible
evidence ; and the witnesses are solemn ones, that
speak to us of the failure of our previous under-
takings. Justice requires that the sums set apart
for the relief of distress should be expended, so far
as possible, in a way that meets the difficulty and
answers the end in view, and not doled out in such
a form that in many cases they are worse than use■
less, and in others only serve to lower and degene-
rate those that they were designed to assist.

SIR ROBERT NAPIER, whose fire years' tenure of
office as Military Member of Council, will be Com-
mander-in-Chief at Bombay, vice Sir William
Mansfield, who will succeed Sir Hugh Rose.
SIR HUGH ROSE'S ACCIDENT appears, by pri-
vate letters, to have been much worse than was
represented in the newspapers, or than was at
first supposed. He is so much shaken that it is
❑ot believed he will be able to mount his horse
again before leaving India. The most recent ac.
counts represent his Excellency as still lying very
ill at the house of Gen. Wheeler, commanding at
Meerut. The Commander-in-Chief's camp has been
broken up, and all idea of a continuance of a tour
of inspection abandoned. As soon as able to move
Sir Hugh will make his way straight to Calcutta.
AGES OP THE NODILITT, &o.—lt appears from
Who', Who in 1865 that the oldest duke is the Duke of
Northumberland, aged 72—the youngest the Duke of
Norfolk,aged 17—the oldest marquis, the Marquis of West-
meath, aged 79—the youngest the Marquis of Ely, aged
15—the oldest earl, the Earl of Beverley, aged 86—the
youngest the Earl of Charleville, aged 12—the oldest
viscount, Viz count Combermere, aged 91—the youngest
Viscount Downe, aged 20--the oldest Baron is Lord
Brougham, aged 86—the youngest Lord Rodney, aged 7
the oldest member of the Privy Council is Viscount Comber-
mere, aged 91—the youngest the Prince of Wales, aged 23
the oldest member of the House of Commons is General the
Hon. Sir Hugh Arbuthnot, member for Kincardineshire,
aged 85—the youngest the Hon. C. R. D• H. Tracy, mem •
her fur Montgomeryshire, aged 24—the oldest judge in
England is the Right Hon.:Stephen Luehington, aged 82—
the youngest, Sit James P. Wilde, aged 48—the oldest
judge in Ireland is Chief Justice Lefroy, aged 18--the
youngest, Justice Keogh, aged 47—the oldest Scotch Lord
of Session is the Right Hon. Duncan Lord Jus-
tice General, aged 71—the youngest, the Right Hon. John
Inglis, Lord Justice Clerk, aged 54—the oldest archbishop
is the Archbishop of Canterbury, aged 70—the youngest,
the Archbishop of York, aged 45—the oldest bishop is the
Bishop of Exeter, aged 87—the youngest, the Bishop of
Gloucester and Bristol, aged 45—the oldest colonial bishop

is the Bishop of Toronto, aged 85—the youngest, the
Bishop of Na3sau, aged 38—the oldest baronet is Sir Thom,
Staples. aged 89—the youngest, Sir George R. Sitwell,
aged 4—the oldest civil or military knight is General Sir A,
B. Clifton, aged 92--the youngest, Sir Charles T. Bright,
aged 32,

SCHOLASTIC REGISTRATION.—The General
Committee, encouraged by the success which has
attended tlie movement in favour of Scholastic Registra-
tion, has resolved to convene a public meeting of school-
masters, and others interested in education, to consider the
best means of bringing the question before the Legislature
and the public. The meeting will be held on Thursday,
sth January, at two p.m., at the rooms of the Society of
Arts, John-street, Adelphi. The hon. secretary will read
a report of the progress of the movement to this date, and
will give an outline of the Medical Act, which has suggested
the proposed act, on a somewhat analogous plan, for the
Registration of Schoolmasters and Teachers. Several gen-
tlemen of influence will take part in the meeting; and it i■
earnestly hoped that all promoters of educational reform will
endeavour to attend, and co-operate with those whose object
is to obtain for the public some protection against incompe-
tent educators, and for the profession the position to which
its character and importance entitle it,•-,Edsscationad Ti;nes.