The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-11 00:00:00

THERMOMETER.

Highest since Noon yesterday. . . 82
Lowest during the night
This day at Noon .
Wind—W. ; light, with cloudy weather

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
THIS DAT.—Morning, Bh. 12m.—Afternoon, Bh. 50m.
To-moußow.-Morning, 9h. 2.sm.—Afternoon. 9h: 50m.

y , r

LONDON, MONDAY, MAY 11, 1863.

their skill in Naviga-
tion English ofL'ers losing
? This will really begin to be a matter of
doubt if we have any speedy repetition, in another
quarter of the globe, of two very recent and very
horrible catastrophes. After H.M.'s ship Orpheus
has struek upon a shifting sand bank in broad day-
light at our antipodes, bat a few months elapse when
the Anglo-Saxon packet, plying between England
and Canada, runs direct on to a rock about three
miles from Cape Race, breaking up completely
within about one hour from the time of her first
striking there, and having the vast majority of
the crew and passengers thereby destroyed. In
each instance the casualty might very readily have
been avoided. In neither case was there any per-
ceptible reason why it should have come to pass at
all. The Orpheus at the other side of the globe,
the Anglo-Saxon at the other side of the Atlantic,
ran into danger almost one might say wilfully.
Now with the latter, as but a brief while since with
the former, the cause of the deplorable accident
really and truly appears to have been nothing else
than an excess of temerity. A local pilot—
familiar with the fluctuations of those treacherous
sandbanks, one of which became so lamentably fatal
immediately afterwards—was disdained by the
Orpheus. Captain BURGESS, the skilled and expe-
rienced skipper of the Anglo-Saxon, apparently
loses that vessel by a similar display of foolhardi-
ness. His good ship—(he only seems to have
remembered this)—has the glory of inaugurating
the opening up of the navigation of the St. Law-
rence. His is the first ship of the season—of the
season for the opening up of that Navigation.
Captain BURGESS is so conscious of this
that, coming within the short distance we have
mentioned from Cape Race—dashes onward towards
his destination in spite of a dense fog. And with
every peril marked down distinctly on his charts,
with the exact position of his ship at the time capa-
ble of being very distinctly calculated at any
moment, he runs clean on to the rock already men-
tioned. Everything is risked for the sake of
making a quick passage. The rage of haste is on
the brave sea-captain. He is bent upon making his
way ahead at all hazard. And two hundred and thirty
six unfortunate fellow creatures pay the penalty of
his own eagerness, Thera are 440 on board alto-
gether whose lives are imperilled by this unhesitat-
ing dash onward close to land through a dense fog
—440, counting both crew and passengers ! 0
these 440 upwards of 236 are believed to have
perished. After striking, the vessel is a complete
wreck in less than sixty minutes. "More haste,
less speed," was never more lamentably verified as
an " ower" true adage than by this frightful
illustration of its dreadful accuracy by the Anglo-
Saxon. That ill-starred mail steamship leaving
Liverpool on the 16th and Londonderry on the 17th
of last month—at noon on the 27th (that is, only
just ten days later) is completely wrecked : this
miserable catastrophe occurring at a distance of
over three miles east of Cape Race. A couple of
lifeboats and a few ropes and spars are made, how-
ever, the means of saving the survivorsof the casualty.
The incidents related in the course of the narrative of
this melancholy shipwreck are of the old familiar
kind throughout. The vessel strikes—the deck
breaks up—the foremast goes by the board, while
many are still clinging in despair to the rigging—
the mizenmast is alone left standing—that, and the
shattered hull disappears at last, and with the
scattered fragments of the wreck disappear 236 of
the hapless crew and passengers. Going at speed,
through a fog, at mid-ocean, even in otherwise fair
weather, or at any rate over smooth water, would
besingularly reprehensible. But not slackening speed
in a dense fog, when at a brief di stance from land,
is surely in a very lamentable degree foolhardy.
And of that foolhardiness the brave-hearted hut
thoughtless captain of the Anglo-Saxon, good sea-
man though he was, appears, beyond any doubt of
it, to have been guilty. To this over haste seems to
be alone attributable the miserable destruction of
human life here recorded.

No one has a right to call Mr. GLADSTONE obsti-
nate this year at all events. Twice has he given
up his hobbies, conformed to circumstances, and
yielded to the opinion of the House. Last Friday.
in answer to a question from Mr. LTGON as to what
amount of revenue he estimated would be produced
by the tax on clubs, the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer replied " that he was not able to give the de-
sired information, but it was of the less consequence
when he announced that it was his intention to
accede to the representations made to him by gen-
tlemen connected with the clubs, and to withdraw
his proposition to impose a license upon them."
No wonder that this announcement was received
with laughter and cheers. It is something so new
for the right hon. gentleman to forego his p.ans
that the novelty was as amusing as the fact was
desirable. This proposal to tax clubs would have
been a great annoyance, and the sum that would
have accrued therefrom to the revenue would have
been so petty as hardly to be worth mentioning in
comparison with the grievance. Mr. GLADSTONE
has always been famed for these small imposts, and
this club proposal matches that absurd penny-tax
on parcels that created so much and gave
rise to considerable inconvenience. In that
case also Mr. GLADSTONE was compelled to
give way, though not before he had made a trial of
its rsorits, and the teat proved most unsatisfactory

even to himself. He afterwards confessed that the
amount received did not at all compensate for the
annoyance it inflicted. It mast be confessed that
this conversion of the Chancellor of the Exchequer
has been rather a sudden one. It was not his wont
always to bow to the opinion of the deputations
who waited upon him to express opinions that were
not in conformity with the plans he prepared and
the schemes he fashioned. Twice last week, how-
ever, has he succumbed to their judgment, and re-
linquished his avowed determination to await the
decision of the House as his final place of audit.
According to this notion there will he a great in-
crease of meetings, messages, and deputations to
confront those in high places to retract their in-
tentions, while not suggesting remedial plans them-
selves. " Veni, vidi, vici" will henceforth be the
motto of these embryo legislators who consult to-
gether one day on the inimical project of the new
law, or the injurious results that are likely to flow
from even its partial working. Of course every
one has a right to change his opinions, but when
the alteration is so hastily done it gives rise to sus-
picion, and men naturally think that either the plan
would not bear the light of day to shine on it, or
that the proposer has no confidence in his vaunted
measures. Very probably it was a mixture of both
these sentiments that made Mr. GLADSTONE an-
nounce the fact of his giving up the plan of taxing
clubs, even as he had already done in the case of
the charities. When that subject was mooted
on Monday Mr. DISRAELI warned the Chancellor
of the Exchequer that, firm as he then seemed to
be on the point, he might have to recede from his
original intention. The right hon. gentleman was
doubtless consoling himself with the reflection that
if he had been defeated by the charities he had non-
quered the clubs, "but it was possible that before
the labours of the house terminated that eccentricity
might also disappear from the Budget." The recol-
lection of this prophecy must have made Mr. GLAD-
STONE'S relinquishment doubly vexatious and per-
plexing. " Earl PERCY sees my fall," he may ex-
claim, when he gives up so many of his illusions or
delusions, as the case may be. The Budget of this
year is very good on the whole, and therefore it was
the more irritating to notice the intrusion of this
unsatisfactory clause ablut the clubs, and the

more inconvenient besides inconsiderate proposal on
the subject of charities. On this latter question
Mr. GLADSTONE may congratulate himself on his
being non-suited. This is a case in which defeat is
more honourable than victory, and he who relin-
quishes his own wishes when they are adverse to
the benefit of others comes out of such a conflict
more than conqueror. Mr. GLADSTONE'S chief
fault as a financier consists in his perverse notion
of equalising everything there is no uniformity in
nature, and the complicated machinery of the social
system will not allow of such a levelling theory any
more than the outer world can be measured by line
and plummet. A statesman can make no greater mis-
take than to imagine that he can, in his narrow com-
pass of facts and limited scope of theories, comprise
the vast sphere of public interests, end embrace
the measureless expanse of human efforts.
"Moves our free course by such fiji d cause,
As gives the poor mechanic laws,"
may exclaim the various members of the vast com-
munity, who are menaced with the infliction of this
uniform treatment, and threatened with the intro-

duction of a universal code of legislation. Whatever
motive may have influenced the Chancellor of the
Exchequer in the concessions he has made in defer-
ence to public opinion, let us be satisfied with the
result ; and, while fully aware and completely ap-
preciating the extent and importance of some of the
advantages that may accrue from the Budget this
year introduced, be satisfied that the minimum
grievance that threatened to annoy those connected
with the clubs has disappeared, and rejoice that the
maximum peril of taxing the charities has been also
abandoned, so that the financial scheme of this

session has verified the old adage and become belie,-

fired by the searching and scrutinising tests that
have been applied to it. We cannot say that if
weighed anew in the balance, it would be found not
wanting, as the income tax for one thing might
have been still further reduced ; but t'Ae it all in

all, the Budget of this year is a decided improve-
ment on some of those that preceded it, and great

credit is due to those bosh in the House and out o

doors, whose remonstrances and representations

have gained the ascendancy and caused the reject

ion or occasioned the withdrawal of some mos.

reprehensible measures.

The recent increase of small-pox in the metropo

lis, more especially in the north-west districts, is
something startling in these days of science and
sanitary reform. Thanks to our parochial arrange-
ments and agistry system, the evil was detected at
the outset. The terrible foe, which a century ago
destroyed nearly one-eighth of the population, which
passed over health, strength, and beauty with its
blighting breath, leaving, too often, scarred and
blind infirmity behind, was seen again emerging
from the comparative insignificance and harmless-
❑ess to which it had been consigned. Owing to
the efforts and abilities of Dr. JENNER we have
outlived, in a great measure, the dangers of small-
pox; but the dread of its increase among us,
although robbed of half its terrors by Dr. JENNER'S
beneficent discovery, cannot be regarded with in-
difference. There are probably few persons who do
not look upon the disease with special aversion, in
some measure, owing to the frequent disfigurement
it inflicts on the sufferer; the consequences, therefore,
of its spread among poor and densely populated
neighbourhoods must manifestly be very serious.
Unfortunately the very class most liable to risk of
infection, and least qualified to resist disease, has a
deep-rooted prejudice against that prevention
which, according to the old adage, is better
than cure. The authorities for the preservation of
the public health have always found great obstacles
to their sanitary measures among the lower classes.
N

.ot only does the cupidity of landlords suffer fort"
eeP under one roof, and very
or fifty persons to 8.l
often three or four families to congregate in one
room, but, with the obstinacy which i 3 generally
the companion of ignorance, the poortoo w
often
irteh-
fuse to share in the benefits of vaccination.
the short-siglltednees which a limited range okwfneos-
perience gives, and the conviction that they
best on all matters of health and care of children,
the lower classes very often continue to leave vac
cination alone altogether. This danger was fore
seen by the sanitary cfficers from their long experi
ence among the poor, and the clause rendering the
neglect of the duty punishable by fine was inserted
as a precaution. But owing to the non-enforce-
ment of the penalty, or to other causes, there is no
doubt that the rule is continually infringed, and
far from every child being vaccinated before it is
three months old, a large portion of the community
are never vaccinated at all. The worst part of the
case is, that not only does the disease spread
rapidly under such circumstances, but it retains

the virulence and malignity which rendered it
such a scourge a few generations back. We
should advise the Board of Health to look closely
Into this matter, for ti►e neglect of sanitary pre-
cautions by some of the community neutralises in
some degree the prudence of others. No care en-
tirely ensures a householder against the risks of fire
-•the heedlessness or rashness of his neighbour

may at any time subject him to loss and ruin, and
so contagious diseases belong to that class of evils
against which every man must guard others in
guarding himself. In this country and this genera-
tion we can happily scarcely realise the horrors of
an epidemic, bat we have put our science and ex-
perience to such good account, that if we should be
threatened with such a calamity, there is no doubt
that, under PROVIDENCE, we could greatly lessen
its terrors. The answer of Lord PALMERSTON to
the Scottish appeal on behalf of a day of humilia-
tion for the cholera, deserves to be borne in mind
by every Board of Guardians in the kingdom. He
pointed out to the petitioners that instead of
adopting such measures to avert the Divine
displeasure, it were better to use the
means put into our own hands, and before we
bewailed the calamity as an exceptional punish-
ment, to see whether it were not rather the direct
chastisement for an infringement of those plain laws
of health and nature GOD has set for us all to learn.
Cleanliness, ventilation, and drainage are the three
main elements of health in crowded cities; next to
them come, of course, nourishing food and moderate
labour. But, while it would be impossible for paro
chial authorities to regulate the private affairs oi
every man in the parish, they can at least see that
the outward requirements of public safety are com-
plied with, that a house is properly whitewashed,
aired, and drained, and, above all, that no more per-
sons are allowed to inhabit it than are consistent
with decency and health.

The present danger has already called forth
energetic measures on the part of the
parishes most concerned. In Marylebone, Pad
dington, and St. Pancras, steps have been
taken to meet the evil, and no time is being lost in
supplying fresh accommodation for those persons
affected with it. There is naturally a very great
difficulty found in obtaining houses, from the reluct-
ance of their owners to let them for the purpose. It
was proposed last week to appropriate an empty
one in St. John's Wood, but Sir J. HAMILTON,
as Crown churchwarden, interfered, on the ground
that it would be introducing the disease into a
healthy locality. This objection has certainly
weight, as it is by all means desirable to narrow the
area of its influence; but the difficulty of the guar-
dians remains, as it is indispensable that immediate
arrangements should be made for the reception of
the sufferers who cannot be received into the hos-
pitals. Under these circumstances, the suggestion
of the medical officers of health appears to he the
best solution of the problem. The erec-
tion of temporary iron or wooden sheds
would not depend on the consent of landlords,
neither would it be a matter of time or expense,
while the accommodation could be easily increased,
if requisite. The Paddington authorities have taken
steps to provide such a building, while the Maryle-
bone Board have lost no time in inspecting the
building recommended by Dr. THOMPSON. So im-

pressed were they with the urgency of the case,
that having learned from the committee that the
establishment would be well adapted for the re-
quired purpose, provided it were cleaned and sup-
plied with ventilators and an extra door, the Board
ordered these improvements to be immediately
effected and the wards got in readiness for the re-

ception of patients by the next evening. It is highly
satisfactory that these gentlemen should have met
the difficulty with such prompt and resolute mea-

sures, and we trust that other parishes will not
delay to follow their example, but will take imme-
diate steps on the appearance of the disease in their
respective districts.

Signor Gardoni is coming to London this year,
only to sing 3n concerts.
Mr. Benedict, for his coming concert to be held on
June Ist, advertises three unpublished compositions by
Weber.

It is stated that Mr. J. Maguire, M.P., has nearly
completed a biography of the temperance apostle, Father
Matthew.
SISTERS OF MERCY.—Among the chief objntsot

interest offered for sale at the grand b j ziar in aid
of the Sisters of Mercy were, at the stall of the Dowager
Marchioness of Lothian, Lady Clifford, and Mrs. Eaton, a
set of old Wedgwood china, valued at 100 guineas, various
oil paintings, plate, and fancy work in wool and silks. The
Countess of Fire's stall contained splendid ottomans, stools,
and rugs ; that of the Hon. Mrs. Pereira, beautiful real Ja
panese ware, consisting of trays, stands, and an oil paint-
ing by Buckner, valued at £5O, and elegant glass dessert
services. Mrs. Bellasis and Mrs. Segrave uisplayed Mon-
tenari's Exhibition model doll completely dressed ; and Mrs.
Smith and Mrs. Byrne exhibited a model of the gateways
at the Moorish Palace of Alhambra at Granada, the mate-
rial and colouring being exactly the same as those of the
original, taken on the spot by the architect appointed by
the Spanish Government to restore the building. At the
stall held by the Lady Georgiana Fullerton and
Viscountess Norreys were, among numerous other
objects of interest, a handsome crackled China
jar, presented by the ex-Queen of the French, oil
pictures by Buckner, G. Stanfield, and one by Herbert,
R.A., valued at £lOO, an album containing drawings and
paintings by G. Stanfield, R. Williams, T. Gibson, R.
Buckner, H. Doyle, Mons, Raffet, Mona. Granet, Mons.

Sourlacrois, Mons. Paul Martin, Mons. Bussitil, Mons.
L'Eveque, Mons. Gotslaff, Mons. Messourier, Mons.
D'Auria, and Miss Henrietta Brown. There were also at
this stall one stilling packets, containing half a dozen of the
finest Japanese pocket hankerchiefs ready for use, and
cigars from the collection of the Earl of Sefton at two
shillings each. A purse made by the late Duchess of Kent,
the authenticity of which was regularly attested by her
equerry, was purchased by the Duo de Nemours at the stall
held by Mrs. Francis C. New and Miss Langdale. At
Mesdame Guenean de Mussy and Alexandre Devaut was an
elegant worked prle dieu, worked and presented by Queen
Marie Amelie, also a fan given and used by her
at the Tuileries, a gold-mounted snuff-box, and a silver
figure given by the Due de Chartres, a case of jewels pre
sented by the Duchess de Montpensier, and a magnificent
maison de poupet, finished and fitted complete, from the
visitors in the drawing-room to the French cook in the
kitchen, valued at £lOO. An old German meerschaum pipe,
inlaid with precious stones, and handsomely s leer
mounted, supposed to have belonged to Martin Luther;
same old Spanish knives, and some splendid shawls and
pictures, formed part of the collection of Lady William
Harvey and Lady Acton. A " 'Welcome to Alexandra,"
written by the Hon Mrs. Norton expressly for the ocea
won, was handsomely engrossed and sold at many of the
stalls, as well as were several pen ar.d pencil drawings and
sketches by various well-known artists, one of which wns a
dog from the pencil of that talented artist, Sir E. Landseer,
which brought upwards of &O.—Morning Post.
An eminent Ctiiet Baron finding tne late Mr. Jus-

tice Maule (then at the Bar) drinking porter one morning
at the University Club, remonstrated with him for indulg-
ing in such a practice. " I have to argue a question in the
Exchequer, and am bringing down my mind ti the proper
pitch," was the reply.

AGE OF THE WORLD.—Geologists will, perhaps,
be able to appreciate Mr. E. B. Hunt's argument on
the growth and chronology of the great Florida reef. After
stating the dimensions of the reef, Mr. Hunt proceeds :
" Taking the rate at 24 years to the foot, we shall have for
the total time 241-,4 250 p 4 900, on the data as stated or, a e
find the total period of 5,400,000 years as that required for
the growth of the entire coral limestone formation of
Florida."

USEFUL CALCULATIONS —Many people hear of
distances in thousands of yards—a usual measure
of artillery distances—and have very little power of reduc-
ing them at one.- to miles. New, four miles are ten yards
for each mile above 7,000 yards, whence the following rule :
the number of thousands multipled by 4 and divided by 7
give miles and sevenths for quotient and remaiwer, with
only at the rate of ten yards to a mile in excess. Thus
12,000 yards is.4B 7tha of a mile, or 6 miles and 6-7ths of a
mile : not 70 yards too great. Again, people measure speed
by miles per hour, the mile and the hour being too long
for the juigrnent of distance and time. Take half as much
again as the number of miles per hour, and you have the
number of feet per second, too great by one in 30. Thus
16 miles an hour is 16 -1.8, or 24 feet per second, too much
by 24 30ths of a foot.

It is proposed that three copies of congratulatorj
vorses—two in English and one in Latin (the verses
not to exceed 50 in number) —shall bo recited in the theatre
at Oxford University on the occasion of the visit of their
Royal highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. Un-
dergratuates or bachelors of arts may send in copies to the
Vice-Chancellor, with a motto and name concealed, on or
before Monday, June 1.
The Vienna journals state that several cafés of
the city have lately introduced a machine for shuffling cards,
Villa perform the work with great celerity,