The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-22 00:00:00

THERMOMETER.

This morning
This day at Two o'clock .. 76
Barometer-30.02.
; light, and cloudy.

+
tra

LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1863.

Venerable from their very position, for their
learning, for their character, the Judges of Eng-
land are amongst the most hardworked of our
public functionaries. Receiving each a salary of
less than £4,000 per annum, they toil more labo-
riously than the unprofessional communityhave any
notion of—any notion even faintly approximating
to the reality. The popular ignorance as to this
excess of labour systematically shouldered on to
the venerable judges of the land, is in some mea-
sure attributable, of course, to the fact that a
very considerable part of it is got through in pri-
vate, in chambers, over desks and across tables,

in writing, or dictation, and in viva voce examina-
tions. But, even then--the enormous pressure of
hard work done in public, in open court, in session,
at assize, and that, too, hard work of the most com-
plicated character, work terribly continuous and
long sustained, work weighted with the most fear-
ful responsibility—all this, at least, is glaringly
manifest to the public at large ; there is surely
none amongst u., not even the least observant, but
is, in some degree, conscious of it ! Insomuch has
this excessive overtasking of her MAJESTY'S judges
become apparent, even to the extent of unprofes-
sional notoriety, that there has been a talk for some
few years past, as to th e necessity of increasing the
number of these revered and honoured administra-
tors of justice. Increased in number they must be
eventually. The only questions remaining now to
be decided, before that increase is accomplished,
being, first of all, as to its extent, and next as to the
time advisable in which that increase shall be
definitively decided upon. Another conside-
ration, however, as to the excessive hard work
done by the judges has not yet been alluded
to—meaning by this, the exquisitely painful)
and, but to often, absolutely loathsome
and appalling character of the toil they have
carefully, minutely, and in all its filthiest details to
get through. Crimes of hideous atrocity, vices of
despicable meanness, abominations at the mere
thought of which even the most hardened felon
might be expected to shudder in his conscience,
have, when brought into court before the judges, as
matter for investigation, there, upon trial, to be
investigated, and that not by any means in a
superficial manner, but with a painful scrupulosity
as to the minutia® of the evidence in

every particular, in every circumstance.

As distressing an illustration as any that could
by possibility be adduced, in testimony of the heart-
sickening character of the hard work requiring thus
to be got through within a single day, before one of
her MAJESTY'S judges—we would direct attention to
the extent and nature of the grim hard
work done only yesterday in the Central
Criminal Court before Mr. Justice KEAT-
ING. Conspicuous among even the venerable
brotherhood of the Bench, by his personal charac-
teristics as a virtuous and accomplished Christian
gentleman, Sir HENRY -KEATING had yesterday,
in the discharge of his solemn duties, to pass through
as distressing an ordeal as we could imagine it
would have been possible to oontrive, by way of tor-
ture, thus, to a pure and gentle heart, to a rc-
flned and chivalrous nature, and all the
l're so to a man more than usually en-
dowed
with an exquisite sensibility of tem-
perament. It will be sufficient here simply to
enumerate very briefly the nature of the crimes
brought up for trial yesterday in the Old Court,
before
jutalc's KEATING. First of all, there
was a eha,ge__oni
Y
too clearly brought home to
the accused before the trial was done—a charge of
rape of singular and
midst
atrocity, because per-
petrated in the
the poor victim's children.
The victim
to
being :g manifestly as innocent,
in regard to this
the little children eurrenee, as any one of
bbeher
had
this miserable caseside. After
en
disposed of, there
immediately followed one far
_more
.infamous in its
dreadful atrocity—one of those
horribly frequent in their crimes,u
cri of late so
Perpetratia
where little prattling innocents are dishonoured.
- mes
Unhappily yesterday, in the lamentable instance
before Sir HENRY .KEATING, the fact of the tender
age of the
little victim rendered the child's awn
wioit
evidence inadmissible—necessitating a v
1, not guilty" from the jury, though the judge
followed up the delivery of that verdict
by reminding the prisoner that he had
merely escaped conv:ction in consequence of the
circumstance that the child, in point of law, was
not capable of being examined. But, added the
learned judge, it was impossible for any one who
had heard the evidence not to entertain the
strongest suspicion that the prisoner was guilty of
the offence with which he had been charged !
Afterwards came, successively, two cases of man-
slaughter, one by a young woman of twenty-four,
the other by a young man of twenty-two, both
crimes being clearly proved against the accused re-
spectively, the former being condemned to eight
and the latter to twelve months' imprisonment,
each with hard labour. Such being the sleigh of

vice :Ind criminality yesterday required to be tra-
versed by the judge,in the discharge of his judicial,
duties at the Central Criminal Court—a day's
labour at that court which we have here adduced
simply by way of illustration.

It is impossible to imagine anything more dread-
ful in its way than the detai given of vivisection
as at present pursued at Paris. The constant prat•
tice of such operations renders the indifferent
callous, and makes the unwilling accustomed to
sights and sounds of horror that seem scarcely
credible. The French Academy of Medicine have
now taken up the subject, apropos to a report sent
to the Government, which is a step in the right
direction. Such atrocities must be put a stop to.
No enlightened statesmen and no humane nation

ctin tolerate their perpetuation. The French papers
have, to their honour, taken up the subject, and
they will doubtless succeed eventually in their

praiseworthy undertaking. In the meantime it is
necessary that the sad details should be made as
public as possible, in order that every available in-
terest and influence be enlisted to aid the good work

of putting a summary stop to such proceedings.
All dogs are sacrificed that these experimentalists
can lay their hands upon, and one informant states
that a short time since some very valuable sporting
dogs fell a prey to these barbarities. To add to the
horrors of the affair the School of Medicine is
situated in the same square as the Hospital des
Cliniques, and it may be imagined what a martyr-
dom the poor patients undergo. When a dog is not
killed by one operation he is put back in the kennel
in his agony to await further torture. "There the
unhappy creatures, already torn by the scalpel,
howl until the next day in tones rendered hoarse
and faint by another previous operation intended to
deprive them of voice." It is not surprising to
hear that one woman, who was very ill, hurried
away in the night, unable to endure the horror of
the mournful sounds any longer, and that veteran
nurses relinquish their employment. In proof of
the veracity of this astounding statement, a letter is
quoted, addressed to M. HUSON, Director-General
of Hospitals, written by an eminent medical prac-
titioner, in which the sufferings of the sick from
their proximity to the tortured animals is com-
mented on. In this epistle the writer invokes the
assistance of M. HUSON to aid in putting a stop to
these proceedings, so inimical to the interests of the

patients, and which militate so strongly against their

recovery. " These dogs," he says, " cry and howl
night and day, notwithstanding the preliminary
operation performed on them with the view of ren-
dering them mute. Will you, whose solicitude

'or the sick is so great, join your complaints to ours,

in order that we may obtain trom the competent
authorities that henceforward no more dogs shall
he taken to the Practical School ? Assuredly it
will not be said that, for the sanguinary and useless
exhibitions of a course which serves only to expose
the state of science, the repose of a whole hospital,

and that of twenty neighbouring houses, is to be
disturbed." For the sake of these unfortunate sick
persons, it is to be hoped that a different arrange-
ment will be speedily come to, but for the sake of
common decency, and for the credit of civilisation,
it is necessary that the practice referred to be
stopped at once and for ever. It cannot stand under
the storm of indignant remonstrance which is sure
to follow an exposition of facts. The general sen-
timent of the nation is against it, and now that the
authorities are taking up the matter, such facts will be
brought to light as will be certain to lead to its final
destruction. It is really astonishing to notice how per-
sons will persist to palliate the practice of vivisec-
tion. It is idle to talk of the necessity of pursuing
this course in the interests of science, it is an insult
to a noble profession to state that its fundamental
principles are based on brutality and supported by
revolting atrocities. It is very easy to lay down
arbitrary rules, but it is another thing to prove the
truth of these assertions. No one has yet satisfac-

torily shown how putting these poor creatures to
such excruciating tortures can at all facilitate the
proper course of studies in which the members of
the medical profession have to perfect themselves,
The man who can sit by unmoved while a lecture
is delivered on a living animal put to dreadful suf-
ferings, for the purpose of imaginary investigations,
is rendered unfit for his profession. Such sights
must tend to demoralise, and it is false to assert

that any knowledge could justify their exhibition.
It would be well if, instead of arguing in a circle
these advocates of barbarous torments, would take to
heart a simple rule, the wisdom of which outweighs
the dogmas of schools, and the tenets of sages. "It is
not lawful to do evil that good may come of it." The
consequence of this principle acted upon would be
the extinction of a practice that is abhorent to the
feelings of all humane persons, and in direct viola-
tion of the laws of the CREATOR, who gave the
lower races for the use of man, and not for the
abuse, to serve as instruments for his passions,
his greed, or his vanity. In his wonderful
composition of the " Ancient Mariner," COLERIDGE
has touchingly illustrated a beautiful idea in these
lines—.

"He prayeth best who loveth best
All things both great and small,
For the great GOD who loveth us
He made and loveth all."
iNfost of us are acquainted with the expression of
COWPER—" I would not enter on my list of friends
the man who needlessly sets foot upon a worm,"
and it would be well if more adopted the practice
as well as subscribed to the theory. No great or
good qualities can co-exist with cruelty. The best
and wisest men have ever been the most
conside-
rate towards those dumb creatures who have so
many claims upon oar consideration, and in general
so well
our care. It is in direct antagonism
with ther e play laws of nature, so perfect in unison, so
beautiful in symmetry, to set out with the asser-
tion that torture and cruelty that one shudders to
hear of, are needful and right to discover the means
of curing diseases and ministering to suffering
humanity. In the "Negro's Complaint" he is
made to say to his tormentors—

"Prove that you have human feelings,
Ere you proudly question ours."

And the same remark might be made when the
conduct of the King of DAHOMEY is called to ac-
count. He, a barbarian, follows the customs of his
country, and doubtless would alter his ways had
he half the knowledge that is showered on our path,
sitting in the flood-light of these younger days of the
world's improvements. The civilised nations exclaim
against such barbarity, such cruelty, and brutality;
but while " vivisection" disgraces civilised countries
silence on this score would be the most fitting and
appropriate conduct. The French EMPEII.Oit is all-
powerful
N e
a rof
theol
dr:e f
Pwerful in the influence which he exercises in the
social scale, and it is to be trusted that he will lend
his puissant aid, and accord his mighty assistance
to the work now in hand
of
gcd puttingreaso n a stop
fearful practice. There is
tsotphintko
that
s
these hopes will not prove f
has alreadyo
meu desire
for his Majesty
sty
mercy,
evincederey, v quainted with the workings
The quality isario.us system,
the mighty, and becomes the throned in
monarch
better than his crown. It will, certainly, bc a boon
rules,
to bestow on the peope over whom he who
of tt ° become ac.
stand in the foremcst placa among the civilised
nations of the wora, to intiet that nc, more in their

c, ~;.

capital shall such abominations exist. The grati-
tude of all elevated minds will be his tribute in this
noble undertaking, while the just rebuke admi-
nistered to the upholders of the system will be at
once a warning to those of lesser consequence who
follow the custom, and a reproach to all who tacitly
uphold it. Some may call it a trifle one way or the
other ; but there is nothing so degrading to human
nature as cruelty, and whatever tends to foster that
growth must militate against its approach to its
highest development, and produce most deleterious
effects.

IThere is no question that vast sources of wealth
exist undiscovered or undeveloped in our colonies.
Australia had been colonised a good many years
before the gold diggings attracted thither all wan-
dering soldiers of fortune, and affected the calcula-
tions of financiers and political economists all
through the civilised world. It was not surprising
that the same precious metal should be found to
exist in the neighbouring colony of New Zealand
so that a fresh interest is added to those islands and
the continual war with the Maories is likely to lose
its importance. The goldfields of Otago, however,
are not the oniy gift of nature to New Zealand, in-
deed it may be questioned whether they are the
most valuable. A very interesting communication
has just been made by a gentleman who was lately
a resident in the colony respecting the native flax
which grows in great abundance and perfection.
This plant (Phornium Tenax) is, he tells us,
to be found in almost every district growing iu such
luxuriance that thousands of acres of beautiful fibre
are left to rot in the ground for want of cutting
and gathering. If cut the plant will bear three
fresh shoots in the year. It grows from six to
twelve feet, and each acre of land may be calcu-
lated to produce from six to ten tons. This sur-
prising quantity of material is not of indifferent
quality. The writer of the account in question,
who has himself inspected the plant and studied its
qualities, asserts that paper made from it is supe-
rior to any other; while he suggests that a large
portion of it might be employed in the manufacture
of cordage, sail-cloth, and similar fabrics. It is
surely worth while for our manufacturers to ascer-
tain whether this abundant supply of raw material
ready to hand cannot be turned to some account in
giving employment to our idle mill hands, and in
providing a substitute for cotton cloth, the dearness
and scarcity of which is so generally deplored. It is
not the first time that reference has been made to
this plant, although no steps have as yet been taken
towards profiting by it; but the statement now

given by a gentleman who took some pains to exa-
mine into the facts of the case, and to verify them
by personal inspection is so clearand conclusive, that
we should hope some experiment would be made
before long.
We are all acquainted with the valuable proper-
ties of flax, and should the quality of this southern
plant at all equal the description given of it, it
would certainly be a useful addition to our stock of
raw material, even in times of prosperity, but in
the present season of dearth it would be of inesti-
mable benefit. The mountain flax, which is of a
much finer quality than that grown in the swampy
lands, is more difficult of access, being out of the
reach of water carriage, but its superior fibre ren-
ders it well worth obtaining, and this, the most
expensive in its conveyance, could be, we are told,
imported into England at a much less cost than
Russian hemp, which it greatly exceeds in strength.
It is surely desirable that some public spirited capi-
talist should inquire into this matter, and endeavour
to open up a source of employment for thousands of
his suffering countrymen, as well as to enrich the
markets of his country by the introduction of a
new and useful commodity. It would require no
great outlay to make the experiment, since neither
tilling nor ploughing is required to test the value of

the plant. The bountiful hand of nature has sown, it
only remains for the enterprising man to reap her
gifts, and ascertain what account he can best, turn
them to. " There is here," says the informant, "an
abundance of good useful material, well fitted for
maritime purposes growing to an unlimited extent,
which only requires to be cut down into useful

and valuable fibre without the cost of rent, taxes

manure, or even p 1 oughing the land." It seems
strange that in the long-continued depression of
the cotton trade so little effort should have been
made to obtain a substitute for the desired material

even of a temporary nature, The same obstinate
adherenoe to American cotton which induced our
manufacturers and millowners to neglect every
other source of supply in bygone days of plenty,
appears to have actuated them since its deprivation,
restricting their views and expectations to the
reopening of the old ports. Yet we can
hardly doubt that the opportune reminder
of the large quantity of raw material
"wasting its sweetness on the desert air" of New
Zealand, will induce some energetic manufacturer
to ascertain by practical experience of its qualities
ho 9? far this New Zealand flax is capable of filling
the void, left by the suspension of American cotton

and whether it will not serve at least as a tem-
porary resource to keep our mills going and our
Lancashire population off the rates. Half a loaf is
better than no bread; it is better to manufacture

flax than for the mills to stand idle and the popula-
tion to go to the parish for support. It is better to
work at paper making or rope making than to sit
idle, dependent on casual help in waiting for the

resuscitation of the old trade, and certainly a good
many persons of the less wealthy classes will think

it preferable to obtain linen cheap than to buy
calico dear. There may possibly be obstacles or

drawbaoks in the way, but at all events the subject
is worth inquiry. The colony is our own, and in

spite of the Maoris the investigation can be made

with little cost or labour, and should it prove suc-
cessful it will be of the greatest practical service
alike to the mother country and to the young and
promising colony.

BULWER AND L. E. L.—Ono of the latest biogra-
eiars Edwarddistinctions
Eui we are re
Lytton—ever that e phers of the charming poeteste, L. E. L., has
least recently remarked—" I wonder if that great novelist, whose
looksisabiro backwardnetand on asenator—
sthat
marriage party, of which he formed a unit, when, on the
7th of June, 1838, he gave away Miss Landon' at St. Mary's
Bryanstone-square, to Mr. Maclean. Doubtless it is to,
him ono of those memories, both bright and yet tinged with
sadness, which most of us have to look back to, and for
which we feel all the better if all the sadder."
MADLLE. TIETJENS is now in Paris, and will
make her debut at the Grand Opera before the end of the
mouth in Valentina.
BOTTESINI, the well-known double bass player,
is conductor of the orchestra at the Lyceum, Barcelona.
TIIALBERG and GODEFROND (harpist) have been
very lately delighting the amateurs of Boulogne.
COST OF VIEWING THE MAIN DRAINAGE
VVoßKs.—Cheques have been drawn by the Metro-
politan
l't Board of Works to defray a portion of the expenses
incurred by the late trip down the river, to view the outlall
works at Crossness-point and Barking-creek, of the follow-
ing amounts :—Messrs. Robert Clark and Co., £216 ss. 6d.;
Messrs. Ind, Coope, and Co., £43 12s. ; and Mr. Charles
Burgess, £75158. 3d. Total, £350 12s. Dd. The remain-
ing accounts stand over till the meeting of the finance corn-
mittee.—City Press.

PROFESSOR ItENAN'S LIFE OF JESUS.-011 the
first Saturday in September, there is to be com-
menced in Public Opinion an epitome of Professor Renan's
extraordinary work, " Vie de Jesus," which will be com-
piled from the French original, and contain verbatim trans-
lations of the most interesting passages, to be followed by
synopses of the various answers which have appeared is
l'rance iq refutgiou of the Om production,