The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-11 00:00:00

1
~~ ~

LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1863,

Later news from America, intelligence bringing
the narrative of the war down to the beginning of
this current month of August, shows the main
army of the Confederates, under LEE, to be situ-
ated between Culpepper and Gordonsville. There
the attitude assumed by him is said to be purely
defensive. But—simultaneously with the receipt
of this fragmentary intimation as to the Confede-
rate Commander-in-Chief—we learn in other words
that the Federal Commander-in-Chief is begin-
ning to evidence anything bat the confidence
of a conqueror. The recent movements of his army,
it is said, under date August 1, New York, will be
followed by its former inactivity ! An account
certainly not without its significance. More par-
ticularly when together with it comes the intima-
tion that Kentucky has been invaded by the
Foutherns! General BURNSIDE, in making these
latest warlike tidings known, through a proclama-
tion that, as a matter of course, speaks of the Con-
federates as " the rebels," General BURNSIDE
we say in making public this new and daring
invasion of Kentucky by the rebels pronounces
the enterprise to have been undertaken with the
intention of overawing the judges, intimidating the
voters, and forcing the election of disloyal candi-
dates at the election of the ensuing 3d of Septem-
ber. As the instant consequence of this same in-
vasion of Kentucky martial law had been declared
throughout that State. " Military commanders,"
said the General, " will aid the State autho-
rities to support the laws and the purity of
suffrage. The judges present at the polls will be
held strictly responsible that no disloyal person
be allowed to vote, and to this end military power
will give them its utmost support." Summing up
the relative positions of the confronting main
armies in a single announcoraent, one of the New
York papers says, sententionsly,that the Army of the
Potomac is again upon the R'ppahanock,
MEADE is there somewhere in the immediate vici
nity of Falmouth. LEE confronting him, upon the
defensive, but prepared for any emergency, we may
be certain of that, if only by reason of his admirably
planned and deliberately conducted retreat—LEE
confronting his old antagonist at a point situated at
a mutually respectful distance,end already indicated
with sufficient distinctness as one midway between
Culpepper and Gordonsville. So situated, the
armies, it was expected on the Ist instant at New
York, could not in reasonable probability but
very soon indeed come again into collision.

Mr. GILBERT, the Secretary of the Society for the
Relief of Distress, has published a very interesting
pamphlet on tho "Condition of the Wives and
Families of Married Convicts, with Suggestions for
its Amelioration." There is no class of society more
to be pitied than these unfortunate persons, whose
means of subsistence are taken from them, and who
are exposed alternately to cruel privations and sad
temptations. Mr. GILBERT is in a position to know
accurately the circumstances of the case as regards
many of these hapless individuals, and the details
he puts before us tend to prove that it is necessary
speedily to adopt some remedial measure. The
troubles, the crimes, and the expenses attending I
the present pans all call for a speedy remedy. Mr.
GILBERT prefaces his remarks by stating that he
has seen, while acting as secretary to the society,
"such abject misery" among the families of the
convicts that ho is emboldened to make the effort
to bo of service to them, although so much has
already been written and said on the subject of our
convict system. lie states that it must be con
sidered that, however great the crime of the married
convict, he has still been the support of his family,
and, to a certain extent, provided for them, and
when he is taken away his family have to endure a
punishment as severe as his own, and often as dis-
honourable. His wife and children must then work
for themselves, but who will employ the wife and
child of a convicted thief. If the woman applies to
the parish, they get rid of her by telling her to
come to the House. Not wishing to be separated
from her children, she refuses, and attempts to sup-
- port herself and them. In this painful position
The weekly meeting of the Central Executive great sufferings await them. It has been found
Relief Committee which took place at Manchester that the mortality among the children of married
yesterday already testifies the truth of the warnings convicts is greater than among the poorest of the
that have been lately uttered respecting the condi- honest poor, even under the most unfavourable cir-
tion of the distressed districts, From Mr. FAR. cumstances. If driven to despair, the wife at last
Neea's report it appears that the tide has again enters the House with her children, they remain
turned, and that in the 27 unions receiving paro- fixtures, for no one will
employ them, and
cilia). relief there has been an increase of 1,299 ap- they are " a continued expense to the
teems, The principal increase is at Ashton.unCer- ratepayers and a misery to themselves.',
51e, Oldham, Rochdale, and Blackburn, besides The number of wives and children obtaining parish
many smaller places. Still there are other districts relief is very considerable. A few instances are
in Which
a,
email diminution is perceptible, and the given of the different parishes in London. At St.
total eashighly
satisfeesinee December is 126,048, It is George, Southwark, there are 57 women and 134
signs of the stor7 to find that there are as yet no children; at St. Mary, Islington, 93 women and
or indifference
plies being stopped by the frugality 201 children. It is truly said that the cost of the
dred pounds hay the public, nearly fourteen }sun- married convict is enormous on the public purse.
After the usual been received during the week. Each above the value of his labour is, on the average,
men who had a.,,,
ar4"3 had been made the gentle- twenty-nine pounds a-year, and while the whole
Inbi'd und
of Lord DERBY had 4 d under the able presidency or part of the expense of maintaining his family is
Works Bill, just pass,,. 'consision on the Public cast on the poor-rate, it is forcibly urged that, "on
meet, and the probable effect of
4'll the 'Ye-louses of Parlia- the score of economy alone, some vast reformation is
,o_
on the employment nt
ta uue of its clauses required in our present system of convict manage-
Lord EGERTON expressed, set°l7 operatives. meat." Still sadder are the details concerning those
know whether in granting eat" anxiety to children whose parents have brought them• up in
of guardians, the Government t'e3r to boards crime. In some cases where the mother is a de-
Nvonld ens,
condition respecting the rate of wagesneese any prayed woman, she has been known to pursue her
; Whether
the rule would be to give "a fair 1 ether
such a aura wage
children from place to place, until she at last has
(4ay', wa
for a fair day's work," or only got them turned cut into the streets and driven as
body and soul together. Mr. " it were to crime. It is here menticned that the
rould keep
I' children of the married convicts in the Australian
es a, in anSwer to the noble /ord's observations,
colonies
rpruarked that the bill was throughout permis.
toi are rarely thieves. The chief cause is said
operatives at Victoria,
compulsory. It did not compel the ' that they can more readily obtain work. Sir
stye, and not I,Vir.aakx A,n.
DECKETT, late Supreme Judge of
local authorities to employ factory
particular rate never kng4va it no his opinion that he
all, nor did it stipulate that any
N° the
be kept to, Mr. FARNALL convict turn nes son of a tranTorted
of wages should
-",41. a : ice in
tor in Australia all boys
his own eztensive ezperi- may obtain t proceeded to say; from
`"ad the primary tenanta-
ence in the matter, that ha believed payment lion to the ebrniiPal,t7re%/elf;)
medsurernent (:).f the worm is wanting. The Platt,.
. ,
bQing dishones t—privatioic
'faculties in the way
would be made upon peevo, , -
neon the same is a good one so far as it tad by Mr. GILBERT
done, so that each man would
goes, tho .h
labourer would there would be found many en n-' doubtless
rate of wages as an independent
carrying it out. lee ad '
do. According to Mr. FARNALL'S statement there of vises the establi
community, where, to use his ehment of
is every prospect of the bill being of groat prac- a own Words
~
of employment should be abundant , the
tiaal utility, for it seems probable that all the means
, the
during the whole peeioe
districts will aysil themselves of the powers it dustry compulsive
rind °p his
idleness should be I nni h a,
where . 8 e
as
confers, and that a very large sum of money ill s'n fen" ;
.; wiiure it shall ha inspessihle to pueche„ iL,
be raieed in ern to set e:the uni.n2ployk,,d factory c ;
' iql; drink:,aid whto 01,1 aiz;niates, enters
halide to work. The guardians hate the good t;;IICZ.“'

An engagement —it would be difficult to

sly a decisive engagement and even if

we could say it, by whom would such an

intimation as that be credited ?—an engagement of

some kind, decisive or indecisive, was, when these

last advices left, per the City of London, pretty

confidently expected to take place soon :no
longer, of course, upon the Potomac, but

once more upon the Rappahannock. While such

was the situation of affairs still between ►Washing-
ton and Ric:mood, between the main armies of the

nde:als and Confederates, the siege of Charleston
was yet persisted in, The Northerns were said to

be moving upon Mobile, to have recently captured

Brasbear City, to have begun a series of successes

over the Confederates both in Kentucky and in

Tennessee! How veraciously earl to have done

and to be doing all this, we shall learn through
our next jumble of fragmentary intelligence.