The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 9, 186.

purposes of cotton cultivation, but recent events
are likely to hasten forward the development of its
resources. The new Viceroy, ISMAIL PASHA, is
known to be a man of energy and character.
Beginning his reign under serious difficulties, he
has shown that he is not unfit to deal with the
crisis, but intends to act more after the European
pattern than that of the effete and extravagant
Porte. Among other changes and improvements,
the attention of the new Viceroy has been turned to
a rich but hitherto neglected district lying along
the banks of the Blue and White Niles, and known
as the Soudan. This fertile territory, which has as
yet brought little profit to its rulers, is said to be
capable of producing a revenue equal to all the
rest of Egypt. Such calculations will very soon
be put to the test, for the Viceroy has deter-
mined upon developing it capacities to the utmost.
He proposes establishing communications with it
by means of rail, steamers, and telegraph, and more
especially to put its powers to the proof in the
cultivation of cotton, for which it is said to be
especially fitted. When this large and fertile
country is, under efficient management, converted
into cotton fields, we shall possess an additional
source of supply of our great staple, and one,
too, which is likely to furnish us with an article
of first-rate quality. Should the project succeed,
as, considering the fertility of the soil and its
latitude, it can scarcely fail to do, it will result in
substantial and lasting benefit alike to producer
and consumer.

It is most unsatisfactory to note the course which
the Prussian Chamber of Deputies is pursuing.
After having commenced their debates with so
much energy, and shown so much zeal in the right
direction, it is most disheartening now to perceive
that they are throwing away a chance, and vir-
tually defeating their objects. It is a great triumph
for Herr BISMARK thus to have the game in his
own hands again, as it were, through the instru-
mentality of these thoughtless politicians. In their
mistaken zeal for the aggrandisement of Prussia
abroad they are forgetting to look after the main
chance at home, and abandoning the cause which
they had taken up with so much fervour and en-
thusiasm. The notion of maintaining inviolate the
supremacy of the nations of Germany has effaced or
partially extinguished the desire lately so para-
mount of guarding against worst evils at home, and
putting down the attempts to curtail all the privi-
leges of the people, and interfere with their special
privileges. This retrogade movement is a most
lamentable one, and doubtless the BISMARK faction
are most jubilant at this change of tactics, since
what appeared so lately to be a desponding party
may now exult as again a foremost and flourishing
one. It is a strange study to peruse the descrip-
tion of the debates that have taken place upon these
important topics. Whatever discord prevails.upon
minor points of arrangement, or division of opinion
exists as to the manner in which the plans should
be carried out, there seems to be a sort of unanimity
regarding the one absorbing topic of interest,
namely, the upholding of the claims of Germany as
opposed to those of Denmark. It is melancholy to
witness such a decadence in the spirit of a nation ;
the worst representations of popular pride, preju-
dice, and passion are thus displayed, and it seems
difficult to believe that these recalcitrants were so
totally engaged in a great and glorious cause, who
are now so ignobly and basely deserting their post,
and abandoning their colours. The storm that agitates
Denmark, and the contention that is rife among the
German Confederation, is fraught with sad effects
for Prussia, if it is to be means of frustrating the
attempts so worthily devised and so strenuously
advocated by her true-hearted sons. In one way
she may be the greatest sufferer of the lot, for
de-
spite the disputes which are agitating the rival
territories, their pritato relations are not called in
question ; but it is otherwise with Prussia, and in an
evil hour the underminers of her rights and robbers
of her freedom may be making political capital out
of these angry and irritating discussions as to the
inalienable possession and sovereign sway of the
Confederation. At any rate, many backward steps
have been taken lately, and it is high time that the
mistaken and misguided deputies should awake
from their delusive trance and mark the dangers
which surround their course. Too late they will
discover that in grasping at the shadow they have
lost the substance. In endeavouring to resuscitate
the departing vigour of freedom they will have cast
away the chance of re-establishing their own land
in the blessing of Constitutional Government; and
in clinging to a fragmentary relic of the past they
will have lost the opportunity of uniting themselves
with these improvements of the present which lead
on mankind to the light of a glorious future, and
herald the advent of political regeneration.

Not in vain the distance beacons, forward, forward let us
range;
Let the great world spin for ever, down the rinsing
grooves of change,"

has sung the poet with the discrimination of a
philosopher and the recognition of a patriot ;
the sooner these Prussian argumentators become
converted to the nation the better will it be for their
individual interests, their political status, and their
national honour.

At the Greenwich palice•court last week a case
of extraordinary barbarity was brought before Mr.
Them., the sitting magistrate, by Mr. Lovz, the
energetic officer of the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals. What renders this case
particularly monstrous is that the perpetrators of it
were three children all under the age of twelve.

It would seem from the statement of LOVE that
the society had not brought forward this particular
case as an incidental one, but as one of a class which
has for some time been carried on in those parts of
Greenwich which are inhabited by the worst classes.
The facts are these, the three children in question,
having obtained possession of an unfortunate cat,
tied a scarf round its body, and, having dragged
it to a piece of waste ground, the eldest boy stabbed
it several times with a knife, while his younger
companions in iniquity held it, and then proceeded
to cut off its tail, which operation having been per-
formed, the three miscreants jumped upon the
wretched creature. Being disturbed, however, by
the approach of somebody they ran away, leaving
their unfortunate victim to crawl into a shed, where
it was afterwards put out of its misery by one of
the officers of the society. The delinquents were
pursued and eaptured, the knife and tail being found
in their possession. They were of course given in
charge to the police. Mr. Lc:ITE observed that this
was no isolated case, and that it was from the fre-
quency of its occurrence that the attention of the
society had been called to the matter. Mr. TRAILL,
after commenting on the barbarity of the act, re-
marked that he was very unwilling to send young
children to prison, he therefore fined the eldest £l,
and the second 10s. and costs, and handed over the
youngest to his father on his becoming security for
his future good behaviour. We heartily concur
with Mr. TRAILL in his objection to sending
children to prison to mix with criminals of
all dyes, and in the instance of these little
wretches they would have proved but too
apt pupils ; but surely something is wanting
in the management of our prisons, when there is no
intermediate plan which can be pursued between •
forcibly asSOClAting '
pvenile offendeni with bar,