The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-25 00:00:00

,
N,
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it, and not really injurious to the Church, by virtue
of his office, but as the plain individual JOHN
CLOTHYARD, whose citizen's rights were not de-
stroyed by his official position. Indeed we can
hardly conceive of any man intelligentguesta a
senoughthat
of to
take an interest in so wide a question
the separation of Church and State, who would
not be intelligent enough also to perceive
that the declaration is to him a practical nullity.
He could have no kind of objection to it, except
that stated by Lord CHELMSFORD last year—which
amounted simply to this, that if of no practical use it
t
was a badge of subjection to Dissenters, and a sign
of the predominance of the Church from which they
dissent. He resents, therefore, the declaration
much as he resents church-rates, not on account of
its importance, but because it is an insult—an insult
retained distinctly to tell one class of her MAJESTY'S
subjects that they are on account of their religion—
although they pay for it—inferior to those whose
religion is upheld at the charge of the State.
But the point to which we ask the attention of
a Parliament consisting of English Lords and
Gentlemen, is the gross inequality of the law
respecting this declaration as it is actually worked.
An annual Indemnity Act is passed for persons
who have neglected to make the declaration, which
indeed came in the place of the old and profane
Sacramental Test, in connection with which a simi-
lar act was regularly passed. But that act, so
far as we remember, was so arranged as
to cover all classes of persons who neglected to take
the Sacrament after being appointed to office. In
regard to this declaration, it is just the reverse.
The high State officers adverted to are allowed six
months, at any time in the course of which they may
make it. The municipal officers are allowed but
0728 month ! Now, as Parliament always meets
within six months of changes of Ministry, the most
important officers of State, safe behind the In-
demnity Bill, rarely make the declaration.
But as the municipal elections take place not
long after Parliament rises, if the municipal
officers do not make it promptly, their election is
void ! Lord PALMERSTON may remain in office
without it ; the country alderman's election is void
if he omits it ! Is this English—one law for one
class of persons, a different one for another class P
If Mr. NEWDEGATE and the Lords insist on keep-
ing the declaration, foolish and insulting as it has
turned out to be, in the name of English equity
and fairness let them place all public personages
in the same position. Let not lords and their class
have more favour before the law than borough
tradesmen. Six months for all or one month for
all. Indemnity for all or indemnity for none.
Surely this is but common English equity. We
hope, however, that their lordships, this quiet year,
will good temperedly consent to pass Mr. HAD-
FIELD'S bill.

Bayswater Road—through Kensington Gardens—
tunnelling under Rotten Row—tunnelling under
the carriage drive parallel with Rotten Row—and
indulging in other vagaries equally preposterous !
Really one could only think of this sunken
road of the Chief Commissioner's as guarded
upon both sides but by one appropriate barrier,
namely, a genuine ha-ha! Remembering the
speeches delivered by this Chief Commissioner—
himself the very antithesis to that extremely ideal
being, " the right man in the right place," for the
right hon. gentleman has, ever since he took his
present office, been proving himself to be, as surely
as he possibly could prove anything, decidedly
" the wrong man in the wrong place"—remembering
his frequent speeches anent the horse-ride and anent
this more or less subterranean road from Bayswater
to the Exhibition, we can only wonder that any of
our Administrators could by any possibility become
so perfect a victim to such exceedingly ridiculous
hallucinations. Remembering these speeches of
his, we are disposed to exclaim with tho lisping
fop in BULWER'S play of " Money"—wben EVELYN
quotes against him certain dreadfully apropos
lines of the poet—" That fellow COWPER says vewy
odd things!"
However, in contrast to the Chief Commissioner's
nonsensical proposal for a sunken and tunnelled
road through Kensington Gardens, let us give at
once the very rational and, as it appears to us, truly
admirable suggestion, this day put forth by our
chief contemporary :
" We have a road, capable of being easily widened, from
Victoria-gate to the Serpentine; we have a bridge more than
half as wide again as the narrow part of Park-lane crossing
the Serpentine, and from the south end of this bridge we
have the means of giving vehicles access to the Exhibition
without a single tunnel or viaduct, and without interfering
sensibly with the convenience of equestrians. This may
be done by appropriating to the new road a belt of ground
along the boundary of Kensington-gardens up to Queen's-
gate, and throwing into Rotten-row, if necessary, an equi-
valent space on the Park side. Even if half the breadth
of the last bend in Rotten-row were thus lent to the public
without compensation, the loss would be little felt by
riders, few of whom avail themselves of it. Or, if a still
shorter route were desired, the road in question might
still be carried over or under Rotten-row, and the carriage
drive to the head of Exhibition-road—a point scarcely two
hundred yards distant from the south-east corner of Ken..
sington-gardens. The only reasonable objection to this
route is one that can easily be removed. It may be
doubted, perhaps, whether the existing bridge is broad
enough to accommodate foot passengers as well as cabs and
private carriages. Actual inspection will satisfy any one,
we think, that by a different distribution of the space from
parapet to parapet four vehicles might pass across it
abreast, leaving an ample passage for pedestrians, though
not the handsome promenade that now unites the two sides
•f the gardens. If, however, the whole breadth should be
required for wheels, it would be easy to throw out lateral
footways supported by light ironwork, and thus to over-
come the single real obstacle to be encountered."

The suggestion thus offered to-day by the Times
will be found described more at length in another
part of our impression of this evening. ,

We have not failed to express ourselves as
strongly as we felt on the shirking of the slavery
question by the Federalists. We censured not
only the thoroughly pro-slavery. Message of
BUCHANAN, but the bear-with slavery Message of
LINCOLN. Above all, we denounced the military
insanity as well as the unrighteousness of the PRE-
SIDENT'S violating the Constitution, right and left,
in everything but its sheltering and protecting
slavery. We feel the more pleasure, therefore, in
noticing the smallest approach towards consistency
on the grand subject of strife between North and
South. Mr. SUMNER not long ago in a vigorous
speech placed slavery in its bearings on the
present contest in its true light, but he con-
cluded without proposing the proper practical de-
ductions from his speech. We are therefore pleased
to see that the great Anti-slavery Senator has at
last placed himself wholly in the right in regard to
the present state of things.
On the 11th we are informed that Mr. SUMNER
offered a series of resolutions declaring that the
revolted States have committed felo de se, and that
their relations as members of the United States no
longer exist—that their allegiance has been
severed, and the Federal Government owes no
obligation to any pretended State Government
usurping certain territory—that individuals occu-
pying such territory owe allegiance to the general
Government only, and the general Government to
the individuals—therefore persons heretofore held
as slaves may look henceforth to the general
Government for protection as individuals. A
motion to lay these resolutions on the table was
carried by a vote of twenty-one to fifteen.
These resolutions may have something a little
more lawyerlike in their cast than is needful ; and
the position of the slaves being defined as that of
individuals authorised to look for protection to
the general Government is not quite all we should
wish. It is, however, on the whole a safe series of
resolutions; and, we can only wish, though we
little hope it. that the Senate may ultimately
adopt them. If the States Governments are declared
to have lost by their treason their claim to the alle-
giance of the inhabitants of the States, this would
of course lay the foundation for reconstructing
society anew in the States when political society has
broken itself up. The real meaning of the resolutions
is obvious enough ; still we confess we should have
preferred something much more explicit. It would
have been more frank and manly, as we conceive,
to have resolved that—as the South bad broken its
allegiance to the Federal Government on account
of slavery, though the Government had remained
but too faithful to the disgraceful clause in the
Constitution by which it is recognised, the Federal
Government declares that henceforth slavery no
longer exists wherever it asserts its authority. 01
such a resolution even the slaves themselves would
well understand the import—they would know that
the North meant their emancipation, and all rea-
son assures us that from the promulgation of that
gospel, the negroes would hail the North as their
trustworthy deliverers.

METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORSE.

A parliamentary return has just been issued
showing the receipts and expenditure of the beard
from March 26, 1860, to March 25, 1861 ; also a
summary of all contracts entered into during that
period, and for the monies owing to and the debts
and liabilities owing by the board on March 25 last.
The total receipts of the year under the heads of
general and special accounts and sinking fund had
been £768,243 Bs., which, with the cash balances
on March 26, 1860, of £513,001 is. 7d., made a
total of £1,279,244 9s. 7d. The total payments for
the year had been £1,099,012 lls. 4d., and the
cash balances on March 25 last were £180,231 18s.
3d., giving the same total as on the other side. The
contract sums for the various works were as follows
—The Earl sewer and outlet, £8,566; Ranelagh
storm-overflow, £23,500; Ranelagh sewer, £2,296 ;
portion of southern low-level sewer, £9,150; the
northern outfall sewer, £625,000; and the northern,
middle-level sewer, £329,800. Total, £998,312, in-
cluding £57,500 provided for extras beyond the
original contract prices. The amount of money
owing to the board on March 25, 1861, was £176,996
13s. 6d., in addition to which there was a cash
balance in hand of £7,541 19s. 9d., and also the sum
of £31,826 2s. 6d. invested in New Three per. Cent.
Annuities for the repayment of mortgage debts.
The assets and liabilities were—Mortgage, loans,
and other special liabilities, £361,763 18s. 6d. ; and
current liabilities, £13,065 2s. 3d. Total, £374,829
3s. 9d. The details of the various contracts are
also set forth in the return.

OSBORNE, Feb. 24.—Her Majesty, aceotapanied
by her Rayal Highness Princess Helena, and attended by
Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. Dudley de Ros, drove out on
Saturday afternoon. The Duke of Argyll returned to Lon-
don to-day.

The Marquis of Sligo has arrived at Howchin's
Hotel.

The Earl and Countess of Bessborough have
arrived in town from their seat in Ireland for the season.
The Earl and Countess of Cork have returned
to Grafton-street from Marston House, Somersetshire.
The Earl and Countess of Home are expected at
their residence in Grosvenor-square in a few days from the
Hirssl, Coldstream, Berwick.

FRANCE.

Lord and Lady Colchester entertained at dinner
last evening at their residence in Berkeley-square Viscount
Mahon, Lady Egerton of Tatton and the Hon Miss Eger-
ton, Mr. and Lady Elizabeth Russell, Sir George and Lady
Abercromby, Sir Robert and Lady Dallas and Miss Dallas,
Colonel and Mrs. Adair, Mr. Milbanke, Mrs. Forde, Mr.
Arnold Currie, Mr. Peel, &c.

Lord Adolphus Vane Tempest has taken a resi-
dence in Chester-square, for a term of years.
Lady Lockhart has arrived at the Queen's Hotel,
Upper Norwood.

MISS WYNDHAM.—This well-known actress,
whose case, it will be recollected, came some time since
before the Divorce Court, was on Saturday last married at
Kensington Church to Capt. Henry Baring, son of Henry
Baring, E,q , M.P. for Marlborough.
Mr. Henry John Lincoln is about to deliver at
the Marylebone Institution two lectures on the " Operatic
Overture," from its origin to the present time. The lec-
tures wilt be illustrated by a selection of overtures in chro-
nological order, performed as duets on two pianos, showing
the progress and development of the Operatic Overture
from Sully to Meyerbeer.

M. BLONDIN.—Since the first appearance of this
wonderful gymnast in this country it is supposed that he
cannot have realised much less than £30,000. His visitors
and admirers may be numbered by hundreds of thousands,
and the desire to witness his marvellous feats remains un-
diminished. We hear that Mr. J. Russell has entered
into an engagement with him for a limited number of per-
formances in the provinces for the enormous sum of
£IO,OA. His engagement at the Crystal Palace is also
renewed for the approaching season.

CALAMITOUS FIRE AND LOSS OF LIFE.--Yes-
terday morning a fire broke out on the premises numbered
43, Weston-street, near the new Leather-market, in Ber-
mondsey, which has caused the death of one person and
serious injuries to another. The house in which the dis-
aster occurred was only three floors high, and was let out
in apartments, chiefly to medical students attending the
Borough Hospitals. At an early hour in the morning a
student named Griffith, who was in the building, perceived
a strong smell of something burning. Feeling satisfied
that the house was on fire, he at once gave an alarm. He
then noticed that the back portion of the first floor was in
flames. The Royal Society's escape from Tooley-street
quickly attended, under the command of Mr. Havard, the
inspector of the society, and Conductor Dank fixed the
machine in front of the burning building. Having entered
the room which a Mr. Treavershorne was occupying,
he searched for him and called to him, but, not seeing or
hearing him, he naturally concluded he had made his
escape. Captain Shaw, the superintendent, and Messrs.
Henderson and Swanton, foremen of the brigade, with
powerful bodies of firemen, promptly attended The flames,
however, could not be extinguished until the whole of the
upper portions of the building were destroyed, including the
furniture and wearing apparel of the various residents. A
Mrs. Lowden, who had been the first to escape with her
children, was foolish enough to venture back to save some
of her property. She was so severely burnt in returning
that it was found necessary to remove her to the hospital.
About two hours after the outbreak, upon one of the fire-
men entering an upper room he discovered to his astonish-
ment the body of a man projecting from under the bedstead
in the room. It was found to bo that of Mr. Treavershorne.
Remaining to dress himself, he must have been over-
powered by the heated smoke. In order if possible to avoid
the fire, he had crawled under the bedstead, and in that po
sition had been suffocated. The body was forthwith re-
moved to await an inquest. Mr. Treavershorne has left a
wife and family, .ho reside at Brompton. He had merely
lodgings in the house which has been burnt, where he
slept at night to get to his business in a wholesale house in
tho city early in the morning. The origin of the calamity
is unknown. Not one of, the suarers is insured,

Our contempary the limes has, we are perfectly
well satisfied of this, by a very simple and common-
sense suggestion, exactly hit it. We mean in
regard to the hitherto somewhat bewildering diffi-
culty as to the discovery in time of a line of com-
munication from the North across Hyde-park to
the Exhibition. Mr. COWPER, quite as a matter
of course, could think of only one possible means
of doing this. Namely—it is the old story in his
regard—by injuring as much as he could contrive
to injure the sylvan beauty of Kensington Gardens.
His scheme we took occasion to protest against in
these columns of ours at the first mention of it as
in every way an extravagance. It was an enterprise
upon the face of it about as welcome, about as
rational, about as charming in every point of
view as Mr. COWPER'S famous hobby the Horse
Ride—a hobby that he has so perversely mounted
more than once, and on which he has essayed
hitherto, we rejoice to think, in vain, to ride
rough-shod over public opinion. The Chief Com-
missioner's fantasy this time, however, involved
among other absurdities an expenditure of some
£30,000 sterling and that, remember, for
a temporary convenience, and (it made one
angry to think of it) a permanent di.Ffigurement.
It was to necessitate this hideous day-dream of the
Chief Commissioner's morbid imagination an enor-
mous sort of railway cutting or dry ditch from the

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 25, 1862.

PARIS, FEB. 25.

TURIN, FEB. 24.

BERLIN, FEB. 24.

PARIS, FEB. 24.

COPENHAGEN, FEB. 24.

THORN, FEB. 24.

The Independance Beige has the following :

BOURSE, Feb. 24.—The market has been heavy,
and stock having been rather offered, the business
done has been at a decline on the closing rates of
Saturday. Threes, for the Account, are now at
70f. 15c. Railway Share Market also heavy.
The following are the last quotations :-
4t per per Cents ... 100 Credit Foncier 1402 50
Do end month.... 100 20 Belgian 41 lOl
3 per Cents
Do. end month 7O 15 Roman
Bank Shares 3060 Austrian
Credit Mobilier.... 752 50 Spanish Threes 5O 75
Do. Account 755 Home Debt ..

LATEST NEWS.

The Moniteur of to-day announces that, up to
yesterday, the amount of 41 per Cent. Bente pre-
sented for conversion was 50,500,000 f., the property
of 90,399 holders.
The total number of Obligations Trentennaires
presented for conversion was 273,779.

PARIS, lEB. 24.
In the Senate, this evening, the discussion on the
address was continued.

M. Troplong exhorted the senators to preserve a
conciliatory and moderate tone in the debates.
M. de Boissy regretted that France had assisted
England in revenging herself upon the Chinese
He was of opinion that the money expended in the
Crimea and in Italy would have been better applied
towards a descent upon England.
M. Billaulb regretted the remarks of M. de Boissy.
Language of this description between two great
nations equally proud, equally sensitive upon the
point of honour, was a misfortune. He thought it
useless to revive French animosity towards Eng-
land, when the policy of the Emperor tended, upon
the contrary, to appease such feelings.
MM. Thayer and Charles Dupin spoke in favour
of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
The continuation of the debate was adjourned
until to-morrow.

In the Chamber of Deputies to-day Signor Mor-
dini inquired if the Ministry had received informa-
tion of insults offered to the Italian consul, by his
fellow-countrymen at Malta.
Baron Ricasoli replied that he had just received
a report of insults offered by same reactionary
adherents of the Bourbon party. He had requested
explanations upon the matter from the English
Government, and had claimed protection for Italian
subjects. The ancient friendship of England for
Italy was a guarantee that ample satisfaction would
be given.

The National Zeitung of this evening states that
in the sitting of the Committee of the Chamber of
Deputies upon the German question, Count Bern-
storff said :

" The point of view from which the Government
regards this question is exhibited in the well known
recent notes. The Government of the King recog-
nises that the necessity of the union of German
States under one single head in military and diplo-
matic affairs is bound up with Parliamentary re-
presentation. But as the realisation of such a union
depends upon negotiations, it is impossible to enter
into further details respecting its extent.
"The Government recognises that the Chamber
is at present called upon to express an opinion
respecting this question, and will welcome a de-
claration in accordance with its own views. It
especially finds support of its endeavours in the
proposals of the Grabow party. The motion of the
party of progress, although harmonising in direc-
tion with that of the Grabow party, is based upon
assumptions in point of principle which the Govern-
ment is unable to adopt."

The Paris papers of this evening publish a tele-
gram from the Pirseus, stating that the insurgents
who occupy the citadel of Nauplia had demanded
to be allowed to capitulate, and that the insurrec-
tion would be thus subdued.

It is believed that the King will change the
Ministry, and then dissolve the Chamber.

The Berlingske Tidende of to-day denies the
statement of some German papers that England,
France, and Russia have inquired of this Govern-
ment, in identical notes, what interpretation Den-
mark places upon the engagements undertaken by
her in 1851 and 1852 with reference to the affairs of
Schleswig-Holstein.

Advices from Warsaw state that an ordinance of
the Governor of Poland has been issued to-day
ordering that neither judicial investigation nor
arrest for offences committed prior to the state of
siege shall in future take place.

General sympathy is felt for the new Archbishop
of Warsaw.

The churches in all the towns are well frequented.

The Constitutionnel publishes the following in
very prominent type :
" The letter of the Emperor to the Commander-
in-Chief of the Army of China has produced a deep
impression. • Those words go straight to the heart of
France. The great Sovereign of a great nation,
Napoleon 111., does not separate that which is glo-
rious from that which is useful, and pursues with
the same ardour the realisation of this double pro-
blem—the material welfare of the people and the
national greatness.
"By recompensing a General who has carried the
name of France and the banner of Christianity into
the extreme East, the Emperor has obeyed an inspi-
ration deeply democratic. The dotation of the Count
of Palikao is like a cross of honour given to the flag
of a regiment.
"God forbid, however, that we should make com-
ments upon the letter of the Emperor ! The most
humble workman or peasant will understand it as
well as we do. With admirable instinct the
patriotism of the masses will understand how much
beauty and fecundity there is in this budget of
glory."

The above article bears the signature of Paulin
Limayrac.

, " The letter of General de Montauban to the Em-
peror, his Majesty's reply, and the insertion of both
documents in the Moniteur, form the chief topic
of conversation at Paris. The Imperial letter has
placed the Legislative Body in the most pain-
ful and delicate position. It has been placed in
the alternative of ceding, by making devotion
take pre3edence of independence at the bidding of
the head of the State, or of persisting in its opposi-
tion and upholding the dignity of the Assembly at
the risk of exciting a discontent not willingly met
on the benches of the Chamber. The Paris journals
are as much embarrassed as the deputies will be,
and most of them restrict themselves to reproducing
the two letters without a line of comment, which is
more strange as the publication of those documents
has caused the most profound sensation in every
circle in Paris."