The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-01 00:00:00

THE StM, LONDON, WE NVENING, JANUARY 1, 1862.

twelvemonth. A capital jest—isn't it ? And how
much we owe of this to Mr. GLADSTONE—the
Revenue Tables themselves chew. Looking closely
into them, what do we find to begin with ? What—
but a decrease of nearly half a million within the last
quarter under the head of Excise—a falling off
under that head of £563,000 upon the quarter.
A falling off upon the year of close upon
a million—of in fact just £OOB,OOO. To account
for which diminution we have to note—Postpone-
ment of Hop Duty, Repeal of Paper Duty, and
Payment of Drawback upon the same. Then, as
another reason for this inopportune falling off, one
has to bear in mind too the confusion caused by
the shortening of the malt credit in the preceding
twelvemonth, causing a discrepancy this year in the
returns under the malt duty. There are to be
noticed, moreover, certain slight decreases in the
land and assessed taxes—a diminution to the extent
of more than half a million in the " miscellaneous"
return of 1861 as compared with those of 1860, a
diminution there to the tune of £537,256,
accounted for, however, by the absence of
any more paid -up arrears from the
Spanish Government—and finally, a diminution
under the always unpleasant hand of the Income-
tax to the extent of £l, 171,000 upon the quarter,
and upon the year of no less than £2,939,816.
Not, of course, that this falling off in the Income-
tax contribution to the Revenue can in any way be
accounted for by the dropping of one penny
by Mr. GLADSTONE. That remission accounting
for no more than £1,100,000 upon the past twelve-
month—leaving £1,839,816 sterling of the deficit
still unexplained. It is simply—this enormous
falling off—attributable to Mr. GLADSTONE'S penny
wise and pound foolish system of forestall-
ing, and jumblng up, and chopping aim cutups-
ing his income-tax returns in a sort of
cloudy haze of financial obfuscation. How-
ever—enough, and far more than enough, has
here been remarked upon these Revenue Returns, for
which the nation is indebted to its Chancellor of the
Exchequer to the pleasant tune of £1,200,000 and
odd upon the quarter, and of £3,360,000 and odd
upon the year—quite enough, we say, has been here
remarked upon these returns to illustrate the
poignant jocularity with which Mr. GLADSTONE' S
arch apologist rubs his hands over the deficit as about
the last " good thing" of the season, the richest joke
of the hour, to be repeated from mouth to mouth
with a chuckle of contagious merriment.

THE CHANCELLORSIIIP OF THE UNI-
VERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE.

ELECTION OF THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE.
CAMBRIDGE, DEC. 31.

This morning at 10 o'clock, a meeting was held
in the Arts School, pursuant to notice by the Vice-
Chancellor, in order to elect a chancellor for the
University. The Vice-Chancellor (the Rev. Dr.
Phillips, president of Queen's College), presided, ex
officio.

So soon as the usual formalities had been gone
through, Mr. Vice Chancellor nominated his Grace
the Duke of Devonshire, and then the proctors and
other university authorities, including several heads
of houses, voted for his grace in due form. The
officers then stood in scrutiny twice, and no more
votes being offered, the poll was declared closed,
and the senior proctor, the Rev. Mr. Emery, of
Corpus, read over the votes, and the election was
declared by Mr. Vice-Chancellor to have fallen
upon his Grace the Duke of Devonshire.

The council then met, and the public proctor read
a Latin letter of announcement to the Chancellor
Elect of his appointment.

The senior proctor then proposed a grace, autho-
rising the affixation of the university seal to the
letter of the public orator ; and the same was agreed
to, nemine contradicente.

It was next appointed that communication of
his election be made to his Grace in due form.

At 12 o'clock, the chimes of St. Mary the Great,
which but a few short hours before had toned out
a muffled peal for the demise of the late lamented
Prince Chancellor, sounded out merry chimes in
recognition of the election of the Duke of Devon-
shire.

His Excellency Count Wachtmeister, the newly
appointed Minister for Sweden and Norway, has taken a
residence in Stratton-street.

The Duke and Duchess of Argyll left their villa
at Campden Hill, Kensington., yesterday, for Cliefden, to
visit the Duchess Dowager of Sutherland.

The Duchess Dowager of Sutherland has returned
to Cliefden, near Maidenhead, from spending a few days
with the Countess Dowager of Ellesmere, at Hatchford.
The Marquis of Breadalbane will leave town in a
few days ou a Continental tour.

The Marchioness Frances Anne of Londonderry,
accompanied by Lord Adolphus and Lady Sophia Vane
Tempest, was to leave Seaham Hall yesterday, for Wyhyard
Park, near Stockton-on-Tees,

The Earl Granville arrived in town an Monday,
from visiting the Marquis of Lansdowne at Bowood Park,
Wilts.

The Earl and Countess of Cork have left Grafton-
street for their seat, Marston House, Somersetshire.
Lady Catherine Weyland arrived in town yester-
day from Woodrising Hall, Norfolk.

CLOTHING OF THE POLICE.--Dr. Borlace Childs,
the surgeon to the City police force, has just issued a report,
addressed to the -Police Committee, upon the subject of the
clothing of that body, which contains some very interesting
details. After a few introductory remarks, Dr. Childs
says :—The hat now worn by the police force fulfils no in-
dication which the covering for the head of men so exposed
requires. It affords no protection in a struggle, for it
either immediately falls, or is struck off; and the man, be-
coming conscious that his head is exposed to great danger,
hesitates, and begins to think only of self-defence. It is,
moreover, heavy, weighing 14 ounces, even when thy ;
offers no protection to the eyes, face, ears, or neck; causes
headaches, &c. ; not being arched, it does not sufficiently,
even if kept on, protect the head from a blow, no matter
what may be its strength ; while, as to appearance, it pre-
sents the additional absurdity of superadding a civilian's
hat (the worst covering for the head ever invented) to a
semi-military dress. 'The coatee worn at present by the
force is the relic of a past age ; it affords no protection from
wet or cold to the vital organs contained within the cavi-
ties of the abdomen or pelvis, nor does it afford covering or
warmth to the haunches and limbs. In its place ought to
be substituted a tunic, full, handsome, and provided with
ventilation in the armpits, and sufficiently warm to protect
the wearer in our cold, damp, variable climate. The modern
trousers, when made of good material, and. _sufficiently_
elastic, have been proved the best ; but the trousers as gene-
rally made do not give full protection to the joints. Cold
and damp aid in the production of rheumatism and other
diseases in these parts; to remedy which it might be advis-
able to strengthen the trousers on the inside over the knee,
in those especially who may be liable to rheumatism, and to
afford tho shins and ankles additional protection from wet
by the use of waterproof leggings, worn over the trousers.
But, whatever plan may be adopted, care must be taken so
as not to interfere with the circulation in the superficial
reins of the limbs.

A TRAP TO CATCH A. BUROLAR.—At the Man-
chester City Sessions, on Monday, Daniel Charnock,
labourer, was charged, with breaking into the house of
Miss Hannah Exley, Chorlton-on-Medlock, and stealing
one candlestick. The prosecutrix returning home one day
after having been out of town, found that some burglars
had been in the house, though they had not carried off any-
thing. Believing that they would return, she sat up seve-
ral weeks, without a light in any apartment. At length.
the unwelcome visitors came late one night. First they
rapped at the street door. Peeping out from one of the
windows she saw a man on the door step, and on the oppo-
site side of the street another man and a woman. No one
answered the knock, and the burglars, conceiving that the
coast was clear, immediately set 'to work. One man and,
the woman were posted on the watch, and the second man
climbed over the back wall, and forced open the kitch3n
window. All the time Miss Exley was listening from a
back room what was going on. As soon as the burgr.ar
entered the kitchen he found a candle and a candlestick,
with a box of lucifer matches, which had been laid rea.ly
for his cony( nience, on the table. The first match wss
successful, and tho canille was lighted. Miss Exley, on
telling her neighbours :the story the following day, declared
that she had often struck three or four similar matches
without obtaining a lig:ht. The burglar walked upstairs
into a room, where he seemed to know that the plate was
kept; and when Miss Exley heard him ransacking the
drawers, she opened the window of the room in which sloe
was hiding, and with a hammer rapped on an old tea-ti y.
The neighbours recognised the signal agreed upon, came to
her help, and the bargler was caught. He was fop nd
guilty, and was sentenced to four years' penal servitude .