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

TRH SUN, ?LONDON, _ ViTEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY
11, 1862.

tern States to throw off the yoke at once. -It seems
to be the legitimate deduction from LINCOLN'S
own principle that the constitution ought to be
worked in the interest of freedom, not of slavery.
It is, however, rather more than the Federal
fleet was disposed to concur in, and an inquiry as
to the origin and ultimate authority of the pro-
clamation was about to be instituted. Mr. CHASE,
in his representations to the bankers, assured
them that something decisive should be done
in January. What it would be can, of course, be
matter only for speculation. It looks, however, as
if it were necessary to produce the impression, in
order to get his loans, that the war will
after all not be very protracted; and certainly, how
the Northern banks can safely continue their loans
to Government on the present scale, and on the
guarrantee of the present rate of taxation, it is by
no means easy to see. Relatively to her taxes
and her present income, the North is at present as
hoplessly insolvent as Austria, and the means pro-
posed by Mr. CHASE, must quickly impoverish the
very banks to which he is compelled to resort.

If one does happen to have a tumble, there is no-
thing like getting up and philosophically putting
the best face upon the matter. Like that ultra-
polite French gentleman, who, upon his tenderest
corn being excruciated by the chair-leg of the lady
next him, protested, with a wincing countenance
and tearful eyes, and all but a scream of agony—in
answer to my lady's enquiry if he were hurt—
" Whew ! pas de taus, Madame, je voids remervie 1"
There is just exactly a case in point to this, only
this very New Year's morning. The Quarterly and
Annual Revenue Returns have dropped in upon:John
B all's Breakfast Table to-day—with a swarm of
other " little bills" from those extremely punctual
and punctilious arithmeticians, his tradespeople
generally—

" Butcher and baker
And candlestick-maker."
And these same Revenue Tables turn out to be,
when they come to be looked into, pretty nearly as
pleasant as the rest of them. Whereupon—in-
stanter—what says Mr. GLADSTONE'S arch apologist,
the Times ? Well, the Government organ just
simply puts the very best face upon the matter.
JOHN BULL'S gouty toes have a moment before
been crunched under the leaden weight of a rather
ponderous deficit, and with the coolest, the most
consummate effrontery in tha world, the Times digs
the old gentleman playfully in the ribs, and calls
upon him to laugh when his nerves seem, on the
contrary, tempting him to the relief of a howl.
The opening sentence of the Times' prelection
this morning is in its way really and truly some-
thing exquisitely delightful. From the broad, racy
humour of the writing it might have been penned
by Mr. DICKENS. Quoth the Times, in the first
sentence of its first leader on this first of January—
" It was said of a rubicund and rotund individual
that his appearance in a room was a personal in-
sult to every one of the company who was in deli-
cate health, and that, if he had any pretensions to
politeness, he would at least chalk his face and lace
in his waist." Our contemporary then goes on to
apply, most facetiously, this intensely ludicrous
ideal of a person in (literally) rude health ! The
Times observes, with a whimsical air of seriocomic
earnestness--" JOHN BULL is generally pictured
as plethoric and ruddy, with his hands in his
breeches pockets, and a resolute air of independ-
ence which bespeaks a consciousness of easy circum-
stances. Yet," adds the writer, "JOHN BULL is
not wanting in politeness." Our contemporary
goes on then to ask, with a sort of bantering gra-
vity, " How could he, then [i.e., JOHN BULL], on
this first day of the New Year come out with an
unvarnished purse-proud statement of absolute
prosperity and over-abounding wealth ? All the
world are looking with perplexed air over their
Christmas bills. France is still cudgelling her
brains for a Budget ; America is—what we shall
hear in a few hours ; Russia is in a financial posi-
tion which we shall probably never know at all ;
Austria is begging in inconvertible rags. Common
politeness compels that England, when she comes
into such a society as this, should put a little arti-
ficial pallor over her saucy cheeks, and give in, to
some small degree, to the general fashion of
deficits." Now all this may be extremely funny—
nay, when viewed in the abstract, is undoubtedly
very droll indeed, and laughter moving. But
—when the facts thus insidiously introduced to
public notice come to be looked at for a moment
seriously, the Tax-Payers of the United Kingdom
have only too much reason, while wiping the tears
of laughter out of their eyes, to say in answer to
the Times, with a sudden seriousness, "What is
fun to you is just death to us !" Really, upon the
first blush, from high spirits with which our contem-
porary enters upon the examination of the Revenue
Tables but just now issued from the Exchequer,
one might be led to suppose that there
was an extraordinary Surplus of some kind to be
exulted over ! Instead of which, it turns out of
course, as the Returns themselves only too plainly
demonstrate, that the Times is all the while poking
its fun at JOHN BULL—just in between the old
gentleman's small ribs—apropos to a pretty consi-
derable Deficit—a Deficit of all but close upon
three millions and a half! Nay—as if it were the
best delicious climax of the joke, the bonne bouehe
from this little benbonnier-full of quips and crancks
(about a Deficit of over £3,000,000 sterling !) our
contemporary comes " out with it" at last point
blank. And we are all of course expected thereupon
to nearly die with laughing. "We have to announce"
says the Times—" We have to announce, then, that
upon making up the public accounts to yesterday
it has been ascertained that the receipts of Revenue
for 1861, as compared with those of 1860, show a
decrease of no less than £3,363,644." Nor is even
that putting it quite grotesquely enough—the Times
adding, " If we were to reduce these sterling pounds
into florins, or francs, or piastres, we might make a
still more respectable deficit of it. Nay," says the
writer with irresistible drollery, "we can increase
it a little more by noting the fact that the deficiency
of the quarter, as compared with the previous
quarter, amounts to £1,2,02,309. Upon the whole,
therefore," remarks the Government organ—the
arch apologist of Mr. GLADSTONE as a Financier—
smacking its lips, as it were, over the delectable
flavour oft his joke of j okes—"Upon the whole, there-
fore, we are a very well-behaved reople, and, as the
French took to wearing grey wigs when Louis XIV.
grew old out of compliment to that Monarch, so
we have simulated a certain amount of impecu-
niosity in order to join in the fashion which has
been involuntarily set by our friends and neigh-
bours." Now, really and truly, we cannot in
solemn earnest recall to mind anything more
specious, more insidious than this irresistible mode
of putting the best face upon Mr. GLADSTONE'S
financial blunders and delinquencies.

Here is—when we come to look at the facts of the
case simply as they are—a clear round deficit upon the
year of £3,300,000 apon the quarter of £1,200,000.
Here is a deficit, in fact—when there need have
been no deficit at all—of precisely £3,363,644 upon
the year's revenue of 1861, as compared with the
year's revenue of 1860—and a deficit £1,202,309
upon the last quarter of this past year as compared
with the corresponding quarter of the preceding

twelvemonth. A capital jest—isn't it ? And how
much we owe of this to Mr. GLADSTONE—the

"loosely
with ? What—
but a decrease of nearly half
0
RinetvoetnhueemT, Tables tahoemwseelfivneas sthoebwe .T. Looking,
Cmillion 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 £908,000. 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 ttie
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-
monlh—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 jumbling up, and chopping and chang-
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 CITANCELLoRsEIP OF THE TINI-
rE_RSITY 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-Chanceller (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 Ratchford.
The Marquis of Breadalbane will leave town in a
few days on a Continental tour.
The Marchioness Frances Anne of Londonderry,
accompanied by Lord Adolphus and Lady Sophia Vane
Tempest, was to leave Seahatu Hall yesterday, for Wynyard
Park, near Stockton-on-Tees.
The Earl Granville arrived in town on 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 trobject 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 immeliately 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 dry ;
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 ago ; 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 the 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
veins of the limbs.

A TRAP TO CATCH A BURGLAR.—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 ono 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 ono of the
windows she saw a matt on the door step, and on the oppo-
site side of the street another man and a woman. No ono
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 kitchen
window. All the time Miss Exley was listening from a
back room what was going on. As soon as the burglar
entered the kitchen he found a candle and a candlestick,
with a box of lucifer matches, which had been laid ready
for his convenience, on the table. The first match was
successful, and the candle 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 light. 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 she
was hiding, and with a hammer rapped on an old tea-try.
The neighbours recognised the signal agreed upon, came te
her help, and the bugler was caught. Ile was found
guilty, and was sentenced to four years' penal servitude.

ATEST NEWS.

AMERICA.

QUEENSTOWN, JAN.

The Royal Mail steamship Africa, from New
York, on the 20th ultimo, arrived here at 2 a.m.
She brings 49 passengers and 191,384 dols in specie.
She landed 96 sacks of mails and six passengers,
and proceeded for Liverpool at 2.45 a.m., all well ;
she experienced strong easterly winds on the pas-
sage.

NEW YORK, DEC. 20, MORNING,

The latest advices, received from Washington this
morning, report that Lord Lyons had not yet
delivered any official despatches to the Federal
Government.

It is remarked that at the President's last levee
neither the English, French, nor Prussian Ministers

were present.

Mr. Secretary Chase, at a bank meeting, expressed
an opinion that by January the Federal naval and
military operations would give decisive results, and
that the British question was capable of and would
have a pacific solution.

An impression prevails very generally that the
Federal Government will not go to war on this
question, and that if the demands of the British
Government for the surrender of Messrs. Mason and
Slidell are couched in moderai,e language, they will
be complied with.

The popular excitement was much increased by
the news of the warlike preparations in England
brought by the Europa.

Since the receipt of the advices per the Europa and
Jura, the popular feeling against giving up Messrs.
Mason and Slidell does not appear so strong as it

The tone of the New York press also appears
more moderate.
The House of Representatives has refused to pass
a resolution pledging itself to support the act of
Commander Wilkes, without referring the resolu-
tion to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The Africa has been detained until this morning,
as it was expected that positive advices would be
received from Washington. The Queen's messenger
arrived at Washington at midnight on the 18th
inst.

On the arrival of the Europa at Halifax, on the
15th inst., the British steamer Rinaldo at once
sailed from Halifax, with despatches for the North

American squadron.
The Europa's mails were delivered in New York
on the 18th.
The action of the Home Government is strongly
approved in Canada.
The 62d and
.63d Regiments are under orders at
Halifax for Canada.
NE W, YORK, DEC. 19 (Evening).
Two Federal regiments have landed at Ship
Island. General Phelps, on landing, issued a pro-
clamation, declaring that his command would be
geverned by the idea that everything that has been
admitted into the Union as a slave State since the
adoption of the Constitution, has been admitted in
violation of that Constitution.
It is reported that the proclamation has caused
dissatisfaction among the Federal fleet.
An inquiry has been made in Congress to ascer-
tain on what authority the proclamation was

issued.
The House of Representatives has passed a bill
appropriating 1,000,000 dols. for the construction
of gunboats, to be stationed in the western waters.
Congress has appropiated 1,000 dols. for compen-
sation to the owners of the British ship Perthshire.
The destructive fire at Charleston is confirmed.
A large portion of the city and the leading public
buildings were destroyed.
The British ship Cheshire, captured off Tybee
Island, has arrived here in charge of a prize crew.
The British gunboat Racer has arrived here.
The steamers Glasgow and Anglo-Saxon, from
Liverpool on the 27th and 28th of November re-
sp ectively, have arrived out.
The America, from Liverpool on the 7th inst.,
passed Cape Race on the 18th inst., but was not
intercepted.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
NEW YORK, DEC. 19, EVENING.
Money tighter. Exchange very firm. Bankers'
bills 110/, 111 ; Stocks rather firmer; New York
Central, 769 ; Erie, 251 ; Illinois, 56/.
Cotton steady ; Middling Upland, 37c. Flour
declining. Wheat lower. Corn tending down-
wards. Provisions quiet. Coffee very firm. Sugar
steady. Molasses unchanged.

TILE CAPE MAIL.
PLYMOUTH, JAN. 1;
The Royal Mail steamship Norman has arrived
here with the above mail.

Her dates are Cape Town, 21st Nov.; St. Helena,
30th ; and Ascension, 4th Dec.

The Norman has been delayed by adverse winds
and bad weather. On the 21st December her fore

. -
and main top masts were carried away.
The Norman brings 25 passengers.

THE REST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAILS.
SOUTHAMPTON, JAN. 1.
The Royal Mail steamer Shannon, with the above
mails, has arrived hero. She brings 53 passengers,
2,265,680d15. in specie, and 4,875 packages of cargo.
The Shannon left St. Thomas on the 15th of De-
cember, and encountered strong easterly winds
throughout the passage home. •
Mercantile affairs at Valparaiso continne in a
depressed state, and money was scarce.
The political state of the country was more satis-
factory, and the liberal administration of Senor
Perez contained to gain the confidence of the
people.

The news from Bolivia is discouraging, and it
was thought that more blood would be shed in
addition to the massacres recently perpetrated.
General San Ramon had received a large number
of votes for the Presidency of Peru. Troubles
were expected during the elections.

General San Ramon was at Arequipo. The in-
crease of the army in that city caused great scar-

city of provisions.

The coffee crop in Costa Rica was expected to fall
80,000 quintals short of the average crop. Quota-
tations ranged very high.

In San Salvador a collision was expected be-
tween the Church and State.

The prices of indigo range unprecedentedly high,
having risen from 6to 10 reals per lb. This was
partly caused by the failure of the cochineal crop in
Guatemala.

The French transport ship Resource had been
wrecked 40 miles south of Valparaiso. It was re-
ported that only five were saved out of 600 persons
on board. The Britiph barque Anna Pictavin had
been wrecked north of Cubija. A portion of the
cargo was saved. The French brig Bazaar had
been captured whilJe endeavouring to run the
blockade at Buenarentura. She afterwards ran
ashore and went to pieces.

At Valparaiso Exchange on London was quoted
at 45d., and at Lin is at 271 d.

The Barbados m itrket was moderately supplied

with American breadstuffs. Irish butter was scarce.
Exchange on London, 30 days' sight, 4921 dols.
Trade at Demerara had slightly improved. The
weather was favourable.
Yellow fever prevailed among the shipping.
Tonnage was abundant.
Exchange on London, 90 days' sight was quoted
480 dols.