The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-13 00:00:00

rifE 5 SUN,' • LONDOP, MONDAY EVENING, F

may hope to see the example of the Birmingham
builders foll 'owed by other trades, and in other parts
of the country, for this is assuredly a matter in
which Mr. COBDEN'S theory may be accepted unre-
servedls, and negotiation is immeasurably better
than or len warfare.

The -Duke of SUTHERLAND has set a good example
which it is hoped many will be induced to follow,
for the results cannot be otherwise than beneficial to
all concerned. The letter which appears in to-day's
San, and -which was sent by his Grace to a West-
end firm, is deserving of general attention, for it
bears reference to the great annoyances entailed by
the plan of giving per centages to servants. His
Grace has decided that from henceforth such prac-
tices shall be discontinued in his establishment. He
very truly remarks that the custom is " alike un-
fair to the master and the servant," to the former
because the tradesmen must necessarily increase the
charge of his bill in some way or other to enable him
to pay the " tax," and it is unfair to the latter since
it is putting a temptation continually in his way.
The truth of these observations cannot be gainsaid,
and all who have paid any attention to these do-
mestic questions must have noticed the many serious
evils that accrue in consequence of the prevalence of
this unwise and mischievous practice. Fair play
cannot possibly exist in the establishment where
suchthings go on, and it follows, as a matter
of course, that errors are screened, and
faulty articles often supplied through the desire to
keep up a pernicious system. While these flaws
exist in the dealings of the less scrupulous purveyors,
those of a higher class and superior character are
exposed to constant annoyances in consequence of
this absurd and annoying plan. There is reason in
the remark made by the firm which has published
this letter, that the publication of it may doubtless
" tend materially to lessen the evil complained of."
It is too often the way for people to go on in the
same fashion without making any visible effort to
lessen the evils that they constantly complain Of,
and confining themselves to words instead of actions,
when they feel particularly annoyed or irritated
beyond endurance by some special act or particular
offence. The Duke of SUTHERLAND has therefore
done good service to the cause of order and the
encouragement of rectitude by setting his face de-
cidedly against these innovations ; and there is no
reason why the unsuitable and in every way unde-
sirable habit of tradesmen givingper-centages to ser-
vants should not be totally discontinued. Those who
make the largest profits by these practices are pre-
cisely those who do not in the least require any
additional sum or extra fees, but the desire of gain
leads them on to make more efforts to increase
their stores. The Duke could not have taken more
decided steps than he has done in announcing his
intention to dismiss from his service any servant
who is detected in " receiving perquisites, or an
equivalent, and also in intimating that he would
not obtain any more goods from the tradesman
who gives them." As he observes, every right-
minded tradesman " will willingly aid in abolish-
ing" the custom, if viewed in the proper light, and
no doubt many firms will concur in this feeling.
Now, that a precedent has been established, it is
to be hoped that many more of the influential and
leading members of society will follow the example
thus worthily set by his Grace, and that this
season will witness the beginning and the
end of this pernicious practice. All those
who have the integrity of their depen-
dents at heart will willingly lend their aid to
this work, and indeed so numerous are the evils
attendant on the custom that it is only surprising
that a stop has not before this been put to the pro-
ceedings. At any rate, the excuse can no longer be
made that it is awkward and inconvenient to make
a change or adopt a different course. A reform has
been inaugurated, and it rests with those who have
the power to show that they have the will to do good
service to themselves and others by putting a stop
to a custom that fosters fraud and holds out every
encouragement to dishonesty. Regarded in this
light, it appears to be a duty to society that influ-
ential members of the community should do their
utmost in checking the continuance of a custom that
has too long prevailed for their credit and the wel-
fare of others. A grave responsibility rests with
those who, from idleness or indifference, allow things
to go on until they are found at last to acknowledge
the evil if they do not admit their own share in it.

THE PERMANENT CALENDAR.

--0.--

Published by Day and Sons, Lincoln's-Inn-Fields.

A little half-crown red-leather folding-case has
that (having
puzzledusfor r s
tour
fewh
ma nodms
,cbounttrivance that
just
once mastered the significance of it) we recognise
nowconi
the first
—enats
to be a truly marvellous evidence of ingenuity on the '
mallest notion
tor may or may not be, we have not the s ,
part of the anonymous inventor. Whoever the inven-
and we speak of the contrivance therefore quite dis-
passionately. It purports to be " A Permanent
Calendar." And it is so truly what it thus purports
to be that we have headed our notice of it, here,
The Permanent Calendar." It is—within the
handiest compass imaginable—an Almanack for the
Past, Present, and Future ! For the Past as far
back as 1762—f0r the Future as far forward as 1925
—each of those sufficiently remote years inclusively.
It extends, consequently, as a Calendar or Almanack
over an interval of more than a century and a half
—to be precise, over a gap of 163 years altogether.
And although this same cunningly-packed folding-
tablet comprises within it (as may.be perceived by
any one upon spreading it open) more than
100,000 distinct days and dates, the inventor is so
perfectly well assured of the absolute accu-
racy of his contrivance, that he stands pledged to
forfeit Ten Pounds sterling, should any error, either
in regard to Day or Date, be anywhere discoverable
in his wonderfully intricate, and yet not less won-
derfully lucid little tabulated arrangement. The
advantages secured to the possessor and consulter
of this Calander are just simply those of an extra-
ordinary Saving of Time, and an invaluable Guaran-
tee of Correctness—by reason of its enabling
anyone, in a few seconds, to find the
day of the week for any date, or the date
of any day in any month or in any year
between 1762 and 1925. With Lawyers, with
mercantile men, with literary men and among
these with biographers especially, the discovery of
an instant and infallible clue of this kind to days
and to dates is often (as there is hardly a lawyer, a
trader, or a man of letters in the land but knows
long ago by his own experience) very often of the
I utmost and of the most urgent importance.
Here at length, placed within their reach, is
precisely the very clue wanted—a clue that in Five
Seconds leads them with unerring certainty to the
exact definition of the day of the week and of
the date of the month of any occurrence, personal or
historical, that they may be in search of--public
or private—birth, death, or marriage, in fact of
any incident whatsoever.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales and Prince Leningen, attended by the Hon. Mrs.
Stonor and Major Teesdale, honoured the St. James's
Theatro with their presence on Saturday evening.
_ . _

The Duke and Duchess of Buckingham are not
expected to return home from their tour in Italy until
April.
The Duke of Saldanha, who is appointed Portu-
guese Minister at the Court of St. James's in succession to
Count Lavradio, is preparing to leave Rome on his way to
England.
The Earl and Countess of Carnarvon have de-
rived benefit from their visit to Italy. They are not
expected to return to England until after the Easter
holidays.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)

ROM E .
MARSEILLES, FEB. 12.

According to letters received from Rome rumours
were current in that city that the Papal Court,
although dissatisfied with the letter of the Emperor
Maximilian, would not withdraw the Papal Nuncio
from Mexico, but at the same time had determined
not to conclude a concordat with that country.
The hurricane which has prevailed at Marseilles
has moderated, but the cold is still intense.

AUSTRIA.
VIENNA, FEB. 13.

Herr von Schmerling declared to-day at a private
meeting of the members of the Lower House of the
Reichsrath, that the Government agreed with the
principal points in the address to the throne. He
regretted, however, that there was a divergence of
opinion between the Government and the House
in reference to Hungary and Gallicia. The Diets
of Hungary and Croatia will, however, meet
simultaneously with the lesser Reichsrath, which is
positively to be convoked immediateiy after the
close of the session of the Reichrath. Energetic
efforts will be made by the Government to bring
the question of the Duchies to a satisfactory solu-
tion. The Government will submit separate
financial bills for the budgets of 1865 and 1866.

FRANCE.

PARIS, FEB. 13.

The interest on Treasury Bonds has been fixed
at 31 per cent. for three to five months' bonds ; 4
per cent. for bonds of six to eleven months; and
4i per cent. for bonds of one year.
BOURSE, Feb. 11.—The market continues firm.
Threes, for the Account, are now at 67f. 291 c.
Mobilier offered at 967 f. 50c. Railway Shares re-
main about the same. The market closed as fol-
lows :

44 per Cents 96 15
Do. end month —
3 per Cents. 67 15
Do. end month 67 20
Credit Mobilier
Do. end month
Bank Shares 3550

Italian Loan 65 10
Do. end month 65 10
Ditto Threes —
New Mexican
Russian 9O
Austrian
Spanish Threes
Rome Debt
Deferred
'AI'S.

Credit Foncier 1275
Roman -
RAIL'

Cash. Acct.
Orleans
Northern lOO7 50 ... 1010
Lyons and Mediterranean 946 25 ... 947 50
Southern 5BO ... 578 75
Western 537 50 ... 540
Eastern
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard 550 ... 550
North of Spain
Saragossa , .................... 405 405
Ditto to 8arce10na......,........ 175 :::

The West India Pacific Mails.

--__.-.0....--_

The Royal Mail steamship Seine, with the above
mails, has arrived here, with seventy-two passengers,
$2,084,169 in specie, platina valued at £1,996, pre-
cious stones and pearls valued at £2,694, and also
2,485 packages of general cargo, consisting princi-
pally of indigo, sarsaparilla, cigars, coffee, cocoa,
bark, indiarubber, and 20 live turtle.
The Seine left St. Thomas's onthe 29th ult. From
the 3d to the Bth inst. she experienced heavy north-
westerly and: south-westerly gales,' with high seas.
The steamer Carlo arrived at St. Thomas's on the
24th ult., and sailed again the following day.

At Chili the National Congress had terminated its
sittings. They had approved the public expenses for
the year 1865, and sanctioned an increase of
$2,000,000 on the estimates for public purposes, to
be expended on the augmentation of the navy. The
Government, undertaking to give attention to the
best means to be adopted for the colonisation of vast
tracts of country by immigration. Commissioners
for this purpose met and passed resolutions pro-
posing the foundation of an emigration office, with
branches in Europe, the. acquisition by the Govern-
ment of lands on which to instal the emigrants pro-
visionally, and the assignment by Government of an
annual sum to encourage immigration. Business
was quiet. Exchange, 434 to 451 per dollar.

At Peru there was no immediate likelihood of a
settlement of the Hispano-Peruvian difficulty.
The South American Congress has left Peru to
settle the question single-handed. General Vivance
had been despatched by the Peruvian Government
to the Chinchas, in order to treat, and terminate
the difficulty. lie proposed to submit the Spanish
claims to the decision of a mixed commission, ap-
pointed by the two Governments. Admiral Pareja
insisted, as a preliminary, on the expenses of the
Spanish expedition being guaranteed. It was con-
sidered that Peru would submit.

The barque Georgian Wallace, of Glasgow, had
arrived at Jamaica. She had been detained at St.
Thomas's for three weeks by want of hands, four of
her crew having died of yellow fever. The steamer
Plantagenet, from Liverpool, had also arrived there.
Business inthe islandwas quiet; transactions steady.
Small-pox- had had broken out with renewed viru-
lence. Coffee quotations were from 50s. to 525. for
ordinary ; 60s. for mountain berry. Sugar—dark,
15s. to 16s. Exchange at 90 days', 11 per cent. pm.
The news from the other islands is unimportant.
At Grenada there had been fine weather, and the
planters were busily engaged preparing for the sugar
crop. Cocoa was rapidly
arriving at market for ship-
ment. Cotton picking was progressing, and the island
was healthy.