The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 19, 1865.

Cattle Disease.

DEPUTATION TO THE LORDS OF THE COUNCIL.
Yesterday at 3 o'clock, the Lord Mayor (Alderman Hale),
accompanied by Mr. Gibbons, the chairman, and other
members of the Corporation Markets Committee, Dr.
Letheby, the medical officer of health for the City of Lon-
don, Dr. Aldis, holding a similar office for the district of
St. George's, Hanover-square, Dr. Ansell, Dr. Iliff, and
Dr. Sarvis, other medical officers of health for districts of
the metropolis, proceeded from the Mansion-house to
Whitehall, by appointment,to an interview with the Right
Hon. the Lords of the Council in reference to the cattle
plague. The deputation represented the Metropolitan
Cattle Plague Committee, of which they are all members.
The Lords of the Council present at the interview were
Earl Granville, the Lord President ; the Duke of Somerset,
First Lord of the Admiralty; Earl de Grey and Ripon,
Secretary of State for War ; Mr. Cardwell, Secretary of
State for the Colonies ; and Mr. Hutt, Vice-President of
the Board of Trade. Mr. A. Helps, clerk to the Council,
was in attendance, as were also Professor Symonds, and
Mr. Brand, Controller of the Corporation, London. The
deputation was introduced by the Lord Mayor.
Mr. Grass, the chairman of the City Markets Commit-
tee, said they had asked for the interview in consequence
of having received from their lordships a draught copy of
an Order in Council about to be promulgated. In that it
was provided that " during the continuance of the cattle
plague within the city of London, or that part of the me-
tropolitan police district which is under the jurisdiction of
the Metropolitan Board of Works, no bull, cow, or calf
shall be brought or sent for sale, or for any other purpose,
from or out of any shed or other place within the said
city or district to the Metropolitan Cattle-matket, or to
any other cattle-market whatsoever in any part of Great
Britain." He apprehended that would prevent any cattle
being removed out of any shed whatever for sale, and
that :all the railway termini in London would come
under such a regulation. He presumed that was not
the intention of the Privy Council. (The Lord President
said it was not.) The Order in Council, of Aug. 18, if pro-
perly carried out, would avoid the necessity for the new
regulation, because there it was stated that no person with-
out the license of a Government inspector should send to
market any infected animal. If that order were carried out
no such cattle could be removediwithout the sanction of an
inspector. The Corporation of London, having charge of
the Metropolitan Cattle-market, had a great difficulty to
contend with in the present emergency, for they knew that
hundreds of infected cattle were being sent to the metropo-
litan market without the order of any inspector.
The LORD PRESIDENT—Do you receive those cattle,
having no such certificate ?
Mr. GIBBINS said they were not able to prevent it, for
until the cattle came actually within the precincts of the
market the corporation had no jurisdiction, and when they
did enter the market, all their inspectors could do was to
seize all that were infected; but then much of the mischief
likely to arise from their going there had then been done.
It was understood that cattle when first affected by the dis-
ease were not unfit for human food. It was difficult to make
men honest, but if the inspectors appointed by the Govern-
ment would only do their duty the spread of the disease
might be materially checked.
The LORD PRESIDENT—We cannot make men honest by
an Order in Council. (A laugh.)
Mr. GIBBINS—If people could be stopped from sending
their cattle when infected to the market a great de:4 of the
disease would be prevented. They had no compensation for
the loss of infected cattle, and they said in effected that if
they could only send their cows away at once to market
when attacked by the disease, before the inspector saw
them, they might hope to get something for them. Unfor-
tunately, in cases where the inspectors had seen them, dis-
eased cattle had been allowed to pass into the market and
to be sold there; and in every instance where the Corpora-
tion had sought to prosecute, the magistrates had been dead
against them, and had declined to interfere.
The Lola) PRESIDENT.—As far as I understand, you do
not quite relieve us from the inherent difficulties of the
case.

Mr. GIBBINS replied that, when hundreds and thousands
of cattle were driven to the market from all directions, the
authorities there had no means of knowing which were

diseased.
The LORD PRESIDENT said he quite agreed that the num
bers entering the market were enormous, but that rather
tended to show that all regulations were useless.
Mr. RUDKIN suggested that the Government inspectors
were too few, and that the services of the police might bo
resorted to for preventing cattle leaving sheds without the
certificate of an inspector.
Mr. GIB/3INS said it appeared to the Corporation Markets
Committee that the Orders in Council involved the de-
struction of a very large number of cattle, which, in the
opinion of different medical officers of health whom they
had consulted, might be avoided.
Dr. LETHEBY said the present wholesale system of
slaughtering animals was to his mind not only contrary to I
the dictates of science, but the means also of diminishing
very largely the supply of moat hereafter to the London
markets ; and it was, of all means, the very means of scat-
tering the disease abroad in all directions. At present an
animal infected with the disease was sent to one or other
of the neighbouring slaughterhouses, and the matter taken
from the alimentary canal was put with other dung and
taken away to bo scattered over the land. There was no
supervision of those places. In the first place, there was
not a sufficient supervision of the cowhouses in London,
and the consequence was that cowkeepers were thrusting
into the market animals in a state of disease. The
present spitem of slaughtering was objectionable, be-
cause it was unscientific, excessive, and dangerous, and
he believed it would in the long run tend to the de-
struction of a large number of cattle that ought not to
be destroyed. Some effort should be made to treat the
infected animals. At present, on an average, two tons
of diseased meat were brought to London weekly. It
was a practice with some farmers as soon as an animal was
infected, to send it to the metropolitan market. It would
be a merciful thing to the animals, as well as a public ad-
vantage, if they were subjected to some treatment instead
of being slaughtered wholesale. What would have been the
result if in cases of typhus or typhoid fever in the human
species the practice had been adopted of not treating it at
all? Treating that disease in hospitals there was now
only one death in ten, and applying that reasoning to this
particular ease he came to the conclusion that it was a
barbarous, unscientific, and cruel thing to send the animals
to be slaughtered without any attempt to cure them. If
nothing but the pole-axe must be the remedy, there would
be a great hindrance to the progress of knowledge and a
sacrifice of food, while the slaughtering of such animals in
the public slaughterhouses of London, of all means, would
be the most effectual for spreading the disease throughout
the whole of the metropolis. He would therefore suggest
the appointment of more inspectors, and a more careful
supervision of the cowhouses.
The LORD PRESIDENT supposed Dr. Letheby was aware
that there were many veterinary surgeons who did not hold
his opinions as to the curability of the disease ?
Dr. LETREBY said the general opinion of his own pro-
fession, even among those who said they had no hope in
the treatment of the animals when the disease was con-
firmed, was that the disease, like the disease in the human
subject, was amenable to treatment.
The LORD PRESIDENT told Dr. Letheby that two of the
most eminent men in the medical profession did not hold
the opinion which he did on that point.
Dr. ALDIS, Medical Officer of Health for the district of
St. George's, Hanover-square, said he had been somewhat
surprised at the summary treatment adopted in some dis-
tricts by finding 103 cows disappear from one yard in about
a week. In another case he had found only one diseased
out of 12, but yet the whole 12 had been condemned,
though the remaining 11 had not shown any symptoms of
the disease. It appeared to him hard that those animals
should be summarily destroyed, and no means adopted for
their cure. He was not a partisan for the establishment of
sanitariums in every district, for it had been his duty to op-
pose one in the district of St. George's, namely, in ginner-
ton-street ; but it appeared to him that it would be a great
bar to scientific progress if some means were not adopted
for the trial of the veterinary art in this emergency. A great
advantage would accrue to science and to the community if
a commission were appointed consisting of eminent veteri-
nary surgeons, aided by members of the legal profession to
sift evidence, in order to determine a means of cure if pos-
sible. If people waited for a cure of any disease they might
wait to infinity, but he thought a rational mode of treat-
ment might be arrived at which would be alike beneficial
to the animals and to science, if a scientific commission
were set on foot for the promotion of such an object under
the auspices of the Government.
Mr. RUDKIN said one mischievous result of the present
Orders in Council was that cowkeeperS were induced to send
even healthy cows to be slaughtered, and a dearth of milk
was being occasioned. He observed from a report by Pro-
fessorSymonds that out of 56,784 cows in a certain number
of Russian villages, 30,237 entirely escaped infection when
the disease was prevalent, 25,778 suffered from the disease
and died, and only the rest were slaughtered.
After some further conversation on matters of detail, in
which the LORD MAYOR, Dr. ANSELL, and other members
of the deputation took part,
• The Loan PRESIDENT said his colleagues in the Council,
with himself, had been desirous of having the advantage of
the practical knowledge of the gentlemen composing the
deputation, and he gathered that it was their unanimous
bettrhoof diseasedties had
not
cattle h
from emeans opinion that the Orders in Council now in existence were
t en
not sufficiently carried out ; that the Metropolitan market
al ri
toefripnrgevthenetminagrkaecter; ttahinatntuhney
num-
ber
the employment of a larger number of inspectors,
aided by the police, and a more complete supervision of all
the cowhouses. Dr. Letheby had given a very interesting
account as to the wanton manner in which cattle were de-
stroyed, instead of the knowledge of treating the disease
being furthered. The establishment of hospitals had been
suggested. The Government had not taken on themselves
to do that, Professor Symonds and others skilled in veteri-
nary science being of opinion that sanitariums would rather
tend to spread the disease than otherwise. He (the Lord
President) did not think it would be wise to have recourse
to them. The Council would not, however, offer any objec-
tion to any one sanitarium where a cure might be tried.
He might say (t • ing to Dr. Aldis) that they (the Council)
(turning
had been occupied within the last few days in organising

a Royal commission to inquire into the origin, the nature,
and the remedies of the disease, and he thought that before
long they would be able to complete the commission, and
that it would enter on its labours as soon as possible.
With that assurance the deputation took their leave.

The Charge of Murder against a Burgeon.

SALISBURY, Sept. 18.
_ _

This morning, at eleven o'clock, John William Storer
was brought up on remand, charged with having murdered
Emily Sophia Blake under circumstances that have been
already reported.
The magistrates present were Messrs. J. H. Rigden, the
mayor (chairman), James Hussey, and J. O. Wheeler.
The accused was brought up in custody of Sergeant
White, and walked through the streets handcuffed, fol-
lowed by a great crowd of people, who thronged the court
on the door being opened.
On the accused being brought up, the Mayor said—
John William Store; are you expecting any professional
gentleman to appear on your behalf ?
The Accused—l understood that I should only be asked
a few questions, and that it would not be necessary for me
to have any legal adviser here; but I can send for Mr.
Kelsey at once if the case is to be further gone into.
Mr. Hussey—This is to be merely a formal remand.
Superintendent Caldon—ln the absence, your worships,
of Mr. Whatman, who has been employed by Mr. Blake to
conduct this case, and who is not able to attend, I have to
apply for a further remand. I may say that I have now
sufficient evidence for a further remand, but I should de-
sire not to bring it forward to-day ; but I shallbe prepared
to go into it fully this day week.
The accused was then formally remanded.

A paragraph having appeared in one of the local papers
that since the inquest Dr. Alfred Taylor has written
" letters," stating that he has found strychnine in the in-
testines, and in " all" the pills, and that three of the pills
would destroy life—the strictest inquiry fails to discover to
whom such communication has been made. Even if the
analysis was complete, which it is not, the absurdity of
supposing that a man of Professor Taylor's professional
standing would make the result prematurely known is
apparent.

Fatal Accident to a Late Senior Wrangler

at Cambridge.

CAMBRIDGE, Sept. 18.

This afternoon an inquest was held at a public-house
known as the Red Bull, in the parish of Grantchester, on
view of the body of Mr. Henry John Purkiss, 8.A.,
scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge, and senior wrangler
for that university in 1864, who met his death under the
melancholy circumstances detailed below. Francis Barlow,

Esq., coroner for the county, presided ; and the Rev. J. C.
Ellis, fellow and tutor of Sidney Sussex College, appeared
to watch the case on behalf of the university authorities
and the friends of the deceased. The deceased was the
son of the late Mr. John Purkiss, of Distaff-lane, City. In
1850, when little more than seven years of age, he was en-
tered at the City of London School, and in his passage
through the various classes he carried off a number of

prizes, including the gold medal for proficiency, and two
silver medals. He was elected a scholar on the Carpenter
foundation in 1857, and five years afterwards succeeded in
gaining a minor scholarthip at Trinity College, Cambridge,
whither he proceeded in 1861, with the Beaufort Scholar-
ship of the City of London School, being one of the first
batch of minor scholars elected at Trinity, and he was
elected a foundation scholar at the first examination after
he became eligible. He had previously matriculated at the
University of London, where he attained the first place in
Mathematical honours, and gained the University Exhibi-
tion ; having also gained the exhibition in the first and
second examination for the degree of 8.A., ho was at
length enrolled a permanent scholar of the University of
London. He likewise won the Queen's prize for proficiency
in the natural sciences at the South Kensington examina-
tion. Pursuing his career at Trinity College, he maintained
his supremacy until his name was greeted with roars of
cheering when announced in the senate-house on Jan. 29,
1864, as the senior wrangler of his year—the head of a list
of wranglers for numbers almost if not quite unprecedented.
Such is an epitome of the brilliant career so prematurely
brought to an end. Mr. Purkiss's presence at Cambridge
at this particular juncture was owing to his intention to
proceed to further honourable strife in the intellectual arena
by sitting for a fellowship at Trinity College.
The first witness called was

Arthur Cockshott, member of Trinity College, and 8.A.,
who said—l was acquainted with the deceased, who was
also of Trinity and B.A. Deceased was senior wrangler in
1864. He came up on Friday or Saturday night to road for
the fellowships at Trinity. On Sunday he and I walked
out with Mr. Gillespie towards "the Gogs" (Gog-magog
Hills), and then returned by Grantehester to the bathing
sheds in the fields there. We all bathed there. The depth
there is mostly out of our depth, but not in all. lie (de-
ceased) never complained of any pain or ill health whilst
walking, and appeared in perfect health. We reached the
bathing-sheds about a quarter past one. Mr. Gillespie and
I wont in first, and immediately swam down the river
towards " Paradise" according to previous arrangement.
Wo left Mr. Purkiss in the shed undressed, and I believe I
heard the splash as he dived in. We asked him to come
with us. and he had not made up his mind whether he
would do so or not. I and Mr. Gillespie had swam down to
the (osier) island, and then got out on to the bank ; that
would be about 150 yards from the shed. Had noticed be-
fore that deceased was not following, and thought he was
staying at the shed on purpose. Were about two minutes
on the bank, and then plunged in again and continued a
downward course towards "Paradise ;" turned, about tho
middle of the wood, and again got out at the same place
as before. We both knew the deceased could swim, but
he was not a very good swimmer. He learned to swim
about two years ago. I and Gillespie were on the bank
on the second occasion about four or five minutes. I
and Gillespie returned to the shed, which I reached a
little the first, and noticed that deceased was not about
the place. It was, as near as I can calculate, twenty
minutes from our departure to our return to the shed.
I and Gillespie had probably got about 30 yards on our
start when I hoard the splash of what I took to be the
deceased diving in. When we returned we found de-
ceased's clothes in the shed, and some other gentlemen,

who had arrived after us, were in the water. We asked
them if they had seen deceased, and they said, "No." I im-

mediately dived into the river, and swam down again,
thinking he must have followed us. I thought there was
something wrong then, or we must have met him as we
came up. I got out and walked along the bank part of the
way, thinking I could see into the river better. I sent for
drags, and Gillespie went to Sheep's-green for a boat. An
alarm was raised, and parties went up and down the river
on search. After a little I got dressed, and kept looking
about, and about 40 minutes afterwards I saw some weeds
in the immediate neighbourhood of the shed moving about
in an extraordinary manner, and I threw in a drag, and
pulled them on one side; then saw something white; called
others, and the "something white" was identified as the
arm of the deceased. Two or three men came, and deceased
was pulled out. The place where his arm was is only about
four feet deep, and about a. yard from the bank. It was about
50 yards from the shed, Directlyihe was pulled out a sur-
geon arrived. Should suppose that if deceased dived in
when I heard the splash and swam after us he must have
been in the water an hour. The weeds were so thick there
as to impede a man's motion through the water ; there was
a peculiar description of tangle-weed there. Witness swam
over them. Has known deceased and been intimate with
him since they were "freshmen" in 1860. Never heard he
was subject to heart disease, or apoplectic or any other kind
of fits. Deceased was a strong muscular man, about 23
years of age. Have frequently bathed with deceased before.
Never knew him complain of cramp. It was a shelving bank
whore deceased was found, and probably would be about
six feet in the middle. _ _ _

A member of the jury suggested that the weeds should
be more regularly cut, a suggestion that met general ap-
proval ; but it appeared that the ownership of the river in
the place where the body was found was not in the Uni-
versity Bathing Club, of which deceased and his companions
wore members, but was private property—the property, in
fact, of the Society of King's College.
Mr. David Gillespie, 8.A., of Trinity College, who
accompanied deceased, and Mr. Cockshott, confirmed the
latter's evidence 'in every particular, but differed as to the
depth of water where the body was found, which he gave
as five feet. -The parties they found at the bathing shed
on their return said they had been there some time, and
had not seen deceased while they were there.
Mr. James Hough, surgeon, of Cambridge, deposed I hat
he had not previously known deceased. Was called about
a quarter past two on Sunday, and deceased was taken out
of the water just as he arrived. Mr. Hough proceeded to
give technical evidence to the.effect that every means were
taken for achieve resuscitation but without effect, every
assistance being freely rendered by those present, though
Dr. Marshall Hall's "Ready Method" was pursued. Once
there was slight encouragement to proceed, and artificial
inhalation was attempted. Galvanic apparatus was sent
for, but could not be procured, and at last witness opened
the windpipe and inserted a quill. Attempted by that
means to inflate the lungs, with partial success, but all to
no purpose, and witness was obliged to give up the case as
hopeless, though every appliance except the galvanic
apparatus was at hand. Mr. Hough finally gave his opinion
(no post mortem examination having been made), taking
into consideration the evidence and the appearance of the
body, that death resulted from actual drowning, and apart
from any other cause. •
The jury at once found a verdict of "Accidental Death"
whilst bathing.
It need hardly be added that the melancholy occurrence
has cast a gloom over the whole University.

THE SUNDAY TRAINS ON THE EDINBURGH AND
GLASGOW RAILWAY.—Sunday being the third Sun-
day on which passenger trains have been run on the Edin-
burgh and Glasgow railway, the trains were again used by
a large number of travellers. The morning and evening
trains leaving Edinburgh carried about 150 and 200 pas-
sengers respectively ; the mail train in the morning car-
ried 15 or 18 passengers. The numbers arriving at the
Edinburgh station were nearly the same.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

TIMES.—If we may rely on the text of a despatch
which we transfer to our columns this morningfrom

the Independance Beige, the language in:whiclaord
Russell has commented upon the Gastein Conven-
tion is most decided. He does fiat appear to have
addressed a direct remonstrance to the partitioning
Governments, as we may now, without hesitation,
designate Austria and Prussia. Such a proceeding
would, indeed, be useless, and until the final act of
spoliation has been accomplished it may be more
dignified to avoid exposing the claims of public law
and the formalities of civilisation to unnecessary

contempt. The numerous protests which have
already been made have expressed to Prussia and
Austria both the general obligations of European
law, and the individual rights of the great Powers
and of the German Diet. All such protests have
been set aside either with duplicity or with open
contempt, and it would for the future be paying too
high a compliment to the German Governments to
assume that they will be in any degree influenced
by appeals either to justice or to courtesy. Accord-
ingly, the despatch of Lord Russell appears only in-
tended to instruct our representatives in what sense
they are to speak of the Gastein Convention when
the occasion arises. For this purpose Lord Russell
points out, briefly but distinctly, the main charac-
teristics of this now notorious proceeding, The
matter, indeed, lies in a nutshell, and no amount of
that diplomatic art which consists in using words
so as to conceal their meaning can possibly explain
it away. It consists of a few very simple facts,
which it is only necessary to state in order to ex-
hibit the native ugliness of the transaction. The
Dukedom of Holstein, with a seat in the Germanic
Diet, was assigned to the King of Denmark by
the Treaty of 1815—that is, by the same autho-
rity in virtue of which alone the Germanic Diet
itself exists, and from which alone Prussia and
Austria themselves derive possession of many
of the territories they now occupy. A subsequent
Treaty in 1852 bound all the European Powers to
recognise the present King of Denmark as the legi-
timate Sovereign of that country, and, therefore,
also as Duke of Holstein. With the alleged pur-

pose of vindicating the prior and inherent rights,
first of the Germanic Diet, and, secondly, of the
population of the Duchies, Austria and Prussia
declared war against Denmark and conquered the
Duchies. As Lord Russell reminds them, they in
the first instance professed that they intended to
vindicate their rights without violating those which
were created by the Treaties of 1815 and 1852.
They subsequently, however, announced that they
considered the war to have abrogated those Treaties,
and that they were at liberty to make future ar-
rangements in entire disregard of their stipulations.
The plea was sufficiently violent, but it could not
be technically denied. The Duchies, therefore, were
taken from Denmark, and the conquerors were free
to consult the rights of the Diet and of the popula-
tions, with the advantage of being completely un-
fettered. Europe had for some time been expecting
to see these rights established, when the Gastein
Convention informs us that they will not be con-
sidered at all. Having served their turn like the
Treaty of 1852, they will, like that Treaty, be
thrown aside. Prussia and Austria now proclaim
themselves the sale possessors of the Duchies, and
assert their intention of disposing of them by ar-
rangement between themselves, without reference
either to the Germanic Diet or to the population.
" All rights," in short, " old or new, whether based
upon a solemn agreement between Sovereigns or
on the clear and precise expression of the popular
will, have been trodden under foot ; the authority
of force is the sole power which has been con-
sulted and recognised. Violence and conquest—
such are the only bases upon which the dividing
Powers have established their Convention." This
is strong language to be applied in the year
1865 to the conduct of two civilised nations ;
yet, after the facts which have been enumerated,
it cannot be considered too strong for the occasion.
Lord Russell has exactly bit the characteristic which
forms the unpardonable element in the Gastem
Convention. That element is that in reliance upon
mere force the two Governments have disposed of
the Duchies without any consideration of existing
rights. It is scarcely so much that they have violated
rights; they have refused to consider them. They
possess the Duchies, and they do with them, not
what they ought, but what they can. Lord Russ ell
has perhaps wisely confined himself to exhibiting
this flagrant offence in its most naked guise, and
has abstained [from remarking upon its accessory
circumstances. We may, however, not unfittingly
point out how greatly the character of the act has
been aggravated by the duplicity which it has been
accompanied. There is one circumstance, in parti-
cular, which it is impossible not to consider in this
light, of which even Germans have not hesitated to
express the strongest reprobation. If there was one
thing more persistently asserted than any other by
Prussian lawyers and diplomatists, it was that the
King of Denmark had no sound title to the Duchies,
and that the Duke of Augustenburg was the legiti-
mate possessor. This was so much relied on that in
the London Conference of last year the Plenipoten-
tiaries of Prussia and Austria actually made the
following distinct proposal, which we quote from
the summary officially presented to Parliament—it
" had for its object to demand a complete separa-
tion of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein from
the kingdom of Denmark, and their union in a single
State, under the sovereignty of the Hereditary Prince
of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg."
Nor was this assertion of the rights of the Prince of
Augustenburg made hastilyor in ignorance. The ques-
tion of the succession to the Duchies had been discussed
by all the learned faculty of Germany for years, and
the right of the Duke of Augustenburg had been as-
sumed as an axiom. No sooner, however, had the
Duchies been wrested from Denmark than the ques-
tion of the succession was referred by the Prussian
Government to the Crown lawyers, and these
sagacious authorities have now announced that all
their former decisions and the unanimous verdict
of German Professors are wrong, and that the King
of Denmark is the only personwho had a sound title
to the Duchies. The practical conclusion is that this
title having been by war made over to Prussia and
Austria, it is now Prussia and Austria who have the
sole right to the Duchies. Such is the end of this
fresh investigation, and he mustbe charitable indeed
who can avoid the conclusion that it was also the
final cause. As we have said, the duplicity of
which this circumstance is but an instance, aggra-
vates the offence ; and it may be added that it in-
creases also the alarming character of the prece-
dent. It seems to show that the forms of civiliza-
tion, being in the hands of unscrupulous persons,
actually serve to facilitate instead of to obstruct
unprincipled designs. Unwilling as the Gavernments
of Europe were to interfere by force in so insignifi-
cant a quarrel, it can hardly be doubted that if
Prussia had from the beginning announced her in-
tention to act as she has subsepuently done the
other Powers would not lave endured the outrage.
She assumed, therefore, a respect for establishing
obligations, with which she tricked Europe into a
reluctant neutrality. We could not believe but
that she must pay some regard to right, and we
thought it the least of two evils in some measure to
trust her. We shall not soon be guilty of such a
weakness again. Lord Russell justly observes upon
the insecurity of arrangements thus established by
mere force, and founded upon no right either of
formal law or natural justice. This is, indeed, the
aspect of the question which is so momentous to
the whole of Europe. The progress of civilisation
taught us, as we believed, some centu-
ries ago that the only security, whether
forindividuals or for nations, lay in a strict ob-
servance of established law. It is upon this prin-
ciple that our liberties have been founded, and we
may add that it is upon this principle alone that any
man feels secure in the enjoyment of his possessions.
It is this principle which is the permanent reality of
the balance of power. The substitution, in fact, of
law for violence, of right for might, constitutes the
whole difference between civilisation and barbarism,
between Europe and Central Africa. That Prussia
should disregard such a principle is, indeed, not sur-
prising. Her greatness was originally founded by
violence, and in defiance of established rights, and
by military force she exists. But that Austria should
lend any countenance to such an example is perhaps
the most extraordinary circumstance in the whole
transaction. Austria, a heterogeneous mass of
nationalities, which receive their connecting links
solely from public law and solemn treaties—a Go-
vernment which protests against the natural- rights
of Italian nationalities on the ground of formal
treaties alone—Austria by such an act might seem
to have signed the instrument of her own dismem-
berment. We shall not attempt to look into the
future, and to speculate upon the ultimate issue of
this disgraceful transa'tion. As the genius of Fre-
' derick has partly obliterated the memory of his
spoliations, so the success of M. von Bismark's
audacity may for a while throw a veil over his inso-
lence, and he has, indeed, already been rewarded
with the title of Counts and has been appropriately
honoured with a long visit from the successor of his
Royal prototype. But, as we are certain that no
State was ever yet established by iniquity or has
prospered by violence, we are equally sure that some
signal retribution will sooner or later vindicate the
supremacy of law, and teach Europe that it must
be observed and upheld. .
PosT.—The overland mail just arrived brings us
theintelligence that vigorous preparations are being
made for a second campaign in Bhootan. About
a month since a rumour somehow or other reached
Europe that the war forced upon us by the
Bhooteas had come to an end, and that pledges
had been given by their Government that in
future no depredations should be committed on that