The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-23 00:00:00

very little was known of Assyria and its people,
and indeed the site of its city was hardly known.
Until the excavations which took place twelve years
ago there was vague rumours afloat, but no certain
or reliable knowledge to take hold of. The change
that has taken place is marvellous indeed, and may
well justify the most sanguine expectations that are
entertained of these fresh explorations now under
discussion. Through the reading of inscriptions
they have restored the list of kings, and also have
been enabled to ascertain how the people dressed,
and other very interesting particulars. It cannot
be promised, Mr. LAYARD said, that we shall give
so much extensive information respecting the coun-
tries east of the Jordan as we did in Assyria, because

the Jews have never represented the human form in
graven images, so we could not gain a knowledge, of

the inhabitants of Palestine as effectually as we did
of those of Assyria. Still much may be done, and
it is not to our credit that so able a judge as Mr.
LAYARD should say at such a meeting that we were
never first in such discoveries. The French are
celebrated for exploring expeditions, " but somehow
it did not seem to suit the genius of the English
people or the pockets of the Government to assist
in these matters. Surely it is time that the good
sense and right feeling of our community puts an
end to this state of apathy, and that those who are
able should be willing to assist in an enterprise
which, among all Christian nations, should be
honoured and respected. A tenfold deeper interest
must attach itself to this undertaking than any
which waits upon and centres in a mere geographi-
cal exploit or scientific discovery, as was well
observed in Tanered.' " Are we to believe that
no peculiar and special interest centres in silch a
land, that Palestine is like Normandy or Yorlyhire,
or even Attica or Rome ? Rightly regarded this
proposed exploration of the Holy Land deserves
support and encouragement, and it should not be
said that our material feelings allow the promptings
of a higher influence and better spirit to be
neglected.

There could scarcely be a more appropriate occa
sion on which to celebrate the establishment of
metropolitan drinking fountains than the present
Midsummer season. Its glowing sunlight, delightful
under green leaves or by the fresh sea breezes, grows
oppressive and exhausting to the weary toiler as he
drags himself along the hot dusty pavements of the
great city, where luxuries are so plentiful and neces-
saries so dear. Good pure water is certainly to be
ranked among the very first of those necessaries,
and the evils that its absence occasions are sure and
rapid in their course. Medical science has pro-
nounced bad water to be more actively injurious to
the human frame than bad air; but notwithstand-
ing the excellent arrangements for supplying the
metropolis with water, there are very many of the
poorer quarters where the poverty of the neighbour-
hood, the neglect of the landlords, or the bad con-
struction of the houses, make it still scarce and
difficult to obtain. The pollution of our rivers has
converted many a fine health-giving stream into a
source of poison, as when we hear of a bottle of
paraffin being extracted from one of our midland
rivers ; but Parliament has taken up that part of
the question with some interest. It is manifestly
the duty of the Legislature to guard against any
such abuse of our natural blessings, and there is no
fear that commercial enterprise will fail to supply
any quarter of our towns and cities with this great
requisite. But there still remains a great work to
do, which can only be done by voluntary effort, and
this work is being done through the agency of the
Free Drinking Fountain Association. Its objects
are so simple that its benefits are likely to be passed
over amongmany more urgent and more conspicuous
claims upon our benevolence, but it is a very practi-
cal good nevertheless. It used to be a favourite
work of public charity in old days to build wells and
fountains by the wayside for the thirsty traveller,
and when the accommodation by road and rail was
not quite-what it is now it was a very useful kind-
ness. The reader of " Marmion" will remember

the introduction of SYBIL GREY'S Cross and Well in
the last battle scene, and in many of the close
conflicts of those days such aid was very welcome.
We do not have deadly battles on the quiet hillside
now, nor single combats by the highway ; but,
nevertheless, a draught of pure cold water is no un-
welcome gift in the hot summer days. The best
evidence of the practical service done by these
fountains and the extent of the want supplied is the
fact that the water is daily partaken of by 300,000
persons. The fountains now number 130, whereas
six years ago, when the Association began its
labours, there was not one, and the Committee have
sufficient humanity to spare for the poor thirsty
brutes who are driven along the streets without

a chance of refreshment. They have put many
large troughs for dogs and for cattle about the
streets, and the number of these requires to be
greatly enlarged. The fountains themselves must
be increased in number, and the Committee go so
far as to say that 200 more would not fully supply
the need. This estimate, we suppose, is intended

to include the suburbs and their increasing popula.

tion ; but allowing it to be unnecessarily large, it
shows how much remains to be done. The Asso-
ciation undertakes to keep all its fountains in full
working order by means of weekly inspection ; and
it complains that the neglected fountains which have
been set down to its charge belong to other super-
visors. The aim which the members set before
themselves and the public is the simple and praise-
worthy one—that there should be no necessity for
man or beast suffering thirst in the streets of Lon-
don. If the public do their part the good work will
not remain long incomplete.

The Public-houses Closing Act Amendment Bill
was read a third time last night in the Upper House,
where Lord GRANVILLE, with commendable inge-
nuity, has contrived entirely to reverse the decision
of the Commons. The bill as it originally stood
provided for the closing of all places of refreshment
between the hours of 1 and 4 a.m. But this proved
such a hardship to those industrious and laborious
classes who have to be pursuing their lawful callings
during those hours that a modification was deter-
mined upon. In our busy and complicated life
there are some who must work while others sleep,
and two very important and honourable callings,
those of the compositor and the market gardener,
compel attention and exertion even before a sum-
mer's daybreak. To meet the wants of such classes
it was determined that special licences should be
granted for keeping open the houses which were
frequented by them; and this arrangement would
have answered very well if the police had not
thought fit to arrogate to themselves the functions
of Parliament, and to grant no licence whatever.
An amendment was consequently introduced this
session, which gave the power of licensing to the
magistrates instead of to the police, and this was
carried through the Commons. Lord GRANVILLE,
however, on the bill's arriving in the
Lords, contrived to introduce a clause which left
the licensing with the police in towns, and gave it
to the magistrates in the country ! The bill was
never wanted for the country. It was designed for
the benefit of certain classes of the metropolis, and
to act, as Lord GRANVILLE proposes, would be first
to leave matters as they were last year, and will end
in the total defeat of a wise and useful measure.