The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-29 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1865.

On few days in the year will sunshine be more
eagerly welcomed than to-day, if the cheerful beams
will condescend to favour the festivities at Ports-
mouth. Englishmen are said to be always talking
about the weather, and certainly in the midst of
the bustle and excitement of hospitable prepara-
tions it is just now the prevailing topic. Anxious
looks are cast at the clouds, men consult the
weather-glass at every turn, and the old sailors
who are supposed of right to be the most weather-
wise of the community enjoy the unenviable pri-
vilege of being able to damp every one's hopes and
expectations by their dismal forebodings. The re-
cent unkindness of the elements during the visit of
the English fleet to Brest and Cherbourg has per-
haps increased the universal anxiety for fine
weather, lest our gay neighbours and allies should
have their prevailing impression respecting Eng-
lish weather deepened. It certainly seemed as if
our good ships took over a few of our own parti-
cular clouds and showers for the discomfiture of
our light-hearted rivals, and we can only hope that
they will return the compliment by bringing with
them a little of their glowing sunshine. But in spite
of all direful prognosications and misgivings
the preparations go busily on, the town
is filling to an unheard-of extent, and lodginohouse-
keepers are reaping a fabulous harvest. The visit
of the French fleet will long live in the memory of
the inhabitants of Portsmouth, for if the pro-
gramme is at all carried out the next three days
will be an uninterrupted succession of festivity and
The Admiralty and the municipality
are competing with each other in their efforts to
make their hospitalities worthy of themselves and
the occasion. Everywhere there is the same cordial
and courteous desire to do honour to our unwonted
guests, and the same eagerness to show the hearty
goodwill with which Englishmen now regard their
quondam enemies. The very ball dresses and orna-
ments which are filling the shop windows are com-
posed of the three magic colours—red, white, 'and
blue. The flags and banners of the two countries
are everywhere flying overhead. Illumination and
decoration are the orders of the day, and the
grand climax is to be reached on Wednesday
night, when the grand Admiralty banquet
is to be given to the French squadron in the Naval
College, and on the health of the two Sovereigns
being drunk the ships of both squadrons are to fire a
royal salute and to illuminate. The effect of this will
be very grand, and the interior of the College has

excitement.

been gaily decorated for the banquet. The dock-
yard, too, comes in for its share of display ; but
after all, there will be no finer sight than that
which is to greet the visitors on their arrival, when
all the English ships in the harbour man yards as
the Reine Hortense passes. Altogether the spec-
tacle will be a most brilliant one, and the crowds
of visitors who are pouring into the town of them-
selves testify the interest felt on the occasion and
the general desire to do honour to our gallant allies.
Whatever the result of the trouble and expense
which have been lavished on the preparations, and
whatever the fluctuations of the weather during the
festivities, Frenchmen will have at least no right to
be dissatisfied with the warmth or the readiness of
their reception.

It would seem as if it was destined that the tide
of public opinion was to turn against Prussia and
the Prussians at present. A short time ago an
event took place at Bonn which has excited the
greatest indignation among all who have heard of
it. An unfortunate Frenchman, whose reputation
as a cook was very great, had just been appointed
chef de cuisine to Prince ALFRED. He was also em
gaged to attend the establishment of the QUEEN
during the Royal visit to Germany. In consequence
of these flattering proofs of success OTT gave an
entertainment to his friends, and after supper
he and some of the party were walking
along the streets, when they unfortunately
encountered a party of students. Some dispute
arose, and the consequence was a scuffle, in which
the students appeared to have lost all sense of pro-
priety, and the conduct of a soldier in uniform who
was with them was outrageous in the extreme.
The former struck violent blows with loaded
bludgeons which knocked down the companions of
the Frenchman, while the soldier himself drew his
sabre and attacked Orr. In consequence of this
murderous charge the poor man died two days after
from locked-jaw in frightful agony. No possible
extenuation can be urged on behalf of such an action.
It would have been cowardly enough for a party
of twenty to attack three, but for one of their body
to commit a savage assault upon an unoffending in-
dividual is base act beyond comprehension. The
Prussian cadet who has thus gained an unenviable
notoriety is Count EULENBERG, the nephew of the
Prussian Minister of the Interior. It has come to
something, indeed, if the Prussian aristocracy are
to be permitted thus to give proof of their nobility.
They will soon emulate the notions of the Spanish
hidalgo, who, upon encountering some obstacle, ex-
claimed, " This comes of walking upon the
earth." A more scandalous and barefaced at-
tack could not have been made, for the French-
man was not armed with any weapon, and had
not even a stick in his possession. If anything
could increase the indignation which is naturally
experienced at the recital of this transaction, it
must be the manner in which the Prussian authori-
ties have taken up the matter. They did not even
place the offender under arrest until some time after,
and, worse still, it is thought probable that
no punishment will be dealt to the perpe-
trator of this crime. Perhaps the authorities of
Berlin may reckon without their host, however.
The notion of this freak of aristocratic anger is not •
a subject of the land whose monarch rules by divine
right, and whose nobles are privileged to take
any human life if it pleases them so to do.
He is a Frenchman, the subject of the Emperor
NAPOLEON, and his Imperial Majesty is not likely
to brook such an insult to himself and injury to his
subject very tamely. The QUEEN has also been
greatly concerned in this matter, and is supposed to
be taking some steps to obtain redress. The
Prussians evidently think that they may act
with impunity ; but when we recollect how
they imprisoned and illtreated an English subject
for simply striking an impertinent railway official
with his fist, it seems intolerable that a young Count
should be tacitly encouraged in his vagaries when
he cuts down an unoffending man, who is a subject
of the French EMPEROR and a servant in the employ
of the Queen of ENGLAND.

At the present time it is of the utmost conse-
quence that attention be paid to sanitary laws, and
that the removal of nuisances should be effected in
all possible cases. What might be perhaps tolerated
at ordinary epochs will now become very hurtful,
and, indeed, prove fruitful sources of disease and
death. Yesterday an inquest was held at Bethnal-
green upon the alleged death of a child from malaria.
The proceedings were stopped from the scientific
evidence not being ready, but enough transpired
during the evidence to show that the back of the
premises in which the child died was in a very un-
healthy state, in consequence of the nuisance of the
" collection and retention of blood, for use in the
process of sugar-baking," and that in the hot
weather causes malaria to arise. The medical officer
of health for Bethnal-green handed a report to the
coroner, which had been given to the sanitary com-
mittee, concerning the nuisance in question. From
this statement it appears that the " blood" under-
goes a certain process, which renders it more dele-
terious. It is allowed to remain at the slaughter-
house for some time, when it becomes congealed,
and even sometimes reaches a putrid state of de-
composition. Being unfit for the sugar-refiners
while in that condition, it is broken up by a ma-
chine, and it is this process which is so highly
injurious to health, for, as it is declared in
the report, " offensive stenches are emitted." No
wonder the medical officer concludes his report by
suggesting that the said business be entirely dis-
continued. Nothing can possibly be more unwise
than to permit the continuance of such nuisances in
crowded neighbourhoods ; and it is dreadful to con-
template the effects which these and similar evils
can produce. It is greatly to be regretted that this
question did not come before the Legislature ; and,
at any rate, no time should be lost in making the
necessary regulations next session. All such trades,
if carried on at all, should be followed in places
where they cannot injure health and become a
plague spot in the neighbourhood. No doubt this
business here referred to is not done differently or
managed worse than many other ones ; but it is
high time that the matter should be inquired into,
and a stop put to practices that threaten
the comfort, health, and
be the first victims, even life of the
community.
Children and delicate persons will
but niomnpeervairoeustotoo strong
oantg
or too hardy to be rendered -
tack, for in its train wait many serious evils of a
contagious character. " The
painful family of
death, more hideous than their queen,,, abound and
flourish in such localities," and it is not too much to
expect that some remedial measures be adopted now
at this eventful period of this trying juncture.
The Government had better look to these matters
without loss of time or giving way to prejudices.
ft is idle to talk of preventives to cholera which the
late improvements in drainage will have made, if
the worst evils are invited by these extremely
objectionable trades being pursued in the centre of
a crowded neighbourhood, and amidst those most
qualified to imbibe disease and also to spread it
round quickly. One of the greatest desideratums
at present is the purity of the atmosphere, and such
an attainment is impossible if some wisp laws be not
enacted on the subject of nuisances, SUCIZ as those

referred to, and if these be not strictly enforced
with zeal and determination. It would be a very
good thing if sanitary inspectors went the round of
the metropolis and furnished a full and complete
report of their observations. By this means the
worst evils would be made known, and the minor
ones would be kept in check, and perhaps some
offenders might be shamed out of their unwhole-
some trade altogether. At any rate one thing is
certain, while time is being lost and debates and
disputes arise, the deadly work is progressing with
giant strides, and increasing in a rapidly-widening
circle, so that it is difficult to define its exact limits
or to knOw its number of victims, but we may re-
main convinced that their name is " legion."

The intelligence from India is not very eventful,
but it is not altogether unimportant. The most
noticeable feature in the summary, so far as the
future welfare of Anglo-Indians is concerned, is
undoubtedly the progress of the scheme for supply-
ing Calcutta with pure water. It has long been
universally admitted among civilised people that
pure water is one of the first necessaries of life, one
of the principal constituents of health; yet a wealthy
city like Calcutta, which, from its natural climate
and position, can so ill afford to dispense with any
element of public health, has been suffered to grow
up into a city of palaces without anything like an
adequate water supply. The excuse for this culpable
negligence is certainly not to be found in the geo-
graphical situation of the city, which shows no ex-
ception to the rule that once made a wiseacre won-
der that large rivers always flowed by large towns.
The sacred stream is, indeed, polluted near the city
itself by the Hindoo custom of throwing in their
dead, but it is surely not so difficult in these days of
engineering to organise some means of supply drawn
from a little distance. This is the plan which is
now at length to be adopted. The water is to be
drawn from the Hooghly at a distance of several
miles, and to be brought down to Calcutta by a
brick aqueduct or an iron pipe. This part
of the business is now under consideration, and the
chief engineer who has been appointed to superin-
tend the works is to visit this country on purpose
to consult the best engineers of the day on the whole
of the details of the scheme, which is likely to ex-
ercise a valuable influence on the general health of
one of the most insalubrious of English built cities.
It is certainly unfair to complain of the unhealthi-
ness of Calcutta ; no attempt is made to supply
what are considered necessaries in every English
town. A tropical climate can hardly be an excuse
for the neglect of sanitary precautions which are
rapidly observed in the temperate zone. The same
disregard of most simple and necessary laws of
health is shown in the want of drainage and other
matters entirely independent of the evils created by
Hindoo superstition and dirty habits. What effect
a little attention and observance of sanitary laws
may have in diminishing the mortality of India may
be guessed from the result—at once painful and
gratifying—of the military reform in these matters.
It is most satisfactory to know that the death-rate
by which our Anglo-Indian forces were steadily
mowed down has rapidly yielded to altered condi-
tions, but at the same time we must be painfully
conscious that an earlier reform in these matters
might have saved thousands of valuable lives. The
civilianshave apparently accepted the warning, and,
with the cordial concurrence of the Governor-
General, who is the friend of every practical and
philanthropical reform, many changes for the
better have already taken place, and many more,
which it is only wonderful could have been so long
overlooked, are now in prograss. None, perhaps,
will be more important than this question of the
water supply, which will confer an inestimable boon
on the long-enduring residents of Calcutta.
The military news is less satisfactory. No settle-
ment has been arrived at with the Bhootanese, nor
is any likely to be gained until the cold weather has
permitted the renewal of the war. It is to be hoped
it will be pushed on vigorously, for the slow, hesi-
tating manner in which the business is being done
has proved like most half measures, most extrava-
gant and fruitless. The selection of the posts of
occupation was unfortunate, as in one of them at
least the force stationed has been disabled by fever
and dysentery. This is a distressing and dishearten-
ing thing for the troops, since it exposes them to
the attacks of an enemy whom no bravery can defeat,
no watchfulness circumvent, and the lives of British
soldiers are too precious to be ventured lightly on
such perilous strife. Preparations are, it is said,
being made for a vigorous prosecution of the war
on the return of the cold weather ; and surely it
need not take us very long to bring the Bhootanese
to their senses if the matter is really taken up in
earnest, regardless of expense or any other consi-
deration than prompt and decisive success.