The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-08 00:00:00

rnE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 8, 1862.

hosts of clergymen, and some bishops,whose organs
of speech are much more efficient than their organs
of thought, have denounced as irreligious in its '
tendency ! It is the very reverse. They speak of
reading as a mechanical art. If it be, it is the
most mighty art of intellectual mechanics—the one
art but for which no literary records of the past,
not even the Bible itself, would have come into
existence—but for which all history would
have been a blank —and master of which
art nothing but the limitation of the human facul-
ties prevents a man from mastering all that his
fellow men have ever known. The spirit of these
remarks applies equally to writing and elemen-
tary arithmetic. Combined with the art of reading
without effort—for that is the point—so reading, that
there will never be any disinclination on account of
the labour, to read in after life—combined with
such reading, ease in writing and arithmetic, opens
everything to the man who possesses them. He
may become a Divine and a Bishop, and be able to
abuse elementary instruction as mechanical in the
House of Peers; or he may become a lawyer and a
Chancellor, and pointing back to the three things I
required at the day school examination, after the
example of the former blacksmith, may inscribe
reading, writing, and arithmetic on the coat of
arms on his carriage, with the motto inclosing
them—" By these I got you."
Lord LYTTELTON, much to his credit, has abjured
the partisan in his resolutions. He thinks a few
details may be amended, but he accepts honourably
the main principle of paying for results. His second
and third resolutions fully admit that. The details
to which he adverts are hardly proper subjects of
discussion, we should think, in either House of
Parliament. The legislature might as well attend
to the minutiae of regimental clothing, or the details
of mannfaeturing en ARMSTRONG gun. Let men,
whose hearts are in the great objecf 'of getting all
the children, for whose education we pay, taught
the three elements, and they will find out the most
efficient mode of attaining this end better than all
the thousand and more members of our legislature'
wrangling for nights together over what they so
imperfectly understand.
There is one point which we hope the good sense
of both houses will distinctly affirm, we mean the
inadmissibility of the cry of vested interests. Par-
liament has been forced by the lawyers to concede
so much of this kind to them, that law reform is
obstructed beyond conception by this fact alone.
But if whatever Government attempts, persons who
have connected themselves with the undertaking are
to claim continuance of the system, or compensation,
on the plea of vested interest, it will come to this,
that the Government will be able to attempt nothing
in the least degree tentative and experimental, for
fear of bringing some day upon themselves the sel-
fish cry of " vested interests." In the present case,
the report of the commissioners, is decidedly, that
no such claim exists. Few even of the memorials
have ventured to assert such a claim. Alterations
have been made from time to time, affecting the
position of the schoolmasters more or less, even by
Sir J. K. SHIITTLEWORTH himself, and the whole
system has always been avowed to be one simply
notedte eonn t
eat
wi va
hen
edna nrt
edh
ceoerrxde pse
ued ms
toe
hnf
ett ahrl
ee.
s euxl tTps ehoreif mit tei Din
are,te haveh aas bee
now
yl
great improvement in the attainments of the masters,
but a corresponding neglect on their part of those
elements of knowledge, which alone are within the
reach of the vast majority of the pupils; while a few
children in each decent school have been advanced
in higher knowledge at the expense of the many. In
fact the system has made the masters too ambitious
to the injury of throe-fourths of the children. The
Government has adopted therefore the obviously
right course. It does not discourage high attain-
ments in master or inppjl. It._ does, however, in,.
sist that the many,—fon whom it pays, shall learn '
something worth paying for. We trust we may
accept Lord LYTTELTON'S candour, as a good omen
that Mr. WALPOLE and the House of Commons
will follow the example of the House of Lords.

It is said that Englishmen are always grumbling,
and it would seem at present as if they had not
enough to find fault with. Not content with
making changed where chango is an improvement,
our authorities must needs begin alterations that
,are of very doubtful benefit. We wish Mr. COWPER
would bear in mind the retort of a Minister to
.Queen ANNE when she asked what it would cost
to enclose the three public parks. " Three crowns,"
was the quiet answer. We do not suppose that
the President of the Board of Works will have to
pay a price proportionate for his constant inter-
meddling with the most beautiful park of the me-

tropolis, but we wish he would bear in mind the

interest taken by the public in the few green spots
of our busy Babylon. The vote for the objection-
able temporary road across Kensington-gardens
was agreed to on Thursday night, in spite of a
small but determined opposition. Mr. COWPER
observed in defence of his scheme that it had the
merit of not interfering with any existing roads or
boundaries, or with the grass of the park. Now,
a gentleman occupying the position of President of

the Board of Works should be acquainted with
the principles of drainage and of horticulture, and
he might know that cutting a deep trench through
a dry soil will draw all the moisture from the sur-
face, destroy the trees in the immediate vicinity,
and seriously injure those in the neighbourhood.

Why should these beautiful gardens be thus trifled

with for such official vagaries. It is somewhat
singular that among the many suggestions of hon.
members a very simple solution of the difficulty
has not been brought prominently forward.
About a quarter of a mile beyond the Kensing-
ton turnpike there is a broad carriage road,
leading direct to the Bayswater and Notting-
hill road, admirably adapted for all pur-
poses of general traffic between the two loca-
lities. Why not solve the problem by throwing
this road open to the public during the Exhibition
season ? It is at present a private passage only,
but surely any interests concerned in maintaining
its seclusion might be suspended for the time, and
when the increased traffic had ceased it would be
closed, as before, to the general public. Why should
not the authorities avail themselves of a road
ready made to their hand, thereby avoiding the
expense, delay, and, above all, the Vandalism in-
volved in the construction of a new one Tem-
porary constructions are unsatisfactory things, and
at best seem a waste of capital and labour. There
is no necessity, we presume, why the inhabitants
of Bayswater and Notting-hill should be brought
in such a very exact line to the doors of the Exhi-
bition. We suppose London will not be traversed
with new streets, leading by the shortest possible
routes to the point of attraction, and a little diver-
gence may be borne with by persons in vehicles
going on an errand of pleasure, for the sake of
preserving their sylvan retreats unmolested. As
Lord ELCIIO justly observed, it is a pity to spoil
the few pretty things we have in London, and he
objected " to a gentleman who bad turned out so
remarkable an architect as Mr. FowKE improving
upon
.the bridge upon the Serpentine, as proposed
by Sir i I. PETO." 111 r. COWPER has at least not
entered into this project ; but it seems he cannot
leave well alone, and the public will have to thank

him for workmen, noise, dust, and traffic through
one of the cool green spots that refresh a Lon-
doner's eyes in spring-time. Just when it should
look its pleasantest and brightest, comes the for-
midable President spying out for excuses for bring-
ing in the Goths and Vandals to frighten the
Hamadryads from their leafy homes and do a great
deal more mischief than he will find it easy to
undo.

TORTURING CATS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIII,—I have read, with feelings of the deepest
indignation, the horrible details of torturing a cat,
reported in your impression of this evening. A few
days ago I heard of another case of a very similar de-
scription, where-a ruffian was convicted of having
skinned a dog alive, Now, sir, I appeal,through your
columns, to those who have influence in matters of
legislation, to set about devising some means of
punishing such :infernal barbarity with greater
severity than is meted out to it under the existing
state of the law affecting this class of offences.
While our soldiers and sailors are liable to undergo
severe corporal punishment for comparatively
trivial breaches of discipline, could not a little whip-
cord be spared for miscreants who put their fellow-
creatures to the most exquisite torture simply to
gratify their own unbridled and brutal lust of
cruelty ? May we soon see the ' day when out-
rages of this description shall invoke the strong
arm of the law, with whip in hand, "to "lash the
rascal naked through" the town or village which'
may be the scene of his inhuman freaks !
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
AN ADVOCATE OF HUMANITY.
United University Club, March 7tb, 1862.

THE NEIV CUNARD STEAMED SCOTIA,

The new steamship Scotia, built under special
survey expressly for the British and North Ameri-
can Royal Mail service, arrived in Liverpool from
the Clyde, where she was built, on Thursday after-
noon, having made the run from the Cloch Light-
house on the Clyde to the Bell Buoy at the mouth
of the Mersey in 12 hours 4 minutes. The machi-
nery worked admirably, and, in proof that the
vessel is perfectly manageable, she was easily moved
' round in the Mersey within her own length. A per-
son who was on board during the trip to Liverpool
states that she is "as stiff as a church." The trial
trip on Wednesday before the Scotia left the Clyde
for Liverpool was highly satisfactory, notwith-
standing the unpropitious state of the weather. The
distances were performed under the following con-
ditions :—Against a strong flood tide, and also
against a double-reefed topsail breeze of wind, from
the Cloch to Cumbrae Light in 59 minutes; after
passing the Little Cumbrae, the Scotia was brought
round with great ease, and performed the upward
run between. the Cumbrae and Cloch Lights, but on
this occasion with wind and tide in her favour, in
49 minutes ; mean time, 54 minutes. The rate of
speed will be understood by the following

59 minutes=l3.B9B knots, or 16.010 miles per hour.
49 minutes=l6.734 knots, or 19.277 miles per hour,

30.632

35.287

Mean speed 15.316 knots, or 17.643 miles.
It is anticipated that under ordinary circumstances
the maximum speed of the Scotia will be about 19
miles an hour. The trial referred to was made to
test the efficiency and speed of the vessel for the
mail service, which was done under the superinten-
dence of Mr. John Dinnen. inspector of machinery,
and Mr. James Luke, master shipwright of the
Admiralty, Whitehall ; the Board of Trade being
locally represented by Mr. George Barber, ship-
wright surveyor, and Mr. H. R. Robson, inspector
of machinery for the Clyde. The Scotia is to be
under the command of Captain dudkins, the com-
modore of the Cunard fleet, who will now move his
flag from the Persia, in which he has so long and
so ably distinguished himself. In so far as Captain
Judkins is concerned with this ship, and indeed in
connection with the important service rendered to
the country by the company with which he has been
connected for many years, it cannot be uninteresting
to know that yesterday that gentleman received his
commission as Lieutenant in tte, Royal Naval ,Re-
serve.. ..The appointment was• .made in. Alan:lost
complimentary Manner in which the Board of Ad-
miralty, in conjunction with the Board of Trade,
could make it; the date of Captain Judkins' services
being fixed by them as commencing in November,
1846, so that he will have a long priority as to ser-
vice consideration

HARTLEY COLLIERY.—The fatal pit at Hartley is
now as silent as the grave, all work in the shaft having been
totally discontinued. The pumps have been brought out,
and the water in the pit has risen above the yard seam,
where, it v:11 be recollected, the dead men were found after
the late terrible accident. The mouth of the shaft is raised
off, and scarcely any one but occasionally a curious visitor
is to be seen 'on the high platform. The engines are quieti
and the metal about them is being weighed, with a view to
selling it. The portion of the beam that fell into the pit
has not been seen since the accident, and it appears there is
no probability of an attempt being ,made to resume the
working of the colliery. It may be, therefore, that the pon-
derous beam will remain submerged for years, or even for
ages; before it shalt be again brought piecemeal, if at all, to
the surface of the earth, whence it descended with such fell
results. From the official returns, it appears that 202 men
and boys were killed in the mine, and five by the falling of
the cage, making a total sacrifice of 207. lives. The widows
and other relatives seem to be satisfied with the relief which
they receive from the fund, and there is, so far as we can
learn, only one instance of complaint. That is in the case

of an orphan girl, named Ross, 14 years of age, who is only
allowed 2s. 6d. per week, or one penny per meal, out of a
fund of more than £70,000 subscribed for the widows and
orphans,—Newcastle Chronicle.

CONVICTION OF A MALTESE NOBLEMAN.—The
Marquis Barbaro di San Giorgio, well known in the highest
English society in Malta, has just been tried at Valetta on
a charge of stealing various articles from the Union Club,
of which he was a member. For some months past nume-
rous thefts had been committed in the club. All the ser-
vants were dismissed and a new set of servants engaged,
but the thefts continued. It was then determined to set a
watch on airpersons frequenting the house. The result was
the detection of the Marquis in the act of pocketing a soda
wator glass. Search was made in his house, and several
missing articles from the club, belonging to officers of the
garrison, were discovered. The IV arquis was consequently
arrested and brought to trial before Judge Sir Antonio
Micallef, K.C.NI.G., and a jury, for having stolen between
the Ist of January and the 29th of December,lB6l, jewelry
amounting in value to upwards of £l6 10s., three opera-
glasses, value £5 165., and a soda water glass, value ls.
Tho defence,which was intended to have been on the ground
of "kleptbmania," was afterwards changed to a denial of
the alleged thefts. Late in the evening of the third day's
proceedings the jury delivered their verdict, unanimously
finding 'the accused guilty of five of the counts of the in -
dictment, and by a majority of six against three acquitting
him of the other two. The judge condemned the prisoner
to five years' imprisonment, with hard labour.

_
FIRES IN THE CITY:A fire broke out yesterday
forenoon, between 9 and 10 o'clock, at Bull's Wharf, on the
water side of Queenhithe. The premises were filled with
miscellaneous goods, including casks filled with oil, jute,
flax, &c. In less than seven minutes after the alarm Capt.
Shaw arrived with the engines from Watling-street Sta-
tion. The firemen succeeded in confining the fire to the
stack of jute combings, but not however until a great quan-
tity was destroyed. Fortunately the other poitions of the
wharf sustained not the least injury. The origin of the fire
is unknown, and it was impossible to learn whether the
proprietors were insured. Late last night a fire was dis-
covered in the premises known as Hay's Wharf, Tooley-
street, destroyed by fire on the 22d June last. It appears
that some of the workmen had stuck a lighted candle in a
log of timber, and as the candle burnt down it set fire to
the beam. Fortunately the discovery was opportunely
made, and the workmen, without any additional aid, suc-
ceeded in extinguishing the fire.
MR. SMITH O'BRIEN AND SIR It. PEEL.—Swith
O'Brien is accused of having challenged Sir Robert Peel
after he (Smith O'Brien) knew that Sir Robert Peel had
placed the affair with The O'Donoghue in the hands of his
"friend," Lord Palmerston. There is not the least truth
in the accusation. No man knows better than Sir Robert
Peel that Smith O'Brien wrote to him long before the in-
terview which Major Gavin had with Sir Robert's noble
friend. The moment that Smith O'Brien was made aware
of the gross, wanton, and unprovoked attack upon him,
that moment he wrote to Sir Robert in language which, to
use a popular form of expression, would have "provoked a
saint." Nothing could have been more contemptuous, or
more calculated to provoke a hostile encounter, if not to a
combat a.Poutrance. We can state, as a fact of which we
have personal knowledge, that the defiance was addressed
to Sir Robert Peel before Sir Robert was waited upon by
Major Gavin; and we can also state that it was known that
such contemptuous and exasperating challenge had reached
its destination several hours before the gallant major had
the memorable interview with the Premier. So that we
are in a position to say that the accusation which is now
sought to be fastened upon Smith O'Brien's honour has its
origin either in ignorance or maliees—Cork .U44113180',

LATEST NEWS.

SAFETY OF THE CITY OF BALTIMORE•
LIVERPOOL, MARCEL 8.
The steamship City of Baltimore has arrived at
Holyhea'd with her machinery damaged.

CONSTANTINOPLE, INIARCII 7.
The negotiations for the conclusion of the loan
are progressing satisfactorily.
The last assembly of the insurgent chiefs at Cet-
tigne having evidently proved the participation of
the Montenegrins in the disturbances in the Herze-
govina, the Porte has informed the Powers that it
is compelled to renounce its system of moderation
towards the Montenegrins.

Omar Pasha is master of all the important posi-

tions.

Cabouli Effendi and Mehemet ?sha have pro-
ceeded to, Syria.

CADIZ, MARCH 7.
Miramon has arrived here and will proceed to
Madrid.

BERLIN, MARCH 8.

The Minister of Commerce has addressed a letter
to the President of the Chamber of Deputies re-
Auestinwhitn-to adjourn the sittings for a few days,
because the Ministry being occupied with important
discussions would be unable to attend them.

The sittings of the Chamber have therefore been
adjourned until Tuesday next.

THE CALCUTTA, CHINA, AND AUSTRA-

LIAN MAILS.

The Sultan, with the above mails, left Alexan-
dria for Marseilles at noon on the fith inst.

The Pera, with the heavy portion of the mails,
sailed for Southampton on the 6th inst. at sunset.
The Nemesis brought the mails to Suez, arriving
there on the sth inst.