The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-27 00:00:00

Earl Russell's Circular Despatch.

Subjoined is a correct copy of the despatch
written by Earl Russell respecting the Gastein Con-
vention :

" Foreign-office, Sept. 14, 1865.

" The Charge d'Affaires of Prussia has commu-
nicated to me the substance of a despatch relating
to the Convention of Gastein, and the newspapers
of Berlin have since published the text of that Con-
vention.

" Upon the first communication to her Majesty's
Government of the preliminaries of peace signed at
Vienna, I stated at Vienna and Berlin the views of
her Majesty's Governmentupon these preliminaries.
The present Convention has only served to increase
the regret her Majesty's Government then ex-
pressed.

" The Treaties of 1815 gave:the King of Denmark
a seat in the German Diet as Duke of Holstein.

" The Treaty of 1852 recognised the right of suc-
cession to the whole Danish monarchy, which the
late King had established in the person of the pre-
sent King.

" That treaty has, in spite of the assurances given
in the despatches of January 31, 1864, been com-
pletely set aside by Austria and Prussia, two of the
Powers who had signed it. _

" It might have been expected that when treaties
were thus annulled the popular feeling of Ger-
many, the wishes of the peoples of the Duchies
themselves, and the opinions of the majority of the
Diet so explicitly put forth by Austria and Prussia
in the sittings of the Conference of London, would
have been recognised in their place. In this manner,
if one order of rights had been overthrown, another
title derived from the assent of the people would
have been set up, and that title might have been
received with respect, and maintained with a pros-
pect of permanence.
" But all rights, old and new, whether founded
on the solemn compact of Sovereigns, or on the
clear expression of the popular will, have been set
at nought by the Convention of Gastein, and the
dominion of force is the sole power acknowledged
and regarded.
" Violence and conquest are the basis upon which
alone the partitioning Powers found their agree-
ment.

" Her Majesty's Government deeply lament the
disregard thus shown to the principles of public
right, and the legitimate claims of a people to be
heard as to the disposal of their own destiny.
" This instruction does not authorise you to ad-
dress observations on this subject to the Court to
which you are accredited, but is intended only to
point out, when the opportunity shall present itself,
what is the language you are expected to hold.—
I am, &c., (Signed) " RUSSELL."

THE YORKSHIRE FAIRS AND THE CATTLE DISEASE.
—The utmost precaution is being taken in the York-
shire towns—in which a round of autumnal fairs are now
being held—to prevent the introduction of the cattle diease
into the districts of North and East Yorkshire. In all the
divisions veterinary inspectors have been appointed,
and stringent rules laid down, preventing the admixture of
home and foreign cattle, andthe admission of any suspected
beast to the market, under pain of severe penalties. Tho
danger of contracting the infection is exercising very pre-
judicial effects on the fairs. There is a scarcityof keep, and
turnips are beginning to show so bad that apprehensions
for winter prospects are getting serious. Thus buyers are
not very anxious, and there is little demand for any but
English stock, which holders fear to bring into the fair
owing to the necessity that has been imposed for giving a
warranty. Thusthe chief part of the stock offered is foreign,
the demand being about nil. At the Kirby fair last
week there was scarcely a head of horned cattle offering,
and at Market Weighton the sale and show were both poor.
At all fairs there has been a tolerably good show of sheep,
and prices are stiffening a good dual. Sheep in a great
measure take the place of beasts this year. All fat stock is
scarce and dear. The horse fairs have been very poor
hitherto.

THE WESTMINSTER FRESCOES.—Grisaille glass is
being substituted for the present stained glass in the
windows above the wall-paintings, by Messrs. Cope and
Ward, in the corridors of the Westminster Palace. A
similar alteration—or, what would be still better, the ad-
mission of light from the ceiling or from higher apertures
(as, we are informed, intended to be recommended by the
late Prince Consort)—is greatly needed in the Royal Gal-
lery of the same palace, in order that Mr. Maclise's great
paintings may be fairl seen. A plan suggested by Mr.
Herbert for the more equal lighting of his fine picture in
the Peers' robing-room will, we are informed, probably be
adopted. Advantage is being taken of the recess to photo-
graph this picture ; it is also being engraved. The future
pictures for the room will be executed by Mr. Herbert at
his own private studio. The subject entitled the " Judg-
ment of Daniel," is more advanced than the rest, and it
is the one to be finished first. The frescoes in the deeply—
recessed compartments of the House of Lords will now
be the worst-lighted paintings in the Westminster Pa-
lace. We quite agree with the opinion expressed by
Dr. Waagen, that it would be much preferable to fill
the windows in the Lords also with simple but tasteful
Gothic designs in a light tone. Not only can
the pictures be scarcely seen, but, says Waagen very justly,
the "forms of the merely decorative art of glass-painting
look but rude and gaudy when seen in juxtaposition
with the incomparably higher artistic character of fresco-
painting. The "inconvenience" which the Fine-Art Com-
missioners complained that the late Mr. Dyce caused her
Majesty by the long delay in the execution of the frescoes
in the Queen's robing-room, threatens to be perpetuated by
Mr. Grace and the decorative painters under his direction
—to say nothing of the continued exclusion of the public
from a chamber containing, in the opinion of competent
judges, some of the purest and best examples of monumental
art executed in modern times. It is now about a year and a
half since Mr. Dyce died, and yet the decoration of the cham-
ber is very far from complete. A decorative artist who, we
understand, executed some of the figures in the crypt, has
painted one of the series of small half-length portraits of
the English kings and queens intended for the frieze of
this room—namely, a portrait of the Queen ; but its effect
has been found out of harmony with the frescoes beneath ;
and we trust, therefore, it will be cancelled. It would be
far better to introduce heraldic or other mere ornament
than anything in the way of fine art that would be ob-
viously unworthy of comparison with the very choice
works left by Dyce.—lllustrated London News.
GLADIATEUR AT THE PARIS AUTUMN MEETING.—
Sunday's card excited but little interest so far as the
racing was concerned, although the knowledge that Gladi-
ateur would start for the Prix du Prince Imperial attracted
a much larger number of spectators than would otherwise
have been present. The empty benches in the Grand Stand,
however, showed that the continued fine weather still re-
tains the fashionable world at Trouville and Baden. The
first race was the Prix de Glatigny, which brought out a
field of five, all winners, and produced some spirited betting.
Quaker, on the strength of the beating he had given Tour-
malet on the previous Sunday, being installed favourite.
Lalla Rookh, the second in the French Oaks, had, however,
many supporters at a point longer odds, and as both with re-
spect to weight wore on equal terms, the race appeared, as it
eventually proved, a match between the two. Quaker re-
peated his victory atter making the running throughout.
The selling race which followed was the best contested
event of the day. At the distance five of the six starters—
Doge had got badly off—were running abreast across the
Course, Anglo-Saxon and Fontanges then drew slightly in
advance, and ran neck and neck to within a couple of
lengths of the winning post, when Arthur Watkins, who
rode the former, made a magnificent effort, and landed him
a winner by a short head. The others finished in such
close order that no third was placed. The Prix de Madrid,
as from the conditions of the race is usually the case, brought
out the most singular lot of horses to be seen at Paris or
Chantilly throughout the year. Even the old mare Alerte,
is
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who only a few months back had a foal beside her, was
occasion. The winner turned up in Fitz Australian, a
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efid ot
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small meetings in the south of France. The appearance of
Gladiateur reduced the field for the great
race of theday to
very small proportions, as only
Against him of the 15 entered, althouVgehrt
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tries were reserved for the second horse. It is hardly ne-
cessary to add that Gladiateur Was the winner, but Vertu-
' certainly made him gallop, and the last half mile, as
Grimshaw himself declared, was run at arattling pace. Tho
last prize of the day also fell to Count de Lagrange with
n
Le Mandarin, on whom long odds were laid, otwi
thstand-
of weight to each of the other
ing that he gave a lump
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