The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-11 00:00:00

say, of grossness on the lady's patt, 'Which over-
shadows its romantic phase, and forces us to regard
Miss Alice as a heroine who has not thrown herself
away, even upon a groom. When she found that a
license edtild not be obtained at Doctors' Commons
without her father's consent, she -went straight to
Wandsworth, and took the lodgings in which she
lived as his wife with " George" till the latter was
taken into custody on Tuesday, upon the charges
we have mentioned. But now turning from her
and her ill-selected mate, what possible good could
the rector of Ockham propose to himself by a pro-
ceeding which exposes to the world this lamentable
story. A little reflection might have convinced
him that it would be better to make the best of a
bad business, rather than to make bad worse. How
long Miss Alice will continue under the fascination
of George Smith it is impossible to say ; but that
she is not only a perfectly self-possessed young
woman, but is determined to go through with this
unfortunate love affair, is clear from her bearing
and evidence in the Wandsworth police-court. As
a question. of morality, there can be no doubt that
the right course for Mr.. Crosse to have adopted
was to give the sanction of marriage to an intimacy
which, for the present at least, seems certain to
continue, with or without it. And, though we
should be loth to urge in favour of this course an
argument which might seem to challenge his own
prudence in the government of his family, we can-
not but think that it was a blunder on his part to
allow his daughter to ride out as he did, if she has
spoken the truth, with his groom for her only com-
panion. It seems strange, also, that she could have
been in the habit of going into the stable alone, as she
says she did " often," if there had been that strict
watchfulness which the most indulgent and confident
of parents should never omit. It is not a thing
heard of now for the first time that young ladies
will fall in love with music-masters, riding-masters,
dancing-masters, or even grooms, when the oppor-
tunity for such ill suited attachments has been given
by parents exemplary in every other respect except
in that caution which bars every approach to danger
even where it seems most improbable.
THE "COURT CIRCULAR" ON OUR LATE NAVAL
VlSlTORS.—Portsmouth, though rather hard put to
it, on the whole performed its duty well, as regards
our gallant naval visitors. For once at least, a
corporate body, in the provinces, was content to
merge its municipal dignity in the greatness of the
occasion, and play a subordinate, though by no
means insignificant part in the festivities and re-
joicings to which they themselves largely contri-
buted. The Mayor and his colleagues, to their
honour be it recorded, magnanimously resisted all
temptation to get up deputations and addresses, and
wisely expended all their energies in a grand ban-
quet and ball, which, as the fitting reward of muni-
cipal virtue, proved a great success, and delighted
everybody. In the merely ornamental part of their
hospitality the authorities were more fortunate than
was anticipated, and, even compared with the lumi-
nous splendours and artistic demonstrations at
Cherbourg and Brest, we have, at least, the satis-
faction of escaping national discredit. In the matter
of oratory we fear there is not so much reason for
congratulation. At the dinner given by the Admi-
ralty to the French officers the speech of the Duke
of Somerset was by no means up to the mark, being
far too stiff and official for an interchange of na-
tional friendship. It was terribly commonplace as
an expression of good feeling, and strange to say,
as emanating from so able a man, destitute of a
leading idea beyond a general declaration of wel-
come and kindness. Far better and more dignified
in tone was. the speech of the French Minister of
Marine, commencing with the words, " Happy days
are these, in which the officers of the navies of
Great Britain and France have it in their power to
become acquainted with and to appreciate each
other." The enviable gift of giving a graceful
colouring to a complimentary dinner toast, by
associating it with lofty thoughts and suggestive
allusions, was clearly on the side of the French
Minister; and in the brief speeches which accom-
panied the toasts in honour of the navies of
France and England, the merits of terseness and
point, to our thinking, were on the side of our
Gallic visitors. Nothing, however, could exceed
the cordiality exhibited on both sides ; and
that, after all, was the main point in such a demon-
stration as that which took place at Portsmouth.
We have already awarded praise to the Mayor and
his colleagues in the corporation for their modesty
and reticence, and as regards the municipal banquet,
in which the_ chief magistrate was all in his glory,
we are bound to say that his speech was a clever
oratorical effort, all things considered. In spirit it
was altogether unexceptionable, and that being the
case, we may well excuse the swelling epithets with
which it abounded. The Mayor, on behalf of the
town, laboured hard to do justice o his distinguished
guests on so great an occasion, and if his command
of lanzuage sometimes failed him—if he had occa-
sionally to substitute big words for large ideas—the
fault was pardonable enough. The French officers
who 6liarea lILV ILVOpliocilluj yr tlit, ‘7vain_la
the 'Admiralty, have, WO are assured, carried away
with them many happy recollections of the kindness
they have experienced ; and without placing any
undue reliance on evanescent feelings arising from
the temporary excitement incidental to a lavish
display of hospitality, we cannot but believe that
such a demonstration must be productive of good,
as affording an additional assurance, and being, so
to speak, an open proclamation of the excellent
understanding which prevails between the govern-
ments and people of the two countries. As a fitting
termination of the recent festivities, it is deserving
of mention that the inhabitants are so well pleased
with their Mayor and the graceful and efficient
manner in which he represented and carried out their
hospitable wishes in reference to their late visitors,
that they have decided on presenting him with a
testimonial in recognition thereof. This is right and
proper enough, if only as a stimulus and incitement
to future mayors to do likewise when the occasion
demands. A committee has been formed, and a
public meeting is to be called, to sanction and ratify
this grateful resolve, which at least shows that
Portsmouth, in its own opinion, has proved itself
equal to the occasion—a very fair subject for con-
gratulation, when we bear in mind that failure would
have entailed national as well as local discredit.