The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-21 00:00:00

IN TERNATIONAL ARBITRATION
LETTER FROII MR. COBDEN.

Since the debate on this question, Richard Cobden
has addressed the following le:ter to Joseph Sturges—
" London, June 15, 1849.
" My Dear Sturge—The friends of peace ought to be
very well satisfied with the result of Tuesday's debate.
A close scrutiny of the division lists shows a very great
preponderance of public opinion on the vote of the
minority of SI (tellers included), which comprises the
representatives of nearly all the largest constituencies.
For instance, not one of the county Members for Middle-
sex, West Riding of Yorkshire, and North and South
Lancashire, voted in the majority; they were all with us
or absent. Those constituencies are' generally ad-
mitted to be fair tests of public opinion. Not one
of the metropolitan Members voted against us,
excepting Lord John Russell. I never knew a ques-
tion which made such rapid progress in the Rouse.
You will recolect my telling you in February and
March of the jeers and laughter with which the first
petitions for arbitration treaties were received. All that
was change.. into serious and respectful attention to the
subject, by the efforts of your peace party out of doors,
anti the fl iod of petitions which was poured in from all
parts of the country. If you feel sufficient encourage-
mr-nt to persc-vere, I have no doubt that success will
crown veur efforts at no distant period, and that the
Government will be authorised by a vote o the House
to hold cut the alive branch to other nations, inviting
theta to a mutual pledge that under no circumstances
will they go to war. hen such a pledge shall have
been entered into by this country with all the Govern-
ments you will have taken the best possible means for
securing universal and permanent peace. Ido not pre-
tend to say that even then no wars would ever occur,
hut at least v e shall have done our best to prevent
them.

" I am afraid that some of our friends will think I took
low ground in the arguments I used in introducing the
question to the House. I did so purposely. No other
appeal than that to reason, facts, and practical expe-
rier.ce would have secured me a debate. The dispo-
sition of the House was from the first to pooh, pooh'
the mater as Utopian and impracticable. I felt that
my first duty was to make it a practical question.
That beirg now secured, we may in future elevate our
tone to the height of our great topic, by appealing to the
nobler sentiments of humanity and justice. It will be
with this question, as it was with that of the corn-laws,
the longer it is discussed, the greater it will become.
"I fear, also, that some of the peace party, who ad-
vocate a congress of nations, to arrange a supreme
court of appeal for settlement of international disputes,
will be disappointed at my disagreeing with them.
" Whatever may be the future state of the world, I am
quite convinced that at present it would be to the last
oegree inexpedient to bring the representatives of the
different nations together for the purpose of inducing
them to agree to anything. They would be far more
likely to sow the seeds of war than to plant the olive-
tree throughout Europe. I know that many Members
came down to the House to oppose me, upon the as-
sumption that I was going to advocate a congress of na-
tions, who went away without voting, when they found
that my phut merely meant a voluntary pledge of arbi-
tration. Upon the whole, however, I trust our friends
will be satisfied with the position the question has so
rapidly gained in the House, and which I attribute en-
tirely to their persevering efforts out of doors.
"Believe me, faithfully Sours,
" To Joseph Sturfze, E-q."

" RICHARD COBDEN.

DEATH OF MR. WILLIAM CLIFT, F.R.S.—This
gentleman expired at his residence, Stanhope•cottage,
Hampstead road, on the 20th inst., aged 77. Mr. Clift
was deservelly well known to the public as the Conser-
vator of the Hunterian Museum of the Royal College of
Surgeons, a situation he had held for nearly half a cen-
tury, having been appointed to that office on the pur•
chase of the collection by Government of the execu•
tors of John Hunter, whose apprentice and assistant he
was for many years, and also a fellow-labourer in the
formation of teat magnificent monument of the genius
of his immortal master. Mr. Clift was a Fellow of the
Royal Society, and greatly esteemed by the present and
former distinguished savans of that body, particularly
the late Sir Joseph Backs, Dr. Wollaston, and, indeed,
so highly did Sir Humphry Davy (thf2n President of the
Royal Society) thick of the lamented deceased, that he
used his influence to admit Mr. Clift a Fellow before the
increase of the now expensive admission fees; this gen-
tleman being the last admitted on the old scale. The
lamented deceased, whose wile preceded him but a few
weeks since, has left an only daugter, married to Pro-
fessor Owen, and a large body of friends to deplore their
great loss.
SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.—The Ocean Queen
Steam Navigation Company's ship Washington, Capt.
G. W. Floyd, sailed this afternoon for New York with
the United States contract mails from Great Britain,
France, and Germany. The Washington took out a
large and valuable cargo, principally consisting of
foreign goods, the total value of which is estimated at
250,0001. sterling. She has also ninety second class,
and sixty first class passengers. Among the latter is
Mr. Joseph IL Croskey, the American Consul for this
district, who is bearer of dispatches. Advises have
been received hero from New York announcing the ar-
rival at that port of the steam-ship Herrmann on the
evening of the sth or morning of the 6th. This in-
telligence reached Boston by telegraph just prior to the
sailing of tho Caledonia for Liverpool. Tie Peninsular
and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's ship Ripon,
Captain R. Mort shy, 1.N., left the river at the ap-
pointed hour this afternoon for Alexandria, via Gibraltar
and Malta, with the outward East India, China; and
Mediterranean mails, in charge of Lieutenant Brady,
R.N. She had a full cargo of bale and case goods,
14,0001. specie for Alexandria, and about twenty five
passengers. The Royal Mail steamer, with mails from
the West Indies end Gulf of Mexico, is hourly expected.
LONDON CUTANEOUS INFIRMARY.= The Annual
Dinner of this Institution took place at the London
Tavern on Thursday, June 14. The Bight Hon. Lord
Robert Grosvenor, M.P. &c., presided ; and amongst
the company assembled we observed Samuel Gurney,
jun. Esq , Thomson Mulkey, Esq., R. A. Gray, Esq.,
J. 11. Goodhart, Esq., Donald Nicoll, Esq., Jonathan
Chapman, Esq., 1). Drakeford, Esq., George Startin,
Esq., James Startin, Esq., Standish G. Grady, Esq.,
&c., &c. Considerable interest was excited by the pre-
sence of Mohamed Bey, and other distinguished mem-
bers of the Turkish Ambassador's suite. The usual
loyal toasts having been severally proposed and duly
honoured, the Noble Chairman propostd " The Pros-
perity of the London Cutaneous Infirmary," and dwelt
strongly upon the claims the society possessed on
public sympathy and support. He referred to
the hospital of Saint Louis in Paris, and
expressed his surprise that, in a city so celebrated as
London for its wealth and its benevolent institutions, 50
little attention should, until recently, have been paid to
that important class of maladies, diseases of the skin.
Paris, with only half the population of London, found it
necessary to have its hospital of St. Louis, which an-
nually relieved 30,000 persons, while the metropolis of
England, with its 2,000,000 of inhabitants, had as yet
but this infirmary, although he hoped that the commit-
tee would succeed in their design of making it the nucleus
of an hospital commensurate with the wants of this
great city. Various other toasts were proposed, and
received with much enthusiasm, amongst them " The
Noble Chairman," " The President, Samuel Gurney,
E: q.," " The Treasurer, J. Gurney Barclay, Esq.," " The
Committee of Management," " The Distinguished Fo-
reigners present," &e., &c. From the report which was
read it appeared that the society was making steady
progress in public opinion, although its means are not as
yet at all adequate to the demands on its bounty. Since
its establishment in 1841, it has relieved upwards of
22,000 persons, the average of which number is daily on
the increase, and even a larger number than the above
have availed themselves of the excellent suite of baths
attached to the infirmary. In the course of the evening
donations and subscriptions obtained by the stewards
were announced to the amount of about 8401.
NARROW ESCAPE.—MR. PLUMFTRE, M.P.—Mr.
and Mrs. Plumptre have been paying a short visit to 0,
Moseley, Esq., of Chancellor House. On Sunday even•
ing week Mr. and Mrs. Moseley, and Mr. and Mrs.
Plumptre, attended Divine service at Southborough
Church, and on their return home they saw the Mount
Ephraim omnibus turning into the hotel yard. The
driver of the fly in which they were seated, erroneously
supposing that the buss driver saw them, kept going on,
and the consequence was, that the hind wheel of the fly
in which they were seated caught the omnibus and
threw the fly driver off. Mr. Moseley's servant, who
was on the box with the driver, immediately jumped off
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very spirited one, turned round short, and took a leap
,tang the railings, and down a steep precipice 33 feet
bel..vb. the level of the road, dragging the fly after him.
'Fite fall 1.r01,e the body of the earriag'i and the fore
elo-i-ls, obeli ,i I the horse at liberty. 'The carriage
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ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL.—On Tuesday the cus-
C;ross, Deptford, in the presence of a numerous assem-
blage interested in its welfare. Admiral
ptoumpialsryofbtahlifs-)i
cnasrtiYtuti,l)insttrothoukti°pnlacoef
who was supported by several members of
tßbhi:ewgcelocuson'fclill,Pp.r'esided, and opened the proceedings of the
day by an address to the pupils, in which he inculcated
the great importance of attention to scholastic duties and
discipline, of good conduct, and gentlemanly demeanour.
The reports of the examiners appointed by the council
in classics, mathematics, French, navigation, and draw.
ing, were then read, and all bore testimony to the satis-
factory progress and diligence of the various classes.
The business of the day was brought to a close by the
distribution of the following prizes and testi-
monials : First class Harrington, gold medal,
for classics, mathematics, and French; Evans,
Robertson, silver medals; Festing, vellum me-
dallion certificate; Holt, a prize of books. The
following are the names of boys belonging to the other
classes who received prizes of books:—Holt Saunders,
Burton, Woodrough, D. Robinson, Towson, Maclean,
Heatheote, Archer, Baker, Woodcock, Lowry, Morris,
Locke, Hall, Festing, Robertson, Forman, Cooley, Stod-
alr'roitnhgiltlo.n,la'nhde mthaerinnaevaclacdaedtsehtsiphipws'atso
assigned
lieaarc
Saunders and Pitman. The undermentioned young
dtoarAtlra.nHd
gentlemen received cards conveying honourable mention
of their proficiency:—Cumberland, Pitman, Whish,
Festing, Hudson, Gardiner, Thomas, Cooley, Stewart,
Watkins, Taylor, Acheson, Barker, Blewitt, Nixon,
Rainier, Gore, Watts, Acheson, Forrest, 'Germain,
Spooner, Boxer, Cornwall, Petherall, Sutton Kitchener,
Royse, Critchell, Kerr, Harmer, Ansel], Shillingford,
Simeon, Morris, Boys, Stirling, Trefusis, Pemberton,
Hall, Currie, Gannon, and Westbirke. At the termi-
nation of the proceedings the pupils gave hearty cheers
for the council, the chairman (Sir C. Ogle), and the
masters.