The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-02 00:00:00

THE FROST.

THE GOVERNMENT IN POWER.

The London correspondent of the Birmingham Gazette,
a Conservative journal, says :—" Speculation is busy as
to the probable fate of Mr. Gladstone and his Ministry 0
this session, some going so far as to say that there will be
a break-up, and that we shall see a Conservative Ad-
ministration holding the reins of Government. There can
be no doubt that a somewhat uneasy feeling exists among
Liberals themselves as to what the forthcoming session
may have in store fur them. Last session symptoms
were not wanting of a Lack of cohesion among them,
and now the feeling grows that there will be
changes. It is also even admitted by many of the party
that the progress made last session was anything but
satisfactory, in short, that considerable incapacity was
shewn by members of the Government, and that there
was a good deal of bungling. One needs only to look upon
the legislation of last session, as well as upon unsuccessful
attempts thereat, to find that there is some reason for
dissatisfaction. Mr. Ayrton failed to achieve any decided
success in his department, and it is pretty well known
that he was anything but a popular minister in the
House ; nay, the feeling rising at times strongly
against him. Mr. Cardwell, too, was not in high
esteem, and his army legislation was far from
being approved of by the members on the Liberal side
who knew anything of army affairs. And, perhaps, the
greatest failure of all was Mr. Bruce, the Home Secre-
tary. Scarcely anything attempted by him came to a
good end. In fact, of all the members of the Government,
he shewed the greatest amount of bungling—the measures
brought in by him being, in almost all cases, at least in the
majority, withdrawn. Failing to pass measures, he was
most liberal in promises, and never failed, when pressed,
to comfort the dissatisfied with the promise that
something won id be cobs nest session to redeem
past • failures. Judging from the numerous obli-
gations under which the right hon. gentle-
man laid himself, a heavy session lies before
him, and if he carries through half the measures he pro-
mised to undertake he will have done something to redeem
his character in the eyes of the Liberal party. It is no
wonder, therefore, that something like impatience should
have crept into the party who follow the leading of such
men. But perhaps the greatest element of disquiet has
been afforded by the Liberal leader himself. Famed as a
skilful strategist it is just possible that his skill
may overreach itself. It is because Mr. Glad-
stone dreads the future that lie curries favour
with the Irish at the present time. In seeking to conci-
liate the Irish he ought to take care that he offend not his
Scottish followers, as a defection of the Scotch Liberals
may cause some embarrassment to him. Putting every-
thing together, Mr. Gladstone's party is not the strong
and confiding phalanx of the beginning of last session.
and skilful generalship will be needed to cement together.
he somewhat fragmentary and suspicious body of his
followers into a strong and united body.

The weather on Saturday in London was more severe
than on any day since Christmas Day. At eight o'clock
the thermometer stood at 19 degrees. Intermittent falls
of snow occurred on Friday afternoon, a good deal inter-
fering with the skaters in the parks, of whom, as on
previous days, there were many thousands. No serious
accident occurred. In the Regent's Park some venture-
some youths got immersed, but were extricated without
difficulty.

LITERARY, SCIENCE, AND THE STAGE,

The Atheneum says :—ln our next issue we shall give
an article on the Literature of the United States during
the present year, by Mr. Moncure D. Conway. The
number will also contain an essay on Sir Walter
Scott's writings, 1871 being the centenary of his
birth.—Mr. Thomas Landseer, A.E., will shortly

publish the " Life and Letters of William
Bewick.' The book will be accompanied by portraits by

Sir Edwin Landseer, R.A.—Messrs. Hurst and Blackett
promise "Recollections of Society in France and Eng-
_

---- -
land," by the Lady Clementina Davies; "The Life and
Adventures' of Count Beugnot, Minister of State under

Napoleon 1.," edited from the French by the author
of "The Heir of Reddyffe ;" " Impressions of Greece,"
by the Right Hon. Sir Thomas Wyse, K.C.B. ; and
" Turkish Harems and Circassian Homes," by Mrs.
Harvey, of Ickwell Bury.—The Rev. J. C. Young
(Rector of Ilmington) has now ready for the press a
sketch of the Life of Charles Mayne Young, the Trage-
dian, with scraps from his journal. The book
contains a rich collection of annecdotes, with
portraits and sketches.—Mr. Blanchard Jerrold
will shortly bring out a new book called
"At Home in Paris, in Peace and in War."—
The second report of the Library Committee upon the un-
indexed and unarranged archives of the Corporation of the
city of London will be presented to the Common Council
at the beginning of the new year.—New works of fiction,
by the author of " John Halifax," Mrs. Oliphant, Miss
Amelia B. Edwards, Mr. Anthony Trollope, Mr. George
Macdonald, Mr. J. Sheridan Le Fanu, &c., will be
issued during the season byMessrs. Hurst and Blackett.—
A new German paper paper will be published, at Berlin,
on the Ist of January, entitled ' Germania,' edited by F.
von Kehler, Edmond Eirund, and Johann Strobel.—Dr.
N. Hooker, the author of a ' History of the War of 1866,'
which has reached its sixth edition, is now writing a
History of the Franco-German War of 1870,' which
will be completed at the end of the present war,
and will be published by A. Badeker, of Cologne.
A new sect is to be recorded in the East, that of Oriental
Catholics. A considerable body of the Armenians, from
political motives, left the Gregorian Communion, and put
themselves under the Pope. His legate, thinking his
dominion safe, has pressed his rule too severely, and the
consequence is, a large portion of the Catholic Armenians
have separated, and demanded from the Porte a distinct
jurisdiction, and a distribution of the communal property.
One effelt will be, still closer political and social rela-
tions with the Gregorian and Protestant Armenians.
A new monthly review of medical practice and literature
will be commenced at the beginning of the year, under the
title of •` The Doctor."—Colonel Stuart Wortley, whose
Art-photographs have been praised on all hands, has been
moved by the terrible distress in France, to open, at the
rooms of the Architectural Union Company, 9,
Conduit-street, Regent-street, an exhibition of all
his productions, copies of which are thus on
sale, in order that the profits may be devoted to relieve
the victims of the invasion of our neighbours' country.
The exhibition will continue for a limited time : Colonel
Stuart Wortley offers every facility to those who, not
being able to visit the gallery, may wish to aid his purpose
by volunteering to select examples if he is informed what
classes of photographs are desired, such as sea and sky

pictures, heads and the like.
M. Gauthier-Villars, the scientific publisher, has com-
pleted the publication Father Secchi's work on the
Sun. It comprises more than four hundred octavo pages,
and will certainly be largely circulated when Paris is open.
Father Secchi has written it in French, having secured
the assistance of some learned Jesuits. It is not, however,
merely a translation of his former Italian work on the
same subject.—Nature.
A discussion having been carried on in the French
Institute on "Winds," M. de Fonvielle sent to the secre-
taries a quotation from the works of the celebrated philo-
sopher, M. Mariotte, the author of the "Law for the
Expansion of Gases," explaining the fall of pressure
noticed during the south-western winds by the direction
of the aerial stream which blows from the lower part of
the atmosphere to the higher. He says, moreover, that
winds coming from the northern quarters descend instead
of ascend, and he accounts in this manner for the augmen
tation of pressure.—Nature.
It is said that a volume of memorials of the late Mr.
Charles Boner, author of " Chamois Hunting in the
Mountains of Bavaria, Pennsylvania, &c., edited by Miss
Rosa Mackenzie Kettle, is in preparation, and will pro-
bably be published early in the ensuing year. Amongst
other interesting matters, it will contain a series of letters
written to Mr. Boner by Miss Mitford.
Dr. Brewer, M.P., will preside to-day over a meeting
of the Victoria Discussion Society, at the Cavendish
Rooms, when a paper will be read by Mr. Hoskins, 8.A.,
on " Female Education."
The English Churchman understands that the Rev. R.
H. Baynes, vicar of St. Michael's, Coventry, and
Bishop-Designate of Madagascar, will, after all, not
occupy the bishopric.
The Musical World states that Mercadante died at
Naples at 7 a.m. on the 17th of December, after a short
illness, having been struck by apoplexy on the 25th of
November. He was born on the 4th of December, 1796,
at Altamura. He lost his sight in 1861. He was the
author of nearly a hundred pieces for the theatre, and
produced a large number of sacred pieces and much
chamber music.

SUDDEN DEATH OF A NEWSPAPER PROPRIETOR.
—Mr, William Penn Cox, the proprietor of the Leicester
Advertiser, Leicester Guardian, Loughborough Monitor and
News, and the Hinckley News, died suddenly at midnight
on Friday night, while writing at his desk. The deceased
was much respected. He was a Conservative member of
the Leicester Town Council. He was fifty years of
age.
ARBITRATION IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND IRON
TRADE. —A meeting of the Board of Arbitration of the
North of England iron Trade was held on Friday at Dar-
lington. The employers reported that they accepted the
reduction of 5 per cent. in wages proposed by the Standing
Committee of the last meeting for three months of next
year. The workmen reported that they had decided, at a
meeting held that day, that the reduction claimed by the
employers shOuld be laidbefore an arbitrator, whose award
should date to July next only. It was accordingly agreed
that Mr. Thomas Hughes, M.P., should be requested to
act as arbitrator.

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IRE S U.N, LOIN DO.N, MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 1871.