The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-12 00:00:00

NEWS FROM AMERICA.

A correspondent writing from New York on December
29th says the suggestion of President Grant in relation to
the claims for indemnity against Great Britain on account
of the Alabama, it is now said, will probably be carried
out. Upon the reassembling of Congress a bill will be
introduced into the House of Representatives providing
for the payment of individual losses by the United States
Government after they shall have been passed by
a commission appointed to examine them, thus
transferring the who'e claim to the country at large.
No little excitement has been created in this city by the
conduct of the proprietor of a great dry goods and
haberdashery shop in the Sixth Avenue, in causing to be
arrested, on the awkward, charge of shoplifting, several
most estimable ladies. This shop, which to New York is
what the Bon -Marche in the Rue de Bac is ordinarily to
Paris, and, in Christmas times, what the Soho Bazaar
is to London, furnishes a very large clientele with their
stuffs, hosiery, gloves, shawls, &c. Hundreds and
thousands daily resort thither to make purchases ;
the number of young girls who wait at the counters is
very large, and detective policemen are employed by the
proprietors to guard against the depredations of thieves.
These detectives have latterly been only too zealous and
vigilant. They have given in charge and caused to
be examined before a magistrate upon the accusa-
tion of theft, three or four ladies of the highest
respectability. The articles stolen were of very
trifling value, not exceeding in any instance half-a-
crown, and when the innocence of the parties was
overwhelmingly established the cruel wrong of subjecting
them to the ignominy of a magistrate's examination
for so small a loss impressed itself very strongly
on the public mind. The proprietor of the
shop has addressed an exculpatory card to the
morning papers, which, it is admitted, only makes
his case the more unpardonable, and it is quite certain
that hereafter ladies, unattended by their husbands or
brothers, will take care never to enter his establishment.
An interesting social event occurred on the evening of the
27th, at Delmonico's Restaurant, in Fourteenth-street.
The numerous friends in New York of Captain IJ. G.
Lott, of the Cunard line of steamers, assembled to offer
him a testimonial of their regard and their congratula-
tions, on the eve of his departure for his four hundredth
passage of the Atlantic. Captain Lott sailed the follow-
ing day in the steamer Russia. As the senior captain
in the Cunard fleet, he will become its commodore
upon the retirement of Captain Judkins on the Ist of
January, 1871. The occasion was thought of sufficient
dignity and importance to be commemorated by Captain
Lott'e friends in the presentation to him of a purse of
3,500 dollars. A large company was present, and, after a
formal reception, there was a ball, supplemented by an
elegant supper, the whole entertainment being of a
character to afford assurance that Delmoncio received
for it a larger purse than was given to the gallant
captain.

THE " SYMPATHY WITH FRANCE" MEETINGS.—
Organising agitation is an expensive form of amusement.
Mr. Merriman's committee were favoured with a striking
illustration of the fact, by being informed that the ex-
penses connected with the late meeting on the war
amounted to £194, towards which only £72 had been sub-
scribed on Monday last.—Scotsman.

THR BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND INSTITUTE.-
Professor Huxley has been requested to accept the office
of President of the Birmingham and Midland Institute for
this year. The Institute has of late greatly increased in
popularity and usefulness. Classes for the teaching of
chemistry and literary subjects have an attendance of
over a thousand students. The Council are about to erect
a new and much larger lecture theatre.

THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD.—It is understood
that the committee appointed by the London School
Board to recommend the names of six candidates for the
office of chief clerk or secretary, have agreed upon their
report, and 'that the names of Mr. Edwin Pears, Mr.
W. H. Selway, and Mr. H. B. Lutchfield are included in
the list. It is supposed that Mr. Croad is also one of the
six. There were very nearly a hundred candidates. The
Board will proceed to the election at its next meeting.
THE BRADFORD REPRESENTATIVES.—TiIe Right
Hon. W. E. Forster is announced to address his consti-
tuents in St. George's Hall, Bradford, next Monday.
Hitherto it has been the practice for Mr. Miall to accom-
pany his colleague and give an account of his stewardship
at the same time. This time, however, Mr. Forster will
appear before the electors alone. Some surprise (the
Bradford Times tells us) is expressed at the absence of Mr.
Miall, and no little speculation is abroad as to the cause
of the separation on this occasion. It is generally believed
that a coldness has sprung up between the two members
in consequence of the opposite courses pursued by them
over the Education Bill.
THE POLITICAL PRISONERS.—Mrs. Margaret
Dillon has received the following telegram from Bryan
Dillon, from Woking Prison :—" The conditional pardon
banishing me from the United Kingdom for four years
was read for me to-day. Sooner than remain in prison
alone, I signed a paper accepting the conditions. I leave
this for Milbank Prison to-morrow, where I will be fitted
out with a suit of clothes at the expense of the Govern-
ment, which also pays my passage, second-class cabin, by
the Cunard line, and will give me five pounds for expenses
on the voyage. I write more fully to-morrow. lam
still confined to bed."—Cork Examiner.

LOSS OF THE BARQUE SPINDRIFT.—ThfOrMatiOII
reached Liverpool on Tuesday, from St. Michaels, of the
loss, on the 6th December, of the new Liverpool iron
barque Spindrift, on her first voyage to Mexico with a
general cargo. She went ashore on the Island of St.
George, Azores, and became a wreck, a small quantity
only of the cargo being saved. The master (Sykes), the
chief officer, and five men were lost ; only two men were
saved. The Spindrift was built last year by Messrs.
Bowdler, Chaffer, and Co., of Seacombe, for Messrs.
Holden and Co., of Whitstable. She had the highest
class at Lloyd's. Her owners were the salvors of a ship of
the same name (the celebrated China clipper) lost some
time ago off Deal'

ACCIDENT TO THE AMERICAN MAIL STEAMER
CITY OF BROOKLYN.—On Tuesday intelligence was re-
ceived in Liverpool to the effect that the Inman Com•
pany's royal mail steamer, City of Brooklyn, Commander
Brooks, which left New York on the 31st ult., had en-
countered very severe weather after leaving port, and
that on the 2nd inst. she dropped her screw. The
vessel was then about 500 miles to the eastward of
Sandy Hook, and when spoken on the 4th inst.
she was proceeding under a full pressure of
canvas for Liverpool, all being well on board. The
wind up to the 4th had been very light and baffling,
but there is no doubt that with the late westerly
and north-westerly winds the city of Brooklyn would
trip along very fast, as, next to the City of Brussels and
the City of Paris, she is one of the swiftest steaming and
sailing vessels afloat. The City of Brooklyn was due at
Liverpool yesterday, but in consequence of the vessel
losing her screw it will be some days yet before she will
be heard of on the Irish coast, as when she was spoken on
the 4th she was only about eight hundred miles from
New York. No fears, however, may be entertained as to
thsafehtayvoinf
having experienced
as
tolerably
slyrefinache eainwgtthher ineMersey
report the
Atlantic.

- -- -
At the Newtonbutler Quarter Sessions, Mr. W.
O'Connor Morris, acting for the chairman of the county,
Mr. P. J. Blake, Q.C., in addressing the grand jury, re-
ferred to the Irish Land Act as follows :—lt was sufficient
to say that the Act of Parliament was of the greatest im-
portance—first, in contributing to increase the stability of
the tenant, and give fair and reasonable compensation and
other objects to enable the tenants to agree with their land-
lords and live undisturbed in their holdings, fee and
• simple, inasmuch as the civil bill justice had not now to
deal with, he would not make any comment on it. The
object of the bill was to increase the state of holdings,
and give fair compensation ; the way the law
interfered, and brought it forward so as
to legalise that custom which has been
long in existence in Ulster the custom of landlord
and tenant greater privileges and full rights of
landed holdings and existing rights of property.
The Act had been divided into four classes—first,' as
tenant-right to househo!d, and make it impossible for
landlords or tenants to violate their contracts. His Wor-
ship here proceeded through the various clauses of the
Act, and impressed on the farmers that while
it protected the rights of the tenant, it rigidly
protected the rights of property, and before com-
pensation was granted to a tenant, it must be
proved that the tenant did his duty according to arrange-
ment of their holdings. The farmers should not for any
moment suppose that they are to abuse their holdings, but
do their duty to theirlandlords. It would be necessary that
the civil court should hear these cases ; and he hoped that at
next term there would be a better and more experienced
gentleman here to deal with the matter ; yet he
thought it right, as it had been the first occasion after the
passing of the Act, to impress on the farming classes, that
while the law gave them large security and large and full
compensation in cases of fulfilling their duties, that
if they did not, they would not get any compensation
whatever.

TIIE FOR lIICOMING PAIR-OARED MATCH
FOR £4OO.

During the past week, until Friday, Harry Kelley and
James Renforth, and James Taylor and Thomas Winship,
the oarsmen engaged in the great pair-oared match on the
Tyne, from the High-level Bridge to Scotswood Suspen-
sion Bridge, for £4OO on Monday next, have continued in
active work on the river between the Felling and Jarrow,
and both crews are now pronoun-0d as fit for the contest
as their most ardent friends could desire. The sudden
thaw on Thursday broke up the great sheet of ice which
spread over the surface of the Tyne from the Rodheugh
Bridge upwards, and the lower reaches of the river on
the following day became studded with most dangerous
obstacles to navigation. Notwithstanding these, how-
ever, Renforth and Kelley launched their ship, and
after having a good four-mile pull, a piece of
ice cut a hole in the stern of the new boat built for
them by Jewett, of Dunston, and they were compelled to
make for the shore. They arrived there all safe, and in
the afternoon chewed on the championship course in
their old boat, doing a rattling spin from Paradise
Quay to Waterson's Gates and back, the ice, which
had nearly cleared away with the receding tide, offering
them little interruption. On Saturday, however, the river
from the High Level upwards was filled with the ice which
had been brought up with the flood, but on Sunday there
was a clear narrow stream between the blocks, and upon
this the champion and ex-champion did some good sprint-
ing work to the entire satisfaction of all who beheld it.
Taylor and Winship's colours have been printed. They
are of white silk, with blue border, the centre being made
up of the figure-head of Old Father Tyne, two crossed
oars encircled by the words " Monday, January 16,1871.°
with the portraits of the two oarsmen on each side. Below
these pictures is a neat scroll, with the words " The Tyne
Pair," each of the corners of the colour being filled up
with two crossed anchors.

Mr. Charles Bush and George Drewitt arrived in New-
castle from London on Monday evening, and with Ren-
forth and Kelley shewed at Mr. Baird's, the Star Hotel.
The river is now almost clear of ice, and there is every
prospect of the match coming off over the course named
in the articles. —Sportsman.

COMIC PA PERS.

( From Punch.)

AFLOAT AND ASHORE.—Neptune to Britannia : " I've
male all safe outside, Ma'am ! Mars (Mr. Cardwell)
there must make all safe inside ! "

FIGURES CUT IN ICE.—In the grceful displays whiCh
youth of both sexes have lately been occupied with
making on the frozen ponds, it has been generally re-
marked that the " Grecian Bend" has not been so re-
markable as the " Roman Fall."

DESPERATE CASE !—M.A. (endeavouring to instil Euclid
into the mind of private pupil going into the army) :
" Now, if the threesides of this triangle are all equal, what
will happen ?" Pupil (confidently) : " Well, Sir, I should
say the fourth would be equal, too ! ! "
PIETY BEFORE PARIS.—It is a wonder that the pious
King of Prussia has not long ago allowed Paris to be re-
victualled. So Christian a sovereign, one imagines, would
naturally think that giving his enemies food and drink
would be a method of heaping coals of fire on their heads
more effectual than that of a bombardment.