The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-10 00:00:00

THE CONTAGIOUS DISHASNS ACT.

Mr. Stansfeld has replied to the resolutions passed
at a meeting held at the Mechanic.; Hall, Lomb'',
in January, in which it was contended that
the moral aspect of the question of the
repeal of the Contagious Act was not
sufficiently impressed upon the Commissioners
who are now discussing the expediency or inexpe-
diency of continuing the Acts. Mr. Stansfeld declares
that he and the premier both agree that there can
be no misrepresentation on the point, inasmuch as the
Commissioners, in a circular addrmscd to them, were
especially intormed that it was by the ascertained
moral tendency of the measures that they ought ulti-
mately to be j udged. It was urged •upon the Com-
missioners that if the acts were shown to be immoral
in their principles and tendency, no supposed physical
advantages consequent upon their operation could
justify their continuance.
WO➢IEN AT THE TELEGRAPH OFFICES.

The claimants for the supremacy of women have
found a warm friend in Mr. Scudamore of the Post-
office. At the central telegraph-office in Tele-
graph-street, London, there are employed
at the present moment 485 young women,
and only 250 males ; and we are told that the
former have in many cases already proved themselves
worthy of a payment of £2 a week. This is saying
a great deal for the ladies, whose honourable inde
pendence must be a source of continual thankful-
ness, not only to their friends, but to
'all who bewail the want of justice in
not making it a general practice that women of the
middle classes should be enabled to earn livings as

.11Eli MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, FEBRUARY 9.

The Queen, accompanied by Princess Beatrice, and
attended by Lady Churchill, drove out yesterday after-

noon.
Prince and Princess Christian dined with the Queen in
the evening.

FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR IN
GERMANY.

A morning performance for the benefit of the French
prisoners in Germany, WAS given at Drury Lane Theatre,
on Thuriday, in the presence of a very large and distin-
guished company. Mr. Chatterton generously offered the
use of his theatre gratuitously for this charitable purpose
The programme was an unusually attractive one ; and
consisted of Colonel Addison's fairy story of the "Abbe
Vaudreuil," in which Madame Celeste sustained the
role of the Abbe, and Mdlle Gosselin danced "La
Tarentella." This was followed by a spirited comedietta,
in which Mdlles. Hortanse and Elise Damain, late of the
Paris TheAtre du Palais Royal, and M. George, of the
])ejazet French Company, performed the principal parts.
Mr. J. L. Toole gave with inimitable humour his well-
known burlesque lectures and imitations of popular actors,
and Mdlles. Noerni and Clemence Noldtenfel executed
Rossini's grand duo from " Guillaume Tell"
on the harp. and pianoforte. A comedy, written
for the occasion, and entitled " Joy is Dangerous,"
met with an enthusiastic reception. The scene is laid
at a chateau near Bordeaux, and the drama refers to the
present war. The various characters were admirably sus-
tained by Mrs. Leigh Murray, Misses Brough and Buf ton,
and Messrs. Warner, Mervin, and Belmore, who played
their parts with thrilling effect. The whole con-
cluded with the " Marseillaise," sung by Madame
Guynier, and accompanied by the orchestra of the Al-
hambra. The performance was under the sole direction of
Mr. Edward Stirling, and was successfully carried' ut in
every respect.

Mr. Simeon Barnes, cloth menulacturer, of Stan-
ningly. was bitten in the thumb about six weeks ago by a
small terrier dog. The wound subsequently healed, and
all was considered well until a few days ago, when sym-
toms of hydrophobia suddenly appeared, and on Wednes•
day Mr. Barnes died.

SUPPLY OF BREECHLOADERS TJ THE VOLUN-
TEERS.— The d'stribution of Snider rifles to the various
corps throughout the country is now being proceeded
with so rapidly that there is no donbt but that the whole
force will be supplied with the new weapon by the end of
the present month.
ARRIVAL OF A BALLOON FROM PARIS.-011 Tues-
day morning one of the keepers in the employ of Mr. E.
Thompson, of Dromengh, Iver Heath, near Uxbridge,
discouered a balloon entangled in the branches of a large
elm tree. It was secured, and it was then discovered that
' it had been despatched from Paris with letters for London
and had actually, without any other guidance than the
currents of the air, succeeded in reaching withing 15 miles
of its destination. The letters were immediately for-
warded by Mr. Thompson to their destination in London.
The balloon is hardly large enough to carry a passenger.
It is made of oiled silk.

THE LOWEST DEPTHS OF USURY.—Since the
repeal of the Bank Act against making more than 5 per
cent. for interest the public has become accustomed to
very extravagant rates of interest, and we know that pro-
fessional money lenders are pressing their favours conti-
nually upon young men of expectations, and upon officers
of the army and navy wno can't rim away, and whose
commissions—or the fear of losing them—are always some-
thing to fall back upon. We must confess, however, to a
great astonishment at finding recently the enormous in-
terest which is paid by the industrious costerinonger class
for small loans to enable them to supply stock for their
business operations. Some cases have lately come before
one of the district committees for organising charity, in
which the poor costertnonger for a loan of 10s., has to pay
is, per week, or at the rate of 520 per cent. ! and when
he goes on a Sunday morning to pay his shilling he is
obliged by the lender to produce in his hand the ten
shillings to shew that he has got it. It appears that there
is a class of capitalists who have sprung up to supply this
demand for ready money, and who make a living by look-
ing after their business. No doubt they do their part with
great shrewdness, but such persons are poor educators of
the industrious class by whom they reap these enormous
profits.—Parochial Critic.
A DISTEESSING CASE.--A sad case of utter desti-
tution overtaking a poor woman who once filled a com-
fortable position in life has been made known to us by a
correspondent, whose letter led to such personal investi-
gations on our own part as to justify us in mentioning the
circumstances to the benevolently disposed. Our appeal
is made on behalf of the widow of the late Mr. James
Watson Strickland, an artist and musician (harpist), and,
in his day, a householder and an industrious, respectable
man. Unfortunately, he invested the whole of his savings
in mining speculations which proved disastrous ; and
upon his death, rather more than three years ago, the
widow found herself totally unprovidcd for. Want of
proper and sufficient clothing, illness, and lack of employ-
ment were soon followed by almost entire deprivation of the
commonest comforts and necessaries of life. The case being
lately made known to the proprietor of the Era, a few
tickets for coals and bread were kindly procured for her;
otherwise the poor woman is absolutely destitute, having
only bare boards for a bed, and her poor apartments (at
No. 11, Howley-street, York-road, Lambeth) being
literally devoid of furniture, or indeed tiny comforts even
of the most ordinary kind. We have taken some pains
to verify the facts made known to us by our correspon-
dent ; have also afforded some temporary relief ; and
acquainted the vicar of the neighbouring church with the
poor widow's extreme distress. Meanwhile, any charit-
able donations, however small, that may be addressed
during the week ensuing to our publisher, Mr. R. Hali-
day, shall be promptly acknowledged in the Musical
Standard, and applied without delay to the relief of the
distressed widow, with the especial view of providing her
with the means of seeking some employment suitable to
her years.-11fueicat Standard.

BREAKFAST.—EPPB'S COCOA.—GRATEFUL AND CON-
FORTING.—The very agreeable character of this preparation has
rendered it a general favourite. The Civil Service Gazette re-
marks :—" By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which
govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a
careful application of the fine properties of well-selected cocoa,
Mr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately
flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctors'
bills." Each packet is labelled—Jmns EPPs & Co., Homeo-
pathic Chemists, London. Also, makers of Eppa's Caca6ine, a
very thin evening beverage.—Advt.