The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-24 00:00:00

INDIAN APPOINTMENTS.

Indian newspapers are greatly exercised respect-
ing the changes in high official regions. The office
of Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, which excited
a good deal of discussion, has now been
disposed of, Mr. George Campbell, lately chief
Commissioner of the Central Provinces, having
been appointed. This appointment has taken no one
by surprise, and it seems to have been favourably
received by most parties. The Governorship
of Madras is, however, still a matter of un-
certainty, and two of the Madras papers have got
into a war on the subject. The Times
observes that it is strange no direct intimation of
who is to be the new governor has yet been made,
but it is positive that the Duke of Argyll has no
intention of sending out a new Governor in
March, if Lord Napier is willing to remain
in office. The Mail positively denies this. Lord
Napier is packing up, and is superintending
the preparations for his successor. lie intends to
leave his post on the 28th March, and the Duke of
Argyll must find him a successor meanwhile, but
there is no absolute necessity for the appointment
being announced three months before the time.
It has been understood for some time past, in other
quarters of India, as well as in Madras, that Lord
Napier would not object to an extension of leave.

JANUARY 24, 1871.

Thdr anxiety to keep out of the grave is
preposterous

THE LATE EARL OF ABERDEEN.

Official peiculars of the death of the late Earl of
Aberdeen lnve been forwarded to England from
Hong-Kong, The Hong-Kong papers furnish some
details respecting the missing nobleman. It seems
that he was of a restless disposition, and embarked
for America in the forecastle of a ship. After many
adventures le left Boston under the assumed name
of Charles Oswald, as chief officer of the schooner
Hera, bound. eastward. During a heavy gale it
was necessary to take in the mainsail, and pending
this operation the mate was thrown into the sea by
a heavy lurch of the vessel. The sea was too ruugh
for any attempt to be made for his rescue. On the
arrival of the Hera at Hongkong the necessary forma-
, lities were gone through to prove the death of the
unfortunate nobleman. The late Earl is succeeded
by his unch who is a son of the former Prime
Minister.

THE EASTERN POST.
Among the reforms called for in the administra-
tion of our Post-office must certainly be included a
reduced rate of postage to the East. English interests
are so extensive and so important in the Orient that
it is only surprisng the question has not been earlier
and more vigorously agitated. A. letter may now be
sent to America for 3d.; but it cannot be sent to
Alexandria for less than 6d., or to India for less than
Dd. A. copy of the 7inzes may be sent to San
Francisco, a distance of more than 6,000
miles, for - 2d., while to send it to
India by the quick route costs 81 It is not sur-
prising, under these circumstances, that a memorial
to the Postmaster-General is in preparation by the
bankers, merchants, brokers, and other commercial
men of China, Japan, Australia, and India, praying
for a reduction in the charge on newspaper postage
between Great Britain and those places. The mails
for the East are now convey e I partly by Brindis],
partly by Southampton, Gibraltar, and Malta. The
former route is seven or eight days' shorter, but con-
siderably dearer. It has been suggested that the
Southampton route should be abandoned, as convey-
ing the whole mail by the shorter route would not
cost very much more than the half, whereas the entire
outlay on the Southampton route would then be saved.
By this means the Post Office might greatly reduce
the postage by Brindisi, a reduction that would un-
doubtedly prove a great eventual gain through the
consequent increase of business.

IRISH FISHERIES.
The Inspectors of Fisheries in Ireland appear to
be exercising with great firmness and intelligence
the powers given them under the last Act. An
important inquiry has recently been held at Lismore
into a claim made by the Hon. Moore Smyth for a
certificate to entitle him to constract a weir at
Ballinatray. A former weir of Mr. Smyth's
was condemned by the Commissioners in
1864, but the order merely stated that the weir
was illegal without assigning in what respect. I❑
1869 the claimant rebuilt it, and proceedings were
promptly taken against him. Mr. Smyth thereupon
discontinued fishing,- and applied for a certificate,
which was refused by the inspectors on the ground
"that it was injurious to navigation." At the inquiry
the inspectors again decided against the applica-
tion, maintaining that they had no power to re-try a
question which had been already decided by their own
court. The effect of this decision, if confirmed by
the Court of Queen's Bench, will tend materially to
check any attempts that may be made to reopen
cases in which weirs have been condemned as ob-
structions to the navigation. In the case of Captain
Little and Mr. Sandes, who applied for liberty .to
ereet stake weirs at Tarbet and Kilpallogue, the
inspectors decided that it was necessary the weirs
should have been constructed before they could
declare them injurious to the public right of fishing
or to the navigation.

• THE LICENSING QUESTION IN VICTORIA.
The Legislature of Victoria, have decided on a
prudent alteration in the time of holding their
Session. They propose to 'assemble in winter, when
the country is idle, instead of as heretofore in sum-
mer, when business of all kinds is busiest.
For this purpose they have been holding
a short session to arrange for a general
election, and the necessary change in the date of the
financial year. During that short session some
highly important social measures were introduced,
including an Education Bill, an Inspection of Mines,
and a Publicans Act Amendment Bill. The temper-
ance movement has lately gained great ground
in Victoria, and the question has excited
warm interest and keen conflicts. The present
measure is regarded as a compromise, and has been
accepted as such by both parties. For the future,
licences are only to be granted .by a licensing bench
appointed by the Governor in Council, consisting of
a stipendiary magistrate and two justices of the
peace. No appeal will be allowed from their decision.
All corporate bodies may object to the granting of
any license within their boundaries,and, if the majority
Of the ratepayers support the objection, the license
must be refused. Night licenses are to be abolished,
and the public-houses must remain as they are now,
closed all Sunday. No spirituous and
,fermented
liquors must be sold at places of amusement under
heavy penalties. The bill had to go through the
revision of the Legislative Council when the mail
left, but in the Lower House the Temperance party
had certainly gained a victory.
NEEDLEWOMEN AND THE WAR.

Recent inquiry into the sums paid for making
clothing for the French and German soldiers
wounded in the war have resulted in some startling
revelations. It would be well if the thousands
.who so generously subscribe to the fund for the sick
and
_wounded would inquire on what terms
the contracts are entered into. We are told
that the contractors give the work out to
other " houses," who in their turn em-
ploy "female " hands at prices which seem in-
credible. Thus it is that in North Peckham and
South London the magnificent sum of threepence-
halfpenny is paid for finishing a pair of trousers. A
woman by working long hours can complete
three pair a day, at
,which rate, provided the work
was constant, she would realise the handsome sum
of • ss. 3d. per week. Tents we are informed
have been given out to make up at
21d. each, and shirts to . be finished, that
is to do all, except the seams, at 6d. per dozen.
Each shirt takes two hours to finish, so that the
average wages of a female employed on this work
would be 3d. per day. It is not improbable that fair
prices are given to the contractors; if so, it is all the
more to be regretted that under the name of charity
Englishwomen should have to toil from early morn
until late at night for the enormons sum of one
farthing per hour.
•
THE SIEGES OF PARIS.

Paris;hps undergone more,,attacksthan any othet
cal italsOf the • world :
"waa the stronghold of the Gauls, brie one of Csar'is
most distinguished generals forced them to abandon
it. The city was burned, but' a new 6ne speedily
sprung lip. - 'When the Germans. held_ France,. gne,,
of their generals obtained such renown :by defendi4
Paris against a foreign invader that he was after-
wards made king. The same reward was bestowed
on Count Otto, one of the nobles of Charles le Gros,
under whose command Paris held out for a year
against the Normans. The German Emperor Otto
t Second invested the city in 978, but was com-
pelled to retreat in consequence of the. winter setting
in, and disease attacking the army. King Philip
Augustus, at the commencement of the thirteenth
century, extended the fortifications of Paris, and at
the close of the fourteenth, Charles V. in-
creased the means of defence. The English, how-
ever, took the city after the battle of Agincourt.