The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-20 00:00:00

NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE.

A GUA AMARELLA restores the Human Hair
lA_ to its pristine hue, no matter at what age.
JNO. GOSNE I.L and CO. have at length, with the aid of one of
the most eminent Chemists, succeeded in perfecting this wonder-
ful liquid. It is now offered to the public in a more concentrated
form, and at a lower price. _

Sold in bottles, 3s each; also 55., 7s. 6d., and 15s. each, nclu,
ng brush.

Red Bull Wharf, Angel-passage, Di, Upper Thames-street, Lon•
don, E.C.

THEATRES, AND AMUSEMENTS,

DRURY-LANE —A Domestic I [ercules. Amy Robsar
Phobus's Fix.
QuEEN's—Aunt Charlotte's Maid.
Dream.

Midsummer Night's

VAnDE-vlLLE—Chiselling. Two Roses. Don Carlos.
STRAND—On and Off. Living at Ease. The Idle
'Prentice.
PRINCESSES'—Wanted, 1,000 Milliners. The Rapparee.
The Happy Man.
ROYALTY—WeaIth and F. M. Julius Cncesar, the
Irregular Rum 'Un.
Om-mu—Little Emily and (Burlesque) Panl and

Fernande. Only a

ST. JAMES'S—To Oblige Benson.
Halfpenny.
HOLBORN—Farce. The Odds.
GAIETY—The Happy Village. Zampa. Trombalcalzar,
GLOBE—Board and Residence. Taming of the Shrew,
Marco Spada.
SADLER'S WELLS—Farce. Macbeth.
STANDARD —Little Emily. Chapter of Accidents.
NEW SURREY—A Striking Similarity. Link by Link,
Nobody's Chill.
AMPHITHEATRE AND CIRCUS (Holborn)—Scenes in the
Arena.

ST. JAMES'S HALL.—Christy Minstrels. Every evening.
POLYTECHNIC—Professor Pepper's Ghosts. Afternoon and
Evening.
ALHAMBRA—Grand Ballet and Varieties.
CREMORNE—Fireworks, Ballet, &c.
PALAIS RoYAL—Dr. Corry's Panorama of Ireland—Pro-
fessor Faber's Talking Machine- Siege of Paris.
MADAME TITSSAUD'S (Baker-street) —From 10 a.m. till 10
p.m. ls. ; extra rooms, 6d.

,ONDON, IHURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1870

A MELANCHOLY pamphlet has but just now come
into our hands, entitled " Civil List Pensions ; a
Rejected Case"—a little brochure written by WIL-
LIAM CARPENTER, and printed for private circula-
tion. Mr. CARPENTER, as an author, is known as
one among the biographers of JOHN MILTON and
WILLIAM COBBETT. As a journalist ho was editor
in 1836 of the Shipping Gazette, in 1838 of the Era,
in 1843 of the Railway Observer, in 1844 of
Lloyd's Weekly A'ews, in 1848 of the Court
Journal, and in 1854 of the Sunday Times. He
has conducted several other publications weekly and
monthly. He has contributed largely to what is
called Biblical literature. Among his miscellaneous
writings he has recounted the " History of the French
Revolution ; " he has compiled a "Dictionary of English
Synonyms ; " he has penned an "Electoral Manual "and
a "Political Text-book." Pamphlet, treatise, guide,
abridgment, critical dissertation, books large and
small, 4to, Bvo, 12mo, have attested during fifty
years of sustained labour as a man of letters and a
publicist, the keenness of a mind the most en-
quiring, the cunning of a hand the most industrious.
Seventy-three years ago, namely, in 1797, this active
energetic life commenced. WILLIAM CARPENTER
was born the son of a small tradesman in St. James's.
Westminster. He began very much as MICHAEL
FARADAY began, just as early and just as humbly.
The latter started in life as an errand-boy to a small
bookseller, to whom he was afterwards apprenticed ;
the former as an errand-boy to a small bookbinder
in Finsbury, to whom he was afterwards appren-
ticed. Becoming acquainted, by a happy accident,
with WILLIAM GREENFIELD, the self-taught but
erudite editor of " Bagster's Polyglot Bibles," young
CARPENTER acquired for himself a mastery of
several ancient and modern languages. Asso-
ciating himself with GREENFIELD—the two
congenial intimates conjointly edited during four
consecutive years, a monthly periodical of sacred
literature, entitled Critica Biblica. Forty-five years
ago, that is, in 1825, Mr. CARPENTER pro luced
" Scientia Bibli^n " in 3 volumes, a work which
was dedicated by permission to the KING, the proof-
sheets having been read by Dr. SUMNER, his
Majesty's private secretary and librarian, afterwards
Lord Bishop of WiNcimsrEn. The rest fol-
lowed. WILLIAM CARPENTER i 8 now some years
beyond the allotted age of man. Io is nearly stone
blind. Ile has sought, and sought in vain,

what he has long since earned—a humble
competence for the rest of his days as a
pensioner of the Crown on the Civil List. Mr.
DISRAELI, during his brief Premiership, ordered Mr.
CARPENTER'S name to be put down for a pension, but
before the pension could be awarded the late Prime
Minister and his colleagues had resigned. Since,
then, the appeal—certainly a valid appeal—has been
renewed, has been enforced, has been rejected. Can
nothing be done apart from the Civil List for this
good, clever, energetic, blind, impoverished, aged,
laborious Working Man-of-Letters ?

IT is obvious enough that one consequence of th 6
war will be a re-opening of the ‘‘ Luxemburg Ques-
tion," and another transfer of that unfortunate and
much-abused territory. The Germans parted with
the Duchy most reluctantly in order to preserve the
peace of Europe; they now, as they imagine, perceive
an excellent opportunity ofgetting it back. The demand
for Luxemburg by the French Emperor, in the early
part of 1867 was one of the many expedients adopted
by that sovereign in order to counterbalance the
loss of prestige caused by the successes of BismAncK.
The history of the famous dispute which followed
will still be fresh in the minds of most people who
follow the events of the time. Prussia refused to
give up the territory, and hasty preparations
for war were made by both Powers. But each was
disinclined to fight. The EMPEROR hesitated to
commit himself to such a conflict, because his troops
were not yet effectually armed.with breech-loaders.
BISMARCK desired no war whilst he was consoli-
dating his recent gains, and whilst it was uncertain

which side Austria, still smarting from the defeats

of 1866, might take. It is when two disputants are
afraid of each other that arbitration is useful. Lord
STANLEY managed to assemble a Conference at
London, and in four days a bargain was struck with-
out fighting. Luxemburg was to remain subject to
the King of HOLLAND ; the fortress was to
be evacuated by Prussia, and the works
demolished as quickly as possible. The
neutrality of the duchy was guaranteed by the
signatory Powers; but the world was somewhat
surprised to learn from the present Earl of DERBY
that the guarantee had no serious meaning—in short,
that if any aggressive Power took possession of the
territory, hngland would not be called upon to inter-
fere, except diplomatically.
We now discover how convenient this arrangement
was. The "guarantee "is already in some jeopardy,
and ere long the neutrality of Luxemburg, which
was assured in such remarkable fashion, will pro-
bably disappear for ever. The Germans—unaggressive,
peaceful, cultivated, and generally model race—are

already clamouring for the duchy, and there is reason
to think that negotiations have been opened with a

view to the transfer. Upon certain conditions, the
annexation of Luxemburg to Prussia might be laud-
able and satisfactory procedure, and the Powers
might wisely wink at the setting aside of the treaty
in order to facilitate the arrangement. If the Ger-
mans would be willing to take Luxemburg in place
of at least part of the territory they now claim
from France, the transfer might secure the
world the inestimable blessing of peace. The KING OF
HOLLAND is universally represented as willing to part
with a fief which is, in truth, only a nuisance to
him. The pride of France could not be wounded at

the acquisition by Germany of a province which
does not belong to the vanquished. After facing the
cruel indignity of losing Alsace and part of Lor-
raine, with Metz, the French nation might more readily
acquiesce in yielding a smaller strip of ground. In fine,
most of the obstacles to peace might disappear
through such a proposal. But if, as is unfortunately
not improbable, Germany seeks to gain Luxemburg
without diminution of the territorial demand upon
France, the danger we have previously pointed out will

be but too surely realised. It is desirable to have a
barrier against the aggression of France, but what
protection can Europe look to against the aggression
of Germany ? A vast military monarchy, con-
ducted on despotic principles, has established
itself in the centre of Europe. Within six years, on
every conceivable pretext, small States have been
swallowed up on all sides. Is there any just reason
for concluding that the process of " agglomera-
tion " will speedily cease P The problem is at least
doubtful, and moderate demands upon France would
greatly reassure the mind of Europe on this point.
Enthusiastic Teutonic sympathizers in this country
affirm that German soil alone is sought for in
these constant annexations; but unfortunately the

Bismarchian definition of" German soil" is too ex.
pansivo to be compatible with general security,
A leading German writer, for example, sug-

Bests that

Alsace

and

Lorraine, whe:

yielded, should be handed over to Prussia, because—
they adjoin the German cantons of Switzerland! I
will be interesting to watch for further extensions o

Le mysterious domain known as the Fatherland.

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

THE BRITISH ARTILLERY.

The 7inzes returns to the charge respecting the
deficient supply of artillery for the British army.
Mr. Cardwell has assured us that we could put sixty
thousand men in line, well provile i with field artil-
lery. This, at the rate of three per thousand,
would be one hundred and eighty guns, but if we
take four as the minimum we should want forty
batteries, or two hundred and forty guns, which
certainly we have not got. But the militia and
volunteers together should contribute one hundred
thousand men to the forces in the field, and these
would require four hundred guns more, or a total of
640. However, here the national predilection for
gunnery comes to the rescue. The militia
has a considerable artillery force of its

own,

and the volunteers have shewn

singular aptitude for that branch of the service.
Thirty-one regiments of militia artillery are enrolled,
and ono volunteer out of every seven has declared

for the artillery. We have 30,000 volunteer gunners,
who, if they had guns to serve, would be sufficient
for all imaginable purposes. The limes is afraid to
calculate our actual deficiencies in respect to guns,
but takes consolation from the thought that in this,
the most powerful of all military arms, we could
acquire the greatest strength with the least expendi
tune. Our auxiliary forces would do well to take

the work of garrison rather than field service, as the
artillery of an army should always be in the hands
of the most disciplined troops; but in any case the
Times would be glad to see this arm of the service
strengthened in preference to others.