The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-03 00:00:00

THE CONSERVATIVE LE. A DER.

The Globe accepts Lord Derby as the future leader of
the Conservative ;arty as an arranged matter. Speaking
of the changes which the old year produced, and those
which the new year will bring, our contemporary
remarks :—" Contrary to widespread anticipations and
expressions of mistrust in quarters where strong faith
Might have been looked for, Conservatism has not
died or even put on symptoms of exhaustion and
decay. The passing of the great Reform Bill of 1867
was not the flash of an expiring flame, but the
development of a new life with fresh energy and enlarged
capacity for action With the new life of Conservatism
came the new leader, a
err man acknowledged even by his
-assents to be cf surpassin,g power, unfailing resource
•
and mature judgment, he became our dictator for the
critical epoch, our general for the new campaign. 31,-.
Disraeli received the leadership cf the Conservatives
from the late Lord Derby, the noble champion of that age
which possessed some of the defects as well as the virtue 4
of chivalry, at the eventful ne raent when the new vitaliie,
of the ;arty was bursting into Reties). Tile present' Eal I
e f Derby Las many qualities which render hire, perhaps,
oven more capable than was hi.; gallant father, of com-
batting effectually the si irit cf revolution whieh
the Radical propaganda is endeavouring to force
upon the nation. Working as he will, thoroughly in
harmony with our present chief, he will assist Air. Disraeli
in showing to the country at large the difference between
prejudice and principle—between the principle of loyalty
and order, which would gladly help on every constitutional
development of national growth, but cannot at a blow
divest itself of all love for our ancient institutions, our
ancient rights, and our national religion—and the prejudice
which would obstruct all, oven salutary reform."
The London correspondent of the Leeds Mercury says the
Conservative leadership is still an open question. Lord
Salisbury will not join with Mr. Disraeli. It is possible
Lord Cairns will hold office for a few months, as many of
the peers are opposed to the Earl of Derby. But in the
end the choice will lie between Lord Derby and one of the
dukes, who are not the least docile members of Mr. Dis-
raeli's team. It is difficult to understand how there can
be any hesitation in the choice—always supposing it to be
true that Lord Derby has signified his willingness to accept
the leadership if it is offered to him.

THE GALES-SHIPWRECKS AAT GREAT
LOSS OF LIFE.

Informaticn has been received of many shipwrecks and
loss of life during the severe gale which commenced on
Thursday. The Louis and BuOnie, French brig, of Nantes,
drove ashore on Friday at Bridport, while on a voyage to Dun-
kirk, and speedily went to pieces; two men were washed over-
board and drowned, but the remainder of the crew were
saved. The Austrian brig Novo Pluto struck on the Green-
ground near Swansea, and soon afterwards foundered,
taking down with her several of the crew. The vessel was
on a voyage to Falmouth from Kustendjie. The schooner
Hermes was totally wrecked at the entrance of the River
Esk, while the wind was blowing a hurricane, and six
poor fellows were drowned. A large vessel is reported
10--;t, with all hands, near Castletownsend and at
Kinsale, near Barry's Cove, the Quebec vessel
Edna, bound from Montreal to the Clyde, drove
&shore, and nine persons, including the master and his
wife, were all drowned. The Prussian brig Konigsberg
13 a total wreck on the Cornish coast, near the Land's
End. All the crew, with the exception of one, were saved.
A. schooner, the name of which has not been ascertained.
!went down with all hands between the North Stack and the
breakwater at Holyhead. An ineffectual attempt was
in :de by a steamer to tow the ill-fated vessel into the
harbour, but the tow-rope broke, and it is stated it was
Impossible to renew communication. Among the other
vessels lost was the Ann, cf Ipswich; the brig Anne, of
South Shields ; the brig Delegate, of London ; the schooner
Margaret Jane, of Dublin; the brig Betsey, of Falmouth;
and the brig Ballab, of Bilbea.

Two large steamers, each of 4,000 tons burthen,
are now being built on the Mersey for the National Steam-
ship Company. They will be the largest steamers in the
world, with the exception of the Great Eastern.

The Telegraph denies as absurd the rumour mat
the Commissioners for the Bridgwater and Beverley elec-
tions have recommended the disfranchisement of those
boroughs. Ele:Aim Commissioners, it appears, have no
authority for doing this.

The Dundee correspondent of the Pull Mall
Gazette telegraphs that a serious collision has occurred to-
day at the Forgandeury station of the Caledonian Railway.
year Perth the mail train from London ran into a Glasgow
train. Two men were kill( don the spot, and twelve other
persons were injured very seriously. At present the ac-
cident appears to have Leen occasioned by mere careless-

ress.

The London correspondent of the _Teed; Merettry
confirms the surmise of cur own correspot.deut that the
letters on the Contagious Diseases Act, by "An English-
woman," -which have been appearing in the Daily News, are
by Miss Martineau. Our correspordent's statement that in-
fluence has been used with the Cabinet by certain influential
. members of the Ladies' Association to prevent the exten-
sion of the act is also confirmeY.

The Sporting Life states that Mr. Bruce, the Home
Secretary, in answer to the memorial sent to him for a re-
mission of the punishment awarded Dr. Shorthouse, has
written to say that he has "failed to discover any sufficient
grounds to justify him in advising interference with the
sentence." The Doctor has been very ill dining the past
week, suffering from bronchitis and occasional fits%
Sir Joseph Hawley, having discovered the actual
Writer of the article entitled "Sir Joseph Scratcltawley," and
also satisfied himself that Dr. Shorthcuse did not write the
article, has (according to the Sussex Express) instructed his
solicitor to intimate to the Home Secretary a williegeess
that the sentence should be remitted.
TOILTUILIN PRISONERS.—It appears (says the
Pall Mall Gazette) that the practice of torturing prisoners
in order to make them confess, which has been abolished
by meat civilised nations, still exists in Switzerland. M.
Borel, member of the Assembly of Lucerne, has proposed
that information should be asked from the Federal-
Council as to the torturing of a prisoner in
the Canton of Zug. The man in question was
accused of theft, and acknowledged to the criminal
court that he had appropriated the missing articles, but
he refused to admit that he had stolen them, and insisted
that he had accidentally found them. The court then ordered
further inquiries to be made. "From the 26th of October to
the 10th of November the prisoner was put on bread and
water diet; but he made no confession. . . . Thumbscrews
were then applied to the prisoner, but still he made no
confession. Six blows were next given him with a stick ;
he writhed and groaned, but declared he could say nothing
more than what he had said already, upon which six more
blows were administered. "If you kill me, Mr. Judge, I
cannot say anything else.' The prisoner was then brought
before the court, and once more earnestly questioned, bu
he adhered to his former statement. Upon this the pri-
soner was again placed on the ordinary prison diet."
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES AND MEDICAL FEES.—A.
singular agitation, which in its results is likely to have an
important influence on friendly societies throughout the
kingdom with respect to the medical fees paid for attend-
ance on their members, has just been brought to a conclu-
sion at Preston. A few weeks ago the gentlemen com-
posing the Medical Society in that town resolved to raise
the rate of remuneration for attendance upon the members
of sick and friendly societies from 2s. to 3s. per head per
year. This resolution created an immediate antagonism,
and several meetings of deputies from the various clubs
have since been held, whereat the proposed increased
fee was warmly discussed and resisted. It was stated that
many of the members, being in three or four societies, paid
as much as 6s. and 88. per year to doctors; and that,
taking the average, 58.6 d. per member per year was raid,
instead of 25., as had been represented by a writer in the
Lancet. The desirability of forming a "medical union"
was discussed, and at length agreed to; but the members
of the various lodges of the Independent Order of Odd-
fellows, Manchester Unity, numbering about ",r,OO, seceded
from the general body, and resolved to appoint their own
medical officer. The other friendly societies, comprising the
Druids of the Preston and Kirkham districtA, the Foresters,
Ancient Shepherds, Free Gardeners, Mechanics, Sons of
Temperance, Painters, Joiners, Smiths, and P.echabites,
numbering altogether nearly 3,000 mentbers, have gone a
step further and formed an " Amalgamated Friendly
Societies' Provident Dispete.ary," have taken reemisCs for
a 'medical hall" in !1•::; street of the :own, and

11:1vc appointed

n

evc

&nits
this " '

- )8, (- rorn
which it appears that any mull...Tr el the above
mentioned friendly socif..ties will be entitled to
first class medical treatment and proper medi-
cines for himself and wife on payment of id.
—1 one chili; Id.; wife and three chil-
a IlTe children, f.:(1. ; wife and seven
per week per child for more than seven
16 years of age. The general public
:j on payment of wo‘kly coLtributions
' those above specified. It is the th.ten-
successful. of which ihrkg is no doubt
:rs, to "erect a medical hall," and
-heady been entered into for the pur-
-4.1 the very centre of the town for

ro aGters cf

f:cir

per week; wife and
dren, ILd.; wife and
' ea,2id.; andil
,8: n and under
•4, be achnitte:.
• •XeC23 cf
lon. if
member
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