The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY MORNING JUNE 21, 1870

THE HABITUAL CRIMINALS ACT.

SHIPWRECKED SAILORS IN JAPAN.

A circular has been issued by the HOme Department
to magistrates in London and throughout the country, in
Which Mr. Bruce states his opinion that the operation of
the Habitual Criminals Act, 1869, would be facilitated by
a more frequent resort on the part of magistrates to the
practice of remanding, for further inquiry, persons in
custody on charges of felony, and of the other
offences enumerated in the first schedule of that Act. He
therefore recommends that in any case where there is
reason to believe that a person so chaaged is living a life
of habitual crime, or that the ends of justice might be
promoted by a more accurate knowledge of his previous
history, a remand should take place' for the purpoSe of
affording time to procure further information.

The accounts which have been received at the Board
of trade respecting the wreck of the iron brig Eliza Corry
and the screw steamer Ocean Queen, on the coast of
Japan, tell a tragical story. There was but one survivor
of the Eliza Corry, the other men being drowned in
attempting to swim ashore. The passengers and crew o
the Ocean Queen were more fortunate and landed in
safety, being afterwards sent on to Yokohama by the
Japaneese authorities, a distance of four hundred miles,
The Japanese, of all classes, behaved with extreme kind-
ness to the shipwrecked mariners, and their generosity
was the more remarkable coming from a people who for-
merly detested the very shadow of a foreigner. The
British Consul at Hakodod, after describing the wreck
of the Eliza Corry, narrates the manner in
which the crew endeavoured to save their lives by lashing
themselves to life-buoys, spars, .&c. None, however,
reached the shore alive. The captain's wife was on deck
with a life-buoy lashed to her, but being dashed about the
seas, she expired of exhaustion in her husband's arms.
The captain, first officer, and three men left the ship
holding on to a piece of timber. The captain, however,
was the only one to reach shore. He passed a night on
the, coast in a straw shed, walking about to keep himself
warm. After some time a kangaroo hound of his rushed
into the hut. The next day he saw a man who at first
ran away from him, but afterwards •came back and took
him to a village close by, where every care was taken of
him. The captain, whose name was Graham, was
seriously ill and delirious for three days. The Japanese
sent to Noshiro, the capital, three miles off, to inform the
officials. A doctor was sent for from some distance.
Finding out afterwards that he was an Englishman, an
officer was attached to him who spoke a little
English. Clothes were made for him in European
fashion, and when he felt better they sent miles
away for a chicken and made chicken broth. A
Japanese sleeping-dress was procured from a town twenty
miles off—one of those thickly-padded sleeping gowns.
Then, when he was able to be moved, he was taken over
to Noshiro, and here they appeared not to be able to do
enough for him. He was an Englishman, they said, and
they would do anything and everything for him, because
the English had not joined the rebelsin the late war.
A camp stool was made, and a portable table, a fork, and
soup and tea-spoon of copper, English shape, plates were
got, and after a while they managed to get a wideawake,
apologising because .it was secondhand. At Noshiro
Captain Graham was made as comfortable as
possible He was lodged in the best house ; even
a room was set apart for his dog with an attendant to
wait upon him, and when the captain's meals were served,
the attendant was ordered to feed the dog as directed.
While here the captain was very sick, spitting up blood,
brought on by a bad cough. Every possible remedy was
procured and invented. The-officials sent for miles to pur-
chase chickens and fresh eggs. Every day he had chicken
broth and grilled chicken, and when potatoes were pro-
curable they were served up as a delicacy. After many
endeavours they at last discovered a comb and a looking-
glass. One day the officials arrived in greet glee ; they
had found a European comforter. When the captain
was well enough to move, the interpreter and another
officer were appointed to see him safe into the hands of
the English consul at Hakodadi, and tii o men were told
off to carry.the dog and see his rations given him. When
the party reached the Consulate they would not hear of
accepting payment for their great and long-continued
kindness. The passengers and crew of the Ocean Queen
were as we have said forwarded 400 miles up the country
by the Japanese authorities, and addressed an acknow-
ledgment of their gratitude to the escort appointed.
These remarkable instances prove that the Japanese
people are far from being naturally churlish or un-
hospitable.

AGRICULTURE AND THE CORN TRADE.
The severe and protracted drought has at length been
relieved by a copious fall of rain. A violent thunder-
storm burst over the metropolis and its suburbs on Thurs-
day night, accompanied by a heavy and soaking rain, the
effect of which upon vegetation, previously suffering
from want of moisture, was soon apparent. The weather
has since been unsettled, and hopes are now enter-
tained that we shall yet receive sufficient rain to save
our crops. Refreshing showers have also fallen
in various parts of the country ; and advices from Scot-
land state that the aspect of affairs has so decidedly.im-
proved, that graziers are buying up cattle to turn into
the pastures. Haymaking has made fair progress in the
southern English counties, but the yield has been miser-
ably small, and has yielded a very poor return in all
places, whilst in some fields there is barely sufficient
grass to pay for the labour of cutting. Hbwever, should
the weather now become unsettled, and judging from
present appearances, such a supposition is by no means
improbable, there is very little doubt that a good sound
crop would be secured. Clover has come up well and
thickly, but is very short. Mangolds will probably be a
good crop ; but as regards Swedes, prospects are very
uncertain. With scarcely an exception potatoes look well,
there being an entire absence of disease. The condition
of the wheat plant during the week has certainly not
deteriorated ; in fact, if anything, the tendency has
been towards amelioration. This is especially the case in
low-lying districts where the want of water has been less
seriously felt. On the uplands the plant is very deficient
in height, but we do not hear of any particular falling off
in the size of the ear. The condition of the spring corn,
on the other hand, is very precarious. Wheat now depends
on the state of the weather during the next few days, as,
in the event of a return of the drought the yield can-
not fail to fall considerably short of the average ; whilst
with two or three days of steady rain the aspect
of affairs would be entirely altered, and the corn would
then partly retrieve its lost position. Continental advices
do not allude to any new feature. Prospects in Eastern
Europe, especially in Hungary, Galicia, and Bohemia,
are stated to be highly satisfactory, and should no un-
toward event happen the yield will be sufficiently large to
admit of an extensiue export trade. But accounts from
France have not improved to any material extent, not-
withstanding that rain has fallen in most districts.—

'agnet.
The position of the growing crops has not greatly varied
since we last wrote. Wheat has continued to gradually
improve, and the rain, which fell somewhat copiously in
the midate of the week, proved of great service
in reviving the plant on light soils, where there
was much loss of colour in consequence of the
continued drought. Wheat promises well, and we believe
that the harvest' will not fall late. If the plant does not
look so well as is the case in more humid seasons, it will
come well to the sickle, and, what is of infinitely more
importance, will be found to thrash out satisfactorily. It
will be conceded that a dry season is the best for wheat
in our climate, as experience teaches us that years
of drought have usually been accompanied by good
wheat harvest. As a rule, under intelligent and liberal
farming, wheat is wonderfully independent of the
weather, though out-of-door farm operations are fre-
quently seriously impeded in an unfavourable season.
Looking at things from this point of view, a total failure
of the crops may now be regarded—save under the
most exceptional circumstances—as an utter impossibility.
Having removed the most threatening danger to the wheat
crop by a proper drainage system, the principal difficulty
with which agriculturists in our variable climate have to
contend has been obviated. But no season can equally
serve the great variety of crops that we are in
the habit of raising in England. For example the
present promises to be a good wheat year, but has
certainly not proved favourable to the spring corn crops.
The first cut of hay will be quite insignificant, and, though
there is time for a good second growth should the requisite
moisture be forthcoming, there can be no doubt that we
shall suffer great inconvenience from the scarcity of feed
for the stock. This is a matter of the most serious impor-
tance, as prices of meat must rise in proportion to the
enhanced currencies of feeding stuffs.—Bell's Weekly Mes-
senger.
The heaviest rainfall ever registered at Malton occurred
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday, when 1.35 in. of
rain fell, equivalent to 135 tons of water to the acre. At
2 p.m. rain ceased, and up to Saturday night no further
fall occurred. On Saturday the farmers reported that the
rains will afford a capital turnip season, but that they are
too late for the corn and hay crops, especially on sandy
lands. Old hay has risen 21 per ton. Clovers to mow
and graze after sell from £8 to 212 per acre, and bad
crops.
The Journal Officiel of Paris says that in Southern
Russia the fields are magnificent, and prices have slightly
fallen at Odessa, in consequence of the good yield pro-
mised by the standing crops. In Belgium, Holland, and
Prussia there is supposed to be sufficient to meet the re-
quirements of the population without having recourse to im-
portations. That situation permits the hope that if theyield
is small in France, foreign countries will at least be able to
supply us with the corn we require without any great increase
of price. With respect to Algeria the year appears likely to
be in , general above the average for wheat, and about
equal to it for barley, both in the civil and military terri-
tories. Between Boghar and Medeah, in the environs of
Berrovaghia, especially, the crop has a splendid appear
ante, and the barley is being cut everywhere. There will
be an abundance of the latter in the district of M6deah.
In fact, the year is a good one both for Europeans and
natives. Also there will be no want of fodder, although
the grass crops were thought to have been lost after the
long winter."
to

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE AT SANDHURST•—The
first visit of the Commander-in-Chief to Sandhurst College
since the new regulation for its management, took place
on the occasion of the half-yearly examination. Under the
old regime the Duke was governor; under the new he is
President of the Academy. Having gone through the
preliminary ceremony, the Duke referred to an
event which has somewhat disturbed the serenity
of the academical half-year. Some of the students
had been guilty of misconduct, and three of them were
removed from the academy for insubordination. These
expressed regret, and, as they told the truth, they were
reinstated. Two others who prevaricated were expelled.
This occurrence occupied a good deal of the Duke of
Cambridge's brief address, and he took occasion, while
expressing a hope that as President, he should hear of
no more such breaches of discipline, to advise the youths
before him to be in all things straightforward and truth-
ful. The cadets had two distinguished examples
of military success before them—Field Marshals Sir
John Burgoyne and Sir George Pollock, whose careers
had opened as theirs did, and who had attained their
present position by hard work, knowledge, and discipline.
Discipline was as indispensable as knowledge, for unless
they learned to obey, to give orders, and to see those
orders carried out, they would be useless as officers either
of the Engineers or Artillery. The Duke, in conclusion,
acknowledged the value of the technical education they
were acquiring ; but reiterated that the root of every-
thing in the army was discipline—advice which was
evidently not superfluous in the great military training
school.

THE PRINCESS EDITHA GIL BERT
MONTEZ.

On the evening of June 6, a coach drove up at police
head-quarters and from it alighted the Princess Editha
Gilbert Montez (who claims to be a daughter of Lola
Montez), accompanied by a lady friend and the special
officer stationed at the Astor House. She had been sent
to the building by Mr. Stetson, to whom she is indebted
to the amount of seventy-six dollars. It is also claimed
that she is insane and subject to epileptic fits. The lady
was arraigned before Inspector Jameson, when she ex-
pressed her intention of settling her indebtedness at
once, and denied most emphatically that she was insane.
She claimed to be a daughter of Lola Montez by the
King of Bavaria, and claims also the title of Countess of
Landsfeldt, which her mother bore. Dr. Swan, of the
Astor House, pronounces her insane, and, by the advice
of the Inspector she was taken back to the Astor House
to await further developments.—New I ark, Herald.