The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-19 00:00:00

O'DONOVAN ROSSA.

Captain WHITE asked the tight hon. gentlemnn the Se-
cretary for the Home Dcpartment whether it was true cor-
poral punishment had been inflicted on Jeremiah O'Donovan
Rosso.

Mr. BRUCE said he had received no notice of the ques-
tion, but be could answer it nawithstanding. No corporal
punishment Lad been inflicted on Jeremiah O'Donovan
Rossa; nor bad the slightest punishment other than that of
the ordinary rules of the prison been imposed on him since
his sentence began in September, 1868.
THE DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR
SERVICES.
On the motion for going into committee of supply,
Mr. HOLMS called attention to the present position of
her Majesty's diplomatic and consular services. He said
that since 1835 the Foreign Office had been the subject of
inquiry by two committees of this House, composed of
eminent statesmen drawn from either side of the Speaker,
and two most important financial committees
had scrutinised and condemned the expenditure
on behalf of the diplomatic and consular services, and yet
inefficiency and extravagance still held sway at the Foreign
Office. The natural and proper quarters for the consular
service, he argued, was at the Board of Trade. This de-
partment was constantly in communication with
the several consuls throughout the world in
reference to shipping interests, but its communi-
cations must necessarily pass through the Foreign
Office. One effect of that was the maintenance of two
separate staffs of clerks. The opinion of the Board of
Trade was sought in almost every matter connected with
the consular service, from the appointment of a consul
down to the regulation of his fees and charges; the
Board of Trade, in fact, having all the work and
the Foreign Office all the patronage. The hon.
gentleman chewed the disproportion between the
cost of the consular service and the trade done with China,
Siam, and other countries. In the case of Siam, the cost
of our consular service was greater than the value of the
goods imported from this country. In the case of China,
the cost of the consular service of the United
States was much below that of this country,
and while it amounted to thousands upon thou-
sands of pounds, the cost of the consular service with
the Netherlands was represented by hundreds, and yet
we did very much more trade with the latter country than
with the former. If we followed the same principle al
the United States, at least £loo,oooa year would be saved.
The United States had 600 consuls scattered over the
globe, while this country had only 430. In conclusion,
he urged that the labours of committees of the House
ought to be made of some practical benefit to the country,
and moved the following resolutions :—L That in the
opinion of this House, the expenditure upon the Diplo-
matic and Consular Serc ices may be reduced. 2. That it
is expedient for the promotion of efficiency and economy
to transfer the control of the Consular Department from
the Foreign Office to the Board of Trade.
Mr. EASTWICK seconded the resolution. General
public convenience and good, he endeavoured to shew.
would result from the transfer.

Mr. SHAW said if they were to adopt the suggestion of

transferring the consular department from the Foreign
Office to the Board of Trade it would be most objection-
able, and also unfair to her Majesty's Government. He
thought by far the better course to pursue
was to refer the whole matter to the consi-
deration of a select committee. He thought
it would be well if a system of stamps instead of fees were
to be adopted, because he felt if that arrangement was to
come into operation, the return of fees paid in would be
much increased, because by the system now in operation
there was absolutely no control over those fees.
Mr. OTWAY objected to the resolution, and said he
thought it would be disrespectful to the very distinguished
persons who had consented to serve on the committee,
appointed a few evenings ago, if they were to fetter their
deliberation, by the passing of resolutions submitttcdby the
hon. members. The committee would of course inquire into
all matters of expenditure of the consular department, but
he thought the hon. gentleman himself had given one very
good reason for the increase in the charge of the con-
sular service, namely, the increase of our trade
and commerce. It was a mistake to sup-
pose that the duties of a consul at a sea-
port town were confined chiefly to trade. There
were matters concerned with intestacy, and various other
matters which had to be dealt with by that official. There
had been no complaints as far as the interests of trade
were concerned in the transaction of consular business
through the Foreign Office, and those of which
the hon. member complained existed only in
his own imagination. The best course for the house

to pursue was to negative the proposition of the
hon. Inember, and wait the result of the committee which
the house had appointed, and which he believed would
thoroughly investigate every matter connected with the
diplomatic and consular service.

Mr. S. BEAUMONT said he• fully believed that con-
suls were kept up where none were required, and at places
where a consul was much required none were appointed.
Under all circumstances he hoped the hon, gentleman
who had brought forward the motion would not press the
motion to ft division, but that he would not contest with
the discussion which his motion had called forth.
Mr. A. KINNAIRD also hoped that a division would

not be taken on the present occasion. The hon. member
had done good service by bringing forward the question on
the voting of the estimates, and he hoped he would afford the
House -another opportuuity of ventilating the motion sup-
posing the Select Committee did not do all that he
desired.

The motion was then, by leave, withdrawn.
THE TURNPIKE TOLL TAX.

Mr. WHALLEY called attention to the petition of
the Wrexham Highway Board and Board of Guardians,
against the re-imposition of the Turnpike Toll
Tax in that district ; • and with reference to
the statement on the part of the Government
touching the necessity that requires the introduction cf
the annual Turnpike Acts Continuance Bill, moved for
copy of any correspond ence or other documents explana-
tory of the necessity for the annual Turnpike Acts Con-
tinuance Bill, either generally as to all expired
turnpike Acts, or specially as to those relating
to the Wrexham district. He asked whether
it was not time to put some pressure upon the Govern-
ment to take action in the matter. From year to year he
had brought in a bill of his own on the subject, and
he had only withdrawn it on the distinct undertaking of
the Government themselves to deal with the question.
The turnpike toll tax he looked upou as the most ob-
noxious of all taxes, and he was anxious that it
should no longer continue to be a source of danger
such as arose years ago from a similar cause, and led to
what was known as the Rebecca Riots.
Mr. G. 0. MORGAN seconded the resolution.

Mr. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN said no doubt
the case of the Wrexham Board of Guardians was a hard
one, but there were great difficulties connected with gene-
ral legislation on the subject. If the Government were to
refuse a renewal of the Continuance Bill, there would still be
a great deal of complication connected with the question.
Abolition of road trusts, when it did take place, as he
hoped it some day would, must not be partial but general.
(Hear, hear.) And he trusted that the day was not
distant when the Government would propose to
the House a system of road management of a
uniform character. He denied on the part of the Govern,
went that they had ever given a dishonest promise to in-
troduce either last session or this any scheme of reform.
What they had stated was that they recognised the
necessity of legislation, and when it was consi itcnt with
other business, they would introduce the bill.

The motion was then withdrawn.
EAST INDIA (LAWS AND REGULATIONS)
BILL

Mr. GRANT DUFF moved the second reading of
this measure. The )ion. gentleman explained that the
chief object of the Lill was to facilitate in India local
legislative eovernmmt.

Atter a short discussion, the bill was read a second time.
The Dissolved Districts and Unions Bills passed through
committee; and the Provisional Orders (Committees) Bill
read a third time.

On the motion of Mr. CANDLISII, the select committee was
nominated to inquire into the great excess of cost in prose-
cuting the war with Abyssinia over the estimato-stiblaitted
to Parliament.

Mr. GOSCHEN then introduced his bill to provide the
equal distribution over the metropolis of a further charge for
the poor relief. Llt may be stated that there were at this
time only five members on the Opposition side of the

House ; and only eight gentlemen representing me-
tropolitan interests, inclusive of two of his own
colleagues, remained on the Ministerial benches.] lie
explained the provisions of the measure, the leading feature
of which was a proposition to throw the relief of the poor
on the common fund derivable from poor rates, at the rate
of 3s. 6d. per week for the keeping of each pauper receiving
indoor relief. The general effect of the bill would be, if
carried out, that one-half of the total amount now distri-
buted in relief wuuld be equitably laid on the whole me-
tropolis, and all classes would thus bear their share of
the burden. The details of the measure would amply pro-
vide against that disgraceful overcrowding which at present
prevailed in many metropolitan workhouses, and it would
also lessen the burdens of the ratepayers and increase the
comfort of the poor.

Mr. S. BOOTH, on the part of the Opposition (of whom
there were only three members then present), gave a gene-
'al support to the measure.

Leave was then given to bring in the bill.
Mr. PLIMSOLL obtained leave to bring in a bill requir-
ing railway companies to provide hot-water tins for third-
class passengers and second-class travellers whenever the
weather was such as to cause suffering without them.
The Select Committee on Scottish Poor Law was no-
mine ted.

The Howe then adjourned.

THE MORDAUNT DIVORCE CASE.

THIRD DAY.

FRIDAY,
The trial of this case was continued to-day, before Lord
Penzance and a special jury.
Mr' Serjoant Ballantine, Dr. Spinks, Q.C., and Mr.
Inderwicke were for the petitioner; Dr. Deane, Q.C.,
Mr. Archibald, and Mr. Searle for Sir T. Moncreiffe, the
father and guardian of the respondent (Lady Mordaunt);
and Sir J. Karsiake, Q.C., Mr. Lord, and Mr. Jeune
watched the proceedings for the co-respondents.
The court was again crowded in every part. Amongst
the visitors who found seats in the gallery were General
Knollys, Mr. Kna.tchbull-Hugessen, M.P., &c.
The hearing of evidence on behalf of the petitioner was
resumed.

Mrs. Cadogan was first examined by Mr. Inderwick.
She said—My husband is the incumbent of Walton, in
Warwickshire. He was a college friend of Sir C. Mor-
daunt, and he and I had been on visiting terms with Sir
C. Mordaunt. I remember Lady Mordaunt's confine.
ment on the 28th of February. I saw her the day before,
when she was quite well, and driving out ; but on Satur-
day night I was sent for suddenly. She had nothing pro-
vided, and I lent her what was necessary. I was
in the room when the child was born. I did not go in
for five hours previously, as she asked me not to go in while
she was under the influence of chloroform. The confine-
ment was satisfactory, as far as I saw. Between the 28th
February and the 14th April I saw Lady Mordaunt many
times. I thought she got through her confinement very
well at first. During the first week she seemed to be dis-
tressed about the child's eyes. On the Wednesday I
noticed something the matter with the child's eyes. On
Friday I mentioned it to Lady Mordaunt. I said, the
child had a cold in its eyes. She said they looked very
bal. On the Saturday Lady Mordaunt seemed not so
well and depressed ; but she was perfectly. sensible, and
up to that time I had seen no reason to think otherwise.
When I saw her on that day, she said the doctor
was coming from Birmingham to see the
child's eyes, and there was a great deal of
talking about the matter by the nurses, who warned
her. By her request I read the Bible to her. She would
not have her dinner, but wished to have the Sacrament
administered. She was nervous about herself, because
shy had lost several friends in confinements. When I read
the Bible she seemed to understand and appreciate it very
much. I read that part which refers to our Lord curing
the blind. After that she said she was sure she should
die ; and wished presents to be made to her servants. In
the afternoon I took Lady Louisa to her room. Lady
Mordaunt had previously refused to see her " mamma ;"
but she then said, " Oh, mamma, I have been very silly."
On Sunday I saw her. She was cheerful, and wished to
nurse the baby. She tried to nurse it for about a quarter
of an hour. I left then, but in the afternoon I asked her
how she got on with the baby. She replied, " Oh, it's a
stupid little thing. I soon got tired of trying to nurse it."
On the Tuestav following, as I went into the room, she
said, rather inCttierently, "I will confess all to Charlie;
he is so good." That was addressed to the nurse. I con-
versed with her ; she was cheerful. I went again on Fri-
day. I had a letter from Sir Charles asking me to go. I
reached there in the afternoon. I went upstairs and saw Lady
Mordaunt. She said "How do you do ?" but did not enter into
conversation. She would not speak and was irritable.
The Minds were drawn. On the next day,Saturday, I was
with her for some time in the afternoon ; she was in the
sitting room, near the bedroom, for the first time, lying
on the sofa. She seemed in great grief and trouble. On
Sunday I saw her again ; she seemed to have shaken off '
her depression, and spoke quite cheerfully, saying, `• I am
much better than I have been." She said " I have had a
bad dream." Hancock, the nurse, said " Mrs. Cadogan
knows all." She coloured up and said "It is only what every-
body does. I only did it two or three times in London. I shall
soon make it all right with Charlie." I said, " Don't be
too sure of that." She seemed quite sensible, but ap-
peared annoyed at the subject being mentioned. I did
not stay long. On the Thursday or Friday when Lady
M increiff was present, I saw her again. She spoke of a
parson who was dying, and Lady Mordaunt said " That
would not be so sorrowful." Iler mother said, " She is
thinking about leer: elf.' askedher mother to leave the
room, and after some reluctance Lady Moncreiff left, saying
to me, " I hope you won't take advantage of it."
and I said, "I will tell yon everything .that occurs."
When she had gone Lady Mordaunt did not make any
re :-elation to me, but she put her arms round ills and cried
bitterly. She was always glad to see me, but cried some-
times. On the 14th of April, when I was going away I
want to wish her good bye. She was depressed. Sir
Charles was in Scotland. I said, " Why don't you write
to him and tell him you are sorry ?" She said, "I am not
sorry." I always talked to her about her position, and she
always appeared to understand me. During the whole of
the time I saw nothing to lead me to the
conclusion that she was not of sound mind.
In cross-examination by Dr. Deane, witness said she had
had no experience of insane persons. With regard to a
legacy left her of £lO,OOO, there was a suit in that court,
and she was called to speak to the sanity of the testator.
She was not examined then, for the matter was compro-
mised. She got her money. It was on the 9th of March
that witness first heard from the nurse that Lady Mor-
daunt had confessed to Sir Charles that the child was not
his. When Lady Mordaunt made the remark that every-
body did it, witness was alarmed.
The Rev. W. Cadagan, husband of the previous wit-
ness, deposed that he saw Lady Mordaunt for the first
time after confinement on the 4th of March. On the 28th
of March, having received a letter from Sir Charles,
saying he was in great sorrow he went to Lady Mordaunt
and read the letter to her. She cried but said nothing.
He read prayers by her request. Her mind did
not seem to be affected. On the 25th of April
he again saw Lady Mordaunt. In the course of the
conversation she said, " Charlie will not be able to prove
the nonsense that I spoke ; and if I saw him I could soon
set the matter right." Witness understood that she was
coming to church, and advised her, under the painful cir-
cumstances of the case, not to come, adding that if she
persevered in her desire, he must consult the bishop. It
was in answer to this that she made the above remark.
On the 30th April witness received a letter from Mrs.
Forbes, which induced him to go to the
Hall on the following day. He saw Mrs. Forbes,
and in consequence of the conversation which took place, he
saw Lady Mordaunt the next day, and said he understood
she wished to have the child publicly received in church.
She said, " Oh, yes, I should like baby to be received in
church." She said Mrs. Forbes would be one of the god-
mothers, and Lord Dudley would be godfather. She
asked, would Mrs. Cadogan be a godmother. She ap-
peared to be perfectly sane. That was the last time wit-
ness saw her.

Cross-examined by Dr. Deane : Was a witness in the
Thwaites (the legacy) case. In the letter referred to, Sir
Charles described the sorrow that had been brought upon
him, and said he wished his wife, having done him so
dreadful a wrong, would think of him a little, and do him
the justice to own her wrong. After receiving the letter
he told Lady Mordaunt that he hoped she would not come
to church, as he could not admit her to the church while
she was lying under this gross and notorious scandal. He
did not enter into the question further. He had heard
nothing but of hsr own statements. While he said this,
Lady l‘fordaunt was irritably tapping the floor with her
foot ; and when he had done, she jumped up, and said if
she could see Sir Chorles she could soon set the
matter right. She then proposed a walk in the Etrden.
Afterwards, when he mentioned that she wished to have
the child received at church, she answered at once, with-
out hesitation. That was on the 2nd of May.
Re-examined bySerjeant Ballantine : There was nothing
in these conversations to indicate that Lady Mordaunt was
of unsound mind.

To the Court : When he received the letter from Sir
Charles he went to remonstrate with Lady Mordaunt, and
to induce her to own her wrong ; but he elicited nothing
from her.
The following letter was put in from Lady Mordaunt.
It was intended for Mrs. Hancock, but never reached
her :—" Dear Nurse, pray do not say anything more about
all the nonsense I have told you." It was dated the 10th
of April.
The Dowager Lady Mordaunt examined by Serjeant
Ballantine : lam now married to Mr. Gustavus Smith.
lam widow of the late Sir Charles Mordaunt and the
mother of the present Sir Charles. Of course I have
known the respondent. We were on good terms. She
and Sir Charles appeared to be happy together. On the
14th of March I saw her. I had heard something. I said,
" I have come to express my sorrow for your position."
She made no reply. Later in the day I said, "Do you see the
baby ? You know it belongs to you. I hope you will
take care of it." She replied, " I see it sometimes." I
always spoke kindly to her. On the 4th of April I saw
her, and said She ought to stop the publicity which must
inevitably follow from her conduct. She said nothing. I
saw nothing to indicate that her mind was wandering. On
the 9th of May I went again to see her. She seemed sur-
prised to see me. I kissed her, and said I had not been
lately to see her, because she had not asked me to come.
She said nothing, and left the room. A minute or two
afterwards she returned, and said to her maid, "Mrs. Cab orn,
I want to see Mr. Bird." Mrs. Cabornmade no answer. She
had by that time cut some bread and butter that Lady
Mordaunt had asked for, and both went out of the room.
In the course of half a minute I followed, and found the
respondent sitting on a large box in the passage; in which
coals were usually kept. 1 went up to her and said, "We
have had enough of this ; we quite understand what it all
means. You had better get up and go." I touched her
on her arm, and she got up_ and made no answer ; but
went away into a room. Witness spoke of seeing the
respondent on the 12th of May and other occasions,
and described her as acting and talking rationally.
Cross-examined by Mr. Archibald : When I found the
respondent sitting on the coal box, I said, " We have
had enough of thus," because I thought she was putting
IL on.

Sir Charles Mordaunt, cross-examined by Serjeaut
Baliantine : i was the orl—inal petitioner in this case. My
marriage with the respondent took lace at Perth in 1866,
with the lull sanction_ot ada fulettlai

nient or 1.7.:,uuu upon my wire. Nothing occurred to
disturb my affection for her up to the very moment
of my discovery of the most painful circumstances
which are now being investigated. •Up to that time my
happiness in her was complete. I sought to consult her
wishes in every possible way. I put no restraint upon her,
but allowed her to receive her acquaintances. I heard her
speak to Captain Farquhar, Lord Cole and Sir F. John-
stone as old friends of her family ; and I therefore received
them into the circle of my acquaintance. At Lady Mor-
daunt's instigation I invited Sir Frederick Johnstone to
'Walton.
Mr. Sergeant Ballantine : Were you also aware that the
Prince of Wales was an acquaintance of your wifes ?
Witness : I was.
I believe you bad no personal acquaintance with his
Royal Highness ?—I cannot way that I knew him well, I
nau spoken to nun. no was never a friend of mine.
I know that he was on visiting terms with my wife's
family.

---Did he ever come to your house on your invitation ?
Never.

Did you ever have a conversation with your wife about
him ; did you ever express a desire that your wife should
have no relations with him ?—I did. I warned her against
continuing her acquaintance with him.
Lord Penzance : Tell us what you said.
Sir Charles Mordaunt : I said I had heard in various
quarters certain circumstances connected with his previous
character which caused me to make that remark. I did
not enter into full particulars.
Serjeant Ballantine : At the time you expressed that
desire to Lady Mordaunt, had he, to your knowledge,
been at your house on one or two occasions ?—I never saw
him but once. It was after that I expressed this desire.
Were you in Parliament at one time represented
the Southern Division of Warwickshire for nine years,
until the last dissolution of Parliament.

Were you at all aware of the fact until after your wife's
confinement that the Prince of Wales had been a constant
visitor at your house ?—I was not.
Were you aware before your wife's confinement that she
had received letters from the Prince of Wales, and written
to him after your marriage ?—I was not. I cannot recol-
lect having seen any letters.
Lord Penzance—Did you know, no matter from what
source, that there was any correspondence, however inno-
cent or trifling, going on between your wife and the Prince
of Wales ? _ _ _

Sir C. Mordaunt—No, I knew of none.
Serjeant Ballantine—And supposing the Prince of
Wales had been at your house upon several occasions when
you were attending to your duties in the House of Com-
mons or elsewhere, were you acquainted with the fact ?

_
The Petitioner : I was not. -
Lord Penzance ; Except once, when you saw his Royal
Highness, were you made acquainted with the fact that
he ever called ?

Sir C. Mordaunt : I had heard that he called, but I
never saw him.

Serjeant Ballantine : Did you hear that he called fre-
quently?
Sir C. Mordaunt : No ; but I heard that he called occa-
sionally. It was mentioned to me by a connection of tho
family. I spoke to Lady Mordaunt on the subject after I
had received that communication. That was the occasion
I have mentioned.

The petitioner described the circumstances under which
he paid a visit to Norway in June 1868,and said, when he
returned in July, the fact that his wife was in the family-
way did not excite his suspicion. His wife asked him why
Sir F. Johnstone did not got married. He replied that
there was a reason, and, on her pressing for the reason,
said he had heard that Sir Frederick had
a disease which was likely to prevent his
marriage as it might he conveyed to his chil-
dren. Very shortly after that she went to London
in November 1868, saying it was necessary to con-
sult Dr. Priestly previous to her confinement. He did
not know that she saw Sir F. Johnstone while in London.
He had prepared a house in London for her confinement,
but it took place prematurely.. Two or three days after-
wards he saw the child, and noticed that its eyes were
closed up. Lady Mordaunt was very anxious to
know whether he had stated in the notices ,in
the paper that the birth was premature. On the
third day after her confinement, said the petitioner, she
said to me " Charlie, I have deceived you ; you are not
the father of my child." At that time I believed the
observation must have been made owing to some illness
which must necessarily accompany her confinement. Sub-
sequently she repeated the remark, and although I saw no
indication of her mind wandering, I did not believe what
she said, as I had full confidence in her. On the Bth of
May, when she was quite confused, but distressed, she
sad "Charlie. you are not the father of my child. Lord
Cole is the father of the child;and I myself am the cause of
its blindness." She did not speak again for a quarter of an
hour, when she said, " Charlie, I have been very wicked ;
I have done very wrong." I said, " Who with ?" She
replied, " With Lord Cole and Sir Frederick Johnstone
and the Prince of Wales, and with others, often, and in
the open day." (Sensation.) When she said this there was
nothing to indicate that she was under any delusion. She
spoke as though remorse had struck her. I made no reply
I was much distressed.
Lord Penzance Did you believe what she said ?
Sir C. Mordaunt: I cannot say that I believed her at
that time. My suspicions had not been thoroughly
aroused.

Examination continued : I told Lady Louisa what had
occurred when she came down. I left the house on the
4th April. I saw my wife for the last time on the 24th
March. I was many days without conversing with her.
In the meantime I saw some hotel bills, and also a num-
ber of letters from the Prince of Wales, some flowers and
some verses of a valentine, in a small desk in her writing-
table. I got the keys from her maid. The letters of the
Prince of Wales came in an envelope with the valentine.
Mr. Serjeant Ballantine stated that on the envelope
there was a memorandum in the handwriting of Lady
Mordaunt, which shewed that it had been received before
her marriage.
The letters were put in, but not read.
In his further examination, the petitioner stated after
his wife had made the confession to him, he told her that
as suspicion would fall upon persons other than those she
had named, she ought to clear those who were innocent.
He mentioned various friends but she emphatically cleared
them all except two. He named a near relation, and she
declined to answer one way or the other. Never heard a
suggestion of her being insane until Sir Thomas
Moncrieff came to Walton and saw her for three-minutes.

Cross-examined by Dr. Deane : After her marriage his
wife frequently consulted Dr. Priestly. She told
him she suffered from ulceration of the womb.
When he left home for Norway he understood
that Lord Cole was paying his addresses to Lady Mor-
daunt's sister, and was, in fact, engaged to her, but that
his father's consent could not be obtained. It was in the
year 1868 that he saw the Prince of Wales in his house.
He was lying on the sofa when the witness Bird came
upstairs and said the Prince of Wales was in the house,
and witness went down and saw his Royal
Highness. Besides the letters of the Prince of Wales,
he found letters from Lord Newport, George,
Forbes and others. It was after he saw the Prince of
Wales at his house in London, and before he went to
Norway he requested Lady Mordaunt not to receive the
visits of his Royal Highness. His wife did not buy her
pDnies from the Prince of Wales. Witness bought them
from the Prince of Wales's coachman. On one occasion
he went with his wife to a ball at the Prince of Wales's
house at Abergele.
The petitioner was further questioned as to letters he
had written immediately after his wife's confinement., and
in explanation of their contents he said he clung to the
hope that what his wife confessed was not true as long as
he could. _ _

4-Re-examined : There were no indications that his wife's
mind was wandering except her statements about different
men. When he asked her whether anything had taken
place with Lord Newport, she said, " I won't say any-
thing about Newport one way or the other." They were
first cousins. When he went to the ball the Princess of
Wales as well as the Prince were staying at Abergele.
On the court adjourning Lord Penzance said he had
had it intimated to him that his Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales had been subpoenaed on behalf of Sir
Charles Mordaunt. He thought they should, in some
way, consult his convenience in attending.
Serjeant Ballantine said that he was consulted as to tht
propriety of doing so ; but he was not in favour of it, and
he did not believe his Royal Highness was subpoenaed.
Lord Penzance said then he must have been mis-
informed.

An authenticated contradiction has been given to
the report which is goblf the round of the papers to the
effect that the League, rather than risk a manifestation
of opinion on the question of making the Scriptures a
class-book, have resolved on dropping their proposed bill
for the present." The members of Parliament entrusted
with the League bill have simply agreed to withhold the
measure till the proposals of the Government have been
discussed.

THE DERBY MEMORIAL STATI7E.—A. meeting of
the sub-committee for carrying out the proposal to erect a
statue in London in memory of the Into Earl of Derby
M. P., presiding. Some routine business
was held on Thursday at the Burlington Hotel, Sir John
Pakington,
having been transacted it was decided that the first list
of subscriptions should be published in the course of a few
days. Mr. Disraeli was unable to attend the meeting in
consequence of his recent indisposition. A long list of
subscriptions to the fund was announced.
ELECTIONEERING A3IBNITIES.—The Irish Solid-
tor-General in his nomination speech at Derry kept the
crowd in roars of laughter at his remarks. When he got to
the subject of his opponent, Mr Baxter, he said:—Speaking
politely, T am glad to sephim here—(laughter). Heinforms
me is most happy to see me. I beg to assure him that the
happiness is equally enjoyed by me to-day. (Cheers and
laughter). Combatants frequently shake hands before
they enter the arena. I this morning had the honour of
shaking hands with Mr. Baxter before we began, and all
I can tell you is that that when the fight is over I will
shake his hand again—for it has always been one of my
principles to have compassion on the unfortunate. (Cheers
and laughter.)

A RITUALIST "BROTHER " CHARGED WITH
FELoNT.—At the Liverpool Coroner's Court, on Thursday,
James Marks, a man of respectable. appearance, was
charged with embezzling money belonging to the Rev.
Cecil Wray, incumbent of St. 11fartin's Church, in that
town. This edifice is a building of noble proportions, and
affords accommodation to a very large congregation,
though its ornate services are attended by an assembly
scarcely ever numbering more than from forty to fifty
persons. Attached to the church is a sisterhood, and
"Brother " Marks was the appointed collector of funds
for their disposal. Some of these funds he had appro-
priated to his own use, and hence this prosecution. The
prisoner was remanded for a week, in order to ascertain
how far he had victimised the sisterhood of the Benedic-
tine order.

THE LOCK HOSPITAL AT CORR.—Very strong
testimony to the beneficial operation of the Contagious
Diseases Act is borne by Surgeon-Major John-
ston, in charge of the new Lock Hospital at
Cork. In a communication lately read before the Medical
Society of London, he mentions that since the 16th of .Tune
last, when the hospital was opened with forty-six beds, 215
venereal patients have been admitted : of these 170 have
been discharged, and 45 remain under treatment; the
average time of residence in the hospital for each patient
being fifty-three days. As the result of inquiries which
Dr. Johnston has made, he states that the operation of
the Act has diminished venereal affections to the extent of
50 per cent. amongst the soldiers in the garrison during
the last six months, and consequently has fulfilled the
expectations of the authorities. In carrying out the
provisions of the Act, not a single instance of objection-
able interference with the rights of the subct has
occurred within his knowledge. Further, Dr. Johnstonj
is sure that not only the military, but also the civil
population are benefited, although at this early stage of
the working of the Act this is not so readily demonstrated,
—The Lashed.

LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET.-(THIS DAY.)

fiales probably 10,000. bales. TllO =riot- qniet.

POSTAL ARP►ANGEMENTS BETWEEN
FRANCE AND THE UNITED STATES.

Mons. Berthemy arrived in New York on the
25th January, and reached Washington the next
day. We believe the French Minister, whose duty
has been performed by Count Farverney during his
absence in France of several months, has been in-
structed by the imperial Government to re-open
negotiations on a Postal Treaty with the United
States. By telegraph we learn that the postage
between America and France and Algeria via Great
Britain has been fixed at 80 centimes per letter
weighing 10 grammes. Pending the renewal of
the Treaty we desire to give the spirit of the French
journals on the subject.
Le Temps had an article wherein it remarked that
the American Postmaster-General lays the blame of
the failure to franse a treaty on the French Adminis-
tration, which he accus s of being unjust, illiberal,
and unreasonable, and it hints that the French
llir cc-
tor-General ought to have offered an explanation,
as silence implies consent. Le Temps, however, cousi-
dersboth parties to be in the wrong. First, the demand
of France for a double internal r.Lt_! is an extraordi-
nary and manifestly unjust requisition, as the United
States is 14 times the size of France. The condition,
however, is not so unjust as at first appears, as
each should pay for the service rendered; in France
the letters are everywhere distributed ; in the
United States only in some 48 towns. The U.S.
pos men number but 1,100, while France has nearly
20,000. In the rural districts of the Republic
the letter-bag is emptied on the Post-office table,
whence the letters are taken by their owners, those
unclaimed being returned as dead letters, which far
exceed the number in France. In the postal treaty
of 1867 between the U.S. and England, Art. 14
requires letters passing through Britain to pay two
sous. France offered to pay these two sous, and the
U.S. replied that they would be satisfied if more
was not required. But France gets four sous
from the mosts favoured nations, and if the reduc-
tion with America were to two sous, that must be
the rate with all other nations, whereby foreigners
would obtain better conditions than her own people.
As the Union has brought its rate down to two
sous, it accuses France of requiring double postage
while merely adhering to the system in operation.
Le Temps then goes on to discuss the transport to
Algeria, and comes to its second point, viz., the
requisition for the Union to establish a semi-
monthly line between New York and Brest equal
to the French boats, or pay all the sea transport, and
that through British territory. Le Temps considers
the requisition for an American line to be reasonable,
and the alternative to have been misunderstood.
Were it not so, the expressions of the American
Postmaster, "unjust," "unreasonable," and "im-
possible," would have peen justifiable. The fact is,
four-fifths of the correspondence takes the route to
England, and France says— since you will not
establish a direct line, take upon yourselves that
part of the correspondence which does not go by
steamers subsidised by France; this you can do
better than we, for England gives you better
terms ; and, on the other hand, you shall have
the corresponding proportion of the receipts.
fhe American Post-office reproaches the French
Administration for the very conditions contained in
the previous convention in 1857, only at that time
the U.S. had subsidised steamers, and France had
none. Was it France who took it upon herself to
pay the cost of transport, &c., collecting the post-
age ? Now, the position is reversed, and it is for
the U.S. to make the necessary advances. The
proposal is to the advantage of the U.S., although
this may not be understood, for the public pays for
an intermediate transport a tax in excess of the
cost, and the party finding the capital, on condition
of collecting the postage, realizes a profit. To sum
up—it appears Let emps considers that there is
only a misunderstanding, which will be cleared
away when negotiations are resumed, and a treaty
decided on after the matter has been submitted to
experts. We translate from the Liberte, of the 23d
Jan., the following remarks upon the above sub-
ject :—" After free national instruction I know of
no public service more worthy the attention of a
great people, more important for international
commercial relations, than the Post-office and the
Telegraph. It is the thought which travels, and
thus travelling, spreads everywhere on its pas-
sage the benefits of civilization. The United States
more eagerly developed the postal service, and here,
in good time, recognized the character of a national
enterprise supported by the Government, but they
have not yet applied the same system to the tele-
graphic lines, which have been left to this time in
the hands of private enterprise, and abandoned to
the chances of rivalry and opposition. We can thus
see in the New World the advantages and the in-
conveniences of Telegraphic liberty, as compared with
the Postal system centralized as in France. When
I say as in France, it is with reserve, for nothing
in the United States can happen as in France.
Thus, there, side by side with the National Post,
exist private enterprises of the character of Wells,
Fargo, and Co., who, in taking despatches already
franked by Government stamps, give an additional
guarantee beyond that demanded by the public ser-
vice from the Government. This enterprise of Wells,
Fargo, and Co. has been for a long time the only
resource of the Far West. They were the Lafitte
and Caillard of the desert, which they covered with
their stages, their express waggons, and their
pony expresses ; a daring enterprise, often result-
ing tragically, for it became responsible for tra-
vellers, specie, and baggage, through the entire
Indian country. These hardy pioneers thus organ-
ized the Pony Express--a postillion, taking his bag
of despatches, found a pony saddled at each sta-
tion, and, departing at a gallop, passed through
ambushes, and often under fire, to deliver his mail
at the point of destination, after performing the
almost incredible feat of traversing six or seven
hundred leagues across the desert, with the speed
of ten or twelve miles in the hour. The Pacific Rail-
way at once did away with all this, and mails
have no other risk now to meet with than the heavy
snows, which occasionally stop the progress of the
trains for a short time. In this connection the
Message of the President of the United States and
the Report of Mr. Creswell, Postmaster-General,
present many interesting facts. The statements as
regards foreign postal intercourse during the past
year indicate that 6,638,858 letters were sent to
foreign countries, and that 5,957,796 letters were
received therefrom ; in this number are not consi-
dered the exchanges with Canada, estimated at
3,000,000. This is certainly a great public service,
and in the United States we could only expect such
a result. There is, however, unhappily a shadow
over the picture, and I agree with Mr. Block, who,
in a remarkable article in the 7 emps, states that
he is afraid lest it should be France, or rather the
customs and routine of the French Administration,
which throws this shade ever the postal relations
with the United States, which can only be decided by
the facts themselves. This year, January 1, 1870,
expired the Treaty with the United States—a Treaty
not very liberal, I freely admit, considering that
the letters from and to France were taxed at
thirty cents the half-ounce, equivalent to eighty
centimes for 7 grammes, a Treaty behind the
times and unreasonable, inasmuch as printed matter
could only be paid to the port of arrival. leaving a
still further charge to be collected in each country.
This is a Treaty very disadvantageous and annoy-
ing to both nations, because it submits all senders
' of valuables to the most expensive and superfluous
charges. In presence of such a Treaty there was
but one thing to do, namely, to modify it in a just
and liberal sense. Every one will agree with Mr.
Block on this point, and can only differ from him
upon the application of the reciprocal damages. Mr.
Block endeavours to make each party equally re-
sponsible ; he excuses the French Government for
having demanded double for the interior postage on
unjustifiable pretensions in the eyes of all honour-
able judges. lie is more happy in his efforts to
explain bow France had the right to charge more
to the United States Government for ocean carriage
because she is in possession of the transatlantic
line ; but was this a very politic measure? If lam
to believe the message of General Grant (a menace
or hope), the aim of the United States, since the
breaking off of negotiations, is to supplant this
French upon the ocean by the purchase of their
steamers, of which the shares are now held at a
very low figure, and to make available to its
own advantage the ocean mail service. That is
what we shall gain by fighting against preten-
sions after all legitimate, and by tiring out the
patience of the United States in this affair, for it
must be understood that these negotiations did
not commence yesterday. It is a long time since
the United States Government has been annoyed,
and the report of the Postmaster-General truly
states that many years have been employed in
useless and unsatisfactory correspondence.
There is another view Mr. Block and the Liberte
might have taken. Allusion is made to the advantages
given to the British Government, but these are the
fruits of mutual concessions, the rate of a half ounce
letter being reduced to threepence, or six sous, of
which two go to each country,and two to the Atlantic
steamer. The Government ai Washington were
met in a liberal spirit by the British Government,
and this is the result, while the policy of France
has been the reverse ; hence the difference in the
arrangements. Admitting that the blame should
be shared (which we do not) it is still impolitic
when postal intercourse has in a measure closed
between the counties, and when the transatlantic
service is in a depressed state, that the negotiator
should say to the Americans, advance f our-fif the of the
expense, and we will 'any your letters. The
French Administration desires the U.S. to estab-

lish a semi-monthly line of mail boats between New
York and Brest, similar to the French line. Why
should France encourage the establishment of a
rival company ? What motive can the Imperial
Government have in reducing the receipts of an
enterpri:e already so costly to France? A corres-
pondent of our own answers, with what truth we
cannot tell, that the Transatlantique Company is
at the end of its resources, and the French Govern-
ment, instead of an additional subsidy, desire to
transfer this postal service to the Government of
the United States. Our correspondent goes on to
remark that he is convinced that the enlarged
views and liberal policy of the new French Minister
of Finance will prevent the sacrifice of a line which
has attained a high reputation at a great outlay,
and will uphold its iuterests.—Anylo•American
Times.