The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-26 00:00:00

INCREASE OF S3IALL4PDX IN LONDON.

The alarming extent to which small-pox prevails
in London may ha judged of from the fact that the
Small-pox Hospital at Highgate is so full -of patients
that no moire can be accommodated. Attention has
also been drawn to the fact that in the Highgate In-
firmary there are no more vacancies for male patients.
In facts at the present time there are seven in
excess of the regulation number. The Central London
Sick Asylum Board, in order to meet the emergency,
have resolved upon re-opening the temporary hos-
pital at Hampstead for the reception of persons
sintering from smallpox. The epidemic is said to be
spreading all over the metropolis; and at the Landon
Hospital the attendance of visitors has been pro-
hibited in cobsequence of its prevalence!
A LOUD FINED FOR ASSAULT.

Lord William Beresford has been fined Vi for
, committing an assault upon a solicitor's clerk.
Lordship is a lieutenant in the oth Queen's Roya
Lancers, now at Aldershot, and Charles Bateman;
the unfortunate clerk, went to the barracks for the
purpose of serving one of the " Lord Beresfords" with
a writ from the Court of Exchequer. He
met his lordship coaling from the guard-
room, and told him his business. His lordship
it is alleged, denied that he was "Lord Bereaford,"
but the prosecutor believing that he was speaking to
the person he required asked him to take the writ.
His lordship refused, and Bateman hinted that he
should adopt other means to serve the instrument,
and attempted to put it into the breast of Lord
Beresford's patrol jacket. Bateman was nearly
tripped up, and received a staggering blow from his
lordship. It was attempted to be shown that the
clerk had first assaulted Lord Beresford, but the bench
refused to believe the evidence which was adduced in
support of the defendant's case, remarking that as an
unprovoked assault had been committed, they would
have been justified in committing him without the
option of a fine. The money was paid. It is only a
few weeks ago that Lord Marcus Beresford caused
considerable scandal by his .appearance before
the Lord Mayor at York, for a breach of the law.

BA LM FOR SCIATICA.
The payment of damages resulting from the acci-
dent at New Cross last year has drawn from the
exchequer of the London and Brighton Railway
-Company an immense amount of money. Weeks
since the public thought the last of the claims had
been settled, but this was a mistake. There has
just appeared in court a plaintiff who demanded com-
pensation for sciatica. lie alleged that in the rail-
way accident his ankle had been injured, when
getting well, he caught a cold, and this resulted in
his having a rheumatic attack. The company's
defenoe was that the primary cause of the
complaint was now too late to be considered. The
jury, however, after being locked up for au hour,
decided otherwise, and awarded damages of £3OO.
We are informed that after the hearing of the case
the counsel for the company intimated that he had a
right to move the court on the question whether
compensation could be awarded for sciatica, result-
ing, partially at all events, from a cold which a man
was liable to catch at any time and when not
suffering under any other ailment.

CARDINAL ANTONELLI'S PROTEST.
The full text of Cardinal Antonelli's protest
against the occupation of the Quirinal by the Italian
authorities, has been published in the Unita Cattolica,
the famous Ultramontane periodical, whose proof
sheets, some persons believe, are read by the Pope
himself. The protest is dated from the Chambers of
the Vatican, Nov. oth, and denounces the seizure of
the Quirinal as a special attack on the private pro-
perty of the Roman Pontiff. It is really surprising,
says the Cardinal, that a Council of Ministers should
constitute themselves judges of other people's pro-
perty, especially of a palace which is called apostolic,
and has for three centuries been consecrated
to the use of the Popes, the Conclave, and Apostolic
secretaries. The Cardinal., as Prefect of the Holy
Apostolic Palaces, did not hesitate to declare that he
would never assent to any such spoliation, and has
consequently refused to deliver the keys of the Holy
Father's apartments, the doors of which had already
been sealed. In spite of this declaration, however,
and contrary to the prerogatives of sovereignty and
the immunity with which it is professed to surround
the Head of the Church, General La Marmora by his
delegates proceeded to break open the locks of the
doors, penetrate into the interior, and take
possession of the Palace of the Quirinal.
The document concludes by saying that the Holy
Father not being able to resist by force, and yet not
wishing to see his right of property in the palaces
prejudiced, has issued his formal protest, and desires
to bring it to the notice of the Royal Governmeilt.
The protest made a great impression at Florence,
whore the action of the Government in respect to
the Roman question is known to be somewhat timid
and vacillating, and a rumour was spread that the
abandonment of the Quirinal was in contemplation.
This report was officially denied by the Gazette, but
the King's departure for Rome has been once more
delayed in consequence of the dilemma.
THE IRISH POLITICAL PRISONERS. .
The Dublin Town Council has held another special
meeting, for the purpose of considering the case of
the Fenian prisoners. The discussion appears to
have been characterised by a singular unanimity
of feeling in favour of the .release of the offenders.
The result was that a resolution proposed by Sir
John Gray was adopted. It expressed the
opinion of the Council, as a general representa-
tive body, that the tranquillity of Ireland affbrded
a most favourable opportunity to her Majesty's
advisers for the gracious fulfilment, " now at the
approach of the Christmas festival," of their implied
promise to liberate the political offenders as soon as
the social condition of the country justified such an
act of clemency. For once both 'Conservatives and
Liberals rose above party differences, and the state
of feeling in the Corporate body may be taken as
representing the sentiment of the nation at large.