The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-23 00:00:00

THE CHINESE DIFFICULTY.

The Foreign Office telegram from Mr. Wade announcing
that military force will probably not be required anywhere
in China to compel the observance by the Chinese Govern-
ment of its treaties with foreigners relieves us for the
moment from the fear that we might have two wars on
our hands at once, one in Europe and one in Asia. Pi e-
cautions had already been taken by :our Government, in view
of the probability of another Chinese war, to protect foreign
residents by strengthening the garrison of native Indian
troops which we maintain at Hong Kong ; but now that
the Chinese are armed with breech-loading rifles and im-
proved artillery, it is questionable whether we should have
found it easy to overcome them without employing Euro-
pean troops. We may be thankful, therefore, for such a
termination of the dispute as saves us from the necessity
of sending any English regiments to China ; for if we
have a war with Russia we shall not be able to spare a
man of the European garrison for service out of our own
dominions in the East. Cannot the missionaries in China
be persuaded to restrain their zeal for a year or two, till
we can again afford to lend them an army to avenge mas-
sacres of their converts ?-21fanchester Guardian.

ATTEMPTED MURDER AT BIRMINGHAM.
A young man named John Baylis, an electro-plater,
was charged at the Birmingham Police Court on Monday,
with stabbing his mother-in-law, Anne Humphreys. The
prisoner seems to have arrived at his home about mid-
night, on Saturday, in a state of furious drunkenness.
His wife, who has only just been confined, was asleep in
bed. He went upstairs, and began abusing her. Not
content with this he dragged the poor woman roughly out
of bed, and would have beaten her but for the timely in-
terference of his mother-in-law, who was in the room.
Irritated with the latter's endeavours to shield her
daughter, he snatched up a knife, and stabbed her in the
back, the blade passing through the ribs very near the
spine. Sbe had to be taken to the General Hospital,
where she still lies in a very dangerous state. Prisoner
was remanded for a week to see if the woman could

recover.

ARREST OF SUPPOSED FENIANS.

A Manchester correspondent telegraphs that two Irish-
men named John Walsh and Thomas Boucher, who were
apprehended at the Victoria Railway Station, in that
city while entering a train for Leeds, were brought up at
the city police-court, yesterday morning, charged with
being Fenians. The police had received some private
information respecting the prisoners, who, on being
arrested, were found to have in their possession 300 cart-
ridges and a large number of secret documents in cipher.
The prisoners were remanded.

Lord Cairns has promised to preside at the next
annual festival of the Warehousemen and Clerks' Schools,
to be held in January, 1871. •
TRH IRISH NATIONAL II (JNT CIO. —This
famous meeting, better known by the cognomen of
" Punchestown, has just been fixed to take place on
Tuesday and Wednesday, the 18th and 19th of April,
1871.

A telegram from Chateaudun, November 21, says :
"Some French scents have encountered 600 Uhlans at
Yevre.. The Prussians have burnt several houses at
Mesley, Vidame, and Bonneval, and have carried some of
the inhabitants away with them as prisoners. Daily re-
connaisances are made by the Germans in the direction of
Courdihiere and Saint Loup."

LIFEBOAT SERVICE AT CAIIORE, COUNTY WEX-
FORD.—tha Sunday morning a report was received from
the officer of the Coastguard at Morris Castle that a large
fishing smack was in distress, and was drifting towards
the Blackwater Bank. The Cahore lifeboat, the Sir
George Bowles, belonging to the National Lifeboat Insti-
tution,,•was quickly launched to her assistance, took her
in tow, and brought her safely to Wexford. This valuable
lifeboat and the one at Howth, near Dublin, were pre-
sented to the Lifeboat Society by General Sir George
Bowles, K.C.B.

THE OPENING OF THE HALL OF ARTS AND
SCIENCES. —The musical performance for the inauguration
of the Hall of Arts and Sciences, London, on the Ist May
next year, will be under the direction of Sir Michael
Costa, who will compose a work for the occasion—some-
thing, of course, in the shape of an ode or cantata. The
largest organ in the world will be heard at this ceremonial.
It is proposed also to secure the services of several famed
military bands from the Continent. The Sacred Har-
monic Society will also give evening performances of
oratorio on the grandest scale.— Atheneum.
THE DIAMOND DISCOVERIES IN SOUTH AFRICA.
—A supplement to the Cape Argus of October 19 gives
Free State news to the 13th ult., and says :—There is little
fresh news from the fields, Mr. Rend had purchased in
about seven days between 900 and 1,000 carats
weight of diamonds. Mr. N. M. de Kock had un-
earthed another diamond of 40. and 11-16th carats.
A new field had been discovered at Koffyfontein,
about four hours from Fauresmith. Many diamonds
picked up on surface. The proprietor of this farm was
willing to grant licences to all corners at ss. per month.
Yet another field reported on the farm Blesbokfontein,
between Bloemfontein, and Fauresmith. Several diamonds
reported to have been found there. A correspondent of
the Friend says :—" Startling successes are hourly
reported. One party of tramps just arrived without
any tools in one day turned out 13 diamonds." Scholtz
returned to King William's Town. Describes the diggings
as a dreadful place. Very hot, and likely to be much
sickness. One of the Kaffrarian parties has been very
successful. The committee addressed a letter to his
Excellency the High Commissioner in reply to proclama-
tion, highly approving of the measure, and stating that
no act of government was ever more opportune, and
assuring his Excellency that, as loyal subjects, tehre is no
fear that the diggers will commit themselves to acts of
territorial aggression which their Sovereign hereafter may
be advised to disallow ; and they shall on their part be
ready to co-operate with his Excellency in ever ypossible
way.
FEMALE MEDICAL STUDENTS.--Sophia Jex Blake
has written on the subject of the disturbance which took
place at Surgeons' Hall, Edinburgh, in connection with
the visits of lady students. She says that some very
exaggerated statements of the affair have got abroad, and
the crowd which appeared at the gates did not contain
many students, but was chiefly composed of ordinary
street rowdies. The disturbance outside did not prevent
the delivery of the lecture. The examination was pro-
longed beyond the usual time, but it was conducted as
quietly, as usuaL Miss Blake writes merely to correct the
errors which have appeared in the report of the
occurrence, and to express the gratitude which
she and the other ladies feel for the support
of their fellow-students who expressed their con-
tempt for the unruly conduct of a few members of the
class. A male medical student writes a letter on the same
subject to say that though they do not desire to have lady
students at the Royal Infirmary during the hours they
attend it, few can approve, the disgraceful manner in
which they were treated. They are entitled to use every
legal means to effect their object, but to insult the female
students is cowardly. He hopes that all those who value
the good name of the University will wake a firm stand,
and put their names to a protest which will chew that
they condemn such proceedings as those referred to.