The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-04 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN GOSSIP-MARCH 3.

There is a little more liveliness this week, which, being
interpreted, means that politicians are not quite such
examples of brethren dwelling together in unity as they
have been throughout the session hitherto. The 'no It
serious matter is the condition of Ireland. This is being
urged upon the Government very forcibly, and great pres-
sure is being exerted to induce Ministers to resort to what
is euphemistically called "exceptional legislation." Whether
that is needed or not I will not undertake to say, but I
am sure that a great deal more might be done than is
done without resorting to such legislation. The scandal-
ous scenes at Waterford have been much dwelt upon as a
proof of the lawless state of Ireland. But the lawlessness
was quite as much passive as active, was manifested quite
as much in a remissness of the authorities in enforcing the
law as in the turbulence of the people in breaking it.
There was no need, of martial law at Waterford. If the
sheriff had but done his duty, the shameful outrages upon
life and property would not have taken place.
Two other Irish topics are likely to give rise to some
excitement. The extreme "national " party have come
to the conclusion that they don't like the Land Bill, and
it is generally believed that at the meeting which they
hold to-day they will either move an amendment for ex-
tending the Ulster system to the whole of Ireland, or
will urge that the bill be rejected in tote. This
is not a serious matter, however. The Nationalists
are, like the conies, a feeble folk, but are
Dot, like the conies, exceeding wise. The only
way in which they could do anything would be
by a coalition with the Conservatives, and that is a leap
into the abyss which even Mr. Disraeli will not be able to
persuade his followers to take. The other matter is the
dismissal of Mr. Madden, with respect to which there is
much soreness on the Conservative side of the House.
But as the Conservatives, though much stronger than the
Nationalists, are not of themselves strong enough to outvote
the Government, and as they, are not at all likely
to be joined by the Nationalists, Ministers
have no anxiety. Nessztheless, precautions have
been taken against a surprise, and Mr. Glyn, the whip,
issued a circular urging the attendance of Liberal M. P.'s
on Tuesday, in expectation that the subject would come
on for discussion that evening. Lord John Manners has,
for reasons that I have not heard, postponed the-question
for a month. It is possible that we may hear no more
about it. Personal grievances spoil by keeping.
Yesterday there was a little comedy,' whose merits
will hardly be appreciated by those who are not behind the
scenes. Mr. McLaren is an Independent Radical, and
M.P, for Edinburgh. When first elected he took up the
question of the annuity tax, or Mini;ter's money, a tax
levied upon the citizens for the support of a few ministers
of the Established Kirk. At that time he had for
colleague Mr. Moncreiff, a Whig of the old school, who
did not at all like Mr. McLaren's proposal to abolish
this tax, and induced the Government to oppose the bill
framed for that purpose. The result was that Mr.
McLaren failed, but Mr. Moncreiff lost his seat, or rather
had to abandon it, and, knowing that re-election was
hopeless, took refuge in a new university constituency,
where he escaped with the skin of his teeth. Mr. M`Laren
obtained so much popularity that not only was he strong
enough to keep his own seat, but to bring in his nominee for
the other seat. Though Mr. McLaren is the brother-in-
law of Mr. Bright, there is no love lost between him and
the Government, for he was one of the most conspicuous
Adullamites four years ago. Therefore, Government,
seeing that the time was come when this matter of the
Annuity Tax could be dealt with safely, but not caring
for the prime mover in it to have the credit of it, gave
Mr. McLaren notice that they would bring in a measure
of their own, and that if he persisted with his they would
vote against it, and of course, being secure of Conservative
support, would throw it out by a large majority. Under
these circumstances the member for Edinburgh had to
withdraw his bill, and, with not the best grace in the
world, consent to see the pluni snatched from him just as

it was ripe.
Great agitation prevails in the liquor trade respecting
Mr. Bruce's promised bill, which has been postponed from
to-morrow to next Friday. The trade has made up its
mind that legislation is inevitable, and while still smarting
under the severe blow which was dealt by the Beerhouse
Bill of last session, looks for a much more serious blow this
year. The great object of the trade is to remove the
licensing power as far as possible from the influence of
popular opinion. The trade knows well enough that it is
its best customers who are most conscious of the mischief
it works. Therefore it wishes to interpose some cold
unsympathetic medium between it and the people.
It is for this reason that the trade would like to
intrust the licensing to stipendiary magistrates,
who, being immovable and irresponsible to the
people would, it is supposed, deal more leniently with the
traffic than a licensing board elected directly by the
people. Hitherto Mr. Bruce has kept his secret well,
and no one knows what he means to propose. The tem-
perance party are, of course, as much on the alert as the
trade, mid if the measure be at all a step in the right direc-
tion, the party will accept it, at the same time declaring
that it is but a step, and that another and longer one will
have to be taken at s future day. In connection with
this subject, Mr. Bass is making strenuous efforts to get
rid of the brewers' license duty. It will be remembered
that a little while ago Mr. Gladstone abolished the hop
duty, and substituted for it a tax of 3d. per barrel on beer.
Mr. Bass says that he, and not the consumer, as Mr.
Gladstone intended, has had to pay this 3d., and that it
has cost him £64,000 in four years. As the tax was
merely a substitute for the hop duty, the inference would
seem to be that Mr. Bass was not accustomed to use hops.
Messrs. Gilbey, the wine merchants, have addressed a
letter to Mr. Bruce, in which they criticise the Permissi• o
Bill, and urge the paradox that drunkenness is caused not
by public-houses, but by private houses in which total
abstinence principles prevail. It is from the young persons
brought up in temperance principles that the army of
drunkards is recruited. I wonder if it is from the young
persons taught not to take anything which does not belong
to them that our army of thieves is recruited.
One more political matter I must mention before pass-
ing on to other subjects. The opposition to Mr. Forster's
Education Bill is increasing. The Radicals find it too
Conservative, and especially do they dislike " permissive"
compulsion and the liberty of school boards to give reli-
gious teaching in schools supported out of the rates. For
this latter provision the Conservatives will contend
strenuously, but I am inclined to think Ministers will
have to give way on the = point, and assent to com-
pulsion pure and simple

The Wicklow peerage case has taken the place of the
Mordaunt scandal as the chief topic of this week's papers.
It will be remembered that a few months ago the Earl of
Wicklow died. The death of his heir preceded his own.
But a certain Mrs. Howard claims that she was married
to this heir, and had a son by him, Who is still living, an
infant. She has claimed the earldom on behalf of this
shad, and the House of Lords has been hearing the
claim. It may be imagined that there was some
excitement even in that august and sedate assem.
bly when Sir R. Palmer, who is the leading
counsel employed by the other side, declared that he
had evidence to shew that Mrs. Howard went to the
Liverpool workhouse and ,persuaded one of the women
inmates to part with her male infant, on the promise that
Mrs. Howard would adopt it. The excitement was not
diminished when it was found that Mrs. Howard, who
had been in the House of Lords during the morning, did
not respond after Sir Roundell Palmer's assertion, though
called upon to appear. The case is adjourned, and
of course the statement is at. present merely an ex parts
one.

We are likely to have another great scandal shortly.
The story is that a certain peer, now about 60, married,
some thirty years ago, the daughter of another peer, and
that at the time he contracted this marriage he was
already married. When very young he had fallen in love,
with a girl of obscure origin, and induced her to become
his mistress. In order to quiet her scruples he went
Shrough a form of marriage which he believed to be null and
void, and which she, too, must have supposed to be so. By his
second marriage he has a large family—some in the law, some
in the Church, some in the Civil Service; and many of the
daughters are well married. There are also children by
the first wife. A few years ago this wife-mistress con-
sulted the lawyers, and was assured by them that her mar-
riage was perfectly legal. Thereupon she naturally desired
to establish the legitimacy of her children, and her own
right to be Countess. But for a time the sinews of
war were not forthcoming. Very recently a wealthy
brother has returned from Australia, and he, preferring
to be brother to a countess instead of to an earl's mistress,
has furnished the necessary funds, and it is expected that
the case will shortly come on for trial.
During the recent severe weather there were two
members of the Skating Club whose performances ex,
cited especial attention. One was the Princess
of Wales, the other the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol.
There was the more reason for watching them because
the Princess still suffers in some measure from her illness,
and the Bishop still suffers from the accident on the Great
Eastern Railway, ten years ago, in which both his
legs were broken. Before that he used to be one of the
most accomplished skaters in England, as he is now one
of the most skilful croquet players.
There is a great movement going on among the public
schools. Westminster is to be removed to Chiswick.

Irist's Hospital is migrating to Godalming, and the
school buildings will be occupied by Merchant Taylors. I
doubt if the Westmonastrians will like the change, for,
among other privileges, they will lose the right which they
now enjoy of taking seats in the Peers' gallery during the
debates, a privilege which they exercise every day.

I mentioned some time arm that a lame block of boildinas

nad been rased to the ground cipposife the General Poit
Office, in order to make room for new buildings for the same
department. The works are now being pushed on with
great vigour. The principal front will face the present
post-office, and will rather dwarf it, as it will be some
twenty feet higher. It will be faced with Portland stone
set on a granite base. The building consists of four floors.
The basement will be used for stores, except that in the
centre will be a large room, 80ft. by 60ft., which will be
used as a battery room for the telegr4ph department. On
the ground floor there is a large public office, 79 feet by
52, which will be used for transacting business in connec-
tion with money orders, registered letters, post-office
savings banks, and for the receipt of telegraphic mes-
sages. There is a private entrance for the Postmaster-
General, whose rooms are on this floor; and there is also
a very spacious apartment set apart for deputations. The
remaining rooms on this floor will be occupied by the
Accountant-General and his staff. On the first floor the
secretaries and staff will be located immediately above the
rooms of the Postmaster-General; the rest of the floor
will be occupied by the solicitors and the upper part of the
public offices. The whole of the second floor will be occu-
pied by clerks, and the third floor will be taken by the
telegraph department. In the centre of this last floor there
is a large apartment, 131 feet in length by 80 in width, to
be used as an instrument room. To the right and left of
these are rooms to be appropriated for the same purpose.
There are also private rooms for the telegraph engineer
and his staff.

The new Junior Conservative Club is making good way,
and about 500 five-guinea members have joined. They
will probably be housed for a time in the premises of the
Cleveland and Beefsteak Club, which has offered to take
them in at £2 a head. They will have to be more econo-
mical than the Junior Carlton, which spent no less
than £BO,OOO before taking possession of their present
splendid premises in Pall Mall.

Next Monday we shall see an addition to our picture
galleries. The New British Institution will open its doors
to the public, and so fill up thelacuna caused bythe closing
of the old British Institution. The gallery is small, but is
well lighted, and as the walls are not high, no picture
can be badly hung. About 211 pictures have
been selected out of 500 sent, and •on the
whole the selection seems to have been judicious.
Among the figure subjects is one by Mr. Stannus, who has
an effective picture of a child being brought on shore front
a lifeboat by a weather-beaten boatman. Mr. P. R.
Morris has a charming picture of a boy contemplating a
Cavalier's sword and breastplate. Mr. Cave Thomas has a
very obtrusively coloured group of angels stand-
ing on some indigo clouds, which, by a fatal mistake, will
be found in. the place of honour ; and Mr. Archer has one
or two clever pictures. Among the landscapes will be
found a very charming bit of Highland scenery by Peter
Graham ; some fine works by Linnell ; one or two by M•
Antony ; a clever view of the Mer de Glace from the
Chapeau, by Field ; and a view of the Jungfrau
by Sydney Hodges. There are small contri-
butions also by Poole, Faed, and other R.A.'s.
The private view is to take place on Saturday next.
Still on Art matters, I may mention that Hook, Elmore,
and Sant will' be the Hanging Committee of the Royal
Academy this year, and Watts, Hart, and Leighton will
be the Selecting Committee. Mr. Theed is busy upon a
colossal statue of Sir R. Peel for Huddersfield, and has
been commissioned to execute for the Junior Carlton a
replica of his statue of Lord Derby in the Manchester
Town HalL

There is still a talk of new papers. Mr. Hepworth
Dixon's Light is spoken of again, and it is stated that Mr.
John Morley, late editor of the Morning Star will be the
editor. It is to be a daily, and it is to be hoped that
it will shine with a brighter light than the defunct
journal with which he was last associated. Another
new daily—the Financier—has appeared during the last
few days, but it has not yet got into general
circulation, though it has for editor the City editor of the
Daily News. The Owl has not yet emerged from its ivy
bush, but will do so in a week or two. One
well-known magazine is destined to borne
extinct shortly. The Britannia is owned in part
by Mr. Hambro, M.P. for Weymouth. Macmillan,
which this month publishes Sir John Coleridge's paper.
toad at Sion College, upon freedom of opinion in an Beta'
blished Church, will next month have a poem of 800 lined,
by " George Eliot ; " and the same number will contain
the commencement of a new tale by the prolific tII'
Anthony Trollope. Messrs. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin
are about to publish a very handsome volume of
selections from Gustave Dord's engravings, and the letter)
press will be written by Mr. Edmund Oilier. " Thd
Annals of an Eventful Life," which I mentioned bad
been reviewed in the Times as though the reviewer WO
not aware that the author was on the Times staff, is noo#
published with the name of Dr. Dasent. " Holme Lee "
appears to be abandoning her pseudonym, and one of he!
works is announced with her real name, ilaniet Parr.
Dr. George Macdonald has been acting in private theatri•
cats for the benefit of a charity. One of the books of
the day is " Ecclesia," a series of essays and reviews on
ecclesiastical subjects by eminent Congregational minis'
ter s. Mr. Emerson's new volume of essays, " Society
and Solitude," is to be out this week. Dr. Leary, editor
of the Bock, is about to publish a new blank verse transit"'
tion of the .rEneid.

Messrs. Gye and Mapleson have contrived to come to
an agreement this year ; and the Opera at Covent Garden
will be conducted under their joint management.

THE CORPORATION OP LEEDS.—Vice-Chancellor JarneS
has granted an injunction restraining the Corporation of
Leeds from causing the sewage of that town to flow
into the River Aire. It was stated that the fish
were killed by it, the water was rendered unfit
for cattle, and the river became a public nuisance. The
Corporation contended that the Act of Parliament gas°
them unlimited license, but the Vice-Chancellor held that

the nuisance was conclUsively established, and granted 0,4
immediate injunction.

BURGLARY BY A YOUNG GENTLEDIAN.—A youth of 17,
named Doxat, who is respectably connected, has been
sentenced at the Hampshire Lent Assizes to twelve
months' hard labour for burglary. He had stolen silver
spoons, boots, and other articles from a widow, at Brough-
ton, entering her house by the dairy window. An attempt
to prove the prisoner insane failed.

SHOOTING A SEAMAN.—A Danish seaman, named
Smith, brought an action at the Whitechapel County'
Court to recover compensation for injuries received from
Captain May, commander of the barque Espeigle.
The proceedings were instituted by order of
the Danish Consul. It seemed that an altercar
tion had arisen between the prisoner and his captain,
and the latter fired a revolver. Smith was seriou!li
wounded. The jury gave a verdict for the plainta
Damages, 250.
ACTION FOR SLANDER.—At the Leeds County Court an
action for slander has been tried. The plaintiff was Ml.°
Annie Scott, the housekeeper of an independent gentle-
man named Atkinson, and she claimed £l,OOO as damages
for the slander which, as represented by her, was of a verb
foul character. The defendant was Mr. William Pape.•
until recently a clerk in the service of Mr. Naylor, soll-
citor, but now the settlement clerk of the Leeds guar-
dians. The slander was said to have been uttered in *
hotel at Scarbro', but the witnesses upon whom the plain-
tiff relied to establish her case failed her, and she was non.
suited.
A subscription is (says the Western Morning News 2
n progress among the recently discharged established
dockyardsmen at Devonport, with a view to obtain
legal assistance and test the question as to whether
their compulsory. superannuation is not contrary to both
the letter and spirit of the Superannuation Act of 1859.
THE NEW BANKRUPTCY ACT.—MT Spotter,
udge of the North Staffordshire County Court, on
Wednesday, at Henley, had before him the point
whether a debt, on which the credit had not expired, was
one in respect of which a creditor could file
a petition in Bankruptcy against a debtor.
His Honour said he should decline, in the absence of
facts, to give an opinion on the matter as put ; but for the
guidance of the Registrar, he would say that in a case
where a special term should have been agreed upon—as in
the case of a bill of exchange—and the creditor petitioned
before the expiration of that term, he should hold that
it was not a good petitioning credit ; but he considered
that an act of bankruptcy put an end to credit.

- - -
THE PRINCE OF WALES AT LINCOLN.-04
Thursday his Royal Highness had a run with the Burton.
hounds. The meet was fixed for eleven o'clock at the)
Green Man, half way between Lincoln and Sleaford•
Although the morning was very wet, between five and
aix hundred spectators were present to see the
throw off. His Royal Highness and suite,
arrived at the place of meeting about a guar
ter to twelve. A fox was soon set afoot, but, after 1
a short run, was lost. A bog fox was then letl
loose, but, after another run of a couple of miles, this;
was lost too. The hounds then proceeded to draw thed
Leader coven. and afterwards proceeded further across'
2ountry. His Royal Highness again dined with 31.1%
Chaplin in the evening.

The Rochdale branch of the Manchester Reeipra'
city Association held a meeting last evening in the Public
Hall, Rochdale. There was a large attendanceand letters of
apology were read from Mr. Wheelhouse, M.P.M, and Mr.
Serjeant Sleigh. Several speakers addressed the meet-
ing, and a resolution declaring that our present commer-
cial policy demanded an investigation by the House of,
Commons was passed, an attempt to move an amendment
producing a serious uproar.

SOCIALISM IN RUSSIA.—The arrests in cense
quence of the late Russian socialist conspiracy have been
so numerous that it has been decided to banish all Ors°
implicated in the affair to the desert island of Saghalians
at the mouth of the .Amoor river. The Polish exiles in
Siberia are also to be transferred to this island, as the/
Government fears lest they should exercise a revolutionart
influence on the population of the districts where they 104
now stationed.

The 'failure has been announced of' Mr. liTenrY I‘l*
Brazil, manufacturer, of Iforwick, near Bolton.
The following are the railway traffic returns for the
week ending February 27th, shewing the increase or de-
crease when compared with the corresponding period of
1869. Great Western, £71,837 ; increase of £2,054*
Great Eastern, £33,262 ; decrease of £1,998. Gres
ti
Northern, £40,392 ; increase of £2,591. North Eastern,
£76,614 ; increase of £5,208. Caledonian, £37,291;
decrease of £1,988. Bristol and Exeter, £6,555; increase
of £l7l. Lancashire and Yorkshire, £45,031; decrease of
£1,016. Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire, £21,210
decrease of £456,;