The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-07 00:00:00

and unsusnecting innocence which so admirably
serve the turn of the "great " bribers. In
truth the men of Norwich did their bast
for Hardiment. They steeped themselves in
perjury for his special benefit, but all in v&n
And it is difficult to imagine that the result in sucl
cases can ever be different. It is lamentable tha
our elaborate machinery should produce no better
issue.

That the source of all the mischief should
remain unchecked is a discredit to English j urispru-
dence. But it is obviousl.y better than nothing to
keep the subordinates in order.

THE spell of the past ten years has been broken,
and Cambridge has at last won the University Boat
Race. The crews were more evenly matched than for
some years past; the struggle was close and exciting;
and the pace, though slower than of late,
was fairly good. The contest, in fact, has
been worthy of the interest it excited. The
inter-university race has become more and more of
late years a national event, and in 1870 the
enthusiasm has reached its culminatingpoint. Within
the last few days the nation, and especially the
denizens of the metropolis, have been afflicted
with an aquatic mania. Public business
has suffered a total eclipse from this
important athletic performance. The one intent
of the British mind during the last few days has
been to get the British person properly encased in
blue, the one wish of the British soul
that Light Blue might be in the as-
cendant. Much of this exceptional interest
is doubtless to be attributed to the general conclusion
that Cambridge had a really good chance of winning'
that, notwithstanding prestige of- victory and sup-
posed suneriority of style, the Oxford eight seemed
to possess no advantage on the river. The result
has justified public confidence. The betting
fraternity laid odds on Oxford, but of all classes of
the community, that which delights in wagering
has in general the smallest claim to acuteness. It
is true that the Oxford men preserved the famous
catch," which their opponents had but imperfectly
acquired. On the other band, however, the Cam-
bridge crew displayed excellencies of style to which the
Dark Blue could lay no claim, whilst the advantage of
weight and strength lay in a markel degree with the
Cantabs. On the whole with a net equality of style,
it is to superiority of power that the issue of the
contest is to be attributed.

The victory of Cambridge, so long looked for and
so long unrealised, will give unqualified satisfaction.
It is a question which the humblest seemed
to have at heart. A Light Blue success
was the one thing needed to preserve this
contest from degenerating into a mere

formal walk-over, the ratification of a foregone con-
clusion. The race will now hold its place in public
esteem, and it is well that it should Le so. It may
be that too much attention is given to
athletic sports, and undoubtedly the excessive
importance attached to the University race is likely
to develope muscular Christianity still more. Yet it
is clear that the average Englishman is not yet
prepared to devote himself to the feast of reason
and the flow of soul ; he prefers body to mind ; and
it is just. as well that his tastes should take a
healthy direction. Boating is one of the
purest of English sports, the annual event one of the
most creditable of celebrations. It is by upholding
the one and developing the other that the tendency
to far more pernicious tastes may be held in dike&