The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-23 00:00:00

THE NEW POLICE HELMET.

Monday was we fear a melancholy day with one class
of her Majesty's subjects. The sun was shining brightly,
the birds were singing gaily, and the whole face of nature
was smiling with the exception of one feature, and that
feature was the police. These unfortunate men, who
bear with exemplary patience the fancy dresses in which
it pleases the authorities to clothe them, for the first time
appeared in their new helmets ; and it was almost too much
for them. The poor fellows found themselves with the
tops of their helmets suddenly cut off, one peak in front
shutting out the world from their sight, another peak be-
hind forming a little ledge for the rain to run down the
napes of their necks, and the whole head-gear being about
as useless and uncomfortable as the wildest chignon that
ever graced or disgraced the head of weak but fascinating
woman. We are sorry for the police, as everybody
must be sorry for a body of respectable
men, who against their own inclination are compelled to
adopt a senseless attire ; but we would remind them that
to beautify. London is the object of the authorities, and
private inclination must not be allowed to stand in the
way of this laudable ambition. They have only to look
at our statues to convince themselves that our public men
shrink from no sacrifice when called upon to contribute to
the adornment of the metropolis. We could have
wished that it had been possible to have spared
the police, for we do not deny that there is some advan-
tage in a constable being able to see objects in front of
him, and that a stream of cold water down his back may
be slightly disagreeable ; but, as Punch once remarked
very truly, " Agony is nothing to a man as dresses well,"
and there cannot be two opinions as to the picturesque
effect of the new helmet. It is indeed only too sadly
beautiful; it would be difficult to conceive anything more
admirably adapted for the purpose for which it is doubt-
less intended. It is not a covering for the head of the
light and careless, but, as a crown for "resignation," it is
perfect. It is a hat which a martyr might be proud to
wear. He may, however, find consolation in the thought
that the authorities can do no more to him—unless,
indeed, they take it in their heads to utilise the little
cab flag by sticking it at the top of his helmet.—Pall Mall
Gazette.

A State Ball was given on Tuesday night, by com-
mand ,of -the Queen, at Buckingham Palace, to which a
party of about 1,700 was invited.
A gentleman at Bradford, whose name is with-
held, has presented £3,000 to the fund for the maintenance
of decayed spinsters.
It is stated that Mr. Peile, as well as Lord Arthur
Clinton, both of whom were implicated in the Boulton
and Park scandal, has died since the prosecution.
Mr. Ashbury has applied for the services of one
of the Liverpool Pilots to navigate the Cambria in the
forthcoming race with the American yacht.
The Guardian says the Rev.Waldegrave Brewster,
rector of Llandysilio, in Montgomery, has been appointed
to the incumbency of Middleton, vacant by the prefer-
ment of the Bishop of Chichester.

The Board of Trinity College, Dublin, have
established new exhibitions for students at entrance and
after their second year. These exhibitions, of which
there are twenty, of £25 a year, are tenable for two years.
. .

Andrew Caw, the pensioner, who murdered a
woman in Bull's-lane, Dublin, last week, was tried and
found guilty, on Tuesday, the jury recommending him to
mercy. - . _

Baron Widmann, the Austrian Minister of National
Defence in the Cis-Leithan Cabinet, who resigned imme-
diately after his appointment in consequence of the
affair in Gratz, has again sent in his resignation, which
has this time been accepted by the Emperor.
The Bourse Gazette of St. Petersburg states that a
report made to the Czar by the Minister of War shews
that Russia possesses at present 566,232 needle guns, and
that the fabrication of metallic cartridges has reached
300,000 a day, giving a total in hand of 15,000,000.

A carpenter of Ars, Moselle, named Cosnell, mur—
dered his wife and his nephew, a soldier on furlough, three
nights back, by striking them on the head with a hatchet
while they were asleep. The motive for the crime is not
stated. The man afterwards gave himself up.
Another railway accident is reported from
America. The night train from Boston, on June Bth, ran
into a culvert near a station called Summit, and the
passenger car went down with the engine. Three persons
were killed and a number seriously injured.
It is now understood that his Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales will visit Ireland in August, during the
holding of the Royal Agricultural Society's Show at Bal-
linasloe. It is also stated that her Majesty will visit
Ireland in September.
The death is announced of Mrs. Grattan, the vene-
rable relict of Mr. Thomas Colley Grattan, who occupied
an eminent position amongst literary men. The deceased,
who was descended from the ancient family of the
O'Donnels of Ireland, expired at her residence at Rich-
mond, at the advanced age of 84 years.

The Liverpool coroner has held an inquest on the
body of Patrick Coressan, 17, whose death was the
result of natural causes, accelerated by excessive drink-
ing. The father stated that the deceased was employed
at an ale and bottling store, and that during the last five
years he had gone home every night under the influence of
drink, indeed often tipsy.
A. return as to the condition of the Thames Em-
bankment shews that the total cost up to the present is
£1,650,000. Of this amount £20,000 has been paid to the
Conservators of the Thames, and £6,200 to the Duchy of
Lancaster. Five and a half acres of the reclaimed
ground the Board of Works are bound to devote to the
use of the public as ornamental gardens.
- -

Temperature continues very high, except in the
north. In London the thermometer registered 72 deg. at
8 o'clock yesterday morning. At noon it had risen to over
90 deg. Moderate westerly winds still prevail in Scotland,
while elsewhere light variable airs are reported. The sky
is now generally. clear. No rain has fallen in the British
Isles. The sea is calm.

OUR NEXT WINTER.—It would be unwise for us
to quarrel with the present hot weather, as there is every
reason to believe that the baking we have undergone these
last three or four days is nothing to be compared with the
freezing we are to undergo next winter. According to the
Athen(eum, Professor Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer Royal
for Scotland, has made some interesting discoveries
respecting the cycles of temperature, the result being that
the Professor is enabled to foretell the temperature of a
season a year in advance. Taking the series of obser-
vations, 1837-1869, it is seen that a hot time occurs
about every eleven years, followed at intervals of a little
more than two years by a very cold time. The past
winter, it seems, was the first of a cold cycle of which
next winter, and probably that of 1871-2, will be exceed-
ingly severe. This is very painful, and we might point
out to Professor Piazzi Smyth that, unless he can discover
some means of warming the cycles referred to he might
just as well leave them alone. —Pall Mall Gazette.
SCENE IN A POLICE-COURT.—A singular scene
occurred in the Manchester Police-court on Tuesday morn-
ing. A labouring man, against whom an order was taken
out some weeks ago for £5 odd for the maintenance of
a boy in Ardwick Industrial School, appeared
and declared he would not recognise the order,
inasmuch as he was not the parent of the
boy. The lad's mother accompanied the man to
the foot of the solicitor's table, and said the prisoner was
not the father of the boy. She produced her marriage
certificate, and said her husband, who had deserted
her, was the father of the boy, and was still
living. It was stated by a witness from the Refor-
matory that the man had repeatedly paid instal-
ments on account of the maintenance of the boy. The
stipendiary said he could do nothing but enforce the
order, which wassigned by two magistrates, and the
prisoner must either pay the amount, £5 145., at once or
go to prison for a month. The prisoner seemed to hesi-
tate for a moment as to the course which he should
follow when the woman said "Go to prison." He said.
" Yes,, I will ; I will never pay on that order," and while
leaving the table added to the woman, " You must take the
children to the workhouse." The woman, who was carrying
a baby in her arms, then presented it to him, and said,
" Here, take the kid with you." The prisoner clutched
at the baby, saying, "Yes, that is my child ; I will never
part with it," and helped by the woman, strongly resisted
the attempt of the police to force it from him. A struggle
followed, during which it appeared as if the child would
have been torn asunder, and was not decided until three
or four policemen came to the assistance of the two dock-
warders, and compelled the woman to resume the charge
of her child.

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