The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-25 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN GOSSIP—Feb. 24.

The interest and the excitement which last week were
concentrated in the House of Commons, have this week
been located in a less illustrious place. Last week it was
the turn of the legislative ; this week it has been the turn

of the executive. It is impossible to describe the fever of
curiosity which prevailed in and about Westminster Hall
yesterday, and still more in the Divorce Court itself. Few
persons living can remember the appearance of a Prince of
the Blood in the witness box, as a eliminated party. It
is to be hoped that neither the present nor any any future
generation will witness another such spectacle. Most
happily the Prince was able to free himself from the sus-
picion which had attached to him. If he could not
declare himself to be like " Caesar's wife," and, as his
own father would have been, above suspicion, he
could chew that he had nothing to conceal in
this painful matter. Thus it came to pass that though he
was hissed at the Theatre on Monday he was cheered in
the Divorce Court yesterday, a sufficiently clear com-
mentary upon the value of the popular judgment. Last
night he dined with Mr. Gladstone. •
Lord Derby's refusal to take the leadership of the Con-
servative party has been a great disappointment to them.
It may well be so. There is more in this refusal than
appears on the surface. No doubt his lordship's want of
readiness as a debater has had some influence in deciding
him, but that is not the main reason. Lord Derby looks
forward to the time when party Government will to
a great extent have become antiquated, and when
the best and ablest statesmen will be entrusted
with the Government of the country. He has
therefore no intention of becoming a party leader. In fact
he could not do so. He is too much in accord with the
present Government upon the leading questions of the day
to undertake the task of leading the Opposition. Thus,
though sincerely touched by the confidence which the
party has reposed in him, he has declined the
offer, and the leadership still remains unsettled.
So far as I can learn at present, the
Duke of Richmond is the most probable successor
to Lord Cairns. His chief competitor, if indeed there
can be said to be any competition for so difficult a post,
is the Duke of Marlborough. He would have the support of
the High Church Conservatives, but would hardly satisfy
the Liberal Conservatives. The public say Lord Salis-
bury ought to be leader. If so, he will have to be on much
better terms with Mr. Disraeli than he has been for the
last ten years.

1 am glad to state that the Attorney-General has now
recovered sufficiently to attend to his public duties, and
appeared in the Divorce Court to-day. Mr. Chichester
Fortescue is unwell, and Lord Granville is laid up with
another attack of the gout.
The rumour respecting the resignation of Sir William
Russell, M.P. for Norwich, is, I have reason to think,
well-founded. It is not generally known that the hon.
baronet is a proprietor of the Tomahawk.

The death of the Bishop of Chichester puts an end to
that episcopal suspension in the south of Eng-
land which nine months ago was causing so much scandal.
From Hastings to Penzance the episcopate will, so
soon as Bishop Gilbert's successor has been appointed, have
undergone a complete change. First Salisbury became
vacant by the death of Bishop Hamilton; then Exeter, by
the death of Bishop Phillpotts; then Winchester, by the
resignation of Bishop Sumner; and now Chichester by the
death of Bishop Gilbert. Chichester and St. Asaph,
which now have to be filled, will make eight sees which Mr.
Gladstone has had to fill in seven months. Moreover, with
the exception of the Bishops of St. David's and Llandaff,
who were born in 1797 and 1798, there is not one old
Bishop on the bench. We may, therefore, look for some
time to elapse before any fresh vacancy occurs on the English
Bench. I have not yet heard who is likely to get Chichester,
but as soon as a bishop is appointed the new Bishop of
Manchester will be entitled to take his seat in the House of
Lords ; unless indeed Mr. Somerset Beaumont should suc-
ceed in banishing the bishops from that assembly, a not
very probable contingency.
The visit of the Greek Archbishop Lycurgus to Oxford
was marked by one incident, which is worthy of mention.
He was offered by the Fellows of Magdalen College the
use of their beautiful chapel, in order that he might cele-
brate the Communion after his own rite ; but he declined
to accept the offer without consulting the supreme Synod.
At the children's service in the new (basilica) church of
St. Barnabas, one of the Archimandritos administered the
blessing. The Archbishop was present at St. Mary's on
Sunday, during the sermon by the Bishop of Win-
chester, and his costume of new doctor's robes
and high hat (which he wore throughout the ser-
vice) made him a very conspicuous person. He attended
evensong at Magdalen College, and afterwards addressed
a party of undergraduates at the residence of Canon
Bright, Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical Ilistorv, on their
future calling.
One of the changes which is likely to take place at
Oxford very shortly is the substitution of university for
' college examiners in examinations for college fel-
lowships. At present these examinations arc little
better than a farce, for preference is almost
always given to a member of the college in which the
vacancy has occurred. So frequently is this the case that
Mr. Bryce, the well-known author of the brilliant essay
on " The Holy Roman Empire," finding that his recom-
mendations were almost invariably set aside, has declined
for some time past to conduct these examinations. Oxford's
loss has been the public gain. Mr. Bryce is now
devoting himself to educational reform. His
elaborate report of about 450 pages on the endowed
schools of the country, which has been published
in the report of the Royal Commission, is a most valuable
work. Its author is now engaged in endeavouring to
obtain the appropriation of certain at present injurious
charitable endowments to the education of girls.
The papers have mentioned the death of Baron Roths-
child of Paris, but they have omitted to state that the
Baron was for seventeen years paralysed in consequence
of a fall from his horse. Though his body was thus disabled,
his mind was very active, and he was always consulted on
all great occasions by the other members of the house.
There is a strong under-current of political manoeuvre
running through the Continent just now. The English public
hear very little about it, but it is not the less important.
Great efforts are being made in certain quarters to get up
an alliance between France and Russia. The Czaro-
witch and his wife (sister of the Princess of Wales) are
strongly in favour of this alliance ; but the Czar is op-
posed to it, on the ground that should difficulties arise
between rrance and Uermany, it will *at do for Russia to
be involved. The Empress Eugdnie is expected to visit
Denmark and Sweden during May, doubtless with the
idea of getting up a grand northern alliance with France.
At Paris just now the young wife of Ferdinand de Les-
seps is dividing the public attention with Nilsson, who is
singingas divinely as ever. In London we have a new singer
who has adopted the name of Katherine Poyntz, but who
is a sister of the notorious Victor Townley. It is
rumoured here that Charles Hall 6, the pianist, is going to
marry Mdme. Normann Neruda, the violiniste.
Several months ago I stated that an application woula
be made in the Law Courts in order to prove that
estates in Lancashire of very great value are held unlaw-
fully, and that they passed into the hands of the ancestors
of the present owners in consequence of a tampering with
the parish register which had lately been discovered by
the originator of the suit. The case came on a few days
ago, but the Vice-Chancellor almost refused to listen to
it. I now learn that an appeal against his decision
has already been lodged, and that we shall shortly hear a
good deal more of this case.
With reference to a paragraph which appeared a week
ago, Mr. Dawson-Yelverton wishes to state that he is not
connected with Lord Avonmore's family, but that his
mother is a granddaughter of Henry Yelverton, last Earl
of Sussex. Mr. Dawson-Yelverton also states that he left
the Western Circuit because he did not consider it a suffi-
ciently open field for profitable employment.

EXCISE PROSECUTIONS OF BROTHEL KEEPERS.--rrhO
Commissioners of Inland Revenue have instituted a raid
upon keepers of brothel-houses in Sheffield. No less than
nine of them have been charged with selling beer, wine,
and spirits without a license. Two officers were in-
structed to proceed to the suspected houses on a certain
night, and ask for a glass of whisky, a glass of port wine,
and a bottle of beer. These were supplied and paid for,
and in consequence nine summonses were taken out under
the Act which imposes a penalty of £l2O for the offence.
The magistrates fined three of the defendants the miti-
gated penalty of £3O, and adjourned the hearing of the
remaining cases.

AN AWKWARD LODGER.—A young man applied, at
Westminster, for a warrant against his landlady, who, he
said, had put a needle in his food, with intent to kill him
by bringing on lock-jaw. The summons was refused, and
he left the court in great indignation.

ACTION FOR LIBEL.—An action for libel has been
brought at the Newcastle Assizes. The plaintiff, whose
name was Gauntlett, was formerly in the army, and he
charged the defendant, who also held a respectable posi-
tion, with writing a defamatory letter to the steward of
Wark races, which was afterwards published in a Scotch
newspaper. Evidence was given to shew that the charge
had no foundation, and the jury returned a verdict for
£512.

CHARGE OF SEDUCTION, £2OO DA fAcEs.- -A charge of
seduction, brought by Miss Renouf, of Guernsey, against
Mr. Eden, a son of General Eden has come to a conclu-
sion
the Court of Queen's Bench. The plaintiff
is the daughter of a widow, who keeps lodgings
in Guernsey, and the defendant, who was described as a
gentleman leading an idle and extravagant life, made her
acquaintance when on a visit to the island. After a time
he persuaded her to accompany him to a house, where he
induced her to take something to drink, and
seduced her. She afterwards stayed with him
as his wife in London, and has given birth to a
child. The Lord Chief Justice in summing up submitted
three points to the jury, viz., whether they were satisfied
from the evidence that the defendant was the father of
the child ; whether he had seduced her, or she had not by
her conduct induced him to believe it was no difficull
matter to make a conquest of her ; and, thirdly, whether
he had been the chief agent in enticing her away.from her
mother's home, and thereby inflicting on the plaintiff
pecuniary loss. A verdict was found for the plaintiff ou
the I#o-natne.4 count, dy4agelP.9o., •

ASSOCIATED CIIA3IBERS OF COMMETtOg

THURSDAY.

The sitting of the delegates representing the various
Chambers of Commerce resumed their deliberations to-
day, S. S. Lloyd, Esq., in the chair. The subjects dis-
cu6sed were taken in the following order.

COLLECTION OF TAXES ET GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS•

On the motion of Mr. JOHN WHITWELL, M.P., seconded
by Mr. lsAAc WHITWELL, of Kendal Wilson, it. was
re iolved that a memorial be presented to Government from
this association in favour of the collection of all taxes by
Government officials.