The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-24 00:00:00

THE REPRESENTATION OF MINORITIES
ABROAD.

A writer in the Times finds an argument in what hap-
pened in Ghent in favour of the representation of mino-
rities. He says that of the twelve seats lost to the Minis-
try six were taken away through the votes of less than
100 electors of Ghent. Ghent is represented by seven
members, all elected by the same constituency by majority
voting, and previous to the late election they were all
Liberals. At the late • election the seven clerical candi-
dates obtained from 3,025 to 2,941 votes apiece, and the
seven Liberals from 2,919 to 2,856, and therefore the
clericals gained six seats and would have gained seven,
but for the circumstance one of their candidates had
only obtained a relative and not an absolute majority,
and had to be balloted for again against the highest of
the Liberal candidates, when the Liberal was
elected by 2,446 votes to 1,784. If 100 voters out of
6,000 had voted with the Liberals instead or with the
Clericals, the seven Liberal candidates would all have
been ahead of the Clericals, and the Ministry would have
had a sufficient majority to justify them in retaining
office. Thus (the writer continues) a representative
system, which in theory denies any representation to
minorities, practically places the decision between the
Ministry and the Opposition in the hands of one
hundred electors, forming only one-sixtieth part of one
constituency.

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.
Mr. J. 3. Mechi, of Tiptree Hall, near Kelvedon,
Essex, gave his opinion of the harvest prospects.
" Wheat," he says, " will no doubt be our best
crop, fine in quality, but somewhat deficient,
perhaps, in yield, and certainly in acreage, a
considerable breadth of wheat land having been ploughed
up owing to a misplant, and re-sown with barley or oats.
Although the wheat plant is rather thin on the ground,
the heads, which are now visible, are large and well
formed, so that probably the yield will be very good in
proportion to the straw, which is much shorter
than that of last year, and less flaggy. In
fact, the long drought, which has been so injurious
to the shallow-rooted grasses, has greatly favoured
the deep-rooted wheat plant, especially the fine white
wheat, by elaborating the grain. This is a more unfa-
vourable season for light-land farmers than even 1868,
and must cause serious losses, unless we should be
favoured with heavy rain shortly. These, falling on the
dry and heated soil, would promote a rapid vegetation,
and probably give large second crops of hay and abun-
dance of late green and root crops. The first hay crop
may be considered the worst we have had for many years-
Barley will be good in places on cool bottom land, though very
short in the straw, but it is very deficient on all hot thin
soils. Potatoes are generally very healthy, and promise
to be a good crop. Oats on well-farmed clays look pro-
mising. Beans are very short in the straw, but well
bloomed. Peas a poor crop on light soils. Mangolds
plant Well where the land has been manured and deeply
cultivated before winter, which is best for all root crops.
The fly has destroyedthe early sowings of swedes in many
places.
The Scotsman says : Several refreshing showers of rain
fell on Sunday, but since then the weather has been warm
and bry. The Coleraine Chronicle says : Another week
of magnificent summer sunshine, with occasional heavy
showers, after the rains of the previous few days, had a
wonderfully beneficial effect upon crops of all kinds.
Hay has made most marked progress, and
will be ready for cutting in many places before
the end of the month. It is everywhere spoken
of as a large and heavy crop. Potatoes are most
luxuriant, and may be expected in general use fully ten
days before the usual period. Flax is also in a very f
has
or-
ward state, and of superior quality. Turnip sowing
been completed, and the young brairds promise vigorous
growth. In fact, the fields in every part of the country
present a most cheering aspect, and, if blessed with a
continuande of equally favourable weather fot their
maturity, a year of greater plenty never crowned an Irish
harvest than that of 1870. •
The probable yield of the wheat crop in France is the
subject of contradictory:statements in the correspondence
last received, and, owing to the recent operations in
the grain trade, the Financier thinks this will probably
continue to ha of
case until threshing is commenced.
The greater part of the French provincial markets on
Monday showed signs of reaction from the advance
of last week. French buying has now ceased,
both in England and America. With regard to the
French crops and the statement that the yield is likely
to be only one-third below an average, other correspon-
dents take a more unfavourable view and consider that
one-half is lost. In the central departments, which pro-
duce most wheat, the result threatens to be very bad,
while in the North and South it will be better.

THE OXFORD COMMEMORATION,
The second gathering in the Sheldonian Theatre at Ox-
ord was as groat as its predecessor, notwithstanding the
intense heat. The wit, such as it is, of the undergraduates
was likewise as exuberant as ever. They carried the gal-
lery by storm at ten o'clock and at once commenced oper-
ations. The ladies were greeted with the usual impartial
favour. They were cheered in general ; they were cheered
in particular as the wearers of hats or bonnets, as being
with chignons or without them, as wearing white, pink,
black, or stripes, and one more specifically still as the
" Dark girl dressed in blue." After the ladies had re-
ceived abundant praise, the undergrads turned their
attention to the other sex ; and great woe befel any un-
lucky wight who ventured toAf offend against undlseergraalarms.duate
canons of propriety. ter several fa
of white coats one graduate was discovered wear-
ing his master's hood, and a tremendous assault of
hhowling was directed against him. He took the hood
off, and then the tide turned in his favour. Far more
unhappy was the fate of a stranger in a black velvet coat.
He excited the most deadly hostility. He was declared
" a
Doergular eyesore." To his neighbours it was said,
" not speak to him. Disparaging epithets were
applied to the material ; some hinted that it was
" cotton velvet," others velveteen." "Be per-
suaded to go out," " Whom do you travel for ? "
"Do not laugh, but hide your diminished head ! " "Did
Whalley send you?" " You know your wife is ashamed
of you, "It is the only chance he has of wearing it," and
" You are neither useful nor ornamental," were succes-
sively shouted at the unfortunate individual. The public
characters met with varied receptions as before. Mr.
Disraeli, Mr. Goldwin Smith; Dr. Temple, and
Mr. John Bright, evidently had staunch friends
and loud critics. The Prince
which of Wales also
olot
received that mixed criticism ishe
of many public characters. The mention of Mr. Spurgeon
occasioned shouts of laughter. The "
Dea of
n Ro
Mchester,"
"
" Sir Bounden Palmer," "Darbishire" " Bishop Mager,"
" Mr. Chancellor," " Mrs. Chancellor," " Mrs. Vice,"
were successively installed favourites. At eleven o'clock
the procession came—the Chancellor and a long list of
dignitaries, including the Bishop of Winchester, the Bishop
of Oxford, the Bishop of Rochester, Chief Justice Bovill,
Canon Bright, Mr. Gathorne Hardy, Mr. William Heath-
cote, Dr. Arnold, Dean Manse', &c.
The names of those who were to be admitted to the de-
gree of Doctors, of Civil Law were then submitted, and the
question put. To the "Placetne vobis, domini doctores
Placetne vobis, magistri 1' there was no dissent till the
name of Mr. Lowe was proposed, and then a shout
of "_Non placet raised in the gallery, with
some slight approbation of this dissent among the
Masters in the arena. After all other dissent ap-
peared to have been withdrawn, one gentleman
persisted in his non placet, like the combative member in
the House of Commons who singly maintains that " the
Noes have it '." but the Chancellor of the University
passed quickly to the next name on the list, and the cry
of non placet being then repeated caused considerable
laughter. The only other interruption occurred when the
name of Mr. William Smith was submitted. An under-
graduate, in the tone of one anxiously asking for informa-
tion, inquired " Which Mr. Smith? ' and this question
upset the gravity even of the Chancellor.
The doctors were then ushered in, twenty-eight in num-
ber, and were admitted to the degree, after presentation
by the Regius Professor of Civil Law Dr. Bryce. Each
presentation was accompanied by a few words in Latin.
The Duke of Richmond was loudly cheered. Then came
Lieutenant-General von Bulow, who was equally well
received, and whose name gave the Chancellor
an opportunity of a graceful allusion to the gal-
lantry displayed by Denmark against overwhelming
odds in the Schleswig-Holstein war. Earl Cowley spud
externas gentes scepius legatus, was welcomed by the
Chancellor as an Ambassador who had deserved well of
his country. Cheers were loud for the Bishop of Lincoln,
and equally loud for Lord Lyttelton, whose honours
at the sister university were gracefully alluded to.
Convocation was then told by the Regius Professor
in choice Latin of the judgment, impartiality,
and equable temper which had won for Afr.
Speaker the respect of both sides of the House of Com-
mons, and which also well warranted the bestowal of the
Doctor's Degree in Civil Law, honoris causti. The dignity,
learning, and high position of the Lord Chief Justice
were next insisted on, and he was presented, amid loud
acclamations, as one recognised by the Bar, by suitors,
and the whole State as "judex incorruptus, orator dulcis
fecundusque, libertatis Anglicie amantissimus, legum
priscarum custos acerriinus." The Chancellor of
the Exchequer was greeted with the same dis-
favour which he had provoked at an earlier stage
of the proceedings ; but Dr. Bryce introduced Mr. Lowe
in glowing language, exciting laughter by an allusion to
the vigilant guardianship the right hon. gentleman exercised
over the public purse. The remaining names were subjected
to no such criticism. Due stresswas laid upon the exertions
of Sir J. Kay Shuttleworth in behalf of education, and
Sir W. Mansfield was praised as great both in council and
in war. A hearty reception awaited Canon Mosely, but
the honours of the day were with Canon Liddon, whose
popularity in the University, seems to be unbounded.
The cheers were again and again renewed as he moved to
his place in the semicircle. When the whole of the
newly-elected doctors had taken their places, the fol-
lowing prize competitions were recited from the rostra :
Latin verse prize, Avium nidificatio," by Mr. Frederick
Burn Harvey, Scholar of New College ; Gaisford verse
prize, by Mr. "Walter S. Gibson, Exhibitioner of Balliol
College ; and the Newdegate prize, " Margaret of Anjou,"
by Mr. J. Huntley Skrine, Scholar of Corpus Christi
College.