The Sun.
London, England, 1870-03-11 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN GOSSIP—MAncII 10.

Never did a peat measure give rise to ko dull and
wearisome a debate as that which has taken place on the
Irish Land Bill, and I for one devoutly hope it will be
finished to-night. The rumour is that it will be, At all
events the chiefs on both sides wish it, but it is feared
that the Irish M.P.'s may prove irrepressible. There
is some doubt as to whether Mr. Disraeli will speak. He
did not attend the Conservative dinner in the City
yesterday, and excused himself on the ground
of indisposition. He seemed well enough on
Monday night, and remained at the House of Commons
till about midnight. Sceptical Liberals are therefore
speculating as to whether the Conservative leader's illness
is real or only diplomatic, so that he may be relieved from
the embarrassment of announcing any definite policy just
at present. There was certainly none in the letter which
he wrote to Mr. Fowler. Never was a great party called
upon to content itself with more unsubstantial fare,
though it sat dining and talking from seven till past
midnight. Yet after all, was this not better than
the incorrect statement made by Mr. hardy in his eighty
minutes' speech that the last general election was parallel
to those of 1857 and 1865. It is quite true that at both
those elections it was a man and not measures whom the
majority of the country supported. But the election of
1863 was essentially and pre-eminently one in which great
measures were at stake—legislation in Ireland, both as
regards the Church and the land, reduction in the national
expenditure, and popular education. Mr. Gladstone's
popularity arose from the fact that his return to office
would guarantee the passing of those measures.
One good reason why the debate should close to-night
is that the Conservative party, and, I believe, all parties
are anxious to have the Ministerial announcement as to
the steps which the Government will take for the better
protection of life and property in Ireland. Should the de-
bate be finished this evening, Mr. Gladstone will,
it is believed, state his intentions to-morrow
afternoon at five o'clock. The report to-day is that he
will propose to suspend the Habeas Corpus Act in the
disturbed districts only. There are, however, serious
objections to this course. The least important is the
most obvious—that it will not be " within the limits of
the Constitution," as Mr. Gladstone promised. The most
important is that it will require a special Act of Parlia-
ment to be passed every time the Government requires to
extend the suspension to a fresh county. It is more
probable that the chief measure will be the strengthening
of the Irish police force. Anyway, something ought to
be done at once. We are only a week from " St. Patrick's
Day in the morning."
The second reading of the Education Bill will be a much
more lively affair than that upon the Land Bill. There
will be a Radical " cave," consisting of the Radical M.P.'s
who belong to the Birmingham League, and who are
about thirty in number. Of course they are not strong
enough by themselves to defeat the Government, nor is it
likely that they will receive much help from the Conser-
vative party. That party attaches supreme impor-
tance to freedom for religious teaching, and this
freedom is the chief stumbling-Mock in the way of the
League. The Thirty, it must be confessed, do not carry
very heavy guns. There is no first-class man among them,
and the most conspicuous are Mr. Dixon, M.P. for Bir-
mingham ; Mr. Fawcett, M.P. for Brighton ; Mr. Vernon
Harcourt, M.P. for Oxford ; and Mr. Mundella, M.P.
for Sheffield. Still even these are enough to give life to
the debate, and to prevent it from being the ntterly weari-
some thing that the Land Bill debate has been.'
The chief event of the week, and, indeed, of the season,
is the reappearance of the Queen in her capital. I think
it must be ten years, it is certainly eight, since shet spent
half a week consecutively in London. To see a flag. flying
over Buckingham Palace for forty-eight hours at a stretch
is so great a novelty that we Londoners can hardly believe
our own eyes. The drawing-room yesterday was well
attended, courtiers, like most of the rest of the work!,
taking no note of Lent.

The most absurd rumours prevailed on Monday night at
Westminster. It was currently:stated that Mrs. Howard,
who had been ordered into the custody of the Black Rod
for refusing to be sworn in the House of Lords, had been
taken to the Tower, and that Sir Augustus Clifford,
would have to keep guard over her until she was
released. As a matter of fact, she was conveyed to a
place near the House especially intended for persons who
have treated their lordships with contempt. It was any-
thing but " durance vile-" There were no ponderous
bolts, no massive gates ; there was no gaoler, either courtly
or ferocious. The prison consisted simply of two
rooms very comfortably furnished, and in the charge of
one of the ordinary officers of the House. The worst in-
convenience that the prisoner had to endure was the loss
of her liberty, and the fact that she had neither her boxes
nor her maid. These last privations are, however,
somewhat serious to the female mind, and after a few
hour's experience of imprisonment, the recalcitrant prisoner
gave in.
No little scandal has been caused in certain quarters by
a statement which Lord Romilly made in the House of
Lords on Tuesday evening. During a discussion on a
private bill, which has not been reported, I believe, by any of
the papers, the Master of the Rolls said that some years
ago it was his duty, in his judicial capacity, to go through
the accounts of a railway company, which accounts, in
consequence of a dispute between the directors and the
shareholders, had to be settled in Chancery. In examining
the items he found a sum of £lO,OOO set down for secret
service and payment of M.P.'s. Is it a fact, then, that our
legislators Rre no better than those of the United States,
and are susceptible to " lobbying "? It is no secret that
before now certain M.P.'s have undertaken to plead the
cause of dispossessed Indian Rajahs, not altogether out of
love for their highnesses. But in those cases the payment
was commonly known. In the case of railway bills it has
been kept secret until now. How do we know to what
extent the system has been carried ? When there are great
rival companies like the Brighton and the S outh• Eastern, or
the Great Western and the South-Western, serious injury
may be done to the public interests if this system of subsi-
dies prevails.

In diplomatic quarters it is thought not unlikely that
the present French ambassador in this country, the Mar-
quis de La Valette, will be recalled. He belongs to the
old ruling party, though he was more liberal than Forcade
de La Roquette and Rouher. M. Benedetti, the French
Ambassador at Berlin, has begged to be recalled, on the
ground that the economical 011ivier Ministry starves the
Embassy. Still on diplomatic matters, I may mention
that the services of Mr. Leavy Brown, who was attaché to
the British Legation at Pekin, were, on account of his
great knowledge of the Chinese language, shortly before
Mr. Burlingame's death, offered to that Minister. After
Mr. Burlingame's death, Mr. Brown came over here from
Paris, where he then was, had a long interview with Lord
Clarendon, and then started for St. Petersburg. He
expects to find there a despatch appointing him successor to
Mr. Burlingame. This is rather a clever stroke of policy on
the part of our Foreign Secretary. Chinese interests will
now be represented in by an Englishman in the
place of an American. -I--

Your readers are aware that the Queen of Holland,
most energetic of Royal ladies, has been visiting
the Land's End and dining with our Queen.
Her husband is expected at Paris ; yet I believe
he does not intend visiting England, but will go to Nice.
He met with rather an amusing adventure the other day
when in Brussels. He was walking along abstractedly
incognito, and happened to tread upon the toe of a passer-
by. " Stupid, why don't you mind what you are at ?" was
the less courtly than natural exclamation of the injured
pedestrian. An aide-dc-camp went up to him and
whispered " Don't say any more ; the ' stupid' as you call
him (animal was the French term actually used) is the
King of the Netherlands." The pedestrian shewed the
true flunkey spirit, and, bowing almost to the ground,
said —" Pardon me, Sire, for not having withdrawn my
foot the moment it was under your royal boot." King
William could scarcely forbear laughing, but said " I for-
give you ; only next time be a little less clumsy." Moral :
When kings tread upon yotoes it is your toes antaat
kings who are to blame.

News has reached London of the death of Mr. Berkeley,
M.P. for Bristol for just a generation, having been first
elected in 1837. It is a little sad that he should have died
just before seeing the triumph of the principle with which
his political life has been identified—that of secret voting.
On the other hand, he is "taken from the evil to
cone," the evil of seeing his special pets, the
publicans, dealt with in a manner by no means
satisfactory to him or to them. The Bristol Liberals,
with rare indelicacy, could not wait for their old repre-
sentative to die outright, but quarrelled around his dying
bed about a Successor. The result of all this haste is a
most formidable schism, which will probably give
Mr. Morley a Conserrvative colleague, as it has
given lir. Locke. It is a little amusing to see
how highly the Liberal journals always praise
Mr. Udger when he is a candidate for another
place; but when he comes forward for that particnlar
borough they tell him that ho ought to try elsewhere.
This is what is happening at Bristol now. But Mr. Odder
will not take the advice. He is determined to go to the
poll, and will break up the party on every occasion of a
vacancy until they agree to adopt him. I, for one, can hardly
blame him. It is very clear that he will have to force his
way into Parliament just as the Radicals forced their way
into the Cabinet eleven years ago. The middle class now
occupies the same position which the Whigs occupied
then.

I am glad to state that another step has been taken
towards appropriating charitable endowments which are
now wasted, or worse than wasted, towards the edvcation

of aln.v_hlgt of " suzgestions" has leen published

oy-trio committee to whoml referred- a Weezl; `go.
and it has received the approval of Mr. Abbott, hem"
master of the City of London School, and Miss Davie.a•
It is proposed to have schools of three grades as recoil-
mended by the School Commissioners ; and the first object
will be to establish day schools, the need of which i 5
most pressing. It is considered desirable that some means
should be devised for carrying on the education of girls
who have passed through the highest grade, and that exhi'
bitions should be given to enable them to study at South
Kensington, the National Gallery, or any other great
centre of artistic or scientific education. The endowinote
would be applied to the enlargement and improvement of
school buildings, or the erection of new ones, to the
increase in the number or the salaries of teachers, and to
exhibitions for pupils.
The well-known Dissenting chapel in the Poultry,
Cheapside, is for sale. The site is most valable, and it is
expected that it will fetch £40,000. With that sum the
trustees will be able to build another chapel rivalling Alr',
Spurgeon's Tabernacle. The admirers of the minister 01,
the Poultry, Dr. Parker, author of " Ecce Den
believe that he would fill such a building. It '3
not improbable that it will be erected in the
North of London, on the site of another chapel, and that
the congregation worshipping there will amalgamate with
the Poultry congregation. At present a place of worshiP
in the City is to a great extent thrown away, for there are
few residents in the City. The population is essentially r'
week-day one, and it worships, so far as it does worship al
all, in the suburbs.
One of the chief attractions at the next meeting or we
Royal Academy will be a life-sized picture of the cele"
brated racer Voltigeur, now on the retired list. The Per
trait will be a double one, for it will include a cat:
who is the constant companion of the Derby winner 01
1850. Mr. Millais will contribute a portrait of the A-Isr.
chioness of Huntly ; Mr. Leighton's illness will, I fear'
prevent him from contributing anything this Year;
Christie and Manson are going to sell a large collection e;
Aaron Penley's works, and the drawings of Mr. David
Roberts, made in the Holy Land, and which were Pa'
chased by the first Lord Ellesmere. At the same tie
they will sell Ary Scheffer's " Francesca da Rimini."
One or two new clubs are spoken of, especially a Jrli°l:
Reform, with which it is supposed the Cobden Club (sy
present having a name, but no local habitation)
amalgamate. The French Liberals are starting a Refer°
Club at Paris, and already some distinguished men W°
joined it.
Among new books, I have space merely to mention the
new volumes of Lord Stanhope's history, Dr. Newman
" Grammar of Assent," Mr. Lawrence Oliphant's " Pic-
cadilly," which are all published this week ; Mr. The'"
bury's " Old Stories Retold," a very interesting volurae;
and a most admirable number of Macraia(ral
Magazine. " Enoch Arden " has been translated irlt°
French. I still hear of new papers. A daily paper 1131
lately been started at Leicester. The proprietors of the
Western Mail, at Cardiff, have started a large double-sheet
weekly. Next week Galignani will have a formidable
rival in a new Paris paper, called the European News.

ENCLOSURE OF WIMBLEDON comma.

Tnuusral.
The case of the Attorney-General v. the Local BoaPA—I
Health of Wimbledon and Earl Spencer came bef°l4
Vice-Chancellor James to-day. It was an interlocuteol
motion pending a suit ' against Earl Spencer in
Rolls Court, for an injunction to restrain the defeili
dants from bringing the sewage of the town, 00
Wimbledon on the common, or enclosing any part e' of
same, or in any way infringing free access, pasturagNy
other rights enjoyed by the copyholders of the core,.reW,
Sir Roundell Palmer, Q.C., Mr. Kay,Q.o and Mr. NY": c
Karslake, appeared for the Crown, and Mr.. 'Amphletty w" ty
Mr. Fry, Q. C., and other learned gentlemen, for defends
-f
The Vice Chancellor said he thought that the carrYin„geo•
sewage over the land would be of advantage but the q"re,
tion with which he had to deal was that of the encloootte
and he felt bound to grant an injunction restraining, iv
defendants from in any way infringing the right of
commoners.

THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE.
The Select Committee of the House of Comulolls alb
pointed to inquire into the diplomatic and consuliul,
vices proceeded to-day to further examine the Hon.
e.
Hammond, Under Secretary at the Foreign Ode a
With respect to the German Courts generally, an
especially Dresden, Dantzic, and Darmsdadt, -
ire
Hammond explained that they had a great influeklo
In the foreign courts of Europe. The misfortunes of,.
Royal Family of Saxony had met with the greatest sY'r,,.;
pathy on the part of the Continental courts ; and as et ht
powers continued to send missions there it was though',.
proper to send one from this country. As for Ds? tTi
It possessed a most important fortress, garrisoned -0
Prussian troops, which rendered it expedient to preserve 0
mission there ; and at Darmstadt one was kept uP °OO
account of the relationship of the royal families. Gera' g
missions were of much importance to England : not
could happen there that would not have a general tend
el
to react on this country. We might keep out of these affs47,-,
for economical purposes, but there was no constitutiou47.
Europe which did not materially affect our interests. u_,o
manufacturing population depended on our intercon
with the Continent for its livelihood. It was essential 050';
Mr. Hammond, in answer to Mr. Eastwick, that yo
men entering the profession should be persons
tlict
property, and. in a good position. Their salary w°o 01
not be sufficient to maintain them abroad in a positi° 0.
equality with those with whom they would have to xs9tice
crate. Character could not be tested by a comPeti
examination. A University degree might imply 1012,d,
ledge, but not always the sort of knowledge requi`-to
The witness stood in precisely the same relation ,;,)
the Foreign Secretary as a Secretary of Legation,wei,
to a Minister. There was no limit to the age at Wejto
foreign Ministers retired. Witness was himself 65 Ye to
~
years of age, so he would rather not say that a zentlete
who had arrived at that age should retire. (Laughtet;ct
In some remarks made by Mr. Eastwick, it was poifllect,
out that our relations with Persia are important as 8
ing our Indian Empire, and the mission has "igo
transferred from the Indian Government to the Fc4.%/1.4
Office on account of its being thought that representati
would have more effect coming direct from the Quee
officers. With regard to the duty of a consul, such aPer.jo
had no diplomatic power whatever. If a consul at Mars e 0 ;
could settle any question that might arise, he would cl°,llo
if not, he would appeal to the Ambassador at Paris.
Foreign Secretary had the sole power of appointing Wl re
attach6s. All who can once get into the serv....cce„.":oo
sure, sooner or later, to get to the top of the tree. IN .Ll-40
did not think that preference was shewn to members of
aristocracy, though great numbers of that class wer° a
the service : but it was important that a person engvve
in diplomacy should possess means.

1
THE INDIAN MASSACRE IN MONTAN/I.—toll- 4.,e10
Sheridan's Indian policy has been discussed in the Sena 1
and the feeling was decidedly against the present mod for
making war upon the Indians. The General came ill cot
a good deal of adverse criticism, on account of the ing'''etit
in which he conducted his Indian campaigns. The rec eci
battle with the Pig-eon Indians of Montana was dencalocti.
as a massacre, and some went so far as to say that She
dan should be held responsible for it.
1010
7-1
SPEAKER'S DINNER.—The Speaker of the -,---- po
of Commons gave his fourth parliamentary full-w-,0
dinner on Wednesday evening to the following nobleorcf
and gentlemen :—Lord Ronald Gower, Lord Milton,:g 0
St. Lawrence, Lord Hyde, the Hon. P. Locke olir
Major the Hon. A. Anson, Sir John Simeon/ in
Harry Verney, Sir Patrick O'Brien, Sir Jilicif.
Lawrence, Mr. Cowan, Mr. Candlish, Dr. Brewer,
-r sf•
Anderson Mr. Thomas Brassey, Mr. Hibbert, Mr.Ar,
cett, Mr. Edwards, Mr. James Howard, Mr. Hohns, j,
Macfie, Mr. M`Arthur, Mr. John Locke, Mr. lciorvo°th.
Mr. Melly, Mr. Maguire, Mr. Charles Reed, Mr. iltr;fr
bone, Mr. Philips, Mr. Samuda, Mr. Rylands, Mr. Bvi,
terbotham, Mr. hitwell Mr. Eustaco Smith, Nix';n;
Shaw, Mr. C. Seely, the Rev. Henry White, chaplain'
Mr. Alfred Denison, private secretary.
re
CUBAN AFFAIRS. General Quesada, s-, t) fiG
mander-in-Chief of the Cuban army, has arrivs.,„u..eoi'
Augustine on an important mission from x ' 0,5 C
dent Cespedes. He left Cuba amidst the Teo
enthusiastic demonstrations of confidence "It j,4
his countrymen. Spanish reverses are announced. .„,,eit
reported from Habana that plantations have i's of
burned. • The Captain-General has accused the Cubans
the murder of the American, Greenwaldth, and dl ht.
that it is part of a programme of those who are not aro,
ing in the field, but, under cover of the volunteer unif°det
perpetrate a series of assassinations on foreigners in 1:10
to embroil the Government with foreign Powers. tiog
Captain-General has issued an important decree, gran ais•
freedom to 2,000 negroes. A Cuban Junta has been ast
covered at Santiago, which had for some timer ~to,
assisted the insurgents. The members of the
eighteen in number, have been arrested and executed.
.
AFFAIRS IN GERMANY.—The North-East COel
respondence learns from Munich that Count Bray, the now
1 Minister who has replaced Prince Hohenlohe, has Goo
vinced the King of the necessity of strengthening the
Ministry by the addition of a representative 01 re
patriot party., A portfolio will, therefore, Yid,
bably be offered to Baron von Lerchenlf,4o
Count Bray's programme insists upon the rille."
observance of the stipulations in the 'Treaty of PrA th,,
The Parliament of Wurtemburg was opened on the, the,
when the deputy Schott, referring to the denial 9,;„1.0.
North German Gazette, interpellated Herr von Walt'
btihler respecting his declaration of 1867 re of
tivo to the cams fcederis, and the treatY.Lio
alliance with Prussia. At Berlin a pro
made by Herr Twesten, to the effect that in the X e not
States the Ministers of parliamentary assemblies call„pe
be called to account for their votes or for the declarat4eo.
which they make in the fulfilment of their official din'
was adopted.
ori
NORWICH ELECTION COMM ivrISSION.—The ~. or ' .d ber
Town Council has appointed a committee to consler
what steps should be taken to relieve the city of therais.
pense of the Norwich Election Commission, the con, not
sioners having reported that corrupt practices did tie
extensively prevail at the late election. Petitions to v-00.,
Houses of Parliament are in circulation in Norwich, cdis-
plaining of the manner in which the commissionerelico
charged the duties imposed upon them. The petitioofr,
allege that the conduct of two of the commissioners oct
Dowdeswell, Q.C., and Mr. Biron) was " violent lhe
unjudicial in its character, and totally opposed t'„eti:
course of proceedings in courts of justice' The and
tioners further complain that " many abusivers to
insulting observations made by the commissinc;dene
witnesses are trot set forth in the minutes of esr ,-,la?
annexed to their report." The petitioners also coniteo
that the commissioners unnecessarily prolonged
it,cuiiicv-
Another or tne mag,tmc'ent armour-piarea'WOO
constructed by Messrs. Ltird Brothers, of Birkenheaolittki
the Government, has just left the Mersey for Min oft
She is named the Vanguard, and is an ocean-cruipilig
~,.: the Invincible clito.

1

I

bott, head-
diss Davie.

as recoil-
e first object
A which is
moue
some
tion of girls
xl that ahi-
dy at South
other great
3ndowmente
rovement of
nes, to the
iers, and to

ke Poultry,
de, and it ig
at sum the
311%
minister of

2ce Deus,'.
1, It
'd in the
el, and that
rlinate with
'of worshiP
'or there are
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Y winner of
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vill, I fear,
this Year'
olleotion
of
Mr. David
h were Or
°
„me t 1

mini."
ly a Julll°l.
n Club (a
;ation) will
a Ref°ll3l
men WI

nention the
Newman 'e
tnt's "
Mr. Thawig .
volume,'
!facraillos
dated int°
1133
Y paper
tors of tll6
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