The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-20 00:00:00

RESPITE.

Edward Greatley, who was sentenced to death at the
last Manchester Assizes for the murder of his'wife in Sal-
ford. has had his sentence resulted.

COUNT BISMARCK AND THE CONFERENCF.
A telegram from Berlin, dated December 17, gives the
following note, addressed to Count Bernstorff by Count
Bismarck on the 3rd December :
Versailles, December 3, 1870.

I communicated to your Excellency, in my telegram of
the 26th ult., the invitation which I, under the same
date, had addressed to the Courts of Vienna, Con-
stantinople, Florence, and St. Petersburg, request-
ing the same to empower their representatives in
London to assemble at a Conference with the re-
presentatives in that city of the signatory Powers of the
Treaty of the 30th of March, 1856, in order to discuss the
questions which are in connection with the communi-
cation made in the circular of, the Imperial Russian
Cabinet dated 19-31 October. This invitation was issued
after the Royal Cabinet of Great Britain had assured me,
through Mr. Odo Russell, of its assent : and I had also
reason to assume that the Cabinet of St. Petersburg was
also ready to accept, it. I can now give your ExcellendSr
further intelligence relative to the acceptance of orce pro-
imals by the several Cabinets. The Royal Militate!' itt
St. Petersburg was enabled, on the 27th November, to
inform me by telegraph of the assent of the Itftefial
Russian Cabinet to the invitation. The Royal Italian
Government, on the 28th November, empowered the
Minister of his Majesty at Florence to inform me of
its willingness to take part in the Conference at London.
On the Ist December the Grand Vizier declared to the
Royal Minister in Constantinople that the Turkish Am-
bassador in London was already in possession by telegraph
of instructions in reference to tha adhesion of the Porte
to the Conference. On the 2nd inst. the Austro-Hun-
garian Chancellor, who at the time was in Pesth, caused
the Royal Minister in Vienna to be informed that the Go-
vernment agreed with England on the subject of the Con-
ference. I therefore request your Excellency to acquaint
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs with the de-
clarations of the various Cabinets, and to express our
satisfaction at the general acceptance of the proposal for a
Conference, which I can regard as assured. At the same
time, your Excellency will express the hope. that the
•Cabinet of Great Britain, at whose place of residence the
Conference is to meet, will now take in hand the further
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(Signed) BISMARCK.

It appears that it is the Union Bank of London
whose directors have forbidden the clerks to marry on a
smaller salary than £l5O per year. " One of the Clerks"
writes to the Times to deny that there is any intention to
protest against the order.
BEET-ROOT DISTILLATIONA-- A very valuable book
on this subject has just been published by Messrs. Barral
and Co. of Basinghall-street. It is the report of Dr.
Voelker, F.R.S:, and certainly there cannot be a, subject.
of greater importance to the agricultural community. That
the cultivation and distillation of beet-root is highly pro-
fitable, has been proved beyond dispute by Mr. Robert
Campbell, of Buscot Park, Berkshire, who, through the
instrumentality of the Messrs. Barral, erected one of
the largest "Savalle " stills in this country on his estate,
which is now yielding a large and handsome return. It
is really surprising that such extraordinary fine spirits can
be sp economically produced, and, when it is taken into
consideration that the refuse of the beet forms fine
food for cattle, the extension of beet root distillation
becomes a matter of the highest importance. We com-
mend the report of Dr. Voelker to the attentive consider.
ation of the agricultural community.

THE CHRISTMAS NOVELTIES.—At this period of
the year the displays made in various large establishments
in London of Christmas no velties are peculiarly elegant,
and none certainly presents a more beautiful appearance
than those of Mr. E. Himmel in the Strand and Regent-
street. On no former occasion has the show been more
tasteful than that which is now attracting thousands of
admirers ; and certainly a greater treat cannot be given
to those home for the holidays than a visit to Mr.
Rimmel's Christmas Exhibition. There are to be
found the most elegant conceits in every variety
of shape and form. Fii,ns of the most exquisite design,
albums discoursing the sweetest music, glove boxes,
floral invitation cards, perfumed satchets, and a thousand
other elegant trifles that make the prettiest Christmas
•presents imagthiable abound on all sides. The ornaments
for Christmas trees are of such boundless variety that it
is impossible to give the faintest idea of their beauty, and
so reasonable has the price for these pretty objects been
fixed that competition seems out of the question. Another
very tasteful idea is the variety of crackers and bon-bons
displayed ; some contain the sweetest of perfumes,
others the prettiest of flowers, and some the most
humourous articles of attire, that are sure to provoke the
most hilarious mirth at the Christmas parties at which
they are introduced. Altogether Mr. Rimmel's display
is, at present, one of the sights of London, and a visit
either by old or young will be sure to be repaid by the
admirgtion evoked and pleasure experienced in viewing
the many elegancies which now become necessary in the
shape of Christmas presents and New Year's gifts.