The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-27 00:00:00

RAIL WAYS IN JAPAN.

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A translation of the Japanese petition to their Go-
vernment, advocating the introduction cif railways, has
fately been presented: to the British Parliament; and
proves that the exclusive Japanese have a very shrewd
idea of how matters :,'tend in the world at large. The
continent of Europe, so runs ffi.e petition, excels all the
other five continents in enlightenment And in wealth.
of mechanical appliances. The reason for this is that
Europe is better provided with machinery. " The men
of the West have a saying, that if you wish.to learn
whether a L'aeen
,is rich or poor, strong or
weak, you must fir# ascertain how it is provided
with machinery. The invention of the steam
engine, and the introduction of more efficient modes of
locomotion, have enabled those countries to prCvide every
facility for transport, both by land and sea. It is, there-
fore, not surprising to find them so wealthy And
so powerful" It is certainly a remarkable evi-
dence of progress to find the Japanese, who were
supposed to be in a state of semi-barbarism using lan-
guage like this. The means of communication in Japan
are sadly deficient, for the country does not possess navi-
gable rivers; and as the rate of travelling is only some
twenty miles ti diiy, sane of the provinces are
a month's journey froiti each other. It takes
a fortnight to pass from either of the two
capitals, Yeddo and Kioto to the other, although they are
connected by the best line of road in the country, and one
part of the country may be suffering the greatest distress
for want of rice, which another province would gladly
give in exchange for its accumulated silk if they
had only the means of transport. Sir Harry Parkes, who
fully appreciates the drawback which this is to the coun-
try, has repeatedly discussed with the desira-
bility of introducing railways and telegraphs with
the MilsadQ's Government. The Japanese, who are
highly intelligent people, soon became impressed with
the justice of his_ views, and resolved to construct a
railway between redo and Kioto. Three lines are in con-
templation, and surveyors and engineers are already at
work. Besides these, others are in contemplation, since
the stormy nature of the Japanese seas renders the trade
with many ports of the country very irregular. The
Japanese are equally eager for the telegraph, and already
a line is at work between Yedo and Yokohama.

The Philadelphia Ledger says that during the last
year the States expenditure for artificial limbs for
wounded soldiers amounted to 416,000 dols.
Mr. Howes, M;P:, continues rather seriously indis-
posed. The honourable gentleman is ordered to remain
strictly quiet.
Perrnission was asked of the Board of Works on
Friday to call a new street in Wandsworth by the name
of " Lothair." The Board gave the required leave.
There is this week a decrease of thirty-three in
the number of in-door poor .in Lambeth, as compared
with the corresponding weeks of ple last three years.
There is, however, considerable uierdase in out-door
relief.
The Orchestra says that a series of classical per-
formances, with a select orchestra, is contemplated for
the year 1871, and that the baton will be offered to Sir
Michael Costa:
The Atli Bull says that the Bishop of Oxford
has conferred the vicarage of. St. Giles, Reading, on the
Rev. C. H. Travers, vicar of Sttwkley. It was declined
by Mr. Blunt, vicar of Old Windsor.
By a cable telegram from Washington we learn
that the telegraphic messages exchanged on Thursday
evening between the Viceroy of India and President
Grant were read in the United States Congress on
Friday.

- -
The reports of continued improvement of the
health of Sir John A. M`Donald are gratifying, and
give us hope that it may be permanent.—Montreal
Gazette.
The annual cricket match betiteen Rugby School
and Marlborough College will be played on the Marl-
borough Ground on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 5
and 6.
Lord Clarence Paget in making the annual distri-
bution of prizes to the cadets on board the training ship
Worcester, expressed his satisfaction at the success which
had attended the establishment of such a vessel in the
Thames.
Mr. 11. J. Wickham, Acting Sub-Lieutenant of
her Majesty's ship Royal Adelaide, was tried by court-
martial at Devonport on Friday, for absence from his
ship without leave. lie pleaded guilty, and a conviction
for drunkenness having been proved, he was sentenced to
be dismissed the service.
- - •

16, Mar,
A CHANCE.—There is shortly to arrive in Paris a
dwarf, aged about 55 years, having a beard reaching to
his feet, but with only one arm and a completely bald
head. He possesses 2,000,000 f., which he is willing to
share with any young girl about 20 years old, and who is
pretty and good-tenipered.—Orchestra.
The 2nd Battalion of the 14th Regiment, which
arrived in the Thames on board the chartered troopship
Walmer Castle, from Australia, after an absence from
England of ten years, disembarked at Gravesend on
Friday, and proceeded by special train to Colchester,
where the regiment is to be quartered.
The Queen, having accepted the surrender of
Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company, it is
announced in Friday night's Gazette that her Majesty has
beep pleased to appoint the Governor General for the
time being of the Dominion of Canada to be the Governor
of Rupert's Land until the admission of that territory Into
the said Dominion.
It is not expected that any inquest will be held on
the body of the soldier of the 94th Regiment, who died on
the march to Kingston on Thames, as the doctor of his
regiment has declared that he died from natural causes,
th man's death being merely accelerated by the heat.
_ _

The Emperor Napoleon has received a letter from
the King of Wurtemburg, announcing the death of Prince
Frederick, his Majesty's brother-in-law and cousin. In
consequence, the Court of the Tuileries goes into mourn-
ing for four days.
During the thunderstorm of last week Mr.
Coxwell, with five companions, made a balloon ascent
from York. The rain actually forced the aerial monster
to earth again, in a very short period. Subsequently, a
successful trip was accomplished.
Mr. Spurgeon has had another windfall. During
the presant week a lady visited the bazaar held in the
Stockwell Orphanage, and presented Mr. Spurgeon with
the sum of £4OO, one-fourth of which is to be devoted
to the Orphanage, and three-fourths to the Pastors'
College.
- -

It is said that an application has been made by
the Austrian Government, through its embassy in Lon-
don to the Board of Admiralty, requesting permission for
Mr. Reed, the Chief Constructor, to design a fast and
powerful steam yacht for his Imperial Majesty the
Emperor of Austria.
The Musical Standard states that a grand organ
to cost £l,OOO, is building by Gray and Davison for the
Catholic Apostolic Church in Gordon-square.—M. Laube,
ex-director of the Leipsic theatre, is to shortly open a
new and grand opera in Vienna.—lt is proposed to erect
a statue of Gottschalk, in New York.
Drury-lane Theatre opens in September with a
drama, from the pen of Mr. Andrew Halliday, founded
on Sir Walter Scott's great romance, " Kenilworth."
The leading character will be the villain Varney, and the
part is being "written up " for Mr. T. C. King. The
part of the heroine will be taken by Miss Neilson.
The Civilian says :—" Mr. Baxter and his chief
having disposed of the clerks in the Admiralty, have now
turned their attention to the clerics, many of whom are,
it is stated, to be forthwith disestablished. The first to
undergo this pleasant ordeal will be the chaplains of the
divisional ships in the Coastguard and Steam Reserve."
No MORE SEA SICKNESS.--We understand that

Mr. Bessemer's plan for obviating sea sickness, by means
of an oscillating chamber, supported on bearings similar
to those of a compass—as has already been detailed in the
Railway News—will shortly be put to a practical test. A.
chamber of this description is now in course of construc-
tion at the works of Messrs. Maudsley, and will be fitted,
when completed, to a steamer of about 300 tons.—Bail-
way News.

How TO EAT STRAWBERRIES, PEACHES, AN
NECTARINES.—To obtain the full, true, delicious flavour
of a strawberry or a peach gather the fruit one day in ad-
vance and shut it up closely in the fruit-room, and it
will be fit for the dessert and a credit to the cultivator. A
second-class fruit prepared by this course of procedure
will actually surpass a first-class fruit eaten freshly
athered. Yet the current notion is that soft fruit cannot
be too fresh, and the keeping of them deteriorates their
flavour.— The Gardener's Magazine.
THE APFARLAND CASE.—A despatch from
Indiana says that MTarland, the murderer of Richardson
is taking legal steps to contest the validity of his wife'sldi-
vorce. Some action which would settle the value of lithe
lax statues of the Western States on the subjectof divorce
as affecting citizens of other parts of the country, and the
still looser modes of procedure under such statutes, would
be highly desirable ; but M`Farland is not the man to
make up a good test case. If he could carry his pro
ceedings so far as to compel his wife to live with
him again after what has passed, he would prove a more
effective agent in destroying the marriage laws than all
the disciples of free love who have ever preached or prac-
tised. Public opinion is so far made up and sealed in his
case that it would seem the part of decency for him to
rest content with his acquittal ; but decency is not his
forte, and perhaps he has read history to such advantage
that he expects by keeping himself before the people to
get appointed to some position of honour and emolument,
perhaps the mission to Spain.—Boston Advertiser.
Baboo Keshub Chunder Sen addressed a crowded
meeting in the Free-trade Hall, Manchester, on Friday
night, on the progress of the Brahmo Somaj, or Native
Theistic Church in India. He said that while the
religion which he professed and preached was not
hostile to Christian missionaries, but received with
welcome all who brought the tidings of reformation
and salvation to his countrymen, he deprecated ex-
ceedingly any attempt to reproduce sectarian peculi-
arities in India, and advised all missionary agencies
to put the spirit of Christianity as exhibited in the life
and, above all, in the death of Jesus Christ into the hearts
of the people of India, and leave it to manifest itself in
its own way. His address, which was one of remarkable
power, and excited the audience to a very high degree,
was brought to a close by a fervid denunciation of the
liquor traffic and opium trade in India, and an appeal to
the people of Manchester to assist him in a crusade, the
object of which sLould be to induce the British Legisla-
ture to restrict instead of increasing these traffics.

TIIE DIVISION ON THE EDUCATION. BILL.
In the division of Friday on the Education Bill, 23t
members of the Liberal party voted with the Govern-
ment and 60 against. The Queen's garden party at
Windsor will account for the unavoidable absence of 25'
or 30 Liberals, and accidents explain the absence of 25 or
30 more. The applications for pairs, also amounting to
some 25 to 30, were unsuccessful, in consequence of the ex-
treme smallness of the number who opposed the Govern-
ment. Mr. Morley was necessarily at Bristol during the
division, otherwise he would have voted with
the majority. Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Hardy
were both absent. Sir John Pakington came
to town on purpose to vote with the Government. We
state these simple facts as having both interest and use in
illustrating the actual situation. To-day the Education
Bill goes into committee, and the first subject of debate
will be Mr. Dixon's amendment for creating school boards
in every district. The notice paper contains no fewer
than 280 amendments ; but many have already been sub-
stantially discussed or may be grouped with others, and
hence there is good reason to hope that, in five nights of
hard work, the task may be effectual lone
xecuted, and that
the bill may pass through committee one Monday next.—
Daily Telegraph.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

CITY BETTING—SATURDAY.
GOODWOOD STAKES.
20 to 1 agst Revenge (taken and offered)
25 to 1 agst Amster (taken)
25 to 1 agst Bl=dford (taken)
25 to 1 agst John Davis (taken)
25 to 1 agst Jarnac (taken)
25 to 1 agst Jasonia (taken)'
25 to 1 agst Moccolo (taken)
25 to 1 agst Kidderminster (takenl
25 to 1 agst Prince Henry (taken)
25 to 1 agst Bertha (taken)
25 to 1 agst Newsman (taken)
25 to 1 agst Gnome King (taken)
25 to 1 agst Indian Ocean (taken)
25 to 1 agst Miss Sheppard (taken)
25 to 1 agst Capitalist (taken)
33 to 1 agst Strathnairn (offered)
40 to 1 agst Toby (taken)
50 to 1 agst Locksley (offered)
200 to 1 agst Ploughboy (offered)
10 to 1 agst W. Day's lot (taken and offered)
200 to 16 agst Cherie andJohnDavis coupled (taken)