The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-10 00:00:00

WOMAN'S IDEA OF GOVERNMENT

The public have during some months been interested,
and perhaps edified, by the ideas and impressions put forth
by Mrs. Victoria C. Woodhull upon the broad, general
subject of human government, as- well as by her subsequent
nomination of herself as a candidate for the Presidency in
the election of 1872. The articles in which she has an-
nounced these views and purposes have from time to time
appeared in the Herald, and to-day we present a further
communication on the question of the " Limits and Sphere
of Government." It is evident that Mrs. Woodhull is
imbued with at least one very sensible idea, and that idea
is one which it would be well for large numbers of aspi-
rants for public positions to emulate—viz., that fitness is
the first prerequisite of qualifications entitling the seeker
to enjoy the position sought for. This it is, doubtless,
which has led her not only to study and perfect herself in
the name of the functions she seeks to exercise, and their
effect, and, in the honest belief that she does understand
the question, to give her opinions to the people, that they
may judge of her ability, and the correctness of her views.
At the same time it was somewhat difficult to see what
good will come out of this particular Nazareth. Mrs.
Woodhull offers herself in apparent good faith as a candi-
date, and perhaps has a remote impression, or rather hope,
that she may be elected, but it seems that she is rather in
advance of her time. The public mind is not yet educated
to the pitch of universal woman's rights. At present man,
in his affection for and kindness toward the weaker sex,
is disposed to accord her any reasonable number of privi-
leges. Beyond that stage he pauses, because there seems
to him to be a something which is unnatural in permitting
her to share the turmoil, the excitement, the risks of com-
petition for the glory of governing. There is therefore
but one position that may be taken in considering the aim
of this ambitious lady, and that is that, perceiving and
fully appreciating the natural obtuseness of man, she has
boldly put herself forward with a view to wearing down
these scrupulous angles in his sympathetic character and
nature, and that she will, after all, be content with the
knowledge that she has done her full share in educating
him for the new order of things which shall supervene
when woman in all matters has equal rights and duties
with him.—New York. Herald.

THE GREAT FIRE AT CONSTANTINOPLE.
The following are further details of the great fire in
Constantinople. The conflagration commenced in the
Validd Ischesme-street, at the corner of Dzambar-street,
and destroyed the whole quarter comprised within the
following boundaries :—Valide Ischesme-street, Dzambar-
street, Kayasse Bashi-street, Tatavola-gardens, Kissini
Pasha's-gardens, Hamali Ischesme-street, the English
Embassy, Hamal Bashi-street, High-street, Pera, and
Paksim-street. This quarter, which was about one
square mile in extent, contained nearly 20,000 houses,
one-tenth of which were built of stone, the rest being of
wood and plaster. About 50 stone houses leading from
the Hight-street, Pera, to the left were burnt, the spread
of the flames being facilitated by the strong north wind.
Takeim-street and Ildikiar, Misk, Imam, Sckyz, and
Agatch-streets, and others were almost all inhabited by
rich Armenians, who that day were celebrating the tenth
fete of the constitution, and had formed large pleasure
parties and gone into the country. They were all, there-
fore absent, and have lost everything. Many other in-
habitants were also absent in the country, the day being
Sunday. Almost the whole of the Italian ,working
class inhabited one of the quarters destroyed, and have
greatly suffered. Among the superior class of resi-
dents the English and Armenian are the greatest
sufferers, though it is impossible to state with
certainty the amonnt of their losses. Dead bodies are
being found every moment, two hundred and fifty having
been discovered up to the present. Detachments of sol-
diers are in the streets to stop the passage in severalplaces,
in consequence of•the falling walls, as several persons have
already been killed in this manner. Since Sunday the
flames reappeared at the back of the French Hospital, but
were extinguished by the commander and crew of the
Messageries Imp6riales steamer. The Government has
erected tents, and provisions are served out to all appli-
cants. All precautions were taken at the English Em-
bassy one hour before the fire approached, but it was
impossible to prevent the destruction of the edifice.
The flames darted upon the roof from a distance of 60
paces, and several men were seriously burnt. Sir Henry
Elliot was so absorbed in his efforts to save the building
that he took no care of his personal effects, which were in
consequence all destroyed. Lady Elliott left the Embassy
only just in time, as she was nearly suffocated. The
archives and documents of the Embassy were saved. Con-
siderable sums of money have already been received from
high personages and several capitalists for the relief of
the sufferers by the fire, and it is stated that subscrip-
tion lists will be opened in most of the European capitals.
The Empress of the French has sent 10,000 f. to Constan-
tinople, and the Duke de Grammont 5,000 f.

Eight gunboats are at present being built in France
for the Turkish Government. They are of very light
draught, and are intended for coast service.

THE CANADIANS CLEARING OUT.— We have
reports in the Montreal papers that there are between
two and three thousand vacant dwellings in that city, in-
dicating a decrease of population to the number of ten or
fifteen thousand. In short, the Canadians are rapidly
leaving the Dominion for the United States. Over two
thousand French Canadians left Bonaventura station in
one batch for the United States. Perhaps this evacuation
of Canada by the Canadians may aocount for the Fenians
going in.

-
STREET °Ans.—Our English friends have been
very slow in adopting our street railways, but the Direc-
tors of the first one laid down in London have suggested
an improvement in their management which we should
like to see adopted in this country. The first cars--say
at five o'clock in the morning—are run not only more fre-
quently, but at cheaper rates than in the less busy hours
of the day. Thus the artisans who go to work at sunrise
arc charged two cents. per trip, while the merchant who
rides to his business at eight or nine o'clock has to pay
four cents. This rate after prevailing through the day is
again reduced at sunset, and the labouring classes find
cheap transportation home again. Of course, the London
Street Railway Company does not do this of its own
accord. It is compulsory accommodation there as it
ought to be here. If Tweed and Company had the wel-
fare of the working classes really at heart instead of that
of the railway corporations, who rob and tax them with-
out mercy, they would require similar regulations
for the street lines in New 17-orig.—NO York Tribune.