The Sun.
London, England, 1870-08-04 00:00:00

I'HL SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY E V LiwN iNG, AUGUST 4; 1870.

OPERAS, THEATRES, AND AMUSEMENTS.

PRINCE OF WALES'S—A 7.30. Quite by Accident. M.P. Deareei
Mamma.

QUEEN'S—At Seven, &Ty Wife's Dentist. 'Twist Axe and Crown,
VAUDEVILLE—Cupboard Love. Two Roses. Don Carlos.

CHRISTY MINSTRELS. St. James's Hall, Every Night, at 8; Wed-
nesdays and Saturdays, at 3 and 8 all the year round.
Zo LOGICAL GARDENS, Regent's-park. Open daily (except Sun-
days). Admission, is. ; on Mondays, 6d. Children under
twelve, 6d.

IlAnAmr, TussAun's EXHIBITION, Baker-street, from 11 a.m. till
30 p.m., and from 7 till 10 p.m. Admission, ls.; extra

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE THIS DAY.
Morning

17:',;!,..„1,„?
UAL
g

EVENING EDITION.

effect of the grand apparatus with which we have
been satisfied so long. There are four million
children who need instruction, and about half a
million yearly pass a very easy test of proficiency.
Even of this number only very few attain more than
twelve years of age. Such a result as , this
is miserable. The children spend very little time
at school ; they leave it at an early age ; they
learn little whilst they are there. Multitudes
never get any instruction whatever. The whole
report this year is, indeed, nothing more nor less than
a tale of woe. Earl de GREY and Mr. FORSTER tell
their story of shortcoming and break-down, and they
then leave the public to the assurance that the great
change has not come a moment too soon, and to the
hope that a far better state of things will speedily
arise.

THE first serious encounter of the war has been
gained by the French. It is true that the news of
the battle of Saarbriick comes to us through France,
and might, perhaps, have been received with some
reserve until we heard what the Germans had
to say. But a Central Press Telegram
informs us that the battle was followed
by the capture of Saarbriick; and here at least
is proof that the Prussians have lost ground. For
several days past the little skirmishing that has taken
place has all centred round this small town, and
it became evident that more serious work
soon would be done in that direction. The
battle just over throws some light upon the plan of
the campaign. Saarbriick is the first town that pre-
sents itself to the French on entering the Rhine
territory of Prussia, and it is clear from this attack
upon the place that the invasion will be up the
valley of the Moselle, direct into Prussia, not
through Baden or Bavaria as was anticipated by.
some writers. A glance at the map will
shew that Saarbriick is the nearest post on
the little Prussian frontier that immediately
adjoins France, and the one that must first be
aimud at by an enemy proposing a campaign up the
Moselle valley. That the French will attempt this
form of direct attack seems pretty evident.

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

inquirers by the positive assertion that the Snider
was the best breech-loader in the hands of any troops
in the world, and that with the exception of some few
regiments in India all the regulars and Marines were
now armed with it. Within the last two years sixty-
four regiments of Militia had been supplied with it,
and the Government were just about commencing to
arm the volunteers in the same way. One or two
points, however, were still left open to criticism by
the War Secretary. - Why, if the Snider arm is so
far superior to all others, should 7,000 Westley-
Richards rifles have been distributed to certain regi-
ments of Militia during the last two years ? Why is
the supply to the volunteers to be conducted on so
very gradual and tardy a principle, and why must
the process of supplying the Militia be entirely com-
pleted before the supply of the volunteers 'is begun,
when there are 300,000 Snider rifles in store ?

UNNECI:SSARY CAUTION.

It is very advisable at critical seasons like the
present for statesmen, journalists, and politicians, of
all degrees, to exercise a prudent degree of reticence
and avoid unnecessarily wounding the susceptibilities
of foreign nations. At the same time the amount of
caution recommended by Sir Henry Hoare and Mr.
Guest, is fairly absurd as well as pusillanimous. The
former regrets that the Government should ask
for an increase of the army, as it looks like
a menace to our constant and faithful
ally, the Emperor of the French, whom in
his opinion, the working men of Chelsea estimate very
highly. Englishmen, whether residents of Chelsea
or elsewhere, are generally of opinion that the con-
stancy and fidelity of allies are enhanced by the
knowledge of England's power of self-defence,
and they are even less likely to listen to Mr.
Montague Guest's reproaches than to Sir Henry
Hoare's. Mr. Guest is highly indignant with those
journals which presumed to criticise the Secret
Treaty, and so run the risk of involving this country
in war. The events of the day might teach him that
a pretext for war is never wanting when a strong
military power wishes to attack its neighbour, and
that the excessive circumspection which he and Sir
11, Hoare would have us observe would, probably,
end in a general attack upon the country that
p'ayed the part of the Old Man with the ass.

delicate health, but she remained in Pisa, living with
a relation of the Vicar-General. Some years later
she married an Italian gentleman, named De Virte,
and all communication with her- family ceased.
In the interim her father had induced her to sign
a deed resigning certain rights to which she was
entitled undtr the will of Lord Ashburton. Of the
nature of these rights she was not fully aware. A
bill has now been filed to set aside this deed, and a
compromise has been arranged, which has received
the sanction of the Vice-Chancellor.

THE PUBLIC HEALTH.

Interesting facts respecting the Public Health are
always to be gleaned from that comprehensive table
of returns issued quarterly by the Registrar. General.
In the report just issued for April, • May, and June,
for instance, we find that the death-rate in England,
Scotland and Wales, fell to the average rate
of the season and was not at any period so
high as in the spring of the year previously.
The principal epidemic was scarlet fever. The
prevalence of this disease is supposed to have
been caused by the almost rainless nature of the
season. The number of births exceeded the usual mag-
nitude. The Registrar-General says:—Marriages which
'are highest up to the Christmas quarter, and which
always ebb to the lowest point in the first three
months after it, formed no exception to the rule this
year. In the 91 days of the quarter, the number of
emigrants who left our shores was 41,373, or 455
each day. The annual rate of emigration being—Eng-
land 8, Scotland 12, Ireland 27 in every 1,000 of their
estimated population. 4,690 emigrants sailed to the
Australian colonies, 15,676 to British North America,
67,458 to the United States, and only 856 to other
places. The authority of Mr. Glaisher is
quoted in the returns in connection with the
weather. We are reminded that April came in cold,
that the temperature then rose, and was high until
near the end of the month. Anon cold came, and
rain fell in small quantities in different parts of the
country, until May had fairly set in ; then the
weather became warm and dry, and full of sunshine
until vary nearly the end of June, when the cold,
changeable fit returned, and brought a little rain.