The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-04 00:00:00

A Purchase Department.

It is much to be feared that the creation of a pur-
chase department in connection with the Admiralty
will not be as effective as might be desired, if the ob-
ject of such a department be to prevent frauds on
Government property. There are many evils in the
purchase systems which cannot be removed without
a reform, which, it is said, will not be secured by
making an office or department answerable for things
bought. A merchant who deals in a commodity used
largely by the Admiralty, writes that he lately
became aware of a piece of trading which illustrates
one very weak point in the purchase regulations. He
saw an advertisement for a Government contract in
the papers, but fearing that the article required
under the specification of the tender was superior to
what he had at the time in stock, he did not apply
for the contract. A short time afterwards another
merchant came to him and bought a large supply of
the commodity he sells, and this man subsequently sold
it to Government in fulfilment of the tender adver-
tised fbr. The Government in this instance
accepted goods at least twenty-five per cent.
inferior in marketable value to those which
they were anxious to obtain. The merchant who makes
knuwn this gross case of mismanagement, is of
opinion that an efficient system of personal inspection
by experts, in particular branches, would deal more
effectually with the corrupt practices which have be-
come an unfortunate heirloom to the Government
purchase systems, than the formation of a department
which will no doubt have the responsibilities nar-
rowed to itself, but which will probably cope with
almost ineradicable evils exactly in the same way as
they have always been grappled with.
Ignorance of the Army.

At the annual meeting of the governors of the
Corps of Commissionaires, the report of the com-
manding officer, Captain 'Waller, presented features
of general interest, and many of the statements were
most suggestive. Not the least important was that
which referred to the large amount of ignorance
existing in the army. He says the increase in the
numerical strength of the commissionaires,
which has been fifteen per cent., would
have been still larger but for the dis-
qualification of many applicants from a want of
sufficient education and intelligence. It is painful,
he adds, to see so many human beings, especially ser-
vants of the State, excluded from all but the humblest
grades of labour, by their inability to read, and to
some minds it would appear incomprehensible, that
among the numerous ministers, who have had the
control of the army for the last twenty years, not
one has succeeded in preventing the scandal which such
ignorance presents. Compulsory education in the
army, it appears, is another step in the right direction,
demanding the attention of Government.
Deaths in the Merchant Service.

Statistics have been published, shewing the num-
ber of deaths, and their causes, in the British mer-
chant service during the year 1869. It appears that
there has been a great reduction in the mortality as
compared with the two previous years. In 1867 and
1868 the deaths were 5,283 and 5,237; last year
they were only 4,832. The deaths by scurvy,
which numbered 52 in 1867 and 26 in
1868, fell last year to 9. Of other causes of
death it appears that yellow fever was fatal to 346
persons in 1867, and to 162 in 1869. Typhus,
other continued fevers, and ague were almost
equally fatal in both years. Small-pox caused
15 deaths last year against 21 in 1867. There
is an increase in the deaths by accident, which
amounted to 60 per cent. of the total mortality in
in 1867, and to 64 per cent. last year ; 1,770 seamen
having been drowned by shipwreck, and 1,069
drowned in other ways. The deaths of 8 surgeons
are included in the return of 1869, 11 and 12
respectively having occurred in the two previous
years.
Cardinal Cullen.
It has more than once been rumoured that the
Roman Catholic Primate, having been elected a
cardinal, has been granted at Dublin Castle, a pre-
cedence over the archbishops of the Irish Church.
No more erroneous report could be circulated; and it
is well, therefore, that the public should know that
in 1849 an order issued by her Majesty assigned entry
into Dublin Castle to the Roman Catholic Primates and
to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin next
after and below the Archbishops of the Established
Church. This rule has ever since been ad-
hered to, and there is no reason to believe
that, because the Irish Church is disestablished, it
will be departed from. On the authority of Sir
Bernard Burke, Ulster-King-at-Alms at Dublin, it
is stated that Cardinal Cullen, being a British sub-
ject, is not entitled to any precedence in right of his
office, in these islands. lle is still recognised, and
will continue to be recognised, merely as an Arch-
bishop

The London Police.
It is hard to expect that the London constables
will be as vigilant as they might be, or as determined
to resist temptations offered to them, when they re-
ceive as pay only 18s. a week, and when they are in
addition ever being tantalized by little reforms with
respect to their mode of living and working. It is
stated that last year every married constable was
allowed 40 lbs. of coal weekly throughout the year,
and every unmarried one 40 lbs. weekly for the
winter months and 20 lbs. for the summer.
This regulation has now been changed, and a
grant of 42117 a-week, no matter liow coal may increase
in price, is made instead. The ease of a policeman's
mind is considerably affected by this arrangement, as
.any shrevVd calculator will be able to shew, that 41d.
is worse than 401bs, of guarantee, Government coal.
There is abio great objection to a policeman mewing

PRICE 1 d
STAMPED 2d.

money, even so small a sum as sixpence a week, for
calling early risers; indeed it is believed that there is
an express rule made againstit, though it is an im-
?erative order that a policeman is to 4‘ knock up"
those who desire him to do so. All these little econo-
mical and hypercritical observances are likely to
tell on men who are really very arduously worked, and
from whom a very great deal is expected. If a
policeman is left to stand in the dripping rain for
hours considering whether his wife has the means to
have a fire to dry him at, when he goes home, is it
any wonder that he fails to watch the burglar, who
on his part watches well and often, before he
attempts his robbery at some house " within the
beat ?"

Animal Life on the Surface of the Sea.

Many travellers see strange things, and many go
through the world with their eyes closed ; but Mr.
Francis Ingram Palmer is evidently not to be classed
in the latter category. That gentleman
has been recently employed in surveying
the coasts of China and Japan, and after
his labours in this respect he bethought himself to
ascertain what might be the surface-oceanic life to
be found on the way home. With this view he
dragged 12,000 miles of sea one foot deep. In
the vast operation he wore out 40 new nets and
80 repaired ones, but his scientific enterprise and
patience has enabled him to make quite a revelation
of sea life to the world. As the wandering denizens
of the ocean were entrapped, they were brought up
to the deck of her Majesty's ship Rodney, and
made to display themselves under powerful exa-
mining glasses. By thiS means Mr. Palmer has
been able to draw them in their wonderful develop-
ments of form and brilliance of colour, his delinea-
tions occupying twelve feet in length and eight feet
in depth of drawing paper. This large picture, which
now hangs in the waiting-room of the Admiralty, is
ornamented with sketches of territorial scenes, the
whole achievement aifordino• a strikinc, illustration of
the great value of a perfect knowledge of drawing
for the advancement of science.
London Dust.

The Lancet asks if Londoners ever seriously
consider what they pay for the doubtful
luxury of unnecessary dust. Whatever might
be thought of Professor Tyndall's theories, it
says, we must all accept this fact, that the
air is lull of filth. Healthy adults may perchance
breathe it with impunity, and asthmatics may even
like it better than a pure atmosphere; but
for the children and the ailing what can be worse ?
Our contemporary then speculates upon what will
help us. Macadam, it says, is a great road- maker
and a great dust maker. Thousands of tons of dust
are unnecessarily made by contact of iron and stone.
Will not Asphalte pavement help us ? It yields
instead of grinds, and it is easily made
clean. It is smoothed with a hot- roller,
and in three quarters of au hour will
carry the heaviest traffic without injury.
No dust or dirt comes up as from beneath the: stones.
It is cheaper than either of the present modes of
paving, but if the paving rates were doubled, they
would still re w ain a bagatelle, if we diminsheddtist. The
Lancet pronounces clearly for asphalte as a remedy
for this dire affliction.