The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-22 00:00:00

NEUTRALITY.

The Staudard says we may take it that, for the present
at least, the armies of France and Germany will essay the
determination of the question noon German soil. Every
piece of intelligence points to a French invasion of Ger-
many. It is barely possible, of course, that the Prussians,
who invaded Austria in 1866, after everybody
had insisted that they would act on the defen-
sive, may now invade France, but it is ex-
tremely improbable, and the admitted possibility
may be dismissed from all our calculations as too remote
to have the slightest importahce. Of course the French
invasion may be repelled. Of course the success of one
campaign may be balanced by the disasters of another.
The French may lead their horses to drink on the
Lower Rhine, and may be compelled to hasten
back to the Saar. France or Prussia may be
tempted to snatch at an immediate strategic ad-
vantage. But when this happens, if it ever
should happen, the contest will practically have been
decided, and the time will have come for the neutral
P )were to intervene and prevent a further and wanton
shedding of blood. For the present we may be content
with the Government's confirmation of the assurances
already so freely given, and congratulate ourselves that
although war has lost perhaps nothing of its destructive-
ness, the Governments which wage it show an anxiety to
stand well with public opinion, as well as to consult the
wishes and interests of other countries, which promises to
circumscribe the area of war, and to concentrate all its
worst evils upon the peoples whom the quarrel concerns.

MARQUISE DE LESSEPS.—The corporation of the
city of London has entrusted the designing and making of
the gold casket to contain the freedom of the city to Mr.
J. W. Benson, of Old Bond-street.
THE RETURN OF THE PRINCESS OF WALES.—
Her Majesty's paddle yacht Victoria and Albert, Cap-
tain his Serene Highness the Prince of Leiningen, sailed
from Portsmouth on Wednesday for Copenhagen, calling
in at Leith to embark there the Prince of Wales, to con-
vey back to England the Princess of Wales and children,
now on a visit at the Court of Denmark.

AN EXTRAORDINARY QUICK PASSAGE.—The
quickest passage ever made between Quebec and Liver-
pool has just been accomplished by the Scandinavian, a
splendid new steamer, belonging to the well-known Allan
mail line. The Scandinavian left Quebec at noon on the
9th instant, arrived at Moville at 1.20 p.m. on the 17th,
and at Liverpool at 6.40 a.m. on the 18th. Thus the
time occupied in the run to Moville (allowing for differ-
ence of time) occupied 7 days, 20 hours, and 35 minutes :
and to Liverpool 8 days, 13 hours, and 55 minutes
The English Mechanic tells us there will be a
" Workshop Competition " at the exhibition now open at
the Agricultural Hall, London. Workmen are invited to
enter their names as competitors. When a sufficient
number of names have been entered, arrangements will
be made for a series of competitions. The council are
also willing to arrange for trials of skill in other branches
of handicraft, for which intending competitors should at
once give in their names. Here is a novelty deserving of
all support.
On Wednesday night a meeting was held at the
Freemasons' Tavern (Mr. William Shaen in the chair), at
which it was resolved to constitute the proposed Theistic
Society. The Baboo Keshub Chund€r Sen addressed the
meeting. He said that, while differing in doctrine, they
could have religious fellowship in common. They owed a
thankful recognition to Scripture writers, to Confucius,
and to all the prophets. They did not wish to increase
religious animosity, but to promote love and peace. Dr.
Elizabeth Blackwell was one of the speakers.