The Sun.
London, England, 1870-10-21 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1870.

COLONEL SyKEs, in a letter to the Times, has
thrown out a most romantic suggestion. It has
reference to the Tien-tsin Massacres, and the necessity
for some vengeance being wrecked upon the mur-
derers. His proposition is this—that KING WILLIAM'S
assent to such an arrangement having, of course,
been first of all asked for and obtained, 10,000 of the
French soldiers now prisoners of war in

Germany, should be allowed by their conquerors
to go, at once, China-wards, on board
of one of the French ironclads. While
the hon. and gallant gentleman was about it, he
might just as well have suggested the employment

of half a dozen of the ironclads as one, and have
proposed the sending out 50,000 or 60,000 of the
French troops, now (if they only bad the chance of
it) eating their heads off, in Germany. Do the thing
handsomely, if it is to be done at all. Despatch
military force of respectable proportions if you send
but any number of soldiery to the south-eastern
borders of Asia. Colonel SYKES might even have
perfected the romance of his proposition by throwing
out the hint that Marshal MAcManoN should be
called from his temporary seclusion at Brussels, or even
the Emperor NAPOLEON 111, himself from his present
retreat at Wilhelinshohe to assume the command not
of 10,000 merely, but of an avenging corps &armee.
The command of their forces, in fact, he does
not touch upon at all. He contents himself
with pointing out where the troops might
be found very advantageously for both
of the now European belligerents. Men
now idle might in this manner be turned to good
account—their German conquerors and captors being
relieved at the same time from their further custody
and support. Supposing Colonel SYKES, sug-
gestion not to be acted upon, and the
Emperor NAPOLEON 111. denied any chalice
at all of thus retrieving his fortunes as a
military commander in Asia, with NAPOLEON the
GREAT at St. Jean d'Acrc, he might exclaim "I have
missed Ally destiny !" Romantic though the proposition

- -
Lere is really after all something in it. Meanwhile

Lhe Chinese authorities have been taking matters
into their own hands so far, that fifteen of the mis-

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

creants who were guilty of those appalling outrages
at Tien-tsin have already, we but just now hear by
tele4ram, been decapitated.

As winter apprimehes the subject of vagrancy
naturally engages attention, and the report which
Lord Shaftesbury sent yesterday to the Times con-
cerning the repression of vagrancy in the county of
Dorset is well worthy of notice. It appears:that the
public have generally adopted the system recom-
mended by the Mendicity Society of giving
tickets instead of money to tramps. The
practice ot supplying food under certain
restrictions has diminished the number ot
vagrants who applied for relief by 2,403 as com-
pared with the corresponding period of 1869. Not
only has the rapid increase of vagrancy which was
to be noticed in preceding years been checked, but
for the first time the authorities can record a de-
crease of 30 per cent. With the assistance of the looal
committees the society has been at work
throughout the country for the last nine months
and they have every reason to be satisfied with the
result of their labours. The secretary of the Dorset
Mendicity Society says that Dorset being the first
county in which the experiment has been tried, and
the result having been so far satisfactory, hopes are
entertained that the public, on whom the success of the
scheme will depend, may offer its support and assist-
ance to the society. Those who are at all acquaintsd
with the classes alluded to, will fully confirm the
truth of the remark that vagrancy is a profession,
and indiscriminate almsgiving affords direct encour-
agement to idledess and imposition. It is to be hoped
that due regard will be paid to this account and that
well meaning but misjudging persons will abstain
from affording assistance to those who are not in
need, to the loss and detriment of others who
are really in want of succour. The numerous in-
quiries which have been made shew that the plausi-
ble stories of tramps cannot in any way be relied
on.

and pay such allowance at once instead
of waiting for the beginning of the financial year of
1871-2. /lathe Portsmouth committee has succeeded
in raising a fund of twenty-two thousand pounds,
and the City of London Relief Committee has re-
ceived contributions to the amount of fourteen
hundred pounds odd within a week, it is confi-
ently believed that a sufficient fund will be ob-
tained to place those who suffer from the loss of the
Captain in circumstances under which they will be
free from want.

In connection with the question of pauperism,
some interesting remarks wore made the other day
by Mr. FAWCETT, M.P., in delivering :the first of a
course of lectures in the Arts School,
Cambridge. He truly declared that the state of
some of our large manufacturing towns, such
as Manchester or Liverpool presented a sad contrast
to our commercial prosperity. Within a stone's
throw of stores of merchandise were to be found
miserable alleys and close courts, where thousands of
our fellow creatures drag cut a wretched existence.
The manner in which numbers of these
were herded together in one room was
not only unhealthy, but contrary to the laws
of civilisation. In pursuing his theme, the Professor
showed that there were two classes of poverty—
voluntary and involuntary. The former was brought
about by vice, intemperance, or indolence, while the
latter was induced by uncontrollable circumstances,
such as failures in trade, or national calamities.
Well might Professor FAWCETT declare that it was
sad to observe 80 much wide-spread poverty and
deep distress side by side with wealth
and commercial prosperity. "Pauperism, its cause
and Remedies" is a subject which may soon weary,
but which we are never done with, and which
cannot be put aside or neglected by those who fully
comprehend its importance and. interest. It will be
a step in the right direction when the public shall
fully recognise the importance of discriminating
between the deserving and the non-deserving
classes of mendicants. We can readily realise the
evils that arise from want of heart, but those
which follow from want of thoug ht must
likewise be deplored. A report like that of the
Dorset Mendicity Society affords encouragement,
though it may only be in a slight degree, and it
certainly shews that time and trouble are worth more
than money in the business of almsgiving. To give
in a reckless spirit may very likely be productive
of more harm than good in. the long run,
by bestowing encouragement in the wrong direction,
while a little that is spent on the deserving poor
may turn to the advantage of society in checking
pauperism. At any rate, the season of distress is
drawing near, and it is an appropriate time for the
consideration of the question of pauperism, which is
always with us, and with whose remedy we are no
yet conversant.

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1870.