The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-02 00:00:00

NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE.

*
Zitt t:CTD-ft 110
463104-

In that recent speech in the House of Com-
mons--a speech studded as thickly with abomi-
nable instances of adulteration as a Christmas pud-
ding is with plums and currants--we heard
with a shudder of coffee flavoured with filth•; of blue
pills rendered at once gritty and cadaverous with
slate-filings ; of ale (but that is an old story), poi-
soned with salt, and colouring matter, and cocculus
indicus. Against the possibility of the adulteration
of beer, Mr. BASS, as became him, at once, then and
there, protested loudly and emphatically. An ana-
lytical chemist of some eminence has answered Mr.
BASS'S denial of the charge by evidence as irrefrag-
able as the following --" With the object," he
writes to the Times," of ascertaining whether the
beer sold in London was genuine, I some time ago
obtained six samples in the west district and six in
the south. It Nas purchased, without selection, of
large and small public-houses at the workmen's din-
ner hour, and was immediately sent to be analysed.
Out of these 12 samples seven were salted, 11 had
colouring matter (five in large quantities), and in all
there was an extra amount of water. Setting aside
the best sample as too good for an average," he adds,
" and the worst as too bad, the remaining 10 gave
1,180 gallons as originally made by the brewer
from 10 quarters of malt to which 1,964 gallons •f
the New River had been added, for which excellent
artistically coloured water, the consumer was charged
£l2O, while the cost of the raw material, the malt and
hops, for the whole 2,244 gallons was doubtless less
than £4O. But," he feels constrained to admit, "it
was only a fraud—for no cocculus indicus or any sub-
stance positively injurious to health was detected."
Mr. SAME, the writer of this statement, with
a touch of sly humour, goes on to remark,
"Mr. BASS may say the analyst did not under-
stand his business. He, however, examined a sample
of ale brewed by Messrs. BASS and CO., and found no
salt, no colouring matter, and no water added--in
fact, perfectly pure beer. May I ask, was that also
an error ?" If only the retail purchaser could go
direct, fur their supplies, to the wholesale manufac-
turers, to our BASSES and our ALLSOPPS, to our
BARCLAYS and our GUINESSES, we should have no
more of these abominable and deleterious adultera-
Until they can, however, do this—will not

A GUA AMARELLA. restores the Human Hair
to its pristine hue, no matter at what age.
.}NO. GOSNE LI. and CO. have at length, with the aid of one of
thelnost eminent Chemists, succeeded in perfecting this wonder-
ful liquid. It is now offered to the public in a more concentrated
form, and at a lower price.
Sold in bottles, 3s each; also 55., 7e. 6d., and 15s. eaeh, includ-
rtg brush.
Red Bull Wharf ,Angel-passage, 93, Upper Thames-street Lon-
don, E.C. ,

JOHN GOSNELL and CO.'S CHERRY
TOOTH PASTE is greatly superior to any tooth Po wder ;
gives the teeth a pearl whiteness, protects the enamel from decay,
and imparts a pleasant fragrance to the breath. Price Is. 64.
/led Bull Wharf, 93, "Upper Thames street, London.

THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET.
Sole Lessee, Yr. Bvckstone.
THIS EVENING, at 7 o'clock, NO SONG NO SUPPER: Mr.
Kendal, Mr. Compton, Mr. Eclow aid Osborne, Mr. Clark; Miss F.
Wright, Hiss Francis, Miss Fosbroke, and Miss F. Gwynne.
After which, at 8 precisely, BARWISE'S BOOK: Mr. Sothern,
Mr. Chippendale, Mr Compton, Mr. Kendal, Mr. Buckstone; Miss
C. Hill, Mrs. Frank Matthews, and Miss Fanny Gwynne.
And (by desire) A REGULAR FIX: Mr. Sothern, &c.
Concluding with A IKSS IN THE DARK.

ADELPHI THEATRE.—New Company.—New
Drama.—At 7.30, FREE LABOUR, a drama, in four
acts, by Charles Reade, played by a new company, selected from
first-class theatres. New scenery by Hawes Craven.

OLYMPIC THEATRE.-MISS BA rEMAN.-
THIS EVENING, at 8, MARY WARNER: Mary Warner,
Miss Bateman; assisted by Messrs. Vernon, D. Fisher, Blakeley,
Roberts, Elliott, Vanghan. and G. Belmore.

I receded by, at 7, MUSIC -11ATH CHARMS: Bi iS3 Mattle
Reinhardt.

To conclude with THE 'VARSITY BOAT RACE. Mr. Geo.
Belmore.

T 4YCEUM THEATRE (under the management
of Messrs. Mansell).
THIS EVEN ING, at 7.30, HIS OWN RIVAL. Mr. P.
Charles and Miss L. Morgan.
At 8, BREAKING THE SPELL.

Afte7r which, at t 4.30, LITTLE FAUST: Mr. T. Maclagan, 31.
Marius, Mr. Aynsley Cook, Mr. Odell, and Mr. Wilmot; bldlle.
Debreux, Mesdames Lennox Grey, Lawson, Lee, and Emily
Soldene.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Sole Lessee and Manageress, Mrs. Swanborough.
THIS EVENING, at 7 o'clock, LOVING REARTs. Messrs
Edward Terry and Turner; Mesdames Bufton a djSantley.
Followed by KENILWORTH. Messrs David James, Terry,
Turner, and Fenton; Mesdames Sant ey, Anstisa, Goodall, Met-
calfe, and Moore.

VkUDEVILLE THEATRE, STRAND.-
Lessees—MesarA H. J. Montagne, D. James, and T,
Thorne.—THlS EVENING, at 7 30, an original Comedy, by A.
Halliday, entitled FOR LOVE OR MONEY. At 9.45, the new
Burlesque, by Conway Edwarde., entitled DON CARLOS; or,
The Infante in Alms Supported by the following Company:—
Messrs H. J. Montague, G. Honey, H. Irving, W. H. Stephens, C.
Garthorne, E. Elton, and Thos. Thorne ; Mesdames Nelly Power,
Cavendish, Amy Fawsitt, S Irwin, L. Claire, J. Beauclerc, R.
Evelyn, Kemp, T. Lavis, F. Garthwaite, R. Power.
N.B.—On Saturday next, June 4th (at 8 o'clock), a new and
original Comely, in 3 Acts, entitled TWO ROSES, supported by
Messrs. H. J. Montague, H. Irving, G. Honey, H. H. Stepbens,
and T. Thorne ; Mesdames A. Newton (her first appearance at
this Theatre), T. Lavis, and Amy Fawsitt.

OPERAS, THEATRES, AND AMUSEMENTS.

MORNING EDITION.

LONDON, THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1870.

NAPOLEON the GREAT, in one of his most .stinging
mots, dubbed this, the most formidable of his enemies,
a nation of shopkeepers? Are we nowadays to regard
ourselves as—worse even than that—a nation of dis-
honest shopkeepers. The falsification of weights
and measures systematically—and this, as a rule,
always in the poorer neighbourhoods, in localities
like the New Cut on the Ratcliffe Highway—bas,
unhappily, been quite clearly proved and demon-
strated under the operation of a recent Act of Par-
liament contrived with a view to its suppression. The
adulteration of food, of almost every article in
common use, of eatables and drinkables alike--of
our very drugs and medicines--all this has, long
since, again and again, been, in its turn, too,
quite clearly proved and demonstrated.
A commission was appointed, several years
ago, for the purpose of carrying out a
series of searching investigations. A mass of evi-
dence was thereby accumulated. That evidence was;
in due course, given to the public. Our medical con-
temporary, the Lancet, covered itself with honour by
originating this very important and eminently prac-
tical commission. By presiding over its labours,
Dr. HASSALL acquired for himself an eminent repu-
tation. And yet, in spite of all these most praise-
worthy endeavours to mitigate the evils that were
shown to be so rife and so wide-spread—practically
speaking nothing whatever has been done, all this
Ns bile, by the Legislature, with a view to the sweep-
ing away of this most unwholesome and rascally
system of adulteration. To the end of bringing about
some change for the better in regard to this subject,
we are glad to observe the significant fact that an
organ of the cause, entitled the Food Journal, has
very recently been commenced. Incidentally, too,
the subject of these disgraceful adulterations has
been revived, or, us the Parliamentary slang
is, "ventilated,' within the walls of the Legisla-
ture. One of our representatives, having "the courage
of his convictions," shrank not from entering into de-
tails to his half-amused and half-disgusted listeners
in the House of Commons. Hearkening to him, one
thought of the sanctimonious grocer in the old-
fashioned farcical-comedy—a sort of SNAWLEY—who
3alls out to his apprentice, " Have you watered the
vinegar ?" "Yea, sir," "And sanded the sugar?"
" Yes, sir." " And damped the tobacco ?" " Yes,
sir." " Then ccnxie to prayers." One seemed to hear,
again, the bandit in one of GILBERT A'BEcErrr's
burlesques, as he smacked his lips over a cup of tea
declaiming the sonorous couplet—

"'Tis pretty fair, as Twankays go;
I'm always quick in finding out the sloe."

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, Covent-garden.—Gouuod's Faust e Mar-
gherita. 8.30. p.m.
ITALIAN OPERA, Drury Lane.—Faust. 8.3) p.m.
HAYMARKET—At Seven, No Song No Supper. Barwise's Book.
And A Kiss in the Dark.
AD.ELPHE—At Seven, No. 1 Round the Corner. FreeLabour.
PRINCE or WiLEs's—At 7.30. Quite by Accident. M.P. Dearest
Mamma.
LYCEUM—At 7.30, His Own Rival, Breaking the Spell. At 8.3 •,
Little Faust.
OLYMPIC At Seven, Music hath Charms. At 8, Mary Warner.
l'he 'Varsity Boat Race.
(34u,Ty—At Seven, First Night. The Princess of Trebizonde.
QUEEN'S—At Seven, My Wife's Dentist. 'Twixt Axe and Crown.
STRAND—At Seven, Loving Hearts. Kenilw rth.
VAUDEVILLE —For Love or Money. lion Carlos.
ST. JAMES'S—At Seven, Frou Peon La. Belle Sauvage
WOODiN'S CARPET-lIAG AND SKETCH 13 ,C K. Egyptian Hall, Pie'
cadilly, every k v. nine (except Saturday), at 8; Saturday Morn
iogs at 3 A dmissi .n Is, 2s, 3s.
CRRIsTY MINSTRELS. St. James's Hall. Every Night, at 8; Wed-
nesdays and Saturdays, at 3 and 8 a 1 the yeafround.
Zo LOGICAL GARDENS, Regent's-p.rlc Opf,n daily except Sun-
days). Acimishiun, is.; ou Mondays, Gd. Children under
,ed.

tions.

the Legislature in some way interpose for the safety
of the health and the pockets of the general
community ?

THE public will not have forgotten the catastrophe
of April 21st in Greece. The information has coin"
to hand very tediously, and startling events hat
happened in the meantime; but an occurrence in whicl
the honour of the nation is so completely involved
must not be hastily dismissed. The last batch ofletters
and documents throws a little more light on the
extraordinary proceedings of the Greek officials pre-
vious to the massacre. Suspicion has from the first
rested upon Colonel THEAGENIS, the officer sent out
by the Greek Government to treat with the brigands,
and who commanded the troops. A short letter from
Mr. FRANK NOEL amply justifies the presumption
that the behaviour of this officer was the
immediate cause of the murders. Mr. NOEL
relates that on Tuesday, the 19th of April, he
visited Oropos, arriving there late at night,
and had an interview with the captives the next
morning. It may be well to note, en passant, that
Mr. ERSKINE, the English ambassador, had
some days before written out a telegram
asking Mr. NOEL'S assistance. The Greek
War Minister, Soutzos, took charge of this message,
which was never sent. It was only by accident that
Mr. NOEL heard of the brigands being at Oropos, and
he immediately set out, arriving, as .we have said,
late on Tuesday night. The next morning,
Colonel THEAGENIS himself arrived, and the two
conferred with the brigand chiefs. The instructions
of the Greek Government were read to the robbers,
They contained a provision to. the effect that the

was

sense.

MADAME TUSSAUD'S EXHIBITION, Baker-street, from 11 RM. tin
30' p. 121., and from 7 till 10 p.m. Admission, Is.; extra
6d.

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 2, 1870

brigands must not leave Oropos until the terms were
arranged, otherwise the Government could not
guarantee their immunity from attack. Exasperated
at this announcement, the chief pulled out a letter
he had received from Mr. ERSKINE. It declared
that the amnesty could not be granted; but that the
King and the Chief Minister had guaranteed the
safety of the brigands until the terms were settled.
"How," exclaimed the brigand chief, " can I
place faith in the Greek Government ? Do
you think we should have come into the village of
Oropos, had it not been for the promise given by the
Ambassador ?" Colonel THEAGENIS had nothing to
say to this. Then and there he was given to under-
stand that if the troops molested the robbers, the
prisoners would be murdered. With this assurance
he departed—and led his troops to the attach the
very next day.

, Mr. NOEL remained at Oropos the whole of Wed-
nesday, and left on that memorable Thursday
morning. Before he departed the brigand chief made
further concessions, promising to give up the idea of
an amnesty and accept the alternative offered—
receive the ransom, embark on board au English
ship, and leave the country. Mr. NOEL at once tele-
graphed to Mr. ERSKINE to insist on the withdrawal
of the troops, as the robbers had come to terms.
"About four o'clock I received an answer, saying
that the Government had consented not to attack the
brigands at Sykamenos, and asking me to return to
treat with them for their embarkment on board an
English man-of-war." Mr. NOEL prepared to return
to the brigands-at once; but, owing to the heavy
sea, he could not get off until the next morning.
If he had it would have been of no avail. The attack
had been made and consummated, and the English-
men were murdered. Why the attack was ordered
remains a mystery to this day. But that Colonel
THEAGENIS should have been present at the
interview with the Greek chiefs, that he

certainty for his next event, and then something
else, perhaps Macgregor, will win. It has been said,
and some slight signs of the kind have shewn themselves,
that racing is declining in public esteem. We hope
it is so. If this affair does not. fill up the mea-
sure- of disgust, nothing will. It is needless
to add that all the old machinery—the scratching
of horses upon which heavy amounts had been in-
vested, immediately before the race, and the absorp-
tion of public money upon impostors that never had
a chance in the competition—has been ac-
tively at work ; whilst tie Legislature, so far
from interfering, has expressly adjourned in order the
more easily to witness the instructive performance.
The Derby of 1870 will bring riches to many
a professional, bat ruin to many more deluded
victims. We repeat that the onus of these scandals
rests not upon one, or any number of racing men, but
upon the high authority which negligently allows
such things to be. With the details of racing, Parlia-
ment has nothing to do ; but the gambling that
accompanies racing, and the fraud that accompanies
the gambling, are distinctly the offspring of legislative
indifference and the repression of such vice is au
imperative duty. The Derby of 1870 is remarkable
as a striking instance of the manner in which the
present system of betting turns in favour of those
persons who make a trade of it.

HER MAJESTY.

BALMORAL CASTLE, May 31.
The Queen went out yesterday morning with Princess
Beatrice.

should have been aware of the promise
of security given to the brigands whilst the negotia-
tions were going on, and that he should have heard the
threat of the chief to murder his prisoners if the
soldiers advanced, are a combination of circumstances
which decisively attribute to him the onus of
inexcusable folly and mismanagement, ,or worse.
The horrible muddling away of life appears in a
worse light as each successive fact comes out. T 9
insist upon the terms of a Constitution, which has
been set at nought at the will of any triumphant
political party, as a reason for not grant-

In the afternoon her Majesty and Princess Louise drove
out, attended by the Duchess Dowager of Athol.
The Rev. Norman M'Leod, D.D., lett the Castle.

The Princess of Wales drove out yesterday, accompanied
by the Princess of Teck.

The Prince of %Vales, accompanied by the King of the
Belgians, and attended by Lieut.-Col. Teesdale and Captain
Lunde!), went to the Epsom •Races yesterday.

•
FASHIONABLE ARRANGEMENTS TO-I) AT.
The Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch's dinner and ball to
meet the Prince and Princess of Wales, at Montagu
House, Whitehall.
The Earl Fortescue's evening party, at 40, Upper Brook-
street.
The Hon. Mrs. Hubbard's dance, at 24, Prince's-gate.
The Hon. Mrs. Halford's dance, at 5, Prince's-gate.
Mrs. Schuster's ball, at 11, Upper Belgrave-street, instead of
the 15th.

ing an amnesty was a foolish and hazardous
formality. But to afterwards suddenly assail the
robbers, after a solemn pledge of safety had been
given them, and after the English representa-
-Are had succeeded in obtaining better terms,
sheer wickedness. It was likewise

another display of Greek imbecility, . for the
advance of the soldiers could never have silo-

ceeded, unless the brigands had been completely sup
rounded. This object Colonel THEAQENIS did not

effect. His advance, therefore, may have been the

motives which prompted it, proved a failure in ever:

Tills exercise of sound and systematic, economy iii
any of the State departments is a rare luxury, and
the nation will act wisely in making the most of it.
An economical Government meets with so much
opposition from alarmed rivals and dissatisfied
interests, that the hearty support of the public
is needed to make the work a success.
In awarding such support the impartial mind will be
governed, not by this or that detail, but by the
general principle involved. The charges, for instance,
which Mr. CORRY raises against Mr. BAXTER
must not be allowed to keep out of sight
the real point at issue. Mr. BAXTER says
that stores to a vast and wasteful extent
were accumulated in the dockyards during the
reign of the last Government, and, indeed,
of their predecessors also; Mr. CORRY affirms that
Mr. BAXTER'S calculations are exaggerated, and that
no excessive supplies had been laid up. The two
gentlemen may settle this question between them
the important consideration for the public is.that the
present Ministry is making an attempt to cleanse the
Aegean stable of the Admiralty, and that previous
Ministries have been content to let the abuses
remain in peace. That the dockyards were
dens of waste, mismanagement, and fraud,
there can be no question whatever. The
history of their abuses is now a well established and
shameful chapter of political record ; but Mr: BAXTER
never speaks on the subject in the House without re-
vealing some fresh beauties. On Tuesday night he
gave the House of Commons some information on
the subject of bribery. It prevailed, he said, exten-
sively both in London and in the dockyards. • Nor
were the bribers restricted to trifles, such as £lO
or £2O, but they were " mainly very much
larger sums." And, as Mr. BAXTER says,
it is not for a moment to be supposed that com-
mercial firms would pay this money without some pro-
portionate benefit. "Certain tenders were opened with
all solemnity in the presence of the officials at Sourer

set House and st the Admiralty, but it had been
ascertained that certain messengers had keys to open
the boxes in which the tenders were placed."
Through this collusion between servants inside the
Government offices and dealers outside of them,
the nation had been swindled without stint.
So huge were the frauds that the new system
of economy was enabled to save £150,000
in respect of food alone, besides thousands here
and there in every branch of expenditure. Mr. CORRY
in a party sense can gain nothing by bringing such
facts to light. Even in matters of detail, it does not
appear that he gained any advantage over Mr.
BAXTER; but touching the broad and general ques-
tion of economy, the verdict of the public must
decidedly be that the Ministry are attempting a great
work which lay open for their predecessors, but they
passed it by.

IT was expected that the Derby of 1870 would
be memorable above all other Derbies as an easy win
—Macgregor first, and the rest nowhere. It

as proved remarkable as one of the most
ridiculous fiascos in the history of our "national
sport." No other event of the kind can compare
with it. The surprise of the public when Hermit
came in first through the snow-storm in 1867,
when that rank outsider, Wild Dayrell,
overturned Lord of the Isles is 1856, and when
Amato just managed to do it in 1838, is
as nothing compared with the astonish-
ment at Macgregor's failing to win in
1870. This horse never ran in public before
the Two Thousand, which he won with unparalleled
ease, cantering in half a dozen lengths before King-
craft and the rest. A few days ago he strengthened
the good opinion formed of him by winning
his second race very easily. At the Derby he was,
so to speak, nowhere. Kingcraft was a great
favourite before the • Two Thousand and became a
despised out-sider, after he had cut a poor figure
in that race. He came in first for the Derby. Thus
both horses have alternatively ranked high
in the opinion of the prophets and of the
" talent." But when the prophets gave them
their suffrages they lost, and when the prophets
scouted them they won. . It is the old lesson on the
faithlessness of horseflesh, but perhaps the moral was
never so strikingly enforced. And, no doubt, we
shall witness a little more entertainment of the
Same kind, Kingcraft will he . held a great

The annual regimental dinner of the let (King's) Dragoon
Guards, at the Albion, Aldersgate-street, at eight o'clock
precisely.

I The annual dinner of the 14th (King's) Hussars, at the
Clarendon, Bond-street, at eight o'clock precisely.
The annual regimental dinner of the 11th Lancers, at the
St. James's Hotel, Piccadilly—H.R.H. the Duke of Cam-
bridge in the chair—at eight o'clock.
The annual dinner of the 71st (Highland) Light Infantry,
at the St. James's Hotel, Piccadilly.
The Royal Marines' annual dinner, at Willis's Rooms.
Great combined fête at the Crystal Palace; fireworks and
illutuiaated fountains; billiard match between the chain-

pious; operetta, "The Rival Beauties ;" and the Fairy
Rose Garden.

At Lord's Ground (grand cricket snatch)—Quidnunes v
Household Brigade.

SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS—TO-DAY.
The Royal institution —at 3 p.m., when Professor Tyndall
will lecture on "Electricity."
The Royal Society—at 4 p.m., for the election of Fellows.
The Chemical Society—at 8 p.m., when Dr. Odling will
read a paper on "Platino-Ammonium Bases."
The Linnean Society—at 8 p.m., when Mr. R. M'Lachlan,
will read a paper on "New Forms of Trichopterous
Insects."
The Society of Antiquaries—at 8.30 p.m.

DEATH OF THE BISHOP OF SOUTHWARK.
A. telegram from Rome announces the death of ►he Right
Rev. Thomas Giant, the Catholic Bishop of Southwark.
Dr. Grant was apparently dying when he left England
towards the close of last year, to attend the [Ecumenical
Council. His surviving the journey, even, was a matter
of astonishment to those who knew his condition. Since
then his health appears to have undergone several extra--
ordinary fluctuations. His decease has more thin once
been announced, to be afterwards contradicted. The right
reverend prelate has at last succumbed to the mortal disease
by Which his life has been so long rendered precarious. No
member of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in this
country was more popular than the late " Bishop of South.
wark," and none could be regretted more sincerely by others
even than his coreligionists.

FREE RUSSIA.

TO THE EDITOR OF " THE SUN."

May 31, 1870.
SIR,-Mr. Sutherland Edwards has at length been forced
to confess and explain his five " false citations" from Mr.
Dixon's book. The explanation is a real curiosity of lite-
rature ; for, in effect, it adds two more false citations to
the former five.

Mr. Edwards asserts, in regard to citations 1 and 2,
that Mr. Dixon does say (1.), that Solovedsk is a Lavra ;
and (2), that there are four Lavras in Russia ; and then
goes on to add that if Mr. Dixon does not say eo, the Ra-
dika of Archangel does.
Mr. Edwards repeats that false citations 3,4, and 5 are
in Mr. Dixon's book, and then he quotes these passages
which say the very reverse. The subject is serfage,
which Mr. Dixon shows to be a very different thing to
villeinage. "Serfage," he says, "was not villeinage
under another name," and he shows that villeinage died
out before serfage came into existence. Mr. Edwards
cites what Mr. Dixon says about villeinage as if he had
said it about serfage ! !
Can trifling and confusion get deeper in the mire ?
Detected and expoF.ed in these false citations, Mr. Edwards
runs off in into vague and general charges, but it would
seem from this passage of arms that he cannot risk a sen-
tence without making some mistake. Among the asser-
tions made by him in this correspondence, yon may find
the following ludicrous blunders.

He says there are only three Lavras in Russia, Mon.
ravieff mentions eight. He says there are only three Me-
tropolitan Sees in Russia. There are six, namely, Nov-
gorod, Kief, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Lithuania, and
Imeritia. He says there are only three ecclesiastics hold-
ing metropolitan rank. There are five, namely, Isidore,
Arseny, Innocent, Joseph, and the Metropolitan of

He says there is a Metropolitan See of St. Petersburg
and Novgorod. There is no such see.
He says there is no music in Russian churches.
He says singing is not music, and yet assumes to be a
musical critic.

He says the Russian Church allows divorce.
He says the Russian Church denies the existence o
purgatory.

He calls the New Jerusalem Church a Lavra.
He says the Monastery of St. Alexander Nevski "is
close to St. Petersburg."

He calls Prussia and Austria " the west of Europe."
Here stops my pen out of breath with laughter. Poor
Mr. Edwards.
LOOKER ON.

Mr. Disraeli was so far restored to health as to be
able to dine on Tuesday evening with the American
Minister.

An Oxford correspondent writes that the subject
for the Stanhope Historical Essay for 1871 is " Lafayette."
The Athenaeum Building Society, Birmingham,
has failed ; liabilities, £B,OOO. It is expected that the
estate will realise 155. in the pound.
Il Diritto announces that the Italian Government
has decided at once to bring in a bill for the construction
of the St. Gothard Railway.
It is stated that the Committee of the Keble
Memorial Fund have received from the Govern-
ment the promise of a Charter for incorporating Keble
College.
Queen

Maria-Christina, of Spain, has just
arrived at her villa of Mondesir, at Sainte-Adresse,
,ear Havre, where she intends to remain for some

time,

John Fowler, a farmer's son, and one of Lord
Delamere's tenants; has been fined 25 and costs for mali-
ciously killing a fox-hound belonging to the master of the
Cheshire Hunt. -

SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.

THE DERBY DAY,

If an expedition to Epsom, says the Times, is accom-
panied by much mortification to Londoners, who are, so to
speak, but a stone's throw from the spat— and these
mortifications, be it remembered, happen almost
invariably to all of us, • except, indeed, the loss
of our watches, which most of us are too wise to
take with us—how we ask, can it answer for our
provincials to come so far merely. to undergo
the same disappointments ? There is no accounting, of
course, for tastes. Some people like long voyages in
yachts ;at least, they profess to like them. Some people
like mountain-climbing, camping out in tents, stand-
ing up to the waist for hours in water, and,
after all, not killing a salmon. Some lie for hours
crawling and creeping on mossy hill-sides, seek-
ing to compass the death of a stag, which, after
all is not kind enough to come within easy shot. All
these amiable enthusiasts say they like it, and no doubt
they have their reward in the feeling of life and vigour in
the dancing waves, the balmy air, the chance of a
long struggle with a clean-run fish, or the " thud "of the
bullet as it brings down a noble stag. But what on earth can
be the pleasure of decent people—and many of these
sightseers are decent and respectable—in leaving
their homes and families and rushing up to London and to
Epsom to see little or nothineof the very race which they
came to see, to lose their money on animals which they
cannot even approach, and of whose very colour they are
profoundly ignorant, and then to return to town drenched
to the skin or with their throats full of dust (as it may
please the weather), the laughing-stock of all the little boys
in the metropolis ! Verily, if there be such a thing as
temporary insanity, this is part of it. What can be more
frantic than to pursue something of which the only
pleasure is in the prospect, of which the fruition is dis-
appointment, and of which in countless cases the retro-
spect is regret ?

The Post says that the " glorious " uncertainty of the
Derby was never more fully proved than it was yester-
day. The favourite for whom the prophets, almost to
a man, had plumped, whose pretensions had para-
lysed speculation, whose success was taken by the world
at large as inevitable, and whom accident alone could,
it was said, deprive of the great racing prize of the year,
this favourite of favourites has sustained an ignominious
defeat, having finished behind an animal not even men-
tioned in the betting. The result is certainly curious. It
shows what a perilous business is that of the backer
of racehorses; and, conversely, it throws a light
on the reasons why it is that the bookmakers of the
Turf are enabled to realise fortunes by their calling
The public will always back favourites, but the
favourites are as often beaten as not. One thing is per-
tain—the success of no owner could be more gratifying
to the public than that of Lord Falmouth. Racing, purely
for racing sake, he is one of the few men on the turf who
can claim to follow the pursuit as a sport and pastime. We
want more of such men on the turf. When the winning
of money becomes the first object of the owners
of horses it is impossible but that scandals, heartburnings,
and dissensions must arise, to the disgust of all true
lovers of racing, and to the lowering of the status of the
old national sport. Lord Falmouth sets an excellent
example. His horses are felt to run on their true merits.
Hence his success will be an unquestionable gratification
to the public.

The Daily News says that the prophets were unani-
mous, but wrong. The winning horse may metaphori-
cally be said to have had his foot upon his native heath ;
but his name was not Macgregor. The favourite was
was fourth, instead of first. We leave it to expects
to explain, if it needs explanation, how it was
the expected did not come to pass. The theory
of the moment seems to be that, in transferring
Macgregor from Daley's jockeyship to Fordham's, Mr.
Merry loaded him with the proverbial ill-luck of the latter
rider. But this theory will not perhaps stand the philo-
sophical scrutiny of an enlightened age. It is impossible to
advance bey and the profound generalisation that
nothing is certaiJ but the unlikely. The peculiar
form, equine or human, which the improbable assumed
yesterday, was that of the horse Kingcraft and the jockey
French. We congratulate Lord Falmouth, and condole
with Mr. Merry and the many to whom Lord Falmouth's
colours and Mr. Merry's were the symbols of joy and woe.
But the Derby is a thing of yesterday. To-morrow the
Oaks. From sport to sport they hurry us.