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

METROPOLITAN GOSSIP.

THURSDAY.
The dreariness of the ParliaaUentarY piospect which I
mentioned in my last has been in no way lightened during
the present week. The position is, in fact, becoming
serious. The Land Bill is hopelessly in arrear, and
though days have been announced for the introduction of
various important measures, there is scarcely a chance of
their passing. The Conservative party have with-
drawn from the position of neutrality which they occu-
pied during the early part of the session with
respect to the Land Bill, and having forced the Govern-
ment to pass a coercion bill are now seeking to render
them still more unpopular in Ireland by making a fiasco
of the measure of concession and the message of peace.
Open hostility to the most fundamental principles of the
bill, interminable talk about innumerable amendments,
such are the present manoeuvres of the Opposition ;•their
ultimate object being apparently to postpone the
passike of the measure through the Lower House
until so late a period of the session that the Lords
will refuse to consider it. This is not a very patriotic
course, and it is not a little dangerous. If Parliament
were to separate wi h the great object to which it set
itself, unattained, not only would there be danger of the
most serious disturbances in Ireland, but parliamentary
Government itself would be discredited, and the Irish
people would be excused for insisting upon the necessity of
having a Parliament of their own. To avoid such results
as these Mr. Gladstone would be justified in
postponing the vacation until September, so that
the obstructive 141.P.'s themselves would be the sufferers.
But then what a gloomy prospect does this state of things
present of all other legislation postponed, of tens of
thousands of children uneducated, of the great national
vice of drunkenness unchecked, all because the straits of a
political party render it necessary that a Government
which is too strong to be beaten, shall be hindered-in the
national work to which it has set its hand, lest it should
acquire too much éclat, and establish itself too firmly in
the affections of the nation.
It is not only from the Opposition that Mr. Gladstone
has to meet with hostility. There is a certain section of
his own supporters who do not like him, and are constantly
seeking cause of offence against him. The attitude assumed
by Mr. Fawcett and a few clever but over loquacious
members below the gangway is a matter which
may justly give .offence to the Liberal party. It was
time for Mr. Gladstone to treat these persons with
decision, and he did so on Fkday night. He told them,
when Mr. Fawcett attempted to force his hand with
respect to the education question in Ireland, that he
would make this a question of confidence or no confidence
in the Ministry. The result was a decisive Ministerial
victory. Nevertheless, if the truth were told, it was not
that all those who voted with Ministers are satisfied with
them. This lurking discontent on the part of the Secu-
larist Radicals is a source of danger to the Liberal party.
It remains to be seen if Mr. Disraeli will make another
of his attempts to profit by the division among- his oppo-
nents, attempts which hitherto have generally led to the
success of those who are farthest removed from Con-
servatism.

Let me turn to more cheerful matters. Yester-
day was the most brilliant day of the year, a real
spring, day, minus the spring flowers and the spring
showers. I never saw such a universal display of colours.
It distanced those of all former years. But for one wearer
of the light blue, there were a dozen wearers of the dark.
this morning the colours are still worn, but in different

eroportions. Human nature all over. We all like to be
en the winning side. It was not every one who thbught
Oxford would win yesterday. Just after half-past
five a telegram • was placed outside the Royal Exchange,
" Cambridge has won by half a length." It was
.nore lucky than half the speculations in that Temple of
Mammon. At that time the race had not been run, and
the announcement was a prophecy. The result was known
at the chief Telegraph Office in five minutes after the
race, and five minutes later the news was received at the
...ientral Press and posted outside, amid the excitement of
she thousands of waiting spectators who blocked the
PtrancL Everyone, except those who had laid heavily
en Oxford, was glad. Perhaps even the betters
Were not wholly sorry; because but for that victory they
would have had little chance of betting again, this being
the last time that Cambridge meant-to race if the Dark
Blue were again in the ascendant.
Another attempt is to be made to supply us unfortunate
Londoners with new cabs. A joint-stock company is an-
nounced, with Lord William Lennox and Colonel Dickson
;f Reform procession and Tower Hamlets' fame among
the directors. They call their association the-
" Victoria, Hansom, and Brougham Company," and
they propose to supply brougham cabs, and han-
soms equal to private carriages, and to introduce
a new open carriage available for fine weather, and which
zhey calla Victoria. Their capital is to be £lOO,OOO, and
they have purchased Phoenix-yard, Oxford-street, with
Its business. •

Have your readers noticed how the educational
ccformers are getting promoted ? First of all Dr. Lake
was sent to the Deanery of Durham, then Dr. Temple
was sent to Exeter, then Mr. Fraser to Manchester,
and .now Mr. Woodard, the chief founder of middle-class
schools, has received a canonry. Dr. Moberly, too,
though scarcely an educational Reformer, owes his
bishopric to the fact that he was head master of Win-
chester.

It is not Easter yet, and already some of our celebriti.
ire taking to flight. Mr. Sims Reeves is gone to Italy.
Sir Stafford Northcote to Canada, and Mr. Farrar to
Palestine. Dean Boyd, if he is to be reckoned as a cele-
brity, has startedfor the Continent. Sir Charles Mordaunt
is seeking to forget his troubles in the wilds and backwoods
.of British North America.

I gave yon such a batch of literary news last week that
I have little fresh to tell to-day. It will interest military
readers to know that the able articles on army and
navy matters contributed to the .Revue des deux
Mendes are 'low being republished and that the
name of their illustrious author, the Prince do
Joinville, isannouneed, for the first time, on the title page.
A tragedy by the late Dr. Rowland Williams, and styled
" Owen Glendower," is in the press.
A very remarkable man has just died at Paris. This
was Colonel Langlois, who was 81 years old at his death.
He fought in most of the campaigns under Bonaparte,
and was charged with the command of one of the sides
of the square in which the Empei:Or was stationed at
Waterloo. In the midst of that terrific conflict several
officers attempted to penetrate the square in order to take
refuge from the galling British fire. But the Old Guard
refused to let them in, telling them that they ought to go
back and place themselves at the head of their own regi-
ments, so as to encourage them, and if need be.to die with
them. After the fall of Napoleon, Langlois, who had only
his pension of £36 a year, determined that as he could
no longer fight for the empire he would celebrate its
triumphs. He lived in -a barn on bread and water
and took lessons of Horace Vernet, and soon became
sufficient of an artist to paint battle pieces. Afterwards
he painted panoramas representing tho victories
of his old commander. Making a visit to St.
Petersburg, Nicholas sheaved him great atten-
tion, and taking him into the Imperial box at
the theatre pointed out to him how all the opera glasses
were directed towards the box. "It is not me, but you
the type of fidelity, they are looking at," said the Czar.
Nicholas offered him a command in the Russian army,
but Colonel Langlois refused, saying that he would serve
France and France alone.

An attempt is being made to revive the Euphrates
Valley Railway scheme. It is understood that the
Sultan has instfueted the Turkish Ambassador in this
country to forward the matter in every way, and has
promised to give all the necessary facilities.
We are nove,entering upon the chief Art season of the
year. The French exhibition opened on last Monday,
with a fine collection, including a picture by Gallait, lent
by the Queen ; one by the Belgian artist, Stevens, lent by
the King of the Belgians ; and works by Meissonnier,
rrt:re, and Ary Scheffer. On next Monday thred weeks
the Royal Academy will open, and between' now an.c
then, will be a busy time for MeSsrs. Hook, Elmore, and
Charles Landseer, the hangers. Though there are fou:
galleries in London devoted exclusively to the work, of
foreign artists; foreigners have been sending very freely
to the Academy, encouraged by the large number of
their works, which were hung last year. In fact,
English artists are rather jealous of them, and think.the
Academy is more generous than just in the .matter.
It may interest some of your readers to know the prin.
el)al works that have been cent in. The "Inundation,''
by Mr. Mills:;;, I mentioned in my last. The same artist
will have five other works; the subj ects are—Sir Walter
Raleigh, as a boy, listening to a tale of travel and adven-
ure ; a knight delivering . a nude maiden; a lady drop-
ping her alms into the poor-box ; and portraits of Mr.
Kilke and the Marchioness of Huntly. It was
this last picture concerning whiCh. the story_ went the