The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-26 00:00:00

The election of fifteen representatives of the ratepayers
to form a School Board, under the Education Act of last
session, took place in Manchester on Thursday. The
constituency being the same as at a municipal election,
the voting was conducted under similar arrangements as
to polling-booths and the recording of the votes, the only
element of difference arising from the application of the
principle of the cumulative vote, which necessitated a
special organisation for ascertaining the result of the
election. In point of law there were forty-four candi-
dates before the constituency, representinc, the number
of nominees left on the nomination list at the last day
for wishdrawing candidatures. Practically, however, the
number of candidates had been reduced to forty, four of
the candidates having requested their friends not to vote
in their behalf. The polling was carried on with a degree
of quietness and order in remarkable contrast to the ex-
citing scenes occurring at parliamentary and municipal
elections. At the Town Hall an over zealous partisan
got into collision with a policeman, and was taken into
custody, but after an examination before the stipendiary
magistrate he was set at liberty. Owing to the complica-
tions arising from the exercise of the cumulative vote, it
was impossible to publish the results immediately after
the election. All doubtful votes were referred to the mayor.
It is roughly estimated that nearly thirty thousand, or
about one-third of the constituency, took part in the elec-
tion. The Church party, by their superior organisation
by a partial use of cabs, and the concentration of their
votes, are supposed to, have a considerable chance of
carrying their candidates. The Roman Catholics, it was
also noted, during the day concentrated their votes upon
Canon Toole and Mr. Richardson, more particularly upon
. the former, and polled in great numbers. A noteworthy
feature of the election was the number of women voters,
which was very much greater in proportion than at any of
the municipal elections in which they have hitherto en-
joyed the privilege of the suffrage.

Mr. Leman, the Chief Clerk in Chancery, has
been appointed to the office of Taxing Master, vacant by
the death of Mr. Hume. Mr. A. Rawlinson has been
appointed Chief Clerk, in the place of Mr. Edwards, who
has resigned.
DISCOVERY OF AN IMMENSE BED OF OYSTERS.--
The Cambrian states that some time ago a vessel loaded
with copper ore was lost near Porthcawl. Divers have
been at work in order to bring up the cargo, and while so
doing they discovered an immense oyster bed reaching for
a long distance. Last week nearly 200 smacks were loaded
with oysters therefrom.
COLONEL GRAY M.P., ON THE VOLUNTEERS.—.
Colonel Gray, M.P. for Bolton. speaking on Thursday
night at Halliwell, referred to military matters. • He
said, he thought he actually expressed the opinions of
those connected with the three branches of the service
when he said they would wish their interests placed in
different hands than those of Mr. Cardwell. The general
opinion was that he did not handle the branch (the Volun-
teers) with which he (Colonel Gray) was connected in the
vigorous manner the country would wish.
In a leading article on the changes about to be
made in the Russian army, the Exchange News of St.
Petersburg considers that about 736,000 persons will now
be added to the number of those who hitherto have been
liable to personal military service. The increase, there-
fore, will be about 3 per cent., reckoning that number ap-
proximately at 26 millions. For some time past General
Fadyeef has heen urging on the Government the adoption
of something like the Prussian military system, and at
last he seems to have obtained a hearing. Just before
the Franco-Prussian war broke out he retired from the
service, but before long it is likely that his name will be-
come prominent in Russia.
SIR AUGUSTUS PAGET AND THE POPE. —A.
correspondent in Rome writing on-the 18th says :Sir
Augustus Paget, English Ambassador at Florence, has
spent a few hours in Rome, and had a long interview with
Cardinal Antonelli. He is said have received the
offer of a passage to Malta, and a residence in that
island for the Pope. Cardinal Antonelli having replied
that much would depend on the attitude of the
Great Powers as to the transfer of the capital, Sir Augustus
hastened to observe that the present Cabinet of St. James',
and especially Mr. Gladstone, were too cordially allied
with the Italian Government to lend their influence in
any direction, save that of the complete' fulfilment of the
national aspirations. His Fxcellency returned last night
to Florence.

THE INVISIBILITY OF THE BELEAGUERING FORCE
AT PARIS.—One of my most forcible early impressions of
the theatre of war around Metz was the comparative
invisibility of the beleaguering force. It is the same here.
We know roughly how, many thousand Germans there
stand around Paris, ever ready . for action when
the alarm is given. But where are they? would be the
natural question for one who does not know how com-
pactly the Gernians stow, and what little show their hosts
make when there is no occasion for demonstration. The
country all round is chequered with villages and chateaux
in the vicinity of which is visible an occasional, spiked
helmet. But let the alarm sound, and see what a dense
clump of spiked helmets every village and chateau would
give up.—Daily News Correspondent.
•., • '
THE AMMUNITION EXPLOSION AT BIRMINGHAM.
—An inquest was held at Birmingham on Thursday,
concerning, the fatality to a lad named Kettle, who died
Of the injuries caused by the last explosion but one at
Kynock's Cartridge Manufactory. A witness named Ains-
worth, employed at Kynock's, said the explosion was
caused by a flash from a machine used for gauging Chas-
sepot cartridges. The machine was quite safe ordinarily
in the hands of men who understood it, but he would not
like to use it for piece work, because there would be a
temptation to hurry; and a mistake in placing the
cartridge would cause an explosion. He added that four
boys worked within about a yard of each other, each
having about 500 cartridges ; and witness himself had
2,000 cartridges before him. A workman named Hall,
formerly employed at Woolwich, said that unnecessary
quantities of gunpowder and cartridges were kept in the
shop. There were between thirty and forty pounds
weight of powder, and ho, for his •own part, had four
thousand cartridges before him. The boy from whose
machine the flash came worked as quickly as possible,
because he was employed by the piece. The jury re-
turned a verdict of " Accidental death."
MEMBERS OUT OF TowN.—Mr. Ribber t• and Mr.
Platt, the members for Oldham, were present on Thurs-
day at the annual dinner of the Liberal Registration ,
Association in that borough, and in the evening addressed
a public meeting. Mr. Hibbert on both occasions alluded
to the war, expressing a hope that Germany would not
insist on the cession of Alsace and Lorraine
against the consent of the inhabitants. Referring to.
various measures which were likely to come before Parlia-
ment in the ensuing session, he declared himself opposed
to the Permissive Bill, but in favour of an improvement
of the licensing system, with considerably extended
restrictions upon the hours of sale, and in other
ways. The organisation of the army, he thought,
stood very much in need of improvement,
and he strongly advocated the abolition of the
purchase system and of honorary colonelcies.
Mr. Platt confined his remarks to foreign affairs, approv-
ing of the policy of non-intervention, and remarkin,, that,
as the result of personal study of the Franco-German
question, the war had long appeafed to him inevitable.
He deprecated the existence of treaties, expressed
his
reliancOon the generosity of the Germans not to misuse
-their power; and spoke hopefully of an amicable adjust.'
i ment of the Eastern difficulty.