The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-08 00:00:00

THE COMMEMORATION AT OXFORD.

Visitors arrived in Oxford in rapid succession on Satur-
day, and the streets in the evening were filled with
strangers taking their first view of the lions of the city.
The members of Oriel College gave an amateur theatrical
performance at the Clarendon Hotel, which passed off
most satisfactorily. The university sermon at St. Mary's
on Sunday morning attracted a large congregation,
the preacher being the Rev. Mark Pattison, 8.D., rector of
Lincoln College, one of the writers in" Essays and Review
In the evening the usual promenade took place in the
Christ Church Broad-walk, which was thronged with
gaily-dressed ladies and gentlemen. There was an entire
absence of distinguished visitors, but the promenade
seems to have lost none of its popularity with the
eit:zens of Oxford and their wives, who attended in great
force. The early part of Monday was devoted chiefly to
sight-seeing, numerous parties also visiting Nuneham
and Blenheim. At two o'clock the Oxford Philharmonic
Society gave a grand concert in the Sheldonian
Theatre. At six o'clock the grand procession of boats,
v.•h:c:l is nlways one of the most attractive of the sights
attendant upon Commemoration, took place on the
Isis. The University and other college barges were covered
with ladies and their friends, and the banks of the river
were lined with thousands of spectators, the river itself
being alive with craft of all descriptions. The day's
festivities terminated with a grand ball in the Corn
Exchange and Town Hall, given by the Apollo University
Lodge of Freemasons.

CONFERENCE ON THE LAWS RELATING
TO THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

A conference on the general question of the laws
relating to the liquor traffic was commenced on Monday,
at the Society of Arts, under the presidency of the Arch-
bishop of York. There were preisent, amongst others,
Lord Lyttelton, Sir John Bowling, Mr. Baines, M.P.,
Mr. Abel Smith, Mr. Alderman Carter, ALP., Mr. Wade,
Hull ; and letters expressing regret at their inability to be
present were stated to have been received from the
Bishop of London, Lord Sandon, Lord Dartmouth, Lord
Elliot, Mr. Hardy, Archdeacon Sandford, and Colonel
Ackroyd.
His Grace the ARCHBISHOP, in opening the pro-
ceedings, stated that the desire of the conference
was fully and fairly to discuss all the questions
referring to the laws dealing with the liquor traffic. The
into!erable nuisance created by public-houses as at present
licensed was one now admitted, not by the upper classes
alone, but also by the lower ; and what they sought
to do was to educate public, opinion in the
direction of abating that nuisance. The evils—physical,
moral, and social—of drinking habits upon the working
classes were acknowledged to be disastrous in the extrema,
and nothing substantial for their advancement could
be done until the enormous consumption of in-
toxicating drinks amongst them was mate-
rially lessened. The first subjects for discussion
were the licensing power, in whom to be vested, whether
in the magistrates, as now, or in a select committee of
magistrates, or in the guardians of the poor, or the stipen-
diary magistrate, or a licensing barrister; and whatever
the licensing power, whether it ought to be accompanied
by some vetoing power on the part of owners and occu-
piers of property.

The Rev. 11. J. ELLTSON objected to the Permissive
Bill, and advocated the establishment of a licensing body
ill each locality, which would be the reflection of public
opinion in the district, being elected by the ratepayers.
In the long run he thought there would be little difficulty
in getting men returned to the board who would be anta-
gonistic to the undue multiplication Of public-houses.

Mr. BAINES, M.P., desired to remove a false impression
which might be created by a statement made by the last
speaker. Mr. Ellison seemed to think that in Leeds
there had been a disinclination on the part of the magis-
trates to refuse licenses where offences had been proved.
He (Mr. Baines) desired to say that this was not the case,
and that the system of licenses being refused
by the magistrates had worked exceedingly well.
The magistrates of Leeds granted scarcely any new
licenses. For his own part be thought nobody could be
better entrusted with the duty of granting licenses than
the magistrates.

Sir JOHN BOWEING had a strong objection to the
magistrates being the licensing authority, as had also
several other speakers.
Mr. BAINES was quite prepared to admit that though
the system worked well in Leeds it might not do so in
other places. Where the magistrates did not efficiently
discharge their duties some other plan ought, of course, to
be adopted.
Dr. MAyrrs had heard from an American gentleman
that in Rhode Island a licensing board existed, but it was
so influenced by interested persons that it was practically
worse than useless.—The Rev. E. White, Sir Harcourt
Johnstone, M.P., the Rev. G. W. M'Cree, and others took
part in the discussion, various opinions being expressed
as to the body in whom the 'licensing power should be
vested. The Rev. Mr. Ellison th6n proposed a resolution
to the effect that in any measure which should he intro-
duced into Parliament, whattver the licensing power may

be, it ought to be accompanied by some controlling power
on the part of the owners and occupiers of
property. Being seconded by Mr. Abel Smith, the reso-
lution was unanimously carried.
At the afternoon sitting Lord Lyttelton presided, but
declined to commit himself to the expression of any opinion
upon the subjects under discussion, except to say that he
totally disagreed with the principle of the Permissive
Bill.

Tl.e nomination of candidates for the two vacant
seats at Stafford took place on Monday. Mr. Thos. Salt,
jun., and tho Hon. Reginald Talbot (Conservatives); and
Mr. Whitworth and Mr. Evans (Liberals) were nominated.
The show of hands was declared to be in favour of the
Liberals.

SIR ROBERT CLIFTON'S DEATH AND THE IN-
SURANCE COMPANIES.—The death of Sir Robert Clifton,
Bart., is likely, it is said, to cause a very heavy draw
upon the funds of various insurance offices of the king-
dom, as his life was insured to a very large amount—
report says for as much as £'250,000. Policies had been
effected with all the principal offices in the kingdom, and
in some instances only one or two premiums had been
paid. Indeed, in all cases the premiums paid cannot
have been numerous, as the baronet has died compara-
young, being only forty-three. Most of the policies are
held as security for advances which have been made to
the deceased.

A . CHANCE FOR SOMEBODY. Among the
curiosities of matrimonial advertising, one of the richest
specimens of elaborate vanity ever met with, or one
of the most unjustifiable practical jokes we ever remem-
ber to have seen, may be read in Monday's Morning
Post. The motive which has led to this extraordinary
announcement is almost as singular as the announcement
itself. It appears that reports to the effect that the
advertiser is about to be married are frequent. These
reports are " calculated to injure his present matrimo-
nial prospects." He deems it necessary to declare
that "be has never been engaged to any lady in his life,
although he has frequently made offers to ladies of
fortune, or their friends on their behalf, both in England
and elsewhere, but, has been refused by those ladies or
their friends on account of his assumed poverty." The
gentleman in question goes minutely into his financial
position. He wants a lady of sufficient fortune to
enable him to pay off mortgages on his estates to the
extent of £95,000. He would thus have it in his power
to make settlements to the value of that amount,
which, by a process that looks well in type, but which
we do not quite comprehend, will thus "in that
manner become doubled." The advertiser further
assures the world that he is universally considered to
be "amiable and accomplished, and has the further
recommendation not only of being descended from
families remarkable for their beauty, but of being himself
six feet in height, and of handsome personal appearance."
He may be ceen " a'rnort daily in Hyde Park between
the hours of twelve and one." He claims to have royal
blood in his veins, and to be the inheritor of nobody knows
how many baronies. " Should more than ono offer reach
him, he reserves to himself the right of giving preference
to youth, rank, or beauty." Wo have no doubt his corre-
spondence will be very extensive.

THE Mu RDEIt OF AN ENGLISII FAMILY IN
ABYSSINIA.—A telegram has been received in Newport,
from Alexandria, giving some details of the murder of
Mr. Powell, of Caldra Hall, Monmouthshire, together
will his wife and family, in Abyssinia. Mr. Powell left
Newport for Abyssinia in beg-inn:n.3 of February,
On a shooting expedition, taking with him his wife,
one of his children, a Scotch keeper, and a female
servant. The servant fell ill, and was left at Marseilles.
At Snez the keeper was taken ill, and he also was left
behind. h, pal ty nevertlltlas proceeded, having taken
ether servants, and accompanied by a Swiss attaclos,
and at length. reached Abyssinia. Mr. Powell per-
sh,ted iu advancing into a part of the country which
he was warned it was dangerous for an Englishman to
enter. On the morning of the 17th a number of
savages- fell upon Mr. Powell and his party, who
were unarmed; and murdered and horribly mutilated
them. The attaché, who had gone a little way, was simi-
larly massacred on his return, The last letter from Mrs.
Powell relates the hardships she bad to .yndergo, and
mentions that they were about to meet a chief who was
considered to be a very dangerous fellow. According to
all accounts the affair seems to have been one of the most
kolliardy; 01?e•era11y so soon alter a war ra4t ka_ve
bAind lt. Qreat 401.0 . .