The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSD.Y EVENING, MARCH 25, 1869.

_
111 t • „...4,4v-, omy 4,6444

LONDOiV, THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 1869.

The more carefully the division list comes to be
examined, the more remarkable, emphatic, and pro-
foundly interesting as a Parliamentary event appears
to be the decision arrived at by the House of
Commons at three o'clock yesterday morning. It
is simply decisive of the Second Reading, that
outspoken resolve on the part of the popular branch of
the Legislature. It may be regarded at once—it is re-
garded at once by friend and foe alike—as decisive of
the whole question as to the ulterior transformation,
before the close of the present session, of the Irish
Church Bill into the Irish Church Enactment. Vir-
tually the deed is already done. The measure has
only to pass through its appointed stages—through
the Committee and the Third Reading in the Com-
mons, through all three readings, and the inter-
mediate Committee of the Lords—and the magi-
cal words will then be duly pronounced which
will make that measure no longer a Bill, but
an Act passed during the first session of the
Eighth Parliament of Queen VICTORIA. Scanning
the numbers on this division, two great facts are
especially noticeable, as it were, on the very surface.
Out of the 658 members constituting the aggregate
of the House of Commons, as many as 623 were
there, actually in the House, at the time of the
division. The other conspicuous fact being—that of
those 623 there were so many of the " Ayes to the
Right" that the result was a clear majority of 118
on the side of the Government. In savine, this: hilvg-
ever, the force ut tnose numbers cannot be said to
be in any way fully apparent. Their full force only
becomes apparent when the particulars in regard to
them have been more carefully examined. Ostensibly,
for example, seeing that 623 out of 658 were there, it
would appear that there were thirty-two members who
failed to put in an appearance. Nothing of the kind
And for this reason, that the House of Commons, in
point of fact, consisted at the time—consists now—of
643, and not of 658 members. Fifteen seatswere then,
and are still at this moment, unoccupied. Horsham,
for example, because of the double return, has never
been represented at all since the meeting of the new
again, the late hon. member for
Parliament.w `Vest
s
Somerset,Thenthe,Hon. HENRY WYNDHAM, has but
very recently been removed to the House of Lords, by
reason of the death of his father, the late Baron
LECONFIELD, son of the last Earl of EGREMONT. Be-
sides, which, thirteen members, wrongly re-
turned, have been unseated on petition,
and their places as yet are not filled up. Fifteen
vacancies, in all, there are, as we have but just now
intimated. But, even then, of the twenty members
who still have to be accounted for, as not having put
in an appearance on the night or morning of the
division, hardly one of them was there, but must be
said to have had no choice at all, or hardly any choice,
in remaining absent from the House on the occasion.
For instance, the member for St. Ives was away be-
cause of his having met with an accident, which has
for the time being absolutely disabled him. Then,
again, the noble lord the member for Chester was
under the very recent affliction of the death
of one of his infant twin children. As
second son of the late Lord LECONFIELD, the mem-
ber for West Cumberland, the Hon. PERCY WYND-
HAM, was precluded, by the death of that nobleman,
from tendering his vote yesterday on the side of the
Opposition. Uncertain as to whether after all he
may not, even yet, be declared by the judge to have
been unduly returned as member for Manchester,
Mr. Illson BIRLEY has wisely abstained from voting,
knowing very well that, in the just possible event
of his being unseated on the petition now under trial
against him, he would be mulcted in the full amount
of the penalty incurred by those venturing to vote,
thus, under such very questionable circumstances.
Seven paired on each side, making fourteen
who indirectly may be said to have pronounced
their opinion upon the measure, what though ab-
sent personalty from the House and consequently
from the division. Among the five other members
who were absent, without even pairing, there were
two Liberals and three Conservatives—the two
Liberals being the right hon. baronet the
member for Tate worth and the honourable
member for Canterbury—while the three Con-
servatives were the hon. and gallant member for
Dover, the hon. member for Wareham, and the hon.
member for Buckinghamshire. Of the fifteen vacant
seats, seven were for Norwich, Cashel, Sligo, Dublin,
West Sussex, Dumfries County, and Horsham
—the last, as already remarked, by reason of
the double return. As for the eight other
vacant seats, making up the fifteen, they
were, two a-piece, in the following four Constituencies
_Beverley, Hereford, Blackburn, and Bridgewater.
Four Conservatives only voted for the Bill—namely,
Lord BINGIIAM, Mr. EWING, Mr. MATHEWS, and
Colonel VANDELEUR. Six Liberals on the other
hand voted against it that is to say,
Sir ROBERT CLIFTON, Mr. MARRIOTT DALWAY,
Mr. WILLIAM JOHNSTON, Mr. WELLWOOD MAXWELL,
Mr. EDWARD SAUNDERSON, and, most notably of all,
Sir ROUNDELL PALMER. Among the 368 who voted
for the abolition of the Irish Church, it is worthy of
particular note, in regard to the member for Peter-
borough, that for once he forgot " No Popery'' and
thought only of Justice for Ireland.

AFTER a majority of 118 there is little more to be
said about the great parliamentary fight. IThis coronae
opus. A debate in which the arguments were over-
whelmingly upon one side was completed by a
division in which the majority was equally
overwhelming. There have been times, too
many and too recent, in which numbers have
been on one side, logic on the other. True, in course
of years the position has been improved, but as a
rule this has been effected only after a hard fight.
It took years to reconcile the antagonism between
heads and brains on such questions as Parliamentary
Reform, Free Trade, and the Removal of Religious
Disabilities. But this question of the Irish Church has
been raised and settled within a single year. We
say settled, because there is no doubt that the bill
will go through the Commons unaltered in its essen-
tial features; and it is more than probable that the
Lords will shew a wise prudence by declining to reject a
measure backed by such a majority of the repre-
sentative House elected on this very question.
We cannot be too grateful for this satisfactory
promptitude. Religious animosities are the worst
of animosities, and so long as this question remained
undecided, so long would they go rankling and
increasing every year. Mr. HARDY attempted to
intimidate the Ministerialists and to cheer his own
supporters by recalling the events which followed the
Reform Bill of 1832. He said the Liberal majority
was then even larger than it is now; yet in
two and a half years Sir 11 onEur PEEL was Prime
Minister. Mr. HARDY forgot to add that
Sir ROBERT became Prime Minister only
through the unconstitutional action of the sovereign,
and that in spite of King WILLIAM'S supporthe could
not retain office for six months. He forgot to add that
in less than half a year the Liberals were back again, and
remained in power for sixyears. He forgot to add that
they went out in 1834 because they had quarelled about
the Irish Church; and that they went out in 1841
because of the fatuous indolence of Lord MEL-
BOURNE. Between then and now there is
no sort of parallel. The present Cabinet

is at unity about the Irish larch. Mr. GLADSTONE
is the very opposite of LorIiIELBouRNE, and has a
perfect hunger for work. he party must be very
badly off which can find nother source of consola-
tion than an historical incicit which has no bearing
upon the present position.
In truth, it is best for ti Conservatives as well
as for the Liberals that thfirst should remain out
of office for the present. 'rend is discontented, dis-
loyal. It has to be Ide the reverse, and
for that work the Ccervatives are quite
incompetent. Mr. HART, who may be con-
sidered the real leader oihis party so far as
this question is conceml, and whose speech
was expected to be the al defence of the Irish
Church, had not a single ggestion to offer. His
oration was one long accuttion against the Irish
people, which, even if it were true, was useless,
because it did not shew how they were to be
made any different or bat& If he could devise no
legislation to amend that site of things which his
colleague, Lord STANLEY, 6clarcd to be dangerous
and disgraceful, we know nt who on that side of
the House could. If, as GLADSTONE pointed
out, the report of the oyal commission was
treated as waste paper by its chief author, Dr.
BALL, and if, as is undeniably this and Lord MAYO'S
policy of levelling-up are the only alternatives that
have ever been suggested by the Conservatives,
both of which are now abandoned, it is inevitable
that the nation will not have for its leaders men
so inadequate to the present gnat occasion. On the
other hand, the plan put forward by the Government
is simple, thorough, honest. Everybody can under-
stand it ; the great majority of the nation approves
it. No one knows this better ttan the Minister who
resigned rather than meet the brces arrayed against
him. No one has better reason to wish this
question finally disposed of. The return of
o,BcaVgisTge-Ar7diAi•i-sioNst—ilikk -14 F, eatAl?.
DISRAELI'S own words, " Pass this bill, and turn us
out to-morrow,"—only perhaps he will add the words
" if you can."

nipTt '"*
eirtubt

HER MAJESTY.'

WINDSOR CASTLE, March 24.

The Queen, accompanied by Princess Beatrice,
and attended by the Duchess of Roxburghe, drove
out yesterday afternoon.

Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Beatrice,
walked and drove in the grounds this morning.
Princess Louise and Prince Leopold also went
out.

LATEST INTELL MENGE

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, March 24.
The Hamburg and American Company's steamer
Westphalia arrived out at 1 p.m. to-day.
Gold closed at 131,1 ; the highest quotation dur-
ing the day was 131 k, the lowest quotation dur-
ing the day was 131. Sterling exchange on Lon-
don, 108-a ; 5-20 United States Bonds, 1882, 118 i ;
1885, 1161 ; 1865, 113 ; 10-40 Bonds, 105 k ; Illinois,
140 ; Erie, 334 ; cotton, midland upland, 28k ;
Petroleum, standard white, 34 ; Flour, extra state,
$5.95 6.55 ; corn, old mixed, 89c.

WASHINGTON, March 24.

The Senate has, by 37 against 16 votes, passed a
bill modifying the Tenure-of-Office Act, so as to
permit the President, without assigning reasons,.to
suspend officers and to appoint their suec2ssorF,
whose rejection by the Senate, however, should re-
instate the former. The absolute removal of offi-
cials by the President remains still prohibited. The
bill now goes to the House of Representatives.
Mr. Moses 11. Grinnel has been nominated by the
President Collector of Customs at New York, and
the nomination has been confirmed by the Senate.

PORTUGAL.
LISBON, March 24.

The Portuguese expedition to Mozambique, in-
tended to repair the disaster which befell a former
interior, is nearly ready to
exploring force in the
sail.
SOUTHAMPTON, March 25.

The Liverpool, Brazil, and River Plate steamer
La Place, from Rio de Janeiro, 19th inst., has
arrived here. She landed 16 sacks of mails, specie
valued at £2,000, and 32 passengers. Most of her
passengers were the crew of the steamer Santiago
which was lost in the Straits of Magellan. The
La Place sails at noon for Antwerp, for which port
she has a large cargo.
MEssniA, March 23.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Bangalore passed Messina at 6 p.m. this day en
route for Marseilles. _ _

MALTA, March 24.

The Massillia arrived at 2 P.m, this day, and
leaves for Southampton at 6 to-morrow morning,
where she may be expected about the 3d proximo.
The Delhi, from Southampton on the 13th inst.,
reached Malta at 6 a.m. and left for Alexandria at
6 p.m. on the 22d.

GIBRALTAR, March 23.

The Poonah arrived at 9 aan, and leaves for
Southampton at 2 p.m. this day, All well. She
may be expected on the morning of the 28th inst.

THE B.RIEBLEY HILL ACCIDENT.

That a man just snatched from the very jaws of oath
should immediately begin a course of dissipation seems nearly
impossible. But in the Black Country the people seem bent
on chewing the nineteenth century, notwithstanding
civilisation, there are still heathens in the world, and
heathens, too, surrounded by that which is called the cul-
tured and refined. Take the case of the man Skid-
more, for instance, who has just been saved from dying
at. Brierley Hill. This is the account given of him by the
Birmingham Post:—" Of Skidmore (better known as Mug-
house) the fighting man, a sad tale of folly and ingratitude
for the help which saved his life, has to bo told. We have
already told of his conduct when brought to the surface,
but, though unseemly, it did not appear to be rudely meant.
Ho owed his wonderful condition, it is understood, to
the fact that ho was in training, and it enabled him to
practice what may ultimately cost him a danger-
ous illness or his life. After he had been at home for a
short time, he sallied out into the streets and commenced
drinking. lie, of course, was at once surrounded by a
crowd of eager sight-seers, and offers of liquor, and even
money, were numerous. Unfortunately he accepted the, to
him, poisonous draughts, end ho became intoxicated. lie
entered ono inn in Brierley Hill, but the landlord very pro-
perly refused to allow him to have anything to drink,
took him into a private room, and made him promise
to go straight home. This Skidmore promised faithfully to
do, but ho called at a beerhouso ou his road home, and had
more to drink. Tho police carefully watched him to pre-
vent his falling into danger during the night thus spent.
During the night ho was very unwell, but yester-
day morning ho was again in the streets, to all appear-
ance in good health. It is believed, however, that another
night like that of Monday will so seriously interfere with
him that deplorable results may follow." The men who
are recovering have begun to tell their stories. Although
perhaps they add much by way of detail, there is very little
new in what they say. Of Ashman, who went mad, quite
a tragedy in itself is told. It is said that ho had
previously suffered from slight abberrations of the
mind. It is a well known fact among his
mates that he was afraid of working in a "stall"
by himself, and always begged for companionship when ho
&Xis found an easy -piece of coal fAn' 4r'ea,
and pushed forward rapidly, the deceased would call to
some of them, and beg or offer a pipe of tobacco or a
little drink, in order that ho might have some ono
near him. This habit led to some disagreeable rumours
as to his antecedents, and a dark story, in which he is said
to havo been a prominent actor, is told glibly to any per-
son who may care to hear it, Of the truth of this story
nothing can be learned ; but if it be true, a more complete
assertion of the power of conscience could not possibly be
found

WARLIKE PREPARATIONS IN xuIiKEY.

The Pall Mall Gazette is not satisfied with the recent
statement that the quarrel between Turkey and Persia
was to be peacefully settled. It says that the dispute
about the frontier question is beginning to look threatening.
Midhat Pasha, one of the ablest and most energetic of the
Turkish governors, has been despatched to Bagdad with full
powers and instructions to settle the difficulty by force of arms
if necessary. Numerous reinforcements of troops and artil-
lery have been sent to the frontier, and it is said that
the Viceroy of Egypt has promised to assist the Sultan,
in case of war, with a military contingent, which
would proceed to Bagdad by the Red Sea and
Bassorah. In its home administration, too, the
Ottoman Government is shewing an energy and
activity which have hitherto been very unusual among
Turkish functionaries. Strict instructions have been
issued to the local authorities to suppress all attempts at
revolutionary agitation, and in some districts these
instructions have been carried out with extreme severity.
At Toultcha, in Bulgaria, the police, having found a
small quantity of gunpowder in a shop, arrested the
proprietors, two young men 20 years of age, for con-
spiracy. They were c3ndemned to four years' hard labour.
and, though the French Consul warmly interceded in their
behalf, the sentence was confirmed by the governor.
Shortly after one of the young men became ill, and died
in irons on the day he was taken to the hospital. This
affair is said to have caused great excitement among the
Bulgarians, and the French, English, and Austrian Con-
suls have made representations to Constantinople on the
subi ect.

A long inquiry took place on Wednesday before Mr.
Carter, the coroner, on the death of Annie Burden, who, it
was supposed, had been wilfully pushed into the Thames and
drowned, under the circumstances already reported. The
jury eventually found that the death was accidental.
EASTER, 1809.—The Rev. Francis Pigou, in-
cumbent of St. Philip's, Regent-street, writes :—" It may
interest such of your readers as are not already aware of
the fact, to know that the Jewish Feast of Passover
happens this year on precisely the same clay as that on
which it was observed at the time of the crucifixion of our
Lord."

ANOTHER, SCANDAL IN HIGH LlFE.—Proceedings
in the Divorce Court are imminent in the case of a War-
wickshire county family, of great antiquity, and having
large territorial possessions. The paternity of the lady's
child is denied by the husband. The establishment is to
be broken up, and the husband will go abroad. Several
aristocratic personages are unpleasantly mentioned in con-
nection with this affair. —Telegraph.

IN SACKCLOTH AND ASHES.—The following
extraordinary announcement appears in the last
number of the London Sootsman, in regular course
among the births notified in that periodical:—" Forbes.
—At 334, City-road, Islington, on March 16, the wife
of Mr. Archibald Forbes, a daughter.—Mr. Forbes
requests the prayers of his friends and acquaintances in
this his sore affliction.

The TVestern Daily Press publishes a second
threatening letter to a master buik'or in Bristol in the same
handwriting and similar in many respects to the one we
have already published. It warns the master, Mr. Barnior,
of Cathay, to beware "Afore Friday'night or the week
over," and is signed "A fittingly One." The trade societies
iu the town repudiate any complicity in the writing or any
knowledge of the letter.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, at a meeting of the
Dublin Corporation on Tuesday, expressed tho pleasure he
felt at the reception he had from her Majesty and the mem-
bers of the Ministry upon the occasion of his recent visit to
London, to present petitions and addresses. The reply of the
Duke of Abercorn, which was very graciously expressed, to
the address of the Corporation was read, and ordered to be
inserted on the minutes. A communication from the Lord-
Lieutcnant was read, announcing the intended visit of his
Royal Highness Prince Arthur to Dublin. A committee of
the whole house was then formed, and an address to his
Royal Highness Prince Arthur was adopted.
SANG FROID.—The Deccan Herald chronicles the
execution of two natives in the following fashion :—" Sus-
pense :—Two natives were suspended from a beam in front
of the city gaol on the morning of Saturday last.. Death
ensued in the way which it usually does when strangulation
is resorted to for the purpose of terminating life. The men
mat their fate with that degree of quietness which, in the
absence of true religion, answers exceedingly well as a
sedative."

MORTALITY AMONG BARONETS. —NO less than
14 baronets have died since the beginning of this year,
namely, Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis, Sir Charles Slings-
by, Sir John K. James, Sir Robert Shaw, Sir J. Vanden
Bempde Johnstone, Sir Robert S. Adair, Sir John P.
Boileau, Sir James Emerson Tennent, Sir William Clay,
Admiral Sir Charles C. Parker, Sir H. M. Jervis White
.Jervis, the Rev. Sir Frederick Shelly, Sir John Thomas
Selwin, and Sir John Hadley D'Oyly. Of the above
baronets two—Slingsby and Johnstone—were killed
while out hunting.

SOUTHERN ITALY.—A Neapolitan correspondent
writes :—" For a fortninght all the scourges of the elements
have been let loose upon us. Rain, hail, snow, thunder,
lightning, and tempestuous winds have assailed us from
day to day, astonishing everyone by the strangeness of
the phenomena. One day last week Naples was covered
with a light yellow dust which had no affinity with any-
thing on Vesuvius. The report of pending eruption got
about, but Professor Palmieri announced that the moun-
tain was in its normal state, and that the dust or sand was
brought by the tempestuous south-east wind from Africa.
A similar incident, noted by a German writer, occurred
some years ago." . _

MURDER OF A WARDER BY A CONVICT AT PORT-
LAND.—A most brutal murder has been perpetrated by a
convict, named Dethridge, the victim being an assistant
w trder of the Portland Convict Prison, named Joseph
Trevitt. It appears that the warder was in charge
of a gang of convicts who were at work in the
quarries. Whether there was any dispute between
the convict and the deceased has not transpired,
but the convict suddenly raised the pickaxe with
which he was working and struck the warder on
the head, inflicting a most frightful wound. This blow
laid the poor fellow prostrate, and the convict was secured
before he had time to inflict a second. Trevitt was
immediately removed to the prison infirmary, where he
r,Teived every attention at the hands of the medical staff,
but he never regained consciousness, and expired about
three o'clock in the afternoon. The unfortunate man was
a in,;st kind and forbearing officer, and it is said has never
orted a convict since he has been at Portland. He
leav, s a widow and three children. The prisoner, who is
a middle-aged man, it is said bears but a very indifferent
liaracter. - • •