The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-04 00:00:00

THE ALBERT ASSURANCE COMPAAY. i SPIRIT OF

On Saturday Mr. Lewis, on the part of Mr. Leo, who ;.
prosecuting the Albert directors, applied to Vice-Chancellor
James for an order to inspect the books of the company.
He said that his client only wished to see who were really
taking an active part in the direction so as to withdraw
the summonses against those who merely allowed their
names to be on the directorate.—The Vice-Chancellor
would make no order on the subject; but would allow the
liquidator to authorise the books to be inspected if he

In the affairs of the same company a question arose as to
whether tho winding-up order should be carried to the
hareholders or policy-holders ; but the matter was ulti-
mately referred to the Chief Clerk in Chambers, as was an
application for the appointment of a liquidator.

THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

The Times observes that the Parisians at this moment
are so impressed with the circumstances of a terrible
murder that they neglect every other subject of intelli-
gence. A mother and five children lying dead together,
the victims of a frightful crime, do, indeed, constitute a
most appalling spectacle, but exactly such a sight is now
to be seen in our own metropolis. A widow with her
two sons and a daughter, and three little children of
another family, Were all burnt to death on Friday
morning in a pleasant and popular suburb of Lon-
don. The seven bodies will be viewed by the Coro-
ner's jury, like the seven corpses in the Morgue;
but whether the calamity will carry its proper
lesson we can hardly yet attempt to say. To us it appears
that the event, until it is more completely explained, ?nay
well create alarm. The alarming fact before us is ibis,
that seven persons were burnt alive in a house within a
few minutes' walk. of a metropolitan fire-station. It i$
impossible not to ask what, if such has been the case,
would be the chance for dwellings less favourably situated.
It will be important to ascertain when and how the alarm
was given, and it is already alleged that neither
policemen nor firemen are as numerous as the/
ought to be in a quarter so populous and
wealthy as that in which the disaster occurred. Possibly
the explosion and the burst of flame which followed it
produced such instantaneous destruction that no la
could have been of any avail; and, indeed, we do not see
that any of the victims were observed at the windows a
supposed to have made any attempts to escape. We ear'
not, in short, pretend to disguise the fact that a small tene-
ment charged with combustible and explosive stores might
be consumed by fire very rapidly indeed; but then, on the
other hand, 'there were favouring circumstances. 11
policeman was at hand on the first alarm; he
had no difficulty in summoning another to the
spot, and the fire brigade station was close hi'
We may also remark that, though seven persons
were actually burnt, six actually escaped, and the questien
is whether the chance of life thus shown to exist might
not have extended to the whole number. No doubt, be°
the police force and the fire brigade are undermanned, {he
latter especially; but we cannot at present trace :Oil
terrible disaster to that cause. A cause for it, hovrell
there must be, and it greatly concerns the public inter"'
that it should be fairly brought to light.
The Star says that Mr. Stephen Cave has delivered all
address at the Social Science Congreis which may be cite,'
by Conservatives who wish their party to stand well wi,'
this generation as evidence that a real Conservative Ile"
not be either reactionary or sluggish in his public ideal. 4
Mr. Cave's service at the Board of Trade gave him erre'
opportunities of running the intelligence he hadacquireaill
his own commercial career into a statesmanlike mould; 04
though still in many of his preferences an old-fashion
Conservative, he employs upon all the subj°c..
which come within the range of commercial le JP"
keen considerable natural ability and accle
skill. In his speech at Bristol Mr. Cave revie%
almost all the prominent circumstances in
recent commercial history, and though on several poiats4
appears to us very wrong, he is on all points thought:to
and to a certain extent original. Nor does he la egi
instance exhibit the detestable flippancy and unfairld
which in most cases constitute the capital of Toil' er',l
on public affairs. The nearest approach to the orcli;
style of his party, is in discussing the French Tres.*
Cave condemns the error of supposing that the Stader
bound to make good the losses which any persons $ fes
from changes in the course of trade cr manufacta'ai
Such reviews of public affairs as Mr. Cave has thus
are of double advantage. They form public opialee,
and they stimulate our public men to the real corePrein.,
sion of topics which they are too apt to treat nieelv-1
cally.
e 0 laer
ir
The Telegraph thinks that Dr. Waidegrave,
Bishop of Carlisle, was a good specimen of the
stonian Bishop. It has been customary to sneer at
thi
group of divines whom Lord Palmerston raised t 0
episcopal bench, at the recommendation, it is understo
of a peer with whom he was connected by naarriage'eroi
who is a luminary of the Evangelical party. The a1i10.0% el
verdict is so far true, that none of those bishops hast beef
out to be a man of first-rate ability ; but some have
men of considerable attainments in scholarship, and,,
the number was the late Bishop of Carlisle. 01
Oxford he took a double first-class, and in 1854 No
chosen to deliver the Bampton Lectures. If his v°,
on " New Testament Millenarianism," which fornieutev
discourses that he then preached, did not excite much at bOll
tion, in this respect the book did not differ from the olr
of the class to which it belongs. Indeed, with the es
tion of Dean Mansel's discourses on " The Limits of lid
gious Thought," and Mr. Liddon's on " The Divie lorl
Christ," none of the Bampton Lectures have in recent); e o 4
excited more than the most momentary attention; aryl ts(
discredit is reflected even on a bishop who cannot rivted
scholastic learning of Mr. Manse' or the brilliant rhe
of Mr. Licldon. In his diocese Dr. Waldegrave Wteeei
good working bishop, and he will be rercel:aeiste
as an energetic, if not a distinguished, Prthl
Several mitres now lie at the disposal °
sited
Prime Minister ; and his choice will be aWetlo
with keen interest alike by his enemies and firs frleioel
Lord Melbourne dreaded to open a black-edged en, and
lest it should bring the news that a bishop was ele.7elisstl
force him to make an appointment involving more ('
other.
considerations of policy and prejudice than any 1,04
While Mr. Gladstone is too sincere a man to sharee nsiel
Melbourne's fears, he will more than share thewv
conscientiousness of that honest epicurean, and 'eeppor
unquestionably seek to make the very best of 014
tunity which so strangely presents itself for recrnl7oo%
highest ranks in the Church with Christian ea'ril
and administrative efficiency. sebieel.
The Standard declares that there is hardly' all $OO
which could be more usefully discussed by tn is 04
Science Congress than the education question.
rs pflA
great problem of the day, and has been so for Yea irge/3
and there is every reason to believe that it will session
occupy the -attention of Parliament in the calla s-ate
Admitting that the present system is far from acleq!setliel
the needs of the population, the question arises 700,
reform is to take the shape of an entirely new s_,Yspet
whether it is to be accomplished by the eulargel"-ietspea
improvement of that which is already in °arsit°4l
It is agreed on all hands, as Canon SingsleY a atter
in opening the discussion on Friday, that compuls°l nee,
,
dance would be an indispensable condition of °real'
system, the State holding to the doctrine that if flight ;11
will not educate their children voluntarily it has
the interests of society at large, to give them at tam:tiesioot
charge such training as may fit them for the stioasivg
citizenship. If the father will not provide edue;roo w. 4
his offspring the State will do it for him,
his quota towards the cost through the means °nee' sJosi
rate. We do not place much stress upon the faten.sePlatei
merit that the compulsory system is u-silli°e
but it is to be regretted that its gr. tioo
at the Congress, such as Mr. Kinesley ece,
exactingflo,olo;o,
Bunsen, did not enter more fully' into t'" ass
of how it works. Now, no one doubts that tileciaooe,jaies
effect of a system based upon compulsory atteTssl i'°e`4)
supported by local rates and administered by 1°- tette' V
must be, sooner or later, to get rid of religiou;sog of, of
and substitute the secular system, and, in dear 0",°,01. to!
alienate the ministers of religion from the gr-1.001'01,1
education, and to throw upon the State, or
t 111°41 11 14,
the entire burden of the cost. The former I,aboar:oo.
consent to be hampered in their unpurchased 'tor eeoe
the dictation of a local board or vestry. The 1:0
be expected to maintain schools at their e,„ sow'
while at the same time they are called upon ""
to the local rate. ter ellf, 101
Mr. Gladstone's responsibilities as the
Chde
with the selection of Chief Pastors of the
England aro, says the Daily News, becoming se„:,10,111-
The death of Dr. Waldegrave, Bishop of Cafs;a tor,:ertn,
four the number of episcopal sees to be pro°llo- ''oe"3
fierce party contentions which are kindled 1 a (Drage
portion of the Church press as often atoll Well 4
requires a Bishop, and which bank end. 'll
'around the names of Oxford, BayTh:crea-es c 1
and Winchester, can hardly be much 1 rope
coli
this addition to the number of prizes in P oho opiej
would, however, be a service if some PersetBo.l,l,„rrebsmet
speak with influence, if not with authoritY, 1)01",i ere,
those partisans who denounce appointrceneno, ow ,1
and on mere suspicion, that the Church is
ay
be so considered by every Minister wile 0C,,t1
We wish it could be said that these Ilas`Theece7iper I
so injurious to the credit of the Church, Pre; sell'he t 1;/
sively from some one school of thought got to :i0;,1
but intolerance is too human a dine; wee,' ,pede'r,
mark of a party. In the Guardian of l(s" to
stated that a clergyman who had been inv'ten to igiocelo
prayer
tonein the choice of a new bishoP for 001,110 ai,g
received a second note asking him to stta-10
that
ground that it was clear from a sermon oi
eeyed to V
the promoters of the meeting would be 4.4,--P
bishops of very different kinds. ofess°l'er(c
The Herald is glad to find that the eminent Phetoberooso;
addressed the medical students on the Ist efirop4olleoo;
anxious to enforce their arguments by tile s,,,ges
trations possible. Thus, Dr. Johnson, at ~ so to
toe
reminded his hearers that sea sells-00a le
misunderstood, had been distinctly. ,itsso ,01;
cr.
deficiency of fresh vegetables and heat!' 4sseai gap
caollmyebso
food of sailors; that a dreadful amount at" gee
niss Aft cit
arisen from an improper use of load; tha 0 latso
1
tioued cases in which doctors had. ;
roofulguild
wr art
ce
rd. m
sa rpschaeks
nagn
of t hsarnt a
is
t. h 0
disease by trying to get rid of its synll_l7-g ther ttrori
who had killed their patients by coy'rnotherc (I°l4
wet sheet ; of some who had herlaetifstall° to,
under heaps of bed-clothes with
netss?.t to
rile
and windows. But, after alb siseenas,4 oof
this common sense it is somewhat r code ."Deorfr,
informed upon such high authority that oguceral
oc.t,
jot
tine is utterly imperfect, and that n? ?ceopt. 10A
therapeutics has the slightest claim to D° seatic_44;
or trustworthy. Indeed the confession f9rotosii'ig, e_Pia
know less of drugs than we thought Ng? 431;"hasi d
.a.!for
feeding and nursing are more essential ocly
that mechanical inventions are likely to,
afitieteienteill tb,Pa the Iliarmacome l