The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-12 00:00:00

THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.

The Washington correspondent of the New York, Times,
writing on the 29th ult., states that the Alabama nego-
tiations have suffered no serious delay, notwithstanding
the change in the British Cabinet. The answer to Mr.
Seward's amendments to the protocol, which amendments
were printed in brief in the Times of Dec. 1, was received
from Reverdy Johnson, by telegraph, on the 19th instant.
The British Government accepts all of Mr. Seward's
amendments, to wit : It agrees to abolish the distinction
between the Alabama claims and other claims contained
in the original draft of the protocol, which eliminates
from the treaty the fourth, fifth, and sixth articles,
which articles, as they originally stood, also required
that in the peculiar class of Alabama claims a unanimous
decision of the commissioners should be required, but the
distinction between the claims being abolished, this
requirement falls with it, and Mr. Seward's amendment
that a majority be sufficient to decide any case is acceded
to. Great Britain also agrees to the amendment that the
commission shall sit in Washington, and that the umpire
selected shall be subject to the ratification of the Senate.
On the 2n !-Ii instant Mr. Seward replied to Mr. Johnson's
despatch, proposing several additional modifications, none
of them, however, of a very serious character. He desires
that the treaty shall be styled a "protocol" instead
of a " convention ;" but this is not indispensable.
He further desires that the protocol be signed here
instead of in London, so that it may be immediately
transmitted to the Senate, together with the Naturali-
sation and San Juan Boundary Treaties, now ready to be
sent in, though this is not indispensable. He further
proposes a change in the mode of selecting the umpire, to
wit, that when the commission cannot:decide a case, they
shall report their disagreement to their respective Govern-
ments, and if an umpire be not agreed upon by the said
Governments within six months, then the commission are
to select each side a name for itself, and the umpire is to
chosen by lot.

Mr. Charles Saville Roundel], the late candidate
Clitheroe, has accepted the post of private secretary to
Earl Spencer, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.

The subject of Mr. Gladstone's communication to
Good Words is announced as " The Duties of a Citizen of
is ',zee State."

The ,Journal de Paris contains a piece of news.
The only surviving son of the Duke d'Aumale, a lad of
14, the Duke de Guise, broke his leg in the hunting-field
in Worcestershire last Tuesday. He is in a fair way of
recovery.

A MEMORIAL OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.- A. Car-
penter in Washington prizes among his best treasures s
scrap of paper on which is written :—" If you have
piece of board to spare, please let Tad have it.--A. LIN-
COLN." It was brought to him by the boy while he was at
work at the White House.—New York Tribune.

The other day at the Sheriffs' Court, in Glasgow,
) curious question was raised as to whether a chimney-
sweep could claim to be carried as a passenger. Broadfoot,
a master chimney-sweep, sued the proprietors of an om-
nibus for having refused to carry him in their conveyance.
The defendants slated that they had to personal objection
to Mr. Broadfoot, but they objected to his sooty clothes.
To have taken him as a passenger would not have been
consistent with a due regard to the other passengers. The
sheriff, having heard witnesses, sustained the defence. He
held that the defendants were not bound to carry the chim-
ney-sweep, because it would have been oppressive to thy
other passengers for them to have done so, and injurious to
the general traffic.

Some interesting particulars concerning the Island
of Cephalonia, on the coast of Greece, were given by Sir
John Sebright, the Englisn Consul. It appears that the
currant crop in 1867 was abundant beyond all precedent,
and the quantity of fruit throughout was of superior excel-
lence. The yield amounted to no less than nine thou-
sand two hundred tons, the greater quantity of which was
exported to the British isles. In consequence, however, of the
tremendous fall in price oaused by the glut, and merchants
calculate that they lost from 30 to 40 per cent, on the capital
embarked. It is now suggested that an agitation should be
commenced in favour of obtaining from the British Govern-
ment the entire abolition of the duties on currants imparted
into England, where the principal, almost the only, market
for the article is found.

To the Paris journal, La Liberte, seems to be en-
trusted the onerous duty of keeping up the supply of candi-
dates for the Spanish throne. It uplifts and debases tho
princes of every house with an indifference which would have
been monstrous in any other age, but which is perfectly en
regle in this generation of royal bankruptcy. It has now
the pleasure of stating that the Italian Government, still
harping after Spain, has withdrawn the candidature of the
Duke of Aosta, and substituted Prince Thomas, son
of the late Duke of Genoa, the nephew to King Victor.
This young pretender is only 14 years of age, and the
change has been made in order to gratify Prim's predilection
for the sweets of a regency. The candidature is supported
by Russia and Prussia, and the Italian journals are much
in its favour. Prince Thomas is now at Harrow finishing
his studies.

A NEW FAMILY KNITTING MACHINE.—This
latest example of Yankee ingenuity has been brought to
Leeds within the past few days by Mr. W. Wemyss
Kennedy, of Edinburgh. Unlike the circular knitting
machines hitherto in use, which knit merely a
straight tubular web, the Lamb machine is fitted
for all descriptions of work, plain or fancy. The prin-
ciple is the same which a lady employs with her hand-
knitting needles, and the saving in time achieved
may be judged of from the fact that a yard of plain work
can be produced in ten minutes, and a pair of socks in
half an hour. As in the case of the improved sewing
machines, all the work accomplished by this wonderful
invention is complete. The heels are knitted into
stockings, the toes are narrowed off, and the mechanism
is such that either two or two score needles may be
employed. The machine can be attached to a common
table, and is easily operated by hand, with a crank.
The American papers give the particulars of a
singular railway accident which occurred recently. On
the night of the 22nd ult, the eastern-bound train of the
Sioux City Railway was thrown off by a broken rail,
near Farley, and the rear car, containing about thirty
passengers, was precipitated over a forty-foot embank.
ment. The growth of young timber checked the violence
of the fall, or fearful loss of life must have ensued.
So great was the foi ce with Nvhich the car was thrown
from the train, that the rear platform of the car which
preceded it was carried away. Both ends of the car
thrown off were a wreck, and the scene within it beggars
description. The capsizing of the car threw the passen-
gers over and among each other in confusion. The stove
was hurled from its place, and one man was thrown upon
it ; another had the misfortune to have it rolled over him
As soon as the passengers and attach& of the train could
hasten to the rescue they did, expecting to find the dead
and dying on every hand, but not one passenger wal
dangerously injured. The car was, however, fired by till
—4-