The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-22 00:00:00

INSPECTION OF PUBLIC VEHICLES.

propagation of disease by
Dr. Jeaffreson furnishes an important communica-
tion to the notice that was
publ
ioenv thee h
elseusb. j e c tnoef
refersth e
issued last June by the committee of the " Hospital
Carriage Fund." In this the public are informed
that seven " ambulances " have been established and
placed in various stations for the removal of a fever
or smallpox patient to or from any of the
hospitals. The authorities of the Smallpox Hospital
were the only ones who refused to accept
or further the use of a smallpox ambulance. The
Act of Parliament prohibiting the use of street cabs
for the conveyance of those suffering from infectious
diseases is, in Dr. Jeaffreson's opinion, a dead letter,
and he does not wish it to be otherwise until a suffi-
cient number of ambulances have been established,
and until the publiiknow how and where to obtain
them. To put the prohibition in force now would
increase the existing danger of infection by inter-
fering with the removal of patients from the houses
of uninfected inhal,itants, or from where their stay
would be injurious to themselve

COFFEE AS IN PARTS.—It has frequently been
attempted, by variou3 inventions, to enable the Londoners
to brew *cafe noir as in Paris, but every effort has
hitherto failed, owing to the complicated and dangerous
methods put forward. However, the great desideratum
has been at last accomplished by Messrs. Mayer and Son,
of Paris, who have opened a depot in Fleet-street for the
sale of their new coffee machine, which produces the Pari-
sian luxury in the very best manner. The new machine
is undoubtedly effcient, it is very elegant in appearance,
moderate in price, and, above all, so simple, that even a
girl of twelve years of age can by its aid produce cafe noir.
To the lovers of coffee the machine of the Messrs. Mayer
will bo a great treasure, and no doubt it will soon be in
general use in all the large establishments at the West-
end of the town. The depot of Messrs. Mayer will be found
well worthy of a visit, as the articles there displayed are
not confined to tie coffee machine. There is a remark-
' ably clever arrangement; in the shape of a foot warmer,
which can be usedeither in a church or a railway carriage,
and so portable tiat it can be carried in the pocket, not
being much larger than an octavo volume. The heat is
produced by a small lamp, so constructed that it cannot
by any means become disarranged. Those having a
taste for efftrvescing drinks will find a very
pretty little instrument by which they can be made and
consumed at pleasure, time not deteriorating the sparkling
liquid when once produced. Messrs. Mayer's establish-
ment will be found very interesting, and those desirous
only of inspecting the useful articles introduced to them
by the patentees will be certain to be received with true
Parisian politeness. _ _ _ .

-
DUNVILLE and Co., Belfast, are the largest
holders of Whisky in the world. Their Old Irish Whisky is re
ccuuncnded by the medical profoesiun in preference to French
Brandy. Supplied. in casks and cases for home use or export°,
tion. Quotations on application to Messrs. Danville and Co.,
Belfast; cr 4, Bexufortrbadings, Strand, London Pir.o —{Ad
vortisoment.) _ •

METROPOLITAN GOSSlP—Thursday.

The political stagnation continues, and in the absence of

acts we are compelled to put up with fictions and rumours.

It is a fiction, for instance, and one which shews great
faculties of invention, that there is a split in the Cabinet.

Cabinets always " split " during the cold weather ; but so
soon as Parliament meets they generally (not always, as

General Peel, Lord Salisbury, and Lord Carnarvon could
testify) re-unite without a sign of fracture. In
the present instance, the time-honoured rumour
is more than usually absurd, for rarely has there

been an Administration so thoroughly homogeneous
as the present. Very little has leaked out

yet respecting one of the two great subjects of Mr. Glad-
stone's programme—the Irish question—though there is

said to he some degree of trepidation among the extreme
Radicals lest the Government scheme should be less drastic

than they anticipated. As regards the other part of the
programme economy there can be no doubt

about the earnestness of the Government.

Every

day brings some fresh proof of it. It is not
merely the underlings who are affected. It is
not only dockyardsmen and clerks in the public offices
who are feeling the new broom, though it is rumoured
that the War Office will have a taste of it
before long. The abolition of the post filled by
the late Mr. James Disraeli testified to the thorough-

ness of the new regime, for thereby Ministers
renounced a piece of preferment with which they might
easily have rewarded a steadfast or confirmed a wavering
supporter. This self-denial is confirmed by the fact
announced to-day, that Mr. Childers does not intend
to fill up the governorship of Greenwich Hos-

pital vacant by the death of Sir J. Gordon,
and will thereby save the country £3,000 a year. Simul-
taneously with this announcement, a circular is issued by
Mr. William Rathbone Greg, Controller of the Stationery

Department, and not unknown to readers of the Pall Mall
Gazette, exhorting the clerks to be more economical
in the use of stationery. There is room, indeed, for such
economy, and not only in quills (to which Mr.
Greg's circular refers). Why should the nation be

called upon to provide paper for all the Govern-
ment clerks when they wish to write private letters or
tales for the magazines ? I have known an instance
in which an official of the lower ranks has supplied his
daughter living in service with office writing paper ad
libitum.

It is thought probable that the Queen will open ParHa,
ment in person, and will make a public entry under the
Victoria Tower, instead of entering privately as of late
years. In that case it is to be hoped that she will wear
her robes, instead of merely sitting on them. Before then
another child will be added to the list of royal grand-
children. The confinement of the Princess Helena is
expected daily.
More than once Mr. Maguire has prepared the way for
important legislation in Ireland. Last year it was his
motion on the state of Ireland which forced Lord Mayo to
announce the Government policy with regard to the
Church. He has already given notice that he will call
attention to the state of the property held in Ireland by
certain London companies, and he will thus open the
question of land tenure. He is now making a tour of
county Derry, in order to get the necessary information.
The Temperance party in Parliament mean to make
another move this session. Sir Wilfrid Lawson will pro-
bably introduce his Permissive Bill in March, and it is
hoped that the first reading will not be opposed. It is
calculated that there are about 120 M.P.'s who have more
or less pledged themselves to support the principle of
the bill—that the licensing of drink-shops is a
matter for the decision of the ratepayers. It
is expected that a much larger number than
this will remain neutral, for the question has gained much
ground lately, especially now that the Reform Bill
has greatly reduced the inflnence of the publicans. The
unseating of Mr. Whitworth, at Drogheda, has deprived
the Alliance of one of its most ardent supporters in
Parliament.
It is all but certain that before Parliament meets Mr.
Milner Gibson will have found a seat. At the present
time he is spoken of for two constituencies—Manchester,
where Mr. Birley is about to be unseated by reason of
belonging to a firm which has a Government con-
tract ; and Norwich, where Sir Henry Stracey
has been unseated for bribery. Mr. Gibson re-
presented Manchester for sixteen years, and has
therefore some sort of claim upon the seat. But Mr.
Ernest Jones, too, has a claim, since it was he who lost the
third seat in November through the operation of the
minority clause. To-morrow and Saturday an experi-
ment will be tried, which will have a great effect in decid-
ing the revived Ballot question. The electors of Man-
chester will be asked to declare by Ballot which of the two
shall be the Liberal candidate. Manchester is generally
foremost in giving practical effect to new ideas.
Supposing Mr. Gibson is not chosen by his old constituents,
he is pretty nearly safe to be returned for Norwich. He
is a resident of the eastern counties, and, though he is
known best as one of the Manchester school, is neither
by education nor in appearance a Manchester man. He
is the son of an officer in the army ; he was educated at
Cambridge, and he has all his life been a country
gentleman, having his seat near Saxmundliam, in Suffolk.
He is, moreover, one of the most elaborate dressers in
London, in that respect resembling another well-known
but now deceased Radical, Tom Duncombe. Mr. Gibson
is a good-looking man, though now in his 62nd year, and
if somewhat of a f«injant Minister, has done good service
as a private member.
Mr. Bruce has now fully exculpated himself in all fair
minds with respect to his reprieve of the convict
Bisgrove. No one now doubts that the Queen's preroga-
tive was rightly used in this instance. The case is very
different from one which happened some years ago, in
which a very distinguished colleague of tr. Bruce's bore a
leading part. A murderer had been condemned to death.
The distinguished Minister (then a comparatively
unknown man), being greatly averse to capital
punishment, exerted himself successfully to obtain
a mitigation of the sentence, and the murderer was
transported to Australia. Years passed, and one day the
distinguished Minister, still, however, a private member of
Parliament, was travelling, and fell into conversation with
a fellow passenger on the subject of death penalty. He
related the case in which he had played so active a part,
and asserted his satisfaction at the course which he had
taken. " Yes," replied his companion, " and that man
afterwards committed three murders in Australia." Pro-
found silence ensued, which was not interrupted until the
end of the journey.
London is to be scandalised very shortly by a trial
involving the reputation of the heir to a peerage.
I alluded to this case in a former letter, and I
now learn that the scandal, which was then the talk of
private circles, will soon be public property. The person
in question has already appeared in a by no means envi-
able position, and ought to have been prosecuted by the
Crown, but has escaped, out of regard to his father, I pre-
sume. To that father this son has been a life-long
reproach. Years ago, when the first heard that the second
was about to be married, he wrote to the lady and told her
that he felt bound to warn her of the character of his son ;
and, in doing so, he used words too strong to be repeated.
The warning had no effect, the marriage took place, and
for a time the prodigal seemed to have reformed himself.
But certain circumstances which took place four years
ago shewed that the reformation was but a sham one.
Since then father and son have been estranged.
The latest act of this prospective peer has been to
forge his brother's name to bills amounting to
£4,000. When the first of these came to the
knowledge of the person whose name had been used,
he nobly accepted the responsibility rather than expose
his family to fresh disgrace. It was soon found that there
would be no limit to the drain upon his generosity ; so
when, as they will shortly do, the holders of the bills sue
him, the whole transaction will be revealed. Meanwhile
the criminal has taken to flight, thinking banishment in
the North is better than residence in an English gaol.
The courts at Westminster are likely to witness two
remarkable actions for libel. One is the case of Edmunds
v. Greenwood. It will be remembered that when some
four years ago the " Edmunds scandal," as it was called,
came to light, involving Lord Westbury and one of
his sons, Messrs. Hindmarch and Greenwood were
appointed to investigate the charge made against
Mr. Edmunds, that he had embezzled certain
sums which he had received in his post at the
Patent Office. A report very damaging to Mr.
Edmunds was drawn up, and he was deprived of his
office. Latterly he has succeeded in proving, before one
of the judges, that he was to a great extent, if not entirely,
innocent of the offence imputed to him, and as he owed
his deprivation to the adverse report, he has instituted
proceedings for libel against Mr. Greenwood, one of the
authors of it. Probably, Mr. Greenwood will plead
that his communication was privileged. In the other case
the plaintiff has a similar name to the first plaintiff's.
He is Dr. Edmonds, of Fitzroy-square, who has brought
an action against another London physician, Dr. Snow
Beck. Dr. Edmonds is one of the physicians at the
Lying-in Hospital, Endell-street, and has introduced
several changes there. Amongst others he has replaced
the old-fashioned nurses by members of the Female Medical
College, and he has also discontinued the use of alcoholic
stimulants in ordinary cases. These changes have been
remarkably successful, for not a single case of
death had occurred in the hospital a few days ago,
and I believe none has occurred since. Bat reformers
must always count upon having enemies, and Dr. Edmonds
has found his among the old nurses and the supporters of
alcoholic treatment. A certain Dr. Snow Beck has carried
his hostility so far that he has accused Dr. Edmonds of

having caused the death of one of his patients. The
facts are as follows poor woman, a patient in the
hospital, got over her confinement very well, but was
suffering from rapid consumption. Dr. Edmonds advisel
that she should be sent to a consumption hospital, and
accordingly she was removed to her own home. The
night after her arrival there she felt so ill that she sent
for a medical man, who, on seeing her, declared that
there was nothing the matter with her, and scolded the
patient for having sent for him. However, she died the
next day, and her death is charged against Dr. Edmonds.
In his own vindication he has brought the action against
Dr. Beck, who a week or two ago was brought up before
the magistrates on the charge of assaulting Dr. Edmonds,
a charge which was fully sustained.
In music and the drama there is not much to say. The
pantomimes are still running, and there are nightly roars
of laughter at ridiculous postures on the part of the
men, and primeval costumes on the part of the
women.—Mr. Robertson has produced a " new "
play at the Prince of 'Wales's Theatre, which
he calls " School,", but which some impertinent
spectator has the audacity to say he saw years ago in
Germany, when it was called "Aschenbr6del," and said to
be written by Robert Benedix. The Welsh clergyman's
daughter, Miss Edith Wynne, who has returned from her
wandel:jahre in Italy, sang most charmingly last night at
Mr. Boosey's ballad concert in St. James's Hall ; so,
too, did Madame Lemmens-Sherrington. But surely
Madame Sainton-Dolby would consult her musical repu-
tation best by retiring. Mr. Buchanan begins his readings
from his own poetry on Monday.
In literary news there are one or two events which will
interest your reader. The authoress of the "Girl of the
Period" articles in the Saturday Review is at last discovered
to be Mrs. Linton, the wife of our finest wood engraver,
and the joint producer, with her husband, of illustrated
books on the Lakes and on the New Forest.
Another lady writer, Miss Harriet Martineau, is, I am
sorry to say, in such bad health that she could not revise
the reprint volume of biographic sketches which she has
just brought out. She is now in her 67th year. The long-
looked-for diary of the late Henry Crabbe Robinson
is to be published in the spring by Macmillan.
It is edited by Dr. Sadler. Mr. Lecky, the young
and verysuccessful author of the "History of Rationalism,"
has in the press a " History of European Morals, from
Augustus to Charlemagne." Sir John Taylor Coleridge
has expanded his brief memoir of Keble, which appeared
in the Guardian, into a volume of 600 pages—not bad
work for a man in his 79th year. The publishers
of it, Messrs. Parker, anr.ounce a volume of
poems by Keble, which will be sure to have
many readers. Mr. Hotten promises the letters
of Mary Lamb, sister of Charles Lamb. Mr. W. R.
Greg, whose name has already appeared in this letter,
has written a very remarkable little book of thirty pages,
entitled " Truth versus Edification," intended as a reply
to Mr. Matthew Arnold's strictures on Bishop Colenso.
Another new magazine, the West End, is announced,
Messrs. Arthur A'Beckett, the editor, and Matthew
Morgan, the artist, have bought the copyright of the
Tomahawk " for a good round sum in thousands "—a long
price, considering how lamentably the publication has fallen
off lately.
One of the tournaments in connection with the British
Chess Association will terminate this week. The first and
second prizes in the handicap lie between Messrs. Steinitz
and Wisker. Should no accident decide otherwise, the
German professional, who is undoubtedly the finest player
in Europe, will take the first prize, and the Hull amateur
the second.

We have had queer weather here to-day. A bright
morning ; a dense fog, which in ten minutes brought us
midnight darkness, which lasted for an hour, and then
cleared again.

THE CHINESE MISSION IN EUROPE.

The letters received at Washington from Mr.
BURLINGAME'S Embassy accounted for the previous
inaction and spoke hopefully of future success. The
late Ministry had received the mission most cour-
teously, but as dissolution hung over it the Atnbas
sador from China thought it useless to fret its last
moments with business which could lead to no prac-
tical result. Indeed, his Excellency ANSON BURLIN-
GAME, withoutbeing accused of any time-serving pro-
pensities, very naturally strove more to get his hand
on the pulse of the coming men than to listen to
the dying speeches and confessions of the expiring
Tory Cabinet. The result has justified his Excel-
lency, for he got through his business with Yankee
expedition when he knew with whom to deal.
The late British episode in China will con-
vince the Emrt:noit's Government at Peking
of the value of this mission. It is amusing to see
the trap into which poor Consul MEDIIURST
has fallen, a full, true, and particular account of
which is to be found in the Times of last Monday.
At the moment Lord CLARENDON was conceding
Mr. BURLINGAME'S just /demands, Mr. MEnnuesT
was enforcing his diplomatic notions on the man-
darins of Nanking, under the guns of her MA-
JESTY'S fleet, commanded by Admiral KEPPEL.
The correspondent draws a pitiable account of the
Viceroy, TSENG, and his successor elect, MA, ou
learning the unalterable determination of the Bri-
tish to take the Chinese gunboat Tung-Che, as a
material guarantee for the fulfilment of the stipula-
tions Mr. MEDIIURST had thrust on the mandarins,
literally, at the point of the bayonet. Poor TsENG
had arranged to proceed in his gunboat towards
the seat of his new government, escorted by a pro-
cession of mandarins, and high festival was to be
held in the steamer, then decorated for the occa-
sion. This had to be foregone, and he had to drain
to the bitterest dregs the cup of his humiliation.
" TSENG turned in his agony to the subordinate con-
sular officers of the party, and begged them to in-
tercede with their chief. But Mr. MEDHURST was
firm ; he knew too well the hollowness of Chinese
promises, and the value of making some show of
power for the benefit of the people; and TSENG was
told thatif the Tung-che were not quietly given up she
would be taken." After detailing the measures taken
by the British Consul to humiliate the Chinese and
obtain reparation for the injuries done by the mob
of yang-chow, the correspondent adds—" Great
credit is due to Mr. MEDHURST for the ability and
energy he has shown throughout the whole negotia-
tions, and to Sir RUTHERFORD ALCOCK for the
wise and vigorous support he has lent to the for-
mer's actions. It is fortunate that the Shanghai
Consulate was so well filled at the emergency."
Now, we have no fault to find with Mr. MEDHURST
for his conduct in this affair, but, on the contrary,
think he deserves credit for the energy and deter-
mination with which he performed a disagree-
able duty. What we condemn is the system
which erects the accuser into both judge and exe-
cutioner, which is simply a proclamation of, ruling
in China by the strong arm, while we endeavour to
enforce on the Chinese, the propriety, the morality
of adhering to the terms of treaties thus made. 'The
day for such action as that taken by Mr. MED-
HURST has now passed away—let us hope for ever—
as far as China is concerned ; for while these trans-
actions were progressing .the principle was recog-
nized by the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs
that complaints should not be settled by the arbi-
trary acts of Consuls, and men-of-war, directed
against the local authorities, but be referred to the
supreme Government at Peking, and no hostile
action was to be taken unless sanctioned by her
MAJESTY'S Ministers. The Times condemned the
course adopted by Mr. MEDHURST, and, what is un-
usual with it, refused to be guided by the light of
its correspondent. It received Mr. BURLINGA3IE'S
mission by casting every difficulty in his way it
could arouse in British prejudices ; but Mr. BUR-
LINGAME has been successful, and the Times now
endorses that success with its approval—a charac-
teristic peculiarity which shows how qualified it is
to represent the average JOHN BULL. We are not
concerned, however, with the opinions of the Times,
except in so far as they are supposed to reflect those
of the nation ; but we are concerned with the prin-
ciple secured, upon which we heartily congratulate
the Ambassador from China. It must be a
source of no small gratification to him that he
was enabled to overcome the machinations of
those he sketched as the East Indian planters, the
opium smugglers, slaveowners, and others of that
genus who consistently oppose all progress, and
manage to muster so strongly in London when that
sort of work has to be done. Mr. BURLINGAME be-
lieves in a frank, fair statement of his case, without
any diplomatic double-dealing or chicanery ; taking
the firm ground of equal justice to all. There is
one subject, however, which should not be over-
looked, now that the Yang-chow affair has been
settled and that the Chinese mission has left Lon-
don. The injustice of humiliating TsENG and MA
at Nauking for the acts of a Yang-chow mob will
leave its sting behind, and make enemies of two

-
powerful officials which may bear fruit hereafter
The reception given to the Embassy in London,
where some ill-advised papers—the Standard for
instance—likened the mission to a troop of CbinesB
jugglers, has produced an effect sure to react la.
Peking. It was the more marked, as the convoy
was immediate between the hospitable welcome ten'
dered in America, which has, we believe, been f°i
lowedby a reception little less distinguished in France',
Common prudence might have suggested another
course, while courtesy prompted a kindlier greeting_
to strangers who had broken through the crust Of 5
thousand years' seclusion, to get into communication
with the outer world. nylo-Ainerican 7'intes•