The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-13 00:00:00

THE SLAVE TRADE IN EGYPT.

Some interesting details of the efforts being made by the
Viceroy of Egypt to extinguish the slave trade have just
been published. Great praise is due to the Viceroy for his
consistent and resolute endeavours to repress this inhuman
traffic, although it is sanctioned by the social and religious
traditions of his people. The Koran acknowledges
slavery, and the true Mahomedan cannot, therefore, con-
demn it. N evertheless, the Viceroy has succeeded in
abolishing it, at least in name. Any slave who can escape
to a police post may claim and receive his or her liberty,
and every slave becomes free after seven years of bondage.
A. real slave trade, however, goes on in the Nile Basin,
where unscrupulous dealers, who call themselves merchants,
systematically trade in human beings ; armed bands of
ruffians, or, in some cases, the native chiefs, are incited by
these merchants to seize their unfortunate victims, and
carry them off into slavery. The Viceroy has, as yet,
found himself unable to reach these offenders, who sail up
and down the Nile under European flags, which they use
for their own protection. Sir Samuel Baker, in a recent
conversation with the Viceroy, stated his views on the
Central African slave trade, in which his Highness con-
curred, and before the Prince of Wales started for the
Nile, the Khedive expressed his wish to have Sir S.
Baker's personal assistance in putting an end to the traffic.
The only effectual means to do this, it is thought, will be
to equip a corps of horse and foot, to provide steamers and
boats for the navigation of the great lake, and to
organise a regular expedition. Our adventurous
English traveller is to be put at the head of this troop,
with carte blanche as to materiel and personnel, and
with power of life and death. The wild and savage
tribes which inhabit the Nile Basin are constantly
fighting among themselves, but they are not able to oppose
a regular force. The Viceroy has a nominal authority
over the whole of the Nile Basin, but it will probably be
necessary to employ some force to secure its practical
recognition. The Prince of Wales, we understand, has
interested himself in the matter, and has obtained the
promise of handsome remuneration for Sir Samuel Baker,
who is to enter the Viceroy's service on the Ist of April.
The expedition, whose success is so much to be desired, is
to start on its adventurous journey in the month of
August.

Sir Roundoll Palmer's speech delivered in the
House of Commons on the second reading of the Irish
Church Bill, is published as a pamphlet by Messrs.
Macmillan and Co.

SOUTHAMPTON ELECTION PETITION.—At the
Judges' Chambers, an application has been made to Mr.
Justice Blackburn, in reference to the petition against Mr.
Russell Gurney and Mr. Hoare, "for particulars" on both
sides. His lordship made an order. It was stated that the
trial was to be held on the 20th inst.

REMARKABLE COINCIDENCE. —ln the town of
Bishop Auckland there are only four master printers and
stationers, and the Auckland papers of the 9th inst. re-
corded only four births. Singularly enough, the four
mothers of those four babies were the four wives of those
four printers, namely, Mr. G. E. Briggs, Mr. W. J. Cum-
mins, Mr. M. Braithwaite, and Mr. S. J. Cherrett.—
Northern. Daily Express.

The Cork Examiner describes a scene which oc-
curred at the meeting of the Mill-street Board of Guar-
dians, caused by the extraordinary behaviour of Mr.
Cooper, who delivered a series of highly eccentric
speeches. In the course of his remarks he prophesied the
death of one of the guardians within six months, and
declared that several similar predictions of his had been
verified.

GREAT FIRE IN THE BOROUGH.—DESTRUCTION
OF 250,000 WORTH OF HOPS,—About eleven o'clock on
Monday night one of the largest fires that has occurred in
the metropolis for several months past broke out in the
extensive hop warehouses of Mr. Frith, situated at the
bottom of the Spur Inn and King's Head yards, in the
High-street, Southwark. It is not knoWn how the fire
originated, or whether Mr. Frith was insured, but the
property destroyed is estimated at over £50,000.
PROFITABLE NEWSPAPERS. —Some of the most
profitable newspapers in the kingdom are those which
scarcely anybody sees, and nobody reads. The London
Gwette costs about £3,000 a year to produce, including the
handsome salary of £BOO given to the editor; it brings in
a revenue of over £24,000, so that there is a profit of
£10,215. Even the Edinburgh Gazette, which probably no
mortal eye has seen South of the Tweed, has a profit of
more than 100 per cent., costs, that is, £1,453, and
brings in a gross revenue of £3,118. The Dublin Gazette
is a less valuable property, and the profit is only £604.
Altogether the Government may he 'congratulated upon
the results of its efforts at journalism, for it netted
£18,484 lak,t year.