The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-31 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 31, 1869.

vastated by Asiatic Cholera at the time of the last visi-
tation, that the idea first presented itself to Mrs.
GLADSTONE of setting on foot an institution of this,
in England at least, really novel and unprecedented
character. So that, obviously, no time has been lost in
carrying out that benevolent intention. The notion
it will be seen has been already acted upon with the
happiest results as a commencement. The volun-
tary system in the organization of a project of bene-
volence has again been fruitful of good. Deem° -
synary-aid has flowed in more or less abundantly—
intermittently, as was inevitable of course, through-
out—but for all that, we repeat, more or less abun-
lantly. Two thousand, three hundred pounds, have
within the interval of the last two years, as we have
said, been well laid out—to the inexpressible comfort,
in many instances, possibly, to the preservation of the
lives of, in round numbers, One Thousand persons,
bringing joy in all human likelihood to as many
squalid homes! Homes—alas! for the dear old English
word, looking,- with the " mind's eye," as we may
any of us readily do, into those dens of filth and
wretchedness—so-called, one might fancy, with the
bitterest irony—in the more densely crowded parts
of this vast metropolis ! " Home is home, however
homely," according to the familiar proverb—but
for which, the sacred name of Home would
surely be denied to those cellars, and gar-
rets, and other holes and corners in miser-
ably dilapidated tenements hid away in the back-
slums and rookeries of London, especially down
in the eastern quarters, where the very poorest, and
most wretched, and neglected among our fellow-crea-
tures " most do congregate." There—in those deplor-
able haunts—if any man, woman, or child, stricken
down by some serious illness, does manage, some-
how, by the mercy of Heaven, by inherent strength of
constitution, or, at the least, by what may be called
a sort of desperate or spasmodic, clinging to life—if
any creature, there struck down by some sharp
disease does contrive in some mysterious way to
struggle through the crisis of it, and to become for a
while what is termed convalescent—ten hundred thou-
sand chances to one they must inevitably succumb
eventually under the prostration of their convales-
cence, in the midst of the surrounding miseries of their
condition ! Death comes to them, then,
in spite of their temporary recovery—if only
by reason of the want of pure air, and proper warmth,
and clothing, and nourishment, and clea,nlinesl, and
—last not least of all—tender nursing. Squalor, foul
air, filth, cold, insufficient food, insufficient raiment,
solitude, in the garret, or the cellar, daring the weary
hours when the other members of the family are,
necessarily, out and about, earning, or striving at least
to earn, a bare living for the invalid and for them-
selves—causes like these complete what the original
disease (what though that disease may have been
nominally got over) has already more than half accom-
plished. Mrs. GLADSTONE, two years ago, realized the
force of all these deplorable and wholely undeniable
considerations. Hence the project of the Convalescent
Home now bearing her name. While others have
been theorizing, she has acted. The good work has
been commenced under her direction, and has been
commenced, moreover, energetically. Two temporary
homes—those just now mentioned as having been
established, in the interests of women and children
at Clapton, and in the interests of men at Snares-
brook—have for two years, and at a cost, as we have
seen, of little more than two thousand pounds,
illustrated in the case of One Thousand Con-
valescents, the good that may, so very readily
in this way, be accomplished. If ever there
was a charitable institution deserving encourage-
ment—because of the original benevolence of its
design, and because of the practical good it had,
from the moment of its first commencement, been the
visible and appreciable means of dispensing among
the very destitute—it is certainly an institution like
this of the Convalescent Home, carried on, orga-
nised, and developed under the personal direction of
Nlrs. GLADSTONE; The enlargement of the iubtilu-
tion is, now, what.has to be thought of, and seen to
—now when the purpose of the Premier's wife
is to purchase, forthwith, at Woodford, in
Essex, a suitable house, and when, consequently, it
becomes a matter of urgent necessity, in regard to the
interests of the whole undertaking, that the debt of
£4,000, incurred through this investment, shall
be provided for, as rapidly as possible, by
means, of course, of the usual voluntary contri-
butions. Has any one ever read, through their
tears, Mrs. SEWELL'S exquisite ballad about JOHN and
cßis a primroseof the country lanes budding up out
of the garbage of the kennel, or from between the
paving stones of some deplorable court of Hounds -
ditch or Hockley-in-the-hole, without feeling the dread
and crying need there is for precisely some such
institution as this—benignly originated in a happy
moment by the generous heart, and being built up
with unfaltering energy ever since then by the
kindly hand, of Mrs. GLADSTONE, the wife of the
First Lord of the Treasury ? Not one of the
many hundreds of thousands who know that lovely
little ballad of the streets, and garrets, and
cellars of London, is there, we feel perfectly well
assured, hut will recognise the urgent
xnencdeisnsigtyanthere
is for encouraging, supporting, a
in-
stitution exactly answering the description of this
Convalescent Home, established—it matters very
little where, whether at Woodford, or Clapton, or
Snaresbrook—by the tender thought and the unhesi
tating perseverance of Mrs. GLADSTONE.

IN its attempts to supply the British army with
the best breechloading rifle yet discovered the War
Office has acted with a most unusual and laudable
disregard for the principles of red-tape. In this
respect, indeed, the prompt action of the Govern-
ment has been highly satisfactory ; but, unfortu-
nately, the story is to have a sequel, and until that is
known it would be decidedly premature to pro-
nounce a favourable verdict. The late Conservative
Ministry met the first emergency with equal vigour
and prudence. No sooner had the war of 1866
shewn that the soldier armed with a muzzle-loading
rifle was comparatively defenceless, than General
PEEL sought a breechloader which could be readily
supplied, and at the same time prove efficient in case
of need. To meet these requirements the Enfield
rifle was converted into a breechloader on the
Snider principle. The new weapon was a good one.
Although only a makeshift, it was superior to the
Prussian needle-gun. But it is essential that the
British army should, as far as possible, compensate
for inferior numbers by perfection of equipment.
The Government, therefore, determined to exhaust
the resources of science in order to procure the best
small-arm yet produced. A competition, open to
inventors of all nations, was set on foot, and every
care was taken in order that this competition should
ensure the object in view. Various conditions were
laid down, but, wonderful to relate, the Government
was persuaded to learn by experience, and modify its
conditions as necessity arose.. Then the Ordnance
Select Committee was disposed of. The extinction
of this august body is so recent that the nation
can hardly have ceased • to exult at its
improvement off the face of the earth, but in 1867
the committee was in the zenith of its inglorious
career, the patron of jobbery and the terror of
inventors. The competitors, with one accord, in-
veighed against submitting this great decision to such
a tribunal, and the Government seems to have enter-
tained a righteous suspicion that the body whose
special duty it was to furnish the army with the best
weapons was the most ill-fitted for the work. That
committee was shelved and another appointed. The
task of arbitration was then thoroughly well per-

formed, The new committee wisely resolved to
choose the best barrel of one maker and the best
breech of another, and to combine the two. The
weapons sent in for trial were carefully improved
both by the inventors and through suggestions from
other quarters. The competing rifles then underwent
the severest practical tests, the whole forming an
ordeal to which no weapon would be subjected in
practice. Finally the committee preferredtheinterests
of the British army to the pecuniary benefit of English
gunmakers, and did not disdain to look both at home
and abroad for the most effective weapon. It was
decided that the barrel made by Mr. HENRY sur-
passed all its competitors, whilst the breech made at
the factory of Mr. MARTINI, in Switzerland, had the
most efficient and rapid action, and the simplest
mechanism. The breech and the barrel were united,
and the experiments which had been tried with the
Henry or Martini rifles separately were inflicted on
the compound. The test was triumphantly borne,
an ammunition was chosen, and the entire apparatus
is now complete.
The committee deserve all praise for the care,
judgment, and patience with which they have per-
formed their task. The selection of a small-arm for
the army must on the whole be deemed a piece of
good management; and had the story ended here it
might have formed a refreshing episode in the
dismal record of War Office muddling. But
though the nation has bought the Henry-
Martini breechloader, the troops have not got
it, nor are they likely to get it at present.
Startled by its own audacity in shelving the Select
Ordnance Committee when in full bloom, in procur-
ing an efficacious and speedy inquiry, and in choosing
the best weapon, irrespective of clique or interest, the
Circumlocution Office thinks it high time to return
to the old groove. It is deemed sufficient to select
the weapon ; supplying it to the troops is
looked upon apparently as a matter of no
importance whatever. Not only has no con-
siderable order for tha Henry-Martini been given,
but the War Office has resolved to procure
40,000 more Snider-Enfields—the weapon which was
never designed to do more than serve a temporary
purpose. The best rifle in the world is in the pos-
session of the British Government, but if a war were
to break out three months hence our troops must
take the field with a fairly good, but still inferior,
arm. And yet the new rifle has been subjected to
every possible test, save the one which the War
Office hesitates to apply—actual service in the army.
Tho new weapon is undoubtedly the best yet dis-
covered. Its strength has been proved by every
species of experiment ; it has been immersed in cold
water whilst the barrel was hot, the breech apparatus
has been allowed to rust, and yet the arm has fired as
well as ever. Defective cartridges have been tried
without doing the rifle any injury. Its accuracy of shoot-
ing at all ranges up to 1,200 yards is all that could be
wished. The trajectory is low. The bullet makes a
terribly destructive wound. Lastly, the weapon can
be fired with extraordinary rapidity. Twenty rounds
have been delivered in forty-eight seconds—a rate of
practice which would, with ordinary care, utterly
defy the assault of an advancing enemy. The weapon
is one of which the army may justly be proud. To
withhold it longer than is absolutely necessary will
be inexcusable.

7:f
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HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, March 30.

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

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

A farmer has been sentenced, at LeeAs, to two
months' imprisonment, with hard labour, for exposing dis-
eased meat to 5,..11. At it., Same court a butcher was heavily
fined for a similar offence.

Numerous inquiries Lave recently been made with
regard to the petition presented hy the Conservatives against
the return of Messrs. Pease and Beao.nont for South Dur-
ham ; and as nothing can be heard of it, it is thought that
it will be withdrawn.

The Echo has much pleasure in complying with an
authoratative request to contradict the statement which
connected the names of Sir Charles and Lady Mordaunt
with the paragraph relative to "another scandal in high
life," in a Warwickshire county family, which has appeared
in this and other journals.

Colonel Kingscote has so far recovered from the
effects of his late serious accident, whereby he sustained a
fracture of one of his legs and other injuries, that it is hoped
he will ere long be enabled to resume his Parliamentary
duties. The gallant colonel was unable to vote in the recent
division on the Irish Church in consequence of tho accident.

Another boat accident is reported from Cardiff.
Four hobblers left Cardiff in an open boat for the purpose of
seeking work iu the Roads. it was very; rough at the time,
and the wind was blowing hard, which rendered it difficult
to manage the boat. When off Lavernock Point they were
taken in tow by a vessel, but through some mishap the boat
upset, and all were thrown into the water. Two of them
were rescued by the crew of the ship, but the other two were
drowned. Both of them leave wives and families.

Colonel Akroyd, M.P., has made a donation of
£lO to the Halifax Ernest Jones subscription fund. In his
communication the hon. gentleman says, "Although I was
opposed to the political opinions of the late Mr. Ernest
Jones, and differed essentially from him on many of his
schemes for the social amelioration of the people, yet I
cannot refuse my tribute of respect to his sincerity, his
earnestness, and his self-devotion. Ho sacrificed his time
and energy, nay, his life, for the people's cause. I beg there-
fore to inclose a cheque for £lO, as a donation to the fund
for the relief of his widow."

Dr. Macleod, of Glasgow, has just made a charac-
teristic reply to a letter pointing out the barefaced plagrarism
of a Sheffield teacher of music who sent a poem of the Doc-
tor's composition, entitled " Trust to God, and do the right,"
to a local paper as an original contribution. Dr. Macleod writes:
"You see G. F. T.' does not trust in God and do the right,
but trusts in ignorance or the devil, and does the wrong,
with small temptation either from good or glory. As far as
I am concerned I am quite indifferent to the thing; but as
far as 'G. F. T." is concerned, it is very bad and mean. His
thoughts should express God forgive thieving.' "

On Tuesday an inquest was held upon the body
of John William Bishop, aged 22, who poisoned himself
with strycnine on the night of Good Friday. The evidence
showed that the deceased had been fel-live years engaged to
be married to a young girl who was very fond of him, but
whose parents broke off the match. On Good Friday ho had
arranged to take the young girl out for the evening, but on
that day her parents finally broke off the match and refused
to let him see her. He went away, and that night committed
suicide, leaving an affectionate letter to his relations. The
jury returned a verdict of "Suicide while in an unsound
state of mind."

The enthronement of the Right Rev. Dr. Christo-
pher Wordsworth took place at Lincoln Cathedral on Tuesday.
The Bishop was received by the Dean of Lincoln, the Arch-
deacon of Nottingham, the Archdeacon of Lincoln, the Arch-
deacon of Stowe, the Chancellor of the Cathedral, the Pre-
centor, Archdeacon Paul, dc. The attendance of the public
was very considerable. A procession was formed at the
western door, where the bishop was received, and passed
down towards the choir, appropriate anthems being sung.
The bishop was conducted by the dean and archdeacons to
the Commnnion table. Tho dean afterwards led the bishop
to his throne, upon which he was formally installed. Full
choral service was then performed.
On Monday afternoon a telegram was received in
Taunton, stating that a petition had been lodged against
the return of Mr. 11. James, to whom Mr. Justice Blackburn
awarded the second seat, forfeited by Mr. Sergeant Cox.
The chief ground alleged in the petition is bribery, in the
payment of what is known as ' barrister's court money."
There is this difference between the payments of this money
on the part of two associations— a difference which Mr.
Justice Blackburn distinctly recognised—the Liberal Asso-
ciation paid ss. to those of their members who could produce
vouchers of their having attended the court ; the Conserva-
tive Association distributed money indiscriminately to any
one who chose to represent himself as a Conservative, or
likely to vote half or wholly " Blue." No less an authority
than Sir John Kerslake has E aid that Mr. James cannot be
Petitioiled against withqut an alteration of the law.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE

(RECrER'S TELEGRAMS.)

HOMEWARD INDIA AND CHINA MAILS.

MESSINA, March 31.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Delhi passed through the Straits at one this morn-
ing en route for Marseilles.
MALTA, March 31.

The Syria, from Southampton 20th inst., arrived
here ou the 29th at noon, and left at 6 p.m. for
Alexandria.

The Delta leaves at 11 this morning for South-
ampton, where she may be expected about the
9th proximo.