The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-10 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 10, 1869.

any way be said to have acquitted itself of its respon-
sibilities in this matter, now that the advantages of
precisely such an institution have, through its agency,
rendered themselves manifest. If 600 lives have been
saved, as many as 5,000 to 6,000 are annually placed
in jeopardy along our coasts by shipwreck. If 600
lives have been saved-700 lives were lost during this
last year by shipwreck along the coasts of the United
Kingdom. Our consolation is in reflecting
upon the aggregate amount of good accom-
plished by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution
during the fifty-five years in which it has been in
existence. Withi❑ that interval—less by a whole
lustre than by half a century—the number of lives
saved by its means we find to have been 17,849 alto-
gether. It has done noble work ; but, beyond that,
it has clearly within it a capacity for almost indefi-
nite expansion.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

FRIENDS and foes agree in lauding Mr. CHILDERS'S
maiden speech as First Lord of the Admiralty. It
was indeed a very able speech ; not eloquent, cer-
tainly, but, which was far more important on that
occasion, perspicuous and thorough. It was a com-
plete review of our naval administration. It
took up one after another each of the great
departments of the service the construc-
tion of the Admiralty Board, the working
of the administrative establishments, the great
manufacturing establishments of the dockyards and
victualling yards, the manning, the equipping, and
the construction of our ships, their allocation to dif-
ferent stations, and the officering of the navy. Not
one point was overlooked, and there was none on
which Mr. CHILDERS had not some important sug-
gestions to make.
Taking these various points seriatim, we find, in
the first place, that the administration of the navy
has undergone an important modification. Under
the present arrangement the First Sea Lord and his
junior take charge of all business in connection with
the personnel of the navy. The Controller of the
Navy takes charge of all business ckected with the
materiel. Both are directly responsible to the First Lord.
The finance of the department is undertaken by the
Secretary to the Admiralty, and he exercises control
over the funds required by the First Sea Lord and
by the Controller. Thus the divided control which
used to hamper the administration of the navy

The publication of the Pope's letter to the Archbishop
of Paris in the third edition of M. Emile 011ivier's book
was not only unauthorised, but has caused great indigna-
tion. The Etcndard is very severe upon M. 011ivier for
publishing a private letter which had not even been
officially given to him. It hints that the letter was kept
back until the third edition in order to give the book a
fresh impulse. Curiosity would buy up one or two issues
without the Pope's letter, but after that the sale needed
stimulating by an " appendix." Poor M. 011ivier,
therefore, fares badly on all sides. The Siecle
casts him out, and the Etendard hints that the
book is a commercial speculation. It appears that
some subordinate in the service of the Archbishop
managed to get hold of the letter, and through him it came
into M. 011ivier's lipids. This functionary is to be dis-
missed.

has ceased, and the Board of Admiralty virtually no
longer exists. This is the most important change of
all, because it is the fountain and source of the other
changes. The first result of it has been a
thorough investigation into the Admiralty Esta-
blishments at Whitehall and Somerset House.
Mr. CHILDERS has discovered that there were
two departments preparing precisely the same
books, for precisely the same purpose, in precisely the
same form, and that neither knew the other was
doing this. He has discovered, also, that the number
of clerks has increased from 260, who were paid
£83,380 in 1849, to 445, paid £123,000 in 1869. It
is impossible, perhaps it would not be desirable, to
reduce the clerical staff to the number of
twenty years ago; but Mr. CHILDERS pro-
poses to save £20,000 a year. As this saving
involves hardship in individual cases, he will
surrender his patronage, and whenever a post
becomes vacant, which the First Lord has the
right to fill, he will place in it one of the superfluous
clerks already in the service. At the same time he
gives up his official residence in order that the
departments may, as far as possible, be brought under
one roof.

No less than 315 adjudications of bankruptcy have been
made by the Tribunal of Commerce during January and
February.

M. Hector Berlioz, the well-known composer, is dead.
He was born in 1803, and in early youth was put to the
study of medicine, which, however, he speedily renouncedfor
the more congenial pursuit in which he has gained such fame.
In 1826 he was compelled to seek his livelihood, which he
did by accepting an engagement in the chorus of the
Gymnasium. He soon produced a mass for four voices,
with chorus and orchestra, which was followed by the
overture to " Waverley," and his fantastic symphony
based on " The Tempest" and on " Faust," which was
arranged for the piano by Liszt. In 1828 he gained the second
prize of the Institute for musical composition, and in 1820 won
the first prize by his cantata of " Sardanapalis." The list
of his after works is too long for me to enter into ; but
amongst the most successful were " Harold" and
" Romeo and Juliet" symphonies. He was the author
of several literary works. His principal reputation is
founded upon his endeavour to introduce a new style in
music—an attempt which was in a measure successful. It
incurred the censure of some, but Paganini was of opinion
that Berlioz was the equal of Beethoven. The great
violinist testified his admiration by a present of £BOO.
Several years since the well-known publishing firm of
Michael Levy agreed to bring out a " History of the
House of C0n(16," by the Orleanist Due d'Aumale.
After the book was printed, the Minister of the
Interior of that time gave orders to the police,
who seized every copy, and prevented the issue. The
seizure was irregular and illegal ; nay, as the Liberte has
it, it was monstrous. But we are now informed that M.
Forgade de la Roquette has ordered all the volumes, which
are still in the possession of the police to be restored to
the publishers. Several actions have already been brought,
but the courts have pronounced themselves incompetent.
A suit is now pending, and the Government has offered to
pay the costs of this! Was there ever such an Adminis-
tration ? Seizing the books was disgraceful, but to deliver
them up after seven years' retention is a confession of
ienrrg the vorNh
evil.i
which will humiliate the Government without repair-
You have, doubtless, received the verdict in the
Montauban child murder case. It is simply ridiculous.
Capital punishment is still the law of France,
and yet the wretch Delpecb, who murdered eight
children by thrusting their heads into hot water, and
who killed her own (laughter's child by pouring
vitriol down her throat, is sentenced to hard labour for
life. Why not repeal a law which is such a wretched
farce? If the woman Delpech be not deserving of death,
no criminal can be.

qimueisrtailotyn ohf
avceontnroatcts
yetthe
fonuenwd Lordstune
toof
mthe
theeAr
It is a very large one. It will, when
nexaarymnrieed,
velatgv ioines,re,
which
hvweixlipqelcit, to some
iteeelipsetheoxsteramordali-
e
before Mr. SEELY'S committee. Mr. CHILDERS'S
cp roens
De nEtN idea
adv
sites d that,
ot
hteh e i
nAdma
the
rsalmt ye ought, a
position
as Mr.
as 1
a
ue
sregular
them,buyers a well
a bal
able
qtuo ani illatke d
with e
privatett ee ebht eahs e
firm,tl
gearticles
bargainahni entrusted
which
h h
foralat the u s
eo me oe
over n t It is
the
.
that
tf
the Naval Stores Act is to be repealed, inasmuch as it
prevents the country from getting the highest price for
its old stores. The intentions of the Government with
regard to the dockyards are well known. Deptford
and Woolwich are to be closed, the workmen on the
establishments are to be drafted as fast as possible to
the four great yards at Devonport, Portsmouth,
Chatham, and Pembroke. The work to be done at
those yards will be larger in quantity and yet cheaper
in cost. More money will be spent in wages, but
there will be a great saving in superinten-
dence. The same principle will be adopted
in manning the navy. The number of seamen will
not be materially altered, but the non-seamen will
be carefully weeded. Moreover, the present crowded
list of officers will be taken in hand. At present there
are so many officers that promotion is intolerably slow,
and employment is impossible for a large number.
It is proposed to clear this list by paying off with a
sum down, in lieu of half-pay, those officers whom
we can spare, and who are willing to go. The number
of ships on foreign stations will be reduced,
but our naval power will be really increased by
making them move more frequently from point to
point. From time to time they will be visited by a
flying squadron, consisting of six or seven very fine
ships. The coastguard ships will form a squadron of
reserve, and will be sent to sea, so that the Naval
Reserve will have an opportunity of active drill.
Finally, we are to have, among other powerful
ships, the two most powerful in the world—
turret ships, carrying four 25-ton guns, with
an armour of from 10 to 14 inches of iron, a backing
of from 13 to 20 inches, and whose cost will be not
much more than half of the all but useless Warrior.
Mr. CORRY does not approve of this last proposal, and
will move a formal amendment to it in committee.
The country will hardly complain when the only
charge which a Conservative ex-Lord of the Admi-

THE TVL'A7'H.ER TABLE.-THIS DAY.

NEIEOBOLOGICAL ItErORTS.

Extreme Sea
Wednesda 0
March 10,y, !t't w•B. T. •.ItoF.D. W R. Ito
8 a.m - . 12 9
-32
Nairn - 1
Aberdeen
Leith
Shields - 2
Scarborough 29'55f. 38 36 4,-. 5 3 N.E. s.ro o'2B 4
Yarmouth 29'52f. 36 33 5 5 S.W. :f.co - 5
-
Cuxhaven - - - -
Skudesutes - 34- - - - - -
Ardrossan 29'63r. 37 4 1 S.S.E. c. - 3
E
Greencastle 39'62r. 40 4 5 N.N.E. h.rc 0'23 -
Holyhead - -
Liverpool - 0
Valentin,- 29'45f. 39 3". 3 8 N.E. c.hs o'2o 3
Cape Clear - - N - - - - - -
Hoch e's Pt 29'46f. 33 °„„,",,• 1 6 N N.E. c.b. - 0
Pen zance
Plymouth - 2
Pembroke
Portsmouth 29'41f. 36 E. 3 2 E.S.E. o.ra o'4o 2
London 29 48f. 36 "e •• 2 3 E.S.E. c.ro'o•o2 -
C'peGirisNez 29•43 f. 32 5 o.c. - 3
Brest .. 29'29f. 37E ,„ 4 N.E.N 3 5 Eo. o'ol 1
L'Orient 29•27 f. 34 32,, .z. 5 5 E. o.c. o'o3 2
Roche fort - 1
Biarritz - m. - 3
Corunna - - -
Brussels - - -
Strasbourg - - Lyons - - E N - - - -- -
Toulon 2 2s'3of. 45 - • 8 8 B.E. f. - 7
Heart's Con
tent (9 a.m.
local time) - -
ZiPLA NATION
falling ; a, steady-indicates direction of motion
leßttaerromr.ertiesrincgo;rrfe and reduced to 32 deg. at sea level. The
,cted
:
of the mercury within last 14 hours. Thermometer exposed in
shade, Extreme Force with its Direction during last 24 hours.
Z.-calm. Weather
b.-blue sky ; clouds, detached ;f. - fog
; 1.- lightning ; m•-misty, hazy ; e.-overcast, dull r.-
rain ; s.-snow ; t.-thunder. Rain-fall, snow or hail melted)
during last 24 hours. Sea disturbance.
REMARKS.
Since yesterday morning a slight recovery of barometrical pressure
has occurred in the north of Scotland ; whilst at our southern
stations, and particularly in the S.W. of France, the decrease has
continued. Pressure is lowest in the south, and the reading at
Rochefort is o's4in. lower than at Nairn. Temperature has scarcely
changed. The north-easterly squalls at Valencia have died down,
and this morning light Is moderate winds are everywhere reported.
In the W. of these islands and in N.W. France they are from between
N. and E. ; but are southerly in S.W. France and along the E. coast
of England. A little rain has fallen. The sky is overcast or cloudy,
with snow in the N.E. The sea is calm.

ralty can bring against the estimates is that, though
they chew a reduction of nearly a million, they are
£40,000 too high.

on Monday, the pleutiff ,
In a breach of promise case tried at Nottingham
who was described as the daughter
of a Dewsbury surgeon, and was said to be forty years of
age, obtained a verdict for £6OO damages against the defen-
dant, a gentleman of independent means, living near
Nottingham.

of the passengers were seriously
An alarming accident occurred on the Lancashire
and I orkshire Railway at Todmorden on Monday. Several
injured, and some of them
report that they consider their escape to be of a marvellous
character. It appears that the points were under repair, and
that, the temporary fastening giving way, several of the car-
riages were thrown off the rails.

The London correspondent of the Manchester
Guardian Fays that a letter has been rectiv..,d from Mr.
Sumner, explaining.
hostilly to the Alabama Treaty.
Ile urges its rejection by the Senate because it makes no
provision for the injury sustained by the Republic through
the sweeping of its commercial marine from the sea—in
other words from the recognition of the South.
At the Oldham Police-court, on Monday, Roger
Wilding, a coil( c'or of borough rat. s for the o:dhain Cor-
poration, was brought
up on ft Cilitrjo of embezzling cur-
tain sums of money which he had receive I en account cf
rates. Evidence was given of three distinct cases of em-
bezzlement, an.ountiLg in all to about £4OO. The prison. r
was committed to the sessions for trial, bail being refused.
Two children were burned to death in the south-
western snburbs cf Loudon yesterday. One of them, a
girl named Hamwood, aged ten years, residing at Chelsea,
was standing on tho fender to reach something off the
mantleshelf, her dress caught the flames of the fire. Sho
died as soon as sho arrived at tho hospital. At Fulham,
Charles Neil, aged six years was hp.nt_to death aide./
eirailaicircuallaimu

PROSPECT OF ANOTHER GREAT COTTOff
STRIKE.

(nom oun OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
The news from the cotton districts becomes very alarming.
PARIS, TUESDAY, March AccOrding to the Liverpool Post partial and total stoppages
The air is thick with rumour. A scarcity of news ink , in Preston continue to increase ; in fact, the losses
riably does give an impulse to the continental imagina, upon some descriptions of manufactures are so
tion, but in this case the scarcity amounts to &positive great as to render any other course impossible, if utter
famine, and the inventive faculties are proportionately ruin is to be averted. Some firms cling to the hope
active. The Belgian railway affair is again exciting that a reduction of 10 or 20 per cent. in wages may cure
attention, and dire whispers of serious consequences float the evil of which all complain ; but in many cases a
about. The Moniteur yesterday announced, with! inex• much larger reduction—some say 50 per cent. even—
pressible gravity, that the Belgian repesentative had would still leave the business unprofitable. Last week
left Paris, and that a rupture between the two it was agreed that notice should bo given of a general
countries was menaced. To-day the Temps completes reduction of 10 per cent., but even with this very
the news given by the Moniteur. The Belgian many ffrms contemplate stopping their machinery
Minister did indeed go to Brussels on Saturday, altogether. In the case of Mr. George Smith's milt, Moor
but he has already returned ! The mere fact, however, Brook, where a reduction of 15 per cent. has been adopted,
that he travelled between the two capitals is sufficient the Union has made a most determined effort to Laffie the
for some critics. Then the Duo de Grammont has been attempt ; but, notwithstanding that effort, Mr. Smith has
recalled from Vienna, where he officiated as ambassador, three hundred looms at work, and most of his spindles;
This step, say the official papers, has no political signifl- and it is believed that the resistance that will be offered to
cance ; but the Ecio Free Press is of opinion that he general reduction of 10 per cent. will bo equally futile.
the relations between France and Prussia have again The Spinners' and Minders' Association have as yet re-
become weaker. Thirdly, we have talk of an interview ceived no intimation of the action of the masters. They
between the Emperor of Austria and the King of Italy, say that some time since it Was arranged by deputa-
and some of the papers are grumbling because Turkey tion that, before anything further was dono, with
still keeps a cosTs d'orntee on s war footing in reference to wages—as the operatives are even
Thessaly. Lastly, but most important of all, now working at a reduction of 5 per cent. below the standard
the debate on the Cr6dit Foncier Loan is still list, and have been doing so since Jan., 1867—deputations
a dead weight on the mind of the public here. The dig- from the two bodies should together consider the course
missal of M. Rouher and an entire change of Ministry is to be taken, and that under any circumstances Preston
talked of. M. Rouher is to be made President of the should be governed by the East Lancashire list of prices.
Senate—an office of great dignity, which.M. Troplong has They therefore now complain bitterly that the masters have
most opportunely left vacant. The information that M. come to the resolutions above stated without giving thew
Rouher will have to give some account of himself comes from the promised interview. In consequence of the strike at
a very good source. The Emperor has never abandoned M. Arr. Smith's mill, the Spinners' Association have now on
Haussmann for a moment, and he will certainly call M. their books 109-heads of families refused relief by the parish
Rouher to explain the too premature surrender which the authorities.
latter thought himself obliged to make in the Corps
L6gislatif.
M. Laboulaye has consented, after much solicitation,
to come forward as a candidate for the Seine-et-Oise
department. His programme is strongly in favour of
religious and political liberty, and equally strongly against
standing armies.

SUPERVISION OF CRIMINALS.

Yesterday an important memorandum was issued for
the information of Parliament, describing the present
fystem of supervision pursued by the police with respect to
license holders in the metropolis. From this memorandum
it appears that amale license holder is required topersonally
report himself at the principal police station of the district
in which he resides within three days of his liberation.
A printed description of the license holder is sent from
the prison to the police, with the address where the man,
' ?revious to his liberation, stated he intended to reside. No
further steps are then taken by the police for a month from
hat date, when, if the license holder again reports him-
self, he is considered as complying with the law. After
inquiry to ascertain if the address given is a correct one,
no further supervision is kept over him by the police, and his
lodgings are not again visited. If a license holder neglects
to report himself as above, or is seen and suspected of
leading an irregular life, then the police make quiet in-
quiry, and, as is frquently the case, if it is found that he
has left the address he was living at, his description is
inserted in the Police Gazette with directions for appre-
hension. The employers are never informed by the police
that they are employing a license-holder. No case, says
Colonel Henderson, has ever been known of police levying
black mail on license-holders. Of 368 male license-holders
discharged in the metropolitan police district in 1868,
290 placed themselves under the care of the Discharged
Prisoners' Aid Society, either on discharge or subsequently.
Colonel Henderson remarks that there have been difficulties
in consequence of a divided jurisdiction ; but, in the event
of the passing of the measure introduced by Lord Kim-
berley, the supervision of convicts who place themselves in
charge of the Prisoners' Aid Society will be carried on by
the police in conjunction with the officers of the society,
and can be so arranged as to avoid any undue interference
with the men. As regards the arrest of license-holders or
of persons v% ho have been twice convicted of felony, it is
clear, Colonel Henderson remarks, that all must depend
on the personal knowledge of the police-constable of the
person and antecedents of the suspected person. Under
ordinary circumstances no constable interferes with any
license-holder, nor would he arrest any man on suspicion
without previously reporting the circumstance to the Com-
missioner, who would order quiet inquiry to be made, and
give instructions, if necessary, for the man's arrest. Iden-
tification would be rendered more easy than at present by
the proposed central registration.

Mr. Henry A. Bowen, a well-known New York
financier, has arrived in London as the agent of an fin.
portant railway corporation in America.
THE CLOSING OF WOOLWICH DOCKYARD.—It iS

stated that negotiations are pending between the Govern-
ment and one of the largest shipbuilding firms on the
Thames with a view to letting to the latter a considerable
portion of Woolwich dockyard for the purpose of building
iron ships of a large class. Should the negotiations prove
successful much of the apprehended distress consequent
upon the closing of the Government dockyard will be
averted, and the migration of a large number of skilled
artisans from the town. prevented.
NARROW GAUGE TRAFFIC ON THE GREAT
WE TERN RAILWAT.--On and after Monday next the
northern section of the Greftt Western Railway will be
worked entirely upon the narrow gauge. Trains leaving
Paddington for Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Manchester,
and Birkenhead will now run from London to their desti-
nation on the narrow gauge, instead of partly upon the
broad and narrow. The metropolitan traffic of the Great
Western will be also partly narrow gauge, and also some
of
-the trains into Windsor. The broad-gauge trains will be
confined to the western district of the railway.

TUB PUBLIC HEALTH. —The rate of mortality
in London last week was 24 per 1,000, while in thirteen
other large towns of the United Kingdom it was 26. In
Birmingham the rate was as low as 18, while in Glasgow
it was 38, or more than double. The deaths in the metro-
polis were 1,487, or 54 less than the estimated number.
Measles, scarlet fever, and whooping-cough are on the
increase. Five persons were killed by horses and vehicles
in the streets. The mean temperature during the week
was 39% or rather more than one degree below the
average.

A decision of importance to friendly societies was
ratified at the Eckiugton (Yorkshire) Petty Sessions on Mon-
day. The treasurer of a friendly society had ref used to dis-
burse funds for a " club feast," on the ground that such a pay-
latent would be illegal; whereupon he was requested to resign,
and deliver up the money and books in his hands. He refused
and was summoned before the magistrates. An objection
was then set up that as the proceedings had not been
taken within six months, the jurisdiction of the Bench was
ousted. The Bench took this view of the case, but the
Court of Common Pleas (on appeal) decided that the benoh
lad jurisdiction. The case was therefore remitted to Ecking-
ton, and on Monday the defendant was ordered to givo up the
cash, £l4, and the books of the society, and pay £2 fine, with
£1 expenses.

MURDER BY A LUNATIC. —Au inquest has been held
rct Birmingham into the circumstances attending the death
of Mary Ann Ackland, a pauper inmate of the Borough
Asylum. Deceased had been placed in the airing yard
attached to the ward. There was no other patient in the
yard at the time. Ten minutes later she was dead, with
a wound upon her head. A lunatic, named Bridget Hart,
said she had struck Ackland with a piece of iron, which
was found close by under some shrubs. Hart was a vio-
lent lunatic, and, in consequence of a disturbance which
she caused in the ward, she was removed into the court.
The deceased was 31 years of age, and had been over six
Tears in the asylum. Hart was a tall, muscular, powerful
woman. The jury found that the woman Hart had corn-
iiitted homicide whilst in a state of unsound mind.

A MODEL PARAGRATIL—III order to accommo-
date newspaper language to the new theory that electri-
city is merely a " mode of motion" and not a fluid, the
Chicago Times publishes the following mcdel of a para-
graph :—" During the thunderstorm of yesterday the
stable of Mr. John Jones became subject to electrical
conditions.. There resulted a violent molecular electric
agitation, whereby a hole was undulated, or rotated,
through the roof of the barn. The peculiar motion of the
molecules was finally carried to and communicated
through a haymow, setting it on fire, and hence through
the body of a horse, whereby death resulted."--Ncw York
Tribune, Feb. 25.

ENDURANCE OF COLD BY HORSES. —The Abeilk
Iliedicale contains the following curious information about
the power of endurance of cold by horses. On the 2nd of
January, 1846, an expeditionary column operating in the
mountains of Bou-Taleb, Algeria, started for Setif with
mild and beautiful weather ; but on the following night a
severe frost set in and snow fell in abundance, continuing
on the 3rd and 4th, so that it rose to a height of nearly
three feet. The head of the column arrived at Setif on
the evening of the 4th. During these two clays and
nights about one-fourth of the men were buried in the snow,
another fourth experienced no bad effects from the cold,
and the rest had to be sent to the hospital on account
of had chilblains. And yet none of the horses of
the four squadron,3, which belonged to the 3rd African
Chassenrs, suffered the slightest inconvenience ; neither
feet, nor tails, nor ears were frozen ; the pulmonary affec-
tions were not more numerous than usual. The second
case occurred in the Crimean war, during the winter of
18556. The thermometer fell to four degrees below Fah
renheit's zero ; one of the Horses had a hoof frozen on to
the ground, which bad to be broken up with a pickaxe to
release it. :For thirty-six hours the animals were kept
without drink, because as soon as the water had heel,
drawn up it would freeze in the pail ; and yet this intens
cold did not affect the horses, although they had to bivona,
in the open air, the stables not being ready. These cas&.
go far to alien- that there is no danger in goodvejagLatio'n
ditalawainitiu_thtdoth_d_winter.'

DEPUTATION TO THE HOME SECRETARY
O.Y
_THE LICENSING SYSTEM.

Yesterday afternoon a large and influential deputation of
members of Parliament, magistrates, and others from the
counties of Cumberland, Durham, Lancashire, Lincoln-
shire, Northumberland, Essex, Staffordshire, the North,
East, and West Ridings of Yorkshire, and from the
boroughs of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and
Reading, had an interview with the Right Hon.
Austin Bruce, the Home Secretary, on the subject
of the licensing system. The Chancellor of the Exche-
quer was also present, but took no part in the proceed-
ings. Amongst those forming the deputation were Lord
Sandon, ALP., Mr. Graves, AI.P., Mr. flathbone, M.P.,
Mr. Came, Mr. Edward Lawrence, and Mr. Wybergh,
from Liverpool; Sir T. G. llesketh, ALP., the Hon.
F. A. Stanley, Mr. Starkie, M.P., Mr.
Hilbert, M.P., Mr. R. Shaw, M.P., the Right
Hon. J. Wilson Patten, M.P., Mr. Charles Turner,
ALP., Mr. Alfred Milne, Mr. J. M. Bennett, Mr. N.
Fowler, Mr. C. F. Richards, from Manchester ; Mr. W.
J. Leigh, M.P., Mr. E. C. Egerton, M.P., from
Cheshire ; Mr. T. Fletcher, M.P., Mr. W. Hodgson,
ALP., Mr. C. Potter, M.P., from Cumberland; Mr.
Joseph Dodds, ALP., Mr. J. VT. Pease, ALP., Mr. T.
C. Thompson, from Durham ; Mr. W. B. Beaumont, M.P.,
from Northumberland ; Mr. W. Winn, M.P., and Sir M.
J. Cholmeley, ALP., from Lincolnshire; Lord Teignmouth,
the Right Hon. Thomas Emerson Headlam, M.P.,
Colonel Duncombe, M.P., Mr. IL W. P. Bulckow, ALP.,
Mr. F. A. Milbank, from the North Riding of Yorkshire .
Mr. J. D. Dent, ALP., Mr. W. H. Broadley, M.P., Mr;
C. Sykes, M.P., from the East Riding ; Colonel Akroyd,
ALP., Lord F. Cavendish, M.P., Mr. Morrison, ALP.,
Mr. E. Baines, M.P., Mr. J. Fielden, M.P., Mr. W. N.
Philipps, and Sir F. Crossley, M.P., from the West Riding.
The above list represents but a comparatively small pro-
portion of the names of those wno were present, the
deputation being so numerous that the official room of the
Home Secretary was not large enough to contain it, and
it had, therefore, to assemble in one of the apartments of
the residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, in Down-
ing-street.
Colonel WILSON PATTEN introduced the deputation to
Air. Bruce, stating briefly that their object was very
earnestly to press upon the notice of her Majesty's
Ministers the great necessity which there was for some
alteration being made, and made as promptly as possible,
in the present system of licensing heerhouses. They desired
also to place in the Home Secretary's bands several peti-
tions from the magistrates of various localities. As Mr.
Bruce knew, a petition had been presented yesterdayin the
House of Commons from the grand jury of Lancaster,
praying for an alteration to be made in the law, which, as
it at present existed, was productive of most injurious
results.

Mr. ASHWORTH, of Salford, presented the petition
from that district. The subject, he said, had
very frequently been under the consideration of
successive Governments. The mode in which licenses
were obtained for beerhouses worked in this way, that
the very men to whom the magistrates referred them had
only to go to the excise officers and they could obtain
them by purchase. It could hardly be denied, in the face
of the facts and statistics that had been collected, that
crime in the larger towns was to a great extent traceable
to the beerhouses. In all parts of the country the magis-
tracy testified to this. In Salford he believed theincreased
demand for labour, producing, as it of necessity did,
increased wages, added to the facilities offered for getting
drink at the numerous low beerhouses which existed, had
tended to produce an immense amount of the crime which
came under the notice of the magistrates. The
Government, he added, would be acting wisely by
spending some of the Parliamentary time which they
were devoting to devising means for the correction cf cri-
minals in bringing about an alteration in a law which was
the source of so much crime. He desired also to call the
attention of the Home Secretary to the number of present-
ments made on the subject by grand juries.
Lord TEIGNMOUTiI was sure that the unanimous support
of the inagistracy would be given to the object sought to
be attained by the deputation, as would that of all other
thinking men, not excepting the licensed victuallers them-
selves. That Government which should bring about an
alteration in the present anomalous system would be de-
serving of great credit, and would always be regarded
with sentiments of gratitude.
Mr. LAWRENCE (ex-Mayor of Liverpool) presented a
petition from the magistrates assembled in quarter session.
The greatest interest, he said, was felt in Liverpool in the
matter now brought under the notice of the Home Secre-
tary. A bill had been prepared in 1867 on the subject,
but had been withdrawn because Mr. Walpole had
promised that the matter should engage the attention
of the Government. For reasons to which he need not
refer at length, Mr. Walpole had been unable to carry
out his undertaking. There had been some differences of
opinion amongst the magistrates in Liverpool as to the
length of time houses to which licenses were granted should
be permitted to keep open, but he rejoiced to say that
there was in the borough the utmost unanimity upon
the points, that the present system of licensing was
unsatisfactory, and ought to be altered, and
that no alteration would be satisfactory which did
not place the beer licenses under the same authority
as public-houses. Licenses were now granted by three
different authorities, the beerhouse license by the excise,
the licensed victualler's license by the magistrates, and
the wine license by the magistrates and the authorities
combined. There was also a great anomaly in the
extent to which offences against the different
licenses were punished. The report of the House of
Commons in 1854 had condemned the present
system, and every Government since had endorsed that
condemnation. It was generally supposed that the system
was one fraught with so many difficulties and involved
so many personal questions that Governments were
afraid to grapple with it. This must be so no longer, and
any Government which set to work to find a remedy for
the evil would be supported warmly by the whole country.
In Liverpool, 9-10ths—he might almost say, 99-100ths
were of the same opinion as the deputation on the subject.
Much was expected from a Reformed Parliament, and he
trusted the first Cabinet selected from it would not shrink
from this great work. He believed that Mr. Gladstone's
sympathies were with the movement.
After some further observations from members of the
deputation from Birmingham and Sheffield,
Mr. BRUCE replied that he was sure he could say for
Mr. Lowe as well as for himself that the observation
made by the several members of the deputation had been
received with great interest. If any doubt as to the wide-
spread feeling of interest taken in this matter brought
under their notice could have existed, the number and in-
fluential character of the members composing the deputa-
tion must at once have set it at rest. One of the speakers
had reminded him that successive Governments for some
years past had had it in contemplation to legislate
on the matter, and to remedy, if possible,
the evils complained of. He had himself been con-
nected with Governments which had intended to do this ;
and there had been others with which he had not been
politically associated not less anxious on the same point.
The difficulties surrounding the subject had also been made
a matter of comment, and the fear that Government had
thought of bringing forward a measure which it would
afterwards have to carry out. If he (the Home
Secretary) bad thought that the Government could
have seen that there was any chance of the
carrying the measure this session, he should
certainly have proposed to his colleagues to bring in a
bill. Nothing but a complete measure would, he thought,
meet the requirement of the case. The present was the
third deputation lie had received on the subject; the first
had proposed that the transfer of beerhouse licenses should
be made to the magistrates ; the second proposed that a
suspensory measure should be passed, but the one before
him did not, as lie understood, suggest any plan of its
own. They thought, he presumed, that almost anything
was better than the present system, but did not endorse
the opinion of the first deputation to which he had referred.
The steps to be taken to bring the matter forward would de-
mand great deliberation. Mr. Gladstone bad a few days since
promised that the subject should be deeply considered by
the Cabinet. More than this he (Mr. Bruce) could not
say ; but he should be able to impart to his
colleagues the important views which the deputation
had enunciated, and the sentiments that they had so
strongly expressed that some sort of action must be taken
and he believed it ought to be taken promptly.

A co-operative store at Rochdale was broken into
a night or two ago, and a huge nuroter of metal
cheques used in the business, representing £250, were
stolen. On Monday two men were charged before the
magistrates with b3ing concerned in the burglary, their de-
tection having arisen• from the suspicion caused by their
having produced £5 worth of the cheques, which they de-
sired to convert into money. They were remanded.

At a large public meeting at Bradford on Monday
it was determined to close all places of business between
the hours of eleven to one o'clock on the nomination and
polling days (Thursday and Friday next). Mr. Thompson's
friends proposed that Friday should be observed as a general
holiday, but this was defeated on the part of the Mialiites by
a large nirjority. The excitement in the town is intens3,
and the contest is expected to be a severe one.
The London correspondent of the Lads 2110-curly
ays—" Her Majesty had on Thursday the pleasure of be-
coming personally acquainted with two of the most disth .
guished writers of the age—Mr. Carlyle and Mr. Browning.
These eminent men—who, so far as intellect is concerned,
stand head and shoulders above their contemporaries—were
invited to meet the Queen at the residence of the Dean of
Westminster, and the 'nterview was ono of a very pleasing
and characteriitie 3.1!. and 34.0.C1Tot(Lwereitigo. of
Pti#Tt.