The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-31 00:00:00

GERMANY.

The convention between Baden and North Germany, by
which the recruits of one nation may serve their time in
the zirmy of the other, has been finally signed. .The Paris
papers are of opinion that this treaty means the union of
the independent German States with the Confederation;
and it looks like a step in that direc' ion.

DISTRESS IN POLAND.

The policy of the Russian Government in Poland has
produced the most lamentable results in the province of
Lithuania. The New Time of St. Petersburg draws a
dismal picture of the condition of this district, which, it
affirms, is sorely owing to the extraordinary con-
tributions imposed by the Government on all land-
owners of Polish nationality, and the large increase of the
local taxes. " Many of the large landowners," it says,
" are now so utterly ruined that they live in dilapidated
houses with leaky roofs, and paper stuffed into the broken
window-panes. Their valuable pictures and plate, and
even their carriages, have been sold to foreign traders,
and their forests have passed into the hands of Jewish
speculators, who cut down the trees and send the wood
abroad. Many families live on potatoes, and travel from
place to place in common carts, such as are used for agri-
cultural purposes." Half-naked starving beggars are to be
met everywhere, bearing contagious diseases from place to
place. .

ARSENIC EATING.
The effect of eating arsenic in small doses like opium
promises to become an important medical question. The
young ladies of divers countries, in particular Austria and
the United States—we have not heard that the fashion has
spread to England—have taken to eating arsenic. The
outward effect of this poison in small doses is
to produce a clear complexion of unnatural brightness
and delicacy, much prized in these days of " rage" for
auburn tints and the blonde order of beauty. The prac-
tice is becoming a mania. But the more serious question
is, What must be the effect upon the constitution? In one
instance a young lady was poisoned by taking too large
a dose. J _

(Fruit tic Avg
There is something remarkable in the circum-
stances now ruling in Washington with reicrence
to the Alabama claims and to Cuba. The Spanish
Minister urges on the Secretary of State the neces-
sity for a Proclamation of neutrality which in the
interest of the islanders Mr. FiAi has hitherto re-
sisted. It was for the benefit of the established
Government of the United State') that Mr. W. E.
Forster urg.(l her Majesty's Government to proclaim
neutrality in the conflict with the Confederates,
and the very same reasons which induced the friends
of the North in England to hurry on her Majesty's
Government that proclamation, now press on the
Spanish Minister in the interests of Spain. Yet it
is for precipitancy in issuing the proclamation thus
urged on the Government by America's English
friends that Mr. Sumner mainly grounds his rea-
sons fGr an apology and dainag,:s. Ttl, munitions
of war sold by order of the President are open for
purchase alike to both ; but hostile expediti )ns
will not be permitted to leave American ports. Some
remarksfrom a distinguishedofficer who served in the
United States Army, addressed to us from Madrid,
show that the feeling is not unfavourable to Ame-
ricans among the Spaniards at home, who are avie•ianrce,
that on the whole they have been treated fairly by
the Republic Movements are, it is thought, b
made for the eventual annexation of St. Domingo.
Mr. Fabens, the Press Despatch says, had an inter-
view with Secretary Fish as agent of that Govern-
ment, and the annexation of the island is strongly
! advocated both by its inhabitants and by the people
in Washington, who assert that professor Gabb has
discovered 200 square miles of gold-bearing
name,
terri-
tory surpassing anything yet known. liis
whatever may be the professor's attainments, sounds
4‘ wild-cat;" but the fact that th coal depot has
been transferred from St. Thomas's to the Bay of
Samand, together with the knowledge that annen-
ation is now being discussed in the Cabinet and
powerfully defended, lead to the belief that annex-
ation may be the result.
• The Econom;et has taken up new ground against
the Western route to China. It maintains that
human nature could scarcely endure the fatigue of
the seven days' railway travelling across the Co-
ntinent, leaving its English readers under the int-
Pression that the passengers in the. American cars
sit as they do in an English carriage, where one
position only is possible. Any person who has
spent twelve consecutive hours in a train would pic-
tureope
I\
ev
si with horroressof v
seveneet days thus passed, and the
h
standing erect again. The
picture of the Economist, of course, found its way
•• into many English papers, some of which, with

strange inconsistency, had given an account of the
carriages building for the Pacific "through" traffic•

Therein they had told their readers that the trains
became moveable hotels, with restaurant, smoking
room, and sleeping berths ; that men could un-
dress and go to bed, wash, and get up again while
the train was in motion ; dine, smoke their cigars,
and read their books. Men and women, even in
the present imperfect working state of the road,
have crossed in seven days. Three Englishmen,
from London to Hongkong, were among the pas-
sengers over the line when first opened. The cor-
respondent of the Daily News has resuscitated an
old story of men dining on dough on their way to
White Pine, as occurring on the Pacific road ;
a strange mistake. An invoice of toilet soap
has been sent direct from Philadelphia, and tea
from San Francisco, in considerable quantities,
has already reached the 1 irge cities of what
once were the Western States. The world's
highway, now completed, has alrealy produced no
small effects, and accounts for soin,.3 figures 1 itely
published in the City Articles of the Times without
explanation. In comparing the import of the pre-
cious metals into New York from San Frincisco
for the last with the pre.7,eding year a considerable
diminution has been the result. But why ? Be-
cause an immense export of silver bad been shipped
direct to China, which otherwise would have found
its way to that destination, but through Europe.
John Bull is not to be " choked off" his faith in a
feed. Granted he wasted much good " wittals" on
Mr. Reverdy Johnson, yet scarcely had the Ame-
rican Minister taken a solitary farewell of England's
landscapes shrouded in mist, with tears falling in
the shape of rain, ere the Council of the Liverpool
Chamber of Commerce assembled to get ready au
address of welcome to the new American Minister,
and hint at a grand banquet. Mr. Clark, the
chairman, looked for a speedy and happy solution
of the difficulties between the nations, and consi-
dered Mr. Motley's advent a good omen. Although
the claims of late had been much exaggerated, he
would be the last to deprecate the just and reason-
able demands of Americ i. The depredations of
the cruisers had always been censured in that Cham-
ber ; all regretted the inability of English laws to
detain such vessels, and English merchants were
satisfied that a very evil precedent would be set if
the career of the Alabama stood as an example to
other nations. It is expected that the invitation to
the banquet will accompany the presentation of the
address to Mr. Motley.
There is no State of the Union more rapidly ris-
ing than Virginia. The Old Dominion was the
chief battle-field for the contending armies, and
bore the brunt of the war from the first battle to the
last battle, from threatening the Federal ca pita: to the
abandonment of the Confederate seat of Government.
Virginia has moderated its political asperities; it
will soon be a reconstructed State within the Union;
it receives a large share of settlers from Europe and
the Northern States; the wheat crop will probably
be the largest and finest ever known, and the to-
bacco crop looks more the promising. So apathetic are
the people now on politics, that not many at a dis-
tance from the registration offices are likely to °Ape
up to vote on the quegious of a constitution about
be submitted.

Many rumours have lately been circulated by the
American press regarding the acts and intentions
of England. The European coalition against the
States scarcely found a believer even for a moment ;
for England's pacific inclinations were too well
known. Her intentions regarding the erection of a
Confederation of West India Islands to prevent the
absorption of Cuba by the Republic was also dis-
cussed ; but the latest " sensation" comes from
Montreal, where information has been receivel that
the British Privy Council is considering the advi-
sability of relinquishing all the British colonies ex-
cept India.

Mr. Colfax spoke at Chicago during the celebra-
tion there of the completion of tho Pacific Railroad, but
the only paet of the Vice-President's speech we have seen
refers to Canada and the Alabama claims, but not to that
event. The Vice-President assures the citizens that they
may cease to long for Canada, for it is coining over the
border by the force of gravitation. In gravitation he be-
lieves, as in natural history, but not en daring civilized
nations to war with the Republic for their possessions.
The Vice-President informed his hearers that those with
whom the Union had a controversy would be required to
deliver up the rights justly demanded to the last jot and
tittle, other proffers being spurned. Mr. Colfax does no',
however, say who is to be the judge of these rights, or
how claims which are said by other nations to be prepos-
terous are to be adjusted, bat he announces that "there
must be a plain understanding by which justice shall be
dove, or if not, in the language of the inaugural of your
President, we ma' choose,our time when we shall here-
after follow the precedent which, in their hostility, they
have given us as an "example."
Another charge h:s been made against the New
York Tribune, this time by the Evening Post, grounded on
what was stated by Mr. Charles Marshall, the treasurer
of the Free Trade League. The Tribune has persistently
asserted that the Free Trade League was supported by
British gold, and has again and again challenged it tc
publish the names of the contributors, offering to print tho
list free of charge. The League was in a fix, not for the
reason that its coffers were tilled with foreign gold, but
because they wore empty, as it had scarcely any contri-
butors at alt. Mr. Marshall was in this dilemma. He had
either to expose the weakness of the garrison to the
enemy, or to remain under the imputation of agi-
tating with foreign gold in the interests of foreigners.
The moment circumstances changed, and the League be-
came strong, he sent the required list to the Tribune
for publication, but instead of noticing the communication
the Tribune continued to repeat the challenge, and the
Evening Post took up. the matter, hea ling its remarks,
"Unfair Journalism" The Tribune coolly takes out a
piece of this article and answers it, although it has nothing.
to do with the point. The fact is that but one contribu-
tion was received from England, probably from some man
at a loss whether to send his .£5 to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, as conscience money, or to no League, show-
ing conclusively to the Tribune. that he had no conscience at
all: and had it not been for the 537 it realised there would
not have been a British cent in the coffers of the Free
Trade League of America.