The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-06 00:00:00

THE EDUCATION FIGHT.

The Spectator recommends Ministers to go in at
once with their Education Dill. The Secularists
wish to postpone the conflict for a year or
two, as they think time will win them adherents.
The Spectator, which holds with the Edu-
cation Union in the matter of combining re-
ligious teaching with ordinary instruction, fears that
a general election would give the Secularists (or the
League) much greater strength in Parliament. It,
hopes, therefore, that Mr. Forster will take up the
position of umpire between the two parties, and dire
us the best measure he can. The Union, or religious
party, is clearly in the majority at present. But it
may not always be so.

COLONIAL POLICY.

The Times and other journals which support the
policy of refusing aid to the New Zealand colonists
are delighted with the news that all is tranquil in the
Northern Island. So is everybody ; but the intelli-
gence proves nothing. The question at issue is this :
Earl Granville has given orders for the last regiment
remaining in New Zealand to leave at once. The
Times thinks this course just ; others hold that it is an
extreme and harsh application of the policy of making
TAXING A LAwymes Cosrs.—A case of considerable the colonies bear their own burdens. The intelliocrence
interest to attorneys and solicitors was tried in the Roll's that New Zealand is tranquil does not, however, deter-
Court. A client of a solicitor, named Jones, obtained mine the controversy in favour of the former party,
the common order to tax his bill. The taxing
simply because the date of the mail is prior to the date
of Earl Granville's despatch, and the news describes
master disallowed all charges for business done
the state of things in the colony whilst the regiment
during the first three m onths of the year 1867, en was still there. In fact, the New Zealand people,
the ground that Mr. Jones was then uncertificated. The in ignorance of the message which must have reached
want of a certificate was owing to the default of Mr. them ere now, were ascribing the lull in the war to
Jones's agents. Mr. Jones took out a summons, that the the retention of the regiment.
taxing master might be directed to review his taxation.
His lordship said the Act referred to, which debars an
uncertificated practitioner from recovering fees was a
strictly penal one, and must be construed strictly. He
was of opinion that the present proceedings did not come
within the meaning of the Act, though he withheld his
opinion as to what the effect might be if the solicitor
had taken the initiative. The taxing order was
obtained by the client, on condition of paying
what was due from him, and the Act did not take away
the debt, or deprive the solicitor of the right to retain the
money already paid to him. The matter would, therefore,
be referred back to the taxing master whose decision was
wrong though warranted by the practice of his office.
INJURIES AT A PIGEON MATCII.—AII action has been
Drought in the Court of Queen's Bench bya cabman named
Mathews against a solicitor named Gregory, to recover
compensation for injuries received at a pigeon shooting
match whereby the plaintiff lost the use of Lis eye. He
was engaged to drive a gentleman to the Scrubbs to
a pigeon match on the Gun Club grounds, and the defen-
dant alleged that he had no business on the ground. It
seemed that the plaintiff, with other cabmen, had gone on
the ground into one of the tents in the line of the shoot-
ing. The defendant had given as compensation.
7erdict for the defendant. •
MANSLAUGHTED. OF A WlFE.—Z'4illiaM Sunter, who had
been charged at Leeds with the murder of his wife, has
been sentenced to penal servitude for life. The evidence
disclosed a systematic course of cruelty, and the judge
remarked that ho considered the prisoner morally
guilty of the murder of his wife, if he were not
:egally. There was not the least provocation; the crime
arose from the prisoner's brutal nature aggravated by drink.
The prisoner and his unfortunate wife lived at a beerhouso
at Whitkirk, near Leeds.
CRI:ELTY TO CRILDREN.—TWO very painful cases ea
cruelty to children have been investigated at the
metropolitan police-courts. At the Guildhall, Jeremiah
Tehan, who had been previously charged with the neglect
and ill-usage of his two children, aged 4 and 6, was sen-
tenced to two months' hard labour. The prisoner and
the woman who passed as his wife were in the
habit of drinking, and would take home food
for themselves and leave the children starving. At
Marylebone, a man named Phillips was charged with the
cruel ill-treatment of his son, aged 7. The child, who had
run away from home, presented a dreadful spectacle when
taken to the workhouse, and said he had been beaten with
a red-hot poker. The man, who had been charged some
months ago with ill-using another child, was sentenced to
six months' hard labour. His wife, the childrens' step-
mother, was also charged with cruelty, but the case
against her was dismissed for want of evidence.
INCENDIARY FIT:EL—A tramp, named Robinson, has been
sentenced to fifteen years penal r ervitude at the Leicester-
shire Assizes for having created four incendiary fires at
Loughborough on the 22nd of September. Eight stacks of
corn and five stacks of hay Were consumed. He gave him-
self up, ae,l ples.(led guilty

LAW AND POLICE.

TUE DESTINY OF JEREMIAU.

The Standard appears to slightly apprehend that
O'Donovan Rossa will find his way into the House of
Commons. At all events it is rumoured that as our
friend Jeremiah has been advertised in the London
Gazette as the member for Tipperary, a motion will
be made on the assembling of the House of Commons
that the convict shall take his seat. The fact is
urged that until Parliament repealed the law dis-
qualifying Jews, the election of Baron Rothschild by
the City of London was never gazetted. "The ap-
pearance of Rossa's name in the Gazette is
held by some lawyers to give him a prima
facie title to a seat in the House of Com-
mons, and it is said that the house would pos-
sess the power to call him to its bar and to his seat."
Possibly the House might possess that power; but
between the ability to do a thing and the will to do
it there is often a great gulf. No doubt, too, admis-
sion to "his seat" would do Jerry a great deal of
good by convincing him that Portland, after all, is
the best place for him. It would be almost worth
while to provide a suit of clothes at the
national expense. Ho cannot well come in his con-
vict dress. But it remains a question how far we are
called upon to take all this trouble for Jerry's good.
It remains also to be learned what Jerry himself
thinks of the greatness that has been thrust upon
him.

The Washington correspondent of the .2ew York
Tribune states that President Grant has declared himself
absolutely opposed to the proposed renewal of the Cana-
dian Reciprocity Treaty, and will not have any further
consultations on the subject.

The Mexican correspondent of the New York
Sun gives nn account of a terrible accident which oc-
curred in the old silver mine, near Guanaganat, in the
month of October. While the labourers were seated in
an inner chamber an immense portion of the shelving rock
which formed the roof of the chamber gave way. The
wives and children of the men were with them, as they had
brought their meals. Twenty-five thousand tons of rock in
a body buried in an natant 11.1519* 90. hul4Xt4 P 90941%.