The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-06 00:00:00

MURPHY AGAIN.

That fighting apostle Murphy is again preaching
in the North of England. In some way or other
the gospel which he tells, whatever it may be in
theory, - produces in fact broken heads and
damaged property. The magistrates of South
Shields seem to have discovered that after all his
sermons are not the best for the public peace, and
so on Sunday they would not let him enter the
circus. But this did little good, for Murphy can
brave the cold in the open air. The usual
lecture was delivered, the usual row took place, the
Frers next day came out with the usual announce-
ment that several Leads were broken, the police were
put in the usual predicament, the military were,
as usual, held in readiness, and the magistrates have
to despatch the usual charges against rioters. And
all this because nobody is brave enough to get the
anti-Romanist bound over, as he was further south,
to do nothing calculated to produce a breach of the
peace. Surely we want the men whom Carlyle calls
for—men who are not afraid to govern.

THE NEW AMERICAN MINISTER. •
The United States correspondent of the Times,
telegraphs from Philadelphia on Sunday that he has
" the best authority for stating that Mr. John
Lothrop Motley is selected for Minister to England."
It will be remembered that our London correspon-
dent, writing on Thursday, announced this appoint-
ment. Mr. Motley will, we presume, shortly enter
upon his new duties ; new, that is, so far as regards
England, for he was appointed Ambassador at
Vienna in 1801. He is just 55 years old, having
been born April 15, 1814. He has spent a large
portion of his time on this side of the Atlantic. After
being educated atHarvardUniversity he, in 1831, came
over to Europe, and spent some years in travelling
on the Continent. In 1841 he was appointed
Secretary of the United States Legation at St.
Petersburg. Returning to America, he became a
contributor to the north American Review, and a
writer of fiction. In 1851 he recrossed the Atlantic,
and took up his quarters at Dresden, where he col-
lected materials for his celebrated history. In 1856
the first part of it, entitled The History of the Rise
of the Dutch Republic," came out. This was fol-
lowed in 1800 by his " History of the United
Netherlands." In 1801, as above-mentioned, he was
sent as Ambassador to Vienna. Ile has received ,the
honorary degree of D.C.L. from the, University of
Oxford. Fortunately, he is a reading and writing
rather than a talking man, and is, therefore, the
more fit to conduct diplomacy. Mr. Reverdy
Johnson has attained the distiuction of having
talked more than all the United States Ministers put
together since the days of John Adams.

A NEW ROMANCE OF TEE PEERAGE.
The legal profession may rejoice over the prospect
of another romance of the peerage. The succession
to the earldom of Wicklow and to the family estates is
likely to involve a lengthened investigation. William,
third Earl of Wicklow, just deceased, left no
direct heir. Until 1833 his next brother, Francis, was
heir presumptive, and on his death his eldest son,
'William George Howard, stood next in reversion to
the family title. This Mr. Howard was constantly
before the public in a not very creditable fashion, ap-
pearing frequently in connection with the Bankruptcy
Court. It was always understood that his uncle, after
repeatedly assisting him, had cast him off alto-
' gether, finding that his repeated promises of amend-
ment were constantly broken. In February 1803
'William George Howard married a lady of somewhat
inferior rank, and the son, on whose behalf the title
and estates are now claimed, was born in 1804. 'William
Howard himself died in October of the same year,
and the family assert that his son died also in early
infancy, and that the child now claiming to be Earl
of Wicklow has been substituted for him. The other
claimant to the title is Lieutenant Charles Arnold
Howard, of the 9th Lancers, half brother to William
George. It will be readily seen that the case is
likely to be a Perplexing and difficult one.

THE STRIKE AT PRESTON.
The news from Preston is not of a very encou-
raging character. The total number of hands on strike
up to Saturday night was aboht 3,000, and on Thurs-
day next, if matters are not arranged, about 10,000
' more will be added to the list. At present there are
nine mills in the town where operative weavers are on
strike; and at most of them the spinners are out.
There seems little hope of an adjustment of the
dispute, as the masters are strongly opposed to arbi-
tration, and the operatives are determined to resist
any reduction The questions in dispute are very com-
plicated, and manyof them are of a technical character,
which some of the operatives themselves do not clearly
understand. The masters held a meeting on Satur-
day, and proposed by way of a compromise that they
should make a reduction of 5 per cent, all round, and
pay the weavers by the wheel dividend system, which
will entail a further reduction of 31 per cent.
The weavers, it will be seen, would by this
plan gain 11. per cent, on the original reduction of
10 per cent., but at present there is little disposition
to accept the terms. On Saturday the operatives
were disheartened by the intimation that Mr. Hermon,
M.P., who has eight or nine mills in Preston, employ..
ing nearly 3,000 hands, had given notice for a S per
cent. reduction in a month in all branches of spinning
and weaving. Meanwhile the operatives are emigrat-
ing in large numbers. A batch. of spinners is to
leave Liverpool for America this week, in the Man-
hattan. . is_to_he__ hoped, in the interest of all