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

THE AGRICULTURAL LABOURER.

Ex-Governor Sir George Grey has addressed,
another letter to the Da Views respecting the con-
dition of the agricultural poor. The recent legislation
of Parliament with regard to the employment of
children in agricultural gangs has, he fears, done
more harm than good. The public gangs are likely
to be improved in character, and the worst of the
gang-masters are unable to obtain licenses ; but
owing to these restrictions the private gangs have
increased in number, and those who cannot get the
necessary license for a public gang form a private one,
The worst evils of the system have always existed in
these private gangs, and they are not, we fear, likely
to improve. The cruelty practised on the little
ones, who are at the mercy of these reckless
taskmasters, is very great, and it is a scandal that it
should be longer tolerated. Children of 8 and even
0 years old are compelled to work from 8 a.m.
till 6 p.m., being kept up to their work
by the blows and threats of the gang-master, and in
addition to this excessive exertion they have often
to walk several miles to and from their work. One
little girl of G had to walk eight miles in the
morning, to work from eight to half-past five, and
then to get home as best she could in the evening.
The report of the. Parliamentary Commission
reveals some startling facts as to the physical
suffering and the moral degradation which this evil
system entails on those engaged under it.

DISHONEST PANVNI3ROKEIIS.

The Earl of Shaftesbury spoke very severely a
night or two back in the House of Lords on the sub-
ject of dishonest pawnbrokers. llis lordship did his best
to make his hearers understand that these arethe men
who foster our criminals, and that as such they art
enemies of society. Nor did he confine his remark)
to the very lowest class, but expressed his opinion
that more respectable men, as the world
goes, were amongst the delinquents. For this he
was called to account by the first pawnbroker of the
metropolis—Mr. Attenborough—who defended his
cloth with ardour. Lord Shaftesbury, in reply, say*
he has no doubt the majority of the pawnbroker?
carry on their business uprightly. lie referred.
moreover, in this particular speech to general dealers
as well as to Pawnbrokers. Ile declines to retract hi:
statement, as he thinks it to be true.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
NEW YORE, Feb. 13.

We are in Lent, and the gayest season known
in New York for a long time has come to a close.
' Masquerades have been the order of the night, about
a third of the hundred great public balls having
been in fancy dress. If New York now puts on sack-
' cloth and ashes, it will not be before it wants some
such covering, but I am pretty sure it only intends
to go from one extravagance into another, and
when the first lady with a Grecian bend is offered
this attire, may I be there to see. One extravagance
I can tell you about, and that was at St. Albans
and Chrit-t Church, Fifth-avenue, on Ash Wednes-
day. Our St. Albans has just imported a reverend
gentleman from Your St. Albans. What he did I
do not know, for I was not there, as I did not care
to see. We have another little sensation at the
same time to keep us alive. Notwithstanding the
Vigilance Committee the thieves are carrying all
before them, and the audacity of some of their
operations is almost ludicrous. Not long age a
clerk put a large bundle of greenbacks on the
counter of the bank into which he was paying them.
Down came the hand of the loafer next him, and away
they all went before the astonished eyes of the
crowd. Then commenced the chase now so com-
mon in New York. On the morning of the 16th
such a chase was maintained from Mr. Davies'a
house at the ceri.er of 'Troop and Myt tle-avenue
after a burglar Who fire,' zix patul Z.: huts (luring
the pursuit, but when running not being the time to
make good practice, so the pursuer escaped harm,

and the burglar was captured. The Oriental
Bank was nearly robbed by two nice boys who got
in through the basement from a liquor saloon ; but
the janitor interrupted their operations. General
Grant has arrived and departed. On the 4th he was
to have been the guest of ex-Governor Fish, but be
passed the day in looking over Messrs. Appleton's
publishing establishment, and in the evening was
at a great reception given by Mrs. M'Kean, 445,
Second-avenue. On the sth he dined with Mr.
Grinnell, and afterwards went to J,,hn Brougham's
theatre. On the 6th he went to Brooklyn accompa-
nied by General Badeau and staff, and dined with
ex-Governor Fish. On Sunday he made one of St.
Paul's Methodist Church congregation. Next day
the Union Republican Committee waited on him at
the Fifth-avenue Hotel. It was headed by Charles
Spencer, Dennis Burke, and John Cockrane, but
Mr. Spencer's speech only elicited the words,
" Good day." Some people even assert it was
" Get away." The President was prepared for their
attack, as what was in store had been made known
to him, when he dryly remarked that he had half a
mind to get New York to run the whole Govern-
ment by contract. He had received an Irish dele-
gation, who told him they numbered seven millions,
and should not be overlooked in the distribution of
the plunder. After getting rid of his persecutors,
and handing a large pile of cards, which they in-
sisted on thrusting on him, to his aide• de-camp for a
bonfire (an individual left two cards, drawing Grant's
special attention to his place of business in Broadway)
he went out with Mr. Bonner for a trot behind Dexter.
He dined with Mr. Chittenden in Brooklyn, and
afterwards left by special train for Philadelphia,
where he arrived at the Continental Hotel about
six o'clock a.m. on the 9th inst. He did not there
receive visitors, though most prominent citizens
called, and dent in cards. The General would be
fed to repletion if he went everywhere he is asked.
The Army and Navy officers of Burnside's expedi-
tion have formed a permanent organization, with
Gen. Burnside as President, and their first annual
dinner was at the Fifth Avenue Hotel on the Bth
inst. Edwin Booth's► acting on the night of the
4th inst. was a " sell" to the speculators who had
purchased two-thirds of the seats, which the public
showed no disposition to occupy, and therefore the
house had but 75 in the dress circle and 500 else-
where, though made to accommodate 1,700 persons.
Indeed this actor was influenced by malice afore-
thought, for be allowed the speculators to buy as
many seats as they chose, but refused to let them
sell to the people entering the theatre. These
middle-men are a nuisance, besides being a heavy
tax on the public. Apropos of theatricals, Mdlle.
Nilsson is expected in New York during the spring.
Mr. Fisk received a message from London stating her
terms, and an answer was returned,l believe, accepting
them The Elevated Railway in Greenwich-street is
proving satisfactory. It runs in a line with the
second storeys of the houses, the wheels being covered
with wood to deaden the sound. The principal
daily journals report the following receipts to the

Internal Revenue Office fur the last three months :
The Herald, $189,645 ; Times, $130,038 ; Tribune.
$131,859 ; Journal of Commerce, $24,500 ; Express,
$24,106 ; Evening Post, $28,106 ; the Commercial,
$6,844 ; and Pomeroy's Democrat, $10,658. A
terrible tragedy occurred before day-break last

Thurslay fu No. 116, Seventh•avenue. Sarah
Boerd, a young servant girl there employed, ap-

pears to have excited the love and jealousy of
Peter Bomberger, a tailor, in the establishment of

John Rhodes. Both the girl and her lover were
found in the hall insensible and bleeding profusely,
with a six-barrel-revolver, contents discharged,
lying near. The girl's examination acquits Ban-
berger, stating that he had not shot her, and all
sorts of wild rumours are in consequence afloat,
but there was a letter found on Bamberger's person
which shows how jealous and desperate he had
grown. The talk of Vit,ilanze Committees is, I

believe, unfounded, though the Rogers and other
murders, together with these hints, have had
a stirring effect on the judges. The hardihood
of the thieves arising from the impunity con-
ceded in this city to theft, has la'ely re-
ceived A shock. They used to walk through the
courts of justice with the policeman's hand on their
collar as they entered, and their finger at their
nose and their tongue in their cheek and the police-
man as they left. Recorder Hackett and others
have been taking the shine out of them within the
last few days. Pat Martin got 10 years for bur-
glary ; Pat Moore 20, for robbery ; Johnson 20,
for larceny; Maguire, ditto ; and two others, sen-
tences scarcely less severe, this in one day. There
will be little necessity for vigilance committees, if
the judges do their duty. John Real, who mur-
dered policeman Swedick, is to be hanged on the
2d April ; the court stating that too much time
had been lost already iu that and other cases.
John Trimble and Maurice Leonard have been ar-
rested for the daring burglary at the Messrs. Bene-
dict's jewellery store. I told you the circumstance
attending the smashing of a window of the Broad-
way Bank cashier's desk. Well, the instrument
for breaking the jeweller's window was similar,
and the jewellers in alarm are protecting their glass
with wire netting. A dinner was given to Senator
Casserly, of California, at Delrnonico's, last Mon-
d .y. The chairman, Charles O'Conor, proposed—
" The States of California and New York, gene-
rous rivals ; one welcoming from the Atlantic, the
other from the broad Pacific, the commerce of the
world—who can foretell their wondrous future ?"
Au American Press Directory is about to be pub-
lished. Mr. Bowles's account of California, its
Irocks and mountains, as it came out in the Spring-
field Republican, will also be given to the public.
Mr. E. P. Whipple has left the Boston Transcript,
but the literary news which excites most interest
is the rumour that the President Elect and his
supporters, desirous of controlling a New York
journal, are about to purchase the Mild, of which

Mr. Marble is now sole proprietor, having lately
bought out other interests.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12.
Yesterday the Alabama Claims Treaty was under
consideration by the Senate Committee on Foreign

Relations, and on all sides strong objection was
taken to it. Whether it can be amended so as to
satisfy England and at the same time pass the Se-
nate is at present a doubtful question. As it stands
the Committee is sure to report against it, but the
protocol relating to the rights of naturalized citizens
and the treaty with regard to the boundary of San
Juan are viewed with favour. Indeed the Com
rnittee have authorized Mr. Stunner to report them
for ratification. An inauguration ball will after all
be given, but in the new Treasury building, where
there is excellent and ample accommodation. Both
the President and the Vice-President with their

families will attend, and the tickets at $lO each are
going off like hot cakes. They will admit one
gentleman and two ladies to the dance and
s►ipper, for which several bands have been
engaged, and an accomplished caterer. The pend-
ing nominations by President Johnson are 188
for civil offices, ranging from Smythe and
Cummings down to justices of the peace for the
District of Columbia. There are also 8 naval and
495 military nominations, two-thirds being brevet
appointments. A bill for securing equal rights in
the District of Columbia has passed the Senate.
It strikes out the word " white" from the laws of
the District of Columbia and the charters of Wash-
ington and Georgetown. Though before twice
passed, it was in each case within ten days of the
end of the session, which enabled the President to
defeat it. The House Committee on Elections
have dccided the contested election for Louisiana by
declaring that Colonel Mann, the deceased member,
was duly elected, and that neither Bunt nor Menard
were legally chosen, which disposes of the Afri-
can on the floor at least of this Congress.
General Grant returned on Wednesday, and
as the time is so short for nominations to be
made the office-seekers broke through all re-
straint, swarming through every cranny into his
presenee4Nor is the contest for place confined only
to the public service, Er there is a rail) for the White

'louse kitchen, as well as for the Government de
Parttnents. The competing chef., are black, 'and three
in number— Geo. T. Downing, Henry Johnson, and
AV. S h. P,o, to be promoted
from Vice-President Colfax's kitchen to that of
President Grant's; and Mr. Downing considers that

$2,000 salary, with the eclat of the position, to be
better than the House Restaurant at the Capitol.
Both Grant and Colfax will be officially informed
of their election to-morrow, and the Speaker has
appointed Mr. Wilson, of lowa, and Mr. Pruyn, of
New York, on the part of the House, to announce
the fact to himself ! Andrew Johnson's life was
sought by a crazy woman--Anne O'Neill—who
was actually arrested in the White House on Wed-
nesday, armed with an unloaded pistol. She asserts
that war is declared, and that she has a Divine
commission to kill the outgoing President. The
family are already making way for their successors
Mrs. Stover and her children have already left for
Tennessee, and the White House will soon be
empty. Baltimore has tendered Mr. Johnson the
hospitalities of the city.

Secretary Seward is still at work on his guano
islands ; those belonging to the United States in
the Carribean Sea, he thus enumerates : —North
Keys, two islands ; Northeast Key : Triangle
Keys, three islands ; Anchor Key ; Sand Key ;
Booby Keys ; North Rocks ; Serrana Key. All
these islands are situated in latitude about 14
degrees 20 minutes north, and longitude about 80
degrees 15 minutes west. Yesterday the Sub-
Committee having favourably reported to the
Ways and Means Committee on a Treaty of Reci-
procity with Canada, the subject was considered.
It has confined itself, however, to requesting the
President to open negotiations with the Canadian
Government for the free navigation of the river St.
Lawrence, the protection of the Fisheries, and for
general commercial intercourse. The Canadian people
desire some such treaty, and as General Schenck
will report it to the House its passage is probable,
and is likely to be immediate, if it is to be passed
this session. The Senate Judiciary Committee
have agreed upon a Naturalization Bill, somewhat
similar to that introduced into the House. The
Dyer Court of Inquiry has finished the examina-
tion of Colonel Balch. Lieutenant-Commander
John S. Barnes has resigned. General Thomas S.
Leslie is appointed Chief Paymaster of the Pay
District of New York. General Fremont, General
Heintzelrnan and others have been examined
before the House Committee on the Pacific
Railroad on the advantages of the 32d parallel
for such a line. A bill is about to be introduced, pro-
viding that hereafter brevet commissions shall only
be conferred in time of war, and only for distin
tinguished conduct in the military service of the
country. In the U.S. District Court at Richmond,
a nolle prosequi has been entered in the treason cases
of Davis, Lee, Breckinridge, Hampton, Longstreet,
Wise, Early, and others, and the sureties of Davis
have been discharged from their responsibility. Two
students of the university over which General Lee
presides have been turned out for going about in a
threatening manner and discharging pistols, thereby
wounding a negro.

THE GREAT W/NE CASES":

We reprint from the New Orleans Republican, of
January 29, an interesting article in relation to the
controversy which has now been pending for three
years between the United States Government and 3
large number of French wine merchants. This con-
troversy has been the subject of a vast amount of
newspaper comment on both sides the Atlantic, and
several efforts have been made to make the quarrel
a diplomatic one. After much correspondence be-
tween the representatives of the French and Awe-
Heart Governments, it was concluded to allow the
courts to determine the important questions at issue.
The result, involving over 40,000 packages of French
wine, valued at half a million dollars, is awaited
with much anxiety by the parties interested. l‘re
shall be able to state the result in an early issue
" We have taken pains to examine the records
which show how these cases, which have excited s°
much attention in this community and throughout
the country, originated, what is the theory of We
Government in their prosecution and the defence
interposed by the defendants. In 1862 the atten-
tion of the Government was called to the extensive
under-valuations of imported goods, from which.,
under. valuations the Secretary of the Treasury state('
to Congress resulted in an annual loss of more
than twenty million dollars of revenue. Aetiug
upon the recommendations of the Secretary of the
Treasury, Congress in 1863 passed the present boy
requiring copies of all invoices of goods shipped to
the United States to be filed with the Unite
States Consul at the port of shipment, and iutposed
heavy penalties for the falsification of invoices'
New and stringent regulations were made requiring
all Consuls to examine such invoices, and after
comparing the prices at which goods were invoiced,
to compare the prices as therein stated with the
real market prices at their respective parts, and to
report to the Government any under-valuations.
To better secure the execution of these laws and
regulations, and to supervise the action of the
Consular corps, an agent of the Treasury was sent,
to reside in Europe. Among the multitude of alleged
fraudulent under-valuations reported to this anent
' were those in the invoicing of Bordeaux wines"
The shippers of these wines were required, like as
others, to present to the Consul true invoices an
descriptions of their wines, and to declare before
the Consul that their invoices were in all respects
true.' While this formal evidence of the kind acid
description of wine shipped over the signature of
shippers, the Consul undertook to compare invoiced m
values with the values well known in the open arket
of Bordeaux. the bulk of the wines shipped t°
New Orleans were described in the invoices on the
bottles and on the casks and boxes as pure wines
of well known growths and years, and of well-
known values. But instead of the real market
n
vulues, those put down in the invoices, and 0-
which duty was to be paid, were greatly bel°
such market value. The wines in the cams now °ll
trial were invoiced, for example, as Blaye We;
rior,' and at ninety-three cents the case of twels
bottles. Many wines of well-known growths were
invoiced for entry at the Custom-house as low us
eighty-five cents the case. The well-established and
authenticated quotations at Bordeaux Pr°l'et'l
most of these invoices to be false. ExPer,,
were sent to Bordeaux carefully to examine into
the matter. The invoices were declared by theta
to be false, and their reports, with the evidence'
were forwarded to the agent of the Treasury Pt',
partment at Paris, and by him to the Secretary
the Treasury, who thereupon directed the seitiares;
The Government, in the case now on trial, alleges
that the wine is invoiced at much less than its
real market value, and is liable to forfeiture.
To prove this the prosecution proved by ts,cc 7
foreign experts that Blaye Superior of IS
in cases, was worth eight to nine francs r
case, and that the wine actually shippe-A 0 "
e b
subsequently seized, was good wine and Nor' ,
at least, eight francs and a half per case. It is im-
portant here to mention that wines in cases valued
at less than five francs seventy-five centimes Per
°
case are subject to a duty of twenty cents per g3lloth
and twenty-five per cent. ad valorem ; those W°ll
more than that sum are liable to a duty of fittit
cents per gallon and twenty-five per cent. ad ar /ore°
An advance in the value of these wines of on franc:
or say 19 cents, per case, would have placed Viet;
in the second category. After making out a Priin t
facie case as provided by law, the Govereal..
rested, and the defence was comrnencA by an e
the
mission that the invoice was not true ; that r
wine invoiced and described as 'Blaye Superlu;
of 1865' was really a common mixture or low grid
0,
—common wine falsely named and branded to
he
present a good natural- wine. Mr. Fuentes, the
first witness for the defence, a large importer of
wines, testified that the wine was a cheap inixtere,
and that it was not such wine as is described in
the invoice upon which it was entered at the Cus-
tom-house. He further testified that !Wile
the high grade natural wines are shipped in iceig
0,1
Orleans ; that the bulk of the wines received ues,
sold here are not natural wines, but cheap mix
which are labelled 'Medoc," Margaux," St- Jai,p
..
&c., and that wines with all these labels are so
fill
here ' out of the same cask.' The defence is s-
engaged in examining witnesses. Some o
the
f the
ablest counsel in the country are engaged in
re,
case. The United States Government is reP of
sented by the Hon. M. Gibbs, a gentlematithe
exalted character and legal abilities, who
special counsel of the Treasury Departmenie
ti u t,
sisted by District Attorney Morgan, Randell
or of
H. C. Judd, and Mr. Billings ; while the Nestor
the New Orleans bar, the Hon. Christian Rciseiitts,
represents the defence."

LADVERTISEMENT.I—HoIioway's Ointment an. sra
Instant relief—Sores which are daily extending, ulcers whic-ress,
hourly deepening, may be arrested in their torturing Pr()g
ling
and induced to take a healthy action by applying this
ointment and taking these purifying pills. It soothes all dis Ala
pers of and extracts all morbid humours from the shin. and
ulcers of the leg, inflammations caused by varicose vehi,s'ortlY
cramps of the lower limbs can sensibly be eased and eh
,es
cured by Holloway's never-failing ointment, which rePr,tion•
excessive and stimulates sluggish vascular and nervous %ttler
In consiitutions breaking down under piles, fistulas, and -oiat-
similar riainfnl maladies a few applications of this cooling if et it
ment will give comfort, and a persistence in its use Will c'^e

cure.
o,loble
[ADvEnTisENENT.]-13enceforth no one will doubt the Arabic,
properties of Du Barry's health-restoring RevalentshiessDiga
Invalids' and Infants' Food, since to the thousands of - a been
it has already received from Invalids whose position Lit, ?on
deemed hopeless, we may now add that of his Holiness " ears °,
whose health has been perfectly restored by it after thirty to d
unsuccessful medical treatment. We quote from the " Gatizie 1011
Midi," July 25th :—" Rome, July 21,1866. The health of
_r roe:
Father is excellent, especially since, abandoning all etroalee'l.
dies, he has confined himself entirely to Du Barr Y's ery ulet'a
Arabica Food, of which he 'consumes a plateful at ev_altb, latge
It has produced a surprisingly beneficial effect on his, V'of
his Holiness cannot praise this excellent food too ing"•72ld,its
extract a few out ofmore than 68.000 cures :—Cure NO • O,OIS,
the Marchioness de Brehan, of seven years' liver ctopitat%..
wasting away, debility, nervousness, with a nervous P mart
all over, bad digestion, constant sleeplessness, and tneZiart
tolerable nervous agitation. Cure No 1.771: Lon! ,".,speP%
Decies, Lord-Lieutenant of Waterford, of many years ,epsi '
No. 49,832: "Fifty years' indescribable agony from' prsopYasonl:
nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, fiatulenc,27o:
sickness, and vomiting —Maria Joly " Cure
James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey, of 30 years' disc 0 11
deaf
wore • Oft
spitting of blood, liver derangement, and partial de
wore 4,'s
portant Caution—Beware of the many unsavoury and ~., yien'y
sloppy imitations to which, without authority, Bare.
name is most audaciously attache& 21
1 "
Ba.; e 0
In tins, at Is. 1f d. ; 1 lb. 2s, "d.; 2 lbs. 4s. 6d.; 5 CO" 24
225. ; ••• 4 lbs, 40s, --Also Du BARR'S REVALENTA ARAD:-20., fOr
LATE POWDER is packed in tin canisters; for 12 cups ';'"i 576 eqg
cups at 3s. 6d., for 48 cups at 65., for 288 cups at 305., 555. 11 0
OflV
at 555.—being about one penny per cup. The 30s. n poet, 00.
No.
need
are sent free of carriage in England on receipt Of
Regent stye
don; Order. BARRY DU BARRY and Co., No. 77, Reg--
don; and all Grocers and Chemists,

Births.
ALDRIDGE —On the 25th ult , at 29, Eccleston-square' Co
wife of Major Aldridge, M:P , of a son. „,-,,ulsei '
DAWSON—On the Ist inst at. Madoc House, Ater.'
the wife of Osborne Dawson, Esq., of a daug

Marriages.
MALLOCK—HART—On the Ist inst , All Souls' CiPj-ter,
Thomas Mallock, Esq. of Millba:nk-street,Westmietrbeet,
panodrtolafnWa-epsltaCcer,oiy,doonnd,otn'o. Sarah Hart, of LanghBru-s
SlmPsoN DALE On the 23d ult , George SimPsli" rthaf
of Earby Hall, Barnard l'asq:A, Yorkshire, to 1110-
only daughter of JostTli Laughain Dale, Esq., °
rington-Equare, London.

Deaths. Pe ti
CALVERT—On the 25thlult. at 48 Gloucester"creSc
John Calvert, Esq., aged 6'2.. ' tiv aef
HYDE—On the Ist inst., at 13. Maids-hill West, John
"...d
Esq., aged 64.
Viiplic°l
Icottl
RIDLEY-0 n the let inst ,at 11, St. George's-Mt, (II
t he Hon. Mrst. Ridley..
1 1,1/4
WALCOTT —On
Esq.,
so, d
78. he 28th ult., at Clfton, Win. 11. A" . '
.......*:.--°'

_____ •
~...10w.,,c
,ondon : Printed and Plblished by WILLIAM. /0"J, i /'s
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at ,:fti; SUN UV-"e, 1:/ 0,
Strand, in ties Precinct of the Se voY, in the
Middlesex.—Wednesday, Match 3, 18t9.