The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-10 00:00:00

Three Cabinet Councils in one week ! Such an event in
ordinary times would have boded nothing less than a
ministerial crisis. But this is not an ordinary time.
Ministc rs have a very big job on hand, and it needs many
confer(a es and much deliberation. It is understood that
this job it progressing well, that the Laud Bill is no longer
a mere shadowy simulacrum, but is actually in black
I and white, at all events so far as it-; prin-
cipal clauses are concerned. Mr. Sullivan has,
it is repc.rt•-xl, waived his claim to the vacant judgeship,
in order to give the Government his valuable aid in
I carrying the measure through the Lower House, where it
will be introduced very early in the session. At present
Parliament stands prarogucd to January 10th, and it is
probable that the next prorogation will be for only about
a fortnight, and tha t the two Houses will reassemble in the
third week of January. It is possible, therefore, that the
Land Bill may be brought in before the first month:of the year
has expired. Easter is late next year, and does not fall
till April 17. Ministers will therefore have about eleven
weeks before the first recess, and they hope to carry the
bill through the Lower House before Holy Week. There
is the more reason why they should press this measure for-
ward. Ireland is just in the state that the longer the delay
the more extravagant are the expectations of the people.
The remarkable letter of a Meath magistrate in theDailyAretes
of to-day shews how injurious delay will be, how important
it is to settle once and for all the great problem of our
time. If the settlement which Ministers propose does not
pacify the people, if they spill make the insane demands
which they are now making, then, justice having failed
to satisfy, it will be necessary to resort to repression.
It may easily be imagined that Mr. Gladstone and
Mr. Bright have the strongest possible dislike to
using repression before justice has been done,
and hence it is that the idea of suspending the Habeas
Corpus Act is for the present, I believe, not entertained.
This matter was one of the leading topics of discussion at
the most recent Cabinet Councils, and though Lord Spencer
is believed to have been in favour of suspension, Mr.
Chichester Fortescue is credited with the belief that the
Government can do without it. Hence, while additional
troops have been sent to Ireland, and the editors of the

national press have been cautioned, there is no longer any
talk of an ante-Chistmas session as there was last week.
By the way, it is worthy of notice that neither Mr. For-
tescue nor Earl de Grey was present at the last Council.
The absence of the first may be explained by the necessity
of his presence in Ireland. The second was entertaining
the Prince of Wales, who is shooting at Studley Royal, the
seat of the Lord President of the Council.

Another subject for Ministerial deliberation just now is
the Education Bill. It is not, I believe, yet decided if it
sliall be introduced next session. But Mr. Forster
is known to have been preparing a draft.
There is little doubt that the measure will not be on the
sido of the denominationalists. The Scotch M.P.'s have
all been denouncing denominational education; even Sir
Stirling Maxwell, the leader of the Conservative party in
Scotland, is not in favour of it. This fact shews how wide-
spread is the reaction against the system. Ten
years ago a Scotch member would have been
deemed an infidel if he had ventured to pronounce
for secular education. The Denominationalists have
received a severe disappointment in the action of the
Wesleyans. When men as eminent as Dr. Rigg, Principal
of the Training Institute and editor of the London
Quarterly Review, joined the Manchester Union, there was
great rejoicing; but now that Dr. Osborn, Mr. Arthur,
the Messrs. Waddy, and other influential members of the
same communion have repudiated the action of Dr.
Rigg, there is proportionate discouragement. It is some
compensation that Mr. Baines has pronounced against the
League; but then the member for Leeds has always lagged
behind the bulk of the Congregationalist body in the Edu-
cation question.

The leadership of the Conservative party is still unde-
cided. The general feeling seems to be that Lord Derby
will be the man, but whether immediately is somewhat
doubtful. At present he is deeply immersed in domestic
business, caused by his accession to a property of £190,000
a year. It is possible that for a time the Duke of
Marlborough, who is a favourite with that sec-
tion of the party which attaches great impOr-
tance to religious matters, will assume the reins,
but it is thought that ultimately. Lord Derby will take the
foremost place. The fact that Lord Cairns's retirement
was postponed until after the death of the late Earl indi-
cates that it was his (Lord Cairns's) wish, at all events, to
be succeeded by the present End. Between Lord Cairns and
Lord Salisbury there is little love lost. They were rivals
last session, and are still rivals. The new house of the
last-named peer is now nearly completed, and forms a con-
apicuouE object in Green Park.

So Lord Claud Hamilton has got in at last. He has
had his share of electioneering. Beaten at Londonderry a
year ago, beaten at Brecon in April, he has won at King's
Lynn. But it was a close fight, much closer than the
borough has known for many a day, and a very large por-
tion of the electors polled. The Liberal party can scarcely
be said to have lost much by the defeat of Mr. Young.
He is not a gentleman to strengthen the party otherwise
than by his vote.

Within the last few days there has been much searching
of heart among London Conservatives with respect to a
new club. The Junior Carlton is crowded, so is the Con-
servative, and there is room for at least one more club. It
was suggested that the new one should be called the Junior
Conservative, and that the subscription should be
low ,in order to meet the wants of men who cannot
afford to pay the : present terms. It was at
first decided that the entrance fee should be
three guineas, and the subscription two guineas. Objection
was made to this by the wire-pullers of the party. They
stigmatised the new association with the irreverent name
of " pot-house." Thereupon the terms were raised to
eight guineas and four guineas. But, bearing little love to
the originators of the affair, the wire-pullers brought out
It rival club at lower prices ; and thus there are two
schemes before the public, both of which are likely to fall
through.
In the course of time the Strand and Fleet-street will
be wholly given up to the press and the stage. There have
been some four new theatres in the Strand within the
last twelve or eighteen months, and the number of new
newspaper offices I will not venture to reckon. The
Graphic has admirable quarters hard by the office of its
rival, the Illustrated News, and close to both is the
Tomahawk. The Morning Star office is occupied
in part by the _Daily News as an advertisement
office. But this is only a temporary arrange-
ment. There is little doubt that a new daily paper
will be published after next May on the Star premises. A
new boiler has just been placed in the building, and the
City office is still retained. The publication of the Pall
Mall Gazette as a morning paper at 2d. will bring that
journal into competition with the Times, which may pos-
sibly then resolve upon a step that has long been contem-
plated—a reduction of price. There is talk of a Broad
Church organ; and I see a new religious monthly an-
nounced under the title of the True Catholic. There is
also to be another new illustrated paper called Pictures
and News, a very poor title.

I am glad to state that the quarrel among the committee
of the Leigh Hunt memorial has been made np. A recon-
ciliation was not effected, however, until legal proceedings
had been commenced. The committee have not oven now
decided if Mr. Durham's claim for extra remuneration
shall be allowed. The relatives of Leigh Hunt enter-
tain so strong an opinion with regard to it
that they are resolved to refund any subscriptions which
may have been sent in since the list was closed.
There is lamentation in some of the Government offices
because the amount of manual copying has jus ',been reduced
by the introduction of Underwood's copying printers' ink.
By the use of this material, sheets full of figures can be
-multiplied at a very small cost. But, of course, this does
not suit the gentlemen who had to shew their raison clVtre,
and are now unable to do so.

and its ally,the Metropolitan
The Metropolitan Railway
District Railway, have just made a reduction of fares. It
was absolutely necessary for the latter company to do
this, for the fares were so high that the omnibuses com-
pletely outrivalled them. The first-mentioned company
is now running workmen's trains from Hammer-smith to
Moorgate-street, a distance of about eight miles for 2d.
I find that the insurance companies have, as was to be
expected, felt in some measure the distrust which the
failure of the Albert and other companies has caused. In
some offices policy-holders have surrendered their policies,
a course which is not without profit to the companies.
While on this subject I may mention a very clever piece
of strategy on the part of a well-known Scotch office,
which has not been made known publicly. Some
time ago, Government wished to issue annuities, and
arranged to transact the business with the office referred
to. Thereupon the manager sent to certain villages in the
Highlands noted for the longevity of their inhabitants,
and selected the necessary " lives" from these people. In
this way the office made a capital bargain.
Artists aro beginning to be on the abut. The Eshibi-

really remarkable exhibition of automata which perform
the most extraordinary feats, birds who sing, soldiers who
play, ducks who swim, babies who cry and talk, and all
perform by machinery.
There is to be a revolution in the London streets on New
Year's Day. The cabs are to have the advantage of free
trade. They are to charge what fares they please, but such
fares are to be painted conspicuously on the doors. This
will allow a better class of vehicles to ply than the wretched
boxes on wheels we now have.

There is a gathering of old Rugbeians to-night in order
to agree upon some mode of marking their respect and
love for their old master. The meeting takes place in

Willis's Rooms.

The book trade is reviving. No fewer than 17,000 copies
of Tennyson's "Holy Grail " were subscribed for by the
booksellers in one day. Since then the orders from the
country have come in so fast that many thousands more
will be required. This for a first edition is not bad. This

new volume of the Laureate's will contain the completion

of the " Idylls of the King," and have a note explaining

the way in which the author would have the Idylls already
published and the new work read, the whole being

:he result of his long study of the Arthurian romance.

I see that Mr. Morris announces a fifth edition of his

" Earthly Paradise," a huge epic, which people talk about,
but I fancy do not read. How many copies were there to

an edition? One of the most interesting books of the sea-

son will be Mr. Jeafferson's "Book about the Clergy .°

This will be a companion volume to his "Book about

Doctors" and "Book about Lawyers." The triad have been
(with intervals of novel writing) the work of a dozen

years. The new work will contain some most curious

antiquarian information as to the uses which our churches
were put to both before and after the Reformation.
I mentioned several months ago that Sir Henry Bulwer
was writing a life of Lord Palmerston. Sir Henry has
finished the first volume, which is in the press. He h at

work on the second, having taken up his abode temporarily
in Mr. Mill's favourite town, Avignon. That gentleman
is just publishing his " Chapters and Speeches on the
Irish Land Question." Mr. M`Lagan's work on

Ireland, I mentioned last week ; he has found a competitor

in another M.P. Mr. Samuelson, who has visited the
country during the recess, and has in the press a work on
the land and tenantry of Ireland. The other principal

new works are Christmas books, which are too numerous
even to mention. I may state that Mr. Edward Wilber-
force is publishing a novel, " The Duke's Honour," and
Mrs. Leslie Stephen (Miss Thackeray), is republishing the

tales which she has contributed to the Cornhill. Scholars

will rejoice to hear that Dr. Latham's Johnson's Dictionary

is complete at last,

THE LORD MAYOR ON RAILWAY
TRAVELLING.

At the Mansion douse on Wednesday, Charles Tucker

was summoned by the South-Eastern Railway Company for
travelling from New Cross to Cannon-street in a second
class carriage with a third class ticket.
Mr. Albert Lewis appeared for the company.

Evidence having been given in support of the charge,'
The Lord Mayor, addressing Mr. Lewis, said : Your bye-
laws are very stringent. If a man takes a third-class
ticket and travels in a second class carriage you summon
him. Now, reverse the matter, and suppose a gentleman
takes a first-class ticket, and you have not carriages enough
on your line to accommodate him, and he has to travel in
a third-class carriage, do you give back the excess fare ?
(Laughter,)
Mr. Lewis : No, my lord; but that gentleman will have
cause of action against the company.

The Lord Mayor : Cause of action! See the injustice of
your bye-laws. You bring this man here, and you ask me
to fine him, but the companies are generally short of car-
ri~ges, and the first-class passengers have to turn into
an;gecs' carriage they can get. That has been my experien;:e
twice this week.

A witness stated that the defendant could have got into
a third-class carriage, as there was plenty of room.
The Lord Mayor inflicted a fine of 2s. 61, and 2s. costs.

THE ALBERT ASSURANCE COMPANY.

On Wednesday morning two summonses came before Mr,
Edward Bloxam, the Chief Clerk, in Vice-Chancellor
James's Chambers. Messrs. Musgrove (Messrs. Lewis,
Mums, and Co.) appeared for the official liquidator.
The nature of the summonses was to put a contributory
on the list, but this was objected to on the part of his
solicitor, who stated that there had been a promise that
the matter should be adjourned into Court. Mr. Bloxam
said he was not sure of that, as he had not got the papers.
Mr. Musgrove said that Mr. Lewis attended before the
Vice-Chancellor, and that he took the papers away with
him, but if the Chief Clerk would grant him the very
shortest adjournment he would produce them. The matter
was postponed till Friday. Mr. Musgrove said that the
second summons was an application from a gentleman
named Page, for leave to cross-examine the official liqui-
dator. This application was supported by affidavits
and they were of such a character that he could not resist
the application. There were also exhibits produced, and a
statement as to fees, &c. He wished to ask the Chief Clerk,
if he made this order for cross-examination on Monday
next, to grant him an appointment as soon as
possible afterwards. The Chief Clerk said that the exami-
nation of the official liquidator was unimportant, but that
if he (Musgrove) agreed to it, he must give the order, and
he would give him an appointment on Monday next also.

the South SlrenEsinHgto ladies'Un
LEY ON HIS OWN WORK.—At
lectures the other day, Pro-
fessor Huxley, who was lecturing on protoplasm, was
asked by one of his fair students, "In what number of
the Fortnightly Review did your article on Protoplasm
appear?" Professor Huxley replied, "As the question
has been put, I am bound to answer it. I think it was
in the February number that the lecture appeared.
At the same time, I must warn my querist that the article
has been declared to be a frightful mass of infidelity and
materialism. And I may add it has already been for the
twenty-second, or perhaps for the twenty-fourth time—
I do not remember the exact number—refuted. (Laughter.)
Having thus given a warning, the lady must approach this
very dangerous book on her own responsibility." Much
amusement was created by the gravity with which the
learned professor replied to this question.
A novel point was raised before the Recorder at
the Liverpool Sessions on Tuesday. A publican appealed
against a conviction for selling liquor after twelve o'clock on
Saturday. The police, it appeared, found persons drinking
in the house at ten minutes after twelve o'clock accord-
ing to Greenwich time, but it was pointed out that the
natural time at Liverpool was twelve minntes later than.
Greenwich time. The Recorder was of opinion that the
natural time of a place should be taken, and quashed the
conviction.

BREAKFAST.— EPPS'S COCOA.— GRATEFUL AND COM-
FORTING.—Tho very agreeable character of this prepara-
tion has rendered it a general favourite. The Civil Service
Gazette remarks :—" The singular success which Mr. Epps
attained by his homoeopathic preparation of cocoa hus
never_ been surpassed by any experimentalist. By a
thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the
operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful ap-
plication of the fine properties of well. selected cocoa, Mr.
Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately
flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doc-
tors' bills." Made simply with boiling water or milk.
Sold only in tin-lined packets, labelled ITLILEB EPPS and
Co., liomoopathio Chengato, London.