The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-19 00:00:00

METROPOLI7'AN GOSSlP.—lhrirs6y.

There will be another severe battle in Dumfries: hire.
Sir Sydney Waterlow means to fight again, and Major
Walker is again prepared to do battle with him. The
success of the first gentleman took many persons by sur-
prise at the general election, but my Scotch friends tell
me it is likely to be more decisive on the present occasion,
because a good many electors feel very sore that advan-
tage has been taken of a technicality to deprive
the London alderman of the fruits of his hardly-won
battle, and he will probably receive some votes which
were not recorded for him in November. The Manchester
case is as nice a technicality as the other. Sir Sydney
Waterlow, it will be remembered, retired from the firm
before the election, but the announcement of dissolution
of partnership was not made in the London Gazette until
afterwards, and it was held that be was still a member of
the firm , and that as it had a contract with the Government
he could not sit in Parliament. In Mr. Birley's case
the question at issue is as to whether a Government con-
tract in which he was interested had come to an end
before he was elected. Under ordinary circumstances it
would have been concluded ; but it so happened that there
was some correspondence as to the quality of the goods
supplied, and that in this way the contract was not
absolutely completed at the time that Mr. Birley
became M.P. If this should be considered to
vitiate the election, the Liberals will, of course, win
the seat, as they are strong enough to conquer when not
weighted by the minority clause, provided, that is, there
be no disaffection among the party. At present Mr.
Milner Gibson is the only candidate, but the working-class
electors, who were numerous enough to carry Mr. Ernest
Jones over his head, are not altogether satisfied to accept
the undeniably fainéant ex-President of the Board of
Trade. His friends, however, say that if he is once stirred
into action no man can work harder, and that there is no
one who surpasses him in the knowledge of parliamentary
tactics, or knows better how to " engineer"abill through the
House of Commons. Still on election matters, I may
mention that there is likely to be a very severe contest at
Hereford. The old Conservative candidates, Sir R. Bag-
gallay, ex-Solicitor General, and Major Arbuthnot stand
again ; and they are opposed by Colonel Clive, son of the
late member, and Mr. Chandos Wren Hoskyns, one of the
most noted agriculturists in England.
Some uneasiness is felt by the advocates of the Ballot
atthe present position of that question. They complain that it
is now referred to a select committee, whereof 10 out of
21 are Conservatives, and therefore presumably opposed to
the Ballot, while Sir George Grey is certainly not an
admirer of it. They urge that this committee does not
fairly represent the House of Commons, and that if a
regular motion in favour of the Ballot were put to the
vote, there would be an overwhelming majority in favour
of it. As it is, the absence of one Liberal member of tl e
committee might be sufficient to exclude the Ballot from
the list of the committee's recommendations. Under the
most favourable circumstances the rtp3rt is not likely to
be presented this year in time for legislation, and so we
must submit to another time of corruption and intimida-
tion such as always prevails at the municipal elections.
It is therefore argued that Mr. Leatham having delivered
himself of his speech, Sir Henry Bulwer should now

move a definite resolution, and divide the House upon it,
in order that the committee may see how strong is the
feeling in behalf of this reform.
More and more absorbing every year becomes the
interest in the University Boat Race. In fact, it is so
absorbing that the crews seriously contemplate pulling
elsewhere than on the old racecourse, their object being to
get rid of the London rougbs and the crowd of steamers.
Yesterday almost everyone among► the working classes
wore blue ribbons. The shopkeeping class indulged in
blue scarves. Every omnibus- driver and well nigh
every cab-driver came out in the prevailing colour.
Dark blue was probably three times as popular as light
blue. The shoeblacks, having regard to the fact that they
might have patrons from both universities, sported both
tints. In almost every shop-window some memento of
the day's event was visible. One large shop in Lombard-
street displayed a large assortment of favours, which
were labelled " Gratis." Application for a free gift
soon elicited the information that the said favours
were only for customers. There were some
laughable incidents at the race. One "person"
(I will not vouch for her being a lady), while riding,
attended by a groom, was saluted with derisive remarks
by some cads, one of whom was snob enough to pelt her
with orange-peel. To ride up to him and to belabour
him with her whip was the work of an instant. Imme-
diately the mob, which had helped to jeer before, sided
with the amazon, and the cad had to apologise. A still more
laughable incident occurred close to the winning-post. An
enterprising barge-owner had covered over his barge
with planks, which afforded a capital place for seeing
the end of the race. For this privilege he charged ss. a
head, and his platform was well crowded. Just as the
boats came in sight the planks gave way, and the whole of
the spectators disappeared into the hold of the craft,
where they had the finest possible opportunity of seeirg
nothing, an opportunity which they were compelled to

embrace.

There died in Wimpole-street, on Tuesday, as fine a
specimen of the old British sailor as was to be found any-
where. Few men living had seen more active service than
Admiral Sir Peter Richards had. He was at Walcheren,

at Algiers, and in China. As lieutenant of the Revenge, he

commanded the boats of that ship, and succeeded, without a
single casualty, in bringingout from the harbour of Palamos
a felucca privateer. He was Lord Exmouth's flag-lieutenant

at-the bombardment of Algiers, and being in command
of the Queen Charlotte's barge, be boarded and set on fire
an Algerine frigate, for which gallant conduct he was

promoted to the rank of commander. He next served
under Sir Wm. Parker in the Mediterranean. He was
then appointed to the command of the Cornwallis, and

was wounded while leading 200 marines in an attack on
the Chinese at Chin-kiang-foo. For this service be was
made a C.B. in 1842. lie subsequently attained the highest
rank in the profession, though he had no interest and nothing
but his own gallantry to help him on. He was a Lord of
the Admiralty in Lord John Russell's first Administration,

and was subsequently a commissioner of Greenwich Hos-
pital. His snow-white hair and fresh face, and his frank

open manner, masie him a great favourite. Up to within
a few days of his death be was hale and vigorous, and no

one would have supposed that he had passed fourscore

years.

The admirers of the late Henry Crabb Robinson,
connected with University College, are about to
erect a memorial to -their benefactor. He was one
of the most active founders of that institution, and
he contributed largely to its endowment. The memorial
will he placed in University Hall, Gordon-square. It is
intended to put up the arms of Mr. Crabb Robinson and
his brother in the centre compartments of the hay window
of the dining-hall, and to prepare, by coloured borders or
otherwise, all the windows .of the room for
receiving the arms of other founders ; and as
e chief memorial, and principal application of the
funds, to decorate the ends and sides of the room, which
are well suited for the purpose, with a mural painting in
monochrome by Mr. Edward Armitage, A.R.A., having
for its subject Henry Crabb Robinson, surrounded by
many of his most distinguished literary and artistic
friends. Besides others, many of the following will pro-
bably be represented : Mary Lamb, Flaxman, Blake,
Godwin, Gilbert Wakefield, Arndt, Major V. Knebel,
Rolfe, (Lord Cranworth), Irving, Landor, Lady Byron,
and Talfourd.
In art matters, one of the events most worth noting is
the very capital collection of pictures which Mr. Maclean
has opened at his gallery in the Haymarket. Among the
best-known artists represented there are Frith, Cooper,
Lee, Poole, J. Linnell, Richardson, Dobson, Horsley,
Nicoll, Le Jenne, and Perrault. The foreign Artists, as rule, beat the English. There are two clever pictures by C.
Marchal, " Penelope" and " Phryne," the one represent-
ingg a girl in morning dress, the other one in evening
dress, or rather undress. The first is the type of a modest
British wife industriously bent upon her work,
the other represents a girl intent upon her own free!
displayed charms, which she is admiring in her mirror.
M. Detaille's picture, " Halt of Dragoons-- South of
France," is noticeable fo r the wonderful relief in which
his building stands against the intense blue sky. It is
difficult to believe that you have only a flat canvas before
you. The place of honour is given to Mr. Linnell's
" Thunderstorm," a fine study of clouds, which,
from being black and lurid in the horizon, shade
off to fleecy white in the zenith. One of the most
remarkable pictures exhibited this winter is one of the
Falls of Niagara, by an American artist, Frankenstein by
believe,though
nottho a vonlyer
very
apicturerge wr
oe pr
kr e
—s cnnotti nt go
bnt hea eniceeon.
compared,
i Thisrre ad ss
oalrn
s ai
with Bierstadt's pictures—
gives an admirable idea of this grand scene. One seems
to
hear the rush and roar of the seething, boiling waters
through the mist-laden atmosphere. The effect of the
rock rn the foreground is really stereoscopic. Still on art
matters., I may mention that Mr. Maclean expects to have
the chromos of Bierstadt's two pictures of the Rocky
Mountains, out in about six weeks ; and that £I,MO was
given by the National Gallery for Dierick Bouts's "Ex-
humation of St. Hubert," which was in the collection of
the late Sir C. Eastlake ; £3,3,30 for Carlo Crivelli's altar
piece in three stages and thirteen compartments, which
were purchased in Paris last year, but which cannot be
exhibited for want of adequate space; £4OO for Copley's
"Siege of Gibraltar;" and £2,000 for a work ascribed to
Michael Angelo. All these have been purchased for the
National Gallery.
In literary matters there is nothing very new. The
Life of Keble is out of print already, and another edition
is being prepared. The same may be said of Mr, Dixon's