The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-09 00:00:00

THE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE.

The several opportunities of judging of their relative
capabilities that have been afforded by the daily per-
formances of the University eights since their arrival at
Putneyhave revealed two facts. The first is, that in point of
form the Oxford men are not nearly up to the standard of
last year, and the second, that the Cambridge crew
exhibit a marked improvement in their style of row-
ing. This statement must, however, be taken with
this saving reflection, that the time between this and next
Wednesday week will probably do more in the way of
remedying the defect of the former than it will in intensi-
fying the good quality of the latter. The idea conveyed
to most people by a careful scrutiny of the two eights is
that the latent power of the one (combined with the use
of that long, sweeping stroke for which the Isis is pro-
verbial) will, if it can be licked into shape by the day of
the race, make it a hard tussle for the other to redeem for
Cambridge the honour of holding the blue riband
of the Thames. There are some who affect to
see already a great improvement in the Oxford men,
but it cannot be said that this is apparent to the generality
• of the spectators who watched the boats from the banks.
Lo them it seems that the respective position of the crews
is much what it was when they first put in an appearance
on the London river last week. The manner in which
those who have trained on the Cam lay themselves
down to their work, and the firm hold they manage
to get of the water, makes their every stroke tell. They
have been, and still are, admirably coached by Mr.
Morrison, and if they are fated to be beaten
again, it may be predicated: that it will only be after a
thoroughly game race, and one in which they will have
displayed a degree of scientific rowing much in advance of
that which has characterised their efforts for sorne years past.
Of the betting little can be said with certainty, except
that Oxford has the pull. Times are early yet for the
registration of any extensive transactions, opinions on
the merits of the crews being-of necessity somewhat crude.
Each day will tend to the true settlement of the odds.
At present the ruling figure is 7 to 4 on Oxford.

LORD MILTON, M.P.—Lord Milton, M.P., has
been obliged to withdraw temporarily from parliament a y
life in consequence of a severe attack of inflanimaticn in
the eyes, which has required him to confine himself to a
darkened room. His lordship is progressing favourab'y
towards recovery.

At the Warwick Board of Guardians Lord Leigh

, introduced his proposal for establishing a central union
, school for the permanent pauper children of that county,

provided the other unions in Warwickshire concur
in the E chum Ills lordship mentioned that it would
be conducive to economy and efficiency in the training of
children. The result of the decision will be an application
to the boards of the various unions in the county asking
them to co-operate.

THE COURT OF CHANCERY AND ITS FUNDS.
:Returns issued on Monday chew that in the year ending
9ctober 1 last the total payments from the "suitors
fund" of the Court of Chancery were £51,583 35., and the
sale of stock (to raise 206,000, pursuant to the " Courts
of Justice Building Act, 1865 "), .£222,608. The surplus
interest carried over to the "suitors' fee fund account"
was £56,468135. 6d., and the balance on the Ist of October,
1868, was £16,023 19s. 3d. cash, and £3,513,111 Os. Gd.
stock. The total payments from the "suitors' fee fund
account" in the year ending November 25, 1868, were
£164,231 10s. 3d., and the balance left after deducting
that amount from the total receipts was £181,998 15s. 6d.
THE OPERA. —Would the fashionable and music-
loving world grieve very much if, after all that has been
said and written of the fusion of the two Operas, the
arrangements to that effect were to break down? Not
much, we fancy. But if, as we believe, we are correctly
informed, this is precisely what has already happened.
We might do an unintentional injustice were we to give
the explanation which has reached us of the circumstances
which have led to this failure. Enough that certain con-
ditions were put forward on the one side which could not
be accepted on the other, and that, as the nett result, the
public will get the benefits of competition instead of those
of mon,p,,iy. it is raid that Mr. Mapleson will have the
great adyant' )of Mr. Costa's supportas e)nductor at
Ii er Majesty'3 theatre, which will be ready for opening
eery early in the season. • .

•
MR. BRIGHT, SIIELLEy, AND ChARLES LAMB.—
The new President of the Board of Trade once expressed
• to th.v writer of this notice his want of sympathy with
Shelley, which, donhtless, he :hares with all the
"Friends;" but the literary portion of the society, we
believe, have always felt an interest in that poet, and it
• was Mr. Bright's having quoted him in one of his speeches
'that led to the disavowal of sympathy referred to above.
Apparently Mr. Barton had made some inquiry about him
of Lamb, for tie later says, " Shelley I saw once. Hie
voice was the most obnoxious squeak I ever was tormented
with, ten thousand times worse than the Laureate's
whose 'voice is the worst part about him except his laureate!
ship. T,,,rd Pyron opens upon him on Monday, in a
parody, I 3uppoF;e, of the ' Vision of Judgment,' in which
latter the poet, I think, did not much show hi& To award
his heaven and his hell in the presumptuous manner be
has done was a piece of immodesty as bad as Shelleyiazn,—
The Churchman's Xaguine.