The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-17 00:00:00

Already the shadow of Christmas has fallen upon us,
and there is a wonderful dearth of news. At this time
of the year everybody is either hard at work making up
his accounts, or hard at play with the young ones home
for the holidays. Her Majesty's Ministers must be placed
under the first category. They too have their little
"bills " to settle, especially that long overdue one owing
to Ireland. Rumour says that it has been taken up, and
that everything will Le adjusted in the most satisfactory
manner. Just a little tinder a year ago there were all
kinds of repo-ts of Liberal divisions anti disruptions, and
they were o far true that, as I rneliHoned at the time,
Lord Russell and Lord Westbury had determined not to
support their party upon the Irish Church question.
Of cousse there are rumours of difficulties now on
the land question, but they are chiefly thoughts
begotten by the wish. In proof of that, it may
he mentioned :that the absence of the Duke of Argyll,
Eorl de Grey, Mr. Fortescue, and Earl Spencer from the
sacent Cabinet Councils, has been pointed to as proof of
Cabinet dissensions. NOw, the Secretary of state for
India has unhappily been summoned to Scotland by the
serious illness of his wife, who has had a stroke of par-
alysis, news which so affected her husband that ho fainted
away on hearing of it. The Lord President of the Council,
as I explained last week, has been entertaining the Prince
of Wales at Studley Royal. When the Government are
dispatching troops and ships of war to Ireland with all
possible haste, the place of the Chief Secretary for Ireland
is at Dublin Castle, not Downing-street. The Lord-
Lieutenant of Ireland has. not been taking part in the
Council meetings, for theirerittsiGient reason that he is
not a member of the Cabinet. There is no cause to doubt
that Ministers have made good progress with their

measure,

The visit of Lord Derby to Hughenden is the event
which just now gives rise to the greatest amount of specu-
lation. It has been reported that he will not take
the leadership, nor any prominent part in politics
next year. The reason is supposed to be that he does not
agree with his party as regards the University Tests and
Education Bills. I find this idea prevailing, however, only
among Conservatives who attach primary importance to
ecclesiastical matters, and whe, therefore, desire the High
Church Duke of Marlborough, the alter ego of Bishop
Wilberforce, to lead them. Of these Mr. Gathorne Hardy

is the type. Those Conservatives who think more o
secular politics than of religion, say that they are not
likely to make much difficulty out of either
of the matters above mentioned, that they infinitely pre-
fer a complete and decisive to a permissive University
Tests Bill, and (coming to secular matters) they will offer
no objection to the Ballot. ➢ir. Auberon Herbert's resignation
of his fellowship, announced to-day, will certainly hasten
the complete abolition of the tests. If Lord Derby declines
to take the lead at a crisis like the present, how can he
ask his party to place any confidence in him ? To retire
from tho field on the eve of battle is certainly not the
way to supreme command. As Lord Derby and
Mr. Disraeli have always worked well together,
the present visit of the first to the second may be

taken as an indication, though of course it is not a proof

that the negotiation is going on which will place the pre-
sent Earl in the position so long held by his moral anti-
podal, the late Earl. Any one who professes to tell cha
racter from handwritings, would have a good opportunity
of proving his powers if the handwriting of this father and
son were placed before them; they are as unlike as the
writers. Mr. Disraeli, by the way, has a peculiarity of
signing all his letters " D." simply, so that his autographis
scarcer than that of any living statesman.
The list of committee for the Derby Memorial Fund has
caused some little surprise. Everyone is asking how it is
that Lord Cairns's name does not appear, and wby have
Lord Malmesbury and Lord Beauchamp written to deny
that they are on tho committee? Where, too, is Lord
Chelmsford, and how is it that not one of the five dukes in
the late Ministry, neither Abereorn,Marlborough,Bucking-
ham, Beaufort, nor Richmond, is down? Not even the
strongest political opponent of the late Conservative chief
would wish any attempted mern9rial of him to prove a
failure; but some explanation will have to be forthcoming
if the attempt is to be successful.

The vacancy in the representation of Merionethshire,
camel by the death of Mr. Williams, i3an unfortunate event,
eomiLleling the present relations between Welsh landlords
qe,l tenants. For thirteen years the seat was held by Mr.
Watk-in Wynne, and in 1365 it was inherited by
his son, a young guardsman of 25. This gentleman won,
however, by only a narrow majority, the figures being
Wynne, 610 ; Williams, 570. In 1363 he did not contest
the constituency again, and Mr. Williams walked over the
..:ourse. He was an advanced Liberal, and lived at
Dendraeth Castle. But soon after his election his health
railed. He was unable to attend to his parliamentary
luties, and he has now died in his Cflth year, having held
his seat only a year.

The vacancy for East Devon has taken no one by surprise.
Whatever political opponents may say of Lord Courtenny,
ilere can be but ono feeling of sincere sympathy with the
amiable and accomplished Earl of Devon on the unsatis-
factory termination of his son's political career. He would
be a bold prophet who would venture to say how the
meant seat will be filled. There is no doubt that the out-
going member, personally little popular, owed many of his
votes to the respect deservedly felt for his father; and upon
these another candidate cannot, of course, reckon. There are,
however, some Devonshire country gentlemen who would
be very popular with the Conservatives should they decide
upon having a squire to represent them, rather than an
eminent lawyer like Sir John Karalake, himself a Devon-
shire man. The Liberals enjoy the advantage of having a
candidate already in the field, who made a very plucky
fight last year, and who would be especially acceptable to
the tenant farmers next session, because in all probability
the whole question of local taxation will come under con-
sideration.

This week has been a memorable one for newspapers,
although there has been little news. Actions for libel
have been falling upon them like hailstones in a
thunderstorm The £l,OOO awarded against the Hudders-
field Chronicle, is an unusually large amount, and one
would think excessive. The imprisonment of Dr. Short-
house for libelling Sir Joseph Hawley seems harsh
'hen we are assured that he did not see th
article complained of until he read it in his own
paper, and apologised for it directly he saw it. But the
harshness is explained by the Daily News, which says that
the libels were continued afterwards. On Monday the
Daily Telegraph came out with a leader which I think no
impartial person will say was not likely to influence the
jury against the directors of Overend, Gurney, and Co.
On Tuesday the Times published an article which was,
though more cautious, in favour of the directors. This cri-
ticism upon a case while it is being tried is
unusual, and will, I hope, not be repeated. The Globe is
now publishing an early edition, at 1.30 p.m., and probably
this change has given rise to a rumour that it is about to
become a morning paper. No other change is intended
than that which I have mentioned. On January 1, the
same paper will publish a new edition of its insurance
tables, for which there has been a large demand. The
proprietors of the Graphic are well pleased with the
success of their journal. It originated, I believe, in some
dissatisfaction felt by the artistic staff of another
well-known illustrated journal. The Graphic has a very
large literary staff, among them I believe are Mr. John
Cordy Jeaffreson and Mr. Edward Spender. The Christmas
number is out to-day, and is really quite a triumph of art.
The new illustrated journal Pictures and Nees, of
which I spoke last week, is still in nubibus.
It is one of the numerous projects of Messrs.
Day and Son, the lithographers, who started
some time ago the Chromolithograph. This new paper
(when it appear:; is to be illustrated by chromolithography.
and circulars have been sent
The editor is Mr. Burr Ores,
out announcing that ,as among its supporters
one duke, ono marquis, eighu earls, and twelve
lords. Mr. Escott, formerly editor of rte Glowworm, is
now on the leader staff of the Standard: The letter
on our colonial administration in the Times of Decerni,flr 8,
signed " H. D. W.," was by Sir Henry Drummond Wolff,-
formerly secretary to Lord Malmesbury, and an unsuccess-
ful candidate for Christchurch at the last general election.
Meliora of January next will contain an article on "Under-
ground Life," by Mr. Spender. Mr. Ellerthorpe, a well-
known journalist in Yorkshire and Edinburgh, has joined
the staff of the Pall Mall Gecette.
Tho literary event of the week has, of course, been the
publication of Mr. Tennyson's new volume. I read it
through on Tuesday, and a rare treat it was. The new
portions of the great Arthurian epic shew that the poet
has maintained all his old power of both imagination and
language. In fact the present volume chews him a greater
master of words than ever. It was hardly to be
expected that imagination would increase with
advancing years. Most of the other poems in the
volume are old friends ; but there is ape, the longest •
next to the four Idylls, which is wholly new, and which
holds the reader in suspense until the very end. The present
Poet Laureate differs marvellously from his predecessor.
Woulawartak—Uatio_ J hieLAlldakag