The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-10 00:00:00

TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION WITH CHINA.

Telegraphic communication with China will be esta-
blished at no distant date. The Russians have long desired
an overland wire to China, but the Pekin Government has

hitherto refused permission for the line to pass
through Mongolia. The allegiance of this great district
to the Chinese Empire is gradually weakening ; and it
is not unnaturally feared that the appearance of the
Muscovite on Mongolian territory would only
hasten the shaking off of the Chinese yoke. It
has been decided, therefore, that the telegraph
shall not pass through Mongolia. The wire through
Siberia will be continued from the last station to
Posiet, a seaport in theuour.
Thence it will be taken round the siatic c0a771-47Urt.
A line already extends a portion of the way, and an English
company will lay down the remainder. One of the Russian
overland wires will be placed at the disposal of this com-
pany in return for the use of its sea cable and Amoney pay.
went of some £130,000.

TILE MEMBER FOR WESTMINSTER.

Besides the defeat of Mr. Gladstone in South-
West Lancashire, there was no victory that the Con-
servatives prided themselves on more than thu
triumph of Mr. Smith at Westminster. They are
now duly celebrating it. On Thursday the new
member was presented with an address from the
lawyers of St. Clement Danes, congratulating him.
Mr. Smith, in return, assured his supporters that ho
was not a party man, and that he would act as he
conscientiously thought best for the whole empire,
representing the whole constituency rather than a
Dart of it.

DISCHARGED DOCKYARD LABOURERS.

Sir James Elphinstone, M.P., writes to the Times
on the distress that has been occasioned by' the dis-
charge of workmen from her Majesty's dockyards.
Many most respectable persons have suffered greatly,
but as yet they have shrunk from receiving parish
relief. Their case has, however, become desperate;
and many have gladly hailed the offer of Govern-
ment to convey them to Canada in troopships
on payment of a small sum each. In this manner
between four and five hundred at Portsmouth will be
relieved from their present distress. There is still how-
ever, an urgent want to be supplied, and SirJ.Eiphin-
stone makes an appeal to the charitable to provide a
sum for the purchase of warm clothing. The poor
people are indifferently clad, and the climate of
Canada at this season is very cold ; hence the
urgency of the case is apparent to all. The Mayor
of Portsmouth will receive the contributions that
may be sent, and the money will be expended in
warm clothing alone.

THE PRESTON STRIKE.
The accounts from Preston are not encourag-
ing. There still seems to be little prospect of a
satisfactory settlement. No definite arrangement
has been come• to about the resumption of labour.
When the spinners and minders, thinking the dis-
pute settled by the acceptance of the 5 per cent.
reduction, went to the mills where they had been
formerly employed, many of them found there were no
arrangements for the resumption of labour. Some
of the firms wanted the hands to take a 10 per cent.
reduction ; others said that they had their full com-
plement of operatives, and some masters said they
did not intend opening their mills until there was
some improvement in the market. It is said that
between forty and fifty masters have declined to
accept operatives at a reduction of 5 per cent. The
operatives are quite willing to resume work on
those terms. The weavers remain bitterly opposed
to the projected change in the wheel dividend
system.