The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-13 00:00:00

A NEW CLASS OF TAXPAYERS.

It is not generally known that dogs not only are
liable to duty, but have to pay that duty in proprid
persond. The terms of the new dog license aro as
follows :—" I, being duly authorised by the Commis-
sioners of Inland Revenue, do hereby license A. 8.,
residing at —, to keep one dog, from the date
hereof until the 31st day of December, 1869, he
having paid the sum of five shillings for this license.
—Wm. CORBETT."
MR. REVERDY JOHNSON ON THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.

His Excellency the Ambassador from the United
States to this country does not spare us his
eloquence. If the differences between our own
country and his might be set aside by much talking,
he would certainly succeed. He has been speaking
very freely again at Glasgow. It seems that Lord
Stanley rather complained to him of " letting the
cat out of the bag" in his speeches. To which Mr.
Johnson retorted that it was not right to put a cat
into a bag, or to use a bag to put a cat in. Mr.
Johnson has also had some conversation with
Lord Russell about the Alabama. The noble
earl assured him that he had tried to stop
the vessel from going out, but he could not.
Mr. Johnson naturally wanted to know why. The
one time Foreign Secretary replied that the American
Ambassador had not the slightest idea what a red-
tape set we English were, and " stuffed" Mr.
Johnson with stories of law officers and an " insane
gentleman." This said insane gentleman was
the only one who could prove that the
Alabama
was going on an illegal voyage, and
Earl Russell had to wait until he got sane
before he could act; and he did not get sane until
the Alabama was on the high seas. Mr. Johnson
congratulated everybody that he of the United
States, and we of Great Britain, had resolved " that,
instead of referring the existing or future contro-
versies to the God of battle, we will refer them to
the God of justice." He further assured his hearers
that there was nothing in the much-talked-of Con-
vention which would sully the honour of England.

FOREIGN NOTES,
THE EASTERN DIFFICULTY.

Very nangerous has been the Ministerial Crisis at
Athens, and very narrow has been the escape from war.
In fact, Ring George's necessity has been the Greek's
opportunity; the young sovereign has avoided the loss of
his crown only by yielding up some of his privileges.
Zaimis, the new Premier, is unknown to fame, ! but
he appears to be a personage of whom Europe is likely to
hear more. When the King first sent for him, be accepted
the task of forming a Ministry, and succeeded ; but " at
half-past nine in the evening" he received a letter
informing him that the sovereign declined his services.
It now transpires that the astute Zaimis laid down as
indispensable conditions that the Chamber of Deputies
should be dissolved if it still disavowed adhe-
sion to the protocol, that the Administration
should be carried on free from all Court influence, that a
proclamation should be issued to the people justifying the
Ministry in yielding to the Great Powers, and that a
memorial should be addressed to the various Courts
proving that Greece had received scant justice at the Con-
ference. The King declared that he could not accept
these terms. Nevertheless, a Zaimis Ministry has been
the only resource, and it remains to be seen whether
Georgos I. bad to give way after all. The excitement at
Athens has been intense. Those who had the courage to
oppose the current opinion were threatened. Bodies of
troops constantly patrolled the streets.
The Times publishes an important document—a minute
of the Ministerial Council at Athens, dated Dec. 1, 1864—
which singularly exemplifies the radical change that has
come over Greek policy during the last four years. Then
Bourdoures and Comoundouros were in power, and
at the meeting of Ministers the latter made a statement
to the effect that the Cretans had offered to take up
arms in the coming spring- They hoped to effect one of
three objects : union with Greece, Cretan autonomy, or a
reduction of their taxes by the Porte. The Greek Cabinet
refused to support this movement. They recommended
the Cretans not to take up arms, but confine their
demands to petitioning the Sultan and the Great Powers
that the promises given to them concerning the diminu-
tion of their taxes should be carried into execution.
There can now be no doubt, Boudoures says, that the
Cretan insurrection was a spontaneous movement, not
fomented either by Russia or France. The annexation of
Crete, according to the ex-statesman, is the constant. aspi-
ration of Cretan patriots, as well as many sincere though
reckless politicians in Greece. But if the attempt was
imprudent in 180.1 it is not less imprudeLt in 180, and
where are the statesmen who formerly declined the "policy
of rashness?" Comoundouros has no party iii Greece, and
Boudoures emerges from obscurity only to publish this
document.

The Pcsth correspondent of the Temps says that the
sympathies of the Servians are all on the side of Greece.
It is little likely that the Danubian State would remain
neutral in case of war, and the Porte is fully aware of this.
It has sent a commission, at the head of which is a German
officer of great ability, to carefully examine all the passes
which lead from Servia into Montenegro. This latter State
is even more ready for insurreetion, and Roumania could
be counted upon in case a reverse befel the Turks. The
writer concludes that a war would almost infallibly result
in the destruction of the Ottoman power by the disaaffected
races.