The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-23 00:00:00

OCEAN MAIL CONTRACTS.

The select committee moved for by Mr. Seely to
inquire into the contracts entered into by the late Govern.
meat with the Cunard and Inman lines of steamers for
the conveyance of the mails between this country and
America met again yesterday. The duty of reporting to the
House on this important matter has been confided
to Mr. Dent (chairman), Sir Massey Lopes, An''
Hamilton, Mr. Graves, Mr. Seely, and Mr. Greavl
Though the evidence taken by the committee has assure°,
vast proportions, and has been obtained by lengthetru,
examinations of a great number of official and non-official
witnesses, the actual points to be decided are simply
whether or not it is a wise thing for the rcst
Office to subsidise the contractors who carry tue
mails rather than to pay them for the services thel,
actually render, and to enter ~.w""""gc"`""'"" "ht
long
term of years. When Mr. Seely brougL•
forward the subject in the House of Commons, he con'
tended that the amount of £120,000, which was the 111111,
named to be paid annually for three services a wee
in the contracts made with Messrs. Cunard and Ir.
Inman by the late Conservative Government, wag
not only too large, but was in reality sacrificing about
£40,000 per annum. He also argued that the propose"
mode of contracting was unnecessary, and that by enter"
mg into an arrangement with the contractors for eight
years, the Post Office would be precluded from taking
advantage of increased speed and other improvements, and
would Le preventing the adoption of the ocean Penny
postage. The motion for the committee of inquiry, which
was not resisted by the Postmaster-General, was carried
by 115 to 80. The committee sat in private yesterday
simply for the purpose of considering their report.

Mrs. Plow, the widow of the clergyman who was
murdered at Todmorden last year, died on Friday °voila'
at `Vantage, Berkshire.
It is stated the agreement to submit to an open
Court of Arbitration all matters connected with the "
munds' scandal" has come to nothing. The action for VIA'
(Edwards v. Greenwood), which stood for the end of Feb-
ruary last, but which was withdrawn during the she"
negotiations, will now be proceeded with, and will come e°
before a special jury in the Court of Common Pleas, West-
minster Hall, the first sitting day after the fortkeetnin°
Easter Term, viz., the 10th of May next.
The Birmingham Post states that the recent Coo-
duct of the released Fenian convicts has caused the Go-
vernment to stop all further steps in extending the
Royal clemency. The Irish Executive was tat; .
gating the claims for the pardon of several oth
or
but the conduct of the released men cause' -
stop to bo put to such proposal. The Government is 11°t
indisposed to consider the claims of the convicts, but mere,
substantial guarantees for good conduct will be required,
and at present no further liberations will take place.
Mr. Sergeant Cox has issued an address to the
electors of Taunton, in which he does not attempt to die
-
guise the pain" the recent judgment has given him. °
trusts that at the next election the Conservative Tarty will
endeavour to secure their share in the representation of the
borough. The learned sergeant concludes as follows:--
"1 Lid you farewell for a season, in the assured confidence
that when a new Parliament (hall be summoned (and nop°
can say how soon that may be), you will restore rue to the
honour of which I have been legally, but not equitably"
and I am sure not deservedly_ deprived."
OCEAN PENNY POSTAGE.—There are arguments
urged against the proposed reduction, both on the grounds
of practicability and expediency. None, however, see
to us of sufficient weight to counterbalance the manifest
benefits. We cannot share in the fear that the regularityt
and efficiency of the mail service would be impaired. a
the figure of a penny, freight on the mail-bags wen"
amount to something over £4O, or 200 dollars per too"-
surely enough to make the efficient fulfilment of postal re'
quirements an object with the wealthiest steamship air
pany.—New York Times.
---
NEW METHOD OF CULTIVATING POTATOES'
The Staats.Anzeiger gives us some particulars of the new
method of cultivating the potatoe, discovered by Gulalien,
of Pinneberg, in Holstein, and which, it is said, has given
.
surprising results where it has been employed. The s • g
ing features of this new mode of culture are-1. Turning
_s
up the soil to a considerable depth. 2. Choosing as see
ch
large, sound, and many-eyed potatoes. 3. Leaving
seed potatoe a space of 12 square feet. 4. Laying the Iliea
potatoe with the budding side down. By a report
before the last meeting of the Frankfort Agrieultll
Societywe learn the result of experiments in potatoe 00.. an
ing made last year. In one morgen (two-thirds °L
acre) which was planted with eight metzen seed, ana
where each seed potatoe was left twelve square feet' the
t
produce was 108 scheffels (German bushels). Ahee
where
morgen of land, planted with twelve metzen, and
each seed potatoe had a space of nine square feet, Yielded
88 scheffels. A third morgen was planted with one
scheffel seed, each potatoe being left six square feet, an
.;led
the produce was 78 scheffels. The average crop ehtilleie.
from 7-8 scheffels on the same land was 50-60 sche
of
The advantages of Guhlich's system then consist a
_„
—l. A saving of 6-7 scheffels per morgen of seed; a:
2, an increase of from 25 to 100 per cent, in the produce'
THE " CODE OF HONOUR, " IN NEW ORLEANSo ....
A New Orleans newspaper gives the
particulars of antb.er
duel, fought on the afternoon of the 4th inst. between t"na
well-known residents of the names of Lewis Lalaute an
Leonard Jewell, at the Metairie Course. The diiaonity
% re.
originated in an altercation in Carondelet-streex The
specting a debt of a former partner of Mr. ijelvtapoal
challenging party was Mr. Lalaurie, and the ^,-1,0110,
selected by his opponent were rifles with rouna the
at fifty paces. On arriving at the groundfin of
choice of position was won by Mr. Lalaurie,
Lhete
course took his place with his back to the wind l'The
being at the time a very strong breeze blowinkorag
principals having been placed in position, and the w"
the ee' given, " Gentlemen, are you ready? One, twe, nrie'S
the ball of Mr. Jewell passed very close to Mr. I-41 ge,
head. For some reason not mentioned the gull ?Lime
e,
r o Lalaurie was not discharged within the stipulated
At the second shot the ball from Mr. Lalaurie s
b ..ht
passed through the clothing of Mr. Jewell at the tc
knee ; the spectacles worn by Mr. Jewell were blown
oh
the wind from his face, and his shot failed tho
the
Mr. Jewell is considered one of the best shots. „. in
the
city—to touch his adversary. At the third sr
cot
ball from Mr. Jewell's rifle passed through the The
sleeve of Mr. Lalaurie, on a line with his heart.
ball from Mr. Lalaurie's rifle lodged in Mr.JJewel's d
foot. The challenger and his friends then exrd le we
ft
themselves satisfied with the result of the firing, au on,
the ground, Mr. Jewell and his seconds followil to be,
wound, though not of a dangerous character,
said is
sil
very painful, and will, doubtless, keep the ge
loetler:a to
who was injured by the last shot indoors for many"

co TIE ERNEST JONES DEMONSTRATION. —"Ill°
PROGRAMME. —A full meeting of the Central Corneaittee,
for conducting the above demonstration at Trafalgar,
square, on Good Friday, has just been held at the Sag!.
! u
Head, Leather-lane, Mr. Lucraft in the chair. The ea
committee brought up their report, which stated that ar
rangements had been made for the men of Hack'eeP
Bethnal Green, Shoreditch, Spitalfields, Mile-end, F 01,0.!
&c., to assemble at the Salmon and Ball, 13ethnal Green, at
two o'clock, from whence they will march to Finsbury,
square, to be joined by the Islington and 110.0 t
contingents, and then proceed to join the main bodY
Clerkenwell-green, from whence the procession, accora"
[milled by several bands and banners, will start at fnur
o'clock for Trafalgar-square. The West-end Pr"essi°l3l
which will embrace the German, French, Italian, an
Polish societies connected with the International Work;
ing 'Men's Association, will assemble in and °tar.
from Soho-square at half-past four, and the South
London procession will assemble and leave the Obe'
lick, Blackfriars-road, at the same hour. The Pr"eti'
ings in Trafalgar-square will commence at five o'clock
and the speakers will be Mr. G. J. Holyoake, Bev; 31r:
Appletree, Messrs. C. Bradlaugh, G. Odger, and te
Wade, Mr. Lucraft acting as chairman. The committee
also reported that the various societies of Irishmen in the
metropolis would also take part in the demonstration, on°
of respect to Mr. Jones for his able defence of the gall'
chester Feniaus in 1867. The report of the sub-committee
having been discussed was approved, and the gletPg
then adjourned.