The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-01 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, Jan. 31.
The Drawing-room at the Castle last night was
most numerously attended. Seldom if ever has St.
Patrick's-hall been crowded with a more brilliant
assembly of the aristocracy from all parts of the
kingdom.

A man named Farrell was arrested last night for
laying fog signals on Cork-hill, one of which was
exploded by a carriage on its way to the Castle.
The election of a member for the borough of
Armagh, in the place of Mr. S. B. Miller, who has
been appointed one of the judges in the Bankruptcy
and Insolvency Court, Dublin, took place yester-
day morning. At 10 o'clock, Mr. J. Vance, the
late member for the city of Dublin, accompanied
by many friends and supporters, entered the court,
and was received with great enthusiasm. Mr. A.
Craig, High Sheriff, having read the writ, Mr. W.
Paton proposed Mr. Vance as a fit and proper per-
son to represent the borough in Parliament. He
was no novice. He had sat in the House 14 yeais.
He promised to maintain the constitution and the
institutions of the country, and Mr. Paton thought
they should return him without any pledge. Mr.
Boyd seconded the nomination. No other candi-
date being proposed, the Sheriff declared Mr. Vance
duly elected, amid loud cheers.
In returning thanks, Mr. Vance spoke at consider-
able length on the subject of Parliamentary Reform.
He made the following reference to Mr. Bright :
" Mr. Bright supported the Representation of the People
Bill brought forward by the late Government, net from
any love of the measure itself, but in order to give an op-
portunity for bringing forward one of his own, the effect of
,t+ hich would have ultimately been to make the House of
Commons the solo governing body in the State, to overawe
and overwhelm the House of Lords, and to have deprived
the Queen of all her prerogatives. He would have thoroughly
Americanised our institutions, and paved the way to his
object —the formation of•a model republicupon the system
of the United States of America. I believe that, notwith-
standing his character there has been a covert understand-
ing between Mr. G ladstonr, Lord Russell, and himself with
respect to his support iu the House of Commons. But it
was reserved for the banquet in Dublin to display the coali-
tion which really existed between certain members of her
Majesty's late Government and Mr. John Bright. That
banquet was shunned by nearly all the gentry of any station
in Ireland, and by all the mercantile men in Dublin with
one or two exceptions ; but it was attended by the Attorney
and Solicitor Generals of the late Government, thereby
showing the understanding that existed between the late
Government and Mr. John Bright, whom they find it con-
venient sometimes to repudiate."

Having noticed various measures which were ex-
pected to come before Parliament in the approach-
ing session, the hon. member thus concluded :
_

" I have to ask a favour at your hands. Lord and Lady
Abercorn give this evening their first drawing-room. There
will be a considerable attendance from the north of Ireland,
and as I shall not be able to attend at the second drawing-
room, for your . husiness will interfere with that, I am
anxious to be present to-night ; for this purpose I must ask
your permission to leave you at an early hour this after-
noon. lam desirous of receiving the congratulation4ro-
bably of his Excellency, at any rate of my friends, on the
high honour you have this day conferred on me."

There was a most important public meeting of a
highly representative and influential character held
at the Mansion-house yesterday to consider the
subject of railway reform. The Lord Mayor pre-
sided, and in his opening statement gave a clear
view of its character and objects. His lordship
said :

"The meeting was convened in compliance with a requisi-
tion addressed to him—a requisition as numerously and
influentially signed as any ever drawn up on any subject
concerning Ireland. He was proud to see present so many
who were eminent in every part of the country by their
position, in connection with agriculture and commerce,
and with all the great industries of Ireland. He was truly
proud to see them there to advance a step nearer to suc-
cess, in a matter which he thought lay at the root of much
of the future of Ireland's prosperity. This was the third
meeting that had taken place in the Mansion-house on the
subject, and the same principle had been insisted on by all
the resolutions, viz., a change in the systom of railways in
Ireland, which, while it would not interfere with private
property, would facilitate transit and develops the com-
merce of the country. He thought the present meeting one
for the assertion of principles, which he took to be—first,
that the Government should purchase the Irish railways ;
secondly, that they, should work the lines themselves, or
lease them; or, thirdly, that by loans advanced on advan-
tageous terms they should assist the existing lines, and
make and maintain lines to develops the traffic of the coun-
try. He trusted that before Parliament was long assem-
bled they would have an explicit statement from the Go-
vernment that they meant to undertake this matter, and
that not in a niggardly spirit, but in one consonant with
the wishes of the whole country."

These positions were set forth in a series of resolu-
tions, which were ably supported by a number of
speakers, particularly Lord Dunboyne, the Mayor
of Limerick, Mr. Tait, Mr. Joseph Pim, Mr.
M'Carthy Downing, Sir John Gray, Colonel Knox
Gore, Mr. Dennehy, and Mr. Edward Fox. The
meeting was also addressed by Sir Benjamin Mor-
ris, Mayor of Waterford ; Mr. J. L. Naper, Mr.
O'Hara, D.L., Galway; M.. Lyons, Mayor of Sligo,
Mr. Greene, Mayor of Wexford ; Alderman Rey-
nolds, Mr. Lanyan, M.P., Mr. Pim, M.P., Mr.
Galway, Sheriff of Waterford ; Mr. Marcus Good-
body, Mr. Bloomfield, Mr. Bagot, and Mr. Barring-
ton. The resolutions were all passed unanimously,
and the meeting was most harmonious. A memo-
rial to the Lord-Lieutenant was adopted, and also
one to the Prime Minister. The speaking was re-
markably argumentative and judicious, and great
confidence was expressed that the Government
would comply with the prayer of the memorial—
which it will be certainly hard to refuse, especially
as " begging" was unanimously and strongly repu-
diated.

Mr. William Dargan still survives, but his death
is hourly expected.

The report of the directors of the Munster Bank, which
has just been issued, shows the concern to be in a highly
prosperous condition. The profits of the half-year, in-
cluding £4,031 Ms. received in premiums on shares,
amount to £21,512 17s. 4d., and after providing for all
expenses, bad debts, &c., there remains a sum of
£10,567 18s. 3d. for division among the shareholders.
The directors propose to pay a dividend of 6.per cent., and
to write off 10 per cent. of the preliminary expenses,
which will absorb £3,512 125., and to carry the balance,
£7,055 6s. 3d., to the reserve, which will raise the amount
of the undivided profits to .£28,608 4s. 2d.
On Tuesday evening William Kennedy, who, it will be
remembered, was tried at the Commission and sentenced
to nine months' imprisonment for having violently as-
saulted Acting-luspecoor Clifford, of the G Division, died

Munich, Jan. 9.
The fundamental treati, of the Germanic Confederation
are virtually set aside by the events of last year, and whil e
North Germany is constituting itself anew as a Confedera-
tion under the leadership of Prussia, a similar attempt has
not yet been made upon the part of the South German
Governments. The King, my august master, is too tho-
roughly aware of the:difficulties opposing the establishment
of a new Federal Constitution between Bavaria and the
remaining German States, and especially with the Govern-
ment to which your excellency has the honour to be ac-
credited, to desire at present to depart from the attitude
of expectation hitherto-observed, and to enter into discus-
sion of the bases for such new Federal Constitution.
In one direction alone the King's Government considers
itself urgently bound by the duty of self-preservation to
operate at once, so that other, and, if possible, better fun-
damental arrangements may be substituted for those set
aside by the force of circumstances.
The war Federal constitution no longer exists. For the
protection of Bavaria and the remaining south-western
States, —viz., of the kingdom of Wurtemburg, the Grand
Duchy of Baden, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse, so far as
the latter does not belong to the North German Confede-
ration—against external and internal dangers, it is high
time to agree upon another war constitution in the place of
that which has hitherto existed, and to make use of the
important lessons of the past year in its establishment.
Discussion and-agreement by the above four countries

as to the necessity and upon the bases of such war consti-
tution is the more urgent, as public opinion in all of them
most justly demands a reorganisation of the military force,
and for that very reason the necessity for a revision of the
laws as to formation of the army has been recognised by
the Bavarian as well as by the other Governments, and a
prospect of this revision is held out.
But great danger exists that this revision should be
effected by the above-named countries in different ways,
preventing their united military constitution at any future
period. This danger especially prevails in Bavaria, where
a complete draught of the military constitution has been
already drawn up and submitted to the Ministerial councils
for deliberation. The King's Government considers the
conclusion of an agreement settling the bases of a common,
or at least similar, military constitution by the above-named
four States, reserving the assent of the Chambers, would
be the most efficient way of obviating this danger. A con-

forence of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and War of
the four States in question appears to the King's Govern-
ment the mode calculated most rapidly and securely to
overcome the difficulty of execution.

Your excellency is therefore desired to invite the Go-
vernment of - to take part in such a conference, which
will at the same time pass resolutions respecting the ar-
rangements to be adopted as to the late Federal fortresses,
Ulm and Rastatt.

Stuttg,ardt is proposed as the place of meeting, and, owing
to the pressing character of the circumstances, the end of
January, 1867, as the time.—Receive, &c.

After receiving a provisional acceptance of the
invitation contained in this despatch, the following
b)oints have been proposed by Bavaria as subjects

'or discussion :

1. The assembled representatives recognise it as a ne-
cessity of the time to increase the defensive forces of the
countries, and to organise them in such manner that they
may be capable of common action upon an imposing scale.
2. They unite, therefore, reserving the co-operation of
their Estates, for the increase of their defensive strength
as greatly as possible, upon a plan modelled according to
the principles of the Prussian system.
3. The main features of this defensive system, which
is to be common to the four States, shall be as follows:
(a) Entrance into the army upon the principles of general
liability to service, with abolition of drawing by lot, ex-
change, and substitution, and with the obligation to serve
the entire time necessary for complete military education.
(b) Transfer of men who have served their full time into the
reserve, with three months' drill during the period of ser-
vice, and employment in war time like the line. (c) Sub-
sequent entry into the reserve battalions to be formed in
administrative districts with a short annual drill in time of
peace, dispensation from which may be obtained, and em-
ployment like the line during war. (d) Application of the
remaining male population capable of bearing arms as
landwchr to home and local service in two div:sions, one of
which (the younger) may be employed within the country
in case of war ; the other (the elder) only at the place of
residence. Married men are liable to landwehr service.
During the regular, period for service in the line marriage
and emigration are 'forbidden. Due provision will be made
for keeping efficient non-commissioned officers.
4. The conference will have w fix the minima, below
which no State shall go, with regard to the per-centage of
the population liable for categories a c of sec. 3.

5: As regards the organisation of their armies, the dele-
gates acknowledge the principle that they shall be divided
and equipped in such similar manner as may be essential
-for common action. • _ .

6. They will have to agree as to the instructions to bo
given to a military commission for the parpose, to meet as
early as possible under the presidency of Bavaria.
7. Resolutions as to the future of the fortresses of Ulm
and Rastatt shall he postponed until the close of the nego-
tiations for the division of the Federel property therein
contained, which are to be accelerated as much as possible.
Upon these bases the conference, in which the
Bavarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and War
intend to take part, will be opened at Stuttgardt
upon the 3d February next.

CHARACTERISTICS OF INDIAN CRIMINALS. —Th e
following interesting details regarding Indian prisoners
are taken from a paper read before the Statistical Society
by Dr. Mouat, Inspector- General of Gaols in
the Lower
Presidency of Bengal :—/° Heinous offences, since its an-
nexation, are said to be comparatively uncommon in the
Punjab, thuggee to be extinct, and gang robbery nearly
unknown. Riots and affrays are not numerous, and, when.
they happen, usually arise from passion and impulse,
seldom from premeditation and revenge. Murder is the
most common of the heinous crimes, not for purposes of
spia3
ince
uleilailaatiraolyyn ,
bsbeeunsatsifitrdiovmoefttothhieenuiruanrjcypoo, naotntrs,dollareenctaddiymmtpaounrlyes impulse of flea.)
it.h people
spoliation,
higher
hhe The
castes and classes in Oudh, arnasdaueaelyclen of some classes of the
apoll thesept.ilate people—i—aoneasloulowsy7down as the province of Behar. Among
all
consequent on moinr abt,l e
ending g
too often in the
cause
of crime—jealousy, oamildan is
e u
murder th
of the weaker party. In Lower
ch.ivalr.on usailimtihptesulpaseseo.mtmoraCislastiditolnes,trtiahe
Bengal wife-murder is probably as frequent, but from no
forfacilities nt se eft,
o cf o
nI again,nsclqi au
ei swr
thal nyi c endemich
presentcr
difficulteis in its detection. In the Punjab it assumes
the dignity of an honourable calling, in proof of
which an eminent authority on the subject has re-
corded that boys are taught to earn their first turban by
the theft of a buffalo or a cow. In that province, under the
vigorous rule of the Lawrences and Sir R Montgomery,
it has been the subject of special legislation, and a combi-
nation of fine, flogging, and imprisonment is said to be
rapidly reducing it. The bulk of the criminal population
of most parts of India consists of burglars and thieves, and
the cause of this is easily determined. Houses are ex-
tremely insecure, there being usually but a mud or a mat
wall to oppose the entrance of a robber. Money is scarcely
ever invested—probably never by the bulk of the commu-
nity—and the wealth of the majority is kept in the form
of coin or of gold and silver ornaments, for the melting of
which the crucible of the receiver of stolen goods is always
ready. The temptation to steal, from the facility of con-
cealment and ease of execution, is consequently irresistible
to the idle and dissipated, who abound in most Indian
communities, and are nowhere more, numerous than in
Lower Bengal. The river robbers of Eastern Bengal, who
may fairly be regarded as fresh-water pirates, are also
numerous, a source of much mischief to river traffic, and
difficult to Apprehend and convict. The class of profes-
sional beggars is also numerous, and I believe usually travel
as fakuiers or religious mendicants. As a rule, in Bengal,
the majority of persons convicted of misdemeanours are
agriculturists or landed proprietors."