The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-17 00:00:00

THAMES.

FRIGHTFUL CASE OF CUTTING AND WOUNDING.—
brought before Mr. Benson, charged with cutting
John Spanberg,
and wounding C. H. Doyle, his shipmate, on board
a German sailor, aged 43, was
the New York packet ship Rhine.
The prisoner is a most extraordinary stern-looking
fellow, and stood with his arms folded over his breast
in one fixed attitude during the whole investigation,
and never spoke a word. A short time before the
Rhine left New York for England the prisoner was
released from prison, where he had been confined
six months, for assaulting and wounding a man.
On Tuesday, at 12 o'clock, the crew of the Rhine
were having dinner in the forecastle, and Doyle
asked the prisoner "Is all the dinner here ?" The
prisoner made no answer. Doyle pushed him
with his foot, and said, " You won't give any one
a civil answer." The prisoner rose from his seat,
walked across the deck, followed by Doyle, who
asked him again why he did not give him a civil
answer. The prisoner immediately struck the
prosecutor on the neck with his knife, inflicting a
serious wound. The wounded man fell to the deck,
and was afterwards carried to the surgery of Mr.
David Ross, surgeon, No. 175, High-street, Shad-
at
ow Shad-
well, lr,ar
ww.
Rossnh er e
cut
dhsei ssi
on‘rvei ohbuee
and dl
the
egawsa
wound, which
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nhe
ch assistantdepth
at at the back of the neck.

In answer to Mr. Benson, the prosecutor said
the prisoner aimed at his throat, but he dodged him
and received the blow on the neck.

Mr. Benson committed the prisoner for trial.
WANTON ASSAULT.—John Ivory, au Irish
labourer, was charged with assaulting Mr. John
Hughes, an accountant, living at Birxenhead, in
Cheshire.

The complainant, whose face was marked, said
he was passing along Grundy-street, Poplar, in
company with two friends, when the prisoner with-
out the least provocation struck him a violent blow
on the face with his fist.

Mr. Benson—And marked your face in the way I
now sec.

Mr. Ilughes—Yes, sir.

The prisoner said he was very sorry. Ifc did not
know why he struck the gentleman. lie was drunk.
Mr. llughes was recalled, and said the prisoner
was quite sober.
Mr. Benson—A most wanton assault quite un-
provoked. I flue the prisoner ss.

PLANTS GROWING ON THE SIDE OF A HOUSE.—
At a corner house iu Wilton-street, at the Grosvenor-place
end, a curious phenomenon may be seen in the shapo of a
number of cruciferous plants looking like turnips, which
grow by the side of a water-pipe, in a line from the top to
the bottom of the house, from between the corners of brick-
work, which has been recently placed there. Some of these.
plants must be a foot high, and they have been growing
in this singular situaiion for more than a month.—Lgnd
and inter.

THE ALLIANCE BETIVEEZV .AOSTRIA
AND FRANCE,

(Front the Univers.)

In his last letter our Austrian correspondent:-
told us that, according to all appearance, the in-
terview at Salzburg would result in an alliance
between the two Powers. To-day we are in a
position to give this result as positive, in . spite of
the assertions to the contrary of the friends of
peace at all price, or of the friends of Prussia,
and in spite also of the equivocal language of the
officious papers. It is not only a perfect under-
standing on all the great political questions which
preoccupy Europe ; it is more than that—it is an
alliance between France and Austria. Although
the articles of this alliance are shrouded in my-
stery, it may at least be surmised that it was love
of peace at any price which dictated its stipula-
tions. And how could it be otherwise ? how an
alliance between these two Powers—the one of
which must needs efface certain black spots which
have darkened the horizon of France, and th 2. other
is obliged to put forth all its strength to blot out
large and deep stains, and to free itself front the
stifling pressure of two terrible polypus which seek
to absorb and destroy Austria—how, we say, would
not an alliance between these two Powers compel
them to hold themselves in readiness for all even-
tualities ?

Yet this affiance, so necessary for Austria—this
alliance between the noble French nation and the
Austrian Empire, so much desired by the true
friends of Austria—why is it that they may not
rejoice over it with all their heart, and welcome it
with the enthusiasm which it seems to deserve ?
First; because many of the friends of Austria
believe that it is too late ; others whom past
events render mistrustful fear lest the advan-
tages it promises should all be on the side of
France, and generally, they doubt whether this
alliance rests on a solid basis offering a guarantee
of durability. Putting aside all that on the part
of France could inspire these fears and justify
these doubts, our correspondent at Vienna states
why the system of government introduced into
Austria, on whom an imperial decree has con-
ferred the second rank, or, rather, excepting some
formalities of etiquette, the first at the Imperial
Court does not offer to enlightened men in Austria
guarantees that in this alliance account will be
taken of the real interests of Austria. These
interests are involved in three great and vital
questions—the German question, the Oriental and
Sclavonic question, and the home question. It is
necessary to know what is the policy of the Baron
de Beast in order to comprehend the misgiving
which his policy inspires. To speak first of the
German question : —The unity of Germany under
Prussia is the death of Austria. Who will deny
this truth ? Prussia, the arbiter and supreme
master of the Confederation of North Germany,
will seek to extend its domination over the South,
in order to establish this unity to its own profit.
This is no longer doubtful. The Treaty of Prague,
it is urged, will prevent it from accomplishing this
object, and the strict maintenance -of this treaty is
one of the stipulations, it is said, of the Austro-
French alliance. But is this treaty still intact ?
Have its stipulations been carried out according
to the spirit in which they were framed? To begin
with where is the Confederation of South Ger-
many? It is true that the countries beyond the
main are not yet incorporated in the Confederation
of the North ; but how much of their indepen-
dence is there still left to them to lose before they
descend to the level of the States which are now
the vassals of Prussia, not to speak of Baden,
whose government deserves nothing better than
to abdicate in favour of Prussia. Prussia, owing to
the alliance offensive and defensive between itself
on the one part, and Bavaria and Wurtemberg on
the other, can, in case of war, dispose of the armies
of these two kingdoms ; whilst in Hesse-Darmstadt
a military convention makes Prussia absolute
mistress of the forces of the country, and of the
most important fortress of Germany. We may
add, that even in time of peace the telegraph and
the post-office are in its hands, in the same manner
as in the Confederation of the North. Moreover,
the new_ Zollverein, with its Parliament, places,
the money of these countries at the disposition of
Prussia—for instance, the tax on salt and on
tobacco. The former Zollverein, as is known, was
the most efficacious means in the hands of Prussia
to prepare what the events of the past year have
accomplished. The new Zollverein will serve to
bring about the completion of the work.
The _Prussian eagle, who holds in one of its
talons the bleeding heart of Saxony, has boldly
extended the other beyond the Main, and in this
fashion it awaits a favourable moment for seizing
with both its claws on all the German lands lying
between Bodenbach and Vienna. What, up to the
present, has Baron de Beast done to prevent this
progress of Prussia in the Southern States of
Germany ? What means has he brought to bear
on their Governments to parry the clever attempts
of Count Bismarck? Nothing. What has he done
to facilitate the formation of the Confederation of
the South desirable, if not in the interest of a
united Germany, yet at least in the interest of
Austria excluded from Germany ? Nothing. The
official organ of the Bavarian Ministry has given
him, on this score, a certificate of good behaviour
—good, that is to say, for Prussia. But perhaps
the Austro-French alliance will make good what
has been done against the treaty of Prague. Baron
Beust had not the courage to give his passports to
Baron de Werther, after the famous despatch which
that diplomatist sent to Count Bismarck on the
coronation of the King of Hungary, and in which
he offered insults to Austria. Perhaps encouraged
by the alliance with France, Baron de Beast will
display more energy ; perhaps he will henceforth
give his attention more to the true needs of Austria
without sacrificing the smallest interest of his new
country to those ideas of a united Germany with
which he has hitherto been infected. Perhaps he
may become convinced that what was to the in-
terest of Austria at the time of the interview of
Villafranca is no longer so at the time of the inter-
view of Salzburg, when Austria against her will
finds herself expelled. from Germany. This is
possible, but we- doubt much whether it be so.
Neither the past of Baron de Beast permits us to
hope for the radical conversion of the ex-Minister
of Saxony, nor does his present conduct convince
us that rancour against Prussia has effected such
a change in his ideas and aspirations. As for the
past it is too well known to need alluding to here ;
and as for the present the proverb applies—" Tell
me who are your friends, and I will tell you what
you are." Corvus corvo assidet. But who are the
friends and promoters of the political system of
Baron de Beust? They are the men of the Liberal
German party—the men who compose the actual
majority of the Reichsrath, the men whose ideas
prevail in most of the Austrian journals. And what
are the ideas which the leaders of this party enter-
tain in respect to Germany—•ideas which they seek
to impose by means of their organs on all the
German population of Austria? They may be
summed up in these few words: Do nothing that
may throw an obstacle in the way of development
of the unifying organization of Germany. What
M. Nefftzer, in a letter inserted in his journal, the
Temps, said of the deputies of the Reichsrath is
but too true : "The deputies," he said, " being
assembled to deliberate on the welfare of Austria,
discussed the question whether there was any
chance of seeing its German provinces united to
Prussia without perceiving anything repugnant in
such a reunion." But M. Nefftzer is just as cor-
rect when he observes " that the Minister in relying
on his majority alienates the non-Germans of Aus-
tria." Let us add that he contributes by such a
policy to the dissolution of the empire, and, never-
theless, it is just -this majority with whom Baron
de Beast identifies himself ; it is their leaders
whom he calls in to share with him the burden of
power.

ELECTION OF LORD MAYOR.—The election of
Lard Mayor will take place on Saturday, 28th instant,
Michaelmas-day falling on Sunday. All the aldermen who
have filled the office of sheiiff are eligible, but it is not at
all likely that the usual custom of:electing. the next in rota-
tion will be departed from, consequently the civic mantle
will fall upon Alderman Allen, of the Ward of C4eap.