The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-07 00:00:00

An address by Sir SAMUEL BAKER could hardly
fail to excite deep and general interest, both from
the wide reputation of the speaker and his many
qualifications for a discourse upon geographical
science. The address itself, however, which the
eminent traveller delivered on Thursday morning,
in opening the section of which he was President,
needed no adventitious aid, but rivetted the atten-
tion of its hearers from first to last. Sir SAMUEL
BAKER, in tracing the progress of geographical
science, remarked upon the extraordinary progress
made during the last three centuries in com-
parison with what had been done before.
During that tune America has changed from
a savage state into her present high posi-
tion, and even more wonderful than the
rapid advances is the development of the great
country beneath our feet. " Within the memory
of many who are here present," said the speaker,
" the now important cities of Australia were mere
buds upon the family tree of colonies. Blessed
with the favourable conditions of temperature and
geographical position, they have burst suddenly
into bloom." Sir SAMUEL regarded the fine imports
of wool received from Australia as more important
and more significant of its future than even the
golden pyramid now shining at Paris. The locality
most favourable to the fine wool-bearing species
of sheep is that most favourable to the
development of the great Anglo-Saxon race.
Speaking of the future of our colonies Sir SAMUEL
foretold that full independence must soon be granted
to our great offsprings, Canada and Australia.
From these topics he naturally passed to the consi-
deration of our Indian possessions, and the changes
which a few years have wrought in them through
the aid of geographical science. He said that to
many of us it seems but an affair of yesterday that
the overland route to India was completed, but in a
comparatively short space the camel has ceased to
be the " ship of the desert" upon the Isthmus of
Suez. " A railroad connects the Red Sea
with the Mediterranean ; a canal already con-
veys the sweet waters of the Nile through
arid sand to Suez ; and a fleet of superb transports
upon the Red Sea convey our troops to India. Who
can predict the future ?" Thus asks Sir SAMUEL
BAKER, in summing up the great achievements of
modern science, and his predictions at least are not
cheerful. We have, he says, reduced space, and
brought distant countries into close communication,
but in so doing we have broken the spell that kept
our shores inviolate ; steam and railway lines have
altered the former conditions of all countries.
It is necessary to watch closely the move-
ments of Russia upon our Indian frontier,
and while speaking on this subject, Sir SAMUEL
BAKER, with great reason, said that he thought
we should, beyond all other geographical enter-
prises, look with attention upon the formation of a
new and direct route to India by the Euphrates
valley and the Persian gulf, so as to be independent
of any complications that might arise with Egypt
hereafter. It is always well to have two resources,
and the great distance of the seat of empire from so
important and valuable a part of our dominions
should make us keenly alive to the danger of
having our communications interfered with. The
Russians are making extraordinary progress iu
NorthernAsia,and their achievements in the explora-
tion of the Khinka Lake and the rivers Usuri and
Amoor are ranked among the recent victories of
geographical science. As Sir S. BAKER observed,
their energetic steps in this direction should induce
us to listen with more attention to the appeal of
Sir ARTHUR COTTON for an exploration of the un-
known land between the Burhampooter and Yang-
tze, so as to open a free communication between
China and India. This would be an important gain
to both countries, as well as a discovery of great
value to England, by affording another means of
access to our vast Eastern possessions. In America
the question of interoceanic communication is gain-
ing ground, and the exploration of a new route across
Nicaragua by Capt. B. Poi is to be anion g the interest-
ing accounts supplied to the present meeting. From
Africa there is little to be said. A dark cloud has fAllen

over this part of the story, and the mystery which
enshrouds the fate of one of our most remarkable
man saddens the retrospect of the year. Sir R.
MURCHISON, indeed, still clings to the hope that Dr.
LIVINGSTONE is alive, but Sir SAMUEL BAKER finds
only too much reason to fear that the accounts of
the Johanna men are substantially true. The na-
tives, he admits, are great liars ; but they lie with
remarkable ingenuity, and no native, in his
opinion, would commit himself by declaring a
man to be dead who was alive, and therefore
might witness against him. In any case
the despatch of an expedition to ascertain the fate
of the illustrious traveller is a matter for congra-
tulation, as, if alive, he may yet be rescued; if dead,
the arrival of an armed expedition in search of him
will teach the savage tribes of that part a lesson.
The public services rendered by the Royal Geo-
graphical Society are already very great, and Sir
SAMUEL BAKER cited, as an instance of the im-
portance of exploration, the information which the
Government had been compelled toseek from private
travellers respecting Abyssinia. Altogether the
survey taken in the address of the past and present
position of geographical science was deeply interest-
ing, and there is little doubt that, as time goes on, the
scientific student will live less and less in a world
of his own, but will be called upon from all sides
to assist and direct the affairs of the work-a-day
world.

The Reform Fete does not promise to exhibit a
greater specimen of Liberal unity than any other
arrangement of the sort that has taken place before.
Yesterday evening a fully attended meeting was held ;
Mr. G. Porrxn in the chair, and the various arrange-
ments were announced by him to be progressing
very satisfactorily. Many members of Parliament
had promised to come, and the directors of the
Crystal Palace had behaved in the most liberal
manner. Just as all was going on smoothly as a
marriage bell, the Secretary reported the receipt
of a letter from the Council of the Reform League
to the effect that they would not co-operate in the
fete, because, as the Reform Bill waa carried through
their exertions, " any celebration of its passing
ought to have been initiated by them." We aro
not surprised that this course was severely animad-
verted upon by the meeting. A resolution was
carried unanimously to the effect that the Com-
mittee regretted the refusal of the Council of the
Reform League to co-operate with them, but were
resolved to persevere. without them. Perhaps a
better satire than this mai apropos affair could
hardly be passed by the enemies of Reform, and
can we look for a better illustration of the want of
unity that exists among the Liberal party ? How
cau they say that they could ever have carried a
Reform Bill when their differences are so apparent,
and their jealousies are so notorious. Whether or
no the general public care much about this fête it
was not at all the thing for the Council of the
Reform League to throw cold water on it
after this fashion, and they only show their
pettiness of spirit by so doing. As for the
assertion that they carried the Reform Bill, it is per-
fect bombast, and nothing else. No great measure
of public interest and political importance was ever
effected by those who are so intent on self-praise,
and who talk so much more than they act. It is
strange that when so much has been said about
Liberal disunion and d:saffection so glaring an in-
stance of them should come to light. It reminds
one of the lines which tell—
" How seven cities fought for HOMER dead,
Through which the living HOMER begged his bread."

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Friday Evening.

The Moniteur of this morning announces, in its
Bulletin, that it has received from Copenhagen the
news of the death of the Landgrave William of
Hesse, father of the Queen of Denmark. The Here-
ditary Grand Duke of Russia and the Cesarewina
will leave Copenhagen on Monday next, to return to
St. Petersburg. Some reports of a Ministerial modi
fication had existed at Copenhagen for the last few
days, but the only change which had taken place
was the appointment of Bishop Kierkegaard as
Minister of Public Worship.
At the sitting of the Confederation of the North,
on the 4th inst., Prussia presented the law relative
to military service. The Assembly manifested its
opinion in favour of the resumption of negotiations
for a treaty of commerce with Austria. There is
now no doubt that such a treaty will be shortly
concluded.

The Memorial Diplomatique, which has often
access to official information, contains a rather im-
portant article relative to the last meeting of the
two Emperors at Salzbourg Its information on the
subject induces it to believe that the result will
prove afresh guarantee for the maintenance of peace.
This paper proceeds to contend that the precarious
situation of Europe is the result of the antagonism
which has existed, since 1789, between two hostile
camps, the one ostensibly supporting the ancient
social order which is falling into ruins, and the other
impatient to overcome every obstacle opposed to
he liberal aspirations of new generations. The
Lllenzorial believes that at Salzbourg Austria severed
the last ties which bound her to the Holy Alliance,
and that in concert with France she has decided
upon the policy of non-intervention in foreign
affairs as an invariable principle. It adds its belief
that "this salutary principle once introduced into the
code of nations will give to the mutual relations be-
tween States the sincerity and stability necessary to
put an end to the agitations of peoples, and sufferings
of humanity, and to insure a solid:peace based upon
justice, and containing in its imperishable elements
the guarantee of its duration."

It is irrevocably fixed that the close of the Exhibi-
tion will take place on the 31st of October. The
Moiziteur of this day renews its former notice from
the Imperial Commission to that effect. It also an-
nounces that proposals relative to the purchase of the
Palace and the other materials of the Exhibition will
be received by the Commissariat
.General until the
30th of September.
General Brauschlish, Governor-General, and M.
Hannecker, Commandant of the fortress of Luxem-
burg, have been relieved from their functions, and
appointed to other serrice in the army. These gene-
ral officers left Luxemburg on Wednesday last, and
also 800 men, forming the greater portion of the
Prussian troops in the fortress. There are now only
about 300 men in the fortress, and they are about to
leave it.
There will be some vary interesting trials of steam
ploughs and various agricultural implements at Vin-
cennes. The agricultural exhibition at Billaucourt
in the course of this week will command the attention
of vi:i tors, particularly those connected with agricul-
tural pursuits. At the trials which have already
taken place the English machine makers have proved
that their instruments are so immeasurably superior
to those of the French as to create universal admis-
sion of the fact. There were nearly 40 competitors
for prizes for horse ploughs, but it is only necessary
to mention those of Messrs. Ransome and Sims, of
Ipswich, and the Messrs. Howard, of Bedford, for
they took the lead in every respect—a very satisfac-
tory fact as regards English skill. The experi-
ments with reapers and threshing machines created
a vast deal of attention. Ransomes' K 1 machine
was brought into use, and with admirable effect.
All the wheat which had been threshed by the ma-
chines of the other competitors was passed through
it, and more or less grain was found in each
parcel, the quantity of which of course afforded a
test of the quality of each machine. This efficient
and admirable machine is to be seen in the agri-
cultural department of the Champ de Mars, and
also one of Messrs. Ransome's 'excellent new turn-
wrest horse ploughs. It will not be necessary to