The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENINGL MAY 25, 1867.

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HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
fHis DAY.—Morning, sh. 56m.—Afternoon, 6h. 20m.
ro-blorunow.-Iforning, 6b. 40m.—Afternoon, 7h. 9m.

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LONDON, SATURDAY, 31AY 25, 1867.

Last night, in the House of Lords, Lord REDES-
DALE moved the first reading of a bill for the pur-
pose of introducing the same provisions exactly as
Sir FRANCIS CROSSLEY had done, in connection
with the park he had presented to Halifax, respect-
ing the parks of London. His Lordship declared
that he did so as one of her MAJESTY'S subjects,
who wished for protection and comfort in the en-
joyment of the parks. The Government had brought
in a bill to provide for the prevention of further
meetings being held in, the parks, but from motives
of prudence the measure had not been proceeded
with. The very words used by Sir FRANCIS CROSS-
LEY were employed by the noble lord in the com-
pilation of his scheme, to the effect that the park
should not be used, on any accasion, for " the pur-
pose of holding political and other meetings, nor
for open-air proceedings, or celebration of anniver-
saries, of unions, clubs, or benefit societies." This
plan seems a wise one, and it would have saved a
great deal of confusion and loss if such a bill had
been passed some years before. Parliament is the
proper authority to deal with the question. The
respective corporations deal with the pro-
vincial parks, but in the case of the metro-
politan parks such a thing could not be
done. The Earl of DERBY said that he could not
express any decided oponion upon this subject while
it was being considered by her MAJESTY'S Govern-
ment. The law officers of the CROWN have de-
clared that there is no question whatever with re-
spect to the rights of the CROWN regarding the
Royal parks. It seems that the difficulty lies in
regard to the penalties for enforcing the regu-
lations, not in the right to make the regulations.
At present any person who violatei-- the bye-laws
the CROWN has a right to make in virtue of owner-
ship for the protection of the parks can only be
proceeded against as a trespasser, and that course
cannot be taken unless personal notice has been
given to the trespasser. This appears a very un-
satisfactory state of things, and few can believe
that a remedy is not loudly called for. As the noble
Earl truly observed, the penalty for trespassing
has been found quite inadequate for the purpose,
and a more efficient remedy is called for. There is
no doubt that the establishment of such penalties
as will prevent the violation of the regulations
which are framed for the benefit of the public, for
whose recreation the Parks are thrown open, will,
as Lord DERBY says, meet with general approval.
Lord PORTNIAN made some sensible observations on
this vexed question. He said that he did not see
why the law that was wanted for Hyde Park might
not be carried out for every park in the
king lorn, especially as there would be less
objection to the alterations if they were
not restricted to a particular place. The
bill was read a first time, but it seems doubtful
if the matter will be proceeded with ; at any rate,
the noble lord has done good service by calling at-

tension to the subject, which unfortunately, like
many others, never engages notice except at periods
of excitement, when judgment is perverted and
passions interfere to the prejudice of justice, and
prevent many from arriving at a clear understand-
ing of the question.

Respecting the Habeas Corpus Act Lord DERBY
proposed that the House should sit to-day for a
short time in order to receive a bill for the suspen-
sion of the Habeas Corpus Act in Ireland, it b,inz
necessary that no time should be lost in the matter,
because the existing law of suspension expires on
the Ist of June ; and in consequence of the
absence of the QUEEN at Balmoral a longer
period must elapse before the Royal assent

can be obtained. There is no doubt that
the matter will be satisfactorily settled, since their

Lordships' House will not be troubled with any of
the lengthy harangues which impede progress in
the lower branch of the Legislature. The import-
ance of the interest at stake will induca those who
may have scruples as to the advisability of the course
proposed to postpone their judgment, so as to avert
the mischief that might follow upon any delay in
keeping up that supervision and authority
which will alone secure peace in Ireland.

The Government have evidently resolved to use
every effort to carry their Reform Bill through both
Houses of Parliament this session, and in this de-
termination they will, we think, find themselves
supported by the majority in Parliament and in
the country. When all parties have pretty well
agreed upon the main features of the bill it would
be a matter of great regret if the substantial good
to be gained by the settlement of the long-vexed
question during the present year were sacrificed to
petty disputes about matters of detail, which are
really of little moment. The Ministers have not,
however, an easy task, and a new difficulty has
lately arisen from the impatience of Scotch and
Irish members with respect to their national reform
bills. Mr. DISRAELI last evening, in answer to an.
appeal of this kind, boldly declared that, unless for
a matter of State exigency, the Government did not
intend to proceed with any business whatever until the
English Reform Bill had passed through committee.
This is a prudent resolve, since the Commons can
be discussing the Scotch and Irish Bills while the
Lords are debating on the merits and demerits of
the English measure ; and it is evident that the
work yet to be done will not be accomplished
within the given time unless great efforts are made,
and the House keeps steadily at work. The Irish
members, however, always jealous for their nation,
are inclined to resent the inevitable delay, and last
evening several of them showed some temper on
the matter, and the fair promises of the Chancellor
of the Exchequer were received without much gra-
titude. As soon after Whitsuntide as possible,
promised the Leader of the House, while apologis-
ing for the postponement, and endeavouring to
soothe the wrathful Ilibernians, but he declined to
give them any anticipatory information, an instance
of reserve which was not surprising, considering
the criticisms and censures to which the coming
bill was anything but encouraging. Several speakers
professed themselves very eager to know the terms
of the bill, and to be satisfied as to particular points,
but as it was quite evident that whatever the bill
was to be it would find a host of objectors, the
CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER showed a wise dis-
cretion in refusing to satisfy their curiosity. Last
year he reminded them that the Irish bill was not
introduced till the month of May, and they were
still in the month of May. It is true that the ob-
jectors might have replied that Whitsuntide will no
longer find us in May, but they must remember
that the Scotch and Irish bills will be likely
to make much more rapid progress when
the English bill is out of the way. Mr.
DISRAELLI promises the Irish members that
they shall have plenty of time and opportunity to
dizcuss the provisions of the Irish Reform Bill, and
no doubt the same opportunity will be afforded to
the Scotch M.P.'s, who have, howew, usually less

to say about their affairs. it is the best policy on '
all accounts to push on the English bill. If we can
get a comprehensive measure agreed upon for Eng-
land, there will not be much reason to fear that the
remaining bills may be satisfactorily disposed of.
Mr. HODGKINSON is not inclined to acccept the
Government adaptation of his suggestion, so there
are more difficulties to be adjusted before the com-
pound householder is finally got rid of. Patience
and perseverance, however, can accomplish most
things, and we hope to see them achieve this
troublesome task before the Whitsuntide holidays.

By this time, we should imagine, that very little
surprise will be occasioned by the announcement of
anything that is done by the Prussians, but really
the conduct of the Berlin Government is most bare-
faced, and the demands made upon the people of
Prussia are quite inexcusable. The last news is
that the landed estate of Randnitz, in East Prussia,
is to be bought out of the public funds, and pre-
sented to Prince FREDERICK CHARLES, in recogni-
tion of his military services. This is a very
unnecessary arrangement, and there might have
been many other ways found for the recognition of
the said services, which, after all, amounted to very
little. The war contributions which Prussia has
insisted upon have been excessive, and the fact of
Hesse-Darmstadt being included among the tax
payers is indeed significant. It shows that no con-
' siderations of delicacy, no suggestions of courtesy,
and no motives of prudence even can possibly avail
to stay the course determined upon by these ruth-
less innovators. Surely in all conscience there is
sufficient loss occasioned to these unfortunate States
without their being watched after the fashion al-
luded to. However, there is no hope of escape or
reprieve for those whose destiny puts them in the
power of the Prussians, and all they can do is to
look forward to better days.

Of a piece with the rest of their assurance, the
Prussians now declare that three months is the very
shortest term that she can fix upon for the evacua-
tion of Luxemburg. Every one must know
that such an arrangement is an unnecessary
one ; but so it is. The French Government
do not put much faith in the matter of Prussian
subjects, and no doubt some means will be devised
whereby the word of promise may be kept in the
letter but broke in the spirit. It is suggested that
a " Rastadt question" may spring up eventually to
take tho place of a Luxemburg difficulty, but this
is not very certain as yet. The real danger lies in
the fact that a very bad understanding exists be-
tween France and Prussia, and there is no denying
it. So far the difficulty has been tided over,
but the affair is by no means a settled or a
secure one, and it wants but a spark to set the
whole in a conflagration. We may well rejoice at
the success of the London Conference, which has
tended to improve the state of things in both coun-
tries, but at the same time it will not do to shut
our eyes to the fact that lurking behind the fes-
tivities of Paris there is a shadow of coming
evil, and no prudent politician will be deceived
into the belief that peace will reign for a very
lengthened period.

Several efforts are being made to supply the lack
of schools for the poorer classes. The finance com-
mittee of the National Society for Promoting the
Education of the Poor have just set aside £5,000
to enable them to increase their ordinary grants for
building school-rooms when applications come from
thinly-peopled districts in England and Wales. It
is thought that in some such places the
schools, if they were once established, would
find means of support, and at any rate it
is desirable that opportunities for education should
be afforded to the people. The great want, how-
ever, is rather in our populous towns and great
cities than in rural and thinly-peopled districts, and
we only had to see a sensible and practical move-
ment towards assisting the education of the lower
middle classes. A meeting was held on Thursday,
at Wilton-place, Knightsbridge, in aid of the
self-supporting boarding schools in connection
with St. 'Nicholas College, Sussex. The object
of these schools is to provide a sound plain educa-
tion for the sons of small tradesmen—persons of
very limited means, the charge being only 14
guineas a year. How schools can be made self-
supporting at such a rate is a marvel, but so far as
they have gone they have been eminently success-
ful.
Only one wing of the intended building,
which is to accommodate 1,000 boys, has been
erected, but the demand for the admission of
boys, especially from London, is so urgent that the
erection of a second wing is found to be immedi-
ately necessary. The majority of the boys come
from London, boys being sent from every parish.
The class for which the schools are intended is more
strongly represented in the metropolis than any,
where else, and we can easily believe that the sup-
ply of a long-felt want will give great relief to many.
The lower middle classes have suffered more than
any other from the lack of public schools. They
are too high for the national or denominational
charity schools, and too low for the large public
schools, where men of some wealth or position send
their sons. A professional man or a merchant, if he
do not attempt to send his son to Eton or Harrow,
. can at least secure a good boarding-school, but the
struggling clerk or small tradesman who can only
afford fifteen or twenty pounds a year for the edu-
cation of his son cannot afford to be particular. He
must take what he can get for the money, and in
former days, before competitive examinations and
University inspectors had raised the standard of

instruction and afforded a test of the
ability of the schoolmaster, even costly pri-
vate establishments were not always reliable.
We are endeavouring to bring forward our lower
classes in every possible manner, but we shall never
benefit them permanently or effectually until we
improve the character and quality of their educa-
tion. The effects of a good and sound education,
however plain or limited, are felt during a whole
life, and we shall therefore be glad if the idea
which originated these schools can be extended in
other directions under other management.

THE PRINCESS OF WALES. —The increasing
severity of the weather has made the past week a
trying one, even for those who cannot be considered inva-
lids. Her royal highness has not escaped an attack of cold
and sore throat, a discomfort from which few persons have
been exempt, but which in her case was not particularly
severe, and was unattended by rheumatism. With the
exception of this passing ailment, the condition of the
patient has continued satisfactory. Nothing has occurred
to interrupt the process of repair which the affected joint
is undergoing. The limb is necessarily still confined in a
splint, kept iu an extended position, and suspended in a
cradle. No attempt at bending the knee has been made,
and, indeed, the joint is still so sensitive, and susceptible
of pain upon the slighest hint of motion, that its preserva-
tion in a state of absolute rest would be instinctive oven if
it were not made compulsory. There is nothing unusual
in the case, which is similar in charactei to a score one
may see daily in the metropolitan hospitals. Her royal
highness is in the ordinary condition of a person who has
had extremely acute inflammation of all the textures of the
knee-joint, including its cartilages, and the time has not
yet arrived at which any attempt at movement can be
safely made.—Lancet.
CRYSTAL PALACE.—The plants and fl)wers for
this day's great flower show began to arrive at four
o'clock this morning, when it at once became apparent
that this year's show would be a more than usually fine
one. It will remain open until seven o'clock, and, from
the agreeable change in the weather, a large attendance is
anticipated.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AUSTRIA,

VIENNA, May 25.

The Alinister of Finaned publishes this morning

the financial returns for the first quarter of the cur-
rent year. During this period the expenditure was
102,408,263 florins, and the revenue 86,107,401
florins, leaving a deficit of 16,300,862 florins. This
will be covered by certain funds in the public Trea-
sury, which are at the disposal of the Government,
and by some extraordinary financial resources which
are also available for that purpose.
SPAIN.

MADRID, May 25.

A royal decree has been published to-d y super-
seding several of the governors of provinces. The
law imposing a tax ou the internal stock will come
into operation on July 1.

ITALY.

FLORENCE, May 24.

in to-day's sitting of the Italian Parliament the
Government was requested to introduce measures
against the Victor Emmanuel Railway Company,
which had not fulfilled their engagements.
The Ministers of Public Works and Justice re-
plied that it would not in the public interest be ad-
visable to declare the forfeiture of the company's

privileges.
Signor Farrara has gone to Turin. The other
Ministers will leave here for that town to-morrow.

TtMIN, May 25.

The Queen of Portugal accompanied by the Duke
de Loule arrived here last night, and was received
by the Royal Princes and the municipality. An
immense crowd assembled to witness her Majesty's
arrival, and great enthusiasm was manifested.

The Late

.d tllisdia

The late Sir Archibald Alison was the son of the
Rev. Archibald Alison, author of " Essays on

Taste," and incumbent from 1800 to 1831 of the
Episcopal Congregation of the Cowgate, which,
during his incumbency, built St. Paul's Church,
York-place, Edinburgh. He was a brother of the
eminent Dr. William Pulteney Alison, Professor of
the Practice of Physic in the University of Edin-
burgh, who died a few years ago esteemed and.
honoured, not only fur his high medical skill, but
for his rare and disinterested philanthropy. The
deceased baronet was a cadet of the family of
Alison of Newhall, Forfarshire, and his grandfather
was a magistrate of Edinburgh. His father, in the
earlier years of his ministry, filled different incum-
bencies iu Shropshire ; and the subject of our
notice was bor❑ at Kenley, Shropshire, on the 29th
of December, 1792, and was thus by the accident of
birth an Englishman, though in all his traditions
and feelings and tastes a thorough Scot. His mother,
Dorothea Gregory, was the granddaughter of the

17th Lord Forbes. Sir Archibald was educated at
the University of Edinburgh, where he enjoyed the
advantage of studying under such men as Dugald
Stewart, Playfair, and Leslie, and where he car-
ried off the highest honours in the mathematical
and Greek classes, in one of which departments
of study (mathematics) it may be remarked,
several of his maternal ancestors had ac-
quired distinction. In 1814 he passed the bar
of Scotland, but he devoted the first few
years after obtaining professional status to a con-
tinental sojourn, in the course of which ho
made himself well acquainted with the condition
and history of the principal countries in Europe.
In 1822 he was appointed one of the advocates de-
pute under Sir William Ray, then Lord Advocate,
and held that office till the dissolution of the Wel-
lington Ministry in 1830. Shortly aftewards, while
out of office, he published his well-known treatise
on the criminal law, which soon obtained the cha-
racter of a standard authority on that branch of

jurisprudence. In 1834 he was appointed sheriff of
Lanarkshire by Sir Robert Peel, which office he
held up to the period of his death. In 1833 ap-
peared the first volume of his celebrated " History
of Europe from the Commeucemout of the French
Revolution in 1789 to the Restoration of the Bour-
bons in 1815"—a remarkable work, which has been
translated into nearly every European language,
kind even into Arabic and Hindustani. It may- be

mentioned that of the library edition of the history
108,000 volumes have been sold, and of the people's
edition 439,000 volumes. In 1852
.Sir Archibald
published the first volume of a continuation of his
" History," of which a good many volumes have
been published, bringing down the work to the
accession of Louis Napoleon. The continuation,
however, is generally admitted to want the fire and
animation of his original work, while it treats of
subjects that are really too new to be received in
the domain of history. As annals of the later
period,-however, they are full of interest and copious
in detail. Sir Archibald was also the author of a
Life of Marlborough," in two volumes ; " Essays
—Historical, Political, and Miscellaneous," ori-
ginally published in " Blackwood's Magazine," in
three volumes ; and " The Principles of Popula-
tion," in two volumes. Sir Archibald Alison was
created a baronet by the Government of Lord
Derby in 1852. In 1855 he was appointed Lord
Rector of Marischal College, Aberdeen ; and six
years later the University of Glasgow conferred on
him 91e same honour. In 1853 he received the
degree of D.C.L. from the University of Oxford.
The deceased gentleman married in 1825 a daughter
of Lieut.-Cul. Patrick Tytler (some time Assistant
Qaartermater-General for Scotland), and grand-
daughter of Lord Alva (Hon. James Erskine), Judge
in the Court of S2ssion. The deceased is succeeded
in his title by his son Archibald, born iu Edinburgh
ia .182 G, who married, in 1858, a daughter of Mr.
James Connell Black. With the present Sir Ar-
chibald's military career many of our readers are
familiar. Ile served for a good many years with
.he 72,1 IlighlAnders, and was through the principal
part of the Crimean war. Afterwards he was ap-
ooiuted to the S:aff of Lord Clyde, and served under
hat gallant soldier in the arduous campaign which

followed the Indian mutiny. He was present at the
capture of Lucknow. His distinguished services
gained for him in 1861 the honour of C. 8., and he
now holds the office of Assistant Adjutant-General
with the rank of colonel.—Edinburgh Courant.

IttELAND.

DUBLIN, May 24.

The most important case tried before the Dublin
Commission Court yesterday was one for tampering
with a soldier in order to induce him to transfer his
al!egiauce from the Queen to the Irish Republic.
Edward Butler was indicted for this offence. The
principal witness was the soldier whom he attempted
to seduce, John Rain, or Rein, of the 85th Regi-
ment. He was corroborated by Private Moore and
others. The plan adopted was treating the soldiers
to drink in certain public-houses, talking to them
of patriotism and tyranny, promising an early rising
for the delivery of the country; and then adminis-
tering the Fenian oath on a prayer-book. The pri-
soner was defended by Mr. Hamill. The jury, after
deliberating for two hours and a half, brought in la
verdict of guilty.
The charge was delivered by Mr. Justice Fitz-
gerald, who availed himself of the opportunity to
give some important admonitions to those who had
been duped by the Fenian conspirators. Addressing
the prisoner his lordship said :--
" You, a man who had been earning fair wages,
and your wife keeping a shop, are now, for the se-
cond time, at the bar of this Court, and obliged to
stand the sentence that this Court must impose
upon you. I hope that this case, as well as some
others that we had to try, will at last open the eyes
of the deluded people of this country to the conse-
quences of the confederacy in which they have been
engaged. And there is one circumstance that I
ought to allude to. It ought to be known in every
house in the country—it is a circumstance that
came before us this week. A person named Duffy
was tried here, as having been a leading member of
that confederacy. He was convicted, and he did
not deny the justice of that conviction. He was
a friend of Stephens, the head of that confederacy,
his bosom friend, his most trusted man ; and
he, standing in the position that you do, de-
nounced that Stephens as one lost to honour and
to his country—as one that had induced people to
come here to fight, pledged himself to be with them
when the time came, and who is now wisely amus-

ing himself at the French Exhibition. If there is
anything that ought to open the eyes of the de-
luded people of this country to their folly and mad-
ness, it is that one fact. But, however, when we
find, in the course of the trials here, that a delibe-
rate system has been attempted of inducing soldiers,
upon whom we rest fur safety, to abandon that oath
of allegiance which they had taken to the Queen,
and, in place of it, to swear allegiance to what has
been called the Irish Republic,' we would be want-
ing in our duty to the public at large, whom we
now represent, if we did not, by a substantial pun-
ishment, endeavour to repress that evil. IVe have
given our best consideration to the mitigatory cir-
cumstances of your case, to the facts of your good
character and previous good conduct, and to the
imprisonment you have already suffered ; but we
feel still that we should not perform our public duty
if we inflicted a less sentence upon you than that
you be detained in penal servitude for a term of five

years."

The prisoner was then removed. Loud exclama-
tions were made in the gallery by a woman, who, it
is supposed, is his wife.
A number of persons pleaded " Guilty" to hav-
ing arms in a proclaimed district, and were dis-
charged on their own recognizances.
The trial for high treason at the Cork Special
Commission was interrupted yesterday by a demand
that Capt. M'Clure, the principal prisoner, might
be permitted to withdraw his plea of " Not guilty,"
and put in a plea of " Guilty." Addressing the
Court, he said :

" My lords, I wish to say a few words to your
lordships in extenuation of my past conduct. I wish
the trial to go on, in order that my conduct on

the night of the sth of March should be before the
public. lam glad that no blood was shed on that
night, and no personal outrage committed, and that
when I had unarmed men in my power no insult
was offered to them. I was made to believe by
traitors that I came to assist an oppressed people,
but, finding I was fatally deceived by lies they told
me, I then did everything in my power to prevent
injury to any human being. My lords, I now de-
sire to save your lordships and the jury any further
trouble, and I ask liberty to plead guilty to the
charge preferred against me."
The Attorney-General had no objection, but he
cautioned the prisoner that he would be in the same
position as if he had been found guilty.
Chief Justice Monahan having explained this
matter to M'Clure, he said he was aware of that,
and persisted in pleading guilty. He was then put
aside, and the trial of the other prisoners proceeded.
A number of witnesses deposed to the overt acts of
rebellion iu which the prisoners were engaged, and
with which the public are familiar. Mr. Heron ad-
dressed the jury for the defence in a lengthened
speech, in which he dealt with the history of high
treason in Ireland. The Solicitor- ieneral replied,
and Chief Justice Monahan then chargad the jury,
who, after an absence of about an hour, returned a
verdict of guilty against the prisoners Kelly, Joyce,
and Cullinane, recommending them, however, to
mercy. Sentence was deferred.
By telegraph from London, his Excellency the
Lord Lieutenant has announced to the Lord Mayor
that he will receive the memorial from the citizens
at 1 o'clock this day, praying his Excellency to
spare the lives of the Fenian prisoners now under
sentence of death. The Lord Mayor being absent
on public business this intimation has been commu-
nicated to his locum tenons, Alderman Boylan, and
arrangements have been made that the deputation
shall assemble at the Mansion-house to-day, at 12
o'clock, and thence proceed to the Viceregal Lodge.
The May Flower Show of the Royal Agricul-
tural Society was held yesterday in the Rotunda-
gardens. The weather was favourable, the attend-
ance numerous and fashionable, and the display of
flowers, plants, and vegetables was one of the finest
ever seen in connection with the society's exhibitions
for some years past.

The Lord Lieutenant this day, in reply to a de-
putation to present a memorial praying that the
life of Burke might be spared, stated that he could
hold out no hope, not even that the execution should
be postponed. The Government, after anxious con-
sideration, have determined that the law shall take
its course.

At Cork M'Clure, Kelly, Joyce, and Cullinane
have been sentenced to be executed on Wednesday,
the 19th of June. James O'Brien is now on trial
for high treasbn.'