The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-10 00:00:00

LONDON, 11IOND-1 DEC. 10, 1866.

Weather prophets have long lost much of their
authority, and even meteorological science itself gets
into difficulties occasionally, if we are to judge by a
recent intimation to the effect that the storm sig-
nals are to be abandoned, not being reliable.
The advance of intelligence has made us more
sceptical, if not more wise, and, accordingly, old
MoonE and his associates find their circles of dis-
ciples narrower than of old. Men do not find it
difficult to explain the occasional fortunate fore-
casts that they find by long experience in watch-
ing events, and by great sagacity on the part of
the prophets. We get sometimes, however,
the fulfilment of a particular almanac, but
of some old general saying, which is, to
say the least of it, singular. Such is the almost
literal fulfilment of an old rhyme in the Harleian
MSS. which the curious in such matters have re-
cently brought to light. It refers to a Monday
Christmas, which it tells 113 will he succeeded by " a
great winter." This was really the case last year if
we regard the severity of the temperature ; but the
ancient rhymester appears to have intended the
word in another sense. It is to be, he says_

•
" Full of winds both loud and shrill;
Ilia in summer, truth to tell,
High winds shall there be and strong,
Full of tempests lasting long,"
which prophecy was certainly realised in the furi
ous exceptional tempests of 1866. Among the re-
waining anticipations are two which time has proved
singularly correct. lie says :

"Battles they shall multiply,
And great plenty of beasts sball die."

The "battles" were more important than numerous,
and the beasts died from plague immediately before
Bs well as alter the Monday Christmas, Still 01

—_—_------;--
general faithfulness of the forecast is not a little'
singular.
The gales of wind appear to have not yet ex-
hausted their strength. Beginning with the tem-
pest which sunk the unfortuate London, and did
such mischief on our coasts, they have continued at
intervals throughout the year. Last week the
gales were violent, and did much damage
in several ports. We hear of narrow escapes
and gallant rescues from Llandudno, Holyhead,
\
Fleetwood, Cornwall, and Durham. In all these
cases the lifeboats of the National Institution played
I a conspicuous part, and, as on every occasion,
boats and crews alike keep up the reputation of
the association. Last Thursday a meeting was held
at the Society's Rooms iu the Adelphi, when liberal
sums were voted to men who had been fortunate
1 enough to save life under circumstances of danger
and difficulty. The silver medal of the institution
was voted to Mr. Wit. RowLANDs, coxswain of the
Holyhead lifeboat, for his long and gallant services.
Mr. RowLANDs, however, is not inclined to rest upon
h's laurels, for we find the Holyhead Lifeboat
specially mentioned in the records of the gale of
Friday. The society is never at a loss for brave
and efficient servants, the very danger and difficulty
of the task commending itself to our stout-hearted
sailors and fishermen.

This year, which has taxed heavily the resources
of many benevolent associations, has not spared the
National Lifeboat Institution. We find that at
Thursday's meeting £1,500 of the funded capital
was ordered to be sold out to assist in defraying the
very heavy payments necessary on the various estab-
lishments. During this year the society has expended
£29,650 on its stations, which now number 172, and
during this eventful year it has assisted in saving
more than 800 lives. Such work as it undertakes
cannot be efficiently done without great and con-
stant outlay, but there are few associations which
can show more definite results than the National
Lifeboat Institution. In most charitable or bene-
volent enterprises the subscribers or friends of the
undertaking have to be satisfied with doing their
best without realising the ultimate good resulting
from their efforts. The National Lifeboat Insti-
tution, however, can actually point to so many
lives saved, to so much property preserved, to so
many catastrophes averted. i\=ova that the storms
of winter are making themselves felt with so much
severity, it is to be hoped that they will remind
liberal hearts of the heavy claims on this useful as-
sociation, for though the " Monday Christmas"
will not recur for some years to come, there is little
prospect of a diminution of the wrecks and disas-
ters at sea.

Prussia seems likely to engross all our attention
just now, all that we can spare for Continental
affairs at any rate. Those who have all along per-
sisted in believing that, notwithstanding the con-
fusions incident on the war, better results would
speedily follow, will find themselves greatly mis-
taken before long, if they are not already undeceived.
In point of fact, there was no reason why some of
their operations should not have been realised, be-
cause the very power Prussia had acquired might
well have made her magnanimous. It is, however,
sad to reflect that thevery reverse is the truth, and that
all the use which the Berlin Government has made of
its enormous resources has been to trample upon the
rights of every one and to interfere with all the
privileges of the place's which they have seized. The
last news from Hanover is very startling to peruse;
it tells us that Count KIELMANSEGGE, Commander
of the Cambridge Regiment of Dragoons, has been
sent to the Fortress of Minden for having urged
some subordinate officers not to enter the Prussian
service. Herr REICHE, of the Civil Service, has
been suspended from his functions. The Governor
of Ilanover has also instructed the Finance Depart-
ment to fix, by the Ist January next, the amounts
of the pensions which may be claimed by the
officers of the late llanoverian army, because from
that date they will cease to receive their pay.
These fragments of information may well be re-
garded as the beginning of the end, and types of
that certain and comprehensive change which
Prussia will shortly work out in the affairs of Hano-
ver and all other States she can meddle with.
Allowing, for the sake of argument, that there might
have been more reason for harsh proceedings if the
Count KIELMANSEGGE had been exciting the
officers and soldiers against their new mas-
ters, there cannot be the shadow of ex-
cuse for the course just adopted under the
actual circumstances of the case. It has come
to something indeed if people are to be forced to
enter the Prussian service bon gre 2nativais gre, as
the case may be. Another piece of downright
equivocation is the reply of Count BISMARCK to the
deputation which waited upon him from Hader-
sleben on the subject of North Schleswig. He
stated that the popular vote would be taken as to
whether those districts were to belong to Prussia or
Denmark, but that it must be deferred until after
the " consolidation of the state of affairs gene-
rally in the Elbe Duchies." What absurdity this
thatis7 whenthere
no
occaosnioen for such
perfectly
•
isever i
adelayto
takel
place. We should not be at all surprised if the
matter were to drop altogether when this said con-
solidation is over, and if the inhabitants of North
Schleswig were never allowed the opportunity of
deciding their own affairs, and being instrumental
tesedofi
irritation,
t it
a instancest
i.O on f,
in the determination ocaoftnstheir
ttfecapatee.
causes
and indignation of all
od :Ids
cue re 1
ts ti
ch 0 r n
sohpolll u‘r Tleids 81
° i :ern:wale:lr
censure
.
rusilan statesmen.
observers, and call down many a
upon the course of r The
manifesto of KARL BLIND, which has been
extensively circulated in Germany, and reprinted by
a number of Democratic and Liberal papers in the
South, is very significant in its tone and temper. It
is sharp and cutting in its comments on recent
affairs, and we can fancy the rage with which Count
BISMARCK and his friends will peruse it. IVe can-
not see that there is anything to gainsay in its
strictures, however, and they contain a great deal
worthy of notice—a great deal that may be scanned
with profit by those who are essentially waverers,
and not easily led in a straightforward direc-
tion. Of these KARL BLIND is the stern critic
and the relentless judge, and we consider with good
reason, for they are the great enemies of social
progress and the insidious foes of liberty in its direct
and indirect forms. We are not surprised that the
writer of this exclaims regarding these marplots—
" take position, friend or foe ;" he is maddened at
the sight of their inconsistency, and rendered
wrathful when he hears their insincere remarks.
" Yesterday democratically inclined, to-day the
admirers of the victory of Konigsgratz," as he truly
styles them, they now pretend to see in the success of
their enemies the working out of their schemes and
the fulfilment of their desires. KARL BLIND iS do-
(lucid in
his denunciation of such trickery, and
shows forth the fully of these pseudo-Liberals in
glaring colours. ~ N
" says he, " shall we allow
royal crime to be representedeve to us as the cloud's
silver lining, which indicates a better future ; never
shall the authors of the misfortunes that have be-
fallen the nation be acknowledged by us as the

chosen chieftains that are to lead the people into the
field of fertile freedom, Were we to yield to such