The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-29 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1866.

The feeling which prevails in France concerning
Prussia continues to manifest itself in various ways,
and those who take a correct estimate of things will
not fail to appreciate it. The last indication of it is
a pamphlet published by the Marquis DE LA
ItOCIIEJAQUELIN, a member of the Senate, which
is a notable instance of the present state of feeling.
It is true that the writer declares that his views are
his own, but they are also identical with the sen-
timents of the public. Ilis matter is admirably
select, and may read more ways than one under
the peculiar circumstances of the case. "If
the prince favours free souls he will have
subjects, if servile souls he will have slaves."
The object which the Marquis has in view is a bold
one, and perhaps it might be in the end the safest
course to adopt. He counsels France to go to war
with Prussia, and thus prevent that Power from
completing the work she has undertaken, namely,
the reconstruction of the treaties of 1815. He knew
that in this idea he was by no means alone, and that
were the EMPEROR to subscribe to this he would be
eagerly supported by many. He is, however, the
best judge of his own resources, and knowing full
well how much depends upon success, he is quite
right not to venture unless he feels certain of not being
taken by surprise. Meanwhile, though war is not at
present to be expected in France, there are so many
signs and tokens of discontent prevailing in influen-
tial quarters that before very long there is every
probability of a change taking place in the relations
between the two Powers. Another cause of irri-
tation to the French is the recent determination of
the Prussians to hold Mayence permanently, and
they even declare that it is a condition of making
peace with the Minor States. Really it would
almost seem as if the politicians of Prussia were
seeking to offend and annoy the French as much as
possible, and we are at a loss to account for the cause
of such unwise conduct. Knowing the previous state
of affairs how much wiser it would be to give in in
some small points, and make some sacrifices,
rather than provoke a Power they may one day
find it impossible to withstand. Elated with the
remarkable success he has met with, however, it
SOCIDS quite impossible for Count BISMARCK to show
any modcraticn whatever, and whoever is pleased
or otherwise, on he passes to his goal, reckless of
present evils, and totally unmindful of future dan-
gers. Tho acuteness of the politicians of France is
far too great to be taken in by any of the professions
of the Berlin diplomatists, and the comments inge-
niously made by interested parties on the acts of the
KING and his Ministers are quite ineffective. ‘,

The Siecle has very ably criticised the answer of
the King of I='IIIISSIA to the Chamber of Deputies,
and declares that, when the Chamber had rendered
the task of reconciliation easy, the KING announces,
in plain language, that he thanks the Deputies for
granting him a bill of indemnity for having governed
the country contrary to the Constitution ; and he
gives them notice that he will pay as much
attention to the Constitution on future occa-
sions as on past ones, should the opportunity
occur to induce him to do it. The comment
subsequently passed is a very true one, namely,
that the Ring Of PRUSSIA may " ultimately find to
his cost that it is more difficult to govern despotic-
ally a people who wish to be free than to have a
week's campaign with a decrepit Empire." It is a
significant circumstance that the Chambers, having
fulfilled their mission of sanctioning the Prussian
spoliation of the minor States, and acquitted the
Government of the onus laid to their charge, are
now to be sent to the rightabout, and the greatest
despatch is being made with all necessary business,
in .order that they may be closed by the Bth
proximo. So much for the first step in the grand
scheme of Constitutional Reform.

The British Association continues its useful and
interesting labours, and the multitude and variety
of the subjects discussed before the different sections
-would constitute of themselves a moderate educa-
tion. Occasionally the members have the advantage
of lighting upon a very practical paper, which deals
with some of our social or domestic difficulties in a
manner calculated to do real service. One of these
was yesterday read before section D by Mr. BITCs-

LAND, no mean authority, " On the scientific cul-
tivation of a salmonriver." It has long been known
that the comparative scaarcity and dearness of sal-
mon is due to our own tnanagemnent, and indeed our
fisheries in every department do little credit to our
discretion of knowledge of natural history. "There
is as good fish in the sea as ever came out" is an
old saying, which is true literally as well as figura-
tively, and there is a further truth, which is that all
the fish that come out of the sea bear a very small
. proportion to those that remain in it. The
development of our splendid fishing grounds
is a source of national wealth as yet but
very imperfectly understood. Salmon fishing
is of course of an exceptional character,
but there is no denying that we have made great
mistakes, and that even in our endeavours to pro-
tect the fish we have blundered considerably. Our
favourite system of poisoning our rivers has been
most inimical to salmon culture. So averse is this
fish to the extraordinary compounds which we
flatter ourselves are fit to drink that it will not
ascend a river filled with sewage. It waits
for the flood tide and goes up in the purer
waters. Mr. BUCKL AND says confidently,
after careful study of the subject, that
that if the cultivation of salmon in the Thames were
attended to in ten years there would be an abundant
supply. The Thames used to be a salmon river,
but the salmon are now prevented from going up by
the weirs. But in almost every river the unfortu-
nate salmon has enemies to contend against, traps,
haicks, cormorants, herons, and otters, the latter
actually bunting them for sport as well as for food.
Steamers, too, delay their progress, but, worst of
all, are the millers and the poacher's. When a sal-
mon comes to a water-wheel it will stay by it for
days. The miller stops the wheel, the sal-
mon goes on, and is caught in his net.
But the poachers are far worse. Mr. BUCKLAN D
jokingly said that he beard from a converted poacher
a confession that made his hair stand on end—he
used to feed his pigs with salmon ! Even less out-
rageous culprits do a terrible extent of mischief, it
being no uncommon thing for one poacher, during
the winter months, to destroy 1,000 salmon. A little
trouble taken to preserve the salmon fishery very
soon shows its gocd effects. The idea of
catching the fish as it ascends the river
to lay its eggs is very like the wise
lad who killed the goose for the golden treasure. It
is evident that such a method cuts short the future
supply ; and doubly so, because the salmon has a
well-known habit of returning to lay its eggs where
it has been itself hatched. A good deal of infor-
mation respecting the habits of the fish was given
by Mr. BUCKLAND, and confirmed by other gentle-
men present. Mr. WRIGHT, in corroboration of
what had been said respecting the increase of salmon,
said that three weeks ago he had been looking over
the bridge at Galway, where he saw the salmon in
ranks like soldiers, from 300 to 400, waiting till
the stairs opened. Some years ago, not half-a-dozen
were visible, so that the increase is very marked.
Mr. BUCKLAND'S paper was listened to with the
greatest interest, and will, we hope, give a stimulus
to the efforts now being made to encourage the cul-
tivation of salmon, an endeavour the more neces-
sary, as all our ingenuity seems hitherto to have
been very effectively directed to the getting rid of
salmon altogether.

The report of Dr. LETHEBY, the medical officer of
health for the City of London, on the quality of the
water from the pumps and surface wells of the City
is, without doubt, a most important and interesting
theme at the present juncture. He has made a report
of the average results of his numerous analyses of
these waters during the last five years. The con-
clusion at which he arrives is one very unfavourable
to the condition of the water in the localities, and,
indeed, he advises that none of the water furnished
by the City pumps should be used for domes-
tic purposes. No one who reads any part
of his statement will be surprised at this deci-
sion, and, indeed, it seems only strange
when we peruse these details that sickness and mor-
tality do not prevail to a greater extent in the City
and its environs. Dr. LETHEBY states that water
which contains such products of corruption cannot
possibly be admitted into the human body without
" danger " or " insidious mischief." At the present
time the risk of imbibing such impurities is far
greater. To illustrate this he gives an account of
the cholera which broke out in St. James's, 'West-
minster, in 1854, and which was traced to a pump
in Broad-street that was a favourite one. Of the 73
persons who died during the first few days of the
attack 61 had drank the water from the fatal pump.
Even those who lived at a distance, and had the
water sent to them on account of its supposed purity,
were attacked with cholera. This certainly furnishes
a striking instance of the great dangers that ensue
from impure water, and people cannot possibly be
too careful how they drink what has not been pro-
perly examined. Another example is furnished
from a village in Surrey, where the people on
one side of the street were attacked, and it
was ascertained that the common pump
for that side had become polluted with
the soakage of the adjoining sewer. Directly the
pump was interdicted the spread of the disease was
arrested. Many similar cases occurred during the
cholera attacks of 1848-9 and 1853-4, which
showed the influence of water in propagat-
ing disease. All these, adds Dr. LETHEBY,
are " warnings of the danger of using water
pollut
nor
polluted with sewage and the drainage from cess-
pools,are the percolations from the graveyards
of a city less injurious, for experience has demon-
strated that these also are a prolific source
of disease." Finally,
thatwe Mthaey
waterwell concurfremthien tli
remark of the doctor,
sur-
face wells of the metropolis is quite unfit for public
use, " and that no natural process of oxidation can
render it safe." The sooner the authorities
coincide with this opinion the better it will be for
the health and comfort of the community.

The prorogation of the Canadian Parliament took
place on the 15th inst., and happily the Governor-
General was able, in dismissing the members, to
congratulate them upon theapodsivtiiognoroofus measures,thecolony.
Thanks to their own prompt n
thanks also to the wise and kindly interference of
the American Government, the excitement pro-
duced by the Fenian manoeuvres is altogetherataonf
end, though a strict watch is kept on those parts
the frontier where any disturbances might be
threatened. The spirit and patriotism of the
colonists has been unmistakeably shown during the
crisis, and the Governor now expresses his
gratification at the provisions which the Legisla-
ture has made for those who have suffered during
the struggle. The votes for the defence of the
country have been on a liberal scale, so that
the Government will be able to improve
oefl eg rh
anxiousi
the efficiency of the Volunteers in every
respect.
rerhe triumphant conclusion of the great
t
whicheexx,p.)elocitta,tionin hbasothbeehnensloislpohnegreas,sunbajteuc-
rally subject
occupied a prominent place in the Governor's
address. Anothen important topic was the pro-
posed confederation of the provinces, which will,
that
we hope, before very long, become an actual fact.
Altogether the prospects of our Canadian
trust kinsfolk
the
are hopeful and promising, and we