The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-02 00:00:00

MONTHLY PERIODICALS,

THE UNITED SERVICE.—The United Service deals
in a variety of subjects this month, some of grave
import, and others of a very interesting character.
"Promotion by Purchase, and Promotion by
Choice," enters into a delicate subject, and leaves
the matter much where it found it, although judi-
ciously pointing out the why and the wherefore
promotion should be made. For our own part we
agree with Lord Stanley that money should not be
allowed to usurp the place of merit, for it tends to
create heartburnings and dissatisfaction throughout
the army. If we wish to have the right man in the
right place, favour ought to yield to the call of duty,
and let merit take the post of honour. " Improve-
ments in Greenwich Hospital" deserves attention
in the proper quarter. There is no doubt that
things have been greatly altered in that much-
abused receptacle of the brave veterans who
have weathered " the battle and the breeze" through
many a stormy night and weary day, but much yet
remains to be done. It is with the sailor as with
his forlorn prize-money—the longer he is kept long-
ing for his own the better for those who are taking
care of his property. But those who make the law

and those who carry it into practice generally err on
the safe side, while poor Jack drifts to leeward till
the Cape of Good Hope sinks in the dreary distance.
The attempt to improve the naval widows' pension
and naval retirement is worthy of all commendation.
"A few Notes on Military Music in past Times"
awakens reminiscences of bygone days, which may
cheer up the soldiers' spirits. The article touches
on the antiquity of music in the camp and in the
field, from the very beginning of recorded time, and
almost beyond it. No doubt music has always
been a favourite accompaniment of the brave, for
who does not brighten up to the stirring strains of
minstrelsy and rush towards the march of troops ?
Even the little boys crowd with ecstasy to hear
" the stormy music of the drum." " Eugene's Sur-
prise of Cremona," some century and a half ago,
was one of those well laid plans of traitorous warfare
so cleverly designed that it was sure to succeed—
but for the bad luck of being too clever by half—
and so it failed, by the sense of duty on the part
of a French officer, and the stubborn gallantry of
Irish soldiers. The Marshal Villeroi, who com-
manded the place, was taken prisoner, but refused
to order his garrison to surrender, like a gallant
soldiers as he was. , " A Plea for the Staff College"
is a sensible idea, and merits adoption, for it would
give such a training to officers as might be ultimately
not only useful to themselves, but very beneficial to

the service. " The Career of Jean Raymond, a
French Soldier," is concluded at last, and leaves
him in a rather questionable state of happiness, even
though he has obtained the object of his heart,
having discovered a brother in his last desperate
affair. "On the Importance of a Knowledge of the
Physical Sciences, more especially Chemistry," is a
very useful paper, but how few military men can
find time to learn it so as to be practically useful!
"Naval Improvements and our Navy Retirements"
are interesting. How little is done in the one—
shipbuilding—while the expense in the other is so
enormous, some seventy millions in six years ! We
fear that " the system" which has so long prevailed
in our Admiralty must require a very stern correc-
tive before it can be thoroughly brought to meet
the public approval. In fact, it wants a clean sweep.
" The War between Spain and Chili" deals with
the subject as it deserves, and Spain will soon wish
she had never entered into so unprofitable and so
disgraceful a speculation. May such presumption
ever meet such a reward !

CORNIIILL.—" The Claverings" is continued, and
already the reader finds that the designing Julia
has made a bad speculation in her unsuitable mar-
riage. Lord Onger has died abroad, and unpleasant
rumours have reached England respecting the con-
duct of his wife. Harry Clavering seems likely to
get into trouble with his old love and his new ; the
various persons in the tale are ably described, and
it promises to be of great interest and excitement
" Notes on the Cattle Plague" are sure to attract
notice at the present time. The various evils that
have marked its course are here summed up, and
it is truly said that many things are necessary which
we may well pray for, such as the requirements set
forth in the special prayer ; among these are men-
tioned—" a spirit of courage into her Majesty's
Ministers,—a spirit of unanimity into the commis-
sioners, —a spirit of decency into the butchers, so
that they might resist the temptation for turning a
national calamity into an occasion for wholesale
robbery,—a spirit of moderation into the inspectors,
&c." In concluding this article the writer remarks,
that "up to this time the duties of fasting, prayer,
and humiliation have been pretty evenly divided,
the people have fasted, the clergy have prayed, and
the ministers have humiliated themselves and been
humiliated by others ; but at last we have reason to
hope for such energetic measures as are best calcu-
lated to overcome the disaster." " Jacquet in the
Press" contains an animated account of deer-stalk-
ing, and also some sage reflections on the wide-
spread of emigration that depopulates once flourish-
ing places. Those hardy sons of the land of the
mountain and the flood, who have spread over
Canada, New Zealand, 'Australia, the isles of the
sea, and the broad lards of the Far West have left
vacancies that are not filled up in their native land,
not easily to be filled up, and though an old man
of the mountain told a gentleman seeking for
recruits in vain where once he had no loss in supply-
ing the deficiency, that it was only the change in
the nature of the beast, and that if he went up to
his old haunts he would find recruits as many
as ever, but they had all got houses on their
heads. " Armadale," in this month's instal-
ment, is very eventful. Notwithstanding the
efforts of the Bashwoods, father and son,
the wedding takes place, and the pursuers are
baffled. In the description of young Bashwood we
find an admirable satire on one of the most con-
temptible crafts of the day, and the reader may well
feel indignant at the notion that this objection-
able individual is the prototype of many now infest-
ing our towns and cities, " the vile creature whom
the viler needs of soeiety has fashioned for its own
use—there be sat the confidential spy of modern
times, whose business is steadily enlarging, whose
private inquiry offices are steadily on the increase—
these be not the necessary detective attendant on
the progress of our national civilisation, a man
professionally ready on the merest suspicion to
get under our bed and too look through
gimlet holes in our doors." The real and
astounding history of " Miss Gwilt" comes out at
last, and we find that her marriage with Midwinter
is her third attempt at matrimony. Dark and
dreadful was the life of this woman in retrosp,ect,
and the worst of all appears impending in her
career, to judge from her diary written two months
after marriage at Naples. This story is a very
exciting one, and it is well kept up, which is a
difficult achievement. " Eccentricities in a Basket"
is a very medium sketch, that may serve to while
away an idle moment. We meet also with an
article on " A Visit to the Suez Canal." A. sketch
map is furnished of the Isthmus of Suez. It is said
that " if peace lasts until England shall have secured
an alternative route to her Eastern Possessions
through Syria and the Valley of Euphrates, India
may afford to laugh at the dictum of the First
Bonayarte." The first part of " The Study of
Celtic Literature," by Matthew Arnold, enters
fully into the theme, and contains much informa-
tion.

TIIE ARGOSY. No. 11.—This clever little craft
continues its course auspiciously, and is evidently
under the guidance of a skilful pilot, since its cargo
is not only brilliant, but varied, with gomething to
supply the wants of every pleasure-seeker. Charles
Reade continues his story of '' Griffith Grant"
with unabated vigour. It is told in a somewhat
old-fashioned strain, which affords a not unpleasing
contrast to the modern style of fiction. The
chapters before us are very eventful. The fair and
spirited heroine, Mistress Catherine Peyton, is
forced at last to decide between her two rival
suitors, and, woman-like, decides in favour of him
whom fortune has used most unkindly. A doubt,
however, is left in the reader's mind whether the
choice is altogether a wise one, and the writer en-
courages the suspicion by a hint of troubles to come
in wedded life. The first two chapters of another

. . ...
story, by the author of " The Nut Brown Maids,"
promises interest, and the second paper on " Will;
tering at Etretat," gives a pleasant picture 01
French provincial life. " A grave remonstrance
with some English travellers in Holland," by a
Dutchman, will raise a smile, perhaps, yet there
is a moral in the author's eloquent in
dignation. If willing to "do at rt°llle
as the Romans do," our travellers are seldom
willing on their return to judge Rome by
the Roman standard, but prefer, Procrustes-like, t°
regard everything not exactly parallel with insular
feelings and customs as either reprehensible or
ridiculous. Matthew Browne, whose essays are
generally very well worth reading, contributes some
observations on sentiment which contain a good deal
of truth. Sentiment, he shows, is not in itself
absurd or contemptible, but only its counterfeit;
and it is, in fact, only within the last generation or
two that the term " sentimental " has come to
..be
used in disparagement rather than in approval'
Arminius Vambery supplies us with a vivid and
interesting account of the daily and nightly pro-
gress of a caravan in the desert, and there isa
tribute in verse to the memory of the heroic Captain
of the London, from the pen of Sydney Dobell.
THE VICTORIA.--A long and animated account
of " The Travels of Lady Hester Stanhope" ()Pens
this number. Those who have not read her memoirs
will gather a very fair idea of her eccentric though
at one time very brilliant career. " Kalavarda "Is
a pleasantly written paper, descriptive of
Rhodes
and its simple villages. The story of " Trouble at
Thornhill" is brought to a conclusion. It i S a',,
eventful and complicated story, full of incident and
character. Those who like a sensational story'
though to do the author justice the style is not sew
sational, will find plenty to engage their attention.
Dr. Edmunds contributes an instructive paper °/1
" Pestilence," which originallyformed the substance
of lectures delivered at the Female Medical College'
The translation of Professor Laboulaye's lengthened.
and laborious treatise on the " Civil and political
Status of the Female Sex" is continued, and the
fourth book, which is now in process, refers to the
Feudal epoch. •
THE SUNDAY MAGAZINE, Edited by Thonl
Gutherie, D.D.—This is a well-written periodical) °
a decidedly religious cast, dwelling, however, rather
upon the common verities of the Christian faith than
upon doctrinal points of difference. The opening
story, " Annals of a Quiet Neighbourhood," is
,_.,f
of interest from its delineation of character, will':
" First Words in Canterbury Cathedral in 18601
by the Dean," contain some suggestions which eel
one may profit by.
I''
ig°
THE BOYS' OWN MAGAZINE. THE
~
MONTHLY MAGAZINE. Beeton.—These two pleasa°'
little periodicals continue their accustomed course,
amid stories of sieges, shipwrecks, trials for treason'
cricket, zoology, domestic animals, puzzles, eingc
mas, and perplexities of every degree ; they furnish
plenty of entertainment for their young readers'
Moreover, if the latter are ambitious, they have an
opportunity of seeing their names in print, an' °f
winning a prize of original essays on French trans-
lations.
THE INTELLECTUAL OBSERVER.—This is a Yalu-
able work, of an entirely scientific character, re-
plete with information on various topics which hav:
been recently discussed, or on which our knowledg
has of late years been considerably extended. Mau..
of the contributions bear names well known in the
scientific world ; and the studious reader, especially
if he has a turn for microscopic research, will find
the " Intellectual Observer" completely to his tas,t°.
THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. ISCP
111. New Series. Groombridge.—This is another
of those friends of the amateur and professional
gardener which are so useful and so easy of acct.
The " Floral World" is not adapted to those ".5
turn to their garden for an occasional half-hour's
diversion without very well understanding the rela;
tions between cause and effect. It supposes tha
its reader has some knowledge of practical botany'
and enters very fully into the art of cultivating
certain plants and flowers. The vegetable garden
,
is not forgotten, and a good deal of advice suitable
to the season is given.
THE MONTH.—Several interesting topics are dis-
cussed in the pages of The Month. We have,
sketch of the career of Sir Robert Walpole, wilic-I,
is the first of a series on English Premiers, an n;
count of Carmel and Beyrout, a paper on Wreathe
Wisdom, and the continuation of the interesting
story called " The Windeck Family."

.(0
(curt glir

HER MAJESTY•

WINDSOR CASTLE, Tlitiri,,daY•
The Queen walked and drove this morning, ac-
companied by Princess Helena.

Cheap Beef and Mutton.

The high price to which butchers' meat has 3.‘tyr
tamed, caused at present much less by the searciee
of supply than the monopoly which the
~0
differ°l3
between the wholesale and the retail value Pr°',
to exist in the retail trade, together with the Prct,
pect of a real scarcity in the next two or three 9eed
and enhanced prices in proportion, have e°ll6l;ll,7cer-
to the formation of an association of certain -"):'
pool merchants to draw supplies of salted beef I:th
mutton from Monte Video and other parts a swop
America, where cattle and sheep can be bad ill we
numbers and almost for the hunting. Last Year
had some samples of South American dried bee`tiwr
troduced to the metropolitan market, but, whe'lry
from the defective curing or the want of Culil3‘ool
knowledge, it was not appreciated. The Liverrdea
Company seem to have proceeded on the supP°shThre
that the defect was in the curing, and the2r:
old-
accordingly in their experiment substituted theses,
fashioned brine curing for the drying process•
terday, several gentlemen interested in this all ;I,
portant question of the supply of meat to Or coo
tinuously increasing population met at the sale-r°
on
of Messrs. Keating and Hunt, 11.1onument-yard'
t
the invitation of Mr. George Warner (late insP
to tese the
of culinary arrangements to the army), ,00-
merits of the meat imported by the new Liver. a
Company by the most satisfactory of all tes"!
chieh
meal consisting only of the cheap viands by
Our
it is proposed to supplement the deficiency ° ted
home-bred supply. The principle of curing ad°P ie-
is one which we are told is very largely Prac,t
both in Australia and America, and in fact
pears to be nothing more than the old well-11° in
process of curing in strong brine and pacl6niti,
tierces. It may, however, and probably d°°s are,
volve some specialities of which we are not aNr
as we are told that it is a process invented by
DS d
an
Morgan, of the Veterinary College, allDnbi the
that its peculiar advantage is that by it
.„ever,
juices are retained in the meat. Of this, b°" 0
there can be no doubt, that if such COrne-
A be , -
dtll'
we had the opportunity of partaking of Yes
ter
or as"
can be sold in any quantity, as Mr. Warr- tail,
p
serts, at 3d. per lb. wholesale, and 4d. per lb. () r
eats-
it
to the
will be of the greatest advantage fP the
tion of this country, and more especially o
bouring classes, who, we fear, unless some sue,.h
will
stitute is found for ordinary butchers' meat'
aftcrwal3l4
r
eutia
next year, and for two or three years
suffer severely from the deficiency of so ess it
article of food. For the army and n 3 00
will be a very valuable source of suPPIY:„ 50(1
beef is decidedly superior to ordinary •`,beiag
loses less in cooking* the loss upon the one t
er cal •
36, while upon the other it is only 20 ussrs.
As to the beef, the specimens served uP at cotioo-
- and Hunt's yesterday were unex door,
able. The mutton bad a somewhat gall-13'1;6°n-
000'
which, to some palates, might be °
able, but both were excellent food, and, along coin°
sional article of diet, will probably ere
.n
into general use. Mr. Dowling, of the IN a Jr.
rcsent
Was
Mr. Tyrone Power, of the Commissariat, "
at
Scott Robinson, urveyor-General, were .f
the luncheon. In the course of conversatio V
ontc
it wag
stated that 2,200 head of oxen were being in
every month in the form of this beef front
~6ed tO
Video, and that the supply could be increase
any extent.