The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-05 00:00:00

MONTHLY PERIODICALS•

BLACKWOOD.—" The Legacy of the late Govern-
ment" is the political article, and it certainly makes
out a very bad case for the members of the late
Ministry. What with sins of omission and sins of
commission, there is, indeed, a long list, and it can-
not be said that prejudice or jealousy has dictated
these strictures, for they are all true in the main, and the re-
marks concerning their remissness about the Army and
Navy aro much to the point. Comments are made upon
the shameful mismanagement which has taken place with
regard to the Poor Law Board, and the "horrible abuses
which, as it now appears, have been practised for months
and years in every workhouse throughout the metropolis."
India has been governed in a very unsatisfactory manner,
and our foreign relations generally have been conducted on
a false system. When we dwell upon these topics, and
consider how at home and abroad misrule has prevailed
and distress supervened, we may well say that no part of
the late Ministry's tenure of office became it so well as its
relinquishment of power. " The Great Unrepresented" is
a sort of answer to Mr. Mill's suggestion of female voters.
Its arguments are fair, and it is very truly said, in
conclusion, that there is quite enough for these
proposed heroines to do without entering on the arena of
politics. "We are content with that place in the world's
economy which God has given us, when our work slips
out of our hands, and we find our opportunities over, and
that the world at largo stands in need of us, then it will
be time to inquire whether wo can find a different kind of
situation, as it wore, in the system of the universe, but in
the mean time all our powers are necessary for our own
individual work." " Cornelius O'Dowd" continues his re-
marks upon various subjects, and seems this time to turn
his attention to the state of things on the Continent.
" The Great Woods in Winter" is an interesting sketch
of the peculiarities of those parts of the world where the
many appendages of civilised life are exchanged for a
wild and free existence. ' "Nina Balatka" is continued,
and becomes very complicated. There is also an instal-
ment of "Sir Brooke Fossbrooko," in which the story pro-
gresses considerably. "Westminster School" is brought
to a conclusion, and it is truly said that a general feeling
of regret would be experienced if the "old school" were
removed, however necessary the change might be, for
" the links of historical association have, for about three
hundred years, bound the school to the shelter of the
Abbey."

LONDON SOCIETY.—This lively and entertaining
serial keeps up its old reputation as a pleasant com-
panion for the holiday-maker, and never fails to
fulfil its promise of supplying " light and amusing
literature for hours of relaxation." There is often
a good deal of quaint information to be derived from
its papers, but it never professes to aim at more
than entertainment. The number before us is a very good
one. It opens with an amusing story, "The Burglary
at Fansted Eversleigh," which has at least the recommen-
dation of being very likely to give the reader a surprise.
" The Ethics of the Italian Opera" is a sensible discourse
on the moral tendency of some of our more famous musical
dramas, and the " Queens of Coniedy" gives us another
glimpse of theatrical life in the careers of Mdlle. Madeline
Brohan, Mdlle. Victoria, and Mdlle. Massin, all distin-
guished Parisiennes. An essay on "Dress" is sure to be
an attractive subject with a large proportion of readers,
and it is principally devoted to the discussion of the all-
important topic of crinoline. " The House of Overend,
Gurney, and C 0.," which has played so prominent a part
in this year's financial history, is the topic of an interesting
paper, and Mark Lemon's "Up and Down the London
Streets" is always worth reading. "A Ramble Round the
Royal Arsenal," and " The Gambler's Capita]," are among
the best of the remaining sketches.
COLBURN'S UNITED SERVICE.—The United Ser-
vice opens with a slight notice of our " Naval
Administration during the last Seven Years ;" and
with all its good-will to make the best of it, is
forced to confess that it did not come up to public
expectation, nor even performed what it professed
at starting. The fact is, too much time and money were
squandered in still endeavouring to uphold the supremacy
of the broadside against any other "side" of the question
in naval warfare. The very idea of a turret seemed wholly
to upset the Board of Admiralty, and it was only when at
last the strong tide of public opinion set in against them
that they turned round with the wind and fired away
against the Royal. Sovereign turret, in the full hope of
smashing it and Captaip' Coles's doomed invention to
gether. It was no matter at what cost, for they were quite
at home in spending money with little or nothing to show
for it. But here their turn came, for in spite of all their
broadside firing against the Royal Sovereign the turret
worked all the same, just as well after the terrible bolts as
as before the action. So the question, or doubt, or what-
ever term may best express the animus of disappointed
malice, was now set at rest, and the triumph of the turret
was fully established. Now, if this trial had come off at
first, and the real merits of the turret system had been fairly
tested, what a mint of money and sore perplexity would
have been saved, the navy improved, as well as our pesition
in point of naval standing before the world. But obstinacy
persisted, and now repents when too late. " The Army iu
India" discusses the propriety of reducing the number of
European regiments in the East, and partly supplying their
place by Beels or Arabs and other tribes quite distinct from
the Hindoos ; in fact, with any good troops that can
stand the climate. The suggestion is good, so far as such
can be trusted. But now that railways are becoming more
general, the facility of transporting troops from ono part
of the country to another will greatly strengthen our posi-
tion in India, by the proper attention to certain points of
rendezvous and the health of the men. By establishing
camps in the hills, and relieving regiments alternately,
fewer men will serve, and be equally efficient with the
breech-loaders, where many failed from diseases incident
to climate and other matters. " Influence of Length of
Service on the Mortality of the Army," is another of those
excellent papers on the health of our troops. It is surely
more economical to preserve the life of one man seasoned
to the climate, as well as being a veteran in the know-
ledge of his duties, than to enlist three raw
recruits, who have everything to learn, and to
run the risk of all the dangers incident to a
soldier's career—often to break down before ho has
passed the Rubicon after all. The sanitary condition of
the British soldier is a matter of national concern, and
well deserves public attention, justas prevention is always
better than cure. Indeed what concerns the health of the
soldier concerns the health of the people. There are
many circumstances which are exceptional, as affecting
individual health, but there are others which may be modi-
fied or diminished by care. Of these ten are here specified
They aro as follows :
1. Overcrowding or want of air.

2. Deficient exercise.
3. Defective or monotonous diet.
4. Inadequate clothing.
5. Night pork or night duly.
6. Exposuro to weather.
7. Intemperance.

8. Luxury or luxurious living.

9. Dissipation.

10. Insufficient occupation.

The writer goes on to show the mortality in the various
classes of the community, and exhibits a table comparing
the mortality of the soldier with that of civilians and
others :

Death per 10,000 per annum at the soldier's ages.
London Fire Brigade (ages 40-60)

Metropolitan Police
England (healthy districts) 77
Agricultural Labourers BO

Out-door trades in towns

Navy (Home stations)
City Police
England

24 Large Towns

Manchester
Infantry of the Line

Foot Guards
Household Cavalry

,„ 119

: 124
~ 187

204
110

Dragoon Guards and Dragoons
There are many other articles of various merit, some light
and some grave and statistical, which will afford useful
reading, such as the " Green Sub," " Tho Adventures of
Edmund Leigh of the Line," " The Naval Action off
Lissa," and Thurot, the Corsair,'" a very gallant and
most enterprising Frenchman, something similar to our
Paul Jones of famous memory ; " Curiosities of Naval
Literature," and "Recollections of Sandhurst," are full
of variety and adventure.
NATURE AND ART. No. 4.—Messrs. Day and
Sons' beautiful periodical has lost none of the attrac-
tions of its earlier numbers. The illustrations in
chromo and photolithography are fine specimens of
the perfection to which both branches of the art have been
carried. There are four of those plates in the number
before us, representing a portion of an ornamented sarco-
phogus, the whistling saudgrouse of India, a sheet of
Parisian curiosities, and a pretty landscape, supposed to be
a sketch from nature. It will thus be seen that there is
no lack of variety in the subjects chosen, while the letter-
press is full of entertaining and profitable reading.
SCIENCE Goss'? is continued in its usual popular
style, affording a good outline of scientific knowledge to
those wbo have no time for deep study.
TIIE ENGLISH MECHANIC. —ln this useful serial
we find all matters affecting mechanical invention, scien-
tific and industrial progress, civil and mechanical engineer-
ing, &c., treated of at length with liberal illustrations.
THE FLORAL WORLD. No. IX.—This is a use-
ful guide for the botanist and floristiwhether professional
or amateur, though rather learned for the gene:•al reader.

THE INTELLECTUAL OBSERVER.—It is the fashion
nowadays for every one to know more or less of
science, and accordingly there is no lack of serials
to supply the want. The one before us is an old
friend, having reached the 56th number, and possesses a
standard character. It has this month an unusual attrac-
tion iu a coloured plate of the plant known as Ladies'
Slippers. Among the most readable articles is one on the
plans of improving 1491u10; which COmParee our moduri

improvements with those put forth a hundred years ago,
iv an enterprising architectural reformer.
THE HOUSEHOLD. No. IX.—A very useful mis-
cellany for young, thrifty housewives of the middle class,
telling them numberless little things about domestic mat-
ters in a simple and practical style.
CHOLERA: ITS CAUSES, PREVENTION, AND SW'
PLE TREATMENT. TWEEDIE.— This little manual explains
the theories held relative to cholera by Joel Show, 31• Pi
and K. Trail], M.D., both strongly in favour of hydro-
pathic treatment. These essays are well worth reading,
if only for their general rules on sanitary matters, while
their opinions as to the efficiency of cold water deserve at
at least a fair hearing.

4W-
ordig