The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-19 00:00:00

A PLEA FOR A CONGRES2.

(Ron tko invalide I?itsse.)
The state of Italy requires discussion by all the
great powers in common. If the elements of dis-
cord are suffered to remain there, if the wants and
desires of the Italian people are trampled under
foot, and if it is pretended that the, legitimate
aspirations of the country are to he stifled by force,
the present peace will not have good results.
'Troubles and sanguinary scenes will be sure to
break out and be enacted there. It is-to prevent
this eventuality that the meeting of the congrtss is
in our opinion indispensable. But this, congress
ought not to be circumscribed within the narrow
circle of a programme previously chalked out, and
from which, in order to please this or that power,
questions concerning dynastic privileges or those
derived from treaties have to be excluded.
The congress ought to have fall power to discuss
the general state of Europe and fix the firm and
immutable basis of the international relations, and
even of the internal legislation. The condition of
Italy is tottering and full of dangers, and, unfor-
tunately, it is not the only one that is darkening
the horizon 'of the future.

There exist in Europe other and most important
causes of disagreement. Austria and France,
armed in a formidable manner, may fall out once
more, and this fatal collision will inevitably drag the
whole of Europe into an endless contest. The state
of Germany and the system of the Germanic Con-
federation, the work of Metternich, ought to
undergo a change.
The tendencies towards unity that broke out in
Germany with such violence in 1848 are beginning
anew, and threaten revolution. It is urgent that
reforms should be introduced into it, and that in
lieu of this mouldering edifice of the dynastic con-
federation a structure based on the confederated
states of the peoples should be raised. The per-
manent discords between Denmark and the German
Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein, stilled for a moment
by the noise of more important events, are yet far
from being finally appeased. They ought 1 kewise
to be brought before the European congress for its
judgment.

Lastly, Europe ought to reflect seriously and de-
finitively on the strange situation of Turkey. Sad
experience now proves that all hope.of its reorga-
nisation is utterly lost ; the sick man of yesterday
lies now in a hopeless state.
The existence of this monarchy, with the present
forms of government, in the heart of Christian and
civilised Europe would only, be for the future a
permanent apple of discord ; its longer existence is
therefore impossible. It is high time to come to
a reckoning, and have done with these Turcoman
hordes, who for four centuries have tyrannised over
six millions of our co-religionists, taking advan-
tage of the egotism and lamentable disunion of the
Christians.

These are serious subjects for the labour of the
future Congress. Time will show us whether this
Congress will know how to maintain itself on a
level with the great mission to beiebtfided to it.

DISTRESSING BOAT ACCIDENT ON

THE _RIVER.

THREE LIVES LOST. _
One of the most distressing accidents that has
occurred on the river for some considerable time
happened on Wednesday afternoon near Putney-
bridge, whereby the lives of a young man, a fine
young woman, and her sister were lost.
It appears that Mr. Johnson, a young man about
25 years of age, a barge owner, carrying on busi-
ness at Rotherhithe, had been paying his addresses
to the daughter of Mr. Prince, the landlord of the
Yorkshire Grey public-house, near the Cadogan-
pier, Chelsea. On Wednesday afternoon he pro-
posed a ride upon the river, and he was accompanied
by the young lady and her sister, a little girl about 7
years of age. Upon reaching that part of the river
opposite Wandsworth-fields on the one side, and the
grounds of Sir F. Rowe on the Middlesex side, the
boat suddenly capsized, and the three were imme-
diately struggling in the water. The young girls,
not being able to swim, soon disappeared, but Mr.
Johnson must have swam some short distance before
he sank; as his body was subsequently discovered
lying upon a mound of mud before Sir Frederick
Rowe's premises. It appears that no person actu-
ally witnessed the unfortunate occurrence, but the
deceased were seen struggling in the water, and
that must have been immediately afterwards. Some
person rowed up to Putney-bridge very much
alarmed, and stated that a boat had been over-
turned, and that the occupants were in the water.
The watermen at Putney-bridge quickly put off in
their boats, as also some at the Feathers at Wands-
worth, but their services were of no avail. They
were only in time to pick up the sculls and to recover
the boat, which was what is termed a small gig.
The river was dragged for several hours, and about
eleven o'clock Alexander Phelps, one of the Putney
watermen, discovered the body of Mr. Johnson
lying upon the spot above described. There is no
doubt that the deceased swam in his clothes as far
as he could, and then sank from exhaustion. It is
presumed that the accident was caused by their
playing and laughing with each other, and, as the
boat was not of that character to permit of it, the
frail vessel soon overturned.
The whole of yesterday a number of persons were
upon the river dragging for the bodies of the unfor-
tunate young girls, but up to the present time they
have not been found. Mr. Prince drove on Putney
Bridge about ten o'clock, and appeared almost
heart-broken at the sad event. The body of Mr.
Johnson was taken to the Swan public-house,
Fulham, where it now remains awaiting an inquest.
The age of the eldest girl was 19. The greatest
excitement prevails in the neighbourhood of the
bridge.

THIS DAYS MARKETS.