The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-05 00:00:00

TILE ARMI.

The departure of the E battery of the 4th Bri-
gade of Field Artillery from Bristol for Woolwich,
per special train yesterday ruorning, was accompa-
nied by a cordial demonstration on the part of the
volunteers. The Artillery band mustered very
strong, and met their brethren of the regular ser-
vice in Stoke's Croft, where they headed the line of
march to the terminus. They were afterwards joined
by the band of the Volunteer Rifle Corps, and on
the way to the station a variety of popular and ap-
propriate airs were played, including " Rule Bri-
tannia," and " I'm off to Charlestown," In Bridge-
street a large number of the Volunteer Artillerymen
mustered, and were drawn up on each side, and the
bands and Royal Artillerymen having passed
through, tho volunteers fell in and brought up the
rear of the procession. Besides the volun-
teers a large number of citizens were present
on the occasion, and heartily joined in the demon-
stration. The battery arrived at Woolwich lty train
from Bristol, last evening at 4.44. They proceeded
to the barracks amid the cheers and applause of
crowds assembled through the whole line of march.
The following general order, signed by Colonel
C. Bingham, Deputy Adjt.-Gen., Royal Artillery,
notifying the changes and transfers in the Royal
Regiment of Artillery, has been promulgated for
general information :

" Her Majesty has been pleased to approve of the fol-
lowing promotions in the Royal Artillery :—Second Capt.
W. French to be Capt., vice Seale, deceased ; Lieut. F. A.
Whinyates to be Second Capt., vice French; Staff Assist.-
Surg. W. Creagh, to be Assist.-Surg., vice A. Hawkins,
placed upon half pay ; Lieut.-Col. the Hon. G. T. Dave-
reux to be Col. in the army; Major J. F. L. Baddeley to be
Lieut.-Col. in the army; Acting Veterinary Surg. G. A.
Oliphant to be Veterinary Surg., vice C. Saunderson, de-
ceased; Acting Veterinary Surg. D. Paley to be Veterinary
Surg., vice H. Dunsford, resigned ; Veterinary Surg.
J. S. Stockley to be Veterinary Surg. of the first class.
The following officers are raised to increased pay :—Lieut.
W. R. Strike and Lieut. P. D. Barclay, Ist brigade.
'His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-
Chief has been pleased to make the following appointments:
Lieut.-Col. H. L. Gardiner to be Assist. Adjutant-General
to the Royal Artillery in Ireland, vice Col. C. Dickson,
C. 8., whose period of service in that appointment has ex-
pired ; Capt. W. S. M. Wolfe to be Brigade Major to the
Royal Artillery at Aldershott, vice Major G. H. L. Milman,
whose period of service in that appointment has expired ;
Lieut. W. IV. Murdoch to the Royal Horse Artillery, vice
Lieut. Whinyates, promoted. The following transfers have
been ordered to be made :—Col. W. B. Gardner, from the
2d Brigade to the 6th Brigade; Lieut.-Col. E. H. Fisher,
from the 6th Brigade to the 2d Brigade; Major J. G. Booth-
by, from the 6th Brigade to the 10th Brigade ; Major C. H.
Ingilby, from the 10th Brigade to the 6th Brigade ; Capt.
W. B. Ellis, from No. 4 battery, Ist Brigade, to No. 3 bat •
tory, 13th Brigade; Captain F. A. Whinyates, from No. 3
battery, 13th Brigade, to No. 4 battery, Ist Brigade ; Capt.
H. R. Martin, from A battery, 9th Brigade, to No. 1 bat-
tery, 6th Brigade; Capt. A. D. Burnaby, from No. 1. bat-
tery, Gth Brigade, to A battery, 9th Brigade ; Lieut. H. Lo
Geie,e, from 4 battery, Gth Brigade, to B battery, 4th Brit.
gado ; Lieut. R. liandcock, from B battery, 4th Brigade,
to No. 4 battery, Gth Brigade; Assist.-Surd. G. R,. Tate,
M.D., from the Bth to the 12th Brigade; Assist.-Surg. J.
D' A. g , t from
S ur g .
W
Assist.-Surg. Creagh is posted to the 14th Brigade ; Vete-
rinary Surg. J. S. Stockley, from the 9th to the Bth Bri-
gade, and to remain and do duty in Ireland. Col. C. Dick-
son,Brigade;
C. 8., is to join at Canterbury on Jan. 1, 1862, and Col.
G. F. A. Do Rinzy at Jersey, on the same date. The officers
commanding Roy al Artillery at the stations concerned have
been directed to obtain the sanction of the officers com-
manding the troops for the removal of the following
officers :—Captain French, from China to India ; Second
Capt. Whinyates, from India to Gibraltar; and Lieutenant
Murdoch, from Portsmouth to Woolwich.
In consequence of the recent augmentation which has
been made, on the recommendation of H R H. the General
Commanding-in-Chid, to the depot brigade Royal Artil-
lery, the following redistribution has been made of the di
visions and batteries :—The Ist division will be stationed at
Sheerness, and consist of Nos. 1,2, 3,4, and 5 batteries ;
the 2d division will be stationed at Woolwich, and consist

A detachment of Royal Artillery, comprising 200
non-commissioned officers and gunners, has arrived
at Warley barracks this week from Woolwich, and
100 gunners have left Warley for Sheerness.
Almost the oldest general in the army, General
Alexander Armstrong, died at his residence at
Bath, on Monday, at the advanced ago of 95 years.
As far back as 1783 he entered the army, so that
he was senior to Field-Marshal Viscount Comber-
mere. He went out to Flanders with Lord Moira
in 1794; was with the Duke of York at Antwerp,
and in the disastrous retreat through Holland to
Bremen in the winter of 1794-5. He served in
Ireland during the rebellion of 1798, and was As-
sist.-Adjutant-General of the Centre District, under
Gen. R. Dundas, until the Peace of 1802. He be•
longed to the Royal Irish Artillery, before its
amalgamation with the Royal army. The Gene-
ral's commissions bore date as follows ;—Second
lieutenant, the 7th of July, 1783 ; lieutenant, the
31st of October, 1792 ; captain, the 16th of Decem-
ber, 1793; major, the 24th of July, 1800; lieut.-
colonel, the 25th of April, 1808; colonel, the 4th of
June, 1814; major-general, the 27th of May, 1825 ;
liaut.-general, the 28th of June, 1838 ; and general,
the 20th of June, 1854.

GENERAL ORDER.

HORSE GUARDS, S.W., Nov. 29.

The subjoined list, showing the result of the recent exa-
mination for admission to the Staff College, is published for
the information of the army.
The successful competitors have the word "recommen-
ded" against their names. The names of the candidates
who have failed are omitted, but, by the index numbers,
such officers can ascertain what marks they gained.
Those candidates recommended for admission will join
the College on the Ist of February next, or as soon after
that date as possible, and will quote this order as their
authority for so doing.

Lieut.y. M. Hozier, Royal Artillery; index, 130; marks,

2784—recommended
Lieut. the Hon. C. E. Edwardes, Rifle Brigade; index, 35 ;

marks, 2645—recommended' -
Capt. G. P. Colley, 2d Foot: index, 1; marks, 2514—re-
commended
Capt. H. B. Carter, Coldstream Guard index, 141;
marks, 2497—recommended
Capt. J. H. H. St. John, 20th Regiment; index, 138;
marks, 2337—recommended
Major J. W. Lawrie, Unattached ; index, 32; marks,
2315—recommended
Capt. F. T. A. Law, Royal Artillery ; index, 9 ; marks,
2162—recommended
Brevet-Major H. T. Arbuthnott, Royal Artillery; index,
56; marks, 2083—qualified, but there is no vacancy
_far .anather..offt,ar-a‘..the,,Rtvyal Artillery
Lieut. E. Deshon, 68th -Reghiyent Lindex, 133 ; marks,
2065—since retired from the service
Lieut. J. J. N. Buchanan, 6th Dragoon Guards; index,
145; marks, 1951—recommended
Lieut. A. S. Adair, 13th Foot ; index, 71; marks, 1924

. . . ,
recommended
Lieut. G. G. Beazley, 83d Foot ; index, 242 ; marks, 1922
—recommended
Capt. It. Harbord, 7th Foot; index, 41; marks, 1886—

recommended
Lieut. F. H. Jodgson, Royal Artillery; index, 62 ; marks,
1800—qualified, but there is no vacancy for another
officer of the Royal Artillery
Capt. E. G. Gorne, 25th Foot; index, 59; marks, 1745—
recommended
—; index, 139; marts, 1716—ineligible, certificates
being unsatisfactory
Lieut. A. L. Emerson, 28th Foot ; index, 132 ; marks, 1670
—recommended
Lieut. IL A. Brett, 43d Foot ; index, 34 ; marks, 1647
recammended
Capt. R. C. Healy, 16th Foot; index, 47; marks, 1639
recommended
Capt. G. E. Francis, 20th Foot ; index, 823 ; marks, 1507
—qualified, but there are no further vacancies
Capt. J. C. Ross Grove, 42d Foot ; index, 68 ; marks, 1436
—qualified, but there are no further vacancies
Capt. J. G. Image, 21st Foot; index, 39, marks, 1392
qualifi ad, but there are no further vacancies
Capt. A. W. Hall, 58th Foot; index, 142; marks, 1011—
qualified, but there are no further vacancies
Capt. J. Bond, 93d Foot ; index, 147 ; marks, 882—quali-
fied, but there are no further vacancies
Lieut. H. Bishop, 89th Foot; index, 44; marks, 584
Tmlified, but there are no further vacancies
-—; index, 750; marks, 2069—failed in modern
languages
—; index, 38 ; marks, 1387—failed in mathematics
——; index, 136; marks, 1383 failed in modern
languages
—; index, 144 ; marks, 1354—failed in mathematics
—; index, 65 ; marks, 1136—failed in modern lan-
guages
—; index, 135 ; marks, 852—failed in mathematics
—; index, 30; marks, 679—failed in mathematics

By command of his Royal Highness, the General
Commanding in Chief,
JAS.YORKE SCARLETT,

ROYAL DRAMA TIC COLEEGE.-BALL

AT WILLIS'S ROOMS.

The promoters of this excellent institution have
left no means unused that could add to their funds
and aid their laudable intentions. It is unneces-
sary to enlarge on the objects of this institution,
which, it is well known, has been founded for the
purpose of securing a home and pensions in old age
for well-deserving members of the dramatic pro-
fession in reduced circumstances. The list of the
honorary vice-presidents contains many names cele-
brated in our Legislature, and in art and literature,
and proves that we prize our drama and the pro-
fessors of the art who expound it.
The donations have been extremely liberal, and
several of the houses have been built at the expense
of single donors. Besides which gifts of books,
busts, a turret clock, and many other valuable
articles have been presented ; and the subscription
d untiring
in, ahr bparzlolegsorlfeos fs
lastt
list swells to an amount as creditable to the energy
e
of the promoters as it is to the subscribers them-
selves.
ttashe rapid and extraor.
of the
ohfenstiehgeh gentlemen
efforti d sto
oa
fair
rsr
bring
geal well
odkaneotwh greatlyenr, aa and
be distinguished the
names of Mr. Webster, the present master of the
Foremost amongst
association, and Mr. Anson, the secretary. The
promoters..
tciyt al
may Dramatic
fairly
attributed
ltltergimbe
uamtneus
t
provide for the members of the theatrical profession.
the funds, and we trust it will prove as profitable
as the last ball held for the same purpose. The
arrangements, under the superintendence of Mr.
Frederick Willis, were, as usual, excellent; and the
spacious and elegant ball-room was filled at an early
hour, and dancing immediately began, and was kept
up with great spirit until one o'clock, when an
elegant supper was prepared in the neighbouring
room. Mr. Benjamin Webster, as Master of the
Dramatic College, presided at the supper, and one
toast only was drunk—" Success to the Dramatic
College," which was prefaced by a few apropos and
brief remarks by Mr. Webster. Several theatrical
celebrities, as well as distinguished members of the
aristocracy, and of science and literature, were pre-
sent. Messrs. Coote and Tinney's band played with
their usual skill and effect.

" By the present report I protest in the most
solemn manner against the commander of the steamer
for the damage he has caused me. I have drawn up
this report on the sth of November, reserving to
myself the right of amplifying it, being no suffer-
ing from the disaster which has befallen me.' "

THE AMERICAN SHIP LADY
F.RANKLI.Y.

PLYMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.
The unexplained fire on board this ship has
created great interest in the port, among the mari-
time community especially.
It appears that she engaged in the Thames the
services of a Channel pilot, who was landed here
shortly after her arrival yesterday. Among the
mixed crew, who were shipped in London, there
are several Englishmen ; some of the others are said
to be Americans, with Confederate tendencies. No
doubt the recent important intelligence from the
United States has created great excitement among
them. When Captain Jordan landed he obtained
all the latest news regarding the war, and the pre-
sent position of the Confederate steamship Nash-
ville, and went on board, intending to proceed to sea
last evening. Some objection was raised by the
crew, and the departure was postponed until to•day.
Shortly after midnight a young man of 19, who
had the anchor watch, observed smoke rising from
the forepart of the ship, and gave the alarm.
The Preventive service cutter Hamilton was at
anchor, near, and Mr. Grieve, with his crew, went-- --
immediately ,on„,bnard the Lady Franklin, where
he was soon joined by Mi. Bath and Mr. Piper,
R.N., from the Coastguard-stations at Mount Bat-
ten and Stonehouse, and by Commander Jobn R.
Aylen, R.N.,the newly-appointed Queen's Harbour-
master. Alarm guns having been fired, further help
soon arrived from the flagship Impregnable and
gunnery ship Cambridge, in Hamoaze, and from
Commander Brown, Master Attendant cf the Dock-
yard, and the Lady Franklin was towed by the
steamtug Thais from the roadstead, in which there
was a large windbound fleet, to the eastern part of
the Sound in Jenny Cliff Bay, where she was again
anchored. A Government floating engine was set
to work, and the fire was prevented from extend-
ing, but it could not be extinguished, and it was,
therefore, determined to scuttle the ship, which at
10 this morning was towed stern foremost towards
the shore, so as to be in shallower water, and to
present her bow to any heavy weather which may
occur while she is submerged. All the loose stores
were taken out and conveyed to the Royal William
Victualling-yard, where the consul, Mr. Fox, will
take charge. Powerful chain slings with guide ropes
attached have been passed round the ship's bottom:
The various Government departments here have
rendered all the assistance possible to the ship, her
master, and the crew.
Meantime the cause of the conflagration con-
tinues a mystery. The Lady Franklia registers
1,280 tons, United States' measurement, and may
be able to stow 2,500 tons. She was built in Ame-
rica of hard wood, and has three decks; excepting
one hatchway aft, all the rest are fastened. As the
ship approached the Sound it became necessary to
obtain a " norman," an iron instrument used to
prevent the chain cable from riding when it is being
veered out. The norman was in the hold, forward,
usually called the fore peak. Here there was a
quantity of logwood, rope, useless gear, and the
wood dunnage used in stowing cargo, and, it is
stated, several mahogany chairs and tables belong-
ing to the master. It was in the fore part of the ship
that the fire commenced, and soon after it was dis-
covered about eight of the crew placed their chests
and bedding in one of the ship's boats, and ab-
sconded, but were overtaken by a boat belonging
to a ship of war, and brought back to the Lady
Franklin.
At noon to-day she had gone down about four
feet. She then drew 19 feet forward and 17 feet
aft,a ndpeohapdleawliesrte otoprdoect
edsoosutt of her.rongth
that allAth
unem-
ployedtre
e
I o'clock she was still afloat.

WEDNESDAY EVENING.
The other appliances being aided by the Admi-
ralty floating tank, sufficient water was, about 3
o'clock, let into the American ship Lady Franklin
to ground her. At 4 the tide, being half-flood, just
covered her bulwarks. At 7 there was a fresh wind
from south-west. If it increases the ship will be in
danger, especially as her main and maintop yards
are across.

The American ship Far West, Captain Page, from
Dunkirk for New York, passed down Channel this
morning and landed a pilot.

the desirablenees
discussedg by the Chain-
RIGIIrS OF BELLIGERENTS AT SEA AND BLOCK-
ADEs,—At the meeting of the Liverpool Chamber of Coln-
merce on Monday, letters from Mr. Ho stall,
M.P., and
thatl\lr .
tCobden,hese gu Me s ; re
n. ,sw shoulde re read,be wellsng ge
ber of Commerce, especially that of Liverpool, before the
ad day
for using
g thathi
s
pamarpticular functione thee
meeting of Parliament. The letters were referred to a com-
wice
mittoe for early consideration and report.
sell instructionst
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—Holloway's Ointment and Pills,—
foggy cold morn-
Vigilanceoin sm ane n d vi
Is enivnasd edthe
irregularityw V
eiatlsohf itnahicodnstitution find out their
feeble points, and well wore it for them if they applied early
,
treatment for invigorating them. Is the chest afflicted ':
Hinotmllntayw'
organ, take his pills in conformity with their accompanying
rules, the disease disappears, and with it future danzer
'st tt)
flies. Is the liver sluggish? The pills unaided will ro-uso
it to its healthful activity; or, if long inactive, use th
medicaments, and regulate by their t' f
diitsuobrdie ri °?11° wC
aonY
ime ul application.
They will benefit, and can do harm in no ome,

/

I 0 YAL ENGLISH OPERA,
CO VENT GARDEN.
Uu.la the immageinentison, Sole Lesseeof Miss Louyne and Mr. Wm.
Harre

THIS EVENING, THE PURITAN'S DAUGHTER.
31is Louisa pyne, Miss Susan Fyne; Messrs. Santley, A. St.
yell, IV allworth, T. Distin,
Albyn, Corn, G. Honey, Patey, L
E. Dus.ek, and W. Harrison.
Conductor, Mr. ALFRED MELLON.
_

To conclude with THE TOY MAKER. Mr. H. Haigh,
G. Fyne ; Mesdames Susan Pyne and Thirhvall,
Commence at Seven o'clock.

The Box-office open from Ten to Five daily. No charge for
boLaing, or tees to Box-keepers.
sta:re-Manager, Mr. Leigh Murray. Acting-Manager, Mr.
Edward Murray.

ri.EATRk.:.IIOYAL, HAYMARKET,
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buotatonc..
THIS EVENING, FAMILY JARS. Mr. Compton and
Mrs. E. Fitzwilliam.
To be followed by OUR AMERICAN COUSIN. Lord
Dunlreary, Mr. S,ithern. Mr. Buckstone, Mr. Farren, Mrs.
C. Young, &c.
After which, MY AUNT'S ADVICE. Mr. Howe, Mr.
Sotheran, Miss Oliver, &c.
To con lude with A KISS IN THE DARK.

Commence at 7

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE.
Manager—Mr. Edmund Falconer.
TRIM EVENING, the Dertormanoes will commence with
THE DAY AFTER THE WEDDING. Mr. Walter Lacy
and Mrs. St. Henry.
`- Alter which, at a quarter to Eight (23d time) the new
and original Drama, entitled PEEP 0' DAY ; or, Savourneen
Deelish. Messrs. Walter Lacy , Flermann Vezin, Charles
SAby, Edmun Falconer ; Mrs. D. P. Bowers, Miss Clara
Weston.
To conclude with AN UNPROTECTED FEMALE, in
which Miss Lydia Thompson will Dance the Volunteer
Step.

Acting Manager—Mr. F. B. Chatterton.
Prices as usual. Doors open at half-past 8, to commence at
7. Box-office open daily from 11 till 5.

LO YAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE.-
Lessee and Manager. Mr. A. Harris.
THIS EVENING, THE MERRY WIVES OF WIND-
SOR. Sir John Falstaff, Mr. Ryder (his Bth appearance in
that character.) Messrs. G. Jordan, H. Widdicomb, &e.
To conclude with BLUE JACKETS.

E W THEATRE-R0 VAL, ADELPHI.-
Sole Pronriator and Manazer. Mr. B. Webster.

Tars EVENING, VIE PRETTY TIORSEBREAKER,
Mr. J. L. Toole, Mr. P. Bedford, and Miss Woolgar.

Atter which, the new drama, entitled THE OCTOROON ;
or, LIFE IN LOUISIANA ; written by the author of "The
Colleen Bawn." Mr. George Jamison, from the Winter-
garden, New York ; Miss Latimer, from the provincial thea-
tres ; and Miss Denvil, from the Lyceum. Tho other prin-
cipal characters in ;he drama will be performed by Messrs.
Emery, Stephenson Billington, Paul Bedford, Romer. Mrs.
itilling-,ton. Mrs. Marston, &c., &c. Entirely new scenery by
f essrs. Dalby and Thompson.
To conclude with DOMESTIC ECONOMY. Mr. Toole,
miss K. Kelly, &c.
Doors onen at half-past 6—Commence at 7.
Box-office open from 10 till 5. No charge for booking.

NEW ROYALTY THEATRE,
Dean-street, Oxford-street.
Under the Direction of Mdlle. Albina di Rhona.
THIS EVENING, to commence with THE GOVERNOR'S
WIFE.
After which, Mdlle. di Rhona will appear in CAMELIA,
and Dance two National Dances.
After which, BAMBOOZLING.
To conclude with LES PIE RROTS.
Box-office open from 11 to 4.
Doors open at half-past 6—Commence at Seven.

C ANTERBIJ RY HALL CONCERTS
AND FINE ARTS GALLERY.

MR. SAIL COWELL at Eleven o'clock in several favou-
rite Songs, including " THE HOUSE THAT JACK
BUILT. "

Grand Selections from
STRADELLA and LA TRAVIATA,

EVERY EVENING.

If fifP__) r , ,
7,
. .
biFil•F' '
, _
•• , .
~. 4r • 7.-• s '
41,•••,L ' ' 1,11; i; ,7314,11,, •I• 11 0

THE SUN.

LONDON, THURSDAY, DEC. 5, 1861.

By Miss Russell, lid Ito; Ernst, Mr. Herbert, and Signor Tivoli,
with a powerful Chorus.

The Comic department :—Mr. Sam Cowell ; Mr. Marshall,
in his new song, "John Bull, you don't bamboozle me ;"
Messrs. Harvey and French (the Nerves); Mr. Wood and
his talented son, the best negro dOineators of the day;
and Miss Harriet Coveney .
Musical Director, Mr. Jonghmans.
Admission—Hall, ed.; Stalls and Balcony, is.

THE 0 X F O RD,
6, OXFORD-STREET.

Selections from " LA CIRCASSIENNE," " Simon BOOCA-
ncgra," and " Ernani," by Miss Russell and Miss Ernst;
Messrs. Albert (his first appearance), Morley Greville,
Full Band and Chorus.—Conductor, Mr. F. Jonghmans.—
Balfe's new ballads by Miss Russell and Madame E, ders-
sohn (composed expressly for them). And Varied Comic
Entertainments by Miss Harriet Coveney, Messrs. W. Ran-
dal., Harvey and French (The Nerves), E. Marshall, and
SAM CO WELL. Hall, 6d. ; Balcony and Stalls, is ; Private
Boxes, 10s. 6d.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tins DAY.—Morning, 3h. 50m.—Afternoon, 4h. sm.
To-monnow.-Morning, h. 38m.—Afternoon, sh. sm.

THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, DECEMBER 5, 1861.
THERMOMETER, IN THE BEIA.DE.
41-7kighear since noon yesterday.
35—lowest this morning and during the night.
40—this day at noon.
BAROMETER-29.80; falling.
WlND—North-Westerly ; light, with tine weather now,
but cold. Some rain in the night.

We are not likely to want opinions respecting
the American outrage. Just at this moment we
have three before us from persons all of whom
are entitled to a hearing. Our great popular
orator speaks for the peace party at Rochdale ;
at Ashton-under-Lyne, the Hon. JOSEPH HOME,
Prime Minister of Nova Scotia, speaks for the
North American colonies ; and at Paris, the veteran
General SCOTT speaks for his Government and his
country.

What would be the object of Mr. BRIGHT'S
eloquence we knew of course before. The great
peace orator has long taken under his wing the
quarrelsome people of the late United States,
and he would make out a case for
them, which, while we listened to it, should
seem a most magnificent one. Indeed it
would not be easy to exaggerate the material ad-
vances made by our Transatlantic descendants since
the period of their separation from us. But even
Mr. BRIGHT is compelled to own that their slavery
is an affair as dark morally as physically—the only
thing he can say is, that it was inherited from us.
A view in which there might be something, if we
persisted in it ourselves, Or if we prostituted our flag
to the slave trade. Since, however, we—an aristo-
cracy, and a monarchy—have repented in the face
of the whole world, we cannot see how a republic
-which inserts in its fundamental document that
" all men are born free and equal" can taunt us
with our example. We may say to them as AM-
BP OSE did to THEODOSIUS, when the latter pleaded
the example of DAVID,—" imitate then our repent-
ance also."

Mr. BRIGHT takes pains to show that the South
had a bad cause at the beginning, which, we sup-
Pose, no one will deny. Nor will he admit that the
South, which enjoyed an over-representation in
Congress, had as good a right to rebel as our un-
represented thirteen colonies had against the at-
tempt to tax them. The simple truth is, that the
South willingly paid tribute to the North, in the
shape of very high protectionist duties, for being
allowed to name the Executive Government and
the judges of the Supreme Court, and also to enact
fugitive slave laws. That is, the North sold their
own position and the freedom of 4,000,000 coloured
Americans for the thirty pieces of silver offered
them by Southern politicians.
Mr. BRIGHT counsels a neutrality like that we
observed towards Italy—a neutrality with sympathy
for the North. Now this was just the feeling with
which the war began. Few Englishmen could be
found who were not heart and soul with the
North, believing it to be a war of freedom, and
not doubting that the North, with its vast re-
sources, would make short work of it. But how
is it that all this sympathy has so completely sub-
sided. Mr. HOME, from Nova Scotia, can tell us ;
for though close at hand there, and seeing the rising
population every 4th of July taught hatred to Eng- ,
land, in that colony, when they heard of the affair
at Fort Sumpter, " there was," he says, "no
triumphing, but they felt sad and sorry, and passed
xesolution to the following effect :—That the
11ou"e "t Assembly of Nova Scotia has heard with
great sorrow
and
regret
. of the outbreak of civil
war among their
friends
and neighbours in the

United States ; and that this house, without ex-1
pressing any opinion upon the points of controversy
between the contending parties, sincerely laments
that those who speak the same language and share
their civilisation should be shedding each other's
blood, and desire to offer up a fervent prayer to
the Father of the universe for the speedy restora-

tion of peace."
Soon, however, they were compelled to change
their feeling. The North, calculating on a com-
mercial meanness and injustice but too like its own,
thought we should actively aid them in crushing
" the rebels." We honourably proclaimed neutra-
lity between the belligerents, and, says the Prime
Minister of Nova Scotia, "From the moment the
QUEEN'S proclamation was issued, announcing the
determination of the Imperial Government to hold
a neutral position between the contending parties,
every newspaper in the United States, not merely
the ' sensation' newspapers of New York, had
breathed nothing but hatred and hostility to Eng-
land; and from that moment the Northern pro-
vinces had been menaced every hour of the day
that those provinces would be annexed as compen-
sation for the territory they were to lose in the
South. For six months they had thus been menaced,
bullied, and bragged at. Perhaps seven-eighths of
the people in the Northern provinces six months
ago wished the North success. Now they felt as
though every man in the provinces had been per-
sonally insulted, and they wished the SoUth success
with all their hearts and souls."

Mr. BRIGHT, as counsel for the North, avails
himself of arguments from all quarters. He makes
use of both the argument ad miserieordium, and the
argument in terrorem, he appeals both to our pity
and our fears. America—that is, the Fugitive
Slave Law States—are now in distress ; do not add
to their difficulties. But, in a few years these twenty
millions of Freemen will mount up to thirty, and
to fifty millions—beware how you make them angry.
Now, we certainly do not wish to make them angry,
but Mr. BRIGHT would do better if he used his
potent eloquence in rebuking the bullies, like the
Minister SEWARD and the naval Captain WILKES,
on the other side the water. The Ministers who
would make Nova Scotia and Canada tremble with
the prospect of invasion, and an invasion for no
earthly reason, bat that the North wants to be com-
pensated for its Southern losses—these are the
really guilty causes of the alienation which Mr.
HOWE so strongly expresses. Mr. BRIGHT says
that only " misrepresentation the most gross, or
calumny the most wicked, could involve in a war a
people with such close ties." True ; bat even the
French press bears witness to the wonderful modera-
tion of that of England. It is the American 4th of
July orations, the American press, American Minis-
ters, and American captains, who stir up the
American war feeling against England. We are
exhorted to calmness ; but really we have seen
nothing but what, under the circumstances, must
be considered the most exemplary calmness.
General SCOTT'S letter is right so far as
it goes. There can be little doubt that
Captain WILKES acted on his own responsibility.
He has, it would appear, a character for indiscre-
tion already, and has even been convicted of it by a
court martial in his own country. It strikes us
that it would have looked better, especially if such
men as Captain WILKES are numerous in the
American navy, that general instructions had been
issued to err in the case of neutral vessels in
excess of caution rather than in excess of zeal.
The Government might have been aware that
its dangers were greater from affronting
friendly powers, than from letting pass a cargo
or two, or a prisoner now and then, which it would
be their interest to stop. As to the worthy gentle-
man's argument, that the rebels were really contra-
band of war, all that may be excused in a soldier.
The worthy old man does not touch what strikes
us to be the real gist of the grievance, that a neutral
vessel, taking a rebel, or a belligerent envoy, or
what you please, from one neutral port to
another neutral port, should have her passengers
taken from her. We do not complain of
the stoppage and the inquiry. Captain
WILKES had a right to be satisfied of the character
and destination of the vessel, though that, indeed,
he knew full well. What can never be tolerated
is that, after he knew all about her, he should
think he had any more right to touch a man or
thing on board, than he would have had to seize
the same in the centre of London. We are glad
, the old gentleman tb inks his country desires to
avoid a quarrel ; she will be mad, if she does not ; but
there is only one means by which it can be pre-
vented—reparation;

Attention was drawn by a morning contempo-
rary, on the recent occasion of the opening of the
Middle Temple Library by the Prince of WALES, that
the time when men became barristers-at-law by means
of eating so many dinners was well nigh over. The
subject of legal education, and the defective state of
it, in the Inns of Court, and the necessity of a com-
pulsory examination for every student previously to
his call to the bar, which was exciting so much
attention about 10 years ago, just at the period of the
closing of our first Great International Exhibition,
has during more recent years gone entirely to sleep.
Men's minds have of late been by far too much
occupied with Crimean Wars, Indian Mutinies,
Volunteer Movements, and last, not least, the Ame-
rican Question, to trouble themselves about legal
education and legal reform generally, to the same
extent to which they did trouble themselves
about it some 10 or 15 years ago. And yet
the subject and necessity of an extended legal
education in our Inns of Court has, instead of
being diminished, increased and multiplied tenfold
in the time—as we are now about to shew.

The years 1861 and 1851 exhibit a marked and
striking, not to add a lively,contrast as regards the
system of competitive examinations, and examina-
tions generally. Ten years ago there were no exa-
minations for officers entering her MAJESTY'S ser-
vice, nor for any branch of the civil service, nor for
Indian appointments. All this, it is well known,
has for several years completely changed. For the
last quarter of acentury there has been an examina-
tion, which is, and has always been, compulsory for
what is termed the lower branch of the legal pro-
fession. And within the last five years prizes have
been awarded and given to the most successful,
most industrious, or most talented, as the case may
be, of the articled clerks. And only this last ses-
sion the Legislature has, through the medium of the
Law Institution, passed a law which will be applic-
able to all men who will be articled after the be-
ginning of the year 1862, enacting thatalaln men
previously to being articled shall undergo
exa-
mination in French, Latin, or Mathematics ; be-
sides having established occasional examinations
in law for young men during their articles. Andyet
what is the position of the Bar who profess to look
down upon the attorneys and solicitors, not only as
regards their position in life, but also with respect
to their legal knowledge, to say nothing of their skill?
Why, that they undergo no compulsory examination
whatever, either before entering as students or be-
fore being called to the Bar. The attorneys and
solicitors are, in point of fact; looked upon by the
Bar as mere clerks to go about and obtain evidence,
and to run to and from counsel's chamber after

cases and opinions, being themselves tongue-tied,

aild mere dumbies after all; whereas the barrister,
the' real acting agent of the profession, undergoes
not only no examination, but does not require

any further education than just to be able to
sign his own name ! And yet Counsel, unin-

formed and uneducated as he may be (to

the deep disgrace 3f the Legislature and the Inns of
Court be it spoken) is the individual on whom falls
the responsibility of conducting the case, and to

whom attorneys and solicitors are to look up.

depend upon, and be guided by. Barristers are alone

allowed to plead in the superior courts of Westmin-
stex, and they are not responsible to their clients
for vegligence or otherwise. Besides which, they
alone Are eligible for numerous appointments of
considerable emolument and responsibility from all
which appointments attorneys are and always have
been excluded.

Some ten or twelve years ago, the limes
wrote an article, in which it stated that, ow-

ing to the introduction of our railway sys-
tem, our high roads were brought back again,
in the middle of the 19th century, to much the
same state thoy were in during the days of JONA-
THAN WILD and the middle or rather early part of
the 18th century. Now, there is an analogy here
to the present state of our Inns of Court. Just

little more than 100 years ago our great commen-
tator, Sir WM. BLACKSTONE, thus addressed the
students of Oxford in the first section of his Com-
mentaries :—" Indeed, it is perfectly amazing that
there should be no other state of life, no other oc-
cupation, art, or science, in which some method of
instruction is not looked upon as requisite, except
only the science of legislation. The noblest and
most difficult of any apprenticeships are held
necessary to every art, commercial or mechanical;
a long course of reading and study must,
from the divine, the physician, and the prac-

tical professor of the laws (now in good truth
the attorneys and solicitors are the sole practical
professors of the law), but every man of superior
fortune thinks himself born a legislator." Now,
that this is the same state of things which existe at
present, it is by nomeans difficult to prove. The Bar
is at present the only public profession or employ-
ment of any kind to which access may be had
without the necessity of undergoing an examina-
tion ; and one of the principal reasons given by the
benchers of the Inns of Court for not making these
examinations compulsory is, that by so doing, we
should drive away many men of high rank and pro-
perty who are now useful ornaments of the Bar,
thereby proving the truth of what Sir WILLIAM
BLACKSTONE asserted about 160 years ago, that
"every man of superior fortune thinks himself born

a legislator."
We will here proceed to take a review of
what little improvement has been made in

the system of legal education in the Inns of Court
during the last fifteen years. In the early part of
1846 the Times newspaper wrote several articles
stating that the time had now arrived when there
should be some more effective mode of testing a man's
capabilities of being competent to have the degree
of barrister-at-law conferred upon him, than
eating a stated number of dinners, and having no
further training than would be given to animals
fattened for the Baker-street Cattle Show.
The result of this was, that in the following year,
1847, the benchers of the four Inns of Courts insti-
tuted optional examinations for students prior to
their call to the Bar. In these examinations, we
believe the students were only orally and by written
questions examined in the different branches of the
law, and honours awarded accordingly. Five years
later, in 1852, the Benchors, compelled by the force
of public opinion and the press, legal and general,
went a step further, and appointed five different
readerships of five different branches of the law,
viz., Common Law, Real Property, Equity, Civil
Law, and General History. They also made it
compulsory upon evwy Bar student, either during
one whole year embracing four consecutive terms,
to attend the lectures of two of the readers on any
of the abovenamed subjects, or else to undergo an
examination previously to his being called to the
Bar. Now, in many respects, this change was
worse than the old system, because it professed to
have Bar students better instructed, and there is
(we speak in the present tense, for the system is
still in existence) no better guarantee for it than
there was prior to the year 1852, when the present
system came into operation. Few people will
(whether young or old) take the trouble to inform
themselves, unless they be compelled to do so, but
far less young men (and Bar students are, generally
speaking, among the number of these) than older
ones; and what has been the consequence ? Why,
that the bulk, say 99 out of 100, of the students
going to the Bar, have of course, preferred attend-
ing the year's lectures to undergoing an examina-
tion, find oftener than not have been asleep, draw-
ing caricatures of one another, or, perhaps, of the
lecturer, as the case may be, reading Punch, the
limes newspaper, or some popular novel, and very
likely at the end of the lecture, or attendance upon
their year's course of lectures, knowing no more
of the subject matter than if they had been 1,000
miles off.

Thus is the present system of legal education,
which has now been in existence for upwards of
nine years, and which has proved worse than use-
less in by far the great majority of cases, Some few
ambitious students there have been who have hon-
ourably competed for studentships and certificates of
honour, and have obtained them, but these have
been the exceptions and not the rule. The majo-
rity of men called to the Bar during the last 10
years may be, for any guarantee which the
benchers of the different Inns of Court could pro-
duce, just as ignorant of their profession as any
called under the old system, with the additional
hypocrisy of
,th© present system professing to
educate, whereas the old one never did anything of
the kind. Until there be a regular compulsory ex-
amination for the Bar, which there is for not only
the other branch of the profession, and for all the
other learned professions, but even for every branch
of the army and navy and for all civil appointments
as well, neither solicitors, nor (what is much more to
the point) the public, have any guarantee that the
individual who conducts their case has any proper
knowledge of his profession, or that they have had
real justice done them. We now have a Chan-
cellor who has ever shown himself for a great
many years past the friend of law reform in all its
secret mazes and windings. It is to be remembered
also now that the fature King of England has
become both a barrister and bencher, and has,
moreover, had the advantage of being educated
under a mother whom all England acknowledges
to be one of the most virtuous and popular
Monarchs that ever sat on the throne of these
realms, and who has, in the well•nigh quarter of a
century that she has been on the throne, shown
herself the friend of reform in all its branches.
We trust that another session of Parliament may
arr i s t beinger -at -
not be suffered to pass over our heads without such
a public
aw c o n removed,fe asrr e
dup
men having theby
degree
of scandal
barrister-at-law
merely attending so many lectures, eating so much
roast mutton, and drinking h
so much port and sherry
wine.

A capital anecdote is related this month in the
Cornitill at the commencement of a patriotic argu-
ment " On a Further Reconstruction of the Navy."
The anecdote referred to is so thoroughly charac-