The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-12 00:00:00

s-km
THE AGITATION IN POLAN_
The following letter in the Debals describes the
excitement which the dissolution of the Agricul-
tural Society occasioned in Warsaw :
" I. write to you under the impression of sadness
causjed by the ukase which decrees the dissolution
of t4e Agricultural Society. You may imagine how
mucia we have been struck by this measure, so un-
expected and inexplicable. We cannot understand
it, or, rather, we fear to divine the causes.
What! the Russian Government break up the
very institutions to which Prince Gortschakoff
gave the honour of maintaining the'order and paci-
fication of the city ! It has violently dissolved this
society, which during four years' assiduous labour,
with efforts unknown to Europe, until now, has
prepared the accomplishment of the most conside-
rable economical reform which has Been known for
some time. What ! these men who, ambitiona of
the national honour, have been the champions of
the great cause of emancipation and equality ; who
have so well understood the force of dignity and
calmness, that the balls of the Russian soldiers, in
decimating their ranks, have not changed their
moral attitude ; who, by their conciliatory lan-
guage, have spared the people a frightful disaster,
and the Government that stain which rests on the
foreheads of those who accomplish the massacre of
unarmed men—these men are separated ; they have
been sent away ; they are declared 'useless, even
dangerous ! The Society, says the ukase, is incom-
P""- ith the present situation. The Govern-
,nent, then, is so very sure of its popularity, ac-
quired at the price of concessions not yet realised,
that it takes away all means of action from those
to whom, according to its own avowal, it owes the
maintenance of order. Ido not wish to panh this
question any further. God grant that, under-
standing what constitutes their strength, the people
of Warsaw, in spite of all, will remain dignified
and calm as they have hitherto been.
" The more we examine this act the more we un-
derstand the extent of its bearing. All our efforts
lost—the cause of the peasants brought back to that
of the peasants of Russia ; the influence exercised
over the proprietors themselves by the AgTiculturat
Society; the benefits to the peasants which would
result from it—all is annulled by a single stroke of
the pen. What will become of those concessions,
those reforms, promised by the Emperor ? What
can they do, if it is proved that all initiative is re-
fused to us ? In the councils of the Government,
what will be the role of our citizens when it is
made evident by that ukase that all our plans, all
our projects of improvement,displease the sovereign,
who, as far as we are concerned, wishes to be the
sole dispenser of progress? What injured interests
—what new-commenced works are interrupted at
the beginning ? For the telegrams will probably
have told you that time has not even been given to
the society to wind up its affairs.
" The funds have been taken to the bank ; the
members have not even been allowed to assemble
for the last time to determine how they shall be
used. A moment ago an active, intelligent institu-
tion, devoted to progress, energetically maintained
public order, carried on its functions freely under
the authority of the Government, and for having
prevented the bursting of a tempest of which no
one could foresee the consequences, this institution
is for its reward broken up and thrown aside.
" May God avert from us the dangers which such.
an act may entail. But you will see that we do
right in closing the theatres and keeping in mourn-
ing; the hour has not yet come for enjoyment, and
no one can tell what the future is preparing for us."

SCOTTISII PRISONS.

The annual report on the prisons of Scotland has
been laid before. Parliament. It states that in the
year ending on the 30th of June last the number of
commitments was 19,1(12; of sentences, 15,883,
numbers slightly below those of the previous
year. A very large proportion were of a class
corresponding to our " summary conviction ; "
5,366 were cases of imprisonment until, or in-
stead of, payment of a fine, or until the finding
of sureties to keep the peace ; 10,308 were sen-
tences of imprisonment for definite periods, but
no less thin •1,17 a of them were for less
than three months, and 2,668 for not more than
10 days. There were but 207 sentences of penal
servitude, and two of death (afterwards commuted).
Of the prisoners committed during,the year 1,935
were under 18 years of age, 1,062 under 16, and
95 juvenile male offenders were sentenced to a whip-
ping. Among the prisoners punished for miscon-
duct in prison 171 (67 males and 104 females) had
irons put on them. In the general prison at Perth,
which,was erected for prisoners under long sen-
tences (exceeding six months), there were at the
close of last year 611 prisoners, and the chaplain
states that 487 of them had been in prison before,
one woman 59 times, another 61, a third 64, and a.
juvenile 14 times. These prisoners are taught trades
which may be useful to them in after life, and 12
teachers are engaged in giving them general in-
struction. The chaplain adds, that the library being
well supplied with books and periodicals, religions
and secular, it " affords a vast amount of interest-
ing and important information to the prisoners."
He states that of the 251 male prisoners discharged
from that prison in 1860, 105 are " entered in his '
register as expected to do well ;" but of the 196
liberated females the matron only informs him that
she considers 27 " hopeful as to their future career,"
and that 31 got work, and 10 were sent to houses of
refuge. A return obtained concerning 542 boys
liberated in the period 1848-59, shows that some
time after their discharge (certainly more than a.
year afterwards), 207 were in employment, 262
were not ; 200 had returned to crime, 54 bore bad
characters, 164 good, 49 tolerable. The system of
discipline in the prisons of Scotland is that of sepa-
ration, but without solitude; indeed, the prisoners
are to receive at least 10 visits daily from chaplains,
teachers, and others, whose communications are ex-
pected to improve them. As part of a punitive
system, a mattress is not allowed during the first
month of imprisonment, but the prisoner sleeps on
a " guard bed," that is, a board and a wooden pil-
low, supplied with a covering sufficient for warmth.
The inspector of prisons has intimated his opinion
that the use of the guard bed ought to be limited
to prisoners sentenced for not more than 3 months;
but the majority of the governors of gaols are
against the proposed relaxation, and say that this
is an effective ingredient in punishment, and does
not injure the health.

GUNPOWDER EXPLOSION.--A violent explosion
of gunpowder took place in a fuse manufactory at Pool, near
Camborne, in Cornwall, on Wednesday. Three lives were
lost, and several persons injured.

[ADVERTISEMENT.] —We have read with much pleasure
Du Barry's report of the cures without medicine by Du
Barry's food. The following are a few extracts which ap-
pear to merit the attention of many :—Cure No. 47,121,
" Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, of Nazing Vicarage, 'Waltham-
cross, Herts ; a cure of extreme nervousness, indigestion,
gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies." Cure No.
48,314.—" Miss Elizabeth Yeoman, Gateacre, near Liver-
pool; a cure of ten years dyspepsia and all the horrors of
nervous irritability." Cure No. 54,812 —Miss Virginia
Zeguers, cured of consumption, after medical advisers had.
abandoned all hopes of recovery. Cure No. 51,514, Baron
de Polentz, Prefect of Langenau, of many years horrible
sufferings of the nerves and an obstinate liver complaint
for which the German spas had been tried in vain for
years. Cure No, 48,721, General Baron de Zaluskoviski,
of many years fearful disorders of the digestive fuue'daanns
Avoid Pills and Medicines : they invariably aggraraten,„t,
d
perpetuate diseases ; their annoyance, disaPP°v'r
rr a
and expense may be avoided by using DI
which, at a few pence per day, saves 5e 13e:it:s Foodo
,ttrout purging,
other remedies, removing effectuall.Y,
rwvous, bilious and
constipation, indigestion (dyspepsia) nnu°ences. Certificate
Andr.iw Ure
liver complaints and all their conse,
No. 36,418. We find it the safest remedy.
dangers, of s *
Dr. Sherif int], Dr' AID., F.R.S., Dr Harvey, Dr. Yire feartu
Campell. Let invalids avoid n
t offered under a v ariet Pliof
rious and injurious imitaitiaint:
tions are prohibited byYthe
false pretences. Nevill's .n2_
high Court of Chancery under a penalty
d his agents ; and the
of 45,°°0 against.
Alfred Hooper Nevill an
,pretences:
tent for Arabica Food `Ana that
that Nevin has a
utterly false.
Barry's are connected with such patent are, .11
sassy Du Barry
Regent-s dent-street, , full, oaths seal and wrapper..
No canister is genuine without the name Fiat.
t tin
and Co., 77
who attempt imposition '-
la one article must
Shopkeepers'
expect to be distrusted in all others. Packed in tins lib.
2e. 9d.; 21b. 4s. 6d, ; 51b. lls. ; 121 b. 225. ; 241 b. 40s. The
121 b. and 241 b. canistExa are sent carriage free on. receipt
of post-office order by Barry Du Barry and Co., 77, Re-
gent-street, London; Fortnum Mason, and Ce.,.; Abbit,
60, Graceelearch-street ; 4, Cheapside ; 63 and 150, Ox-
bard-strcot ; 330 and 451, Strand; 49 and 60, Lishopsgate-
street ; Batty, 16, Finsbury Pavement ; Phillips and Co.
tea-dealers; Petty, Wood,-and Co., King Wi'diam-street
City ; at 127 High 'Holborn: and all zr0c,1317 .
[ADvEwristmE-NT.]—Holloway's Pills.—Ffealth always
Obtained.—AVith some necessary precautions health maY
generally be regained by taking a course 'of these purifr
ing Pills in the spring. They thoroughly punfY the •
blood, search out all the noxious matters, and carry off all
morbid humours from the body. Their alterative proper •
ties place them in the foremost rank as con 'ectors and
improvers of the secretions. They discipline disordered.
functions, remove the cause of the irregularity, and restore
its regular and natural action to every organ ' without in-
' convenience, pain, or any other
drawback. Where the
blood is impoverished, the constitution broke n. clown, or
the nervous system shattered, every invalid s haul d make
trial of Holloway's Pills, their benign action. -will u3peedily
reassure the most despondent.