The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 11, 1818.

The committal of Mr. PiGorr, proprietor of the
Irishman, for trial yesterday, proves that the autho-
rities are fully determined to suppress Fenianism at
its fountain head. It would be unjust as well as
impolitic to punish the rank and file and allow the
leaders to escape scot free. Now, although Mr.
PIGOTT cannot in fairness be called a leader of the
Fenian movement, there is no question that
he has afforded it powerful assistance. We
may acquit him of any evil intention,

ry.-n-sonally, but the effect of inflammatory publica-
tions on the excitable temperament of Irishmen is
so well known that he must, at least, be censured
for an error of judgment. The offence charged
against Mr. Plaorr was that he had published
" certain seditious statements," including extracts
fro'n American papers on Fenianism, letters from
Colonel KELLY, and a leading article. The mis-
chievous tendency of such publications may be
easily guessed. Their object would be to give
vitality and dignity to the Fenian move-
ment. The American journals, as we know,
regard it, or profess to regard, it in a very different
aspect from the true one. The Irish Republic is
discussed as an actual possibility, and the Fenians
are spoken of with respect, or at all events with the
consideration due to a party who has a chance of
success and a definite purpose. " Colonel" KELLY,
again, hardly deserves that his letters, no doubt full
of high treason, should be published in a loyal journal.
It was stated in the court that any papers publishing
seditious statements were within the meaning of the
law guilty of libel against the Government. The
counsel for the defence argued that every newspaper
had a right to publish news, and that London and
Dublin papers, which published Fenian manifestoes,
were just as liable to prosecution as his client. Mr.

PIGOTT was admitted to bail on his own recognis

antes, and will doubtless have every advantage that
skill and energy can give him on his trial. Without
prejudging the case we may express a hope that this
affair will prove a timely warning to other owners
and editors of Irish journals. It is very well to say
that it is the duty of journalists to record with
fidelity and exactitude the transactions of the day,
but we all know how easy it is to give a bias to the
simplest narration. The manner in which the
first news of the Clerkenwell outrage was given to
Irish readers was sufficient to indicate on which
side lay the sympathies of the journalists. The ex-

tracts which have been given from their editorial
articles amply prove that many of them make a dan-
gerous use of their influence and their power. It is
not enough to keep within the letter of the law, if
continued prominence is given to dangerous
and seditious statements, and it is no ex-
cuse for the conductor of a journal to argue

that because he adds no comments of his own that
he is doing no harm by publishing them. The mere
fact of giving circulation to seditious articles, to
inflammatory addresses, and to all the tissue of
falsehoods respecting the English Government and
the English people which are promulgated by
American Fenians, is at this juncture something
worse than imprudence. To foreigners who accuse us
of harshness and injustice towards Ireland it may be a
sufficient answer that the Irish journalists should
so long have been allowed to publish their papers
uninterruptedly, but the class of Irishmen who
would be affected by them are too iggorant and too
isolated to be able to appreciate it. It is very cer-
tain that in no other country in Europe would such
lenity have been shown, and a generation or so back
the results of their temerity and disloyalty would have
been felt very quickly and very unpleasantly by the
Irish journalists. No one can accuse the Irish Govern-
ment of acting with undue haste or excessive seve-
rity in regard to the press, but there is no reason
that attacks should be permitted on the public autho-
rities in Ireland, in a time of disturbance and dis-
content, which would not be tolerated if made
upon any private person in either Ireland or
England.

Fenianism, however ready for mischief, is likely
to have its energies baffled for the present by the
vigour and readiness or the special constables. The
movement has assumed proportions which were at
first never dreamt of. The people of all classes

have gladly come forward to tender their services,
eagerly accepting the opportunity of openly
displaying their detestation of the outrages
committed in the name of liberty, and
at the same time of testifying their de-
termination to support law and order. The
manifestation of so much public spirit and loyalty
is of itself most valuable, but the special constables
are prepared to da something more than make a
mere empty display. They are ready to make
personal sacrifices, and to use personal exertion
whenever called upon; and a recent alarm at the
Bow-street ,Police-court showed that 250 special
constables of the district were ready at the
briefest notice to perform their duty. The assist-
ance of the Volunteers and the members of orders
and societies is especially useful, owing to their
drill and habit of acting in concert ; but more
gratifying as a testimony of the real feeling of the
country is the number of working men who
have come forward as staunch suppor-
ters of the public peace. The special con -

stables' movement in 1848 proved the strongest
and most defective demonstration against Chartism,
and we have no doubt that it will twenty years
later prove equally efficacious against the mis-

chievous and unworthy conspiracy which we know

as Fenianism.

Te Report of the Cambridge Local Examination
that has just been issued will be read with attention
and interest by all who rightly estimate the import-
ance of female education, and who value the proofs
afforded of progress in the right direction in this
respect. It is well known that the establishment
of University local examinations for girls has been
attended with great difficulties, and that some
from well-meant but mistaken notions, and
others from perverseness and prejudice, have
opposed them might and main. Common
sense bids fair, however, to triumph in this
as in other instances when the interests of so-
ciety are concerned, and those who will peruse the
particulars of this Report will, if they are conscien-
tious enough to be impartial, recognise the merit of
the undertaking, and retract any unfavourable
opinions they have previously expressed unwittingly
on the subject. The arrangements made with respect
to the examinations were admirable,and as only a cer-
tain number of subjects was taken up each candidate
had an interval of rest. The compulsory subjects
were arithmetic, geography, etc. The young ladies
were divided into two classes, and three competitors
of the senior one were examined in Euclid. Of
these it is interesting to find that the gentleman who
decided on the merits of the papers sent in, who is
the examiner in Euclid for the whole of England,
has stated that the girls who sent in papers on the
subject " seemed to be able to distinguish with
far more logical acumen between the essential and
formal portions of a proof than any of the boys
who had entered into similar competitions." The
most critical can hardly object to the mode in
which these examinations are carried on, for pub-
licity is completely avoided, and in the University
Report neither the names of the successful or
the unsuccessful appear. They are represented
by the numbers which aro allotted to the

candidates prior to examination. We are glad to
find this style of examination can .be got through
so far successfully, as it affords hope for the future,
and it certainly gives one a true test of the capabi-
lities of girls such as is not to be despised, and
which those most capable of judging will duly ap-
preciate. It is to be hoped that this work will
go on and prosper, for it is evident that
both the candidates themselves, and also
those connected with them, will find the benefit
through all their future lives of having their minds
duly cultivated in early life, of having had their
faculties improved, and of being shown how in
the most efficient manner they could employ those
talents which have been entrusted to them by their
MAKER in his service, and for the good and
happiness of their fellow-creatures ; for it is cer-
tain that such gifts were never meant to be wasted
or neglected.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, FRIDAY, Jan. 10,

It is not surprising to hear that many deaths have re-
suited from the bitter cold that we have lately expe-
rienced. A postman named Francois has been discovered
completely frozen in a field which he was in the habit of
Crossing, near Fontenay-sur-Bois. He had all his letters
and money with him untouched. On the road from
Sure'snes to Nanterre a soldier belonging to the garrison
at Mont Valtirien was found dead ; he had got drunk and
laid down, and the cold killed him. A young man has
also been discovered frozen to deat'a in a third-class Car-
riage at Choisy-le-Rey, the train going to Orleans. As
he could not be identified the body was brought to the
Morgue.

The Journal de Paris mentions as a sad and extraordi-
nary fact that as many as a thousand poor families were
unable to pay their quarter's rent when it became due a
day or two since. During the last week I am told that
the pawn offices of the city have been literally hesieged,
numbers of applicants having to be turned away without
transacting their business.
From the French commercial returns for 1867 I cull the
following facts :—During the first eleven months of last
year the imports of goods into France exceeded by 355
millions those of the year before, and by 488 millions those
of 1865 ; they amounted to a total of 2,900 millions. The
increase upon cereals is 173 millions ; on raw sugar, 1 mil-
lion; on coffee, 4 millions ; cattle 43 millions; wool, 2 mil-
lions ; silk, 3 millions ; while, on the other hand, 86 mil-
lions less of cotton has been imported than in 1866. No
great difference from the preceding year is perceived ix the
import of wood, coal, and woollen textiles. But the ex-
ports are materially lower. Instead of 2,949 millions, as
in 1866, they are only 2,729 millions in 1867. The diminu•
tion is of 74 millions on textiles of all kinds, 45 millions on
wines, 12 millions on brandies, 21 millions on cattle, and
124 millions on cereals.

I give it as an item of rumour that M. Paulin Limayrae
is to be raised to the dignity of a baron, and is to be made
a Councillor of State.
We have been favoured with an article in the Ddbats
from the pen of Pr6vost-Paxadol which is much too good
to be missed. The subject is Fenianism, in relation to which
the writer says :—" If ever the fable of the lion tormented
by the fly has been enacted in this world it is now,
on the other side of the Channel ; and it is utterly
impossible not to recall this immortal apologise
when one sees England exasperated by the Fenian
conspiracy. The British lion will not die of
it ; it will not even cause him serious illness ; but
rage is taking possession of him, and with difficulty he
represses the feeling of his dignity. We all know the
charming confession of a French conscript after his first
engagement : I was very much afraid of being fright-
ened.' England for the last month has experienced a
feeling somewhat akin to this. She wishes to retain her
calm dignity; she will not suspend the ordinary course of
justice, and shrinks from proclaiming martial law; in
fact, she is afraid of shewing fear, and her bitterest feeling
against the Fenians is that it is more than likely, after all,
that they will succeed in putting her in a rage."
The report of the abrogation of the commercial treaty
between France and Mecklenburg has been denied, but
it is, nevertheless, there is little doubt, perfectly true.
In a few days probably the treaty will be at an end.

Loss or THE AmsTEnnsm.--Yesterday the Court
constituted at Leith to inquire into the atiu.se of the
loss of the steamer Amsterdam of that port, which
was wrecked off Long Island on the 21st of October,
sentenced the master, Captain Gibson, to loss of his
certificate for one year, on account of his neglect to
take soundings.

SUPPOSED 'MURDER.-011 Thursday the fidkmrned
inquest was held respecting the death of William
Hall, police sergeant, whose body was found under
suspicious circumstances on the beach near Newbiggin-
by-the-sea, on the afternoon of the 21st ult. Addi-
tional witnesses were examined, but no important
evidence was obtained. The following verdict was
returned : "That William Hall was found dead, on
the 21st December last, on the Line Sands, but by
what means he came to his death there is not sufficient
evidence to show."

TIIE MURDER OF LORD WIIARNCLIFFE'S GAME-
KEEPER.—Yesterday, before a bench of West York-
shire magistrates at Barnsley, Matthew Cutts, aged
forty-two, stonemason, Joseph Bcardshaw, alias
Beecher, thirty-two, and Joseph English, thirty,
joiner, were again examined on a charge of having
murdered Mr. George I.hirkhill, head gamekeeper to
Lord Wharncliffe, at Piney, near Barnsley, on the
lith December last. The. particulars of this case
have recently been given in Tire A strong
case of circumstantial evidence was adduced against
the prisoners, and the whole of them were committed
for trial on a charge of wilful murder at the next
West Yorkshire Assizes, to be held at Leeds. They
were also committed for trial on the charge of night
poaching.
A NEW KNIGHT. —lt gives us pleasure to state
that his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, Marquis of
Abercorn, with the concurrence of the Earl of Derby,
Prime Minister, has, in the most handsome
terms, offered the honour of knighthood to
our worthy and excellent representative, Mr.
Lanyon. The dignity, which will shortly be
conferred, is a tribute to Mr. Lanycn's professional
eminence as President of the Royal Institute
of Architects, and a recognition of his position as one
of the representatives of the important constituency
of Belfast. It is also intended as an honour to the
loyal constituency he represents. :We heartily congra-
tulate Mr. Lanyon on this mark of distinction which has
been well deserved, and we trust that he may long
live to enjoy it, and that further: honours are yet in
store for him. We are sure it will also be pleasing
to the public generally, not only of Belfast, but of
the County Antrim, with which he was so many
years professionally connected, and the people of
Ulster, to whom he is so well known, to hear of the
advancement of a gentleman who has been so long
and so honourably identified with the capital of this
province both socially and professionally. Although
Mr. Lanvon's political views are known to be de-
cidedly Conservative, yet his gentlemanly demeanour
has gained him many admirers among political opix..-
nents, who will now join his friends in congratulating
him on the distinction to which he has attained.—
Belfast News Letter.

LABURNUM POISONING.—A correspondent has
forwarded to us an extract from the Whitby Gazette, which
relates a melancholy occurrence: the death of a child, six
years old, from eating, or at least chewing, the bark of the
laburnum tree. It is rather remarkable that so much
ignorance of the poisonous properties of the com-
mon laburnum should prevail among the public ; for as
long ago as 1845, Dr. Christison, in his classic treatise on
poisons, gave a distinct and full account of the dan-
gerous qualities possessed by all parts of the tree ; and
fatal accidents have several times since been produced
by it. Of the bark (which was the fatal agent in
the recent case), he says that it appears to have
been well known among the peasantry of the north of
Scotland as a narcotic irritant poison ; and refers to a
case where it was feloniously administered with nearly
fatal results. He also describes experiments on animals,
in which he injected an infusion of sixty grains of
the dried bark into the stomach of rabbits, when
severe totanic convulsions, followed by death in
a minute or two, took place. These powerful narcotic
effecte aro probably only produced by a large and con-
centrated dose; the ingestion of such smaller quantities of
the poison as children would be apt to got by chewing
a seed or two, or by gnawing the bark of the young
twigs cut off the tree in pruning it, would bo likely
to produce death under symptoms of irritation of the
stomach and bowels, with sickness, fainting, and collapse
in the course of a few hours. Such was the case in
the recent instance, which occurred at Bogbole, in
Yorkshire. The active principle, as far as regards the
more powerful narcotic effects of laburnum, ap-
pears to be a brownish yellow neutral extract,
discovered by Chevallier and Lassaigne in the seeds,
and which they named cytisin. As for the treatment of
laburnum poisOning, we suppose that no rational means
beyond the prompt use of the stomach-pump, and the
administration of diffusible stimulants, can well be de-
vised. The attention of the public ought to be directed
to the necessity of stringent care being taken that children
should not be allowed to tamper with any part of the
laburnum tree. It is most dangerous for them to put
either the flowers, the seeds, or the twigs into their
mouths, all parts of the tree being highly poisonou...9o--
~.
The Lancet.

LATEST INTELL MENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION.
ALEXANDRIA, Jan. 9.

Advices from Annesley Bay state that bands of
natives are prowling about the English encampment
at Senafe.
All the European troops are ordered up.
The mortality among the horses and mules is on
the decrease.

(By Malta and Alexandria Telegraph.)

ADEN, Dec. 29.

The second brigade, consisting of the 4th Euro
pean, the 3d and 25th Native regiments, and artil-
lery, have passed Aden.
General Sir Robert Napier, the Cornmandersin-
Chief of the Expedition, is hourly expected.

VIENNA, Jan. 11.

An official denial has been given to the an-
nouncement that the Austrian Government had
sent a note to the Russian Cabinet asking for ex-
planations as to the movement of troops on the
Austrian frontiers.

The funeral of the•late Emperor Maximilian is
to take place on the 18th inst. at Vienna.
MARSEILLES, Jan. 11.
The Ripon arrived at 4.30 a.m. to-day.

The mails leave for London at 11.30 a.m.
BOMBAY MAIL.

SUEZ, Jan. 10..
The Columbian, from Bombay, Dec. 29, arrived

at noon to-day.

FICA
BOURSE, JAN. 10, Th:
closed as follows :

4 per Cent.
End of month —
3 per Cent
End of month 6B 84
Credit Mobilier
End of month 162 50
Credit Foncier 1350
End of month: 1317 50
RAILWAI

NCE.
ree o'clock. —The market

Bank Shares ...- 3297 50
Ital,an Loan
End of month 4l 91
Mexican Loan
Do. Bonds
Spanish Threes
Homo Debt 331
Deferred —

Account
Orleans
Northorn
Lyons and Mediterranean
Southern.... 5371
Western
Eastern ••
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard 34lt
North of Spain
Saragossa
Roman..

49

SPORT IN LEICESTERSHIRE.

Frost has again stopped all the fun since Tues-
day, the last day of the old year. On that day Mr.
Tailby met at Withcot.e Hall, or rather his hounds
did, for the popular and energetic master is at pre-
sent laid up, from a fall at the Twyford Brook on
Christmas-eve. His horse struck him in the face,
and hurt him severely. The hounds found in
Owston Wood, and had a day in the woods, with
no prominent feature to chronicle, not even the
death of a fox. The hounds never came to the Bel-
voir fixture on the following day, and indeed it
would have been out of the question to hunt. Since
then the Donington Steeplechases have had to be
postponed on account of the frost; but if gentle-
men will have race meetings, even cross-country
ones, in January, they must be prepared for an
occasional contretemps of this sort. The frosts this
season are particularly disagreeable ; not real, hard,
seasonable affdirs, that send off at once for a
fortnight's shooting, or the inspection of all the
pantomimes, but catching things, always pretend-
ing to be " going," and then feebly returning,
with just enough energy to stop hunting. Christmas
is well over, and we are fairly launched on the
New Year. Half the season is gone, with nothing
to show for it in the way of sport. Christmas really
is degenerating into a bore ; only good to mark the
fact that another fugacious year has slipped away.
It used to be a jolly time some years ago. The
Christmas holidays were something to look forward
to, and no mistake, in the days when your corres-
pondent travelled homewards, more than half frozen,
on the top of a coach. But it has since occurred to
him to wonder whether Christmas brought, even in
those days, such fun to " grown-up people." A
ball is a ball, whatever be the time of year, but
round games, and snap-dragon, are not calzulated
for the amusement of persons of mature age. The
mistletoe, with its privileges, as described in ac-
counts of Christmas in the olden time, sounds like
a sport which might interest people whose growing
days are over ; but your correspondent is free to
confess that he has never seen this plant, nor the
sport it was supposed to occasion, in what is called
" society." And, barring such condonation of im-
propriety, which just might be, on occasion, amus-
ing, what fun is there at Christmas ? Who was for
a Yule log? Who is iu better temper at the end of
December than he habitually is throughout the
year ? Certainly not Paterfamilias, with his re-
collections of the inevitable Christmas bills; a re-
collection which is shared in, in a modified form,
by the eldest son, and as many of the family down-
wards as have attained to commercial liabi.ities.
No ; the fun of Christmas, if it ever existed, is gone
—gone with wild foxes, four-mile heats, and the
legitimate drama ! Gone with Conservatism, stage
coaches, and the organ of veneration in young people
for their superiors in age.

Christmas may be, and is by many 1 fancy, con-
sidered to be a time, when it is excusable, if not an
imperative duty, to eat more than usual ; possibly
more than is, strictly speaking, good for the con-
sumer. The papers describe in, to me, unappetis-
ing terms the show of Christmas beef in the vari-
ous butchers' shops; and it was stated in print,
a short time since, that a select party of gen-
t lemen had gone to see as a pleasing, perhaps an
appetizing, sight, the slaughter of the prize hero of
the Cittle Show—the big ox. But it is to be feared
that a too volatile generation is becoming blase ;
even of the only pleasure apparently remaining to
Christmas time, viz., the roast beef of Old Eng-
land ! If this be not so, why was the devoted elaud
the centre of f,so eager a circle ? Why are the hip-
pophagists so busy? I can't admire the gentleman
who rode his hack of years' standing, up to the
slaughter-house, and then ate him. He would have
been only rightly served if the animal, following
the precedent of Balaam's ass, had proclaimed
through the streets, with the voice of a town-crier,
the cold-blooded nature of its rider. He, by the
way, would have been surprised at so new a form of
warning. But these sort of things go to prove that
people are getting tired of the Christmas pice de
resistance, beef ; and I have endeavoured to ex-
plain my conviction that this is the only sub-
stantial remaining comfort of Christmas, is
not the assertion that this so-called festive season
has become a bore, to a certain degree justified ?
It is over now, any how, and luckily for many
people it comes only once a year. An essay on
Christmas by a " receiver" of Christmas boxes might
differ considerably in opinion from those of your
correspondent, but it is now a thing of the past.
The year of '6B has commenced, and if the world
lasts so long no doubt the usual amount of surprises
will take place ere '69 arrives-365 days ago, who
fancied Hermit for the Derby ? Who did not con-.
skier Achievement a good thing, not to say a cer-
tainty, for the Oaks? Who could have foretold the
Reform Bill, let alone the Fenian outrages ? Since
then we are all older, many of us sadder, some of
us wiser, men ; but the wisest of us can do no more
than cease to regret the past, and hope for the best
in the future. As regards sport in Leicestershire
more especially.—Land and Water.

THE LOST LEITH STEAMSHIPS.--A letter is pub-
lished by Messrs. James Currie and Co., owners of the
Vienna, stating that part of the cargo and fittings of the
Vienna had been picked up at sea, and that there could
now be little doubt that the steamer was lost by collision
about the Ist or 2d of December. They announce the
names of a committee which had been voluntarily formed
among leading merchants in Leith for receiving and ap-
propriating contributions for the relief of the families of
those who perished. Mr. O'Dowd, solicitor of her Ma-
jesty's Customs, is at present in Leith prosecuting a pre-
liminary inquiry into the cause of the 100 of the Ivanhoe
iu the gale of the la of December.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

A SOLDIER CHARGED WITH ROBBING A COMRADE.
—John Rollinson, a private in the 2d battalion of
Grenadier Guards, was charged before Mr. Knox
with stealing two watches, of the value of £B, the
property of Samuel Cartwright, another private of
the same battalion.

The prosecutor, a married man, residing with
his wife at St. George's Barracks, said that on the
Bth instant his wife went out, and while she
was gone be went into the general barrack room
with the child, locking the door of his room, but
leaving the key in it. About an hour afterwards
he went to his room and missed two watches.
Thinking his wife might have put the watches away
before going out, he said nothing about them till
she returned, when he found that the watches had
been stolen during her absence. He then gave in-
formation to the police, and subsequently saw one
of the watches in the hands of a pawnbroker. The
watch produced was the same. On charging the
prisoner with taking the watch he denied doing so.
Charles Kelley, assistant to Mr. George Atten-
borough, pawnbroker, of Fleet-street, said that on
Thursday afternoon the prisoner came in with a
watch (produced) and offered it in pledge. Seeing
information in the " List" respecting the watch he
detained it, and sent for a constable, but the pri-
soner, before he arrived, ran away. At first the
prisoner told the manager that he had had the
watch for a month, but he afterwards said it was
his sister's, and that he had it from her, and on his
(witness) asking how long he had had it, he said a
fortnight. Subsequently he (witness) went to
St. George's Barracks, and identified the prisoner.
In answer to the prisoner, the witness said the
watch was detained at half-past three.
The prisoner said that he could call witnesses to
prove that he was not out of the barracks after two
o'clock.

Sergeant Harris, 61 A, said that he accompanied
the last witness to the barracks, and on the Ser-
geant-major ordering some men, all about the same
size and dressed in a similar manner, to fall in the
witness Kelley identified the prisoner as the man
who had offered him the watch in pledge. On tell-
ing the prisoner that be should take him into cus-
tody for stealing the watches, he said, " Very well,
you have got the wrong man."

The prisoner denied stealing the watches, and
said he could prove that he did not.
The witness Kelley said that he was positive the
prisoner was the rnsn who offered the watch in
•
pledge.
In answer to Mr. Knox,

Sergeant Hardy said that the prisoner could have
been out of the barracks at the time stated had he
thought proper.
Mr. Knox said the prisoner should have every
opportunity afforded him for calling his witnesses,
and remanded him for that purpose.