The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-22 00:00:00

VARNA.

The traffic receipts on this company:3 line for the
week ending the 30th of June amounted to £Bl4,
and for the corresponding week last year to £375,
showing an increase of £439.

STEPS TO A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
The tendency of the age to " uniformity" re-
ceives further illustration from a movement now on
foot among the Germans to substitute Roman let-
ters for their own. Universal civilization means
uniformity more than anything else ; that is, the
general adoption of what is best in each nation.
When the world has attained to what we in our
limited knowledge consider perfection, it will speak
and write one language, be governed by one code
of laws, and profess one religion—which means that
mankind will become one family. This is the very
essence of the " manifest destiny" doctrine professed
by its citizens regarding the future of North America.
There it can be seen, appreciated, and in anticipa-
tion almost realized ; but visionaries may enjoy a
greater future still, and claim for mankind the
destiny the American 'limits to himself. Towards
this goal these movements are but steps, and the
quicker they are taken and the longer the stride,
the more does the visionary rejoice in the idea
that mankind is progressing towards his end. The in-
fluence in the return of German emigrants on Ger-
many is daily becoming more visible, and will in time
leaven the mass. The emigrant, as a boy, proceeds to
America, as a man of mature age he often returns;
as a visitor at least he is almost sure to go back to
look at the old Fatherland. He carries with him
the English tongue as well as Republican ideas, and
he helps to make the language of America the
ruling language of mankind. Doubtless this fact
weighed greatly in the change so many Germans
now desire to effect. Romauiz) the German cha-
racter, and the similarity of the language is at once
detected. Not only does it make German compa-
ratively easy for the English speaking peoples to
acquire, but, what is of more importance, it makes
English comparatively easy for Germans to acquire.
Considering that the Germans are the most nume
roux family of Europe imbued with the taste for
gro w
tn gEnglish
emigration, any movement which facilitates their
speaking
apbeosoplrepstioisn
of into
vial a l the
interest o both races. Since
the erection of Babel, difference of speech has
beenthe most serious bar to fusion and to the
spread of knowledge. Every barrier removed
in the confusion of tongues is an advance to-
wards the period when nothing will be " re-
strained from mankind which they have imagined
to do." To assimilate the written characters
and spelling among the nations of Europe is
a very important move ; indeed, more important
than the uniformity of currency, of weights and
measures, and the passage of the naturalization laws,
all now in progress. When the change is effected,
there will be a greater tendency to assimila-
tion between English and German. The gradual
change of a language, and the influence on it of
neighbouring tongues, is very clearly shown in the
preface to INTEnsTER's Dictionary. Let any one
compare the Anglo-Saxon version of St. MATTHEW,
given in page 37 in the brief history of the English
language with the translation—and to save our
readers the trouble of a reference, we will give the
first line or two :
(Front the Anglo-Saxon version of St. Matthew, Bth chap

1 verse)

" S3dhlice thii so Freeland of tham munte nydher-astn,
fyligdon him mycle
Translation. —" Soothly when the Saviour from the
mountain came down, there followed him a great mul-
titude (mickle, many)."
tlolft
ime time
that
w effectstohred
pn
orfe
saewchthaat their forefathers wrote, isnge so material in a language,
generation cannot understand
it too much to expect that assimilation can
gradually be directed towards one tongue ? The
word German is of Celtic origin, and means a
neighbour, with primary reference to the Gauls,
and it certainly will be a neighbourly act if they
can effect the change, and adopt the characters of all
the nations by whom they are surrounded, levelling
at least one barrier of isolation. It is surprising to
see the facility with which people supposed to be
ignorant pick up English words. At Cairo every
donkey boy can get on with the English or Ameri-
can tourist. He will mount him on a donkey he
calls " Stevens," or " Butler," or " Andy Johnson,"
and he will run his " moke" as a candidate for the
Presidency as " Governor Seymour" or " General
Grant." We have no doubt that many Egyptian
donkeys have lately been named " Napier," and not
a few "Theodore." During the American War
the visitor was assailed by these young Arabs with
the exclamation, " Take my donkey, Ganeral Lee"
or "Stonewall Jackson." "Here's Sherman," cries
one. " But mine's the best donkey, it is Sheridan,"
exclaims another, " and it can fight," tickling the
beast, which at once throws back its long ears, and
lashes out with its hind legs. Though this may be ex
petted along the great routes of Anglo-Saxon tra-
vel, the writer can certify that when almost within
sight of the towering walls of Peking, shortly after
the surrender of that city to the Allies, he was sur-
rounded by a crowd of young Tartar beggars,
many of whom addressed him in English.
" One, two, three," commenced a little urchin,
going through the numerals ; " hand, foot, eyes,"
cried another; "me English boy," screatuel a
third. At Tien-tsin the favourite amusement of
the children was drilling in imitation of the sol-
diers, and it was astonishing t) see the facility with
which they spoke the English words of command.
The immense growth of the Anglo-Saxon nations, and
the increase of intercourse with portions of the
earth's surface scarcely
heard of a few years ago,
must eventually make English at least the basis of
the universal tongue. It may require many gene•
rations, and centuries may elapse before mankind
speaks but one language ; yet, we think, contem-
plating past progress, that this end will yet be at-
tained. We cannot be insensible to the enormous
Clii4gUitie43 when we gee, even in Great Britain, the

descendants of people who from time immemorial
have inhabited the district without being able, even
to this hour, to speak English. If there are in the
Highlands of Scotland, in Wales, in Ireland, and
in the Isle of Man, natives to whom English is an
unknown tongue, how can we anticipate that the
world will combine to talk one language? Indeed,
we would not look for so marvellous a revolution
were we not encouraged by the progress made on
all sides. Some day or another to effect it will
become the ruling idea of many minds ; and we
have had such numerous instances of what mind can
effect when devoted with enthusiasm to a single
end, imparting its enthusiasm to other minds, and
working through generations to attain the end,
to despair even of so prodigious a result.

THE COMMONS' SELECT COMMITTEE
ON JURIES.

The Commons' Select Committee on the summon-
ing, attendance, and remuneration of special and
common juries have concluded their labours.
They recommend that the sheriff should have a
larger discretionary power to increase the special
jury lists, and that the system provided by the
Common Law Procedure Act for the summoning
of special jurors should be adopted in the metro-
polis as well as the country, not taking away from
the parties the power of having " a special special-
jury," as at present, if a judge should think fit.
The Committee state their recommendations as
follows :—" 1. That the jury lists ought to be pre-
pared with greater care, and to contain the names
of many persons who are now either legally, or
through negligence, omitted ; and in order to in-
sure these objects the Committee recommend—
That the overseers should be paid for their ex-
penses in the preparation of the lists ; that the
lists should be revised by the guardians of the
poor before being sent to the justices ; that the
overseers should be liable to a penalty for negli-
gence in the preparation of the lists as well as for
wilful misconduct ; and that the present exemp-
tions from serving on juries should be carefully
considered ; that many of them ought to be
abolished, and those retained should be defined
' and enumerated in some Act to be passed relating
to the subject. 2. That the mode of summoning
special jurors for the trial of causes in London
and Middlesex should be assimilated to that pro-
vided by the Common Law Procedure Act, 1852,
for the trial of causes in other parts of England.
3. That a panel of not less than thirty special jury-
men in each court should be returned each sittings
for Middlesex and London for the trial of all
special juries, and that special jury-men summoned
for any one court be liable to serve, in case of
necessity, in any of the other courts. 4. That the
special jury list should be separately revised by
the guardians of the poor, and that much "more
care should be bestowed than at present, in order
to include therein persons qualified for special
jurymen ; and that persons duly qualified by edu-
cation and property, as well as esquires, bankers,
and merchants, ought to be placed on the special
jury list. 5. That the practice of relieving per-
sons liable to serve as grand jurymen from the
duty of serving as common or special jurymen
ought to be abolished ; and that their services as
grand jurymen ought only to count as service as
jurymen. 6. That the names be taken by rota-
tion from the jury list, and that no one be called
upon to serve a second time until the whole list be
fairly and fully exhausted. 7. That a notice of
not less than four days be given to every juryman
summoned to attend the sittings of the Courts.
8. That no juryman be summoned, as now fre-
quently happens, to serve in more than one court
on the same day. 9. That the ordinary attend-
ance of jurymen ought not to exceed one week at
a time. 10. That the remuneration of special and
common jurymen be made ' per diem,' and not by
cause, and that such remuneration be at the rate of
one guinea a day for special, and 10s. a day for
common jurymen. 11. That better accommoda-
tion than at present exists in most courts of
justice ought to be provided for jurymen." The
committee add that, during their investigation,
other subjects connected with the jury laws have
conic under their cognizance ; but, believing that
they were not strictly within the terms of refer-
ence, the committee forbear from making any spe-
' cial recommendation on these points ; they
believe, however, that such particulars are well
worthy the future attention of Parliament, e.g.,
the power of having a special jury in criminal
' cases, the reduction of the present number of the
' jury, and the expediency of making such altera-
tion in the qualifications of jurymen. as may best
insure the selection of educated and intelligent
I men to perform duties so onerous and so
responsible.