The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-24 00:00:00

CONSERVATIVE CELEBRATION AT

DARTFORD.

On Tuesday the Conservatives of the Dartford district
:!elebrated the return of their two members for West Kent,
Ur. Mills and Mr. Talbot, by a grand dinner, under the pre-
sidency of Mr. Hart Dyke, M.P. for Mid-Kent. The chair-
man declazed his belief that the victory in West Kent was
won by the great middle-class. He was not discouraged by
the Liberal majority in the House of Commons, as ho thought
there were great divisions among them. He should like to
hear Mr. Bright and Mr. Lowe have their first quiet
talk about Reform. Mr. Mills and Mr. Talbot,
who were received with enthusiasm, both addressed
the meeting. Mr. Mills thought the late Government had
done wisely in resigning as they did, but the Irish Church
was not settled, and the word "compromise" was already
whispered. Mr. Talbot spoke in general terms to the same
effect; and in denying the charges of intimidation and
bribery brought against the Conservative party, said he
thcught for his part the ballot would be of advantage to the
Conservatives. Their majority had been largest in the popu-
lous districts. The proceedings, which were very enthu-
siastic, were kept up to .1 late hour.

MR. LEATHAM ON THE NEW

GOVERNOI_ENT.

The new Government was the subject of some interest-
ing remarks made by Mr. Leatham at Huddersfield a
clay or two back, He first referred to the precipitate
retreat of Mr. Disraeli, and proceeded to criticise the new
Administration. He thought it an admirable one. Still,
some old-fashioned Radicals were of opinion that a Liberal
Administration need not have so much to do with
the peerage. It was also objected that the Government
contained too many Whigs. The Whigs had a hereditary
taste for office, if they had not a hereditary right to it.
Those who look at the Treasury Benches next February
would not find much difference in the selection
from past days, and there might practically
have been no Reform Bill at all, for the
alterations that had taken place in official arrrange-
ments. One name was there to make an exception as
great in isolation as in strength and weight. The con-
stituencies, which were more democratic than had been
believed possible some years ago, had returned a House of
Commons which had created a Government as anti-
democratic as any before in all time. They were, how-
ever, on the eve of great changes, and they might take
the question of the Ballot as an illustration that progress
had been made. The good ship was going out of harbour,
and only land-lubbers would regret the motion that was felt,
and the lover of his country would rejoice in a storm it so be
they left the " land-locked " anchorage of the past.

THE PRINCE CONSORTS WINDSOR

ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the Prince Consort's Association
for improving the condition of the labouring classes has been
held at Windsor, under the presidency of Major-General
Seymour. The association was founded in 1850 by the
Prince Consort, its object being to raise the social
condition of the labouring classes by stimulating the
spirit of industry. It arose from a desire expressed by the
Prince Consort to bestow some mark of favour on those cot-
tagers in and around Windsor who wore diligent in keeping
their houses tidy. By degrees the design grow, and it now in-
cludes rewards for neat cottages, well cultivated gardens, for
tbehonestbringing up of families, for long service of labourers,
artisans, and domestics, especially of young persons in their
first situations. The Queen herself signs all the certificates
given, and the society has administered at different times
more than £5,000 in these rewards. A grand entertainment
was given in 1800 to celebrate the tenth year of the associa-
tion's existence, when 565 persons who had benefited by it
dined in the Queen's marquee in the Home-park, and it was
announced by Major-General Seymour that a similar festival
would be hold in the year 1870.

THE _RUPTURE BETWEEN TURKEY

AND GREECE.

Prussia and Russia have proposed a conference of the
six Powers for the purpose of settling the dispute
between Turkey and Greece. The project is really an
acknowledgment of the difficulty of bringing about any-
thing like a joint action on the part of the Powers. Had
there been an agreement amongst the great States, it is
hardly possible that either Turkey or Greece would have
defied their unanimous resolution. The want of an under-
standing has evidently provoked this proposition for a
Congress. As the Telegraph remarks, the end
in view seems more likely to be attained by
private understandings between the leading States
of Europe than by a general conclave at which
Russia, France, England, Austria, and Prussia would be
compeled, not only to give tacit acquiescence in a certain
line of action, but to pronounce themselves distinctly in
favour of certain definite principles of policy. It is
not likely that the Russian Emperor would ever affix
his signature to a protocol declaring that if Greece did
not listen to reason coercion should be applied to her
Government. Nor is it likely that the decision of a Con-
gress would be accepted by both the disputing States. A
protocol would not reconcile the Turks to being despoiled
of their territories, nor would it induce the Greeks to aban-
don what they consider their destiny7---the expulsion of the
Mussulmans from Europe. The Telegraph thinks it probable,
therefore, that the object of the Congress will be to decide
upon the Eastern Question in bulk, and not the present
quarrel alone. Such a proposition deserves serious consi-
deration. " There can be no doubt that the position of
Turkey in Europe is transitional ; no one would
contend that the dominion exercised by the Otto-
man Empire over the Christian races subject to
its rule can be regarded as permanent. Lord Stanley's
recent description of the state of Turkey, as being so bad
that the dissolution of the empire was impending, may
have been premature and impolitic, but it represented a
truth to which we cannot afford to shut our eyes.
Sooner or later, Europe will be called upon to deal
with the condition of Turkey, and the chances
seem to be that it will be sooner, ' and not later.
The only way in which the ultimate certainty of a
European war can be avoided seems to be the attainment
of some definite understanding between the Great Powers;
and such an understanding might possibly be the result of
an international congress."
The Telegraph, however, can scarcely believe that the
time is favourable for the convocation of a general con-
gress. The relations between the various European
States are so complex and various that it would be difficult
to treat separately any of the so-called questions of the
day. All the great States have interests of some kind
to promote. England is the only Power that could enter
an international conclave for the settlement of the Eastern
question with an unmixed desire to promote the true
interests of Turkey and Greece. " The circumstance
that the scheme is put forward with the sanction of
1 Prussia does not increase our belief that the conference
has been proposed in the interests of the Ottoman Em-
pire." Nevertheless, a telegram from Vienna states that
Austria and Italy are disposed to accept the offer, and that
there is reason to believe in its realisation.

A correspondent of the Standard says that deputations
have not, as the Patrie asserted, arrived from the lonian
Islands to urge upon the Greek Government a pacific
policy. "At Athens the people are labouring under a
kind of warlike delirium tremens, and from all the islands
assurances of co-operation and support in men and
money are coming in. This, I can assure you, is a fact."
The same writer adds that the concord between the Great
Powers exists only in the columns of the Moniteur and
other official papers, and that the threatening attitude of
Turkey has been the result of inspiration both from
Austria and France. The latter Power is, in fact, the
prive mover in the affair. It has baited its hook with the
Eastern Question in the hope of catching England and
Austria as allies, and in the case of the latter it has been
successful. Another correspondent of the Standard says
that every day renders the work of diplomacy more diffi-
cult. Since the despatch of the Turkish ultimatum every
hour serves but to inflame the resentment of both parties.
There is no chance of a pacific solution unless the Porte
abate some of its demands.
A correspondent of the Siecle says that the concession
of the demands of the Ottoman Government would be the
signal for a revolution in Greece.
The Prase has received intelligence from Roumania to
the effect that the Minister who lately retired is actively
employed in securing the support of the new Government
foi the cause of Greece.
The Patrie says the Turks have occupied Tutro, the port
by means of which all the communication between Crete
and Greece has been kept up. The revolt in the district
of Sphakia has terminated.
A Trieste journal gives as certain the intelligence that
the Turkish ultimatum was submitted to the Austrian
and Fr nch representatives, and approved of by them,
before it was sent to Athens.

Professor Brewer, of King's College, London,
writes a smart letter to the Globe, in which he attempts to
prove that unless all endowments aro taken away from the
Irish Church its disestablishment—or rather the inaugura-
tion of pure voluntaryism —is impossible. "You cannot,"
he says, "have an endowed clergy and an unendowod epis-
copate." If the bishop refuse to do this or that, and ho is
compelled to do as the State wishes, where is the volun-
taryism ? If a Commission be appointed by the State to
govern the Church, what is that but Establishment with the
Royal supremacy? In fact, Mr. Brewer's contention is that
disestablishment cannot mean more than the abrogation of
the Royal supremacy.

CORBES

►M PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, WEDNESDAY, December 23.

It would seem that in proposing a conference to settle the
Eastern Question, Prussia had but anticipated the Marquis
de Lavalette. I hear it positively stated that the new
French Minister had taken the preliminaries to a confer.
ence, and that he had sent telegrams to all the French re.
presentatives abroad instructin g them to sound the respective
Cabinets at which they were accredited. These telegrams
would reach their destination just about the time that the
first proposal was made by Prussia. That both the Govern•
meats of France and Prussia should, without intercommu•
nication, have hit upon the same remedy for the solution of
the Eastern difficulty, gives the Conference project a serious
aspect, and greatly increases the prospect that the meeting
of the Great Powers will actually take place. The new
and improved mode of settling international difficulties,
which met with success in the Luxembourg affair, is to be
applied to a question of far greater complexity— a diffi-
culty of much older date. Further, Russia, whose action
in this matter has been most despaired of by the French
diplomatists—Count Stackelberg making no sympathy of
Muscovite sympathy for Greece—has supported this sug-
gestion of a conference, if not taken the initiative in it.
There is reason to believe that the foreign policy of the
Empire will be in no wise changed by the accession of M.
de Lavalette. His sympathies are all on the side of peace,
he is not unfavourable to German unity, and he is a warm
advocate of Italy being left to the Italians. But Prussia will
be none the less jealously watched on this account, whilst
the occupation of Rome is yet to continue. The Papal
Government, I am told, inquired in alarm whether the
appointment of the Marquis was a manifesto in favour of
Italy. It received a reassuring answer.
The new Luxembourg Constitution has iatorased the
number of deputies by eight, and the election of these
representatives has just come off. The result has been
very unfavourable to the party which advocates annexa-
tion to France. All the annexationists have been defeated,
and their antagonists, one of them a Pruss'an, have been
elected by immense majorities.
M. de Moustier is a little better.
The Moniteur publishes au encouraging report ot the
progress made by the classes for the secondary instruction
of young women, which were first established about
twelve months ago. These classes have progressed
so well as to leave no doubt of the success of
the experiment. The attendance at Paris has doubled,
and is still increasing. A similar result has been attained in
the provinces, especially in the east. There can be no
doubt that the young women of France are disposed to
avail themselves of the chance of a higher education now
that it is offered them, and there can, I apprehend, be no
reason to fear that a more general attempt of this kind in
England would be attended with a satisfactory issue.
" Miss Multon," the barefaced dramatised plagiarism of
" East Lynne," has brought forth a claim for compensation
by Mr. North Peat, the translator, as well as by the pub-
lisher of his version. But M. Belot, the author of the
play, declares that he had no idea that the incidents
furnished them by M. Nus were not original, and so the
matter is to be referred to the Socia6 des Hommes de
Lettres. Mdlle. Schneider has renewed "La Belle
Helene" at Vari4t6s. At the Chatelet " Theodoros " has
commenced, but there are no serpents, and the living lions
which were promised are stuffed with straw. The play
is nothing more than a spectacle, of which two ballets, in
which some dark-skinned Nubian beauties are represented,
and the final capture of Magdala by the English, are
palpably the greatest attractions.
An odd little trial has just been heard in one of the
rural districts of the East. Two young Italians, who
gained their livelihood by the tricks of a monkey, were
unable to pay their score at the auberge where they stopped
for a night. The innkeeper took the monkey as a hostage,
and shut it up in his cellar. But, true to his nature,
the animal dreamt of vengeance, drew out the stoppers of
six wine barrels, and broke many of the bottles in the
cellar. When the innkeepr beheld the deluge his rage
so far got the mastery ot him that he killed the author of
the devastation. The two Italians brought their loss before
a neighbouring Solomon, who wisely enough decreed
that two wrongs did not make a right, and that if the inn-
keeper lost much the unfortunate Italians had lost all.
Defendant was fined £2O.

THE TVEATHEB TABLE.-THIS DAY.