The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-06 00:00:00

REMARKS.

The diminution in atmospherical pressure during the last twenty-
four hours has been about two-tenths of an inch in the north of our
islands, but on cur south and west coasts it has been leas. The least
pressures are on our north coast, and the greatest in the west of
France: there is a difference in readings between Nairn and Roche-
fort of four-tenths. Temperature is lower in the north and west, but
elsewhere it is nearly the same. The wind has been and still is mode-
rate :it is generally from the south-west. Rain has been general on
our south and west coasts, as well as in France. Thunder is reported
om our N.E. coast. The weather is generally overcast, with mist
and fog prevailing in the south.

There is little of interest from Russia except the accounts
of great fires, which are remarkably common, owing, of
course, to the prolonged drought. A day or two back the
town of Sestruesk was almost destroyed. Nearly SOO
houses were burned down, and several lives were lost. The
town of Vyttgra, in Central Russia, had a narrow escape.
A forest in which it is situated was set on fire, burned for
four days, and was not got under until it had
reached within a hundred yards of the houses.
The conflagration of the peat•mosses and forests
in the neighbourhood of St. Petersburg continues _
with great intensity. On the Nicholas Railway
the trains which start from the 'buskin capital " pass
through clouds of fire and smoke for a distance of 120
miles. Light and left of the line the fire is sixty miles
broad."

The General Secretary of the Amalgamated Society of
Engineers has taken a wise course ;with regard to the
threatening notices sent to several master engineers,
and purporting to have emanated from a " General
Secret Committee " of Trades Unions. Ho has
written to each employer who has received the
threat, stating that the whole affair is a hoax or worse.
As the secretary of the most influential of trade societies,
he is in a position to declare most positively that in con-
nection with trades unions there is no such body known as
a " Secret Committee." The title of "General Secret
Committee " has evidently been assumed by some weak-
minded individual or individuals who wish to gratify a
mischievous disposition in attempting to pass off a paltry
and senseless hoax. This is taking the most charitable
view of such conduct ; the only other light in which it
can be viewed is that of a wretched incendiary.
A case of breach of promise affords a glorious holiday
for a court of law, but, unfortunately, what is fun to
everyone else is frequently death to the defendant. Baron
Bramwell put the law of the case in a proper light at the
Leeds Assizes, when he told the jury not to give such
heavy damages that every man should be frightened
into marrying a woman who would make him unbapi y
for life, but rather to give the plaintiff a fair compensa-
tion. Juries in future will perhaps be a little more
merciful to a man who finds that he has made a hasty
promise, to fulfil which would bs to mar his future life.
There are cases in which a man has done a woman an
irretrievable wrong, and deserves a fine which amounts
to a punishment if he refuse to marry her ; but t. e
majority of these cases are grossly unjust. The law courts
are hardly any protection for a woman of feeling and
rcllnement, while they offer every temptation
to the a,lventuress. Where the other sex is plain-
tiff he is laughed out of court. In one case
a man very honestly and candidly wooed an elderly lady ft r
her money, and invested a considerable amount in marriage
preparations. The lady repented in time. Here was a
clear case of loss, but the judge told the man be never
knew a jury award a masculine plaintiff anything, and
accordingly they gave him one shilling damages. Apo r
milkman had to pay a servant girl £25, the only evidence
being to the effect that he had been seen kissing her behind
the door when he came round with the milk. The jury
should have known that he only complied with a hallowo'
custom, common alike to himself, the policeman, the
butcher, the baker, and even the postman when not in a
' -- •
hIuYY