The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-05 00:00:00

MAGAZINES.

Fraser con'ains its usual number of interesting
and well-writt n articles. The first on " he-
perialiiru" yiel.ts more analytical bulls, and dis-
cusies ihe qu tliti,s of the Caesars and Napoleons
with mo• e power thin tAlderriest.. Mr. Warren's
volume of "Miscellan es" subjects the author to a
rather severe c stgat on, but we believe him to. be
capable of surviving it.

The Westminster, always racy and round, is
somewhat drier than ordinary, b!it a paper on
"Liter.ittire and Society"• is well worth reading.
This is tolerably just in its views:
" A great deal, of course, depends on the fashion at
any given time, and the iasnion very much depends on
the Court. Now, the Hanover family has never loved
lettere, and has done very little for them since its acces-
si ,n. George the Second would do nothing ler Gay,
because, as Chesterfield says--/' he thought a poet a
mechanic " Ge-rure the Third only 1 ived mediocrity.
George the Fourth was polite to Sir Waler Scott, cer-
tainly ; but Sir Walter rather had the balance of obliga-
tion in his favour. The Duke of Cumberlaud of Gibbon's
time saluted him, once, in this fine polite way—" Well,
Mr. Gihben, still going on as usual—scribble—scribble
I" To be sure, these personages tniiht plead
that they never bad any superiority of talent whatever,
and could not sympa.hise with what they could not
understand. It runs in some bloods, and not in oth- rs.
The Stuarts had notorious failings ; but wit, and art,
anti song they cluld always feel, and the genius for it
they often shared ; be-ides, what they could not have
imitated as men, they would still have gracefully recog-
nised as gentlemen. Unfortunattly, it is complained,
with Justice, of the present Court, that of all classes of
human merit the finer kinds of genius are those which
it least delights to honour. Those branches of mecha-
nical science which bring a ready return in wealth—
those bran•Thes of pictorial art which, though elevating
fluences, minister to personal vanity—are no doubt
duly appreciated. But what great writer— 4 hat great
acholar—obtai,m any of the personal favour which is
lavished on soldiers who have destroyed their own
troops ? and is not withheld from political adventurers
and lucky millionnaires ?"

The New Quarterly is takiug a very far position
among its compeers, though we fancy we miss a
lively and graphic writer who coLtributed to its
culler numbers.

Tait preserves its fresh uess wonderfully, blend.
ing instruilion ant informa ton in a inasterly mau-
-1 er. The article on the " Testimony of the Rucks"
will repay I erus

The Mechanic's. —This magazine, which has an
old and well-established reputation, deserves the
attention and support of all interested in mechani-
c d pit. suits, whether amateur professors or work-
m-n. There are few branches of scientific employ-
ment that d ) n ,t find a place in its p..ges, either in
connection with some recent improvement, or in
discussion on Vie prin,_ip!es on which it is founded.
The mo t cultivated will find something t ) learn in
its pages, and the most u:iintilectual something to
comprehend in the treatment of its peculiar branches
of knowledge.

The Iriah Metropolitan,.—This is only the second
number of this serial, which must therefore be re-
i2arded with the lenity du'3 to beginners. It cer-
tainly does not as yet display either talent or bril-
liancy, but very probably its future numbers will
mike .satisfact iry progress. There are several
stories, wime ,Tthem of a romantic chiracter. A.
story of the Great S. Bernard pies-nts great at-
tractions to th- lovers of the wild and lion ible ; and
a pal er with the curious title of " Tempora" con-
tains a melancholy sketch of a little orphan girl,
who is raise, ably il!-trea'ed and starved at a cheap
schoOl. " The Last Ditys of Sebastopol" afford au
entertaining peep into the diswantled city. There
are some poetical contributions without any strik
iug met it, the in st plea-iog bung same verses,
called "Love and Prayer," on two twin sisters
praying. A criticism on "Paul Ferrult" gives a full
account of that rerawkable work, but observes that
th,,ugh the picture of the selfish, unprincipled man
is drawn wi h great ability, there is not one ele-
vating thought or good moral to be gathered from
the beginning to the end. The Sporting Intelli-
gence at the conclusion will be uieful to some
readers.

The Journal of Psychological Medicine. Jubn

th urctil.

This quaatetly, under the guidance of its able
editor, contititit s to collect all statistics of went tl
pathology, and to present many instructive pipers
on the matiagemi-nt of foreign institutions, and the
treatment of those afflicted with mental al_.erra. ion,
which must be of great service to the managers of
similar estAlislinients. Those who are employed
in the chirge of the in=ane must find the rainarks
and examples which are present d in this work of
much service in giv ng them an insight nit r the
ceuses and symptoms of that terrible disorder.
those who are interestel in the study of mental
science merely as an int7resting pursuit will meet
with several (nig nal articles in which the princi-
ples of ph) Biology are discussed, anil.tlaeir various
phenomena brought under discussion. A paper
on "Capital Punishment for Murder" is also
given. Though not, of course, treating of snbjecls
interesting or evtn intelligible to the general
reader, the large class who are connected with the
mateigement of the insane, as well as who, are oc-
cupied in the study of human physiology as a
scientific pursuit, will find in this quaiterly a large
amount of characteristic and useful inferma'ion.

The Art Journal. —The first of the illustrations
in the Art Journal is not the least interesting. It
is a portrait of the Priu, ess Helena, from a paint-
ing by Winterhalter, in the Royal collection at
Osborne. The-little. Prince,is is represented as au
Amazon, .wi.,11 helmet and shi.,-1(1, but her pre,ty
childish face and
.diurplcd fingers disprove the.kle.
Her Royal Highness is now in her eleventh year,
but the piCiure was taken some years ago. It
is not, however, withotit individuality, and part of
the face b.ars a strong resemblance to h. r
The other. plstes are "Nuli me tangere," from a
Rembrindt, in the Royal collection, nit re curious
than impressive, althou.:ll we are told that the
painting irsaif is considered a fine work of art, and
an engraving from a group of Boadicea and her.
daughte:s_, sculptured by Mr. Tuomas. Mr. and
Mrs. S. C. Hall continue t eir pleasant discourse
a•• out the progress of the Thames, giving_us the
leendary and larstrrical gossip conn,-Cted w.th its
shol es, and interspersing some original anecdotes
and reflections ; taking us, too, in the present
number, into the old streets of the venerable city
of Oxford. "Rambles in Rome," by F. Farrholt,
F.S.A., is continued with int,rest, and there are,
of course, some iemsrks on the opening of the
Academy, and the Manchester Exhibition. The
nsual art criticisms are given, and all the charac-
teristic topics of the mouth touched on.

The Nation& _Review. Chapman and Ha'l.
Tits review, although not long est.ablis. -.has
distinguished itself by talent and discrimination.
The preseut number is hardly so interesting as some
former ones have been, but it contains, neverthe-
le-s, some sensible and
well-written, articles. The
first is on Mts. Browning 's recent poem. " Aurora
Leigh," in which rot only the book, but its au-
thoress, meet with fair and discerning criticism.
" Secondary Punishments," a subject that has
lately, attracted the attention of many philan-
tbropi,t,, is next brought under notice. Alter re-
viewing the different convict systems, and discuss-
ing the propcsed legislative alterations, the writer
arrives at the conclusion that transporta!ion has
had a fair trial, and be,-'n proved alectether unsuc-
cessful. .More than 70,000 criminals,'' he informs
us, are annually sentenced to six months' impri;
E 0 Ilmeat. He would suvgest the establishment of
industrial prisons, in which the offenders might be
subjected to refirmatory influences, and -by their
labour defray the cost of their maintenance. In
the gaols of, Massachusetts, in the 'United States,
the prisoners, out of the products of their labour,
maintained themselves and their keepers, paid for
their clothing and. bedding, and the repairs of the
prison ; and; what is still more surprising, paid the
aataiy of every officer, from the governor down-
wards. By the sale of surplus productions the
managers were en .bled to pr.-sent each prisoner on
leaving with four dollars and a new suit of do hes,
besides giving a large sum towards a sinking fund
for liquidating the cost of. the building. Surely
these are most desirable results, and the syaem

pursued deserves at'entic.n. A paper ou " T
Clubs of London," carrits us back to the time of
th 9 Restoration. Besides these topics, there a"
aqicles on " Ancient India," " The Mernoi"4
of Saint Simon," for the historical realer ; on
" The Phasis of Force," for those devoted to ab•
struse science ; and a paper on "Foreign Policy,'
for those interested in the politics of the day.

THE :NEW UNDEK-SECREPARY FOR THE

WAR DEPARTMENT.

In selecting Sir John Ramsden as Under-Secre-
tary State for the War D.partment, Lord Pa.te
more ha-, all things considered, made a good choice
of a representative in the House of Commons. In
the tart Perliaen nt Sir John was one of the few
yeung English members who acideved anythingltke
a Patliameetery success, and exhibited a cadent
cap tcity fit official life. The occasion on which he
first diatieguished himself in the House was one,
too, winch at once placed him aineng the more
advanced L bera's—i h 3 Ball • Nor are the et
wanting other eircutnstance.s Connecte I with Sir
John Remsdeit's personal position in life with h
indicate the possess oe of practically lib ral view=.
Th nigh the possessor of a property in Huddersfield
so extensive that it mey be • uppossd to convey with
it very considerable political influence in that im-
portant bre-Judi, Sir John Rernsden commencsd
his political career by the c-edetable re -olution, t to;
only of never seeking to avail himself of that influ-
ence, but of never permiiting it to be used for the
advantage or to the disadventege of any candida•e
for the represeutatton of Hudder4ielli. We do n t
of course assert that had Sir J. Rsmsden pursui
an opposite course, his influence coull have con-
trolled the choice of so important a town. But
tie.-re are perhaps few parsons in his situation who
would have resisted the tempt ition t ) assist politi-
*eel friends to the utmost extent of their power.
Sir John Ramsden, by resolutely abstaining from
any such attempt, has honourably distinguished
himself from that large class of proprietors who so
misunderstand the attributes and duties of p-o-
-petty as to think that it entitles them either to i•i-
fluence or dictwe the political opinions of those who
hold under them. In sele tinge Sir J hn Rtnisden,
Lord Panniure at least has not gone into the ranks
of doubtful and hesitating L beral sm. On the cn-
trary, he has made choice of a man as his Under-
Secretary whose opinions on some subjects are evert
more advanced than his own: On the Ballot, for
instance, the War Minister and his suhordinate do
not, we regret to say, agree ; and as on that
subject Sir John Reensden has avowed 'suelt
strong con% ictions out of office, he must have en-
tered the War Depaittnent, not only without any
abandonment of them, but with a full purpose of
giving them effic ency by his subsesequent votes. At
all events, it is something to find that there is one
Minister in the Cabinet not afraid of liberality ia
his subordinites, and who seeks for assistance from
and co-operation with the rising blood of his par.y.
As far as we are aware, the only possible objet ion
to the appointment is A Sir John i at:laden es
yet knows noshing of the War-office, and that
our Military Es -ablishments, both in their totality
and their detai's, must form a very important sett--
jeet of the delikeratiens of ihe House of Commons
this Session. This, however, is an object on that
would equally apply to almost every other pos.:.
sible appointment. Previousexperienr'eand depart-
mental knowledge cannot be secured in new Under-
Secretaries under a pariarneutai y .system. All
that can be reasonably required is the indication of
capacity, and the promise of success. It is, more-
over, understood that Lord Palm« rstou will him-
self move and de'end the Army Estimates ; and
that being the case, the question of the extent of
our Military Establishments in a time of European
peace may be expected to receive even more seri-
ous attention than had those Estimates been mov-
ed by au Under-S.- cretary. The question has at pe-
sent risen to one of the very high, st class of poli-
tical subjects, and eminently demands discussion by
the able st financial state-men in the House o f
Commons. It involves considerations of future
finance, of fereig and colonial pelicy, of profes-
sional reform and improvement, as well as of im-
petial power anal prestii;e. These are points on
which it is mo-t important we should have the full
and matured views of the really responsible Mini-
sters of the Crewn speaking for the Cebinet, and
not the mere second-hand inf rmation of an Un-
der-Secretary, however intelligent and able. Here-
after there will be opportunities for Sir John Rams-
den. Just now we confess to a sitisfacton that the
exigencies of the War-office are likely to give Par-
liament the full benefit of the Premier's experience
as to the extent to which, and the system under
which, the Bti ish Army has to be ineiniained.
Mr. Freuerick Peel having resigned the Under-
Secretaryship of the War Department, Ministerial
consistency requires that Mr. John Bill shortie!
a'so retire f. om the Colonial- )ffice. That Mr. Ba 1
either hiss already resigned, or will do so, we enter-
tain no doubt. In considering the question of his
successor it ought to suggest it,elf t ) Lord Pal-
merston that as Mr. Labouchere, the Secretary of
State,- is in the House of Commons, where, of
course, he transacts all the colonial business that
can arise in that assembly, there can be no neces-
sity that his Under-Secretary should also be a
member of that House. As we have before re•
marked, of late years the number of Government
officials in the Commons has been considerably in-
creased by the creation of new offices, and every
opportunity ought to be taken, consistently with.
public into rste, to diminish the .number. At pre-
sent the Colonial-office has no representative in the
House of Lords. NeAlier is there any Cabinet
Minister in that Assembly who has given much
a' t- anion to colonial questions. Surely, then, it
w.:uld be far more useful in every respect to appoint
some yovng Liberal Peer than fiad a successor foc
Mr. Ball in the House of Coienlins.—Daily News,