The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-22 00:00:00

REMARKS.

A very rapid and unusual depression in barometrical pressure nas
saken place at all stations since last evening, amounting to eight-
tenths of an inch at Holyhead, where kvery low reading is now
reported. The change during the last twenty-four hours at Roche's
Point is upwards of nine-tenths, and pressures on the Channel coast
are at all our stations less by half an inch. The difference between
Holyhead and Rochefort is O'Bin. Temperature in the S. of England
Is nearly the same :it has fallen a little in northern districts. Last
evening a gale from the S.W. set in on the S. coast of Ireland and in
the English Channel: its greatest violence is slow felt on the Irish
coast from the N.W., and in the English Channel from the S.W.
Heavy rain has fallen in Ireland and on the S. coast cf England. The
sea is high in the Channel. Warnings have been issued.

The Liberte reproduces certain rumours of a report which
General Moltke has made to King William as to the com-
parative merits of the French and German armies. General
Moltke's conclusion is said to be that Prussia ought not to
provoke a war with France, but to do all in her power to
avoid it. Should war break out between the two coun-
tries Prussia, would have much harder work than she.
experienced with Austria in 1866, and there is reason to
believe that the result might he very different.
A decree dated Thun, where the King of Holland has
at present fixed his residence, orders the suppression of
the two Ministries of Public Worship, Catholic and Pro-
testant. Religious affairs concerning the former faith will
be henceforth attached to the department of Justice, and
those relating to the latter to the Ministry of Finance.

The Augsburg Gazette says a commission has been sent
to Volhynia to inquire into the numerous complaints of
the excessive levies and enormous fines imposed at will by
the Russian officials. The commission, says the Gazette,
has received the most convincing proofs of the corruption
of these functionaries. Almost all the heads of districts
imposed, upon their own authority, enormous fines,
which simply found their way into their own
pockets. In this way some have accumulated spoil to
the extent of a large fortune. The commission, in
fact, saw such a yawning abyss of official theft opened out
before it, that it decided upon closing its eyes as the wisest
course, and so the work was abandoned. On the return of
the commission to St. Petersburg, the Ministry adopted
the wise resolution of saying nothing about the matter, as,
if the revelations were made public, the State would be
obliged to refund several millions of roubles to the plun-
dered inhabitants. These statements are confirmed from
other sources.

It is stated that the severity of the Russian rule, in
prohibiting the wearing of mourning garments in Poland,
and the use of Polish prayer-books, has led to reprisals.
The great fires which have occurred in such numbers in
the Russian forests are now attributed to Polish in-
cendiaries. Fires are now said to break out every night.
It is a rude and despairing revolt against intolerable oppres-
sion.

The Saturday Ecriew, in an article on the new treaty
between China and the United States, justly considers the
eighth article as the head and scope of the whole. A con-
sideration of this clause will give the best idea of the
craftiness of the American negotiator. It stipulates that
though the American Government does not desire to
interfere with the construction of railways and telegraphs,
yet if the Emperor of China should determine upon such
works, the Government of the United States will delegate
suitable engineers to be employed in China. The
clause simply amounts to this : Railways and telegraphs
will soon be found necessary and beneficial in China, but
the Celestial Empire must go only to one market for men
and material. Mr. Burlingame wants to get a footing for
his countrymen in China, similar to the footing we bay('
for some time held there.

A great deal of discussion has been raised as to the real
effect of the Bishop of Oxford's District Tithes Bill, which
makes certain perpetual curates vicars or rectors. Dr.
Wilberforce himself explains in the John Bull that his bill
makes at once, without any process, all perpetual curate
vicars, who are really independent, which is tested by their
being able legally to marry parties, of right? .
and Et-it
under a revocable licence from tl4cho