The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-25 00:00:00

A SKIRMISH WITH THE GALLAS.

The Herald's correspondent, writing from Antalo,
May 1, describes the following adventure :—" The Gallas
have become bold and troublesome, and not a few have
fallen in skirmishes with our troops. Soon after we had
joined the body of fugitives we heard screams and cries in
front, and riding in at a gallop with my friend we came
upon a number of natives in a state of great excitement,
the women crying and wringing their hands. They
pointed to a ravine, and made us understand that the
Gallas were there. Riding up to it we came upon a party
of eight or ten men with spears and shields driving
off a couple of dozen oxen they had just
stolen. Before they could recover from their sur-
prise we were in . their midst, and our revolvers soon
sent them flying up the hill with two or three of their
number wounded. We drove back the cattle, and were
received with acclamations by the unfortunate but mise-
rably cowardly natives, who could merely with stones have
kept their assailants at a distance had they had the pluck
of so many sheep. A few hundred yards further on we
came upon another party of Gallas actively engaged in
looting, and al the sight of us with our rifles and revolvers
in hand most of them fl cl ; tut we captured two of the
ruffians, who saw that throwing themselves upon their
faces was the only chance of escape from being shot. We
tied their hands behind them and handed them over to
the syces, who drove them before them until the end of
the day, when we delivered them over to Colonel Graves,
of the 3rd Cavalry, who was in command at Dalanta, and
had the satisfaction of seeing them get two dozen lashes
each, well laid on. After this skirmish, seeing numbers of
Gallas hanging about,we constituted:ourselves a sort of rear-
guard to the native column, and our double-barrelled rifles
seen drove them to a distance, the long range at which it
sent halls into groups waiting for an opportunity of attack
evidently astonishing them greatly, and causing them to
scatter in the greatest haste. I think it a question whe-
ther the Gallas or the Abyssinians are the greatest
Cowards. Two or three officers coming up later upon the
same day had skirmishes with them, and three or four of
the Gallas were killed."

TnE APPEARANCE OP THE CAPTIVES.
The letter in the Post, also dated Antal°, May 1, speaks
in no flattering term of the rescued captives ; I have

hitherto made but slight mention of the `prisoners,' for
so I foresee they will always be dubbed should they live
to enjoy half a century of freedom. The fact is, no
interest whatever attaches to them ; as long as they were
in Theodore's hands, and costing us so many thousand
pounds a day, they were great lions,' but once re-
leased they dwindle into very commonplace individuals.
As to Messrs. Cameron, Rassam, and Co., no one
"area a fig for their future proceedings, with the
exception, perhaps, of the commissariat officer, whose
duty it is to convoy the lot down to Zoullab and here and
there a needy paterfamilias, who will recall the now fami-
liar names as he groans over the call of the unwelcome
income tax collector. The proverb of great cry and little
wool' appears to me only too applicable to the case of the
Abyssinian captives, and had one of the original batch
possessed an average amount of pluck and determination,
I cannot help thinking that this costly expedition would
have been unnecessary. The rosy cheeks, good case,'
and comfortable aspect of all the principal ' victims' go
far to prove that Theodore's tyranny was considerably
ICS3 galling than represented."

TIIC " LOOT" SOLD BY AUCTION.

ft is already well known, says the Daily News corre-
spondent, that the booty captured at Magdala is not
remarkable for variety or value. The " loot " consisted
chiefly of old matchlocks, crooked swords, spears,
crosses, shields of tough bull-hide, or the still tougher
hide of the rhinoceros, and books in old Ethiopic
character. Trashy as the collection was, however, the
articles fetched fancy prices ; one might have supposed
from the bidding that the buyers were in league with
Madame Tussaud or Barnum. The shields fetched from
£lO to £l5 ; that of Theodore was knocked down at
£45 10s. ; although it was in no way different from the
othcrs, being a well-worn hide, ornamented with silver.
Suitable presents were made to each of the regiments
before Magdala ; a valuable collection has, I believe, been
made for the British Museum ; and the books, or the ma-
jority of them, will he sent to England for sale, as they
will find a better market there, where the connois-
seurs are more numerous than they are in Abyssinia.

HE DIVISION ON THE SUSPENSORY
BILL.

The division on the second reading of Mr. Gladstone'e
Irish Church Suspensory Bill was taken in a House of 575
members. The numbers voting were 31 fewer than in the
division on going into committee on April 4, and 26 fewer
than in that which took place on Mr. Gladstone's first
resolution on the morning of May 1. The Liberal ma-
jority of 54 is seven less than it was on April 4, and 11
less than on May 2. The Conservative minority is twelve
and seven less respectively.
In the division of Saturday morning eight Conservatives
voted with the Opposition, viz.: Lord Bingham, Mr.
Butler Johnstone, Mr. Earle, Mr. Gaskell, Mr. Leader,
Sir J. N. M'Kenna, Mr. M`Lagan, and Colonel Vande-
leur. On the other hand, six Liberals voted with the
Government, namely : Lord Ernest Bruce, Lord Cre-
morne, Lord Elcho, Sir J. Matheson, Mr. Saunderson, and
Mr. Wyld. Sir Roundell Palmer was again absent.
The following Liberals who took part in the division of
May 1 were now absent :—Mr. H. E. Adair, Major
Anson, Mr. M. T. Bass, Mr. H. F. Berkeley, Mr. 0.
Butler, Mr. Calcraft, Mr. M. Chambers, Mr. Colvile,
Mr. Dunlop, Lord R. Grosvenor, Mr. S. Gurney, Mr. E.
W. Hamilton, Captain Kearsley, Mr. Lamont, Mr. A.
Mitchell, Mr. Moncreiff, Mr. W. Morris, Sir J. Power, Mr.
IL G. Price, Mr. 11. Russell, Mr. R. B. Sheridan, Mr. J. B.
Smith, Mr. B. H. Vivian, Mr. Waring, Captain White,
and Mr. G. Young.
The absentees from the previous division who now voted
with Mr. Gladstone were—Sir R. Bulkeley, Mr. E.
Ellice, Mr. Fitzwilliam, Mr. Fordyce, Mr. Gaskell, Mr.
Bulkely-Hughes, Mr. Knatchbull-Bugessen, Sir T. Lloyd,
Mr. M'Evoy, The O'Conor Don, Mr. Parry, Mr. J.
Ramsay (new member).
The Conservatives voting with their party on May 1,
and now absent, were—Mr. Bagnall, Mr. C. Bailey, Mr.
H. B. Baring, Mr. H. Barnett, Mr. Barrow, Mr. Conolly,
Mr. Davenport, Lieutenant-Colonel Fane, Mr. Floyer,
Mr: Getty, Mr. R. Gilpin, Sir D. Gooch, Mr. Hope, Mr.
Hornby, Colonel Stuart, Sir G. Stucley, Colonel Sturt.
Admiral Walcott, Colonel Williams, and Mr. Wise.
The Ministerialists then absent, and now voting with
their party, were—Mr. H. Baillie, Earl of Bective, Vis-
count Curzt,n, Major Dickson, General Dunne, Mr.
Dupre, Viscount Ingestre, Mr. D. Jones, Colonel Low-
ther, Mr. Pemberton, Mr. Pugh, Mr. Sandford, Lord H.
Scott, Mr. A. Thompson, and Lord H. Thynne.
Mr. Antrobus, a Liberal Conservative; who in tne
former divisions voted with the Government, was now
absent. Mr. J. Ivatt Briscoe, the Liberal M.P. fcr West
Surrey, who on April 4 went into the lobby with Minis-
ters, but was not present on May 1, was again absent.
So likewise was Colonel R. M. Biddulph, the Liberal
member for Denbighshire. Sir Montague Cholmeley and
Colonel Packe, the Liberal representatives of North
and South L:ncolnshire, who did not vote in the previous
division, were once more absent. Mr. Brockleburst, Mr.
James Brown, Sir George Colthurst, Mr. Fort, Mr. Pim,
Mr. E. L. Pry se, Mr. Danby Seymour, and the Messrs.
Mackinnon have voted in neither division since the
struggle on the Irish Church commenced.
Mr. Barrow's absence from the division is explained by
the fact that the hon. member is seriously ill.

The Dublin police are to receive one week's bill
pay, as a gratuity, in consideration of the extra duty
thrown upon them during the royal visit.
COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS.—A meeting of the
council of this corporation was held on Saturday last. The
diploma of Associate was conferred on Mrs. Shillinglan, of
Castle Donington.

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH.—Mr. Gladstone,
M.P., has consented to allow himself to be proposed for
the office of Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh.
Sir James Y. Simpson is chairman of the committee en.
gated in promoting the election of Mr. Gladstone.

THE ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE THE DUKE
OF EDINBURGH.—A photograph of O'Farrell, the Fenian
miscreant who made the cowardly attack on the Duke of
Edinburgh in Australia, has just been received in Eng-
land, and is being published by the London Stereoscopic
Company. There is nothing repulsive about the linea-
ments of the scoundrel

A LONG MINISTERIAL CRISIS. —A telegram, of
April 26 sta'es that at that date Governor Sir Manners
Sutton had not teen able to obtain new advisers capable of
carrying on the government of Victoria. Mr. M'Culloch
and his col elgues resigned their offices on the 13th of
March, so that the crisis bad lasted more than six weeks,
and continued.

OUTRAGE IN CORK. —On Saturday, at three
o'clock in the afternoon, a number of armed insurgents
entered Ashfield House, at the south-west of this city, in
the absence of the owner, Captain Warren. They de-
m coded the surrender of arms in the name of the Irish
Republic. Having got a sword from the terrified domestics,
they decamped through the shrubbery.
THE LAW OF NATURALTSATION.—Lord Stanley
has appointed the following commission to consider this
important subject :—Chairman, Lord Clarendon ; mem-
bers—Queen's Advocate, Attorney-General, Sir R. Philli-
more, Baron Bramwell, Sir R. Palmer, M.P., Mr. Card-
well, M.P., Mr. W. E. Forster, M.P., Mr. Vernon
Harcourt, and Mr. Montague Bernard.

For some little time past the judge of a metro-
politan county court has been unable to sit, having been
arrested at the suit of a creditor. We do not state parti-
culars, because the scandal is sufficiently widespread
already, and we here desire only to call attention to the
fact that there appears to be no power of removing a
county tour: j ,dge who, by reason of his liabilities, is an
unfit person to fill the office.—Law Times.

O'FARRELL'S CONFESSION. —The telegram which
announces the execution of O'Farrell states that shortly
before his death he withdrew the statement made at the
police-court that he, had been selected from a number of
Fenians to perpetrate the horrid deed, and had committed
it under orders. Either, therefore, his first statement was
false, intended to intensify the fears of the excited
population, or in view of the scaffold he retracted a fact
inadvertently disclosed. The former opinion appears to
prevail in Australia.

SEWAGE NUISANCE AT BARKING.—A memorial,
signed by the vicar, the churchwardens, the medical men,
and most of the inhabitants of Barking, has been prepared
for presentation to the Home Secretary, setting forth the
"grievous nuisance and injury inflicted on the inhabitants
of all the towns below London by the Metropolitan Main
Drainage, and praying for an injunction against the
Metropolitan Board of Works, to restrain that body
from discharging the sewage of London into the River
Thames."

LORD BROUGRAM.—There was a rule amongst
the Scotch judges and the senior members of the bar when
on circuit, that they only had the privilege of drinkinr
claret ; the juniors were limited t 9 sherry and port. The
circuit was at Ayr, and Brougham happened to sit just
under the salt. The claret came down to him and then
crossed the table, but each time it did so Brougham filled
his glass. This had been observed by the president. "Do
you see," said his lordship to his friends on the right and
left," " that young impudent fellow Brougham helping
himself to claret ? If he tries it again I'll speak to him."
Round came the claret, and Brougham, as usual, filled a
bumper. " Maister Brougham," exclaimed his lordship
ore rotund°, " that's claret l" " I kIQW it is, my lord,.T and
excellent." was the reply.

ROMAN AFFAIRS.

(From the Roman Correspondent of the IffestAinster Gazette)
ROME, May 16.

The -impression that we are not to be left
long at peace which I mentioned last week,
and which many persons had gained from the
address of the Pope on the occasion of the
presentation of colours to the troops, continues
to prevail and spread. It is curious to remark
that while the parallel they draw between the
armed efforts of the Holy See in the days of
Pius V., and at the present time, holds good
to a great extent. It calls up, also, a strik-
ing contrast in the altered position of the
balance of political ascendancy. The Pius
of the sixteenth century had but to call on
the heads of the ancient dynasties of Europe
to find himself at the head of a procession of
kings and magnates who were followed into
the field by their people as a matter of course.
The Pius of the nineteenth century has no such
support. if certain sovereigns send him tokens
of adhesion it is in their individual capacity,
not as head of their states. It is the Catholic
people who now range themselves round the
Holy See, nor can their rulers hold them back.
We all know now how the French people sent
their army to its defence in spite of the wishes
of the most aristocratic of rulers. There is
not a country, how opposed soever its minis-
tration to the principles of the Papal Govern-
ment, which is not represented by its contin-
gent of volunteers to the Papal army. True,
its ranks are small compared with the vast
armaments of modern times, but then every
man is animated with the will and determina-
tion of a hero, and every man stands as the
representative of his village or commune ; if
he fall or fail, he will be replaced by any num-
ber of others as resolute as he. There is no
limit to the supply. Recruits have been arriv-
ing lately faster than ever. Among those of
this week is a party of very fine-looking younc,
Portuguese. So vast has it been necessary to
make the provision for lodging them, that a
report was strongly prevalent some days back
that 20,000 French were to arrive from Mar-
seilles, and people even went up to the station
in expectation of seeing them march in.
The United States have promised a thou-
sand men, of whom 300 are readyto start under
the captainship of a Frenchman, De Nanteuil
by name. They are to form part of a distinct
corps to be commanded by General Carrol
Lewis of the Confederate army.
A company of the 2nd Battalion of Zouaves
displayed their, prowess this week by captur-
inc, and bringing into Rome a band of twelve
dangerous brigands who had for some time past
been worrying the Monticelli.
It is said it is the Holy Father's intention
to put up a monument at Monte Rotondo to
the men who fell in the Mentana campaign.
A Prussian sculptor, named Scheffer, has
just been arrested on a serious charge. It
seems that he has been an active agent for pro-
moting desertion among the German contin-
gent of the army ; he has a friend in the
Prussian Consulate, Schlcesser by name, and
he abused the means of access to the bureau
of the Legation thus acquired, to procure a
number of passports duly stamped and signed,
with which he provided the men whom he had
previously bribed to desert.
The Carbinieri Esteri, on whom he practised,
are a very loyal corps, and though he was
successful in upwards of fifty cases, it was
not long before he came across men whose
mouths could not be closed by offers of gain.
There was another compromised in the same
affair, a Protestant minister, who used to give
reason to suspect his intentions at the time
when he was allowed to visit the wounded
prisoners in the hospitals. Finding their pro-
and the police on their
ceedings discovered,
track, the latter made good his escape, but
Scheffer took refuge in the Legation, where
he kept himself closely concealed. The means
by which he was ultimately run to ground
forms quite a little romance. A note was sent
him in the name of a young person with
i whom he maintained relations of no very re-
,
' putable character, appointing a rendezvous to
meet her. As she was not sufficiently edu-
cated to be able to write, there was no diffi-
culty as to feigning her hand. The astute
trickster was thus himself hoaxed in turn,
and, instead of finding his mistress at the
appointed spot, he fell into the clutches of the
officer of the law. Schlcesser was naturally
suspected of' complicity, and though he has
justified himself to the satisfaction of this Go-
vernment, it is probable his own will recall him
in token of indignation at the negligence of
which, to say the least, he has been guilty.
I have already once or twice expressed
doubts of the possibility of the necessary work
being got through in time for the Council to
assemble this year. It is expected that on
SS. Peter and Paul's day it will be proclaimed
for the feast of the Immaculate Conception,
1869. L' Osservatore Catlolico, a Milan journal,
has opened a subscription at its office towards
defraying the expenses of the council : other
papers, I am told, are following this example.
The telegrams will have informed you already
of the death of Cardinal d'Andrea, which took
place on the night of the 14th. Though he
has been long out of health, this termination
was quite unexpected. He was born at Naples
in 1812, and created cardinal on his fortieth
birthday. The funerals is to be at the Chiesa
Nuova, and it is expected the Holy Father will
himself assist and pronounce the absolution.
This rather sudden death has proved a most
prolific subject of speculation for the bigoted ,
enemies of the Papacy, as well as of the idle
quidnuncs always glad of some new theory of
spiteful conjecture to season their gossip ; and
I can fancy I see their circles of wild talk ex-
panding over the surface of the whole sea of
European journalism for nine days to come.
It may not spread to England, for our writers
at home are more sober in their views, and
are generally confined by a matter-of-fact pub-
lic within the limits of probability. But it may
amuse you to hear some of the sinister sus-
picions a certain party have caught this op-
portunity for setting in circulation—romances
which seem to have escaped from the plot of
a sensation-piece of some second-class theatre.
First, then, it is suggested, with a knowing
look, " Does it not look odd, two such sudden
deaths within a few days—Count Crivelli and
Cardinal d'Andrea? Who would have thought,
a week ago, that both would be already num-
bered with the dead ? . . ." " Very strange,"
echoes another; there is something beneath
the surface here." Then there is a whisper
about Jesuits and poison, and the knot of news-
mongers disperse to scatter the welcome scan-
dal among congenial listeners. But mark the
self-contradiction into which passion and pre-
judice hurry men ! If there were anything in
the suggested connection it would imply that
the two distinguished men in question had
been sent to their account by the same hand.
Yet could it have been to the interest of the
same party to destroy both the devoted ser-
vant of the Holy See, whose faithful loyalty
protected its interests so fearlessly, and the
alleged corypheus of alleged Liberal tenden-
cies in the Conclave ! And, besides, it is not
the first time we hear of Cardinal d'Andrea's
weak health. Has it not been the reason
adduced again and again for months and years
past for his absence from Rome, and from pub-
lic functions, and again for his but now pro-
jected journey to a climate better suited to
his complaint ? Do the party who invent the
calumnious report know that this was an ex-
cuse without foundation, and are they now
ltfehattinatilk ngit.
terminationit out ? Ido not say so, nor do I
Bu tthaelilrowfesigtnhe question feigned surprise at
ob
t the
be
askedw. Enough,lgenera u
y be however,
fo o
u ndf
to this.
believei s.
men
much
more easily in death by pulmonary asphyxia
thainlberyesbecursebt poisoning.eenad
triu
o held this week at
S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, commencing
on Tuesday, in honour of Sta. Maria Fran-
cesca dells cinque piaghe, who was canonized on
the centenary of St. Peter last year. The
little church was very elegantly draped ; the
whole interior, including the cupola, being I