The Sun. — 1870-06-02 (London, England)

SNAWLEY—who calls out to his apprentice, " Have you watered the vinegar ?" " Yes, sir." " And sanded the sugar ?" " Yes, sir." " And damped the tobacco ?" " Yes, sir." " Then came to prayers." One seemed to hear, again, the bandit in one of GILBERT ATECKETT'S burlesques, as he smacked his lips over a cup of tea, declaiming the sonorous couplet—  " 'Tis pretty fair, as Twankays go; Pm always quick in finding out the sloe."  In that recent speech in the House of Commons--a speech studded as thickly with abominable instances of adulteration as a Christmas pudding is with plums and currants.—we heard with a shudder of coffee flavoured with filth; of blue pills rendered at once gritty and cadaverous with slate-filings; of ale (but that is an old story), poisoned with salt, and colouring matter, and cocculus indices. Against the possibility of the adulteration of beer, Mr. BASS, as ba ame him, at once, then and there, protested loudly and emphatically. An analytical chemist of some eminence has answered Mr. BASS'S denial of the charge by evidence as irrefragable as the following --" With the object," he writes to the Times," of ascertaining whether the beer sold in London was genuine, I some time ago obtained six samples in the west district and six in the south. It was purchased, without selection, of large and small public-houses at the workmen's dinner hour, and was immediately sent to be analysed. Out of these 12 samples seven were salted, 11 had colouring matter (five in large quantities), and in all there was an extra amount of water. Setting aside the best sample as too good for an average," he adds, " and the worst as too bad, the remaining 10 gave 1,180 gallons as originally made by the brewer from 10 quarters of malt to which 1,064 gallons of the New River bad been added, for which excellent artistically coloured water, the consumer was charged £l2O, while the cost of the raw material, the malt and hops, for the whole 2,244 gallons was doubtless less than £4O. But," he feels constrained to admit, "it was only a fraud—for no cocculus indicus or any substance positively injurious to health was detected." Mr. SMEE, the writer of this statement, with a touch of sly humour, goes on to remark, "Mr. BASS may say the analyst did not understand his business. He, however, examined a sample of ale brewed by Messrs. BASS and Co., and found no salt, no colouring matter, and no water added—in fact, perfectly pure beer. May I ask, was that also an error ?" If only the retail purchaser could go direct, for their supplies, to the wholesale manufacturers, to our BASSES and our ALLSOPPS, to our BARCLAYS and our GUINESSES, we should have no more of these abominable and deleterious adulterations. Until they can, however, do this—will not the Legislature in some way interpose for the safety of the health and the pockets of the general community ?  THE public will not have forgotten the catastrophe of April 21st in Greece. The information has cm* to hand very tediously, and startling events has e happened in the meantime; but an occurrence in whicl the honour of the nation is so completely involved must not be hastily dismissed. The last batch ofletters and documents throws a little more light on the extraordinary proceedings of the Greek officials previous to the massacre. Suspicion has from the first rested upon Colonel THEAGENIS, the officer sent out by the Greek Government to treat with the brigands, and who commanded the troops. A. short letter from Mr. FRANK NOEL amply justifies the presumption that the behaviour of this officer was the immediate cause of the murders. Mr. NOEL relates that on Tuesday, the 19th of April, he visited Oropos, arriving there late at night, and had an interview with the captives the next morning. It may be well to note, en passant, that Mr. EnSKINE, the English ambassador, had some days before written out a telegram asking Mr. NOEL'S assistance. The Greek War Minister, Soutzos, took charge of this message, which was never sent, It was only by accident that Mr. NOEL heard of the brigands being at Oropos, and he immediately set out, arriving, as we have said, late on Tuesday night. The next morning, Colonel THEAGENIB himself arrived, and the two conferred with the brigand chiefs. The instructions of the Greek Government were read to the robbers. They contained a Provision to the effect that the  brigands must not leave Oropos until the terms were arranged, otherwise the Government could not guarantee their immunity from attack. Exasperated at this announcement, the chief pulled out a letter he had received from Mr.