CLIPPINGS OF THE MONTH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1297, 29 September 1864, Page 3

CLIPPINGS OF THE MONTH.

(From the Spectator for July.) The Tory meeting at the end of June at the Marquis of Salisbury's, at which Mr. Disraeli's resolution was agreed upon, was by no means one of high hope. Lord Derby was depressed and ashamed of his line: the mass of the members were at least as much so, and when addressed by Mr. Kerr in favour of giving assistance to Denmark simply melted away. There was a sort of feeling in the meeting which Mr. Disraeli half expressed on Monday night,

that both Lord Palmerston and Lord Derby are playing rather a shabby trick in stealing a leaf out of the Manchester School's book, without leaving Mr. Cobden and Mr. Bright to wear the laurels. If Mr. Cobden were made Prime Minister, Mr. Bright Secretary for War, and Mr. Forster for Foreign Affairs, everybody would feel that the only party which is acting fairly up to its principles in the matter had reaped its reward. Lord Hartington has explained the true position of the recruiting difficulty. There has been, he says, a falling off in the number of men enlisted for the past three years, but that was because they were not wanted. This year the army will need about 21,000 men, of whom 5000 will be provided by reenlistments, and despite the hay harvest the men are coming in at a rate which will give 18,356 men this year, or more than is required. The Marquis,—who by the way does the Parliamentary part of his work excellently, answering a dozen questions a night with ease and simplicity,—deprecated any change in

the Ten Years' Act till it had been tested, and had either failed or seemed likely to fail. The answer satisfied the House, but it is before a pressure occurs

that the reform which may ultimately be required should be thought out. ' The Danish Rigsraad or Parliament for the monarchy, including Schleswig, met on the 25th June. The speech from the throne was read by Bishop Monrad,and contained only one noteworthy sentence, an expression of trust that " God might increase the sympathy felt for Denmark in a certain quarter to energetic assistance." The message created little impression, and the Danes, though ready for battle, seem dispirited and nearly hopeless. There is a want of heat in these people,of true revolutionary fervour, which, while it makes them one of the best and happiest of nations, leaves them without resourcein overwhelming crises. Frenchmen in the same position would have by this time carried a levy en masse, and set up a reign of terror, very objectionable, but very effective in uniting all exertions, and Englishmen would be passing their lives in drill. The Danes obey every call, and fight for every position, howver hopeless, but there is no rush in them. M. Behic, French Minister of Commerce, is trying to emulate Sir Boyle Roche, and make wine dealers put a pint into a pint bottle. Some Bordeaux houses, he says, have bottles blown " of which the bottoms enter into the interior," and so cheat their customers of 20 per cent, of wine. This he calls very justly '• a dishonourable practice." M. Behic, can stop it very easily if he likes, and so could the British Parliament, which, by the way, is just in the mood to attend to the price of its liquors. It is not possible to make bottles uniform, but it is possible to prohibit the making of bottles without a figure upon them stating their contents in ounces. The public will then know what they are buying, and one sentence on a rich " respectable " wine dealer for using false measures will soon reform the trade. The honest dealeis, who are ruined by this rascally form of competition would see to the prosecutions with gusto. Mr. Gladstone has partly given way as to pensions to colonial governors. In reply to Mr. Cochrane, on Tuesday night, he promised to consider the question thoroughly and impartially during the recess, and tell him next session how far Government would be justified in going. Why does he not apply the principle of compulsory deferred annuities to all officials, and so get rid of the dead weight altogether. If a colonial governor or an English tide waiter is paid his market price he can buy a pension, and if he is not he ought to be. Then the Treasury would know what it parted from. Captain Winslow, of the Kearsage, has asked tor the extradition of the men belonging to the Alabama's crew rescued by the French pilot-boats. M. Bonfils, commercial agent to the Alabama, calmly tells him in reply to ask the French Government, but "is not aware of any law of war which would prevent a soldier from escaping from a field of battic after a defeat, even should lie have already been made a prisoner, and lie does not see why a sailor should not do the same by swimming." So clear is the right of rescue, that its counterpart, the right to put prisoners to death if dangerous to the capturing army has in theory been always acknowledged. The House of Commons here held a debate on horses, which the Times, with a keen appreciation ot its readers' intelligence, printed in leader type. Mr. P. Wyndham moved that the grant of £4.000 a-year now made for the "Queen's Plates" should be discontinued. The money was given to encourage a good breed of horses, but was now spent on two-year olds. Mr. Newdegate thought characteristically that railways had spoiled the ■ breed ot horses, but General Peel, who like his chief knows a good deal about horses, and has paid for Ins knowledge, denied that horses had deteriorated. Thoroughbreds'were gaining their old size and power, but he was willing if the tax on racehorses, which produces £7 000 a-year, were taken off, to give up the Queen s plates, which is, considering that carriers' horses have iu<t been taxed, though sensible, not a very generous proposition. Lord Palmerston said he would consider the proposal with the " Master of the

Horse," an official discovered for the first time since the feudal ages, to be of some use. Admiral Rous in an amusing letter agrees altogether with General Pee!, but would like to see the thirty-six £100 plates lumped together into two big prizes for two long races for four and flve-year olda. Mr. Ayrton one "day did the public a service. The House was talking in its easy colloquial way over the expenses of the South Kensington Museum, and Sir G. Bowyer trying to get a chair which he said had been stolen from the Duke of Tuscany,—potentate who had ran away with the silver door-handles of the national palace,—restored to him when, Mr. Ayrton asked whether the nation had paid officials to blacken their faces and act Mumbo Jumbo before visitors. He informed his amused listeners that one official at least had been compelled to join in that discreditable piece of folly out of fear of Mr. Coles, who got up the mummery. The sufferer had the consolation that according to the printed report the Prince and Princess were greatly delighted,—but making the nation pay for performances considered low in casiuo is a novelty even in these days, when with war at hand all over the world the House of Commons is only really interested in races, barrel-organs, and Mr. Ferrand's diatribes.

A letter in the Times informs the public of a new " work of mercy" undertaken by a sisterhood of Anglican ladies in the City road. They have opened a " lying-in ward " for fallen women, and a laundry to give that class employment, and placed a cradle in the porch of their house for babies deserted by their mothers. This effort they believe will tend to diminish the practice of child-murder, which is nearly as common in London as in China. It is a bold attempt to meet a great evil, but we fear it will fail. It is illegitimate babies who are smothered, and the effect of foundling hospitals is simply to increase their number till the crime recommences as before. It would be simpler and more moral to aid the mother, but then it would not be so striking.

We perceive it stated that of the 500 orphans now educated at the Duke of York's School, Chelsea, about three-fourths enter the army, though all are taught trades. Since Colonel Yorke was placed at the head of. this school and abolished flogging, the the education of the boys appears to have become really excellent, and their physical training is scarcely equalled in England. The army authorities regret that the school is too small, but why not admit boys who are not soldiers' sons,- on condition that they do go into the army? Nothing would tempt parents more.

A curious trial is coming off atthe Lincoln assizes. A married woman of the name of Martha Howell had fallen, it appears, so desperately in love with a young woman of the name of Johnson, living in Gainsborough, that after various fits of wild jealousy and violence caused by Miss Johnson's preference for other companions, she loaded a pistol and gave her her choice between returning to her old friendship or dying on the spot, after which Martha Howell intended to destroy herself. She put too much powder into the pistol, which jerked it upwards, so that though the pistol went off Miss Johnson escaped, but of the intention to kill there can be no doubt. Howell is said to be quite composed and clear in her mind, and to have expressed frequently her regret that she did not succeed, and her perfect willingness to be hanged if she had. Women's enthusiasm for each other is often of a vehement, frothy, and hysterical kind ; but the " your love or your life" sort of passion was, we thought, reserved for another relation.

Lord Palmerston, who is Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, made one of his jocular speeches on the 2nd July, in the presence of the Prince of Wales. Not that he was very jocular about his Royal guest—on the contrary, on that theme, though he was loyal and cordial enough, he was evidently embarrassed by a sterile imagination. "I am convinced," he said, " that every day will more and more connect the feelings and attachments of the country with the progress and daily habits of his Royal Highness." That " every day" should connect the attachments of the country more and niore with the " daily habits" of his Royal Highness is a wonderful vision of Lord Palmerston's, suggesting a growing tenderness of interest in his Royal Highness's baths and cigars. Lord Palmerston became more like himself when, as Master of Trinity House, he had to propose " Her Majesty's Ministers." He was now, he said, acting in a double capacity, in the position of "a child with two heads," —with one head he proposed the health of the other head, and not even so politically, but only personally. He did not propose political health to the present Ministry, but only personal health to those who for the time being are her Majesty's Ministers, and this on the ground that, if while retaining ofiace they have bad health, the public service would suffer. The legislature of Maryland has abolished slavery in that State, and the fugitive slave law has now been repealed by both Houses of the Federal Legislature, and the repealing bill only wants the assent of Mr. Lincoln, which it will not want long. There was a most excited scene in the House of Commons on the 7th July. Mr. Layard had accused the Opposition of falsification of extracts, a phrase which Mr. Hardy denounced as a " calumnious statement." Mr. Layard rose to order, and on the Speaker deciding that nothing had been said out of order, Lord Palmerston himself sprang up and repudiated the authority of the Speaker, asserting that the words were really un-Parliamentary,—a curious and almost unique instance of conflict between the Speaker and leader of the House. Mr. Gladstone also maintained amidst indescribable clamour that the Speaker was wrong, and the House was only restored to order by Mr. Bernal Osborne, who varied his usual habit of snubbing the Speaker by defending him. At last Mr. Denison, with the perfect temper which almost redeems his want of authority, calmed matters down by suggesting that everybody might acknowledge himself a little in the wrong, which weak device proved successful. The debate then proceeded more quietly; but conciliation is not the only duty of the Speaker, and we trust the rumour which alleges that Mr. Denison is to be raised to the peerage as Viscount Ossington may prove correct. The Prince and Princess of Wales on the 4tli July visited the London Hospital in the Whitechapel Road, to which a new wing has been added. They were enthusiastically received by the population, and at the entertainment which followed subscriptions were announced to the amount of £32,000. Some of the gifts were splendidly liberal, Messrs. F. T. Fowell Buxton, and J. Gurney Barclay, for instance, giving £3000 each, and the other great brewing firms of the district £1000 each. Such gifts are large even for men who, as Thackeray said, draw wealth "from a thousand mash-tubs," and firms whose employes are specially liable to accident. Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia seems to be a good soldier, but his orders of the day would have given Shakespeare a new hint for Parolles. On the 3.oth June, when announcing the capture of Alsen by an army three times the size of the garrison, and armed with weapons which kill at twice the distance he issued an address of which the following is one paragraph " I have opened the second part of this campaign by permitting the valiant army corps I have commanded until now, and with which I have gained nothing but victories, to conquer Alsen under my own eye. This expedition is an instance of the passage of an arm of the sea unique in the history of wa r,—a storm by water of well-defended entrenchments." The bombast of that sentence is hardly so remarkable as its self-deification. The troops do not gain victories, "I permit them to conquer." Obviously the impression in the princely mind is that victory or defeat depends entirely on the princely will or—attheutmost— theglanceof thejprincelyeye.

The select committee lately appointed on turnpike trusts have reported in favour of the total abolition of tolls, the expenses being'thrown upon the parishes, to be combined usually over a large area. The bonded debt of England and North Wales secured upon the tolls is now about £4,000,000, worth in open market about £3,000,000, which might be liquidated by annual payments of say £180,000 for twenty-five years. They would manage the roads as far as practicable on the Scotch system, regulating the assessment by couuties, and appointing a surveyor for each county. The system they recommend is already carried out in South Wales, where the people almost rebelled against the toll-gates. The Horse Show this week at the Islington Agricultural Hall was interesting, but not nearly so much so to human beings in general as the Dog Show. In the first place, there was a capital view of horses' ample backs, but not so good a one of their heads, which aie the principal interest, and which were generally at the far end of the stall. Next, they are inferior, though more useful animals. Lastly, their moral varieties are far less wide and characteristic. However, there were many exquisitely shaped horses, especially thorough-bred stallions and hunters, an admirable display of weightcarrying cobs, and some very pretty little sagacious ponies with as much sense as a dog. The leaping in the ring was poor. Two artificial hedges were put np with the convenient property of rotating when touched by the horses' feet—which ordinary hedges do not possess—and few indeed were the leaps in which the hedge did not move upon its axis. We saw one rider ingloriously dismounted, to the great satisfaction of the crowd, who clapped, every partially successful leap as if leaping were an accomplishment of preternatural difficulty. Lord Stamford's Citadel was the great hero of the show.