NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2124, 25 February 1870, Page 2

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

The Cabinet has been busy, not merely making preparations for the coming Irish campaign on the land question, but more immediate ones for the present security of the country. The military arrangements are on a large scale, and by the aid of flying squadrons, they hope to pounce upon stray risings against which the police seem utterly unable to make head. A row was fully expected at Derry, where the apprentice boys met as usual to burn in effigy the traitor Landry, and it was more by good luck than good management that it was averted. One feels very much inclined to ask the question whose fault it is that things are allowed to get such a head. But to shut the door after the steed is stolen seems to be an invariable part of English policy. The political changes are not of much consequence, excepting that Lord Cairns has retired from the leadership of the Conservatives— a serious blow to that party, who do not exactly seem to know who to place trust in. The Marquis of Salisbury is the one most frequently mentioned. The vacancy at Lynn caused by Lord Stanley’s elevation to the earldom, has been filled by a Conservative member —Lord Claud Hamilton, and I should not be surprised to see a Conservative in for Southwark, for the Liberal party appears to be a good deal broken up by the claims of so many candidates. Most people will be glad to see Odger come in, as in addition to his being a bonajkle working man, he is probably better up in the questions of the day than seven-tenths of the present members of the House, who, taking them altogether, arc rather a scratch lot.. The new secretary of the Treasury is Mr Bingen, whose name is familiar to us in connection with the Education department. TJio other appointment is that of Mr Lushington as one of the Lonen police magistrates. The personal news of December is singularly small, and has very much concentrated on a few individuals. Death has carried off but two persons of any note, viz., the Bishop of Manchester and the Duchess d’Aumale. Dr Lee, of Manchester, was perhaps the least known of all the bench of bishops, and, from all accounts, I do not think he was one of the most popular. He was the first bishop of this diocese, having been appointed to it from the Birmingham Grammar School, of which he was head master. The Duchess d’Aumale, although belonging to one of the historic families of the world, was best known and beloved for her virtues and charities, which she exercised largely in the neighborhood of Twickenham, and where no doubt her life w r as far more enjoyable to her than when she shone at Louis Phillippe’s court before the fall of the Bourbon dynasty. The A.rch'bisliop of Canterbury has recovered, to the joy of all men who appreciate his moderation and his personal labors. So have the Duchess of Argyle, who has been dangerously ill, and Admiral Rous, who has undergone an operation. The most lamentable death has been that of the fasting girl of Wales, Sarah Jacobs, whom an idiotic crowd of Welsh doctors, parsons, and nurses have literally allowed to be starved before their faces, although the timely administration of food would have saved the wretched child. One asks oneself whether we are in the 19th century or the 9th, when such horrible credulity and stupidity could be allowed; and it is but a poor satisfaction to know that the father has been committed for manslaughter by the coroner’s jury. It is the general opinion that everybody implicated in the case—doctors, nurses, and all, deserved *

equally to be tried—for while talking so glibly about the scientific aspect of the case, there really was no scientific aspect at all. It was simply a case of ordinary hysteria, elevated by greed of gain into one of clever imposture, which every sensible person ought to have known at the time. Among the canards of the mouth affecting individuals, were two to the effect that Sir Stafford Northcote had been lost in a yacht, and that Mario had committed suicide, but beyond making some newspaper paragraphs they did not attract much belief. The bishops have been consecrated at last, and Dr Temple is really bishop of Exeter. In the whole history of the Church there has, probably, never been so much opposition to any man as in this case, and whether Bishop Temple is right or wrong in his opinions, he is very generally blamed for the extraordinary reticence and obstinacy with which he has refused to listen to the entreaties and remonstrances of those who were his seniors in age and position. But not even the tender expostulations of the Bishop of Lincoln, or the opinions and argnments of the Archbishop of York in his letter to the Bishop of Victoria, have had the slightest effect in inducing him to give one sign or say one word which would ease the consciences of his objectors or quell the fears of those who dread the future consequences. Mr Gladstone has certainly succeeded in shaking the Church of England to its foundations —it is not so easy to restore confidence and unanimity. Dr Hayman, of Rugby, still retains his post as head master, although he does so with the dislike and opposition of everybody connected with the school. With the exception of one, the masters all protested against him —partly on the ground that he was unworthy of the post, hut principally because he brought to hear testimonials which were old in date and had been given for other purposes. It is a most unfortunate thing for the school, the vitality of which principally consists in the personal attributes of the head master ; and the success in the cases of Arnold, Tait, and Temple is a good proof of this. The appointment to the Slade professorship of fine arts at Cambridge has been conferred on Sir Digby Wyatt, a man well fitted by his architectural eminence for such a post. The past month has been famous for three very’ peculiar trials. In one' case the Mosleys, father and son, were tried for alleged conspiracy to defraud. This was the great failure known as the Barnett’s Bank failure, Liverpool, hut it has all ended in smoke. The same has happened in the Overend and Gurney case, which has not only concluded in favor of the defendants, but amid the wildest enthusiasm. Verily, we are an incomprehensible people. Three or four ago nothing would have been too bad for the directors, whereas now they were looked upon as martyrs, and the unfortunate Dr Thom, the prosecutor, as a hitter enemy. Whether the verdict of dismissal was right or wrong, 1 think Dr Thom has been very badly used, for not only has he met with every form of rebuff from those in authority’, but has had to pay the piper in a large measure. We have seen the last of the limited liability cases now, for no man would venture to start another prosecution after these results. The third trial was that of Dr Shorthouse, the editor of one of the sporting papers, for a libel on Sir Joseph Hawley. The defendant must have been pretty considerably astonished when he received a well-deserved sentence of six months’ imprisonment and a tolerably heavy fine. We had fondly hoped that the Byron scandal had subsided again, and that the 'unsavory pool that Mrs Stowe stirred up incautiously had been left to settle. However, this is not the case, for Dr Mackay has set the ball rolling again by a still worse book, called “ Medora Leigh,” in which he carries on the sins of tbe unhappy family in a decidedly revolting story. It is a had sign of the times when writers of some reputation condescend to busy themselves with these ultra-sensational scandals ; and I hope it will be a long time before we hear any more of them. Amongst the bills which will come before the House of Commons next session arc several for town tramways, and there can be no doubt but that they will prove an immense convenience to all parties, and I should not be surprised if they were eventually extended over tbe whole country’, and serve as a cheap and easily laid railway’. I must not close my science gossip without referring to Dr Carpenter’s paper at the Royal Society on the deep-sea dredgings which have been going on now for the last two years on the north-west coast of Scotland and Ireland, They reveal a state of things down in the depths of the ocean which have put all our calculations on the wrong side. Amongst other curious things, he found that at the very deepest places, where it -was supposed that life ceased altogether, the sea bottom was tenanted by myriads of perfect little creatures called glohulhjrfuvr , that hitherto have only been known in a fossil state (and then microscopically) in the chalk formation. But this fact leads to the assumption that chalk is being formed by these little creatures now, and if wc once admit that, what becomes of all our modern system of geology? It is quite staggering to think of such a possibility’, but we shall have to face it sooner or later.

But this is Christinas time, ami it is not fair to rush into such dull speculations, when we ought to be theatre, going and otherwise dissipating. Theatres are always slack a little before Boxing Night, and this year is no exception to the rule. The Gaiety has produced an exceedingly pretty melodrama, called “ Uncle Dick's Darling,” in which Toole takes the principal part, and a great portion of the piece is represented as his dream, in which the mechanical and pictorial changes are exceedingly good. At the same theatre, too, there is a new burlesque crflled “Wat Tyler,” by Sala—one of the silliest and most trashy pieces, even in these days, when burlesque has sunk so low. Certainly, Mr Sala is not the one to raise it. Charles Mathews, the irrepressible jack-in-the-box, wlio never seems to grow older, is going to Australia, and my readers will soon be able to judge for themselves whether any man in the world can patter as fast as he does. A very large benefit is to be given him on the 4th of next month, at which nearly every theatre will Ire represented. The St. James’s has been lining very well lately under Mr John Wood, who has put on the hoards an Indian burlesque called “ Pocahontas,” extremely absurd and very well worth seeing. Mr Allerton is still trying his luck at the Lyceum, but with very middling success, and Mr Webster has taken the Princess’s, which abruptly closed a short time ago in consequence of Mr tuning’s bankruptcy. Our old friend Woodin has brought his carpet bag again to London, and though during his long absence there have been hosts of imitators, none have exceeded him in real humor and

rapidity of action. The painters, who are generally in a rather torpid state during the winter, are rousing up out of their sleep, and the Royal Academy arc going to give us a winter exhibition—a grand concession to the march of the times on the part of that respectable and conservative body. In fact the London season is not as it used to be, for what with commencing in November and ending in August we shall soon have it lasting the whole year round. The (Ecumenical Council lias assembled in the City of the Seven Hills, and Rome is once more the centre of a great movement which Europe watches with eager interest. The day of the “ Feast of the Immaculate Conception”—December the 8th —was chosen for the inaugural ceremony. But the pluvial deities were not favorable ; the clouds covered the skies with unbroken gloom, and the rain fell in heavy continuous streams that flooded the streets. Angry gusts flouted the cannon as they thuundered forth their salvoes, and dispersed the music jicaling from the bells of the 360 churches. The P. and 0. Company, in compliment to the Colonies, purpose calling a steamer now building the Australia. During a recent inspection at Chatham by the Lords of the Admiralty, Mr Childers went to No. 4 dock, in which the Cerberus is being completed and prepared for its Australian voyage, and examined the vessel with deep interest. She will leave for Melbourne about May next. The ship Mataoka has been posted at Lloyd’s as a missing ship, and a notification issued by the committee for the underwriters to settle on her loss. The general belief is that she was wrecked in the ice. James Samuel Wright, formerly captain in the White Star line from Liverpool to New Zealand, was washed off the Dido steamer during one of the recent gales, and drowned.