19 DECEMBER 1868

Page 1

Mr. Childers is carrying out some reform of the Admiralty,

The Spectator

which may or may not be effective, but which certainly does not look so. What the Admiralty wants is a First Lord with complete power and responsiblity, a Sea Lord who shall be...

The revolt in Cadiz is over. A large body of

The Spectator

troops were collected at the gates, and their commander, General Caballero de &du, offered the insurgents their lives if they would submit. Un- supported from Seville, whence...

The rumour, which early in the week seemed ahnost authentic,

The Spectator

that Lord Mayo's recall had been decided upon, and that Lord Salisbury had placed his services at the disposal of the Government for the Governor-Generalship of India after Sir...

M. de Moustier has been replaced as Minister of Foreign

The Spectator

Affairs by M. de Lavalette. War is breaking out in the East, and M. de Lavalette, French Lord Stratford, takes the helm. 11'm ! That does not look as if peace were quite secure.

Mr. Gladstone is going to utilize the young Peers. Lords

The Spectator

Camperdown and Morley, Lords-in-Waiting, are to represent departments not represented in the Upper House, and, as the Daily News cleverly puts it, to realize the poet's thought,...

Since we wrote last week, Lord Dufferin has been appointed

The Spectator

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (without a seat in the Cabinet)-; Sir Colman O'Loghlen (a cleverish Irishman), Judge- Advocate ; Mr. G. Shaw-Lefeyre, one of the ablest of...

NEWS OF THE WEEK

The Spectator

T HE news of the week is the rupture between Turkey and Greece. The affair is encumbered with details, true and false, but the pith of it appears to be this,—Greece has been...

The accounts from Cuba are contradictory, but it appears to

The Spectator

be, on the whole, probable that Spain will lose the island. She appears to be as cordially disliked there as in her other colonies, she drains the island of all surplus revenue,...

The House of Representatives has resolved by 154 votes against

The Spectator

6, that" all forms of repudiation of the national indebtedness are odious to the American people, whose representatives will not offer to the national creditors a less amount...

Page 2

We are told by the provincial papers,—and we have been

The Spectator

led to believe that the report is true,—that the Queen did one of those supremely gracious acts with respect to Mr. Bright's acceptance of office by which from time to time...

Five Advowsons were offered for sale on Tuesday by the

The Spectator

Duke of Norfolk's trustees, who have just subscribed 110,000 towards a Catholic Cathedral in Westminster. One living yielded 2792 a Tear, another £815, a third £200, a fourth...

Mr. Gladstone has issued his address to the electors of

The Spectator

Greenwich, asking for re-election. He says that the complete preoccupation of his time and thoughts with his new duties "do not leave" him "the usual opportunities of appearing...

A curious correspondence has been sent to the Times by

The Spectator

Lord Cairns, which, though it assuredly establishes the rashness and inaccuracy of Earl Fortescue's language in a recent after-dinner attack on Lord Cairns the other day at...

A rumour, traceable in part to that faithful daily retainer

The Spectator

of the Record's, the Morning Advertiser, and partly credited by the Record of Wednesday, but not by the Guardian, a much better authority, has got about to the effect that the...

The Hungarian Diet was closed on the 10th inst., in

The Spectator

a speech from the throne, which was received with enthusiastic cheers. The King declares that the work of three years has been successful, that the constitution of Hungary is...

Mr. Ayrton, Secretary to the Treasury, had to represent the

The Spectator

Government in the House of Commons on Tuesday, which he did, according to all accounts, with a good deal of tact and dignity. There was a debate whether or not Mr. Goschen's...

Count von Bismarck has admitted that war was very near

The Spectator

at hand in the autumn. He was proposing a Bill to sequester the property of the ex-Elector of Hesse Cassel, who, he said, grew more hostile as war seemed nearer. "I must here...

Page 3

George Sweet and William Bisgrove were tried on Monday at

The Spectator

Taunton, before Mr. Baron Channel', on a charge of murdering George Cornish, a navvy. It appeared from the evidence that the two prisoners, Cornish, and a woman named Drew, had...

Mr. E. J. Watherston, jeweller, has addressed a letter to

The Spectator

the Times which is worth rich people's attention. A few years ago the Legislature, with a kind attention to the interest of swindlers, passed a law authorizing a Hall mark for...

A very remarkable testimony to the powerful impression made upon

The Spectator

the "Society for the Liberation of the Church from State Patronage and Control" by the strength which the English Church showed in the recent elections is given by a letter from...

Mr. Peter Blair, quartermaster of the Hibernia, has given an

The Spectator

account of the sufferings of the third boat launched from that ill-fated ship strangely pathetic in its simplicity, lie relates how the boat was put off for the Irish coast,...

Mr. Coningsby, who disgusted the working-men of London some years

The Spectator

ago by professing to despise an increase of the franchise, has made a rather ludicrous failure of an attempt to invite Mr. Reverdy Johnson to a dinner given by English...

We are glad to call attention to a striking letter

The Spectator

from Mr. Baldwin Brown, an eminent Independent minister, controverting our somewhat hasty remark last week on the advantages of the parochial system in giving the clergy a...

We publish elsewhere a list of the aristocratic members of

The Spectator

the new House, which ought to have appeared last week. It is a noteworthy fact that although they form a third of the House, but one man among them, Lord Stanley, is a...

The Stock Market opened with considerable firmness at the commencement

The Spectator

of the week, but on the threatening position of the Turco-Greek question becoming known, a panicky feeling prevailed, especially as regards foreign bonds, and prices gave way...

Yesterday and on Friday week the loading Foreign Bonds left

The Spectator

off at the annexed quotations :— Dec. 11. Dec. 18. Dee. 11. Dee. 18. Brazilian, 1855 78 786 It UBBillt) (Angio-Dutch) 00 894 ptian, 1864 83/ 83 Spa Web, 1867 824 32f...

Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

The Spectator

THE DANGER IN GREECE. T HE mischief of this Greek affair is, that at first sight everybody concerned appears to be more or less in the right. The Greeks have for months been...

Page 5

THE DIFFICULTIES OF DISESTABLLSHMENT.

The Spectator

T HE problem before the present Government will certainly not be lightened to them, by any deficiency of criticism. Whatever they do, they will be told that they ought to have...

Page 6

THE RE-ELECTION OF MINISTERS.

The Spectator

T HE Statute which compels Members of Parliament who take office to submit themselves to their constituents for re-election is inconsistent with modern arrangements, and not...

Page 7

MR. DISRAELI'S POSTHUMOUS APPOINTMENTS.

The Spectator

lATE do not know if the story of Lord Mayo's recall be true or not, but if it were, it would amazingly strengthen the position of the Government. It would show that the Cabinet...

Page 8

THE TRADES' UNION MOVEMENT IN GERMANY.

The Spectator

G ERMANY is just now, to use the expression of a letter which we have seen, "pleasing" herself "with the theoretical construction" of Trade-Societies. "Whilst, six months ago,"...

Page 9

THE EDUCATION PROBLEM.

The Spectator

" TT has become increasingly desirable that the State should IL stand clearly apart from responsibility for the teaching of particular and conflicting creeds in schools aided...

Page 10

INDIAN CONSPIRACY.

The Spectator

A FEW weeks ago, while describing the "latest Indian inci- dent," the expedition against the Black Mountain,—an expedition scarcely noticed here, but which in the eyes of...

Page 11

HANS BREITMANN.

The Spectator

LELAND,—the author of the only translation of Heinrich lvi Heine's kongs into English (or rather American) which seems to us to give the least glimpse of the wonderful genius...

Page 13

NORTH AND SOUTH.

The Spectator

A GOOD many statistics have naturally been published having reference to the great struggle through which the country has been passing. The gains of both political parties have...

Page 14

THE ARISTOCRATIC ELEMENT IN THE NEW HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The Spectator

L—The 124 following Members of Noble Families have seats in the present House of Commons :- [New Members.*] Agar-Ellis—Hon. Leopold Agar-Ellis (Kilkenny County)...

Page 15

THE DISSENTERS.

The Spectator

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.'] SIH,—In a leading article of last week's Spectator there is a sentence which appears to me to do grievous injustice to the aims and...

BOOKS.

The Spectator

THE ARTHUR LEGENDS.* THE romance of the Morte d' Arthur, which was finished by Sir Thomas Malory in the ninth year of King Edward IV., and printed by William Caxton, at...

Page 17

SHAKESPEARE IN FRENCIIS°

The Spectator

There lay before the Chevalier de Chatelain a difficult and perhaps a thankless task. M. Guizot and other notabilities had attempted the same before him ; but no attempts had...

Page 18

MR. BENNETT'S ILLUSTRATIONS TO BUNYAN.

The Spectator

As a series of typical heads embodying the abstract ideas of Bnnyan's story, and adding form and feature to the life which had been given already, these illustrations are...

Page 19

GREATER BRITAIN.

The Spectator

"IF two small islands," writes Mr. Dilke, "are by courtesy styled Great, 'America, Australia, India must form a Greater Britain." These words not only justify the author's...

Page 20

The lromen of the Old Testament. (Soeley.)—This modest volunio pleases

The Spectator

us as much as anything that we have seen among the books of the season. Its chief attraction, of course, is in the twelve photographs from the works of groat masters with which...

CURRENT LITERATURE.

The Spectator

—4-- CHRISTMAS BOOKS. Enid. By Alfred Tennyson. Illustrated by Gustave Don. (Moxon.) —In respect at least of size and general magnificence of aspect, this is the Prince of...

Page 21

A Month in the Midlands. By G. Bower. (Rotten.) —This

The Spectator

is a story pictorially told of fox-hunting and love, ending as orthodox stories should, with marriage at least imminent. Hunting sketches remind us inevitably of a pencil which...

The Nobility of Life. Edited by L. Valentine. (Warne.)—Twenty- four

The Spectator

graces and virtues of human character are illustrated by drawings, coloured and otherwise, and by passages in prose and verse selected from well-known authors. The book has a...

The Hudson from the Wilderness to the Sea, by Benson

The Spectator

J. Leasing (Virtue), will be remembered as having appeared about eight years ago in the Art Journal. The handsome volume before us has been revised by the author, whose preface...

Pictures from Nature. By Mary Hewitt. (Routledge.)—The writer discourses very

The Spectator

pleasantly, as indeed we should expect her to do, on the sights and sounds of the various months. This part of the book is as good as it can be ; Mary Howitt has, from of old, a...

Queer Discourses on Queer Proverbs. By Old Merry. (Hodder and

The Spectator

Stoughton.)—This little book is sufficiently sensible, and not unamnsing. "Old Merry" is a kindly person, who preaches sermons, which his audience, having always in their...

The Language of Flowers. By Robert Tye% M.A. (Routledge.)— The

The Spectator

title does not prepossess one ; some of the silliest books that human fatuity has constructed have borne it. Mr. Tyaa's volume must not be confounded with such rubbish. He talks...

He selects choice bits of description of scenery, life, and

The Spectator

manners from his experiences of African travel, and will succeed, we should imagine, in suiting the taste of his readers. Certainly the young people nowa- days have a great deal...

two great families of animals of which the cat and

The Spectator

the dog are the best known representatives. In connection with the cat, we have descrip- tions of the habits, &c., of the lion, the tiger, the leopard, &c. The dog has fewer...

Gems of English Art. With Illustrative Texts by F. T.

The Spectator

Palgrave. (Routledge.)—This volume commends itself by the admirable decoration of the binding. Within it contains twenty-four pictures, being copies of well-known works of...

it always exactly correct. It is not true, for instance,

The Spectator

that tobacco will not grow except in a hot country. It might be grown in Ireland, were it not for the Excise. And it is grown, we believe, to a very great extent in Germany....

Page 22

The Children's Prize, edited by J. Erskine Clarke (Macintosh), contains

The Spectator

the year's numbers of a deserving little magazine, which we do not remember to have seen before. We have also before us a volume of the Infant's Magazine (Seeley).

The Diverting Histor g of John Gilpin appears again, illustrated

The Spectator

by H. Fitz-Cook. (Longtnans.)—This is one of the things which we should now miss at Christmas as much as we should miss mince-pie. The illustrations are very much what a...

The Childs Picture-Book of Wild Animals. (Routledge.)—The pictures here are

The Spectator

not all equally good. The lion, for instance, has not enough of the wild-beast look, is too much like an enormous poodle, without that sinewy appearance about the loins which...

The Basket of Flowers (Warne) is a tale translated from

The Spectator

the Ger- man, somewhat prosy, perhaps, bat with a genuine tone about it that makes it interesting. The traits of social life , those, for instance, that concern the distinctions...

Will Adams, the First Englishman in Japan. By William Dalton.

The Spectator

(Cassell and Co.)—We do not know whether this is a new book or an old, for it has no date on the title-page. At all events, we can recommend it as a story which boys and girls...

Aunt Louisa's Gift-Book (Warne) gives a copious supply of pictures,

The Spectator

coloured, of course, for the children. It seems to look down upon the plain engravings with which their father and mother were satisfied. Most of them are fairly good, the...