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glbout the Iflflrlfl. The Standard is so delighted with the "young barbarians" of Oxford for hissing Blackwood and shewing certain conservative predilections, that it devotes a leading article to their defence. Our intensely respectable, and very amusing, contemporary would not lose any feature of the Encomia—not even the vociferous requests to the man in the green tie" or the velvet coat," or with the straw hat" to "go home," or "hide his distinguished head," or "be ashamed pi himself." Our contemporary, indeed, is quite gushing in its admiration of the under- graduates' horse play, which is harmless and comical enough, but hardly calls for such an encomium as the follo,ving.- There is one time-honoured possession of our country at least -which we trust ever to retain, in spite of Sir John Coleridge and his allies, and that is the free, impartial, and manly voice of the youth of Oxford. Whatever changes threaten the University, it would be a serious loss to the public life of this country if any- thing happened by which the annual ceremony of the Com- memoration was robbed of any of its characteristic featwres. On the late occasion, at least, it could not be said that the under- graduates exceeded the bounds of rational and wholesome licence, or that their conduct was unbecoming that of gentlemen having to maintain the spirit of our chiefest seat of intellectual and manly culture. Fancy "maintaining the spirit of our chiefest seat of jntpllectual culture" by groaning at "the man in the white coat," and cheering "the ladies in blue!" But, we forgot, .the custom is ancient. The ship Silvercraig, which arrived at Liverpool last -week, had on board six of the crew of the Mercurius, of that port. The Mercurius had been wrecked on the IRoccas reef in the South Atlantic, and the officers and seamen to the number of sixteen were lost. Only one boat managed to reach shore and was in a very damaged state. The rocks at high water are completely covered, and the only dry spot is a raised sandbank. The six survivors on reaching terra firin a at once surveyed theirjposition, and found the reef abounding with wreckage, amongst which they discovered four •water tanks belonging to the London and Australian clipper Duncan Dunbar, which was lest with 80 passengers on the same reef about two years ago. In one of the tanks they found some fresh water which with a copious fall of rain at intervals answered all their requirements. Nothing in the shape of pro- visions was saved from the wreck, and for 51 days these six castaways supported themselves on turtle, what fish they could catch by th" aid of a bent nail and apiece of cord, birds' eggs and youag birds. For shelter against the inclemency of the weather on their exposed position they erected a hut from the 'Wreck of the Duncan Dunba;r-a portion of which was still visible —and other vessels whose names will probably be for ever un- known. To this .wooden structure they fastened a pole, and attached to it an old shirt as a signal of distress to any vessels that might happen to pass within sight of the Roccas reef. They remained on this desolate spot for 51 days, when the Silvercraig happened to pass within sight of the reef, and observed the signal. The vessel was at once hove to, and the six poor feUaws— though not badly off so far as their bodily condition was concerned, were shockingly minus of wearing apparel-put off to the Silvercraig in two small boats which they had managed te put together frem the wreckage found on the reef. Although they were for 51 days on the rocks, no vessel was sighted hat the one which picked them off on the 15th of May. In a second edition, Blackwosd defends himself against the criticism on his criticism of Lothair— One grand -caarft ef the indictment against us is, TChat, in allKdrng to things Jewish, we have rendered our article personal and offensive to Mr Disraeli. Now we should have said just what we have said if Mr JJisraeli traced his pedigree to Harold or William the Con- queror for it is not the man of Jewish descent, but the champion of Hebrew pre-eminence, perfection, and other non- sensical pretensions, who has been the object of our allusions. The most conspicuous feature in some of his later novels has been the asserted superiority of the Jews to all other people. To talk of this in discussing his merits as an author is no more personal than to mention hero-worship in connection with Carlyle, or certain fantastic theories of art in reviewing Mr Husk in. We have spoken of Mr Disraeli in the character in which it is Ms pleasure to disport himself, and in which he is universally recognisable by all who ever heard of him. For a quarter of a century his satirists have depicted him with pen and pencil undertevish nicknames and with Jewish peculiarities of costume. The whole meaning of the mock novel of Codlingsby' vanishes if the Jewish element is ignored. In that parody, a vendor of old clothes, cheap penknives, and similar wares, inhabits a palace filled with fabulous delights, and plays a tune on 'the little harp peculiar to his nation." This is the Jew that Titmarsh drew. And now the critics, who have been so long chuckling over and repeating ridicule of this sort, suddenly discover that we, from whose article nobody can derive the remotest hint of anything concerning Mr Disraeli's private life, are guilty of gross personality. Do they think that, because they are thus tardily virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and a3e? Yes, by St. Anne and ginger shall still be hot in the mouth, though they may prefer to offer their readers saw- dust. A corrrespondent at Coblentz writes- A painful impression has been created here by the following incident:—Three soldiers of the line were undergoing a long period of imprisonment in the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein for desertion. They had originally desertedat Saarlouis and crossed the frontier into France, but on the persuasion of their families, had surrendered themselves to their regiment. Their term of punishment was seven years, of which only six months had ex- pired. Finding their life, as is asserted, insupportable, they determined to drown themselves on the first favourable oppor- tunity as a preferable fate. A few days ago they were em- ployed on the Carthause, the fine plateau which separates the Khine from the Moselle, and it seemed a fitting moment to attempt their rash enterprise. One sentry alone was in charge of them, and he witnessed their flight. He immediately fired and brought one victim down dead, the bullet having passed through his head. With extraordinary sang-froid and deter- mination he loaded a second time, and again fired with fatal pwxiuilon ttia <W/irt.ar fall dwul. Diree,1 through the heart Once more loading he fired at the third fugitive, and the bullet passed completely through his body, inflicting frightful injury to his intestines. The unfortunate man was taken to the military lazaretto in Coblentz, where he lies in a hopeless con- oitloa. In military circles this melancholy catastrophe is .n- garded as a fittinar retribution for a grav" L..aCil oi discipline^ a view of the case not altogether shared in by the civil portion of the community. One thing is certain-the needle-gun in the hands of a good marksman is a sure and terrible weapon. The result of the division upon Mr Beaumont's motion for excluding future bishops from the House -of Lords is not at all discouraging to the se who consider that spiritual peers are worse than useless. There are many church- men no agree with a great church leader who declared the other day that the bishops neither helped forward great reforms nor hindered the passing of bad laws 4 and the reflection that alterations in the law which have been loudly called for have been often prevented by the episcopal element in the House makes the movement which Mr Beaumont has initiated one of considerable im- portance. The Daily News says- Mr Gladstone's speech was not, indeed, of a kind that should deter Mr S. Beaumont, or any one else, from bringing the motion forward again. Ingenious and versatile as the Premier was on this occasion, his speech was, at most, an apology for acqui- escence in a system which no statesman would think of recom- mending if it wore noit already in force; and when the inevitable day shall arrive for doinc? justice to the profounder -Convictions of the public, the Opposition leader of those titaes will look in vain througkthat speech for materials on which to charge Mr Gladstone with inconsistency. The accumulation of secondary arguments, %ased on small considerations of expediency, with which the Premier defended his present policy of inaction, will be useless for such a party purpose. Further en our contemporary urges with great force an argument which will tell upon the minds ef earnest churchmen- Title and rank suddenly .conferred upon persons, many of whom, as JKr Gladstone observed on Tuesday, have risen from bumble statiees, do not always sit easy on their possessors, and they oftenfffect a most injurious separation between the Bishops and the clergy. They create, and it is hardly conceivable that they were not meant to creat a sentiment which the piety of modern days regards as most opposite to that whicltught to distinguish men devoted to religion. And not only do the spiritual peerages tend to impair the usefulness of existing Bishops, but they are made the reason why sees are not mul- tiplied. If ;the constitution of the Church of England in to be maintained and restored, more Bishops are needed. The Daily Newe eoncludes- The true interests of the Church of England are being found to coincide on this subject with the -claims which are preferred in the name of Religious Equality, and they will prevail. Mr Gladstone will hear more of this motion and although, Cadg- ing from experience of semi-ecclesiastical questions, it will reappear each time iB a more stringent form, it is satisfactory that the Premier shetfld have sai £ nothing on this occasion which need preclude Mm from a full and free consideration of its scope. Pius IX. entered upon the 2546h year of his pontifi- cate on the 17th June. His Holiness was congratulated on the occasion by the Sacred College and the Bishops, and his reply to their felicitations has new been published in the Paris Univers. In the course of his remarks he refers to the errors prevailing in the present day, and declares that they arise in great part from ignorance. "But upon whom do€3 the task derisive of dispelling this ignorance ?" he asks. Upon whom if not upon u« and you ? It is for us to remove the errors which exist evenin the minds which are upright, but which da not know the significance of certain principles and the peril of certain doctrines?" The Pope speaks in strocg terms against the Liberal Catholics, and eertaan bishops, "sentineik established by God to watch over the salvation of the people, who so far forget the grandeur of their duty as to leave the devices with which the Church honours them in order to adopt those of the -world and live as it lives." The Pope relates a couple of anecdotes, and prefaces them with the remark that he will be brief in order to avoid imitating "certain orators," allusion being here made, it is assumed, to cer- tain members of the Council who have spoken against the dogma of infallibility. c An exceedingly interesting- event took place in Arling- ton's treet, Piccadilly, on Thursday week. The Prince of Wales and a large and distinguished company, Includ- ing M. de Lesseps, assembled to celebrate the opening of the telegraph to India. Shortly afterliisarrival his Royal Highness i;imfied his wiah to send a message to Lord Mayo, apd the following words were flashed under the ocean to India: — I congratulate your Excellency oa England and India being Jio-w connected by a submarine cable. I feel assured this ereal achievement will be of immense benefit to the welfareof the Empire, and its success is thus of Imperial interest. Before the news that this message had been sent circu- lated the crowded rooms, its, receipt had been acknow- ledged by the operator* in India. Lady Mayo had pre- viously to this sent a message to the Viceroy in India; and when the word went round that his lordship was in bed, but that he would be roused with all speed to receive her ladyship's and the Prince of Walea's congratulations, commiseration was expressed, and the ladies said "Poor man 1" The Prince then expressed his desire to commu- nicate with the King of Portugal and the Khedive of Egypt. This message was then forwarded I offer you my congratulations on the completion of direct telegraphic communication between England and the East bv way of Portugal. I thank you for the aid your Majesty'sGo- vernmont has rendered to this great enterprise, and trust that by bringing our two countries nearer together in point of' time we may cement more closely the old bonds which unite England to Portugal. His Royal Highness's message to Ismail Pacha ran thus Allow me to congratulate your Highness on the completion of a new telegraphic route from England to Egypt. By your assist- ance you have not only promoted commercial relations between Britain and Egypt, but you have carried out the traditional policy of your Highness's rule by facilitating the communication of England with her Eastern Empire. Mr Pender then sent messages to Colonel Staunton, her [Majesty's Consul-General in Egypt, to the Governors of Malta and of Gibraltar; and to the Governors ¡ of the Presidencies of Bogibay and Madras. The Prince of Wales now sent a congratulatory message to the President of the United States, and answers were received at short intervals from the King of Portugal, the Khedive, and the President. When Lord Mayo's message came soon after midnight it was dated Simla, 5.4 a.m., and there was considerable laughter. His Excellency had been roused from his bed in the middle of the night-" or to-morrow morning isn't it ?" as one inquirer remarked confusedly—to pass compliments with his Royal Highness and the gay crowd in Arlington-street. This was the coup of the evening, and the Prince of Wales, his Royal High- ness the Duke of Cambridge, M. de Lesseps, and the rest of the distinguished company assembled in the pri- vate tent facing the Green-park, were loud in their ap- proval. The actual time occupied by the message from India was four minutes two seconds.

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