other matters to be let very much alone. | proportion. It is barely forty years since It is quite probable that if the system of the Jews were considered outcasts, since a government can but be continued, the pop- Bill to admit them to municipal office in ulation of Jamaica may be doubled, and England raised such a storm of indignaits wealth tripled, till it is as rich, as full tion that a powerful Government had to of industry, and as contented as any coun- give way and repeal an Act already acty of Bengal, and estates recently worth cepted by Parliament; since they were nothing become again almost as produc- throughout Europe legally disqualified for tive as in the slave period. the offices which a universal prejudice rendered it impossible for them to hold; and now there is scarcely a State in which they are not Ministers, not one, except Russia and Spain, in which they have not a kind of preference in the suffrages of the peo We trust that the Colonial Office entertains no intention of removing Sir. J. P. Grantor rather, of letting him depart but should he determine to return to England, he should certainly be succeeded by an Indian who would respect and could pre-ple. The prejudice originally bitterly felt serve the traditions of the system which by the masses, and slightly by the upper has proved so successful. It is not so class, now lingers among the upper class, much through mental originality that Sir but has died away utterly in the masses. J. P. Grant has succeeded, though no In England one Jew, by race, leads the doubt he is an original man, as through his Opposition, and another is Solicitor-Genapplication of the experience gained on a eral; in India, another, Mr. Ellis, sits in much more extensive field. It is a pity to the Supreme Council; in France, a Jew throw away a resource so valuable, and to rules the Department of Instruction; in refuse to employ the only class of public Austria he is President of the Lower servants existing in the world who are House; and in Germany, if Mr. Disraeli is trained to govern dark men mildly, and to right as to Count Arnim, he is the most combine absolute personal freedom with a trusted and influential of Prince Bissystem which denies to those ruled all di-marck's selected agents. We are afraid, rect political power. Jamaica should be en-pending the list we have asked for, to give trusted, for a generation at all events, to a the figures we have heard, but it is certain succession of Indian civilians, all bent upon that all over the Continent Jews are takconverting the island into a richer, more ing possession of the journals; that in civilized, and better known Bengal, till it Italy, Austria, Germany, and many towns becomes, what we are assured it is already of France they are the most acceptable of becoming, the favourite home or retreat candidates, and that in England while for the wealthy, the invalid, or the weary | 800,000 Catholics have not a solitary repof the entire North American continent. resentative, 80,000 Jews have eight repNothing revives a Canadian or a man of resentatives in the House of Commons. the Eastern States just touched by the There is no reason whatever in public sensharpness of his own climate like a sojourn timent why there should not be eighty, of a few weeks in Jamaica. and many in the circumstances of all countries why the process so lately begun should be almost indefinitely extended. The new levers of power throughout the world are property, popularity, and the Press, and the special genius of the people enables them to acquire all three, and prompts them to strain every effort towards their acquisition. The turn of mind on which Dr. Marks with some bluntness of perception animadverts, which induces Jews everywhere, though everywhere industrious to a proverb, to turn with loathing from manual labour, the circumstances which have made them for generations citizens- they are the conclusive answer to the squirearchical theory that city life enervates-and the oppressions which once made wealth their only protec tion, have all combined to make them inimitable men of business. They bring special brains to the work, and special From The Spectator. THE JEWS AS POLITICIANS. WE wish our contemporary of the Jewish Chronicle, who alone possesses the means, would supplement Dr. Marks' recent lectures on the position of modern Jews by publishing a list of all the Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, and noted politicians and journalists belonging to that race in the different countries of Europe. We believe it would be found that, with the exception of the cosmopolitan aristocracy, the thousand or so of families in Europe whose names recur through all modern history, no class, race, or creed contributes to the work of modern government in anything like the same who have recently doubled in numbers, and who are penetrated above most men with the modern spirit, should not rise still further, till they become a political as they are already a financial aristocracy, that is to say, a class with an exceptional chance of success in politics and an excep tional tendency towards that career; and it is curious to speculate on the character of the influence which in that case they would exercise on the politics of the world. habits of combination, and now in all the profitable businesses done in the world, especially the exceptional businesses, such as contracting, bullion and gem dealing, financing, opium selling, and the like, businesses in which profits may be at once quick and enormous, no one contends on an equality with the Jews, and more especially with Jews trained with the German thoroughness. Even in Russia, where of all countries their lot is most miserable. they beat the Christians out of the field, and monopolize the only two functions, Mr. Disraeli, in a very forcible passage innkeeping and agency, in which profit is of "Coningsby," says Jews are essentially possible without laborious or monotonous conservative, while almost all Continental toil. Their popularity is the result appar-statesmen affirm that they are essentially ently of different causes; in some coun- revolutionary; but neither of these extries, as Austria, of their independence of treme ideas commends itself strongly to the Church; in some, as Germany, of our minds. An oppressed people is rarely their permanent and necessary hostility to conservative, while a people which has the feudal organization of society; in survived the ages unchanged can hardly some, as France, of their reputation for be revolutionary. That they are inevi scepticism; in some, as England, of their tably opposed to the feudal organization wealth and forehandedness; but in all, of of society, which is still in the half of Euthe quality which they have acquired so re- rope the only recognized organization, is, cently, that perfect receptiveness which en- no doubt true; as it is also true that in ables them to assimilate the special quali- Catholic countries they are of necessity ities of every race without losing any of enemies of a Church which cannot induce their own. No man understands Germans itself to allow them more than a contemptlike the German Jew. No man is so ex-uous toleration. They cannot find a place ceptionally French as the French Jew. in a feudal system, and are, moreover, No man comprehends the insularity of our essentially men of towns; while Catholi people so well as the English Jew. The cism has injured them too deeply, more extraordinary, and in one way, melancholy story of the Heines of Hamburg, now going the round of the German Press-the story of the French Jewess, who, inheriting the vast wealth of her German kindred, uses it first of all to express the hatred of Frenchmen for Germans by destroying her splendid gardens lest Germans should gain delight from them, shows that this receptivity extends to every kind of politics; that a Jew family may be composed of Germans and French, and each will cling to all, and yet each remain a fanatic for the nation to which he or she by race does not belong. This power, which amounts very frequently to capacity of intensifying all national characteristics, is the cause alike of popularity and of success in journalism, while it appears -though this cannot yet be fairly tested not to involve the danger which one would have imagined must accompany it, of gradual absorption into the surrounding races. There is no reason whatever that we see why the Jews, who have a passion for education so great that, as Dr. Marks reports, they completely outstrip even the Germans in their attendance at the Universities, who are hourly increasing in wealth, especially in Spain and Austria, ever to be heartily forgiven. It has driven them in those countries to the apparent conformity on which, as regards Spain, Mr. Disraeli dwells with such exultation, and which Dr. Marks affirms to have existed in Austria to such an extent that the very numerous "conversions to Judaism," noticed in Vienna in 1868-70, were in all cases affirmations of Judaism, by Hebrews who had for some generations apparently conformed. As regards education also they are, on the Continent, always secularists, and they are apt to be strongly penetrated with localism, which just now is rather opposed to the ideas current among orthodox statesmen; but supposing them not op pressed, we see nothing in the intellect of the race, which loves pleasure and desires material success, and rather scorns, while it is very liable to feel, enthusiasm, any quality which should make it truly revolutionary. Karl Marx notwithstanding, the Jews are certainly not hostile either to the institution of property or to its accumulation in few hands, or to those ancient rules regulating its transmission which annoy modern Liberals so much. Not one of the eight Jewish Members voted In on Tuesday with Mr. Fowler against pri- | descent, however clear, from barbarian mogeniture; nor have the Jews, either in swordsmen, is a title to govern men. Austria or Germany, ever seemed anxious political life their tendency, as far as we to introduce any radical change in the perceive, is to follow Mr. Disraeli's adtenure of landed property, a reform which vice to "eschew political sentimentalism," in Austria, where the Jews have great to accept any form of government which strength in Parliament and where the admits of free careers, to gain all the land laws are singularly bad, appears to power they can, and to use it so as to sehave been postponed in favour of many cure the largest attainable measure of maother changes of much less permanent im- terial comfort, personal freedom, and sciportance. They have no especial regard entific education for the bulk of the peofor the great solvent of modern times, the ple. Very impatient of practical abuses, principle of equality, and so long as all and especially of stupid abuses, abuses careers are free, and the Administration the result of thickheadedness or want of It tolerably lenient - they have a horror of proportion between means and ends, they cruelty seem able to adapt themselves are not equally eager to follow an ideal, without irritation to almost any form of to pursue ideas to conclusions, or to estabgovernment. In America they belong to lish any platform whatsoever. Except in both parties, though their leaning is to the the region of speculation, where in modern Democratic, the Republican party being times they have always been singularly biassed towards liquor laws and other daring, the tendency of their influence is Puritanic ideas; and in France, though towards moderation, towards lenient govthey cannot be Legitimists, as many of ernment, and an administration anxious them are Bonapartists as Republicans. to meet each difficulty as it arises with the The Empire, indeed, with its tawdry mag- easiest and most handy of the expedients nificence, rather attracted them, just as likely to succeed, without, if possible, any theatrical and operatic enterprise attracts visible application of force. Their ascenthem everywhere, and four or five of them dancy in politics, allowing of course for were amongst its most conspicuous and individual genius, would not be an elevateffective supporters. Even in Germany, ing, but it would be a moderating force, though the Emperor dreads them, they and this more especially in the region of have never shown any dislike of the State foreign policy, for which, from their desystem, which offers them in its bureaucrat-tached position and instinct of cosmopoliic arrangements some remarkable advant- tanism, they have a special aptitude, not ages; though no doubt they dislike and yet recognized, because in this department will help to destroy the decaying social above all others they come into competisystem, which, based as it still is on birth, tion with the class which is likest themis as opposed to their interests as their selves, the cosmopolitan aristocracy. pride. It is not for them to think that a re LAKE VILLAGES IN SWITZERLAND.-An interesting archæological discovery has recently been made on the shores of the Lake of Bienne. The Swiss Government has been for a long time endeavoring to drain a considerable tract of land between the two lakes of Morat and Bienne, but in order to do this effectually it has been found necessary to lower the level of the latter by cutting a canal from it to the lake of Neuchatel. At the beginning of the present year the sluices were opened, and the waters of the Lake of Bienne allowed to flow into that of Neuchatel. Up to the present time the level of the Bieler See has fallen upwards of three feet, and this fall has brought to light a number of stakes driven firmly into the bed of the lake. This fact becoming known, a number of Swiss archeologists visited the spot, and it was decided to remove the soil round these stakes to see whether any remains of a Lacustrine village, which they suspected had been raised upon them, could be traced. At a distance of between five and six feet from the present bed of the lake the workmen came upon a large number of objects of various kinds, which have been collected and are at present under the custody of Dr. Gross, of Locrass. Among them are pieces of cord made from hemp, vases, stags' horns, stone hatchets, and utensils used apparently for cooking. The most precious specimen is, however, a hatchet made of néphrite (the name given to a peculiarly hard kind of stone from which the Lacustrines formed their cutting instruments). This hatchet is sixteen centimetres long by seven broad, and is by far the largest yet discovered in any part of Switzerland, no other collection having any measuring more than eight centimetres in length. A quan tity of the bones found at the same time have tion of the singers) without success, for "none been sent to Dr. Uhlmann, of Münchenbuchsee, I could be found". -a result at which we cannot for examination by him, and he finds that they affect to be surprised. On hearing this singubelong to the following animals, viz:-stag, lar word I was for the moment greatly puzzled; horse, ox, wild boar, pig, goat, beaver, dog, but remembering the old French aistre, meanmouse, &c., together with a number of human ing a fireplace, hearth- and remembering, too, bones. If the level of the lake continues to the variant estres, passages, chambers, apartsink, it is hoped that further discoveries will be ments I perceived at once that "oysters" made, and the scientific world here is waiting really meant aistres or estres, in its connection the result of the engineering operations with" lodgings," and the problem was solved. Now keen interest. Standard. the word aitres, denoting the rooms, partitions, Kildare Gardens. The following regulations have, according to the Alsatian Correspondence, been laid down by the German Government with regard to those inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine who may wish to adopt the French nationality. For this purpose the population is to be divided into three classes - first, those who were born in In the evidence given by Mr. R. GodwinAlsace or Lorraine, and were residing there on Austen before the Royal Coal Commission, that the 2nd of March, 1871; second, those who re- gentleman expressed himself as being strongly sided in the country at that date, but were not of opinion that there is a connexion between the born there; and third, natives of Alsace or Lor- Belgian and the Somersetshire coalfields, and raine who were not residing in the country on that probably coal may be found within the the 2nd of March, 1871. Persons belonging to Wealden area. It is now highly probable that the first and third categories must take up their an experiment will be made with a view to testresidence in France and sign a declaration of ing this. It is seriously proposed to put down s their wish to be Frenchmen; in the second cate- bore hole near Brightling, about six miles northgory no such declaration will be required, but west of Battle residence in France is to be a sine qud non. of the extension of the Paleozoic rocks from the a point at which the problem The option of adopting the French nationality is Boulonnais, under the secondary rocks, will be only to be valid up to the 30th of September most satisfactorily determined. It may be of next, after which date all the inhabitants of interest to many of our readers to know exactly Alsace and Lorraine will be treated as Germans. the views entertained by Mr. Godwin-Austen For such persons as live out of Europe, how-upon this important question. He says: ever, this period is extended to the 30th of Sep-depression of the Thames valley represents, and tember, 1873. Natives of Alsace and Lorraine is physically, a continuation of that which, exwho serve in the French army or navy have the tending from Valenciennes by Douai, Bethune, right of deciding whether they will adopt the Therouanne, and thence to Calais, includes the German nationality, which is to be done by sign- great coal trough of those countries "; and he ing a declaration to that effect before the mili-infers "that we have strong à priori reasons tary authorities. Minors are to follow the na- for supposing that the course of a band of coal tionality of the father, unless they are not nameasures coincides with, and may one day be tives of Alsace and Lorraine, in which case they reached, along the line of the valley of the are to come under the rules laid down for per-Thames, whilst some of the deeper-seated coal, sons of full age. OYSTERS FOR AISTRES.-I have just been informed of a very curious old Christmas carol, which was sung in the streets of Frome only a few weeks ago, and which is well worth a note in "N. & Q." I have not yet been able to procure the entire song; but the fragment before me contains a remarkable instance of the persistence from age to age of old French words. It relates to the visit of Joseph and "his lady to Bethlehem, in search of accommodation in view of the expected birth of the Saviour; and we are told that " they wandered up and down a-seeking for oysters" (this was the pronuncia "The as well as certain overlying and limited basins, NUMBERS OF THE LIVING AGE WANTED. The publishers are in want of Nos. 1179 and 1180 (dated respectively Jan. 5th and Jan. 12th, 1867) of THE LIVING AGE. To subscribers, or others, who will do us the favor to send us either or both of those numbers, we will return an equivalent, either in our publications or in cash, until our wants are supplied. 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