10 JANUARY 1874, Page 3

We believe threats to assassinate particular Ministers are more -common

in England than the public is aware, but for the last twenty years the Queen is, we think, the only great official who has been struck, an outrage which produced the Flogging Act, and ended a whole series of menaces. On Wednesday, however, -the Duke of Cambridge, while looking in at Sams' window in Pall Mall, was struck by Captain Charles Studdert Maunsell, on half-pay, who declared "his Royal Highness had done him a grievous wrong." The Duke turned to call the police from Marlborough House, and was again struck, when a constable came up, and was ordered to take the assailant's name and address, but not, as he imagined, to take him into custody. On learning the name, his Royal Highness communicated the facts to the Chief Commissioner of Police, and his assailant was arrested. He appears to be, like Capt. Pate, an officer with a grievance, which he attri- buted to the Commander-in-Chief. The prisoner was remanded. The Duke of Cambridge, a powerful man, is blamed, apparently, for not hitting back at Captain Maunsell ; but he would have been blamed much more for a fisticuff engagement with an unknown inferior in Pall Mall, with all the world looking on. The only 'possible course was to call the police, and that was done.