The Sun. — London, England, 1867-02-12 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL DRURY-LANE. Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. F. B. Chutterton. THIS I,psrs. G EVENIN, THE MAN OF THE WORLD. Mr. Phelps ; 11 E. Phelps, Barrett, W. liPlntyre, E. Clifton, C. Wainer; Aim:lames H. Vandenhofr, Hudspeth, Golier, Isabel Adams. To conclude with the Pantomime, entitled NUMBER U' ; or Harlequin and the Gnome-King of the Giant Mountain. Commence at a Quarter to Seven. I IHEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET, Lessee and Manager, Mr. Buckstene, TO-NIGHT, A. EShON Fun. LIFE. Met•srs. Eothern, Chippendale, Coin .ton, Howe, Rogers, Clarke, Braid, Kendal, (lord a, Vineen ‘tc. ; Mesdames Chippendale, Moore, Hill, La,rs, Atter F. SERIOUS FAMILY. Messrs. Luck st Farrcu, VlliCent, &C. ; eddames t.hippendile, ocre, hilt, Sidney, Sc. Commence at Seven. OYAL LYCEUM TIIEATRE.- Di, Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Feebler. THIS EVENING. 1:013GE E N'GII. Mauric. D'.\713.1 a Gambler). %tr. Feel,ter ; Mel.srs. Emery, EvAini, Mo e• and, Fi`zpatricr. l)atton, 1:Q - fluids, Lomas, Aewbouu I, rtuorevl 1. lleubet t. and Enwbrd l'ri.e ; 11 iss Ilea tad *, Mrs. Lei ~11 Murray, Miss Grattan, and Mnis Carlotta Leelercq. Preceded Ly THE TWO POLTS. Mr. 11. Widdicomb. THEATRE ROYAL A.DELPIII. Sole Proprietor and Manager, Mr. B. Webster. `VIES EVENING, Feb. I'2, at Seven, A SISTER'S PENANCE. Miss Kate Terry, Miss Hughes, Miss Emily Pitt ; Messrs. 11. VezM, Biltiul4ton, Ashley, Eburne, and Stephenson. To conclude with the New Grand Burlesque of THE MOUN FAIN DUll; or, THE KNlGHT,'tilt': LADY, AND THE Messrs. J. L. Toole, 1' Sul liedtcrd, Ashley, E. Romer, and U. J. Smith ; M rs. Ala ed Mellon, Miss Furtado, Miss Hughes, Hiss Emily Pitt, &c. ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE. New Management. Sole Lessee, Mr. B. Webster ; Manager, Mr. H. IN lon. THIS EVENING, LONDON ASSIJKANCE. Messrs. G. Vincent, Addison, D. Murray, and Mr. Charles Mathews; Alesaames E. Farren, Milly Palmer, and Charles Mathews. After whi, h, ROMANTIC IDEA. Messrs. G. Vincent, Addison, 1). Mu. ray, and Charles Mathews; Mesdames E. FaYreu and Charles Mathews. To conclude with A QUIET FAMILY. Mr. D. Murray. Doors open at half-past Six; commence at Seven. lOLBORN THEATRE ROYAL. Scie froprietor and Manager, Mr. z!ef ton Parry. 'l'titS EVENING, a new Farce, MY TURN NEXT. Mr. Belrnorc, Miss Foote, miss Lennox. .6.f ter which, Boucicault's drama of FLYING SCUD. lle3srs. NrYlite, Delmore, Blake, Garden,Vollaire; Mesdames I'. Josephs, C. Saunders, B. Foote. Raymond. ItOYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Sole Lessee and Manager, Mr. Geo. TiilS EVENING, HIS LAS I' LEGS. Mr. C. Verner, Mr. C. 11. Fenton ; Mrs. Buckingham White and MiSi Went worth. Followed by. at half-past 8 o'clock, a i ew and original Drama, by T. W. Lob rtson, entitled SHAW/ W TAEE fl.lle C. Character, by Messrs. Vining, J. G. Shore, C. Ver ntr, F. Villiers, H. Forrester, H. Mellon, ai.d Cathcart; 31i.sses Montagu, Minnie Edmonds, and Katherine Itodgers. ROYAL STRAND THEATRE. Sole Lessee and Manageress, 3lrs. Swauborough. THIS J.:VEINING, NE1G1E1BOU1l:S. i%eaars. Parasite, Beltord, and U Murray ; Misses Swanborough, Johnstone, and Hughes. After which, will be produced a Grand Burlesque, entitled GUY FAWKES : Mes+rs. 'I J ame., Robson, and i'cnton ; Itesdatiles Swauborough, Raynham, Johnstone, Hughes, Newton, dm. To conclude with A. SUIT OF TWEEDS. Commence at Seven. rp IIEATRE ROYAL, ASTLEY'S. 1 Under the Sole Management of Mr. W. 11. C. Nation. 62,1, 63.1, CAUL and 65th Representations of tile NATION AL PA NTu.iil3lE, which have now been witnessed by de lighted thousands. E‘'ERY EVENING the elegant Comedy, DELICATE GROUND. 3lessrs. reruandez. Richardson, and Miss L ,id law. After which, the Nation-al Pantomime, HUSIT-A-BYE, _BA tsY. ‘Vith enchanting Scenery by Mr. lileks. /three* Caroline Parkes, N(111., Nisbett, Gwynne, Mhrshall, Burton, Mrs. Caulleld ; 31e.ars. Atkins, Stephens, lio.ieywooi, Beckenham. a , itt the Ur:gin:ll Little kiotrella. MORNING PERFOItMANCe.B EVERY - SATURDAY at Two o'elotk I'/ bees for Children (Morning Performances only) —Stalls, :a. 61. ; y, :s. 6d. ; Boxes, Is. ; Pit, 6d. leree Liat suspended, Public Press excepted. To prevent disapp9intmcist seats 11l us t be booked in advance. - 7,1 0 E ON, BUMBLE! or the way in which _l7__L. Clown cleats sway the Snow, at the THEATRE EVERY EVE-NI-NG. THE NATIONAL REFORM SONG. Com posed by Mr. W. Jerrie, and sung - NIGHTLY by Miss Neilie isbttt, at the T ILNATRE ROYAL, AbTLEY'S. under Mr. ►W. IL C. Nation's management. This Air that was played during the Reform Procession, Monday, Feb. 11. rlit 11E "SUN" NEWSPAPER.- U. Lt. 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Moses and Son INORIES. 155, MINOR I ES. 15e, MTN OWES. 157, 3.ITNORIES. 83, ALDGATE. 81, ALDGATE. 85, ALDGATE. 86, ALDGATE. 87, ALDGATE. 88, ALDGATE. 89, ALDGATE. 506, NEW OXFORD-STREET. 507, NEW OXFORD-STREET. 5 , 08, NEW OXFORD-STREET. 1, HART-STREET. 2, HART-STREET. 3, HART-STREET. 137, T OrIENLIA NI-CO CRT-ROAD. 138, TOTTENHAM-COURT-ROAD. 283, EUSTON-ROAD. Also 19, BRIDGE-STREET, BRADFORD, YORKS. 20, BRIDGE-STREET, BRADFORD, YORKS• V . MOSES and SON'S ESTABLISHMENTS ilui• are CLOSED EVERX FRIDAY EVENING at sunset till SATURDAY EVENING at sunset, when business is resumed till Eleven o'clock. All articles ale marked the lowest price in plain fi gures, from which no abatement can be made. Any article not approved of will be exchanged, or the money will bo returned. Lists of Prices with rules for Solf-measurement and Fashion Shoot, with Patterns and "History of London," gratis and post freo. WATEj AT LuNl►(N 1-51;11)G1 , .. Tars Gh. 55in.—Aftornoun, 7h. 25m. .I.'o- 18 1umww.-Ilonai az, 7h. Mm.—Aftenloo n, Bh. 30m. kft).7 l • e,, : y z-41-br q:41 11 ek _v t G*Xl4+344 LONDON, TUESDAY, FEB. 12, 1867. of an anicou:4 political career it nrty saiA that Mr. Dniitz..krt.t nevcr had rnr)r‘D,iihilicult tak to perform than that he under- .I):l,i,ig the cruir teak last night, but yet we may affirm that he was en.inntly successful in his venture. It was no light thing to come down to a crowded House, and to unfold a scheme fur the settlement of the Reform question when S o many had failed in the attempt. Those who were so fortunate as to be in the House last night were favoured by the Chancellor of the Exchequer giving a detailed account of the many lets and hindrances that had beset the way, and impeded the progress of those who had trod thorny path] befure.him. So far back as the year 18.52 the Government, of which Earl RUSSELL was the head, attempted to deal with the subject, and failed, then followed the Coalition Government of Lord ABERDEEN, which also came short of success. The Conservative Government of Earl DERBY, in 1859, shared the same adverse fate, and, in 1860, the Ministry of Lord PALMERSTON had to give up after daring the achievement of the task. In 1866 another Government failed in the same manner, and the conclusion which her MAJESTY'S Ministers draw from all this is that Reform should no longer be made a party question, and should not again be suffered to decide the fate of Ministries. In this opinion we fully concur, and indeed it is one which we have long entertained, and repeatedly urged upon publi: men of Lite. So long as this important matter is made the stalking-horse of prejudices and the bone of contention among dissatisfied persons ; and, above all, so long as its decision rests upon the chances and changes of party popularity on one side and Opposition strength on the other, it will be idle and useless to expect to come to a satisfactory solution. If there be some who do not like this notion of settling the matter, they may thank themselves for their having come to this pass ; for, as Mr. DISRAELI emphati. tally observed last night, " it was the vote of 1859, proposed by Lord Jonx RUSSELL, that made Re form a party question." This is strictly true, and no man ever dealt a more deadly blow to a work of great importance in the Legislature than the noble lord did by his ill-advised proceedings at that juncture. Those who have been prone to cavil at the course pursued by the Conservatives of late years in regard to this important matter should really, in common justice, give heed to the explanations tendered last night by the leader of the party in the Commons. He said that in 1852, when " daily rumours" got about to the effect that Lord Jolts RUSSELL was about to relinquish the principle of Finality to which he had pledged himself and the Whigs in a very peculiar manner, the leading men of the Conservatives consulted as to what course they should pursue, and the result of their delibera tions was that they resolved, if " Lord JOHN chose to give up the Bill of 1832 nothing should induce them to take up as a principle opposition to Parlia mentary Reform; the consequence has been that the party has observed a consistent conduct on that point—there never has been a bill brought forward the second reading of which was ever oppcsed." We think that it is a burning shame to the Liberal party that they cannot say the same ; and, in fact, that the moat factious opposition which has dis graced the House of Commons in modern times came from them. Besides vindicating his own party from the charges brought against them, Mr. DISRAELI also devoted a part of his discourse to the defence of the late Lord PALMERSTON. As he truly remarked, en passant, " There is no man whose opinions on Parliamentary Reform are spoken of with more levity than Lord PALMERSTON'S." How ever, it is a mistaken idea to take hold of that the noble lord did not wish to see a measure of Parlia mentary Reform carried. When he was at the head of a very powerful majority he inserted a para graph in the QUEEN'S Speech to the effect that it should be taken into the consideration of the House. When he shortly afterwards had to relinquish office, he intimated to Lord DERBY that some settlement should take place, and also assured him that if he thought fit to bring for ward a well-considered measure, it would receive a fair and candid consideration. " flow, then," ap propriately inquired the right hon. gentleman, " can you call Parliamentary Reform a party ques tion under these circumstances ?" We all know the sad sequel to that story—how, when the measure referred to was brought in, the efforts of Lord PALMERSTON to keep to the engagement he had made, a private member below the gangway brought forward a motion which upset the Government, and threw out the bill then before the house. What Mr. DISRAELI sought to prove, and we think succeeded in proving, was, that upon the House of Commons rested the responsibility of this question having become a party question. The Conservatives have, not shrunk back from the dan gerous work, and, after the struggles they made in 1859, none can call them cowardly or recusant if they now decline to throw down the gauntlet and again renew the fierce skirmish, the thoughts of which may have inspired the autumn orations of a BRIGHT, or vindicated the Italian visions of a RUSSELL. It follows, then, that a middle course must be adopted, and assuredly, however comparatively easy it may be to gain the desired object by Resolu tions, it is not a light task to convince the house that it is so. We hope and trust that the Chan cellor of the Exchequer may not find that his words of last night were profitless ones, or that he failed in making out the merits of his case. He appealed to the good sense of the House, and it should not fail in that capacity. He also addressed himself to the patriotism of his hearers, and Englishmen, of what ever rank or class of politics, should not be back ward in responding to that call. It was a power ful passage in which Mr. DISRAELI referred to the manner in which it would be advisable to reconstruct the House of Commons. Her MAJESTY'S Govern ment think that it should be done upon those prin ciples, and not upon those of any other country. W e entirely agree with the right hon. gentleman in his earnest and eloquent defence of the time-hon oured principles upon which the Constitution of this country is founded. If we now quit, without due consideration, the ancient traditions of the policy under which we live, we shall assuredly make a very great mistake, and the sooner we realise this truth the better. The Commons of England, as the right honourable gentleman showed last night, have assumed a charac ter "hi reference to the other Estates which was never contemplated in the days of the Plantagenets and the Tudors." As for the House of Lords, as this able critic of our social condition observed, the power of the peerage is greater in every part of England than in their own house. The "taxing power" has caused a great deal of tho immense influence now possessed by the Lower House ; and all classes seek to be represented there. As for the saying that there is a wider influence of the peerage in that House, Mr. DISRAELI speedily disposes of it by stating that, on the contrary, the " influence of the peerage in the House of Commons is not a usurpation of our rights, but in all deference to our authority." Every interest seeks to be represented in the House, and hence the variety of its character. We consider that it is an admirable definition which is here given of the means whereby the House has been made important and pronounced influential. The variety of char acter has given them deliberative power—the deliberative power has afforded their holding the Executive, and it is the hold on the Executive that affords the only security for the rights of Englishmen. After the many violent and vehement attacks which have been made upon the present position of the House, it is a relief to find so firm a determination on the part of Government to maintain its principles inviolate, and to hold fast to the old plan which has stood so many trying tests, and been proved by so many searching ordeals. "Her MAJESTY'S Government can counsel and can countenance no course that would e , ange and alter the character of the House of Commons ; they will respect and reverence the causes that have elevated the rude popular assembly of the days of the Plantagenets into a Senate which commands the admiration of the world. We no not believe that there exists any security for our retaining that character unless we oppose a policy which would give to any class power whether they are high or low, or whether they arc in fluenced by a democratic feeling or an oligarchical feeling—which would give to any class a preponde rating power in this House." We feel convinced, indeed, that whatever it may be wise to do in the way of change or alterations in the present systems it is imperatively necessary that all should deter mine and resolve that what they will not do will be to change or alter the fundamental principles upon which the House of Commons rests. We particularly commend to the notice of all that passage of Mr. DISRAELI'S speech which refers to foreign countries and their institutions. In France there is a popular Assembly elected by universal suffrage ; but who can say that it is equal to the English House of Commons ? No French man would presume to do so. If we turn from the Latin race to the House of Representatives that flourishes on the other side of the great Atlantic, what do we see there ? Another Assembly elected by universal suffrage, and who can declare that the House of Representatives, at Washington, equals our House of Commons? There we have a nation, as the right hon. gentleman puts it, of the same blood, brains, and intelligence' as ourselves, and perhaps of greater enterprise. "But the House of Representatives is elected by one class, they have no variety of representation; and neither the Legislative Assembly of France nor the Representative As sembly of America rules in the country in which they exist as institutions. Again, we see Germany, where it is now intended to have a Parliament elected by universal suffrage, and already we find that it is made a provision that the ministers of the KING are not to sit in that house. If one class pre ponderates in these assemblies the effects of all they do is naturally nullified, and we had better take that lesson to heart in time. The distinguishing at tribute of the House of Commons is variety, and that must be preserved, no matter what " violent, thoughtless, or pernicious doctrines are now preached." In concluding his eloquent speech, Mr. DISRAELI declared that we are not to run away with the notion that her MAJESTY'S Ministers were angling for a policy ; they have cer tain distinct principles to guide them which they wish the house to sanction. It is true that the course proposed is not flattering to the members-of the Government, but this is not, he truly says, the time to defer to the self-complacency of a Ministry or to the pride of party. " I earnestly hope," ex claims the right hon. gentleman, " that the House of Commons will rise to this occasion ;" and we trust that his wish will be realised, despite what has been said of the failures and defi ciencies of the house of late. We think that its leader took a fair view of its position when he said that those who take a large and noble view of human affairs will " recognise that alone among the countries of Europe England has now for almost countless generations, by its Parlia►nent, exhibited tho fair exemplar of a free Government, which she has maintained by her House of Commons, and she has cherished that free spirit which is the soul of the commonwealth, without which empire has no glory, and the wealth of nations is but the lees of corrup tion and decay." Mr. GLADSTONE'S remarks were worthy of the occasion, and we willingly ac cept them as au augury of the future of the measure now proposed in the House. There are enough, and more than enough, of jea lous and bitterly prejudiced politicians, but we think better of Mr. GLADSTONE than to rank him among them. If he support the proposition of Ministers it may be the turning-point of their success ; and we feel convinced that he will be no loser in the appreciation of the public for the course he may thus take in contradiction to the voice of party. National interests demand that no jealous opposition be given to the scheme of Lord DERBY'S Govern ment, and the people will soon learn who are their true friends by scanning the ranks of the Ministerial supporters. Seldom, e t l a at e e r politicalyaenatricsi,phaatisonanyandbusy specula tion measure x of g such Government propo sa l res p ec ti ng Par liamentary a u iesthes Reform which was last night brought under the notice of the expectant House of Com mons. The Cabinet had kept their secret with surprising success, and although every one was ready with his suggestion or his rumour, no one was able to indicate confidently the line of policy to be pursued. During the recesss, indeed, we had perio dical canards, promulgated from various quarters, to the effect that the Government intended to leave the subject altogether alone, and were opposed to any further interference with the system of Parliamentary Representation. Such rumours have all proved worthless, and the paragraph which attracted most attention in the Speech from the Throne was that in which the QUEER appealed to her faithful Commons to lay aside for once all party spirit, and to discuss this vexed question in a spirit of mutual forbearance. As yet the Government have given no reason to the House or the public to complain of delay. On the very first night of the season the Chancellor of the Exchequer fixed an early day for the exposition of the Ministerial intentions, and already within a week from the opening of Parliament the principles of their Reform policy are clearly indicate", and a day fixed at no distant date, though at a sufficient interval, for their full discussion. Every one is by this time aware of the manner in which the Ministry proposeto proceed, and although Mr. GLADSTONE was right in sayi ng th at i t was approval of the House or the r s m o e m n e d w i h ts a e t l f u n t o u s u thea l , it is none th e l ess likely to com country. The question has been left in an unusua l position by successive Cabinets. The ma chinery has come to a deadlock, and political every e y party ar t y has tried its hand in turn to get into working order, again without success. Its intricate mechanism is not the work of any living craftsman, and therefore all repairs or alterations must be matters of theory rather than of practice. One party a d v i ses a wholesale change, little short indeed of taking the work to pieces and putting it together afresh. Another is so fearful of the result of such rashness that they would make mere surface additions or modifications of little real value or service. Surely, then, the wisest and most practical course, since no one can assume the uudispu!ed authority, is to find wisdom in the multitude of counscllori to decide upon principles, and then to mould the details ac cording to the public wish and the experience gathered from official statistics. We have always contended that Reform should not be treated as a party question, but dis cussed as a national question in that broad, patriotic, and enlightened spirit which on matters affecting the public welfare is happily common to all Englishmen. We have party spirit and fierce contentions going on con tinually in ordinary matters, but when once a real danger threatens the country what do we see ? All ranks, all parties, all creeds, combine honestly THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 12, 1867. and heartily for the common good. Every English Minister, whatever his unpopularity, knows he may rely upon the support of his most inveterate oppo nents for any exceptional measure which he may declare necessary for the public safety ; and so the first rumour of a possible attack upon our shores bands together peer and mechanic, employer and employed, Tory and Radical, in spontaneous cor diality. Why should not this feeling animate our own politicians and statesmen in dealing with so important a question as a change in our Parlia mentary system ? Very certainly the interests affected by it are not insignificant, nor its influ ence transitory. To the Refor,n Parliament of 1832, notwithstanding all its failings, England is deeply indebted ; and the great national progress in wealth, in prosperity, in all that makes the happiness and welfare of the masses of ths people, date from that time. Are we, then, in ren owing that enterprise, to renew with it the violence, the intolerance, the mutual hatreds and jealousies which so greatly impeded its passage, or to profit by the p n m r o c r s e e t elevatedday to discuss and enlightened tolerance of the n thisgrea t question in all its bear ings fully, honestly, anddispassionately, not with the rancour of disappointed place-holders, the prejudice of selfish oligarchs, the recklessness of speculative agitators, but temperately, deliberately, and patrio tically, in a spirit worthy of men whose representa tive body is, with all its drawbacks, the purest, the most independent, and the most national consti tuent assembly in the world? The method of proceeding by resolutions is not, as Mr. DISRAELI last night observed, very flatter ing to the pride of the Ministry. No doubt it would have been more gratifying to have brought forward a clearly defined measure, to have been carried triumphantly through the House, and to have been able to boast that, notwithstanding Liberal professions, the Conservatives alone bad been able to deal with the question of Reform. But in the way of such a course there were great and insu perable difficulties—difficulties within and without the Cabinet—difficulties in both Houses, and out side the walls of Parliament. By proposing certain fundamental resolutions, and then proceeding to consider the details in an impartial and conciliatory spirit, the Ministers will be able, should the House give them the support to which they are fairly entitled, to frame a Reform Bill faithfully representing the patriotism, the intelligence, and the population of the country. Should they suc ceed in doing this they will have attained a higher distinction than can attach to the wording of a particular measure, or the carrying of a forlorn hope through the divi s i on li s t. By declaring their readiness to listen to sugges tions from without, to be guided by the learning, the genius, and the experience of the House of Com mons, the Ministers show that they are not fettered by any party trammels, or pledged to particular technicalities, such a s h ave o f ten proved fatal to the success of previous measures. They lay down, in deed, certain prin c i p l es b y w hich they desire to abide, and these, as yet indicated, are reasonable enough. The first reso l u ti on i s to affirm that rating is to be the basis of franchise, and this, after the last division on Lord RUSSELL'S Bill, can hardly be rejected by the House. The second point concerns the distribution of seats, always one of the most troublesome points of a Reform Bill. Mr. DISRAELI, on this point, asks the sanction of the House to two principles. First, that no borough should be wholly disfranchised ; secondly, that the chief consideration of a reapportionment of members must be to supply representatives to places unrepresented. These principles, again, are not as yet likely to provoke much antagonism, because if no borough is to be wholly disfranchised on mere theoretical grounds much of the unpopu larity necessarily attending this part of the Reform d p b u o la u ac o d o r a nd r i io e nf s g , e It M eo vree. existing BDt millionsns e g A a s r e r t a au r ng e de m ma i n e h e sl d f t wh h ea e s Houseoun county y that repre sented a question will be avoided. C om i ng to the question while the borou g h of po a half was andlof62ninmeemnbliellrsionosnly, popula t b i o y n repre sented by 334 members. If, as he should propose, there was a considerable reduction of the county franchise, portions of the borough population would become county electors, and it would, therefore, be necessary to revise the boundaries of the Par liamentary boroughs, when, according to the Government proposal there would be a diminution in the amount of the existing county population of some hundreds of thousands. "The great objec tion," said the Chancellor of the Exchequer, " that has been brought against such a revision has been that it would throw the county members entirely into the hands of the landlords, their tenants, and labourers." But, deducting the two millions who come under these heads, there still remains, said Mr. DISRAELI, a scattered or village population, which does not live in towns, of even 1,500 popula tion-7,000,000. These 7 ,000,000 Mr. DISRAELI declares to be the backbone of the country, remarkable for independence, industry, and deep religious convictions, whatever their outward form, and he attributes much of the prevailing dis content to the disfranchisement of the 40s. free holders by the Bill of '32. It was the freeholders of England, added the right hon. gentleman, who carried that measure, and yet a large proportion of them is utterly ignored by the House of Commons. On this point of the representation we may add that we hope in the new Reform Bill recourse will be bad to a very simple means of adjusting inequalities. Why should the House of Com mons be rigidly restricted to 658 members ? Is there any special charm in the three figures in that particular sequence, that although our population has so enormously increased we aro to have no increase of representatives ? Why not raise the number to 700 at the least, and thereby provide additional representatives for the intelli gence and industry of the country ? If 658 was an adequate representation of the population of 1832, very certainly it cannot be an adequate re presentation of the population of 1867. The adop tion of such a plan will lighten some of tho difficul ties attending the apportionment of members, and we hope the house will have the good sense to make the experiment. Whatever the changes or modifications ultimately decided upon, we have little doubt that the public verdict will be substantially in favour of the Go vernment proposal. All classes are weary of per petual disco r d on thi s theme ; and, in fact, all the effervescence of party-spirit haslong since evaporated from a struggle in which all sides have mingled and deserted from their ranks. The country at large will be thankful for a settlement which is no lees loudly demanded by the accumulation of negt:eted questions than on behalf of the unrepresented mil lions, who include so much of the intelligence, the judgment, and the public spirit of the country. - The American bibliographer, has published a catalogue of six thousand and seventy-throe books and pamphlets relating to the groat civil war. A new process for cleaning the fagades of public buildings and dwelling-houses is now being experimented on in Paris. A steam-engine supplies pipes of gutta-percha with a constant stream of vapour. These are applied to the stone or b r i c k sur f ace o f b u ildings, ono man directing the steam jet an d t h e ot h er us ing a brush. The building, after the appli c ation of this system, looks as clean and new as when erected. A couple of men in three days will thus wash the fagade of an hotel. CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) PARTS, Monday Evening. The German papers state that the plan for the re organisation of the army drawn up by the Bavarian Government, and which is to he proposed as an example to the other States of Southern Germany, lays down the principle of obligatory military ser vice by all Bavarian subjects. The number of young men capable of bearing arms who have entered their 20th year is an average of from 24,000 to 25,000 men. Hitherto about 12,000 men were incorporated with the army, and 4,000 were left without arms, although inscribed upon the army lists. The army will be now organised in such a manner as to pre sent in time of peace an effective force of at least 72,000 men out of a population of five millions. The duration of active service will be five years, three of which are to be in the service. Then there will be a service of five years in the Legion or Laudwehr, or first class susceptible of being drafted into the regular army at the first call, and then to serve five years in the Landwehr of the second class. The same as in Prussia, the ) oung men inscribed on the lists will only be forced to active service for a year if they consent to serve at their own expense. The Wurtemberg Moniteur announces that the deliberations which have taken place at Stuttgardt, under the presidency of Bavaria, between the repre sentatives of the States of Southern Germany, have resulted in a perfect understanding between the Governments of Bavaria, Wurtemberg, Baden, and Hesse Darmstadt respecting the subject of military union and organisation. The steamer Sentinelle, whose departure from Toulon for the waters of Greece was announced a few days ago, arrived on the 2d inst. at Corfu to replace the aviso Promethee, which left on the 3d to rejoin the squadron of Admiral Simon in the Piralus. The Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, i❑ consequence of the intensity of the cattle plague in Belgium, has issued a decree extending the previous prohibitions against the entrance of animals into France to the whole line of the French frontier from Dunkerque to the Rhine near Lanterbourg. Similar interdictions have been issued by the Belgian Go vernment. The Imperial Commission of the Universal Exhi bition have just authorised another entrance, mak ing the third, to the site of the Exhibition. Persons wishin to inspect the building have to pay a franc at either of these turnstiles. Four small but perfect. models of French ships of war are about to be sent to the Exhibition. They are models of the war clad frigate la Flandre, the Imperial yacht l'Aigle, the trans?ort le Cher, and the steam aviso d'Estr6e. The models will be armed, and will in every respect be imitations of the vessels in all their details. A despatch has been received in Paris from Mexico, which confirms the report of the arrest of Ortega, the competitor of Juarez, for the Presidency. He was made prisoner by the Governor of Zaca teras. The municipality of Venice recently sent an invi tation to Garibaldi to visit that city. The General has sent a letter in answer to the invitation, in which he says he hopes " that the day is not far distant when he shall be able to come to the glorious Queen of the Adriatic." After referring to some historical recollections connected with Venice, Gari baldi thus concludes his letter :—" The deliverance of the mother has urged the daughter to break her chains. Venice suffers still, I know, but are not those who suffer more compassionate for the suffer ings of others? You will, lam sure, remember the poor families of Candia.—With gratitude, yours for life, " G. GARIBALDI." The exciting event in the musical world of Paris is the production at the theatre Lyrique of Sardan apalus, an opera in three acts, by M. Victorin Jon cieres, words by M. henry Becque. This young composer is but 27. He was a pupil of Elwart, and is the son of M. Joncieres, a man distinguished in literature. A self-sufficient and conceited critic of the Moniteur, M. Xavier Aubryst, informs his readers that the subject is taken from the poem of Lord Byron, " the dandy litterateur." Upon the whole, according to the other critics, this opera holds out good promise that the young composer will at tain a distinguished rank in his profession. The first two acts are pronounced to he superior to the third. .The music of the former is described to be graceful and pure, but it does not seem to be con, sidered as remarkable for very striking beauty or originality. There is a still younger candidate for literary honours, M. Henri Houssaye, who is not quite nineteen, having been born on the 24th of February, 1848. His production is a history of Apelles, the painter. Some may suppose that there is nothing very romantic or exciting in the career of an artist ; but this work, while preserving the gravity due to history, has all the attraction and highly coloured events of romance ; and Apelles, for the first time perhaps, is delineated as the hero of many interesting adventures "by flood and field." M. Houssaye is the son of a distinguished writer, author of the portraits of the 18th century, and of other estimable productions. An authentic list just published of the immense sums of money expended by the Emperor for use ful and philanthropic purposes exhibits the generosity of the head of the State in a very strong light. He causes the circulation of money for the general good. The amount devoted by Um last year was no less than 3,794,000 f. Among the items was a sum of 1,200,000 f. for " assistance to individuals" large sums for co-operative associations of workmen, for building houses for workmen, for repairs of churches and sanitary measures. Besides this, the Emperor pays for the expenses of the Empress, the Prince Imperial, and officers of the household, 9,300,000 f. ; for the encouragement of arts and letters, various publications and horse racing, a sum of 600,000 f., and for "private gifts and assistance," 1,200,000 f. It is stated from Florence that the Commission charged by the Ministry with the compilation of a new penal code, have definitively urged the neces sity of the abolition of the punishment of death. One of the gentlemen connected with the Paris Observatory states that an eclipse of the sun, the most beautiful of the present century, will take place on the 6th of March next. The moon will cover nearly eight-tenths of the diameter of the sun. At Paris the eclipse will begin at Bh. 23in. in the morning, and finish at 11h. 3m. The instant of the greatest obscurity will be 9h. 40m. The quantity of light and solar heat which we shall re ceive at that time will be less than that which will then be enjoyed by the inhabitants of the planet Mars. The French call a fib a lie, or something difficult of belief, a canard a duck. Here is the most authentic version of the origin of the word which I have seen. A farmer of a rural district, St. John the Baptist, was the happy possessor of 21 ducks. On a fine morning one of them died. He cut it into small pieces, and the remaining 19 ducks swallowed them with great enjoyment. The farmer, wishing to see how far the gluttonous taste of his ducks would carry them, killed another,which was as speedily devoured as the first. He continued the experiment until only two ducks remained. He killed one of them, cut it up, and gave themorsels to the last surviving duck, which despatched them all in the course of the day. Thus, between the morning and the evening, this duck bad eaten his nineteen com panions. Yes, it swallowed them all, more easily perl►aps than the reader will swallow the account of the feat. The tranquil weather has come to a sudden termi nation. Early this morning the storm returned with almost as much violence as ever, and the rain fell more abundantly than agreeably. To-day has, upon the whole, been fine, but there was little abatement in the violence of the wind. The weather predictions of M. Nich, to which I have alluded, have, up to this time, been completely fulfilled. Yesterday was the last day for the sale of game in the Paris markets, and now not a head of game is to be had for love or money. On Saturday, at the Halle, there were hundreds of tons of itares, and on Sunday not a dozen remained. A fine hare of some nine or ten pounds weight could be bought for six francs and a half. About 2000 season tickets for the Exhibition have been subscribed for. On Suuday week the receipts for entrance to the Champ do Mars amounted to 6,000 f. The work of embellishment in Paris does not relax. A splendid thoroughfare, to bo called the Avenue Napoleon, is about to be commenced from the Theatre Frangais to the Grand Opera. LATEST INTELLIGENCE (RELTTER'S TELEGRAMS.) AMERICA. (By Atlantic Telegraph.) NEW oiu Feb. 11, Evening. Mr. Banks and other Republicans urge the necessity of the adoption of sonic measure to secure the President's co-operation with Congress. The Cunard steamer Australasian arrived out yesterday, and the Malta to-day. COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. Gold, 136 i. Sterling exchange on London, 108 i. 5.20 U.S. Bonds, 1081. Illinois, 116 g. Eric, 59. Cotton, Upland, $33 2c. ARRIVAL OF THE CITY OF BOSTON. (Via Queenstown.) Nitw YORK, Feb. 2 (Morning). The Louisiana Legislature has passed a resolution to call a convention to revise the State Constitution, so as to release the State from Radical rule. Governor Wells has decided that if a new Con stitution is adopted he will reassemble the Conven tion of 1864 to depose the present Legislature. The Judiciary Committee continue their deli berations on the impeachment of President Johnson with closed doors. It is reported that General Butler and other Radicals advise the impeachment of General Grant. President Johnson has issued a proclamation ordering that the removal of the discriminating tonnage dues on American vessels by the King of the Sandwich Islands shall be reciprocated by a similar Federal action towards vessels belonging to those islands. The Freedmen near Savannah have refused to work or leave the plantations. They forcibly re sisted the troops sent by the Freedmen's bureau to remove them. The ringleader was arrested and tranquillity was finally restored. MEXICO. NEW YORK, Feb. 2. Advices from Mexico state that Juarez had re ceived Ortega as a prisoner of war. At a Cabinet Council, held under the presidency of the Emperor Maximilian, his Majesty was ad vised to remain in Mexico. The Republicans deny the report of the bom bardment of Mazatlan. THE AUSTRIAN MINISTRY. VIENNA, Feb. 12. It is stated that the new Austrian Ministry will not be definitively constituted until after the open ing of the Iteichsrath, in order that the Government, by observation of the various party combinations, may be able to form a Cabinet commanding a majo rity in the Assembly. The appointments, it is added, for the direction of the different Ministerial departments will thus be only provisional. THE TURKISH MINISTRY. CONSTANTINOPLE, Feb. 11. A modification has taken place in the Ministry, Aali Pacha being appointed Grand Vizier, Fuad Pacha Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Ruchdi Pacha Minister of War. Other changes are ex pected. Intelligence received by the Porte from Athens, of yesterday's date, announces that 320 Greek volunteers had been brought back from Crete in two Turkish steamers and lauded at Salam. PORTUGAL. LISBON, Feb. 11. The Chamber of Deputies have approved the Ministerial Bill for the reform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister of Finance has explained to the Deputies his project for covering the deficit. ST. NAZAIRE, Feb. 12. The Transatlantic Company's steamship Empera trice Eugenie has arrived here with 94 passengers, 775 soldiers, and a full cargo, including 234 boxes of silver dollars on private account, and 250 boxes for the Government. The health of all on board is good. The Emperatrice Eugenie brings dates from Mexico to the 13th, and llavana to the 18th Jan. FRANCE. PARIS, Feb. 12. M. Behic has been appointed a member of the Imperial Commission of the Paris Exhibition. Yesterday morning Senor Sartorius, the newly appointed Spanish Ambassador to the Court of the Tuileries, presented his credentials to the Emperor. BOURSE, Feb. 11.---Two o'clock.--The market to day is good, and quotations continue their upward movement. Threes have advanced 15c., viz., to 69f. 75c. ; Italian Fives 5c.--to 54f. 85c. Credit Mobilier shares have improved 5f., the price now being 530 f. Credit Foncier are 7f. 50c. better--at 1,507 f. 50c. No appreciable change in the Railway Department. Three o'clock.—The market has closed as fol lows : 4- per Cents 99 50 Bank Shares 3585 Do. and month — Italian Loan 54 80 3 per Cents. 69 85 Do. end month 54 85 Do. end month 69 77i Mexican Loan 2l 50 Credit Alobilier ... 532 50 Do. Bonds 143 75 Do. end month ... 532 SO Spanish Threes Credit Foncier -... Homo Debt — Do. end month 1522 50 Deferred RAIL' 'A7B. For Account. Orleans Northern 1205 Lyons and Mediterranean 9lB 73 Southern b7l 25 583 75 Western Eastern Sardinian — *— Austrian Lombard 406 25 North of Spain llB 75 Saragossa Ditto to Barcelona Roman. 92 50 The following witnesses were then examined :---- Dr. Fiddes--He said ho was a medical man and a justice for the city and parish of Kingston, Jamaica. li° W3° medical adviser of William Gordon, who was a member of the House of Assembly for tho parish of St. Thomas-lir 915 1 the-East. Ho was n o t a me l anc h o ly man . Sh o rtly bef or e the outbreak in the island ho saw Gordon. It was e. 13°11 SOO WO' rt• 15 days prior. His health was then very bad. Ho saw - i d.. , at his ow n h ouse , a ft er w hi c h th e y wen t t o the heLl quarters of General O'Connor. The General, Gay er°r .• Eyre, and Dr. Barbank were there. The Governor art; rested Gordon, and told him ho would not allow h itt ' is leave the premises unless under escort. Dr. Barbank 1 terwards took him in charge. On leaving the G° Nrer l: i ment-house he saw Gordon driven of in a carriage , v o lowed by some mounted volunteers. There 1 1 ' 0 0 • disturbance or riot at the time in Kingston. The hells° ' r._—__ • which the arrest took place was in the centre of Kiugsto slo, :ES7 Mr Bristow—Er. Fiddes, I shall trouble you with I'3ut 0 one question. On either of these occasions CHESTER, Tuesday Morni ng . Liutenant Brand present ? Witness—He was not. Mr. Clodo said, on the part of General Nelson, it ° rcr served his cross-examination. Mr. Andrew Lewis said he was in Jamaica la 1865 tit. He was a member of the Assembly and a justice peace. He attended the council of war at Mla on the 13th of October, 1865. In cons e quence of what w -5 stated by Governor Eyro he (witness) wa s a c ot:0 0 1 party to the declaration of martial la w . After the P r° '' '' ) ; !nation he wont on board the Clarabel steamer in e° llll l '2i -t with Governor Eyro and General Nelson. in tb o t l t o instance they landed at Morant Bay. It was on , same day that the proclamation was issued. Govern or 13Y,( tq Gen. Nelson, and the whole of us remained there 9 o'clock, and then went to Port Morant. Next 1 .° , 0 . wo returned to Morant Bay and from thence to Gen. Nelson was in command in Morant Bay. • ftcr .0 had been several days in Morant Bay he saw G°`llSe board the Wolvt,riuu on. October 21; ho was the n fe"- c - jog from Port Antonio to the bay. lie was thou i 3 r o tody. lie had a sentry over him. He saw him ,ifteov.Li, at Morant Bay ; he was still in custody. lie sav' li tu ' o ur' before the court-marti a l, which was held o n 3 1, 3 t• day, the 21st. The court martial was composed °1 — t e :o l4 Brand, Lieut. Erringtou, and Ensign Kelly. 1.11°1 , , ,,,•10 - evidence, and Gordon made a defence. /dr. Gor don lt say was there, and acted as provost-marshal. ue Wl'..to'l,o in the proceedings. He saw Gordon the day he W3sad hung. He was in custody of the provost-marshal, Ilios largo number of sailors were present. Gordon vi 3s i.ou se• under the centre arch of the remains of the court-0,,,,,,, General Nelson was present when the body was cut ` l 2 3 d. the next morning. He was at Morant Bay on t il° , o7 or There was then no resistance to the troops that he 7 . Ile heard of. Had there been ho must have heard of _ sc ot could not recollect whether Lieutenant Brand was rt at the execution. By 31r. Bristow—The only occasion that Lieut. D°l3 THE FENIANS AT CHESTER. The Commander-in-Chief last night telegraphed to Chester station that 500 Guards would be im mediately sent down by a special train. Earl Grosvenor arrived in Chester by last night's mail. Large numbers of the supposed Fenians left for Warrington and other towns during the night, but there are still many suspicious strangers remaining here. There is now no doubt that mischief was in tended. The first information was given in Liver pool by a man holding a Fenian commission, and closely coincided with what actually occurred. At 7 o'clock last night, Mr. Fenwick, chief con stable of Chester, had ascertained that there were 1,400 Irishmen and Irish Americans in the city, and at that time they had formed themselves into bodies in the main roads,las if to march on a central point. In the evening a town's meeting was held, and several hundred citizens were sworn in as special constables. The Volunteers were also on duty. These steps, and the prompt arrival of troops from Manchester, have probably prevented a disturbance of the public peace. The strangers appeared well officered and under complete control ; they arrived principally by the Liverpool and Manchester lines. 10.45 A.M. The Scots Fusilier Guards (Ist Battalion) have just arrived. Two havresacks and a quantity of cartridges (private make) were found on some waste land near the station. Great excitement prevails in the city. Court artnlar, HER MAJESTY, &c• OSBORNE, Feb. 11. The Queen, accompanied by Princess Christian, drove out this morning. Princess Louise and Prince Christian rode in the grounds, and Prince Leopold drove out. Prince Arthur, attended by Major Elphinstone, left Osborne to-day, for Greenwich Park. The Right lion. Sir John Pakington arrived yesterday, and left this morning for London. THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES. The Prince of Wales, accompanied by his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, was present at the debate in the House of Commons last evening. The Princess of Wales took a carriage drive, at tended by the Marchioness of Carmarthen. THE JAMAICA PROSECUTION. BOW STREET-THIS DAY. EXAMINATION OF GEN. NELSON AND LIEUT. BRAND. This morning General Nelson and Licitt. Brand attended before Sir Thomas Henry to meet the charge of the wilful murder of Mr. Gordon in Jamaica. The Court was crowded to excess. Mr. Bristow, from the Admiralty, appeared for Lieut. Brand, and Mr. Clode, from the War Department, appeared for Gen. Nelson. An application was made that the defendant (Gen. Nelson) might have permission to stand in the body of the Court instead of the felon's bar, but General Nelson said he had not the slightest desire to remove from the position he then occupied. Mr. Rose said, before the case commenced, he desired to correct a statement which had been generally made, that he had given a promise that Air. Eyre should be in attendance. Sir Thomas Henry said no such statement had been made in that court. Mr. Rose said it had appeared in nearly all the newspapers. All he had done was to forward the address of Mr. Eyre to the solicitors for the prose cution. Mr. Clode said, as he had not been in attendance on the first occasion, what he proposed to do was to hear the whole of the matters brought before the Court that day, and then, a remand, of course, being granted, he would apply for a copy of the deposi tions, which he would submit to the law officers of the defendant, and on the next occasion he should be able to state the course he proposed to take. Mr. Stephen, the counsel for the prosecution, said he had in the performance of his duty to enter somewhat at length into the circumstances con nected with this case, and in doing so he should have to travel over ground which had been gone over before. The inquiry that day was a legal and not a moral inquiry, and that Mr. Gordon was executed in Jamaica, in the month of October, 1865, was admitted, and the great question was whether that was legally done or not. Military power, no doubt, was legal in certain cases ; it was legal for the suppression of revolt, but it was illegal when applied to the punishment of persons for having taken part in that revolt. The broad proposition, therefore, that he laid down was that military law in acts of repression was legal, but as a punishment it was altogether illegal. Martial law became law on a declaration of war being made, but he contended that it was not in the power of any Governor of a colony to declare war, especially upon her Majesty's subjects; such a proceeding would be contrary to the fundamental law of England. He contended that there was no martial law in Jamaica until after the promulgation of the proclamation of the 30th of October, 1865, and therefore there could be no offence against it prior to that period. It ap peared beyond the possibility of question, therefore, that no person engaged in the disturbances ia Morant Bay on the 11th of October could be brought under military power proclaimed for the suppres sion of open revolt. That was the great principle involved in the prosecution. With respect to Gel. Nelson, he felt it right to say that he was animated but with one feeling, and that Was to prove the illegality of his conduct. With re spect to Lieut. Brand he had no evidence of per sonal malice beyond the making use of a few indis creet expressions, which he did not think worth while to urge. He did not accuse him of any illy propriety of conduct in what he did, but that being concerned in the court-martial he was, to a certain extent, liable for the actions of that inquiry. Il e then argued that the court-martial was illegal, and that the execution of Gordon could not be called by any other term than wilful murder. The question a jury would ultimately have to determine ITO whether the sacrifice of Gordon's life was necessary for the restoration of tranquillity in the island ; but he felt he should be in such a position as to be enabled to prove that Gordon's punishment was 3 penal act, and not a measure of repression; that the sentence was carried into execution as an act of punishment, and not, as was alleged, to put down au open rebellion against the authority of the Crown. The charge against Gordon was drawn up by Gen. Nelson. The court itself, he contendedt was altogether illegal, as it had not been constituted according to the form of law observed in the fornia tion of similar tribunals in England, and therefore the whole of the acts done were in direct opposition to the law. The learned gentleman concluded by stating that he considered the act of the court martial altogether contrary to law, and therefore be should ask eventually for the committal of the de fendants on the charge. He expected to receive t s ome further evidence from Jamaica by the mail, so that that would compel him at the close 13 ' the proceedings that day to ask for a remand t ill it arrived.