The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-06 00:00:00

MR. STONOR.

Lord J. RUSSELL raised a short conversation on
the subject of Mr. Stonor, who had been recalled
from Australia, and deprived of a judicial appoint-
ment in that colony on account of his implication in
certain transactions which had transpired before an
election committee. Having looked into the matter,
the noble lord declared his conviction that there was
no just cause to prevent Mr. Stonor being appointed
to other employment under the Crown.
Mr. LABOUCHERE, to whom Lord John Russell had
appealed, admitted that Mr. Stonor was not in his
opinion disqualified from holding office under the
Crown, though he objected to his receiving any
appointment in the colonies.
Mr. HOESMAN and Mr. MALINS also spoke in favour
of Mr. Stonor.

The subject then dropped.
THE SOUND DUES.

The house having gone into; committee ou the
Sound dues,
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER stated the
circumstances under which the maritime powers
had resolved to redeem the Sound dues, and alluded
to the opinion expressed by the select committee
which bad sat on the question in 1836. It now
remained with Parliament to ratify the arrangement
provisionally concluded by the Government. The
sum levied upon English vessels and commerce
amounted to between 200,0001. and 300,0001. a
year; and the redemption had been fixed upon the
principle of paying once for all the capitalised sum
of 1,125,0001. as the price of commuting the portion
of the Sound dues paid by England. This was a
third of the whole indemnity to be paid to Denmark,
Russia paying nearly another third, and the residue
being apportioned among thirteen other Govern-
ments.

A resolution granting 1,125,0001. to redeem the
Sound dues was then put and agreed to, after some
miscellaneous remarks from various hon. members,
and further explanations by Mr.; Wilson and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer.

SUPPLY.

The house afterwards went into committee of
supply; and the remainder of the sitting was prin-
cipally occupied with discussing the remaining votes
on the army estimates.
The house adjourned at half•past twelve o'clock.

NOTICES OF MOTION.
THURSDAY.

Lord RAYNHAM—that on an early day he would move for a
select committee to inquire into the state of tho metropolitan
hospitals.
Mr. HAMILTON—that on an early day he would move for a
select committee to inquire into the grand jury system hi
Ireland.
Mr. H. BERKELEY—that on the 23rd of this month he would
bring the question of the ballot under the consideration of the
house.

Sir B. SMlTH—that on the 23rd of this month he would
move for a select committee to inquire into certain circum-
stances connected with the investment of capital in India.

titction 3nttiligtntt.

LEEDS ELECTION
The polling took place yesterday, and re,
suited as follows :
DEECROFT (C)
Mills 2,061

READING.—The uncontested re-election of Mr.
Xeating, upon his appointment as Solicitor-Generali

SATURDAY,

took place on Tuesday. The hon. and learned
gentleman in the course of his speech alluded as
follows to the prospects of law reform :

Much, undoubtedly, had been done of late years in the
way of legal reform, but they might accept the assurance
of one who had studied the subject, and knew it, that much
yet remained to be done. He, however, could only say
that to that subject, assisted by the able colleague whom he
was fortunate to have in the Attorney• General (a man
whose abilities placed him in the highest position in the
profession, and whose wishes on law reform were well
known), he should do his best to carry out any measure of
reform that would improve the operations of the law. The
measures which had already been introduced by Lord
Falmerston's Government in that direction were certainly
of great utility and of immense importance. They had
passed, or would soon pass, the House of Lords, and would
be on the table of the House of Commons immediately
after the reassembling of Parliament.

With respect to the reform of next year the Solicitor-
General remarked.—

That the measure which the noble lord would be pre.
pared to propose would meet the wishes of all parties
would be too much for him to say, or even for any one to
expect, but that it would bo a practical and a useful
measure of reform, no one who had marked his progress
since he had been at the head of the Government would

entertain any doubt lt was impossible that
any measure would be brought forward that would please
everybody; but, looking at the present Administration as
practical men, he was satisfied it was such as could beat
carry out the government of the country.

GOVERNMENT AND RAILWAYS.
A PUBLIC MEETING of railway shareholders was held
on Wednesday evening at the London Tavern to
consider the propriety of presenting a memorial to
the Board of Trade, praying for a redress of the
many grievances under which railway property now
labours. Mr. Vance, who was the principal speaker,
addressed the meeting at great length, pointing out
that railway property amounted to upwards of
300,000,0001., and that the legislation towards
railways had hitherto been unsound and unsa-
tisfactory :

The Legislature had dealt with railways as if they were
a public nuisance, instead of being a means of promoting
the true interests of the nation and developing that nations
wealth. As soon as railways were discovered to have
acquired a great position, the Legislature passed an infa-
mous bill which reduced the prospective profits ten per
cent. per annum of those who had embarked their capital •
in the great work of advancing the national iirosperity.
The next injurious step taken by the Legislature was en•
couraging competition in every possible way. Such was
the competition, that there was no security for the realisa-
tion of a dividend, and as long as the infamous bill, known
as Lord Se3mour's Bill, remained in fcrce, the State had
the power of taking possession of all railways, and the
State ought to hasten the period at which this could
be done. At present the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer seemed to be asleep, when he hesitated to do all in
his power to arrive at that period when, it he allowed a
fair and proper dividend to proptietors, instead of three
per cent., as now was the average, he would have his
income tax trebled, and at the end of ten years he would
have an additional five per cent. to apply to those national
purposes which were now provided for by taxation.
In this country the Government bound down the cora-
panics to a maximum rate for passengers and goods, and,
not content with this, they put on a double pressure. At
present, there was no railway bill before Parliament which
was not promoted for the advantage and benefit of con-
tractors and engineers. (Cries of " And lawyers.") At
present the railway proprietary paid a tax of five per cent.
for the privilege of conveying passengers cheaply and expe-
ditiously from one end of the kingdom to the other. This
was irrespective of a large amount of indirect taxation,
and, though nominally five per cent., it really amounted to
twelve, fourteen, or sixteen per cent. In this way the
Chester and Holyhead Railway paid nothing to the ori-
ginal shareholders and very little to the new ; so that,
while the Government exacted a large amount of taxation
from that source, the proprietors got absolutely nothing
With respect to legislation on railway matters, it had
become a disgrace to this country and a laughing stock to
the rest of the world. At present, useless branches were
admitted to pass, bringing them into competition with
lines which really would, if undisturbed, work beneficially
both for proprietors and the public. But these were not
all the grievances. The system now pursued by the Post-
office authorities was so palpably unjust and so monstrous
as, if not known to be fact, would scarcely be believed.
The companies were obliged to carry the mails ; but what
had the Postmaster-General done ? Why, he conveyed all
small parcels, journals, publications, and other printed
documents, at the expense of the company and the revenue
thus raised went to the public credit. Nay, at present,
shoes, boots, and other commodities, with a fourpenny
stamp, passed through the post-office, and thus the rail-
way companies were apoliated of their traffic in small
parcels. Hitherto the railways had been considered fair
objects of attack by the Government, who dared not in the
same manner assail joint-stock banks, Ras companies, or
the like, and hence it became the ditty of those he ad-
dressed to bestir themselves for their own protection.
A memorial was then agreed to setting forth all
these grievances and demanding redress, and a de-
putation yesterday presented the same at the Board
of Trade,

JUNE 6, 1857.

f ittraturt.

The True Theory of Representation in a State.
By George Harris, Esq., of the Middle
Temple, Barrister-at-Law. London : Long-
mans.

Tuts philosophical tract is ono of the earliest
essays upon the rising question of Par i
mentary Reform. Before next Christmas we i
shall probably be called upon in our critical
duties to take cognisance of many crude
schemes, and we may anticipate an extraor-
dinary variety of views upon the fertile subject
of Parliamentary Reform, and Abbe Sieyes and
his pigeon-hales will often be recalled. It is
now a long time since any works of sterling
value have been added to the English politi-
cian's library. Newspapers and quarterly
organs have almost extinguished the race of
independent and unconnected political writers,
and whilst the "we " has gained by force of
organisation, the " I " of the pamphleteer and
of the political essayist has lost in strength,
and has become insulated and disregarded.
Political authors, strictly so called, have been
lately out of fashion. Journalism seems to
have crushed them out ; the reading public
does not care for able dissertations, and it
prefers taking its parliamentary literature from
the newspapers. Politics in England, it would
appear, have passed out of the region of specu-
lation. The science of Government must,
amidst our practical people, be ministered to
by men of action ; these latter in their turn,
no doubt, must be largely influenced by the
opinions, and oven the prejudices, of the power-
ful classes of whose interests they take care.
In such a state of things, a mere closet philo-
sopher has but little chance of making the
still, small voice of deep reflection prevail
amidst the din of clubs, of platforms, of public
meetings, and of newspapers.
We do not complain that such should be the
case, but we confess to a desire that the public
mind, from time to time, was addressed by in-
tellects which could apply to political questions
more profound thought and less partisanship
than can be expected from professional public
writers. The political literature of the last
twenty years has few volumes worth retaining
in the statesman's study, and the leading
speakers in Parliament are generally too occu-
pied with their sessional labours to apply their
mental powers to subjects upon which they
might possibly waste their time and trouble.
The case, therefore, as to the dearth of origin-
ality in our 'political literature stands thus :
those most capable of thoroughly discussing a
deep subject are too occupied with the active
duties of their station ; while (with few excep-
tions) the philosophical intellects which may
be sought at Oxford, Cambridge, and else-
where, are not practically conversant with the
social aspirations of the age, and with the
exact degree of urgency with which certain
ideas should be pressed. " Les acteurs sont
" trop interesses ; lee spectatturs sont trop
" peu instruits."
These remarks apply to the thoughtful but
incomplete tract before us. Its author's lead-
ing idea is that " the true theory of represen-
" tation in a State should be on the basis of
"the leading interests of a nation, and not
" upon the mere predominance of numbers."
In that fundamental view we entirely concur
with the author, but when he comes to apply
his "principles" he betrays unacquaintance
with the practical aspects of the case that
must be dealt with in the next session of
Parliament. We are glad, however, to see the
position laid down that " the leading interests"
should be represented, because undoubtedly
the Conservative interests have suffered from
the downward course of that school of states.
manship which had no fixed views, but which
took its "opinions " (so called) from the last
state of the poll.
Mr. Harris thus propounds his views on
"the leading interests of a State" :
The definition and adjustment of these different, co.
existent, and often contending interests, may appear to be
a task of considerable difficulty, and may admit of very
wide discussion. On the whole, however, I believe that
thoy
may all be comprised under the following six,
being Om of: I. 'Virtue, 11. Intelligence, 111. Order,