The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-08 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 1865.

M. DROUYN DE L'HuYs has resigned office ! This
fact, announced in our impression of yesterday, is
peculiarly significant at the present crisis. He had
but returned from Vienna, where he had acted as
representative of France during the discussion on
the Third Point at the Conferences, which, accord-
ing to Lord PALMERSTON, have been "suspended,
but not broken off." There he exhibited the same
truckling to " Germanism," the same deference to
the tender susceptibilities of Russia as the British
Plenipotentiary. He concurred in propositions
which, if accepted, would have led to a disgraceful
and hollow truce, and neutralised the many
serious sacrifices already made by the Western
Powers. But this was not all. Like Lord
JOHN RUSSELL, he resolutely closed his eyes
to the insincerity and duplicity of Aus-
tria, and connived at h9r wriggling out of the
performance of her solemn obligations. For this
he has most properly- received the displeasure of
his Imperial Master ; for this he has relinquished
his important position in the Cabinet of Paris,
where he is replaced by Count WALEWSKI,
who, as Ambassador to the Court of St. James's,
has gained golden opinions among all classes and
grades of society in England.
This is, indeed, an event of vast importance.
It proves that NAPOLEON is resolved that hence-
forward the War shall be carried on with vigour
and energy, and that Austria must forthwith de-
cide on which side she will array herself, whether
she will faithfully and honourably fulfil her en-
gagements, or abide the inevitable consequences
of their violation. It is a fitting conclusion to the

Viennese farce, so far as France is concerned, and
it remains to be seen whether England will, by a
similar proceeding towards her late Plenipotentiary,
evince her decided concurrence in the policy and
views of her august Ally ? We cannot see how
the enceinte cordiale can possibly be maintained if,
after the resignation. of M. DEOUYN DE L'HUYS,
Lord Join; RUSSELL continues to hold a seat in
the Cabinet, and the British Premier avows that
he would entirely violate his duty " if he stated
that all hopes of accommodation were at an end."
It is for the representatives of the several consti-
tuencies of England to say whether they will
sacrifice the Alliance with France—whether they
will disavow the manly and straightforward policy
of our magnanimous Ally, for the sake of keeping
Lord PA.TMERSTON in office, of retaining the valu-
able services of Sir G. C.. LEWIS as Chancellor of
the Exchequer, and Sir C. WOOD as First Lord of
the Admiralty ? These are important interrogations,
and much will depend on the answers that may
be returned thereto. It is impossible to suppose
that we can go on much longer in the course
which we have been for some time pursuing.
Ministers have had quite sufficient rope—if more
be accorded, they will not merely end, in accord-
roe with the proverb, by destroying themselves,
Will involve the nation in the ruin. Parlia-
Meat
a distWll
Speedily be in a position to pronounce
The an in
ct and
ooked- for xioway unequivocal opinion on the subject.
for delivery" protocols will be "ready
this
t y- This announcement was
made by the vin
minutes after the seeretard of the Treasury a few
unabl.Y e of State for the Home
Department was
e
answer to the question of tgive a definitivehe Member for
Bucks, and that Right
man had declared that Roue
cc umraihnliest Gentle- ,
promise that these papers should b ers
Could
re P oduced
very speedily, he should call on the Rouse
press anlopinion on the subject." The intimate e ,
was sufficient. The country, fur the first time,
beard of the inopportune, but happily 't tempo_
maid," illness of the gentleman in the Foreign_
ofeicf;
whose indisposition (to work) led to the
delays so loudly complained of. That illness was
the only cause
of delay." Really the friends
of Adrainistra •
ad-
ditional and t:ve Reform have received an ad-
support to their rYpowerful, because unwilling,
viewset from the bead of her
4311 t
MAJ's Gove
of the efficiency moment.
of an *
What can be thought
department so important ,

Is that of the Foreign-office when the
" temporary illness " of an individual could
,o far disappoint the wishes of the nation r We
really think that there ought to be a medical cer-
:ificate to show that it was not a case of " malin-
4ering," of shamming sickness to avoid a disagree-
Able duty.

On Friday evening nothing was heard of this
unfortunate temporary illness. Lord PALMERSTON
made a long speech to show that there was no
analogy between the case adduced by Mr. DISRAELI
and that under discussion. He uttered many
pompous platitudes about the propriety of " not
shutting the door to the possibility of concluding
a just and honourable peace." These rounded
periods were all thrown away if the procrastination
was not occasioned by high political considera-
tions, but by the " temporary illness of a person it
:he Foreign-office, in whose department it was t(
orepare translations of the protocols." There is
in this what legal practitioners denominate a mani-
fest "departure" from the original argument.
The Noble Lord has shifted his defence, whit;
he can no longer believe to be tenable. We can
not repose implicit faith in these convenient
" temporary illnesses ;" at all events, the excus'
no longer exists. Parliament will now have the
requisite data for pronouncing an opinion, and
is alike due to our august Ally, and to our own
honour and our own interests that they should,
even at the eleventh hour, speak out distinctl3
and unequivocally on this all-important topic.

Lord ELLENBOROUGH has boldly " taken the
bull by the horns"—has undertaken " to bell the
cat." The motion of which the Noble Lord has
given notice for next Monday evening is not merely
one of " want of confidence in the Ministry." It
conveys a direct censure on the Cabinet, and dis-
tinctly and unequivocally calls for the substitution
of men better qualified for the discharge of the
onerous and important duties that devolve on
officials during the existing emergency. It is, in
fact, a demand for " Administrative Reform" as
peremptory as that which Mr. LAYARD is about
to claim from the representative branch of the Legis-
lature, and as the great City meeting Saturday
last inducted. It developer the great principle
that will henceforward be asserted by every
true-hearted Englishman, we care not to what
party he may hitherto have belonged, that "it is,
only through the selection of wen for public em-
ployment, without regard to anything but the
public service, that the country can hope to pro
secute the War successfully, and to attain its only
object—a secure and honourable peace." This
sentence deserves to be embroidered in letters of
gold on the reform standard—to be adopted as
the war-cry of the movement—to he repeated
throughout the length and breadth of the land,
until it finds an echo in every British heart, and
penetrates even to the inmost recesses of Downing-
street.

It will probably lead to a speedy change in the
Government. The resignation of M. DROUYN DE
L'Huys, in consequence of the disapproval by the
EMPEROR of his subserviency to Austria, renders
it almost impossible that the English adherents
to " Germanism" can retain office. But a new
"shuffling of the cards" will not now suffice.
The family party has been regarded in all its
varied aspects, and been found wanting. The
whole pack must bG discarded. The infu-
sion of new blood, which might some time
since have postponed the crisis, will now be tot,
late. The country requires that the right men
should be appointed to the right places ; and i
will have them, or know the reason why.
It is the mismanagement of the War MI
has so greatly excited the public indignation,
that has filled the "cup of wrath" to over-
flowing ! But an improvement in that re-
spect is not all that is required. The en-
tire system is radically wrong, and there must be
a very decided change in every department, before
the people, now thoroughly aroused, will rest con-
tented or abandon their exertions for a decided
amelioration. It is not a party movement. It
is not put forward by Whig or Tory, Conserva-
tive or Radical, Protectionist or Free Trader. ,It
is a national demonstration—a demand for a
peaceful revolution, that must and shall be car-
ried. We look to measures, not men. We care
not who it is that presides over the National
Councils, provided the duties of the office are
properly discharged, and the efficiency of all the
minor departments maintained. There must be
responsibility somewhere, some one to answer for
any deficiency or mistake, to punish the de-
faulters, or to bear the odium which their mis-

conduct may occasion.
This result may not at once be attained. It
will require much labour and incessant agitation—
" Pal►na non sine pulvere." There is no royal
road to such a goal ; we cannot gain the prize
without toil. But the amelioration is " looming
in the future," and will come, whoever may be the
temporary occupants of office, the " warming pans"
who may keep the places for better and more effi-
cient men. Be this as it may, the present duty
of the nation is to give efficient support to the
motions of the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH in thu
Lords, and of Mr. LAYARD in the Couamons, and
the labours of the Administrative Reform Asso-
ciation throughout the entire country. At pre-
sent let the first step be taken, and half the battle
will already be conquered.