The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-07 00:00:00

take that the objects shall be such as Parliament
" undoubtedly' recognise !" Passing by the
untrue assumption of the Society being solicitors,
instead of being the parties originally solicited,
they justly treat the above answer as a decided
refusal ; and on further influential suggestions to
them to renew their applications, they properly
sent in simply a list of the purposes to which they
had applied the previous grants.

The 03,30 is one more for the Administrative
Reform Association than for the House of Com-
mons. If ever there was a time when science,
instead of being depressed and discarded, should
be promoted and specially and strenuously en-
gaged in aid of the public administration, it is
during the present great contest, when all labour-
saving, and strength-economising appliances, such
as science gives, are of the utmost need. But
whilst the means for the promotion of practical
science are withheld, it is proper to point out as
passing instances the sort of expenditure which
is maintained, and which Parliament " undoubt-
edly recognises"—viz., expenditure in mere party
and political patronage, such as that of the office
of political Postmaster-General, with a salary of
2,5001. per annum, Mr. ROWLAND HILL being
the real Postmaster-General, and the only one
recognised by the public. Next, the political
Secretary for the Poor Law Board, salary 1,0001.
per annum, with a seat in the House of Com-
mons, the political president having a seat there
already, and the roll secretariat work being done
by three permanent secretaries. The expense of
these two impostor political places alone is three
times more than the grant withheld, and would,
if applied in the same direction, give a propor-
tionate impetus to real science, instead of sustain-
,
ing sham political science and mere party bribery.

Since the above was written, we perceive that
by the perseverance of Mr. HEYWOOD the fact has
been established before the House of Commons
that the grant was made on the spontaneous sug-
gestion of Lord JOHN RUSSELL (which it was the
duty of that Noble Lord to have stated himself) ;
and Lord PALMERSTON has so far reversed the
decision of Sir G. LEWIS and Mr. WILSON as to
propose that the grant shall not be discontinued,
but be issued this year out of the Civil Con-
tingencies ; but his Lordship has made no
apology for the imputations cast upon the
Council of the Society, and no retractation
of the assumption that they were consciously
pressing for money out of a charity fund, and has
given no explanation of the previous misapplica,
tions from that fund. It is proposed next year
to " include in the miscellaneous estimates a vote
'of 1,0001. for this particular purpose, which
would give the House an opportunity of consi-
dering the propriety of this grant." Yes, and
Administrative Reformers, too, the opportunity of
considering the extent of expenditure on no
science, as well as the economy of a yet larger
expenditure on practical science, and the need of
making provision for some knowledge of it as a
qualification for the civil service of the country.

" The people have now got five hours and a half
to buy, their beer, and the Noble Marquis wants
eight hours." A question of "grave deliberation"
truly, and as the Noble Lord who thus put it fur-
ther remarked, one which " the House of Lords
had as much right to consider fully as the House
of Commons."

Granted—though it might reasonably have
been supposed that the House had by this time
fully made up its mind on the subject, and come
to the conclusion that the demand of the Noble
Marquis should be acceded to. The subject had
been sufficiently mooted in the press and debated
in the Lower House for their lordships to have
become thoroughly acquainted with it, and consi-
dering that the bill of last session did not affect
their comfort in the least, while it notoriously did
that of the people to a serious degree, and had
been condemned by their representatives, the
desire for delay on the part of the Noble Lord
and others is suspicious, and can only be accounted
for by their having already hardened their hearts
to oppose the new bill.
It is satisfactory, however, to know that the
majority of the House arrived—as we all along
believed they would—at the opposite conclusion,
and carried the Sale Of Beer Bill through its
second reading. The fact is at once creditable to
the humanity and the discretion of their Lordships.
The evidence adduced before the Committee of
the House of Commons led, in the minds of un-
prejudiced persons, irresistibly to the conclusion
that the Act of last session was neither defensible
on the ground of morals nor of expediency, hav-
ing been productive of serious evil without the
counterpoise of any appreciable good. The testi-
mony of the Chief Commissioner of the Metropo-
litan Police was conclusive as to the great and
growing improvement, of late years, in the
habits and morals of the industrial classes
in the metropolis —an improvement notori-
ously observable throughout the country also.
Yet it was in the teeth of this most desirable ad-
vance the Act in question was passed, the opera-
tion of which has confessedly been to deprive every
Sunday thousands upon thousands of working
men of needful refreshment, and, consequently,
to irritate and goad the entire class to the very
opposite course it was intended to drive them, at
the same time causing them to regard the classes
above them as selfish hypocrites and stony-hearted
oppres3ors. A bill like this, of which no one
can justly say it has diminished drunkenness,
could not be abolished too soon, and though
there is a class of parsons whom no experience
can teach, we indulge the hope that the lesson
just taught will have the proper effect, and that
hereafter it will pass for a truism that in morals
you must lead and not drive if you would suc-
ceed. The question of hours will then be ap,
proached in a different spirit.

The Right Hon. B. Disraeli and Mrs. Disraeli have
left Grosvenor-gate for Hughenden Manor, Bucks.
THE LONG VAOATION.—The long vacation will com-
mence on Friday and terminate on the 24th October.
THE LAND TRANSPORT CORPS.—About 3,000 men
are being enlisted of this newly-formed b3dy. Those
chiefly engaged are civilians.
The numbers of volunteers into the Line from the
Irish Militia had reached 3,457 on the 30th June. The
quota required was 4,533.
The foreign exchanges have resumed a satisfactory
appearance, the quotations from Paris and Hamburg
continuing to improve.
We are glad to hear that the gallant and highly-re-
spected surveyor of the navy, Captain Sir B. W. Walker,
K.C.8., was enabled to attend to his official duties at
Whitehall yesterday for a short time.
We have much pleasure in stating that Mr. Bouverie
will succeed Mr. Baines as President of the Poor Law
Board. Mr. Lowe has been appointed Vice-President
of the Board of Trade, in the pace of Mr. Bouverie.—
Times.
The George Marshall has arrived from Port Philip
with 77,000 ounces of gold, valued at 308,0001., and the
Pacific from New York has brought 180,000/., making
a total receipt yesterday of 488,0001.
Mn. H. FENWICK, M.P.—We are sorry to learn that
our respected member, Mr. H. Fenwick, has been
obliged to leave town from ill-health, consequent upon
close attention to his Parliamentary duties.—Sunderland
Herald.
Major-General Sir Frederick Smith, K.H., Command-
ing Royal Engineer in the south-west district, leaves
Portsmouth garrison in a few days for Aldershott, where
he will have the post of Resident Commanding Royal
Engineer, and, as at Chatham, Instructor-General of
Field Fortifications.
Orders have been sent to the commanding officers of
the Royal Artillery stationed in Canada, Halifax, Ber-
muda, and the West Indies, to send home to Woolwich
a certain number of effective gunners and drivers from
each company stationed in those places.