The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-10 00:00:00

PRUSSIAN ELECTIONEERING.

The " Liberal party," in Prussia, or, as it is
styled in higher circles, the " Democratic party,"
having hitherto refused to acknowledge the validity
of the existing law of election, has nevertheless
signified its intention to participate in the election
of new members for the Chamber which is about to
be formed. The Prussian Government has, in con-
sequence, become somewhat alarmed, and, among,
other effusions on the subject, the following docu-
ment has appeared from the Government President.
of one of the provincial departments of West
Prussia :

"It has been ascertained that at the last election for
the Chamber many of the Government officials we
their votes for, and used their influence in favour of, the
Oppositlon (Liberal party). The dignity of the Govern-
ment is, without doubt, materially injured by these pro-
ceedings, and such a step must be decidedly suppressed
at the approaching election for the house of Members.
" Although it is to be expected that the greater part of
the officials belonging to the Royal Government will ti,.e
their best endeavours to bring this election to a successful
issue on sound Conservative and Government: principles,
lam nevertheless induced, considering that it has come
to the knowledge of the higher authorities that some
of the officials have on a former occasion acted contrary
to this principle, to require your worship to impress
upon the minds of the officials under your jurisdiction
in a most serious manner the duties belonging to their
station. You will especially call their attention in all
earnest to this point, that, if they cannot conscien-
tiously give their vote for the Government, they are at
liberty to withhold their sympathy altogether at the
election ; but that a demonstration against the Govern-
ment of his Majesty is at variance with their official
station and duty, and can in no case be permitted.

"-tHE GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT OF THE
DEPARTMENT."

The foregoing is addressed to the chief magistrate
(Lamdrath), who adds the following postscript :

"Agreeing as I do with the foregoing order, I take it
for granted that even without it every official in the dis-
trict will endeavour to obtain votes which are favourable
to the Government. In accordance, however, with the
instructions received, I call upon the Deputies of the
district, on receipt of this order, to cause the same to be
immediately circulated among all the officials at present
in the district ; also among the bailiffs (schoppen) and
inspectors of works (deich beamten) ; and, lastly, among
the labourers employed under them.

"THE CHIEF; MAGISTRATE OF THE DISTRICT."

There is reason to believe that by the end of the pre
sent month the King of Sardinia will have sufficiently
recovered his strength to be enabled to pay the long-
talked•of visit to the Emperor of the French.

Prince Frederick William, son of the Prince of Prussia,
visited Ostend on Saturday, on his way to Germany.
Lord Howden is expected to leave Paris in a few days
for Madrid.

Sir Richard Pakenham, our Envoy at Lisbon, returns
to England by the next Peninsular packet, leaving Mr.
Ward as Charge d'Affaires.
The Earl and Countess of Ripnn have taken up their
residence, for a season, at Tunbridge Wells.
The Marquis of Abercorn has arrived in town.
Lord Newport has arrived at Newmarket.
__

Lord Goderich is expected to arrive to-day at Nocton
Hall, Lincolnshire, for a short stay during the shooting
season. Lady Goderich's health has much improved.
THE LATE COL.. T. B. GOUGH, C.B.—This distin-
guished officer, who has just been reported to have died
of his wounds received before Sebastopol, was nephew
to Lord Gough, and related to several Irish houses of
position.
HORSES FOR THE CA.VALRT.—Horses for the Cavalry,
Light and Heavy, are being actively bought up at the
fairs in England and Ireland. The cavalry now num-
bers more than at any period during the last century.
It is said that the Grand Duke Nicholas on his return
from the southern provinces is to proceed to Berlin to
♦isit the Prussian Court, and to invite the King to
Wait saw.
Miss Poole, the favourite singer, is to give readings
from Shakepere next week, at Maidstone.
Five new streets in Belfast are denominated Alma,
Balaklava, Ink erman, Tc'oernaya, and Sebastopol.
EXPORT OF GOLD.—It is said that the contract
for the supply of 5,000,0001. of gold to Russia has been
accepted by a well-known house at Amsterdam, in coc•
nection with a London firm of high standing.
The 76th Regiment .are ordered home from Halifax,
where they will be relieved by the 67th, from Antigua.
The 69th Regiment, now at Barbadoes, will also return
to England.

PRUSSIA AND THE WAR IN THE BALTIC.

The following letter, by " A Traveller," has
been addressed to a contemporary :--
"Sir,—The question has been discussed both in
Parliament and in the press how far the forbear-
ance of England should extend to Prussia in regard
to the share she has taken in promoting Russian
commerce through her ports on the eastern fron-
tier. But surely there must be a limit to such foe.
bearance. Every inhabitant of the Baltic provinces
knows that the trade of Memel and Pillau (the two
ports in question) has been enormously increased
since the war, that the produce shipped thence is
almost entirely of Russian origin, and that they
are de facto Russian, and not Prussian outports.
By this evasion our much-vaunted blockade has
been rendered in a great measure nugatory, and
the armaments of the Allies have been employed
fruitlessly, so far as the enemy's commerce is con-
cerned.

"If any of our legislators or naval commanders
should doubt the correctness of this assertion, let
them go to Memel or Pillau, both at an easy dis-
tance from this city. As Memel is only eight miles
from the Russian frontier, and is at the embouchure
of a large Russian river, it is par excellence the great
port both of exit and of entry for the subjects of
the Czar. The, visitor will find its harbour full of
shipping, busily taking in cargoes of hemp and flax,
and sailing as soon as the vessels are laden, some-
times to the number of 20 in a day. The stores
and warehouses are crammed to repletion, and the
streets are crowded with waggons, bearing huge
loads of those commodities. Almost all this is
Russian produce, grown in the provinces of Cour-
land and Livonia, and which in ordinary times
would have been shipped at Riga, Pernau, Libau,
or Windau. The strength of the Memel trade
lies properly in timber ; but this, of course, is
now neglected for the far more lucrative traffic
begotten of the war. Thus, despite a most
destructive fire in the last year, and a severe
visitation of cholera in the present, the place
enjoys unexampled prosperity. The price of
labour, perhaps the truest test of general
well-being, is, for Germany, enormously high ' • and
new and handsome streets are rapidly arising from
the ashes of their predecessors. "Itis an ill-wind
that blows nobody good," and East Prussia has
manifold reasons for blessing the war. Esto per-
petuum is, doubtless, the aspiration of many who
are making a
.harvest in this time of international
struggle.
" .N oirare the advantages limited to this side of
the border. The Russian ports, of course, have been
quite shut up, and have suffered commensurately ;
but a most extensive land traffic has sprung up, and
is now admirably organised. This novel mode of
carriage, with its extra expense, has not lessened the
demandfor Russian goods, but, on the contrary, has
given a handsome additional profit to those em-
ployed in the transit—viz., the Russian peasants
near the frontier and their proprietors. In like
manner, they share advantageously in the import
trade, which is very considerable. lam therefore
inclined to think that the Baltic provinces have
suffered less from the war than is generally imagined.
Instead of three or four small ports they have two
great ones, more easily accessible by sea, and ad-
mitting considerably larger vessels ; wh le the addi-
tional expense of land-carriage and frontier dues is
paid (for exports, at least) by the foreign con-
sumer.

" This fact, at all events, is obvious—that the
Baltic blockade is frustrated as long as the ports of
East Prussia are available for Russia. Until they
are closed vi et armis the enemy's trade cannot be
stopped. Politically they belong to Frederick
William ; geographically and morally they are the
Czar's. There is no novelty in taking this view of
the subject, although interested commercial men
have held it back. A few years ago the Courts of
Berlin and St. Petersburg were at variance on the
Danish question. Hostilities were declared be-
tween Denmark and Prussia, and Denmark,
as the stronger naval Power,, blockaded the
Prussian ports. Memel, however, was ex-
empted from this blockade—and why Because
the Danish King was in close alliance with. the
Emperor Nicholas, and the stoppage of the trade
of that port would have been more detrimental to
Russian than to Prussian interests. This reason
'Was considefed -valid, and acted on, when Methel
was the outport of a limited district ; how much
stronger does the argument hold uow, when it has
become the one great port of all Western Russia-?
The blockade of Memel and Pillau would prove a
great and veritable blow to Russia—in a financial
view, as great, probably, as the destruction of
Sweaborg or of Cronstadt. Three or four of the
vessels which are now doing nothing in the Gulf of
Finland would suffice for this most important ob-
ject. The dominions of our arch-enemy would be
excluded from commercial intercourse with the
civilised- world ; or, at least, intercourse would be
rendered so expensive as to be absolutely ruinous
to his subjects.
There is nothing in the attitude of this country
—either in respect of the people or their King—
that would seem to entitle it to further forbearance.
Whatever Prussia has done or left undone has
been for the benefit solely of her great neighbour.
I know not what the popular feeling may be at
Berlin or on the Rhine ; but the people in this
part of the country appear to me to be as philo-
Russian as their rulers. Besides the material ad-
, vantages it offers, a partial blockade of Prussia
would' be a well-merited humiliation and a just
punishment for the vacillation, insincerity, and
cowardice which have distinguished her policy in
the last two years.
" A short and a sharp war" has become so trite
a phrase that, in the Baltic at least, its practical
application is forgotten. So at all events think
our Teuton . and Scandinavian friends ; and they
have not been much impressed with our exploits
either in this year or the last. They cannot see
why Helsingfors should have been spared—why
effective demonstrations should not have been made
at Revel or at Riga, at which latter place I under-
stand there is some scope for gun-boat operations ;
or why contributions should not be levied on the
comparatively flourishing province of Courland,
which has been left to the cheap, but hitherto sure
defence of helplessness—very much to the satisfac-
tion and profit of the Czar and his subjects. Let
us hope that next year will inaugurate as energetic
a course of action in this corner of the empire as in
the Crimea ; and that the war, if it should be pro-
longed, shall be prosecuted sine cerd—diplomatic)
or otherwise.

THE DEFENCE OF SEBASTOPOL.;

H. Less than three years since an illustrious assem-
blage stood within the walls of St. Paul's Cathe-
dral. The occasion was the interment of the great
commander who had so often led the legions of Enfr,-
land to victory. There were present representatives
of all the great monarchies which had been the
allies of this country in the war which the dead
hero concluded. Among these was a General past
the prime of life, but distinguished by the energy
and firmness which his countenance expressed. In
the interval which preceded the arrival of the fu-
neral car this foreigner was observed to be
strangely occupied. He passed along the line of
soldiers chosen from the various regiments, and,
turning up their trousers, attentively examined
the make of their shoes. " What is the matter,
Prince Gortschakoff ?" said some one. "It is
said at home," returned the Russian, " that
your Guards are fitted with strong and well-
made shoes, but , that those of the line are
inferior. I wished to learn the truth of the
matter, and therefore examined them. There
does not seem to be any difference. This minute
disciplinarian was but an imitator of his master,
who with his own Imperial hands would open sol-
diers' coats on parade to see that their shirts were
clean. But a few months passed, and the cloud
which betokened another tempest rose on the ho-
rizon. The representative of the Russian armies
at the funeral of Wellington was paced in com-
mand of a powerful force. It remained to be seen
how far the higher qualities of a general were
united to those of the martinet. Gortescwhaokuoldff
had no great success in the Principalities, and, had
his career closed with that campaign, h
speedily have been forgotten in the West. But, as
it is, his name is joined to the longest, the fiercest,
the most deadly struggle in modern warfare. The
last act of the late Czar was to appoint him to the
command which age, failing health, and weaken-
ing resolve induced Menschikoff to relinquish.
Nicholas knew the man. You may well say, "A
quarter of a century before he had carried on
war in Poland with fearful severity." The case
was this :—He proposed to his prisoners on all
occasions the alternative of the Russian service or
the knout. Once a body of 2,000 insurgents were
defeated and took refuge in the Austrian territory.
The Austrians disarmed them and sent them to
Gortschakoff. He gave them the usual choice of
entering the Russian ranks; they desperately re-
fused. It is said that the General was present at
the execution which followed. The flogging lasted;
many hours ; ten died under the lash ; seven more
yielded after terrible tortures, and were borne to
the hospital. Gortschakoff stated his determination
to go through the whole number, if the execution
lasted a month. The Poles then bowed the head,
and were &alighted into the Russian legions. Such
was the stern nature of the wan whom Nicholas
sent to defend Sebastopol. You may well say that
he was " wise in his generation."

THE EARL OF LEICESTER, ON TIIE
LABOURING CLASSES.

The Docking Agricultural Association celebrated its
anniv, rsary at the close of last week at South Crasher
near Fakenham, Norfolk. The Earl of Leicester pre'
sided at the dinner, which was attended by several 'of
the leading agriculturists of the neighbourhood; the 1001
loyal toasts having been drunk,
Sir W. JONES, in terms of warm eulogy, proposed
"The health of the noble Chairman."
The Earl of LEICESTER, who was received with much
applause, said,--Gentlemen, I beg to thank you for the
very kind and handsome manner in which you hail
drunk my health, and for the complinient you have pale
rue in inviting me to take this seat, although, with the
exception of the opportunity it gives me of meeting mall
friends, it is rather a pain than a pleasure to me So
.he
placed in so prominent a position. lam called upon' to
take the chair at meetings many times in the course of the
year, but on no occasion do I feel that I am doing all
duty more than I do on these occasions, when I come to
assist in promoting the welfare and the happiness of ?of
labouring population. I think also, gentlemen, that
owe a debt of gratitude to those who manage this socie "-
Si
for the very admirable manner in which it is COn'
ducted. I must also take this opportunity of stating mf
approval of •the manner in which the whole of the bull'
ness connected with the poor in this Docking Union le
conducted. The way in which the poor are looked after
here, and the manner in which the rates are expended--
with economy combined with liberality—gives confidence
to the ratepayers, and is a credit to the county gene'
rally. (Hear.) We are met together, gentlemen, for the
purpose of rewarding and encouraging the agricultural
labourer. This association can do a good deal, but a
great deal rests with the owner of the cottage in which
the labourer resides, and next with the occupier of the
land on which he is employed. First as to the owner 0'
the cottage. I have the misfortune—at least the mister
tune as far as lam concerned—to be a very considerable
owner of cottage property. I have endeavoured, as far
as I can, to improve the cottage of the labourer, and ill
doing so I trust I have both physically and morally
proved his condition. In the first place I have ender
voured in building my cottages to provide such acorn'
modation as will allow a human being to live in the sol,
in which a man should live. (Cheers.) In the nest
place, I have endeavoured to build those cottages st
as little possible loss to myself as I can, To es'
pest a profit from cottage property without scree:
ing the tenant is impossible. By not allowina
lodgers to be taken in, by enforcing a few other,
simple rules which it is necessary to make with the
labouring classes, and by having my tenants in nearlf
every case directly under me as their landlord, I &MI
believe that I have improved their condition both physi"
tally and morally. (Cheers.) Now, gentlenien, as to the
master who employs the labourer. When I, as an owner
of cottage property, have done as much as I possibly C
to improve the condition of the labourer much still rest°
with the master who employs him. I believe, gentlemen'
a good master makes a good man. (Hear.) I believe if!
little more attention is paid in looking after the labourer:
we employ, we may make them, in many cases, WO,'
more efficient, and give them a much greater interest In
the soil on which they work and the prosperity of the
master who employs them. I believe that when we tail°
labourers from another farm, by making a few inquiriee
into their characters at the place which they have left, to
paying the same kind attention to them that we pay S.°
our domestic servants, by taking, in short, an interest
them which we have not hitherto displayed, we might
induce among labourers a regard for character which t
present does not exist sufficiently in our distriei
(Cheers.) You have, no doubt, seen the letters whi°
have appeared in the papers in reference to Neri
folk labourers. As far as my experience goes—and
have been a great employer of labour, and ant vos
li
acquainted with the habits and feelings of the labour's;
classes—l believe no county in England will produce.;
labourer who will do so much work for the money Pels
him. At the same time there are vices in the Norfolsi
labourer which it should be in our power to eradicate.
say eradicate, and I will take this opportunity of alluding
to what my friend on my left (the lion. and Rev. T. ~,
Keppel, brother of the Earl of Albemarle) has said slit,
respect to the giving of largess. I believe that the
giving of largess has a most injurious effect upon o°t
labourers ; in many cases I think it is the first introde
tion to the beershop. In saying this, I don't wish for,'
moment to lessen the number of holydays and then?
gences which our labouring classes possess, for they er,
few enough now, and I should be rather inclined to lir,
crease than to diminish them. It may be said that this
custom of largess is an old custom ; but if the custelej
though old, is a bad one, there is no reason why we sisal,
not abandon it. Our forefathers lived on acorns and COT
hut that is no reason why we should return to that ion";
If an old custom is a bad one, let us get rid of it. (Hee"
hear.) I believe that the plan carried out at Banhal
by Lord Albemarle and the clergy and gentry of the
district would prove of inestimable benefit to the
county if it were adopted throughout Norfolk'
One of the great evils we have to contend 'against
is the vice of drunkenness. As an employer
,
I find I can deal with men, iet their vices be what they
will, if they are not given to drunkenness, With S".
drunkard I can do nothing. On the Friday, when he ti
ti ,
paid, he goes to his beershop, and he won't appear age:,
till Tuesday, and then he will come back in such a et.e."
that it is useless to employ him. I think, if the sociei
has already done so much good with the assistance °
Mr. Blyth and others, it might endeavour to put don;
a crying evil like that of drunkenness. I firmly belie"
that if we set our shoulders to the wheel much might 1):
done ; and, as far as I am concerned, I am ready to Fete
you assistance both in time and money.. It has been Po
custom at Holkbam to give a large sum every year 0,4
largess ; it has all gone in.drink, and I am ready to flis'o
that sum, and double that sum, to assist any parse:,
who are willing to use their energies to put a stop
that which I believe is a very great evil in this counkYti
(Cheers.) Gentlemen, I have trespassed much longer °e
your time than I intended to do. Living, as I 40,11I/
much in the country, and connected as I am very 004
with the labouring classes, I am apt to get led 5014
when I speak upon this subject. With respect to S"
question of education, which has been started this ell;
ing, I think that the plan of establishing a library
the poor would -be productive of very considerel3:l
benefit. At any rate, gentlemen, lam satisfied Sib/
we should get an excellent library ourselves ; and
think if a certain portion of the artisans, tradesme:
bricklayers, and labourers in a parish could be. ludo°
to read, their example would induce others to learn.:
read also. The great difficulty we have to contend j
is this—it is all very well to talk about schools ets
education, but we hold out such inducements to 101,
six or seven years old, that in a large family it would v",,
very unnatural if fathers kept their sons at school whe
they can earn 3s. or 4s. a week. Boys in this distrle„,
of Norfolk can get certain employment when they
seven or eight years old ; they are removed from sot;
at about that age, and I think the most desirable Pl'l
would be to endeavour, if possible, to teach those h°424
in adult schools, when they are old enough to see "")
themselves that it is desirable to learn. (Hear, hest;
The library proposed to be established here may heti,
this effect—it may, induce young men, instead of span
ing their time at public-houses and beer-shops, to leer.
to read and to endeavour to put themselves in the 001
position as those who have already been educated.
nY
will not detain you any longer, gentlemen, I W.
you very much for the kind manner in which you h'
received my health, and for the attention with vll3l
you have listened to these few remarks. lam 1100
more able to carry out than to explain my lien/ '
on this subject, and I regret very much that it hag
had a more able exponent. (The noble earl resumed In
seat amid considerable applause.)
Several other speeches, expressing similar sentinsen°
were delivered in the course of the proceedings.

THE WAGE'S OF LABOUR.

of
The anniversary meeting and dinner of the Nor of
„
Kerry Farming Society took place in the middle "(
last week under the presidency of the Earl "0
Listowel. The " health of the county members ,1
brought up Colonel H. A. Herbert, the senior 1.0
presentative arid one of the largest proprietors 1§
the district. The speech of the hon. gentleman O
almost wholly devoted to one subject—and tbto„
certainly not the least important in the social sYj
tem—namely, the wages of labour. "We all hear
this day," said Col. Herbert—
" That there is not an able-bodied man in the W°Ar
house • and at the present time of the year, in this uto
trict, there is hardly a labouring tnan who, if anxioeed
get work, cannot procure employment. The rats
wages is considerably more—though, in my npini°ll'
not still sufficient—than in former years. This brill
me to consider what each of us, as individuals, as 1313 i..
lords, and what this society can do to better the coneil
tion of the labourer ; because, while we see a rilarito
improvement in his physical position, in his dress, 2'o
in a greater command of the necessaries of life, k:t,
sorry to say that we do not see, concomitant with Po,
any improvement in the dwelling in which he
Now, I believe you will agree with ins when 173
that, no matter how highly the labourer is paid,
bg
however flourishing he may be in other respects,
condition of that class cannot be . much ameliorsbo
unless, going hand in hand with those improveino4(;
in their condition, there be some improvement in thvb,
dwellings. (Cheers.) No matter how well paid ,0
labourer may be, he cannot be imbued with that Fr4C 0;1
of self-respect which should surround him, nor bring if,
his family with those feelings of self-respect and 00,
reliance so absolutely necessary to raise their social c°ol
dition, until he lives in a dwelling where he can, I r.i;/
not say command the luxuries of life, but someihingil,)
the decencies and necessaries of civilisation. (Cneer,o
I think that all which Las occurred has smoothed
much of the difficulty which lay in our path in this rd,
sped, because I feel that if any landlord should bu'to
not ornamental cottages, or anythineapproachia gi
finery, but clean and comfortable dwellings, now tei
the labouring class are able to earn a fair day's glor
for a fair day's work, he would get sufficient interest
the money laid out in those buildings. (Hear, hear.)
if
think that question worthy the consideration of e_feti/
proprietor in this and every other district in Irelanolvt
well as of a society like the present. I think it is ratbo
a short-sighted view of the objects of a society like 'ilia
to say that such improvements do not fall within .105
scope of its operations, because it is quite impossible
this s-ciety can succeed in its object—taking its Pr3'o
li
this s to be the inprovement of agriculture—witil,'
at the same time seeing alter the condition of the
bourr.r. If any one controvert that fact, I refer lir
those districts in EriJand where agriculture most d
ri,het, to ploys to him that where the best croPs.l'io
the best cattle are to be found there the labourer to
the best condition."

1