The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-26 00:00:00

struggle, nor have they abandoned all hope that
Austria and Prussia may soon find cut that there is

lioiit even to German patience, ar d e dit;-
nity of the Diet and of the nation is nat to be out•
raged with impunity. The people he , in short,
rely not a little on the chances of for ig n interven-
ti.,n and domestic revolution. Already the move-
ment in the South of Germany has found powerful
and daring !ceders, and some of the minor Govern-
ments there are said to be contemplating the con-
vocation of a national German Parliament. Unable
to cope with the might of Prussia and Austria, and
to unite their votes for the choice of a powerful,
able, and popular leader, the minor German Powers
look up to the French Emperor as their protector,
and there is no doubt that a cannon will not be fired
on the Eider if that great monarch raises a Hale
finger to forbid it.
In the midst of all these doubts and perplexities
the position of the proclaimed Duke of Schleswig-
Holstein and that of his Government will not be
materially altered. The Austro-Prussians, at least,
have engaged to interfere with none of the present
arrangements of this Duchy. I have already stated
my opinion that Prince Frederick of Augustenburg,
after giving a proof of excessive daring in coming
to this place at first, condemned himself and his
people to inaction from no perceptible reason at all,
unless it was a natural lack of energy and enterprise,
or a somewhat inopportune regard for legality, or,
again, deference to the King of Prussia, by whose
favour the Prince is said to set great store. It is
questionable whether the advance of the Austro-
Prussians will inspire with good courage and resolu-
tion people who have as yet shown but little of it.
They still hope that the Frankfort Diet may now be
induced to recognise the Duke, in which case the
organisation of the army will be immediately pro-
ceeded with. They complain of the great difficulty,
not to say utter impossibility, of finding arms at
any price. Some of their best friends,lhowever, are
sure that they could have had not only arms,
but officers and materiel, and even whole corps and
armies, from some of the minor German Princes,
who were ready to go to all extremities for the
Duke if he would only bestir himself, and act with
readiness and decision. Baden, Coburg, Brunswick,
and others, I know, were among the most earnest
and pressing in offers of that nature.

The expected advance of the Auetro-Prussians is
looked upon as a national calamity by the people of
Kiel, who have taken down all their flags in sign of
monrning. A very cold reception awaits the troops
to-morrow. Upon the abandonment of the line of
the Eider Canal by the Saxons and Hanoverians,
the frontier will be guarded to-night by youthful
volunteers from this city, who have been mustering
up into battalions of national guards for the pur-
pose. The Eider Canal, as I before told you, runs
at the distance of only three or four miles from
Kiel, and the Danes, who are on the north bank of
the canal, could carry the tow❑ by a coup de main
were it left altogether unprotected.

P.S.—The Saxons and Hanoverians are concen-
;rating at Hohenwestedt, between Rendsbnrg and
[tzohoe.

Mr. Doulton and his Constituents.

Last night Mr. F. Doulton, M.P. for the borough of
Lambeth, addressed a meeting of his constituents at the
Horns Tavern, Kennington. Mr. Freeman, of Camber-
well, occupied the chair.
Mr. DOULTON, M.P., commenced his address by thank-
ing the electors ami non-electors for attending in such a
large number. In the present day it was gratifying to find
that there was so numerous an assemblage to discuss purely
political questions. Ile was not ono of those who believed
that the last session of Parliament was either useless or un-

profitable. (Hear.) If he thought that, he should be
ashamed to hold his present honourable position. He
thought the past session would compare favourably with
any of the previous Parliaments. He should say that the
results of the last session ware both positive and negative.
Good measures were passed, and bad ones rejected; and it
was something to reject mischievous measures, whether
they were introduced by the Government or by private
members. (Hear, hear.) There were many results of a
negative character—the proposition respecting the pur-
chase of the Exhibition building—(hear, hear)—and he
considered that this was a decided triumph, especially
when they recollected that the motion was backed up by
" Court influence." It was one of the most important
votes given during the session. It showed that there was
an honest and independent party in the House of Com-
mons. (Applause.) There was another negative result,

viz., the Churchward contract, (Hoar, hear.) He gave
the bill introduced by Mr. Sornes the best consideration in
his power, and felt bound to oppose it. (Hear.) Although
ho differed in this vote from the opinion of some of his
friends, ho acted according to the dictates of his conscience.
He took it that the budget which was brought forward by
the Chancellor of the Exchequer was of a character which
of itself was sufficient to redeem the session from the charge
of being, unprofitable or useless. The passing of that budget
was a step in the right direction, and such a step had not
been taken for the last 30 or 40 years. It WAS a reduction in
taxation. (Applause.) It assisted the working classes by
the reduction upon tea, and was specially acceptable to tke
middling classes by the reduction of the income tax. In
1535 the expenditure was £44,900,000; and in 1862,
£73,210,000; therefore it was time that some check was
given to the increase in expenditure. (Hear, hear.) But al-
though this increase from £14,900,000 to £73,210,000 was a
very large one, they must not fancy that, because the ex-
penditure had increased, they were, to use a vulgar expres-
sion, "going to the dogs," They must bear in mind that,
although the expenditure had increased from £14,000,000
in 1335 to £73,000,000 in 1362, yet the material prosperity
of the country had increased in a still further ratio. (Hear,
hear.) For while in 1835 the total value of their exports and
imports was £106,000,000, in 1862 they had positively in-
creased to no less a sum than £394,000,000. (Applause.) It
must be understood, however, that be did not quote these
figures in justification of a large expenditure—(hear, hear)—
but because when they considered a question of this charac-
ter it was well they should bear in mind the actual position
of the country. It was evident, then, that though they had
so large an expenditure, they were batter able to pay the
£73,000,000 in 1832 than they were the £14,000,000 in 1835.
Inreferring to domestic questions Mr.Doulton said the House
of Commons had twice affirmed the principle that the taxa-
tion on fire insurance ought to be abolished. He took it that

this was a very important matter; and unless he misunder-
stood the character of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, he
would recollect the House of Commons had twice condemned
the taxation upon fire insurance when he had next to pro-
pose a diminution of the burdens of the people. (Cheers.)
He approved of the strict observance of neutrality which
England had adopted with reference to the American war.
The House of Commons had also had brought before them
church rates, the ballot, the burial bill, and such like ques-
tions. It had occurred to him whether it was wise to bring
these questions periodically before the attention of the
House of Commons. After Parliament had more than once
or twice given its opinion on questions of that sort, it was
best that they should allow them to rest—(no, no, and

hear, hear)—until another opportunity was afforded the
people of expressing their opinion with reference to them.
No onP could doubt, however, his conviction as to what
ought to be the settlement of the church-rate difficulty.
Was any one sanguine enough to suppose that they were
to have a Reform Bill during the present Parliament?
(Laughter, No, and Hear, hear.) In 1860 the Queen from
her throne commended the desirability of passing a bill
which should place the represent ation of the peoplo upon a
brander and firmer basis. Ho little thought then that the

way the House of Commons would respect that sentimeni

would be by scorn and derision whenever the word " re-
form" was uttered. Yet so it was. No one could rise in the
House cf Commons and propose a measure directly or indi-
rectly leading to the question of reform, but it excited the
contempt and derision of the House of Commons. And the
contempt and derision came not alone from those who ye-
presented the exclusive interests—not from those alone
who owed their position in that house to territorial or ducal
influence—but that contempt came most keenly from those
who were supposed essentially to bo the representatives of
the middle classes of this country. That was a fact which
no one could fail to observe who watched the movements
of the House of Commons with reference to this mat-
ter. What was the history, the miserable history, of
this question during the past few years ? How came the
present Government into power? Why, upon the ques-
tion of reform. It was they who ejected the Government of
Lord Derby, because the Reform Bill he proposed was not
wide enough for the wide sympathies of Lord John Russell.
He would remind them of the resolution which Lord John
Russell proposed when he ejected Lord Derby from power :
—" That it is neither just nor politic to interfere in the
manner proposed in this bill with the freehold franchise as
hitherto exercised in the counties of England and -Wales,
and that no readjustment of the franchise will satisfy this
house or the country which does not provide for a greater
extenion of the suffrage in cities and boroughs than is con-
templated in the present measure." (Hear, hear.) That was
the resolution upon which Lord Derby's Government was
excluded from power. He was one of those who sincerely
regretted that, the House of Commons did not accept the
bill, as he considered that it was a step in the right direr•
tion. (Hear, hear.) Although the present Government came
into power upon the resolution of Lord John Russell, the
bill which they themselves introduced was talked out of the
house. (Hear.) The Government did not adopt the course
which they ought under the circumstances, "not because
they loved reform less, but because they loved their places
more." (Cheers and laughter.) And so it came to pass that
they were now further off from reform than they were four