The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-14 00:00:00

powerfully, first inthe o ne direction, and afterwards
in exactly the opposite direction, with the Home
Secretary—driv'mg him, in the first place, to an
obdurate refuFhal of the petition made in, HALL'S
favour—and then, again, constraining him, upon
the yet more urgent renewal of that, petition,
to E;rant its prayer by saving the life of the con-
victed murderer. Sir GEORGE GREY would natu-
rally shrink from so acting in :regard to the con-
demned murderer as to afford his critics some show
of reason in reprehending him (for so much wholesale
leniency) as another saver of murderers almost as
systematic in sparing their lives as was his pre-
dectessor, the late Sir GEORGE CORNEWALL LEWIS.
Yet while recoiling instinctively from running the
hazard of so acting as to ensure to himself
more effectually this unenviable kind of reputation
and of reprobation—the present Home Secretary
would upon second thoughts slat ink no less anxiously
from that other risk,almost certainty under the actual
circumstances, the risk of having his cruel refusal
of a reprieve in the case of HALL terribly contrasted
with his weak and, as we still think, most cul-
pable concession of a reprieve in the case of
TOWNLEY. Fortunately—not merely for the con-
vict, but for himself, for his own reputa-
tion as Home Secretary—Sir GEORGE GREY
decided, upon maturer reflection, upon recalling
his refusal and sparing the life of HALL. A
murderer, and apparently a very deliberate mur-
derer HALL was : but under what fearful
provocation was he not goaded to raise
his hand wickedly to the slaying of his victim ! A
slight modification of the circumstances of the case,
and he would have been held guiltless by the law,
had he slain under a sudden impulse of fury not one
but two of his fellow creatures—his newly-married
wife and her:paramour ! That is, supposing, with
the arms innocently in his hands, he might
have chanced to surprise them together ! There
is an unquestionable boldness in this re-
vision of his own refusal of the reprieve of
HALL, by the Home Secretary. And it will be
but justice to bear the fact of it in remembrance
in his regard, when the thought of TOWNLEY
rises unpleasantly to our recollection.

The opening of a Parliamentary Session, in a
country that has the good fortune to be under a
constitutional Government, ie always a matter of
some importance. There are countries, indeed,
whore the gathering of representative assemblies is
nothing more than a mere form, without life or
spirit, since all parties know that nothing will be
the result bat a ready acquiescence in all the pro-
posals of the ruling power. There are other capitals
in which the reassembling of the popular delegates
is a signal for the outbreak of political hostilities
between the ruler and the ruled. We have lately
had a striking specimen of such a position, when
the opening and closing of the Prussian Chambers
became sufficiently important to attract the atten-
tion of all Europe. The great fight which was to
be fought out in Berlin has now lost all its interest
in the eyes of the good people of the Fatherland in
the absorbing topic of the Danish struggle, but in
other parts of the world it is still happily possible
to find places where the meeting of the House of
Representatives is the principal subject of attention.
Among ourselves the opening of Parliament was
this year looked for with unwonted anxiety, since
matters of vital interest were waiting that free and
open discussion which is the mainstay of our poli-
tical existence. How far we have yet profited by
the gathering of our popular representatives, and
how much information we have succeeded by their
means in extracting from the reluctant occu-
pants of the Treasury Bench, are questions
more easily mired than answered. Pending
their settlement, however, it is refreshing to turn to
a province in which the deliberations of the Legis-
lature are encumbered by no such weighty matters
as are now perplexing the Cabinets of Europe, and
in which questions affecting internal government
are the only ones which the community are
called upon to settle. The opening of
the second session of the eighth Canadian
Parliament gives a sample of such a representative
assembly; and, to judge from the tenour of the
Governor-General's address, there is every indica-
tion of the favourable progress of the colony. The
matters treated of in the speech are of same interest,
and relate principally to the farther development of
the natural resources and capabilities of the pros
vince. Measures are, we are told, in progress for
the improvement of the means of inland water cora•
munieation, with a view to secure to the colony a
larger proportion of the commerce of the western
lakes. This will be an important addition to the
trade of Canada, and will exercise a beneficial in-
fluence on its revenue. An outlay for such pur-
poses is the truest economy, and the wise and far-
seeing of a poor and embarrassed State will make
it their first object not only to reduce the actual
expenditure, but to ascertain by what means the
national :income may be increased. It is most
shortsighted and narrow-minded policy to consider
all disbursements that can be avoided as extrava-
gant and uncalled for. On the contrary, expendi-
ture for great works of public benefit are the best
and safest investment of national capital. It is the
want of such wise extravagance that has so long
retarded the development of our Indian resources,
and which even now leaves vast tracts parched and
barren, while the fertilising waters that might be
made the source of health and plenty to thousands
flow idly through neighbouring lands. In Canada,
happily, matters are managed on a different prin-
ciple, and the Governor expressly directs the
attention of the members to such improvements of
the Ottawa canals as will assist the development of
the valuable and extensive tracts of land drained by
the Ottawa and its tributaries. The Canadian
have certainly no reason to complain of the
lack of water, and they seem determined to
make the most of their advantages. They
are not, however, content with the means of water
communication only, but are pushing forward the
extension of their railways. There have been
various delays in the construction of the lines be-
tween Canada and her two sister colonies—Nova
Scotia:and New Brunswick, and the survey of the
proposed route is not yet completed. The Governor
holds out hopes that it will now be shortly accom-
plished, when the expense and practicability of the
undertaking can be more easily considered. Another
subject of some colonial importance is the condition
of the expanse of country lying to the north-west
of the province. It is not very clearly understood
how far English rights extend in that quarter, but
the Governor has now set an inquiry on foot, whose
conclusion will place matters on a clear and settled
basis. With regard to the subject of colonial mili-
tary
defence, which has of late years been very fre-
quently discussed, the Governor merely remaks
that he has taken steps for enforcing the Militia
acts of the last session, and will continue to fulfil
their provisions. A large
certainly be a most
va defence to the colony,
and we do not question tabnadeeiffie the iefficient
n t
hour
and emergency every citizen capable of bearing
arms woad be a volunteer. 'Bu e
militiao w
dangeru lwould
t it is a great thing
to have energy and enthusiasts
supported by
knowledge and experience,and the Canadians would
do well to imitate the example
of the mother
country in this respect by enrolling
a regular
Volunteer fosse PO far as the
.equitereehts of drill