The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-11 00:00:00

CYAL ITALIAN OPERA,
Covent-gsrden.

There will in next week be five opera nights, viz.. Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and 6aturday.
• • • -

Various in iications are perceptible in the politica,
horizon which reveal to the initiated the desire ol

Government to shorten the Parliamentary session

Other symptoms, too, are very apparent, showing
the frail and feeble tenure by which they cling to
the benches on the right band of the Speaker. In

the course of this very week they have suffered two
defeats, and have themselves withdrawn two mea-
sures—all of them tokens of grave import. In the
case of the Writs Registration Bill, withdrawn by
the Lord Advocate on Thursday evening, the oppo-
sition was so strong and so unanimous that it is not
surprising that its promoter should think discretion
the better part of valour. The object of the bill
was professedly to facilitate the transfer of land in
Scotland, and especially to do away with the ex-
Pause attending the double system of search. But
its
objectors, while readily admitting these ends to
be highly desirable, were of opinion that the means
proposed to be adopted were wholly inefficient, and
in themselves undesirable. The House of Commons
represents very accurately the general feeling of
Engijahmen, when it steadily opposes all tendencies
Long experience, in addi
towards centralisation.
tion to the national common. sense and independence
wisedissemination of spirit, has taught them the security afforded to
public liberty by a of authority
and the existence of powers that check and balance
one another. Consequently, our rouniepal system
is warmly cherished by the people, and all local
rights and privileges jealously preserved. Paris
may be Prance, but London is not England. The
centralising tendency of the Lord Advocate's mea-
sure was, therefore, one of the strongest objections
to it, but hon. members were not slow in bringing
forward other reasons. It was contended in favour
of the bill that it would effect a great saving, but
considerable doubt was expressed as to its ultimate
economy. Instead of the various registrars now
scattered throughout the country, it is proposed to
have all the work of registration done at one general
office in Edinburgh. The Lord Advocate argued
that it must be cheaper to employ one central staff
than twenty local registrars; but, on a close exa-
mination, this bogie is not conclusive. Sir J. FER-
GussoN, in opposing the second reading, asserted
that in his opinion the establishment of a central
general office would add largely to the expense,
since a great number of clerks would have to be
employed possessing that local knowledge which
would be indispensable to the transactions of the
business of the office. The commissioners who
!sometime since examined into the matter, and upon
whose report the present pressure is mainly founded,
stated that they feared it would be impossible to

in the House of Commons—what possibly can Mr. carry out thischarge which they themselves desired,
WILLIAMS have been at now, so as to call down unless it were done very gradually, and the reason
upon himself words of reprehension that certainly they gave for this apprehension was the enormous
sound like an exaggeration ? What has he staff which would be required. It is already ad.
been at ? Those, however, who are already aware mitted that the fees both in Edinburgh and in the
of the nature of last night's proceedings in the counties are much too high, but the new measure
lower house of the legislature will understand, only of reform not only allows them to remain at their
too painfully, upon the lastant, that allusion is here present height for two years more, since the trans
made to the opposition raised, we do not hesitate to for is not to take place until after December,
say, to the singularly discreditable opposition raised 1866, but it renders it competent for the
by Mr. WILLIA3I WILLIAMS, M.P. for the borough Government, when the act is once in force, to
of Lambeth, to the proposed grant of £20,000 to raise the salaries of any of the officers to any amount
Sir ROWLAND HILL. A grant, recollect, which which Parliament may agree to. It is true that
was recommended to the House of Commons by a Parliamentary sanction is thud necessary for such
Royal Message—and the instant and loyal accept- increase, but the members thinking perhaps of their
ante of which recommendation had just before last houses, and matters hurried over late at night, ex.
evening been very cordially and eicquently urged pressed a good deal of misgiving as to the real
upon the House by Lord PALMERSTON, as an act of economy of such an arrangement. There seemed
simple gratitude to a Great Public Benefactor ! The to be an impression that the new measure would
raising of any objection whatever to the passing of give reason for a considerable amount of patronage,
a vote of £20,000 as a grant to a man like Sir which might under some circumstances be liable to
ROWLAND HILL we take to have been nothing less abuse. Sir J. FERGUSSON also opposed it on the
than an indignity, not alone to the QUEEN and to the ground of the delay and inconvenience it would
Prime Minister, but also, in a direct manner, to the occasion. Out of 14,305 deeds registered annually,
House of Commons and to the whole nation. Mr. only 3,244 have been registered in Edinburgh,
WlLLLlMesproceeding in this matter yesterday was, so that there is no great inclination on the part
in truth, nothing less than a flagrant indecorum. It of the people towards a centralising registry. It
was an insult to Sir ROWLAND HILL himself, and generally happens that persons get such deeds
hardly less of an insult to every one of us whom Sir registered where they can have them done quickest
ROWLAND HILL has so largely benefitted indivi- and most easily, and often their agents wish to wit-
dually ! There is literally no extravagance at all in nese the process, so that if it is incumbent on them
saying this. It is simply and purely a plain matter to come from the extreme parts of the capital it
of fact. It is a matter of fact, moreover, that was will occasion much annoyance and loss of time.
proclaimed last year (1863) between the Ist of Jan- it was asked very aptly—what would be the feeling
nary and the 31st of December—how many times in England if it were proposed to remove all the
do you suppose ? Why, no less than 642,009,000 conveyancing business throughout the country to
times! How ? By the passage of so many London. The lawyers of the metropolis might not
letters through the Post-office ! When ? As we possibly object to such a plan, bat it would cer-
have but just now intimated—not a hundred years tarciy be received with anything but favour by the
ago, but—only last twelvemonth ! Where ? Not general body politic. The late period of the Session
a hundred miles off—in St. Martin's-le-Grand, was another great argument against proceeding
under the shadow of St. Paul's Cathedral ! with a measure which, although not of much
general interest, is still of considerable import-
Here is a good and gifted man, who has per-
sonally benefitted all classes of his fellow-country-
ante to a large portion of her MAJESTY'S sub-
men, from the patrician to the peasant, from the jects. It is very undesirable to hurry any
palace to the cottage—not once in a way, observe, measure of a lasting nature through the
but continually, perpetually, daring a long series House at the close of a session ; and, although we
of years—and who has himself personally, cannot be said to have reached that point, still the
during now very nearly a quarter of a general impression was that there was not sufficient
century, been sedalously engaged in carrying out time for the discussion of such a comprehensive
scheme. The abolition of the double search system
his magnificent scheme of a Penny Postal System,
met naturally with very general approval, but there
setting it in full and energetic operation, develop.
ing it as a system in a variety of new and in- is no reason why such an alteration should not be
calculably important departments, instance this the made without the wholesale changes involved in
Money Order Department and the Book Post De. the Lord Advocate's measure. The end of the
partment—and who now, in the seventieth year of debate was, as we have said, that the Lord Advo-
his age, having nobly earned repose from his long cate withdrew the measure, remarking that be did
labours—it is suggested by the QUEEN herself, in not feel inclined to press it from the manifest die.
a Royal Message to Parliament, shall receive inclination of the Scotch members to support it. It
from the People he has so largely benefited, these gentlemen represent fairly the interests and
from the nation of which he has been so vast a bene- intelligence of their constituencies, such a fact is a
factor—shall receive as a token of the national gra-
sufficient argument against the bill; and it is cer-
titude the sum, not of £lOO,OOO, not even of £50,000, tainly wise to give ample time for a careful con
but of merely £20,000 sterling ! Mecapeat, another sideration of the pros and cons.
great benefactor, another of the great developers
of modern civilisation—also (as in the instance of
Sir ROWLAND HILL), by the suggestion of a very
simple idea, yet an idea that, with all its simplicity,
had never before occurred to any man, a scheme
as simple in its contrivance as COLUMBUS'S
plan for making an egg stand on end—MACADAM
for his suggestion of breaking blocks of granite into
little bits and strewing them over the highway,
there to be ground into a level road by the very
traffic it was to be the means of facilitating--
MACADAM received in his time from the nation
£lOO,OOO sterling ! Her MAJESTY suggests that
Parliament should give Sir ROWLAND, as author
of the penny postage system, not £lOO,OOO, but
merely £20,000, after a life of severe labour,
and when ha is already in the seventieth year
of his age—and, immediately upon this gracious
suggestion from the Crown has been made,
Mr. WILLIAMS, the member for Lambeth,
interposes between the Nation and the great
National Benefactor with his most indecorous, his
most discreditable, his little less than disgraceful
objection. It was an objection only heard with
pain and impatience, immediately to be set
aside by the House of Commons as one
altogether of its kind simply beneath con-
tempt. But, the discomfort of it is this—that it
should ever have been raised—even for an instant—
even by a captious economist, such as this member
for the borough of Lambeth. If it were possible
we should like to have the record of this flagrant
gaucherie on the part of Mr. WILLIAMS erased
from the entries upon Hansard. We should be re-
joiced, if we could, to obliterate the incident from
recollection.

The Marquis of CLANRICARDE is resolved to keep
up the question of the enlistment of Irish emi-
grants. In this respect he has acted wisely, and
due credit should be awarded to him for his zeal
and perseverance in the furtherance of this desired
objecr. He has the satisfaction of having partially
succeeded at last in his attempt, for Earl RUSSELL
so far conceded as to promise to produce the papers
required by the noble marquis. It is very gratify.
ing that such should be the case, for whatever turn
events may take nothing can be more provoking
than the mystery which has prevailed on the subject
of America since the commencement of the present
session. Day after day and week after week have
cpestions been put to the various members of the
Government, bat little or nothing has been gained
thereby. By common consent all official personages
agreed to let the matter go by default, as it were, and
vague allusions and very indefinite remarks were
all the utterances that the sage and sapient mem-
bers of our present Cabinet allowed themselves to
deliver, oc the Legislature to receive. Whether
warned by all he has seen and heard, or getting in-
different at last to such quasi friends as his trans-
atlantic allies have proved themselves to be, Earl
RUSSELL has taken rather a new tone in the affair,
and spoken more in the manner which is suitable
to one in his high position than he has done hitherto
during the course of the long war in America. So
far this is as it should be, but at the same time it
must be borne in mind that there is a great differ•
enca between voluntary service and enforced aid.
It is quite another thing for a Minister to come
to the HOMO and impart information over important
topics, and for him to pooh pooh all attempts at its
elucidation, and decry the endeavours of those who
seek eagerly and anxiously for further tidings of its
style and character. When Lord CLANRICARDE
before spoke on this subject it suited the Foreign
Secretary to meet the demand in a very unpropi-
tiatory manner. He fired up on behalf of his favour-
ites, and tried that most wretched of arguments the
to quoque princip!e of defence. The Confederates
had done so much damage, and had broken through
all conventional rules arid infringed the laws of
nations by their conduct in regard to the building
of ships, and so on. This did not answer the pur-
pose in view, for no one beyond his own immediate
circle was at all impressed with the indignant re-
marks or convinced by the plausible but, partial
statement. It is worth while to study the speech
of Lord CLANAICARDE attentively, and dwell on its
most striking particulars. Thus only can we ar-
rive at a fair estimate of the affair, and judge of the
length to which the Federals have gone in defiance
of prescribed limits and in the face of known regu-
lations. He put the case very forcibly by pointing
out the marked difference that existed in the con-
duct of the Government towards the Northern and
Southern States. They had given every facility to
one of the belligerents, and put every obstacle in
the way of the other side. In like manner the en-
listment for foreign countries had never yet been
carried on to such an extent as at present. In
England also this practice, too, was prevailing, and
he had heard from many quarters relative to it.
The manner in which these men were engaged was
very ingenious, but, on reflection, most far-sighted
people can see through the dodge, as it may be
termed. It is given out that the immense loss of
men in America has occasioned a deficit in the
number of workmen, and that these immigrants
were to supply their place. The noble martinis gave
some details of the extraordinary manner in which
some of the unfortunate fellows had been treated
Who were deluded into coming over on the specious
pleas presented to them in the insidious arguments
employed by
other agents of the Federal Govern-
ment. When they had landed strong drink was
given to them, and they were advised to join the
ranks of the Federal army. Some were turned
ou., who refused, and forced to live upon the
charity of their fellow countrymen, others shared a
worse fate. That is
bies
etlilmewe
efdorbyoutrbeGmovesetrninmdeintt
o s
know that a general of the Fede•
rfteaoried:atr:mowymheectnhiamtnhpgelYained of them sending so many
foreigners. Ha
also statede
r m telonayt
had they
been were not
druggedin a,
fit state when sent, f
and when they came to their senses refused to do
duty, which was natural enough considering they
had been tricked. "In these cases the men Were