The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-30 00:00:00

working classes themselves, who are no more
willing to sacrifice their children's health and lives
than the ranks above them, however much they may
be compelled by force of circumstances to send them
out into the world. We may wonder, indeed, at
the mother voluntarily abandoning those duties
which should be her chief pleasure, but she is in
most cases ignorant of the risk she is running, and
the temptation is great. In the manufacturing dis-
tricts almost every girl is brought up to some kind
of work, and there are manfof the lighter kinds
for which women are peculiarly fitted, and at
which they can earn a good deal of money. The
wife and mother who finds the house-
hold expenses increase with her increasing
family, without any corresponding rise in her bus.
band'a wages, very naturally thinks of her old trade
and resolves to bring in something herself. So
many round her do so that she sees no harm in
leaving her children to take care of themselves,
and very often to take care of the baby also. The
same thing with the same result cccurs in most
of the agricultural districts, where women are em-
ployed at light work in the fields, The medical
officer of the Privy Council has brought forward
an array of facts and figures which might convince
the most incredulous of the manifold evils pro-
ceeding from so false a system: The quess
tion is how far the Legislature can step in
without unduly interfering with personal liberty,
and without pressing hardly on the industrious
poor, It is manifestly impossible to decree that no
mothers of families shall be allowed to work for
their living; but something might be done to
remedy the evil without putting obstacles in the
way of those wives and mothers who are compelled
to labour for their families. It is possible to regu-
late the hours of labour on the principle of the
Factory Acts, which descend so much into detail as
to limit the ages at which children may be employed
in factories, and the number of hours they may
work. Something of this kind it is proposed to do
with regard to married women, and there is no
reason why the experiment should not answer
equally well: The women themselves have much
to consider—the displeasure of their employers, the
needs of their other children, the fear of losing
work, &c. The Legislature has but one thing to
do—to care for the lives and welfare of the popu-
lation, and to guard them from those evils from
which, through ignorance or necessity, they cannot
guard themselves.

The letter to the 71mes of yesterday concerning
the imprisonment of an English gentleman in
Cuba, details a case of great hardship, and it ig
to be hoped that this affair will not be passed
over in the same indifferent manner which has so
often before characterised the proceedings of our
Government, It is quite evident that the chief
party to blame in the transaction was the com-
mandant of the Ulorro. This individual—doubt-
less for want of some excitement, or eager to prove
his zeal in the discharge of his duties—made him-
self very unnecessarily and disagreeably officious,
by meddling with two innocent and harmless tra-
vellers. It does not seem that there existed the
slightest ground of suspicion against the two gen-
tlemen who were wandering about in the vicinity
of the Ulorro. The slightest pretext that could
exist of permission being required to visit the
environs is done away with by the fact that the
friends met the Commandant at the commence-
ment of their expedition, and asked him where
they could procure some water. If it were contrary
to regulations thus to visit the place, why did he
not inquire whether they had the necessary privi-
leges ? instead of doing so, he only allowed them
to get fairly into the trap, and then clutched his
prey in the most unceremonious fashion. Tne inci-
dents related by the brother of the English gentle.
man so unjustly detained are calculated to arouse
the strongest indignation, for it seems as if the
authorities in the town, and the troops at the for-
tress vied with each other in brutality and harsh•
ness of treatment. This strange conduct was
the more remarkable, since one of the
travellers was well known in the place, hie
brother-in-law being the physician to the garrison
at Santiago. This circumstance was well known at
Santiago, and yet no attention was paid to the
fact. It was not until Dr. BERTRAM went to the
English Consul that they were discharged from
custody. This is too great an affront to be passed
over in silence, and those who would counsel such
a course are greatly mistaken ; it is by allowing in.
suits offered to our countrymen abroad to be suf-
fered with impunity that our prestige among foreign
nations has been lowered. Surely the troops were
capable of keeping these gentlemen in honourable
detention until a messenger had been sent to the
city to report what had passed, or they might have
been taken to Santiago at once. The fact was that
they were accused of taking plane of the fortifica-
tions, whereas they had not taken any materials for
such a purpose with them. If the commandant
acted under a mistaken notion, at least he might
have apologised for the error he had fallen into,
and also have shown more care in the confine-
ment of his prisoners. Nothing whatever was
proved against the accuser, and therefore there
was something very inconsistent in the whole
affair; there is not the excuse given that they
were trespassing that can be relied on, for it is
not usual among the inhabitants of the place to
obtain permission previcusly to visiting the for-
tress, and if an exception is to be made in the
case of foreigners, it ought to be announced in
such a place and manner that no mistake can
be made by ignorant newcomers. They were given
no food whatever during the nineteen hours they
were in charge of their gaolers, and it was not until
they reached Santiago the next morning that their
friends sent them some refreshment. This circum•
stance alone proves the enormity of the conduct of
the authorities, because it was a shame, if the pri-
soners had friends or acquaintances in the place,
and it is to be presumed, according to evidence, that
had they been so situated they would have been
left to starve, or at all events to suffer great priva-
tions and injury to their health: They were
marched through the town on Sunday morning like
common prisoners under charge of a heavy crime,
and thus made a disgraceful spectacle. It is surely
too much to say that this is in conformity with the
rules and regulations of foreign countries, and
must, therefore be submitted to without a murmur.
It is not thus that reason speaks or justice should
decide upon a case. Without the shadow of a
charge that could be proved against him, an Eng-
lishman has been subjected to insults and hardships.
The Consul appears to have done his duty in insist-
ing upon his instant release, but something more
remains to be done by those in authority at home.
They must demand an apology to be made for this
outrage, so that the world may see that our sub-
jects are net to be tamely insulted and
wantonly ill-treated to suit the fancies of
testy commandants of fortresses and tyran-
nous governors of cities. The brother of
-Mr. GOODMAN, concludes hie letter very properly
in these words—" I am sure that your readers will
join with me in the hope that the matter may be
d my attended to by her MAJESTY'S Government,
az d that they will at least demand an explanation
an d apology from the Spanish authorities for this
dig graceful outrage on the person of one of her