The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-20 00:00:00

Above all, as a means of removing the prevailing
discontent, let due consideration be given to all
well-founded complaints; since it is manifestly un"
just to treat officials front whom the Government
has exacted a high standard of education and effi-
ciency, and who confessedly discharge their duties
intelligently and faithfully, with studied indiffe-
rence or shuttling expedients.

We all know from the returns which the Statisti-
cal department of the Customs has furnished Mr
LINDSAY that all branches of commerce have doubled,
and in many cases quadrupled, within the last 15
years. We also know that with the increase and
diffusion of wealth come habits more expensive and
tastes more refiaed, and it is only right and just
that the Government officials should participate
with the rest of the community in this higher
standard of civilization and refinement.
We would further take leave to remind the Go-
vernment that this is the era of amalgamations.
The most acute and businesslike men in the City
act upon the time-honoured maxim that " Union is
Strength," and in furtherance of this principle have
foand that no ;(eat underte.kings can be carried out
with reaectiable hope of profit except by Companies
and isocieties. Indeed, so strongly imbued is the
public mind with this "idea" that the majority of
our Banking, and many mercantile firms, have either
themselves fused for their better success, or have
quietly glided into joint-stock companies; it having
been practically demonstrated that Companies can
work cheaper from their organization being at once
more simple and complete, thue enabling them to
remunerate their servants better, while Securing at
the same time an ample profit to their share.
holders,

So it must also be with the Customs and the Ex-
ciae. Willing or unwilling the governing bodies

of these departments must prepare themselves to
follow, since they will not lead, in the wake of
public opinion. Either the high salaries given to
Boards and Chiefs of departments are for their past

services or their present management. If ior the
former, let them take what they have earned and

be gone ! If for the latter, let them give the State

the results of their experience, and, like she great
Sir ROWLAND HILL, organise and reorganise their

departments until the complaints of the public aro

satibfied, and the discontent and diseatisfaction of
the Service removed.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.—Their Royal High-
nesses the Prince and PlincEss of Wales, accom-
panied by their Royal
Highm sees the Prince and Princess
Louis of Hesse, honoured the performances at the Royal
Italian Opera with their presence on Saturday evening.
The Royal suite consisted of the Marchioness of Carmarthen,
Baroness de Grancey, Baron Westerweller, and Col, Kep-
pel. Among the fashionable company present were the
Duke and Duchess of Manchester, the Duke of Rutland,
the Duke of Granada, the Marquis of Hartington, the Earl
of Strathmore, the Earl Granville, the Countess of Fife,
the Countess of Craven and the Ladies Craven, the Earl and
Countess of Egmont, the Earl and Countess of Bective, the
Earl and Countess of Cardigan, the Earl of Uxbridge, the
Count and Countess IVczele, Count Bathyany, Viscount
and Viscountess Hereford, Viscount Hinchinbroke, Via •
count Maynard and the Hon. Miss Maynard, Lord and
Lady Poltimore and Miss Sheridan, Lord Stanley of Alder-
ley, Lady Panmure, Lord Hastings, Lord and Lady Trede-
gar, Lady Henrietta Allen and Miss Allen, Lady Gertrude

Rolle and the Hon. Mark Rolle, Lady Ernest Bruce, Lady
Florence Paget, Lady Honeywood, Lord and Lady Walls•
court and the Hon. Miss Blake and the Hon. Mrs J. Mac-
donald, Lady Augusta Milbank and Mr Milbank, Lady
DaBhwcody Lord and Lady Edward Thynhe, Lord Lim-
over, Colonel the Hon. St. George Foley, Hon. Mrs Cust,
Hon. Mrs Duff, Hon. Mrs Dudley Ward, Hon. Mrs Pereira,
Hon. Mr and Mrs F. Stonor, Hon. F. L. Gower, Hon. H.
Eliot, Lady W. Fraser, Sir Laurence Palk, Sir G. Army.
tage, Lady Gooch and Miss 60001, Lord Rutland and Lady
Airey, Admiral Ryder Burton, Colonel Farquharson (of
Invercauld), Colonel Minchin, Colonel Dickson and Mrs
Dickson, Colonel Cuddy, Colonel Airey, Major Gage, Cap-
tain Pemberton, Captain Spiers, Mrs Cavendish lietttinck,
&c.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—The Queen's box at
Her Majesty's Tneatro was, on Saturday evening,
occupied by the Countess de Grey and party. Amongst
the numerous visitors also honouring Htr Majesty's Theatre
with their attendance were the Duke and Duchess of Wel-
lington, the Duchess of Montrose, the Marquis of Ormonde,
the Marquis and Marchioness or Clanricarde, the Countess
of Bective, the Earl of Mounteharles, the Countess of
Desert, Maria Marchioness of Ailcsbury, the Earl and
Countess of Caruigan, the Viscountess Midleton, the,
Lady Vis
Vis-
count Exmouth, Lord Edward Thynne, Lady Clarges
Lawley, Lady Mary Fane, General Sir G. Bowles, K.C.8.,
Sir Ralph Howard, Bart., and Lady Howard, General Sir
Proby Cantley, Sir Ivor Berrie Guest. Bart, fzc.
ASSEMBLY AT CAMBRIDGE HOUSE,—ViSCOUnt
and Viscountess Palmerston gave a grand dinner on Sa-
turday evening at Cambridge Hcuse, Piccadilly. His Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge, attended by Colonel the
Hon. James Macdonald, C. 8., honoured the noble Premier
and her ladyship by his company.

. .
Lady Herbert of Lea, we learn by telegraph, is
detained at Constantinople by the serious illness, from
fever, of her eldest daughter, Lady Mary llerbert. It will
be recollected by many of our readers that her ladyship and
family passed the winter in Egypt, and, following the
example of most of the English tourists in the East, after
leaving Alexandria went on a tour in Turkey. The Earl
of Pembroke and Lady Maude Herbert had left Constanti-
nople for home before Lady Mary was taken ill, intending
to proceed to England via Trieste and Vienna. The youth-
ful earl and his sister are daily expected to reach London.
Lady Itiail has arrived at the Queen's Hotel,
Upper Norwood.

Di& Dowager Lady Bowyer Smijth and Mr and
Mrs Bary have left the Brunswick Jermyn-street,
on their return to Thorpe Lee,

with other branches of the Civil Service performing
analogous duties to themselves. At the same time
the increased cost, as shown, being trifling, com-
pared with the great advantages that would imme-
diately accrue to all the parties concerned.
As guardians of the public purse we would never
advocate any system that should be productive of
needless expense; but when we see demoralisation
and dissatisfaction eating like a canker into a great
department of the State ; when, moreover, we see
the discontent of a large and respectable body of
public officials—a discontent, too, which in candour
we cannot say is unjustified by the causes al-
leged es the grounds thereof, as well as being
evidenced by freuent resignations—we at once
conclude that there is a wrong to he remedied. " Übi
jus ibi remedium' is a maxim as applicable here as
in a court of law or equity. And although the
amount of right of these complainants is one of com-
parison only, it is not the less a right, for both civil
society and individual status are alike estimated by
this standard of comparison.
In what way, then, can the heart-burnings and
discontent of this generally deserving class of offi•
cials be removed, and the service restored to a
really sound and workable condition P Any large
addition to the Civil Service Estimates would hardly
be submitted to in the present temper of the House
of Commons ; nor would the Government be justified
in any such proposal. But such an addition is not
sought by these petitioners. The whole that is really
required is that the House of Commons should fol-
low in the wake of public opinion in the manage-
ment of the business which the nation intruste to
them. Let them grant the Committee which the
petitioners ask for. Let their alleged grievances be
thoroughly sifted by the Committee when granted;
but above all, we speak in the interest of the public,
let the mode of transacting business whether in
passing an &try or supplying Accounts, undergo a
thorough and searching investigation.
For ourselves, we believe that there is ample
scope in the redundancy of forms and circumlo-
cutory system of obtaining accounts from the
Customs through the Board of Trade for the pruning
knife of a judicious legislator, as well as in placing
analogous departments under one management, and
in weeding the service of those who are either use-
less or unnecessary. It is to this last that we should
look to effect a saving that might be beneficially
applied in increasing the incomes of the really
effective employes of the service.