The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-08 00:00:00

It amounts to downright impertinence, to say the
least of it. The whole of this despatch is a tissue
of absurdities from beginning to end, and there is
no real explanation given throughout its course as
to the motives of the Government it affects to re-
present* All that the mediating Powers proposed
was impracticable, and the representatives of the
KING could not perforce agree to them. The
honour and interest of Prussia" were the objects
for which they went into the conclave; but it
would puzzle anyone to explain why and wherefore
the preservation of these most important attributes
required the cession of territories which did not
belong to the Sovereign who claimed them vi:tueily
for his own, although he affected to regard them as
independent States. The fact is that the case of
M. BIs3IARK is so intrinsically bed, that at last he
is obAged to give up his defence, and turn round
upon his adversaries, throwing the onus of the
failure upon them, and casting the odium of the re-
proach on their actions. Bat this pretext will not
serve his turn among straightforward people, and
among those who are willing to uphold his tyrannous
doctrines he had better speak out like a man, in-
stead of persisting in craft and subterfuge. It is
now quite evident that Prussia meant the Confer.
ence to be a failure, and that the representatives o:
the Cabinet went into the debate with instructions
to differ from all the propositions made by the divers
members. The whole affair was meant to give the
Ministers of England an opportunity of hoodwink-
ing the people who complained of their policy. Tne
best reproof that can be given to such a shameful
COUTS3 of trickery and deceit wil be the vote of
censure that it lies in the power of the members to
pass to-night. It will be a proud thing to reflect
upon, that the Parliament of this country has thus
given an answer to the unworthy attempts that
have been so long made to draw us into combina-
tion and collusion with the retrograde policy
of the German Powers, and which efforts our
Ministers have done their best to second.

While our foreign affairs are just no w perplexing
and exiting• all parties we have good reason to be
thankful that a very important matter affecting the
internal wellbeing and tranquillity:of England is in
a very satisfactOry condition. We could not reason-
ably anticipate after a period of such severe and
protracted distress as has fallen upon Lancashire,
that plenty and prosperity would be rapidly
restored. The catastrophe was not of a nature that
could be promptly remedied. The destruction of
cotton plantations and the turning of the industry
of the Southern States to other purposes dictated
by the national necessities,added to the stoppage of
trade produced by the blockade, combined to forbid
us to look with any confidence to an immediate
renewal of our American supply. Even had the
war been promptly terminated, or had our Govern-
ment possessed sufficient spirit and sagacity to have
refused the recognition of a blockade which,though
injurious, was never effectual, the delay must
have been very distressing ; but when all that was
to be looked for to set the silent mills going was
the produce of a crop not yet sown in new and
untried districts, then the prospects were gloomy
indeed. Cunning minds and stout hearts were alike
fain to acknowledge the heavy burden of the,
calamity, and to own that for the time, at least
they were powerless to lighten it. It was not to
be wondered at that many openly declared their
belief that the case was hopeless, that it would be
impossible to keep Lance.shire's hundreds of
thousands from starvation, pestilence, or rebellion,
while the long neglected capabilities of India, of
Egypt, of Africa, of Australia were called to the
rescue. Many, too, doubted whether these coun-
tries would ever fulfil the sanguine expecta-
tions, which those best acquainted with the
subject had formed of them, and it NF::3
gravely suggested that the industry of
Lancashire had better be turned into other channels,
for the cotton trade would never regain its former
prosperity. The best answer to the melancholy
anticipations is to be found in the report of Mr.
MACLURE, the honorary secretary of the committee
for the relief of the manufacturing distress, to whose
sagacious and liberal expenditure of the funds
placed at their disposal we owe so much of the
national escape from the dangers of famine, of
popular outbreaks, and of epidemic disease. The
behaviour of the people of Lancashire has through•

out this prolonged crisis been beyond praise; but
it would have been more than human had they not
felt that their claims on the sympathy and assistance
of the nation met with full and prompt acknowledg-
ment. Had they seen their homes dismantled, their
wives and little ones famishing, and the grim wolf
at the door, and reflected that thousands of their
fellow-countrymen had " bread enough and to
spare," without lending them a helping hand, even
English endurance might have given way. But the
outburst of national feeling was as spontanenus as
it was universal—it knew no distinction of rank, of
class, of creed, of occupation. The thousands of the
peer and the shillings of the peasant all proceed
from willing hands, while Englishmen across the
seas, the moment the first whisper of the great
calamity reached them, despatched their mite to the
relief. And although 4 task of vast responsibility
and difficulty remained in the administration of the
sums collected among families numbered by thou-
sands, and personally unknown to the relievers, so
that every care was necessary to distinguish want

frora imposture, enforced idleness from thriftless
dissipation, yet the fulfilment of that task brig not

left a shadow of c)mplaint behind. We may
therefore freely accept Mr. MACLURE's report, rely -
ing on the accuracy which has always distinguished
his statistics, and rejoice with him over the good
news that, since the opening of the current year,
more than 100,000 persons have been taken off the
unemployed list—those 100,000 persons, of course,
representing the actual relief of a good many more,
reckoning their families. There are now only 43
districts out of 170 where it is still considered ne-
cessary to continue the distribution of relief, and
we may hope, under PROVIDENCE, that even those
43 will soon melt away. The account of the intel-
ligence received by the Cotton Supply Association
encourages this hope—since in many parts experi-
ments with cotton have beed attended with unex-
pected success. A sample of Sea Island cotton from
Queensland was valued at from 3s. 9d. to 4s. per lb.

It is to be regretted that the extensive rains have
damaged the Qaeensland crop to some extent, and
it is feared may prove a hindrance to the cultivation
in future seasons. Other parts of the colony, how-
ever, promise well. The first person who has made
the experiment at Port Denison announces it to be
a success. Satre acres planted with cotton near the
South Pine River are producing the second year.
From Buenos Ayres we learn that next year's crop
in Paraguay is estimated at 100,000 bales. Other
parts of the South American Republics are
in a highly satisfactory condition, and the
authorities are fully sensible of the great
importanco of the trade, encouraging the
cultivation by every means in their power. In some
parts of Greece cotton is for the first time being
grown; and in Southern Africa it is becoming a
regular investment, The new Cotton Company
have already planted 700 acres, and in other direc •
lions there are 500 more, so that there is a reason-
able prospect of a good supply from the neighbour-
hood of Naf al, 'ln!s season's orop is now ;:sraing to