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

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING-, JUNE 11, 1864.

time for the discussion of such a comprehensive
scheme. The abolition of the double search system
met naturally with very general approval, but there
is no reason why such an alteration should not be
made without the wholesale changes involved in
the Lord Advocate's measure. The end of the
debate was; as we have said, that the Lord Advo-
cate withdrew the measure, remarking that he did
not feel inclined to press it frcm the manifest dis.

inclination of the Scotch members to support it. If
these gentlemen represent fairly the interests and
intelligence of their constituencies, such a fact is a
sufficient argument against the bill; and it is eel.-
tainly wise to give ample time for a careful con-
sideration of the pros and cons.

The Marquis of CLANItICARDE 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 At:aeriea sine^ the eommrsntsprnPnt of the present
Session. Day after day and week after week have
questions been put to the various members of the
Government, but little or nothing has been gained
thereby. By common consent all official personeges
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, or 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-
ence between voluntary service and enforcea aid.
It is quite another thing for a Minister to come
to the Hou3e 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 eager'y and anxiously for further tidings of its
style and character. When Lord CLAINE,ICARDE
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 principle of defence. The Confederates
had done so much damage, and had broken through
all conventional rules and infringed the laws o

nations by thair conduct in regard to the building
of ships, and soon. This did not answer the pur-
pose in vievr, 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 CLANRICARDE 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 aide. 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 marcpsis 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 spacious
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
out who refused, and forced to live upon the
charity of their fellow.countrymen, others shared a
worse fate. That it is time far cur Government
to do something will be allowed by the most indif•
ferent, when they know that a general of the Fede-
ral army complained of them sending so many
foreigners. Ho also stated that they were not in a
fir state when sent,for many had been drugged,
and when they came to their senses refused to do

duty, which was natural enough considericg they

had been tricked, "In thew cases the men were

carry out thischarge which they themselves desired,
unless it were done very gradually, and the reason
they gave for this apprehension was the enormous
staff which would be required. It is already ad•
mitted that the fees both in Edinburgh and in the
counties are much too high, but the new measure
of reform not only allows them to remain at their
present height for two years more, since the trans
fer is not to take place until after December,
1866, but it renders it competent for the
Government, when the act is once in force, to
raise the salaries of any of the officers to any amount
which Parliament may agree to. It is true that
Parliamentary sanction is thus necessary for such
increase, but the members thinking perhaps of their
:louses, and matters hurried over late at night, ez•
pressed a good deal of misgiving as to the real
economy of such an arrangement. There seemed
to be an impression that the new measure would
give reason for a considerable amount of patronage,
which might under some circumstances be liable to
abuse. Sir J. FERGUSSON also oppcsed it on the
ground of the delay and inconvenience it would
occasion. Oat of 14,305 deeds registered annually,
only 3,244 have been registered in Edinburgh,
so that there is no great inclination on the part
of the people towards a centralising registry. It
generally happens that persons get such deeds
registered where they can have them done quickest
and most easily, and often their agents wish to wit-
ness the process, so that if it is incumbent on them
to come from the extreme parts of the capital it
will occasion much annoyance and loss of time.
It was asltecl very aptly—what uuld be the feeling
in England if it were proposed to remove all the
conveyancing business throughout the country to
London. The lawyers of the metropolis might not
possibly object to such a plan, but it would cer-
tainly be received with anything but favour by the
general body politic. The late period of the Session
was another great argument against proceeding
with a measure which, although not of much
general interest, is still of considerable import-
ance to a large portion of her AiAJESTY'S sub-
jects. It is very undesirable to hurry any
measure of a lasting nature through the
House at the close of a session ; and, although we
cannot be said to have reached that point, still th
general impression was that there was not sufficien