The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-30 00:00:00

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PRICE .4d.
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to the local secretaries for their able and indefatigable
labours, and to the press, local and general, for their reports
of the proceedings.

_;_,,al:llol3lCt Steam Navf,,
screw steamer Kaffraria,
at Plymouth yesterday, from Port NataY, Auist t
—Port Elizabeth, August 20—Table Bay, on the
evening of August 23—St. Helena, September 2
and Madeira, September 21. She had head winds
from Table Bay, and put in to Madeira to coal.
Cargo-1,099 bales wool, 99 bundles sheepskins, 33
ditto goatskins, 4 cases ostrich feathers, and several
cases of sundries, all from Algoa Bay, and valued
at £20,629. Also front Natal, 200 tons sugar, and
1,500 boxes arrowroot. The Kaffraria brings three
days' later news from the Cape colony, but nothing
of much import bad transpired in the interim.
Business continued quiet, but an improv,•raent was

Abolition of the Upper House in Greece.
the Times Correspondent.)
ATHENS, Sept, 22.
Oa Monday (19th) the National Assembly de.
tided by a large majority that there is to be no
&nate or Upper House in the constitutional mon-
archy of Greece. The votes were 211 to 62.
A single legislative Chamber places the sove-
;eignty of the people'in the strongest light, and the
revolution which is now working out its own pro-
blems in a small sphere at Athens may perhaps on
this occasion be the forerunner of a change in the
thoughts and feelings of continental reformers.
Greece is not so free from the direct inCuence Of
Western democracy as the Greeks themselves sup-
pose. The revolution of 1821 was the tilt fruits of
the principle of nationality that ripenedin the poli-
tical system of Europe, and the Greek•revolution of
1843 was the herald of the popular commotioes of
1848.
The abolition of a Senate places monarchy and
democracy in that direct connection which must
soon produce alliance, antagonism, or compromise.
It is a logical consequence of the overthrow ofing
-Otho's system and of the perjury of the ftt ek
-senators. 114.
society is Undergoing so rand a cltange rani
Violence and illegality to a state of regular. organi-
zation that even experienced Seeks do not pretend
to see very distinctly how the' constitutional syse
tern will ultimately work in their country under this
new phase of Government witha single Chamber.
It may therefore appear presumptuous in a
foreigner to attempt forecasting its effects. But if
more than 41 years' study can teach anything
about Greekitolitics,
"A man ho fought, toira, travell'd, and each part
Of a trte citizen fulfilled;'! ;
when Greec4 found few, to }gin her cause, may ven•
tune to off t* an opinion. ;Your readers are not
likely to tal.;:h it for more,thtin it is worth. Judg-
ing, then, of,the future by the light of the past, it
seems that titre is a batter chancU of tranquillity
for the reigti of King George by- the adoption of
measures wLich place the Sovereign, and the people•
face to face,tti frame a common Tolicy, and effect hn
honest compromise, than there would have been in
attempting tl? revive the old system by which the,
Greelepeopleavere ccimp. lady hidden from the King
by a crowd otlfalse officials and venal senators. The
history of WI Greek revel *ion -proves that the
people generallf acted unde4lieguidance of simple
and sound imAulses, and tilirthe: ruling classes,
civil and •Imilitaiy, phanariat4 and palikaria, have
been aicurge and‘desolation to:the country.
For some time lt has been evident that there would
be great difficulty in the way, of re=establishing a
Senate, and it was deeded iri; the palace that it
should not be' madOtitlier a Government or a Minis-
terial question. Couht Sponneoir; on the part of the
Crown,-announced Perfect re
as the leader of the Cause; ' the.
Opposition, pretended that !rate
consisting of members named tely
necessary; as a Coniervative Mon
archy. Yet this. Conservat. the-
question was ,put in the At the.
abolition of tlts Senate. Mr who
leads the Ministerial party, al lish-
ment of an elective Senate, ;y of
constituting a new Senate w lane
of the elements of the old the
memberi of the National' ree
establishment of the body
possible.

drawing nearer every day. Seasonable rains bm4
fallen in and around Port.Eizibeth during the last
day or two, and it was hoped that they had ex.
tended to the country districts also.
There had recently been considerable discontent
on the part of the labouring, chases in Cipe Town
at the scarcity of empkj mentt
owing to the dicon-
tinttance of government works, but some ordErs had
been issued for the continuance of these works, and
this had had a beneficial fffect. The governor had
instructed the colonial railway engineer to proceed
immediately with the new railway at Tulbah Kloof.
The Wyiberg line of railway was very shortly to
be opened for public traffic, The disputed doctrinal
trial of the Rev. Mr. Koine v. The Synod of the
Dutch Reformed Church was to come off in the
Suprem. Court the day after the Kuffraria
The proceedings throughout, as well as the 9,a1
decision of the court, would be watched and wilted
for by the public in the colony withdeepest
interest.
The Dromedagy, 2, iron screw tr
Commander Alexander Brnwn,_„el
Brae

The eau against tie Sens
tins:--The. 79 h oitiuie of
that the Senetars are to receive 500 drachmas
monthly during the legislative Sessions. In order
to secure large salaries they contrived to make the
:egislative sessions last ten months. But, after
receiving an annual salary of 5,000 drachmas
for sotne time, they considered that they were
better able to appreciate the value of their
/services than the Constitution could be, and
by forming a conspiracy with a corrupt House
of Representatives they violated the consti•
tution, and appropriated to themselves larger salaries
than they would have been entitled to receive even
had their legislative sessions been rendered perpe-
tual. When the people drove Otho from his throne
for not respecting the Constitution, they could not
allow the senators who had deliberately violated the
Constitution to retain their seats as legislators.
Monarchy escaped destruction, because it was pos-
sible to find a foreign King whose name was con-
stitutionally pure ; but there was no salvation for
the perjured senators, since, in making a new Con.
stitntion, it was impossible to forget the violation of
the old Cous; itution. The decision of last Monday
announced the judgment of the nation, and it must
not be forgotten that every member of the late Senate
has rendered himself liable to a criminal prosecution
by the Attorney-General for perjury, and to a civil
action on the part of the Greek Treasury for the
large sums of money which he has received beyond
his legal indemnity of 500 drachmas a month dura
ing the legislative Sessions of the Senate. We
ought really to give Democracy credit for the mer-
ciful manner in which it has consigned the late
Senate to oblivion.
The question concerning the existence of a
Senate in Greece presents a choice of evils and ad-
vantages somewhat different from what it offers in
other countries. No class of society exists from
which an unpaid Senate can be formed, for the
ablest and the wealthiest men in the country pre-
fer a seat in the Chamber of Representatives. A
Senate can, therefore, be little else than what the
Athenian newspapers have termed it in their recent
discussions—an hospital for worn-out officials.
There are only two political powers in Greek
society—the Government and the people. The
power inherent in the Greek Government far ex-
coeds the power of the English Government, and
the complete centralization of the administrative
pr,medure invests the Crown with almost despotic
authority over the Government. On the other
hand, no people can be more helpless in ordi•
nary times than the people in Greece. There
are no national institutions in the Greek king-
dom, no parishes, no corporations, no local enter-
prises, no popularly constituted municipalities, and
not a trace of self-government. The people have,
therefore no legitimate sphere of action except unia
vernal suffrage, and they have hitherto exerted no
influence in the State. Their real power has only
been displayed in a few irregular and revolutionary
movements, when misgovernment goaded them to
action and aroused. the energy of popular passions.
Time can alone show what will be the ultimate
effect of bringing the tendencies towards despotism
and democracy which operate on Greek society
into direct antagonism. There are some indications
that a compromise will be effected which will pro-
duce a centralized constitutional sy s:em better
suited to the exigencies of a rude state of society
than could be obtained by a blind imitation of any
older forms of government presented by Western
nations.

fans

V

Considerable ability on the part of the Crown,
and some prudence on the part of the Chamber of
Representatives, will bo necessary to insure success
in giving stability to the new type of constitutional
government which Greece has now adopted. But the
circumstances ate extremely favourable, for at this
moment the interests of the Crown and the people
are identical, Both are injured by the arbitrary
authority assumed by the official classes, and both
would profit greatly by rooting out the corruption
that pervades every branch of the public service.
The cordial union of the King and the people in en-
forcing obedience to the law would be suffisient
to
render Greece what Sing George declared that
was his ambition to make her—a model kingdom
in the Ent.

teutrality. Mr Balga
ervatve section of
he considered a See
I forife to be absolut
ele4ent in the M
Alva leader, when
Lsse ly, voted for
r Ko moundeuros, v
advo ted the establ
~ T'i impossibilit:
with() ' admitting si
d Sen':.,-,-Toel-snaded
Asseth ,that the
was fq•-: he present
Stn er- • '''.:' -,-* .- 1.-sti
tti, 61313titt-Ittou dei

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tats DAY.—Morning, lh. 50m.—Afternoon, 2h. Om.
ro-Kortuo ;7.-Morning, 2a. 18m.—Afternoon, 2a. 35m.