The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-06 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1864.

Seldom, if ever, has a debate in the House of
Commons been so evenly balaneeo between conte':-

jug parties—we say contesting parties advisedly.
not conflicting opinions. Tue supporters of the
Government, while endeavouring to stigmatise this
gaeation es a party move on the side of the Oppo-
sition, era themselves avowedly viewing it as a
party question. The speech of Mr. HORSMAN lest
evening was, perhys, one of the most glaring non•
sequiturs ever addressed to the British House of
Cothmous. Throughout his speech—every sentence
of which evidenced his recognition of the false
position and feeble conduct of the Government—he
was followed by Opposition cheers, when, at the
conclusion, lee turned completely round upon the
obvious deductions from his own arguments, and,
amidst unexpected applawie
from the Ministerial
benches, declared his intention to support the
Government, although they
were, by his own snow-
ing, so evidently in the wrong!
The cause might
be a good cause, but the A,
Price was too much to
pay for it. In like manner Mr. I,
s-OBDEN is
prepared to vote with Ministers, Nque he
differs entirely with their policy and
--ounces
their proceedings. Pitiabl,,, indeed, is the position
of the Administration, when even its friends are
obliged to admit, in the words of Mr. COBDEN
last evening, that " Our present diplomatic system
has broken down. Our Foreign-office has lost its
credit with foreign countries. You cannot hence-

forward approach a foreign country upon any ques-
tion of foreign policy in which you will not be
looked upon with a want of consideration, and even
with mistrust." Ana, to make bad worse, this
result is so evidently the fruit of our own mis-
shipment "The greet fault we commit in these
things;' we quote again from Mr. COBDEN, th'
sui;poJ ,ef of 'ibe Govv;riai,

uivt-tys is that sv

&how bucse;veA to btJ betrayed into 6°Lat-thing
ta,ndee without duly measuring the poWcr we
hrra of carryirg cat nznaces." No.-Kander

that these only too truthful wort's were drowned
in loud cheers from the Opposition. Alluding to
these unhappy and worse than futile threats,
Lord STANLEY very happily observed during
Monday night's debate t.—" The noble lord
threatened us conditionally with a war. I try to
hook at the best side of things, and am wilting to
believe that he did not mean it. I believe it was
not the announcement of a future policy, but the
indulgence of an inveterate habit. One can imagine
that the noble lord may have been in favour of
fighting a time when fighting, however impolitic,
would have led to substantial results; but to say
that now, after Holstein is gone and Schleswig
taken, you will fight for Copenhagen, is very much
as though some ally of ours were to•ssy, ' Ireland
may be invaded, and we won't help you; Scotland
may be invaded, and we won't help you ; England
even may be invaded, and we won't help you ; bur
let them touch the Isle of Wight, and we will at
once rush to your assistance." Equally telling and
equally unanswerable was Lord ROBERT CECIL'S
ad cross cnmptrison when be said yesterday that
after our tfferts during the last nine months had
been despised—after we had tailed in every ottemp:
to obtain pacification, and to secure the integrity
and independence of Denmark—after all this, it was
too much that the noble lord should tell us that it
Copenhagen were taken, that if the population were
slenglitered, end in case the KING were taken pri-
soner of war, her MAJESTY s Government would be
prepared to consider such a contingency." He con-
tinued—" I do not think that since tho ancient
PISTOL swallowed his leek, Baying that he did it in
revenge, such an exhibition was ever made before
the world." Whatever be the result of the division
as regards the numbers voted, one fact is already
very apparent from this debate. The conduct of
the Government—so admircbly typified by one of
COLLINS'S Passions which shall be nameless—the
one, we mean, who, so eager to stretch forth his
hand,

" - its skill to try
Amid the chords bewilder( d
Then back recoiled, he knew not why,
Scared at the sound himself had made,"

This conduct, so recklessly threatening and so re-
creantly retreating, is xot approved by the House
of Commons ! Even those members who will vote
for the Government, as a Government, denounce
their principles, as a policy.

It is not often in real life that we meet with those
strange scenes and striking warnings which make
novels famous and impart a vitality to the represen-
tations of the drama. The current cf events gene-
rally flaws on more evenly, and is marked wits im-
pressive warnings, but of a more subdued character.
The other evening, however, brought a truth home
to the hearts of Ministers which they must have telt,
however carefully and cleverly they concealed their
conviction from the vulgar geze and prying inEpEse-
tlon of the crowds without and within the wails tit
Parliament. This is not the first time that Ltro
PALMERSTON has failed when he appeared under
such flattering auspices as the Premier of England.
Ouce before he came back from his appeal to the
country with the ranks of his supporters swelled by
the results of the election that h%el just taken place.
But his " hundred m j trity," of famous memory,
did sot avail him. He was ignominiously expelled
from power. Still, in comp .tison with the present
excitement, this effitr of the Ci n-piracy Bill was
as nothing. When the eyes of experit aced states-
men surveyed the scene at Si. Stephen's on Monday
they must have foreseen the vast importance of the
significant spectacle before thaw. Not since the
days of the Reform Bill has such excitement been
manifested. Those tvho can remember the vivid
demonstration of feeling, and the eager expression
of opinions that then took place, must go hick to
the memory of that time for a precedent, but those
who are not able-to recollect that wormy epoch can
imagine no counterpart to the scene, and will, there-
fore, consider this as an event in their lives. No

vote of censure or triumphant majority at the elec• I
Lions for their opponents could possibly speak more
emphatically to the Gsvernment in condemnation
of their po:iey than dtd the appearance of public
feeling among all classes on Monday. It was the
handwriting on the wall which spoke in a double
capacity to them as to the monarch of antiquity.
It told of the past, and it presaged of the future,
for while it reconciled their errors, it foretold the
a
approaching doom that those errors had occasioned
To make the lesson complete, we must call to
mind the circumstances under which the present
Ministers took effi.,e. It was pre-eminently by a
subterfuge—" a dodge" it has been called, and cor-
rectly thus defined. Earl RUSSELL then over-
shadowed his career by his mean and unworthy
conduct respecting the Reform Bill, and his sub•
scquent course at the Foreign-office has put the
seal to the transaction. Dsceit indeed has been the
watchword of this Administration from the first
when they took office on the plea of bringing in
a better Reform Bill than their predecessors. They
have deceived the house, their supporters, the
country, and the world dc.:ing their tenure of
office since 1859. The nest year witnessed the
conclusion of the abortive attempts at Barlorm
1 his was the first exemplification at falsity, and
then followed by degrees that coarse of foreign
policy alike so disgraceful and so disastrous in its
effscts and consequences. The English people bear
a great deal for the sake of peace and order, but
there are times when things go too far for endur-
ance, and the conduct of our Ministers has now
reached that pitch. Seldom has a public man ad
dressed a more numerous or brilliant auditory
than did Mr. DISRAELI on Monday evening. The
right hon. gentleman the Leader of the Opposition
occupied a proud position that evening. Ho stood
forth as the exponent of the principles and
the representative of the spirit of the people
of this country. He stood on a vantage ground,
which his opponents must have bitterly begrudged
to him. The reception he met with from the crowds
outside, and the welcome he received front his

supporters in the House, were significant witnesses
to the truth of the cause in which he was engaged.
It is not upon orators, however brilliant, or
upon tactic,l, however clever, that the chief' as-
sistance may be reckoned upon, or from which the
chief danger will be apprehended in this under-
taking. A stronger sentiment urges on the actors
in this fitful drama. It is the conviction of the
distrust of the people that paralyses the efforts of
the Government, and the consciousness of the ap-
proval of the country that inspires and animates
the opposition. It is only putting off the evil day,

fo the Ministers to affirm that they are sure and
confident of success. A victory gained in defiance
of public opinion is a very dangerous triumph, and
one that the pages of all history can testify to be
a nnwhe ors. The numbers who struggled to
obtain tickets of admission,
the early hoer of their
I i arrival, the eager demand for an impossible
entrance, and the patient endurance of long hours
of waiting, were all proof's which could not be gain-
said that Lord PAtodERsToN must be too wise not to
see the signs and •
se
zee, tha tokens. Ills career
6 :Il
in the politicallong
one; many o f Leis worldea u t has be n
e mp.en an unusually.
craes nave vanished from
the mace of strife, while he still fights on with
freshness and vigour, but he tio
know .1- ,' in 0'.5
na

lon Jest lifa a nan does pot wilness n scene !Ike that

of Mon Say more than 0403 cr twiec. It is not' pre-
bible that hi is unwzre of his ;Lilac:Qs, and the

experiences of the other eventful day must have told
him of the dangers he will encounter if he persists
in running counter to the general tone and expres
sion of feeling. He bad bettor take to heart a Sage
maxim, which tells him, " Fas est ab hoste doceri,"
and consider the advice given to him by Lord
STANLEY, that if he appeals to the country from
the thcision of Parliament, he will not have a very
good or t active cry to urge on his supporters and
intimidate his opponents. The oobie lord said that
the watchword of the foreign policy of the Minis-
ters would be—" France has been al coated, Ger-
many insulted, Denmark abandcn-?,d, Poland er-
couragert to revolt, and deserted." The greatest
on tery can hardly attempt to withstand the com
bitted effects of such a combination, and it is impos-
sible for the most adroit or subtle supporter of th 9
Government to do away with the impression that
now prevails against them throtoguout the length
and breadth Of the land.

The colonising spirit of the English has long
been one of the distinguiening features of the race.
It is many a long day sicce the Mayflower first set
sail across the Atlantic, but the vast nation which
so haughtily confronts us now owes her existence
to the perseverance and the energy of English
colonists. East and west, north and south, have
Eeglishmen taken root, and in every spot the love
of freedom, the power of self-government, and that
indomitable enterprise which commands success
have grown up with them. We are not famous in
ordinary life for accommodaing ourselves readily
to new ways, for identifying ourselves toe easily
with other nations. To do at Rime as the Romans
do is a piece of advice very meat nee led by the
sturdy Anglo-Saxon, and like other piteea of much
needed advice it is very little heeded. Bat direciy
an Englishman forms part of an actual settlement
the ease is changed ; he adapts himself readily to
his altered circumstances, or rather he bends them
to him, and the reward of his happy facility is
usually found in a thriving and prosperous commu-
nity. Eogiish colonies have been singularly fortu-
nate, some more, some less, but all as a general rule.
There is, however, one unhappy exception, which
can yet hardly be rightly called an exception, since
the drawback is, that the district in question has
never-been colonised. It owns English sway and
acknowledges English authorities, but further than
that, it has no share in the busy hive of working
bees. Wey so fine a tract of land should have been
so long neglected, why a territo. y three or four times
as large .esEngland i self should be practically use!' s 8
to us, except in the interest of a few traders, is one

of the incomprehensible anom,thes of cur political
system. There have•no doubt been great difficulties
In the w.y of dealing with the Hudson's My
tt-rriorits, owing to the existence of some of those
charters, by which in former da3 s kings made such
reckless gifts to favoured su. j The gift of a
net of land, esTimated at a million and a halt
,quare miles, was certainly r Hier a rash proceeding
even for the days of CHARLES the Second, but the
Merry Monarch was possibly it flue!nced in his libe-
rality by the reflec;ion that the lands in question
belonged to his French neighbours. No doubt can
be now thrown upon the English rght of tenure,
since the territories were fairly made over to this
country about a century since. If legal quibbles
are to interfere with eoucd legislation, however, it
seems that the fact of thus bestowing lend which
did not really belong to him might invalidate the
c4aim, founded on the king's charter. It must be a
very remarkable case which all legal authorities are
agreed upon, yet this, says Mr. Miu,s, is the case
with regard to the right of the Hudson's Bay Corn•
pany to these territories. It is universally held
that it is impossible to dispute the validity of a
charter which has existed for 200 years, a sound
principle, no doubt, in the main, but one which Dads
be p.tr.ined wo far. The state of things at presenr
existing, and to which Mr. MILLS lest week called
tat attention of the house, is nut altogether satis-
factory. Wide tracts of land, extending from ea
nada to the RJcky Mountains, are lying waste, for
we may call them waste when they are peopled only
by the fur trapper and the Indian. And yet the
North American continent has ptovi-d to be speci"
ally favourable to the Anglo-Saxon race, its natural
gifts are magnificent, the tract of land to which Mr.
MILLS more tep.cially referred the othcr night
having been declared by competent authorities to
comprise some of the most fertile laud in North
America. Yia this fine territory is practically shut
out from the colonist, for there are no regular means
of communication with CAnada, and a barren waste
tics between. It would be immensely to the public

advantage if a chain of settlements could be
extended from Canada to British Columbia; if
nigh roads and railway lines penetrated
through that vast tract which lies between, and
the dwellers in the Red River settlement were
no longer an isolated community, but the members
of one great and united state, which should add
immensely to the power and iefluence of England
on the Nortn American continent. Wny, then,
should this great opprtuut:y be lost, and the R:cl

River eettietneat lett to tail into American hands of

under American ii,ftlence ft It, is undoubtedly our
work to improve and to cultivate the northern part
of North Americs, and it is a twit peculiarly con-
genial to Eagtiso enterprise and ability. It is use-
less to expect much help from those Who are inte•
rested in preserving the laud as a wilderness,
Silver foxes, ermines, martens, and their species
do not commonly Latish in the vicinity of thriving

settlements, and therefore we must ❑ot be surprised
if the members of the Hudson'e Bay Company do
not display much alacrity in the matter. It has,
indeed, been statel that the principal directors have
shown no unwillingness to adapt themselves to the

change of the times, but that their agents and
officials object very strongly to any innovation, and
intend to uphold the superior merits of the fur trade
at all hazards. Still it is something that the ques-
tion should have been brought up again, bud open
discussion on the matter will do much good. It ib
satisfactory, too, to find that the Government is
actually in communication with the Canadian
authorities upon the matter, so that there is a rea-
sonable prospect of a final adjustment of differences.
It is of comparatively little moment what are the
relative proportions of the responsibilities incurred,
provided that all parties agree to carry on the
means of communication, and to throw open this
magnificent territory to English settlers. Mr.
CARDWELL promises that he at least will give no
pledge on the qu'estion of the boundaries without
the approval of the house, but in truth the question
of a few miles of land more or less belonging to
Canada or to the Hudson's Bay territory is less to
be regarded in the present state of the colony than
the general advantage. At any rate, it is time that
these minor differences were arranged, and that no
personal interests or locil jealousies be further
suffered to retard the civilisation and obstruct the
development of what might be a noble English
colony.

ANECDOTE 07 HAWTEDDENE. —Oa the last even-
ing that I pati‘ed there I remember that our talk
rambled, after many thinv, as men's talk often will, to the
question of what was to happen to us when lite is over.
We were speaking of the F p ritu :list creed, that existence
recommences, under another form, the moment after death.
At. I" said llawshorne, halt laughing, half scriouslY,
I hope there will be a break. A. couple of ihousand years
or so of sleep is the lent that I can do with before I begin
lif4

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE
The money market is activt, the current rate
being 7 per cent. NEW YORK, JUNE 24 r M.
Government Securities are (lull. R-gistered
Sires of 1881, 1051 ; Coupon do., 112; ; Five
TwentiJs, 1051; seven ' Oat, Year
Certific ttes, 951. -thirties, 107 ;
_ __ _

Gold is firm at 216, and Exchange 238 for

Bankers' Bills.

The share trinket is active. Erie, 1121; New
York Ce.itrai, 1331; Hudson River, 141 ; -Hu-
lett], 238; Reading, 1391; Lavoie Central, 1291-;
Michigan Central, 139; mit:lora Southern, 95;
Chicago and Rock lili,nd,
113 ; Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne, and Chicago, 114 i.

."......1 ....

SOU HAMPTON, JULY 6.

The HamburgA and --nieriean Company's s-tamer
Saxonia, from New York on the
t2orn 'Tune, arrived
here this morning, With 100 passengers for this
port, Havre, and Hlmburg, and
GO b igs of mails,
of which 42 ale for London. No speci?.

NEW YOE& JUNE 26, 11 8.13.
Nothing official from Grant or Mr.

Stall tea.

The newspaper despatches, which are vague and
contradictory, report that the
army is gradually
moving by the left to the scuth of Petersburg, for
the de4trnction of the Weldon and the Lynchburg
Itilways. Oa the other hand, Lee is reported am
demcnstrating against Grant's
communications, via
James River.

Nine brigades ,have beau detached by Lee to
operate against Hunter.

Sherman reports that on the night of the 20th
inst. he repuls;:d the enemy in. seven distinct at-
temptri to retake a pniticn Erciozly curled 11