The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-02 00:00:00

~~~~

S R
srk\v,
novelty for a free peopli., or that tbe in hate astet---s
the Northern_States were too busily engaged ihkr talta. S
ing mosey to trouble themselves about, the security
of their political institutions, is doubtful; but the
fact of Mr. Lincoln and his Ministers having re-
tained office during two sears cannot but excite the
usrptorriiisse ih
astonishment of posterity, as it has undoubtedly
prevent generation of obaesvant poli-
ticians. It would scam now, however, either chat
the Federal executive has ventured a little toe f Aro
or that the
popular Sentiments on the subj.-et of
u bitrars government have nee.. rgc.inci a change'.
tne t seults of the elections of blot aut unlit were to .
:Albs; iturci a number of Dernoerate for Republicans,
end in New York the administration failed to obtain
the elee;ion of State officers belongino- to own.
political faction. At nil events the Dett6toerstie pse v
svidintly deterulined not to allow rri-
htinals and nmrtial law to tune the rd,tee or civil
enurts and civil juritlietien. In the person of Mr.
Vellandigliam they rensieered the 1 ighis and liber-
ties of Every American citizan to be assailed, a o in
denouncing the illegality of the beam:sent to which
lie has been subjected they protest against; the crea-
tion of a precedent which would, if acknowledged,
invest the Executive with absolute power. If any -
one who, like Mr. VAllandighum, thought proper
at a public meeting to comment in strong, kit
what in this country wouid not be deemed,repse-
!tensible, language on the policy of the Atlieitna-
tration, could be arrested, tried by drum-head
court-martial, and senteneed to be confines' in a
penal settlement, for two Yeltrits there would of
course be an end to all public meetings whatever
in which the action of the Govciument supplied
the theme for discussion. The Northern popula-
tion, however, are not prepared to abandon the
right of- canvassing the policy of, a chief
.magis-
trate whom they. have elected for a "brief period,
or to grant to his soldiers the right of prescrib-
ing the exact limits within which they may dis-
cuss the possible future to which they are being
conducted by a than • who, in any event, must- in
two years' time sink into obscurity,
HERALD.—CoI. North's motion for a royal com-
mission on the subject of Army Prize is postponed,
we understand, until June 23. We earnestly hope
it will not be deferred beyond that period, and that
this important topic will then be fully discussed. It
is certain that in this matter very searching inquiry
and extensive reforms are imperatively demanded.
The cruel delays which attend the present system
of distribution, the secret manner in which claims
are investigated, the variable and inconsistent princi-
ples which in-some instances determine the decision
of the authorities, have made the existing practice
odious in the eyes of all military men, and have
compromised to a more than usual extent the jus-
tice and integrity of the British Government. It
is notorious that under the present system no secu-
rity or assurance is given to the soldiers of realising
even after years of protracted solicitation, the fruits
of their own conquests and achievements. Army
prize is declared to be distributable not by law or
precedent, not by any settled principle of justice,
but simply at the discretionary, that is to say, the
arbitrary will of the Government of the day. It
happens accordingly that one general may be per-
mitted by the award of the Minister to receive the
exclusive benefit of his own captures, and also to
take the lion's share of the booty captured, inde-
pendently, and at a great distance, by another
officer. Others, with stronger claims, preferred
under analogous conditions, are neither permitted
to share in the good fortune of their comrades nor
to take much benefit from the spoil acquired by
their own corps d'armee. It maybe
decisions,
th
Government, in such contradictory
dis-
cerns, or fancies that it discerns, special circum-
stances which tend to justify its apparently in-
consistent course. Yet so long as the facts of
the case are not made manifest by public inquiry,
and established by open and unimpeachable testi-
mony, it is impossible that the world out of doors
can appreciate the equity of the judgment, and
suspicions of favouritism will inevitably be sug-
gested and received. It is from the absence of
all judicial procedure in the distribution of mili-
tary prize that the army feels itself specially
aggrieved; in cases of naval capture the claims
of those entitled to share are speedily and equi-
tably determined by a legal tribunal. Hence it
is that we hear of no such interminable discus-
sions with respect to maritime prizes as those which,
on some well-known occasions, have made the con-
tention for army prize money so notorious. The
judgment of the Court of Admiralty is given pub-
licly, upon evidence fairly and openly examined,
and in conformity with certain fixed principles
and rudiments of prize law. But the claims for
military booty are not investigated openly. Infor-
mation is conveyed to the authorities by private
and occult channels. Ex parte statements,
and, in some instances, untrue data, are laid before
them, and are perhaps accepted without being
submitted, even for the most cursory examination,
to the opposing parties. It is quite possible,
under the present system, that falsified documents
and other frauds may be employed to the injury
of the actual captors of the booty, who, from being
kept in ignorance of these devices, must be wholly
powerless to counteract them. Now, if we do not
go so far as to say that some or other of the Minis-
terial bureaux must necessarily be willing dupes
under such circumstances, yet we must say that so
long as they allow themselves to decide upon pri-
vate testimony, they must be held responsible for
the greater share of the injustice. What would be
said of a court of law if it allowed one party to
plead openly, and subjected its witnesses to cross-
examination, but received all the evidence from
the other side with closed doors, and finally pro-
ceeded to judgment in accordance with the tenor of
these secret representations ? Still more, what
would the whole country say if these secret repre-
sentations should subsequently be found in some
important particular to be essentially incorrect?
Would such a tribunal exist for a week after so
damaging an exposure of its incompetence or in-
justice? Yet we believe that prize-money justice
is, under the existing system, occasionally admi-
nistered under some such inconveniences as we have
just suggested, and any preliminary measure which
promises in any way to correct such a state of
things will certainly be supported by public opinion,
No doubt we shall be told that this is entirely a
matter of prerogative, and that military booty is
altogether at the disposal of the Crown. This
position it is not our present intention to contest,
though the point seems open to some controversy,
for we remember that in 1843 Mr, Hume denied the
right of the Crown, inasmuch as it no longer paid
the expenses of the war, to dispose of army prize
money without the concurrence of Parliament. But,
without discussing the accuracy or unsoundness of
this opinion, we cannot allow that secret procedure
or j odgment contrary to the evidenc9 is a natural
and necessary part of -the Royal prerogative. If
the Crown declares that prize money shall be
granted to those who can establish a right to share
in it, this promise, it seems to us, ought to signify
that the investigation shall be fair and open, that
the decision shall be in accordance with.precedetnte
and that in points of difficulty the opinionof h
legal authorities shall be received with due
con-
sideration. If this is not the existing practice it is
time that Parliament should interpose n order to
protect her Majesty's name from suspicions of
injustice.

NEW CONVENT AND Grave SCHOOL.—Cardinal
Wiseman yesterday opened a now convent and
girls' school in Albert-place, Spitalfields, adjoining
the
Roman Catholic Church of that locality. There was a
large attendance of Roman Catholic clergymen from diffe-
rent
parts of London. After the religious cer •
emomal a
ddeuner took place, at which the Hon. Charles Longdale
presided. After the usual toasts Cardinal Wiseman ad-
dressed the meeting. He alluded to
the
the number of buildings devoted to rapid increase in
He acknowledged that much worship and education.
kindness and
ban shown in many good feeling had
localities b
towards Catholic clergymen by
liberal-minded Protestants
education for the poor, engaged in the effort to provide

MAILS FROM AMERICA DUE THIS WEEK.--
The Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia Steam-
ship Company's screw steamer City of New York, which
was to sail from New York on the 23d ult. with the United
States' mail, will be due at Queenstown in the course of
to-night. The Montreal Ocean Steamship Company's
screw steamer Bohemian, with the Canadian mail, which
was to leave Quebec on the 23d ult., is expected at Lon-
donderry in the course of to-night. The Cunard steam-
ship America, with the mails from Halifax and Boston on
the 27th and 28th ult., will be due on Sunday at Queens-
town,

ANOTHER FATAL ACCIDENT THROUGH FIRE.-

Information has been forwarded to the coroner for
Surrey of the death of Miss Anne Moore, lately residing
at Chapel-street, Newington, which occurred under the
following painful circumstances :—lt appears that the de-
c aced, who was an invalid, got out of bed to sit by the fire,
and while in this position it is supposed that a spark flew
out of the grate and set fire to her
.night-dress. The ser-
vant smelling smoke, proceeded to her room, and was horri-
fied to find the unfortunate young lady in a sitting position
on the hearth rug enveloped in flames. The fire was
-ex-
tinguished, and
every means employed to allay her suffer-
ings. but the sank under the combined effects of the burns
and the shock to the system.
The Homeward-bound off Deal signal their number to the
i a
et brushes, &C. Dr.
brushes n a s s a 11
states,
hitherto
shore, and from thence a magnet carries the glad ne s s to the
owners.
The same inscrutable force is employed by Mr.
13. errrivlgLn tlem
his
fm magnetic
the
most perfect
made, as respects their mechanical construction and
mignetiCal action." They are the remedy their
for grey
neuralgia, rheumatism, &c. N.B.—Counterfeits hair,
made. Offices, 32, Basinghall-street, Loncion. are being