The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-20 00:00:00

one result, and that a happy one. if this desirable
issue is not arrived at there will be more heard
of this complicated affair. Matters have gone too
far to recede now, and those who wilfully throw
away the opportunity now afforded them of re-
trieving their reputation will find it difficult here-
after to render up a satisfactory account of the
conduct that will most assuredly be called in
question.

The debate, which took place on Thursday even•
ing, on the second reading of the Public Works
Manufacturing Districts Bill, tended in some re-
spects to confirm the opinion of Mr. FARNALL as
to the opposition it was likely to encounter. Al-
though every member was professedly anxious for
the good of Lancashire, several voices were raised
against the bill both in regard to its general prin-
ciple and to its particular clauses. Mr. FERRAND
more especially was decidedly opposed to it, declar-
ing that the cotton labourers, who were accustomed
to work under cover, in a high temperature, would
be unfit and unable to assist in the proposed works.
For his own part he recommended a wholesale
scheme of Government emigration, which should
transport a large number of the unoccupied " hands"
to our colonies. He complained that larger sums
would be required before the session closed,
and was altogether averse to the Government mea-
sure. Other members took other exceptions to diffe-
rent parts of the bill, and the recent meeting in
Lancashire, instead of convincing dissentients of the
taking some immediate steps to mitigate the evil,
seems rather to have had a contrary effect. "Whole-
sale emigration is the easiest and readiest remedy,
since it removes the sufferers from sight and makes
them no longer a burden on the country. The
question remains whether such a cure is
the wisest, the kindest, and in the end the
most advantavous policy. In tlie first place,
as Mr. HIBBERD justly observed, in answer
to Mr. FERRAND'S assertion that the factory opera-
tives would die by thousands if put to hard out-door
work—men who are not physically capable of en-
during exposure and hardship are certainly not fit
to emigrate. A colonial life, such as would be pro-
posed for the factory hands, would be rough and
laborious, for it would scarcely be intended to send
them to the towns or cities of America or Australia.
Such a career demands robust health and strength,
and fresh unchilled energies. A man and his
family who have been accustomed to a high state
of comfort for the greater part of their lives, and
have suddenly passed through a period of unex-
ampled misfortune, depressing alike to health and
spirits, will be ill fitted for so sudden and compre-
hensive a charge. As Sir G. GREY very properly
said, it would be wrong and injudicious for the
Government or any other persons to place obstacles
in the way of emigration; but it was necessary for
a wholesome and useful emigration that you should
have persons not only willing, but fit, by age and
capacity, for the purpose, and also colonies which
are willing to receive them, and capable of
affording them employment. The right honour-
able baronet added that, although the colonies
might be glad to obtain such labourers as
they stood in need of, they would not be
very well disposed to receive those whom we sent
to them merely because we could not provide for
them at home.

The speech of the hon. member for Rochdale
showed the fullest appreciation of the difficult:es of
the question, and dealt conclusively with the whole-
sale emigration scheme recommended by Mr. FER-
RAND. In answer to Sir B. LEIGHTON, who con-
sidered that more was given to a man in Lancashire
for doing nothing, than to labourers in fall pay in
other districts, Mr. COBDEN observed that the high
rate of wsges in the manufacturing districts was a
question of very wide bearing. "It is," said the
non. gentleman, " a difficulty which meets us in
the question of emigration, of relief, and of migra-
tion." He went on to show, with his usual clear
sense, the great difference between transporting an
agricultural labourer, who has to keep a family on
10s. a week here, to the wilds of Australia or Ame-
rica, where his own occupation is needed and better
paid, and removing cotton spinners and weavers
to a country where there are no cotton mills or
power-loom factories to need them, while their un-
fitness for agricultural work renders them help-
less and miserable. " A man may benefit
by transferring his labour from one field
to another," said Mr. COBDEN very truly,
" but few ever benefit by changing their business
after they have arrived at years of maturity." This
is the great difficulty attending tt e emigration of
large bodies of working men. If we could ensure
them constant employment in their own kind of
work when they had crossed the seas, there would
be good reason to insist upon their going, even
though we might subsequently miss them here.
But until we have some more assured prospect of
their obtaining remunerative employment, we can
hardly wish to see them depart in any great num-
bers. We fully agree with Sir G. GREY that no
obstacles should be put in the way cf intending
emigrants, and, indeed, that every facility should
be given them ; but we cannot depend on this hon-
ourable transportation as the only means of meeting
the difficulty. Mr. VILLIERS'S Bill, though not
professing to settle the question, at least provides
help for the time. It will take many thousands off
the parish, and consequently diminish considerably
the demands on the ratepayers. It gives the oppor-
tunity to the towns of having greatly needed public
works carried out at a very suitable time, and we
can hardly look upon it as an unprofitable expendi-
ture of money when we are told that the town of
7.-laslingden, cited as a fair sample of the newly
grown and populous neighbourhood, has a popu-
lation of 10,000 and a rateable value of more than
20,000, but that the houses are urdraincd, the roads
uurepaircd, and many of the streets unpaved. There
is no system of sewerage, and as a natural conse-
quence, fever and other zymotic diseases prevail.
It seems, therefore, that the proposed works are of
a character urgently needed, and that the design of
turning the requirements of the district to such
good account is a sagacious and happy one. We
trust that the bill will be passed without further
opposition, giving, as it does, at least, A temporary
relief, and thereby affording us more leisure and
opportunity to watch the progress of events and
decide upon the wisest course to pursue in face of
the coming winter.

KISSENGEN, BAVARIA, Juue 16,—The Emperor
and Empress of Austria arrived here this afternoon
from Nuremberg, which place they left this afternoon, The
Emperor will continue at Kissengen for about a week er
ten days, when he will return to Vienna. The Empress
Will remain to take the waters and baths. The following
distinguished visitors have also arrived at Kissingen :
His Royal Highness the Prince Augustus of Norway and
Sweden, travelling under the name of Baron Dahlskiold ;
his Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg
Strelitz and suite; Prince Callimaki, Turkish Ambassador
at Vienna; her Serene Highness the Pr ncess of Salm
Reifferscheid, with her daughter the Countess Clara Mar-
tinicz, have also arrived from Vienna.
COLLISION AND WRECK IN THE RIVER,—About
two o'clock yesterday morning a serious collision
took place in the ri,-er, immediately opposite Blackwell Pier.
It appears that a powerful screw steamer, belonging- to the
sorrit:ltneorupany, was proceeding down the river, when, by
crew with som
with a
b' heavilyytaina at present unexplained, she came into collision
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the maine
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of the brig,cutting