The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-27 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1865.

Lord REDESDESDALE made his promised statement
last night concerning the private bills before the
House of Lords, and the result of his investigation
has turned out very much what was expected by
those who had considered the matter. The noble
lord said if noble lords desired to dispose of nearly
all the bills before them, he thought that he should
be able to appoint committees for all the bills that
were before the h)use. Lord REDESDALE truly ob-
served that it was of consequence that some of the
bills should be allowed to pass during this session.
This sounds like sense, and it is very culpable on
ti* part of Ministers to endeavour to gain their own
'ends at the expense of the interests and convenience
of others. The more the subject is considered, and
the further it is commented upon, the greater ap-
pears to be the wrong and injustice meditated, as
the noble lord, the Chairman of Committees, stated
last night, it is very desirable that at all events
some of the bills should be suffered to proceed.
Arrangements have been entered into by some of
the railway companies for an. amalgamation, and
both the companies and the public will
suffer loss and inconvenience if such attempts
are rendered abortive by the premature close of the
Session. If these Companies are not allowed to
proceed with their arrangemehts this session, the
chance of a compromise may be lost altogether, and
the extent of the evils thus created will be difficult
to estimate. The noble lord wisely added, that it
was not prudent to name a precise day at an early
period for the arrangements being brought to a
conclusion ; because, if he were to do so, " it might
induce some parties to protract the proceedings in
order to defeat bills by delay." Still it may be

understood that the Select Committee shall not
proceed to any " unnecessary delay" in making out
cases for and against bills. Lord REDESDALE.
finally stated that, making all necessary allowance.
for delays, he considered it possible for the bills to
be got through if the House was understood to si
till the 13th of July. Indeed the business migi
be completed earlier, ,but it was wiser not to me,
tion an earlier period. To this very clear a) id
plausible statement, Lord STANLEY of ALDERL EY
merely said that the statement must be considered
by the Government, but that he could then give no
opinion on the subject. This reticence looks very
suspicious, and may well give rise to doubts on the
part of the many concerned in the matter referred
to. There could have been no reason why the
noble lord should not have a suitable reply, and in-
timated the willingness of Ministers to accede to
the reasonable arrangement proposed by Lord
REDESDALE. It is difficult to pry into the details
of ministerial secrets, but it is very evident that
there is some potent mystery in this hurrying over
the session. The 13th of July, to begin with, is not
at all an unreasonable time to fix for the close of the
session, and it is, in fact, a much earlier one than
that at which the prorogation generally takes place.
What infatuation must possess the Government to
persist in their own reckless course in defiance of
reason and right feeling ! They could not do them-
selves a worse service on the eve of a general elec-
tion, for they are exhibiting to the country that they
seek only for their own objects, and will not sacrifice
their places for the advantage of others. It remains
to be seen if, at the eleventh hour, they will show
some consideration; but, judging from the ambig-
uous answer of Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY, last
night, we have great reason for doubting that they
will arrive at this wise conclusion. At any rate, it
is fortunate that the subject has been so fully dis-
cussed, because it has been made clear to the public
who is to blame for the slovenly manner in which
the business of Parliament is being carried on, and
they can also appreciate how much importance is
attached to the interests of the community by
Government.

The suspension of hostilities is by no means the
conclusion of American sufferings or difficulties,
and the picture which is drawn of the internal con-
dition of the people is enough to move the sternest
reader. The unfortunate Southerners, who have
already undergone the terrible infliction of an
invading army, and have been compelled to -sur-
render their:struggle for national independence, are
now suffering from the additional horrors of famine.
It was not difficult to foresee that a time of scarcity
must succeed to the tumults and convulsions of the
past year. The Northern Generals who pride them-
selves on destroying the food of the population, in
burning down barns, in driving away cattle, and
in ruining the crops, might reasonably have antici-
pated that the result of these chivalrous and humane
endeavours would be felt in a season of scarcity
and distress. But, in addition to the devastation
of the Northern armies, the blockade of the ports
and the immense consumption of their own large
bodies of troops,:suddenly converted from producers
into consumers, the change which has passed
over the political condition of the South has
produced a startling effect. The authority which
preserved law and order in the South has been sud-
denly subverted, and in some parts where the Fede-
ral Government has been unwilling or unable to
interfere anarchy reigns triumphant. Under the
present uncertain condition of things, with the
partial and imperfect amnesty, with the threat of
confiscation hanging over the heads of all suspected
of Southern proclivities, it is not to be expected that
trade can flourish, or that anything like social dis-
cipline can be maintained. Agriculture is neglected,
for the farmers find their servants refuse to work,
while the negroes, suddenly freed, go off to the cities
on the chance of employment in great numbers,
though there are still enough of the three million
of slaves to produce a serious effect upon the scanty
supplies. Those negroes formerly worked for their
own living and for that of others, but now they are
unwilling to exert themselves. The disband-
ing of the Confederate armies has thrown
150,000 soldiers, who have hitherto depended
on Government for supplies, on their own
resources. Added to these are the numerous
ranks, who lived directly or indirectly by the war,
who have to seek their living in some other fashion.
But with trade and commerce almost at a standstill
new means of livelihood are not easy to find. The
real practical difficulty of want of a sufficiency of
solid wholesome food is beginning to grow urgent
in many parts of the South, especially in South
Carolina. The lawlessness and anarchy are scarcely
less terrible. Theft and rapine, and plunder of
every kind is the order of the day, and even murder
is not unknown, the overseer of a plantation
having been murdered by his own negroes.
The Government will, it is to be hoped,
see the folly and wickedness of tolerat-
ing such a condition of things, and will adopt
prompt measures to restore something like outward
order and respect for life and property. It is said
that President JOHNSON, probably in regard to the
strong Southern feelingin that State, has determined
that South Carolina shall be the last State reorga-
nised. We must hope that he will reconsider
this cruel resolve, since, as head of the nation, he is
bound to regard the interests of every part, and to
make it his first duty to restore as quickly and as
effectually as possible the reign of order and tran-
quillity, and to provide as far as may be against the
terrors of famine. In the North trade is languish-
ing, and the reaction from the fearful excitement of
the last four years is everywhere more or less felt.
The collapse of the struggle was so sudden and so
complete that the shock is proportionately violent,
and those who rejoiced over the total extinction of
Southern hopes have small reason for satisfaction
in the realisation of their wishes.

The subject of domestic service is one that often
engages attention, and at the present day so much
has it been debated and discussed that in all pro-
bability it will be a source of satisfaction to many
that it has been taken up by those well qualified to
judge of it. A meeting was held at St. James's
Hall, last Thursday, for the " purpose of dis-
cussing some of the important questions re-
lating to domestic service." Many of those who
are ignorant, and some of those who are prejudiced,
will derive great benefit from perusing the details
of this meeting. Both employers and employed
may learn much that will profit them in the
home-truths thus imparted to them, and
surely this is a question whose interest and
importance must be manifest. Serious errors take
place concerning the relations that exist between
masters and mistresses and servants, and it is a
solemn duty for all who call themselves Chris-
tians to consider how far they fall short in
the performance of their appointed tasks in these
domestic concerns. Much useful advice was
given in this lecture. One point was that
ladies should refuse to engage servants who "malign
their last places ;" and a wise suggestion is made
that young servants should be induced to remain
in their situations by progressively increasing their
wages for three years. Perquisites are very properly
denounced, and the general feeling of the community
has now declared N strongly against ,hem that their