The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-31 00:00:00

tfig

LONDON, MONDAY, JULY 31, 1865.

After the alarm and anxiety caused by the tern-
porary delay which an apparently trifling accident
occasioned to the progress of the Atlantic cable
during last week, the public heard with great satis-
faction and relief that the difficulty had been
localised, and that all was right again. Scarcely,
however, had rejoicing and confidence taken the
place of fear and despondency when a fresh alarm
was given, and on Saturday afternoon a total failure
in the communications was announced. The first
break down was partial and uncertain in its nature.
The second, of which the cause was totally unknown
on shore, was more startling, for the loss of insula-
tion was total. We can easily imagine the disap-
pointment and consternation at Yalentia when this
fact became known, for all over England there was
a very strong feeling of regret, independently of all
monetary or speculative interests. The enterprise
is of such a stupendous character, it is so vast in its
nature; so difficult and delicate to carry out, and so
important in its results and objects, that every in-
telligent
man follows its progress with the keenest
interest, and hopes most sincerely for its successful
accomplishment. llappily as yet there is every reason
to anticipate a final triumph. The undertaking was
known from the first to be full of difficulty. It did
not require the experience of the former failure to
convince any one that there were a hundred un-
known chances against laying a cable down under
water that was to be measured, not by fathoms, but
by miles. IV ho would count the turns and hollows
of its bed, or what eye could penetrate through that
waste of waters to reckon the dangers to which the
thread that was to unite two peoples would be ex-
posed ? Yet all these obstacles have been sur-
mounted by skill and perseverance directed by
science, and a very tolerable estimate has been
formed of the submarine route of the cable. It hal
been found by careful examination and soundings
that the greater dangers to which it is exposed
exist near shore, and that when once it is safely laid
in the deep sea there is less reason for apprehension
than at the outset. This is doubly satisfactory to
remember, because the great Eastern has now got
so far upon her way that the preliminary dangers
may be fairly considered to be over. Even this
last alarm has proved to be of a very temporary
character, since it was on Saturday afternoon that
the bulletin announcing the total loss of insulation
was issued on Sunday at 1.50 a.m. all was well
again. By yesterday morning at four o'clock seven
hundred and fifty miles were paid out, the insula-
tion was perfect, and all going on right. These
hindrances and failures teach us neither to be over-
confident nor yet to despair. They show us what
extreme caution and nicety is necessary, what rigid
precision must be observed in dealing with the
cable. A pin's head or a needle's point may frus-
trate all the effort and the outlay. At the same
time the ease and rapidity with which the error or
accident has been both times traced to its source
and completely remedied, gives full ground for hop_
ing that with a continuance of care and attention
the great work may be finally accomplished. A
few hours have sufficed to remedy a total stoppage
from whatever cause it originated, and of course
such accidents will be carefully guarded against
in the future. Whatever skill and science can do
will be done, we know, by our electricians, who are
deeply interested in the success of this vast under-
taking ; so although
neither our past nor our pre-
sent experience tends to make us over-confident,
there is every reason to believe that before very
long we shall rejoice over the triumphant aecorn-
plishmeut of the latest wonder of the world.

Last week, at Leeds, a dinner was given to Mr.
BEECROFT to celebrate his return after a protracted
struggle. In many respects this was a. great triumph,
for he was opposed by a formidable antagonist.
Mr. BEECROFT'S speech on the occesion was very
much to the purpose, and he touched upon many
subjects of interest and importance. Ile began by
saying that the old saying was realised by them,
" the end of the fray is the beginning of the feast."

The hon. member spoke with great moderation,
although he certainly had achieved a very decisive
victory after an arduous struggle. Indeed, it may
be said that, if numerically inferior to their oppo-
nents, the Conservatives have secured some
decisive victories which outweigh in importance
those of their adversaries. Lord AMBERLEY'S
rejection by the constituency at Leeds was
a stunning blow to his party, especially when he
considers that he was sent forth in pomp and cir-
cumstance of electioneering war to fight the battles
of his friends and carry terror to his enemies
with the magic of his name and the watch-

would not, come to the same conclusions respecting

,he six-pound borough franchise, but he got into a

regular " fix " between his innate wish not to go

oo far and his fright of losing his supporters. Mr.

- .
BAINES must win respect from both sides for his
consistency in keeping to his point, and for the
frank and outspoken manner in which he always

puts his profession into practice ; but it is quite

otherwise with those who halt between two opi-

nions, like Lord AMBERLEY. They only call down
ridicule and contempt upon themselves. If they

succeed in their venture, people say that they hav e
done so by a "dodge ;" and if they lose, the universal
opinion prevails that it serves them right. The
C H AIRMAN said very truly that Lord AMBERLEY, in his
next attempt at canvassing,had better go unfettered,
for in his late attempt at Leeds he put himself in
the hands of a small body, who endeavoured to ride
roughshod over the community, and he only found
out his mistake too late. Playing second to any one
is a thankless office, and seldom gains prestige or
prosperity for those who take the unwise and inju-
rious office:upon themselves. The Chairman gave
another good hint to the assembly respecting the
success -which attended Lord PAL3IERSTON in many
places. He said that the Premier had for the last
twenty years been in possession of the administra-
tion gifts in the country, " and had had all the
places to fill up." This ingenious practice had
been carried so far that the Chairman of
Mr. GLADSTONE'S committee at Oxford had
been placed in a bishopric before the election took
place. There is great truth in this summing up of
the matter :—" They were all mortals, and they
could all understand that those who were wishing
for place, and those who had places presented to
them, might in gratitude and hope be guided to
give a preference to one political leader over an-
other when they thought there was no great prin-

ciple involved."
Mr. BEECROFT laid great stress upon the fac
that the peculiar kind of trimmers had been elimi
nated from the ranks of the Conservatives, and de•
dared that the loss of such men was an advantage
Their seats were on one side of the House
and their votes were on another. The
honourable member also commented upon
the " Yankee Radicals," who have been the greatest
losers in the fray just over, and aptly described
them as " men who love America more than Eng-
land, and think her Republican institutions a better
model than those of our own limited Monarchy."
Thus Manchester has ignored the Manchester
School, and some of those who were to lead the
forlorn hope of the Maine Liquor Law are excluded
from the House altogether. Mr. BEECROFT truly
said that the Government had not much cause for
complacency or congratulation at the turn events
had taken of late. The last great act of the late
Parliament was a vote of censure on the Lord
Chancellor, and thus the House of Commons extin-
guished one of the great Whig lights, and following
their example, as the hon. member facetiously ob-
served, had snuffed out four lesser ones. The two
Chancellors have been unfortunate, for Mr. GLAD-
STONE lost Oxford notwithstanding the stupendous
exertions made to retain him in that place. In re-
viewing the losses of their adversaries, Mr. BE
anon gron f on thstrOphe in -florlzqltire
which he denominated the " most grievous of all the
election griefs," and to the mortification which the
Premier sustained in a political adversary being
returned with him for Tiverton. Iu truth, the
general election has been especially disastrous to
the Whigs in every respect. At Leeds they
met with a home thrust because their old
leader was outwitted in his earnest endeavours
to get his son returned as a representative.
It will be long before Lord AMBERLEY'S defeat is
forgotten, and while it is to be hoped that it may
impart more soundness and consistency to the noble
lord's political opinions, it nevertheless remains as a
lasting memento of the decadence of the House of
RUSSELL in influence and power. When the pre-
sent Government came into office Earl RUSSELL
was the Deus ex Maclima of the affair. Ile was
the one that was looked to for inaugurating changes
and making improvements, but the result has been
far otherwise from what was expected. He himself
regards his labours with complacency, anl advises
the people of England to rest and be thankful. It
would seem that the good townsmen of Leeds have
taken his advice a little too literally, and not relished
the alterations he proposed to them. Whatever
may be the prevailing tone of the new house, there
can be no doubt that the . days of " the higgery "
are numbered. It has run its race, and terminated
in defeat and disaster. There is nothing more
antagonistic to the spirit of Englishmen than trickery
and deceit, and these have been the prime movers,
the active agents, the propelling powers, of
the Whigs during this generation. It is
time that professions without practice, and the love
of place at the sacrifice of principle, be done away
with. And, what with one thing and another, it
seems as if the death-blow had been given, for the
disastrous defeats of the party have of late been
most significant. The Lord Chancellor obtained
much of his discredit by his devotion to Whig prac-
tices, and sanctioning the jobbery and corruption of
placemongers ; and several other affairs of recent
occurrence have tended to clear the popular distrust
of the doctrines of the party, once the greatest in
the State, but now out of repute, among the high-
minded of all classes of politicians.

The returns of the Registrar-General are always
full of curious information, from which the initiated
may draw some inferences as to the social welfare
and prosperity of the country. There is not only
the bare fact of the state of the public health, or
the increase of population, to consider, but the pre-
valence of epidemics, the number of marriages, the
average age at death, and the different rate of mor-
tality in different districts, all tell their own tale to
the social philosopher. The epidemic that has
excited so much alarm in other parts of Europe has
very littlehappilyto do with these returns as yet,
though in some parts of the kingdom outbreaks of
and fever have shown how very
smallpox, measles,
long it is before sanitary science can conquer igno-
rance and obstinacy. Hastings and Bath are not
certainly to be classed among the overcrowded or
unhealthy towns. Why, then, should they be
visited with violent attacks of zymotic disease?
Most likely there has been some neglect of ordinary
precautions in such cases ; and bad water, imperfect
drainage, have converted one or two cases of conta-
gious disease into a local epidemic. That town life,
however inferior to country life is not necessarily
unhealthy, is shown by the rate of mortality in
different places. London, despite the crowding in
some parts, is, thanks to sanitary measures, almost on
a par with the averages of the kingdom, while Bris-
tol and Birmingham, two very different towns, one
of which at least has every excuse of trade and ma-