The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-20 00:00:00

WEST HARTLEPOOL.

A special meeting of this company was held yes-
terday at the London Tavern, Mr. Sanbach in the
chair.

The-CHAIRMAN moved that a bill for the amalgama-
tion of the undertaking of the West Hartlepool Har-
bour and Railway Company and the Cleveland
Railway Company with that of the North-Eastern
Railway, and for other purposes, be approved. He
congratulated the proprietors on this bill having
passed the House of Commons, and made certain
progress in the House of Lords. He did not antici-
pate there would be any objection to the motion he
had made.

Mr. DEBB seconded the motion.
Mr. J. R. TAYLOR moved an amendment to the
effect that the terms proposed were quite inadequate
to the interests of the company.

Mr. J. HERDLE seconded the amendment.

Mr. BROGDEN supported the motion, which, on a
show of hands, was carried, the mover and seconder
of the amendment only voting in opposition.

A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the
proceedings.

CLEVELAND.

A special meeting of this company was held yes-
terday at the London Tavern ; Mr. Chaloner in the
chair.

The CHAIRMAN proposed the approval of a bill for
the amalgamation of the undertaking of the West
Hartlepool Harbour and Railway Company and the
Cleveland Railway Company-with that of the North
Eastern Railway Company, and for other purposes;
and also a bill for the amalgamation of the under-
taking of the Cleveland Railway Company with that
of the North Eastern Railway Company, and to
enable the latter company to construct branch rail-
ways in the North Riding of Yorkshire ; and to
abandon portions of the authorised line.

The motion was adopted, and the proceedings
terminated.

RAILWAY BILLS•

The
f
dolsloy
wesintegrdbaillys:_wverize.,plsesednyindecormiemrituteressmof.
ways), the Coventry Central Station and Southern
Junction, the Okehampton, and the North Eastern.
In Group 8, the case of the Skipton, Wharfdale,
and Leyburn Junction Bill was completed. In
Group 9, the case of the Lancashire and Yorkshire
Bill was proceeded with. In Group 10, the case
of the London and North-Western (New Works,
&c., England, and Scotland) Bill was proceeded
with. In Group 12, the case of the Drayton Junc-
tion Bill was proceeded with. The Wolverhampton
and Walsall Bill being unopposed, was referred to
the general committee. In Group 14, the cases of
the Severn Junction and of the South Wales and
Great Western Direct Bills were proceeded with.
In Group 17, the case of the Comber and Grey
Abbey Bill was commenced. In Group 22, the con-
sideration of the Caledonian and Scottish Central
Amalgamation Bill was continued. In Group 24,
the Dumfries, Lochmaben, and Lockerby Junction
and Caledonian Companies Bill being unopposed,
was referred to the general committee, as was also
that of the Ayr and Douglas Junction. The :case
of the Glasgow and South Western (additional
Powers) Bill was proceeded with.

• SON'S
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re-
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All articles are marked the lowest prices in plain figures.
returned
Any article not approved of will be exchanged, or the money
List of Prices
Card, and our new Fashion
with Rules for Self-measurement, i
Pamphlet, " The Philosophy of Dress," I gratis and post free.

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1865.

The brief answer returned by Lord PALMERSTON
to the question put by Mr. GRIFFITH last evening
is not likely to give much satisfaction out of doors.
Public indignation has been very strongly excited by
President JOHNSON'S Proclamation, and the mean
attempt to fasten the stigma upon a high-minded
and unfortunate antagonist. This feeling has not
been called forth in England alone, but in France
it has been strongly manifested, and those most
opposed to active intervention felt that a joint pro-
test by the two Great Powers was no more than
might reasonably be expected. The best friends of
the Northern States must, indeed, be the most
inclined to regret this grave political mis-
take, and must be doubly anxious that
JEFFERSON DAVIS may succeed in eluding the
vigilance of his pursuers, and so save the Federal
cause the indelible disgrace of his judicial murder.
In New York itself astonishment and disgust have
been the prevailing sentiments, and Messrs.
JOHNSON and STANTON will not find such ready
credence for their " evidence" as they may perhaps
expect. The Americans themselves would certainly
not feel any surprise, nor would the better class feel
any annoyance, at such a protest as this outrageous
proclamation seems loudly to call for. But, not-
withstanding all this, Lord PALMERSTON returns
the stereotyped answer that it is not the intention
of the Government " to attempt an intervention in
the internal affairs of the United States."
The only " intervention" which Mr GRIFFITH had
referred to was a representation to the Government
of the 'United States with respect to the treatment
of the Scuthern leaders ; but even such an effort
demanded too much courage on the part of the
English Ministry. They would probably see Mr.
JEFFERSON Davis and half his colleagues in the
Confederate Government hung without a word of
remonstrance, and appear to have adopted the
comfortable theory that if they do not take any
part in a transaction they are quite irresponsible as
to the results, forgetting that there is a responsibi-
lity
,of omission as well as of commission.
If we see a strong man standing idly
by, the spectator of a murde; or a high-
way robbery, we do not acquit him of
complicity in the crime, however much he may
plead the duty of " non-intervention." England,
as one of the strongest and most independent coun-
tries in the world, is gaining something of this
reputation under the new RUSSELL foreign
policy. But, in point of fact, when one
party is of treble size and strength to the other
the non-intervention becomes something more
than [mere negative assistance. It did not need
much political foresight to see the result of a
struggle between Austria and Prussia on the one
hand, and Denmark unaided on the other. In
America, however, we have not been satisfied with
inaction—our left-handed neutrality has been all
on one side ; and, under cover of an anxious desire
to avoid embroiling ourselves with either party, we
have refused to receive the Southern delegates, we
have refused there permission to order ships, while
we have allowed the North to enlist as many men
as they please, to have arms and ammunition
in any quantity, and have permitted their
spies to exercise their laudable vocation in
our places of business, while we have received the
imperative directions of Mr. ADAMS with praise-
worthy docility. In fact, the fear of irritating or
offending the Government of the United States has
grown into a positive mania, and every other conside-
ration seems to be second to it, as we generally find,
when parents spoil their children, offence is con-
tinually taken when least intended. The Americans
have been very like spoiled children, and their long
course of unbroken prosperity, their great talents
and wonderful energy have fostered in them that
feeling of self-satisfaction, and possibly of arrogance
in which they are not naturally deficient. What-
ever tone they may assume towards this country,
the wise and enlightened among them cannot respect
us the more for our timorous concessions. In private
life we often see a hesitating, uncertain person give
far more offence by his vacillation than the most out-
spoken and straightforward man of decision, and it is
much the same with nations as with individuals. The
Americans are now pursuing a shadow. They are
dreaming of the reconstruction of one great Repub-
lic, when the only marvel was that the incongruous
elements held together so long. Its very size was
weakness. No great country has ever succeeded in
maintaining a Republican power of Government.
The experiment has been often enough tried, and
insufficient diveriity of race, country, and circum-
stance, to make it worth even an American's while
to learn from the experience of the Old World.
Greece, Rome, Italy, France, all have tried and
failed. Why then should America hope to succeed
when the immense extent of her terri-
tories, the absence of any one strong,
uniting feeling, and the discordant elements
at work within her are all sources of disunion. A
country like Switzerland, retired and insignificant,
may, perhaps, find in such a system peace and
security, but for the American States, any one of
which might serve for a European kingdom,
the attempt to maintain such a slender
tie is like the effort to bind the strong
man with the green withes. Even in the German
Confederation, of which we hear so much, we see
what it comes to, the dominance of the strong over
the weak, the virtual supremacy of Austria and
Prussia, a supremacy possibly tending to a
rupture,
and a consequent struggle. With the
form of the American Government we have, how-
ever, nothing to do, but as regards our own deal-
ings with them we have much to answer for.
There is no doubt that the policy of the English
Cabinet of late years has greatly tended to weaken
our prestige across the Atlantic. It would not be
difficult to persuade the American people that we
would tamely submit to the appropriation of
Canadian soil, but, on the other hand, our own
population is becoming irritated at the manner in
which they are represented by their