The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-01 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1865.

The meeting which was held at Chester last
night, for the purpose of hearing Mr. W. H. GLAD-
STONE, was favoured by a speech from the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, who spoke in support of
his son. The right hon. gentleman was well re-
ceived, and spoke with great animation. The occa-
sion was an interesting one, and all must have
sympathised with his feelings in thus presenting his
son as a candidate to the electors. Election
speeches are always awkward affairs, and on this
occasion Mr. GLADSTONE had more than ordinary
difficulties to deal with, for many local disputes had
arisen and conflicting interests of party interposed
to make confusion worse confounded. In the first
place, there are three candidates in the field for a
single seat, which, of course, complicates matters
greatly. Mr. GLADSTONE appears to have exer-
cised more discretion • than is often shown by the
members of his party, for he refused to sanction
his son's coming forward until he was tolerably
certain of success, so that the interests of the
party might not be damaged by inadvertency. Cer-
tainly the claims of Mr. W. GLADSTONE rest upon
a surer basis than that of his rival in the field
on the same side of politics, for the former has
been presented with a requisition signed by up-
wards of ' eight hundred of the consti-
tu ency, so that he has a fair reason
to entertain hopes. Mr. GLADSTONE is always
great in parrying attacks, and last night was no ex-
ception to the :rule. Mr. RAIKES is hardly dealt
with to have so great a master of oratory coming
forward to demolish his efforts and combat his
assertions. Mr. RAIKES stated that for the last six
years there had been no Government in this coun-
try, but Mr. GLADSTONE translates this assertion
by saying that the fact is there has been no Govern-
ment which Mr. RAIKES approved of. When Mr.
GLADSTONE goes on to sound the praises of his col-
leagues he is not so successful as in putting down
his opponents: He says that Lord PALMERSTON
had established a world-wide reputation, which is
certainly correct so far, but when he proceeds to
declare that "if medals were given for political
services Lord RUSSELL'S breast would be covered
with distinction," we must question the veracity
of his assertion in all conscience, for no Minister
for Foreign Affairs has ever been more unpopular
than the present one, or more unsuccessful in repre-
senting the feelings of the country. What could
have been more inimical to the popular sentiments
than the course pursued with respect to Denmark?
and our dealings with Americans have been any-
thing but consonant to the national ideas of justice
and honour. If the Ministers are going to the
country with the cry of the glories of the Foreign-
office they will be leaning on a broken reed, in
truth ; and the more they find out their mistake,
and seek some more profitable weapons for their
armoury, the better it will be for their chance of
success in the combat. Mr. GLADSTONE was, of
course, in his element when he got upon the con-

genial topic of the commercial treaty with France,

and could fire away at Mr. RAIKEs with all his
strength. He believed half of whathis opponent said,
he declared, as to the treaty disappointing both its
friends and its enemies. It must be admitted, how-
ever, that all is not so satisfactory as the Chancellor
of the Exchequer affirms in respect to this Treaty,
and that some parts of its Jetails are open to cen-
sure, where too exclusive and one-sided arrange-
ments have been made. In the zeal of its framers
to get the measure carried at any cost they had not
the firmness to insist upon an equality between the
two countries, as they ought to have done, and
many disadvantages have thus accrued, while dis-
credit has attached itself to a good cause. When

Mr. GLADSTONE plumes himself upon some of the
results of this Treaty, and in glowing terms
declares that " millions upon millions have been
added to the profits of capital, the reward
of skill, and the honest payment of labour," he
omits to notice the classes that have been wronged
and injured by the unwise and unwarrantable ad-
vantages afforded to the French to the detriment of
our own countrymen. Mr. GLADSTONE affirmed
that a Government was happiest when it was able
to devise means for " raising the condition, and
increasing the happiness of the great body of the
country," but it would seem that no administrators
were sent very eager to indulge themselves in that

felicitous occupation, for they are positively doing

nothing, at present, and the " Treaty" which has
had to do such good service to give effect to Mr.

GLADSTONE'S speech is of five years' date already,
and has surely done its work in the countless
places where it has shone as a star of magnitude to
gild the path of Ministerial manceuvring. Mr.
GLADSTONE thinks that if Government is to be car-
ried on successfully it must be by men who have
been trained to it from their youth upwards ; but
there may be some modifications of this rule with
great advantage. Those who look upon office as
the aim and object of existence are too often apt
to think it a sine qua non, and not to care over much
how it is acquired and kept when obtained. On
the other hand, the administration of the affairs of
State may be ably effected by men whose minds are
trained by early attention to business into habits of
care and thought, and who think the tenure of office
an event in life, and not its only goal of interest
and excitement. Mr. GLADSTONE spoke rather
vaguely of the franchise, but seemed to imply that
he should wish to • see it greatly. extended.
The right hon. gentleman has made a dashing ven-
ture to get his son in as the representative of
Chester ; and many who differ widely from the
Chancellor of the Exchequer as a financier and a
Minister will sympathise with his natural desire to
inaugurate his son into that political arena and in-
troduce him to that Parliamentary careeer in which
he himself is such a shining light, and where he has
gained for himself a name and a reputation that
belong to history.

It is said on good authority that the mission of
the Canadian delegates to this country has been in
every way satisfactory, and that a complete unity
of feeling has been established between the Imperial
Government and the representatives of the colonial
interests on the important subject of the colonial
defences. The fortification of Quebec and Mon-
treal has been" decided upon, and the general de-
fence of the country also provided for. It is said
too, that the delegates expressed thiuselves