The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 25, 1862.

pany, to be used in any such way as might seem necessary
to procure the passage through Congress of the several acts
granting lands to the territory of Minnesota, for a virtual
extension of the La Cross and Milwaukie Railroads. Only
three editors came in for a share of the plunder. On exa-
mining the lists of names of the perions bribed, it will be
found that five-sixths are of English origin, the rest being
foreigners. It was not the despised Irish or German ele-
ment of the population that furnished this body of corrup-
tion ; it was not English born, of course ; an Englishman
standi a niciet infinitesimal chance of getting any office, or
of obtaining the people's votes, in the North.especially.
Nor did the South contribute any of its English descended
population to the list of bought and sold freemen. I E 12.8 no
reason to doubt that full half of these persons were genuine
Yankees, and more than a quarter more of them Northerners
of Yankee origin. In England we are in the habit of attri-
buting American wrong-doings, excitements; and rascali-
ties to the mob;' but in this case it need not be proved the
mob had no hand in the foul business : nor has it generally,
These things are the work of highly-respectable persons,
ho, when at home, are most of them attendants or ' mem-
bers of the Church,' as the phrase is, The Wisconsin Le-
gislature adjourned without taking any steps to redeem the
character of the State from all these infamies ; and the public
wealth in land thus, and in other ways, becomes a public
curse."

in your lengthened article one syllable to induce me to
change my opinion on either of these two points."
Mr. nackett quotes letters from Roman Catholic priests
in L►ncashire, to prove the depth of the distress there. One
of these appeals on behalf of 5,500 of his co-religionists, all
Irish, who are suffering. The mayor then vigorously pro-
ceeds :

"Why, the amount remitted from Ireland-10,000,
cuts but a paltry figure besides the munificent subscriptions
given in England ; yet it is an evidence that Ireland is not
ungrateful. It is an ungracious task to speak of oneself,
but your recommendation to me to look amongst the lanes
and garrets of my own town forces me to tell you that I
have not waited for your suggestion to give it practical
effect. In the early portion of the year I was chairman of
our local relief committee, and was for days and nights en-
gaged in preparing to set its members at work on their
mission of charity. In that noble cause Catholic, Pro-
testant, Quaker, Presbyterian, and Unitarian all united.
We went through lanes and into garrets, and had the satis-
faction of bringing comfort to many an abode of sorrow.
For to-morrow I have summoned our local relief committee
again to assemble in order that when the Christmas time
shall come around they may bring relief to many a humble
fireside. My sympathy, then, you will see, was not wholly
expended on Lancashire. The subscription I gave to that
fund is not a tithe of what I have quietly devoted to the
cause of suffering at home within the past year, and when
you leave the issue to be decided by my fellow townsmen, I
cheerfully accept, the responsibility and abide their verdict.
Will you excuse me for not entering more fully into the
' sensation' portion of your long articley I have shown
you that if we did not, as you assert, make any remittance
to the Mansion-House Irish Distress Committee, it was be-
cause we had many pressing claims upon us at home; but
you will permit me to observe that if those who did not do
so subscribe are really to be visited with all the pains and
penalties so magniloquently prescribed by you, you should,
as a matter of stern justice, include in the list the editor of
the Morning News, for in the report of that committee,
though Mr. A. M. Sullivan's name appears as a member of
the body, it does not figure in the columns headed s d."
The day is past for dictating to intelligent and liberal-
minded Roman Catholics like Mr. Hackett. They will not
suffer such interference. The Lord Bishop of Cashel, in a
letter to the press, announces that he has transmitted £9OO
from his diocese to Manchester. In 1846 and 1847, he adds,
he received from England the sum of £1,546 for distribu-
tion among his poor, audit is a great gratification to him
to be able to send back more than half the amount then
liberally sent him.
The Cork Reporter, a Roman Catholic journal, thus draws
the picture of The O'Dunoghue, in connection with the re-
cent proceedings at Tralee ;—" Except the vain and weak-
minded young man, who, as the tool of more designing
persons, occupied the foremost place in endeavouring to
mar the object of the meeting, not a single person of the
class to whom the epithet ' respectable' is applied, joined in
that discreditable proceeding. TLe 0' Donoghue, of course,
is capable of any folly, and tie attempt to teach him sense
or discretion would be a hopeless one. Having had the mis-
fortune to inherit one of thosetraditionary chieftainries that
conferred station and influeme in a semi- barbarous period
of our history, and nearly allied to the man who, in our own
time, swayed in so marvellots a way the popular mind of
Irslsnd, he imagines that hisproper role is that of an Irish
patriot, and that, by enactiaf it, he canaacquire somewhat
of importance before the ebpire. We believe the young
man has nothing vicious in tis disposition, and we acquit
him of any deliberate intent3n to work mischief. Morbid
vanity and utter want of cormon sense constitute his sole
qualifications for mischief. But these are just the qualifi-
cations that make a man a tangerous tool in the hands of
others. In. times. like those in which we live, he can of
course prove dangerous in b other way than by compro-
mising to seine extent the rputation of his country in the
estimate of wise and thou htful men. On two or three
previous occasions he idenified himself with movements
eminently tending to this rtult. And his appearance the
other day in his native comty to oppose its most respected
inhabitants in a work of pkanthropic duty was only what
might have been expected rom his singularly silly ante-
cedents."

COMMERCL4L TRIVELLE.RS' SCHOOLS

On Tuesday night the auiversary dinner in aid of the
funds of this institution tok place at the London Tavern,
under the presidency of Vestern Wood, Esq., one of the
members for the City. Tis, hon. gentleman was supported
by Mr. Alderman and Shoff Lawrence, Messrs. G. Stock-
dale, Thomas Roberts, Johz Angell, C. Blowers, C. Esse,N.
B. Gunton, G. Hewett, J.L. Boothby, Robinson Fridley,
W. M'Culloeh, Wm. HoltJ. H. Hughes, Thomas Parkes,
and sJveral former pupils)/ the institution, who have now
become subscribers to itsfunds.

The following firms inthe hop trade were represented :
Wood, Field, and Hanbtry, Selmes, Masters, and Taylor,
Pattenden and Smith, larlow and Ashbp, Thomas Parkes
and Son, West, Jones, all Whitehead, Kitchin and Turn-
bull, Thornton, Kennedy and Co., G. Hewitt and Co., the
Hop Planters' Company Woolloton and Soa.
This institution was originated in 1856 by a few commer-
cial travellers, who in tlat year appealed to the body, and in
a few months received £2,000 from it alone. Within 18
months a suitable house was leased at Wanstead, and 20
children placed in it, lancbr the superintendence of a master
and matron. The rapid increase of the work made a removal
necessary, and a building,expressly designed fur the insti-
tution, was erected at Pinner, and opened by his Royal
Highness the late Prince r.lonscrt on the 27th Oct., 1855,
and has since continued to increase in usefulness.

The usual loyal and patriotic toasts having been proposed
and honoured with great enthusiasm,the children—girls and
boys—were introduced into the room by Mr. Angell, the
senior member of the board, under the direction of the
matron and master, and their healthy, happy, neat appear-
ance elicited hearty and general commendation and ap-
plause. They were then marched into the gallery, and
having sung a hymn in cho'us very creditably—
The CHAIRMAN rose to ?repose the toast of the evening
amidst much applause. 31e was glad to hear the words
"Prosperity to the Commercial Travellers' Schools" so
favourably received, and he hoped, after they had listened
to the few words he had to say, that they would hear the
rustling of bank notes as thEy had just heard the clapping
of hands and the chink of glasses. (Cheers and laughter.)
It was not necessary that hi should say much in support of
the institution. To those wh) were unacquainted with it he
would simply say—Go dowi to Pinner and see for your-
selves. They would, if they did so, see a building—a sub-
stantial building, unadorned )37 any meretricious ornament.
They would end it within admirably adapted for the pur-
poses for which it was intended, not only with regard to
the instruction, but the comfort and health of the inmates.
They would find an admirable master and assistants fully
qualified fur their work. The girls received an education
which would fit them for the positions they were likely to
fill in after life. The boys got an education which embraced
reading, writing, ciphering, mathematics, and Latin, to an
extent which would be of use to them in after life, espe-
cially in thoroughly mastering the grammar of t he English
language. They were also well grcunded in French, which
he regarded as a most valuable branch of education. He had
gone down to Pinner last Saturday, without the slightest
note of preparation to those in charge of the school, and
therefore he had seen the institution in its natural and nor-
mal state. He found the pupils enjoying a partial holiday,
however, and could not say what the ordinary routine was,
but he found some of them engaged in decorating the place
for the Chri-tmas ho'idays, and very tastefully they were
doing it. Others were engaged in amateur and voluntary
educational exercises. He had looked at the mathematical
exercises, but had not closely examined the pupils, for fear
of being plucked by them. (Laughter.) But, without boast•
ing, he might say he thought his knowledge of French en-
titled him to say that the translations from English into
French, and French into English, were very well done. The
original compositions were also very striking, especially
when the ages of the boys were taken into consideration.
They all knew the value of a sound commercial educatton,
and he hoped the children now before him would avail
themselves to the fullest extent of the advantages which
this admirable charity offered them. It was of the highest
importance that the schools should be placed on a sound
and permanent footing. He was well acquainted with the
spirit and energy of the commercial travellers as a class, and
therefore he believed they would take care of the institu-
tion. He had had some experience in the calling himself.
When he was a very young man, he was sent out for his
father's house, but it was found he was not the right man
in the right place, for he was never set out again. (Laugh-
ter.) Still, his experience had given him a knowledge of
the class of commercial travellers, and of the energy by
which they were characterised, and in behalf of his own
firm he could testify strongly to their honour, integrity, and
value 'He would, however, have no objection again to
become a commercial traveller, and to make the circuit of
the room in behalf of the Commercial Travellers' Schools.
The toast was drunk with all the honours.

The next toasts were "The Chairman," " The Lord
Mayor, Sheriffs, and Corporation of London," " The Board
of Mengement," "Mr. George Moore, the Treasurer,"
and other toasts were proposed and honoured.
The subscriptions announced in the course of the even-
ing amounted to nearly £i,ooo, of which £5OO were in the
chairman's list.

The musical arrangements, under Mr. Donald King, in-
cluded Miss Poole, Mr. Coward, and Mr. Lawler, and gave
great satisfaction.
Mr. Harker was toastmaster, and the dinner sustained
the high reputation of the Lyndon Tavern.

Private advices from the Canaries have been
received at Cadiz, stating that the yellow fever at Tene-
rife is on the decline.

, [AD V EIITISEMEFT. J—Holloway's Pills.—Noxious Air.—
khe effects of impure air on the human body are so delete •
nips that all f.
posed to it become uneasy and languid,
with headache, difficulty of breathing, oppression at the
heart, and general debility. Holloway's Pills are the best
known remedies for these symptoms; they discharge from
the blood all the impurities which had gained admission
into it from
foul air in its passage through the lungs
they strengthen the powers of the heart and regulate the
circulation. At the same time they rouse the depressed
ner you's system by exPolling all poisonous matters from the
springs of life, and refreshing every organ with a pure
vital steeam without incurring any great expense or en-
tailing any shock on the constitution.

THE LICENSING SYS7EM.

DEPUTATION TO SIR GEORGE GREY.

On Tuesday a deputation waited upon Sir G. Grey,at the
Home-office, for the purpose of presenting a memorial on
the licensing question. The deputation consisted of Mr. E.
Backhouse, Sunderland; Mr. B. Whitworth, Manchester;
the Rev. J. Burns, D 3)., London ; Mr. Councillor Thomp-
son, Manches er ; the Rev. D. Burns, London ; and Messrs.
J. 11. Raper, Manchester; J. H. Cotteroll, Bath; and Chas.
Jupe, of Mere, Wiltshire.

Mr. BACK ti 0 tiSE read and presented a memorial, of which
the following is the substance :

Intemperance, crime, and pauperism are affected by the
increase or diminution of facilities for the consumption of in-
toxicating liquors, and the demoralisation and impoverish,
ment of the community bear a proportion to the number of
public-houses, spirit-vaults, and beershops. The memo-
rialists regard with interest and hope the prospect of Govern-
ment introducing a comprehensive measure on the subject
next session. They are convinced that all past legislation
abundantly praves the impossibility of limiting or regula-
ting a system so essentially mischievous in its tendencies.
While they approve of any reduction of the numbers of
houses, or limitation of the hours of sale, they submit that
the licensing system, involving, as it does, the right of the
people to protect themselves from the consequences of the
sale of intoxicating liquors, the forthcoming measure should
include clauses enabling the inhabitants of any district to
determine whether the licensing powers should be inopera-
tive in their locality, A veto vested in the people would be
a just complement to such a measure ; and as it should be
supported by an unmistakable public opinion, immunity
from the traffic should be secured only when two-thirds of
those voting decide in its favour. Many noblemen and
landowners have already prohibited the sale of strong drinks
on their estates with gratifying results. But, seeing that
all classes suffer from the traffic, the power to veto should
not be confined to wealthy landowners. They, therefore,
pray that the forthcoming measure may provide, " that
any parish or township where the majority of two-thirds
so determine, may be exempted from the operation of the
provisions for licensing the sale of intoxicating liquors."
The memorial was signed by the chairman and officers of
the United Kingdom Alliance.
Sir G. GREY—I do not quite understand how you mean
this scheme to operate. Who are the persons who are to
vote on this subject ? how are they to vote ? and on what
occasions ? Take a township or parish ; suppose an applica-
tion is made by a person to the magistrates to open a public-
house within it, in what way is the scheme to work ? Is
there to be convened a meeting of the whole parish ? What
is your view of the modus operandi, putting aside for a
moment the policy of the proposal ?
Mr. RAPER—Does your question apply to single licences ?
Sir G. GREY—I will put it in any way you like. I want
some explanation of the scheme. As it stands, no licence
is to be granted without the approval of two-thirds—it does
not say whether of the whole inhabitants ; 1 want to know
how you propose to bring that praclically into operation.

Mr. RAPau said that the memorial bore upon the mea-
sure which it was expected was being prepared to consoli-
date all the laws relating to the sale of intoxicating liquors,
and it did not refer to the Permissive Bill of the United
Kingdom Alliance. The memorial prayed that some fran-
chise, to be defined hereafter—say the owners and occupiers
—should have the power to render the provisions of the
expected measure inoperative in any particular district ; and
the operation of such a clause would be tantamount to the
operation of the Permissive Bill.
Sir G. GREY --Do you mean that, once for all, the owners
as well as occupiers in any parish are to be convened, and
by a resolution carried by a majority at such a meeting they
are to deprive that parish of the possibility of having any
licence granted for the sale of intoxicating liquors for ever ?
Mr. RAPER—It is the desire of the United Kingdom
Alliance that we should have the power of putting a veto of
that description upon the entire sale, precisely as a land-
owner is now able to do on his own estate.

Sir G. GREY—Do you mean that the meeting is to de-
prive the parish of the possibility of having a licensed house
within it for an indefinite time ?
The Rev. Dr. BURNS said that the veto would extend to
the periods over which it was proposed that the new bill
shou d operate.
Sir G. GREY—That veto would be permanent ?
_ _

The Rev. Dr. BURNS—No; it would probably be annual:
a meeting would be convened annually, either to continue
the veto or to remove it.

Sir G. GREY—I stated last year, when the debate took
place upon Mr. Lawson's motion, the objections to this pro-
posal. It is not like compelling a minority to contribute to
the maintenance of baths and washhouses, or any institu-
tion which the majority think to be useful. Here it is pro-
posed that, by a bare majority of the owners and occupiers
of any parish or district, the minority, which may consist
of many thousands, are to be debarred altogether from ob-
taining what are called intoxicating liquors, which, if used
to excess, no doubt are intoxicating, and are too often
fruitful in crime, but which, if used temperately, are not
open to that objection. You are proposing to interfere with
the free agency of larga numbers of your fellow-citizens and
fellow-subjects, and to deprive them of the useof what can-
not be said to be evil, although the abuse of it leads to evil.
I am afraid that, even if the scheme were sanctioned by
Parliament, the effect would be to drive people to obtain
liquors in a way which would be more objectionable than
the present one, because free from all restraint.

Mr. RAPER—You are thinking of the consumers ; but no
act of Parliament provides that houses shall be established.
A return to Parliament, obtained •on the motion of Mr.
Dunlop. shows that there are, in Scotland 104 parishes
without a licensed house in them, and 144 entirely with-
out public drinking houses.
Sir G. GREY—The nonexistence of a public-house in
any township or small parish is no proof that the people
living in it have no legitimate access to a public-house to
obtain beer.

Mr. RAPER—There is no law providing that such houses
shall be opened ; and if a number of landowners in con-
tiguous parishes agree to have no such houses on their
estates, the result is the same as it would be under a veto
by the inhabitants.

Sir G. GREY—Clearly; but there is no provision in the
law that there shall be a grocer's, a baker's, or a butcher's
shop, although tenants are sometimes prevented opening
them by clauses in leases, the object of which is to keep a
district clear of shops; and still there is no place where
there are not such shops within roach of the inhabitants.
Mr. RAPER—Precisely ; because the law does not for-
bid them.

Sir G. GREY—They are precisely on the same footing as
public-houses, which, however, are liable to greater restric •
tions, because nobody can open one without complying with
certain conditions. These may be insufficient or inadequate,
but that is not the qusstion. The only question is whether
you shall establish a principle which does not exist—that a
majority of the inhabitants are to have the power of abso-
lutely precluding the minority from the possibility of ob-
taining the most convenient access to an article of trade.

Mr. RAPER remarked that a veto upon the sale of intoxi-
cants already existed ; but, instead of commencing with
the people it rested with the quarter sessions ; and at the
Preston quarter sessions three magistrates had overruled
the decision of 14 magistrates at Blackburn, and had
granted licences which had been refused in petty sessions.
Sir G. GREY—The magistrates at Blackburn thought
that there were plenty of public-houses, and they objected
to increase their number for that year only—but they did
not say that there should be none. Did they go the length
of refusing to renew existing licences ?
Mr. RAPER—No; but at Runcorn, the magistrates,
adopting the theory that, as are the facilities for obtaining
drink, so are the results, reduced the number of existing
licences by five or six, and at the quarter sessions at Kirk-
dale the decision of the load magistrates was reversed.

Sir G. GREY—Do you propose that.this veto, supposing
it to be carried by a majority, should apply to the renewal
of licences as well as to the granting of new ones ?

Mr. RAPER—I hat is our desire.

The Rev. Dr. BuuNs--Whilst rejoicing in any measure
that will reduce the number, our object is to do more by the
will of the people, and not by a mere majority.

Mr. RAPER explained that the definition of the consti-
tuency in whom the veto should be vested was a point of
detail. They did not care how extensive the suffrage was.
The lower it went the better, for even the victims of intem-
perance were with them. Last session there were 272,399
petitioners for the power asked in the memorial.

Sir G. GREY—I entirely sympathise with you in the de-
sire that drinking should be checked, although differing
from you as to the means proposed to accomplish that ob-
ject. We must look to practical means.
Mr. JUPE, a large employer of labour in the west of Eng-
land, said that matters had reached such a state that the
Government must really come to the aid of the well-dis-
posed part of the community. The beerhouse system was
raising up a class of men with whom in boyhood they were
not familiar, and recent crimes indicated the deepening de-
moralisation of tha people.

Sir G. GuEv—We do not differ as to drinking being the
cause of crime, but we differ as to the best mode of checking
the evil.

Mr. JUPE—Uan we be protected ? Every beerhouse is
demoralising a dozen or twenty families.

Sir G. GREY—Are you sure that the parish of Frome,
which you have mentioned, would by a vote of the majority
of the ratepayers or owners give you the protection you
think you could g,t in a veto

JUPE—Thereis a strong and growing feeling amongst
the well-disposed that something must be done.
Sir G. GREY—Do you trace crimes to particular houses
which are disorderly, and which might be proceeded against
under the existing law ?

Mr. Jut' —When a complaint is made there is a difficulty
in obtaining a conviction, There seems to be a shield thrown
around the trade. As a Sunday school teacher for 30 years,
I see too plainly that the work I do is counteracted by temp-
tations; and I am confident that, sooner or later, the public
must speak out on this question.
Sir G. GREv—I am not defending the present system.
The question is whether your view of total prohibition is a
practical view, and whether other mesas may not be taken
to correct evils for the absolute extinction of which I do not
think we can look.
Mr. Jtil'n mentioned the formation of a total abstinence
society among.t the clergy, and the establishment by them
of a monthly periodical.
Sir (j, Ultra—The clergy and others who are endeavour-

ing to check evil are entitled to every consideration and re-
spect, and to every legitimate assistance that Government
and Parliament can give them. The only question really
is, what is practicable ? I should say of the scheme you
propose that the probability is it would not be elfoctual,
even if Parliament should sanction it ; but that is a matter
of opinion, and you are entitled to form an opinion as well
as myself.
Mr. BACKHOUSE urged that the trade in drink was an
exceptional trade.
Sir G, GHEY—That is quite clear ; it is treated as an ex-
ceptional trade by Parliament.

Mr. RAPER remarked that the-possibility of a veto being
exercised would have a salutary effect. Speaking of the re-
commendations of Mr. Villiers' committee, the Alliance
executive said that the proposal of licence by mere payment
to the Excise would lose its terrors if the countercheck of
locally exercised public opinion were secured,because houses
would not be misconducted when indignation could make
itself felt by the entire destruction of publichouse property
within a district. In Manchester the Watch Committee
considered themselves fairly beaten by the beerhouses.
Mr. Councillor THOMPSON said that was the case. Police-
men were tampered with and convictions could not be ob-
tained. The ward of St. John's, containing some of the
worst neighbourhoods in the town, had been fairly can-
vassed on the veto principle ; and the householders were ten
to one in favour of its adoption.
Mr. COTTERELL said a churchwarden had told him of one
public-house that was producing nine paupers annually.
Speaking as a land agent, he said it was now a common
occurrence on the sale of land for building purposes to stipu-
late that.no publichouse should be.erected or opened upon it;
and he had not heard that any inconvenience had resulted.
Sir G. GREY remarked that under the present system the
magistrates were not precluded from giving due weight to
the wishes of the ratepayers.
Mr. RAPER replied that it was difficult, if not impossible,
to induce them to give effect to those wishes, and that the
magistrates had no power over the beer-houses. At Saltaire,
near Bradford, the property of Mr. Titus Salt, where there
was a population of 3,000, there was not a licensed.house ;
and Mr. Bazley, M.P., in laying out an estate near Bolton,
had taken care that the nearest publichouse should be a
mile away from his tenants.
Sir G. GREY—If your scheme were carried out in Brad-
ford, and there were no publichouses or beerhouses there,
then an inhabitant of Saltaire, who now sends three miles
or one mile for drink, would not be able to get it, and thus
thus the inhabitants of Saltaire would be excluded from a
legitimate enjoyment without having a voice in the decision
that was arrived at.

Mr. RAPER replied that their present deprivation was
more unsatisfactory than one could be in which they had a

voice.

Sir G. GREY said he was much obliged to the deputation
for the expression of their opinions, and the statement of the
object they had in view.
The deputation thanked Sir George Grey for the patience
with which he had listened to them, and then withdrew.