The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVEN

LONDON, TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1865.

0---

Election speeches are still most abundant ; and
although there is certainly ipt very much in them
of a novel character, still they afford subjects of
interest to dwell upon. In Berkshire great excite-
ment prevails, there being so many candidates in
the field. The proceedings at the nomination were
carried on in a very good-natured manner, although
several interruptions took place of an amusing
character. At East Suffolk no opposition was made
to the return of the Conservative candidates. Sir
FITZROY KELLY made an interesting speech, which
met with great applatfse. He criticised the course
pursued by the present Government, and asked
what it had done to merit the confidence of the
country. As for the question of the franchise, they
had done absolutely nothing during six years, al-
though they had commanded substantial majorities.
" Had they not a right to ask why Government had
not brought in a bill for the extension of the fran-
chise ?" He further said that Lord DERBY'S Go-
verinnent had done far more to entitle them to sup-
Port, since they had endeavoured honestly to pass a
Ineasure of reform, while their opponents had
shirked the " duty after insisting on the rejec-
tion of the Conservative measure. Sir FITZ-
ROY also exposed the trickery practised by
Ministers in making a pretence of supporting ex-
tensive propositions, such as Mr. BAINES'S or Loc KE
KIM'S measures, while in reality they were against
them. As for church rates, he observed with
great force that Lord PALMERSTON'S Government
ought to have introduced some bill on the subject
which would have met the difficulties of the case,
and satisfied alike Dissenters and Church people.
The answer to this is readily given. These Minis-
ters have always preferred leaving all vexed ques-
tions alone, so that when independent members
bring forward motions on the subject they can
eitfher give them the go-bye, or else rely on the aid
of the Opposition to defer them. Such a mode of
i
procedure may suit the purposes of the day, but s
quite inconsistent with the character of a working
Government. %is only surprising that more notice
should not have been taken of this during the elec-
tions, but Lord PAL3IERSTON'S prestige has not yet
entirely failed his party, and seems able to cover
many of their sins of omission and commission. In
conclusion, Sir F. KELLY reminded his hearers that
the Chancellor of the Exchequer's merits were over-
rated in many respects, and that as to the reduction
of the tea-duties, about which so much fuss was
made, the Government of Lord DERBY had pro-
posed very much the same thing.
In South Essex the candidates were very decided
in proclaiming the merits of their different parties.
Mr. BAKER, the Liberal, was most dogmatic iu his
manner of laying down the law as to the merits of his

party. According to his statement the present posi-
tion of the Liberal party is, indeed, an enviable one,
instead of being, as some have supposed, under a
cloud. He announced that he had taken " the
trouble to write down the chief doings of the
Liberal party during the last thirty-five
years, and was indignant to find his poli-
tical opponents laughing at the benefits they had
received, when they ought to show gratitude." It
is a mistake to go too far in any cause that is advo-
cated, and Mr. BAKER certainly did this, in arro-
gating to his party the merits of his friends. In
proportion to his appreciation of the merits of the
one side was his horror of the shortcomings of
the other. The Conservatives, we learn, " are a
shifty party, and say and do anything to answer.
their purpose." It is not surprising that, under the
circumstances of the case, Mr. BAKER should have
called upon the " electors to suppott him for the
Advantage of the country at large, and for the con-
tinue_ice of the blessings which proceeded from the
present MiuL7trY." Lord E. CECIL was not behind
his opponent in 51;j_rit and determination, and
he spoke out very degiledly concerning the
defalcations of Earl RUSSELL, anc:
.4ihe mistakes he
has made in his management of foreign .4 ibirL

The noble lord aptly epitomised the events of his
career, by declaring that the noble earl had
" threatened Brazil, patronised Denmark, and
cringed to America." The noble lord further
said that the present Ministry had not
fulfilled a single pledge which they had
made when they last came into power, and
he showed the truth of this in the course of his ani-
mated address. " Peace, Retrenchment, and Re-
form, reminded one," he said, " of the old story of
Much cry and little wool.' " There is great truth
in the definition here given of the means by which
we had maintained peace. It has only been done
by a system derogatory to our national honour.
" Lord RUSSELL'S foreign policy haa been a perpe-
tual system of bullying the weak and cringing to
the strong." As for retrenchment little has been
done, and the noble lord quoted very appropriately
the opinion of Mr. BRIGHT respecting the way in
which Reform had been managed, who had lately
said that the Government " had come into office
upon the question of Parliamentary Reform, and
had violated its most solemn pledges on the subject."
This, he reminded his hearers, was not a " Conser-
vative indictment," but the published address of a
supporter of the present Government, and one who
brought them in in 1859.
In West Kent there was a great deal of party
feeling displayed, and some lively sallies were ex-
changed. Mr. GATHORNE HARDY, in nominating
a candidate, paid Earl RUSSELL some questionable
compliments, and finally compared him to the
costermonger and his donkey, before which he
dangled a carrot, but as the donkey never got hold
of the carrot, so from the Liberals they would never
get a sound measure of Reform. Whether the
result of the elections now pending give the Go-
vernment a so-called majority or not, it is a ques-
tionable triumph at any rate when they have been
so roughly dealt with by many outspoken can-
didates at the different elections. It is a
great disgrace that any one friend or foe
should have it in his power to say that the men
who have been entrusted with power have so sig-
nally abused it, and now meet the country, after
the lapse of some years, having done next to
nothing, except keeping themselves in office, coute
qui caste. Whether we look to the progress of
social affairs, or at the prospect of foreign events,
we find a shuffling policy substituted for that
which made our country great, and has kept it
free. It matters not to the community whether
Liberals or Conservatives be at the head of
affairs if they are men who rightly discharge their
duties; but some are too ready to bewilder them-
selves by names, and to follow the example of him
" who to party gave up what was meant for
mankind."

There seems every reason to hope that the great
undertaking which has so long occupied the inte-
rest of both worlds will at last be safely accom-
plished. The Great Eastern is fairly on her way,
and before many weeks are passed the magic cable
will unite the two great nations of the Old and New
world. It is almost impossible accurately to cal-
culate the effect which this single line, lying fathoms
deep beneath the broad waters of the Atlantic,
will exercise upon the fortunes of the age.
The speedy communication, the rapid trans-
mission of intelligence, the vividness with
which the feelings and temper, the rumours
and the variations of one people will be re-
ported to the other, will all tend to remove in a
great degree those obstacles which differences of

circumstance and character, more than distance,
have interposed between the two branches of the
Anglo-Saxon race. Had the first cable been suc-
cessful, the American war itself might never have
taken place. The South would have known too
accurately the character of the Ministry then in
office to have relied on hearty support ; while
the North would have ascertained beyond a
doubt that the sympathies of the English people
would be on the side of independence against mock
humanity. The philanthropy which removes the
whip and the chain and leaves the slave to die of
fever and famine does not excite much enthusiasm
in this country, where we have an awkward habit
of expecting public men and parties to act up. to
their professions. But in future both countries will
be less liable to mistakes and misapprehensions ;
and while the Cabinet is sitting at Washington it
may receive intelligence from Europe that may
materially affect its deliberations. In the pre-
sent rapid course of life and politics eight
or ten days may considerably alter the position of
affairs, and for the chiefs of the State to be within
a few hours reach of the other hemisphere will be a
marvellous advantage.

We trust that, in spite of the favourable auspices
of the journey, those who are in charge of this
momentous expedition will not relax their caution,
remembering that no skill or care can be too great
for an undertaking so arduous in itself and so im-
portant in its results. PUCK'S girdle round the
earth is now veritably realised, and we hope that it
may bring in its train the blessings of peace, mutual
goodwill, and civilisation.

The excessive heat from which we have suffered
in the metropolis during the last few days may
enable us to form some idea of the condition of
our countrymen in India, although, happily for us,
we are very far from realising their standard. I
A temperature of 98 or 99 degrees is no trifle
even to an acclimatised Anglo-Indian, and
those who are new to the country must
find it extremely trying. There seems to be little
chance of obtaining relief, for the sea, which one
naturally turns to in the hope of getting a fresh breeze,
is hotter than the land. Several ships which have
put back to Bombay, owing to the violence of the
monsoon, describe the heat at sea as something
intolerable, the thermometer standing at 100 in the
shade. Under these circumstances it is not sur-
prising that the old enemies of India, cholera and
fever, should make their appearance, and if
anything were needed to impress the ' neces-
sity of sanitary reform upon the authori-
ties such a season as the p; esent would

surely do it. Even in temperate climates the heat
of summer renders double caution necessary with
respect to ventilation, drainage, food, and
water. How indispensable, then, must vigi-
lance and care be under such a sun as
is now shining in India ! No wonder
that trade and politics should be alike
dull even -without the natural reaction from the
Bombay fever of speculation. Calcutta, though
happily exempt from the financial crisis of its rival,
is so dull that the exports and imports of May are
described as less by half a million than in the cor-
responding month of last year. The financial ar-
rangements are not altogether satisfactory, seeing
that the removal of the Income Tax has greatly
reduced the Exchequer without a corresponding
gain. The Home Government objects to a loan, so
that between the rival schemes, the Bhootan war
and the restricted currency, Calcutta has some diffi-
culties to contend with. Happily, the general as-
pect of the country is flourishing, and the resources
of the interior are becoming more and more deve-
loped by the improvement of the means of commu-
nication, the extension of the railway system, and
the general impetus that has been given to Indian
commercial enterprise. The tea plantations of
Assam, Burmah, and the Himalaya valleys
promise to be a fruitful source of na-
tional wealth, as well as offering a field
for industrial occupation 1.-ih_ich will, we may hope,
help to reconcile the people to peaceLl and regular
occupation. The success of the Exhibition Which
was held in Calcutta in 1864 has given rise to a
scheme for another in 1867, and agricultural shows
are also to be held annually in different
parts of Bengal in preparation for the
grand Imperial Exhibition of Asiatic Art, Produce,
and Industry, which is in contemplation four years
hence ! The Anglo-Indians and Asiatics are de-
termined apparently to show the world what they
can do, and certainly these exhibitions give groat
encouragement to industry and art, while they
afford a good indication of the progress really
being made by the exhibitors, and of the natural
capacities of the countries represented. All these
signs indicate that our Eastern Empire is rising in
the scale of civilisation and intelligence, and the
more we can succeed in turning the attention of
the people to the cultivation of the arts
of peace the better ; it will be alike good for us
and for them. We shall do well to divert the love
of splendour and magnificence, inherent in the
Eastern mind, to the cause of industry and pro-
gress, instead of running altogether counter to it,
and thus putting difficulties in our own way. The
splendour of Sir JOHN LAWRENCE'S Durbar among
the hills was not without its influence on the wild
tribes of the borders, and wise prudent rulers will
endeavour, as far as they can, to enlist the sym-
pathies of the people under them in their govern-
ment. Viewed in this aspect the Industrial Exhi-
bitions of the East are not without their permanent
and individual value.

THE CORPORATION OF LONDON AND THE NEW
PARLIAMENT.—In the new House of Commons the
Corporation of London will be represented, indirectly at least,
by five members,—namely, three of the Court of Aldermen,
and two of its high judicial officers, Mr. Russell Gurney,
the Recorder, and Mr. Chambers, the Common Sergeant.
Numerically, however, it has neither lost nor gained by the
general election, for in the old Parliament five members of
the Court of Aldermen held scats, except towards its close,
when there were six. Of these, three voluntarily withdrew
altogether from Parliamentary life at the dissolution, viz.,
Sir James Duke, who bad represented the City of London
continuously for 16 years, Mr. Alderman Copeland, who
had been a member of the house, with the exception of a
short interval, for more than 30 years, and Mr. Alderman
Sidney, who had sat fur Stafford from 1847 to 1852, and
again from 1860. Alderman ROSe has lost his seat for South-
ampton, and Alderman James Lawrence the seat for Lam-
beth which he had held only a few weeks before the close
of Parliament. Of the old batch Alderman Salomons
is the only one who has been elected to the new house. The
new aldermen who have gained seat; are Aldermen Wm.
Lawrence and Aldermen Lusk. Alderman and Sheriff
Dakin tried to obtain a seat for Thetford against the com-
bined influence of the Duke of Grafton and the Ashbur-
ton family, but was beaten. The corporation, however,
gains another adherent in ex-Sheriff Cave, who has been
returned for Barnstaple. Since the repeated attempts
made in Parliament to reform the Corporation, and
more especially since the attack on their privileges, as
they regarded it, in the matter of the police the city
authorities have been keenly alive to the necessity of
maintaining their Parliamentary influence. It was a
principal consideration with them when they elected Mr.
Chambers to the office of Common-Sergeant that he was
a member of Parliament, though, awkwardly enough for
them, he lost his seat shortly afterwards, and has been
without one ever since until now. Mr. Russell Gurney,
who is a son of the late Baron Gurney, has not heretofore sat
in the. House of Commons. llehas the reputation of being
a man of high character, as well as an able criminal lawyer,
and in him and the Common-Sergeant, both of whom are
thoroughly conversant with the history, interests, and im-
munities of the corporation, the City will have formidable
champions in the event of any of its privileges being assailed
in the new Parliament. It has lost supporters in Mr.
Norris, who sat for Abingdon, and in Mr. Cox for Finsbury,
both of whom are members of the Court of Common Council.
With respect to the Recorder and Common Sergeant, what
will prove a gain to the corporation may result in a loss
to themselves individually, for on an average of years, as
shown by a recent return made to the Court of Common
Council, they have been in the receipt of nearly £6OO a-year
each from the corporation for services rendered as counsel,
in addition to their official salaries, that of the Recorder
being £3,000, and that of the Common-Sergeant £1,500. A
very considerable part of their surplus incomes was de-
rived from practice before parliamentary committees, but
being now precluded from that branch of the profession as
members of the House of Commons they will be so much
the losers by the change.
THE NEW BLACKFRIARS BRlDGE.—Although a
considerable portion of the old bridge has yet to be
removed, yet so much progress has been made in regard to
the foundation of the new edifice that the coffer-dam on
the Surrey side has so far been completed as to admit of
the foundation stone being laid on Thursday next, as
originally appointed. The ceremony will be similar to
that which took place in June, 1825, at the present London
bridge, when the first stone was laid by Alderman Garrett,
who was then Lord Mayor, accompanied by the usual civic
authorities, &c. His late Royal Highness the Duke of
York and the late Duke of Wellington were present on
that occasion, as also were the Earl Darnley and several
other members of the nobility, with the Bishops of London
and Chester, and the members for London and Southwark.
Upon this occasion, although it is not positive that his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge will be present,
yet, in addition to the Bishops of London and Winchester,
and many of the nobility, the whole of the metropolitan
borough representatives will be present, and the City
Volunteers will be the guard of honour. The present
temporary bridge will be entirely closed for ordinary traffic
on the day referred to ; and the procession, as well as the
numerous company invited by tickets, for whom 1000 seats
are prepared, will be admitted at an opening made from the
temporgy bridge opposite to the London, Chatham, and
Dover Railway. From thence steps covered with crimson
cloth, leading to a platform similarly decorated, protected
by awnings, and thence to a grand temporary staircase,
covered and protected in like. manner, the officials will
proceed to the stone, which, with the visitors' seats, aro
enclosed within a very largo marquee.
THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.—The
quarterly meeting of this society, instituted in 1739
for affording relief to officers (being members) of the Royal
Navy, their widows and families, under circumstances of
misfortune and consequent distress, was held yesterday at
Willis's Rooms, St. James's, Admiral Sir Peter Richards
in the chair. The Secretary read the minutes of the last
quarterly meeting, and donations were announced of £1
from Major Rod and Captain Tracey. A letter was read
from General Knollys, addressed to Lord Colchester, as
also his lordship's letter to the secretary thereupon, relating
to the Prince of Wales's acceptance of the office of vice-
patron of the society, which was ordered to be entered on
the minutes. The quarterly account of the receipts and
disbursements from the Ist of April to the Ist of July
(including £6ll ls. 6d. from the former account),
£696 12s. 3d. ; disbursements, £515 16s. 9d.; balance in
favour of the society, £lBO 15s. 6d. A memorandum
showed the state of the balance at Messrs. Child's bank to
be £127 lls. 9d. ; at Drummond's, £3O 17s. Gd. ; in hands
of secretary, £22 6s. 3d. ; the amount of stock in the Three
per Cent. Consols, £36,916 10s. Bd. ; Exchequer Bills,
£1,400. Fifty-five grants were made, amounting in the
aggregate to £3lO. The proceedings closed with a vote of
thanks to the chairman. The members present, besides
the chairman, were Admiral Goldsmith, Captain Gardiner,
Captain Eyton, and Paymaster Anthony Ellis.
We are informed that the Earl of Stair will have
ono of the vacant ribands of the Order of the Thistle.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELECiRAMS.)

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE CITY OF BOSTON.
(Via Crookhaven.)
NEW YORK, July 8 (Morning.)

Large *umber of Federal troops are landing
along the Texas coast and mouth of the Rio
Grande.

Six thousand troops, mostly coloured, have ar-
rived at Brazos. A detachment has been sent up
the river and occupied Eagle Pass.
The correspondent of the New York Herald re-
ports that large quantities of cotton are still in the
interior of South Carolina, the planters holding it
back under the belief that another crop cannot be
raised under the new labour system.
The Herald also states that the Government have
received official information that Spain will sur-
render the Stonewall to the United States.

Payne, Harrold, Atzerott, and Mrs. Surrat
were hung yesterday.
The judge of the Supreme Court had previously
served a writ of habeas corpus on General Hancock,
in Mrs. Surratt's case, which by President John-
son's order was not obeyed.
It is stated that Payne, previous to his execution,
exonerated Mrs. Surratt, and that another person
had subscribed to an affidavit impeaching the testi-
mony of an important witness against her.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
NEW YORK, July 8 (Morning.)
_ -

Money easy. Gold, 1391. Exchange on Lon-
don, 153 ; do. on Paris, 3.681. Stocks advancing.
New York Centrals, 96i ; Illinois, 136 ; Erie, 81i ;
Five-Twenty United States Bonds, 1051. Cotton
slightly firmer. Midland Upland, 50. Flour, good
demand for export. Wheat advancing. Corn
slightly firmer. Provisio4s heavy. Coffee,_good
inquiry. Sugar slightly firmer. Molasses quiet,
Petroleum dull—crude, 33. ; refined, 53.
July 8 (Noon.)

First Board—New York Centrals, 961; Illinois,
1351 ; Erie, 81k; Five-Twenty United States
Bonds, 1051.

MEXICO.

NEW YORK, July 8.

Advices from Vera Cruz to the 28th ult. received
here yesterday state that it was reported that the
Emperor Maximilian would shortly issue a decree
ceding to France the provinces of Sinaloa, Sonora,
and Durango as security for the war debt.

FLORENCE, JULY 18.

The Apennino publishes, without assuming any
responsibility, the rumour that the Italian Ministry
had received an official proposal relative to the
assembly of a Congress to which they had given
their adhesion.