The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-28 00:00:00

instance the evil to which the QUEEN refers is of a
more extensive character. It is a grievance which
affects us all, and on which none can look with
indifference. All the world now travels by railway
and omnibus--peotle are continually passing to and
fro on one of the many iron railways which intersect
alike our metropolis and our suburbs. Whether
on business or pleasure, long journeys or short
excursions, we are continually on the move, and
the railway companies, as the QUEEN reminds
them, have assumed the responsibility of
monopolising the means of conveyance. Men of
business visit the chief manufacturing towns, families
gather together at the seaside, parliamentary repre-
sentatives go down to enlighten their constituents,
friends visit one another, children are sent to school
—all by the railway. The use of this wonderful
system of locomotion has indeed grown so common
that many persons avail themselves of it twice every
week day of their lives, coming to town in the
morning and returning to their suburban dwellings
in the evening ; while the metropolitan lines are in
such continual service that they are already among
the most flourishing of the railways. The compa-
nies, however, cannot attempt to deny, and they
undoubtedly sincerely regret, that all this prosperity
is chequered by so much misfortune. The acci-
dents are not only often of a frightful and
even fatal character, but they are of such lament-
able frequency as seriously to endanger every
person who travels in a railway carriage. Excur-
sion trains are proverbially dangerous, but whence
arises this hazard to life and limb in mere everyday
routine. It has been proved so often as to be quite
familiar to the public, that the class of servants who
do the actual work is not generally paid enough to
secure the services of competent and intelligent men.
This mistaken notion of economy has cost the com-
pies many a thousand, but neither the shock nor
the loss seems to convince them of their error. It
cannot be doubted that the accidents are generally
the result of carelessness and negligence, and that
the investigations and verdicts of coroners' juries
have as yet been powerless to diminish them.
Within the last two or three months we have
had a regular series, and more than one
has happened on those lines in which it
may be supposed her MAJESTY is especially inte-
rested. It is of course evident that the QUEEN'S
anxiety on the subject can have no reference to
personal considerations, since, as she remarks, ex-
traordinary precautions are taken when she travels.
But why is all precaution laid aside on ordinary oc-
casions. There is no reason to suppose that any
passenger is indifferent to the chance of death or
injury, and certainly there are very few whose lives
are not valuable or dear to some one. It is a serious
thing to kill or maim any individual from wanton
carelessness, and• where such carelessness results
from the use of inefficient means, the companies
cannot shake off the responsibility. We are grate-
ful to her MAJESTY for calling the attention of the
directors to the alarming frequency of these cata-
strophes, misfortunes which are, as she justly
observes, by no means a necessary part of railway
travelling.

The Under Secretary to the Treasury is one who

always speaks with great caution, indeed he carries
that notion to rather too great an extent ever to be
very greatly distinguished. He, however, errs on

the safe side, and is not likely to make any grea

mistake in his sayings and actions. His speech the

other night was characterised by his usual careful

ness and deliberation, but it will be seen that he
makes many mistakes and gives utterance to several
erroneous opinions. As connected with the Treasury
his words possess an importance which individually
they would not have, and therefore, so far as this is
concerned, this discussion at Bury on the eve of a
new session must be regarded as unsatisfactory and
unpromising as to intentions, and Ministerial plans.
In the first place, he compromised himself by de-

clartng that it was wrong to state that the country

was humiliated by the Danish affair. It is all very
fine for the votary of red-tapism, as the right hon.

member is known to be, to remark that we must
narrow the questions in which it was proper for us
to interfere ; but this kind of argument cannot pass
w; valid when and where the honour of the country
is at stake ; and it will be a life-long reproach to
all Lord PALMERSTON'S Cabinet and followers that
they pursued so lache and dishonourable a policy,

and boasted of their evil doing. Truly their
glory seems to be in their shame. Not content with
his cowardly declaration concerning Denmark, Mr.

F. PEEL went on to commit himself about America,
regarding which question he spoke with a true
RUSSELL inspiration, and fashioned his sentences to
a tone that would have delighted the Manchester
clique had they been among his auditory. First of
all, he felt rather guilty that we had recognised the
South as belligerents, and endeavoured to screen
himself and his friends by saying that the North
had done so before we had. Can anything be more
absurd than this ? Why are we eternally to hear
public men and responsible persons committing
these egregious blunders, and proclaiming to the
world that we are afraid of offending such a Power
and this or that State? Why cannot we rest con-
tent with the consciousness that we have acted
for the best—that honourable intentions have
actuated us, and the desire to serve the claims of
justice and her interests been our prevailing prin-

ciple, instead of indulging in all this clap-trap as to
the expediency of a compromise and the non-neces-
sity for :fulfilling this or that pledge, and carry-
ing out the stipulations of certain Treaties