The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 5, 1862,

noble lord will give the hon. member to-morrow,
after two o'clock, to discuss the question. What I
deprecate is that these insulting questions should
be put respecting our Roman Catholic fellow-sub-
jects ; and above all that there should be enforced
the stale arguments and forgotten songs which
the hon. gentleman is in the habit of using when
he stars it in the provinces."

Viscount CASTLEROSSE, as one of the trustees of
the College of Maynooth, protested against the
language of the hon. member for Peterborough.
The feeling of the house was shown in the fact that
Mr. WHALLEY was denied a hearing when he
attempted to answer what had been said. It is
really to be, lamented that such discussions should
arise. Here in this country we read them, and,
after deprecating them, forget their existence. It
is not so in Ireland. They are ought np as legiti-
mate casus belli by all disaffected parties, whether
the bigot or the mob orator. If it is to be im-
pressed upon the people of Ireland that the Sove-
reign, though English, is as much the Queen of her
Irish as her other subjects—if they are to understand
that, though Protestant, her Catholic dominions are
equally regaaded as her other possessions—all this
unseemly strife must cease at once and for ever.
Those who disseminate such slanders on a nation
and propagate such notions concerning motives and
objects, are sowing broadcast the seeds of angry pas-
sions, and evil feelings, and may be are germinating
future revolutions. It is earnestly to be hoped that

for this Session at least, we may not see another of
these vexatious arguments brought forward.
Whatever faults or errors may pervade the actions
of many of the inhabitants of the Sister Isle, the
general spirit that animates the heart of the nation
is almost invariably that of kindness and goodwill
whenever they behold sickness, suffering, or sor-
row. The tone of the debate last night was,
on the whole, eminently satisfactory and
in accordance with the true dignity that should
ever characterise the demeanour of the British
Parliament on such important subjects and vital

interests. Where the assertion is made there is
also the denial, while one put forward the sug-
gestion, many repudiated it, and there is little
doubt which side will be adopted by any dispas-
sionate reader throughout the length or breadth
of the land.

The motion of Mr. MILLS on the subject of our
colonial and military expenditure gave rise last
evening to a debate of some importance. The
original motion was to the effect that while the
House guaranteed the assistance of the Im-
perial Government to its dependencies in
case of any dangers arising from Imperial policy,
it was of opinion that colonies exercising the
rights of self-government should be responsible
for their own internal order and security. The
principle asserted in this motion is unquestionably
sound, and it is one which few of our British colonies
would hesitate to admit and to act upon. It was
argued by Mr. BAXTER, who seconded the motion,
that, so far from the colonies being gratified by the
presence of a large number of Imperial troops, their
energies were daunted, and their loyalty chilled,
and, so far from being a bond of union
with the mother country, it gave them
the feeling of being held in subjection.
In old times we know the colonists resented such a
proposal as a slur on their independence, and there
may probably be force in this reasoning. Mr.
BAXTER said further, with great truth, that the
real defence of colonies lay in the naval supremacy
of the mother country, and while we maintain this
we furnish them with a powerful protection against
the enemy, supposing England to be engaged in a
general war. In that case we have surely little
need to doubt the spirit and readiness of our colo-
nists. The conduct of Canada in the late affair of
the Trent was, as Sir J. FERGUSON justly observed,
worthy of all praise, and we do not
question that were the danger to the mother
country less connected with themselves, the
hearts and hands of the Canadian Volun
teem would be equally ready in our cause ;
and that their example would be followed by the
denizens of our widely scattered dependencies all
over the globe. Mr. FORTESCUE, on behalf of the
Government, offered no objection to the motion or to
the amendment, which suggested that colonies should
assist in their own external defence; but he depre-
cated the wholesale application of the principle
in the West Indies, and in similar colonies, where a
small and mixed population would be totally in-
adequate to their own protection. In such cases
the maintenance of a body of Imperial troops is a
matter of absolute necessity, and the absence of a
strong feeling of nationality in a population con-
sisting of French, Spanish, Hindoos, and Chinese,
deprives us of the guarantee always afforded by
Anglo-Saxon fellow-feeling, and the characteristic
spirit of the race. We cannot coincide in the
views of those short-sighted economists,
who would have us abandon our depen-

dencies, after a minute investigation of
the profit and loss account between us. Such
petty policy would never find favour in the eyes of
the British people, justly proud of the empire which
never sees the sun set, and prizing the dignity and
power accruing to the Home Government from such
extended influence, as well as the mere matter of
money gain, or loss. There are few amongst us
who would advocate a return to the policy
of Lord NORTH ; but while the great
dependencies are content to preserve the
connection with the mother-country, let us
not too readily abandon our position. Let our
legislators be careful in the manner of carrying out
the task they have undertaken, let them
have regard to the feelings of the colonists
and effect the :change with caution and pru-
dence and with due consideration of the in-
dividual dependencies, when we may hope the
adoption of Mr. MILLS' resolution will prove satis-
factory to both the rulers and the ruled.

ACCIDENT TO THE DUKE OP RUTLANIP—We re-
gret to learn that the Duke of Rutland sir tained a severe
accident in the hunting field on Wednesday last. It ap-
pears that his grace's horse put his foot into a blind ditch,
and the duke was thrown over the animal's head with
much violence, falling partly upon his neck and partly
upon one shoulder, and he lay upon the ground insensible
for some time. The accident was witnessed by several
persons, who promptly proceeded to his grace's assistance.
Dr. Acton was in the field, and under his directions the
duke was taken up and placed upon a hurdle and covered
with blankets. In this position he remained until the
arrival of the carriage of the rector of Waltham, which
was the neatest point from which a conveyance could be
obtained. In this vehicle the duke was conveyed to Belvoir
Castle, where his own medical adviser was soon in attend-
ance, and discovered that his grace was buffering under con-
cussion of the brain and a sprain of the muscles of the neck.
A large company was at the castle, having been iavited to
attend a grand ball which the duke had arranged, but the
untoward accident to his grace prevented the entertain-
ment from being given, and the guests after dinner simply
paraded the gallery, while the duke's private band was per-
forming a select programme of music. His grace passed a
restless night, but onThursday morning he was pronounced
considerably better. Later accounts state that his grace is
rapidly recovering, and that his injuries are not so serious
as at first reported,--21rettingham Express.
MR. WHITE'S ELEVEN.—The members who voted
on Monday night in favour of Mr. White's motion to reduce
the numbers of the army by 10,000 men were the following:—
Cox, William ; Douglas, Sir Charles ; Fermoy, Lord ; Law-
son, Wilfrid ; Lewis, Harvey (Marylebone); Morris, David;
Onslow, Guildford; Potter, Edmund; Seely, Charles;
Smith, Augustus (Truro) ; Sylps, Colonel William Henry.
Tellers for the A'es MT: 'ion-
t ; —^. ty Alto and Mr. W. Williams,