The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-17 00:00:00

discussing this disgraceful affair. It is well for
Lord AMBERLEY'S popularity that he did not give
utterance to such sentiments last year when there
was so much excitement respecting Denmark, and
he does himself very little honour now in attempting
to patch up the cause of cruel and tyrannical op-
pressors, such as the German Powers have shown
themselves. With respect to the reform part of his
speech Lord AMBERLEY made a series of blunders
which must have done him incalculable injury, both
in the place to which he went as a candidate, and
also in the opinion of those who judge of the affair
at a distance. No one can respect the political
shuffler, the most exclusive and bigoted preserver
of old abuses, and the most ranting and complete
leveller of class distinctions may each win
for himself respect and admiration from friends and
foes, provided he be consistent and fearless in the
exposition of his views. Lord AMBERLEY has not
chosen this better part of straightforwardness, but
appears inclined to veer about as suits the tactics of
the hour. There is something not in accordance
with the spirit which should actuate a young man
entering on political life in the manner in which
Lord AMBERLEY expressed his opinions on the elec-
tive franchise. He would not commit himself on
Wednesday evening to promise a support to Mr.
BAINES' measure, and tried to get out of the neces-
sity of it by the quibble that some persons who
could afford to live in £lO houses chose to live in
£6 ones, and, therefore, there was not much
necessity for it. The meeting did not approve
of this extraordinary way of settling political
problems, and passed a resolution to the
effect that no candidate would be entitled to the
Liberal electors who did not go so far as to support
the £6 borough franchise. Lord AMBERLEY'S hesi-
tation was simply ridiculous; he admitted that the
Chairman had a perfect right to call upon him for a
definite statement of his views, and " I heartily
wish myself I were able to give it," added his lord-
ship. Nor is it certain that Lord AMBERLEY ought
to have made up his mind on this subject before he
went down to Leeds, or that if it required so much
time to do so, he decided too hastily at last, for on
the next evening he agreed to do that which he
refused on the Wednesday. This course of pro-
ceeding is not the manner in which the rising gene-
ration can hope to win true respect, and attain
any renown that is worthy of the name. It is
a sort of clap-trap arrangement which de-
feats its own ends, and in the long run
covers its advocate with ridicule and reproach. It
may be asked by some why Lord AMBERLEY should
have hesitated after this fashion and not gone boldly
up to the mark which his Leeds admirers expected
and desired him to do, but in this vacillation we
find him to be the true son of his father. The days
are long past when " languid JOHNNY grew to glo-
rious JOHN" in the cause of Reform, and for vigor-
ous action he has substituted an ingenious, do-
nothing course, accompanied with fair-sounding
phraseology. In his remarks about the Ballot Lord
AMBERLEY proved himself a worthy descendant of
the statesman who induced his brother to talk about
the introduction of the Ballot, and couple his name
with it in a meaning manner on the eve of the City
of London election. Of all the shilly-shallying
and manceuvring orations that have been
made on this disputed point, perhaps Lord
AMBERLEY may bear the palm, or at all
events successfully compete with them. It is really
sad to find one unshackled by any claims and un-
fettered by any political following thus compromise
himself at the outset of his public life by such un-
worthy expedients and thorough time-serving. He
said he did not think that the friends of the ballot
had quite proved their case, and he should like to be
more fully persuaded of the efficacy of its adoption
before he gave in his adhesion to the measure. At
the same time he carefully abstained from pro-
nouncing on the principle of the thing. It may be
fairly considered that, whether or not he comes into
Parliament, Lord AMBERLEY has made a decided
failure of his visit to Leeds, and may expect to
share the fate of those who become unpopular by
sacrificing too much to the letter and not the spirit
of popularity, whose true disciples should ever act
on the principle of the adage—" I could not love
thee half so much, loved I not honour more." The
lukewarm supporters of a cause are often its
greatest enemies in the long run, and, like the
candid friend, may be regarded as the most ruinous
appendages that evil fortune can send.

BANK OF FRANCE.

PARIS, MARCH 16.

The following is the return of the Bank of France
for the week ending to-day, together with the cor-
responding figures of the previous account :

DEBTOR.

March 16.

March 9.

__
fr.— _
c. fr. c.
Capital of the Bank.... 182,500,000 182,500,000
Profits in addition to

capital (Art. 8, Law,
June 9, 1857) 7,035,535 22 7,025,949 37
Reserve of the Bank
and its branches 22,105,750 14 22,105,750 14
Reserve in landed pro-
-4,000,000 4,000,000
pertY
Notes in circulation .
Banknotes to order and
receipts payable at
sight 5,041,185 90 5,752,618 65
Treasury account cur-
rent creditor
Current accounts, Paris 129,647,424 35 139,925,576 96
Do. branch banks
Dividends payable 1,589,367 70 1,738,455 75
Discounts and sundry

interests
Rediseminted the last

2,789,444 05 2,789,444 05
Sundries
athireosnths
11,042,890 55 9,017,153 91

Total
CREDITOR.

March 16. March 9.
Cash in hand and in fr. c. fr. c.
Branch banks
Commercial bills over-

due
Commercial bills dis-

596,436 27

counted, not yet due 240,228,184 27 269,407,467 28
Do. branch banks 273,947,474 274,960,453
Advances on deposit of
bullion 15,717,831 55 15,648,131 55
Do. branch banks 2,871,400 3,110,400
Do. on French Public
Securities 13,933,900 13,638,100
Do; by branch banks 8,296,800 8,104,600
Do. on railway shares
and debentures
D. branch banks 16,108,500 16,846,900
Do. on Credit Fonder
Bonds
Do. branches
Do. to the State (Con-
vention, June 10,
1857) 60,000,000 60,000,000
Government Stock re-

serve 12,980,750 14 12,980,750 14
Do. disposable
Rentes Iramobalisees
(Law, June 2, 1857) 100,000,000 100,000,000
Hotel and furniture of
the Bank and landed
property branches
Expenses of manage-
ment 653,547 29 646,054 64
Sundries

Total 1,258,108,447 47 1,269,110,561 92
(Signed) The Senator Governor of the Bank of France,
RoULAND.

jOiNiff7wMhNoEDwaAsiveßoDnvE
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bP
eof To Tr Ee R
Mr. jamesPorer: b? 1,
Jus-
tice Willes, al the Derby Assizes last week, of the murdern
of his wife, Saiah Potter, on the 23d December las
lies under senten.,:e of death in Derby gaol. The trial dido 7
not terminate until eight o'clock on Thursday evening, and
directly afterwards, by a ruse of Mr. Sims, the governor,
Potter was conveyed quietly away from the court, in a cab,
to the county gaol, and, after changing his clothes, was
placed in the condemned cell. For a day or two his con-
duct was of the most stubborn character. He complained
of everybody about him, and denied that he committed the
murder; but the governor very properly told him that it
was useless his persisting in his falsehoods, and eventually
he confessed that he was the murderer. The last act in
this local tragedy will take place on Thursday morning
next, at 11 o'clock, the High Sheriff having fixed the exe-
cution to take place on that day and at that hour.