The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-17 00:00:00

Lieutenant M'Kenzie, 37th Middlesex 16
Lieutenant Hall, 12th Kent ... ... 16

Colour-Sergeant Hurst, 2d Flint
Privsfe Anderson, 2d Devon

County.

... 16

... 16
... 16

Sergeant Plenderleish, Ist Peebles 16
Colour-Sergeant Dove, bat North York 16
Corporal Wace, Cambridge University 16
Private C. B. Dyer, Cam. University 16
Private E. Lawrence, 10th Gloucester 16
Colour-Sergeant Stuckey L. R. Brigade 16,

ties for
two prizes
of £2 each.

HIGHEST SCORES, ALEXANDRA, FIRST STAGE
5
Sergeant Grieve, CamboCl Y
Cambridge University
Private Dear, Ist Herts
Sergeant Wright, Ist-Notts ... •••
Captain M'Gregor, London Scottisl;..
Private Irvine, Ist Aberdeen
Corporal Brown, 3d Ayr •••
Gunner Meggy, Hon. Artillery Company
Sergeant Dacon, Ist Northumberland
Lieutenant Stock, Ist Gloucoster Artillery
Sergeant Hardy, 16th Lincoln
Corporal Colson, Ist Newcastle
Private Paton, let Ayr „,
Sergeant Thomson, 2d Renfrew
Corporal Brown, 2d Salop
Private IPLean, Ist Ross
Lieut. Fisher, London Scottish ..,
Colour-Sergeant Spencly, Ist Cambridge
Private James, Queen's ~„
Capt. Astley, School of Musketry
CHINA CHALLENGE VASE.
200 500
Yards Yards. Total
Berkshire 127 ~. 105 ... 232
Bucks... 115 105 ... 220
Cheshire ... ... 143 105 248
Cornwall ... 125 ... 113 238
Cumberland ... 127 108 ... 235
Devon ... 123 98 221
Durham ... 137. 109 ... 246
East York ... ... 126 98 224
Edinburgh ... ... 119 109 228
Gloucester ... ... 132 113 245
Hereford ... 134 103 237
-Herts ... 117 85 ... 202
*Lancashire 118 98 216
Lanarkshire, win .£25 ... 125 130 255
London ... ... 131 100 231
*Kent... ... 129 ... ... -244
Middlesex ... ... 131 ... 113 ... 244
Norfolk ... 123 ... 121 ... 244
Northampton ... ... 114 ... 102 216
North York 133 23 226
Notts ... 113 107 ... 220
Renfrew ... 124 116 240
Somerset, win vase and £5O 134 ... 129 ... 263
Staffordshire... . ... 126 ... 122 ... 248
Suffolk, win £l5 ... 126 128 ... 254
Susses 131 ... 115 246
Surrey ... 122 ... 95 217
Warwick, win £lO 133 ... 116 249
West York 129 93 222
Wilts ..• ••• ••• 129 119 239
Worcester ... ... 117 ... 105 ... 222
LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY
PRIZE.
Volley Firing 400 yards.

19
... 18

... 18
... 18
.. 17
.- 17
.. 17

... 17

... 17
... 16

... 16
... 16
... 16
... 16

... 16
•.. 16
1G
1G
.- 16

Ist Berke, 130 ; J. st Cheshire, 126 ; Ist A.B. Cumberland,
132 ; Devon, 124 ; Ist A.B. Hereford, 108 ; Ist A.B. Kent,
124; Lanarkshire, Ist prize £5O, 142 ; Lancashire, 96 ;
A.B. Lincoln, 130 ; 2nd London, R. 8., 132 ; 2nd S. Middle-
sex, 116; 19th Middlesex, 112 ; 20th Middlesex, 118 ; 21st
Middlesex, 98 ; Ist Bat. 22d Middlesex, 2d prize £l5, 138 ;
2d Bat. 22d Middlesex, 116 ; 23d Middlesex, 112 ; 26th
Middlesex, 118 ; West Middlesex, 3d prize £lO, 134 ; Lon-
don Scottish, 114 ; St. George's Rifle Brigade, 118 ;- North
York, 106; 3d A.B. Renfrew, 134; Somerset, 124; Stafford,
120 ; Surrey, Ist, 122 ; Surrey, 2d, 104 ; Cambridge, 114 ;
Northampton, 132 ; Roxburgh, 116.

WINNER OF " DAILY TELEGRAPH" PRIZE
OF £5O. Points.
Corporal Little, West Middlesex ... 19
MR. BASS'S PRIZES.
Winners.

Private J. M. Hay, Ist Somerset
Corporal Lee, 3d Hants
Sergeant Craig, 6th Northampton
Private James, 22d Middlesex ...
Private Rhode, London Rifle Brigade ...
Private Cope, 23d Middlesex
Sergeant Dennis, 22d Middlesex ...
Corporal Chipperfield, 2d Norfolk
Private Hilton, 22d Middlesex ...
Sergeant Hollingworth, 6th Lincoln ...
Private France, 14th Durham ...
Private Bird, 18th Shropshire
Captain Wylde, 2d Middlesex ...

17 ... £lO
17 ... 5
17 ... 5
17 ... 5
16 ... 3
16 ... 3
16 ... 3
16 ... 3
16 ... 3
16 ... 3
16 ... 3-
16 ... 3
16 ... 3

Erratum.—lst Stage "Queen's" (Friday).—For Lance-
Sergeant Chaloner, Ist West York, read Corporal Chaloner

WINNER OF ENFIELD ASSOCIATION CUP.

100 300
Yards. Yards. Total,
Lieut. H. F. Dickens, Victoria Rifles 17 19 36
I ARMY RIFLE ASSOCIATION CUP.
Highest Score.

200 600
Yards. Yards. Total.
Private R. Formby, sth Lancashire... 18 19 37
Mr. Gale, the inventor of the method of render-
ing powder explosive and non-explosive at will, at-
tended again on Saturday, and during the dinner
hour, when Volunteers are drawn to a central posi-
tion from all the different firing points, repeated
his experiments with perfect success. He is to at-
tend once more on Tuesday next, and to carry out
on a larger scale these illustrations of his system,
which, if it be a sound one, will certainly exercise
an important influence upon the storing of gunpow-
der in the future.

For the Horatio Ross Prize Mr. Peterkin, who
had previously made the fine score of 42, which was
" tied" by Lord Aberdeen, increased his efforts, and
raised his score to 44—that is to say, besides run-
ning the stipulated distance between each couple of
shots, he loaded and fired 11 times, making a bull's-
eye in each case, and all this within the limit of five
minutes.

Yesterday (Sunday) Divine service was held for
all those in camp at 11 o'clock a.m. The great cen-
tral marquee, which made such an excellent open-
air church on a similar occasion last year, had been
split up and torn to the ground during the heavy
gales that immediately preceded the .commence-
ment of the present meeting, and fears were enter-
tained lest it might be necessary to adopt in its
stead another marquee, of great length, in which
hearing is attended with difficulty. The contractors
(Messrs. Pigott), however, worked with such energy
that the circular tent was in its place in time, and
yesterday service was performed beneath its shade,
with all the simple impressiveness that marks the wor-
ship of a military congregation. On one sat members
of the force of Regulars in camp, "fang duties
on week days at either end of the ranges ; at the
opposite side were members of the police force,
whose duties render them almost übiquitous ; the
central area was occupied by Volunteers, placed
regimentally
as far as possible, and near the tem-
porary reading-desk and
pulpit a few chairs were
reserved for ladies. Outside the limits of the
marquee, as far as the eye could extend through a
many-coloured tangle of parasols and shakos, with
a dark background of hats, residents, both in the
neighbourhood and in camp, listened as well as cir-
cumstances would permit, raising the total attend-
ance to some thousands. The sermon was preached
by the Bishop of London from the text, " I pray
not that thou shouldest take them out of the world,
but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."
(John xvii., 15.)
Divine service was again celebrated at 5 o'clock,
when the sermon was preached by the Rev. W. 11.
Haygarth, MA., incumbent of Wimbledon.

A CHANCE OF COVERING FOR THE RIDING IN
ROTTEN Row.—A very ingenious plan has been submit-
ted by IL Janicot, a Paris architect, for a construction to
serve the twofold purpose of a covered area for military
evolutions, and for the Universal Exhibition in Paris of
1867. M. Janicot proposes to sustain a roof, extending
over half the area of the Champs do Mars (about 50 acres),
by means of one central tower and a series of iron ties. The
plan.has been favourably entertained by the Imperial Com-
mission of the Universal Exhibition.

LAND IN THE Crrv.—A piece of freehold ground
occupying a site of 2,500 feet in Cannon-street, at the
corner of S within's-lane, was sold on Friday at auction by
Messrs. Fuller and Horsey for £30,600.
ABD-EL-KADER AND THE FRENCH EMPEROR.—
The Emperor was driving last evening in the Champs
Elysees. As usual, the Arabs in waiting on Abd-el-Kader
were ranged in order on the roof of their hotel, and I could
not help thinking how very much astonished these sons
of the desert must have been if their " intelligent inter-
preter" showed them the quiet, well-dressed gentleman
driving a friend in a phaeton drawn by two very neat bays,
as the great Emperor who has just spoken his mind on
Algeria, and of whose fame and splendour they have
doubtless hoard often as they reclined in the welcome shade,
and indulged in that great luxury to an Arab, listening to
a story. Abd-el-Kader is looking well, but older. I met
him driving yesterday. He has been received by the
Emperor and by the Ministers, and is now the lion of
Paris; unfortunately, owing to the season, he is a lion in
the desert. His followers are truculent-looking, but dean
for Arabs, and seem to exercise a strange influence over
the "_bermes " of Paris.--Paris Letter, Tuesday.

PE EWSE4..r_ER
o.'
....,rIIA- ATLANTIC TELEGRA PF/4
TION. A:s..=,r'Avi"-;;;;.;
GREAT EASTERN, Satlirda
The last passengers and last stores ar4'-ftll At 61
board, andin a few minutes more the Great Eastern
will be steaming down the river. Her course is to
be outside the Goodwin, through what is called the
Gull stream. Not much more than eight miles au
hour is expected to be made, partly owing to the
recent reduction of boiler power, and partly to the
extreme foulness of the vessel's bottom. At such a
rate of going the Great Eastern ought to be off Va-
lentia on Tuesday night, or at latest Wednesday
morning. In case of any adverse winds of strength
sufficient to get up a sea, or in any way affect the
vessel, no attempt whatever will be made to steam
against them, and the ship will simply be turned in
to the nearest shelter. All the nautical authorities
on board, however, are confident of fine, calm
weather—a confidence which is certainly warranted
not only by the present aspect of the skies, but also
by the high state of the barometer. The engines,
both screw and paddle, which have just been turned,
seem in excellent order, and if the ship was what
she used to be in her early days, it would puzzle the
best of the steam yachts now around her to keep her
in sight for an hour even with her 25,000 tons on
board. The signals just taken through the cable
show its condition to be regular, with the same steady
tendency to improvement both of insulation and
" conductivity." The most entire confidence is ex-
pressed by the naval and scientific men that, with
moderately fine weather, success is almost certain on
this occasion.

PORTSMOUTH, July 16.
The Great Eastern passed Vontnor at 2 p.m.,
five miles off land, under steam and sail ; wind
light, southerly.

Newspaper Press Fund.

The annual general meeting of the members of the assn-
' 4 lion was held on Saturday at the Freemasons' Tavern,
t Queen-street—Mr. S. C. 1144-in the chair. --,...1. _________
Mr. H. G. WARREN, .the hon. secretary of the society,
read the report,:of which the following is the substance:—
"The committee congratulate the society on the steady
progress which has been made during the last 12 months.
The number of members on the books is 192, of whom 40
are life members and 152 annual members. Of the 192
members 133 belong to London and 49 to the country. The
number elected since the 30th June last year is 64. During
the year the society has lost three members by death ; the
widows of two of them have received assistance from the
fund. The second annual dinner was held on the 20th of
May, under the presidency of Mr. Charles Dickens, who
made an eloquent appeal on behalf of the fund. Subscrip-
tions amounting to upward of £1,200 were announced, the
larger portion of which has been already received. The
president, Lord Houghton, has evinced his continual zeal
in the institution by presiding on several occasions at meet-
ings of the committee, and by making valuable suggestions
for the government of the institution. The total receipts
during the past year (irrespective of dinner tickets) were
£1,265 2s. 10d. The society has now £1,500 stock in the
New 3 per Cents., and £6OO on deposit at the City Bank,
leaving at the bankers at the end of the year a balance of
£lB3 Bs. 4d. The income of the society at the present time
may be thus estimated :=From interest on investments,
£6O ; annual subscription of members, £156 ; annual dona-
tions, £l2B ; making a total of upwards of £340. Neither
of these items has, however, yet reached the amount stated,
owing to the present period at which many gentlemen were
elected, and to the fact that a large portion of the subscrip-
tions and donations fell due on the day to which the ac-
counts are made up."
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report.
Mr. H. OTLEY seconded the motion, which was agreed
to unanimously.

The election of Mr. C. Shand and Mr. C. V. Boys as
members of the committee pro tern was then confirmed. Mr.
Lea and Mr. Justin M'Carthy were also elected members of
the board ; and Messrs. Downing, Evans, and Saunders
re-elected auditors.

Mr. Jr. oThEy then moved for the appointment of a com-
mittee to consider the rules of the society, especially in re-
ference to drawing a line of distinction between its benevo-
lent and its provident character, the management of its
funds, and the appointment of its officers. All other socie-
ties, whether those connected with particular professions or
callings, and those of a larger scope as regarded member-
ship, acted upon the principle of keeping the two objects
which he had mentioned separate and distinct. Referring
to the societies connected with the profession of artists, ho
found that in one society the sole object was benevolence,
which was tantamount to the relief of the improvident ; in
anoth-er society the provident element was alone recognised,
and in the third both these principles formed together the
basis on which the society was formed. The object of his
motion was to assimilate this society to those institutions.
,He was desirous to see a graduated scale of subri.e.• riptions
adopted, frOm which an annuity fund might be created, to
which a member, when old and disabled, could apply, not
as matter of charity, but as a matter of right.
The CHAIRMAN thought such a change would be prema-
ture. It would come about in the growth of time and the
growth of means, as had been the case in the Artists' Pro-
vident Fund, referred to by Mr. Otley.
Mr. WILLIAMS seconded Mr. Otley's motion, and referred
to the case of the General Theatrical Fund, where the
benefits to be derived by members are positive and well
ascertained—not depending on the caprice of a committee ;
and where the annuityfundwas created out of the accumu-
lation made by adding the surplus income of one year to
the surplus income of another.
Mr. Coox moved as an amendment the previous question.
After a long discussion the motion was negatived by a
large majority.

Mr. FINDEN then proposed a variety of amendments to
the rules as theyat present stand. Amotion of his to double
tho subscription of the country members was negatived.
At his instance, however, the life subscription was raised
from £5 ss. to £lolos., and the secretary made a paid in-
stead of an honorary officer of the society.
The proceedings then terminated.

The Trial of Constance Kent.

SALISBURY, Saturday Night.

It is not likely that Constance Kent will be putupon
her trial until the latter end of next week, though, of course,
the exact day cannot be fixed until after the commission
has been opened, which will take place on Wednesday,
Mr. Justice Wiles presding in the Crown Court. There is
not much doubt that a very large number of people will
come to the neighbourhood of Trowbridge and Devizes, near
which places the murder was perpetrated, for the purpose
of hearing the case, and especially of trying to obtain s
view of this extraordinary criminal. Mr. Coleridge, Q.C.,
will be leading counsel for the defence. One of the most
interesting parts of the trial, it is expected, will be his
cross-examination of the Rev. Mr. Wagner. When this
gentleman gave evidence before the magistrates at Trow-'
bridge, he resolutely declined to give any information re-
specting the manner in which Constance Kent was first
induced to confess her alleged guilt. Sir George Grey sub-
sequently declared that the Rev. Mr. Wagner had not the
slightest pretence for thus insisting upon what he was
pleased to term the "sacred seal of the confessional ;" and
as Mr. Coleridge is admitted to be one of the cleverest
cross-examiners on the Western Circuit, Mr. Wagner will
either have to divulge the whole secret attending the
unhappy girl's confession to him, or suffer for conscience
sake by going to prison. The Rev. Mr. Wagner is the pro-
minent witness, as he alone can tell what pressure it was
which induced Miss Constance Kent to proclaim herself
the perpetrator of this foulest of murders. Miss Graeme,
the lady superior of the establishment at Brighton, where
the prisoner was staying at the time she came forward and
stated that she was guilty, is not quite so mysterious a,
witness ; because, although at the magistrates' examina-
tion at Trowbridge, she at first solemnly declared that
the relationship existing between her and Miss Kent had
been as that of mother and daughter, yet upon a very little
pressing she readily told nearly all that she knew, if not
all. There are many rumours as to the exact line of de-
fence which will be adopted, but nothing is definitely
known. It is not probable that her plea of guilty will be
received by the learned judge who has to preside, especially
considering the remarkable circumstances under which it
was forced from the prisoner, but that the case will be
allowed to go to the jury upon its merits. Apart from. her
confession, the evidence adduced before the Trowbridge
magistrates, though sufficient to warrant a commi.tbtiaol,
some
other no means conclusive of her guilt ; but it is
iost hsaeirdetvihadte7Dcer.
broughtmßauyckbenilltheecP at
i.
eseh'
itrial.
eodnli
...t.
cal adviser at the county asylum at Exmins
whowas a against a in st
formerlyher
the defence
in his profession, has advised
as an authority
t but it is not proper to
to abandon the
shire, now employed by Government, and who ranks high
counsel for the defence ever con-
opinion, or whether the co
such a plea. It is true that since
con-
templated relying upon
state at present wiaheeathoefriDustanßiLknill has given any such
Miss Constance Kent has been in prison at Devizes she has
not manifested any strong symptoms of an unsound intel-
lect; but it is not to be understood that her friends ever
pretended she was subject to repeated attacks of a homi-
cidal tendency. Mr. Kerslake, Q.C., conducts the prosecu-
tion.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—FIVE SHILLING DAY.---On
Saturday:the admissions on payment were 11,762; do. by
season tickets, 8,533 ; total, 20,295.
THE COUNTESS DE MoNnJo.—The Countess de
Montijo, the mother of the Empress Eugenie, has just un-
dergone, at her residence in the Rue do l'Elysee, a painful
operation on the organ of sight. It was performed with
great skill by Dr. Libriech, assisted by M. Bayer. The
Empress and the Emperor visited the patient in the even-,
ing, and did not leave till nine o'clock.

LONDON, MONDAY, JULY 17, 1865.

An opposition has been got up at the eleventh
hour to Lord El.cito, which, it is to he hoped, will
prove unsuccessful, for the defeat of the noble lord
will be a great loss to the House of Commons.
Lord ELetto made a long speech, in which he fully
stated his views on many important subjects, re-
specting which some misapprehensions had been
entertained. Ho declared that he had been erro-
neously styled a great anti-Reformer, but nothing
Vas further from the fact. He had said in his pre-
vious address that the time had come when " this
question should not be kept dangling before the
people in the way it had been, but that it should
be definitely settled on a firm and secure basis."
There is no doubt that this is the exact truth now
as it was then, and the noble lord showed his dis-
cernment and discretion in thus expressing himself.
In the course of his explanation Lord ELCHO made
some remarks which did not meet the views of
some of his hearers, and several amusing interrup-
tions took place. When his lordship declared that
he was in favour of government aristocracy, in-
stead of " inconsiderate democratic change," there
was a general outcry, but the noble lord explained
hig real meaning by showing them the derivation of
the word " aristocracy." it comes from the Greek
word " aristos", which means " best," and therefore he
was in favour of the government of the best, but he
denied that he meant only the rich by this, because
the upper, middle, and lower classes could all come
under that denomination. There was great force in
some of the arguments met with in this speech, and
the discrimination here evidenced contrasts favour-
ably with the wild extremes into which some rush
in the excitement of the hour.

Lord ELc no considers that the beat way to deal
with the great and all-important question of reform
will be to treat it as minor questions are settled. He
proposes that all that is done in the way of Reform
should be done after " full inquiry," " that it should
be taken out of the domain of party, and that we
should get information on the subject through a
Royal Commission, so as to enable Government to
deal with the question in the most satisfactory
manner. Many will disagree with this proposal;
but the noble lord has vindicated his right to
be considered a Reformer, and not the
bigoted old Tory that some had thought fit to de-
clare. For many reasons Lord ELcno is an acqui-
sition to the House of Commons, and his services to
the Volunteer service alone entitle him to the ro-
spect and gratitude of the community. The noble
lord is a deep thinker, and such men are required
in the House at present, where so many rush to
extremes in the pursuance of their various plans and

projects.

East Kent has become the scene of an animated
controversy, Sir NORTON RisrxrcnsuLthaving come
forward in the Conservative interest. In these days
of tame subserviency to Ministerial proposals it is
rather refreshing to find a candidate who declares
that if they return him, he " shall go to Parliament
as the direct opponent of the present Government."
If there had been more to say this, and to have
acted upon it, affairs would have been better con-
ducted at home and abroad than they have been
during the last six years. Sir NORTON KNATCH-
BULL made an amusing speech, in which he ridi-
culed the course pursued by the Ministers and their
friends in taking the merit of all advantageous
measures to themselves. Thus, he went on to say,
they claimed the benefit of steam communication,
railways, improvements in science, the discovery
of Australian and Californian gold. It reminded
him of the tale of " Puss in Boots," where the cat,
went on telling the people of the country,
"If you don't say that everything belongs
to the Marquis of CARABBAS you shall
all be chopped into mincemeat." Really
this is very much the way in which people go on,
and it is just as well for some acute adveriary now
and then to expose the fallacious. system employed.
No ono can say that the Ministers who now claim
the support of the country are popular, with the
exception of Lord PALMERSTON, and one of them

A brief correspondence, which passed between
Mr. STUART MILL and some of his friends, has just
been published, in reference to that gentleman's
opinions on the Ballot. In the instance that was
especially brought under his notice, the new mem-
ber for Westminster had undoubtedly reason on his
side, but it is a matter of regret that so advanced a
Liberal should rank himself among the acknow-
ledged opponents of one most substantial reform.
Mr. MILL was asked if ho approved of the conjunc-
tion of the Ballot with open voting in districts where
a demand was made for it by a large number of
tradesmen and persons in a subordinate position. It
was shown by the querists that many persons belong-
ing to thes classes purposely kept their name off the
register so as to avoid the inevitable canvassing
which might, if they were made, put them in the
awkward position of offending one of two influen-
tial customers. Mr. MIDL'S answer was logical
enough, though it was by no means exhaustive. He
observes that an optional secrecy would be liable to
all objection of the Ballot without its advantages,
since the fact of a hardly pressed elector declaring
that he was going to give a secret vote would be
accepted by the party demanding his support as
evidence that he intended giving it against him.
Further, Mr. MILL considers that "the in-
fluence which is strong enough to induce
him to vote against his convictions, would be strong
enough to compel him to give his vote openly as
long as he had the option of doing so." Mr. MILL
seems to form so correct a judgment as to the ex-
tent and nature of illegal influence that it is only
wonderful he should so resolutely oppose a measure
so consistent with his character and principles as a
Reformer. The arguments against the adoption of
secret voting are far more theoretical than practical.
We are told that the elector's vote is a public trust,
but it is a better way to fulfil a trust to sell it for
money, or to yield it to intimidation, than to exer-
cise it faithfully in secret ? We are told that it is
un-English, but, however inconsistent the theore-
tical character of the British Lion, it is certainly
more adapted to secure a fair representation of the
people, one of the fundamental principles of the
English constitution, than our present system. We
do not act on this theory of excessive frankness in
every-day life. No one, however little given to
falsehood, would care to live in Mdme. de GENUS'S
famous Palace of Truth for long together. In fact,
the quick-witted Frenchwoman knew very
well that such an establishment would
prove intolerable, and accordingly the kindest
thing that the good genius could do at the
denouement was to transform the inconvenient tale-
telling Palace into a more discreet and silent
dwelling-place. It is undoubtedly true that men
should be superior to all personal or family con-
siderations when the good of the 'country is at
stake ; but, in spite of the declamations of rival
candidates, no quiet tradesman or tenant-farmer
can suppose that the social system will be much
affecte i by his individual vote, so that we need not
wonder to find our lower middle classes susceptible
of influences to which our statesmen and
moralists themselves do not always rise su-
perior. No one pretends to say that our
present mode of conducting elections is imma-
culate ; no one denies that bribery, corruption,
intimidation, and influence play a large part in
furnishing the Parliamentary quota. We shall
probably find a good many striking illustrations of
the defects of our electioneering system in
the revelations of the new Parliament ;
but gentlemen go on denouncing the
theoretical objections to the Ballot as if the
evils of the existing plan were merely fanciful or
visionary. The matter, however, goes much deeper
than that. It is not the question which party shall
get the predominance, whether money shall bring
in this undivideal, or influence exclude that. The
whole tone of our political life is lowered by the
dishonest system of electioneering which prevails.
It is a prolific source of evils, and no lectures on
political morality, or good faith and upright con-
duct, will be of the slightest service so long as we
place men in positions of great temptation without
the slightest shield. A prolonged experience has
shown that our present arrangements are most
faulty. Why, then, not make the experiment which
has for years worked successfully in the clubs with-
out our upper ten thousand being designated as
" cowardly,"
or " un-English ?" It is the fear that
the ballot will succeed too well in securing the inde-
pendence of voters that makes all parties shrink
from it. This secret Mr. MILL will discover before
very long.

The Federal authorities at Washington are them-
selves suffering from the suddenness and violence
of the reaction. With some millions of famished
and impoverished people, black and white, thrown
upon their hands, with anarchy reigning triumphant
throughout large districts, and life and property
spared by the law, sacrificed by the robber or the
acendiary, with the fertile fields and granaries of the
South still bearing traces of the ruthless course of
the victorious Northern armies ; with the whole
line of SHERMAN'S march marked with ruin and de-
tion, the coveted supremacy has not brought
them very substantial blessings. The task which
they have assumed is difficult and dangerous, but
they,have brought it upon themselves, and while