The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-19 00:00:00

is a mere question of money, in the counties a mere
question of influence. But Lord PALMERSTON'S
ideas of public virtue are somewhat peculiar. He
thinks the Ballot would be highly immoral in its
effects, because a man would be tempted to promise
his landlord or employer that he would vote one
way and really vote the other. If the friends of the
Ballot believe that such a promise would be broken,
they pronounce, says the noble Premier, the
strongest condemnation of the voters, because they
would promise one thing to-day and do a different
thing to-morrow. But Lord PALMERSTON is
troubled by no such scruples about the sudden
change of opinion occasioned by a sudden change of
landlord, as in the case of the North Riding, where
the habitues of the clubs are now betting five to four
on Milhauke against Merritt, and that from no
failure of duty on the part of the present member,
but because the late Duke of CLEVELAND was a
Tory, and the present Duke a Whig, so that a
change in the opinions of the electors may be confi-
dently expected. A similar change has actually taken
place in the political views of the electors of Ripon,
but such transitions as these give Lord PALMRESTON
no uneasiness. They are merely part of the inherent
nature of things, and quite consistent with political
honesty and the British Constitution.

The whole truth of the matter was very briefly
and forcibly stated by Mr. COBDEN in a speech he
made in favour of the Ballot many years ago :—" I
look upon the Ballot," said that honest and straight-
forward statesman, " as the primary step of all reform ;
but of all the points of what is termed the People's
Charter there is none so odious to the aristocracy
and the rnoneyocracy who govern the elections as
the vote by Ballot." If, as Mr. BERKELEY said on
Friday, we could believe that the upper classes have
become politically virtuous and the electoral classes
politically honest, we need not trouble ourselves
about secret voting ; but so long as human nature
is what it is, so long will it be necessary to provide
men with a protection against temptations which
are likely to be too strong for unaided morality.
The present House is not likely to be convinced by
any argument ; but the electors, thanks to Mr.
BERKELEY, know their real friends, and will not
fail, we hope, to remember them on the hustings.

The close of the Prussian Chamber is significant
of the course which has been so eagerly pursued by
the Government since the commencement of the
session. No scruples of conscience, and no fear of
future consequences, seem to deter these self-willed
politicians from pursuing their reckless way. The
Speech from the Throne was read by Herr BIS-
MARCK to the Chambers, ai:c its tone is anything
but conciliatory. On the contrary, the Minister
seems to go out of his way to inform his hearers of
the unsettled state of affairs, and the misunderstand-
ing that continues to exist between the Sovereign
and the Chambers. A more gloomy and ungracious
discourse could hardly have been concocted, and its
whole tenour seems to imply that the powers that
be are glad of the opportunity thus afforded them
of having the last word. The speech begins by
stating that the combined efforts of the representa-
tives of the Government could only have led to
satisfactory results if the supreme object of all par-
ties had been the welfare of the country. " This
has not been the case," however, we are informed,
and it remains, therefore, to determine whose fault
it is that such a sad and shameful state of affairs
should have supervened. Of course Herr Ms-
MARCK and his coadjutors will say that it is all
the fault of the Chambers, and yet impartial judges
may well inquire if some large share of blame may
not be laid to the charge of those unscrupulous
Ministers who have held fast to their own determi-
nation, despite all obstacles that interposed and all
counsels that wisdom suggested. It is important
to study this speech, in order to glean therefrom
some notion of the meaning of the Government, and
to catch a faint glance of the ultimate wishes of the
authorities. After a preamble of platitudes we
come to something of import, for we find this pas-
sage, that is replete with intelligence, " The clearly
expressed intention of the majority of the Lower
House to place difficulties in the way of the Minis-
try has proved detrimental to the material welfare
of the country." Allowing, for the sake of argu-
ment, that such a disastrous result has followed
upon the constantly recurring strife between the
Government and the Chamber, why have not the
former made some greater efforts to put a stop to
the altercations, and shown some disposition to meet
the disputants half-way ? Far from this being the
case, we find that on every possible occasion there
has been no lack on the part of Ministers to exhibit
their determination not to yield an inch of ground
or to swerve one hair-breadth from their predeter-
mined course of procedure. It would almost have
seemed in some cases as if they had gone out of
their way to produce discord and occasion strife.
However, it is, of course, very convenient just now
to give all the blame to these obnoxious members
who have made patent to the world that Prussia is
not a household at unity with itself, and who
have rendered, what should have been a
sort of triumphal march of foreign and
domestic policy, a period of angry debates, and an
episode of angry, unwelcome plain-speaking, and
the delinquents are informed of the special vices
that are laid to their charge in the most grandilo-
quent manner and would-be impressive style. The
Chamber of Deputies has refused " demands which
the Government were compelled to make," then the
Chamber has completed the measure of its iniquity
by " adopting resolutions which the Government
cannot carry out." The list of these offences seems
to comprise nearly all the Government measures
which the audacious Deputies have dared to reject.
It is a melancholy computation for a Ministry to
make at the close of a session, and surely it may be
said to point a moral to other unscrupulous states-
men. Among the rejected measures we find the
" Bill for the Expenses of the War with Denmark."
This is a very suggestive and significant item, and
speaks trumpet-tongued to tell of the insincerity of
the course planned and practised last year. While
all the world was told of the wondrous unity that
existed respecting this Dane-German affair, lo and
behold there was rottenness at the core of the
transaction, and now we find that the winners
cannot agree, and the spoilers are not of one
mind. For some reason or other this Speech
from the Throne is singularly explicit. It
doubtless sets down a great deal in malice, but
it certainly extenuates nothing, and the wondering
world is informed of the astounding fact that, "in-
stead of the desired understanding having been
arrived at, the session closes with the impression of
mutual estrangement." This is perfectly true, but
why is this put forth ? Perhaps some more daring
and desperate schemes are in concoction, and the
Government wishes to pave the way for their com-
ing attack on the Constitution. At any rate, be
the matter what it may, we are listening to plain
speaking with a vengeance, and see not through a
glass darkly, but find ourselves face to face with
the mighty and momentous charges that are being
wrought in a great country, and affecting the
interests of an intelligent people for now and for
hereafter.

The Government it seems are quite equal to the
emergency that has come upon them, and in this
dearth of patriotic politicians they can and will

supply the deficiency, and, Atlas-like, support the
entire wO ght of the Constitution themselves. Very
earnest and energetic is the programme briefly but
emphati tally sketched to the recalcitrant members.
" The e Governmemt will continue to conduct public
affairs according to the wants of the country, and
will vigorously represent the interests of Prussia
both At home and abroad." What can be more
definit►; and decided than this intimation. But the
speech closes with another impressive passage. It
hoped that the day is not far distant " when the
nation, through its representatives, will express to
the KING its approval and thanks for the course
which has been pursued." This is adding insult to
injury, and no mistake. The Prussians have de-
teriorate d greatly of late years in public spirit, but
they have not yet fallen so low that such a depth
of degradation should be expected of them as this
last expression implies.
Herr GRABOW, the President of the Lower Muse,
made a short speech after the ceremony was over,
in which he very properly reviews the circumstances
of the case as regards the altercations existing be-
tween the Chambers and the Government. Thus,
he says that what the Government requires is
" the submission of the Chambers." Can any-
thing more effectually sum up the epitome of the
affair than this explanation of it. The efforts to
transform a constitutional into an absolute police
and military state have, says Herr GRABON,
" reached their utmost limit, but they will wreck
upon the loyalty of the people to the constitu-
tion, manifested by thrice electing their re-
presentatives." Altogether a more gloomy
or ominous ending of the session could
hardly have been arrived at ; it has more than ful-
filled the worst fears of the doubtful, and com-
pletely dashed to the ground the hopes of the more
sanguine concerning the fair prospects of Prussian
politics. For a brief period Herr BISMARIC may
proceed on his way, proud of his triumph over the
rights and liberties of the people, but his success
will be short lived, and his daring and defiant career
must eventually come to grief. It would be well if
the mischances went no further than the fall of a
reckless and unprincipled statesman, but before
Prussia can at all regain the ground she has lost
many must be sacrificed and great the sufferers.
The alliance with England, from which so much
good was acquired, seems to have been only pro-
vocative of evil, for instead of our influence pre-
vailing in the right cause, it appears that our German
ally believes she can sin with impunity safe under
the shelter of our lame acquiescence, and secure in
the conviction that neither in thought, word, nor
deed will we presume to interfere with their
designs.

At length all the elaborate and anxiously pre-
pared arrangements are completed, and the great
work of laying down the Atlantic cable is to be
commenced on Midsummer day. That it may
prove successful, and serve to maintain that prompt
and rapid communication between the two hemi-
spheres which has been so invaluable between the
different parts of Europe and Asia, is the universal
wish, although the difficulties of such an undertak-
ing are commensurate with its importance, and
although one failure has taught us to shrink from
over-confidence. There is good reason to hope
that this time the great work will be carried to a
successful termination. Every danger that could
be foreseen has been avoided ; every risk that could
be anticipated has been guarded against, and every
possible precaution to secure the highest standard
of excellence in the cable, the paying-out apparatus,
and every other department, has been taken. The
only thing to be feared is the occurrence of a vio-
lent tempest, which is extremely rare at the mid-
summer season ; and, in fact, the present time has
been selected on the authority of Captain ANDER-
SON, whose lengthened experience in Atlantic navi-
gation gives great weight to his opinion. It is of
course quite within the range of possibility that
a violent hurricane may disarrange all these
well-laid schemes ; but, as far as human
wisdom and foresight can guard against disaster,
they have done.their part. Should no catastrophe
of the kind occiir, we may hope for telegraphic com-
munication with the great continent of the Western
World by the end of next month.
A good deal of valuable information respecting
the submarine route of the telegraph has been gained
since the last attempt. The steep decline a hun-
dred miles off the west of Ireland has been proved
to be less dangerous and sudden than was feared.
The change from 300 fathoms to 2,000 occupies
nearly 60 miles, so that the rapid descent which
gave so much alarm is nowhere steeper than Holborn-
hill. The route of the cable varies in depth from 1,500
to 2,500 fathoms ; but it must be remembered that if
the difficulties of laying down a deep-sea cable are
great, and any accident almost irreparable, when it
is once down it is far less liable to damage than
those in shallow water, unless the ocean bed is liable
to volcanic disturbance, which is not the case in the
Atlantic. The line from Malta to Tripoli in
the deep sea has never given an hour's un-
easiness, while that in the shallow water near
Alexandria is constantly needing repair. So that
the doctrine of compensation finds its way even to
ocean telegraphy. The successful termination of
this vast work is a consummation devoutly to be
wished, and its influence upon the political and
social relations of the two great peoples will be most
important. We hope that the news of its arrival
will be conveyed by itself without let or hindrance.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—The usual Saturday after-
noon concert and promenade took place at the
Palace on Saturday, and was attended by upwards of 9,000
persons. The screens which have been erected across the
Transept for the Handel Festival added greatly to the dis-
tinctness with which the voices of the solo singers were
heard. After the concert the whole of the great fountains
wero played.

COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS.—At a meeting of the
Council of this Corporation on the 17th inst., the
Diploma of Associate was granted to Mr. P. F. Stalker, of
Paris. The following gentlemen were elected members of
the college :—Mons. A. Blouet, Christ College, yinchloy ;
Mr. T. A. Blyth, Commercial School, Bedford ; Mr. G. K.
Courthorpe, A.C.P.. Grosvenor-park, Camberwell ; 11ev. J.
G. H. Hoernle, 8.A., Brunswick-road, Brighton.

It is stated, with what truth we cannot precisely
define, that England will lose and America gain two addi-
tions to the force of the stage. Mr. John Brougham and
Mr. Widdicombe aro said to be leaving this country for the
New World.—Orchestra.

THE NEW COURTS OF JUSTICE AND OFFICES.-
On Saturday a return was issued showing that the total
estimate for the purchase of land and houses for a sito for
the new courts of justice and offices is £703,000. The sum
required to bo voted for the year ending March 31, 1866,
is £200,000.

THE NEWSPAPFR PRESS FUND.--A meeting of
the committee of this fund was held on Saturday. The
Duke of St. Albans, the Earl of Cardigan, Lord Taunton
the Right Hon. Spencer Walpole. M.P. ; Sir John Hay,
M.P. ; Professor Owen; Mr. Scholefieldi M.P.; Mr. David
Keane, Q.C. ; M. Octavo Delapierre, Mr. T. H. Allen,
Poynder, Mr. J. Laird, M.P. ; Rev. Charles Merivale, Mr.
Baillie Cochrane, M.P. ; Mr. S. Butler, M.P. ; and the
Rev. Herbert Randolph, were elected vice-presidents of
the fund. Several members were admitted, and additional
honorary agents appointed throughout the country.
CHARLES LAMB, LEIGH HUNT, AND GILBERT
A'BECKETT.—Some more autograph memorials of
Charles Lamb and Leigh Hunt have been disposed of
during the week by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson, and
Hodge, together with a very extraordinary gathering of
heraldic and topographical MSS., formed many years by
the Rev. Dr. Wellesley. Next week, the library of Gilbert
Abbot a'Beckett, famous as one of the first contributors to
Punch in its most flourishing days, and as the author of
those humorous books, the " Comic Histories" of Rome and
England, will In told by the same gentlemen.