The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-27 00:00:00

Provost Marshals' offices throughout the North, the
freedom with which the President pardons all appli-
cants, the release of Vice-President Stephens, and,
more than all, the evidences, both North and South,
that the people approve these actions are the strong-
est proofs necessary to show that the President's
wise and conciliatory policy will in a very short time
restore the Southern States to a close and harmo-
nious communion with the Government.

It cannot be supposed that the Radicals quietly
permit the overthrow of their darling project. They
have raised a terrible outcry against it, and call
loudly for the impeachment of the President. As a
specimen of the sentiments of their orators and news-
papers, I send you the following, cut from the Boston
Commonwealth, Senator Sumner's organ :—" There
should be some chivalry somewhere, enough to
fight the President and his Cabinet, one and all, to
the death, and pluck the spoil out of their teeth.
Shame on them, one and all—on Johnson, who has
basely betrayed those who placed him in power, and
the negroes to -whom he offered himself as a Moses ;
on Seward, on Stanton, on the whole set, who have
not the honour to resist him ; and, alas ! alas !
shame on the whole North, who not only permit for
one moment this wrong to go on, but actually
hesitate to arraign their infamous agents at Wash-
ington."

I doubt very much, however, if, in the present
state of affairs, there is a single Radical Republican
bold enough to initiate the proceedings necessary
for impeachment. Such a thing might safely be
done in Massachusetts, but not in Washington. The
Radicals might be willing to sacrifice themselves in
an effort to get possession of the spoils of the South,
but they will scarcely do so for love of the negro.
General Banks, recently nominated for Congress in
Massachusetts, says he is in favour of negro suffrage;
but he deprecates any unconstitutional or violent
measures to procure it. Banks is quite shrewd,
and, while he wishes to adapt himself to the present
atmosphere of Massachusetts, he keeps a sharp look
out for the future. The negroes have recently had
several conventions in different parts of the country
to urge the adoption
_of negro suffrage ; but they
have been so languid and desponding that they must
be convinced their case is hopeless. In Alexandria
one of those assemblages changed itself into a " coal
protective association" to take measures to buy coal
cheaper than the Alexandria merchants sell it. But
a single outrage by the negro troops is recorded this
week. At Bowling-green, Kentucky, they rescued
from the sheriff a negro who had been convicted of
murder, and was being taken to the penitentiary.
The negro is still at large, and will no doubt remain
at liberty until the President's order removing the
negro troops is enforced.
It was currently reported at the beginning of this
week that the Alabama Reconstruction Convention
had refused negroes the right of testifying in the
civil courts. This was an error. The Convention
established the right, and in Mississippi Governor
Sharkey, about the same time, secured it by procla-
mation. Both these States have thus conformed
to the wishes of the President, and have protected
the freedmen, so that the dependent condition of
the negroes need no longer be an excuse for keeping
the Freedmen's Bureau in operation in Mississippi
and Alabama. This bureau, by its attempts at con-
fiscation, in opposition to the avowed policy of the
President, is causing endless trouble. $200,000
worth of property in Loudon, county Virginia, have
just been restored to its owners from the clutches
of the bureau, and in all parts of the South the
superintendents are compelled to disgorge. The
President has also done another act of justice for
Virginia. On October 11 her Congressional elec-
tions were held, and under the inspiration of the
President an order was issued commanding the
military to keep away from the polls. Consequently
there was no illegal interference, the voting was
done quietly, the poll was large, and the people
selected representatives of their own choice. It was
the first fair election held in any loyal portion of
the South since 1860. In Richmond Robert Ridg-
way, editor of the Richmond TVhig, is elected, and
Alexander H. 11. Stuart is returned from one of
the inferior districts. There were no less than 38
candidates in the eight districts of the State, and it
is said those who are chosen are willing to take the
test oath adopted by the last Congress, upon which
the Radicals rely for keeping the Southern members
out. Some trouble has arisen from the ill-feeling
that exists throughout Virginia and West Virginia
caused by the division of the State. Jefferson
County, in West Virginia, persists in electing mem-
bers of the Legislature of Old Virginia, and Go-
vernor Boreman, of the new State, has issued a
proclamation warning the people of the county
against such " seditious practices," and ordering
the arrest of all the offending parties. Jefferson
County, however, loves old Virginia so well that
she defies the Governor, and as the people of the old
State are unanimous in regarding the divisions as
illegal, they will treat the members sent to the
Legislature from Jefferson County very kindly.
Tennessee is having a happy time of it. Because
President Johnson will not " punish traitors," her
Legislature refuses to endorse his policy, and as
Governor Brownlow is supposed to be at the bottom
I of the matter, several members are preparing ar-
ticles of impeachment against him. Neither the
Governor nor the Legislature represents the people,
however--not more than one-tenth of them having
voted at the election, which by means of bayonets
resulted in the choice of Brownlow and his Legisla-
ture. The people of Tennessee, almost without ex-
ception, endorse the President's policy.
The North Carolina Convention is discussing at
great length a proposition to repudiate the Con-
federate debt, but there is great reluctance to make
a decision. Kenneth Rayner writes from North
Carolina that while the State is willing to abolish
slavery it is opposed to negro suffrage, and wishes
the separation of the white and black races, and the
colonisation of the blacks in one of the territories of
the Far West. This project has many advocates
both North and South. The shipments of muni-
tions of war to the Southern States are as large as
ever, but consist principally of powder and shot,
very few muskets being sent. Last week the expor-
tation from New York alone was 15,8231 b. of
gunpowder, 123,6751 b. of shot, 438,500 percussion-
caps, and 70 fowling-pieces. These go principally
to the South-West, very small amounts being sent
to the Atlantic States.

The present whereabouts of some of the principal
Confederates will no doubt be of interest to Euro-
pean readers. W. H. Trescott has been appointed
Agent of South Carolina, and will hereafter reside
in Washington. Pierre Souhi intends to return to
New Orleans. Gen. Lee is at Lexington, Virginia;
J. E. Johnston is an applicant for president or su-
perintendent of a Georgia railroad ; Gen. Loring
intends to become a New Orleans merchant; Gen.
Gardner is also in New Orleans in business with
Gen. Bragg. Gen. Hardee lives on a plantation in
the interior of Alabama ; Longstreet has been par-
doned, and is in Mobile ; Forrest is managing a
sawmill in the interior of Mississippi. Gen. Stewart,
one of Hood's core commanders, intends to prac-
tise law at New Orleans. Hindman, Kirby Smith,
Magruder have left the andcountry. Beauregard
is in New Orleans, and W. Gillmore Simms is at
Columbia, South Carolina, where until lately he has
been the editor of a newspaper.

---
During the three, months ending June 30, 1865,
the receipts of the Government were as follow:
From customs and internal revenue 580,289,786
From loans 038,175,034
Total 5618,464,820
The expenditures were :
Government expenses, including interest on
debt
Redemption of loans

Total..

675,767,411

There is a great demand in America for Govern-
ment loans on foreign account. Every steamer
from Europe brings large orders, and it is estimated
that at least $4,000,000 worth of bonds go out this
week by the various steamers sailing from New
York and Boston. Trade is very active in allparts
of the country, and the speculative fever is as high
as it was at any time during the war. The rapid
rise this week in cotton has added greatly to the
excitement. It is proposed to hold a convention of
cotton-growers in New York some time in November
in order to procure a large crop next year. It is
estimated that 25,000 bales of cotton wercgrown this
year along the line of the Illinois Central Railroad.

The Fenians, as I have already written, have sus-
pended all their movements and expressions of opin-
ion until the meeting of their general Convention,
to be held in Philadelphia on October 16. The call
for the meeting of the Convention is as follows :
" Head-quarters, Fenian Brotherhood, 22, Duane-street,
New York, Oct. 4.—To the State Centres, Centres, and
Circles of the Fenian Brotherhood in the United States.
—General Order, No. 12.—Brothers,—You are hereby
ordered to send delegates to represent you at a special
Convention, to be held at Assembly-buildings, south-west
corner of Tenth and Chestnut-streets, Philadelphia, on
Monday, October 16, 1865, at 9 o'clock a.m. Each circle
is entitled to one delegate, and to an additional one where
they are in excess of 100 members. No proxies allowed.
Centres and delegates will require their credentials to be
endorsed by State centres at Philadelphia.—By order of
the Central Council. W. R. ROBERTS, President C. C.—
Approved, J. O'MAHoNY, H.C."

In the meanwhile the " Brothers," instead of
rushing to arms, exhaust themselves in com-
plaints. They say their letters are intercepted in
the English post-offices, and they intend to com-
plain to our Government in the hope that it will
remonstrate against interference with the mails.
The capture of letters containing remittances of
money has caused great fright among the Fenians,
who were so foolish as to send their means on such
a wild goose chase. There are said to be spies in
the English interest all over America, and in New
York a " Vigilance Committee " of Fenians has
been appointed to discover who these informers are.
Some of the spies have even gone so far as to be-
come members of the Brotherhood, and they weep
as dismally as the most frantic Fenian over the woes
of Ireland. There is great mystery yet upon the
question whether Secretary Seward did or did not
inform the English Government of the movements
of the Fenians. He keeps very quiet, and, as he is
now at his home in New York cannot be questioned
on the subject; but people who are about the State
Department in Washington, and who ought to
know, say he did notify the English Government,
and gave the information because England had
notified us of the St. Alban's and other raids from
Canada.

There is a great deal of discussion about the
truth of the report that Jurez has left Mexico and
is now on his way from Santa Fe to St. Louis. The
Liberals indignantly deny it, the Imperialists at
Mexico believe it ; but, as no one at El Paso del
Norto, on the Rio Grande, says anything about
Jaurez's presence there, I am inclined to believe it.
The war in Mexico is over, and Maximilian is firm
on his throne.

The damage done by the earthquake at San Fran-
cisco, California, on October 8, was very great.
The shocks were felt in all parts of the State, but
the principal destruction was in the city. Several
buildings were shaken down, and nearly all in the
city were injured. The motion was apparently from
east to west, and the ground along the rivers opened
into fissures, from which water spouted, like the
geysers of Iceland. Wells were filled up with sand.
The tide in the harbour rose very high at the time
of the shocks, and fell very low immediately after-
wards. There were 12 distinct shocks. Several per-
sons were injured, but no one was killed. This was
the severest earthquake ever felt in the United
States.

A new planet hasbeen discovered. J. C. Watson,
the astronomer at the observatory at Ann Arbor,
Michigan, discovered it at half-past 10 o'clock on
the evening of October 9. It shines like a star of
the 91 magnitude, and was situated in right ascen-
sion 14 deg. 44 min. and declination of 6 deg. N.
There is no confirmation yet of the discovery from
any other part of the country, and many are inclined
to doubt its correctness.

I have already advised you that the House of Bi-
shops of the Episcopal Convention, now in session
in Philadelphia, has passed a resolution confirming
the ordination of Bishop Wilmer, of Alabama. Yes-
terday the House of Delegatesunanimously adopted
the resolution, ,and now all difficulty in the way of
a reunion of the Church is removed. As soon as it
can be done, the reunion will be consummated, and
the Southern bishops will re-enter the House of
Bishops. The unanimity with which the resolutions
in favour of Bishop Wilmer were adopted will con-
vince the Southern Church of the sincerity of the
Northern body, and its anxiety for a return to the
happiness of other days.

Railway and Other Companies.
- -0- -
WEST FLANDERS.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the offices, Moorgate-street ; Mr.
R. T. Frere in the chair.

The report, an abstract of which has appeared in
The Sun, was taken as read.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said this was the first ordinary meeting since
the line had been in the hands of the Societe d'Ex-
ploitation, and they were interested in the success,
the credit,:and the prosperity of the company. It
was satisfactory to them that the societe seemed to
be gaining by the good position they had got the
line into, and by which this company was assured
of their contract with them being carried out. lie
might mention that they had expended a consider-
able amount of money in improving the line and in
providing additional plant to work it to advantage:;
and it was satisfactory to know that they had re-
ceived the reward of their outlay in increased traffic.
In reference to the repairs of the line by that com-
pany there was a paragraph in the managing direc-
tor's report, and also with respect to the new lines,
in which it was stated that the works of the Thou-
rout and Ostend portion of the Armentieres,Ypres,
and Ostend line were commenced a few days ago.
This was a line that would materially interfere with
the West Flanders traffic. It seemed a cruel thing
just at the time their line appeared to be remunera-
tive to the shareholders that a concession should be
granted for making another line to cut the ground
from under them. It was said that where one could
live two might starve. He thought that the societe
d'Exploitation could work the line profitably, but
they might lease the new line when it was com-
pleted, and thus prevent the injury that might
otherwise arise. The ordinary dividend they pro-
posed to declared was 4s. per share, leaving a
balance of £1,560, out of which it was intended to
take £1,560 for the liquidation account, and to
carry over the £6O.
Mr. HERAPATH supposed that by the liquidation
account was meant the Chubb account.

The CHAIRMAN said it was ; they estimated that
the various items of defalcation on that account
amounted to a loss of £11,500. Towards liquidat-
ing that sum they had appropriated out of net re-
venue £2,627, and also £1,500 on the present occa-
sion out of revenue. They had also taken £6,100
realised by the disposal of old shares belonging to
the company, making together £10,277, and there
was a balance of £1,133 still remaining to be cleared
off. There has been 249 shares over issued, of
which 143 had not yet come in, and 106 of them
had been registered. With regard to the new line
from Roulers to Ypres the works would be com-
menced when the plans were approved. The other
new line from Poperinghe to the French frontier by
the Belgian Government, but the other portion of
it, from the latter point to the Hazebrouck, had not
yet been sanctioned by the French Government.
The making of the line to the frontier was condi-
tional on obtaining the concession to Hazebrouck
The Belgian Government had extended the time for
commencing the works to the 3d of April next, and
the directors had no doubt by that time the conces-
siox for the French portion would be obtained. The
interest on the bonds for tthe construction of the
new lines would be paid by the Societ6 d'Exploita-
tion. The directors had created 15,000 bonds, and
6,000 of them had been already issued, leaving 9,000
bonds ready for delivery when required. Financial
arrangements were being made for the issue of those
bonds, so as to raise the money on the best terms
they could. The issue of the total number would
be spread over a considerable time. The bankers
had made some arrangement of giving the share-
holders the option of taking up 2,500 of those bonds,
which were not to have been dealt with until 1868.
As this was in reality a small matter and might
affect the advantageous issue of the bonds by the
Societe d'Exploitation, the directors proposed that
the power or option to claim the 2,500 bonds should
be rescinded. It was the interest of the West Flan-
ders Company that the bonds should be negotiated
ou favourable terms.

Mr. V. RicuAßDs, a director, seconded the mo-