The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-20 00:00:00

vexatious alterations. Sir R. BROMLEY has deserved
well of his country, and should not be treated in an
unhandsome manner, or even in a style that gives
room for doubt and speculation as to the justice or
propriety of the arrangements at head-quarters. A
Treasury minute was passed in 1854 which recog-
nised the great services which had been rendered by
Sir R. BROMLEY on eleven different occasions, in-
cluding the Irish famine, and these services had
been given out of the sphere of his official duties.
Sir J. PAKINGTON, after discoursing upon the various
arrangements and alterations that had been made,
very properly said that it was better ti, claim of the
kind he referred to, " on the part of a distinguished
servant, should be met by the generosity and good
feeling of the Government, rather than that he
should be driven to establish it against them in a
court of law." The Attorney-General endeavoured
to do away with the impression which the right
hon. baronet's words had made; but he only tried
the old plan of putting off, and leaving things vir-
tually in statu quo. He said if Sir R. BROMLEY was
able to satisfy the Government that he had the
rights which he claimed, they would admit them.
This sounds very plausible to the uninitiated ; but
who that knows anything of such affairs will believe
that any one can persuade a Government against its
will, especially in the matter of money. Sir S.
NORTHCOTE very properly explained the case as it
stood, and exposed the questionable nature of the
" Government liberality" which had been so vaunted,
by stating that Sir R. BROMLEY would have been in
a better position if the minute had not been made,
for it was rather an injury to him than a favour.
Had he retired from the office of Accountant-
General of the Navy on his superannuation allow-
ance, and afterwards pensioned on the abolition of
the office of Commissioner of Greenwich Hospital,
he would be in reality better off. The Chancellor' of
the Exchequer, with his usual meanness in such
cases, did not think it necessary to make any addi-
tion ; thus exhibiting the dogmatical manner which
he so delights to assume when any liberality is re-
quired. The Government carried their point so far
as the retention of the clause was concerned, but
they have added another to this long list of un-
worthy requitals of long and faithful services; and
such savings are doubly inconsistent when we
think of the sums squandered in various ways, and
the immense waste that takes place in all official
concerns.

The close of the Cotton Famine is a cause for
great national thanksgiving. The conclusion of the
labours of Mr. FARNALL, as special commissioner,
aad the temporary dispersion of the central execu-
tive committee, may be accepted as the apparent
close of the great calamity which at one time cast
so terrible a shadow over one of our most important
counties. During the height of the famine and its
accompanying disasters few could have ventured
to foretell that, in so few years, the aspect of affairs
would have so entirely changed, yet the event has
proved that the more sanguine view was also the
more accurate ; and with the adjournment
Gf the meeting on Monday we may hope
that the Lancashire distress is also adjourned
sine die. There can be but one opinion as to the
conduct of the people during this severe and con-
tinuous trial. It has done honour to themselves and
to their country, and has borne satisfactory evidence
to the good results of the labours of our practical
philanthropists. The fear which was expressed in
some quarters that the ready relief given would
pauperise the workers was quite unfounded, as is
shown by the rejoicing over every re-opened mill.
The liberality of the contributions was almost
unparalleled, and it was especially gratify-
ing to find our colonists so prompt and liberal
in their assistance. Australasia contributed the
I .
immense sum of £65,000, while Asia gave
no less than £132,000, though part of this was
the balance of the Indian Relief Fund. Altogether
the misfortune has been met and borne with a gene-
rosity, a fortitude, and an endurance that does
honour to our time, and we may now rejoice that
PROVIDENCE has lightened the heavy burden and
restored peace and plenty to thousands of working
homes. The resuscitation of our great manufac-
ture is in every sense a blessing, and though it has
not yet regained its former prosperity, still it has
weathered the worst storm ever likely to befall it.
The labours of the committee have been one of the
primary sources of the order and good management
of the relief which has suffered no one to perish
from want, and has guarded as far as was possible
against epidemic disease. Mr. FARNALL'S task,
which was most arduous, has been discharged in
ioausnd so the committee
meetings breaks up
wthheicmhohstascrheedlditasbolemamnaynannexr
amid nothing but compliments and congratulations.