The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-10 00:00:00

national courtesy and propriety to abuse both the
EMPEROR and the people for establishing a Go-
vernment over themselves in their own way ? for
observe, it was not a question of oppressing Hun-
gary or Italy, but of governing themselves. If it
did not, why then, of course, they assume that the
Government officers, by retaining the ballot-
boxes in their own hands, and permitting no
scrutiny, were guilty of fraud—that it was not,
in fact, a free and real ballot. But, then, what
becomes of it as an argument against the Ballot if
it was no real ballot after all ? Anything more un-
becoming in Ministers of the Crown we can hardly
imagine than such attacks upon a Monarch to
whose Court they send an Ambassador.
If it may be questioned what licence the press
should grant itself, there can be no question
as to what a Minister should do. Lord
PALMERSTON'S noble remarks to the Koss=
Deputation, were trivial grounds of complaint in-
deed from a Foreign Court, compared with the
severe language both of Sir CHARLES WOOD and
Sir JAMES GRAHAM. To return to the Ballot,
however. We hax e shown that Sir CHARLES is
either unwarrantably warlike, or that his argu-
ment, as against the Ballot, is not worth a straw.
The Manchester gentlemen were, this time, wholly
on the right tack—commending the good points
of the late Budget, the modified Income Tax, and
the Teamanly style. On the question
of Reform y are quite aware of the intended
shuffling e Government, but they will not
o f Duties t
h in
let them have it all their own way. South Lan-
cashire and the West Riding of Yorkshire are
amongst the districts more disproportionately re-
presented than any. In Manchester alone 48,000
houses are represented by only 2 Members ;
elsewhere 48,000 houses are represented by 64
Members ! We observe that Mr. BRIGHT strenu-
ously asserted the view which we ourselves have
presented, that better distribution of the represen-
tatives, and secret voting, are the things which will
be resisted to the uttermost, and that they would
hardly object to any extension of the suffrage, if
allowed to retain the present distribution of Mem-
bers, and voting open to bribery and intimidation.
These are the
points over which Reformers must
fight to the last. We shall not forget to drop
illustrations every now and then of the gross in-
equalities of our representation. It seems that,
according
to its population, Manchester could
claim 58 Members; according to its rating, 46;
and if the mean of them were taken, 52. Mr.
BRIGHT mentioned that a friend from Montreal
had told him that in that city they had just
adopted the Ballot for municipal elections, and
that doing so had transformed the elections from
such scenes of violence and disorder to per-
fect peace and quiet, that though on former occa-
sions he could not vote on account of the disturb-
ance, this time he could do so with pleasure. Mr.
BRIGHT also produced at the meeting a Massa-
chusetts voting envelope. It was stamped with
the arms of the State. The elector goes with it
to the polling-booth ; his name and address are
found to accord with the register ; he has pre-
viously put his voting ticket, with the candidates'
names upon it for whom he votes, into the en-
velope, and sealed it by means of the adhesive
part. The officer takes it, ascertains that but one
envelope is given him, and drops it into the box.
It is compulsory on all to vote thus ; hence, none
can bribe with safety, there can be no watching the
state of the poll till 2 p.m., and then getting enor-
mous bribes at the eleventh hour. Riot has no
object, as it cannot be known whether the riotous
man is ahead or otherwise ; indeed, were colours
and processions permitted, how easy would it be
for the voter to put on the colours of the men who',
were rioting against his candidate, and thus cazry
his vote to the box safely. On the other hand,
no man of character, who wished his vote for any
reason to be known, could be hindered from
telling it. The rogue's word would not be trusted
by the W.B.s and FRAILS, nor that of the victim of
oppression by his oppressor ; but all others, though
compelled to use the envelope, would enjoy the
advantage of publishing or concealing their vote
as circumstances required. We honestly believe
that there is nothing, and can be nothing, but
bribery and intimidation in opposition to the
Ballot. Reformers must have it. It is worth
more than any Ministry which we have, or are
likely to have ; and the Manchester Reformers
shall always find us amongst their steadiest friends
in all such really national objects.

Sunday Desecration is—we blush to say it—a
question still remaining to be definitively settled.
We shall look eagerly, and GOD grant that we are
justified in saying also, confidently, for its settle-
ment by the popular branch of the Legislature
during the present session of the Imperial
Parliament. Frequently as we have our-
selves enlarged upon the cruelty of the cla-
mour raised by our dear old friends the Sabba-
tarians--often as we have endeavoured to explain
with more and more lucidity the incorrectness of
their ethical reasoning, as well as the narrowness
treaderssuje
of their religious views as to the observance of the
LORD'S Day—the day consecrated to GOD and to
repose, not in commemoration of the Sabbath, but
e the
Resurrection—we
are are
very
emr rejoicedyo rcharming
peculiarly
essay
refer
those
in-
terested
upon it excerpted from the pages of one of the
of
i ourh
e subject whot o
a
most popular and intelligent of our cheap periodi-
cals. Perhaps it will be as well for the poorer classes
of the community to bear in especial remembrance
the contrasting humour of those who advocate
the non-closing upon Sundays of the Gardens now
in process of formation at Sydenham, and of their
very resolute, very obdurate, very petulant, and
very persevering antagonists, the leaders of the
little squad of Sabbatarians. Take the article
already referred to as appearing in another por-
tion of our impression of this evening, take that
article as an illustration. Compare the sweetness
and serenity of its tone with the harsh and in-
temperate protests entered against arguments of
this nature by the sticklers for a merely cold and
puritanical observance. It is an old say-
ing,
and a tolerably true one into the bargain,
that in a controversy, no matter upon what
topic, whichever of the disputants loses his temper
is, as a matter of certainty, the one in the wrong.
Judged by this criterion, the Sabbatarians appear
by no means in a favourable light before
the calmer and more impartial sections of the
population. Judged, indeed, by any criterion,
we have long insisted that they can be regarded by
no means advantageously—but judged by that par-
ticular one, they stand forth, we maintain, in an as-
pect at once false and ludicrous. As affording another
indication of this by the vividness of its contrast-
ing serenity, the remarks of our literary weekly
contemporary are gladly afforded by us this even-
ing the benefit of our circulation. They are re-
marks, moreover, apart from the consideration
above intimated, such as must appeal directly to
the right reason and the better judgment of the
community.

ACCIDENT TO SIR JAMES GRIHAM.—The Right Hon.
the First Lord of the Admiralty narrowly escaped
serious injury yesterday morning. He was on his way
from the Palace to the Admiralty, in a Hansom's cab,
when just opposite to the Duke of York's Column, in
Pall-mall, the horse dropped down dead, and Sir James
was violently jerked out of the cab on his head. We
are glad to learn, however, that although the right hon.
baronet sustained an injury to the nose and mouth, from
which he lost some blood, ho was not seriously hurt, and
was enabled to attend to board duties at the Admiralty
in the course of the day.

THE SWISS TELEGRAPH.—The Opinione of Turin states
from Berne that a treaty has been concluded between
Switzerland and Austria for the junction of their tele-
graphic lines. The Austrian Government undertakes to
construct at its own expense the lines connecting Milan,
Como, Feldkirch, and Bregenz, as far as the frontier
while the Swiss Government engages to prolong its lines
to its frontier to meet the former.

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DEPARTURE OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN
MAlLS.—Yesterday, at twelve o'clock, the United States
Mail steam-ship Europa, Captain Nye, sailed from the
Mersey, for New York, with the usual biweekly mails,
40 passengers, and a large cargo of merchandise on
freight.
The Attorney-General has appointed Thomas Hall
Terrell, Esq.,
relating to charities in the Courts of Chancery, tho office
to represent him as counsel in all cases
lately held by Mr. James, Q.C.
THE BRITISH COLONIAL BANK and Loan Company
have issued a circular to their shareholders, giving the
particulars of about 20,000 acres of land, and also town
allotments, &c., held by them in New South Wales,
together with 120 acres of land within two miles of
Melbourne, Victoria, •