The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-14 00:00:00

The establishment of representative government
in they kingdom of Denmark is one of the satisfac-
tory results of the changes introduced in the yeas
1848 which have survived the excitement of that
period, and the perils of a great national contest.
On the part of the Crown, the measures by which
one of the most absolute monarchies in Europe was
transformed into a constitutional State, have been
honourably persisted in, although the influence of
some of the great Northern Powers may have been
' exerted to circumscribe their legitimate operation.
But it is not less essential to the maintenance and
success of these institutions that the elective Assem-
bly should pursue a rational andpractical course with
reference to the important questions which have re-
cently occupied not only the Danish Cabinet, but the
' great Powers of Europe ; and nothing is more calcu-
lated to weaken the due authority of the representa-
tives of the nation than a disposition to sacrifice the
public engagements and common interests of the
monarchy to a spirit of narrow and exclusive party
feeling. Two questions of moment were submitted
by the Danish Ministry to. the Diet—the one with
reference to the change in the law of succession
which had been defined by the treaty of the Bth of
May, 1852, the other relating to the abolition of the
line of customs between Schleswig and Holstein, so
as to include the latter duchy within the commer-
cial frontiers of the monarchy. " The first of these
propositions was opposed by M. Wegener, on spe-
cial grounds, in the event of the extinction of the
line of Prince Christian of Glucksburg, but it is
anticipated that these objections will not be sus-
tained as they would impugn the authority of an
act already ratified by all Europe. The second
proposition encountered a more decided resist..
ance • it was thrown out by a majority of 50
to 15 votes ; and, in consequence, the late
Diet was dissolved, and a new Diet convoked
for the commencement of March. We have taken
so much interest in the gallant struggle of the
Danes against the party which sought to effect the
dissolution of the monarchy, and in the establish-
ment of those liberal institutions in Denmark
which no people is better qualified to enjoyed, that
' we hope the observations we may venture to make
on this Parliamentary crisis in their affairs will be
favourably received before the country proceeds
Oki`Mn 'business '-'of the elections on the 26th of
Februa4.—
The motive of the Government in proposing to
include the Duchy of Holstein within the same
line, of custom-houses as the other portions of the
King of Denmark's dominions is obviously to con-
solidate by commercial intercourse and union that
common political interest which is expressed and
represented by the integrity of the Danish
monarchy. Moreover, if Holstein is not to be in-
eluded within the commercial system of Denmark,
with her low tariff, her colonial trade, and her in-
creasing commerce with England, the Duchy must
necessarily fall sooner or later into the German
Customs' Union, and Germany would again acquire
fresh grounds of interference in the internal affairs
of the province. Altona would rapidly lose its im-
portance as the rival port of Ilamburgh, and
the restrictive influence of the South German
States, with their Protectionist policy, would be
extended to the Eyder. It is therefore the evi-
dent duty of the Danish Government to remove
the internal line of custom-houses, and to give all
the subjects of the monarchy access to the same
freedom of commercial intercourse. The opposi-
tion to this measure has come, strangely enough,
from the old Danish party in the Diet, the very
men who showed with harness on their backs, that
all the force of Germany, aiding and abetting an
insurrection, would not compel them to forego one
jot of the lawful rights of their Sovereign. But it
is one of the unfortunate results of such a contest
that it has left behind it feelings of irritation and
resentment which are not so easily closed as the
last protocol. The Danes have preserved a strong
sense of the perils to which they were lately ex-
posed by the conduct of their Germanic fellow-
countrymen ' • and though the King's Government
is Jound to deal in perfect fairness with the
dikitinct parts and races of his Majesty's do-
inions' the feelings of the respective provinces
Ire still so embittered that fusion is reprobated
as if it implied submission. The Government has
announced its intention of providing, as far as
possible, for the united organisation of the whole
monarchy, with separate local institutions in Den-
mark Proper, in Schleswig, and in Holstein, but
with one public organ for the common interests of
the State in finance, diplomacy, and defence. To
this scheme the extreme Danish party is as much
opposed as the extreme German party in the
Duchies ; because, as Holstein forms part of the
Germanic Confederation, it is apprehended that
Germany will exercise a greater influence over
Denmark through the province of Holstein in
union with that kingdom than if it were an inde-
pendent Duchy. But, in truth, the most effectual
barrier to be raised against the political influence
of the German States in the Danish dominions is
the establishment of open and identical commer-
cial relations between all parts of the monarchy.
To resist the establishment of such relations
is, in fact, to consign the Duchies to that
foreign influence which so lately threatened their
allegiance to the Crown, and io introduce an in-
vidious distinction between the dominions of the
same Sovereign. We hold that to perpetuate these
distinctions in mixed countries is impolitic and
unpatriotic, and we may speak with the more
authority on this subject as the progress and the
welfare of the United Kingdom of England, Scot-
land, and Ireland is the most striking example in
history of what may be effected by the sacrifice of
narrow international prejudices to groat public
interests. It was in that same narrow and resent-
ful spirit that England and Scotland well nigh
dissolved the Treaty of Union, and hardly acknow-
ledged its beneficial results till a century after it
was concluded. And as barely half that time has
elapsed since the union with Ireland w.,.3 accom-
plished, we still see, in many of our ,lations with
that country, signs of incompleteuess and ineffici-
ency. But not the less is it the conviction of every
British statesman that the principle of these
unions is irrevocable. If it was worth while for
the people of Denmark to make great efforts and
sacrifices to maintain then connexion with the
Duchies against internal resistance and foreign
aggression, it is a still more -nerative duty to
support that connexion by enlightgred and impar-
tial legislation. The Government has shown its
desire to act that part, and it would be extremely
injurious to the character of the nation, and of its
existing institutions, if the intentions of the Crown
for the united organisation of monarchy
es and
were frus-
trated by the factious or intolerant opposition of
the Diet. The existence of Denmark under the
treaties and provisions which have recently received
the
for
ual
it
the sanction of all the ohief powers depends
andand
if
th on
thee
y
of all Gover-
nment orie Diet forfeit
their claims to the beatrhaencse u ole thect s ofDatnhies Danish
partyow n ; on
way for further struggles consi-
deration of their fellow-countrymen in the Duchies,l
they will prepare the
more disastrous changes.—Times.

PRIZE OF THREE HUNDRED POUNDS FOB THE BEST
ENGLISH ESSAY ON THE HINDU SYSTEM OF PHILOSOPHY.
—A member of the civil service of the lion. East India
Company, on the Bengal establishment, has placed in the
hands of Messrs. Hoare, bankers, London, in the names
of the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Bishop.
of London, and the Lord Bishop of Oxford, as his trus-
tees, the sum of 3001. sterling, as a prize to the com-
poser, in the English language, of the best essay in refu-
tation of the errors of Hindu philosophy, according
Vedanta, Nyaya, and Sankhya systems. The adjudill
cators of this handsome prize are the Rev. W. H.
D.D., Regius Professor of Hebrew, University of Cam-
bridge ; the Rev. Wm. Whewell, D.D., Master of. Tri.
nity College, Cambridge ; and Mr. Horace Hayman Wil-
Tsohne,
eaßonddeidnatPereoffeesrstor L oaf
prize San arescrit, ca
University
use to
ofheOxfdeoprde:
to
sited their respective essays at the office of the Incor-
porated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts, No. 79, Pall-mall, London, on or before
the last day of December, 1854. The refutation o the fun-
damental errors of the 11. d inuphilosophy is to contain a
demonstration (supported by such arguments, and con-
veyed in such a form and manner, as may be most likely
to prove convincing to learned Hindus imbued with
these errors) of the following principles of Christian
theism, namely :—First, of the real, and not merely ap-
parent or illusory, distinctness of God from all other
spirits and from matter ; and of the creation (in the pro-
per sense) of all other spirits and of matter by God, in
opposition to the Vedanta ; second, of the non-eternity
of separate souls and their creation by God, in opposi-
tion to the Nyaya and Sankhya; third, of the creation
of matter, in opposition to the tenet of its eternity in
the shape of atoms (as maintained in the Nyaya
e
schools),
or in the shape of Prakriti (as maintained by th
Sank-
hya) • fourth, of the moral character and moralit govern-
ment 'of God, and of the reality and
perpetuity
difference between moral good and evil; with reference
opposed
to such dogmas of the above systems as are
to those doctrines. Amongst o
e should be simple in
other instructions, it is
directed that the essay or treatise
style, and lucid in the manner Vi
of treating the argu-
ment,e
adapted,
may be, to the Hindu habits
as farshouldas communicate to him, as
of thinking ; and it
occasion arises, any preliminaryinformation which he
may need. The competition is intended to be general,
natives of Great Britain and Ireland.
aid not limited to
DANGEROUS FlRE.—yesterday
(Sunday) morning,
about five o'clock, lock a fire of an alarming character was
' discovered on the premises, Nos. 3 and 4, Churchway, St.
Pancras, in the occupation of Mr. Brett, a marine store
dealer. An alarm was immediately raised, and the in-
' mates escaped with difficulty. In doing so, Mr. Brett
' unfortunately fell from the first-floor window on his
head, and received such injuries as rendered his imme-
' diate conveyance to the hospital necessary. The engines
of the fire-brigade were speedily on the spot, but, al-
; though the fire was speedily got under, owing to the
nature of the building, it, together with the furniture
;
and other contents, was completely deetroyed,