The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-07 00:00:00

niE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 7, 1870.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC 30'01NAL9.

The Times remarks that the session just beghining will
put the Gladstone Ministry to the test. We shall soon
know how far it possesses those elements of authority—
unity in itself, the power to control followers and to hold
opponents in check—without which the most distin-
guished personal talents fail to secure success. Last year
necessarily left such points somewhat uncertain. Each Libe-
ral member came to the newly-elected House under the
obligation of a mandat imperatif from his constituents to
support Mr. Gladstone without scruple or hesitation in his
appointed work of abolishining the Church Establishment
in Ireland, and as the balance of numbers shewed an im-
mense majority on the Liberal side the task of the Ministry
was comparatively easy. The main labour of the session
before us has not been settled for the Ministry by a direct
vote of the constituencies, as in the case of the Irish
Church. The questions at issue cannot be presented in
the same simple fashion to the popular mind, and the cir-
cumstances of the occupation of land in England and Ire-
land are so unlike that there is no similarity of experience
on this side the Channel to assist in the comprehension
of the problem. There can, however, be no doubt as to
what is the judgment of England on the Irish Land Law.
When we have chosen a road, we must walk along it. The
Ministry have chosen their path, and cannot halt and
falter in pursuing it. Amid the graver speculations on
the session, we may be permitted to express a hope that
/301110 manifestation of individual character ilaay be
vouchsafed to the world from the mass of unknown
and at present undistinguishable members. Last
session was extraordinary in every respect, but
nothing was more remarkable than the absence
of personal distinction among the rank and file of the
House of Commons. We should be sorry to have to say
of the representatives of the people what Pope said of
women, in his unconsciousness of the future assertion of
women's rights—that most of them " have no characters
at all "—but another such session as the last would go far
to compel some such conclusion. We shall hope for better
things. The new members last year were shy, and,
overpowered by the sense of duty cast upon
them, but now that the first ordeal has been passed,
we may look for some of the natural play and variety of
humanity.

The Daily News thinks that there are many circum-
stances which combine to give an exceptional gravity to
the approaching session. The next few months will shew
us to what extent and in what direction the extension of
the suffrage has modified the character of our Parliament.
Last year our representatives had to deal with a single
definite question, concerning which their instructions
from their constituencies were so clear and explicit as to

leave but little room for the display of legislative
talent on the part of individual members. This
year the case is very different. Upon the two main sub-

ject-matters of debate—the Irish Land question and Edu-
cation—the country has not pronounced its opinion in so
definite a manner as to convert representatives for the
time being into delegates; while the issues involved
in the discussion are of too important a cha-
racter to be decided solely by party considera-
tions. Parliament has a great work to do ; and it
will, we believe, enter upon its labours in a spirit
not unworthy of the magnitude of the work before it.
The necessity for some thorough-going reform in our
system of National Education will, in all likelihood, be
dwelt upon in the Royal Address. We shall hardly, how-
ever, be at fault in assuming that, while the importance of
providing for the educational wants of the country will
be insisted upon with unmistakeable distinctness, no
opinion will be expressed with regard to the rival schemes
by which it is proposed to remedy the deplorable igno-
rance now prevailing in large classes of the community.
It will be a disappointment to the public if the question

of the Ballot should be passed over without any distinct
reference. The course, however, that the Government is
likely to pursue with respect to this important subject, is
so obvious and straightforward that we may reasonably
hope no such disappointment will be occasioned. We
should deem it probable that the advisability of reforms
in the licensing system and in the laws concerning
electoral enquiries, will be made mention of in the

Ministerial programme. We should, however, fancy that
any pledges as to immediate legislation on these and other
important topics will be of a studiously vague character.
What with the Land Tenure in Ireland, the Education
question, and the Ballot, Parliament has its work well cut
eat for the coming session.
What is to be done this next session, asks the Telegraph
about the licensing question? Surely no more important
subject can be brought under the consideration of Parlia-
ment, if it is true that nine-tenths of the crime, and more
than nine-tenths of the misery, of the country, are to he
referred to the prevalence of drunkenness amongst us. If
strong drink crowds our convict-yards with wretches con-
demned to longer or shorter periods of penal servitude,
and if it fills our pawnbrokers' stores, and the still more

squalid " leaving-shops," with the little articles of cloth-
ing, and even with the rags, of the poor, it is
high time to ask whether some remedy cannot be
found for so unfortunate a state of things. We have too
long acquiesced in the force of certain old sayings of
which " You can't make people virtuous by Act of Parlia-
ment "is perhaps the most time-honoured sample. The
maxim is sound enough in its way; but, if it call for any
reply at all, you might fairly answer, " There is no need to
make people vicious by Act of Parliament," which is pretty
much what we have done for many a year past. We
have quietly left the millions of our population,
with their ignorance, their inherited traditions in
favour of drunkenness, and their own natural Northern
proclivities towards strong drink, at the mercy of the
brewers and distillers. We nave made—and we rigidly
enforce—regulations with regard to petroleum and gun-
powder, and other explosive substances or liquids, on the
simple ground that men cannot be allowed to blow up the
bodies of their fellow-creatures in order to put money
into their own pockets. How, then, about the gin, and
the drugged beer, which blow them up, bodies
and souls? On the general propriety of doing
something we need not dwell. We are pretty well
agreed about that. Some are for doing too much • others
would treat this dreadful evil with rose-water, and would
do too little. For our part, we would endeavour to ascer-
tain how far the good sense of the community will ulti-
mately go in favour of restriction, without advocating a
measure of such undue severity as would be sure in the
long run to defeat itself. Whatever may come of it,
we are convinced that more than one bill is necessary
to deal with London and the country generally.
In the change which we are about to effect,
we must be careful to provide that authority
shall be elastic, so as to adapt itself to the wants of each
locality. The discussion on the Licensing Bill—or, as we
hope, Bills—will be one of the most important of the
session. But the matter will, no doubt, be satisfactorily
settled in the end; for surely a Parliament which has just
dealt with vested interests on the other side of St. George's
Channel, need not shrink from dealing with the bars and
taprooms of our publicans. It should be as easy to meddle
with the temporalities of the brewers and distillers as with
the temporalities of the Irish Church.

The Pall Mall Gazette observes it is plain that if the
clergy are to be relieved from Home Tooke's Act, it should
be distinctly provided not merely that they should aban-
don any preferment which they may hold, but that they
should be excluded from all preferment in future, either
for their lives, or, at least, for a long torm of years. But
if sufficient security is taken for this purpose, we can see
no reason why they should not have their disqualifications
removed. Some persons may continue to believe that at his or-
dination a clergyman received a certain mysterious grace and
power, of which no one on earth can deprive him. Whether
he does or does not possess this grace is a simple question
of fact, which it may be rather difficult to decide, and the
decision of which must be left to theological methods.
But for all practical purposes the clergyman might simply
take off his gown, declare himself to be a layman,
do anything that a layman may do, and be free
from every restriction which does not apply to
laymen. It is desirable that a man should
have the power of doing this for the reasons
alleged in the memorial. It is impolitic that the law
should bind anyone even by very slight fetters to an irre-
vocable calling; it is desirable, in the interests of religion
and conscience, that a clergyman should be permitted to
resign his office without being called upon even to assign
his reasons ; and we therefore think that the sooner exist-
ing restrictions are removed the better, always assuming
that the necessary safeguards will be scrupulously main-
tained.

The Standard says that the Dean of the Court of Arches
has just given judgment in two of the most recent suits
instituted against ritualist incumbents by tho representa-
tives of the Church Association. The defendants are the
Rev. R. 11. Wix incumbent of St. Michael's, Swanmore, in
the diocese of Winchester and tho Rev. James Purchas,
incumbent of St. James's, Brighton. In the former
case the offences charged were the " use " of incense—not
" the censing of persons and things," but the burning
of incense in a standing vessel—and of lighted
candles when not required for purposes of illumination.
The case against Mr. Purchas was tar more complicated.
The charges were thirty-five in number, the most impor-
tant being that which raises the question of the lawful-
ness of the Eucharistic vestments, and upon which the
decision of the judge was distinctly in favour of ritualistic
practice. It will be seen from the list of prac-
tices objected to by the prosecutors, and admitted by the
defendant, that Mr. Purchas is one of the wildest inno-
vators ever brought to book. Mr. Wix lrls persisted in
praotiscs already condemned, but Mr. Purchas has invented
new ones never hoard of since the Reformation. At the
same time, we apprehend that the promoters of tho suit
are by no means satisfied with Sir Robert Phillimore'e
judgment. It condemns many practices which are
obviously illegal, and which hare never boon heard of tut
of St. James's, Brighton, but it gives an explicit
sanction to usages which they would hold to
be equally objectionable. It is quite possible, how-
ever, that the Court of Final Appeal will reverse
the decision of the Dean of the Arches, and certainly the
supporters of the association will not allow the question to
remain on its present footing, which is tantamount to the
abolition of the blank gown and the compulsory imposi-
tion of the vestments. Should the Judicial Committee
deem it incumbent upon them to affirm the decision of
Sir Robert Phillimore the only result would be a demand
for a sweeping revision of the rubrics, the effect of which
would be to cut away the ground from under the feet of
the ritualists altogether.

MR. CARDWELL AND THE VOLUNTEERS.
The Secretary of State had a conference with a depu-
tation of volunteer officers at the War Office on Saturday
morning, to receive their report upon the proposals he
made to them at the conference on the 23rd of
December. The report adopted at the meeting of com-
manding officers held at the offices of the National Rifle
Association on the p-evious day was submitted and ex-
plained by Lord Elcho. Mr. Cardwell having thanked the
officers for the trouble they had taken, expressed his wil-
lingness to give effect to the wishes of the volunteers and the
emmtry,due consideration being given to the attainment of
the thorough efficiency of the force. As to the question of
what were "necessaries," that remained to be settled;
but the Government agreed to the principle that all bond
fide necessary expenses should be defrayed by the State.
The details of the new system are to be settled by the
War Office, who will be guided by the opinions of three
or four of the officers who have attended the conference
so as to get the scheme completed in time for the next
army estimates.

THF. GOVERNMENT AND THE WELSH
FASTING GIRL.

The Western Mail says that the Government have
decided to prosecute the father of the Welsh fasting girl
at the forthcoming Carmarthenshire assizes; and Mr.
Giffard, Q.C., has received an intimation from the
Attorney-General that he will be required to conduct the
pmeoution on behalf of the Crown.