The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-07 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE ru BLIO JOURNALS.

The Times, in referring to the commercial aspect oUthe
year just ended, observes that it is impossible to peruse
the reports from the various departments of trade without
discerning the effect still produced by the disasters of
1366. The influence of the panic survives to this day,
and leaves unemployed capital still helplessly confronted
with unemployed labour. In fact, there is more labour un-
employed and more capital unemployed than in 1867. At
that time money, as it accrued from savings was wanted for
obligations still outstanding. This drain has now beer
stopped, and yet confidence has not fairly returned. Joint-
stock enterprise is in these days the main aliment of industry,
and joint-stock enterprise has been rendered all but it
impracticable. Neither the money ncr the mechanism is
now to be had. The public will not take shares, nor if
the shares were taken, would any responsible parties join
a board of management. If shareholders have been ruined
oy directors, they, in their turn, have been thoroughly
frightened by shareholders. Yet still the savings of th ,
nation do accumulate, and are accumulating, indeed, at an
increased rate. The money is ready in abundance, bu;
nobody knows how to set the money-mills going again.
11ut if there was one fact clearly shewn in the Trade Re-
ports of 1869, it was that under no circumstances can it be
for the interest of this country to throw obstacles in the
way of Free Trade. What are the complaints from the
various centres of British industry ? They amount simply
t;) this—that the markets of the world have partially
failed us owing to the accidental impoverishment of ow
various customers. What, then, if these markets them-
selves should be lost by the resolution of each country
to become " independent of the foreigner " and
establish "protection for native industry ?" Carry
oat this doctrine to its legitimate conclusion.
and see to what it leads. It would lead to the limitation
of native industry to native markets ; and what propor-
tion, let us ask, of British workmen would British markets
alone suffice to keep in work ? Of all cries, the cry for
Protection is the most foolish in a nation like ours. There
have always seasons when trade was bad and em.
ployment scarce, but there never was a time when trade
could have been made better by putting artificial limits on
its expansion.

The Telegraph discusses the religious difficulties of the
National Education League, and says the scriptures are
so bound up with all that is greatest in the religious
history of modern England, that they hold a position in
these islands which the people of Continental countries
can scarcely comprehend. On the other hand, the present
generation of Englishmen has witnessed a growing dislike
to sectarian education— an increasing desire that all
religious bodies should have fair play. The fever
for proselytism has died out, and the spirit of
toleration dictates the words even of men who
try to be bigots. The National Education League
therefore, has to keep clear of two dangers. On
the one hand, it must not shock that deep and true in-
stinct which makes Englishmen seek a religious education
for their children ; on the other hand, it must respect the
equally deep and equally true feeling, that national edu
cation must be free from sectarian bias. On the whole,
we believe, it has struck the mean between the two en
tremes ; yet, as shown by the commotion which accom-
panied the question whether Mr. Dixon would keep the
Bible out of the national class rooms, the League is menaced
with breakers ahead. The truth is, that the rival
parties do not understand each other. All but a
handful of the community admit that the educa-
tion of the young should be religious as well as
secular; unless Scripture lessons be available in school,
many children will never receive them at all. At
home the sons and daughters of the poor get, in a great
majority of cases, no religious training whatever. If they
do not learn the tenets of Christianity at the day school
or the Sunday school, they grow up as ignorant of the
Christian religion as the family of an unconverted Zulu
Caflir. Supported partly by rates and partly by Imperial
funds, a National school must be as open to the Roman
Catholic, to the Dissenter, and even to the Pagan, as tc
the member of the Church of England. Such religious
teaching as it may offer must necessarily be unsectarian,
and also be given at a time which will avoid every risk of
religious contention. That is tho aim of the National
Education League, and Parliament, we believe, will admit
that the effort has been attended with success.

The Standard congratulates the colonial reformers on
having at length found a body and a name, under the
designation of the " National and Colonial League."
With such a programme as that which was agreed upon
at the last meeting tho advocates of the maintenance of
our colonial empire are now in a fair position to test the
public opinion of the English people upon the question in
agitation between Lord Granville and themselves. It is a
movement which men of all parties and of all classes.
whether directly interested in the colonies or not, may
join withont offence to any political creed. To Con-
bervative3 there cannot be a more legitimate cause, for it
ss one of the conservatism of the empire. To all true
Liberals there cannot be a finer opportunity for testing
the value of their principles. Our desire to see some
kind of real connection between the trunk and its mem-
bers—to have a living empire in place of a formless, dis-
jointed confederacy, without any definite law or scheme
of union—hanging together upon the unwritten traditions
of Downing-street, and no part of it knowing at any time
whether it is joined or separate.• This is the problem
which our statesmen have to solve—a problem before
which all other questions —of Ireland, of land, of edu-
cation, of emigration—are trivial and secondary. What
shall be our gain, after all, if we save Ireland, and lose
the empire? How can we serve the land question
better than by opening and securing the road to
the millions of acres now lying waste in our
colonies better than the land which is coveted at home?
Of what avail will it be to educate our poor by force, if
we are compelled to keep them at home? And is not
emigration to British territory better than emigration to
a foreign land—better to add to the number of our
citizens than to the number of our enemies—better to
enrich what is our own barren territory than to fatten our
rivals'? What madness in a nation ever equalled the
madness of England in neglecting to provide for the
Iture of the empire by the only process which nature
, ermits her, at the very time when every other of her
vals and competitors is seeking by all possible means
',a enlarge its borders and add to its dominion?

The Daily New 3 declares that nothing which has been
aid of the difference between the old and new laws of
sankruptcy discloses half so eloquently the opinion of
:he insolvent portion of the community on that subject as
the list of bankrupts published in the newspapers of Wed-
.tesday last. The Gazette of the first Tuesday in January,
1870, contained the names of 524 bankrupts; that of the
;orresponding day last year contained only 89. The
ild system has had a fair trial, and its lesson
as been burned into the minds of all who
've credit. We are now going to be, not severe, but
• rid. The new legislation reinstates the old doctrine,
Ay discredited of late years, that debts must be paid.
_nother effect which may be hoped for from the new law
till be the earlier suspension of the trader who finds that
sings are going wrong. Hitherto the unsuccessful trader
as been encouraged to continue a losing concern at the
epense of his creditors. The hope, however baseless, that
sings would mend might be safely indulged at the expense
1 others; and if at last it were perceived that failure was
.evitable, he might as well fail for a respectable as for a
dtry sum. The new Act comes into operation at a time of
eat interest. We have advanced nearly half through
se term at the end of which, if past experience is to be
ken as a guide, another period of inflation will be due,
id when the operation of a law of bankruptcy may say•
from great evils. What is wanted is confidence, and it
hoped that this new law of bankruptcy will contribute
inspire and strengthen that feeling; that it will give
curity and tone to trade partly by the penalties it pro
aims, but in a far greater degree as an emphatic expres-
on of the commercial morality of the country, and the
pudiation of those lax principles which, under the
nction of false legislative ideas, had been permitted to
ow up.

If tho Pall Mall Gazette may fromem the angry
at Mr. Lowe'
ttcrs to the Times, the taxpayersYsC
Love's arrangemeantismalielaanitl
id puzzled as ever
explanations and consolations which have been
offered
them have not yet succeeded in making them unlet-
and what it all means and that it is 1 r the best.
is just beginning to dawn upon '8
01113 of them
:at when they have paid all their
1. assessed taxes
advance, with incense tax, house tax, and land
ix in full this month, there is still a further char
be made upon thens for taxes due for a portion of
he financial year ending the ilist of March last. A tax
;;lector who is one of the Times' correspondents, natal-
,.;ly observes that Mr. Lowe should have allowed the
,c,tion under the chi system to be completed before he
:sugueLted the new. There can be no doubt this wout!
ve been the wiest course. No argument, no persuasive
oquence, eau n,ake reople comprehend a 1.0
illich they arc to clear off liabilities fur the futlae
.ride weeks before they are called upon to clear elf
;heir liabilities for the past. They perhapfz, Lc-t
-ea li3e their position, as regards uses ;ed. talcs, by
;he following illution. `;;uppose Lowe to lie theit
.;ailor---he comes to them this new year with Isis bill, not
'or the clotheil they have had, but for the clothes they in-
tend to have between now and next new year. When
they have settled this account lie will bring them another
-"y had between September, 1338, and
;o unusual for a tradesman to send in
.hat it is not surprising that many of
uld labour under the impression
.g with him up to the present date,
sens that he makes no charge for the
sad between March 1869 and January
finitely prefer the ordinary busineEs-
t method of paying their just debt,
claims made in advance, claims in
'tor adjusted, and claims not to
_be

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