The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LOND_ON, SATURDAY EVENING, WE CEMB_EIt 6, 1856,

A STLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE'
_cll Lessee and Manager, Mr. W. Cooke.
THIS EVENING (First Week), MACBETH, with Eques-
trian Illustrations by Mr. W. Cooke's Horses, trained by
him. Macbeth, Mr, James Holloway.
After which, the SCENES in the CIRCLE ; Miss Kate
Cooke in her elegant act of manege, &c.
To conclude with OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS,
Doors open at half-past six ; commence at seven o'clock.
Box-office °pert from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr.
W. West. Equestrian Director, Mr. W. Cooke, jun.

MGEI WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tais DAT—Morn. 5 min. aft. B—Evening8—Evening 43 min et. 8
Try Monnocv—Morn. 17 min. aft. 9—Evening .2
CUM . *ft 9

THE WEATHEK—SUN OFFICE, DECEMBER 6.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
55—highest sines noon yesterday.
51—lowest this morning and during the night.
55—this day at noon.
Bincoarrzn, 29.56.
WIND, S.W.—Light, with rain.

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1111,

L C,ON, SATI7RDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1858.

So the Precious Cfpnferences are to be forthwith
renewed. The Constitutionnel makes a semi-official

announcement thereof, and we fear that there
are no reasonable grounds for doubting the pain-
ful intelligence. Russia has triumphed, through

,he instrumentality of France, and the Western

Powers are involved in the deep disgrace of seeing
the scanty benefits they obtained, at an enormous
cost of men and money, already fleeting from

their grasp. It is the triumph of fraud and
treachery of the worst description, involving a
total loss of honour to those who have achieved
their sinister objects by such infamous means.
rev, the diplomatists who represented Russia at
the late Congress, and the Government which
was cognisant of, and assented to, these proceed-
ings, must for ever remain disgraced in the opi-
nions of all right-minded and veracious men, who
think that no temporal advantage can consecrate or

lustify a wilful and deliberate falsehood. The

Calm, through his representatives—men who
acted in obedience to his instructions, and whose
acts were confirmoi and ratified by his Govern-
ment—has been convicted of a base lie—a fraud
for which an attorney would be struck off the

rolls of Court, and deemed for ever disqualified
for the practice of his profession.
_ .

The Constitutionnel tells us that "it is no

intended to do over again the work of the Con-
gress, nor to change the text or terms of the
Treaty ; * * * that it is simply to interpret
it, to fix its meaning on some points which have
appeared doubtful." It, however, adds—" It does
not appear that all the difficulties are, as regards
the substance, already solved ; there is reason to
suppose that up to the present moment
things are not so far advanced, and that

each Power still maintains its own peculiar
view of the points under discussion."
It then intimates the mode by which the difficulty
is to be solved, viz., that "either an agreement
will be come to by reciprocal concessions—as is to be

hoped—or it will be the result of a vote, and o
a majority. In either case a satisfactory solution
cannot be doubtful 1" We must totally dissent
from Ihis conclusion. "Reciprocal concessions"
necessarily involve a change or alteration of " the
text or terms of the Treaty." It is the surrender
by one party for peace' sake, and to avoid litiga-
tion of some portion of that to which they are
absolutely entitled, and is therefore to all intents
and purposes, neither more nor less than a new
contract, which will be no more binding than the
former one on those who have evinced a thorough
disregard of the most solemn obligations. It is
similar to the case of a State that, having repu-
diated its previous engagements, invites the
bondholders to assent to a considerable re-
duction, without offering any adequate
security for the satisfaction of its diminished lia-
bilfties. The taint of faithfulness will stick to it
to the end ; its coupons can never again be ac-
ceptable in any money market.
The reference to a settlement of the question
by a vote, and a majority, however, permits the
cloven hoof to appear. It indicates the impend-
ng danger, so that he who runs may read ! We
!lave already explained that a treaty completed
with all the requisite formalities cannot be altered
ir modified without the assent of all the contract-
ing parties ! A single dissentient must prove
decisive against the change—and therefore it is
that a Conference on such a point, where " each
Power still maintains its own peculiar view of the
points under discussion," can load to no beneficial
result.
It has been charitably suggested that the
" Conference may be the best moans of saving
wounded self-love, and of allowing those who
have wandered in the wrong direction decorously
to retrace their steps." We cannot lay the flat-
tering unction to our souls. There has already
been displayed too much morbid sentimentality
on the question of that infinitesimal, or rather
evanescent element, Russian honour (!). It would
he much more to her honour, if betrayed
into an error, candidly to confess and make re-
paration for her fault, than to have the matter
decided against her by a Congress. But there is
no intention of yielding on the part of Russia.
She has already secured an absolute majority by
means best known to herslef, and the result may
be regarded as a foregone conclusion. - We may
paraphrase the maxim respecting the fair sex,
and declare that the diplomatist who hesitates is
ruined, and we beg to say that the Government
,:f Lord PALMERSTON has placed itself in that un-
pleasant category. We cannot, then, regard the
approaching Congress save with mingled disgust
tnd indignation—feelings in which we are con-
vinced the great majority of the British people
will fully and completely concur.

snare.

The question relating to the Ecclesiastical Courts
must be decided during the approaching session of
Parliament. The Augean stables must be tho-
roughly and effectually cleansed without furtherde-
lay. They have long since been condemned by the
unanimous voice of public opinion, and have only
dragged on a doomed existence, unduly protracted
on account of the late war, which prevented,
or rather procrastinated, the final arrangement of
many matters of vast importance to the commu-
nity at large.
There is but one alternative. We
must greatly reform or altogether abolish those
obnoxious tribunals. Many efforts have been '
made to ameliorate the practice and administra-
tion, but all in vain ;
hopeand weof
aconrfeesssultthatwe
entertain no possible
satis-
factory to the great body of the peo-
ple, save in the entire abatement of these
social nuisances—Delenda est Carthage. The
Ecclesiastical Courts must be altogether got rid
of before the matters now within th • eir jurisdic-
tion can be placed on a satisfactory foundation.
We have too :much of conflicting jurisdictions
that have no possible utility, but only confuse,
mystify, and occasion heavy expenses to those
who are so unfortunate as to fall within the

Sir FITZROY KELLY is undoubtedly actuated by
good intentions, but he does not go far enough
in the measure now before the country. Se does
not apply the knife with sufficient vigour or deter.

urination. A mere pruning will not suffice where
the very root is rotten to the core. There is tco
much respect for existing interests, too great an
anxiety to preserve an ancient institution--
although it has been proved to be " an aged vice,
a grey iniquity." We confess that we greatly prefer
the measure proposed by Mr. Co rAtEa, or even flat
of the Lord Chancellor, although many changes
would be required in the details of Lord ORAN..
WORTH'S Bill before it could receive the legisla-
tative sanction. The claims of wealthy sinecu-

rists, like Mr. MOOSE, are thought more impor-
tant than the interests of the community, and
those who have pocketed many thousands per
annum for doing nothing are thought of greater
consequence than the national welfare.
We trust, however, that there will be no half
measures—that whatever is to be done will fully
meet the admitted evil. We are no advocates for
centralisation, but there is nothing more objec-
tionable than a multiplicity of minor tribunals,
the business whereof is a complete work of supe-
rorogation. Why should it be necessary to have
a single will proved in three or four dif-
ferent places—in the Provinces of Canterbury,
and York, in Scotland and Ireland I
Why should there not be one place where all these
important and interesting records would be duly
preserved. In some of the earlier numbers of
Household Words we find a graphic description of
the " Doom of English Wills," and we believe
indeed the well-established character of the work
goes far to prove that there has been no
exaggeration. No matter how highly, how extra-
vagantly paid, local functionaries, who are
practicallyirresponsible, will not afford the protec•
tion which these documents imperatively require.
We must then legislate for the public, without
reference to the wishes of these persons. There
may in some cases be a fair claim for compensa-
tion, which, whenever clearly established, we
should deal with liberally ; but the public
welfare is paramount to all other considera-
tions, and that must be the end and ob-
ject of all parties. Barristers and solicitors
were greatly injured by some recent reforms ;
they put forth no whining complaints, but con-
formed themselves to altered circumstances. Let
Advocates and Proctors do likewise, and they
will find that the contemplated changes will not
be by any means so dreadful as they may at pre-
sent anticipate.

Re-open the Slave Trade ! No, that won't do
at any price ! There are already too raw of
" GOD'S images cut in ebony" under the tyranni-

cal sway of the Southern Democracy to admit of
that. The black cloud gathers over Egypt—don't
expect us in any way to aid in its dissipation ! We
dare not permit the trade to be re-opened if we
would, and if we dare we cannot. We are pledged
ear deep to keep it shut—and keep it shut we
certainly will. There are innumerable reasons
why we should do so, and the least stands good
for probably not less than thirty millions of money
—twenty millions expended on the liberation of
the slaves in our West India possessions, and the
remainder in cruises to shut up the trade. Before
GOD and man we have pronounced slavery a
hideous leprosy, not to be further propagated by
fresh importations of slaves. Having paid so
much, and enjoyed the satisfaction so far of hav-
ing done our duty, we are not going to be robbed
both of our money and our reward. Bluster may
now and then serve the turn ; but when honesty
deliberately concedes a trifle, the obligation be-
comes all the more imperative on it to stand on
vantage ground, and vindicate a great right.
And a great right is involved in this question of
opening the Slave Trade. Submit it to analysis,
and far beyond the money thesuppression of the
trade has cost us are the principles which moved
us to the sacrifice. Religion—not as interpreted by
a lying and sycophantic section of the American
clergy, but by righteous, interpreters, men who
dare peril their lives for their faith pro-
nounces, " the door is shut, let no, mau open
it." Humanity, while it pales at the horrors
the opening of the trade would let loose
all the niore resolutely endorses the verdict. The
question is not confined to the sphere of the poll-

tician. The households of England would rise
against the Minister who dared to wink at the
provision of new holocausts for the altars of
rapine, murder, and lust. Of all the wars ever
warred a war to prevent the reopening of the
Slave-trade would prove, in this country, the
most popular. Infant lips and infant hands
would bless the champions of the slave, and from
every temple would go forth the prayer of faith
and the incense of benediction. Gentlemen
slavers and ruffians ofithe South—don't think of
it. We should have the North on eur side, and,
more than any power in any art of the compass—
the GOD of Battles ! We don't attach so much
weight as some appear to do to your threats—
" bunkum " is part of your stock in trade—but
it may not be amiss you should have our warning.
Don't try. It is not impossible, if you do, you
will lose what you have, and sink hopelessly in
the slough in which you are now strugglin
The star of Africa is in the ascendant, and no
declining. That's a fast ! Stomach it as you
may.

We are a people not only practical in our aims,
but fond of appealing to practice and precedent.
Unlike our volatile neighbours across the Channel
the fairest theory can fascinate but few of us ;
they concentrate their admiration and ardour at
once upon a new scheme, we coolly think over our
past, and want to see, not that the idea is self-
complete, but that we have already been
acting on it, and can foretell its working from
experience. All our reforms must be, in each
part of them, but BOW small step in advance on
what is already done. We proceed in action like
a mathematician with a demonstration in Euclid.

Now we appeal to every honest elector whether
the advocates of the Ballot have not been ready
to meet this national peculiarity. They have
pointed to home experience in the Army, the
Club-room, and even the Social Book Society, and
the reference has never been challenged, or
its testimony contradicted. Englishmen of
the best standing continue thus to prove
that they appreciate the Ballot when they
wish to vote independently. If the Ballot
needed a reference for character this one ought
to be sufficient. It is as a reference, an argument
a fortiori, for if persons of some position in society
need such protection of their independence, how
much more the great mass of county and borough
voters.

We have given America as a reference. Ameri-
cans ara next of kin to us ; and from them, too,
viewed properly, the argument is again an a
fortiori one. For beyond question, in that land
of ready employment and intense republicanism,
the voter has little to fear from another's displea-
sure, E ince the attempt to interfere unduly would
jeopardise a man's reputation with his neighbours.
Republican jealousy would soon ostracise the
wealthy individual who coerced his poorer neigh-
bour. The intimidator might lose more votes to
his cause through public indignation than he
would gain by his tyranny. Yet Americans, all the
taunts of Tory journals here notwithstanding,

instead of dispensing with the ballot, only seek
to perfect its mechanism• The great mass of
electors do not need it as ours do, yet they
'value the privilege of concealing their vote if they
wish, and value yet more the independence thus
conceded to the minority who do need prateep

tion.
Next we turn to Earopean States. France, at
her late Imperial elections, is, we will own, a most
unfavourable reference. An election in which
only one candidate, who had secured the greater
part of the army, offered himself to the public
choice—in which all the ballot boxes were in the
hands of his tools, and no scrutiny permitted, is
about as bad a witness for the ballot as can well
be imagined. Yet even under these circumstances
a minority did vote, while it is generally believed
now, by all whose opinion is most to be trusted,
that the vast majority did re-elect for a tea years'
Presidency, and then for the Empire, the man for
whom theyat first rejected CAVAIGNAC and LAMAR-
'ANL Under the most discreditable disadvantages
, the Ballot did nevertheless ascertain the mind of

the nation.
Lastly, Three small Continental States give the
unequivocal testimony of their experience to the I
value of secret voting as the safeguard of electoral
independence. But a few days ago we adduced
testimony from Belgium ; and we give insertion
to-day to two important extracts from the electo-
ral laws of Holland and Sardinia, which prove
the solicitude of those States for an honest expres-
sion of the popular will, accompanied by the
opinions of an eminent member of the Chambers
of each State. The testimony is unequivocal to
the sincere wish of those who enacted the laws, to
make them efficient. We rather wonder that the
simple expedient of voting with printed tickets,
placed at the time of voting in an adhesive enve-
lope, was not thought of to obviate the one slight
occasional danger of infuence mentioned. This, how-
ever, is but a trivial imperfection, and will easily
be remedied. We do not comment, at least at
present, on the communioations adverted to, pre-
ferring to refer our readers to the documents
themselves. The account of the struggle as
given by M. JANCLAIS will interest all who
E think with us on the importanoe of protection for

voters.
We ask our electors, then, whether they
wile
tolerate any longer the shuiting of the House of
Commons and the Government on this question.
Argument is wholly on one side, and, as we have
seen, facts are equally so. Government can cry
up secresy when they want it to wring an Income
Tax from us, but when we want secresy to en-
able us to vote as we please about those who
impose the Income Tax on us, ah ! then it is
un-English, and all that is bad. No cheating
under the Ballot could match the cheating to
which the Chancellor of the Exchequer protests
he is subjected by the secret tax. According to
him we have all need to know our neighbour's
Income-tax return, lest he should be paying
less than his share, and we, consequently,
more than ours. Yet no Minister advocates
public income-tax returns;-...and why not? Solely
because the knowledge of a man's income might
be used to his disadvantage, or at least unplea-
santly to him. But what would be, or is, used
more to a Mitle6 disadvantage—‘by landlords,
mortgagees, lawyers, bankers, brewers, custo-
mers, oreditors--than a vote given by a man,
however honestly, yet in opposition to these
Lords of elections t It is disgraceful, and ought
to be resented by the whole constituency of the
kingdom, that our masters will, at a heavy loss
to the Exchequer, grant secresy to the Income-
tax payer, merely to get money from him, but
refuse it to the same man when he asks it as protec-
tion for his vote. The case hers is, indeed, very
strong against 'our governors. The man's vote is
his own, yet by refusing him secresy they leave it
at the mercy of every political rogue and robber.
A correct account of a man's income ia, on the
other hand, the right of the Exchequer, yet by
granting him a secret return the Exchequer may
lose its right. The reason is, secresy in one case
loses only a portion of the natioa's money ; in
the other it would deprive Whigs and Tories of
their tightly-clutched power to coerce or bribe
eleotors. Talk of secret voting being in-English,
what can be more so than secret inquisition into
a man's income ? Talk of possible frauds under
the Ballot, can they compare with the known
frauds under the secret returns to the Income
Tax. The truth is, it is that such allegations are
pure—humbug. We use for once the word so
often applied to the Ballot. The only reason why
Ministers and Members of Parliament hate the
Ballot is that they hate electoral independence.
No Reform Bill shall we have this session.
The Ballot is a definitive, independent object,
which may be sought for its own sake. It is a
Reform Bill in itself. We have a right to it.
We may force it from our House of Commons if
we choose, and to force only will they yield it.
The two hundred and twenty-five members who
have voted for it can compel Government to adopt
the Ballot. But half-hearted as they are, they
I must first be compelled themselves by the electors.
g.

A. Cabinet Council was held, yesterday, at the official
residence of the First Lord of the Treasury in Downing-
street. The Ministers present were—Viscount Palmer-
ston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Marquis
of Lansdowne, the Earl of Harrowby, Sir George Grey,
the Earl of Clarendon, Mr. Secretary Laboachere, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles Wood, the
Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, Stanley of Alderley,
the Right Hon. M. T. Baines, and the Duke of Argyll.
His Excellency the Ambassador of France had an
interview with the Earl of Clarendon, yesterday after-
noon, at his residence in Grosvenor-crescent.
His Excellency the Prussian Minister and the Countess
Bernstorff entertained a select circle at dinner, last
evening, at Prussia House, Carlton House-terrace.
His Excellency Baron Bentinck, Minister of the
Netherlands, arrived in town, yesterday, from the con-
tinent, to resume his diplematie functions after a leave
of absence of some months.
The Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury leave town, to-
day, on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, at
Woburn Abbey.
The Countess of Clarendon left town on Thursday
evening, for the Grove, near Watford.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston leave town
to-day, on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Bedford,
at Woburn Abbey,
Bedfordshire.
Viscountess
10 Chesham-street, Dungarvan has arrived at her residence,
Belgrave-square.
Lord and Lady Edward Thynne have arrived M
Haynes Park, Bedford, from visiting the Earl of Cardi-
gan, at Dean Park, Northamptonshire.
Lord Macdonald has left the St. George's Hotel, for
Longleat,
EMIGRATION TO AINTRALIA.—The Black Ball clipper
Wilts, on a visit to the Marquis of Bath.
Champion of the Seas, Captain John Mc Kirdy, sailed
from the Mersey yesterday afternoon, for Melbourne,
with a small mail, 550 passengers, and a full cargo
(above 2,000 tons) of merchandise on freight.
The investigation into the accounts of the Great
Northern Railway Company is still proceeding. It is
not expected that the frauds perpetuated by Redpath
will exceed 150,0001.
On Monday next the third instalment of the six pic-
tures of the Turner collection will be exhibited at Marl-
borough-house, viz. :-469, Sea Piece ; 472, " Calais
Pier ;" 525, "Bacchus and Ariadne ;" 532, "The
Exile ;" 549, " Undine ;" and 550, " The Angel stand-
ing in the sun."
THE " SOULA4ES" COLLECTION.—On Monday next a
very remarkable collection of objects of virtu, illustrative
of the condition of decorative art at the period of the
Renaissance, will be open to the inspection of the pub-
lic at Marlborough-house.
The Washington correspondent of the New York
Times denies that the 'United States' Government has
assented to the capitalisation of the Danish Sound

Dues.
The French Corps Legislatif will be convoked very
much earlier in the year than usual—probably at the
beginning of next month.
A rather severe shock of earthquake was experienced
in Kentucky last month.
According to the Washington correspondent of the
New York Courier and Enquirer, President Pierce's mes•
sage was nearly completed. In it he claims Mr. Bu-
chanaa's election as an endorsement of his PArniniltratiov.

of floating ice with which the navigation has be- I
come impeded since yesterday. Three or four
steamers taking in cargoes will leave this afternoon
if possible. A considerable quantity of snow has
fallen during the past night, and much more ap-
pears in prospective.
The navigation of the Eider is also at an end, in
consequence of the large quantity of floating ice in
the river. The English steamers Powerful, Leipzig,
Tanning, and Florence Nightingale have left the
harbour in order to reach sea, to avoid being
caught in the ice. They have been obliged to leave
part of their cargoes behind,