The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-29 00:00:00

THE SUN,

The worthy MAYON of the locality on this very inter-
esting occasion crowned the merits of the whole of
his recent hospitalities by the manner in which last
evening he presided over the festivities. It will be,
we doubt not, with many agreeable recollections that
the illustrious recipient of these popular testimonies
of admiration will call to mind the circumstances of
his entrance into Hampshire, and of the feelings with
which he was everywhere received by its inhabitants.
Being now settled down in something like quietude
at his temporary residence in Eaton-square—having
arrived in the metropolis early this morning so as to
avoid for once the fatigues of a public demonstration
KossUTH may at length, we hope, be enabled to
recruit his strength prior to his welcome early to-
morrow in the Guildhall by the members of the
London Corporation. It is understood that the cere-
mony of presenting the address of that important
body to the distinguished stranger will take place
possibly as early as ten o'clock A.m., so
that any effort that may be made to greet
KOSSUTH on his passage to and fro between
the City and the West-end should be prepared betimes,
and prepared too with all possible enthusiasm. Let
not the citizens of our metropolis be surpassed in
earnestness of feeling by those of Winchester. Let
not the Liberals of London and Westminster allow
themselves to be surpassed in fervour of sentiment by
the generous-hearted inhabitants of Southampton.
KOSSUTH deserves, if ever man deserved, the love and
admiration of a free people. Our provincial fellow-
countrymen have shown him that he possesses thesis
results of a popular sympathy not by one solitary
but by several enthusiastic demonstrations. It would
only be reasonable therefore, on the part of the free-
minded and outspoken citizens of the capital, to afford
the great refugee another and still more striking
evidence of the fair and enviable light in which he is
regarded by the British population. At the same
time we should deeply regret to witness any repeti-

tion of those very indecent displays of an enthusiasm,
by no means called for, or desiderated, by which the
proceedings at Southampton and elsewhere have
been rather unfortunately deteriorated. We would
have the feelings of the illustrious Hungarian
somewhat more scrupulously regarded. We would
have it remembered that he more than any other
politician in Europe is no partisan whatever. He en-
tertains principles identical with not one of those po-
litical parties which may be enumerated in this
country. He is an advocate of Constitutional Liberty,
and what is more, of Constitutional Government into
the bargain. He is the friend of no one class in par-
ticular, but of all classes indiscriminately. He is the
promoter of improvement and development in
every popular institution, but at the same
time is a resolute upholder of order in
the administration. Never, perhaps, was any
leader of a nation more capacitated to receive a wel-
come from all classes, irrespectively of any party
opinions whatsoever, for never was any such leader
less identified with any exclusive sentiments or re-
stricted principles. KOSSUTH should be respected and
honoured by the working men because he was the
upholder of the rights of the labourer and the
cherishes of the interests of industry. KOSSUTH at
the same time should be respected and honoured
equally by the wealthier division of the community
because he was the upholder of property and the
maintainer of the laws of possession. These
truths should be remembered now that the
great exile is amongst us ; and the representa-
tives, or so called representatives of a single class, no
matter what that class may be, should abstain alto-
gether from thrusting upon him any demonstration
which he may deem to be unadvisable under existing
circumstances. KOSSUTH is here as the guest of
England—in the name of decency and of hospitality
alike, let him not be tormented by his popularity, or
wearied by importunate tributes to his reputation.

Nearly two months have elapsed since we directed
the public attention to the extraordinary negligence
of the Government with respect to the earnest re.

commendations of the Select Committee on Steam
Communication with India, &c. The culpable apathy
oroviolicsly exhibited had even at that period excited
the strongest condemnation in the City, more espe-

cially among parties trading, or having any commer-
cial relations, with In%lia, and who were consequently
more immediately interested in the result. The report
of the Committee had received the unequivocal approval
of three members of the Government, one a Cabinet
Minister, and the very Minister on whom the duty of
acting in the matter would devolve. Why, then,
should Sir CHARLES WOOD, having affixed his signa-
ture to a document which stated that the existing
contract would expire in December, 1852, and "that
any new parties competing would require at least 18
months, after their offer is accepted, to prepare for
the due performance of their engagements"—why
should he waste several precious weeks without giving
any intimation of the Ministerial intentions, and
possibly thus deprive the public of the
benefits that might otherwise be derived
from the protracted and valuable labours of the Com-
mittee ? It appeared perfectly inexplicable that when
the report had been published on the 29th of July
nothing should have been done until the Bth of S.ep-
tember, that six weeks should have been frittered
away through the carelessness of an official ! 3

Since that period seven weeks more have passed
away, and we find from a correspondence which has
just appeared in a provincial contemporary, the Ply-
mouth Times, that matters remain in statu quo, and that
nothing, literally nothing, has as yet been decided on.
No tender for performing the necessary service has
been called for, and, what is still more important, the
conditions of the contract have not been published•
Nothing definite has been announced, and the pro-
gress of an important undertaking is suspended until

Sir CLIALLE3 WOOD can make up his mind on the
subject, or, hiving made up his mind, can so far
" screw up his courage to the sticking-place" as to
make public the result of his deliberations. We
should be sorry to accuse the Right. Honour•
able Baronet of any desire to perpetuate the
existing monopoly, or to deprive the public
of a bi-monthly communication, carried out
in two distinct services, but we are compelled to
say that if such had been his object ho could not have
adopted a more efficient mode of achieving it than by
maintaining, as he has done, an unbroken silence for
no less than three calendar months from the publica-
tion of the repert.

The correspondence above alluded to contains a
remonstrance from the directors of the Plymouth
Great Western Dock Company to the board
of management of the Eastern Steam Navi-
gation Company, as to the lapse of so long
a period without the commencement of active opera-
tions on their part, and requesting " such explanations
as they can consistently afford as to the cause of this
delay and the probability of its termination." This
reasonable request was accompanied by a statement
of the steps adopted by the shareholders of the Dock
Company to provide the necessary accommodation for
the other company's vessels. They, it appears, have
made every arrangement to commence the works,
which will require some considerable time, but no
conclusive measures can be adopted until they are
informed whether the accommodation which they are
willing to provide, will actually be required.
In answer to this application, the directors of the Na-
vigation
Company have put forward a reply, through
their secretary, in which they
remove the onus from
their own shoulders'
borne. and transfer it to those by which it
should fairly be c h
hasdisappointment to the directors
Afterexpressingtaken
placetheirthey
statenatural
regret at the delay that u
" it is a source of
m
that any occasion should have
occurred to impede the
active development of the objects for which the
Company
Eastern Steam Navigationis constituted.
Tney had certainly hoped that, after the unanimous
and highly favourable report of Lord JoczL N's
Committee, of which three members of her MAJESTY'S
Government formed a part, that some immediate
steps would have been taken to carry the recommen.
dation of that report into effect, by establishing a
competing line of steam communication with the east,
—and in anticipation of such a result, the directors of
this company had not hesitated, on their own respon-
sibility, to enter into contracts with shipbuilders and
engineers of the greatest eminence for the immediate
construction of several first-class vessel», which are
to be at the disposal of this company
whenever
obey succeed in Govern: in obtaining a p
of the mails:, eut contracts for the conveyance
But while they have thui done all
take advantage of the favourable op-
portunity, BO soon
as the Government will enable