The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-12 00:00:00

rate, whatever else may be said of it by the more
captious, the one undeniable, and conspicuous,
and most attractive charm of variety. A little
later en, and the good citizens of Manchester will
be afforied the rather subdued and " toner-
down" pleasure of an address upon the subject of
National Education, from that very respectable
minor star of Qearter Sessions, of Agricultural
gatherings in the provinces, and of the serious
and sorrowful front bench of her MAJESTY'S
Opposition—Sir JoIN PAKINGTON• Mean-
while they have been rather oddly preparing
their appetites for this porringer-full of
water-gruel, by devouring, first of all, the whipped
syllabubs of Lord PALMERSTON, and afterwards the
highly-spiced meats of M. Kossurn. The flavour
of these latter condiments still tingle hotly on the
palate. Insomuch that, as a gourmand might
say after a repast on devilled bones and curry, we
have still la bouche in feu ! 0, those " spiced"
sentences of the great Hungarian Exile ! 0 for
one momentary taste of their caloric upon the
frozen lips of our grand, obsequious, laissez-faire,
do-nothing, detestable diplomacy ! Lips between
which, as the homely saying runs, even butter
would not melt ! 0 for one dash of that fiery
ingredient into the vapid mess concocted at the
Paris Conferences ! Alas ! M. KOSSUTH still
speaks merely as an Exile—not, as in 1849, as
one of the Earth's Great Rulers—as he yet may
speak again authoritatively (Go]) willing) in the
glorious days still, let us believe, reserved for the
Hungarians !
Nevertheless even now in 1856, after five
long years of bitter and heart-wearying
expatriation, M. KOSSUTH even now, we say,
speaks through Manchester to England, through
England to Europe, in some sort authoritatively.
He is a man of mark so undeniable in his fallen
greatness, that what he utters cannot be passed by
at any time with idle or phlegmatic indifference.
He must be listened to, he will be heard, though
his home be a quiet, out-of-the-way house near
the Regent's-park, though he vegetates obscurely
for the time being as a private gentleman, though
be has no longer (as he had in '49) an army, and
a senate, and a people, and an administration.
He may be under she " taboo" of Austria, but he
is "at large" in England. He has an audience—
whenever and wherever he pleases—in England.
He has admirers wind appreciators still in England.
And so—his speeches are listened to, are printed,
are read, are pondered over. And so—the Exile
retains still in some sort the grandeur and impor-
tance of an Icstitution. Heartily do we coincide
in the opinion expressed as recently as yesterday
in Manchester by M. KOSSUTH during the course
of the remarkable oration, the substance of which
will be found given in another part of our impres-
sion of this evening—an opinion enunciated in
the form of a strong and solid belief that Italy,
Poland, and Hungary will yet be the
watchwords of freedom to Europe and the
forerunners of good government in Christendom.
At the same time we don't by any means pin
our faith to M. KOSSUTH'S views upon all thins
generally. We cannot, for example, recognise
either the grace or the reason of his sneers at
what he calls " the absurd theories" of M. DE
LAMARTINE. Neither can we participate in the
smallest degree in his taunts, pronounced as it
were over the grave of King CHARLES ALBERT of
Sardinia. Perfection is, of course, neither discern-
' able in the Poet-Statesman of France, nor yet
again in the Soldier-Sovereign of the Piethnontese.
But respect is so far due to both one and the
other : for inasmuch as the latter died in the cause
of Italian Independence, while the former im-
perilled everything--his Fame, his Life, his For-
tunes—when, with a matchless heroism, he grasped
the helm of the state-vessel of his country, when
it was drifting all at random amengst materials
"ready for the burning," materials prepared to
break at a single touch into one universal confla-
gration. M. KOSSUTH is not deaf always to the
dictates of magnanimity. Let him listen to their
secret voice within the recesses of his conscience
when next he treats of Italy in relation to King
CZARLES ALBERT, or of France in reference to M.
DE LAXARTINE. Italy, it is true, has yet to
discover her veritable Patriot-Representative. As
Poland has yet to reveal herself incarnate in the
person of a great Tribune, prepared to be GOD'S
instrument for her Emancipati .n. But Hungary
has at least her incentive in KOSSUTH, and France
her day-dream of democratic glory in LamaßrisTE.,

Ministers are again actively engaged in making
preparations for the forthcoming session of Par-
lianagnt. The first Cabinet Council was held yes
terday at the official residence of the Premiers and
we may, without pretending to any extrarirdinary
degree of prescience, anticipate that sirAar meet-
ings will be of frequent oceurrencq. The Pre-
mier has already, by his speeches at Manchester,
Liverpool, and in the City of London, thrown
considerable light upon the foreign policy of the
Government, and has received the unqualified
approbation of the community at large. But
there are various questions of domestic interest
in which we are still completely in the dark, not
the slightest indication having been afforded of
the Ministerial intentions. There are matters in
which an immediate "pressure from without" is
of paramount importance, inasmuch as the deli-
hr.:rations of the Cabinet may thereby be directed
with proper directions, and points, that might
otherwise be overlooked, treated in the manner
which the interests of the nation imperatively
demand.

First amongst these is the consideration of the
Bank Charter Act and the future monetary policy
of Great Britain. We have repeatedly explained
the present position of this great question. The
Act of 1844 has virtually expired. Notice may
at any time be given for the termination of the
existing law, after an interval of twelve months,
and no time should be lost in adopting the
necessary course to obtain " free trade in money,"
or, what is perhaps the more correct expression,
"free trade in currency." The present monetary
Code has been "weighed in the balance and found
wanting." It has signally failed in realising the
anticipations on which it, was founded. In place
of maintaining an equable value of money, it has
produced fluctuations more extensive and more
disastrous than
bad occurred at any former period
since the first charter
one time there Was aof the "Old Lady." At
speculations were plethora of cash ; the wildest
stimulated. Money wee lite-
rally a "drug iu
the market," which could be
procured ou the easiest terms, for almost any con
ceivable purpose. Shortly afterwards it could
scarcely be obtained for the most legitimate trans-
actions. Industry was paralysed. The credit of
houses of unquostibnable solvency was shaken.
The requisite facilities could not be obtained, not
from any doubts as to the stability of the borrow_ars, or the due liquidation of the debt, but because
there was a scarcity of the circulating medium,
and the nation was placed in the position of the
family described by LoCKE, each member
whereof was pulling at the "scanty ceverlid,"
efaich was inadequate to supply warmth to the
entire party. Tao most bitter privations were
thus enforced on the creators awl produc!rs of
wealth, and the public revenue suffered in c mse-
quence, frena their inability to (0 nsuute exw,eabl,

articles, which would have added to the receipts
of the Treasury.
It is sufficient to direct attention to
the proceedings of the early part of 184 b,
and the latter portion of 1847. At one
p.;riod there was a mania— tt the other
a panic. The wildest speculations were supported
during the former ; the most legitimate projects
could not be carried on during the latter. There
was a great expansion of the currency, when a
judicious financier would have discovered the
necessity of a considerable contraction, and when
judicious aid was required for trade and manufac-
ture it could not be afforded, because the position
of the quasi National Bank incapacitated it from
providing adequate means. The experience of a
dozen years proved that the operation of the so-
called " self-acting regulator" of the currency
was exactly what it ought not to have been ; that
it invariably moved in the wrong direction, occa-
sioning grievous mischief, whether in its direct or
retrograde progress.

Seldom, if ever, have the signs displayed by
the monetary barometer been of a, more inauspi-
cious character, and there are no extrinsic
tokens to induce any well-founded anti►
cipations of improvement. The bullion iu
both departments is little more than nine
millions and a half-9,596,327/.—but little
more than was available in October, 1847 ; while
the reserve of notes is less than three millions-
-2,948,665/.—or more than a million short of the
amount which is deemed requisite for the efficient
working of the banking department. The mini
mum rate of discount is fixed at a rate as exorbi-
tant as was ever known, save while the act was
suspende I ; and there are significant symptoms of
other restrictions being speedily added, or, in
Threadneedle-street parlance, a further turn of the
monetary screw being applied in the Bank Parlour.

Tarious measures have been suggested, but all
are rather cticulated to enhance than to alleviate
the pressure. In fact, the time has arrived when
the directors must look to the interests of the
proprietors of Bank stock lather than of tht
general public. The drain of bullion still
continues, and the exchanges are by no means
in a condition to warrant the expectatioi:
that the tide will speedily turn. The time hay
therefore some when the Government must declare
its intentions, that the people may know what
they have to look forward, and not be led blind-
fold into the snares spread for their reception.
It is the duty of the Government to exhibit a
warning light, and Lord PALMERSTON would find
that another appearance either in London or the,
provinces would materially add to his popularity
and strengthen his Government. The sooner tht
course is decided and announced the better for al:
parties. We trust thzt the hint may not be disre-
garded, but that the Palmerston Administration
may put forward a new claim to public support
by its policy on this all-important question.

Mr. EDWIN JAMAS, Q.C., has offered a hand-
some bidding for the support of the electors of
Kingstoi-upon-Hull. The Honourable and
Learned Gentleman has explained his yiew:-
on some of the most important and
leading questions of the day, and we are
bound to say that they are such as to satisfy the
just 6112:iCtatiODS of the most zealous and ener-
getic reformers.

We need not say that the vacancy which Mr
JAMES aspires to fill has been created by the well
merited promotion of Mr. Baron WATSON to th(
judicial bench ; and Mr. JAMES, by his programme
proves that he is prepared to follow, on all polities
questions, in the footsteps of the late member.
The Learned Gentleman explains that he has no,
come forward to divide the Liberal interest. 0
the contrary, it is to prevent that interest fron
being misrepresented, in consequence of the in-
competency of Mr. CLAY to take his seat, that ht
solicits the suffrages of the constituency.
If Mr. CLAY could take his seat Mr. JAMS -
would do nothing to jeopardihe his interests ; bu
as there is too much reason to fear, that is im-
possible, the Learned Gentleman comes forwari
to oppose the common enemy—to prevent the
triumph of a Tory for a Liberal borough.
The views which he has enunciated respecting
the extension of the franchise, Church-rates, an(
lx.youcl all " the ballot," are such as to mita],
him to tho support of every true-hearted
Liberal. His great and varied experience render•
his testimony in favour of the only adequate pro
tection to the voter of immense value, and w
earnestly hope that the Liberals of Hull may no
lose the opportunity of sending to Parliament ar,
advocate so welt qualified to support the views o'
Mr. H. BERKELEY, by removing one of the most
serious blots on the national escutcheon.

His views on foreign policy are equally unex
ceptionable. And we sincerely trust that
we shall be enabled to congratulate thc
electors of Kingston-upon-Hull on having
obtained so efficient a representative of
h -ir wants and wishes, and the community at
large on so useful an addition to the popular
branch of the Legislature. EDWIN JAMES is the
strenuous and unflinching advocate for the
•ctension of civil and religious liberty, tht.
security of the voter, and the maintenance of
the dignity and honour of Great Britain in
all parts of the world.

In considering the plan for the Southwark Im-
provements, nowengaging the attention of the Chief
Comm issiouer of Works, two guiding principles must
be held constantly in view. These are to consult
public convenience, and to promote sanitary im-
provement as much as possible, consistently with
the nature of the undertaking. To those two
principles every other can be but secondary in
the estimation of a civilised community. Under
this conviction, we yesterday pointed out a mode
whereby the Chief Commissioner might be afforded
two additional days for tho examination of the
plan, so that the decision he is pledged to come
to might be arrived at under circumstances more
favourable to correctness than so extremely brief
a period as three days could afford. This we may
as well repeat. It was to have the re-
quired Parliamentary notices inserted in a Satur-
day's edition of the Surrey papers, which we
showed was alike practicable and de§qrable. We
also took occasion to point out the propriety of
passing through, instead of avoiding, the Borough
Market, in order to insure a, nearer approach to
the London Bridge stations, and a wider entrance
to the new street. A more central and far more
cAmmodious site may easily, and even cheaply,
ba found for the Borough Market further inland,
'Dover-street, and thus
in the vicinity of Great
confer a double benefit on the public without any
special detriment to 'individual or corporate in
terest. No one wir.l begrudge fair compensation.
Following up (Jur remarks of yesterday, wt
would now draw attention to the propriety of
adopting such a.n arrangement as, without sacri-
ficing directnes& of route, will enable us to get
rid of as many hor 1 and unhealthy blocks of houses
as may be nee( ,s•sary to make up the space re-
quired for the !new street. As we then remarked
the unprovenlents to be effected would not be of
a temporary
but of a permanent nature, little or no
pro6pect e
4i!,trng of guy linproiewent on them,