The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-05 00:00:00

Northsteiad. It is needless to say that there
were other arrangements made before this inte-
resting step has been taken. It is more than
hinted that the Noble Earl has been virtually ap-
pointed Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and
that lie will be forthwith elevated to the Upper
Houie by his present title, which will, of course,
eventually merge in the higher one of Marquis,
whenever the veteran Whig Statesman shall be
removed from this transitory world.
But there is something even more interesting
than any Ministerial or Peerage alteration. It
is said that the Hero of Kars, Sir WILLIAM
FENWICK WILLIAMS, iS to be the successor of the
Noble Earl in the representation, and that his
valuable services will now be rendered available
in the popular branch of the Legislature. We
need not say how gladly we shall hail his acces-
sion to the vacant seat ; but we must confess
that we should have greatly preferred his
entering the House as the unfettered re-
presentative of a free and independent
constituency, rather than as the nominee of any
Peer, even of one so distinguished as the most
noble patron of Caine. It is unfortunately but
too notorious that any one possessing the sup-
port and influence of the noble Marquis—who, as
was formerly said, we believe, by a Duke of MARL-
BOROUGH, in reference to Woods took, might,
if he pleased, return his black footman, pro-
vided he did not come within the Alien
laws —is certain of success. The same
might almost be said of the Marquis of
LANSDOWNE and of Calne. It is well to find that
a power in every respect so indefensible should
be so well exercised, and we might almost
be reconciled to rotten boroughs, if assured
that such would always be the case. But
however, high ,the character of the nominee,
he must lose prestige, from the simple fact
that he is universally known to be " a
nominee." With a proper measure of Reform,
Sir Wrutam FENW/CK WILLIAMS would require
no aristocratic crutch to enable him to hobble into
a House the door s whereof should be thrown
wide for his reception ; and even his return can-
not greatly protract the existence of an anomaly
so thoroughly antagonistic to the feelings and
principles of Englishmen as the return of a
Member to the popular branch of the Legislature
on the nomination of one who, under the Constitu-
tional theory, is precluded from taking any part
in the election.

The American difficulty ought to be a very easy
one to settle. Great Britain has nothing unrea-
sonable to ask, nor the United States anything
which ought to be of consequence to them which
they have not got already. Neither country ought

:o trouble themselves further than the bond fide

object of the CLAYTON- BULWER Treaty, which was
to guarantee the neutrality of any passag2 by rail-

way or ship canal which might be constructed be

tween the two oceans. Should that passage be
ultimately a canal completing the communication
through the Lake de Nicaragua, the provision
that England should not have any military occu-

pation in the protectorate of the Mosquito coasi
would fully attain that end ; since Ruatan is ai

far too 'great a distance to be any hindrance wha
ever to the freedom of the transit across the Isth
mus. Indeed it no more interferes with it than
our possession of Jamaica. Now we believe both
Costa Rica on one side, and Nicaragua on the
other 4irri a right to Fort St. Juan, or Grey-
town, as it was named by the Whig Ministry—
not to 'lllndicate the mingling of doubtful claims,
but in honour of the British Minister who first
gave to it, when much needed, British protection.
As this town lies at the entrance of the fluvial,
canal, br lake transit, and as England lays no
claim too more than looking to the security of its
subjects who may settle in this kind of no-man's-
town, the obvious course appears to be to consti-
tute it, with a sufficient suburban territory fur
any fuiure contingencies, a self-governed free port,
like Halmburg, for instance declaring it by treaty
incapable of annexation to either of the neigh-
bourini; states, or to any other power whatever.
All commercial powers might be asked to sign
this Beaty afterwards—though if England and
Anaerida did so other nations would be of no prac-
tical consequence. If America be unwilling to do
this, it will be plain that she contemplates ulterior
objecti, and that the pirate WALKER is but an
emissary from Washington to seize Nicaragua
first, acid to take possession of Greytown as be-
longint- to it. The power which is unwilling that
a ton at the entrance of the canal should
be a frbeeport must contemplate covert, and finally
open, mastery of that passage.
Nor ought Ruatan to be any serious difficulty.
Out cif all the petty quibbles about it, one plain
fact emerges that British settlers found it tenant
less, made it a home, cultivated the land, built a
town on it, obtained a British Government for it,
and Live now a perfect little republic there, well
ordered and thriving,
.enjoying the utmost. civil
and religious liberty. The United States can
have no business in the world there. What a
pretty hubbub would be raised in Washington if
Yankees had colonised an island in the same style,
and been acknowledged , by his Majesty the PRE-
SIDENT of the Union ! It is amusing to think of
the vcicabulary of abuse which would be opened
on the encroaching and rapacious Britishers ; we
may properly enough in regard to Ruatan ask the
Americans to do as they would be done unto.
Would they consent either to hand their fellow.
countrymen over to England, or to place them
under the power of the half-civilised state of
Honduras? We believe nothing on earth would
induce them to part with the island at all, and,
small'as it is, we believe it would be tithis peril
that any Englisli Minister placed it under the
dominion of any other power. He might be
allowed to engage not to use it for military pur-
poses, to constitute the people themselves judges
of the relation in which they -would stand to
England,
Honduras, or the. States, to grant them
an independence
of this kind under the guarantee
that no power should interfere with their inde-
pendence while they choose to retain it but
further than this no Mims*
loauntda
will
ll with-
usingner
elastingr
ai
tned ittaeot i omnp
ualts
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rtoy
Minister could venture
Insue.bordEinn:
tion of some thousands of honest settlers to the
imperious demands of any power. Ruatan was
not gained by the rifle and revolvers of slave-
holders, but by the honest industry and enter-
prise of British subjects. If Honduras be
Lord of the Manor, let an honourable con-
sideration be arranged, but ejection or serfdom
are not to be thought of.
And then what of the Mosquitos? Again we
may ask Americans what would they do ? We
know pretty well it is true the fate of Indians iu
their hands. They are moved about just as suits
the falicy of the Government, but would they
renounce a protectorate over the most uncivilised
tribe amongst them at the bidding of Great
Britain ? Would not the "insulted sovereignty" of
the States be rung in our ears in every despatch,
and if a President were again a candidate at the
time would it not be the most popular "plank
of his platform" that he would fight the old
conntry for ever rather than surrender the In-
dians, to whom the honour of the States WAS
pledged. Well, England,
we imagine, would be