The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-21 00:00:00

'l'llE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 21, 1869.

that contiguous land must be bought at a further
outlay of £66B,ooo—remembering that the cost of
building and architect's commission involves an ad-
ditional disbursement of at least £1,650,000, and
that the furniture and mere et ceteras or contingen-
cies of the undertaking will require about £150,000,
Mr. LowE (being very precise) says £147,000
—we have, there, clearly, a prospect before
us of, at the most moderate computation, over
three millions sterling ! Particularly when, to the
items already enumerated, there have to be added a
nice little sum of £138,000 for taxed costs, disburse-
ments, and so on, including some £27,000 handed to
the Messrs. Field and Co. in honourable payment.
Altogether, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer al-
most serio-comically put it, he found himself in his
official capacity, on his first looking into the state of
things at the Treasury, confronted in this one direc-
tion with an expenditure of £3,350,000. Consider-
ably more, in other words, than double the amount
originally said to be involved by the sebum of build-
ing up a Palace of Justice on this very Carey-street
site. The sum first of all said to be required,
there, for that purpose was, in point of fact, no more
than £1,500,000 altogether. Double that and
you have, according to COCKER, £3,000,000.
But, here, as we have seen, is the inevitable squan-
dering of £3,3so,ooo—with no "guarantee whatever,
even then, that that would be all. As was said last
night in the House, we might consider ourselves for-
tunate, everything considered, if, under these cir-
cumstances, we got off with an outlay in
the end of no more than £4,000,000. And
all for a site, the very name of which, as
lit seems to us, is expressive of its mean-
ness—the Carey-street site ! A Site bounded cer-
tainly on the north by Holborn, and on the south by
the Strand (though many regard the latter even as
but little of an advantage, remembering the enormous
traffic already flooding through that main artery
of the metropolis), but flanked at the same time
both to the east and to the west by a dense and
tangled mass of back slums and miserable rookeries.
No—whatever else may come of it, at any rate last
night's debate, or commencement of a debate, has ac-
complished already this good —it has doomed, or we
are very much mistaken, the original plan for building
the Palace of Justice to the north of the Strand.
The Embankment site has distinctly, now, the
preference, and to that preference the strong
Government now installed in power has, as

clearly as possible, avowed itself to have become a
convert, so far, at least, as we can at all judge from
the declarations made last evening by the right hon.
gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer. What
part of the Thames Embankment will eventually be
selected, as the picked substitute, is another matter.
Sir CHARLES TREVELYAN'S choice is one involving
an outlay of something like £2,000,009. Mr. LowE
has an eye to one necessitating—he tells us—no more
I extravagant an expenditure altogether than £1,600,000,
So little does he think of the Strand as an advantage.
that he wants to shirk it entirely. Speaking as though
he were describing an out-of-the-way corner of
Pekin or Hong Kong, he says to the house of
Commons—" There is a street called Eloward-street,
midway between the roadway of the Embankment
and the Strand, and which runs from Arundel-
street to Surrey-street. The frontage of the
Strand is, of course, very valuable ; but I am in-
formed that between Howard-street and the Em-
bankment the property is not valuable, consisting,
as it does, of premises which have been left derelict
by the Embankment. I am told that a site there
can be purchased for £600,000, and that on it build-
ings comprising all the Courts with their auxiliary
offices and other offices besides can be erected
for a sum of £1,000,000." This is the gist of his
proposition. This is the revised plan submitted,
in the name of the Government, tothe deliberate con-
sideration of the House of Commons, before another
step is taken in the scheme for building up at last.
in London a fitting Palace, withi❑ the walls of which
and beeeath the roof of which the Laws of Enu,land
shall henceforth with due decorum be administered.

WE are glad to learn that the friends of the
Bishop of EXETER have taken to heart the remon-
strances loud and numerous which the condition of
his diocese has excited. It was, indeed, time that they
did so. The patience of the Established Church has
been long and sorely tried in the West of England.
The " absence of responsible episcopal government "
has forced those to speak who would far rather have
kept silence. Respect for episcopal authority,
veneration for old age, the natural dislike to inflict
pain—all these considerations prompted to endu-
rance, and all had to he overcome before the strong
sense of duty forced a public utterance of that which
everyone way saying in private. In spite of obloquy
and misrepresentation, in spite of the imputation of
unworthy motives by persons incapable of understand-
ing worthy ones, the complainants persevered in ex-
posing the scandal under which the diocese was suffer-
ing. T heir courage and perseverance hav e been partially
rewarded. The Bishop of EXETER has formally com-
missioned Bishop Tnowxn to act in his behalf, and
to undertake generally the episcopal duties of the
diocese. The announcement is somewhat vague.
There is one thing, however, which it certainly does
not imply—the resignation of the diocesan. This
would have been the right course. This is the
course for which there is good precedent in
the cases of Bishops BLOMFIELD, MALTBY, and
ILNDs. We regret that Bishop PIIILLPOTTS
has not followed these excellent examples.
He has, if the announcement which he has authorised
means anything, done the next best thing by com-
missioning another bishop to act for him. To a
certain extent Bishop Tnowxn has thus acted
already. He has consecrated and confirmed and
ordained. But he has not had any power to appoint
to cures. The episcopal patronage has hitherto been
tenaciously retained by the episcopal entourage, with
what results is well-known. We assume that it will
now be transferred to the Bishop Commissary, u ho will
be respoasible to public opinion for his exercise of it.

We assume that we have heard the last of young men
four years in orders promoted because they are rela-
tives of the BISHOP, while men who have been in
orders for ten times that period are left to starve on
the wages of a domestic servant. if Bishop MOWER'S
commission does not imply his right to present, it
would be the merest mockery, it would be an adding
of insult to the injury so long sustained by the
diocese. We apologise for even supposing that such
a hypothesis is possible.

KING BELISARIUS, begging for an obolus, was
scarcely a more touching spectacle than King
HUDSON appealing to . the charity of the British
public. Yes, it has come to this : the man who, less
than a quarter of a century ago, was the confidant of
dukes and the flattered of duchesses, whose house in
Hyde Park was mobbed by all the haut ton of London,
who seemed to have the golden key of the temple
of PLUTUS, for whom constituencies quarrelled
in their eagerness to secure him as a
representative, who might have had a peerage for
the asking, who was more sought after than any
peer—this man is a beggar in a foreign land, and
the papers aro appealing in his behalf to the
people whom he did his best to ruin. What a sight
for angels and for men and for Mr. CARLYLE. The
Chelsea prophet lashed the subjects of the Rail-
way King inany years ago, for he saw
how little there was of kingly in him,
how much there was of abject baseness
in them. He might, were he so disposed, lift up his
voice again, and warn the world against its hero-
worship of men who are not heroes, but quite other-
wise. He will not, for the world is not to be taught.
It will worship the beings who have control for the
time over the money-bags. Convince it that the
object of its worship is a charlatan and a swindler,

and the conviction will make no difference. The
worship will continue so long as the divinity's power
continues. We all know that the reign will come
suddenly to an end, that we shall before long bespurn-
ing with our feet the object whom we now beseech
upon our knees. That is nothing to the purpose. He is
de facto king because he can dispense wealth to whom
he pleases ; when his power is gone our adoration
ends, but not before. It is a simple bargain. So
much wealth, so much homage ; so much scrip, so
much flattery. When the wealth runs out, when
the scrip becQmes as worthless as the paper of
which it is made, then our relations are at
an end; the JOHN LAW, or the GEORGE HUDSON, or
the director of four years ago, may think himself
fortunate if he is merely despised, and not execrated
and prosecuted. We shall do the same thing again
if the opportunity offers. Let the boy bred in the
gutter rise to be a joint stock magnate, and we shall
be ready to lick his boots so long as he pays us well
for the operation. But if anything happens to him
he will find himself left deserted " by those his
former bounty fed," and very lucky if they have not
tripped him up as they fled from him. It is well to
know this. It is well not to deceive ourselves into
the belief that we have learnt by experience. e
have not learnt by experience. Given the hour,
the man will arise again. Given the opportunity,
another tinsel sovereign will appear, and be
received royally by those who are now moralising
over the rise and the fall—the rapid rise and the
miserable fall of GEORGE HUDSON, the Railway
King.

THE injustice inflicted by Her MAJESTY'S Cus-
toms' Commissioners upon the Dagenham Dock
Company still remains unredressed. In point of
logic it can hardly be said that the Commissioners
have suffered defeat, for their position is so bad
that they have never ventured to give serious
battle. Their four pleas, one of which was simply
ridiculous, and all of which were unsound, were at
once met by an overwhelming accumulation of
evidence. Since then the Commissioners have con-
tented themselves with suspending a great com-
mercial undertaking, and setting aside the decision
of Parliament by the simple exercise of their
authority. Important works are stopped, capital is
lying idle, workmen are out of employment, and an
enterprise of public utility is frustrated, simply because
the Commissioners, having taken up an unjustifiable
position, decline to retreat from it. The circum-
stances of this extraordinary case may be very briefly
recapitulated. A company was formed to purchase
Dagenham Lake, situated on the banks of the Thames,
a few miles east of London, and convert it into
docks. Three Acts of Parliament were obtained
without opposition, and at intervals extending over
eleven years. On the faith of these Acts capital was
raised, and the works commenced. £160,000 was
spent, and by April last a pier, with warehouses, a
railway, and every facility for loading and unloading,
was completed. Thinking that this portion of the
works might as well be in useful operation, the
company applied for the necessary permission to
land goods free of duty. But in spite of Acts of
Parliament, expenditure of capital, and tes-
timony as to the public utility of the works,
this permission has been persistently refused. The
commissioners argue that the accommodation is not
required, but the commercial firms of London testify
to the contrary; that owners of other wharves would
demand the same privilege, but the case is entirely
different; and that the cost of supervision would be
involved, whereas the company offers to pay the
cost. The refutation of the commissioners' objections
has been complete, but the permission is still with-
held.

The case, which is entirely without parallel, is not
one of merely local interest. The authority to land
goods is vital to the success of the undertaking. The
works are stopped, in fact, because it is useless to go
on with them until the refusal of the department be
withdrawn. It is clear, then, that in thus setting
aside the decision of Parliament, and inflicting this
great loss upon the company, the Customs' Commis-
missioners have exercisedan arbitrary authority which
endangers the interests of the entire commercial
world. Whence is this anthority derived ? It is laid
down by an Act passed in
.1853, that "the Commis-
sioners of the Treasury may appoint proper places
to be legal quays for lading and unlading goods," and,
moreover, may forbid the landing of goods at
a port which has been declared a " legal quay."
The department has power to raise up and destroy,
to give and take away, without reference to past,
present, or future. No doubt, therefore, the re-
fusal of permission to the Dagenham Docks Company
is within strictly legal limits. But was it ever in-
which imply the power
ferecviseerYd to the full extent
and in defiance of all considerations affecting the
public good ? Very
dock shareholder
many powers, besides this of
itonef nctcohl enedfii
istielniaagttidnotgli
nt et,shesehrof
r:ionl
pde
et
br
ti oeynesxo,
kindred undertakings
practice by usage and
in
nhe Customs' department,
u nin d e r
ttahkeionrgys,
an
the Customs' Cdooemkms isasiiiodn e rsk:
publiccony\e,tenileimnciet.ed
in fact, is to
what the Board of Trade is with regard to
railways. A railroad cannot be constructed without
sanction from Parliament. It cannot be opened,
when made, without a certificate from the Board of
Trade, stating that it is fit for use. But this autho-
rity extends only to the consideration whether the line
is a safe means of conveyance ; the department cannot
forbid the opening of lines and reverse the decision
of the Legislature at will. And the same rule
applies to the Customs. On a fair case being
made out, and security being given
that the
interests of the revenue will not be affected,
the Commissioners have clearly no ground in the
equitable employment of their jurisdiction for with-
holding their sanction. In this instance, not only
has the utility of the Dagenham docks and
warehousing been attested by numerous mer-
chants, but the accommodation that the company
can afford is a speciality. It has long been
matter of complaint that the goods warehoused in
London are not properly classified. "All sorts of
material," says one authority, "are mixed together,
the only object being to get the largest quan-
tity in the smallest space."
When a fire
occurs the consequences are needlessly disastrous.
Now, the Dagenham Company have carried out their
plans for the special purpose of providing warehous-
ing for imflammable, explosive, and dangerous goods.
The secluded situation of the
favourable to the storage of such commodities.
But though recent accidents sinew how valuable ac-
commodation of this kind must be, this powerful
argument has no effect upon the commissioners.
They have the power and the will, and they are satis-
fied. Such a state of things is simply intolerable.

The Scout, unarrnoured screw corvette, 21 guns,
1,462 tons, 400-horse power, Captain John St. P.
Price, arrived at Spithead on Saturday from the
Pacific, where she has been on a term of nearly
four years' service. Soon after her arrival at Spit-
head she received orders to proceed round the Med-
way for dismantling and paying out of commission,
and left Spithead again about sunset, conveying
round to Sheerness a number of supernumeraries
from the flag arid training ship
in Portsmouth
harbour. Lieutenants Harrison and Pascoe, with
the crew of her Majesty's ship Sparrowhawk, paid
out of commission at Vancouver's Island, came
home as supernumeraries in the Scout, and were
transferred to the flagship in Portsmouth harbour
previous to the Scout leaving Spithead for the Nore.
The Scout sailed from Vancouver's Island in
August last for England, calling en route at Hono-
lulu, Tahiti, ()pare, Valparaiso, the Straits of
Magellan, and lastly at the Falkland Islands, sailing
over 21,000 miles between Vancover's and-Spit-
head. From the Falkland Islands she brought
home a mail, and left all well there. During the last
twelve months of the Scout's commission she has
been 200 days at sea. The Scout was com-
missioned at Sheerness for service in the Pacific
in May, 1865.

The little ship Red, White, and Blue has re-
turned to America from Europe on the deck of a eteamer.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS,

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, TUESDAY, April 20.
The Corps Le,gislatif is thrusting the Budget through
the House with amazing rapidity. Yesterday all the
votes for commerce, agriculture, public works, fine
arts, the Emperor's household, and several other matters,
any one of which might have given rise to infinite discussion
at any other time were passed. But there is now nobody
to talk about the Budget. So many of the deputies have
got leave of absence that it is difficult to form a House,
and those who come are inclined to get rid of the business
as speedily as possible. The one thing noticeable in yes-
terday's discussion was an amendment calling attention to
the high tariff imposed by America on French brandies.
Some of the worthy deputies would like high duties on
foreign goods imported into France, but they find high
duties imposed on French commodities imported into
America extremely inconvenient and annoying. And
well they may. The United States Customs taxes French
brandy to the tune of 1,1111 francs for every hectolitre of
pure alcohol. The consequence is, that whereas French
producers sent 70,000 barrels of brandy to the United
Sates before the protective tariff, they now send only
one tenth that number. M. Planet was the chief
speater yesterday. He thought it strange that the Ameri-
.

cans, at the end of a war, should have substituted a prohi-
bitive for a moderate scale of duties. The consequence
was a great falling off in the commercial exchanges between
France and the United States. The Government of that
country ought to know from experience that high duties
were not profitable to the Treasury. During the war of
secession it had imposed a very heavy tax on whiskey,
and, hoping to obtain 100 millions from that source,
it bad only received from fifteen to twenty. Afterwards
the impost was reduced and became much more productive.
M. Planet thought that the proper course would be, not
to make reprisals by adopting a heavy tariff on this
side of the Atlantic, but to "address the American
people in the name of the French nation." It is to be
hoped that the Yankees will profit by the appeal. No
exception can be taken to M. Planet's discourse, but
it is clear that free trade is good for all alike. If French
manufacturers suffer so much from high duties,
there certainly ought to be no clamour against the
treaty with England. In this case people com-
plain of a duty which of all others -may be
fixed at a high rate with justice—the duty on spirits.
It is positively affirmed that the Empress is
_about
to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. One of the papers
says that her Majesty will proceed straight from Corsica
to the Holy Laud. The story goes that this journey will
be only the accomplishment of a vow which was made
some months before the birth of the Prince Imperial. As
soon as her Majesty knew her condition, she solemnly
engaged herself to offer thanksgiving in the Garden of
Olivet, should she safelygive birth to an heir to the French
throne. This vow was to be fulfilled before the Prince had
completed his fifteenth year. It is a wild story—but then
the Empress is not wholly free either from fanaticism or
superstition.

The police have just made a very laudable descent on
certain cafes in the Quartier Latin, which have for some
time enjoyed the reputation of being complete " hells."
At the time when the police made their appearance, no
fewer than ninety-one persons were found congregated
round tables at which baccarat and lansquenet were being
played. A scene of indescribable uproar took place
when the serpents de ville entered the room. Tables
were upset, glasses smashed, and the gamblers dis-
persed to all parts of the house, some trying
to get away by the roof, others by the windows. But the
Parisian police generally do their work very neatly, and
every avenue of escape had been guarded. The commis.
sary took down the names, occupations, and addresses of
all those present. These comprised not only students,
but clerks, shopmen, artists, actors, petty tradesmen,
waiters, servants, women of bad character, and profes-
sional card-sharpers. After this successful " bag," the
serpents de title started for another cafe. Here seventy-
four persons were trapped ; and at a third, twenty-four.
The crew of the ship Pietre-Anna have just been landed
at Fecamp, after four days of suffering in an open boat at
sea, without food. Their vessel was burnt on the way
from Spain to Antwerp, and the flames spread with such
remarkable rapidity that the men had barely time to save
their lives.

The menageries in Belgium have been the scene of
two or three frightful accidents. A week or two
ago a lion tamer was torn to pieces. Last week
the folks of Roubaix witnessed a frightful struggle with
a tiger. The tamer had failed, at first, to command
obedience from the animal, but, after some difficulty, the
tiger went through some of his exercises. The people then
cried out to the man to be satisfied, and come out. But he
was not s►.tisfied, and attempted to go through a
further performance—an attempt which ended in the tiger
lying down before the door of the cage. The tamer struck
the animal, and a struggle ensued, the tiger lacerating
the flesh of the man in all directions, and the latter
furiously beating the animal with his loaded whip. At
last the beast succumbed, and the keeper, braver than
wise, came out covered with blood.

THE DIVISION ON THE IRISH CHURCH

,BILL.

Three divisions took place on 'Monday night in committee
on the Irish Church Bill, the majorities in favour of the
Government being 107, 111, and 98 respectively. The
first trial of strength took place on Clause 12, Mr. Gathorne
Hardy having moved to leave out the words " 1871 " and
insert " 1872." This was lost by 301 to 194. Only one
Conservative voted with the Government—ColonelJames
Grant. Three Liberals went into the lobby with
the Opposition—Sir R. Clifton, Mr. W. 11. Maxwell,
and Sir Robert Peel. The next division was also
on the same clause, the question being that it
should stand as part of the bill. The motion was carried
by 214 to 103. Mr. Orr-Ewing, who supported his party
on the first division, now went with the Government. The
Liberals who voted against the adoption of the clause
were Sir R. Clifton, Mr. Dalway, Mr. Maxwell, and Mr.
S aunderson. The third test was taken on an amendment Pr-
oposed by Mr. Gathorne Bardy on Clause 14, but the Con-
servatives were once more defeated by 330 to 232. Mr. Orr-
Ewing again supported the Ministry, but six Liberals
walked into the lobby with the minority, viz., Sir R.
Clifton, Mr. Dalway, Mr. Maxwell, Sir Roundel' Palmer
Mr. Saunderson, and Mr. Whalley.
It will be seen from this that two Liberals who had
hitherto either abstained from voting or had gone with
their party went over to the Opposition—Sir Robert Peel
and Mr. Whalley. Sir Robert Clifton and Mr. Maxwell
were the only two Liberals who went into the lobby
with the Opposition in all three divisions. Colonel
Grant, who voted for the bill going into
committee, supported the Government in the first
division, abstained' from voting in the second, and
went with his own party in the third. Lord Bingham,
who had previously given his voice in favour of the
Government on each occasion, voted with the minority
in the first and third divisions, but was absent in
the second. Mr. Saunderson, an Ulster Liberal, who is
opposed to the principle of the bill, went into the
lobby with the Ministry in the first division, but sup-
ported the Opposition in the second and third. Sir Robert
Peel only voted once, when he went against his party.
Mr. Whalley formed part of the majority in the first
two divisions, but deserted his friends in the
third. Sir Roundel' Palmer, who was present
in the House during nearly the whole of the
proceedings, only recorded his vote once, which was in the
last division, when he voted with the Opposition. Mr.
Butler-Johnstone went with the majority in each division.
Mr. Dalway, who has voted against the bill on every occa-
sion, was not present when the committee divided on the
first amendment ; he, however, went with the minority
in the next two divisions. Lord Stanley and Mr.
Disraeli were both absent. It is not known what kept
the eldest son of Lord Derby away on such an
occasion, but the leader of the Opposition could
not put in an appearance owing to a severe
attack of gout. Mr. Glyn and Mr. Adam acted
as the Ministerial tellers in each case ; Mr. Noel and Mr.
Hart Dyke did a similar duty for the Opposition in the
first and third divisions ; and Mr. Charley and Mr. Wing.
field Verner acted in that capacity for their party on the
second occasion.

"It never rains but it pours." The cotton mills
of Lancashire seem to have been particularly amenable to
fires on Sunday ; we have already reported two. The Man-
chester Courier now reports a third at a cotton mill at Breight-
met., near Bolton, belonging to Messrs. Itylands and Son, of
Manchester. The building was a ihree-storey one, built of
stone ; the upper room was used for mixing, the middle for
-pinnirg, and the ground doer for blowing. Ihe fire com-
menced in the top storey, and rapidly gained such hold (the
;ooni being stored with cotton) that in a short time the place
eas wholly destroyed. The loss is roughly estimated at
.t:j1,000.

rmleriel: lleygato Las given notice in com-
mittee on 1113 16::11 Church Dill, if Mr. Disraeli's amPndment
on clans() 29, line 42, is rejected, to move the following
`neecl to follow. (Providing for disposition of glebe lands):
When any real property so becoming vested in the com-
missioners consists of globe lands, or other hereditaments
which have been appropriatod or granted, by or in pursuance
of any statute or Royal grant, or letters patent, since tne
second year of Queen Elizabeth, for the endowment of any
rectory,vicarage, or otherparochial benefice, the commissioners
shall, on the application of the said representative body,
made within six months after the Ist of January, 1871, by
order vest such property in representative b9clY, select to
MY MO illterealVAkalMiartin,:! •