The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 18, 1856.

general, aud parties would be just as desirous of
obtaining ac mission into so distinguished a body,
and enjoying the necessary qualification for a seat
in the Uppt House. The seat itself would be
more valued. in such case ; we should not find
two-thirds of the members abdicating their func-
tions, and opstaining from taking any part in the
deliberations of the House.
On the 7tlt instant, when a matter of deep in-
terest to the Noble Members, as well as of vital
importance to the nation, was ventilated, there
were only 136 Peers in attendance, while 111
sent in proxies—a highly objectionable system,
which should be abolished with all possible speed ;
for how is it possible for any man, who has not
heard the arguments on either side, to arrive at a
correct conclusion. The decisions of the House

would have fax greater weight and influence with
the country when it had been thus purified, and
the voters were restricted to the more active and

intelligent members of the body.
Who, then, should be the electors ? This is a
question of greater difficulty—one that requires
calm and attentive consideration. There are

great evils attendant on the present system o
election to Scotch and Irish representative Peer,
ages. The majority of electors would, of course,
select persons agreeing in politics with themselves,
and certain very important classes would be vir-
tually excluded from seats. Conflicting views
are the indispensable attributes of any delibera-
tive assembly. If there be no difference of
opinion, the results will be far less valuable than
when there have been sharp conflicts. " Her
MAJESTY'S Opposition," as it has been correctly
termed, exercises functions scarcely less im-
portant to the nation than her MAJESTY'S Go-
vernment, and any alteration that produced una-
nimity would be very unwise and impolitic.
The electors could not, then, be limited, as in
Scotland and Ireland, to the members of the
Peerage. There should be numerous constituen-
cies holding different political views, so as to pro-
duce that diversity of opinion which is so essen-
tial to the utility of the general body. One
plan, which appears very feasittle, and would pro-
duce an admirablesenate, would be to permit every
English constituency returning two Members to
the House of Commons, to elect at the same time
one Peer of England or of the United Kingdom,
who should sit during the entire Parliament until
a dissolution, when there would be a new election.
Every Peer would then have to render an account
of his stewardship, and those who had evinced
great activity and intelligence in the discharge of
their important duties, would, considering the
limited number of those qualified, be certain of
re-election. There are 214 such constituencies,
so that the House would then consist of 214
English elected Peers, who should be chosen from
among the 384 noblemen now entitled to seats
in the Upper House. In addition, there would
be 28 Irish and 16 Scotch Peers. We should gladly
relieve the members of the Episcopal Bench from
political duties. The care of their sees would be
quite sufficient to occupy their time and attention,
and there would then be no excuse for absenting
themselves therefrom. If, however, it should be
considered that some ought to have seats, eight
English might be selected from the prelates, which,
with the four from Ireland, would sufficiently re-
present their body in the reduced House. In
addition to these, some, say ten in number, might
be nominated by the Crown. This would include
the members of the Cabinet—say the Lord Chan-
cellor, President of the Council, Lord Privy Seal,
one or two Secretaries of State, and five or six
Law Lords. We have thrown out this suggestion
for public consideration, convinced that it would
render the Upper House far more independent,
and give greater weight to its decisions, than it
now enjoys. There would then be in round
terms 280 persons entitled to vote, all of whom
would feel themselves responsible for the discharge
of duties voluntarily assumed. And there would
be no limitation of the Royal Prerogative. The
Crown would still be the fountain of honour, and
could confer the only qualification for a seat in
that which would then:indeed be regarded as an
august assembly, and the people would again be
ready to thank PROVIDENCE that they had a
Honse of Lords.

Most of the Plenipotentiaries have already ar-
rived in Paris, and before the end of the present
week it is probable that one of the most important
Conferences ever held at any time or in any
country will have been opened. On Saturday
Lords CLARENDON and COWLEY arrived, and the
former Noble Lord was yesterday honoured by a
private audience with the EMPEROR. Count
BuOL also had arrived at the scene of his future
labours, and Count ORLOFF has probably by this
time joined his colleague, Baron BR,UNOW, who
has been some days at his post, with the latest in-
structions from the Cabinet of St. Petersburg.
A.ALI PASHA, who so ably represented the SULTAN
at the Vienna Conferences, left Constantinople-on
the 12th instant. He may therefore be expected
on Friday, and no time will then be lost in enter-
ing on the all-important proceedings.
_ _

On the energy, ability, and resolution of Lord
CLARENDON much will now depend. Under
the most favourable circumstances England can
scarcely hope to obtain an adequate return for
her serious sacrifices. Vast sums of money and
the lives of many of her best and bravest children
have been expended, and after all there is no
adequate security for the future. The Muscovite
snake has " been scotched, not killed." The
CZAR has been compelled to postpone, but not
finally to surrender, the traditional policy of his
predecessors. Sebastopol has been taken, but it
will be restored to its former owner. The Black
Sea fleet of Russia has been sunk in the harbour,
but unless explicit stipulations be entered into
there will be nothing to prevent the reconstruc-
tion of the fortresses and docks, and the raising
of the submerged vessels. While any fragment
of the latter remains, there will be a pretext for
rebuilding under the name of " repairing," and
at Nicolaieff a new and powerful navy may be
completed, which would not pass the portal at
Kinbourn, until the moment considered suitable
for striking a decided blow.
All these matters must be closely looked after,
and the
hope of England, and the future peace and
tranquillity of Europe,
and inflexible
rests now on the vigilance
determination of Lord CLARENDON.

He has an arduous task to discharge. High reputa-
tions have already been sacrificed in works of less
difficulty, and there is a powerful influence at
work behind the scenes, to defeat his most strenu-
ous efforts. But if he acts as a true-hearted
Englishman, and firmly eschews the precepts of
Germanism, he will receive the cordial thanks
and gratitude of his country, and be sustained and

supported in his noble course. Bat the slightest
symptom of vacillation will be fatal to his reputa-
tion. He is there to discharge a stern and oner
ous duty, not to
heap unmeaning compliments on
Russia or the Russians. The mad and reckless
ambition of a former AUTOCRAT produced the
War. The perverse and obstinate adherence of
the present CZAR to the policy inaugurated by
PETER, and. persisted in by CATIIEF.INE, and
ALEK4NDE33 and NICHOLAS, prevented peace

from being restored on the too easy terms tendered
for his acceptance. The criminal ambition and
grasping cupidity of Russia has occasioned all the
mischief, and Lord CLARENDON must speak the
truth boldly, and not strive to excuse the Levia-
than offender.

In reference to the Conferences at Vienna he
displayed great ability and determination. He
carefully avoided the trap into which Lord JonN
RUSSELL was so easily beguiled, and showed that
he was fully aware of the extent of Austrian du-
plicity and insincerity when he declared to Count
COLLOREDO that there was " much reason to fear
that Austria would propose nothing that Russia
would be unwilling to accept ; while, on the other
hand, it seemed probable that Russia would agree
to nothing that would interfere with the determi-
nation that the Emperor ALEXANDER announced
of carrying out the policy of PETER and of CATHE-
RINE." This is the spirit in which he should
enter on the negotiations. He must be well ac-
quainted with the humiliating estimate, too justly
formed, of British diplomacy. He must re-
member how often England has lost by the
pen what she had previously gained by the sword,
and firmly resolve that neither her honour nor
her interests shall suffer in his hands. Should
he fail, great indeed will be his fall; but, if on the
contrary, he pass unscathed through the ordeal,
his name will be honoured and reverenced through-
out the length and breadth of the land, and no
reward will be too high for one who has faithfully
and efficiently discharged his duty in so trying an
emergency.

The benevolent Earl of SHAFTESBURY continues
to sustain, by his philanthropic labours, the repu-
tation won by him as Lord. ASHLEY, whe'n he first

assumed for himself a conspicuous place among
the most earnest and practical of the social re-
formers of cur generation. It can ♦ery seldom

have happened, we conjecture, that this large-

hearted well-wisher of the humbler classes ever

experienced more complete satisfaction, while
watching the development of the humane enter-

prises fostered under his patronage, and aided
materially by his own personal encouragement—

than that which must assuredly have consoled him

for many disappointments on Thursday evening,
the 7th of this present February. Upon the

occasion, we mean of his distribution 01
medals of recompene3 to the more desery

ing boys in the. Red, Blue, and Yellow
Societies of Shoeblacks. The incident of this

public distribution of rewards took place, as many
of our readers may have remarked through our
impression of last Saturday, in the ample space

afforded for such demonstrations by St. Martin's
Hall, Long-acre. The poor little fellows collected
together, either to witness the zeward of merit or
to participate in it themselves directly, number-

ing no less than 150 altogether—clad in the red,

or blue, or yellow tunics distinguishing the three
brigades of the London Shoeblacks. These

urchins, it will have been remarked, were ad.

dressed, in the first instance, in a practical
and humorous speech (" which greqtly
pleased the boys," says the reporter), by one
no less venerable in his official capacity

and in his personal character than the Vice-
Chancellor, Sir W. PAGE WOOD : the Vice-Chan-

cellor being immediately followed by the Rev.
W. W. CHA mrNEys, who, in the course of his
remarks, interested his juvenile auditors with a
number of curious anecdotes illustrative of the ad-

vantages accruing from honesty and general good
behaviour. Shortly afterwards came the distri-
bution of the medals by the hand of the Earl of
SHAFTESKIRY—When a variety of rather remark-
able particulars, as it appears to us, fell from
the lips of Mr. FOWLER, the actin and intelli-
gent treasurer of the association. Particulars, for
example, to the effect that the earnings of the
red brigade alone (the oldest of the three societies)
amounted, through the industry of the 54 boys
comprised in it, to no less, actually during the
course of a single year (1855) than 1,5001. ster-
ling A. total of fifteen hundred pounds gained
in the form of halfpence at street corners by the
little red-coated shoeblacks familiar to the London
foot passengers. At the first blush this really ap-
pears to be scarcely credible. Yet there are the
actual statistics of the society, and better still
there have been counted out in a single year
those 1,5001. earned by the fifty-four boys
as proof positive and substantial ! As ad-
ditional testimony of the important working
of the system we are informed, moreover, that
the first of the three boys of the red brigade who
were rewarded with rciedals on Thursday evening,
the 7th of February,, 1856, earned during the
past twelve months as much as 411.—having, out
of this 411., paid 91. for his sister's outfit to Ame-
rica, 31. for his own clothes, 101. to his mother,
and 101. to the society's funds—leaving a surplus
over for himself of 151., now snugly laid by in the
savings' bank, and there " tied up" with such an
intimate approach to tightness as must have satis-
fied even the mind of Bon, the benevolent
Turnkey of the Marshalsea ! On an average
it appears, indeed, that these poor children are
able, easily, to earn from 103. to 15s. a-week ;
one of the boys of the yellow brigade, in fact,
having been found to brush himself comfortably
into the possession of 141. in the course of just
six months. Aud let it be remembered who these
little fellows are, where they come from, and all
about it ! Originally many of them are from the
very offscourings of the streets and byways. Creatures
spawned, as it were, in the gutter, and swarming
about our city lanes, and suburban back-slums, and
closes, and wynds, and rookeries! Snatched from
the contagion of the streets into the shelter of the
humble but glorious Ragged Schools, and then
when kempt, and cleaned, and respectably dressed,
turned out to earn their living honestly, as we see
now they are really able to do, to their own com-
fort and satisfaction, as Shoeblacks. What they
were—CHARLES DICKENS has described in the
person of poor Jo in "Bleak House"—DouGLls
JERROLD has sketched, in, the little rapscallion
Jingo of " St. Giles and St. James"—BULWER
LYTTON has pencilled in the form of the miserable
Beck of " Lucretia." Thanks be to GOD they
are no longer abandoned to rags, and vermin, and
despair ! Being, on the contrary, transformed,
through the generous intervention of a noble
band of social reformers, into industrious
members of the community—the three brigades
of our London Shoeblacks supplying recruits, every
now and then, to the armies and navies of Old
England. " Four boys," said the Treasurer of the
Association on Thursday. the 7th instant, "left
last week as sailors for the Black Sea fleet, and very
many are now in the army and navy, and in re-
spectable situations, who were homeless and desti-
tute until rescued by the Shoeblack Societies."
Honour to the promoters to those Societies
say we, and GOD prosper them !
Instead
of remarking with the benevolent,
but
mistaken Mr. CAPSTICK, " There, go and cry
muffins, and be happy !" The philanthropic
originators of the red, and blue, and yellow
-
brigades have, to more purpose, armed their
protegees with a wooden stool, and a bottle of
blacking, and a couple of brushes. The project,
strangely enough, is but the revival of au old,
custom long since fallen into desuetude..o4cuakorst

familiar, at least in book-memory, to all the more
attentive readers of CHARLES KNIGHT's "London."
The old London street-cry of " Clean your
honour's shoes!" being revived in the " Clean your
boots, sir," of the little red-coated, blue-coated,
yellow-coated shoeblacks (as they are still called)
of the Shoeblack Association. The sedan chair-
man, and,the linkboy, and the Old Charley, are
all beings of the past ; but the shoeblack is re-
vived—and, please GOD, to the cleansing not only
of boot-leather, but ultimately, in some par-
tial degree at least, of many of the darker and
more dismal of the-London sinks of wretchedness !

The result of the debate on Thursday evening
in the House of Lords, on the presentation of
petitions by the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH from cer-
tain seamen of the ports of Newcastle, Aberdeen,
Hartlepool, and Sunderland, complaining of their

being obliged to go to sea in unseaworthy vessels

we cannot but regard as extremely unsatisfactory.

The petitioners allege that the number of casu-
alties at sea has of late increased in a proportion

beyond that of the increase in our shipping ; and
though the papers just produced from the Board

of Trade show that there has been a materia

diminution during the last 'year in the number o

Lives lost at sea, it would appear to be not the less

certain that during the last three years there has
been a progressive increase in the number of ves-
sels wrecked or seriously damaged at sea ; so that
the diminution in question cannot be depended

on, but may largely be attributed to good luck.
In the year 1852, we are told, the number of
vessels wrecked at sea was 1,015 ; yet though

that year was one of extraordinary gales, the
number of wrecks in the year following amounted
to 832, in 1854 to 987, and in 1855 rose to
1,151 ! A startling increase truly ! During
the last year the number of collisions of ships at
sea, it would appear, amounted to 247, the result
of which in 55 cases was the vessels were entirely

lost. It would indeed require an extraordinary
degree of faith to believe that of these untoward
events a large proportion was not preventible ;
and when we find our gallant seamen attribut-
ing the greater portion of them to the incom-
petency of masters, and the unde-rmanning and
unseaworthiness of vessels, it certainly looks as if
their allegations were but too well grounded on
facts.

If this be the case, they must be regarded
as having been hardly dealt with in being
compelled to fulfil an engagement or go to prison
for some quarter of a year, though. they had made
the discovery that the vessel was unseaworthy,
and they could only sail in her at the peril of
their lives. The recent interpretation of the law
may, to be sure, be said to have improved
matters, a seaman not being now liable to
be punished for desertion as he was before for
going on shore to complain to a magistrate, but
the burden of proof still rests on him, and it is
a mere mockery to assert that he is sufficiently
protected and has no reasonable ground for com-
plaint. It is about as bad as it would have been
in former times to bid a combatant protect him-
self with scale armour who had never a shilling
in his pocket and no credit. " How is the sea-
man to do it ? What chance has poor Jack in
contending with a wealthy and unscrupulous
owner and a brutal devil.may-care or lickspittle
master ? Nothing short of all hands being seen
at the pumps before making salt water will serve
his turn or enable him to dem9netrate the justice
of his complaint. What is wanted for his pro-
tection is, as we suggested in The Sun a few
months back, and as Lord ELLENBOROUGH urges,
the appointment of a trustworthy Government
inspector, at least at the more frequented por ts,
to survey the different vessels Wore they put to
sea. At present, it would appear, the Board of
Trade has power to appoint such inspectors when
they may deem it desirable, and we cannot but
think that the President of that Board would
have better discharged his duty had he given
promise of such inspection being henceforth in-
sisted on. The vessels lost last year, we are told,
were of 176,000 tons burden, and the number of
lives endangered no fewer than seven or eight
thousand! Had these vessels been duly exa-
mined what loss and risk might not have been
prevented ? It may be all very well for those
whose property is insured,
:possibly .beyond its
value, to urge that such a course would be pro-
ductive of injury to commerce owing to the
unreasonableness of seamen, but the lives of
gallant men are not to be endangered because of
a profitable myth. In the majority of instance's
no hindrance would be occasioned, and, in what
may be called doubtful cases, an unpaid loca 1
board of reference, as we have already indicated,
in which the seaman should have his representa-
tive as well as the owner, and which could speedily
be got together, would protect all parties against
any conceivable caprice from any quarter. We
trust Lord ELLENBOROUGH will persevere and
bring forward a motion oa the subject.

LATEST NEWS.

The Joardain arrived at Marseilles on Satur-

day night with advices from Constaltinople of
the 7th, and from the Crimea of the sth inst.

On the 4th inst. the French blew up Fort St.

Nicholas, at Sebastopol, with complete success.
The Russians continuo to fire from the northern

forts of Sebastopol.
The health of the Allied armies is excellent.
The number of sick has diminished by one-half.
The 21 articles adopted in the late Conferences
at the Turkish capital have been forwarded to
Paris, in order to be annexed to the Treaty of
Peace.

The Conferonces relative to the Danubian

Principalities have, it is confidently stated, been
suspended, that the questions involved in them
may be decided at Paris.
The intelligence from Asia is to the effect that
the head-quarters of Omer Pacha continue at
Redout-Kaleh, and that the force under his com-
mand amounts to 32,000 men.

ST. PETERSBURG, JAN. 14.

The belief in peace continues, and the commer

cial activity is very great.
Colonel Lake and Captain Thomson, prisoners

of war, are expected here.
General Luders reports, under date of the 26th
ult., that the allies continued to fortify the bay of

Kamiesb.

He mefftions also that some affairs of out-posts

had taken place on the left flank of the Russian

army.