The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-27 00:00:00

selves.

We may add that Mr. BRIGHT, Mr. WILLIAMS,
Mr. COBDEN, perhaps we might add Mr. GLAD-
STONE, and all our financial reformers would do
probably more to economise public expenditure by
rendering the incidence of taxation simply just,
than in any other way. If those who at heart
relish our increased expenditure did but pay their
fair proportion toward it they would think twice
before they voted away their own money. Gene-
ral condemnations of Government policy and ex-
penditure go for little in an assembly of a business
character like our House of Commons. -What is
needed is some clearly practicable method of im-
proving on our present course. There is room
enough for it, and we hope, therefore, our financial
reformers will choose some definite and practical
scheme of action before next session.

There will be a universal feeling of regret at the
long postponement of any further inquiry into the
Road murder. When it was announced that a rule
nisi to quash the inquest and to issue a commission
ad melius inquirendum had been granted, the
uninitiated supposed that all was now in due course
for speedy action. That after hearing what the
coroner had to say for himself—and in such a busi-
ness he ought to have his answer ready without
difficulty—the rule would be made absolute, the
commission appointed, and that we should soon be
perusing the reports of its daily examinations of
witnesses. Lawyers knew better. They quite under-
stood that tne application to the Court of Queen's
Bench had been so long delayed, that the coroner
could not even be heard in his defence before
Hilary term, which does not commence till the
11th of January ! It is not for us to fix the blame
on individuals. Sir R. BETIIELL had a case which
it seems impossible to resist in favour of a fresh
inquiry. Why he did not bring it earlier before
the court, and thus expedite the issue of a commis-
sion, we cannot tell. We can hardly bring ourselves
to believe that the commission will not be granted.
Let the coroner defend himself as successfully as
he may in regard to all the appearances against him
presented by the record and the affidavits, it will
still remain matter of fact that he grossly misdi-
rected the jury on a vital point of law, telling them
that it was not for them to determine who com-
mitted the murder—that that belonged to the
magistrates ! It seems also undeniable, from the
evidence produced, that the jury protested, some of
them at least, against the verdict, if verdict it can
be called, which he almost compelled them to sign ;
and that but very few witnesses were examined. We
cannot answer for what legal ingenuity may do,
but we hope the Court of Queen's Bench will be
enabled to vindicate its own dignity, by showing
itself adequate to remedy one of the greatest failures
of justice in modern times. Our readers saw also
yesterday that fresh evidence of a most important
character has come to light. Nothing less than the
concealment and the making away with a night•dress
stained largely with blood, and that although the
police knew of it ! Doubtless it has now vanished
from existence, but there ought to be a most rigid
inquiry into the reason for its not being brought
forward. There appear to us to have been
evident attempts at concealment in quarters of

which we least of all ought to have any such sus-
picion. Under all these circumstances, how
mortifying is it that yet further time is to be al-
lowed for concealments, and making away with
traces of the crime, if any still exist, and for the
fading of recollection on the part of the wit-
nesses. We believe that in cases of long
delay like this, the memory of wit-
nesses often becomes confused; it mixes what
it retains from others' testimony with its own re-
collections ; and often probably, in regard to what
the witness has previously heard or seen, memory
fixes rather on what he has said before, than recals
the facts in their fresh and living form. There is
however no help for it now. Well will it be
if this case aNd others issue in giving us a
Ministry of Justice.

Their Serene Highnesses the Hereditary Prince
and Princess of Holstein-Augustenbourg left London on
Sunday evening, for the Continent.