The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-21 00:00:00

SOCIAL DISRUPTION IN AMERICA.

A further heavy fall in Erie Railway shares has
taken place at the London Stock Exchange. From
this occurrence it has been deduced that the attempt
recently made in the Supreme Court of the State of
New York in favour of the shareholders has failed,
and that the judges who are bribed to abet the
swindling directors have proved invincible. It might
be expected that as New York is only one State
amongst many, the total absence of security for
investors in that district ought not to affect the whole
Union ; but, as the Times remarks, it is hardly likely
that the state of things which prevails at the centre of
wealth will be surpassed in inferior localities. The
leading American papers admit that commercial life
in New York is in a condition of disruption. Indi-
vidual judges can and will defeat the laws of the
State, and protect rogues from punishment. No civil
right, no claim to property, can be made good under
present circumstances.

FINANCE DIFFICULTIES IN INDIA.

ianlst is not hopeless, certainly; but
are very gloomy about their
n nTa
nhcei
at npgo lsoi t-Ind
ion.
it is very awkward, and the policy of retrenchment,
which has been commenced in earnest, is making
long faces in every direction. The cutting down
goes on, and there can be little doubt that
ma
are sorely needed—the
bo
allowance, for instance.
abolition i o no f
It has long been a scandal that a man on £5,000 a
year
should not only go to Simla for seven months
every year at the public expense, but should get £25
a month for going.
otfhethe pru Simlaning s
The evidence, says the Times
correspondent, all points to the incapacity of Sir R.
Temple, the Finance Minister, His only:excuse is that
of a “too-sauguine estimate; " but then his business
was to make better estimates than other meopieN

FOREIGN NOTES.

THECECUMENICAL COUNCIL.

It is stated that the meeting with closea do-ors in the
(Ecumenical Council on the I.oth was a scene of the greatest
confusion. A Croatian Archbishop was making a Latin
speech protesting against the forms and arrange-
ments as interfering with the independence of the
Bishops, when the bell rang and he was called to crdor.
The Primate of Hungary, who came to his rescue, was also
called to order, upon which Bishop Dupanloup made a
strong observation in French, and left the hall in company
with the Archbishop of Paris and a hundred others,
breaking up the meeting. All the bishops complain
that they are powerless, and have not had suffi-
cient time to know what they are to do. The
accommodation of the hall is also much complained of.
It is now said in Rome that if the dogma of Infallibility is
adopted, the French Concordat will be at once withdrawn,
and the Pope will find that new relations must be
arranged. The situation is grave and perplexing,
and no one sees a mode of escaping from
it, save by continual adjournments. It is
simply impossible that any conclusions can be pro-
claimed by January Gth. It has been all along declared
by the French officials that Infallibility is out of the ques-
tion, and that its proclamation was never intended. The
French agents in Rome are mostly in favour of the
Papacy, and thus represented matters in the light most
favourable to the Pope. Prince La Tour d'Auvergne persuaded
the Emperor not to send an ambassador direct to the
Council, an idea which M. 011ivior favoured. The Papal
party are uneasy at M. 011ivier's growing influence, an
uneasiness which is enhanced by the statement in the
Yellow Book that France will defend her liberties if the
Council should venture on extreme resolutions. Another
meeting of the Council was held in Rome on the 14th with
closed doors.