The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-10 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Daily .News, after weighing the relative advantages
of the two rival sites proposed for the new law courts,
decides in favour of Carey-street. It is large enough for
the concentration of all the courts and offices in one area,
and is capable of unlimited expansion should the growth
of business require it. It is, of course, a serious question
whether the wsthetic advantages of the Embankment site
do not counterbalance some disadvantages, but those who
pay the cost of the building have a right that their con-
venience should be consulted before the taste of a public
which does not bear the burden. Those msthetic advan-
tages are unquestionably great, but great incon-
veniences would attend them. From Essex-street to
Waterloo Bridge every avenue from the Strand to the river
would be closed, except a tunnel under the building.
It would stand on ground with a rise of between thirty
and forty feet from front to back, with the noisy Strand in
rear and the bustling Embankment in front. Nor would
there be any fear of not worthily filling up the Embank-
ment space if the building were erected on the present
site. There is ample opportunity for the erection of noble
buildings along the river front of the metropolis, and a
site so noble need never long stand waiting to be nobly
filled. The law' courts themselves erected on the higher
ground, with a fine opening before them down to the
Embankment, would form one of the grandest views the
Embankment offered. Standing thus far back, and viewed
as filling the end of a wide street, they would add to the
splendour of the river front the suggestion of still greater
splendour behind. Either way, therefore, the building
will be one of the noblest ornaments of the metropolis, and
the plea of the lawyers against further change and further
expense and further delay is, to say the least, one well
worthy of all the weight their knowledge and authority
can give it.

The Archbishop of You, in the midst of some other
remarks on the House of Peers, said : I think any
Government might make more use of the House of Lords
than is at present made, for there is a class of cases, lying
a little on one side of the hurry and rush of politics, to
which that House is always ready and able to give grave
consideration. Questions connected with the welfare of
the poor, whether in regard to the welfare of the pauper
class or the education of the class immediately above it,
always seem to me to be handled in the House of Lords
in a wise and statesmanlike manner, and the reason why
we are so idle, if I may use the word, is that instead of
giving us the initiative upon these questions, the Govern-
ment of the day prefers that everything should originate
in the House of Commons, so that the bills come up to us
readyto pass, and in that state we have to view them for
the first time, But even then the bill often receives very
salutary treatment. It would be easy to mention many
measures which have been transformed or improved in the
House of Lords by that second consideration we are able
to give them there. The tree of liberty, under which we
so contentedly bask in this country, has grown up by
degrees, slowly and cautiously. We have never shrunk
from change on the one hand, but we have never shrunk
from caution on the other. The impulse towards change
comes naturally from the people.; the scrutiny of it comes
naturally from the House of Peers. I do not claim for
them a mere negative position—a position of veto. On
the contrary, I believe that although our share is the less
showy, and makes the less impression, it is an element in
all sound legislation; and, whether we be Liberal or Con-
servative, we ought to be most anxious to do nothing to
impair the efficiency of either House of Legislature. After
referring to the possibility of some change in the House of
Lords under the present Parliament, the Archbishop con-
cluded :—I, for my part, have no hesitation as a bishop of
the Church in this country in returning thanks for the
House of Peers, and I have no objection to say a word in
vindication of our position there ; and in presence of this
distinguished company I say I do not expect that upon
general political considerations we shall be asked to retire
from that House. We are, in fact, the truly liberal element
therein. We are the only life peers ; and, moreover, the
country stands by while we in the Church of England
have the great bulk of the religious teaching and educe-
( tion of the country in our hands, so that we are not only
life, but in a great measure representative peers. There-
fore, standing in the House of Lords, representing great
and popular institutions, whatever the future may be, I
hope that no changes that may befall will ever weaken the
efficiency of the House of Lords as a substantial element
iu this great and glorious constitution.
The Bishop of OXFORD, in responding for "The Bishop
and Clergy," thought there never was a time when the
ministers of the Church of England worked harder. The
clergy Were working with all their might. And as to the
episcopate; froiu the Primate down to the youngest
bishop, they were labouring as hard as men could work,
from the purest and most conscientious principles, and
deserved the kindly feeling which they uniformly expe-
rienced from their fellow-citizens. The time had passed
when men could mistake the clergy for the Church. The
clergy were the ministers of the laity for Christ's sake,
and the body of the Church must always be the laity.
In giving " The Ministers of all Denominations," the
PRIME WARDEN begged pardon of his right rev, guests
for thanking God that there would be no distinction
between archbishop, bishop, Wesleyan, Independent, or
Baptist in heaven. •
Dr. BINNEY, in a humorous speech, declared there were
denominations—schools of thought—in the Church of The Star says that Mr. Cyrus Field predicted some
England as well as out of it, and went on to say: Three months ago that a time would come when all the depen-
young men commenced their careers in the Isle of Wight dencies of Great Britain would be brought into telegraphic
together, and their names were Walter Farquhar Hook; communication with this country, and that there is no
Samuel Wilberforce, who was a nice
young man, who made a. good speelcohokaintg'onperoinofisihnigs reasonn
eteo
tfear
nhdai
at ti ist
d ede
lrae
ra
ems
tuhial lt
nthote 'alien
line© realised
wfun
(the speaker's) Bible meetings ; and Thomas Binney. short] be laid betwen Suez and Bombay—which will cross
y
One had become a dean, the other a bishop, and the other
the muddy bottom of the Arabian Sea in the track
was on what some would call the shady side of the hedry ; of H.M.S. Hydra—meets, so far as they can
but he did not regret it. (Loud cheers and laughter, in be met, all the requirements of an Anglo-Indian
which the Bishop of Oxford heartily joined.)
The Rev. Dr. BROCK told the bishops that they could end certainty of communication withouttof
which
greatest
telegraph, and promises to ensure that
hdioeisjpatticihe
not get rid of the Nonconformists, nor the Nonconformists electric wire may fail us at the verymomen
of them ; they were all 6, in for it," and the coming need. Competent authorities are
.of opinion ourthat the
changes that were so much talked about would affect the objection suggested by the comparative high temperature
one as much as the other. Ilis belief was that they were
all not only " in for it," but fit for it.
days of the Atlantic
Mr. Justice Lusu, representing the judges, congratu- constantly started
as alsoabtsiiliordeaasr tyhe cliiineras which were
lated the judges and the public on the way in which his Telegraph Company. In laying the cable
havethe two
Bombay an
learned brethren had carried out the Bribery Act.
seas which separate Suez from
The Bishop of PETERBOROUGH referred to Ireland in his
speech. He likened Ireland to an old woinan in the immense advantage in their
thes year
—an
advantagefromeedom
Dublin hospital. She was " had in her inside," as Ireland storms at certain seasons of
was said to he now, and saw with dismay all e students, which the proverbially tempestuous Atlantic never will
note-book in hand, round herbed. Turning to the bead physi-
cian, she said, "Och, yet- honour, shore all thim boys are possess. There are, therefore, good grounds for the public
not going to dhoctor me at once Ifs hoped any confidence in the result of the proposed direct submarine
remedial measures would begin, like homoeopathy, with telegraph line—whatever antics Stock Exchange bears
the smallest dose. His idea of legislation for Ireland was
may play; and if at some future time the cable knits
summed up in the words of the man who went about the
country with a happy family of birds and beasts. "What," together, as
it may do, the principal ports of China Siam,
said a gentleman, " are the rules upon which you govern the Straits Settlements, Java, and Australia, and' all are
them?" The man answered, " Well, sir, you sec what I brought into direct relation with India and Euro does is this : fust of all I treats 'em well ; then I feeds 'em pe , com-
well; then, sir if they fights, I wallops 'em well." It merce and civilisation will benefit by the telegraph to an
was very much to be questioned whether these three extent of which the 3
molt WO4 pnthusiaid oT operations hadlutll9oo hoeA T:2117 99/04kWir
Administered. -

The Telegraph refers to the meeting which took place
at Lambeth Palace when the Irish bishops appeared
before the Archbishop of Canterbury to consult as to the
most advisable measures for securing the future interests
of the Church in Ireland. In alluding to the opinion of
the Archbishop on the subject, it remarks that it is very
generally believed that since he has assumed the primacy
his Grace is still more gravely impressed with the neces-
sity for reconsidering the whole subject of the status of
the Irish Church. The admirable speech made after his
enthronement at Canterbury the other day was the lan-
guage, not of an impractical ecclesiastic, but of a thoughtful
Christian statesman, and the very fact that the Irish
prelates in their hour of need take counsel with such a
man justifies a hope that the pending political
question will be discussed with a view to a satis-
factory settlement. In view of the contemplated action
of Parliament, it has been thought desirable that a
more particular consideration should be given to Irish
affairs ; and for the first time, as we are informed, the
Metropolitans and all the suffragans of the provinces of
Armagh and Dublin have resorted to London that they
may consult the English Primate. On all sides, if we
may believe the indications, even the most steadfast and
earnest supporters of the Establishment are beginning to
think that possibly after all Mr. Gladstone is not so far
wrong ; that perchance a free Church, acting in her own
strength and relying on her divine mission, may do more
for the cause of Christianity in Ireland than can be done
by a department of the State teaching religion according
to Act of Parliament.

The Morning Herald refers to the Conservative losses in
the recent inquiries that have taken place before the
judges, and says that although it is most unfortunate that,
so far as the election petitions have as yet been tried, the
majority of the decisions should be against the Constitu-
tional candidates, it cannot but be matter for congratula-
tion that in no single instance has the unseated
member been condemned for complicity in the prac-
tices which led to his defeat. And we can only
hope that experience, bought at so high a price as
the Conservatives have already paid for it, will induce the
subordinate agents of the party to conduct all future con-
tests in such a manner as will not render the candidates
by whom they are employed, or volunteer to serve, the
victims of their indiscretion. Meantime there can be no
use in regretting past mishaps or indulging in recrimina-
tions. The Conservates of Dublin must prepare for the
coming contest, and endeavour to regain the position they
have lost through the imprudence of some friends and
the treachery of others professing their political prin-
ciples.

The Times, in alluding to the trial now going on at the
Queen's Bench and its amazing disclosures, has no wish to
prejudge the cause either way, but thinks that quite
sufficient has been elicited to shew the character of convent
life. The lessen should not be lost on those young ladies
who, at seventeen or twenty, see in a convent the only
means of a sublime life. It is well that they should know
henceforward what they choose. The outward and
elementary idea of a convent is most charming. With
its " Superioress," its degrees of offices and ranks, its
sisters and lay sisters; its guardian bishop, chaplain, and
confessor ; its " discretes," and other personages more or
less behind the scenes ; its habit, its hourly services,
its rules and " distributions ; " its angelic chants ;
its fasts and penances ; its intimate communion
with the Pope, and its guarded intercourse with
us poor " externs " of the outer world, it must be a
heaven upon earth, and a Paradise that even the Evil One
may not disturb. We worldlings have to confess with
pain and shame that this secular sphere does not provide

sufficient positions and opportunities and fields ofuseful-
ness to the ever-increasing number of young women brought
up with the habits and tastes of ladies. If they fail of

what seems their natural destination, or early recoil from
it for one reason or another, what are they to do ; what
are they to be ; where • are they to ; how are they to
live? The constitution of English, and as it seems also of
Irish sccieiy, is hard upon them. Men single out the
best, call themselves lucky or discerning, and leave
the rest to their fate. But all this is the spontaneous
result of causes beyond any man's control. If we
try to get to the bottom of them, we may possibly
find ourselves at the gate of a Providence wiser
than ourselves.. What we have now before us is a great
man-made scheme for meeting the difficulty—nay, more
than meeting it, and for converting all this female waste
into a glorious fabric meet for the heavenly Jerusalem.
As it is one of the ways of meeting a difficulty which all
sides confess, it should at least be thoroughly known and
well considered. The trial which has occupied the Lord
Chief Justice and a Middlesex jury for a whole week
throws much light upon it, and will enable young ladies to
compare convents with such other alternatives as accept-
ing reasonable "offers," schooling and governess-ship,
boarding-houses, watering-places, accompanying emigrant
friends, small literature, and ordinary old maidhood, with
its dullness, its weakness, its vicissitudes, and its want of
just estimation in this vulgar world. They are all bad
enough ; perhaps a convent may be as bad, or even worse.
The difference is, they all come by divine ordinance; this
by human institution.

The Standard thinks if we are to have a genuine reform
of the army we must have a little more military know-
ledge in its chiefs. If the affairs of the army are to be
conducted well, and with a view to the real interests of the
nation, they should be arranged by men who know what
are the wants of the army, what it must have, and what
it can do without ; not by mere clerks and accountants.
It is perhaps Utopian to hope for the day when the
Secretary of State. for War will always be a soldier.
Debaters and keen party politicians are not often
found in the ranks of the army ; but if we must
have a civilian who knows nothing on earth about
war at the head of the War Office, let us at least have
soldiers to do the practical work under his control. The
absurdity of an army governed by civilians is too great.
Sir Francis Head draws a humorous comparison between
our War Department and that of our neighbours over the
Channel, in his latest work, which we commend to the
party in favour of civil government of the army ; and we
wonder it has never struck those who complain so bitterly
of our small army in comparison to our large expenditure
that it may possibly be the result of civilian control, and
that it might be well to try agitation for a strong military
ruler at the head of the whole establishment.

THIRD EDITION.

NOTICE.

The Third Edition of " The Sun " of last Evening was
published in time for delivery in town at 7.15 p.m.

SUN OFFICE, 7 o'CLocx.