The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVEcING, NOVEMBER 20, 1869

address was ludicrously vague, and his sub-
sequent speeches were marked by a vacil-
lation and lack of fixed ideas which contrasted
painfully with the ability and precision of his oppo-
nent. There can be no doubt that the issue is due
simply to the disparity between •the candidates
as individuals. The fact is, that the increased
and increasing influence of the House of Commons,
and the responsibilities which weigh upon its members,
render it imperatively necessary that our legislators
should have some qualifications for their office.
Rank and influence ought to have consideration,
doubtless. There are cases where great social
position and moderate abilities may justly be pre-
ferred to great abilities and moderate social
position : but the two qualifications ought to be
combined in some way. Constituencies in
general ought to profit by this lesson ;
but if it applies to any one in particular, it is to
Chester. The Liberals of that borough have, in the
person of the Hon. NORMAN GROSVENOR, a candi-
date who is the representative of a noble house. But
to select as a legislator for this great nation a young
man just out of his " teens," who tells the electors
that he will announce his opinions as soon as he has
formed them, is ridiculous.

FRANCE 15 not afflicted with any vacation dull-
ness. French politics are as exciting, and the state
of affairs as grave, as at any time during the last six
months. By some speculators, indeed, the present

situation is compared to that of 1789 ; and though the
analogy fails in the most important particulars,
there are undoubtedly some points of resemblance.
Now, as then, the Paris populace calls, not for
reforms or indulgences, but simply for the downfall
of the existing Government. Now, as then, the

wildest theorists receive the preference from nume-
rous great constituencies. As in the last century
NECKER and his reformers were succeeded by ➢irna-

BEAU, who established the power of the populace ;
MIRABEAU by the Girondists, who overthrew the

throne ; the GirOndlsts by the DANTON party,
who brought about anarchy ; the Dantonists
by ROBESPIERRE and the Reign of Terror ; so,
comparing small things with great, the favour of the
Parisian electors has passed rapidly to the advocates
of Revolution. The old Imperialists long ago lost
what little hold they possessed upon the French
capital ; then fell the Liberals who would be content
with a reformed empire ; the moderate Republicans
represented by FAVRE came into discredit ; a
still extremer shade, of whom GAMBETTA is
the type, seems on the wane ; and now
ROCHEFORT and the Socialists are the heroes
of the hour. Making every allowance for popular
ravings, it is surely remarkable that a Government
which professedly interferes with national representa-
tion has not put forth a single candidate for the four
seats about to be filled up in Paris. The question is
not whether four friends or four enemies of the
EMPEROR will be chosen, but whether four
Socialists or four Republicans will secure
popular favour. The Republicans would prefer
to defeat the Emperor by their votes ; the
Extremists profess to long for street-fighting.
As we have previously shown, the liberty of the
press which has been lately granted has produced a
good effect in moderating the tone of most, though not
all, of the Opposition journals, and the reforms lately
conceded have won certain adherents to the Imperial
standard. But it is none the less significant that, in
spite of these concessions, the Emperor has no
chance of electing a single supporter in the capital,
and is not attempting to do so.
How is it that the Second Empire, whilst making its
fairest promises and most reassuring performances, is
assailed with such uncompromising hostility ? M.
PREVOST PARADOL, in a preface to Aome lectures
which he has just delivered to the Edinburgh Philo-
sophical Institution, endeavours to account for this state
of things, and though his explanation is disheartening
it deserves the most careful attention. M. PARADOL
is the ablest of French journalists, one of the fore-
most French scholars, one of the most moderate
French politicians. Yet even he gives up hope of
reconciliation between the Government and the
people. Neither party can trust the other. The
EMPEROR fears that ary reforms which he might
grant would be immediately used for his destruction;
the Liberals are convinced that the EMPEROR'S conces-
sions are merely the result of fear, or intended only
as a bait to draw the extreme party into excesses
which may justify retrograde measures. Could he
be sure of regaining the good-will of his country,
NAPOLEON, M. PARADOL is convinced, would
make any sacrifice; but nothing that he
can do will ever efface the remembrance of
the establishment of his Government. The
coup d'etat has left an impression which foreigners
cannot readily realise. It was an act of disgraceful
violence, prefaced by a series of disgraceful intrigues.
After gradually sapping the newly-won liberties of
the French people, NAPOLEON ruthlessly fired the
mine. All men of power or influence, who might have
opposed the development of the plotter's schemes were
arbitrarily imprisoned, then the Legislature was
forcibly dissolved, the people butchered without
mercy in the streets, and hundreds of unoffending
persons sent off to Cayenne. "If I bring to
memory," says M. PARADOL, " that sad day of
my youth, if I let my mind dwell upon it
for a moment, I am sure to feel my
cheeks blushing with shame and my eyes
filling with tears. . . There are in our generation
some memories, and some passions, too, which no
length of time and no pressure of interest can now
eradicate from a French heart." Such recollections
ought not to last for ever, one would think. There
ought, it would seem, to be a Statute of Limitations
for bad titles to thrones as well as for bad
titles to estates. But it is not for one
nation to dictate to another as to when
is or is not the time for oblivion. We in England, as
M. PARADOL points out, have shown precisely the
same distrust of the First NAPOLEON that the French
Liberals display towards his successor. When
BIIONAPARTE escaped from Elba and reseated him-
self on the French throne he gave the world the
most earnest assurances of peace, but in vain.
Europe had lost all confidence in him, and his
neighbours at once reopened the war. The feeling
of Europe towards NAPOLEON I. was much the same
as the feeling of France towards NAPOLEON 111.
The more moderate Republicans have this week
put forth a manifesto which in some sort seems to
contradict M. PARADOL'S theory. With the excep-
tion of one extreme Red, most of the Republican
deputies have met and drawn up a programme
demanding further reforms—the abolition of the law
which allows suspected persons to be arbitrarily
imprisoned, the cessation of official interference
with elections, and the like. This mode of carrying
on the war is a hopeful sign, for it appeals to con-
stitutional means for redress, and involves
no resort to force. But tjie Republicans
thereby give no guarantee for the future.
They do not threaten street fighting ; but they make
no terms with the EMPEROR. Their manifesto is no
promise of a settled form of Government. It may be
asked, Where are the famous 110 whose united and
timely demand brought about the reforms of last
June ? It is ominous that M. PARADOL, who so
strongly supported this party a few months ago,
now seems to place little confidence in it. But does
he not underrate its probable influence? The 110
are the moderate Liberals of the French Legislature,
and though not in themselves a majority, they are
stronger than any other single party. They promise
to support the EstrEnon and his dynasty, but at the
same time insist on his following a strictly constitu-
tional course and casting off all irresponsible rule. In
them, if anywhere, lies the hope of a peaceful
future for France. The great weakness of the 110 is
that they poss3ss no leaders of the highest order, and
only one or two second rates. The genius of the
French Legislature must be sought amongst the small
band of Republicans. 'Where power is, however, a
man is generally to be found to wield it ; and if the
116 hokl well together, a.leader cannot long be
waiting for such a formidable party. The present

Legislature of France is composed of a wrong body
of deputies devoted to the EmpEnot—in fact,
dependent upon him—the moderate pary, and only
about forty Republicans in all. It woul seem that
such a division ought to set the Irrecocilables at
defiance ; but this strength of the peace party is in
great measure not real. The new Pariament has
been elected on the principle A official
candidates ; the pressure of the Govern-
ment has been exerted to the utmost to
return its supporters ; and the result cannot be taken
as a sign of what would happen if the choice of the
nation were perfectly free. Thus it is impossible to
say that M. PARODOL'S gloomy forebodings may not
be realised. But the manifestations of moderation
afford, at least, hope of peace—which must be
the primary consideration to the rest of Europe. It
is not for Englishmen to trouble themselves with party
animosities in France.

THE BISHOPRIC OF OXFORD.

The following valedictory address was presented to the
Bishop of Oxford from the clergy of the diocese, in the
Hall of All Souls' College, Oxford :—" We, the undersigned
clergy of your lordship's diocese of Oxford, have learned
with unfeigned sorrow that your lordship's long
and much-valued administration of the affairs of
this diocese will within a few weeks from this day
come to an end. We are are sensible that the offer made
to you of a formal recommendation of your lordship's name
for election as future Bishop of the see of Winchester is
but a just appreciation on the part of her Majesty the
Queen of the effectual rule -which your lordship has exec•
cised over us during twenty-four years of incessant watch-
fulness and active labour. At the same time we
cannot disguise cur deep regret that an episco-
pate such as your lordship's, during which so
much hearty, earnest, and intelligent vigour has been
exhibited, and so much permanent good fruit produced,
should determine, while your lordship is blessed with
health, and energies to continue among us the great works
which, under the blessing of God upon your most constant
lab Ours, you have begun and lived to see so well and so
fully established. We with sorrow bid your lordship fare-
well. We are conscious that your able government has
earned for this diocese a reputation recognised not only in
our own province but in England generally, and through-
out our gracious Sovereign's dominions, and a name held
in estimation in the Church of the United States of
America. May God grant to you to find in your new
weighty sphere of duty the same hearty co-operation of
the clergy and of the laity which your affectionate, con-
siderate, and judicious course among us has justly won.
Lastly, for ourselves, as we do not presume to ask for a
reconsideration of your lordship's decision, it remains for
us to assure your lordship that your lordship's sympathy
with each one of us in his separate difficulties, together
with your Lordship's wise and earnest counsels,have taught
us so to esteem the office which your Lordship is holding
that, apart from other considerations of deepest moment,
our reception of your Lordship's successor will be such as
becomes a body of clergy led by a spirit of unity among
themselves, and by a desire to uphold ecclesiastical autho-
rity in the diocese, and, far above all, by a faithful and de-
voted love to Him who, by His servants the Bishops, rules
His Church, being Himself the Head of all, God blessed
for evermore!"
The Bishop of Oxford returned the following answer to

the addrcaz 12.v_ Brethren,—l thank you from the
bottom of my heart for your loving address. It is with
great sorrow that I return your farewell ; I should have
been rejoiced to end my days in working for a body of
clergy whose fidelity, zeal, love of souls, and devotion
to Christ and to the best interests of His Kingdom, as
well as whose affectionate loyalty to their bishop made
oversight :easy, and united labour a joy. But the Voice
seemed to me to call me away, and I go. To God be all
the praise for any good done in this diocese during my
episcopate; I can see in the retrospect little save my own
shortcomings. I very earnestly ask you to continue the
prayers you promise to offer up for me in my new sphere of
labour. God forbid that I should cease to pray for you, and
so the mysterious bonds which link together the Church of
Christ may yet be strengthened between us, even when it
is not given us to labour together in bodily presence. I
thank you for the love, support, and co-operation of
twenty-four years. I pray God to bless you one and all
in your own souls, in your families, and in your parishes,
and to grant us a joyful meeting for Christ's sake, by
the power of the Holy Ghost, in the day of our Lord's
appearing."

THE PROSECUTION OF THE REV. MR.
WIX FOR RITUALISM.

The case of the late " Bishop of Winchester v. the
Rev. R. H. G. Wix " came before the Arches Court on
Friday. An application was made on behalf of the defen-
dant,
who is vicar of Swanmore, Isle of Wight, to dismiss
him from further observance of justice in the matter, on
the ground that the Bishop of Winchester, who had pro-
moted the office of the judge, had resigned his see. The
application was made in pursuance of the new Act, the
32nd and 33rd of the Queen, cap.lo3, which provided that
her Majesty, if satisfied of the incapacity of a bishop, and that
he had " canonically resigned," by order in Council, should
declare the see to be vacant. The offence alleged by letters
of request was that the defendant had offended against the
laws ecclesiastical by using lighted candles and burning
incense during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
Mr. Arthur Charles maintained that the resignation o.
Dr. Sumner as Bishop of Winchester on the 28thof October
put an end to the proceedings. The other side had to
apply to the Court to continue the case by an amendment
to the title by substituting the name of Dr. Sumner, the
late Bishop of Winchester. Had the Bishop died naturally,
and not canonically, the suit would have abated, and from
analogy to cases at common law, he submittedthat the suit
had been terminated by the resignation of the Bishop.
Then, on the question of judicial discretion vested in the
Court, he ventured to submit that the learned judge
would not exercise it by allowing an amendment to be
,anade. The suit had been instituted in the episcopal
character of the Bishop, and ceased when he resigned.
Dr. Deane apprehended that -the letters of request were
to be looked upon as a vehicle by which the Bishop made
known the complaint against the defendant. The office of
the judge was promoted, by leave of the judge, by the
Bishop. It often happened that the secretary of a bishop
promoted the office. In this case the promoter had become
Dr. Sumner, late Bishop of Winchester, and all he had to
do was to ask the Court to allow the proceedings to be con-
tinued according to the altered circumstances of the case.
The points had been well put by his learned friend (Mr.
Charles), and the stongest argument was that the Bishop
was the voluntary promoter, and the word " we " was used
to show that he was the actual promoter and that the cause
only lived so long as he held the see.
The Dean of Arches, in giving judgment, said the case
had been clearly and ably argued by Mr. Charles. Two ap-
plications had been made to him—one on behalf of the
clerk accused to be dismissed from all further observance
on the ground that the suit had abated by reason of the
promoter having resigned his see, and the otherapplication
was that he should allow the suit to be altered in its title
by substituting the name of Dr. Sumner, the late Bishop
of 'Winchester, instead of
,the Bishop of Winchester.
The question raised was novel in practice, as no precedent
could be found, but not, in his opinion, difficult to decide.
It was quite true that the Bishop himself had promoted
the office, and the simple question was,:should he not allow
him to continue to promote the office and to go on with
the proceedings, although he had resigned his office of
bishop ? He (Sir R. Phillimore) doubted whether he had
a legal discretion to exercise in the matter: but if he had
it was better for the interest of the Church if he refused
to allow the technical point to prevail, and he should,
therefore, grant permission to the promoter to alter the
suit in the manner he had prayed. The Dean reserved the
question of costs, giving permission to continue the case by
an alteration in the title.

Mr. Molly, M.P., in recently enforcing the neces-
sity for protection of the earnings of married women, men-
tioned the fact that there are eight hundred thousand
married women in England who are in receipt of wages or
salaries.

The Rome correspondent of the Tablet states that,
sinco "his infamous letter to the Genoese papers," Garibaldi
has been attacked with such violent rheumatic pains that
ho can no longer sign his correspondence. Ile intends, how-
ever, to visit Naples early in December.

At the Bradford West Riding Court on Thursday
the secretary of a local agricultural society was sent for two
mouths' hard labour for embezzling the society's cash. Ile
had kept back money awarded for prizes, and in one cas,
the society had been sued.

The Rocket, sister vessel to the Thistle, on which
recently occulted the terrible boiler explosion, has had a
narrow escape from a similar catastrophe. She was going
at speed on her trial over the measured mile, when it was
timcously discovered that the boilers were primed to such an
extent as to blow nearly all the water out of them.

The rumour that Mr. Talbot, M.P., has declined
the ofrer of a Peerage is discredited by the Western
Mail, which says:—" If it be true, there can bo no doubt
that the rest lute attitude assumed by the Conservatives
of the county has been tho immediate cause of Mr. Talbot
declining the honour Mr. Gladstone wished to confer upon
him."

The Cork 1 xaminer states that the sixty head of
cattle belonging to Mr. Busteed, of Coolmore, which wore
attacked with foot-and-mouth disease, have recovered.
There has been no other case reported in the south of Ire-
land. A Wiltshire correspondent writes that pleuro-pneu-
inunia has broken out t Cestow, near Swindon. Four
beasts were slaughtered on Saturday, and one has been
killed since.

The Home Secretary has returned the following
reply to the memorial to the Queen from the public meeting
hekl by the Bethnal-green Trades Restoration Society,
ur.,;itig her Majrsty to direct an inquiry to be imtnediaiely
made into the causes of the present depression in trade:—
"Whitehall, 16th November, 1869. Sir,—l am directed by
Mi. Sicretary Blue() to acknowledge the receipt of your
1, tt,r of the 12th inaant, and to inform you that he has
had the honour to lay before the Queen the memorial which
accompanied it front manufacturers, tradesmen, artisans,
and others resident in the parish of Bethnal-greon
on the subject of destitution now prevailing amongst the
manufacturing classes.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
E. A. KNATcußtax-HucEssEs.—J. W. pro9ks, 4ci., 24,
Acidak-tCrrAce. lact9,llA-parka_

ALLEGED ROBBETY OF ABARLY 41,000

BY YOUTHS.

Two boys are just now " wanted" at Walsall for having
peen concerned in the robbery of nearly £l,OOO from the
premises of Messrs. Dingnan, Lewis, and Lewis, solici-
tors, Walsall, and Chancery-lane, London ; the names of
the culprits being Samuel Thompson, aged, IG, a
clerk in Messrs. Dingnan's employ, and Thomas Simpson,
aged 17, one of his associates. The property, which
consisted of notes, gold, and a bank draft, was abstracted
from a drawer about five weeks ago. Suspicion, however,
did not fall upon Thompson until he absconded from home
a few days ago in company with Simpson. The two have
been traced to London, where they had taken passages on
board a vessel bound to Australia, but finding that the
police were on their track they did not embark. It
is expected they will endeavour to leave England by some
other port. A reward of £2O is offered for their appre-
hension.