The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-12 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

The Times thinks the reappearance in this country of
Relapsing Fever is a phenomenon which might have
Pointed a moral if we had been lately indulging in boast-
fulness about our riches and prosperity. The wealthiest
city in the world is threatened by a disease which implies
chronic poverty, and is popularly known as "Famine"
Fever. Contemporaneously with the awakening of atten-
tion to this stealthy epidemic, the alarm has been sounded
•—none too soon—about another growing evil which presents
certain analogous features. Vagrancy is not so recent an
intruder as this Relapsing Fever; but it is still a new
comer in its present dimensions. Like Relapsing Fever,
Vagrancy is a malady which is easily caught, and easily carried
about from place to place. It is also, like the fever, most
bard to deal with, for as that is the last result of a general
infirmity in the entire bodily system, so vagrancy is not so
much a bad passion, or even a bad habit, as a diseased
moral constitution. As, again, relapsing fever, though it
may not be itself mortal, is a feeder of typhus, so vagrancy
readily prepares for and turns into Habitual Crime. Nor is
the resemblance between the two only one of analogy. To a
certain extent they ori2,inata in the same circumstances.
When work is plentiful and trade is uniformly prosperous,
famine fever becomes obsolete, as it was in England for
the thirteen years preceding 1863. Under the same cir-
cumstances vagrancy enlists few recruits. The depression
of trade, or of any branch of it, infuses new vigour into
both. The threatened outbreak of relapsing fever calls
for all the help which the riches and benevolence of a
capital like London can supply. It is vain to expect the
neighbours and relatives of its victims to aid them in
warding off the attack. The attack arises from the very
helplessness, and poverty,and despair, not especially of the
individuals attacked, but of their class. The resources of
public institutions and of private charity willbe all wanted
if the epidemic attain the proportions which some sanitary
authorities apprehend. An increase at the rate indicated
by 120 cases in the Fever Hospital alone last Saturday
would speedily overtask all the hospital accommodation
available. If, however, too abundant a bounty can scarcely
be displayed on behalf of the Fever's possible victims in
the metropolis, on the other hand, any demonstrative com-
passion shewn to East-end vagrancy is cruel kindness. The
object in treating a disease is to cure it. Relapsing fever
springs from hunger and dejection, and the charity which
removes these heals it. But indulgence shewn to vagrancy,
as such, encourages and inflames the vice.

The Standard remarks that the Dean and Chapter of
Exeter have been unable to resist the influences which
are carried in a conge d'elere, and by a majority of thirteen
to six have elected Dr. Temple to be a bishop of the
diocese. This result, of course, was inevitable after it had
become certain that Mr. Gladstone intended to persevere
in his nomination. It is a mere hollow mockery this, the
pretended election of. a bishop by the dean and chapter. It
is a "wasteful and ridiculous excess," an unmeaning _form,
which, having been gone through, can lend no additional
grace to him who has become Bishop of Exeter. That Dr.
Temple has become a bishop, not by the voice of the
Church but by the arbitrary decree of the State, is un-
deniable, He cannot even be said to have been confirmed
in his dignity by a vote which, if it had gone against him,
would still have left him untouched in his bishopric.
However brought about, we cannot but repeat our opinion
that this appointment is one most most calamitous to the
Church, and most ominous of her future destiny. Either
the bishops unjustly and wrongfully condemned the book

called " Essays and Reviews," and are unable to judge
between truth and error, between what is for and what is
against God's Word, or they have been induced
out of political considerations to consent to an
appointment of which they disapprove. Which-
ever theory we adopt the scandal and damage to the Church
is equally the same. What are the laity to hold in future
as to what is true doctrine in the Anglican Church, when
they see a man advanced to be a bishop who was the
other day charged with heresy, aral who has done nothing
since to put off from himself that charge ? With what
grace and effect will Dr. Temple himself proceed in his
new :office, " privately and openly to call upon and en-
courage others " to drive away erroneous opinion, when
his own is the opinien which the majority of his flock hold
to be most pernicious?

The Dean and Chapter of Exeter, says the Daily News,
have acted like sensible Englishmen, and elected Dr
Temple, as they were directed to do by the authority re•
sponsible for his elevation to a bishopric. It is satisfac-
tory to find them correctly understanding their duty, and
firm enough k resist the solicitations and incitements
of violent Ad irresponsible persons who would have
brought them into conflict with the Crown. By
acting as they have done they have averted
a great scandal. The opposition to Dr. Temple
is not likely to be renewed at any subsequent
stage of his progress to his episcopal chair. In
the ordinary course cf things the Bishop-elect will shortly
be "confirmed." In the course of the proceedings which
tcok place in the Court of Queen's Bench on the occasion of
of the appointment cf Dr. Hampden as Bishop of Hereford
it was argued on behalf of those who had presented them
selves before the Vicar-General to oppose his confirmation
and who had been refused a hearing, that, confirmation
being a judicial process, it was the proper occasion
for making inquiry or examination as to the fit-
ness in point of piety and doctrine of the in
dividual in question to be made one of the
Bishops of the Church of England. But the Court
of Queen's Bench gave no encouragement to this idea
Opposers of Dr. Hampden were ready with definite
charges which they were anxious to submit to a court of
law ; but the impugners of Dr. Temple's appointment have
nothing but vague and nebulous accusations to bring
against him, and they will probably be content with
defeat in the Chapter. With his early consecration and
installation, we may expect that a state of theological
excitement which has been artificially produced and sus-
tained will speedily disappear.
Dr. Temple, says the Telegraph, is now Bishop of Exeter
Despite the combined efforts of Lord Shaftesbury
and Dr. Pusey, Archdeacon Denison and Dr. M‘Neile
the Chapter of that great diocese has deliberately resolved
not only to obey, but to sustain the law. The result is
gain to the whole body of Churchmen. It is not Dr
Temple, but the great ecclesiastical body of which he b
a member, that would have been injured had the
Chapter given an adverse vote. Had it disobeyed
the conge d'ilire, it would not have kept Dr. Temple
out of the episcopal throne—for the Crowr
would undoubtedly have enforced its right tc
elect him by letters patent—but it would have cast de
fiance at the Crown, the Parliament, and the country. Fos
reasons similar to those which swayed the foes of Dr
Temple, Tillotson would have been excluded from the se(
of Canterbury, and Butler from the see of Durham. Fos
like reasons the Low Churchmen might have demanded
that Dr. Phillpotts should be kept out of Exeter, ane
Dr. Wilberforce out of Winchester. On ground:
of equal cogency, Dr. 111`Neile would shriek witt
horror at the bare idea of Dr. Pusey's getting
preferment of any description. Dr. Temple's ele
vation is valuable in proclaiming that the Bishop:
of the English Church should be chosen, not
because they represent any particular ecclesiastical party
but because they are good, able, and zealous Christiar
men. The well meaning but mistaken divines who hav(
opposed Dr, Temple, will admit that the occasion was his-
toric, and will mark an epoch in the history of the Church
Henceforth the clergy will see more clearly that bishop:
must be selected because they are personally qualified fm
the high office; and the clergy will also see that, in a
Church established by law, the law must ever be religiously
obeyed.

The Post remarks that it is difficult to conceive anythin
more mortifying than the discovery that a great wor?
which has been years in progress has no sooner bee]

finished and opened with unwonted pomp than it has be
gun to fall to pieces. Yet it looks much as if this
wcr
the case with tho Holborn Viaduct. At the very momen'
that the Lord Mayor was calling her Majesty's gracious at
tention, in studied terms, to the " strength and beauty o
modern constructive art" as displayed in the Viaduct
a portion of it was already giving way under th
weight placed upon it; and while he was promis
ing that it would be "more enduring tha.
the trophies of successful war," the cracks wer-
already forming of which the discovery has now so un
pleasantly surprised us all. Pillars do give way sometime
in spite of the best calculations as to their strength, am
when they have begun to crack in the very alarming
manner shewn in those that support the Holborn Bridge
it is time to treat them as suspected ; while if, as in thi
case, they crack at the first strain, it is not unle.-oonabl
to cendenm 'them altogether as unsafe. It (loos no
appear that in the case of the Ironer' Viaduct ther
wag any known neglect of duty or any apparen
failure to perform the work in the manlier agreed upor
end contracted for. But that there has beer
a failure in -the doing of the work somewhere, is beyom
a doubt. It is to be feared that in these matters there i:
a very general want of solidity and good workmanship
Usually. however, as was really the case ill the Whitechape
affair, the bad work is done and put out of sight, and th
consequences only follow in after times. In the case o
the -Holborn Viaduct a flagrant failure either in the wort
or the materials has been made immediately apparent ti
ell ; and we trust that due means will be taken to remed3
it before it is followed, as it may be, by a serious calamity

The flying squadron arrived at Simon's Bay, Capf
of Good Hope, on tho 4th ult., and was to leave for Per
Philip, Melbourne, on the 14th.