The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-08 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 8, 169.

sions, as compared with rural electoral divisions
was mainly due to the influx of the pauper popu-
lation so cleared off the estates of the landlords.
With each of these arguments he dealt in succession.
With reference to the first, while observing that his
hon. colleague had sufficiently disposed of it, Mr.
KAVANAGH said that he must be allowed to add that
it was with no small surprise he heard this argument
used by hon. members opposite, whose general cry
was that no analogy existed between the two coun-
tries, and who claimed legislation of the most ex-
ceptional sort for Ireland. Without going further,
he remarked that he need only refer on this point
to the Irish Church Bill, and to speeches from
hon. members opposite about the Irish land
question. As to the second argument, he insisted
that, if once applicable, it was now clearly and dis-
tinctly inapplicable. Formerly, as in 1838 or 1839,
when the Poor Law Act first came into operation in
Ireland, the survivors of pestilence and starvation
flocked into the towns and workhouses where food and
shelter was procurable. But, now, he th7nked GOD such
was not the present state of affairs, and he firmly be-
lieved that, so far from this argument being any longer
applicable to Ireland, the present tendency was for
landed proprietors to build dwelling-houses and
encourage labourers to settle on their estates,
for in many places the want of labour
had begun to be seriously felt. The third
argument Mr. KAVANAGH dealt with by
means of two or three very telling illustrations,
in the way of hypothetical cases in point, for the
better examination of which his speech of yesterday
is well worth turning to and reading throughout.
Altogether the question, though set aside for the pre-
sent, is one that must before long be revived for the
purpose of being dealt with much more effectively
than was in any way possible by means of the
baulked bill of the hon. member for New Ross.

Fr is to be regretted that the accession to power
of the Liberal Ministry has been the means of
delaying a most important reform which their
predecessors were preparing to effect. The Con-
servative Government decided that a reduc-

tion of rates for the postal carriage of
newspapers and other printed matter was urgently
required. The Liberal Government has preferred a
temporary consideration of revenue to a permanent
consideration of national progress. The fact that
for thirty years the postal rates have remained sub-
stantially unaltered is of itself sufficient to
prove that a revision is needed now. Anti-
quity is not an admirable quality in com-
mercial legislation. Few regulations for the
' conduct of trade affairs can remain in force for a
generation without falling utterly behind the times.
In the case of the Post Office but one great change,
from a prohibitive to a moderate tariff, has been
thought necessary since its establishment. The
business of the country has multiplied beyond pre-
cedent, but the legislative facilities for conducting it
remain unaltered. The importance of a reduction
of the postal carriage for newspapers and other
printed matter is not questioned. The subject is
mature, sufficient information has been already
accumulated, and it is not probable that by
delay we shall gain anything. But the
Government has refused to make the change
because it would involve some financial dis-
arrangement.

The arguments adduced by Ministers on Tuesday
speedily reduce themselves to the one consideration
of the Budget. Such pleas as insufficient premises,
the difficulties caused by bulky parcels, the necessity
of not interfering with the rapid transmission of
letters are simply puerile. They cannot even be
regarded as arguments for delay, which, it seems, was
all the Po STMASTER-GENERAL intended them for. The
size of the General Post Office and the inconvenience of
manipulating heavy parcels are matters of detail with
which the public has no concern whatever. To
seriously urge them against even the post-
ponement of a great reform, is nothing less

0-.- ,

we have before observed, private companies and in-
dividuals distribute newspapers at one-third of a penny,
and yet realise considerable gains. The Post Office
will neither allow full competition in the cheap car-
riage of printed matter nor undertake the work
under protection of its monopoly. The Marquis of
HARTINGTON attempted to justify this position.
lie urged that the Post Office was for the country at
large, not for the great towns only ; whereas private
enterprise could choose the most profitable districts.
It would not be fair to allow private companies to
select those portions of the country where the
work was easy and lucrative, and leave those portions
where it was difficult and costly to the Post Office. But
if this proves that the Post Office ought not to part
with its monopoly, it is also clear that it can have
no claim to a rate so much higher than private enter-
prise would admit. The profit necessary to private
individuals is greater, their expenses higher, their
resources inferior to those of the Post Office. It is
true that they would naturally take the cream of the
work, whilst the department must undertake the
whole, but this is in no wise pertinent to the question
at issue. Free trade in carrying printed matter
does not imply equal freedom in the carriage of
letters ; and as the POSTMASTER-GENERAL admits
that the Government carries comparatively little
printed matter, he concedes that the work is left
undone. Either the Post Office should undertake
this duty at a practicable rate, or it should admit
others to a business which is at present neglected.
The financial argument should be treated with all
respect. The Post Office is at present an important
source of revenue, and at a time when the
Government is earnestly carrying out a policy of
economy the prospect of diminished profits deserves
serious consideration. But making every allowance,
the advantage of the change is so immeasurably in
excess of the loss which would be incurred that
it is merely parsimony, not economy, to refuse the
reform on this ground. In the absence of other
resources the Post Office revenue cannot be disre-
garded; but, after all, a large profit of
this department is nothing more than
the most objectionable of taxes. The Post-
office surplus represents an impost on intelligence,
knowledge, business, and social intercourse. The
profit of the Post Office ought in no respect to
weigh against reform in a department which, more than
any other, affects the well-being and comfort of the
nation. In this case the first loss is set down
by the POSTMASTER-GENERAL himself at £320,000,
a loss which would certainly be diminished and
eventually lowered by the increased business. And
yet for this consideration we must remain in the
ruck of progress—far behind France and the United
States, and not even on a level with Spain or Greece.
In nearly every civilised State is business commu-
nication cheaper than in the first commercial country
in the world.

onytt tr,

El? MAJESTY.

BUCKINOITAM PALACE, April 7.
The Queen, auompanied by Prince Albert Victor
of Wales, drove out this morning.
Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Louise,
honoured Mr. Thornycroft and Mr.W. Thecd with
visits to their studios.

We are requested to state that the diplomes
d'honneur, go!d, and other medals, and certificates of
honourable mention, awarded to British exhibitors by the
international jury at the Havre Maritime Exhibition, can
now bo obtained Cu application to Messrs. J. M. Johnson
and Son, of Castle-street, Holborn, the commissioners of
he United Kingdom.

CORRESPONDENCE PROM PARIIi

•
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, WEDnsDaY, April 7.
The general debate on the Budget has come to an end.
M. Gamier Pages, who has received the name of the
"Angel of Peace," opened yesterday's sitting with another
of his attacks upon the Imperial system of great armaments.
One of the journals here gives M. Gamier Pages another
name—" The Exterminating Archangel of Imposts," and
the two titles very adequately describe his policy. M.
Gamier Pages wants to abolish armies and army budgets,
and devote the proceeds of this vigorous retrenchment to
the reduction and abolition of divers obnoidous taxes.
If the hon. deputy had his will, the salt tax, the news-
paper duty, the tax on doors and windows, and the octroi
duties would all be exterminated at once. In order to
provide for the deficiency, the standing army should be
at once disbanded. This uncompromising piece of philo-
sophy was the root and branch of M. Gamier Pages's dis-
course, which lasted not less than three hours. The scheme
may readily be ridiculed as Utopian, and the cause of liberty
is not favoured by Utopian ideas ; but if the whole of the
worthy deputy's plan be not practicable, at all events some
of it is. Heavy taxes are the result of great armies, and
the reduction of the one would lead to the diminution of
the other. Whether the pure and simple suppression of
the army would be good for France is, perhaps, question-
able ; but at all events France could not lose more by a
paix desarmde than by the paix armee from which she
suffers now. No State would think of attacking or insult-
ing France if her army were no larger than that of the
United States. M. Magne replied to this pacific exhorta-
tion with great courtesy, but at the same time not
without a fair admixture of Attic salt. As might have
been expected, he ridiculed M. Gamier Pages's scheme as
impracticable.

I shall not enter into further detail. One feature, how.
ever, of this debate must not be overlooked. It has been
a remarkable testimony to the reality of the public feeling
in favour of peace. Whatever might be the differences of
the speakers, their accord in denouncing war was general.
Legitimists, Orleanists, Republicans, and Imperialists, have
all expressed the same opinion. They may quarrel about
official candidatures, the press, Ministerial responsibility,
public meetings, and the Imperial financial policy of con-
tinually borrowing during times of peace ; but they
are unanimous in declaring that France ought
not to undertake any further isolated expeditions in search
of adventures. War is still the last appeal of humanity ;
but the representatives of France decide that it is only
the extreme necessity which can justify such an appeal.
Even the optimist, M. Louvet, who believes the French
Budget to be an amazingly perfect work, is with the Left
on this question.

It is thought that the date of the elections may be
unavoidably postponed a little. They are at present
fixed for Sunday and Monday, the 30th and 31st of May,
but these days may be altered. Your readers will doubt-
less be surprised to hear of election ballots on Sunday, but
people here seem to consider the day a very favourable
ono. It saves interruption of business.

The sale of Prince Demidoff's art collection and furni-
ture has produced £23,000. It was a most valuable
accumulation of art treasures—jewels connected with
historic personages, antique Flemish tapestry, woven after
cartoons by the great masters of the sixteenth century,
curiouslywrought ornaments, and weapons. The history
of the family to which this collection belonged was very
remarkable. Prince Paul Demidoff was married in the
Greek Church of Paris in 1867. This union, however,
which was not a happy one, and with which State
intrigues were said to be curiously blended, did not
last long. Whatever may have been the cause, the beaUti-
ful bride of Prince Demidoff was evidently overwhelmed
with grief, and neither bride nor bridegroom seemed to
entertain hope of happiness from a marriage which,
we are told, was concluded solely from State
seasons. The Princess soon died, leaving one
child, a boy. Her husband was, up to the period of
her death, a man of pleasure. But that event completely
altered him, and he resolved thenceforth to devote
his whole fortune and energies to training his child
as an apostle of humanitarianism, and ministering to
the temporal and spiritual wants of the working classes.
Paris was chosen as the most favourable centre for the
....ommencement of this enterprise. An establishment in
connection with the Prince's dwelling has been founded in
•Ilat great focus of working-class life, the Faubourg St.
Antoine. This establishment supplies work to 200
s,empstresses, and furnishes them with a shelter whilst en-
gaged at their labours. The assistance of English, French,
and Russian ladies has been obtained to direct the work.
The women have perfect freedom of worship ; ministers
of all denominations are admitted to the lecture-room.
The little Prince is being brought up as an apostle of
humanity amongst the children of the poor women who
have thus been gathered together.