The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNEAY EVENING, MAY 12, 1869.

. the late Mayor of Cork, excited among all rational
observers, simultaneously, horror and risibility—dis-
gust and laughter. The notion was F:o prep7s'erous,
in itself, that the very functionary en trusted
with the preservation of order in the municipality,
the very magistrate especially deputed, by right of
his office, to see to the maintenance of the law, should,
of all men there in the city of Cork, be the one to in-
cite to insubordination, to outrage, to disloyalty, even
—as the vast majority of those who first of all heard
and afterwards, in more considerable numbers, read
the words to which he had given utterance, firmly
believed—to assassination ! That the Government,
that the Legislature, that the responsible Ministers of
the Crown, should permit words like those to be arti-
was a thing impossible. The
culated with impunity,
delinquent, however, could only he dealt with excep-
tionally. If he was to be silenced at all—and about
.that there could not be two opinions—he must be
silenced immediately. To do that, necessitated an
especial interpositir,n on the part of the Legisla-
ture. From that, neither the Administration nor the
Parliament shrank, even fur one passing moment. Lech
was prepared to act promptly and vigorously with
this flagrant violator of public decency. His pro-
cecdingswereso disgrac ful that therisk of their repe-
tition was not for an instant to be tolerated. Hence,
the bill prepared on the spur of the moment by the
Irish Attorney-General. Hence, the unusually large
gathering of members and spectators yesterday in the
House of Commons, in anticipation of that same
rapidly prepared bill's introduction. The doomed
racoon descended from his branch, however, be-
fore a shot could be fired. Conscious that his fate
prevailing absurdity of his courEe in the mayoralty,
he yields up his post in a manner the most
ridiculous. He announces it to the world
member for Curk, beginning "My ear
through a letter to the hon. gentleman the
MAGUIRE," on the perusal of which tender
hroth
apos-
trophe by the latter the crowded House gave way o
Through
g
prolonged and reiterated peals of laughter.
Cork,"myd eianrteismt
aAtleAsGutoratEh,e" ti,hezinsolwatutarbe,ooteod
tehxe-AGlaoyvoerrno.

mea►, to the whole country, his withdrawal from the
post from which, by the authority of Parliament, he
was about to be expelled. Through the O'DONOGHUE,
he, at the same time, announced his intention of
transmitting his resignation to the Town Council of
Cork : and, as the O'DONOGHUE, of the Glens, as-
sured the House yesterday, amidst another burst of
laughter, " from his own personal knowledge of Mr.
O'SuLLIVAN'S character, whatever that gentleman
said he would do might be relied upon!" Consistently
all through, the whole thing has been utterly farsical.
But, while it was farsical, it was also, at the same time,
utterly disgraceful. Any one who, in the position of
Mayor of an ancient city like that of Cork, could so
far outrage public decency as to eulogise the memory
of the intending assassin of the Duke of EDINBURGH,
at the very time when Prince ARTHUR was
traversing Ireland, must, quite obviously, be
unfitted to discharge the duties of that
office, and disqualified ipso facto from occupy-
ing in any way the position of a magistrate.
To assert, as the Ex-Mayor of Cork has had
the hardihood to assert in his letter to Mr. MAGuIRE,
that—(these are his very words)—" having regard to
my personal honour and consistency, I declare, in the
most solemn and emphatic manner that the lan-
guage attributed to me did not in any way express
or represent my real meaning," to make so an
astounding assertion as that is simply an addi-
tional outrage perpetrated by the arch-offender—
though, this time, it happens to be nothing worse
than a simple outrage to common sense.

THE House of Commons was called upon on
Monday night to discuss ono of the gravest and
most difficult questions which the nation has to
solve. A solution, and ilia a speedy one, is absolutely
necessary to the existence of the nation. Year by
year the army of paupers is increasing ; year by year,
that is, the proportion of those who have not, and
who if they had the power, would not scruple to
help themselves at the expense of those who
have, is augmenting; and if we would not let our
or our children be overtaken by such a deluge
as that which overwhelmed France eighty years ago
we must stop this formidable growth, we must pre-
vent this wholesale recruiting of the revolutionary
army from the ranks of those who ought to be upon
the side of order and settled government. Mr.
CORRANCE certainly needed no excuse for intro-
ducing this subject even during such a busy session
as this. Mr. GLADSTONE did well in giving up a
Government night to its discussion. Our legis-
lators have only begun to pay attention to it. They
will require a good many more debates before they
will master the facts, much more suggest an effectual
remedy.

The most startling fact is that during the eight
years since 1860 the amount expended in the relief
of the poor has increased one-fifth. For the ten
years ending 1860 the amount was 58. 91d. per head
of the population ; for the year 1860 it was Os. 111 d.
This increase may be to some extent only temporary,
but we rather hope it than expect it. True, trade is
depressed; true, capital lying idle labour cannot
find full employment, and wages are low; but unfor-
tunately the tendency of pauperism is always to
perpetuate itself. The man whose independence has
been once broken clown by the acceptance of parish
relief gets soon reconciled to this source of livelihood.
The householder who has broken up his home, and
whose children are exposed to the pauper atmos-
phere, is not likely to give them habits of
industry. The descent into the Avernus of
pauperism is fearfully facile. The ascent out
of it is deplorably difficult. Children brought
up among paupers will, it is only too probable,
remain paupers. A like result follows the distribu-
tion of those doles and charities which, however pure
the motive that prompted their foundation, do
effect an immensity of harm. Mr. MUNDELLA, for
instance, stated on Monday night that in one village
where £3O a year was spent in education £BOO a
year was spent in doles, and the week following
the distribution of the fund was given up
to debauchery. Indiscriminate almsgiving is
a kindred source of pauperism. The per-
son who gives a " stray copper " to the first
beggar he meets, is really doing his utmost to manu-
facture paupers. But when all these causes are
mentioned, and that they are powerful causes we do
not doubt, the most powerful of all still has to be
stated. Drunkenness is known to be the chief
source of pauperism, for it will counteract and neu-
tralise all measures that we may take to diminish
pauperism. We may make the labour test as severe
as Mr. GOSCHEN likes, we may separate pauper
children from pauper adults, and use the ancient
doles in education, as Mr. MUNDELLA recommended.
coobtlaciindaesibrea,nkwreupnitcyay Iparwo,maostegoeondli a
Swaeminay
uunAuntil we have- actually diminished the populagtrisoant3iloorif;
England to the extent that the population of Ireland
has been diminished ; but we shall never get at the
root of pauperism, we shall only cut off its leaves.
until we render drunkenness as difficult as it is now
easy. Mr. GOSCIIEN promises certain changes in his
department, but these are merely questions of detail,
not of principle. He may effect a certain saving in
the amount of poor relief ; but he will do little to
diminish poverty. It is not so much to the PRESI-
DENT of the POOR-LAW BOARD as to the Roan.:
SECRETARY that we look for the legislation which is
to relieve us from the terrible incubus of poverty
weighing upon us more heavily every year. Reform
your workhouses if ..you will; .but reform your
public-houses you must if you mean to check the
downward-progress of the nation,

LATEST IW4LL[GENCE

( EU'^ER'S :GRAMS.)

Irr.

FLORENCE, May 11.
The negotiations of Oral Menabrea, for the
formation of a new Cabt are still pending.
This morning Count Cbray Degny had a long
interview with the Kingho summoned General
Menabrea to the palaeo the afternoon. The
Marquis Rendini and GeDialdini have arrived.

AJIECA.
gEW YORK, May 11.
The Allan (Glasgow)eamer St. Andrew ar-
riv,-d out to-day.
The Cunard steamshilDuba arrived out at 7
a.m. to-day.

COMMERCIAL:,,TTELLIGENCE.
CLOSP.. PRICES.

Gold closed at 1381; le highest quotation dur-
ing the day was 138 i ; t! lowest, 1374.
Sterling Exchange oniondon lO9l.
5-20 U. S. Bonds, 18? ll9l.
‘4, " 185 1164.
it " 186 ll7l.
10-40 6 6
Illinois
Erie 3Ol.
Cotton —Mid. upland.
Petroleum—Standard White
Flour, extra state, $595c. to 3.55 c. Corn, old
mixed, sBsc.

QUEENSTOWN, May 12.
frciiil New York, arrived 'here at 3.15 a.m. to-day,
and having landed mails and passengers proceeded
immediately for Liverpool. All well. She brings
no specie.

SOUTHAMPTON, May 12.

The Liverpool, Brazil, and River Plate steamer
Copernicus has arrived with 21 bags of mails,
£6,550 in species for London, and ten passengers.
Her dates are Buenos Ayres 9th, Montevideo
10th, and Rio the 17th April.
On the Ist inst. she spoke the steamer Pascal
for Rio, on the 3d the ship Star of India for
Madras, and on the 6th the schooner Harvest
Moen.

Advic:s from Paraguay to the 3d ult. state that
the expeditionary forces had left Ascunsion for the
purpose of attacking Lopez and cutting off his com-
munication. Lopez was supposed to have 9,000
men and upwards of 40 pieces of artillery in what
was considered a strong position.
Count d'Eu left Buenos Ayres on the Bth ult. for
the scat of war.

The elections at Buenos Ayres passed off quietly,
and resulted in favour of Don Emilio Casho.

Considerable damage was done to the gas works
of the Custom-houses at Rosario, through the rising
of the River Paraguay.
Business at Buenos Ayres was dull. Salted ox
hid, 537 to 373- reals. The transactions in beef on
Italian, French, Ger►nan, and English account were
large. Exchange, 40i.

At Rio the sales of coffee since the 7th were
89,500 bags ; prices 200 reis higher. Freights to
the Channel, 40s. to 455. Exchange—Bank bills,
181, and Trade bills, 181 for Copernicus and
French Alia Considerable transactions have been
done in sovereigns at 13,550 cash, and national
gold 50 per cent. premium

AUSTRIA .

VIENNA, May 11.

The Arew Free Press of this morning announces
that Count Beust has forwarded a circular to the
Austrian fereiga representatives stating positively
that the Foreign-office had no connection what-
ever with the recent publication of the Prussia❑
&spa ch sent by Count Bisinark in 1866, to Count
Cole, the Prussian Ambassador in Paris.

PORTUGAL.

LISBON, May 11.

The British steamer Borneo, with the troors for
;he Zambesi expedition ou board, left to-day for
;he coast of Mozambique. All well.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, TUESDAY, May 11.

The general impression produced by the Emperor's
speech at Chartres is one of embarrassment. Of course,
the official journals praise and the Opposition papers con-
demn it in the ordinary way of party business ; but every-
body expected an important political statement, whereas
the address is one of the most enigmatical efforts
of the most enigmatical of speechmakers. For
some time past it has been confidently rumoured that the
Emperor had determined upon altering the form of
Government and the Constitution. He had made up his
mind, people said, that the Empire, though it might last
his time, would not be likely to endure long after his death.
The clamour of the French people for liberty was not to
be resisted. The Emperor had, therefore, resolved to
adopt the programme of the Tiers-Parti, and was, in fact,
about to change the Empire into a constitutional
monarchy, with a parliamentary government and a re-
sponsible Ministry. One very well informed writer posi-
tively asserted that this was Napoleon's design. M.
Rouher was under a cloud. Soon he would cease to guide
the Councils of the State, and a moderately Liberal Cabinet
would reign in his stead.
Perhaps the EMperor may entertain this design ;
but unquestionably no signs of it are to
be found in the speech delivered at Chartres. Two observa-
tion on the subject of liberty occur in the course of this
address. Firstly, the Emperor says that in the path of pro-
gress and liberty, no one should attempt to go faster than the
Government or endeavour to urge it forward ; and secondly,
that subversive passions still exist which should be kept
firmly under, and which can only be resisted by a powerful
concentration of all the social forces of France. There
is nothing here to hold out any hope of a great constitu-
tional change. Quite the contrary. So far as the
Emperor's words are intelligible—and on this, as on other
occasions, they are not remarkable for perspicuity—they
distinctly give the impression that the French Govern.
ment retains its old policy of keeping down "subversive
This is about the net significance of the Emperors
speech, if it has any, and I will not therefore trauble you
with the detailed comments of the Paris press. The
Debats thinks that the principal object of the speech is to
assure the French Radicals that the edifice which they assail
is unshakeable ; the Temps, with keener vision than the
rest of the world, thinks there is something in the
speech ; the Siecle laughs at his Majesty for ex-
horting people to conciliation, whilst at the same
time assuring them that all the opponents of his
Government are actuated by " subversive passions ;"
the Avenir Nationale plainly hopes that the Em-
peror may be astonished by a more extensive display
of subversive passions than be anticipated; and, most
reennt
amusing of all, the Constitutionnel finds in the
pg away
speech a
from
mpleotffie
cjivasltifirecasttriaoninot! i
and becoming an indien
t s 1. conduct in breaking
Imperialist organ.

At the last moment four new candidates have presented
themselves for the City of Paris. They are General
Perrot, MM. Fouchd-Lepelletier, L6vy, and Constant
Say. All four were Government candidates in 1863, and each,
I need hardly say, got soundlybeaten, and in all probability
will again. The Liberals will rejoice at this step on the
part of the authorities. By beating the Government candi-
dates they will damage the Government much more
than if they carried the eight circumscriptions without
opposition. And that Paris will once more be faithful
to the Left is as certain as an election can be.
The only circumscription in which an official candidate
seems to have any chance is that in which M. Thiers is
opposed by M. Devinck. But the chocolate•maker comes
on very badly. He addressed a meeting of 800 persons
the other day, but his remarks were received with such
uproar that be had to sit down.
It is said that the library of the Corps L6gislatif is now
filled with officials engaged upon a work of questionable
honesty, but which has before been known at French
elections. The period for holding public political meet-
ings according to law terminates five days before the
elections. Well, these officials are said to be
getting up, from Records of the Corps L6gislatif, all
manner of charges against the Opposition deputies. These
will be freely circulated during the five days when public
meetings cannot be held, and when it will be exceedingly
difficult for the Left to reply to the accusations brought
against them. This is one of the expedients adopted by
the Government.

The bishops of France have taken to issuing election
addresses. One prelate openly exhorts his flock to vote
against the official candidates, and in favour of two cleri-
cals and a Moderate Independent. Other letters deal in
exhortations to moderation and peace, and similarly useful
generalities.
Thunderstorms continue to prevail in several districts
of France. During Friday night the camp at Chalons
was severely visited. Several tents were blown down,
rifles scattered in all directions, and much damage done.
The next morning a Captain Lacroix was found lifeless in
his bed, baying been struck dead by the electric fluid
whilst asleep.

The Seinc-Infjrieure Court of Assize has made an
example of one of the numerous cashiers who have fallen
victims to the prevailing epidemic. A man, named
Soleure, employed at the Rouen Western Railway, had
been imitating Higgs in a small way—abstracting sums
and falsifying his books. But he was foolish enough to
steal no more than about £4O, and so got two years' im•
prisonment. Had he purloined several thousands, he
would, judging by other examples, have got clear.