The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Times remarks that the House of Commons on '
Thursday night had another lesson on the cost of glory.
The Abyssinian expedition was complete and immaculate.
But, alas ! the prose of common life supervenes. On the
one side of the medal we read of the chivalrous pursuit of
unselfish duty, on the other a bloated income-tax. We
ask, with Mr. White, what is the explanation of this
" monstrous discrepancy " between estimate and reality?
Neither the late Government nor the present seems able to
give an answer. Mr. Hunt confessed the amount of the
charge had taken himself and, he believed, his late col-
leagues by surprise. It was not until the 10th of August
that the late Ministry received accounts from India lead-
ing them to suppose the estimate would be exceeded, and
the excess, then moderate, jumped up a couple of millions or
more as recently as December. Sir Stafford Northcote, as
the ex• Secretary for India, explained that the estimates
sent home had been loose and vague, and the Government
had always thought it prudent to go beyond them in the
estimates laid before Parliament. The truth seems to be
that the Bombay Government was regardless of expense ;
and Mr. Gladstone was justified in his reticence when,
summing up the discussion, he expressed himself not pre-
pared, in the absence of fuller information, to say whether
the Government of Bombay deserved all the credit given
to it by the present Opposition. As it is, it was but too
evident on Thursday night that, the expense having been
incurred, we can do nothing but "grin and bear
it." The Indian Government had something like carte
blanche—had, at all events, ample authority for
what they did, and are naturally enough pressing
to be repaid the money they had expended. How Mr.
Lowe will contrive to reimburse them was not on Thursday
explained ; but the obligation cannot be avoided ; and,
indeed, if it were not promptly met the Indian Finance
Minister might claim interest on the debt at the rate pre.
valent in India. We fear the result will be a deficit on
on the financial year 1868-9. At present we are in the
humiliating position of a person who has had his fete, his
gala-day, his triumph, and finds at the end of his glory
that the bill is very much in excess of his anticipation.
The best he can do is to resolve to be more prudent before
he adventures upon a repetition of his magnificence, and
this reflection he keeps to himself.
The Standard thinks that the success of the Abyssinian
expedition surpassed the most sanguine expectations, and
the cost now turns out to have exceeded the most despond.
ing estimates. We speak, of course, of the expectations
and estimates of those entitled by their knowledge of the
question to offer an opinion upon it. There were people
who insisted that the British army would have nothing to
do but to land on the Abyssinian coast to bring King
Theodore to reason; and there were others who declared
that the expenditure would cost, at least, ten
millions, and then prove a signal failure. Mr.
James White thinks that these prophets of evil
have proved their prescience by the supplemental
estimate which the Chanchellor of the Exchequer moved
on Thursday. lie professed to be humiliated that the expe-
dition had cost us more than the annihilation of Austria
by Prussia. Mr. White has not gone through the accounts
of the Prussian Government ; but if the honourable gentle-
man will strike off the five millions which the contiguity
of the frontier spared the Prussian Government for sea
transport he will find that the computation comes out
much better for this country. That, however, is a
question for Mr. White, and not for the country—which
has only to ask whether the late Government shewed a
want of candour or of care in its dealings with Parliament
in the matter. The two members of that Government
immediately responsible for its conduct proved beyond
all doubt, what, indeed, no well-informed honest man can
doubt, that they obtained the best information it was
possible to get, and treated the House of Commons with
the utmost frankness. Still, if Mr. White wants a com-
mittee, let him by all means have one when the accounts
come ; only let in common fairness it be an instruction to
the committee to inquire, as Sir George Jenkinson
suggested, into the mismanagement which rendered thr
expedition necessary.

The Post thinks that there was much force in Mr
Bruce's remark that the existing legitimate practices at
elections are still more demoralising than those which the
Legislature has formally condemned. The uproar and
riot of nomination days ; the numerous public-houses
converted into committee-rooms, without committees to
occupy them ; the crowds of paid canvassers who again
and again pester unhappy electors, less for the sake of
At Bow-street, Mr. James T. Gambier, clerk
gaining their votes than of making a pretence of earning
in the Storekeeper-General's Department, Admiralty,
the wages which are paid to them ; the variety of modes
Somerset House, and Mr. William Rumble, inspector of
in which money may be spent, and under the
machinery afloat,have again been placed at the bar before
existing system is expected to be spent, by any
the chief magistrate, Sir Thomas Henry, on the charge of
one ambitious of senatorial honours, and which have never
conspiracy to defraud.
been more conclusively or abundantly demonstrated than Alfred Cooper, a youth in the employ of Mr. Naden,
by the published returns of the expenses incurred by can- wine merchant, was the first witness, and corroborated
didates at the late general election ; all these bear evidence Mr. Langbam's evidence as to the prisoner Rumble having
to the truth and justice of the Home Secretary's opinion. '
' paid him a £lO Bank of England note, for which witness
Sham employment has become the convenient cloak under !
I obtained change at Barclay's Bank.
Inspector Clark, of the deteocotkisvefoforce, recalled : I which wealthy men now disburse the money which was
donanyd
Io on
arrested
e thes
tpe rdi s otinl
eemr 8.,
pro-
formerly given in secret bribery; and the misfortune is
duce the two memorandum b
sad handed by them to me on the-
that the present law is apparently ineffectual to tear
ratebslmacakllognreeeuni;oconvneruedmobnlee. I
IfonuAnirupGona Gambier, and
down the screen. Otherwise it is impossible to under-
rriL.,'
elambo;lko.!
stand the decisions pronounced recently by some of ,
iliid the entry " Feb. 2. R. for M. X.
the judges, affirming the perfect legality of spending
The word " elm "is crossed out with a pencil. There '
several thousand pounds in boroughs numbering some two
inooot;h,eranendtryanaobthoevre, that : Dec. 21. F. for M. E. I. T.,
cleat three hundred electors. The present law is not suffi-
" January 20, R. for. I , chains
would 27 13s. 14d." In Rumble's booky there was a letter ad-
thecient for the purpose for which it was framed, and Pars
]lament must strike still deeper if they would extirpate
dressed to him and sinned "J. Gambier." The letter was
evil. The select committee for which Mr. Bruce
as follows : —" Dear Pumble,—The Herwani Aberdare coals
owre
threere on the
applicationsli s t , but
to wereha struck utchke I
no ff, 'therethe these
aavpepbl
lies
itownos
asked seems to offer a reasonable mode of obtaining a.. 11
the necessary information on which further legislation
should be based ; and when that information is supplied,
have each time met with refusal. .bluttwould be well for
the good faith of the Reformed Parliament will be put to
Mr. Derry to call with a representative of the company,
a test which will, we hope, prove that the confidence
reposed in it by the new constituency is not misplaced.
thosedtrhoaeui
dhb doubt."
nl., rGGoilanl
Gambier
I in,
bbg
il
this,
ee raj., nhEsdo4bosokio weGkt
sh. c.
eoBrudel
.d,
were, There managelisaa tlosnoi
se
,t
ao:
entries, get ons i withoutin ila r tto
and see the Storekeeper-General at once. This would set
The Daily News approves of the course that has been
taken by the Conservative leader, and says that until the
Mal. 20,2.8 IlBcGan
last few days an impressionhas prevailed that Mr. Disraeli
read of it. There is 10,000 in figures, I think, and the
would not make any serious resistance to the second read-
ing of Mr. Gladstone's Irish Church Bill, but that
word " odd." I find in the next page a number of calcii-
the great battle would be fought in committee.
The belief had probably no positive foundation, but
grew out of a general consideration of the hopeless- lations,etries in ir. R
witAhE4s
olm6sh.le,Bds.haotoktheeobrrotetsopmoo.d Awigthreatthomsaenily
ness of Conservative resistance. We are glad, how-
n
ever, to find that it was erroneous, and that, as was an-
Mr:. Gambler's.
flounced on Thursday night in the House of Commons, when
Mr. Gladstone makes his motion on Thursday week, Mr. air Thomas Henry said the proper way would be to
ae all the
Clarken t entries e s
saidread.
t could not be done, as it
that Disraeli will move that the bill be read a second time that have
day six months. This is undoubtedly the worthier course Inspector
con-
to take. The division upon the motion for a second reading ,
will determine the question of principle, and that once tamed cyphers, plans, &c., which could not be read bysettled, it is inconceivable that the Conservatives should wordoTfhnoiniouats Henry mouth.
said that fac-simile copies must be
Sir
Unless we miscalculate, the progres.
expect to get better terms for the Irish Church than those
which Mr. Gladstone has liberally included in his bill.
s of the measure will
, I e
believe, ( t
bar,r
in Gam. e
made. One should be attached to the depositions, and
be greatly facilitated by Mr. Disraeli's determination.
Nelsoni llsd,eeplGl bea.
risrtudmipil
leepnsel
titoe
letter
telt
t,oeekrthhnpi
know
wfopdertlui
hes
croeeknde
prisoner,ir
inss.
the St ekep er-
conducting his
The Telegraph refers to the Home Secretary moving for
a select committee "to inquire into the present mode of General's Department:
D
Parliamentary and municipal elections,in order pier,
handwriting. In the book now produced some of the
to provide further guarantees for their tranquillity, purity,
and freedom," and says that is an old tale. Every Govern-
ment, for the last thirty years, has acknowledged that the entries are like the handwriting of Mr. Gambier, but I
expenses and the evils of such contests " have increased, could not speak positively. I should say it was a disguised
handwriting.. I don't know the handwriting of
are increasing, and ought to be diminished." But Mr.
Bruce made the admission in remarkable terms.
He pointed out the enormous evils of the the entries shewn me in Rumble's book. When letters
Present system. He reminded the House bow accepting or rejecting tenders are signed by the Store-
vast is the cost of a seat, how many bribes are taken, how
many beer-taps are kept flowing, how many heads are keeper-General they go back to Mr. Gambier's room for
distribution. The office is divided into five subdivi-
broken. And then he appeared fo a time to fens* with
the question, What is the remedy ? rHeseemed.to put t off__ sions, and it is the prisoner's duty to distribute the
ye uttered the c
etrhse
from or
th"
the answer, although the answerNvd was on the lips of
and
' papers to them. Those for post would go to Mr. Desprez's
At
immediately
lastedis t
ehl
eSelcAriiejterva7tisnigth; "
werend
deafening. As Mr. Bruce explained, the Govern- By Mr. Nasmyth :If I saw a letter in the basket room.
ment did not commit itself to the opinion that vote addressed to an intimate friend of mine, I should not
by Ballot must become part of the electoral
but that such was the convictions of the Home Secre:
tary himself he did not allow anybody to entertain it to him as I passed his house ; but I have never done so.
the slightest doubt ; and amid ringing cheers, he added Mr. Antonio Brady: I have been shewn the figures
the remarkable declaration that he moved for a' committee
mainly and principallydtcintrc dce e tohe
ballotsee
intowhether
cu
rit
electoral was or w
system.a sno t in Mr.ri Gambier's book. There is an entry " 24th
December, F. for M. EIT, £50." A person of the name
honourable
g s
n tlaenmdsnM
that, ant
Mr. Gathorne Hardy justly protested against any attemptid of Macrae has a contract with the Admiralty
tsotcfneettsesrs,uorredevtehnetoribgilasit, the
for East India teak timber, and I should interpret
yet, the question was entirely open, and that l hadnas the letters "M.E. I. T." to mean " Macrae, East India
the slightest wish to dictate the conelusioniet •li teak." There is an entry Jan. 20, "R. for I. chains, £27
the committee should come. That is thwethohealw:trrohliftehr 13s. 4d." I believe that " the letter R." means " Rumble,"
way to approach the matter. Let us have
out. Let us examine all the facts. Let us seeve and the letter "I" means "iron." There was a con-
toral virtue is overcome by the whisper or the bludgeonelec-
toral
tract for iron chains entered into in December last. The
intimidation. Let us ascertain what are the hardshipse entry Feb. 2, "R. for M. X. L. elm (with a dash
inflicted by open voting. Such is the wish of Mr. Glad-
stone and Mr. Hardy, of the Liberal party and the Con- through it), £10," I believe R. to mean "Rumble ," and
servatives, of the house of Commons and the country, ' 'M. X. L. " Maxwell," and the ".k10" means the
The Liberals enter the contestne with the desire to give fair :`£10" note which has been traced to the prisoner
play, but with as much ct
Ifid ric in the result as that Gambier. I know that in January Mr. Maxwell had
which inspired the Crusading knights when they crossed
swords with their Paynitn foes ; and the cheers that tendered for a contract for elm timber, and it had been
greeted Mr. Bruce's declaration of faith in the Ballot were accepted. I produce the papers relative to the tenders
and contract for the elm timber. There were seven
the herald-note of victory.
atthe Ballot is
whichin sight. Mrs
and manly statement on ur -
Th .
12th January, in the presence of Lord John Hay, the
tenders for the contract, which I opened on the
Superintendine.
day night, in moving for the commidttseefter
lobject
lji wasnecgtr ineocf
electoralettrahe
BruceTiie nSiatad)e.
Storekeeper-General. Mr. Maxwell's tender was the
c, Lord, and the Hon. Mr. Dundas, the
au rejoices
excellent tl:
mended in the Queen's Speech,
sorriest aspect all previous
purity and freedom, confessed
whether a mode of secret lowest for Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness, and Ports-
committee was to be to ascertain .
( ' thatffoarnt efforts
the to
main secure
mouth. His tender for
voting could not be devised which would remove those , Portsmouth was the only one
evils which have long been a national scandal. It is, no accepted. No one but Lord John Hay, Mr. Dundas, and
myself was present during the opening of the tenders. I
r than for a howling
rich customer to blandly coerce a vote.
be doubted read the amounts out, but they took the figures down
doubt, a much more graceful process for a squire or a
mob to hustle him at the poll ; but it . may
each on one-sheet paper, called "treaty paper."
which The Mr. r.Robert Campbell Macrae: I live at Manor House,
Cabinet the Ballot offers to cure both evils at once.
of contributes more to demoralise an election,
Beckenham, Kent. lam a general merchant. I havee,
after a
secret voting, and to these has now been added, _
fr.
contract with the Admiralty for East India teak. That
Cabinet contains a considerable number of supporters
sixteen years of neutrality, the Home Secretary. il
contract was entered into in May of last year. Ido not
Gladstone has nothing to cloak, for he has distinctly
stated that he is prepared for the 13allot if the committee
knowikviatos I vi n
I‘l% 1
\lf
_Err
r.. .
Gambier.RGuimr(ibi les. t
01 II
Ie never,si
ievleire
office.
saw
Ihhi
holi nat.
dui
tbi
nte
ofooor
coe
oe.
n,
valenrddi. oatthni
oaontt
should establish its necessity ; and Lord Hartiniton,
in following suit, has, no doubt, expressed the
tie
with him on the subject of my contract. I did not pay or
determination of the patrician members of
Government. Everything here seems thoroughly
aboveboard, and, as House of Commons committees authorise anybody to pay any money to either of the
are always ostensibly imps rtial, it can only be through prisoners in relation to that contract. I did not in this
very great neglect on the part of those who oppose the
Ballot if open voting is not well defended. Mr. Bruce's case attend to the delivery of the tender myself. Mr.
sketch of the evils of our election system on 'Thursday Freeman, who is a timber broker, attended to it, for me.
night was very complete. ['he most important part of his
I afterwards attended at Somerset House, and signed the
speech, however, was the broad recognition of the facts
that the people know there is a remedy and that the time contract.
has come when the Government can no longer pretend to Mr. Lewis was about to address the court, but
be indifferent to it. This is a confession which must Sir Thomas Henry said this was not the time fur Mr.
freedom of elections which experience has fructify speedily into the one security for thepurity and I
the insigui4 of etweeek, _ .. . stamped With ,
4 The chee WM then Ag4iu adiouruel
i Lewis to enter into any statement fur the defence,

THE SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST GOVERN-

MENT OFFICIALS.