The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-02 00:00:00

TUE STATUE OF HENRY GRATTAN.

Lord Gort, a representative peer of Ireland, hns
written to Mr. Sullivan, ex-Fenian prisoner,
applauding his " generous effort to do honour
to one of the greatest of our fellow-country-
men." Lord Gort says : "Had my family been the
strongest political opponents of :Henry Grattan, I
should, nevertheless, have felt bound, out of national
pride, to aid in erecting a statue 'in Dublin, and
near that hall which was so often electrified by his
eloquence in his most brilliant days, to that Irishman
whose later fame has long since been recognised in
,the Palace of Westminster. But as one whose
name I inherit supported Grattan in many of his
greatest struggles, I shall have special pleasure in
joining the committee, and shall hope to attend the
meetings when in Merrion-square. In the meantime
I enclose my cheque on the Bank of Ireland for
in aid of the funds."

13IPROVE1IE1VT OF THE LABOURER.
In resuming the consideration of this subject, the
writer points out the steps that the Legislature
should take to better the condition of the labourer.
These are to improve the administration of the poor
law, to increase facilities for saving, and to put the
machinery of education into more active motion.
The working of the poor law has not been at all satis-
factory, and it will be found that its reform should
take place in detail, or rather in local administration.
It would be better to give more power to the central
board, and this would correct many of the evils
that now arise from maladministration. This
has been the source of great mischief,
and has produced much increase in pauperism.
As opportunities occur, most likely Mr. Gladstone's
system of the post-office savings bank will be
developed, but it is much to be desired that the
agricultural districts should obtain a better know-
ledge of its regulations. It is very important that
the labourer should send his children to school, but
the difficulties to be overcome in this respect are
very great. Something might be effected if it were
made illegal to employ young children who were
untaught, and the labourer must be assured of the
material as well as the moral advantage of education.
The want of sufficient funds for a school interferes
with the work of progress in some places, and the
Government grant might often be very suitably
increased. The true way to improve the condition
of the agricultural labourer is to teach him how to
improve himself ; but to effect this excellent object
we must have patience, for it will be a work of time.

THE LAW OF PRIMOGENITURE.
" L." has a letter in the Times, honoured with
large type, on the law of primogeniture. " L."
points out how loosely this subject is discussed by
politicians who profess to attach importance to it.
For instance, Mr. Dixon, M.P. for Birmingham,
declared that among the first objects of the new
Legislature would be to "abolish primogeniture,"
which means, grammatically, abolishing the pro-
creation of eldest sons, and, practically, the abolition
of children altogether. Even if we substitute for
this expression " the law of primogeniture," we are
still far from exactness. There is no such law, i.e.,
no general law enactingthe descent of landed property
to the eldest son. The law permits such descent, and
there are two cases in which it does something more—
in that whereby it is provided that the land of a man
dying intestate shall descend to his eldest son, and in
the case of the law whereby entail is limited to a life
in being and twenty-one years afterwards. The second
is rather a restricting law than otherwise, since
it is only recently that the right of unlimited entail
existed in Scotland. The first is that which Mr.
Locke King and the Radical party wish to abolish.
"L." does not believe that if they succeed they will
effect much practically. The first result would be
an enormous reduction in the number of intestacies.
But the principle of Mr. King's bill " L." believes to
be thoroughly unjust. A law ought to represent not
an ideal state of things, but a condition which the
people themselves wish to establish. "L." thinks
there can be no doubt but that the people generally
prefer the present arrangement, and this is proved
by the fact that directly a man becomes possessed of
1,000 or even 100 acres of land he " makes an eldest
son." The truth is, this crusade against the law of
primogeniture is only a portion of the Radical cam-
paign. The ultimate object of the Radical party is a
pure democracy. They mean to abolish the House
of Lords, the Established Church, the unpaid magis-
tracy ; and if they think that they can continue to
maintain the Crown they are very foolish. Already
they complain of the only overt act of Mr.
Gladstone's—the constitution of his Cabinet—
as not democratic enough. "L." thinks that this
discontent " may perhaps point to a serious diver-
gence of principle, and shew that Mr. Gladstone is
not the democrat or revolutionist which he is in so
many fond and so many terrified imaginations." "L."
goes on to say : "My belief is that the aristocratic
feeling in this country is still one of the strongest
things in it. As long as it is so, mighty little -will
be done by such file-nibbling or tinkering.over law
of entail, of which, were that feeling to change, the
force would be imperceptible."

INSURANCE OFFICES.
It is stated that the income of eleven insurance
offices is over £13,700,000, that the invested funds
in 110 are nearly £87,000,000, and that the sums
assured in 107 offices are over £338,000,000, or a
little less than half of the national debt. There are six
offices which decline to make any return to parliament:
the London Assurance, the Royal Exchange, the Sun,
the United Kent, the Nottinghamshire and Derby-
shire, and the Royal Farmers.' Eight others have
neglected to make any return during the last few
years. The Government Registry costs £2,000 a
year, and has published once during twelve years the
accounts of twenty-six offices doing business, Ss. 2d.
being charged for each copy. Rather a costly
department this, considering that a private publisher
brings out a register every quarter at the price
of id.

(From the Anglo-A-7-7—mertean Times
The Java arrived yesterday at Queenstown with
intelligence from New York to the 23d December
as follows :—Mr. Sumner has presented to the
Senate a memorial asking that the word gt white"
be struck out of tlie naturalization laws. A special
Congressional Coninaittee has arrived in New York
to investigate the:illeged election fraud. The
Arkansas refugees allege that the State Militia
pamper the negroes and murder and plunder the
whites. General Upham, Commanding the
Militia, asserts that the Militia only enforce
the laws, and quell rebellious demonstrations.
Martial law continues in several counties. Mr.
M'Culloch has instructed the Collector of New Or-
leans not to seize or detain Peruvian ironclads, as
their transfer to the Peruvian flag had been properly
made. Mr. Raisloff, the Danish Minister of War,
has arrived at 'Washington, and has been cordially
received. The Governor of British Columbia has
announced to the Legislature that the confederation
project will be held in abeyance pending the set-
tlement of the Hudson's Bay question. The Cana-
dian Assembly has adjourned until the 6th of Ja-
nuary. The Toronto Court of Queen's Bench has
refused to grant Whelan a new trial. Anti-Con-
federation leagues are being organized in Nova
Scotia. General La Tree and General Esping, with
Spanish reinforcements. have arrived at Havana.
It is reported that Mr. Caleb Cushing has left for
New Granada to negotiate on behalf of the United
States Government for a grant of the right of way
for the purpose of making an interoceanic canal.
General Grant has sent two members of the staff
to investigate the late disturbances in Louisiana and
Arkansas. From Mexico the news is that President
Juarez has vetoed the bill permitting the free ex-
portation of Mexican ores. The news from Cuba
is that the Spanish troops arriving at Havana are
immediately despatched to insurrectionary dis-
tricts.

We are happy to say that the Columbia has
safely arrived at Queenstown with her hundred
cabin and steerage passengers, whom she forwarded
to their destination. She had a full cargo o
merchandise, none of which appears to be in-
jured, nor was any discharged while under-
going the necessary repairs on the bank oppo-
site Spike Island. These were so promptly executed
that the vessel proceeded to her destination on Wed-
nesday or Thursday. A very high testimony is
borne to the conduct of Captain Carnaghan as the
same accident happened to the Columbia as to the
Hibernia, and probably in the same gale. The im-
mense strength of the vessel resisted the heavy
blows struck upon her stern by the propeller. The
captain seems to have been more favoured by the
weather in the delicate operation by which the three-

bladed screw was secured by chains so firmly as
never again to move during the voyage. The
passengers appear to be indebted to his skill and
coolness, as well as to the strength of the ship,
for escaping the fate which overtook those of the
Hibernia.

There is trouble on board the two ironclads sold
to Pcru. The crews were engaged in New York
on the understanding that they were to have two
months' wages in advance, and to serve for one
year under the Stars and Stripes. On the 12th
of December, however, the officers hoisted the
Peruvian flag, when the crews mutinied, and the
officers appealed to New Orleans for the police to
enforce the obedience of their men. The men,
however, assured the officers that if forced to sea
they would throw them overboard ; and as the
New Orleans police declined to interfere on the
ground of no jurisdiction the conflict progresses
On the 14th the crew of one of the ironclads gave
way, but the other still maintains its ground, and
the crew, we understand, hem discharged. A
couple of Spanish vessels are reported to be cruising
off the mouth of the Mississippi to pick them up.
The Havana was cleared at New York as an Attie? i-
can merchantman, but it was not till her arrival in
New Orleans that the Peruvian flag was hoiste.i,
and upon her commander declining to enter her at
the Custom-house the authorities threatened to
seize the vessel. Differences are said to have grown
out of this subject between Peru and the United
States.
At Washington it was announced semi-officially
that a letter had been despatched to Mr. Reverdy
Johnson, reminding him that diplomatic business
should be kept more quiet, especially in negotia-
tions with England, the publicity his after-dinner
speeches had given to the negotiations having
greatly embarrassed the Government. It is also
asserted, and evidently believed by Congress, that
Caleb Cushing had been sent to England to see Mr.
Johnson on this matter, though he is now known
to have gone South, and not to Europe.
The incoming House of Representatives will
organize on the 4th March, and sit two or three
weeks for business ; but it is not thought the Com-
mittees will then be formed, excepting two or three
The question most eagerly discussed is the Speaker-
ship. It is thought Mr. Colfax will resign a few
weeks before, and be succeeded by Mr. Pomeroy,
of New York, who, had he been re-elected to Con-
gress, would have been a formidable rival for the
post which now Mr. Dawes is considered certain to

secure.
Of the 152 Representatives whose votes were
recorded on that portion of the resolution in answer
to the passage in the President's Message proposing
repudiation six only were in opposition. It was,
therefore, carried by 146 Yeas " That all forms and
degrees of repudiation of national indebtedness are
odious to the American people." Half of the six
were Kentucky Democrats—Adams, Grover, and
Jones ; of the others, Archer is a Democratic Repre-
sentative of .Indiana and Mungen of Ohio; the only
Republican being John Trimble, of Mr. Johnson's
own State. The latter has not been re-elected, nor
has Grover, though both Jones and Adams of Ken-
tucky were returned for the incoming House, Archer
of Maryland and Mungen of Ohio being also re-
elected for their old districts. It is not improbable
that instead of being John Trimble of Tennessee it
is Lawrence Trimble of Kentucky that is really
meant; the newspapers not unfrequently make such
mistakes, forgetting that, however small the con-
sequences to them, they are serious to the gentle-
man whose opinions are thus misstated.
Mr. Kassin, U.S. Postal Agent, has not succeeded
in his mission to France to obtain a revision of the
postal convention between the two countries,
although acting on the invitation of the Emperor's
Government. ri'he• present rates between the
United States and France are 15 cents per + ounce,
while with England they are 12 cents pert ounce. No
action has been taken as yet on the subsidy granted
by Congress during its last session for running a
mail line of United States steamers, although the
terms proposed were exceedingly liberal.* We pre-
sume that the first step must be permission to pur-
chase foreign-built vessels. While on this subject
we may remark on the Glowworm's geographical
knowledge, as it wrote a flourishing note on the in-
telligence that a line of steamers had been placed
between Liverpool and the ports of Africa—about
the increase of the passenger traffic with Americ.t—
that this new fleet of powerful steamers was being
added to the numerous ones already plying, the
writer being impressed with the belief that New
York was among the Africa❑ ports mentioned.
For more than a year the correspondence on the
Alabama has been in course of compilation, and is
at last about to be published in four of those plain,
unadorned volumes usually brought out by Con-
gress. They will contain a full and complete his-
tory of the Alabama (as all the claimants described
the capture of their vessels) and every diplomatic
notes referring to the subject will also be given. It is
said that the President changed the wording of the
reference to the Alabama in his Message, a day or
two before he delivered it, and it is also asserted
that the settlement cannot be made by the present
United States Executive, as a majority of the
Senate has decided to keep it open for the action
of the incoming Administration. On the inaugu-
ration of a new President a new Minister is nearly
always sent to the Court of St. James's, an appoint-
ment ranked amongst the highest, and it is not pro-
bable that an exception will be made in the case
of the present Ambassador. Horace Greeley de-
sires, and is qualified for the nomination, and his
strong claims are aided by the hearty support of
many newspapers of the Empire City. But who-
ever succeeds, Mr. Johnson will not, we believe,
have the satisfaction of removing this bone of con-
tention, which we regret, considering how earnestly
and loyally to his country he has devoted hirnsel
to accomplish it.

Not only is the United States Government mak-
ing provision for the support of an American steam
line to Europe, but it is pushing to place another
fleet in operation on the Pacific, taking the route
we so strongly urged some months ago on the
attention of the Australian and Panama Steam-
ship Company. The new vessels are to run
between San Francisco and Sydney, by way
of Honolulu and the Feejee Islands. As the
time will be shortened at least five days, and the
way, over a more varied scene and through more
healthy climates, no other route to Australia can
hope to compete ; and the Panama and New Zea-
land line will, when that is in operation, have no
chance of running in opposition.

High tariffs lead to smuggling frauds, and the
United States may depend on the fact that higher
tariffs will give greater breadth to the operations
of smugglers. Messrs. Fegelstock and Bentina
have made a hasty move into Canada, after
having smuggled into New York silks and goods
for more than a quarter of a million dollars.
An error in the writ for their arrest enabled
them to get off after burning the entries and in-
voices, but leaving a certified check in their haste.
They are believed to have acted as the mere agents
of Messrs Guiteman, Brothers, of Leonard-street.
The firm has given securities for the whole amount,
and they have real estate in New York worth over
$200,000. Rumours are afloat of collusion between
the importer and certain Custom-house officers, and
that the examination will bring to light a wide
ramification of fraud of which that discovered is
but a small part.

Senator Morton has introduced a bill appropriat-
ing $125,000 for the purchase of a site for a new
White House; an effort will also be made to in-
crease Grant's salary, and to annul all the Acts
passed to fetter Andrew Johnson. Even in the
matter of his Cabinet, Grant is allowed an un-
usual latitude, for although his interview with
General M'Clellan has ended in the report that that
distinguished officer was to obtain a seat, nowhere
as yet have we seen Grant abused. Gen. Itosecrans
has reached the city of Mexico, where he met a
warm reception as Minister from Washington.
Since the departure of Thomas Corwin the United
States have not been represented by one accredited
as Ambassador to that city. Mr. Edwin M. Stanton
has announced that he has retired from political
life and resumed practice in the Supreme Court. It
is asserted that the main object of Mr. Collector

*Later advices show such action has been taken.