The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-18 00:00:00

THE UNITED STATES.

The Times correspondent describes at considerable length
the effect of General Schenck's Finance Bill, and the
present state of public opinion in the States on
the subject of repudiation. During the present
year the prices of American bonds have risen
at New York as rapidly as in Europe, and the strength
of the upward movement is still undiminished. The
London and New York quotations have alternately
followed and ruled each other, and at both capitals the
Five-Twenties have reached an unprecedented price. The
price of gold has proportionately declined ; it is now 4 per
cent. lower than on New Year's Day. A great change
has unmistakeably come over public sentiment. Last
autumn there was a strong repudiation party, formed of
very different classes of politicians ; now, comparatively
speaking, there is none. The same House of Representa--
tives that voted the taxation of bonds in July chewed
large majority against it in February. General Logan,
of Illinois, a leading advocate of repudiation, has openly
recanted. Public opinion is decisively in favour of
honest payment.

POLITICAL ITEMS.

The unseating of the two members for Blackburn
makes thirteen vacant seats at the present time.
Altogether nine Liberals have been unseated (two of
them on account of informalitic.s) and ten Conserva-
tives.—The Owl states that Government intend to
propoiethe appointment of a royal commission to
inquire into the corrupt practices at Bridgwater,
Beverley, Dublin, and Sligo.—Messrs. Dowdeswell,
Mansfield, and Biron will be entrusted with the Nor-
wich Commission, and should a Commission for Dublin
be decided upon, it will be entrusted to Mr. L. W.
Flanagan, Mr. 11. Law (the draftsman of the Irish
Church Bill), and Mr. C. Tandy. The same paper
mentions that Mr. Wren Hoskyns, the well-known
agriculturist, the author of " The Chronicles of a
Clay Farm," is a candidate for llereford. He
is a Liberal, and will have for his colleague Colonel
Olive, son of one of the unseated members.
Although the next election for the corrupt city of
Norwich is, to all appearances,
exceedingly remote,
both parties are now provided with candidates in the
event of the writ being granted by the House of
Commons. It will be remembered that Mr. Edward
Warner, who retired at the general election
in favour of Mr. Tillett, issued an address
in the Liberal interest. immediately after Sir
Henry Stracey was unseated. Since then
the Conservatives have been casting about for a can-
didate, the unseated member's son being among
those asked to come
.forward. Mr. Stracey, jun.,
i
however, declined, and t now stated that the party
have succeeded in inducing Sir Robert Harvey to
offer himself. Sir Robert was made a baronet by
the Conservative Government on giving up hisseat
for Thetford in favour of Mr. Gordon, the then
Lord-Advocate. He is the acting partner
in the banking-house of Ilarvey and Hudson,
which, since the loss of prestige by the house of
Gurney has gained considerably in local influence,
and is personally popular with all classes of the city
On the other hand, the Liberals aresaid to be divided'
by sectarian and personal differences, and theca iq a,
'grudge felt by the more ignorant electors against the
men who successfully prosecuted the petition fox
bribery against the late member. For these reasons
the Conservatives desire and are resolved to vote for
the issuing of the writ, in the unlikely event of the
Attorney-General's motion for a commiMion being
defeated.