The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 14, 1869.

one which we bad not counted upon, and that it was
most painful, after the declarations we had made, to
remain in the possession of power and patronage,
and that, therefore, we ought to take the earliest
opportunity, without the slightest loss of time,
of retiring from the places which, for many
reasons, we thought we ought not to continue
to fill." There were, of course, he said, difficulties
at that particular moment in the way of arriving at
anything like an unanimous determination—" but,"
he added, " the moment that those difficulties were
overcome, that the necessary individuals were assem-
bled, a Cabinet was called together, and the Cabinet
arrived upon that subject at an unanimous decision
that the voice of the country had been sufficiently
announced by what had occurred to render it on
our part a duty to ourselves to lose no time in
retiring from the position which we then occu-
pied. We were also influenced," ho continued,
"by another consideration ; we felt it was due
to the convenience of the country and advantage-
ous to the conduct of public affairs ; and I will
say it was not our last or oar least consideration
that we thought it due to the right hon. gentleman,
in the position in which he was placed, that we should
not retain office, which we might have done for
weeks, and perhaps months, and that with the diffi-
cult task he had before him we should not allow him
to be thrust into office without any time to prepare
measures upon a matter of such great importance."
No wonder the House cheered last evening when
Mr. DISRAELI uttered those words. As to • the
course finally pursued by the late Govern-
ment, he said with considerable emphasis
last evening, "I can say, upon, my honour,
that no gentlemen out of the Cabinet, even those
most connected with the management of elections and
the general conduct of the affairs of the party, ever
received from me the slightest intimation of the
course I intended to pursue. Well, Sir," he went on
to say, " I happened to be at Windsor in attendance
upon her MAJESTY, not with reference to any
particular business, but by her MAJESTY'S graci-
ous pleasure. The county elections were going on,
and although they were, generally speaking, fa-
vourable to the Government, there was no reason
to suppose the final result would alter the resolu-
tion which the Cabinet had arrived at. Still, feel-
ing it was of the utmost importance that no time
should be unnecessarily lost in our successors being
installed in office, I calculated when I was at Wind-
sor that if a communication was made to our succes-
sors a certain time must elapse before anything could
transpire to affect the public conduct of the nation,
and that probably by that time the elections would
be terminated ; and therefore, having the opportu-
nity, I precipitated the decision at which the Cabinet
had arrived. It was impossible for me to com-
municate to the Ministry that, under those cir-
cumstances, I was about to carry out their reso-
lution ; and Lord LONSDALE had no more idea that
the Government were about to retire than those
who had no pretence to any knowledge on the
subject." As Mr. DISRAELI insisted yesterday, with
full right, it was not necessary for him to have re-
signed at all at that time. " I might," he said, " have
gone on, perhaps, for aught I know, for the next
year." That he did not, as we all know. He ac-
cepted the adverse decision of the country at once,
and quite frankly. And—as his recompense—he is
being every now and then assailed by all sorts of
sinister imputations because of this and that appoint-
ment made, on perfectly justifiable grounds, it proves
when it comes to be inquired into, immediately prior
to his tendering to her MAJESTY the collective resig-
nation of the then Government.

THE Conservative party have shewn both prudence

and dignity in refusing to support the motions of
Mr. NEWDEGATE and Mr. AYTOtiN with regard to
the Irish Church Bill. They have already done
their duty to their constituencies and to their own
consciences by opposing the principle of the bill on
the second reading. To divide on the ques-
tion if the House shall go into committee,
as the member for North Warwickshire pro-
poses, would be simply exposing themselves to
another overwhelming and humiliating defeat with-
out the smallest reason why they should incur it.
Mr. AYTOUN'S instruction about Maynooth, which
the chief wire-puller of the Conservative party
thought afforded an opportunity for the construction
of a new Cave, turns out to be wholly unavailable
for party purposes, and it is probable that
it will never even be put to the vote. The
Conservative party, or at least that portion
of them who were at Monday's gathering,
accept both disestablishment and clisendowment
as inevitable. We hear no more of the Foreign
Prince and of the Roman-Ritualist conspiracy. Con-
servatives admit thatthe Church is to be disestablished
and disendowed, that bishops are to cease to sit in the
House of Lords. All that they now seek is for an
extension of time and an increase of funds. To
effect these objects Mr. DISRAELI has given notice of
a series of amendments so numerous and minute that,
if they are discussed seriatim, and if each is made the •
subject of a division, it is difficult to say when
the bill will reach the Upper House. For the most
part they are amendments of detail, but there are a
few which involve something more. Such are the
proposals to make a present of the glebes to the
Church, instead of compelling the sale of them,
and the substitution of 1560 for 1660 as the date from

whence grants and gifts to the Church shall be retained
by the Church. Mr. GLADSTONE wished to adopt
the first proposal, but found it impracticable ; to the
second he will doubtless offer the most strenuous
opposition ; for, as he has said, if any alteration is
made at all, it should be rather to substitute
a later than an earlier date for that which
he has named. Mr. DISRAELI'S chief task
was to satisfy his followers by enabling them to
shew fight. The most combative of them may be
satisfied with the portentous list of amendments
which he has offered to them. We imagine that
long before the list is exhausted the patience of even
the most eager Conservative will be exhausted. have
not the weather prophets predicted a summer like
the last ?

MR. "WARD HUNT will scarcely increase his repu-
tation as a financier by his criticisms on the Budget.
Mr. LOWE'S proposals, as we have already stated, con-
tain some real and serious defects, and it was there-
fore the lees necessary for the late CHANCELLOR of
the EXCHEQUER to imitate. his chief by uttering
paradoxes. To say that Mr. LO WE is putting on an
additional penny of income tax when (having the
Abyssinian war still to pay for, a duty which everyone
supposed would have raised the tax to 7d.) he reduces
it from Gd. ,to ad., is simply absurd, and spews that
Mr. lirl‘rr was talking merely for the sake of talking.
The anxiety which the right hon. gentleman shewed
for the last man may be considered to indicate fore-
sight, but the English taxpayer would have been
better pleased if Mr. HUNT had not looked quite
so far ahead. At the conclusion of his speech
he seemed to have some dim apprehension of
the real defect of the Budget, and it was
afterwards abundantly criticised by men like Mr.
CRAWFORD, Mr. BARING, and Mr. W. FOWLER. A
somewhat dry debate was rendered memorable by
the confession of Sir GEORGE JENKINSON that there
was something of which he was ignorant. His
natural modesty and reticence will, we doubt not,
if he should ever find himself in such circumstances
again, induce him to refrain from talking about what
he does not understand.

Next in importance to this remarkable avowal of
the member for North Wilts, was the general dis-
satisfaction expressed at the effect of Mr. LOWE'S
scheme upon the money market. There can be
no doubt that the Bank will be short of money

in November, and that it will have a glut in January.
Mr. LOWE does not deny this, but says that the
money market must take care of itself. This remark
is scarcely worthy of a Chancellor of the Exchequer,
and as Sir STAFFORD NORTHCOTE said, i is at least
a novel doctrine. Mr. CRAWFORD, as governor of the
Bank of England, would not undertake to say what
the Bank will do under the circumstances which
the Budget will create. It does not need any
information from him to tell us that the Bank will
be sure to make the best it can of the position for
its own interests. The money market's necessity is
the Bank's opportunity, and it cannot be expected
that Mr. CRAWFORD would feel very hostile towards
a proposal which would place his clients in the
position of holding at one time a very large
Government balance upon which they have to pay
no interest, and on being asked at another time to
lend the Government money at a substantial rate of
interest. It is astonishing that this proposal, made
by way of overcoming the diflicultynow under discus-
sion, should have been offered by men claiming to be
financiers. The suggestion that the Government
should borrow annually in perpetuity when one loan
effected now would meet the case, seems to chew
that the personal prestige of the Ministry is
to be considered of more importance than the wel-
fare of the country. Mr. LowE's threat, endorsed
by Mr. GLADSTONE, that the Budget must be taken
as a whole, will, we trust, have no effect upon the*
House. The guardians of the public purse should be
left perfectly free to discuss on their own merits the
various proposals of a scheme whereof the good may
easily be retained while the bad are rejected. Even
the editor of the Times is compelled to say of his old
colleague that his scheme has disadvantages, and
that his retort is not to the purpose. Our contem-
porary says that 44 if the possibility of inconvenience
could be removed without altering the essential
points of the Budget, we cannot pretend that we
should not be better satisfied." Our readers know
well that there is such a possibility.

THE luckless Churchmen of the South of England
will not derive much consolation from Mr. GLAD-
STONE'S reply to the question asked by Sir MASSEY
LOPES on Monday night. Bishops are but men, and
are not accustomed to exercise more self-denial than
other mortals. There is, therefore, little to be
expected from their lordships in the way of
action for terminating the present absence
of responsible episcopal government. If the Admi-
ralty had waited for the officers of flag rank to
devise some scheme of retirement, the active list of
the navy would still be encumbered with octogenarian
admirals, capable, in their opinion, of efficient
service. Fortunately for the navy, the Admiralty
has devised a scheme of compulsory retirement; and
we are, therefore, spared the pain and the shame of
seeing admirals commanding
in foreign stations,
or in our dockyards, supported on either side
by junior officers as they appear on the quarter-
deck. It is, we believe, true that the Bishops are
actually discussing a measure of the kind to which
Sir MASSEY LOPES referred. But their lordships are
accustomed to hasten very slowly indeed, and as they
have been nearly twenty years
considering the
selection of proper lessons for Ash Wednesday,
without having as yet made their choice,
g v e s
of shelving it is not to be expected that they will dis-
cover any means themselves and
halving their incomes in less than a century.
A highminded Minister like Mr. GLADSTONE
naturally shrinks from originating a measure which
would place a large amount of very important
patronage in his hands. Moreover, it is no secret
that the selection of bishops is now one of the most
delicate and difficult tasks which the QUEEN'S
advisers can have.

THE PRINCE AND. THE _PRINCESS OF
WALES AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

The Levant Times of Friday, the 2nd inst., gives the
following account of the arrival of the Prince and Prin-
cess of Wales in Constantinople :—" As we briefly
announced yesterday, the Prince and Princess of Wales
arrived here at noon. The weather, which till lately has
been veryunsettled, was delightful ; indeed the Prince has
been so favoured in this respect throughout his Eastern
tour that he would seem to have inherited that singular
good fortune of his royal mother which has made
`Queen's weather' proverbial at home. Just out-
side the entrance of the harbour, the Prince and
Princess left the Ariadne, and were rowed on board the
Sultan's yacht, which, with his Majesty's aide-de-
camp, Raouf Pasha, had been sent to meet their Royal
Highnesses at the Dardanelles. Up to this time, the
Prince had been in ' mufti,' but before leaving for the
vessel of his Imperial host he had assumed grande iCl2llC-
the full dress of a general officer, with the blue ribbon of
the Garter across hls breast. The Sultan and Mrs. Elliot,
wife of the British Ambassador, waited at Sahli Bazar
Palace to receive the royal visitors. As soon as their
Royal Highnesses landed, the Sultan advanced, offered
his hand to the Princess to assist her out of the alive,
and then, giving he: his arm, conducted her to her
apartments in the palace, the Prince at the same time
giving his arm to Mrs. Elliot. Mr. Lionel Moore, Secre-
tary of Embassy, was also in attendance, and, walking by
the side of the Sultan and the Princess, acted as interpreter

between his Majesty and her Royal Highness. The
Sultan, after a short stay, took leave, and the Prince,
accompanied by Mr. Elliot, soon afterwards proceeded
to the palace at Doima Bagtche to return his Majesty's
visit. In the afternoon the Prince and Princess (her
Royal Highness being accompanied by Lady Grey) paid a
visit to Mr. and Mrs. Elliot at the Embassy, and, after
driving down the Grand'Rue, returned to Salih Bazar,
where they spent the evening in private. During
this drive, their Royal Highnesses were recognised by
numbers of people of different nationalities, who evinced
great interest in the illustrious visitors. At neon to-day
the Prince went to see the Sultan go to mosque, after
which—at half-past one—his Royal Highness is to receive
at Salih Bazar the deputation who have to present the
address from the British community. Afterwards, the
Prince and Princess will make an excursion to the Sweet
Waters, and in the evening attend the Opera, butonly
privately with' their own suite. The gala performance, at
which the Sultan will be present, will probably take place
on Monday evening."

PARLIAMENTARY AIN'D MUNICIPAL
ELECTIONS.

The select committee of the House of Commons on
Parliamentary and Municipal Elections reassembled on
Tuesday, the Marquis of Hartington in the chair. A
petition was read from a number of working men, electors
of the borough of Warrington, complaining that on
the occasion of their exercising the franchise for the
last time at the late election, a number of them, through
the incompetency of the polling clerk, were allowed to
register their votes in an informal manner, which votes
were afterwards disallowed, and praying that some
effectual remedy for such errors in the future might be
devised by the committee. Mr. Henry Beckley, a large
employer of labour in Warrington, was the first
witness called to-day. Examined by Mr. Cross, he said
that up to the last ten years there had been a great deal
of bribery at the municipal elections. Things had now
much improved in that respect. There was also less
drunkenness in the streets at municipal elections since the
passing of the Municipal Act. To the chairman the witness
said that latterly he had very seldom heard of any
allegations of bribery at municipal elections. The number
of electors in the borough was about 4,000. Politics, the
witness said in reply to Mr. Bright, entered to a consi-
derable extent into the municipal elections. The corpo-
ration consisted chiefly of persons who would he regarded
as Radicals. In the course of his further examination w:t-
ness gave it as his opinion that if the Act providing for the
punishment of bribery at elections were to be properly
enforced it must be through the intervention of a public
prosecutor. Referring to the petition presented by the
working men, the witness told Mr. Bright that the
errors which took place in the voting were
nearly all upon one side. What the petitioners
complained of was that they, being ignorant men,
should be made the victims of an imperfect
machinery. There ought, they thought, to be some man
of high character in each booth, who would tell the voters
what they ought to do, so that their votes might be legally
tendered. As regarded intimidation of their men by
employers, the witness did not believe that there was any-
thing to complain of in Warrington. As a rule, throughout
the north of England the political opinions of the working
men were generally known, and for this reason he was
inclined to think that open voting was a protection rather
-n otherwise. He believed that the Ballot would not
tend to lessen bribery ; but he had never seen the Ballot
in operation, nor had lie made the subject one of very great
study, though he had read a good deal about it. The witness
was strongly pressed upon this point by Mr. Bright, but he
adhered to his opinion, and was unable to say whether
or not the workmen in his employ (over a thousand in
number) were in favour of the Ballot. Did not know
that it had been charged by one party upon the other
that at Warrington, at the late election, a number of
voters had been " taken care of " at public-houses the
night before the polling day. The nomination day was an
exciting one. There were 5,000 or 6,000 persons present.
The speakers addressed themselves almost entirely to the
reporters. It was the opinion of witness that nominations
at elections were an evil. The next witness called was
Mr. Alderman Addyman, of Leeds, who stated that there
were twelve wards in the borough, and about 40,000 voters
who took part in the municipal and parliamentary elec-
tions. At the former corrupt practices prevailed.
Treating, bribery, and intimidation were in vogue at the
last election. The evil was one well known, but did
not exist in all wards. Attempts had been made
at various times to get rid of the scandal. One of the
town councillors had been proceeded against, but he had
simply paid the fine of 405., and still retained his position.
After this conviction bribery did not appear to decrease.
On the motion of Mr. Alderman Carter, an inquiry into
the corrupt practices said to exist in the borough was set
on foot. The result was that the council were about to
have the evidence brought before them by the witness,
when he was informed that if he moved in. the matter he
would probably be open to an action for libel. Some other
witnesses for Leeds were called by the committee, who
afterwards adjourned the inquiry.

Mr. William Allen has given notice that he will
move, as an amendment to Mr Gregory's motion, "That this
house is of opinion all possible facilities should be afforded
to the public for the inspection of museums and galleries
supported by the State, on week-days and week-clay
evenings, but considers it undesirable any change should be
made in the existing arrangements for closing them on
Sundays."
- •

A FATAL MisTAKE.---Mr. F. S. Wilson, living
near Clyde, Kansas, a few nights since heard, as he sup-
posed, some wolves howling near his door. He seized his
shot-gun, and going to the door, fired at what he took
to be a wolf: Next morning he found that it was dogs
tbarhad disturbed Mtn, and that he bad shot and killed
Miss Caroline Myers. It is supposed that she had
become bewildered while looking for her cattle, and also
hearing the dogs, had approached the house of Mr. Wilson
only to be shot. The coroner's jury exonerated Mr. Wilson
from all blame.

THE TAILOR AND THE NABOB.--Before leaving
Paris, his Highness the Nawab Nazim of Bengal thought
to keep out the cold by having his coats lined with fur.
A Paris tailor did the needful, but with the six coats for-
warded a little bill for more than £5,930—n0t francs, but
pounds sterling. This modest demand the Nawab refused
to pay, and the indomitable Frenchman followed his
Highness to England. Here, however, the fortune that
favours the bold turned altogether against him. The
Nawab's English friends declined to see him fleeced before
their eyes. On reaching London the coats were examined by
experts, who pronounced the sables to be worth compara-
tively nothing, and the tailor was glad eventually to com-
pound his claim, by the cession of the furs and the
payment of £2OO or £3OO on account of work done, loss of
time, and partial deterioration of the furs.— Allen's Indian
Mail.

INFANTICIDE IN AMERICA.--It is dangerous,
perhaps, says a cor temporary, to express sympathy with
any class in America, but it is impossible not to feel
rather sorry for babies in that country, if the accounts
given by the New York Express of February 6, are to be
believed. It seems that in that land of progress infanti-
cide is not behindhand in the race. In New York more
than :sixty females earn an honest living by killing
babies brought to them by their mothers, and the
diminution of the American population in many States,
such as Maine and Massachusetts, is attributed to this
fashionable crime. The New York Daily Times of Feb-
ruary 7 says that " native Americans " are disappearing
altogether between the diminution of the number of mar-
riages and the increase of infanticide. Perhaps their dis-
appearance will be no great loss if they really are given
to this objectionable habit. If any one is curious to know
how a civilised nation can fall into such a state of wicked.
ness, he has only to read the Tablet of this week, which,
speaking of the gradual extinction of the native race in
the New England States, owing to the cause above stated,
says that the fact is worthy of serious attention, " as an
evidence of the social and religious results of Protestantism
Tilignajaa AragidafitY. gltkaig tataitiwas,l

PRISON DISCIPLINE IN THE COLONIES.

A Blue-book has just been issued, which will prove
interesting to those who busy themselves with the reform
of our prison system. It contains information respecting
the state and management of colonial prisons, chiefly in
the form of answers sent by the governors of the several
colonies to the circular despatches of Mr. Cardwell, in
1865, and of the Duke of Buckingham, in 1867. The reports
came from no less than forty colonies, and range from
Honduras to Ceylon, from Natal to Newfound.
land. The general impression which they leave
is not satisfactory. There is evidently room
for a thorough reform, though, of course, the accounts
vary considerably. Strange to say, the authorities con-
stantly complain of the want of space, and of the insuf-
ficiency of the accommodation, which prevent them from
carrying out a proper and effectual system of classifica-
tion. The report of the public prisons in Sydney and
Cumberland, New South Wales, gives a very unfavourable
account of Cockatoo Island. On the night previous to
the inspection there were 167 prisoners, 63 of whom were
confined in one dormitory. There are only five dormi-
tories in the establishment, of which two contain SS
berths each. It is not surprising to hear that the
Prisoners are often seen gasping at the gratings.
The clergymen in attendance complain that the
men are never alone for a single hour during their
whole sentence. In the Brisbane Gaol, Queensland, the
:.coral effects are as bad, and the inspectors complain that
the vilest and most irreclaimable are herded together with
less hardened offenders. They found, too, that the prison
had neither workshop, hospital, or punishment cells. In
South Australia they claim to be ten years in advance of
the English system, combining the strictly penal with the
industrial. The superintendent of convicts thinks that
ten hours a day's work at excavating or quarrying in an
Australian climate is more deterrent than treadwheel or
crank. In Malta the authorities prefer the unsatis-
factory and useless kind of labour to industrial
occupation, which they, think, is so much less irksome
to the prisoners that it can only be called light labour. In
some of the colonial prisons, however, there is a very
different standard of discipline, In the chief gaols of
Natal the dietary is high, there is no penal labour what-
ever, and the hours allowed for sleep is eleven. Still
more remarkable is the account of Harbour Grace Gaol,
Newfoundland, which consists of a string of negatives.
There is no separation, no treadwheel, no labour either
penal or industrial, no attempt at reformation, no ticket-
of-leave system, no religious or other instruction, no
religious service, and no inspection except by grand
juries. It is a little surprising after all those
noes to find the officer who makes the report concluding
by stating, "There are no defects in the structure
or discipline of the prison to which I wish to call atten-
tion." In this castle of indolence the hours of sleep are
unlimited ; and in another prison, in which nine hours are
allowed for sleep, the prisoners are allowed to rest on their
beds in the day, though this statement is afterwards
denied. Still there appears too much reason to believe
that in most of our colonial establishments there is room
for an extensive reform. In Prince Edward's Island
Lieutenant-Governor Dundas declares he has no suitable
place of confinement for a dangerous and desperate pri-
soner, who has, therefore, to_ be kept perpetually ironed
in a cell specially built for him. The evils arising from
the want of proper classification of criminals is very appa-
rent, and we trust that the Home Government will no
longer permit our colonial authorities to overlook their
duty towards their prisoners and to society.