The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-18 00:00:00

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
TELEGRAPHS.

MANY days have now elapsed since the conditional
agreements between the telegraph companies and the
Post Office were concluded, and yet the Government have
made no announcement of their intentions in this matter
in which both public and private interests are largely
involved. Mr. LOWE excuses himself from making known
his intentions on the ground that the arrangement with
the railway companies have not yet been fullydetermined.
The prinejple upon which the interests of these companies
will be taken has, however, been settled, and the
working out of the details cannot affect the total
in any appreciable degree. The millions have
been decided, and 'the points left open do not
involve more than a few thousands. At this late
period of the session, and with all the material facts before
them, it is impossible to suppose that the Government
have not decided upon the course they will adopt, and yet
they continue to subject the public, and all those imme-
diately interested in the question, to the loss and incon-
venience arising from uncertainty. A few days
since a deputation of newspaper proprietors waited
.on Mr. LmvE, 011(1 pointed out to him how
seriously their interests were affected by the question, and
that the present state of uncertainty was one which
subjected them to much inconvenience. They were
curtly told that the Government would communicate
their intentions to Parliament, and not to the deputation.
There would be no harm inthis if the information was com-
municated to Parliament, as in that case all parties would
know what to prepare for ; but Parliament is left
in the dark as well as the deputation. ' While
this information is withheld tile shares of the various
companies are made the subject of active speculation
on the Stock Exchange, and those who are acquainted
with the secrets of the Government have ample opportu-
nities of making use of their knowledge at the expense of
the bond fide shareholders. This opportunity, or tempta-
tion, ought not to be afforded, and the Government are
incurring a serious responsibility by withholding the an-
nouncement of their intentions. The only way to prevent
questions involving large pecuniary interests from being
used for private purposes is to give the public the benefit
of any information at the earliest possible moment. In
this case the opposite policy seems to be adopted, and the
public are to be left in the dark as long as possible—a
course highly convenient to certain persons, but seriously
injurious to the public interests.— Western Morning News.

FOREIGN NOTES.

THE ALABAMA DISITTE.-POLICY OP PEP AKEILICIN
GOMNICIPT.

After the appearance of various versions of the instruc-
tions which Mr. Motley is to follow touching the Alabama
dispute, an official epitome has been published with the
unction of the Amenkan Government. This edition of
the policy adopted by 'General Grant accords with that
already given in our American telegrams. Mr. Motley
is not instructed to propose any settlement of claims, but
to secure the temporary postponement of the question in
the hope that after a little time further negotiations will
be invited by the British Government. He is to assure
the English Ministry that President Grant's Govern.
went desires the solution of the dispute on
terms honourable to both nations ; but he is
to make no formal demand or propositions. He
is also instructed to state that the Neutrality Procla-
mation is not in itself a cause for demanding compensa-
tion, or a separate ground of complaint, but that, taken
with subsequent acts, it was unfriendly, as chewing
a feeling of hostility to America during the late war, and
resulting in losses requiring reparation.
Such reparation as this must, however, be cx.
ceedingly difficult to estimate ; and, indeed, this
part of the instructions is so indefinite that in
all probability it signifies the abandonment of the
demands founded on the recognition of belligerency. It
looks as if put in for appearance' sake. It is an odd sign
of the times that such an important piece of diplomacy
should have been made public with the sanction of the
American Government. Nobody, however, can complain
of these instructions as being extravagant. It is clear that
they differ wholly from Mr. Sumner's programme.