The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-25 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Titus is very unwilling to allow the success of the
Ballot test at Manchester to be accepted as favourable to
an extensive adoption of secret voting. It asserts that to
hold a test election in order to prove that the Ballot could
be used with secrecy and safety is an elaborate and clumsy
sort of joke. The Manchester managers establish4d
nothing that was not well known and confessed before
when they she wed by the example of last week that an elec-
tion on a great scale could be transacted with secret as well
as with open voting. They proved nothing new, and they left
untouched thereal argument which has always been adduced
against the adoption of their system. The single and
essential objection to the Ballot is that it treats the voter
as exercising a right for the exercise of which he is no more
responsible to the public than he is responsible for the way
in which lie may spend the money in his pocket. It pro-
ceeds on the assumption that a man's vote is his private
property, instead of beirg what it really is— a privilege
allowed him for the benefit of the community, which may
be taken away from him the moment he abuses it. If
the franchise were, indeed, a private possessio;-, it would
not be easy to see on what ground we forbid its
possessor from selling it to the highest bidder. Why is
bribery a misdemeanour, and upon what principle have
we proceeded in sending judges with extraordinary
powers through the country to search out and punish
those who commit it? Why were Great Yarmouth and
Totnes disfranchised in 18.67, and why is Norwich at this
hour in danger of a suspension of the pri% liege of sending
representatives to Parliament? Clearly, in all we do and
all we think on this subject we proceed from the assump-
tion that the right of voting is a right allowed by the
community to those who give promise that they will exer-
cise it for the public benefit alone—a right liable to
be withdrawn if proof be adduced that this condition
of enjoying it be neglected or broken. The Ballot
can be justified only on a different view. It indicates
what we cannot help calling a low tone of political
morality, and its adoption cannot be excused except in the
last necessity as a remedy for worse evils. It is not, how.
ever, to our purpose now to argue the question ; all we
desire to shew is that the experiment of Manchester, as
its managers call it, has no relation to the arguments
brought against the Ballot. The opposition to it is
grounded on moral reasons, not on allegations of
mechanical difficulty, and a proved perfection of machinery
cannot affect the position of its antagonists.
The Herald believes that the inquiry at Limerick will
disclose as much clerical influence as was shewn at
Drogheda. We have no intention of violating the whole-
some rule which forbids us from prejudging a case pendente
lite; but so much we are fully entitled to say ; and we
are encouraged to hope that the decision of the judge
will be not less righteous and emphatic than that of Mr.
Justice Keogh in the case of Drogheda. In past times
committees of the House of Commons have usually taken
a very lenient view of corruption and violence at Irish
elections. That there should be wholesale bribery, clerical
intimidation, violence, rioting, and bloodshed, was accepted
as a matter of course. They made great allowances for
the Irish, and were especially tolerant of abnormal
influences when they were enlisted on "the right
side." It would be impossible on any other hypothesis to
account for the extraordinary decisions given in the case
of the elections for Tipperary and Waterford in 1865.
It was an accepted theory that the priests and the blud-
geons and brickbats of their votaries were legitimate
agencies on the Liberal side, and that military escorts for
Conservative electors were a scandalous invasion of the right
of their opponents to drive them from the polls by force.
We can imagine it quite possible that under the good old
system knocked on the head by the late Government the
inquiry into the election for Drogheda would have entailed
no unpleasant consequences upon Mr. Whitworth.

The Standard considers the Ritualist controversy, and
declares that we have had enough of lawsuits. At the
same time it objects to some of the forms of compromise
which have been proposed, and strenuously protests
against tampering with the Prayer-book. This is no time
to talk about liturgical revision. It would be a difficult
task enough if the Church were at peace and her sons
heartily united upon all matters of doctrine. Under
present circumstances, when both doctrine and Ritual are
in dispute, it would be simply flinging down the Prayer-
book to be cut and carved and mutilated at the pleasure of
the strongest party, or to be eviscerated and diluted into
the feebleness and colourlessness of Lord Ebury's
We have no sympathy whatever with that fine, generous,
large-hearted spirit of "comprehensiveness" which pro-
poses to expel those who are already members of the
Church in order to make room for those who Are outside,
and who, as far as we are aware, have never signified their
anxiety to come inside. Mr. Binney and Mr. Newman
Hall are excellent men, but we see no reason why Arch-
deacon Denison should be turned out of the Church
of England in order to make it acceptable to
them ; and that, or something very like it, is the
meaning of the liturgical revision policy. It is for
the bishops to interpose in this strife of parties, and
bid the litigants to lay down their weapons and
cease from girding at each other. Let them see what it is
that they are bound to enforce under this judgment, and
apply their decision equally on both sides. The Ritualists
must give up their altar lights, and their opponents must
be required to make some advance in the way of " Acency
and order." We hold, with Dr. Miller, that the judgment
is as good against the vicar of Islington as against the
incumbent of St. Alban's. Let the bishops apply it impar-
tially, and whoever may be the malcontents they will find
themselves condemned by the great body of their fellow-
Churchmen.

The Star is very anxious that in the event of a vacancy
for Manchester the whole of the Liberal electors should vote
for Mr. Ernest Jones. It appears that some 7,000 of the
constituents did not record their votes during the late
experiment, and the Star strenuously exhorts this portion
of the Liberal party
.to abide by the decision of their
neighbours. The Manchester Ballot has declared Mr.
Ernest Jones the selected candidate of the Liberal party
in the event of the seat now occupied by Mr. Birley
becoming vacant. Mr. Jones received 7,282 votes ;
Mr. Milner Gibson 4,133. As a faithful champion
of the Ballot, Mr. Milner Gibson will hear
without wincing of this conclusion to a contest
with which, of course, he had personally no connection.
He is quite certain to obtain a seat very speedily, Mr.
Ernest Jones is not so sure of a place in Parliament for
any other constituency than that by which he has now been
preferred. The vote proves that the working class in
Manchester have set their minds on returning Mr Jones,
and as one of the three members whom the Liberals of
Manchester lately endeavoured to elect in spite of the in-
conveniences arising out of the minority vote, he had a
peculiar claim to the reversion of Mr. Birley's seat. The
most absolute good faith must therefore be observed,
now that a majority of the Liberals who voted in the
ballot have sbewn a distinct preference for Mr. Jones.
Had the result been reversed, Mr. Milner Gibson would
have enjoyed the hearty co-operation of Mr. Jones and
his friends. That was fully understood even when
Mr. Jones was expressing publicly the opinion that his
position as the third candidate of the Liberal party ought
to have Nett recognised without a ballot. The like
unquestioning fidelity to the terms of the understanding
upon which the ballot was based is now demanded, and
will be forthcoming, from those members of the Liberal
party who would have preferred Mr. Milner Gibson.

The Telegraph thinks that the Irish Church question
will become more complicated in consequence of the mis-
management of the supporters of the Establishment. By
a display of injudicious zeal and unreasoning stubbornness,
the clergy of the Irish Church threaten to do enormous
mischief to their oitn Interests, They have den:ended
that the Crown shall sumnion a meeting of the Mali
Church Convocation, for the distinct purpose of enabling
them to oppose, as a constituted body, the Minieturia►l
plan Of disestablishment. Meanwhile it has also been
rumoured that they Intend to postpone their
grand attack until the contemplated bill shall have
been read a second time, and shall have passed into
priitdittee: Such, likewise, is said to be the intention of
those so•called fibefal itr.embm of the House of Commons,
who, although they are not ratigdfl intone the avowed
champions of the alien Establishment, will do Mr,
Gladstone's plan all the mischief in their power. And it
Is easy to see why those honourable gentlemen should
put off their grand attack until the " principle " of
the measure has been affirmed, and why they should
choose the committee for their battle ground. To the
" principle " of disestablishment they hal e more or
less clearly committed themselves ; and, were they to
vote against the second reading, they would be
setting their constituents at defiance, and preparing for
themselves a terrible clay of wrath. In committee, on the
ether hand, they may fire shot after shot with the most
deadly intent, and yet not provoke the vengeance of their
!lectors; for when the House is discussing the bill clause
by clause, members must bring up a crowd of questions
respecting the adjustment of the Church's position, and
ionic of the proposals, though apparently harmless, may
really be as fatal to the Government scheme as Lord Dun-
kellin's amendment was to Mr. Gladstone's Seven Pounds'
Franchise Bill.

The I,oooth volume of Baron Tauchnitz's cele-
brated Library is to be a memorial one, and the fittest
book in the world is chosen for such a place—no less than
the New Testament according to the English version, with
;he different readings of various Greek versions, and
sceepted translations, as foot-notes. Perhaps no method
:ould put before the reader in a smaller compass or by a
nore direct method the true value of our version. We
wish abundant success to this memorial book, both here
Ind on the Continent. This edition, which promises to be
61•3- excellent one, will b.e under the competqattazt.
'441) of bit tifitaffilgre

LA JP LVTELLIGENCE—Mis Day.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
EX PARTE WALKER Y. THE CORPORATION OF LONDON.

The Solicitor-General applied for a rule nisi calling
on the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council
of the City of London to show cause why a writ of
restitution should not be direc ed to them command-
ing them to return to the applicant certain goods
which were stolen from him, and which had passed
into the possession of the City of London. The appli-
cation arose out of the late prosecution in the great Corn-
hill burglary, when Mr. Walker lost 383 watches and a
number of gold chains. The parties were prosecuted
and convicted. Fifty-four watches and chains, besides
those taken from the thieves, which were stolen
from Mr. Walker were found, and in Caseley's box was
found £270, which ho said was the proceeds of the
stolen property. After the conviction Mr. Walker ap
plied to the Recorder for an order for the rrstitution
of the property, under the 2Rh and V. th Victoria,
chap. 96, sec. 100 ; but ho declined to make the order,
of serving that he had no doubt the Treasury, who
Was prosecuting, would hand it over. '1 ha
learned counsel s,id there was no doubt the Treasury '
would have done so ; but, nnfortuualev, the police handed
the property over to the Ci y of London, and they
being a cifft rent Lody to deal with than the Treasury
he had never been able to ol:tain the prtspo:-ty front
them. Mr. Walker had made repate.l apphcations to
the L. it y authorities, and there had been c-nnalt tees
meetings and reports, but Mr. Walker had failed to ob-
tain any redress front therorporation, on the ground that
this was felon's property. The articles were not, and in
fact never had been, felon's goods.—The Lord Chief Jus-
tice —You have stated quite sufficient to entitle you to a
rule.—Rule granted.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

MURDEROUS ASSAULT ON A WIFE.—Win. Stokes, de-
scribed as a labourer, was charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt
with violently assaulting his wife with a hammer.
The injured woman was unable to attend in consequence
of the injuries she received.
Police-constable Robert Elliott, 36 E, said that at a
quarter to ono yesterday morning he was on duty in Upper
Rathbone-place, when he heard a noise, and on going to
the end of the plats he saw a woman in a fearful state,
she being smothered with blood, and having some wounds
on her head—two on the right side and one on th• left—
and her arm; shoulders, and body having also several in-
juries upon them. He took the woman, who be found
was tLe prisoner's wife, to the Middlesex Hospital,
where the surgeon dressed her wounds; and on after-
wards taking her home to No. 49, Upper Rathbone-
place, she said that the prisoner had assaulted Ler with an
iron bolt, and that, ou her taking up a hammer to defend
herself, he took it from her, and assaulted her with it, in-
flicting the injuries on her head, and she asked him to
take th• prisoner into custody. On going to the room in
which the prisoner was he found that he had locked him-
self in, and he believed nailed the door, and to get to him
he had to force the door. At the station the prisoner said
ho bad only used the bolt in self-defence. He (wit-
ness) knew the woman as a hard-working woman, who
went out with a barrow to get a living for her children,
whilst the prisoner he knew as an idle and very lazy
fellow. _ _ _

In answer to Mr. Tyrwhitt, the constable said the woman
was confined to her bed.
The prisoner said his wife received her injuries by fall-
ing on a fender while drunk.
The constable said the woman was quite sober.
Mr. Tyrwhitt remanded the prisoner.