The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-03 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF TILE PUBLIU JOURNALS,

The Times takes a somewhat novel view of the
electioneering difficulty, and endeavours to convince its
readers that no change of legislation can ensure a more
moderate outlay. Some expenses, it urges, cannot be ex-
cluded from the list by the most rigorous taxation. Among
these must be included stationery, postage, messengers, hire
of rooms, polling booths, conveyances, &c. Many of these
legitimate charges are increased by the very stringency of
the law against the illegitimate expenses. It would be easy
to shew that for almost every item of expense which may
be proscribed by Art of Parliament another will assuredly
spring np or expand within the limits allowed by law.
The reason of this is perfectly simple, and the remedy
must be sought not so much in legislative provisions as in
a juster sense of responsibility among the electors. Where
men of large fortune are prepared to spend an
unlimited sum on obtaining the social position incident
to a seat in Parliament, the most that can be
done is to check the resort to bribery and intimida.
tion. If they choose to plaster whole miles of wall
and hoarding with laudations of their own principles
and exposures of their opponents' fallacies, to hire
whole armies of political lecturers, or to issue any quantity
of controversial handbills, no one can blame them; and
yet a rival candidate who could not afford to play a like
game might he placed at a disadvantage. Nor would the
moderation of election expenses, if it could be enforced,
furnish any complete security against the predominant
influence of wealth. As it is, the candidate whose
expenses are least is often the one from whom
most is expected. A man who owns nearly all the
property in and about a borough, or who has the
power to confer a great benefit on its trade, has no
occasion to run the gauntlet of public meetings.
and generally affects to despise them. Besides, there is
such a thing as making up for parsimony at elections by
very handsome annual subscriptions, and in some boroughs
these two elements of expense bear a clearly defined rela-
tion to each other. Even the public spirit which prompts
some localsolicitors to superintend elections gratuitously is
not unfrequently alloyed by an anticipation of favours and
patronage to come. In short, so long as it is the joint
interest of wealthy candidates and greedy constituencies
to make elections dear, it is to be feared that no rule of law
or form of procedure will be effectual in making them

The Morning Post declares that the Premier's circular
to his followers is a reminder that a stormy session is at
hand. In alluding to the probable nature of the Speech
from the Throne, and the policy which the Government
is likely to pursue, the Post remarks there are times when
a Speech from the Throne is expected to be in the nature
of a challenge ; when a Ministry boldly throws down the
gauntlet, and declares its intention of asking Parliament
to endorse a policy which it knows will be questioned
by the Opposition ; and when it is prepared to
stake its political existence that the views
which it expresses will command the approval of the
majority. Such an occasion undoubtedly is present, and
Mr. Gladstone may well warn his followers that their
attendance in their places is indispensable when Parlia•
went reassembles. In the speech that will be placed by
the Lord Chancellor in her Majesty's hands will be stated
the course which Parliament will be advised to take in
respect to the Irish Church, and it is unnecessary to say
that in dealing with this important question Mr.
Gladstone will fulfil the pledge which he has more than
once given. No Minister certainly ever met Parlia-
ment with a stronger Cabinet or with a larger
majority. The only doubt which some affect to entertain
is whether he will be able to make good use of it. On this
point it must be remarked that Mr. Gladstone has served
his apprenticeship as leader of the House of Commons, and
is not likely to repeat the faults which occasioned hie
former shipwreck. There certainly will be no one to blame
but himself if the campaign on which be is about to
enter does not turn out a brilliant one. The party which
he leads Las learnt a bitter lesson, and is not likely to
degenerate into the unruly rabble which Mr. Bouverie
denounced in the old Parliament. Everything seems pro-
pitious, the gales are favourable, and there is no rock
visible on which the Ministry can make wreck save that
of their own creation—the Irish Church. If this be a
source of danger, which, however, we do not think it is, it
must be recollected that the condition on which Mr. Glad-
stone was entrusted with the helm was that he should
steer the vessel of the State in safety past this serious
obstacle.

The Daily News comments upon the question of the
capitation grant to the volunteers, and declares that th•
subject is one of great importance. Some of the corre-
spondents of different journals maintain that the-volunteer

force, unless further supported, must die away entirely.
If this were to be the result of a refusal on the part of the
Government to accede to the request for an increased
grant, we should throw all our weight into the scale to
urge an acquiescence with the demands of the volunteer
colonels. We are, however, doubtful of this ; many volun-
teer corps at the present moment pay all necessary ex-
penses out of the present grant, and in those which are
not enabled to do so, the officers who supply the wanting
funds reap some commensurate advantage. If we can
afford to maintain both an offensive and defensive army
of large strength, it would be of manifest advantage to do
so, and no defensive army could be supported so cheaply,
even at an increase in the capitation grant, as the present
volunteers. Before the increase takes place, however, an

investigation should be made into the organisation of the
whole military strength of the empire, and some changes
which the volunteers themselves desire should be at least
examined into. If the Government is to give more money
to the support of the volunteers, it has assuredly the
right to require some qualification for the officers be-
yond that of a full purse. The expenses of officering
some corps are in some cases so exorbitant that a purchase
system is virtually established which forbids promotion to
the higher ranks to any who are not very much wealthier
than officers of the regular army. The Government has
also the right to insist that the volunteers should sacrifice
a certain amount of independence, and should be more
closely affiliated to the general military system itself, of
general inquiry takes place
course re-organised. If a
into our whole offensive and defensive means, and their
best adaptation to the necessities of the country, Lord
Elcho will deserve the thanks of every citizen, as well as
the whole body of volunteers, who themselves aro certain
to profit greatly by the inquiry.
The Daily Telegraph is discussing the changes in our
system of local rating proposed by the Somersetshire
Chamber of Agriculture, and remarks that just'as Mr.
Bruce and Mr. Forster have proposed to defray the cost
of national education partly by local rating and partly by
Imperial grants, so some agricultural reformers
would still impose a local tax for the relief of the
poor, but would make a yearly grant to every
parish in which a certain amount of assessment
should be sufficient. Such a scheme might put
A stop to gross extravagance; and, though it is open to
objection, its merits serious thought. Other speakers
fancied that, even if the whole burthen of pauperism
were supported by the imperial exchequer, the Poor-law
Board could effectually prevent waste. Can the board do
so at present, when it is aided by the self-interest of the
guardians? It is notorious that throughout London the
local expenditure is scandalously mismanaged, and that
the central authorities are unable to provide a suffi-
cient remedy. In view of that fact some reformers
would give the board sufficient power to make the barrier
against extravagance complete. But those critics do not
estimate the full necessities of such a change. To give the
Poor-law Board adequate power over the guardians would
so abridge local authority as to institute centralisation of
the most colossal kind ; the boards of guardians would be
stifled in the grasp of the State functionaries ; and so far
as the relief of the poor is concerned, the local self-govern:
anent of England would speedily become only a name.
Are the agricultural gentlemen prepared for such (
result?

The Herald, in recording the precautionary measures
being taken by the Anglo-Indian authorities in view of
the threatened famine, rejoices to find that the calamity
is no longer to be ignored, and that some of the remedial
measures are nat to he merely temporary in their effect.
They are in accord with permanent works, more especially
those of irrigation, by which alone, apart from the effect
of general operations conducing to the prosperity of the
people, the recurrence of periodical famines can be averted.
The care taken at the present emergency to provide against
the peril—the recognition of the fact that the preservation
of the lives of the people must be the first consideration,
and the settlement of the political policy the second—is
a great advance since the days, so little distant, when
hundreds of thousands died in Bengal and Orissa
from causes which admitted at least of the same
means of control. The strong condemnation i
passedfl i-
ciency was too late
at home upon Sir Cecil Beadon's apathy andn e
to avert the evil with which
he had to deal ; but it is having a happy effect upon the
present occasion, when the local authorities are evidently
animated by a very different code of instructions. Sir
John Lawrence was by no means free from blame at the
last crisis ; but it is plain that he has learned a lesson
from the mode in which his subordinates are dealing with
the existing difficulty ; and the impulse which conies
from head authority is clearly traceable in all the
accounts which reach us of forethought and timely pro-
vision in all the distressed districts. That Lord Mayo
will insist upon every local authority doing his duty
there is no reason to doubt—apart from his lordship's
declarations concerning permanent improvements. We
have great hope, therefore, that the calamity which
threatens so large a part of the area and population of our
Indian Empire may be mitigated in a very great degree,
and that henceforth means may be found, as they ought to,
be found in so fertile a country, to keep the people fed,
whatever the capriciousness of the seasons. Hitherto the
battle has been between the -most unvarying routine on
one side and the most unexpected exhibitions of
natural'
causes on the other. For the future the system must
accommodate itself to the exigency. We must recognise
the fact that it is impossible to bind up famines, Any
WO
than cycl9ne§ Mid earthquakes, with red tape.