The Sun.
London, England, 1869-02-13 00:00:00

EZIL.

THE SUN, LONDON, SAIIIRDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 13, 1869.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

THE MINISTRY.

There are various rumours with reference to the
alleged split in the Cabinet. Liberal and Conserva-
tive journals agree in asserting that there is such a
split. One of the latter class states that the Cabinet
has been discussing the propriety of passing a
Suspensory Bill, so that pending a settlement of the
Irish Church question no fresh appointments may be
made by the Crown.
The English Independent attaches considerable im-
portance to the absence of the Queen from the
opening of Parliament. Our contemporary does not
accept the assigned reason that her Majesty's health
will not permit her to engage in so brief a ceremony
as this, but believes that the real reason why the
three estates of the realm are not brought together
is, that there is some want of cordiality between the
Queen and her Ministers.

31ISHONARIES ABROAD.

The old feeling si to the support to be given in the
way of gunboats, Sc., to missionary efforts abroad, is
happily dying out, where it has longest survived,
amongst those wh) organise missionary movements.
Instead- of the old ry for Government interference,
we have in. the cam of the unfortunate Chinese affair
an authoritative diclaimer of any wish on the part
of the missionaries for the display of force.
The _English Incivendent, which is enthusiastic
in its missionary mai, now very strongly condemns
the action of the consul in bringing the British gun-
boats on the scene. fhey " were not needed or desired
by the missionaries;' and can only be disastrous to the
cause of the preachrs of the Gospel. "If once the
Chinese get the idea -hat England is resolved on forcing
Christianity upon them at the cannon's mouth the
missionaries may cone home. All hope of evangelis-
ing China will be gme." If this opinion had only,
prevailed a little earlier, a large amount of diplo-
macy, of heartburnings, and of injustice might have
been saved.

a scene of great excitement. This formality was the
counting of the votes given at the Presidential election—a
ceremony about as intriusicaby valuable as nommat-zor.
day or the re-election of Ministers in England. But the
two Houses quarrelled about Georgia—that erratic State
which expelled the negro representatives from its local
Legislature. The Senate wished to count the vote for
Georgia ; the House of Representatives wished to exclude
it. An excited scene ensued, and we are told by the Times
correspondent that General Butler and Mr. Wade were
conspicuous in the confusion. Most people would take
this latter fact for granted. Ultimately the result was
given both ways, Grant and Colfax of course being
declared elected. -

Both Houses of Congress have just passed a resolution
proposing an amendment of the Constitution by the removal
of existing disqualifications for the suffrage by reason of race,
colour, or nativity. had the English Parliament passed.such
a resolution, the reform in question would follow as a
matter of course ; but this is not the case in America.
Each of the States has its local Legislature, and many
important functions with which the central authority
cannot interfere are reserved to the Provincial Govern-
ments. Among these is the important proviso that the
constitution of the United States cannot be mollified
unless two-thirds of the States individually agree to the
change. Hence the resolution respecting the suffrage
must be submitted to all the local Legislatures, so that the
action of Congress amounts to nothing more than a
recommendation that the question be dealt with.