The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING., DECEMBER 15, 18601

take. But the great leader of the press, as it loves
to style itself—the Times—has not come to that
idea of honeoty yet, although little by little you
see its leading articles coming round to an approval
of the treaty, and no doubt by and bye that paper
will maintain that it has approved of the treaty

all along."
The Reform Bill came next. It was, of course,
no news that it was not carried, which he attributed
to the " want of earnestness in and out of Parlia-
ment." Not that there was not a general feeling
in favour of Parliamentary Reform throughout the
country, it was so manifest that he who runs may
read it ; the wave may have ebbed, but there would
be a flow, and legislation while the subject was
calmly viewed was certainly the safer plan. He
declared that he believed the Ministers were really
the most honest supporters of the bill in Parlia-
!mint. He is hopeful, however, for next session ;
he says : " I am emphatically not of the Cabinet,
and do not know what the plans of her MAJESTY'S
Government may be, but I should think that Lord
JOHN RUSSELL will again introduce a Reform Bill
similar in its provisions to that of last session. I
speak, however, only by permission, and not on autho-
rity, when I say that the probability is that there
will be a _Reform Bill introduced into Paliament
next session. Let me, however, say this: If the
people want a Reform Bill carried, let them make

their voices heard in the House of Commons, not
only by your representatives—both the voices of
your representatives were heard in favour of the

last Reform Bill, and their names were to be found '
in all the various divisions upon it—not only that,
but let the voice of the people be heard by petitions
—hundreds, thousands of them, for it is a question
which affects thousands of the people, and let a
simultaneous cry be heard that the people want
reform, and depend upon it that they will have it."
We can only say, we hope Cabinet Ministers will
shew the pluck which the Minister not in the
Cabinet gives them credit for. Those who mean
to win must show that they are not to be daunted.
But certainly his advice to the people is sound.
When the chief question is whether working men
should get the franchise, it they do not trouble
themselves to demand it, others will not trouble
themselves to get it for them. Petitions from the
unenfranchised, is what the extent of the franchise
offered next year, if not the fact of an offer at all,
will depend on.
On the Paper Duties and the Lords, Mr. GILPIN,
though enthusiastic for repeal, thought Lord PAL-
MERSTON exercised a wise discretion—in the excit-
ing state of foreign affairs, and the French Treaty
needing its projectors to work it, in not
jeopardising the Ministry. Lord HENLEt, how-
ever, thought the move a false one to lay on ld.
additional Income-tax, in order to repeal that duty, I
wherein we must certainly agree with him. The
Paper Duty is infinitely less unjust and intolerable
than each single penny of the Income-tax
—that must go first. We are not left,
however, without such hope as general pro-
mises can give us of reduction of expenditure, and
if we can have that, of course the tax which is the
sum of all injustice, and which starves every other
tax, must go first. Mr. GILPIN, a minister, though
not a Cabinet minister, and though, he tells us,
glad to pay something more in the way of taxation
than Americans pay, for the privilege of living
under our limited Monarchy, yet is appalled at the
difference between American and English taxation.
Thirty-one millions of inhabitants in America, even
if we omit the interest of our national debt,
pay not half of what is paid by thirty
millions of Englishmen. If any one cares
to have the figures they are as follows :
" United Kingdom : Population, 30,000,000; gene-
ral Government expenditure, £76,000,000 ; local
expenditure for county, town, and parochial pur
poses, X 18,000,00 a grand total of
£94,000,000. United States: Population, 31,003,000,
being 1,000,000 more than that of the United
Kingdom ; general Government expenditure,
£13,000,000, against £76,000,000 ; local expendi-
ture, L 9,000,000, as against £18,000,000. These
are surely facts that require to be considered."
If, therefore, we subtract 28 millions for
our National Debt, it will still leave us
with an expenditure for local and general pur
poses, of 48 millions against the 22 millions of the
United States. Mr. GILPIN adds :—" It would be
a most interesting inquiry to see what there is to
justify this most astounding difference in the ex-
penditure of the two countries, and 1 fully believe
it will receive the attention of her Majesty's Govern-
ment in the next session. We know where a great
portion of the money goes; but the question is
whether it is necessary that so vast an amount
should be expended as has been."
Mr. Git,Pral then contrasts the Tory programme
with that of the Liberals :—" First comes Dls-
RAELI, with a standard of brass, and be proclaims
church rates universal and eternal. He is followed
by Lord J. NIANNERS in sad-coloured raiment, and
he proclaims taxation never to be decreased, but,
by the laws of progress, to be continually in-
creased. The procession is brought up by young
Lord R. A.JoNT.aou in a mantle of green, and says,
Down with GARIBALDI.' "
Lord HENLEY agreed with all the radicalism of the
Minister, taking special pleasure in attacking Mr.
DISRAELI on Church-rates, who was represented
as having " put his foot into it." His lordship
presented us in his speech with a new Reform
leader in the place of Mr. BRIGHT —he did not
disparage, he spoke honourably enough of the hon.
member's eloquence and talents, but we
wanted a Reformer of more weight in the
House, and who should he be but Mr.
GLADSTONE !" " There was one man who was lis-
tened to with great weight, and would be followed
by -that party—he meant Mr. GLADSTONE. He
had sat behind that gentleman, and listened to him
with great attention, and, with the single exception
of Church questions—with respect to every other
great political question they had at heart—no
firmer friend • was to be found than Mr. GLAD-
STONE. He did believe that the opposition which
Mr. GLADSTONE had received at the hands
of the Tories last session had inclined him still
more to Liberal opinions." Reverting to the
subject at the close of his speech, he remarked, "In
his view the Chancellor of the Exchequer would
be more useful in the position of leader of the
Liberal party than he was in the office of Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer, and he looked upon it as a
most remarkable thing that upon both sides of the
house a member distinguished for brilliancy of his
eloquence was placed in an office which required
merely sound and soli financial knowledge, and
an understanding of monetary affairs, rather than
in a position in which his peculiar talents would
be far more useful." With Mr. GLADSTONE as
leader of the Liberals, we must take our leave of
Lord HENLEY and Northampton.

Lady Ceclia Bingham was safely delivered of a
son and heir, yesterday morning, at 71, Portland-place.
Her ladyship and infant son are progressing favourably.
Colonel and Lady Henrietta Ogilvy have arrived
in town from Northamptonshire.
Colonel Kemeys-Tynte, M.P., has arrived at
Penton's Hotel, frem Tetten House, Somersetshire.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge
sited, as General Commanding-in-Chief, the Wellington
College yesterday.

DISTRESS IN TRADE.

One would imagine the Editors of Great Britain
were well paid for the talent they display in their
editorial leaders ; but facts prove this not to be the
case. To see, week after week, year after year,
the heartrending distress the trade of Eng-
land is experiencing, one wouldbe inclined to think
they were well paid for their persevering silence
on the topic of commercial disaster. Yet, I believe,
that is not the case. Another policy is pursued by
Government, answering a better purpose than
would the extra pay, by driving talent and indus-
try jointly into penury ; both are made to subserve
the requirements of a monetary power now centring
itself into a government. The literary man that
must write a long editorial column for 10s, cannot
find time to write up his own interest, much less
take any care of his own independence. Compelled
to work incessantly, no time permits an editor to
pause and reflect upon what he is directed to write,
nor whose interests he ought to advocate, save
that of his employer, to whom he must go
again and again for the receipt of his
earnings, so meagrely dealt out, so scru-
tinously exacted as to the topic to be avoided.
No mention dare they make of their own obse-
quious dependence upon their directing dictator.
Like the manufacturer of goods, he must make up
literary wares for show and display ; quality
of sentiment is studiously avoided. Well spiced
with the classics and the dead languages, which

they seem ever to be resuscitating for some com-
pliment to their readers, if peradventure it be not
to themselves, they toil on, showily dazzling the
public eye with their talent—but, alas ! talent only.
A few good and startling truths, such as the policy
of Ministerialists ever driving the industrious on
to more work and less pay, by which Government
is allowed to tax and squander till all the money
has ceased to circulate, and mankind, goaded by
over-wrought brain and body, groans for the relief
which the over-wrought goo3e-quill dares not ad-
vocate. For these last 50 years all things are getting
cheaper that are the produce of men's minds and
hands. Books, printing, periodicals, journals, and
papers, leaders, manufactures of all kinds, are
cheaper—sold for less money—and all this writers
in journals will not see, or dare not say, that
reductions, barring what steam and machinery
do, reductions in prices, reduce the pro-
fits of industry, and increase pro rata
the profits of money. Who better than the man
of letters should become the man of figures ? How
inevitably must the industry of this and all coun-
tries become worse requited every day if the writers

in journals do not become men of figures—calcula-
tors upon, first, their own profits, if they so prefer;

after that, calculators upon profits generally ? The
earth and the body and mind will be found to be
increasing in supply of fruits and results, but the
numbers increase also partaking of this produce,
till only exceptional producers are benefited, while
the great mass toil on in vain to see only the specu-
lator take away the hard-earned result of his
brains or hands. Money scarce, causes money to
increase in the rate of discounts. The great money
holders have only to take care and lend enough
money abroad, and by that act and deed do they
render it scarce at home, and since the home price
regulates all countries, money is thus raised con-
stantly and everywhere on the face of the glob%
Unless this great fact be mere clearly illustrated
and more generally explained by the writers of
the day, evils will grow upon all creation till life
becomes a burden and an unendurable torture.
Money is not like produce or manufactures. The
former in the course of time ,spoil, and the latter
depreciate because of fashions and styles changing
so frequently, but money never spoils by decay nor
by fashion, so that holders of money are never
forced to crowd the market by causes similar to
that of this ephemeral produce. Money, there-
fore, enjoys wondrous advantages over all things
else. By withholding money from any particular
locality or class of interests, that locality or class
must inevitably suffer; money having been withheld
from commerce by acts of Parliament purposely
framed by a banker, now a Lord 0 verstone, in
order to keep money scarce, moneyists can at any
time raise the rate to a ruinous price for commerce ;
hence the general commercial distress, men fail-
ing and ruined that are not only solvent but doing
good trades, that would be self.sustaining were
fair play extended to them by having just money
laws.
£30,000,000 and over is locked up in Chancery ;
so much is bankruptcy, in taxes, in tithes, in
poor•rates, and national debts.
If foreign loans were contracted in 1821 to
1825 by Spain, Prussia, Russia, Colombia, Portugal,
Austria, Naples, Greece, Brazil, Buenos Ayres,
Mexico, Pern, Denmark, Guatemala, and Gunada-
laxaria, to the sum total of £48,480,571, what is
locked up and sent out of England now by foreign
countries ?
Late statistics required—Which perhaps you

can supply.
What writer will tell me that the Bank Charter
Act of 1844, 7 and 8 Victoria, cap. 32, is an act for
the public good ? It is an act to regulate the issue
of bank notes, and for giving to the GOVERNOR
and COMPANY certain PRIVILEGES then said to be
for a limited period, but behold how long has it
lasted !
Why has the Bank Charter lasted so long ? Be
sure 'tis because 'tis kind so to help those that have
always proved themselves quite able to help them-
selves ! Poor millionaires so much need the help
of laws to enable them to add to their stores at the
expense of the producers, whose anxieties have
become so great by the well working of the Bank
Charter that, verily, it has crushed him to the
monied men's hard heart's content. Now having
framed a charter altogether worthy of the selfish-
ness of its promoters, finding the torture and the
wheal of mental anxiety bring the brave and the
timid alike to the shrine of their precious golden
idolatrous Dona Maria, it must last long. So good
a patron saint as a Bank Charterist must ever last;
but the worthy sons of toil fail not to want
money at high prices. So the goodly lady of
Threadneedle-street gets, 2, the separation of the
issue from the banking department—no small boon.
3. The proportion of silver bullion to gold not
to exceed one fourth boon No. 2. All persons
may demand gold bullion at £3 17s. 9d. Boon
No. 3 is that by which money is made scarce by
being convertible. No one better, than this bank-
ing lord knows the great boon that is thus con-
ferred, but for which money would be sufficiently
abundant for all demands, and the misery avoided
that now amounts to torture.
Little as was enjoyed before when one half of
the issue was permitted, money is made more
scarce and worth more, by allowing in boon No.
4, in the Act No. 4 —" The Bank may increase
securities in the issue department, and issue ad-
ditional notes equal to one-third of country notes
ceased to be issued."
But boon No. 5 in the Act No. 7, exceeds all
things for a daring immunity that is a disgrace
to so respectable a body ,corporate. Of all insti-
tutions, " The Bank can better afford to pay their
rightful quota to the taxation of the country."
It never ought to have been allowed, then, that
in Act No. 7, the Bank be 'exempted from stamp
duty, or composition on their notes. What for ?
I should like to know, since in clause No. 8—
another boon No. 6 The Bank is allowed to
deduct £lBO,OOO per annum on the charge for the
public debt. Is this not enough, in all conscience,
without exempting them from stamp duty ? But
we must know that the Bank makes its own Charter,
and the Charter issues forth to the innocent people,
a hopeful child of their own creation. One clause is
worthy the chivalrous knights of old, so unselfish
and exemplary it is to all seeming views. Behold
in clause 9 the Bank to allow the profits on in-
creased circulation to Government.
But as this increased circulation was only on
one occasion permitted to take place to any extent,
this semblance of the magnanimous must also fall
to the ground.

Boon 8, in clause 10, conveys its own meaning.--
New banks of issue prohibited.
Boon 9, in clause 11—Restrictions upon Ranks of
issue.

Clause 12—Bankers ceasing to issue can not re-
issue their notes.