The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-15 00:00:00

COLSTON DAY AT BRISTOL.

Colston Day in Bristol was celebrated as usual on
Saturday. The Liberal banquet certainly went off with
the greatest eclat. There were present Mr. Stansfield, M.P.,
Mr. John Morley, the borough member, Mr. Dixon, M.P.
for Lirmingham, Mr. Marling, the representative of West
Gloucestershire, and Mr. Richards, the recipient of the
suffrages of Carmarthenshire. Mr. Stansfield's speech was
the speech of the day. He began by congratulating the
Liberals of Bristol on the success of their party in the
country generally and in their own part of it in particular.
"Whether I look to the results of the late general election
in West Gloucestershire, or in East Cornwall, or in such
borough constituencies as those of Bath, of Cheltenham,
of Tewkesbury, of Brecon ; or, to go further west, of Hol-
ston and St. Ives; or if I bear in mind those two cathedral
cities, Hereford and Exeter—constituencies in which both
of the law officers of the late Government met their fate--
or if I cross the border and enter the precincts of the
Principality in which, I believe, only one borough can
boast a Conservative member, I say I cannot but feel that
I am here, as it were, in the capital and centre of the
Liberalism of the West, and that I am among friends,
companions, and fellow-soldiers, who have fought a good
fight, and deserve the success which has attended them."
But this success (Mr. Stansfeld went on to say) only
represents the triumph of principle. The elder member
for Bristol was continuously bringing on the much dreaded
annual motion—the Ballot. Memberd of the House of
Commons shirked it, and ran away from it ; but now Lord
Hartington's committee was likely to recommend it.
Mr. Morley was also fighting hard in the good cause. (The
mention of Mr. Morley's name was received with the
utmost enthusiasm.) And the cause was making way. A
great work had already been accomplished. Other
labours were ahead. The freedom and purity of
elections must be secured. Poverty, ignorance,
and crime must be stamped out. The Govern-
ment must take up and deal with the licensing
system of the country. Mr. Forster was ready to deal with
.the question of education, and would deal with it in a
statesmanlike manner. From this question Mr. Stansfeld
passed to the land question. " The Irish land question is
not one to be dealt with easily. There is no Royal road
to the solution of the question of Irish land. Tho
other day the Prime Minister, speaking before the citizens

of London upon this subject, confessed to a great sense
of the difficulty of his task, of the responsibility
of his position ; and he entreated the encouragement, nay,
the forbearance, of the public. These words of his have

been interpreted in a sense which they will not bear. It
has been said that they show upon Mr. Gladstone's part an
incertitude of mind and a sense of fear. Those who have
thus interpreted the words of the Prime Minister have
forgotten the seriousness and the conscience of the man.
There could be no greater mistake than to suppose that a
sense of responsibility meant weakness, or that a perception
of the difficulties of the task which has to be performed,
and which shall be performed, meant a faint heart or an
uncertain mind. I can tell you nothing of what are the
details, but I can tell you something of the spirit in which
the measure will be conceived and produced. The same
honesty, the same courage, the same mastery at on"© of
inciples and details, the same comprehensive €,,-,asp, the
same untiring labour and energy which (K;nceived and
passed the Irish Church Bill, are at wofK at this moment
in the conception and will remain at work in the elabora-
tion of a measure with reference to the question of Irish
land."

Mr. MORLEY first " paid a tribute of respect" to the
Premier, and then went on to refer to the Irish Church
question. In closing his remarks on this subject
he referred to the Temple controversy, and ex-
pressed a hope that ere long the Church of England
would be as free as that of Ireland was. The question
as to Dr. Temple, however, was happily settled. " With-
out going into that discussion with any antagonism, no one
would be more glad than himself to help to free men from
that position and assist them to attain freedom,
which they would never arrive at by any other method
than that by which they had arrived at it in the
Irish Church question." Denouncing the University
Tests Bill, Mr. Morley said he had a fast conviction
that very much of their commercial delinquency
had been strengthened by the system of sub-
scription. The Endowed Schools Bill was then
eulogised; and the Bankruptcy Bill reviewed.
As to the land question, he warned his hearers against re-
garding certain opinions as extreme. Land differed from
other property in the respect that it was amenable for
public use. There were certain things which needed to be
grappled with to which he would just refer. The law of
levying a distress for rent was one. He knew not any
reason why a landlord, when £lOO was due for rent,
should seize property worth £3OO or £4OO, and he
ventured fro say in the House of Commons that law
was passed because the landlo:ds passed it. Depression (Mr.
Morley said) had laid hold on commerce. He had never
known it so great. How was it to be relieved? There
was a larger number of working mess out of employment
than he had known for many years. Many mills had been
put on in the cotton trade, but there was great suffering
existing, and he had a strong impression that the real suf-

fering was not reached by their poor laws. While the noisy
ones, the vagrants, and impostors were getting their money
by large sums, great suffering, what he would call quiet suf-
.

fering was really never found. That relieving officer in a parish
was most popular who was the most successful in keeping
down the rates. What they wanted was, as in Germany, a
system of visitation among the poor. At Elberfeld a friend
of his found working men united in a visitation of the
poor, and there were two results from this—impostors were
d_tected and real suffering was relieved. They wanted,
and he was in favour of, a more searching investigation as
to the working of their poor-law system.

Mr. DIXON, the secretary of the National League, of
course spoke on his favourite subject of education. He
declared that immediately the magic words of national,
compulsory, unsectarian, and free education were pro-
nounced, they enlisted on behalf of the scheme able and
leading mon in all parts of the country, and they found
that they had now become, he thought he might say, a
power in this country, and that before the next session
of Parliament they would number not only many many
thousands among the middle classes, but they would have
(as they wished) branches established in every great centre
of the country, and they would be backed by the whole
body of the working classes. The League had no intention
whatever of doing anything which should destroy the
usefulness of the 25,000 existing schools. In their
opinion the present denominational system, based upon
voluntary effort, did not reach every child in this country.
They intended to propose a scheme which would embrace
within its limits all these schools, and add to them some-
thing more that might be necessary to provide sufficient

school accommodation for every child in this country.
Both Mr. Marling and Mr. Richard afterwards addressee
the meeting.

The Conservative dinner was addressed by several local
magnates, by some clergymen, Bishop Anderson, and Major
Allen, M.P. •

The Cork and Limerick Farmers' Club have passed
a resolution expressing a desire to see Mr. Byrne, the
chairman of the Mallow Club, elected for Mallow.
ARMS FOR NEW ZEALAND.—We learn from New
Zealand, says a contemporary, that a select committee had
been for some time sitting, to inquire into the description
of arm most suitable for the use of the colonial troops,
with the view of procuring the best sort with the
£3,000 which was to be voted for the purpose. The
arm which the committee had decided to recom-
mend is a rifle or carbine of a total length of from
33 to 40 inches, with swivel loops and slings; and a knife
bayonet not exceeding 15 inches in length, and of a weight
not exceeding 111bs., to be fixed to the under side of the
muzzle. The bore of the rifle to be .45, and the cartridge
one on the Boxer principle, with central fire-cap. The
rifle to be a breechloader, and, if possible, on the Martini-
Henry principle.

OLD LONDON BRIDGE.—The carriage-way of
London Bridge is to be closed on account of repairs. When
old London Bridge was being widened and repaired, in
1758, a temporary wooden bridge was built for the con-
venience of passengers and traffic. This temporary struc-
ture was destroyed by fire on the 11th of April in that
year. It was supposed to have been fired by an incendiary,
and the City offered a reward of £9OO for the discovery of
the criminal. The Lord Mayor licensed forty extra boats in
consequence of this misfortune, which for the moment put
a stop to the trade of London and Southwark. The inhabi-
tants of the Borough were also greatly distressed by the
destz uction of the troughs which conveyed water to them
during the repairing of the bridge. The ancient wooden
bridge which was first erected was destroyed by fire in 1163,
and was rebuilt under the inspection of Peter, curate of St.
Mary Colechureh, in London. It was, however, determined
in 1176 to build a stone bridge, and this structure
was completed in 1909. Peter was again employed, but
(lied before the bridge was finished, and was buried in a
chapel dedicated to St. Thomas, which stood on the ninth
pier from the north end, and had an entrance from the
river by a winding staircase. The bridge, however, required
constant repairs, and the alterations in it a littlo more than
a century ago cost nearly £lOO,OOO.

THE REV. e. 11. SPURGEON.—We regret to state
that the Rev. C. Ff. Spurgeon is laid aside from his public
abu an attack of smallpox. The rev. gentleman had
lengoagle by
dtyo deliver his lecture " Sermons in Chandles," at
Finsbury Chapel, in aid of the funds of the Devonshire-
square Chapel, at which the Rev. W. Rogers, rector of
Bishopsgate, was to have presided; burthe lecture is new,
of course. unavoidably Dostoorted.

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HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. 14.
Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Beatrice,
drove out yesterday afternoon.
The Queen, with their Royal Highnesses
Princess Louise, Princess Beatrice, and Prince
Leopold, and the Ladies and Gentlemen in
waiting, attended Divine service this morning in
the private chapel.

LATEST INTELL LGENOI

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

(Per French Atlantic Cable.)
NEW YORK, Nov. 13.
The North German Lloyd's steamship Alain
arrived here to-day at 3 p.m.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CLOSING PRICES.

Gold closed at 126/ ; the highest quotation dur-
ing the day was 127 ; the lowest, 126/.
Sterling Exchange on London lO9.
5-20 U. S. Bonds, 1882 ll5l.
44 " 1885 ll3i.
(c " 1867 ll5l.
10-40 «
Illinois 1374.
Erie
Cotton—And. upland 250.
Petroleum—Standard White 3410.
Flour, extra state, $5.30c. to $5.90c. Corn, old
mixed, sl.sc.

RAILWAY CATASTROPHE.
(BY ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.)

A collision took place on the Western Pacific
Railway, near San Francisco, yesterday morning•
From 10 to 15 persons were killed, and from 30 to
50 wounded. The trains which came in contact
were completely smashed. Great excitement has
been caused in San Francisco by the accident.

PORTUGAL.

LISBON, Nov, 14.

The Messageries Imperiales steamer Navarro,
from the Brazils, arrived hero at 8 a.m. yesterdaY,
The Douro arrived at Pernambuco on the 250
ultimo.