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

THE SUN, LONDON, TUtSDAY EVENING, MARCH 2, 1869,

profounir secret, was announced by him to be—the
House Tax ! Then, as last night, when
Mr. GLADSTONE spoke of Unavoidable Calamity --
there arose a laugh, almost as of derision, from the
Opposition. A burst of hilarity fl om the Opposi-
tion—followed by a sinister and almost ominous
silence from the benches behind him and below the
gangway, among the rank and file of the supporters of
the Government. The seeming anti-climax of last night,
however, was, as we have before intimated, merely
momentary. The original sense of disappointment
awakened by the first announcement was subse-
quently conquered—we believe—by the detailed
explanations of the Prime Minister.
Those who appeared first of all disposed to deride
the notion of aiding Unavoidable Calamity in the ab-
stract—were hushed into serious attention when the
lamentable details came to be enumerated.
" Lameness and lunacy, blindness and leprosy"

—are words that more than simply emphasin a verse
of o.rw.vv. They are those, and all similar, most
dire, and certainly quite unavoidable calamities
which absolutely awe into reverent consideration even
the most thoughtless and the most frivolous
audience— much more so an audience like that
assembled last evening within the walls of
the British House of Commons. The funds, the
the surplus funds, that is, accruing from the sale of
the Church Property in Ireland, after the liquidation
of all charges upon it whatsoever—leaving at the dispo-
sal of the State from £7,000,000 to £8,000,000 alto-
gether—were not (Mr. GLADSTONE told us emphati-
cally last evening) to be applied to this or to that pur-
pose, to become so many bones of contention. to be
transformed into provocations to new controversy !
They were to be applied to Irish purposes, and they
were to be applied finally ! They were to be applied not
merely alone in Ireland, but they were to be
fairly and justly applied to All Ireland ! Not favour-
ing one part at the expense of the other, but bene-
fiting the population equally throughout the whole
island. Having premised thus much, very distinctly
and very impressivell,, the question then propounded
by the Prime Minister was—as to the direction in
which those funds, those surplus millions (from
£7,000,000 to £8,000,000) were to be applied ? They
were—he said--not to be applied to religious teach-
ing, they were not to be distributed among the
various denominations. They were not to be
used for Educational Purposes. They were not
to be employed in the development of Public Works.
f hey were not, he said, to be devoted to the
extension and to the multiplying of Irish Railways.
(At which announcement there came a cheer.) They
were not to be appropriated for the relief of the
Poor Rates. When he had said that—the difficulty
seemed to be to conjecture what they were to be ap-
plied to ! And then it was that, in reading from the
preamble of the bill itself, Mr, GLADSTONE pro-
nounced those two explanatory words Unavoid-
able Calamity—the first utterance of which, as
we have said, came almost with the effect of an
anti-climax. Silenced, however, by the awful cata-
logue of " the ills that flesh is heir to," the House
evidenced its recognition very soon afterwards of the
wisdom and the humanity which have unquesti.mably
dictated the ulterior decision arrived at by the re:pon -
slide advisers of :the Crown in the selection of the
particular purposes to which these seven or eight
millions sterling are to be applied, under
the beneficent guidance and direction of the
Imperial Government, or rather of a Com-
mission representing the Crown, and acting for
the Government. Having at their command a capi-
tal of from seven to eight millions,
it is proposed
that the Commission shall deal thus with the income
derived from that fund, to the extent of £311,000
annually.- It, the Commission, or let us say they, the
Commissioners, will, it is proposed, set aside yearly
£185,000 for the relief or care of lunatics—£3o,ooo
yearly for the educa'ion in appropriate schools of the
deaf- and-dumb, and of the blind—£2o,ooo yearly for
the harbouring or nurturing of idiots—£ls,ooo }early
for the trainingof nurses among theclassesabove pauper
ism—£10,000 for Reformatories and Ind ustria

Schools, and £51,00 to County Infirmaries—al
together as we have seen, £311,000 anon

ally. There is no question whatever of this, we
take, it in regard to the extraordinary proposition
thus made by the Government for the appropriation—

in one sense it can hardly be said to merely secular

purposes—of the surplus funds derivable from

the diseudownment of the Irish Church
after its disestahlishment has been acconr-
pliAhed : there is no question—we would even

say there can be no question—in regard to this
proposition, but that it is one completely and
absolutely in accordance with the whole scheme,
With the whole of the original manifestatio❑ of Chris-

tianity. For, what in effect and in point of fact was
the account of the nature of His mission, given to
the world by the lips of the Divine Redeemer Him-
self "Go and tell them," lle said—What?
‘, That the blind see, that the deaf hear, that
the lepers are cleansed, that the lame walk,"
—and that -- as a climax—" that the poor
have the Gospel preached to them." Now that,
in ridding Ireland at last, after three hundred years
of alien domination—now that, in ridding her
at last of the anomaly of the Irish Church as

a State Establishment, through the agency of
which the Poor bad most certainly not the Gospel
preached to them—Her MAJESTY'S Government, at
the least, apply the funds (hitherto misapplied) to
those purposes to which, even, it should be said,

precedence was given in the enumeration of
the work of His Divine Mission by the World's

REDEEMER—to the relief of lunatics, of the deaf, of

the dumb, of the blind, of idiotcy, of those stricken
down by sickness, or by other " unavoid.tbla cala-

mities." It is a benign purpose—it is a project in har-

mony with the whole scheme of our common Christie-

nity. The country cannot but recognise this. The 'louse

has already recognised it. And in the recognition of
it, far and wide throughout the world, the Good Done
as well as the Evil Undone, through the agencyof this

great and noble measure,will enhance appreciably,we
may feel absolutely certain of this, the ar-

dour with which—as Mr. GLA DSTONE grandly
closed his speech by saying last night—those
words giving the form of law to the work

embodied in the proposed enactment (the work
of peace and justice) will be echoedfrom every shore

where the name of Ireland and the name of Great
Britain have been heard—tha answer to the words

coming back to us from the ends of the earth in "the
approving verdict of civilized mankind."

THE most satisfactory feature in the navy and the
army estimates is that a large reduction in the
expenditure has been effected with a small reduction
of the personnel of the two services. The estimates
for the coming financial year shew a net decrease of
expenditure to the extent of over two millions
sterling, and yet the decrease in the officers and men
of the navy is only 2,100, and in those of the army
a little over 10,000. These figures shew that we have
by no means yet reached the limit of our reductions.
When we remember the large number of men there
are engaged uselessly in our coastguard ships and in
the wooden ships that crowd our naval ports ; when
we consider the large number of troops that are engaged
in defending colonies which are very well able to
defend themselves ; when we reflect that our navy and
our army are officered to excess and fix bayond the
services of other countries, we shall feel that
our economists have no need as yet to weep for lack
of new worlds to conquer. So far, then, from look-
ing at the present estimates as a temporary and spas-
modic effort on the part of a new and therefore'

over-vigorous Administration, we anticipate that
these reductions are but the beginning of a policy
which will be maintained and even developed as the
chiefs of the spending departments become more ex-
perienced in their work. Ten years ago Lord C LARLNCE
PAGET declared that five millions were annually spent
on the navy with as little result as if the money had
been thrown into the sea. He was put into office in order
to save some of this waste. He utterly failed to do
so. The inference was, either that he had grossly
exaggerated, or that he was wholly incompetent.
The success with which Mr. CHILDERS, saying little,
has accomplished much, leads us to think that
exaggeration was not Lord CLARENCE'S fault, and
that if the present Ministers are sustained by the
voice of the country, they will prove by their deeds
that he was not far wrong in his words.
The five items in the navy estimates on which the
largest reduction has been made are wages to seamen
and marines, victuals and clothing, dockyards and
naval yards, naval stores and steam machinery, and
ships built by contract. In fact these items together
make up more than the net saving on the whole esti-
mates. They indicate two changes in our naval policy.
In the first place, we have too many old ships; in
the second place, we have been building too many
new ships. On the first point there can be no room
for difference of opinion. It is stated, for instance,
that in the height of our great war with the First
NAPOLEON, the total number of our harbour
and troop-ships was 77, and that the nnmber
previous to the late Parliamentary elections
was 250. The popular outcry induced the late
Government to reduce this number by the end of the
year to 229. This is manifestly a wholly insufficient
reduction. It cannot be necessary for us to have in
time of peace three times the number of ships that
we had during the most tremendous war in which
this country has ever been engaged. It may be said
that other Powers have since then increased their
fleets, and that we, therefore, must have a stronger
navy than of old in order to keep the supremacy
of the seas. To this we reply that we
have no more right to such supremacy than
France or Prussia has, and that even if we possessed
the right we could not enforce it, for all the world
knows that we should not think of engaging in a war
with any of the great Powers without an ally.
-mother consideration to be taken into account is
the fact that mechanical discoveries have
to a great extent diminished the necessity
for keeping up a largo number of ships,
or large crews in individual ships. An immense
majority of the 229 ships whereof the navy is
still composed are utterly unavailing for all military
purposes, are as useless for defence as they are for
attack. They are maintained solely in order to find
employment for a service that is over-officered and
over-manned. One such little craft like Mr. RENDEL'S
" Staunch," which is merely a floating platform for a
large gun, is not only worth a dozen of such vessels
as now crowd Portsmouth harbour and the llamoaze,
but is of the utmost value, while the rest are worth-
less. The turret-ships which Captain COLES has for
many years vainly endeavoured to get introduced
into the navy are at last to be adopted, after mil-
lions have been spent, comparatively unprofitably, on
broadside vessels. Captain SCOTT'S gun-carriage
has rendered it possible to work the heavy
guns of a ship with only half the crew that used
to be required.
sAll these several facts point to
the same results the disposal of our old wooden
ships, the cessation from the construction of
ships of an effete pattern, the building of ships
which shall be really effective for their work, and
which will yet require a smaller crew to man them.
Another important principle is the substitution of
flying squadrons for those all but stationary
squadrons which are now found in various parts of
the world. These are absolutely useless for a political

purpose; at least, that purpose would be answered
as well by the flying squadrons; and, so far as their
effect upon seamanship is concerned, their influence
is absolutely injurious, since it leads to the rusting of

our seamen in port instead of to their active exercise

in their duties at sea.

Turning to the army estimates, we find that here,
also, there are live principal items of reduction. Under
the head of general staff and regimental pay we have

a reduction of £435,400 ; the commissariat esta.

blishment, services and movements of troops;

shew for £100,900 ; barrack establishments for

.t 103,400 ; military store and manufacturing depart•

ments for £:341,400 ; and works and buildingS for
81,100, or, together, more than £1,100,000. It will

• ,
be seen that over 7-i-00,000 of this amount is due to

the decreased personnel of the army. But it does no
mean decreased strength. The reduction of abow

11,000 troops is due for the most part to the recall
of troops from colonial stations. It is seen clearly
enough that if our colonies want troops, they, not
the paupers of Bethnal-green, are the persons to pay
for them ; and that if the loyalty of the colonies to

the British Crown depends upon the military
protection which we are willing to afford them—in

other words, the amount of British money we are
willing
.to spend among them—the sooner they set
up a government on their own account the better.

The large reduction in the military stores and
manufacturing departments shews that there is at last
a Government determined not to be an accom-
plice in the scandalous waste for which the Ordnance

Select Committee has been mainly responsible.
Remembering the time when we, in denouncing
this waste, were but as a vox clamantis

particular satisfaction at this item
desert°, we feel
of reduction. In the army estimates, no less than
the navy estimates, the limits of reduction has been

by no means reached. A Government that offers to

pay £89,300 (£1,300 more than its predecessor) to
that extraordinary body of men, the " Yeomanry
Cavalry," is a long way from the halting-place
which has for its inscription " Rest and be
Thankful."

LATEST INTELL MENGE

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

A USTRIA.

VIENNA, March 1.

The New Free Press of to-day alleges the exist-
ence of a note of the Prench Cabinet in reply to
the Greek answer to the protocol of the Conference,

and says :
" The French Government regrets that Greece,
only after the conclusion of the Conference, and after
having given in her adhesion to the resolutions of
the Conference, suould have made explanations
and demands which place in doubt, groundlessly it
is to be hoped, her intention of actually conform-
ing to the said resolutions. Greece could not but
lose the sympathy of the Powers should she again
try to bring about any violent catrstrophe by hos-
tile agitation."

HOMEWARD (IIE7IVY) BOMBAY MAIL.
GIBRALTAR, Feb. 28.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Tanjore arrived at 4, and leaves for Southampton
at 7 this evening ; all well.
She may be looked for on the morning of the
sth proximo.

A_MEIICA.

NEW YORK, March 1.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
CLOSING PRICES.

Gold closed at 131 a. The highest quotation
during the day was 132 ; the lowest 1311.
Stciling Exchange on London, 10811.
Fire-'l'wenty United States' Bonds-1882, 117 ;
ditto, 18.5, 115 ; ditto, 1865, 1121 ; Ten-Forty
Bonds, 106, cx coupon.
Hit-lois, 141 ; Erie, 361-.
Cotton—Aliddling upland, 261-1:-C..
Por,,lentn—standard Mite, 35c.
Flour--extra State, is 6 45c. to $7 Se.
Corn—old mixed, $1 2c.

CORRESFONDLNCE FROM rms.

(TRoil out OWN connEsrortErr.)

PARIS, MONDAY, March 1.
Doubtless the telegraph has ere now announced to you
the deaths of M. Troplong, the President of the Senate,
and M. Lamartine, one of the greatest men of France.
It is a somewhat remarkable instance of the vanity of
earthly wishes and the futility of popular favour that the
journals, which all appear with memoirs of these two
men, should devote the place of precedence and the longest
space to J. Troplong, whilst the much greater man,
Lamartine, is disposed of in a meagre column. But n
Troplong was President of the Senate a few days ago;
Lamartine retired from public life on the advent
of Napoleon 111. The poet, statesman, and historian is
forgotten, whilst the respectable but scarcely great
abilities of M. Troplong have been employed in public
service to the last. Lamartine was born in 1700, and his
memory reaches back to some of the scenes of the Reign
of Terror. During the time of the First Empire, Lamar-
tine resided chiefly at Paris ; and, having inherited the
Royalist feelings of his father, he entered the military
service of Louis XVIII., when the First Napoleon had
been exiled to Elba. When the Hundred Days were
ended he left the army and became a journalist,
suddenly rising into fame in 1820, on the pub-
lication of his " Mjditations Fatigues." He was

appointed attache to the French Embassy at Flo

rence, and then removed to London, where he resided
until 1830. Here he married an English lady of fortune.
Whilst residing in France he had published many poems,
all of strong Royalist spirit, but on the Revolution of
1830 lie ceased to be a Legitimist, and identified
himself with the struggles of the people. In
France and in the Holy Land many years passed,
marked by various publications, of which the chief
was the "Histoiro des Girondins," which undoubtely did
much to pave the way for the Revolution of 1848. When
this event occurred Lamartine became, if not the guiding
spirit of the movement, at least second in consequence to
none. He animated and led the Liberals, stood as the firm
opponent of all compromise between the successful insurgents
and the fallen family, and yet at the same time preserved the
revolution from any of the worse consequences of the
convulsion of 1789. He was elected one of the Provisional
Government, and became Foreign Minister. Here his
public career ends. His popularity vanished utterly.
Whilst six constituencies had contended for the honour of
returning him, lie was with difficulty elected in 1849. He
was proposed as President along with Louis Napoleon and
General Cavaignac, but very few votes were given him.

Since that time he has led a life of retirement as an
author—a strange instance of the fickleness of popular
regard, and of the influence of time on the positions of
men. Lamartine has lived for nearly twenty years in
neglect ; but if he never regained popularity, he earned
the sincere respect of all men. if he was no longer a
politician, he was esteemed by all parties as a patriot
who throughout his life had preferred his country's good
to his own advancement. This is a meed of praise which
can be accorded to few. Of all the numerous and various
journals of France, not one speaks of Lamartine to-day
without the highest commendation of his character. Many
have no great opinion of him as a statesman, but al)
admire the writer and esteem the man. For posterity M.
Lamartine's fame will rest chiefly on his poetry. He wss
79 years of age.
M. Troplong is a great loss to the Second Empire. He
did not stand in the front rank of men, but he united
triple fame as a statesman, writer, and jurist. He was
the first, and one of the best, of French lawyers.
M. Haussmann has not yet resigned—at least I have
heard but rumours of it. Be ought to do so ; but lam told
that he bears his vilification with tat delightful equanimity,
which all officials of the empire—liable to be sacrificed at
any moment—ought to cultivate. What can the Emperor
think of M. Rouher's speech? What conclusion can he
draw from a situation which has rendered it necessary
to save him from personal censure by disgracing
the system of personal government, and shamelessly ex.
posing a Minister who can only in part be held answerable
for his deeds ? Baron Hausmann is assailed by
the Opposition ; a Councillor of State gets up ro
defend him, so does the Minister of the Interior; and
then comes M. Rouher, throws all three over,
declares that Baron Haussmann's deeds are indefensible,
but adds that the Emperor, though ruling by personal
government, cannot look into such little affairs as the
expenditure of eighty millions sterling. Mr. Rouher's
speech NW's amazing. So far as people have recovered
from their surprise, they express but one opinion—that

never has the domestic policy of the Empire sustained such
a blow before.

• But it will be wise to avoid drawing conclusions un

the debate is resumed. The Loan Bill has been sent back
to the Commission, but the Journal Officiil says that it has
well nigh concluded its labours, so that a speedy reopening
of the campaign may be looked for. The Journal de
Path says that the Prefect of the Seine has resigned, bit+

it is thought that at least he will continue his functions v
little longer.

The returns of the French Custom House give the
exportation of velocipedes during the last year equal to a

million of francs. The Paris manufacturers are considered
particularly clever in constructing this instrument of loco•

motion.

THE TT EA

'HEI? TABLE-THIS DA I',

.

EOLOLOCICAL RETORTS.

Extreme Sea
Tuesday, .c
F.
March 2, B. T. W. 11 to F. D. WR. It(
12
E
Nairn
Aberdeen29'oCf. 36 35 N. 14. 2 1 S.W s•ro 049
Leith
Shields
Scarborough 28•93 f. 39 i 37 W.N.W. 6 7 N.N.W. bs.c 0'59
armouth 28'98f. 40 33 W.N.IV. 5 7 N.W. S.C. 0'33 4
(2ux haven
Skudesnpas _
Ardrossan
Greencastle 29 14f. 40 37 N.W. 5 8 W. h.c. 0'55 —llolyhead
Liverpool
Valet, tia — _
Cape Clear — _ _ _
Roch e's Ft 29'45f. 44 44 W.N.W. 9 9 W.N.W. 0.1.r0'19 5
Penzance
Plymouth
Pembroke .. 29'30f. 43 39 W.N.W. 9 9 W.N.W. f.c0,0'22
Portsmouth 29'24f. 42 40 N.W. 8 11 W. C. 10'17 8
London
U'peGrisNez
Bre st
(:Orient 29'67f. 48 48 W.N.W. 9 9 W.N.W. o.r. o'os 6
Rochefort
Biarritz
Cor _ _
Brn esels _
Paris
Strasbourg
-- --
Toulon - 7
Heart's Con-
tent (9 am.
local time) _ _