The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-20 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Times observes that, whatever else may be thought
of the proceedings in the House of Lords on Monday
night, it cannot be doubted that they were extremely
inopportune. A difference on a question of the first
moment is pending between the two Houses, and it is of
great importance that the existing opposition of opinion
should not be aggravated by antagenism of feeling.
Hitherto, as we have frequently admitted, the Lords
have sacrificed a good deal in order to indicate their
desire to meet, if possible, the wishes of the Lower House.
If such an attitude was ever desirable, it is now doubly
important. Yet at this critical occasion the Lords have
dismissed the University Tests Bill on "the previous
question" by a majority of 91 to C 4. The Times cannot
but observe with regret these indications of the policy
the Lords are inclined adopt. A ccursa winch

can neither be me:! nor honourable is to

yield on the princixl and then to endeavour to
maintain existing mt> gements—which generally mean
existing privileges—by haggEng and bargaining over
details. This is the ccurse which has been adopted on the
Irish Church Bill, and the -vote of Monday night is simply
another illustration of it. It is obvious that such a policy
is in danger of bringing the two Houses into collision ou

ground where the popular force cannot scruple to exert
its full power. If matters of principle, and therefore of
conscience, are waived, it becomes a mere question whether
the will of the people or the will of the Lords on a point
of expediency shall be supreme. Pertinacious opposition
assumes simply the character of selfwill. Let us have
one thing or the other. If, as was indicated by the vote
of a few weeks back, the Lords are prepared to adopt it
Al the first rule of political life that the will of the people
must be obeyed, let them accept the position frankly, and
not needlessly provoke irritation by prolonging a contest
of which, by their own confession, the issue is already
decida

The Standard declares that the aim of the University
Tests Abolition Bill is to un-Church the universities in
the first instance, and in the seem!' to subject them to
the control of Dissenters. To effect this, it proposes to
sweep away all guarantees for religious teaching, and the
eventual result will be the secularisation of the teaching
of the universities. It is one of the most mischievous
features of a bill of this kind that none of its friends will
acknowledge it in its true character. No one who has a
word to say on behalf of it will for one moment admit
that it is aimed against the influence of the Church in
the first place, or of religion in the second. What
the religious Dissenters who favour this bill have to
remember is that it would amit to the council
board, with full power to take part in the election of a
Regius Professor of Divinity, persons who might be
declared Atheists. Lord Camperdown says frankly that
it is not so much a question of admitting nen-Churchmen
to a certain number of fellowships as of asserting the prin-
ciple that, as Lord Russell says, the universities are the
property of the nation, and that their endowments may
be devoted to such purposes as may be thought most
likely to promote its welfare. The noble viscount
admits that upon this theory it may be necessary to
" vary" the wills of founders. Would it not be more
true to say that if the authors of this measure are
to have their way those wills must be treated as if
they were waste paper? Everybody admits that the
aim of this bill is to obliterate the au7ch character of the
gniversities. Can anyone who has passel even half a
day among the colleges or Oxford or Cambridge deny the
truth which is imprinted on every stone ef those glorious
fanes, and which makes itself felt in the very atmosphere
racism] them, that they were built by Churchmen for the
training and nurture of Churchmen ? Silently, but with a
dignity of their own, they declare while they vindicate
their mission, and it will be an act of violence little short
of sacrilege which forces them to other uses. Thanks to
the vote of Mondlty niklit the process of un-Churching
them is delayed for at least another year.
The Daily News asks how far do educated people
really believe in the superstitions which they are so fond
of keeping in memory? It is unlucky, we hear, to sit
down thirteen to dinner; unlucky to see the new moon
for the first time through a window; unlucky to spill
salt; unlucky to hand a knife or any sharp-edged instru-
ment to a lady ; very unlucky to break a looking-glass.
Especially on the Continent is the breaking of a mirror
regarded as a sign of coming misfortune. Nothing would
persuade half the women in France that it is not so ; and
just now the French Press is all ablaze with the report
of a disaster which seems to corroborate the superstition.
A few friends met by invitation in the drawing.
room of Madame Judith Mendes, daughter of the well-
known poet and journalist, Theophile Gautier. Mere
was a looking-glass over the mantelpiece which, without
any apparent cause, came crashing dawn, at the mire
time smashing some magnificent china vases. Madame
Mendes was extremely gay that evening. She had just
finished writing a new novel, entitled, "'slender, a
Fen:an Story," of the success of which she entertained
the fairest hopes. The future seemed bright with the
prospect of its early publication. But the looking-
glass was broken, and evil was to follow. Next
day Madame Mendes arrived at the offices of the
Liberte. A great personage, M. Emile de Ghardin,
had consented to publish her novel in the feuilleton
of his newspaper. When Madame Mendes proceeded to
pull the MS., on which she had bestowed all her care, out
(.1'; per bag, she discovered that the omen had fulfilled itself.
No novel was there ! It had been dropped in the street or
In the cab, or it was stolen. Anyhow it was gone, nor
has it been found since. And all on account of that
malicious looking-glass that chose to break itself ! Do
people really believe in such things, or do they only
amuse themselves? One thing at lent is clear, that
every time the superstition comes true the event is most
carefully registered, while no note is ever taken of its
falsification.

The Herald remarks that two railway collisions are
reported as hating taken place on Saturday last in the
north-western counties. In each case an excursion trait/
ran into a train belonging to the goods and mineral traffic.
Excursion trains are usually understood to be exception.
ally dangerous, and goods trains are recognised as the real
" breakers ahead " of a railway trip. Just as naturally
as oxygen and hydrogen combine to form water so it
would seem do excursion and goods trains unite to create
an accident. A junction or a shunting-place is of course
a likely spot for a collision. These elements and
conditions being all present, the chances are in
favour of a disaster. If a disaster does not
occur, we may presume it is prevented by
watchfulness and good signalling. Generals in command
on the field of battle are described as hurling their
battalions against the foe. The scene of battle is scarcely
more terrible—in some respects less so —than that of a
train of twenty-two railway carriages, heavily freighted
with passengers, thundering down upon an obstacle which
it must either destroy or be destroyed by. The Herald is
strongly of opinion that the public have a right to some
further guarantees for their safety in regard to collisions
between the passenger and goods traffic. It is not a mere
question of rules and system, though these are extremely
important ; but to the wisdom of adopting the best code.
we must add the necessity of having the cods faith-
fully carried out. Facts seem to shew that, while
the signals themselves are sometimes inefficient, it still
more frequently happens that the signals are partially dis-
regarded, and the rules with reference to shunting un-
blushingly disobeyed. It is to the interest of the railway
companies to remedy this state of things. The Abergele
catastrophe alone sacrificed more than thirty lives. It is
in the obstructions created by the goods traffic that we
find the great danger of railway travelling. Signalling
and shunting are the elements of safety here, and no pre-
cautions which skill or prudence can suggest ought to be
omitted or trifled with.

The Telegraph refers to the false charges that have
lately been made by police-officers, and says that a still
graver stigma must attach to the head of the police, if it
be true that he hears and knows of such instances, yet
does not promptly bestir himself to afford justice to those
who have been outraged, and purge his force from an
odious suspicion. It is all very well to say that it is the
business of a person who believes himself wronged to
appeal to the law, and not to the Chief Commissioner,
That may be precisely the rejoinder upon which easy-
swearing constables rely ; and we suppose Colonel Hen-
derson would have the right to make it as regards
any complaint preferred against individual officers. But
that which may be a sufficient put-off against the private
complainant is by no means enough to stifle the public
demand for investigation and punishment. Those who
are responsible for appointing men to the force, and for
retaining them in it so long as their conduct fits them to
be trusted with the power of arrest, cannot and must not
overlook or " pooh-pooh" revelations like those lately
made. We say that silence on the part of the Chief Com-
missioner will not satisfy the public. There must be
proof given, and given promptly, that those in command
uf the force comprehend the terrible danger created
by the presence of practised perjurers in its
ranks ; and that they spare no trouble either
to remove that suspicion, or to expel and punish
those who have brought a stain upon the uni-
form. Mistakes will and do occur, and sufferers must
bear their ill-fortune with what patience they may, so
long as it arises from nothing worse than over-vigilance
and energy on the part of constables. Hard swearing,
however, to what is not true, is no " mistake," but a
deadly and detestable crime, more perilous to society than
many which these policemen are paid to prevent ; and it
may at any hour lead to the disgrace and conviction of a
perfectly guiltless individual. If it is not the business of
a Chief Commissioner of Police to see that so perilous a
'Time does not flourish, it is difficult to see that such a
`unctionary fulfils his public duty ; and we would require
to keep a second Commissioner, specially charged to look
after Scotland-yard and its authorities.