The Sun.
London, England, 1867-10-01 00:00:00

TIIE 81714_ LoNiit)N. TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 1, li6l.

of judicial authorities were set at defiance by mili-
tary of racers, a premium was held out to fraud and
violen cc, which the strictest discipline in the army
could never guard against. If the military cora-
ismam.lers had from the first acted in the spirit of
enizral Ortn, and refused to sanction illegal pro-
.ceedings simply because the offenders were Federals
.and the sufferers ex-Confederates, much injustice
:and oppression would have been saved, and much
heartburning and opening of old wounds pre-
fan ted.

The National Reform Fete and Banquet is over,
and perhaps the best that can be said of it is that it
has steered, pretty evenly between success and
failure. Its friends may call it one and its enemies
dEsignate it as the other, but in this, as in other
cases, the juste milieu may be taken as the standard,
It is certain that those who laboured to inaugurate
-the affair have met with many drawbacks and dis-
Gouragements, but perhaps it was not so much their
fault as their misfortune that they should have done
80. They were treated very shabbily by the Reform
I sec gue, whose committee withheld all support from
the, proceedings, and seemed determined to make it
as Cully known as possible that they had nought to
do with the affair. Refusals to appear at
the fete arrived successively from Earl Rts-
SELL, Mr. GLADSTONE, and Mr. BRIGHT. Not-
withstanding all this the promoters of the un-
dertaking persevered, and yesterday celebrated
their triumph. In the afternoon a meeting was
held, at which no resolutions were passed, but where
some criticisms were made on the Reform measure
of this Session. The best that could be said was
not much, and one speaker was strongly against
the bill, which he denounced as being inadequate
and unsatisfactory. In fact, he considered that the
greater number of the constituencies would still be
the " political preserves of a worthless aristocracy.',
The most objectionable speech of the meeting was
delivered by Mr. J. LEICESTER, a glass-blower, who
was conspicuous at one of the meetings last autumn
for his extraordinary language. He went on in much
the same strain this year, and conducted himself with
dealing most unsparing abuse around. Men who
forget themselves in this way do a great deal of
harm to the cause they profess to serve, and thus
only exhibit how unfit they are to judge of those
acts of Parliament which they consider themselves
privileged to decide upon.
The banquet was thinly attended. Mr. PorrEn
was chairman, and a letter from Mr. BRIGHT was
circulated among the company. It must be con-
fessed that the hon. member for Birmingham made
the best of an awkward affair with his usual dexterity
and adroitness, and he contrived to set at rest any
doubts that might be entertained as to whether he
would honour the rival Reform banquet with his
presence. A similar answer to this is, he announces,
to be sent to all invitations that may be
sent to him. He has given, he says, the
" leisure of many autumns to the movement for
Reform, and now when one main part of the work
is done, I do not feel disposed to give another
autumn to platform labours to celebrate the victory
we have won." Perhaps it would have been too
much to expect that Mr. BRIGHT should conclude
his communication without showering a little abuse
upon some one and some thing, and accordingly
the lot falls upon the Houses of Parliament. The
Legislature, he declares, " has been driven in one
direction, but by forces too strong for it, but its
temper is not changed." The chief charge against
it is the destruction of the popular power of the
great boroughs by the vote at the end of the session.
Mr. PorrErt proposed that the Reform Act of
18G7 should be accepted as an instalment.
lie was profuse in his acknowledgments to Mr.
GLADSTONE and Mr. Bracurr for the services they
had rendered, so much so, that had a stranger been
present he might have been excused for thinking
that they, and they only, had proposed and passed
the measure of last session. It would have been
better taste, and a little more in accordance with
truth and justice, if he had tendered some thanks to
to those under whose auspices this instalment had
obtained the sanction of Parliament. On the con -
trary, we hear that Mr. BRIGHT'S honesty of pur-
pose entitled him to the " crown of victory which
he had earned." His eloquence had broken the
power of the Tory party, and had led to
victory the Liberal party. The best com-
mentary on this is that had Mr. BRIGHT himself
thought so he would not have begrudged the leisure
of many autumns to celebrate the victory he had
won. The Chairman only made one reproachful
comment upon the absence of those leaders they had
expected, when he said that the Tory party would
misrepresent their non-appearance. Mr. AYRTON
made a few remarks, the most significant of which
referred to the want of unity which characterised
the Liberal party, and he counselled them to sup-
port their party—" they must be prepared to sink
all personal opinion, and to give their hearty sup-
port to their party." It is worthy of notice, that
had this advice been acted upon last session
Mr. AYRTON would not have been able
to figure at a Reform Banquet, for the
Course which Mr. GLADSTONE indicated would not
have permitted the second reading of the Reform
Bill to take place at all. It was a significant fea-
ture in the evening's proceedings that when one of
the speakers was entering into the question of
trades unions, he was met with interruptions. On
the whole the affair passed off very well, and it is
most satisfactory that no contretemps arose to annoy
the harmony of the undertaking. Considering the
peculiar character of the tenets which some of the
speakers upheld, it may be fairly allowed that no
great exaggeration or extravagance of language was
used, and that no very vehement denunciation took
place concerning the existing state of things, for,
with some exceptions, the prevailing tone was mode-
ration.

Those who can spare a little time to study the
manner in which Prussia is consolidating her con-
quests and converting the free cities into provinces
under the dominion of King WILLIAM may perhaps
be astonished and perhaps disappointed. The truth
remains the same, at any rate, and a rapid trans-
formation scene is going on, by moans of which
the proposed unity of Germany is to be worked
out by placing many cities and States in a worse
condition than they were before. The contingent
furnished by the free town of Hamburg to the for-
mer German Confederation has been disbanded, and
Prussian troops will henceforth undertake the mili-
tary duties of the town, and the chief guards
have already been occupied by them. So much
for freedom and progress under the new regime,
and so much for the independence of feeling and
action that can be maintained. In point of fact an
arbitrary military absolutism is being rapidly esta-
blished, and the sooner the truth is realised the better
for all parties. Frankfort-on-the-Maine has just
received intelligence, by means of a Royal decree,
defining the bases upon which the property belong-
ing to the city is to he settled. It is declared,
among other things, that the loan effected by that
city to meet the costs of the late war is to be con-
sidered and treated as a debt incumbent upon
Frankfort-on-the-Maine. Whatever burdens cau
be put upon others the Berlin Government is pretty
certain to let them share, but it is really most

strange that in so many quarters so much miscon-
ception should arise as to its policy and the motive

of its actions.

It is satisfactory to turn to Austrian affairs,
which are proceeding in a more promising fashion,
and it certainly shows much can be done by patience
and perseverance. Last year no one would have
thought that the Emperor FRANCIS JosErtl could
have retrieved his position at all, and yet he has
contrived to do wonders. The importance of the
better understanding with Hungary cannot be over-
rated, and as yet it is difficult to appreciate it fully.
Let but another war take place, however, and the
advantage cannot be long doubtful. While Prussia
has decidedly retrograded in the promulgation of
true principle, Austria has male a corresponding
advance in the right direction, and time will show
which country will prosper the most ; the one which
acts in accordance with the spirit of the age, or the one
which persists in following the selfish and exclusive
course of aggrandising her territory to the detriment
of the prosperity of those concerned, and at the
sacrifice of those principles which should actuate the
rulers of free nations.

The Revenue Returns I.)r the September Quarter
give us, happily, no reason to apprehend that the
general complaints of depression and dulness have
in any way affected the condition of the National
Exchequer. At first sight, it is true, the result of
the quarter shows a net decrease of £282,358, but
a second glance reminds us that the corresponding
quarter of 1866 included £500,000 from New Zea-
land Bonds. The apparent decrease of £282,358
represents, therefore, an actual increase of over
£200,000. The returns of the September quarter
are always the smallest in the year, and the present
quarter is no exception to the rule. The compari-
son of the whole results of the two years from
September, '65, to September, '67, brings us to the
satisfactory conclusion that the year just concluded
boasts an increase of £1,010,329. In the year s
account, indeed, there is an increase under every
head but one, and that one the miscellaneous.
Even the quarter's return, which shows a decrease
of £39,000 under the head of Customs, and of
£22,000 under that of Excise, gives an increase of
a quarter of a million for stamps, £29,000 for taxes,
of £15,000 for the property tax, and of £40,000 for
the Post Office. There is then good ground for
satisfaction in the retrospect of the national finances,
and wo may hope that, with reviving trade and
increasing activity of business, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer may next April be able to congratu-
late himself and the country on an even more favour-
able condition of the national finances than our
long course of surpluses and net increases had led
us to expect.

Quartet s ended

Dec. 31, 31arch 3', I June 30, Sept. 30,
1866 1867 1867 1867
5,964,000 5,527,00 D 5,499,000 5,502,000
5,47 ,000 5,535,000 5 0.8,000 4,3 0,000
2,104,000 2,554,000 2,547,000 2,2.0,000
1,358,000 389,000 1,506,000 27 ,000
',314,000 2,156,000 1,571,000 648,000
1,140,000 3,►00,00J 1,15,,,000 1,290,, 00
95,000 93,000 71,000 72,000
(82,905 1,087,871 402,925 719,740
18,311,93 1 18.14,871 17,781,9.5 ,14,113,740

Customs
Excise
Stamps
Taxes
Property Tax
Post-office
Crown Lands
Mis,e,,aneous

Tota's.. .....

Quarters eri.'ed
Dec. 31, March 31, June 30, Sept. 30,
180.1 1865 186 1865
£ £ £
-£
Customs 5,67, ,000 5,139,000 5,2 I,(Y 0 5,541,000
Exct-c 5,1,0,000 5,481,000 5, 41,000 4,520,000
Stamps
Taxes
Props. rty Tax
I'ost-ofh e
Crown Lands
Miscellaneous
Totals
Year ended
Sept. 30, 1867 1:-.ept. 30, 1866.
---,
£ X
Customs 22,492,000 21,6.-1,000
Exciie 20,334,000 2 ~25 ,000
Stamps
Taxes
Property Tax
Posc-Office 4,516,000 4,3 '5,000
53 ',WO 3-2,000
Crown Lands
Misce 1 ,neous

Total ..................
* Including New Zeala:

j 69,47J,471
Lnd Bonds, £SC

I 6?,46 ,142
'O,OOO

IL—lncrease and Decrease in the periods ended Sept. 30,
.1867, as compared with corresponding periods of the
preceding year :

Quarter ended Sept.' Half-year ended
30, 1867. I Sept. 3,, 1867.
_---- -
Increase. Decrease. Increase. Decrease.
--- —
£ £ £ £
Cu i ' oms
Excise
Starlll,B 125,001 .. 189,000 • •
Taxes
._
Prop. rty Tax
Post-Office .... 40.',00 .. 12( ,000 ..
Crown Lands
Aliscalaneous
Totals
Net Decrease £28:,533 Net Increase .C 35,90,
Year ended Sort.
30, 1z67.
Increase. Decrease.
--'--
X X
Cugtoma 871,000 ~
Excise
Stamps
Taxes ....................... .
Property Tax
Post Unice 225,0 K) ..
......
k rown Lands 10,1.0 J ..
Miscellaneous ... ....................... .. 630,471
Totals

Increase,

£1,010,320

III.—An Account showing the Revenue and other
Receipts of the Quarter ended September 30, 1867, the ap-
plication of the same, and the Charge of the Consolidated
Fund for the said Quarter, together with the surplus or
deficiency upon such charge :
Surplus Balance beyond the charge of the Con-
solidated Fund, for the Quarter ended
June 3 ~ 1867, viz. :
Great Britain —
Ireland

Z911,2z4
Income received, as shown in Account I 11,913,740
Amount nised on Account of Fortifications,
&0., per Act 28th and 9th Victoria, cap. 01 ,„
Amount received in repayment of Advances for
Public Works, &c.
Ditto for New Courts of Justice

231,000

£.6,43!,984

Balance, being the Deficiency on September 30,
1807, upon the charge of the Consolidated
Fund in Great Britain, to meet the Divi-
dends, and other charges, payable in the
Quarter to December 31, 1W

.£19,113,263

Deficiency of the Income of the Consolidated
Fund in Great Britain in the Quarter to
June 3 1867, for the charge et the Con-
solidated Fund in Great Britain for that
Qu,rter (as shown in the prec ding ac-
count)
Amount applied out or the Income to Supply Ser •
vices 01 , 217 270
. ••
Amount Advanced for New Courts of Justice .. 161),C00
Ditto for Greenwich Hospital ................ 1 0,0,0
Charge of the Consolidated Fund for the Quarter
ended September 39, 1897, via.:—
Interest of the Permanent
Debt .£5,q15,8))
Terminable Debt
Pri nc! p.l of Exelicquer Bills 1, 00
Interest of Exchequer Bills 72,315
Interest of Deficiency Bills
The Civil List
Other Charges on Consoli-
dated Fund 3.)",816
Advances for l'ublicWorks,&C. 35),9 7
Sinking Fund

10 ',294

7,5.9,707

Surplus Balance in Ireland beyond the charge of
the Consolidated Fund in Ireland for the
Quarter ended September 30, 1867 ..

19,413,203

POACHING AFFRAY.—About 2 o'clock on Sunday
morning two gamekeepers were on their rounds on the
game preserves of Thomas Pares, Esq., of Hopwoll Hall,
near Derby, when they came in contact with a gang of
poachers near the hall. The keepers were about taking up
a large quantity of 'netting, when the poachers made a
murderous attack upon them with heavy bludgeons and
large stones. John Geary, ono of the keepers, was so
severely injured that his life is considered in danger. A
man named Anthony has been apprehended and identified
as one of the gang.

LA TEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

NORTH GERMANY.

BERLIN, Sept. 29.

In to-day's sitting of the North German Parlia-
ment, after a lengthened debate, the Salt Tax Bill
was adopted. The tax on salt for homo consump-
tion is fixed at two thalers per cwt.
The Parliament also adopted a bill providing
that passports in the States belonging to the North
German Confederation shall no longer be necessary.
HAMBURG, Sept. 30, Evenisg.
Hamburg and Lubeck have now received a per-
manent Prussian garrison.

KIEL, OCt. 1.

Prince Adalbert of Prussia and the Minister of
Marine arrive here to-day, to be present at the
hoisting of the North German Federal

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, Sept. 30 (Evening).

The Cezarewitcb, accompanied by his Consort,
arrived here from Frankfort-on-the-Maine to-day,
and alighted at the Russian Embassy. The Crown
Princess of Prussia cathe to Berlin to meet their
Imperial Highnesses. The latter, after paying a
visit to Potsdam, will take their departure via
Copenhagen, for Russia.

Count Bismark, it is stated, has had a lengthy
interview with the Czarewitch.

General Fleury is expected here to-day from

Prague.

OVERLAND MAILS.

MALTA, Oct. 1.

BOMBAY (HEAVY) MAIL.

The Ceylon left at 8 a.m., yesterday, for South-
ampton, where she may be expected on the 9th
instant.

OUTWARD CALCUTTA, CHINA, AND

AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

The Pera, from Marseilles, 28th Sept., arrived
yesterday at midnight, and left at 7 a.m. to-day
for Alexandria.

THE BOMBAY MAIL.
MARSEILLES, Oct. 1.
The Nyanza arrived in the Quarantine Harbour
at 8.30 a.m.
The mail leaves for London at 11,30 a.m.

WRECK OF A CAPE STEAMER.

PLYMOUTH, Oct. 1.

The screw steamer Iliogo, Capt. Baiuton, from
London for the Cape of Good Hope and Japan, has
run on the eastern rock of the Eddystone Light-
house, and proves a total wreck. Crew and pas-
sengers saved.