The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-03 00:00:00

Railway Distrust.

This time last year commercial matters in certain
quarters were approaching a panic, which then
loomed 'ahead threateningly, creating a feeling of
painful uneasiness. The crisis came, and its effects
were felt over the land. What that shock was can
now be clearly seen, in shattered nerves and fright
at phantoms. No property can be absolutely secure,
but amongst the most secure are railways. Rail-
ways arc real property ; they have a local, substan-
tial, and tangible existence. They rank in the first
order of national necessities. Although directors
may mismanage and finance them to death, yet
shareholders ought no more to permit it than the
lord of a manor to allow his agent to squander his
estate. Railways are not financial institutions. People
can see and understand what is being done, and
secresy can only be required to conceal crime. Yet
the holders of this magnificent property, which
ranks scarcely second to any in the world, are
working themselves into a state of panic. Smitten
with, the epidemic which seized on Joint-Stock
Company shareholders they seem to be combining
to destroy their property—if they can. But, for-
tunately for them and for the nation, it is not a
class of property that can easily be destroyed. The
" bears" have got the absolute ascendancy, and
having brought down in ruin almost everything
else, they are now successfully engaged in
frightening people out of railway property. It
would appear as if a man had only to in-
struct his broker to sell the shares in any rail-
way without holding a cent in it, and he is safe
in a few days to get a bona fide goose to give him
those shares at a cheaper rate than he sold them,
thereby leaving a margin of profit for himself.
Thus the " bears" lead, and the public follow, and
follow so wildly that it really creates a feeling of
alarm in the uncertainty to what length they can
be induced to go. We would like to know how
those who sell railway property at a heavy depre-
ciation intend
.to invest the proceeds. Foreign
Securities can hardly be inviting with a war hang-
ing over Europe. The young colonies are heivily
enough burdened. Uncle SAM'S estate certainly
lies open, and is, in our opinion, beyond all compa-
rison, the best field. But the mass of the English
people have not yet recovered the confidence
formerly shaken by the repudiation of some States.
It will be long before they again feel any appetite
for Joint-Stock Company investments after their
late surfeit. In the meantime money is becoming
a drug, and we presume this will end in banks
charging their customers for taking care of their
deposits. There is already over thirty-one millions
in the Bank of France, nearly twenty millions in
the Bank of England—double the amount usual in
the Bank of Holland, an excess in proportion in
other European Banks. The reign of distrust has
followed immediately on the reign of confidence—
and we seem drifting rapidly towards the reign of
terror.—Anglo-American Times.

Petition from Job Sass.

-+-..

The following petition, extracted from the Bos-
ton Courier, is from the clever pen of the late
lamented Artemus Ward. No doubt many of our
readers have had cause to sympathise with Job
Sass :

TO THE GRATE & GINERAL KORT OF MASSA-
CIIUSITTS :

the undersined Respectfully represents to your
honorabel Bodies that whereas in or about The
Year 18 & 48 he bekuin owner of 6 Sheers in the
Varmount central ralcroad, havin pade Par vally
for the same,—
& whereas, Moreover, he (the sed undersined)
wouldn't Never have bot sed 6 sheers hadn't It
have bin sartin lle wud git dividends on 'em every
par annum,—

but whareas, nevertheless, in or abowt The year
18 & 50 he see the sheers Was a fallin awey in
markit valley, & akordingly went Down to bostou
for the purpose Of sellin out his sartifikate of Stock,
but was prevented from so doing by Hearin a
humorous speech from the treasurer of The korpo-
rashun (wun mr Quincy), who sed the slicers was
too low, & wud soon rally, as the road was on the
high way to Prosperity & didn' never luke better,
& so on, (& et cettery,)—
& whereas, bein fond Of humor & like Talk, the
underlined lent a Listening ear tu the kajolery of
the sed quincy, & wus hoodwinked Thareby, and
faled to git rid of his sheers, & Acktooally was in-
duced tu parchase 6 more on 'em (bein partially
intoxikated, so To speck, with them " neat &
humorous Speeches" of sed Quincy,)—
& whareas, besides, the Undersined soon arter
read in wun uv the Reports of the direckturs of
the varmount central as How sed treasurer, at that
very Time was a borrowin muney out Of the kum-
pany's chist, tu make gude his own Parsonal
liabilities—for though a man of Most starlin integ-
rity and upriteness, it Seemed he wus owin large
Sums o' muney, and he had an idee the Sheerholders
of The konsarn mite as well pay orf His own
indiwiuooal debts as well as them wat was due
direckt Tu the Korperashun (mote pertickilarly As
he hey in his sarvices as Treasurer, and didn't
charge no Salary,)
& whareas, konsequently, wen he (the Sed trea-
surer) Resined his sitooation he was owin the
kumpany 265 thousand Dollars of borrowed
muney, wick was never pade back, & wich was so
much Muney tuke rite out of my pockit, (that Is
tu say tu the extent i was a Sheer-holder—for
thare was uthers to Bare a porshun of the Loss, as
your honorabel bodies may konjeckture,)—
& whareas, By means of these & divers other
Stratagems wich i wunt now narrate tu Ye, but
awl of wich wud make Lively readin (& gude study
for thort), the Treasurer aforesaid pretty Sune
fetched ruin & kaos on tu the hole konsarn, & wen
i tried tu markit orf my 12 Sheers, a few munths
arterwards, i was Larfed at, & telled tu go back tu
walipole As fast as my legs could carry me—
So now, Tharfore, i, Job Sass, of wallpole, kounty
of norfolk, & State of massachusitts, do hereby
Petition your honorabel bodies that when, here-
arter, the Sed Mr. Quncy kums afore ye tu hoax
and wheedle ye inter purchasin the grate western
and wooster ralerodes, some wun of Yer ax him a
few questions konsarnin The varmount central,
Sc, wile his Mind is well refreshed by them sort
o' reminiscences, ax him further if he Raly
thinks he is jist the parson Tu gin advice &
kownsel in the Management of ralerode lines ;—ax
him If he raly believes he knows more than Eny
uther man, or eny sett o' men, konsarnin wat's best
For bostou & the State o' massachusitts, ax him, in
fina, " are you the rite man, in the Rite Place ?" (i
reckon he'll acknowledge beat, and Step down
from the witness Stand with konsiderabel alackrity.)
gentlemen of the Gineral kort, the foregoin is
submitted tu ye In the full belief I shall git a fair &
Manly hearin. i haint no Parsonal motive of self-
interest tu bee Governed by ;—wat i ax of ye is for
the public Gude. neither du I want tu see mr
Quincy borne down with the konsciousness That
he has bin the death of more than wun Grate ralc-
road. in the graffick wurds o'Skripter—" Sufficient
unto his Dey, has bin the Evil thareof."

your humble &

obedient Sarvent,

JOB SASS.

post Skript. if so bee eny on ye Don't skeercely
know who i am, & want to ax About my antece-
dents, & status, & such like, i Refer ye tu mr Repre-
sentative Bird, my feller townsman, and bosom
friend. wat he dont know of me, wudn't bee wurth
listeuin To, if i may so express Myself. he kan re-
peat my hole history, word for word, may it please
your houorabel Bodies.

J. S.

Jr. Sydney Howard Gay, formerly managing
editor of. The Tribune, is said to be preparing a life of
Horace Greeley.
The people of Pitts county, North Carolina, re-
zently compelled the sheriff to burn up all his writs and
executions. They are wholly destitute, unable to pay,
and unwilling to be ejected from their homes on legal
process. The Legislature has passed a bill granting a
stay of twelve months in tho collection of debts.