The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-11 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIO JOURNALS,

The Irish ffineral processions have been looked upon by
,some with fear and trembling, but, as the 271:712C3 takes
occasion to point out, the demonstrations of sympathy
with the Manchester murderers would be felt to be a
great failure if they did not produce unpleasant impres-
sions and painful perplexities. If loyal people were to
affect indifference and contempt they would not be be-
lieved, or, if believed, promised something more offensive,
embarrassing, and formidable. Everything, indeed, is
done to invest these funeral processions and rites
with a factious and political significance, and to force
us to read their meaning, whether we will or not.
Boller, or, rather, more favoured by the law, than
the bravo of Italian fiction, the Fenian processionists
do not confine themselves to biting the thumb ; they pro-
claim till they are hoarse whom they are biting the thumb
at, and that they mean the worst that can be imagined.
They mean to add a fresh sanction to that right of shedding
blood which iu nll recorded history the Irish race has held
to be the rightful resort of the aggrieved, the natural
equipoise against artificial privileges and powers, and the
palladium of public liberty, social confidence, and per-
sonal independence. They mean to assure us that as
they have dealt with Sergeant Brett, so will they
deal with all the ministers and servants of British
authority when the occasion comes. They mean to force
into a sort of sacramental union, sanctified by the
blood of these so-called martyrs, all of their own race
or creed who have not the courage to avow themselves on
the side of order and authority. They mean to produce
that idea of numbers and military organisation which the
public attaches to processions before it has learnt to count
them, and found them really impostures. They mean to
put Government in the dilemma of either tolerating what
they take every pains to render intolerable, or resisting
what will be immediately justified as purely religious rites
and the simple expressions of national grief. They mean
the attainment of one more step towards that anarchy
which might or might not end in the independence of
Ireland, but which would certainly cause unimagined
miseries both to Ireland and to England. They mean, if
possible, to betray Government into indiscretions, and
even breaches of the law, very advantageous in a contro-
versy of which all nations are witnesses. They care not
if they provoke collisions or confusions, in which the
presence of overpowering numbers and unseen weapons
might possibly secure an advantage for the Fenian cause.

The Metropolitan Streets Act, as the Post contends, ap-
pears destined to be a source of endless grievances and
squabbles. It has been amended, but the costermongers
declare that it is now worse than the original measure.
The police have power to provide 5,000 stands, but the
remaining 45,000 itinerant traders must be suppressed.
Everybody is in favour of these travelling merchants,
except the police, and it is in deference to those that the
bill was passed, and in order to extend the sphere of the
enlightened operations by which they had already im-
mortalised themselves in Westminster last year. There
seems every prospect that the power now given will
be exercised to its very- limits, for it appears
that in Leather-lane the names of the traders have
already been taken in order that they may be proceeded
against. All this may be pleasing to the police, but it is
ruin to the costermongers ; and it is much to be regretted
that the House of Commons should so hastily have sanc-
tioned a piece of legislation aimed exclusively at the poorer
struggling class of traders, who more than any others are
entitled to indulgence, if not protection. It trusts that
next session w-ii bring a revision of the whole bill, and
that cabmen, costermongers, brewers, carriers, and all
those whose vocation calls them into the streets may be
dealt with on something like principles of equal justice.
While the Herald praises Mr. Hardy for the ready way
in which he has relieved the costermongers from their
grievances, it believes that it would be a boon to the public
if the Home Secretary were now to turn his attention to the
frauds committed on all classes of the public by the use
of false weights and incorrect measures, and legislate,
even during the present session, on this very important
subject after such a fashion as would not only ensure the
publication of the names and residences of the un-
principled dealers who use them, but inflict upon them
besides such punishments as might deter them from per-
severing in their dishonest practices. It is probable that
if Mr. Hardy were to propose the adoption of the French
mode of punishment for similar violations of the law—
namely, the imposition of an increasing fine for each repe-
tition of the offence, combined with the publication of the
sentence in the local newspar erg, at the convicted person's
expense, and its exposure in his shop, he might meet with
some opposition ; but he might adopt a medium course,
which would be favourably entertained by Parliament,
and be productive of satisfactory results, were it enacted
that placards in large print, containing all the details,
should be placed in the most accessible and public parts
of the courts in which the convictions were pronounced,
so that they might be visible to all who frequent them,
and attract the attention of those desirous of learning the
particulars of each case. This, connected with a proviso
rendering a second offence punishable with imprisonment
without the option of paying a fine, would probably put
an effectual stop to practices which could no longer be
carried en with secrecy and comparative impunity.

In an article on the position and prospects of our volun-
teer force, the Standard lays down one main question for
consideration. That is, whether this fine, and, in its way,
unequalled and unparalleled force, shall remain a mere
mob of battalions, or be organised into an army capable of
at once serving the country in the hour of need as it ought
to be served. There is another contingency. Shall the
volunteer force be allowed to dwindle into mere rifle clubs
on a large scale? For there is danger even of that. The
recognition it has received from his Royal Highness the
Commander-in-Chief and his best generals assures us of
his and their ardent approval of any scheme calculated to
give it both permanency and efficiency. There is no fear
of jealousy on the part of the army. Our army is far
above such unpatriotic conduct. We shall not attempt
to state what staff officers are necessary. This is a
question for the War Office to decide. Probably a general
of division, with one or two aide-de-camps, and a quarter.
master-general, with a brigade major for each brigade,
would suffice. The cost would be nothing in proportion
to the benefit to be derived. We have now administrative
battalions ; we want administrative divisions and brigades.
We venture, with all due respect, to recommend this to
the consideration of the authorities, and to say that in our
1/4dgment the time for that consideration presses.
Lord Elcho has placed on the notice paper the terms of
the motion which he intends to propose when Parliament
reassembles touching the formation of a real reserve army.
He will suggest that a Royal Commission should be ap-
pointed "to inquire into and report upon our military
organisation in so far as it relates to the establishment of
a sufficient and economical army of reserve, aad the
means it offers of a speedy and efficient expansion to meet
the requirements of war, more especially for home de-
fence ; and to consider, keeping these objects in view,
whether it may be necessary or desirable to enforce
the ballot for the militia ; and, if so, in what way
this may be done so as to effect the desired end, and at the
same time press most lightly on the people." Here, says
the Telegraph, are materials for an excellent debate, and
we trust that the question will not be met with indif-
ference. The expiring Parliament may very well render
to its successor the slight service of paving the way for
broad measures of military reform ; and the new Parlia-
ment will be in a much better position to sanction prompt
and searching remedies, if the Government will grant
Lord Elcho his commission, and assent to Mr. Otway's
comprehensive motion respecting the administration of
the War Department. Unless radical measures he
adopted with goodwill we shall certainly suffer some
severe disaster.

Good as the policy of non-intervention may be in the
abstract, there are occasions when it is objectionable in
the concrete. The Star is unable to see why Lord Stanley
should not have joined in the identical note sent by Russia,
Prussia, France, and Italy to the Porte, on the relations
of that Power with its Cretan subjects. It cannot compre-
hend this reticence. It is a development of non-interven-
tion wholly opposed to the principles on which that political
dogma is based. Turkey is not in any sense an indepen-
dent State, and a remonstrance addressed to her for her
conduct in Crete is a very different thing from a remon-
strance with -Prance in the matter of Rome, or with
Russia in the matter of Poland. The present Government
of the Sultan is, in fact, the creation of the foreign policy
of England. Its falling authority has been propped by
Pritish bayonets ; its sinking credit has been buoyed by
Eriti.,ll capital. England, if any nation, hal a right to
see that her protege does not too openly outrage public
morality.

A DouBTrUL HONOUR.—The King of Siam hal
conferred upon Sir John Eowring the title of "Phraya
Siamitre Malia Yesa " for services rendered to the
Siamese. This, we are infonia,,l, is the hizhest dignity
that can be borne by a foreigner, and few Court newsmen,
we may add, save those of Siam, would dare to spell it.
GREAT ECLIPSE OT THE SUN IN 1868.—At the
last meeting of the Royal Society, the President and
Council had under consideration the means to be employed
in making complete observations of the total eclipse of
next year. The eclipse will be of the greatest possible
duration, affording, therefore, more leisure than usual for
such observations as can only be made during the brief
interval of the totality. The total phase will be visible
in India, but elsewhere only in countries practically un•
available. Recent observations on the spectra of the
heavenly bodies render spectroscopic observations of the
red protuberances and of the cor9na matter of peculiar
interest