The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-31 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1858.

The Indian difficulty has been surmounted,
the great Eastern problem fairly solved. On

Monday next the Leviathan Company, which has

so long nominally ruled over such important ter•

ritories—that controlled the destinies and regu.

lated the affairs of 150,000,000 of British sub.

jests—will cease to exist, and its authority wi

be transferred to our Most Gracious Sovereign
Queen TICTORIA, her heirs and successors
throughout all generations. It is a mighty
change ; one that required the most calm and
attentive consideration, eombined with a total
absence of prejudice or passion. It would, indeed,
have been truly deplorable if the Anglo-Indian
E npire could have been made the battle-field of
contending parties ; if any undue influence had
rendered the all-important task, which Parlia-
ment was called to discharge, more arduous
or more invidious than it must necessarily
have been. There was at one time great
danger that such might have been the case.
A formidable attack was directed against the Go-
vernment. It was, however, fortunately averted,
and we rejoice to say that, from the withdrawal
of that impending peril, the Government and
both Houses of Parliament have faithfully and
efficiently discharged their trying duties with a
conscientious desire to legislate in the best man-
ner for the interests of Great Britain and of India,
and to produce the best measure possible under
existing circumstances. They have succeeded to
a great extent ; and although there may still be
some differences of opinion—as indeed there must
be in every similar case—we believe that what
has been accomplished will be hailed with all but
universal approbation, as a decided improvement
on the previous state of affairs.
There had been five points of difference be-
tween the co-ordinate branches of the Legislature,
and the. Lords promptly and gracefully conceded
three of the heads containing the more important
objections, but persisted in their views on the other
two matters, to which they invited the renewed at-
tentionOf the other House. The difference, indeed,
'was practically limited toa single point, inasmuch
as that to the 54th clause originated in a miscon-
ception, as explained
.by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer in his very clear and able speech ou
the subject. It had been decided by the Com-
mons that, in case of au order to commence a
foreign war being sent out from this country,
notice should be given to Parliament within one
month after such order, if it was then sitting if
not, within one month after resuming ite sittings.
The Lords altered the one month to three months
while Parliament was sitting, and that in any
event three months might elapse from the date of
the order to the time of communicating it to Par-
liament. The reason was quite sufficient, inas-
much as it might not be convenient, or politic,
for the Governor-General to carry the direction
into practical execution. It was therefore thought
der.irahle that sufficient time should be afforded to
receive an answer from the Governor-General be-
fore the matter was brought before Parliament,
and thus virtually before our opponents, whoever
they may be at the time, knew our intentions.
This explanation was deemed so satisfactory that
the House at once unanimously acceded to what
weir really an amendment.
The remaining point related to the " vexed
question" of competitive examinations in the
scientific branches of the Indian army. The state-
ments made by Mr. DISRAELI and Lord STANLEY,

however, greatly narrowed the issue. The matter,
tubed, rested between a " recomeendation" and