The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-02 00:00:00

THE STN,

have passed for the future Government of the
Scotch Universities will be found high advantage-
ous to those venerable institutions, and will
greatly promote aLd Extend a system of sound
moral and religious education in Scotland.
The Transfer of Land Bill, which extends the
powers hitherto exercised by the Encumbered
Estates Commissioners, and facilitates the acqui-
sition of an indefeasible title by purchasers of
land in Ireland, cannot fail to be highly beneficial
to the landed proprietors, and to advance the pro-
sperity of that part of her Majesty's dominions.
The Act to which her Majesty has assented for
the establishment of the Colony of British Co-
lumbia was urgently required in consequence of
the recent discoveries of gold in that district ; but
her Majesty hopes that this new colony on the
Pacific may be but one step in the career of steady
progress by which her Majesty's dominions; in
North America may ultimately be peopled, in an
unbroken chain, from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
by a loyal and industrious population of subjects
of the British Crown.
Her Majesty thankfully acknowledges the dili-
gence and perseverance which have enabled you,
in a comparatively short time, to pass these and
other measures of inferior but not insignificant

importance.
Many of you, in returning to your respective
counties, have extensive influence to exercise,
and duties to perform, of hardly less value to
the community than those from the labours of
which you are about to be released ; and Her
Majesty entertains a confident assurance that,
under the guidance of Providence, that influence
will be so employed, and those duties so per-
formed, as to redound to your own honour, and
to promote the general welfare, and the happi-
ness of a loyal and contented people.

We live in strange eventful times, and perhaps
the session which has this day been brought to a

conclusion may be regarded as one of the most
remarkable of the many by which it has been pre-
ceded. Matters of vital importance, both foreign
and domestic, have been ventilated—formidable
difficulties have been successfully surmounted.

A. quasi strong Ministry, or at least one supposed
to command the allegiance of an overwhelming
majority, has been ignominiously driven from

office, which, notwithstanding the most spasmodic
and factious efforts, it was unable to regain, while
one supposed to be weak, has carried many
valuable measures, and notwithstanding the Pal-

merstoniaus were accustomed to taunt them with

merely holding office on sufferance, defeated a]

their •most determined onslaughts, and brought
the session to a triumphant termination, having
carried many valuable enactments, and solved
some difficult problems. Nor is it merely what
has been accomplished that should be regarded.
The good seed has been sown broadcast, and it
will doubtless produce fruit that will be very ac-
ceptable to the nation.
The Session opened on the 3d of December
last. Parliament was convened at that unusual

season in order to pass a bill of indemnity to the
Directors of the Bank of England for the infringe-
ment of one of the chief provisions of the Charter.

The monetary code had naturally enough produced
a monetary crisis. Firms of undoubted solvency
and unblemished reputation were compelled to
suspend payments—credit was annihilated. There
was no confidence between man and man. Trade
and commerce were paralysed, and the minimum
rate of discount at the Bank of England was
raised to 10 per cent., while it was at least 15 to
20 for really unexceptional paper out of doors.
Sir G. C. LEWIS witnessed this distressing state
of affairs with perfect equanimity. He, in fact,
out-wooded WOOD. He held out longer
than that unfortunate financier, before
giving relief, and insisted on 10 in

place of 8 per eent., as the lowest possible rate
at which money could be advanced by the Old
Lady of Threadneedle-street. In both cases the
relief was not afforded until the Bank itself re-
quired it. But the conditions weremore stringent
in the later case—and mirabilis dicta—LENvis was
even more objectionable than WOOD as the head
of the financial department.
The short winter session, however, afforded no
opportunity for sharp contests. The bill of in-
demnity was, of course, carried, for every one re-
cognised the imperative necessity for the suspen-
sion of the Act of 1844, which was only too long
maintained. The relief afforded by the change
was speedily apparent, although from the undue
delay the Bank was compelled to take advantage
of the permission so grudgingly and tardily

accorded.
In February Parliament again assembled. Lord
PAL7IIftSTON felt himself to be a dictator, and
acted the character to the very life. He thought
nothing could check his prosperity, and that he
could afford to exhibit a high degree of contuma-
cious insolence to independent Liberals. But the
worm had already attacked the root of his pro-
sperity. The attempted assassination of the
Emperor NASOLEON had excited the terror of the
French Court, and the truculent insolence, not
merely of rough sahreurs, but of diplomatists,
who ought to have known better. The Con-
spiracy to Murder Bill was introduced, but not
until the English people had been thoroughly
disgusted by the uncourteous, but unan-
swered despatch of Count WALEWStI, and
the reckless addresses of certain Colonels, duly
chronicled in the columns of the Mo,liteur, de-
siring to be led against "the den of assassins,"
and to be permitted to take part in the sacking of
London, and the subjugation of Great Britain.
This was too much. The nation would not
swallow the leek, and the second reading of the
obnoxious measure was rejected by a majority of
19, in a House in which 453 Members were in
attendance.
Even after that defeat, Lord PA LMERSTON
might have retrieved his serious error. But he had
been playing the despot, and could not be persuaded
to give up the role. He chose to ride the high
horse, and, as Mrs. G AMP would say, was obliged to
"submit to the consequences of the sitiwation ! t'
He tendered his resignation, and to his grievous
disappointment found that it was accepted, and
that Lord DERBY had chivalrously undertaken
the task of forming an Administration. The diffi-
culties were apparently insurmountable, but still
the Noble Earl responded to the call of his
c surpassing, -er ion
SOVEREIGN, and obtained thfaer
o opa
of a distinguiahed party
in every respect, the quondam colleagues
of the veteran Viscount. The new Ministry was
formed, not merely of men who had already proved
their ability, but the most promising juniors were
selected, and Lord DERRY was truly fortunate in
the valuable assistance which he secured. The
Earls of CARNARTON and DoNouciumonn, Mr.
SEYMOUR FITZGERALD, and Mr. GATHORNE
HARDY, have each and all afforded evidence that
" wise heads may rest upon young shoulders."
The best selection was, however, that of the
Solicitor-General, Sir HUGH AI‘CA LMONT CAIRNS,
who certainly made what may be termed the
speech of the session, par (xcellerice—a speech
which circulated throughout the length and
breadth of the land, and materially assisted
in defeating the factious motion, which, it was