The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-09 00:00:00

personal friendships of rulers seldom, if ever,,-inter.
fere with questions of State policy. FRANCIS of
Austria did not seat to defend the throne of his son-
in-law NAPOLEON 1., nor to assert the interes.s of his
grandson, the Duke of ELICUSTADT—LOUIS Pnr-
en-ee., although possessing a fatherly aff,ction for
Queen VICTORIA, could not be induced relinquish
his schemes respecting the Spanish marriages,
which eventually deprived him of his Crown.
Nor did the friendship of our SOVEREIGN
maintain a dynasty, one member whereof was mar-
ried to her uncle and two to her first cousins. It is
not, then, to the effects produced on Imperial or
Royal personages that the chief advantages of such
visits are to be ascribed. No ; it is the feeling ex-
cited amongst the peoples of both countries by such
friendly demonstrations, that v, ill cement, and, we
trust, perpetuate the alliance between France and
England. Let the voice of public opinion on both
sides of the Channel be favourable to peace and
mutual good-will, and there can be no disturbance
of amicable relations, were there ten or fifteen
Cherbourgs in addition.
The captious critics, who write with pens steeped
in gall of what they are pleased to term " the pur-
poses for which Cherbourg was designed, and against
whom it is avowedly levelled," do more to disturb
the entente cordiale, to produce bitterness and
between Englishmen and Frenchmen, than can easily
be repaired. Some sneering or malevolent observa-
tions, calculated to injure the amour propre of a
highly-sensitive race, may produce incalculable mis-
chief, and neutralise the good effects of the Royal and
popular visit to Cherbourg on the highly-interesting
occasion tnat has just passed.
The visit was, unfortunately, but of comparatively
brief character—from the evening of Wednesday
till noon on Friday. It sufficed, however, to show
the warmth of reception accorded by the EMPEROR
and people of France to the Queen of ENGLAND and
many English visitants. There were Royal salutes
fired, on a scale which, of frequent occurrence, would
fully verify the adage, " uneasy lies the head that
wears a crown"—an illumination on a grand scale—
a magnificent banquet ou board a French man-of-
war, at which kind sentiments were very neatly ex-
pressed, and sentences well turned ; and there were
also opportunities afforded for some friendly chat,
in which certain opinions might be expressed.
It is said that some members of the House of
Commons felt a little sore at being unable to go
through and inspect the Imperial dockyard before
the admission of the public generally. We can easily
understand the irritation that would be occasioned
by such an occurrence ; but it must be remembered
that they did not go in their legislative capacity.
They went as a private body of gentlemen, highly
respectable and distinguished, no doubt, but still not
bearing any official capacity. We are quite satisfied
that no slight or want of respect was for a moment
contemplated ; that, on the contrary, every possible
attention was paid. If the preparations making for
the grand inauguration excluded every person, high
and low, they could scarcely hope for any special
exception in their favour. This, however, should
not be the cause of any annoyance or bitterness of
feeling.

India is now in our hands again, at least in the
military sense. Not a town or furtress of any note or
strength is now in the possession of the mutineers ;
Gwalior, the capital of our ally SCINDIAH, with its
almost impregnable fort, has been reconquered
within twenty days after it was treacherously seized,
and we do not remember another town which the
Sepoys can call theirs. The only large band of men
in Central India is that which, driven from
Gwalior, :was making for jeypoor ; this, how-
ever, was followed by Sir HUGH ROSE'S cavalry,
while Greral ROBERTS was advancing from Nus-
seerabadi6 meet it in the opposite direction. It must
probably, therefore, be soon dispersed. In Oude matters
must come to a crisis before long. The most able and
fanatical leader of the rebels there is dead, and the
amnesty, for all but actual murderers, just published,
which is not to extend to those who do not sur-
render before the 30th of September, will :probably
induce the majority to lay down their arms before
that time. It is true that no calculations founded
on prudence or reason seem applicable to our East
Indian subjects:; still the hoplessness of their cause
I must force itself upon their /minds, when every
stronghold is taken and every leader hanged or
killed in battle. The amnesty and victory will
surely soon send the surviving rebels home, and there
will remain but the villains liberated from gaols,
and those who will join them, hoping for a longer or
shorter immunity for plunder.
The task with India will become almost imme-
diately one of government and administration only ;
there will, indeed, be special work in many districts,
in some almost amounting to a Pindaree war, in
others only:to rigorous police measures for the suppres-
sion of Dacoitee, but civil, not military administration,
will resume its sway everywhere. The aid of the
military will be wanted merely for its legitimate
purposes. Now, surely, if ever, is the moment for
pressing everywhere the disarming of the natives.
They themselves will feel that we have a right to
insist on it, and it is the first condition both of our
security and of their mutual security against
each ether. Sir JOHN LAWRENCE has told us that,
but for the disarming of the Sikhs, we should in
all probability have had the Punjaub to reconquer,
instead of having it as a base of operations fur the
reconquest of Delhi; while the prosperity of the pro-
vince has been due in great part to the fact that the
natives were deprived of the means of plundering
each other. The troublesome rebellion in Oude, on
the contrary, and the comparative poverty of one of
the most splendid provinces of India, has been owing
to the fact that the talookdars were all little feudal
barons, in regard to their means of offence and de-
fence, and farmers of revenue, " publicans," in fact,
in respect to the Government. Oude is studded with
small armed forts, and every village is obliged to
have its clubmen. The peasant is never sure of the
reward of his toil.

In Bengal itself, Dacoitee-robbery by large armed
and organised bands is ruinously common, and in
many other parts of India the possession of arms by
some, places others at their mercy. We cannot
of any good reason for delaying
rs
oltif,hwtetoarheavteo
conceive, therefore,
iarulee tyh edme c,
tdhe ed populace Actor forl
n dlhnodl idae.
no inducement to rise against us; if life
to
dhvparoe theperty
are to be secure, they ought not
means of ruthlessly plundering each otherije
occa-
sion Ire-
land never gave a hundrcth part of t
for an Arms Bill that India has done; yet
how readily have such bills been offered to Parlia-
ment and accepted by it. What, we
may ask, can
the talookdars of Oude need cannon for ? and for
what do they need bands of armed retainers? For what
honest purposes can the peasantry !Iced arms ? The
pride of some of the great landlords may be touched
by having to surrender their half-dozen great guns,
but we hold it for a maxim that not a piece of artil-
lery ought to be found in India except in British
hands, or in those of au ally like SCINDIAIT, who
himself will hardly need them more than the lieute-
nant of an English county, if all around him were
disarmed. As to the numerJus little military chiefs,
a body guard, or guard of honour, is all they can
need, just to spare their pride. The possession of
arms, then, except by a registered licence, the arms
themselves being stamped by Government, and the
manufacture of arms, except by express Government
authority, ought to be at once prohib:ted ; and dis-
trict after district ought to be disarmed, a 7 rapidly as
we have the means to do it.

It may be said that disarming will look like dis-
trust, and that it is desirable rather to restore con-
fidence as rapidly as possible. We are afraid that
confidence must be the growth of time. After what
llindoos and Mahommedans have proved themselves
capable of, Europeans will be long before they can
regain the confidence of past years. They have
proved themselves more like to the ferocious animals
of their own jungles than to the mighty and useful
animal, distinguished alike for his sagacity and his

permanent docility when once subdued, Asiatics,
Mahommedans especially, have in them more
of the tiger than of the elephant. They may
seem perfectly subjugated, may almost drag your
chariot, but you can never be sure that in any 1113-
inent a most cunning fear may not change into the
savage seizure of some unexpected opportunity to tear
and devour you. Watchfulness henceforth will be
as essential as justice and kindness. The natives
will know that we keep our eyes open, as we did not
before, and they will think not all the better of us
for pretending that we do not. They will know that
if they bear arms, our eye will be continually on
them, noting the use they make of them ; and they
will think it more frank on our part, and feel more
at ease on theirs, if they know that we have no rea-
son to suspect them, because they do not possess the
means of mischief. It will be ours to have military
and police force sufficient to insure order; theirs to
be without the temptation to insurrection against us,
or crimes of violence against each other.
It would seem almost superfluous to insist on the
necessity of the precaution against future danger to
which we have adverted, and it would be so, were
not tradition and routine so all-powerful in India,
and so strong in the cmposition of the new Council.
The old Indians can hardly be got to look at Indian
questions from a statesman's point of view. The
past has been to them the perfection of wisdom, and
we verily believe that, but for the force of public
opinion in England, the mutiny would be looked on
as a casual exception, which ought to have no influ-
ence whatever on our future Indian policy. We
should still have all the nonsense about the mild
Hindoo, and the respect due to his innocent though
absurd prejudices. Natives would crouch till the
opportunity occurred pring up and cut our
throats, and the members of the " Covenanted Civil
Service," and the officers of the Indian army, would
trust a second edition of sepoys till they found them-
selves shot in the back or backed to pieces. The
next mutiny would not be separated from the present
one by an interval like that which divides the latter
from the battle of Plassy. European blood has now
been tasted as it never was before ; ideas will float in
the native mind which may kindle local or general
conflagration in a moment, and unless the whole
character of our military force there be changed, and
the natives compelled to beat their swords into
ploughshares, we shall hear in perhaps a quarter of
a century, or less, of other risings as bad as that which
is, we trust, smouldering to extinction.

DEATH of the MARQUIS of QUERNSBERRY,

The Glasgow Morning Journal of Saturday makes the
following painful announcement :

"The Marquis of Queensberry, who recently succeeded
to the family title, was yesterday suddenly deprived of life.
We have been unable to ascertain precise particulars; but
understand he and his gamekeeper were shooting rabbits in
Dumfriesshire, and after firing one barrel, in proceeding to
re-load, the gun went off, and shot the marquis through
the heart. Instant death followed."

Her Majesty and his Royal Highness the Prince
Consort will arrive at Buckingham Palace at a quarter to
five this afternoon, from Osborne. The Queen and suite,
according to present arrangements, leave shortly after eight
o'clock to-morrow, to embark at Gravesend, for Germany.
Her Majesty, it is expected, will embark at half-past 10
o'clock at latest.
The Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-
Strelitz and Prince Adolphus left town last evening for
Dover, en route for Germany. The Grand Duke was ac-
companied by their Royal Highnesses the Hereditary Grand
Duchess and the Duke of Cambridge to the railway ter-
minus at London-bridge. The Grand Duchess afterwards
returned to Cambridge Cottage, t 3 join the Duchess of
Cambridge and the Princess Mary, with whom the Grand
Duchess will remain until the 21st instant, and then join
the Grand Duke at Strelitz.
The Prince and Princess Hohenlobe-Schillingfurst
and suite have arrived at Long's Hotel, from Ostend.
His Excellency the Prussian Minister and the
Countess Bernstorff entertained the Duke William of Meek-
knburg-Schwerin, the Earl of Malmesbury, and a select
circle, at dinner, at Prussia House, last week. His Excel-
lency and the Countess left town on Thursday, on a visit to
the Marquis of Salisbury, at Hatfield House.

His Excellency the Sardinian Minister left Paris

-
a few days since en route for Germany.
The Duke of Sutherland, accompanied by the
Marquis and Marchioness of Stafford and Lord Ronald
Leveson Gower, left Liverpool early in the past week in
his grace's yacht for the north of ticotland, via the Cale-
donian Canal. The Duchess has prcceeded to Dunrubin
Castle, N. 8., from Trentham.
The Duke and Duchess of Argyll, with the
Marquis of Lorn and family, arrived at their villa, at
Campden-hill, Kensington, on Friday, front a tour of the
spas in Germany. On :Saturday the duke and duchess and
family left town fur luverary Castle, Argyllshire, for the
winter.

The Earl of Malmesbury, as Secretary of State
for Foreign Affairs, will accompany her Majesty to Berlin,
and remain in the retinue of the Queen until her Majesty's
return at the end of the month.

The Countess of Sefton and Lady Cecilia Moly
neux have arrived in town from Croxteth Hall, near Liver
pool.

The Earl and Countess of Euston have arrived al
Eustou llall from a tour of visits.

The Countess Pailleet, Comte Bailleet, and Comte
Burghem have arrived at Long's Hotel, from Paris.
The Copnt Andre Schouvaloff, Aide-de-Camp to
his Majesty the Emperor of Russia, has arrived at Claridge's
Hotel, from Paris.
Viscount Uffington has returned to town from a
tour ou the Continent. His lordship has been absent six
months.

Lord and Lady Wodehouse and family have left
town for Kimberley Hall, near Wymoudham, Norfolk.
Lord and Lady Foley arrived in town on Satur-
day from visiting the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk at
Arundel Castle. They will leave on Wednesday for
Worksop Manor.
Lord and Lady Rokeby are expected at Montagu
House in a few days, from a tour of visits.
Sir John Shelley, M.P., comes to town to-day
from Maresfield Park, Sussex, and will leave to-morrow for
Scotland.

CABINET CouNcrL.—Summonses were issued on
Saturday to the saveral raembers of the Cabinet for a
Council this afternoon, at the official residence of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, in Downing-street.

Sir John Burgoyne had an interview on Satur-
day wi►h Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. Mr. Rutherford, Mr,
Thornton Hoot, Mr. F. Stewart AlieGachen, and. Mr.
Isbister had also interviews with the right hon. baronet at
the Colonial-office.

LORD PALMERSTON IN NORTH VALE?.—The ex-
Premier arrived in Carnarvon on Thursday night by train,
and, after pas-ing the night at the Royal and Sportsman
Ho el, proceeded next morning on to Festinioz, Merioneth.
sh;re, in order to visit the quarry there in which his lordship
is interested.

Mr. H. Byron's burlesque of " Fra Diavolo" has
been successfully produced at the Plymouth Theatre,
Miss Swanborough and Mr. Chatb s Yuunge sustaining
their original characters of the Brigand Chief and Beppo.
Mr. tulstone ably performed the character of the fright-
ened Lorenzo.

THE NEW DIVORCE ACT.—OR Safllllltly was
printed the act to amend the Divorce and Matrimonial
Causes Act of last session. There are :23 stctions in the sta-
tute, including an important one in rt ference to a pending
case, stating that "in all ca-es now pending or hereaftett to
be commenced, in which, on the petition of a husband for a
divorce, the alleged adulterer is made a eo-respondent, or in
which, on the petition of a wife, the person with whom the
husband is all-ged to have committed adultery is made a re-
spondent, it shall be lawful fir the court, after the close of
the evidence on the part of the petitioner, to eirect such co-
resp.indent or respondent to be dismissed from the suit. if it
slim' think thtre is not sufficient evidence against him sr
her." There are several clauses to protect the property of
wives deie. ted. The order of protection is to state the time
of desertion. Increased power is given to the judge who may
sit in chambers with the same authority as in open court.
Aalavits may be generally taken.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT TILE SUN NEWSPAPER
OFFICE.—On Monday night, about t quarter to nine
o'clock, the utmost confusion was caused In the immediate
neighbourhood of the Strand, in consequence of a fire break-
ing
s newspapertra printing and publishing
Strand,
d
the before-named
office, outsitinnatTehnetSnNuo.l
thoroue-hfare. B, fore eleven o'clock the fire was so far got
under as to allay au further extension of mischief; but the
datnege done must be very considerable, as the whole of the
type was destroyed, and the printing machinery rendered
useless. Notwithsianding this disaster the indefatigable
and respectable editor, Mr. Murdo Young, published the
riper as usual on Tuesday afternoon, being kindly assisted
by the Morning Post establishment, and the extensive
machinist, Mr. 1). M. Aird.—Era.
[Very cordially do we here append to the brief comments
of our contettp)rary the Era, the assuralee of our grateful
sense of the individual kindness and sympathy last particu-
larized. The generous and immediate co-operation in our
rff,ris, for which we had reason to offer our personal
thanks to Mr. Aird at the time, elicit from us here
again, at the casual mention of his name, the repetition
of our most sincere acknowleJgtnents. As:isted in the first
instance by the chiefs of the Morning Post, and in tl e
next by the head of the Econonti,t esta,dishtnent, we were
enabled as punctually as ever, true to time, to produce the
Sun anew, as the former of these two kindly neighbours
and contemporaries had intimated that morning, like a
Phoenix. May we not, indeed, say—

"Evca in our ashes live their wonted fires?"
The copy of our journal, upon the morrow of the conflagra-
tion, was literally, to all intents and purposes—as a banner
in the breach. But thanks to the assissance of friends—
the aid of our own energies—it was, with us, literally the
successful issue of what many might not unreasonably have
regarded as the leading of a Forlorn Hope.—[Ed. Sun.]