The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, LON DON, WEDNESDAY EVEN MG, FEBRUARY 20 1867.

the foundation of a great State, perhaps greater
than that of England ; but come what may, we
should rejoice that we are neither jealous of the
aspirations of those colonies, nor yet indifferent to
their desires, and that we have fostered their growth,
recognising in their growth the pillars of our own
greatness.

A lengthened discussion on the administration of
our Admiralty last evening, though it produced no
direct result, was nevertheless not without a useful
purpose. The more light that is thrown upon the
management of our naval affairs the better ; and
although particular statements may be withdrawn,
disproved, or contradicted, there is generally enough
foundation left for the impression which prevails of

unnecessary expenditure and laxity of manage-
ment. The war of words and figures waged be-

,ween Mr. SEELY and the First Lord of tho Admi-

ralty began, it will be remembered, last Session, and
was kept up on the part of the member for Lincoln at
least during the recess. Last evening Mr. SEELY

directed his attack not so much against any parti-
cular officers or any special instances of extrava-

gance, as against the whole constitution of the

Board. His motion ran as follows :—" That, in
the opinion of this house, the control and manage-
ment of the dockyards is inefficient, and that the

inefficiency may be attributable to the following

causes : —First, the constitution of the Board of
Admiralty ; second, the defective organisation of
subordinate departments ; third, the want of clear and
well-defined responsibility." Mr. SEELT proceeded
to argue from these premises, and went back to the

evidence given before the committee of 1861 by the
several Lords of the Admiralty who were examined

by it. Mr. SEELY especially referred to the
opinions expressed by Sir JOHN PARINGTON, which
were characterised by the right hon. baronet's usual

straightforwardness and sound judgment. His
opinions, as will be remembered, were directly
adverse to the existing arrangements, and he said

that " he did not consider he had the knowledge, the

control, or the responsibility, that a Minister at the
head of such a department ought to have." He
also expressed his opinion that when several gentle-

men sat round a table to decide such matters as
came before the Board of Admiralty there was an
absence of that full sense of responsibility which
a Minister ought to feel not only in the First Lord,
but in the junior lords. Sir J. PAKINGTON is not

the man to shrink from his words, nor to modify his
views because he is in office. "I do not," ho said,
in answer to Mr. SEELY, " in the least degree re-
cede from any opinion which I then expressed. I
do still think that for the administration of a great

department a board is a clumsy machine. I still
think that from the constitution of that board there
is an absence of that direct responsibility which
ought to exist in a great department ; and I can-
not but say that I cannot think the working
of that machine is satisfactory, or well adapted
to the discharge of the difficult and important
duties which devolve upon the authority which
may be entrusted with the administration of the
navy in this house." Sir JOHN PAKINGTON in
former days questioned the efficiency of a board in
matters of national administration. When first in
office, under Lord DERBY in 1852, he filled the
post of Colonial Secretary, with which was then
associated the Secretaryship for War. This was
naturally a very inconvenient arrangement, and it
seems now only wonderful that it should so long
have been tolerated. Certainly the dependencies of
England are neither so few nor so insignificant
that they should fail to engross the whole

time and thoughts of a Minister, while, though we
are happily not often engaged in war, still the
supervision of the military arrangements of a great
nation even in time of peace cannot be lightly or
superficially done. The Crimean war soon showed
the evils of such a heterogeneous combination, yet
so great is the difficulty attending an administra-
tive alteration that, in spite of the speedy creation
of a new office, it is only recently that the
change has been thoroughly effected. Sir
JOHN PAJiINGTON does not hesitate to ex-

imc t i
oo
fn tuhra t a
n a
decidedval
administration
is
pthreessw hhoilse seyosntve
much needed, and should he retain his office he
contemplates proposing an alteration. Hitherto his
colleagues have been engrossed by the Reform ques-
tion, but should that absorbing topic be cleared out
of the way we may hope, it is evident, for some
decided change for the better. Already some alte-
rations have been made in the more direct super-
vision and control of the dockyards, with a view to
securing the whole time and attention of an efficient
officer in the control of the working of these
establishments and the management of their expen-
diture, so that the system justly complained of by
Mr. SEELY, of having one rate of charge in one
dockyard, and another in a different dockyard,
which Sir J. PAKINGTON adtnits to be " incompatible
with perfect efficiency and economy," may be put
an end to. The First Lord confesses that tin in-
vestigating the management of the dockyards he
has arrived at the conclusion that there is a certain
laxity in the whole system—a laxity attributable to
the fact of vast establishments being carried on for
the most part by persons with no direct pecuniary
interest involved. It is with the view of avoiding
the evils in some measure inseparable from such a
state of things that the appointment of new super-
intendents is contemplated. Still we agree with
Sir JOHN PAKINGTON that it would be highly indis-
creet and undesirable to rely entirely upon private
establishments, however useful their aid might be to
supplement the efforts of the Government in time of
war or pressure. It must not, besides, be forgotten,
in reckoning up the salaries and wages as burdens
on the nation, that a large number of the population
obtain their living through these establishments,with
all the advantages of schools and pensions and
allowances which public institutions offer to the
industrious and deserving.
Sir J. PAKINGTON, in referring to several of the
charges brought by the member for Lincoln against
the naval administration, was forced to admit that
some of them proved upon inquiry to be too well
founded, though others were hasty or inaccurate.
Among those confirmed by examination was the
statement made concerning " SEELY'S pigs," whose
value proves to have been by no means exaggerated.
Sir JOHN PAKINGTON confessed that when Mr.
SEELY and the members for Oldham and Stockport
came to his room, and offered to repave the dock-
yards with anything he liked, and give him £lOO,OOO
as well for this ballast, he thought they were
" chaffing " him. But it actually appears that if
the First Lord had accepted this extraordinary offer
the purchasers would have had an excellent barg,tin!
Happily, in this case, the gain is on the side of the
national exchequer, and we are glad to find that
the iron is to be disposed of profitably, and the
money so gained to go towards strengthening the
navy.

Mr. SEELY'S motion was withdrawn after an
interesting debate, which elicited some valuable
information, and gives the public renson to hope
that between official reformers and non-official
critics something practical may be done for the
improvement of our naval administration.

STRIKE OF ITALIAN SILK WRAVERS.—The work-
men employed in the silk factories of Luc°, Lombardy;
have struck for au increatv of wages.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARJS, Tuesday Evening.
The Emperor presided yesterday at the Tuileries
over the Council of State, which had a general

meeting to examine the project of law for the re-

organisation of the army.
A private despatch from Cairo announces that
the ship Primo, of 80 tons, from Trieste, arrived
on the 17th in the Red Sea, having traversed

Egypt by the Suez Canal.
It is stated from Rome that the Consistory,
which has been announced, will assemble on the
22d inst. A short time afterwards another Con-

sistory will be convoked, at which the nominations
of the bishops to the dioceses of the kingdom of

Italy will take place.
Some of the papers contain speculations relative
to the tenour of the new law upon the press, to

which, perhaps, it is not necessary to pay much
attention, particularly as the project of law will
very shortly be laid before the Chamber. The
France gives a version of the law, from which it
would appear that the regulations will still be very
stringent. I have reason to believe that there is
exaggeration in the description. However, accord-
ing to the France, imprisonment will be replaced by

fines, except in the case of ‘4 crimes." A con-
demnation for crime 'will entail the suppres-

sion of a journal. Two condemnations for an
offence of the press will enable the Tribunal to pro-
nounce the suspension of a paper, and a subsequent
condemnation may lead to its suppression. The
law, it is said, provides that the author of articles
criminated or prosecuted, if a deputy, may be de-
prived of his legislatorial functions, and may be
prosecuted without a previous authority from the
Chamber. It will also enact (says the France) that
condemnations for press offences will entail the de-
privation of an elector's right to vote during five
years. Literary journals, if published more than
three times a week, will be subjected to a stamp
duty of half the amount of the stamp duty imposed
upon political newspapers. Another paper gives a
sort of confirmation of this description of the pro-

posed new law, and adds that the amount of fines
which may be imposed will range from 4,000 f. to

40,000 f.

The Siecle, arguing upon these supposed provi-
sions of the law, and upon the power which will be
conferred upon the Tribunals to suspend or suppress
a journal, says that in such a case the discretionary
regulation of the press will only have changed in
form. It also considers the amount of the fines to
be enormous. I repeat, however, that I believe the
journals have exaggerated the penal provisions of
the law.

The 14th annual banquet of the Paris United
Sailing and Rowing Club took place on Saturday
evening at the Grand Hotel. M. Gabriel Benoit
Champy presided, and about 150 gentlemen as-
sembled to do honour to the triumphs of the sail
and oar. Among those present was the curate of
Bongival, who is happily the almoner of the Parisian
fleet, and to him the place of honour was assigned.
The other guests included M. Hamilton Morton,
secretary of the New York Yacht Club ; Mr. H.
Kirsch, secretary of the Belgian Club, the Sport

Nautique de la Meuse ; M. Cheysson, engineer of
bridges and highways, and chief of the service at
the International Exhibition. Great cordiality and
harmony prevailed, and at this happy meeting all
forgot their former rivalry and struggles afloat.
Toasts to the Emperor and Ministers and other
illustrious individuals were received very enthusias-
tically. The toast of the evening in honour of the
international matches past and to come, to the Am-
erican yatchsmen and the nautical societies of Bel-
gium,were received and responded to most cordially.
It was stated that the club looked anxiously to the

period of the Exhibition, during which several
matches would take place, at which the Paris
boatmen expected to display their prowess
and skill. M. Fleuret, president of the Row-
ing Club, thanked the press for its assistance
to the society. When the health of the curate of
Bongival was given by M. Champy, he used words
which deserve to be cited. M. Champy said to the
curate—" Your presence amongst us is an honour,
and gives increased influence to boating. It proves
d
tuicinhsugae
eft
ttao.
their
e r
seelahgrmie. ndi
Bleri reeeansnt
will
to
olt
lt
ospirit has
nuor
wasml
invitedan tgeeh rbecomematches
she
af
r a moral oorf a
sl e an nd
tbhuatt
byou w
as accepted
compelled h e
tplace a
leave
ef
Parishonour s
some
ma
et ourda
days
sb
aa
gn
0-
when
e nthe ba n
they
kqnuoetv,
for Brest, on his return to Alvm7itech,
ricray.
speaking of the. Before his
departure the captain of the Henrietta received a
deputation from the club, who presented him with
a i,he A
medal cnotimeemrpem
jooirtartniavleooffthheis to
cattle plague, says that the empty boxes which had
been sent to England with the meat of the cattle
slaughtered at Hasselt were seized by the police
immediately on being landed, and, as a precau-
tionary measure, wereimmediately burnt. It thus
appears that there was truth in the statement that
the diseased meat was sent over the water to add to
of old England." A
e
stimieysrtnoackpaopf
paper
tshtaetersoasthtabteteh cattle plague has f
re-
appeared in some of the districts of Anatolia. Vari-
ous remedies have been tried, but nothing can stop
the progress of the disease. The animals die in a
few hours in frightful convulsions.
Among the statements in the blue book, relative
to the situation of the Empire, is the fact of in-
creased activity in the postal relations. In spite of
political circumstances the augmentation in the
receipts of the Post Office in 1866 will exceed the
2of preceding years, the total
o,ooof. The improvements
amounting constanteffected
informer
increase 3,4
years in postal arrangements have
been followed out with persevering activity. During
the course of the year 100 new Post Office esta-
blishments were created, and 100 offices were
opened, with a view to effect a more speedy distri-
bution of letters. The happy termination of nego-
ciations has increased international correspondence.
Three postal conventions were concluded between
the French Government and the Governments of
Portugal, the Holy See, and the kingdom of Greece.
The weather is still very unsettled, but in Paris
to-day, for the most part, it was fine, and there wag
sunshine during the greater part of the day. Last
night, however, and early this morning there was
heavy rain. During the day there were heavy,
ominous clouds. It is stated from Mende, in the
department of Lozone, that the weather has been
frightful. The wind in the mountains was very
violent, and abundance of rain fell in the plains. It
rained for 36 hours, and the river Lot inundated the
town of Mende, and forced the inhabitants to leave
their houses. On the 15th, at Toulouse there was
a terrific storm, which did much damage to the roofs
of the houses. Several persons were injured by the
tiles which were blown into the streets. Some
strange anomalies in the weather are mentioned
from more distant quarters. At Alexandria on the
30th of January there was a heavy hail storm for a
quarter of an hour.
An art treasure has been discovered in the Church
of Caelvoet, Belgium. The tower of the church has
been under repair, and among many articles stowed
away in it a portrait of St. Cecilia, by Van Dyk,
has been found in excellent condition. It is the
undoubted production of the great master ; and
some amateurs, believing it to be his best, have
already offered largo sums for it ; but the curate
says he will not sell it at any price, but will preserve
it for the benefit of the church. Persons may now
inspect it in the church for a small sum, and the
amount then raised will be given to the poor.
Mr. J. B. Maire, retired Colonel of the Staff, has
just died in Paris in his 90th year. He entered the
army as a volunteer at 16,
and won all his promo-
tions on the field of battle.
At the opening races at Porchefontaine on Sun-
day the Course des Haies was won by Said, carry-
ing the heaviest weight (63 kilog.) and beating
Luynea (63 kilog.) The Duke of Hamilton's
Collet 11Ionte and 14 other horses ran. Seven
horses ran in each of the steeplechases (a handicap
and a prix a reclarer.) In the first the celebrated
Valentiuo could only reach second place, Pine Apple
being second, and beaten in its turn by the Duke of
Hamilton's Ironsides. The second was won by
Heidelberg, followed by Doge. A race for a private
bet between Themes and Zora was won by the

former. Two riders were thrown in the course of
the day, but happily only received a trifling injury.

The races at La Marche will take place on
Sunday.
The Government has just ordered the manufac-
ture of 500,000 Chassepot guns. Three hundred
thousand will be manufactured iu the military arse-
nals, and the remaining 200,000 by gunsmith trade;
300,000 are to be ready by the Ist of January next,
and the remainder in the succeeding month of April.
A statue of the llindoo god Wichnou has arrived
at Bordeaux iu the Guipazcons, for Pondicherry. It
was discovered in the French village of Tiripouvane,
and is nearly two metres and a half high. The god
has the insignia peculiar to it, the tiara, the corJon
of Brahma, the four arms, two hands of which carry
the flower of the lotus. The libido° Trinity is c.)m-
posed of Brahma, the God Creator; Siva, the God
Destructor ; and Wichnou, the Conservative God.
A learned German writer thus classes the Indian
Divinities :—Brahma—The Sun, Creator, Power.
Siva—Fire, Destruction, Justice. IV ichnou—
Water, Preservation, Wisdom. This statue will
probably be at the Exhibition.

LA TEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

(BY ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.)
NEW YORK, Feb. 19 (Evening.)

The House of Representatives has rejected the
Bill passed by the Senate as a substitute for the
Military Bill.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CLOSING PRICES.—GoId, 1361 ; Sterling Ex-
change on London, 108; ; 5-20 United States
Bonds, 114 ; Illinois, 1151 ; Erie, 56.