The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LuALON, TUESDAY E v ENING, FEBRUARY 5, 1867.

r the privilege Fas est ab hoste doceri, Mr. KINGLAKE
went -on to caution his own friends, and, if possible,
the I?,cture he read them was even more suitable
thar, the other exhortation. He said that if the
Libt!rals had to take up Reform again they must

first of all reconstruct their party ; and, in his
humble opinion, " such could only be obtained by
first attaining to a convergence of opinion." If
any great or good results are to follow upon the
plans propounded by the present Opposition, they
can only be effected by the adoption of Mr. KING-
LAKE'S suggestion, for the motley and disunited
crew that now presents itself contains within itself
the seeds of dissolution, and it needs very little
effort on the part of its enemies to frustrate its
efforts and to confound its policy. Mr. KINGLAKE
suggested that they should follow their leader—
that is Mr. GLADSTONE—and not waste time in
-waiting for perfection, but think of a measure that
would find supporters—one that, without being
" democratic in such a sense as to endanger their
liberties—for that was what many people thought
should still be extremely welcome and congenial to
the high-spirited people of this country." We can
say, without any hesitation, that it is long since we
have met with so straightforward and, at the same
time, so spirited an address from a member of Par-
liament to his constituents, and we hope that the
public will appreciate it as it deserves. It is quite
refreshing to find an important subject like that of
Reform treated as it should be, on its own broad
principles of right and justice, and not hustled and
turned to suit the particular views of this or that
partisan. There is more meaning in one sentence
of a speech like this we have criticised than in whole
columns of tirades like Mr. BRIGHT'S. Senseless
demands for concessions which would subvert
the whole principles of constitutional go-
vernment, and coarse invectives against all
who presume to hold contrary opinions, may gain a
momentary applause from unthinking hearers, but
can never possibly win the regard of more atten-
tive or initiated observers. It is this way of look-
ing at everything through a party medium that
has lowered the tone of policy among many influ-
ential members of the Liberal side, and made their
professions quite at variance with their practice.
We are not surprised that men of decision like
Mr. KINGLAKE should be indignant at the in-
consistency of such a course, and point out alike
to friend and foe what is the best plan for them
to pursue in order to gain the confidence of the
country and to further the end they should have
in view, namely, the improvement of the legisla-
tion and representation.
Mr. BRAND'S remarks at Lewes on the state of
affairs do not contrast so favourably with those
we have just mentioned, for he said, in adverting
to the chances of the present Government bringing in
a Reform measure, that if they did it would be like
gathering grapes from thorns and figs from thistles.
Mr. BRAND said that the Bill of last session was
not perfect, but it might have been amended in
committee, which was true enough in its way ;
but we wonder if no thought of NEMESIS occurred
to him as he thought of the measure introduced
by the DERBY Ministry of 1859, to which his friends
refused a hearing, and which they have since been
ready enough to praise, because it suited their im-
mediate convenience to do so.

An elaborate defence of the late Board of Ad-
miralty has just been put forward* by a writer
who is evidently familiar with the whole work-
ing of the establishment. Such a statement has
been confidently looked for for some time past, and
it has now made its appearance on the eve of the
meeting of Parliament, by way, apparently, of anti-
cipating the criticisms and censures which are never
wanting so far as our naval administration is con-
cerned. The advo'ate, indeed, is by no means un-
conscious of the difficulty of his task, though he is
not inclined to allow that the late Board excited
more displeasure than its predecessors. lie comes
to the charge boldly, declaring, in his very first
sentence, that " The human mind cannot recall
the period when the department of the Admiralty
was not the subject of accusation and complaint."
He goes on to say that these general complaints
have been so often repeated that they are now ac-
cepted without inquiry by the body politic, and as
the officials themselves are prohibited from entering
into any controversy no well-authenticated state-
ment is put forward in contradiction. The charge
against the late Board is, however, he considers,
somewhat exceptional in its character. Besides the
usual charges of fraud and maladministration the
Board has been definitely charged with having in
six years expended seventy millions of money,while
leaving the navy in a most unsatisfactory condition
—having, in fact, wasted the immense sums en-
trusted to them. The Board have certainly found
a special pleader of no mean ability ; for he sets their
case in the best possible light, bringing forward all
its strong points, and softening down more doubtful
particulars. No doubt a good deal of abuse has
been heaped upon the Board which belonged in fact
to the system, and we are willing to accord the late
officials credit for having done what they thought
best, though we must confess that, notwithstanding
all the progress made and the improvements carried
out, there are some awkward facts, and still more
awkward omissions, to account for.
The writer sums up the most important measures
of naval administration as follows :—L The man-
ning of the Navy. 2. The establishment of a re-
serve of seamen. 3. The construction of ironclads
and other ships. 4. The armament of the Navy.
5. The improvement of dockyards and docks. 6. The
introduction of more accurate estimates and ac-
counts. If, he says, it can be shown that under all
these heads great progress has been made during a
period of unusual difficulty the result must be fa-
vourable to the late Administration. lie there-
fore proceeds, taking the heads one by one, and,
as we have said, making out the best possible case
for his clients.

It was scarcely necessary for this purpose to go
back to a period anterior to the Russian War,
though in commenting on the great increase of
the estimates during late years it is but fair to
take into account the exceptional circumstances
of the time. The manning of the Navy is the first
topic touched upon, and it is one in which the late
Board acquitted themselves better than others.
They take credit to themselves for carrying out the
recommendations of the Royal Commissioners re-
specting training ships, and for appropriating five
large ships to train boys for the navy. This is an
excellent system, and ono which we should be glad
to see more largely developed, since by means of
each training ship boys are not only made efficient
sailoriz, but become accustomed to the life and re-
gard the sea as their home. vo boys are now
admitted into the navy except through a training
ship, and after fifteen months' training they
enter the navy as first-class boys, becoming
after two years' service eligible to be rated
ordinary seamen. It is gratifying to know
that the officers under whom such boys have
served report the result of this training to be most
satisfactory. The increase which is perceptible
under the head (.4 wages is attributed to the endea-
vour to improve the condition of the men, and to

provide adequate retiring allowances and widows'
pensions. The consequence of more liberal treat-
ment has been that, whereas formerly ships of war
were often kept idle for want of hands, no ship
during the last four years has been, when so com-
missioned, compelled to wait for a crew.
Coming to the department of shipbuilding the
writer has a more difficult task. There has, he
says, been much misrepresentation respecting
the cupola and turret ships, and he devotes several
pages to the arduous but not altogether successful
endeavour to exonerate the late Board from any
blame for their treatment of Captain COLES. Un-
fortunately, no arguments, dates, or explanations,
can dispose of the awkward facts of the case, and
whatever the willingness of the Board to give a fair
trial to the eager inventor, it took a very strong
pressure from Parliament, the press, and the public
to get those good wishes carried into effect. It is
scarcely necessary to tell us that there was much
controversy respecting the best kind of turret ship,
and as to the fitness of such a ship for sea-going pur-
poses ; neither was it necessary to call in "rumour"
to his aid to show us that the late Board and its
advisers have already determined that Captain
COLES'S forthcoming experiment must be a failure.
Captain COLES, we are told, had every chance ;
but it is not denied that the only vessel he was
allowed to try his system upon was a converted
wooden three-decker. Neither are the dates con-
tradicted which show that the vessel, ordered in
the spring of 1862, was not ready until the middle
of '64. We get, however, no explanation of the
manner in which the Royal Sovereign, when actu-
ally completed, was treated by the Government.
Under the new regime Captain COLES'S may hope.
Under the late Board it is plain enough that his
schemes were judged before trial. On the important
question of national dockyards the advocate of the
Admiralty finds plenty to say, and as he has common
sense on his side he does well to make the most of
it. The idea of abandoning our dockyards and
trusting entirely to private enterprise in times of
emergency has been shown to be most unwise.
Private firms may give valuable aid, may supple-
ment the public establishments, but they might fail
us just in the time of need. Especially in these
days when trade unions have grown to so formidable
a height should we beware of relying exclusively
on the labour of men who for some whim or pre-
cedent may refuse to labour. " When the Russian
war created a pressure for small vessels and gun-
boats," says the writer of the pamphlet before us,
" the shipwrights in the Thames took the oppor-
tunity to strike for wages." The Secretary of the
Navy in the United States has frankly confessed
the great difficulties under which the Government
laboured in consequence of trusting exclusively to
private dockyards; and there is no doubt that,
whatever the crotchets of individuals, the public
generally would be very averse to so rash and im-
politic a proceeding as the abandonment of national
dockyards. •
The writer is confident that during the next six
years the naval expenditure of the country will be
even heavier, but he forgets that it. is not so much
of the actual amount of the estimates that critics
complain, as of the inadequacy of the results ob-
tained. When Sir JOAN PAKINGTON was questioned
about the ships in reserve he was obliged to decline
giving an answer ; and although there have never
been wanting specious arguments on behalf of our
naval administrators, we apprehend that Reform is
no less wanted among them than in less note-
worthy quarters.

CORRESPONDENCE FROX PARIS.

-
(FRO)1 OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARTS, Monday Evening.

The ifoniteur states that, in consequence of the
departure of the French troops from Rome, the
Pontifical Government has increased its precau-
tionary measures in the interior of the country,
as there was every reason to fear that brigandage
would be carried on to a greater extent than ever.
The Minister of his Holiness charged with the affairs
of the army had adopted various arrangements to
insure safety and good order in the Pontifical ter-
ritory. Among other arrangements is the re-esta-
blishment of the auxiliaries of the reserve, who ren-
dered such great services in 1848. These auxiliaries,
all volunteers, will form a battalion of six companies
for each province. Many districts have exhibited
their desire to increase the protective force. In
the communes peasants have enrolled themselves
who know the habits of the brigands, and who will
therefore be able to counteract their machinations.
It is hoped that the precautions adopted will lead
to a speedy extermination of the brigands. In the
meantime, however, great alarm prevails respecting
them at Rome.

A private despatch from Florence states that the
discussions in the Chamber of Deputies relative to
the project of law for the separation of the Church
from the State and the liquidation of ecclesiastical
property proceeds with great animation. The de-
bates will probably continue for many days.
Prince Napoleon Jerome and the Princess
Clotilde yesterday gave an audience of an official
but friendly character to General Dix, the new
Minister Plenipotentiary to France from the United
States.

A letter from Florence, dated Feb. 1, says that
the Senate, constituted into a High Court of Jus-
tice, has declared by a majority of 71 votes against
60 that there was not sufficient pl inia facie evidence
to proceed against Admiral Persano on the charge of
cowardice (codardia), but it was of opinion that he
was chargeable with negligence and incapacity. The
trial will commence on the 12th of March. In the
meantime the Admiral has been set at liberty.
The Journal de ROM° states that a few days ago
the Pope went to the Gregorian University of the
Romani College to inspect the meteorological machine
which is to be sent to the Universal Exhibition at
Paris. His holiness has contributed very liberally
towards the expenses of this curious and important
machine. The inventor, Father Angelo Secchi,
director of the observatory, entered into a very
lucid and interesting explanation in regard to the
services which this machine is likely to render to
the science of meteorology, with which his Holiness
expressed great satisfaction. The Pope tben visited
the chronographic telegraph of Hipp, which has
arrived at Rome, the object of which is to deter-
mine with precision the difference between the
observatory of Rome and the other observa-
tories of Europe. This machine, as deli-
cate in construction as it is curious in
operation, is a present from the Pope to the
Observatory. In the same room are exhibited the
electrical clocks given to the Observatory by the
Pope and by M. Detouche, of the Rue St. Martin,
Paris. M. Detouche presented to the Holy Father
the beautiful clock which regulates the meteoro-
logical machine. As time is money, according to
the English proverb, the establishment of M. De-
touche is pre-eminent for its clocks and watches,
which regulate it with the precision of chronometers.
Accounts have been received in Paris of some
serious riots among the Belgian pitmen employed
at Marehienne-au-Point, one of the most important
coal districts of Charleroi. Some of the workmen
struck fur an increase of wages, and they proceeded
to acts of great violence against such of their com-
rades as were disposed to go down to work in the
mines at the present wages. The workmen also
attacked the.offices of the coal companies. It was
necessary to send for the assistance of the military,
and, according to one account, the soldiers fired
upon the mutineers and killed several of them. This
latter report, however, is said by another account
to be unfounded. At all events the strike is, no
doubt, of a very formidable and dangerous
character.

There has been a violent storm upon the coast of
Belgium, and great damage has also bee 4 caused at