The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-18 00:00:00

discharge of their public duty, and thus secur-
ing, in their integrity, the privileges and liber-
ties so justly valued by the colonists cf this
country, v+ill receive from you that ttentive
consideration which the importance of t' e subject
demands." The clause in italics refs ...-1 specially
to the Ballot, and it is worthy of observation that it
tacitly refutes one of the absurd arguments of the
unlucky Whigs. Because the electors have a public
duty to discharge, the Governor demands protection
for them. So far as electors can be held to be trustees
of the public interests, to that extent the Governor
of New Zealand considers that they ought to be
freed from the corrupting influences of bribery and
intimidation, to which they are subject under open
voting. We refer Lord JOHN RUSSELL to the Go-
vernor's speech, for the common sense of a question
which he degrades himself by attempting to mystify.

From the Provincial Council we have the report of
a debate on the subject. Mr. Fox moves, " That in
the opinion of the Council the provisions for taking
the votes at the election for members to serve in the
Provincial Council are not such as to secure purity
of election, and independence from corruption or
intimidation, and that immediate steps should be
taken to secure by operation of law the introduction
of vote by Ballot." The motion was assented to
unanimously, the only two members who would have
voted against it leaving the house.
The debate reads very much like an English one ;
the mover of the resolution, for instance, challenged
the allegation that the practice was un-English, re-
ferring to the election of members of railway boards,
of clubs, of bank directors, and pointing out what a
sham and a delusion was the Corrupt Practices
Bill offered by his opponent ; that its "real object
was not to secure purity of election, which the Ballot
alone could effect." Statements were made of all
the inns, in one place, but two or three, amounting
to some twenty or more, being engaged and opened
by one patty—indeed, New Zealand in its young
days seems to possess all the electoral vices of the
old country.

The singular feature in the case is, that the mo-
tion was made by the opponents of " the Radical
Reform party"—the Tories, we suppose, of New
Zealand, who seem recently to have resigned, and
who demand the Ballot as their protection against
the Radicals ! The latter, of course, cannot with
consistency oppose, yet they seem to imagine that it
will not work for their advantage. All parties,
however, appear to have agreed that it was at least
right that a voter should enjoy the utmost immu-
nity from unfair influences in giving his vote, and
that secret voting was the only effectual mode of
attaining that object; with this last opinion we are
confident that every WI: ig and Tory in England
thoroughly agrees ; and this is the reason why they
will probably fight for open voting till the voice of the
country or political necessity absolutely overpowers
them.

Well—we warn the Liberal minority once more,
that they cannot ride into power again by dogged hos-
tility to the majority. The latter has now learned
that it is no loser by giving the Tories a chance. They
find themselves at least more civilly treated, and
they have gained more, probably, in both houses,
than they would have done with a PALMERSTON or a
RUSSELL Ministry. They can afford to bide their
time. There is no danger of the constituencies be-
coming more conservative, but there is much hope of
the Conservatives becoming more liberal, as the only
means of retaining power. Whigs always fail by
trying, when in office, to conciliate the Tory mino-
rity : it is not so clear that Tories w;11 fail by aiming
to conciliate the Liberal majority.

The first step has now been taken towards raising
almost indefinitely the standard of middle-class edu-
cation. We regard the recent examinations held by
the University of Oxford, and open to competitors
from all the schoels, institutions, and even private
tutors of the country, as the very best means. which
could possibly be adopted to arouse teachers and taught
in hitherto unnoticed schools to fr,esh efforts. It is just
the stimulus needed. And it is but to cast one's eye
down the column of schools and private tutors, from
whom the successful candidates came, to perceive that
the emulation awakened has been almost universal.
From Cumberland and _Northumberland to Devon-

shire and Dorsetshire, and from Wales to Kent, we
see the names of lads who have been induced to

compete for the honour of a first or second-class
Oxford certificate ; and every year is certain to wit-
ness an increase of the number of competitors. In
very many cases this will lead to the prosecution of
studies on a higher scale by the more successful indi-
viduals. Many will go to the universities who would
not otherwise have thought of it ; and many, though
continuing, perhaps, to study in less public institu-
tions, will labour with quite a new zest.
The certificate of Oxford will be of substantial
service to both the youths and their tutors. The
former will quickly find that the successful lads are
those preferred by most persons in business and
professions, and even by public companies, who
are wanting proved intelligence and ability. It
will be soon understood that the boy with
spirt enough to pass bond fide examinations is,
in all probability, not a mere bookworm, but a young
fellow disposed to make the best of himself, and
likely to be worth much more to an employer than
the idlers and dunces who are content not to enter
even the Second Division. Notwithstanding all that
may be said against cramming, it must be better to
have the ambition, the capacity, and the temporary
industry to succeed even by that process, than not to
care to pass muster at all, or to fail in the attempt.
The dunces and idlers will soon, therefore, learn that
the future chances are all in favour of the pushing
ones ; and the interest of the master co-operating
with the spirit of rivalry among the lads, will give
quite a new character to many of our middle-class
schools. The successful schools will be rewarded as
well as the successful lads; for it is hardly to be
imagined that a brisk competition should not now
arise to get most scholars through the examinations.
Nothing Government cau effect by direct contribu-
tion will ever equal the stimulus it can give by legiti-
mate prizes. We hope, therefore, that the efforts of the
University Examiners, and of the Society of Arts, will
be adequately backed by the Government in honestly
throwing open to public competition the numerous
appointments at their disposal. 'We commented lately
on the discreditable extent to which such competition
had been evaded, and evaded in behalf of nomination
by favour. We have great confidence that the pre
Bence of Lord STANLEY in the Cabinet, although as
Indian Minister, will have great influence with his
colleagues on the subject of competitive examinations.
He has been so zealous a promoter of them that he
can hardly fail to promote their adoption at home, as
well as to insist on them in reference to Indian ap-
pointments. It is gratifying to observe that two
have
b justeen
right,ma
de t o clerkshipslNe d o
nlustb appointmentsaN,notin,
itohdeeCedu,stolimkes
" selecting" the competitors---the competition should
be open to all comers, but two of the successful com-
petitors were TDOMAS Ross HOWARD of the Crosby
Hall Evening Classes, and GEORGE EDWARD SKINNER
of the Lymington Literary Institute—both of whom
had distinguished themselves at the Society of Arts
examinations in May last. Make the system uni-
versal, and the race of simpering, saucy "PETER
DICKS" will soon be supplanted by intelligent and
respectable officers.

Sir George Jackson had an interview with the
Earl of Derby yesterday at his cilicial residence in Down-
ing street.

-Capt. T. B. Knipe, colonial A.D.C. to the Gover-
nor of St. Helena, had an interview with the Right Hon.
Sir E. Bulwer Lytton yesterday at the Colonial-office.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governor of Canada.

GREAT a -
ex
m---YHE PHARM ACEUTICAL SOCIETYued
the.:
major
_B
inniaTt Ai : a . —9
pharmaceutical BRITAIN.—The following
chemists che candidates
ts pyeeterdaa
Nelson Bolton, Boston; Frederick Nicholson,y :—Horatio
London ;
Edward John Owles, Ssuthatnpton ; and George Stephen
Wollley, Manchester.
NEW POSTAL ROUTE TO AUSTRALIA.--A mem)rial
is lying fcr signature at the Liverpool Exchange news-
room, and intended to be presented to the Colonial Secre-
tary, praying for the establishment of a new postal route to
Australia by way of Panama—the present route by the
Fellowsof Suez still to be continued.