The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-12 00:00:00

?VICI DA d, _ Ji.TLY l2, 185 S,

interpretation of the Jewish law, and cow- Vera
Protestant Ciristian to act upon it ?

Were it passible for any man to propose a law
like that of .he Jews, compelling a man, under
certain circumstances, to marry his brother's
widow, we could justify the revolt of all brothers
and of
_all nen of common sense, against what
would now be such a monstrous proposal. But
the simple demand that Lord CAMPBELL'S and Lord
CHELMSFORDS interpretation of Leviticus shall
not bind Close, who, both reject the Levitical
law as a gude for Christians, and interpret that
law itself qiite differently, is so eminently rea-
sonable, than the difficulty lies in inventing de-
fences of whit ought to be its own argument.
It will, however, be a disgrace to the Lords if
they do not bok at the measure in a practical light.
There are sow thousands of innocent children,
and we may with truth add, of innocent men and
women, braided, by a recent decision, with legal
disgrace, awl subjected to legal.disabilities ; the
former, indiiputably, without any fault of their
own ; the fitter for nothing which they can feel
to be a fault. The Legislature in deference to
past superstitions, has created an artifi-
cial sin, and these persons have innocently
fallen into it. Something must be done.

The rights of so many British subjects
and the necessity of clearing up the relations of
property, necessitate the confirming of the mar-
riages in question. Lord CAMPBELL says the bill
is worse than previous ones, because Ireland and
Scotland are omitted 1 Whose fault is that ? Cer-
tainly not the fault of Lord BURY, or of the
friends of the measure, but of Popery and Pres-
byterianism shaking -hands over the matter. If
Lord CAMPBELL will assent to the second reading
of the bill, and then movo tho omission of the
limiting clause, the promoters of the bill will
glad:y vote with him. That limitation ought not
to exist, but if requisite to propitiate some oppo-
nents it could be easily repealed any session, as it
ought to be. Let Scotland and Ireland be as free
as England on this point. We, poor mortals,
have real sins enough to answer for, and no legis-
lation do we more detest than that which creates
artificial sins at the bidding of superstition and
asceticism. Let each religious sect, the Episcopal
and Presbyterian sects as well as others, be con-
tent to punish with Church censures offences
against the rules of the Church ; that is fair,
since no man is compelled to belong to one church
more than another ; but let not any sect be allowed
to inflict legal penalties on free Englishmen for
not conforming to its views to their Gospel
according to LEVITICUS.
We may add that the marriages just declared
invalid must be declared valid soon, and the legal
right of marriage in the disputed case conceded ,
too. We put it, therefore, to Lord DERBY whe-
ther he ought not at once to interfere, and pre-
vent the Marriage Amendment Bill from becom-
ing another of the standing quarrels between the
Upper and the Lower House. The repeated
judgment of the latter, and the very numerous
petitions, coupled with the urgency of the circum-
stances of thousands, require that the question
should now be settled.

Reform is generally supposed to have been put
off till next session. But has it ? Has 1859
really and truly secured to itself this monopoly of
legislative inaprov3ment ? Has all Parliamentary
amelioration literally been denied to 1858 ?
Will Hansard for the present year have nothing
whatever to record of changes for the better
effected by mutual consent of the Lords and
Commons down at. Westminster ?
Why—in answer to these inquiries—first and
foremost the historian of the present session (this
still incomplete Parliamentary session of 1858)
will have to record that, "at one fell swoop,"
down came one of the Points of the Charter en-

Irolled by universal consent upon the statute-
books of the nation—part and parcel henceforth
of the laws of England—meaning, of course, the
dissipation from this time forth, and for ever, of
the old bugbear, Property Qualifications !
Secondly, the annallist of our Parliamentary
doings in 1858 will have to relate how, during
this same notable session, the Rouse of Peers
"gave in" at length in regard to its hitherto most
obstinate and pertinacious opposition to the pro-
posed admission of the Jews to a seat in the Im-
perial Legislature.

Thirdly, it will be told, in regard to 1858,
that in that 3 ear, and notiu its vaunted successor,
the monstrous folly of a double Government for
Elindostan was done away with by a single
sweeping enactment—a measure by which the
sceptre of imperial rule over from 100,000,000
to 200,000,000 of the human family was trans-
ferred from a company of merchants to the grasp
of the Sovereign, guided by the councils of the
Government.

Fourthly, it will be remembered of 1858 that
then at last came the guarantee of another over-
turning of a monopoly of a most monstrous de-
scription—the old odious monopoly, delivering
over to a sordid gang of fur-traders the half of a
huge continent, namely, the vast, and it is not
extravagant to say, the stupendous, dominions of
the Hudson's Bay Territories.

It will be gratefully borne in recollection how,
M liisB, the reduction of the income tax duly took
place according to preconcerted arrangements,
without necessitating any grinding addition, in
any other way, to the system of either direct or
indirect taxation—this, moreover, des:Ate the
puaeling fact of a deficit of very nearly 4,000,000/. !
Neither will it be forgotten that Parliament
laboured staunchly this year at the monotonous
but most useful mill-wheel of Committees ; fore-
most among its now memorable toils of this de-
scription being the Committee organised with a
view to the purification of the Thames, by means
of some more rational system of drainage
to the difficult problem of rapidly and effectually
the sewageremoving applied
of the capital from its im-
mediate neighbourhood.

Besides Which, these have been two most praise-
worthy and conscientious committees of inquiry
held in regard to individual cases, (san ". of them,
however, though subject's
the committee inquiring strictly personal,
affecting matters of general principle, and one of
them of paramount importance. There has been
dire.lted against into the cruel charges
Mr. Burr, a member of the
House of Commons—out of the satisfactory settle-
ment ef which inquiry
the solution of a difficulty not unfrequently
has come forth incidentally
fraught with vexation and embarrassment to the
professional representatives.
There has been yet
again, the other interesting more recently,
com-
mittee of inquiry holders in regard to the grievous
and most inhuman wrong inflicted upon an un-
fortunate gentleman, unjustly condemned, and
subjected thereupon to the harshest, cruellest, and
most dastardly series of ignominious punishments.
The conclusion arrived at in Mr. BARBER'S case
was but the simplest act of justice—it was an act
of justice reserved for 1858, however : and may
it now lead swiftly ail,' bur4y to soa:c!hing f,
nearly as possible approaching to adequate com-
pensation !
Altogether, we do not think 1858 will shine
indifferently as a year of. Parliamentary reforms
and legislative ameliorations.

LATEST NEWS.

INDIA AND CHINA.

ALEXANDRIA, JULY

The Calcutta and China mails have arrived to-
day with intelligence from Calcutta to the 3d of
June, Madras to the 10th, Hong Kong to the 22d

of May.

On the 31st of May Sir Colin Campbell was
still at Futtehghur. The Calpee rebels were ad-
vancing upon Gwalior. They were not plunder-
ing, but paying for everything. A British column
from Calpee was marching in pursuit. General
Rose had refused the command in Gwalior on
account of ill-health.

Scindia is reported to have been beaten by the

rebels on the Ist of June, and to have arrived at

Agra.

The rebels were again becoming troublesome in
Central India and re-occupying many forts from
which they had been driven by General Rose.

General Jones had burnt Mohumdee and the
adjacent villages without opposition. Chundy
was occupied by Smith's. Brigade.

Troops were marching against the Moulvie at
Shahabad, and working parties had been set to
destroy the jungles in which the mutineers still
held out.

The Barrackpore regiments have received the
option of disbandment or of service in China.

At Calcutta the import market continnes gene-
:4ctive ; the Imsiness in produce dull.

The money market was unaltered. Exchange,
2s. ld. for credits ; 2s. Id. for documents.

CHINA.

The allied fleet was at anchor off the mouth of
the Peiho on the 29th of April. Six days had
been allowed for a reply to the demands of the
Plenipotentiaries ; the time having expired on the
13th, the steamer Sampson had taken up two gun-
boats and 150 Sappers to the Peiho.

Her Majesty's 59th Regiment was reported
under orders for the North.

The French transport Gironde had arrived with

900 marine infantry.
At Hong Kong prices of imports had improved
Exchange, 4s. Bd. for credits.
At Canton a large business had been done.

SHANGHAI, MAY 15.

The tea-market is very dull, but there has been

a large business in silk. All prices are lower, and
the reports of the new crop favourable.
Exchange, Gs. 2d. for credits.

We have been favoured with the following

telegram by the Foreign•ofce :

" ALEXANDRIA, JULY 7.
" The steamer Bentinck arrived at Suez yester•
day morning with Calcutta dates to the 4th ult.

" British columns marching on Gwalior..
" I have no information from Madras, dates
from which place are to the 10th.
"The intelligence from Lord Elgin is to the
20th of April, when the allied forces were in the
Gulf of Peihek. The French had got two gun-
boats over the bar, but our two despatch-boats
had stuck.

" The English and French Admirals were both

at Peihok, and it was expected that in a few days
the first blow in the North might be struck by

the capture of the forts at the mouth of the river,

" The Chinese Government bad named Corn

missioners to negotiate, but the letter announcing
the fact had retired, adwing [owing ?] to an as-
sumption of superiority on the part of the Chinese.

g' This telegram arrived at Malta from Alex

andria by the contract steam-packet Vectis at 3.15

p,m. on July 10th.
"M. STOPFORD, Rear-Admiral."