The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LON.DoA. TUESuAY EVENJNG, DECEMBER 17, 1867.

unflinching pur vac if it is to be trampled down and
put an end to.

The last new's from Paris informs us that there
will be no European Conference upon the Roman
question, and th'is must, we suppose, be looked upon
as decisive, as it is reported that the negotiations
with the principal Powers have failed. Perhaps
upon the whole this may be for the best ; for, as
Lord STANLEY truly observed, it would be of no use
to engage in any affair of the kind unless it was
likely that the different parties would agree, or at
least approach agreement. To judge by circum-
stances, we cannot say that there promised to
be any accordance, iald hence peihaps it may
be fur the best as it is. At any rate, decision is
better than uncertainty, and the state of confusion
into which some people had been thrown by the
conflicting rumours that prevailed was injurious in
many respects to the best interests of those con-
cerned. After such a serious disturbance which
took place in Rome, and prevailed to a certain ex-
tens more or less about Europe, it was perhaps
rather premature to look for a speedy settlement
of the question, or to expect that the ad-
vocates of either side would find a neu-
tral ground upon which to meet and to reconcile
differences of opinion. Another year or so may
pass with advantage before these matters are in-
quired into, and the best thing all parties can do
just now is to be as calm and collected as possible,
and not to advance any extreme views and particu-
lar opinions to the disturbance of others, and to the
detriment of peace and order. One of the chief
causes that led to the failure of the pro-
posed Congress was the extreme language
used by M. ROUHER to the Legislative Chamber,
for he compromised the Government to such an
extent by his one-sided declarations that any alte-
ration was seen to be impossible even in a modified
form.

It is much to be regretted that so bad an under-
standing should prevail between France and Italy,
but time alone can be expected to soften down
asperities, and make nations more willing to meet
each other's views. The interest which attaches
itself to the debate in the Italian Chambers is not
likely to be diminished just yet, and indeed
there is plenty to arrest attention in the
speeches recently delivered by the Ministers or
others on the subject of the interpellations relative
to the foreign policy of the Government. The
Minister of Justice, M. MARI, made a very eloquent
speech, in which he justified the course adopted by
the Government in arresting GARIBALDI and clos-
ing the Insurrectionary Committees. In concluding
his remarks he used the following impressive
language—" All who value order and respect the
authority of the law must approve the conduct
of the Government." This is strictly true, for
nothing can be done unless due respect
be given to those in authority. It cannot
be said that the representatives of the
late Government made a very good defence of
their conduct, though they tried hard to do so ; in-
deed Signor MINGHETTI was justified in his remark,
that if they had adopted a line of policy similar to
that of the late Ministry, the French occupation of
Rome would have been a permanent one. In fact,
the new Government were only just in time, as
it were, to prevent Italy from sinking down into
a very unsatisfactory condition, and losing all the
prestige she bad recently acquired, which would
hare been much to be deplored on all accounts.

The arrival of two mails from America almost
,simultancot:::,ly brings us a good deal of additional
news. The City of Paris, bringing intelligence from
New York to the 7th of December, reports that a
resolution has been introduced into the Senate,
declaring that the national debt should he redeemed
by legal tender. The Senate has also adopted a
resolution instructing the Finance Committee to
examine into the expediency of authorising the
Secretary of the Treasury to contract for the re-
demption of the Five-Twenties, a forty-year loan
on bonds bearing 5 per cent. interest, both prin-
cipal and interest being payable iu gold, the Go-
vernment to have the option to redeem them after
twenty years. The members of the Senate have
evidently made up their minds to active interference
in the adjustment of the finances, for, after having
decided what the Financial Secretary was to do,
they proceeded to consider what lie should not do,
and a bill has been reported to repeal the authority
granted to the Secretary to contract the currency
or cancel the United States notes. The situation
of the finances is likely to be the most troublesome
question with which Government and Congress will
have to deal. The evil day has been deferred until
it can no longer be avoided, and the Radicals, who
aro now so ready with their schemes and their
remedies, have had a good share in producing the
embarrassment.

The Presidential Message has excited a good deal
of displeasure in the Upper House of Congress.
Those portions which condemned the course of Con-
gress have not unnaturally given offence to the
Senate. Mr. SUMNER has denounced the whole
Message as " incendiary," calculated to "stimulate
rebellion and promote civil war." A coalition, he
declares, must exist between Mr. JOHNSON and
the rebels. Mr. DAVIS, according to Mr. SU3INER,
might have made just such a speech. This attack
on the part of Mr. SUMNER called up Mr. DixoN, a
Conservative Republican, who defended the PRESI-
DENT, declared that Congress was misrepresenting
the people, and advised the Radicals to reflect on
the results of the late elections. The change in
public feeling still continnes to show itself. Mr.
HOFFMAN, a Democrat, has been re-elected Mayor
of New York by a majority of 22,000 over the
Republican candidate.
The several Conventions meanwhile are pro-
ceed ing in very different directions. The Geor-
gia Conservative Convention has passed resolutions
protesting against the Reconstruction Act, and
declaring the present state of the reconstruction
Convention to be an illegal body obtained by frau-
dulent votes, and forced upon the people by mili-
tary power. The Alabama Convention, on the
other hand, has been busy annulling all contracts
made during the rebellion, while the Louisiana
Convention have recommended the substitution of
the common law of England for their present State
laws. In some parts the negroes are more and
more disposed to take matters into their own hands.
In Bullock county, Alabama, they have organised
courts of their own, and the manner in which
they proposel to administer the law was
very efficacious, for they were armed, and they
threatened to seize the property of the
whites. This novel mode of jurisdiction was, how-
ever, summarily interruptei by a detachment of
troops. General llAscocK has reversed one of
SHERIDAN'S most oppressive orders—the prohibi-
tion of participants in the rebellion from serving
on juries.

The whole text of the PRESIDENT'S Message is
now before us, and although the summaries trans-
mitted previously have given a very fair account
there are many points of great interest. Referring
to the question of negro supremacy, Mr. JOHNSON
says very truly that it is a peculiarly unfortunate
time to put so large a share of power into the
hands of the blacks. The task before the
legislators of the South is a most arduous one.

" Industry must be reorganised, justice re-esta-
blished, public credit maintained, and order brought
out of confusion." To imagine that the negroes are
competent for such a task would, he declares, be
worse than madness. Already they are influenced
by promises of confiscation and plunder, and should
such a system continue order and industry will alike
be at an end. "Of all the dangers,". adds Mr.
JOHNSON emphatically, " which our nation has yet
encountered none are equal to those which must re-
sult from the success of the effort now making to
Africanise the half of our country. " Considera-
tions of money must not,' lie says, " be put in com-
petition with justice and right; but the expenses of
the reconstruction system are of themselves a na-
tional wrong. Already it has cost uncounted
millions ;' and to force negro governments upon the
unwilling South would require a strong standing
army, and probably two hundred millions of dollars.
It is vain to hope that the negroes can maintain
their own ascendancy without military aid. They
cannot do it, and the sum thus proposed to be thrown
away would in fifteen years pay the whole national
debt!" Surely such practical considerations as these
must influence every American.

ROMAN CATHOLIC PRISONERS.--The Roman
Catholic chaplain of Preston House of Correction,
in a letter to the Times, says:—" Sir,—ln perusing the
Times of Monday, Dec. 9, I find &letter on Roman Catho-
lic Prisoners,' signed by A Catholic Magistrate.' This
gentleman enumerates various prisons to which Roman
Catholic chaplains are appointed, but I am sorry to find
that no mention whatever is made of the Preston House
of Correction. To the credit of the magistrates of Pres-
ton, lam happy to say that, as far back as June 30,
1864, a Roman Catholic chaplain was appointed,
with a salary of £lOO per annum. As chaplain of this gaol
I am in a position to state, both from the testimony of my
predecessor and from my own short experience, that in the
discharge of all religious duties every attention has been
shown and every encouragement given. As a proof of this
I may state that I have free access to any part of the prison,
that I have full liberty to see the prisoners at any time, that
I have the use of a large and commodious room for mass on
Sundays and for service during the week—in a word, that
whatever could tend to the full exercise of the Roman
Catholic religion has been freely granted. In grateful
acknowledgment for the kindness and attention which I
have ever received from the prison authorities I feel my-
self bound to call attention to the fact that, though the
Preston House of Correction has been overlooked by your
correspondent, yet, in my own humble opinion, I think it
may deservedly hold a place entitling it to the respect, if
not the example, of other towns."
A MOTHER AND SON BURNT TO DEATH.—At
West Bromwich, on Saturday morning, a carter,
aged 40 years, and his mother, aged 79, -,sere burnt to
death. The carter, whose name was William Hakes, was
noted for his drunken habits, and it appears that he wont
home intoxicated on Friday night. Ho went to bed in
the back room upstairs, and in his stupor must have up-
set his candle upon the bed, or in some other way have
set fire to some portion of the furniture in the room. The
fire spread, and was discovered by people outside very
early on Saturday morning. So soon as tho flames wore
extinguished a search was made for the bodies. Mires
was found lying in bed, his face downwards, and his body
which had been literally roasted, was so drawn up as to
show that he had died in extreme agony. His mother had
also suffered terribly. Her legs had been severed from her
body by fire.
COMPETITION IN THE DOCKYARDS.—The half-
yearly open competition of boys for the situation of ap-
prentice in the Government dockyards, and engineer stu-
dent in the steam factories, has just been held at the
various yards by the Civil Service Commissioners. There
were 172 candidates for the former class of situations, and
75 for the latter. At the same time occurred the large
annual competition amongst the dockyard artificers for
promotion to the higher grades. These examinations also
are now, at the request of the Admiralty, conducted by the
Civil Service Commissioners, the test consisting partly of
exercises in arithmetic, &c., and partly of practical ques-
tions prepared at the Admiralty. The number of compe-
titors on the late occasion was 619.

THE COURT OF SESSION OF SCOTLAND.—The
Edinburgh Courant says :—" It is reported that Lord Ormi-
dale has sent to the Juridical Society a letter of explana-
tion in reference to the construction put upon some of the
statements in his address to that society. If this be so,
the question may fairly be asked whether this explanation
should not receive as great publicity as has been given to
the address itself. It seems hardly fair that statements
should be made public through such a body as the Juridi-
cal Society, by a parson in Lord Ormidale's influential and
authoritative position, r, fleeting so strongly upon an im-
portant public institution, and that explanations after-
wards made should not be allowed to reach all those to
whom the original statements were disclosed."

'We understand that the star, collar, and badge
of the most noble order of the Garter were on Thursday
last sent through the Foreign Office to his Imperial Ma-
jesty the Sultan, at Constantinople. It is needless to re-
mark that the decorations were of the most exquisite
workmanship and the jewels of the purest water.
RESTITUTION.—The will of the late Cardinal
Archbishop of Malines is likely to produce some sensation.
By the will of two elderly sisters, named Segcrs, who died
some twenty years ago in Brussels, the Archbishop in-
herited two houses in the Belgian capital, and a splendid
property at Lacken. On his deathbed Cardinal Stercks
restored this property to the natural heirs, with the inte-
rest which had accrued upon it during the time it was in
his possession.

THE RITUAL COMMISSION.—The sittings of this
commission are now, it is understood, adjourned till the
middle of January next. Since the first report of the com-
mission was submitted to Parliament, which related to the
"vestment question," but few witnesses have been exa-
mined, though the commission have met regularly twice a
week in the Jerusalem Chamber, 'Westminster. The
second report of the commission, it is anticipated, will be
laid before Parliament immediately on its reassembling in
February.

DESTRUCTION OF ST. PAUL'S Clluncur, CLIFTON,
BY FIBE.—At midnight on Sunday St. Paul's Church,
which is attended by one of the most fashionable and
aristocratic congregations in the very centre of Clifton,
Bristol, was totally destroyed by fire, the only things
saved being the registry-book, the communion plate, and
the vestry furniture. The incumbent, the Rev. F. V.
Mather, of Worcester-terrace, Clifton, estimates the
damage at upwards of £5,000. The fire originated from the
chamber ef the heating apparatus being overheated. The
church had just been insured for 4,000.
CONSERVATISM AT IFSIVICII.—The Ipswich Work-
ing Men's Conservative Association has adopted the fel-
lowing resolution This meeting being fully impressed
with the importance of maintaining the present Govern-
ment as her Majesty's advisers, and believing that that
can be effected only by the united action of the Conservative
societies throughout the country, this association now
decides to become a branch of the National Union of
Conservative and Constitutional Associations."

MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE.—An officer of the
King's Own (2nd Stafford) Militia, named Captain Dimey,
has been found dead in the Shugborough Tunnel, near
Stafford. The body was frightfully mangled. The
deceased's watch and a qttantity of money was found upon
him, with some visiting cards with " Captain Dimey" on
them. The watch has been identified by his son. On the
previous night the deceased retired to bed about the usual
time, and nothing more was heard of him until he was
found dead in the tunnel, a distance of five miles from his
residence. There are footprints as though he had walked
about the mouth of the tunnel.
MURDEROUS OUTRAGE ON A POLICEMAN IN
SOMERSETSEIRE.—A dastardly outrage was perpetrated
on the morning of Saturday upon a policeman on St.
George's Common, Somersetshire, by two unknown men,
who made off without being recognised. They had robbed
a poultry-house, and on being challenged by the police-
man one of the ruffians produced two large horse pistols,
and fired the contents of one barrel into the officer's
bowels, and as he sank to the ground the murderous ruf-
fian stood over him with the other pistol for a moment or
two, apparently to ascertain the effect which the charge
had taken upon his victim. Seemingly satis•ficd, he then
made off to join his companion. The officer now lies in P
dangerous state.

NARROW EBCAPE FROM ANOTIIER COAL-PIT
ExmosroN.—A correspondent writes from Merthyr :
" On Friday evening a most alarming accident occurred
in the Abercwmboy Pit, in the Aberdare valley, which
not only gave an idea of ' what a blower is,' but also
sheaved how terrible they are in their character, and how,
in all probability, they are the cause of most of our great
explosions. Two hundred men were bard at work when
one of them struck into a fissure, and in a moment a
strong current of gas burst forth that in an incredible
space of time completely checked the ventilation. The
men flew for their lives ; one lame man narrowly escaped
suffocation, as he was not able to keep pace with the rest.
Happily, no one was injured, and measures were at once
taken to clear the workings of gas and restore the ventila-
tion. Had this ' blower ' not been discovered at the
moment, or had there been one damaged lamp, all or nearly
all of these 200 men would have been sacrificed. No more
striking instance of the fact that awful calamities are at
the mercy of any roan or boy in a pit has been given of
late years,"

LATEST INTELL EGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)