The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-04 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1867.

Scarcely a session passes without some leading
politician or other disappointing the expectations of
the public generally, however much of a hero he may
be to himself or his friends. We regret to say that
the one who is the bete-noire of this year, and who
seems determined to play his part to perfection, is
no less a personage than the Leader of the Opposi-
tion. Mr. GLADSTONE is resolved not to repent of
the error of his ways, but to go on to the end of the
chapter. After all the unexpected concessions
that the Ministers have made, it is really too
bad to find that the right hon. gentleman
proposes to hold another meeting at his residence.
He has postponed it from to-day till Friday, in
order not to interfere with the Budget, which the
Chancellor of the Exchequer proposes to bring
before the House tonight. There is no possible
excuse for such a thing, and we are really surprised
at the want of consideration they displayed. What
could Mr. GLADSTONE have done more had the Go-
vernment realised the fears of some, and made a
sine qua non of the dual vote, and refused to enter-
tain the thought of the lodger franchise ?
We do not know what is the object of
all this fuss and clamour, but we know
very well what interpretation the public will
put on it, and it will be one not very flattering to
those concerned. They will say that party spirit
is rampant in these frequent and hurried consulta-
tions, and that prejudice is more potent than
patriotism in Carlton-terrace. We look upon
those who so willingly obey the summons of the
right hon. gentleman, and " like reapers descend
to the harvest of death," have prejudged the
case, and predetermined the fall alike of
Ministers and their measure. The door
is sealed, and nothing remains but to de-
vise the best means for putting their de-
signs into execution. The other evening in the
House of Commons Mr. DISRAELI compared Mr.
GLADSTONE'S manner to that of a " familiar" of the
Inquisition, and the Leader of the Opposition seems
determined to verify the similitude with all his

might and main.
We feel at once indignant and disappointed at
the course pursued by the right hon. gentleman ;
it is one alike unworthy of himself and his
position ; it is making a mockery of a
great public question to drag it through the
mire of intrigues, and it is quite derogatory to the
dignity of a great party thus to play fast and loose.
It was intimated at the last of these feasts of fac-
tion that if the Government did not speak out very
plainly on the matter, that Mr. GLADSTONE, as the
mouthpiece of the Liberal party and the exponent
of popular opinions, should move a rosolution con-
demnatory of " dual-voting." Besides that, great
stress was to be laid upon the necessity of consider-
ing the lodger franchise. Nov that the shifting
scenes of Parliamentary life have removed
these bugbears, or at least virtually done so,
from the path of these zealous and enthusiastic po-
liticians, something else engrosses their thoughts
and calls for their energies. The subject for con-
sideration next Friday is to decide if any steps shall
be taken on the motion for going into committee
on the Reform Bill. Mr. GLADSTONE is expected
to propose a resolution which will be well calculated
to secure the objects of the Liberal party.
All we can say is that the House of Commons
is the fitting place to make suggestions of
this sort, and this constant gathering of
forces that take place in Carlton-terrace bodes ill
for the chance of an impartial treatment of the
measure now before the House. It is all very well
to talk of the importance of this clause being thrown
out, and the great desirability of that proposition
being introduced, but if things are carried on as
they have begun people will think that they merely
witness a repetition of the tactics of 1859, and that
the scene of action has been changed from
Willis's-rooms to another place, as it is
said in Parliamentary phraseology. Those
who expect to come out of the affair as
heroes will find a very different interpretation put
upon their actions by those clear-sighted observers
who desire measures and not men, and by the public
whose patience has been so sorely tried on this
question of amending the representation. We suspect
if we were in the Palace of Truth, and sought to
discover the real cause of the dissatisfaction of the
Liberals and of their Leader, we should learn
that the error of the Ministers consisted in the
fact of their being Ministers at all, and the
fault of their measure, in their presumption and
folly in introducing a Reform Bill at air to the
House of Commons, when they might have known
that it could have been done so much better by
other,=. In descanting upon the hardship of
authors, the pet has said that if they are partial to
their wit--

"Yet are not critics to their judgment too."

And we think that those on the Treasury benches
might well retort upon Mr. GLADSTONE that he
spends so much time in seeking for what is wrong
that he has no opportunity of inquiring what may
be right.

According to the Sew fork Herald of yesterday
the Reconstruction Act is not likely to be carried
into effect without opposition. That journal
asserts that the most pro: inert South= politicians,
with President JoaruoN's advice, propoBe to peti-

tion the Supreme Court to stay the execution of the
Reconstruction Act. This Act is clearly unconsti-
tutional in its scope and character, and therefore if
it isbrought directly under the notice of the Supreme
Court it can hardly escape condemnation. The
Court has already expressed itself against some of
the Radical proceedings, and therefore it is pretty
well certain that if called upon to express
an opinion on the Reconstruction Act
it will do so with decision and firmness.
The House of Representatives having adjourned
for several months there is a good opportunity for
the case to be calmly and dispassionately considered,
and the advocates of a more enlightened and con-
stitutional policy have done well to wait until the
turbulent voices of STEVENS, ASHLEY, and BUTLER
are silent in the Capitol. There are several indica-
tions in the news brought by the mail from New
York on the 23d ult. that public opinion is
exercising a modifying influence over the pro-
ceedings of the ultra party. Owing no doubt
to the startling revelations respecting the condi-
tion of the finances under Radical management
the Senate has passed a bill suspending the
payment to legal owners for slaves enlisted during
the war. Another sign of the times is that Con-
gress has passed the bill instructing the Secretary
for War to issue supplies of food to the destitute
people of the South ; and, although this is to be
done under certain limitations, it shows that a
better feeling prevails in the North, and that the
people can no longer listen with patience to the
harrowing details which reach them from the
Southern States.

Two more paragraphs in the news seem to indi-
cate the decline of Radical policy in public favour.
The New York State Assembly have rejected an
amendment of the franchise law allowing negroes
to vote for delegates to the State Constitutional
Convention, which shows that Mr. SUMNER'S in-
fluence is not paramount in the Empire State. The
other noticeable item in the intelligence is that Mr.
WILSON, of Massachusetts, has introduced a resolu-
tion into the Senate, declaring that justice demands
that Mr. Davis be accorded an immediate trial or
released on bail on his own recognisances. Possibly
under the new aspect of affairs Mr. Davis may
have a chance of being released from his long dur-
ance ; and we should imagine that there could be
few, not actually belonging to the ASHLEY or
BUTLER faction, who would begrudge him his re-
storation to freedom.

As regards foreign affairs the PRESIDENT has
transmitted to the House the report of Mr.SEWARD,
announcing that the correspondence relative to the
arrest of American citizens in Great Britain is still
in progress, and that the publication is therefore
incompatible with the public interest. Mr. JOHN-
SON was no doubt glad to be able to postpone so
angry and mischievous a discussion, but there is a
chance of consolation for the Fenian sympathisers,
since Sir FREDERICK BRUCE has, it is said, re-
ceived information that the British Government
intend remitting tha sentences of the Canadian
Fenians. This will very probably prove a wise
concession, and show that England has no wish to
use unnecessary harshness, although the leaders
of the movement, if they could be secured,
richly deserve severe punishment. Mexican affairs
are still in a state of chronic perplexity. The latest
news brought ley the telegraph is that the Emperor
MAXIMILIAN is at Queretaro, cut off from all com-
munioation, and deserted by the natives. It is
reported, from an earlier date, that JUAREZ con-
templated ordering all French residents to leave the
country, or be naturalised under the Republic.
Matters are evidently very far from a definite settle-
meat, and the unhappy country seems as far from
an established Government as ever—the people,
indeed, being by this time neither inclined nor fitted
for a peaceable existence.

The recent dispute between railway companies
and their employes has attracted a good deal of
public attention, and the general feeling is unques-
tionably strongly opposed to the abuse of the power
of combination among workmen. The fact is now
widely recognised that the frequent and protracted
" strikes" to which all trades are becoming more
and more liable have seriously affectel the commer-
cial prosperity of the country, and helped largely to
produce the present depression of trade by divert-
ing business from its ordinary channels. At the same
time it is to be hoped that the railwayquestion at least
may be regarded from both sides, and that the atten-
tion of the public may be directed to some of the
grievances of which railway servants justly complain.
A meeting was held last evening in Exeter-hall by
the Railway Signalmen and Switehmen's Mutual
Benefit Society, an association which has been
formed to protect the interests of those railway ser-
vants who attend to the signalling of trains and
watch the points. Their labour is often severe and
continuous. One member of the society said, "in
one day of 21 consecutive hours no less a number
than 736 trains past his box." Others have worked
on one line 18 hours continuously, and, in ad-
dition to their own work, have often to do
the work of absent men, for which extra ser-
vice no compensation is made them. Some
have had to work 19 hours per day without five
minutes' time to swallow the food they have
brought with them. On one line at one of the
stations about 400 trains pass during the day,
besides shunting and empties, and during the
ordinary time of 12 hours' work the men have not
a moment allowed them for food, and the average
relief does not exceed one day and one night per
month. On another line, where the hours of
labour, including Sunday, are 12 daily, one
member had not a day's relief for two years, and
he had on many occasions to work for forty con-
secutive hours. In some cases the pay of the men
is stopped in time of illness, which we should
imagine under such circumstances must be of pretty
frequent occurrence. With these facts before them
we apprehend the public will fully support the
assertion of the men, that they have just grounds
for complaint. The society we are referring to
distinctly disclaims any intention of dictating
to their employers, or using any threats of
combination. The favours they ask for are simple
and reasonable enough. Eight hours of labour at
all junctions ; eight hours at straight road boxes
near London, where the traffic is necessarily great;
twelve hours beyond ten miles from London, with
an hour for refreshment, and a chance from night
duty to day duty, and vice versa weekly, with one
clear Sunday in three. The pay asked for is from
225. to 30s. a week, a slight rise on the present rate
of wages. Surely our great railway companies, con-
sidering what vital interests are committed to the
watchfulness and energy of these men, should
recognise that it is no less their policy than their
duty to make these moderate concessions.

We shall hear enough of the " Luxemburg"
topic before we have done with it in all probability,
and of course there will be innumerable on-dits and
rumours on the subject, some no doubt resting
on a good foundation, and others having little, if
any, semblance of truth. Ono of the last reports
in circulation is that Lord STANLEY has been ap•
plied to by the Prussian Government on the subject
of the cession of this territory to Franco. The
nature of the reiluest is to solicit the friendly offices