The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON. THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 5, 1867.

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With regard to the currency question, the PRE-
SIDENT recommends a return to specie payments at
the earliest possible moment, and declares the
public faith with regard to the debt should be
sacredly observed. This declaration is not unne-
cessary, after some of the recent propositions, and
we are glad to find the Head of the State making it
in unmistakeable terms.

Coming to foreign affairs, Mr. JOHNSON says that
no serious disturbance has arisen. The Alabama claims
are still unsettled, and he had declined arbitration,
on account of the reservations which accompanied
it ; but he adds that no apprehension need be felt
that Great Britain will refuse to satisfy these just
and reasonable claims—a sentence which will not
find a very cordial echo on this side of the Atlantic.
Mr. JOHNSON urges Congress to declare that the
naturalisation of a foreigner as an American citizen
releases him from allegiance to his own Sovereign
a suggestion apparently intended for the benefit of
Fenianism.

It seems that the Austrian Government are de-
termined to proceed on their course undaunted by
any obstacles that may be put in their way, and
undeterred by any diversity of opinion. The last
news from Vienna informs us that the Imperial
Cabinet has notified at Rome that this course of
legislation will be pursued without reference to the
obligations of the concordat, if the Pope declines
to release the Emperor as a Constitutional
Sovereign from the treaty into which he
entered while he was ruling as au absolute one.
If this he a correct version of the affair, it
may yet turn out in this, as in other cases, that
decision and promptitude have prevailed when in-
activity and incertitude have failed. At any rate
there can be no mistake now as to the course which
the Emperor FRANCIS JOSEPH and his Cabinet will
take. They are resolved upon pursuing their work
of progress with zeal and determination, and if they
persevere only for a short time in this direction
the country will soon appreciate their efforts and
acknowledge their styvices. The Committee of the
Upper House of the Rei,lisrath have considered the
amendments to the ConsCitution which were laid
before the House, but not vith a very satisfactory
result. Baron BEUST made an impressive speech,
which was not met in a con!esponding spirit. He
urged upon them the nee( ssity that existed for
meeting the advances of the Government in a con-
ciliatory manner, and ent &red into a long state-

endanger the public safety instead of serving it, He
did not measure his language certainly in speaking
of the Radical leaders, and he professed unshaken
confidence in the ultimate support of the people in
the darkest and most threatening times. But, as
far as political action was concerned, he contented
himself, for the most part, with strong and repeated
protests, based on constitutional arguments, and
directed against the violent and subversive policy
which has lately found favour with Congress.
What he could do, as PRESIDENT, in checking the
extremes to which the Radicals were eager to
rush in their various official capacities, he has
done, but he was careful to keep within the
the limits actually assigned to him by the Constitu-
tion. It was not until there were manifest signs of
a reaction in the popular feeling that Mr. JourtsoN
took the decided step of suspending Mr. STANTON
irj--.1 his post of War Secretary. Now, however,
all is changed. Ir.r, JQJINSON speaks with the con-
fidence naturally inspired by the recent decided
utterance of the country in Ws favour. He knows,
too, that the truths he has been so long reitefatlng,
unheeded, have at last forced themselves upon
popular conviction. Thus, iu boldly urging Con-
gress to repeal the Act whigh places qui
Southern States under military rule, Mr,
JOHNSON does not hesitate to declare
that, if the Act continues in force, it will
increase taxation, and may finally produce national
bankruptcy. This is something more than a piece
of verbal bombast, when the War Department
estimate for the year, mentioned in the same tiles•
sage, is seventy-seven millions of dollars. Mr.
JOHNSON says—probably without exaggeration—
that a standing army and an expenditure of over
two hundred millions per annum would be required
to maintain the supremacy of negro government.
We cannot expect the Southern peoplo will always
submit as patiently as now to their painful
and humiliating position. They have not yet
recovered from the crushing effects of the
war ; and, moreover, they perceive that affairs
are in a transition state in the North, and have
consequently been able in the darkest times to hope
for a change in the tactics of the Federal Govern-
ment. The PRESIDENT himself, and the several
members of his Cabinet, were known to be in
favour of a moderate and conciliatory policy. But
the term of Mr. JOHNSON'S power is drawing to a

close, and it is impossible to foresee the action of
his successor. Men of intelligence and ability
will not always submit to be nada- martial law,
I to see their civil officers appointed or removed at
the pleasure of some military cotnminander
who likes to show his power. Sooner or later
if this system is kept up the South will
rebel. The youths will have grown men, the boys
youths, the men of the civil war will have recovered
from their depression. Some foreign power will
assist the fresh outbreak, which in the disorganised
state of Northern politics will not be easily re-
pressed. It needs no second sight to perceive the
natural tendency of the Radical policy, but even
were its ultimate consequences less perilous the loss
to the national exchequer caused by the desolation
and unproductiveness of some of its most vast and
fertile states would be sufficient to call forth the
iaiignant protest of every patriotic statesman.
So far then as the military government of
the South is concerned Mr. JOHNSON is no
longer likely to speak to heedless ears, but
he is evidently doubtful of the course
which the existing Congress may pursue during its
brief remaining term. Ile boldly declares that it is
the duty of the Executive to oppose unconstitutional
legislation, and that if Congress should pass an act
even through all the forms of law to abolish a co-
ordinate department of the Government of the
country the President must take the high reAponsi-
bility of his office to save the life of the nation at
all hazards. This sentence, which is likely to pro-
voke a good deal of criticism and comment, is pro-
bably directed against some intended movement of
the Radicals. It will certainly be distorted by Mr.
JOIINSON'S enemies into some arrogant and despotic
meaning. But the President, it must be remembered,
speaks of unconstitutional legislation, and refers espe-
cially to a design to abolish a co-ordinate departmen t
of the Government of the country, or, in other words,
the office of the Presidency itself. The PRESIDENT
ou assuming his position takes an oath to maintain
the constitution of the country, and there can be
no doubt that such an attempt would be not only
subversive of the Constitution he has sworn to
guard, but directly opposed to the collective feeling
and good sense of the American people. There-
fore, in the remote but perhaps not impossible
event of such a desperate proposal, Mr. JOHNSON
would certainly be justified in employing strong
measureskin the public interest and in resisting to the
utmost the decision of Congress until he had, at
least, submitted it to the deliberate judgment of
the whole nation.

meat descriptive of the attitude the Government
assumed towards the Upper House ; but, unfortu-
nately, either from indifference or prejudice, much
attention was not given to the matter. Several of
the proposed amendments were rejected, and the
clause was not carried, which gave the EMPEROR
the power of decision in doubtful cases between the
Reichsrath and the Diet. It, will, however, take
time to inaugurate any decisive changes, and there
is no occasion to despair of success because at first
the way is difficult and the task tiresome. We may
fairly say that by this time the worst has been got
over, and the road pretty clear before the reforming
spirit of Austria. They are the more to be ad-
mired because they started under great disadvan-
tages, and with the prestige of the country destroyed
by the disastrous war which had taken place. The
rapid progress which Austria has made during the
last year or two has has afforded a proof that no one
need ever despair, and that nations as well as indi-
viduals can sometimes retrieve their position if they
set out determined to do so, and are not dismayed,
13i difficulties. The sympathies of this country will
be with the Austrians in their zealous endeavour to
go forward in civilisation and progress, and Prussia
tpay now find
sout that she has grasped the shadow
instead Pf the substance, while her rival has in
reality approached nearer to the mark.

TITER; is one important particular in which It
seems that we cannot too soon or too completely
Americanise our institutions. Our prisons, whioh
are now such a grievous source of complaint
both from ratepayers and philanthropists, might
be turned into a positive source of wealth to the
Government and of effectual reformatory discipline
to the prisoners if we followed the example of the
Massachusetts State Prison. Mr. GIDEON HAYNES,
the governor of this institution, has been enabled to
report that for the year ending September 1867 there
has been earned a clear net profit of 22,000 dollars,
or about £4,500, over and above all the expenses
connected with the undertaking. Surprising as
this result is, it is not beyond the bounds of
probability. It is obvious that, as a general
rule, our prisoners are able:loslied persons,
whose labour Ought to be valuable. In
England we avail ourselves of this labour in some
degree, and obtain an average value of £2 per
head per annum from each prisoner. In Massa-
chusetts the average profit from the labour of 539
prisoners is £35 per head, which is actually £8 per
head more than the total cost of the institution.
If in England, where labour is less valuable, it
would be impossible to obtain such a satisfactory
result as has been realised in America, there is no
reason why we should not make an approach to it.
The more we make our prisoners work the better it
will be for them as well as for the ratepayers, and
in this instance, as in so mazy others, economy and
efficiency go hand-in-hand. enforced idleness is a
bad training for the future while instructed industry
qualifies a man to obtain his future support it -1- an
honest manner. The truth of this is -
,Aiewn by the
fact that recommitments. it the Massachusetts
prison have been less than ten per cent. during the
last forty years.

An objection has been raised to the employment
of prison labour in this country on the ground that
such employment exposes the honest workman to
unfair competition. But such is not the case. If
a prisoner earns five shillings by his .labour the
ratepayers have five shillings less to pay, and this
five shillings is inevitably spent by them in a man-
ner which employs five shillings worth of labour
elsewhere. The labour market, therefore, loses
nothing by the transaction, while society is a gainer
in the additional conveniences or comforts which
the ratepayers have been enabled to obtain by
spending their own money instead of handing it
over to the tax collector. If prisoners were an
organised band who were paid the full value of
their own labour, there would undoubtedly be
unfair competition with honest industry; but as the
value of the labour produced is retained by the
ratepayers, no injustice is done and every advan-
tage is gained.

To suppose that ablebodied prisoners ought to be
maintained in idleness while honest labourers are
striving for a living, is so manifestly unreasonable
that it is surprising that any weight was ever
attached to the argument against prison labour.
Until we have too much food, too much clothing,
and are too well housed, we need not complain of
any one working too hard. It is not work that
we are short of, but the result of work is what
we want. It is preposterous to suppose
that we should continue to give a double
portion of food and clothing to our prisoners, and
leave the honest labourer to do all the work. No
sys tem of keepittg prisoners in idleness, or employ-
ing them in unprofitable labour, can be sound ;
both are corrupting and degrading ; whereas the
introduction of well-organised industrial occupa-
tions may make our prisons at once economical,
deterrent, and reformatory.

Essex has had its Conservative demonstration,
and the annual dinner of the Maldon Conservative
Club has furnished an opportunity for making
speeches on affairs generally. Mr. SANDFORD
made an interesting speech, in the course of which
he entered upon topics of importance. He was
fortunate in being enabled to address his constitu-
ents without using the language of excuse and
of apology, as some other M.P.'s have been forced

to do of late. The honourable member is
not an enthusiast about the recent Reform
Bill, but appears to think that what has
been done renders it obligatory to do more.
We have no fault to find with this expression, how-
ever, that he was prepared to support " that popular
and progressive policy which he considered to be its
logical and inevitable sequel." Mr. SANDFORD is

in favour of the representation of minorities, con-
cerning which a good deal may be said that finds

favour with those who are not extreme in their views
one way or other. As the hon. member very truly
puts it, one of the great dangers of our democracies
is the swamping or crushing of minorities by majori-
ties, and hence it is well that the principle of repre-
senting minorities should have been recognised as it
has just been. Perhaps, without any disrespect, it
may be suggested that those immediately concerned
in a matter are not always the best judges, and
hence Mr. SANDFORD'S strictures on the hardships
of Maldon being deprived of one of its members are
deprived of some of their weight. We do not mean
on personal grounds so much as that from the habit
of association one naturally gets more interested in
any particular locality, and is tempted to overrate
its advantages and to ignore its deficiencies. It is a
relief to turn from the praise of this speech
to note the obs rvations of the Chairman, Mr.

IBBETSON, who declared that he stood there as a
supporter of the Reform Bill, lie believed, he said,
that " Reform would strengthen and invigorate our
body politic, weakened as it had been by theyn-
satisfied longings for political power of a large sec-
tion of educated and intelligent men." He
was glad to find an opportunity was given
to the Conservatives to show the country that
they were as anxious as the Liberals to provide
for the necessary changes with due regard to
the safety of the State. It would be wise if the
captious on both sides would take heed to the liberal
remarks here tendered to them, and not pass too
hasty a judgment upon the bill of last session, but
" rely upon the common sense and love of order
which characterised their countrymen." We can
recognise in the tone which pervades this discourse
the spirit of enterprise and the adherence to pa-
triotic views which led the bulk of the Conservative

party to give their unhesitating support to Mr.
DISRAELI, and thus enabled hint to carry the
measure so earnestly demanded and desired by
the country at large. Lord EusrAcE CECIL
evidently tried hard to make the best of it, and
trusted that the generous confidence resposed by the
Legislature in the great masses of our fellow-coun-
trymen would not be disappointed and deceived.
The Government have taken the wisest and most
effectual means to gain the support and confidence
of the country, and we feel convinced that the result
will more than justify their expectations and re-
ward their efforts. There is nothing to fear, and
all to hope from putting trust in the sound sense
and loyal spirit of the community ; and nothing can
be more prejudicial to the true interests of the coun-
try than to keep on insinuating that there is danger
in giving more power to the people, and those who
know them best can the most fully recognise this
error.