The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-19 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, NOV. 19, 1867.

An Autumnal Session of Parliament is not a
very frequent occurrence, and it usually indicates
a disturbed condition of the political barometer. A
war in progress or in anticipation, the recent change
of a Ministry, or an appeal to the country, and a
consequent desire to test the feeling of the new
House, such are the only reasons which of late
years have summoned the weary M.P's. from their
rural sports or learned leisure to resume their seats
on the green benches. Of course every one is very
well aware of the motive for beginning the session

of 1868 on this side of Christmas ; and most of us,
indeed, were able to foresee the necessity of it
before the recess. Some very unnecessary strictures
have been passed upon the Government
for withholding information from Parliament ;
but the fact was that the Parliament knew as much
as the Government. It was the absence of infor-
mation that compelled actiau. When the Houses
broke up it was still possible that TuEoDoRE might
be brought to reason or terrified into concession.
There had been no sign of feeling on the part of
the Commons or the country to indicate a desire
that the prisoners should be left to their fate, that

the accredited representative of the British Crown
should be suffered to languish out the rest of his
days in captivity, if spared torture and death. If
such a wish exists the Ministers are certainly ex-
cusable for not attributing it to their countrymen ;
and as guardians of the national honour and inte-
rests, they could hardly have acted otherwise than
they have done. The autumn months of the year
are, as is well known, the only available ones for the
purpose, and it would have been worse than folly to
have needlessly increased the risks and difficulties of
the expedition, as well as unnecessarily endangering
the captives, to have postponed the arrangements
until the consent of Parliament had been first for-
mally asked and granted. There is not much rea-
son to apprehend that Parliament will withhold the
necessary supplies, or that the House will manifest
any displeasure at the lengths to which the Govern-
ment have found themselves compelled, on their
own authority, to go. If our Army is to be
something more than pasteboard soldiers, and
our Consuls are really to represent the
power and the dignity of England, we
have no choice but to rescue Consul CAMZRON and
his companions at any hazard, or should that un-
happily prove impossible to make the barbarous
Emperor feel the weight of our displeasure. •
So far, then, as the most important paragraph of
the QUZEN'S Speech is concerned there is not likely
to be much difficulty. Criticism and censure as to
matters of detail will no doubt be plentiful enough,
but with respect to the main facts to be laid beforo
Parliament there can scarcely be much difference of
opinion. The cost of the •xpedition and the
manner in which it is to be defrayed will be a dis-
agreeable topic, but very few, we should imagine,
will begrudge the unavoidably, though unwelcome,

outlay.
There is plenty of other work in store for the
newly-assembled Parliament, though probably we
shall not see much other business transacted before
the Christmas holidays. There is the old question
of Reform, whose ghost is not yet finaily laid. Re-
distribution, with all its attendant terrors, lies in
wait, to say nothing of the Scotch and Irish Reform
Bills. Then the House and the Government have
promised to undertake a very hopeless task—the
prevention of bribery and corruption at elections.
Unless they will boldly face the difficulty and adopt
the only plain and secure means available, throwing
aside prejudice and interest, there is not much
chance that their ingenious and laboriously-con-
structed acts and clauses will do any practical
good.

A social subject of very great importance, too,
calls loudly for attention, and when the
reports of the several commissions which
have sat on Trades' Unions are ready it is
probable that Parliament will be called upon to dis-
cuss the subject. It is not consistent with the dig-
nity of the Crown or the rightful supremacy of the
law that a system of outrage and intimidation
should be tolerated among us ; and however jealous
public feeling may usually be of any official inter-
ference with individuals or associations, there will
be no opposition to some vigorous measure for the
prevention of such crimes and offences as have been
deliberately confessed at Sheffield, Manchester, and
elsewhere. If the liberty of the subject is to be
anything more than a name, means must be devised
to repress that system which makes a man not his
brother's keeper, but his brother's gaoler and execu-
tioner. It will be a difficult subject to deal with
fairly and fearlessly, but Parliament must not shrink
from its manifest duty.
The Earl of DEVON has promised that tke condition
of our sick poor shall not be left longer unnoticed.