The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-22 00:00:00

which vanished so iuopportuuely before the arrival

Birmingham seems likely to see strange sights
before the forthcoming election is over, and we
expect that the most striking lesson which its
events will teach will be the sort of toleration that
can be displayed by those who profess to be
extremely liberal. Mr. BRIGHT may not consider
himself responsible for the whole of the doings of
his friends, but it is at any rate in no wise credit-
able to him that an affair under his auspices should be
characterised by such displays of intolerance as those
which disgraced the opponents of Mr. LLOYD. The
greatest indignation has been expressed at the un-
worthy course pursued at the meeting on Friday.
The Town-hall was given to Mr. LLOYD on Friday,
as it had been to Mr. DIXON on Thursday, but
with a very different result. On the former occa-
sion order prevailed, and no attempt whatever was
made to interrupt the proceedings, but on Friday a
perfect hurricane prevailed, and when Mr. LLOYD
attempted to speak confusion worse confounded
took the place of the attention tha had been paid
to the proceedings of the previoust evening. For
two hours and a half no abatement took place in
the scene of riot and disorder, and it was perfectly
impossible for the candidate to obtai resorted earing.
An ingenious mode of appeal was to, by
placing a placard up in front of the gallery, with
the words on it—" Is this freedom of speech?" but
those whom it was sought to improve proved inex-
orable ; they were like deaf adders, indeed, to
any influence of reason or suggestion of right.
Such a scene is a disgrace to the cause
of those whose interests these " roughs"
are supposed to serve. To succeed through the em-
ployment of these measures is no triumph in the
opinion of the clear-headed and right-judging, for
it is evident that those who will not hear what an
opponent has td say cannot think his remarks are
answerable. An 4' outrage" such as took place on
Friday must be very offensive to the good sense, good
taste, auk good feeling of the respectable inhabi-
tants, and it is not astonishing to hear that great
indignation was felt on Saturday at the affair in
the Town-hall. It is true that Mr. DIXON'S com-
mittee declared that they had done all they could
to stop the disturbance, still many electors have
made it known tf,-.4
.......4umate, which they had not intended to do,
because they think he has been treated unfairly.
The consequence of the uproar on Friday was that
Mr. LLOYD could not be heard at all, and here is
a fine specimen of fair play and justice, be-
cause, however, those present differed from his
views and opinions, they were bound to hear him,
while we cannot speak too strongly in condemnation
of the course pursued by those who interrupted the
proceedings on Friday. It by no means follows
that the general opinion of the town was illustrated
by the affair. On the contrary, a deci led change
has taken place in the political feeling of the place
in many instances of late, which is not to be
wondered at after all that has occurred in Parlia-
ment and elsewhere. The very fact of its being
expected that a very close run will take place at the
election proves this most completely and unmistake-
ably. At the time of the last election Mr. BittunT and
Mr. SCIIOLEFIELD were ahead of the Conservative
competitor by some thousands, and it may afford a
subject of contemplation to those who are curious in
such matters to ascertain the reasons for such a
change. To those who regard the affair unbiassed
by party interests and uninfluenced by bitter-
ness and prejudice, it must be evident that
while the Liberals have decreased consider-
ably in political reputation and character
for assiduity in the course of progress the
Conservatives have more than proportionately in-
creased in the right direction. The utmost that
can be done in the way of talk has been done, but
not to much purpose, because people must see for
themselves the meaning of the matter.
Under all the circumstances of the case, we think
that Mr. LLOYD'S return for Birmingham would be
a fitting testimonial rendered by that town to the
important services which the present Government
have rendered to the country, and be in no
way inconsistent with the liberal opinions
which it has always been foand to uphold. Mr.
BP,IGHT'S aim is being the dictator of Birming-
ham, but his election to such a post will not con-
duce much to freedom of opinion or enlightenment
of judgment. Let the electors judge for them-
selves, and not be deceived by adopting or taking,
we will not say by plausible persuasion, but by fierce
invective and opposition, a course akin to American
rowdyism rather than congenial to English
tastes.At any rate, if Mr. LLOYD is de-
feated,
"fair fight," bf
oer 12
allowed said
is
opponentsthat
havehe
hadwas
their side enforced by the great champion from Lon-
don, while he has not been allowed to speak at all.
Sometimes,however, the best-laid plans aro defeated,
and it will not be surprising if in this instance the
battle is not to the noisy but to those whose acts
must speak for them, since monopoly of speech is
claimed by their competitors, whose very intolerance
and insidiousness may in the end prove to have been

their ruin.

Wimbledon has brought a worthy conclusion to
a week of unusual festivity and excitement, and,
unhappily, the weather has kept up its character till
the last. Very probably, when the Sultan is safe
in Turkey, when the Viceroy is moralising in Egypt
on the wonders of Western civilisation, when the
brards Beiges are recounting to their stay-at-home
countrymen the adventures of their trip, the sun
will come out in undiminished splendour, and we
*hall have a repetition of that unbroken fine weather

of our guests. However, it must be quite evident to

the whole of them that the rain was no fault of

ours, and if a good many of the entertainments

provided for them were unluckily more or less
dependent on the caprices of St. Swithin, this
was unavoidable, and the English sight-seers had
for the most part the worst of it. To-day our

kindly Belgian visitors take their departure, to-

morrow the SULTAN takes leave of us, the Egyptian
VICEROY is already gone, so that we may consider
the Wimbledon Review as the concluding festivity
of this pleasant interlude in the usual routine
of business and politics. The melancholy

death of Madame Museßus has cast an

unexpected shadow over the brilliant recol-
lections of the week, and altered in some degree the

programme of the SULTAN'S movements. He did
not, however, postpoue his visit to Wimbledon.

which would have occasioned great disappointment,
and the spectators who had been patiently waiting
all the afternoon for a glimpse of his Ottoman MA
JEsTY, were at length rewarded by a most imposing

procession. The SULTAN, mounted on a white
Arab, with a saddle cloth, glittering with jewels,
more nearly realised the vision of an Oriental po-
tentate than in any other aspect. The illustrious
visitor had no cause to quarrel with the reception.
The only fault to be found with the demonstrations
in his favour was that they were oppressively vehe-
ment. The crowd, stimulated by the reflection
that this was probably their last opportunity for
catching a glimpse of the Grand Turk, occasionally
allowed their valour to get the better of their dis-
cretioa, and good manners were overlooked or for-
gotten in the struggle to get a good view. The
SULTAN himself was very nearly " mobbed" after a
friendly fashion, and the Prince of WALES and some
of the gentlemen near had to do duty as guard of
honour in securing him a way to his carriage. On
one occasion the crowd fairly broke through
the lines and seriously interfered with the marching
past of the regiments. This was hardly excusable,
even allowing for a natural eagerness to see the
SULTAN, and it was a pity that so much was left to
the discretion of the mob instead of a little more
reliance being placed on an efficient body of police.
The shooting was all that could be desired, and
proved that our riflemen have not deteriorated ;
the Wimbledon meeting, though not often favoured
by the presence of such illustrious visitors as on
Saturday, seems a good purpose in keeping up the
standard and in supplying a stimulus to the marks-
men which might otherwise be wanting. The great
danger attending all such movements and associa-
tions is, that when the preliminary difficulties are
safely disposed of, and the first excitement has gone
off, they will gradually die of inanition. So long
as there arc obstacles to surmount, satirists to be
silenced, opponents to be convinced, and the
whole affair has to be got into working order, there
is sure to be no lack of energy, of enterprising de-
termination. But fresh interests come up, fresh
topics engage the public attention, fresh objects
engross the time and means of the most promi-
nent supporters, until very often a movement
which promised to outlast the generation col-
lapses in a few years. The heads of the Volunteer
movement have therefore shown a very wise fore-
sight in originating a festival which shall not only
bring the Volunteers periodically before the public,
but shall afford an incentive to pursue the days of
dull and tedious routine, to keep up that steady
practice without which no great ends can be at-
tained, and shall bring to bear upon the whole force
those powerful agencies of emulation and love
of distinction which can effect so much. The
Volunteers on Saturday, notwithstanding all draw-
backs, showed that thero is no falling off in their
drill or soldierly bearing, and bore comparison with
the Household troops manfully. The Sultan must
have been favourably impressed with the spectacle,
and courteously bore the drenching rain with appa-
rent indifference to watch the marching past. The
Tr
r
disarran ed the \ Luis,
gramme, but the sight was a Jane Lord
anS E 10E
appropriatel t rOiti
Cdoendelhuissi
elegantly improvised reception rooms in which
onhotsoptihtaebblerillbiaanntquenet.
tcrtainments of the week.