The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-06 00:00:00

regarded in the same light as the rebels of the old
provinces, but rather as enemies in a fair and legiti-
mate war. Their allegiance was but of a single
year. They could scarcely be expected within
that period to shake off all former pre-
judices, and to come uncomtlionally under
the new authority which had been proclaimed but
scarcely acted on in many of the districts. Besides,
many of the talookdars had special grievances.
Their titles to property in actual possession had
been impugned. They were treated as a conquered
people ; and, although these facts might not justify,
they certainly greatly extenuated the conduct of
those who did not stain their hands with British
blood, and who only fought fairly in defence
of all that they previously held dear.
It is true that they were compromised by
the infamous proceedings of those who added to
treachery and ingratitude the most infamous atro-
cities against the helpless and fugitives and pri-
soners who fell into their hands. But none but
those who participated in these abominations
should be held responsible therefor.
There being perfect accord respecting the premises,
the only difference related to the deductions that
should have been drawn therefrom. His Lordship
took one view of the subject, Lord PALMERSTON
and Sir JAMES OUTRAM a widely different one.
He intended to combine "an uncompromising
assertion of authority" with a " merciful exercise"
of it. They thought that the policy of mercy
should be more clearly explained, and that
no confiscation should be announced until
the party had been convicted of acts de-
serving of such stringent punishment. The
true animus is, however, suffered to peep out
at the end of the 19th paragraph. Lord CANNING
declares, amongst other reasons, that " the confisca-
tion to the State of the proprietary rights
in the soil would tend to the final settle-
ment of many of those disputes respecting
landed rights which have been the source
of so much strife and animosity in Oude." This is
the key to the entire mystery. This shows the
dangerous nature of the ground on which Lord
CANNING was trespassing. He desired to smooth
over a little difficulty; but in doing so he rendered
all the chiefs and landed proprietors utterly depen-
dent on the temper and disposition of the represen-
tatives of the British Government, whoever they
might be.

We shall not, to-day, enter into a consideration
of the disputed points. It is better that the defence
of Lord CANNING should be thoroughly understood
and attentively considered, before a verdict is
required on any count of the indictment.

Everything considered, we cannot but think that
the most important document yet published, in re-
ference to the late lamentable interruption of the
electric current in the Subatlantic cable between
Valentia and Newfoundland, is that comprehensive
communication (given elsewhere in our impression
of this evening) addressed to the Chairman and
Directors of the Atlantic Telegraph Company, upon
the last day of September, by Mr. W. T. HENLEY,
the electrical engineer of St. John-street, Clerken-
well. The writer of that letter deals not in vague
probabilities. He takes the difficulty boldly into
consideration just as it is—aided in his researches
as much (if not more) by the light of common sense
as by that of profound scientific knowledge and
professional experience. As we read this deeply
interesting document, we feel that it is
the effusion of a mind having something in it very
kindred to that of excellent DANIEL DOYCE of
Bleeding Heart-yard—one of those shrewd, plain,
straightforward characters, the especial dread
and terror of your genuine Circumlocutionist. The
effect of the whole argument is to give us hope—
and a hope kindled by a confident reliance upon
the sagacity of an intellect essentially (in a compli-
mentary and not in an invidious sense) simple and
matter-of-fact. Mr. HENLEY puts his case with the
lucidity and distinctness of a syllogism. He sets forth
in his argument with the undoubted fact of the in-
sulation being very seriously impaired. He tests the
cable by connecting one pole of a voltaic battery to
the end of the cable with a galvanometer in cir-
cuit and the other battery pole to the earth. He
finds-a resistance to the current equal to very nearly
300 miles of the copper wire, in fact, to 290 miles
altogether. By "resistance," ho explains, is meant
the impeding force more or less always encountered
by electricity in its passage through various con-
ductors. He, thereupon explains yet further that
in addition to this natural and inevitable resistance
in every conductor, even when perfectly insu-
lated, there is, as in the present remarkable
instance, the resistance presented to the pas-
sage of the electric current by the " fault" itself,
now that the insulation of the conductor
has been seriously impaired. That fault
he shows to be perpetually reverting to its original
condition, when he says that "on reversing the
direction of the current hydrogen is evolved, which
(hydrogen) by reducing the oxide and cleaning the
wire, brings the fault back to its former state."
Mr. HENLEY, at any rate, reduces the evil to this
rather formidable minimum of importance—" one
fact," says he, "is unquestionably established,
and that is—the fault is not beyond three
hundred miles !" Nevertheless such is the
amount of friction constantly going on in the
harbour of Valentia, upon the rocks and shingle,
that he strongly urges the submersion of " some
length" of the shore end—a recommendation, how-
ever, which has already, as Mr. SAWARD informs
us, been happily anticipated.

Another rather startling view, taken by Mr. HEN-
LEY, of the fault now interrupting electric commu-
nications between Ireland and America, is expressed
plainly enough where he intimates that, in his
opinion, it existed in the cable before it was sub-
merged. His reasons for so thinking are obvious
and forcible enough to be at once appreciated. The
conclusions at which he ultimately arrives are these :
After recommending that the cable should be raised
some 15 miles out and tested, he adds, " I cannot say
I have any hopes of the fault being found within
that distance, but as it would not be attended
with any trouble or risk, I think it worth the
trial. If the injury is in the deep soundings, I be-
lieve any attempt to raise it would be the means of
breaking the cable and losing the end altogether.
If the state of the cable should not get worse, I am
still in hopes of its being rendered workable by
transmitting signals 'slowly,' by having delicate
receiving apparatus, and by adopting means for
neutralising the earth current." That is the pre-
cise amount of the hope awakened by this valuable
communication from Mr. HENLEY, of Clerken-
well.

We are gratified at being enabled to inform the
friends of Lord Adolphus Vane Tempest, M.P. for
Durham, that the noble and gallant Lord's health
is somewhat improved, and that his medical
attendants now consider him to be going on
favourably.
The Ambassador of Prussia at Brussels, M. de
Brockhansen, died last night at Baden, where he had been
staying for the recovery of his health.
Despatches from the Governors of the Cape of
Good Hope, Natal, and St. Helena were received yesterday
at the Colonial-office.

The Dean and Chapter of Lichfield have pre-
sented the Rev. Edward Roberts, M.A., of Trinity College,
Dublin, curate of Harborne, Birmingham, to the vicarage
of that parish, rendered vacant by the death of the Rev.
Canon Garbett,