The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-19 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, SEPT. 19, 1867.

I A Reform Conference was held in Glasgow, con-
vened by the Scottish National Reform League
from the various districts of Scotland. The secre-
tary read extracts from letters received from some
members of Parliament who had been invited to
attend. Mr. BRIGHT heads the list, and he, of
course, makes a desperate effort to show that there
is something worth fighting for, and something that
still remains to be done before we should rest and
be thankful. He declares that he has a very " dis-
tinct opinion as to what Reformers should do now."
They should continue their associations and make a
grand effort for the Ballot. This is true so far as
the principle goes, but of course the writer goes on
to mar the effect of his comments by the exhibition
of his prejudice and perversity. All that has been
done for freedom has been done by the boroughs,
we are told, " and they have had to move the dead
weight of the counties," and overcome the resistance
of territorial influence. According to Mr. BRIGHT'S
theory, England would be far happier and wiser if
it all consisted of towns, for no one ever heard
him say anything in favour of the counties yet, and
he talks as if all that the counties did was to injure
and impair the advantages that accrued from the
influence of the boroughs. He says that the ballot
would " lessen the cost, and put an end to the
tumults which are inseparable from our present
elections in boroughs;" and no doubt it would have
a tendency in this direction. We would, how-
ever, venture to ask why Mr. BRIGHT and his
fellow-politicians were so vehement in their de-
nunciation of the introduction of voting papers,
which was a decided approach to the ballot ? Why
did they not allow it a trial, at any rate, instead of
perversely declaring that it would be productive of
injury rather than good. Mr. JOHN STUART MILL'S
counsels are, as may be expected, rather difficult to
carry out. He recommended a more just redistri-
bution of seats, and not only for measures to be
taken for the repression of bribery at elections, but
of that " moncpoly of seats in Parliament which
result from the enormous expense of elections."
He also advocates the restoration of legal
protection to the funds of trade societies, com-
bined with efficient measures to prevent physical
molestation, etc. Really, it would be advisable
to wait a little and se• the results of the inquiries
now being made by the Commission before pre-
suming to settle what should or should not be
done with respect to these Trade Societies. If even
half were done that is shadowed forth by these
correspondents there would indeed be enough to
occupy the Legislature for some considerable
period ; and the wholesale character of some of the
Reforms is almost amusing. For instance, Mr.
MILL points out that Reformers should demand
complete justice to our Irish fellow-country-
men, and Mr. HADFIELD advises that the
Bishops should be relieved from Parliamentary
labours and duties in the House of Lords. Mr.
HUGHES, M.P. for Lambeth, is one of the wisest
counsellors, for he says that in his opinion the labour
question is one which should now occupy the fore-
most place in the deliberations of such a Confer-
ence : " That legislation, if anr, is desirable as to
trades' unions. How are artizans to be kept in the
country—how can the standard of work be raised
in all branches of production—so that we may regain
our:character as the first workshop in the world ?" We
entirely agree with the hon. member for Lambeth
that these seem the most pressing questions for
English politicians just now; and so they certainly
are, for every day brings more fully before us the
depth and height to which this evil of trades'
unionism has reached, and the tyranny it is work-
ing among us in the name of liberty. Resolutions
were adopted accepting the household suffrage, with
a liberal lodger franchise for burghs, but condemn-
ing the introduction of the " unconstitutional
principles of the representation of minorities."
The " political programme " sketched at this
Conference no doubt sounded very well, and ap-
peared to be very promising to those who drew
it up, but it would not be found so practicable
in all its details as they thought. At any rate
we do not know that much good can come of
agitation just now, and it would be better to
wait and see how the new regime acts before we
persevere in asking for a change to be made.
So much more has been conceded than was ex-
pected at any time possible to be gained that it
is evidently both impolitic and injudicious to exhibit
discontent and dissatisfaction.

The news from Manchester is of a startling and
extraordinary character. We have become accus-
tomed to hear of violent manifestations of Fenianism
in the sister country, and are satisfied that no
serious consequences will ensue from them so long
as the authorities are properly on their guard. But
the rescue of two prisoners by an armed body of
ruffians, the murder and maltreatment of the police
in charge in the immediate vicinity of one of our
largest and most populous cities, in broad
daylight, is something which the most phleg-
matic can scarcely hear with indifference. The
facts of the case, so far as they are as yet known,
are as follows :—About a week since two men, who
spoke with Irish American accent, were appre-
hended by the Manchester police for loitering about
the streets at. night in a suspicious manner. They
claimed to be American citizens, and offered great
resistance. They were remanded under the Vagrant
Act, and both proved to be armed with loaded
revolvers. It is believed that they are the two well-
known Fenian leaders, Colonel KELLY and Captain
DEASEY. They were brought up a second time
at the Manchester police-court yesterday and again
remanded for further inquiry. About three o'clock
in the afternoon the van was drawn up in front
of the Police-court to remove the prisoners to
gaol, and the police noticed two men hanging about
whom they suspected to be Fenians, and a policeman
made a rush at one, and succeedel in arresting him,
but not before the man had drawn a dagger and at-
tempted to stab him. This we think should have
put the police on their guard. If armed Feniaus
were lurking about it would have been pru-
dent at least to have an armed escort. How-
ever, they deemed it wise to put DEASEY and
KELLY in irons before starting. While proceeding
through the suburbs of the city to the gaol a volley
of shots was fired. The policemen in charge of
the van immediately dropped off to search for the
assaulters, when a rush was made by thirty or
forty Irishmen upon them and upon the van. One
man had a bayonet, another a hatchet, and others
had revolvers, one of which was fired into
the lock. They succeeded in breaking open
the van, and in liberating the whole of
the prisoners. The police collected in a
body, and endeavoured to make an organised
resistance, but several revolvers were fired, and
several of them seriously wounded, a bystander being
killed. Both the horses in the van were shot, and
the driver knocked off his box with a stone. As