The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-30 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, DEC. 30, 1867.

Loyal subjects of the QUEEN will learn with
satisfaction that such loyalty is not confined to the
British Isles alone, but flourishes also on the other
side of the globe. Our news from the antipodes
has of late been of a somewhat stormy character.
Political differences have reached so acrimonious a
pitch that the public business has been brought to
a standstill, and it has been found impossible to
induce the members of either House of the Victo-
rian Legislature to sacrifice their own affronted
dignity to the exigencies of the public ser-
vice. By the latest mail we learn that the
deadlock still continues, and that nothwithstanding
the advice of the Governor the Upper House has for
a second time rejected the Appropriation Bill. The
Government now ask for a Supply Bill of half a
million to meet pressing exigencies, and then intend
to dissolve the Assembly. It is probable that the
result of that dissolution will be considerably in their
favour. It is the more to be regretted that the
lispute should be thus perpetuated, as there were
originally faults on both sides, and a little mutual
concession would have been the more honour-
able as well as the more politic course. One or the
ether molt eventually give in, and the longer the
readjustment of affairs is delayed the more difficult
and disagreeable will be the task. But notwith-
standing these angry divisions in the colony there
is one point on which all parties are agreed, and
on which the mutual jealousies of the several
colonies themselves only resolve themselves into a
laudable emulation. The visit of Prince ALFRED
to Australia has long been looked forward to with
eagerness and interest. The sturdy independence
of the colonists has in no way affected their
loyalty. So far from chafing at the ties which
bind them to the mother country, they are
proud of their allegiance, and are resolved that no-
thing shall be wanting on their part to give the son
if Queen VICTORIA a hearty welcome to Australasia.
C'uriously enough, as often happens on such occa-
sions, after the long and eager watch kept for the
:3ralatea, his Royal Highness arrived unnoticed.
Soon after midnight the Galatea reached Glenelg.
South Australia, unperceived by the Government
essel which was stationed in the Gulf of St.
Vincent to herald her approach. A party of
clerks and an aquatic excursion were the first
colonists who welcomed the young Prince south-
vards. Very soon the news flew right and left,
through the telegraph wires, and in the capital of
every colony the good news was announced by the
iring of a salute. The Prince landed officially at
61enelg in the afternoon, and was received on the
jetty by the Governor, the Ministry, and the mem-
iers of the Legislature. The Mayor and Corpora-
ion of Glenelg were ready with an address, and a
drocessiou was formed, accompanied by a corps of
volunteers to escort his Royal Highness to the town.
These preparations were ma le on a great scale.
Triumphal arches were raised, salutes were fired,
Ind 25,000 Sunday school scholars sang the National
anthem. Melbourne was also on the qei vice, and
the reception prepared for the royal visitor is to be
the grandest ever known out of England." One
,t its principal incidents is one which does honour
o the good feeling of the colonists, a free banquet
:o 20,000 of the humbler classes. Over on the other
side of the equator they can afford to do the thing
on a grand scale. In all parts of Australia there
,s the same good feeling and loyal hospitality. The
West Australians are disappointed that they have not
received a visit from the Prince. Perhaps this over-
sight may be remedied before his return. The latest
intelligence which we publish this day reports the
arrival of the Galatea at Melbourne, and the unpre-
cedented enthusiasm of the demonstrations made
in honour of the Duke of EDINBURGH. Fetes were
being held daily, and the enthusiastic tide of loyalty
tiad swept away for the time being all traces of the
political difficulty. The dissolution was suspended
in consequence, and let us hope that in the pleasur-
able excitement of the young Prince's arrival, and
in the general unanimity of feeling, an opportunity
may arise for reconciling those differences which
nave so harassed and perplexed the community at
Victoria.

It is not surprising that in consequence of the
curiosity caused by the Fen fans some doubts should
:Ave been entertained respecting the safety of the
Sovereign and the security of the Royal Family now
at Osborne. The inhabitants of Cowes have sig-
nified, through Mr. MooRE, their good wishes in
this matter, and their willingness to render any
assistance that might be deemed advisable, further-
more adding their regret that it had been deemed
advisable to take more than ordinary measures to
secure the safety of her MAJESTY. If Colonel
GREY, it was said, could point out any mode
by which, as acting as special constables, the people
could be of use they would unanimously agree
to the suggestion. In reply to this loyal communi-
cation, Colonel GREY stated that he had laid the
letter before the QUEEN, and that her MAJESTY
commanded him to say she was " deeply touched
by these loyal assurances on the part of her subjects
at Cowes and very grateful for them." Ifer MA-
JESTY also declared that she never entertained the
" slightest apprehension as to her personal
safety ; but she has deemed it advisable to
yield to the representations of her Government,
and permit the precautionary measures which they
considered the exigencies of the case required." The
letter of Mr. MOORE has been sent to the Home
Secretary, and it will be for him to judge how far
it will be necessary or desirable for the authorities
to avail themselves of the professional services of
the loyal inhabitants of Cowes. This is a satisfactory
episode in the annals of Fenianism ; more, it is a
sure proof of the loyalty and affection of this portion
of her MAJESTY'S subjects, and also it affords a strik-

THE. SUN, LON]

ing proof of the indigna' ion and contempt in which
this conspiracy is held . Her MAJESTY evlnces.her
usual spirit and self-I ,ossession by driving about as
frequently as usual, :and it will be no surprise to
those acquainted with her freedom from serious
alarms to know that she was not herself aware of
any extra mode of defence being ordered. In this
exhibition of loyalty on the part of the inhabitants
of Cowes we recogu ige an instance of the good feel-
ing and right spirit which characterise the greater
part of the community, and we feel convinced that
many a city, town, and hamlet would gladly follow
their example if occasion rendered or circumstances
demanded such an. earnest of their fidelity to the
Throne, and zeal for the preservation of peace and
order.

It is really almost impossible to overrate the
annoyance, inconvenience, and anxiety occasioned
by the repeated and miserable attempts of these
Fenian conspirators. At Portland Prison great ex-
citement was occasioned by the report that an at-
tempt was about to be made to rescue the twenty
Fenian prisoners who were confined there. In
consequence of this the most stringent measures
were adopted, and the whole of the soldiers at
Weymouth Barracks were kept to their quarters
on Christmas-day to be ready for any emergency
that might arise. The authorities at Leicester have
received an anonymous communication, to the effect
that an attempt will be made on the borough gaol,
and hence they have been on the alert. It is sup-
posed that the precautionary measures adopted
have induc:d the conspirators to relinquish
their idea, but on other grounds will be
kept up for some time. In Liverpool
the greatest care is being taken to provide
against any mischievous schemes that may be
afloat. The " haunts" of Feuianism are under con-
stant surveillance day and night, and the public
buildings, gas works, and docks are most strictly
watched. The same caution may be adopted with
advantage in all parts of the country, and by this
means, in all probability, any further catastrophe
may be prevented, while the conspiracy itself may
be completely put an end to, never more to obtrude
itself on our notice.

In dwelling upon the lists of horrors that meet
our view at this season, we may well exclaim,
" Another and another still succeeds !" and seldom
indeed has a year closed more ominously with one
thing and another. The loss of life has been very
considerable in consequence of the various accidents
that have occurred, and the last news that records
the explosion at Faversham powder-mills is a very
sad one. On Saturday morning about 11 o'clock a
tremendous explosion took place, the force of which
may be appreciated from the fact that Canterbury,
some ten miles distant, the windows were shaken
and some glass was broken. Had the works in
question not been situated a mile from Faversham
the cotreqiumees must have been far more serious,
for on the spot itself nothing could exceed the fury of
the explosion. The giant trees of the neighbour-
hood were uprooted and thrown some hundred
yards off, while the boiler of the engine was
found embedded in a field some distance off. As
this boiler weighed half a ton an idea may
be conveyed of the force with which it
was moved. The neighbourhood in the vicinity of
the catastrophe presents a sad spectacle, but the
worst of the affair is the loss of human life, eleven
men were blown into the air and killed on the spot.
Three houses were blown into fragments, which
were large and substantially built, and were also at
a distance of three hundred feet from each other.
To add to the horrors of the scene scarcely a frag-
ment of the bodies of the unfortunate men can he
found. Eleven widows and twenty-nine children
are left to mourn the loss of their natural p-o-
-tectors.

Besides the injury done to the works a good
deal of property in the town of Elver3ham has
been destroyed. Two remarkable escapes are men-
tioned in the detail of this sad affair, one that of a
labouring man who was lifted from his feet, and
found in a stream of running water some dist ince
off, and the other that of the engine-man at the
works, who went out of the house a minute only
before the occurrence of the explosion, and was merely
stunned by the concussion. Messrs. HALL state that
they regret deeply the;unfortunate event which has
just taken place at their powder mills, and that
their sorrow for the loss of their experienced work-
men is only second to that of their afflicted families.
They further state that they have no " reasonable
suspicion of anything felonious connected with the
catastrophe:;" they have had hints and warnings of
danger impending, and had consequently adopted
precautionary measures. They believe that
the explosion occurring so soon after those.
rumours of a sinister character will prove
to be a coincidence and nothing more. We sin-
cerely trust that this opinion will prove to be
the correct one, but, at the same time, we feel as-
sured that many will think the contrary, for some
time at least. Fenianism has been so constantly
brought before the notice of the public that it is
almost impossible to divest oneself of the notion
that it has to do with all catastrophes that occur,
although a little reflection cannot fail to show that
such suppositions may be erroneous, and create
impressions at once unjust and unfounded.

President JOHNSON has not lost much time in
taking advantage in the change of public feeling in
the States. At the time when, in virtue of his
office, he removed STANTON from his position as
acting head of the War-office the risk was not in-
considerable. The Radical party were still nume-
rically strong, and retained much of their influence
in parts of the country. The voice of Congress, he
could not doubt, would be raised against him, and
no time would be lost in seizing upon so favourable
a plea for denouncing his tyrannical interference
with the rights of the people. The Radical leaders,
however despotically inclined themselves, have always
been quick to resent any undue assumption on the
part of the PRESIDENT, knowing that the American
mind is peculiarly susceptible to any danger of the
kind. The removal of STANTON bore somewhat
the appearance of a coup d'etat, and was certain to
be exhibited in its worst aspects by interested par-
ties. Events have, however, proved that Mr. JOHN-
SON was wise as well as bold in his policy. With a
traitor in the camp he was comparatively powerless.
His plans were frustrated by his colleague at the
War-office, while the mischief-working Reconstruc-
tion Act found only too willing an exponent in the
Secretary of War. General GRANT has proved, on
the contrary, a most valuable assistant. His popu-
laiity and. reputation helped, in a great degree, to
remove any prejudice which might attach to the
manner of hi 3 installation. Those who were
familiar with the facts of the case were only sur-
prised that the PRESIDENT should so long have
tolerated STANTON, whose insubordination and open
disregard of the orders of his chief seriously inter-
fered with public business. Bad as matters still are
in the South, they would have been far worse had
STANTON retained his post. The several district
commanders of the South learned in his
suspension a lesson of moderation which they are
not likely to forget. The public verdict has fully
exonerated the PRESIDENT from any undue exer-
cise of his powers ; in fact it was abundantly evi-