The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-30 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1858.

Last night the House of Lords entered on the
consideration of the reasons for which the repre-
sentative branch of the Legislature refused to wept
certain amendments carried by their Lordships.
Lord DERRY made several concessions, but there
were some points on which he remained firm, and
on which a conference will probably take place.
The chief matter now at issue is that respecting
competitive examinations for admission to the
scientific branches of the military service in India.
They have yielded on the civil service, and thus
the most lucrative situations in India will be given
to the most deserving. But they make a stand
on the question respecting the nomination to
commissions in the Indian army.

This is the question now to be decided, and which
may probably delay the prorogation for a day or two
beyond the time anticipated. As we explained in
our impression of yesterday, we always desire to
see appointments given to the most meritorious
candidates, without fear, prejudice, favour, or
affection. Such a regulation would greatly sti-
mulate sound education amongst the middle
Classes, education which would be particularly
valuable even to the defeated candidates, who
would.be fully prepared to enter on " the battle
6f life" in any ether capacity. But, although
we agree in the advantages of a stringent exami-
nation, we must candidly admit that something
may be said on the other aide. Great proficiency
in literary matters is not required from every
officer. It may be better that he should be all
good cricketer, able to take a horse across a I
eountry, and an adept in manly amusements,
than that he could give an erudite disquisition on
s. disputed passage in one of the Greek poets, or
be able to translate Virgil or Cicero at sight.
It is mot the man that obtains the highest num-
ber in the aggregate of many different courses
that may eventually prove best qualified.
It is, of course, essential that a dis-
triminci tire examination should be success-
fully encountered, to show that the can-
didate had received sound iistruction. But
some little discretion should be allowed to those
on whom responsibility is cast, and who should
therefore be enabled to select their own officers
For carrying out their views and opinions.

' It is universally admitted that there would be
no danger in conferring the power on Lord
SUNLEY, but it has been said that there could not
bye equal security with respect to his successor.

But Parliament has still the power to correct any
existing evil, and when the great experiment has
been fairly worked out, it will have better mate-
rials for so doing. We trust, then, that a measure
of such vital importance, in which the welfare;
happiness, and prosperity of 150,000,000 of her
MAJESTY'S subjects so greatly depend, may not be
endangered by any undue obstinacy on either side.
Lord CAMPBELL suggested the propriety of com-
petitive examinations for admission into the
I_3:ause of Cammons it,elf, which he described as
n` having gone wild "on the subject. With all
respect to his lordship, however, each candidate,
unless of highpolitical
tbrrugh reputation, has to pass
a tolerably stringent examination
be fore he can hope to be selected by
An independent constituency. It is not
the best man that always wins. Political

adventurers and impostors sometimes succeed.
But still, despite the corrupt influences too often
in operation, despite bribery and intimidation, a

arge proportion of good men is obtained. The
competitive examination for seats in the elective
branch of the Legislature should be decided by
the votes of the electors, honestly and freely
given under the safeguard and protection of the
Ballot. When a majority has fairly been obtained,
when a Member can truly be said to represent
the Wants and wishes of his constituents, we
desire or seek for no further qualification.
He has that which the British Consti
tution recognises, the very best that can
be obtained. The reasons of Lord DEBBY and
Lord ELLENBOROI7GH last night were very potent,
and certainly materially influenced the opinion
we had previously formed. It would perhaps be
well that there should be a compromise, and a
certain number appointed by superior answering,
and others who had passed a discriminative exami-
nation, selected by the Secretary and Council on
their own responsibility. This course would at
once remove the difficulty, and perhaps be the
, best that could ultimately be resorted to.

A very important meeting of members of the
Australian Association, and gentlemen connected
with the Australian colonies, was held yesterday
at the London Tavern, in order to decide on the
best mode of obtaining an efficient postal service
with those valuable dependencies. The main
questions ventilated related to the comparative
advantages of the routes by Suez and Panama,
and whether the money that could be obtained
from the liberality of the British and Australian
Parliaments should be applied to one branch only,
or to both.

We have no hesitation in answering, in ac-
cordance with the terms of the old apophthegm,
that " both are best," and that, accordingly,
we should strive to obtain two strings to our
postal bow, if they can be got without a vast in-
crease to the indispensable supplies.

Sydney, Melbourne, Van Diemen's Land, and
New Zealand, are all entitled to increased facili-
ties of communication with the mother country.
It is for our own interests to encourage, and
liberally respond to an application so just and
reasonable ; which, if it requires a little assist-
ance from one of the national pockets, will give
an ample equivalent to another. We believe, how-
ever, that the assistance would be only required
fora brief period, and that the undertaking
would very speedily become to all intents and
purposes self-supporting.
Our Antipodean fellow-subjects understand the
magnitude of the interests involved in the final
decision. They are prepared to come forward
very handsomely, and we should meet them at
least - half-way. It is the way to retain their
friendship and co-operation. So long as we act
fairly and kindly, they will never seek to sever
the tie by which we are connected.
Let us, then, have both routes by Suez and
Panama. If one should be interrupted, the other
will, in all probability, remain open ; and, at all
events, even should everything be favourable, we
shall be able to arrive at a decisive opinion re-
specting the comparative advantages of the rival
lines. Our communications with Australia have
become too important to be permitted to rest
on a single route, which may be impeded.
If there should be a fortnightly elternate ,
despatch via Suez and Panama, intend-
ing travellers could select their own course,
while commercial men, and indeed corres-
pondents of every class and character, would
probably send duplicate letters and duplicate
bills of exchange, so that the increased
receipts would morn than moot tit° 1v0:04.4:4
expenditure. We trust that means will be
adopted during • the recess to bring this great
amelioration into effect, and that ere the close of
next session we may hear of the establishment of
efficient Postal Communication via Panama, as
well as mar via ucz.

The precise state of the Liberals in the house
is now before us, In one broad sheet, displaying
in red and black ink to the first glance, the votes
on the testing question of the day, we may read
the present position and the future prospects of
the party which bore Lord PALMERSTON triumph-
antly to power last year. The Society for the
Promotion of the Ballot has given us this useful
document, and its tale is conspicuous to the eye.
We should advise the great Whig leaders to have
it framed and glazed, and hung up in their studies,
as a kind of memento—a warning, that Whigs
are no longer at the head of the great Liberal
party. Oar readers all know the old story of
the slave whose duty it was to whisper in the ear
of triumphant warriors, that they were mortal ;
the broad sheet before us might serve a similar
purpose. Lord PALMERSTON, especially, appears
as if he could not bring himself to believe that he
is politically mortal ; notwithstanding he has lost
almost every follower. The sheet before us would
help to undeceive hlm.

A pretty picture to be sure it is. Giving the
perverse Whigs the benefit of all the liberal Can-
servatives, they mustered but eighty-six votes and
pairs; the Tories rallied to the number of two
hundred and twenty-seven ; and the Liberals,
who showed themselves liberal enough to trust
the people by voting or pairing for the ballot,
numbered two hundred and nineteen. Of those
who voted, therefore, the Tories were the largest
number, the supporters of the Ballot but eight
behind them, and the Whigs, including the
Liberal Conservatives, not equal to half
either of the other parties ! Can anything
more clearly show the infatuation of the
Palmerstonians and the followers of Lord JOHN
RUSSELL ? On the greatest political question of
the day, they are content to appear at the head
of the smallest band of representatives in the
house. We believe, too, that in their list there
is not to be found the Member of one single large
independent constituency. Their section repre-
sents merely agricultural serfs whom the Ballot
would emancipate ; or, boroughs so small, that
most of them would vanish in the next schedule
A. A pretty position for men to be in who
aspire to the Treasury benches ! It is alinoA
amusing to glance over the should-be Liberals,
who are honoured with italics, ix the Tory ranks,
and to see the figure they cut beside the other
two parties.

The comparative vigour of the parties, too, is
worthy of notice. The real Liberals and the
Tories, including of course the pairs, muster
strong. They both feel hearty in their cause.
The Tories fight manfully for the despotism of
county landlords, and for the "influence" of
borough patrons ; the true Liberals fight earnesly
for the independence of the voter ; hence, of the
friends of the ballot only sixteen were absent,
about one-thirteenth of their body. Of the Tories
only eleven were absent, but one-twentieth of their
party—they were most zealous of all, as might
be expected, for an old abuse ; but of tl.,e
Whigs and Liberal-Conservatives, not less than
thirty-two, or more than a third of their number
were away, and took no pait whatever in the divi-
sion either by voting or pairing. Were they
afraid of their constituenoics, or were they not
very earnest in the business ? In either case the
Tories and the Radicals, if so we may call them,
are the parties between whom the Reform
enrmjoy the
battle i s
fought with earne4tneso. The Whigs