The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-17 00:00:00

THE i SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 17, 1858.

.\
the disgrace of-doing so ; and the Lords—are they
not independent enough in all conscience ? Could
they not beard the Commons for twenty years

together over Jew bills ? And, if they did haul
up the colours_ last session with one hand and
pull them down with the other, why, it was only
because the Commons, under Tom DUNCOMBE, had
fairly boarded the vessel, and gWen the Jews
everything but a nearly useless vote. Conserva-
tives, quoth Mr. HENLEY, are none of your sour,
uneasy Anti's—your restless destructives—they
wanted to conserve the Church and the Lords, and

they have done their work so well that Anti-State
Churchmen and Anti-Corn-Law men, indeed, all
the Anti's, are an Anti-quated race—they have
dropped their names, and hardly venture to show
themselves under less angry titles. Conservatives,
therefore, only retain their name causa honoris.
It is the badge of complete victory. Well, far be
it from us to disturb a pleasant vision in which
worthy men can rejoice. We will not, just now,
even mention certain things besides the specified
three for which Conservatives fought hard enough
but in vain, nor will we alarm them by the cry
that the Church or the Lords may yet be in danger.
What we notice, and with far greater pleasure,
is, that Conservatives could most truly take for
their motto the old saying, Tenzpora mutantur et
nos mutamur in illis. They have changed with
the times. Why should they be ashamed to say
so ? There is no denying the fact ; why burke it
in long roundabout phrases, all turning on the
difference of meaning between " Progress" and
" Reform." Is not reform progress, and progress
reform? Or, are we to have a political battle of
etymologies? We believe, it is undeniable that all
the leading minds in the Conservative ranks are in
a really different position to what they were five-
and-twenty years back. There is among them, we
are persuaded, far more confidence in the people at
large ; they perceive that there is little of the
American domineeringly democratic spirit amongst
them; on the contrary, a tendency rather to worship
their SOVEREIGN, and to accept with cordial
'applause any favour of a lord's, from a popular
vote to a popular lecture. It is seen that the
aristocracy who are equal in character and talent
to their position, may, anywhere and at any
time, command an ovation for what would
hardly be noticed if offered by one of the
people ; and, amongst all sensible aristocrats, such
facts have had their influence. We think it quite
possible that much of the professed Toryism last
session was, with many, more of a political neces-
sity than of an internal conviction, and that it is
not, with them, matter of regret that some really
iberal measures are now credited to the Conserva-
ive account.

We wish we could say as much for the Whigs.
We wish we could quote the Horatian line for
them also. We must confess, however, that whether
it be or not more or less true of the Conservatives
it is certainly not true of the Whigs. The times
have certainly given them the go-by ; and, instead
of moving on with them, they stand gaping after
the train, till they seem likely to be benighted
where they are. Stiff as hundreds of old Conser-
vatives may be, every one will admit that their
best men are ahead of their followers ; but it is the
very reverse with the Whig leaders : they can
hardly be said to have followers ; for those who
should follow are ahead of their leaders, and the
latter are behind the vast majority of their sup-
porters. Let the Whigs then look to it. The
plain fact is, that the country cannot feel very
angry with a Ministry which seeks to liberalise its
friends, and it does not care for the accession to
office of those who are less liberal than the great
body of their party.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—You have given to your readers, in a recent
leading article, some interesting information from
Australia, confining it, however, to , the colony of
Victoria. lam persuaded that many.of your read-
ers would be glad to know how the colony of South
Australia progresses. It was only founded in
Dec., 1836, and its majority was celebrated in Dec.,
1857, a week after I left Adelaide. Because that
colony is no expense to the mother country, and
never appears in the Blue Books of the British
Parliament, it attracts but little public attention in
England. You can judge from the statistical
account herewith whether it ought to be so.
That statement I have drawn up from official
documents, and can vouch for its being correct.
Surely it is a proof, not only of the skill and
industry of the people, but of the, great natural
resources of the colony, that it exported last year's
produce to the value of £1,686,212 sterling, con-
sisting chiefly of copper, Wool, wheat, and flour,
and that after supplying all its own wants—paying
the expenses of government, including £4,000, the
salary of the governor--erecting innumerable sub-
stantial private and public buildings, roads, bridges,
schools, places of worship, &c.
The exports are nearly equal to £l5 per head
for every man, woman, and child in the colony,
including the aborigines ; and, besides these things,
there have been from £150,000 to £200,000 per
annum appropriated out of the public revenue of
the colony of South Australia, with a population of
only 110,000 souls, to defray the cost of passage-
money of British and Irish immigrants to its

of Perim.

shores.
Surely, sir, the men who have added such a
colony to the Queen's dominions during the past
twenty-one years do as great a service to the state
as those who have gained a great victory over her
enemies, more especially as it has been achieved
without the expenditure of either blood or treasure
to the state, and takes off, chiefly British manufac-
tures, tothe value of £1,300,000 annually.
I am, sir, yours obediently,
GEORGE FIFE ANGAS.
Bideford, 15th September, 1858.

LATEST NEWS.

" The Piedmontese Gazette," says a telegraphic
despatch from Turin, " declares that the pretended
sale said to have been made to Russia of the port
of Villafranca consists in the simple gratuitous
concession of an old abandoned establishment for
convicts, which is to be transformed into et depot
of coals and stores."

HAMBURG, SEPT. 16.

The magazine of the steamer Hammonia, which
sailed yesterday for New York, blew up at sea.
Out of 293 passengers of al lnations who were on
board only five have been wounded.

TRIESTE. SEPT. 16.
News from Constantinople to the 11th has been

received here.

It was reported there that Fuad Pacha, on his
arrival in London, was to demand explanations as
to the bombardment of Jeddah and the occupation

There was an impression that an ordonnance
would shortly be published recommending the dig-
nitaries of the empire to limit their expenses and
reduce the luxury of the persons in their employ-
ment.

The son of Fuad Pacha has left for France, with
the ratification of the convention relating to the
Danubian Principalities.
M. Thouvenel had returned from Mount Athos,
where he experienced a most cordial reception from
the Greek priesthood.
Steam-packet companies were being organised in
various parts of Turkey.
The inquiries instituted at the Sultan's Palace
had brought to light enormous debts, of which the
existence had previously been unknown. Some
arrests had taken place, but the Sultanas still
resisted, and the Sultan was already reconciled with
his brothers-in-law.

for creatures of the Narvaez Nocedal Cabinet,
who were appointed without any regard to
their qualifications, so that the administration
of justice fell into hope _ess confusion." Some dis-
turbances having taken place at Pinto on the occa-
sion of a religious fete, the _Espana ascribes them to
Protestant agents, and denounces the different
Bible societies of England for distributing publica-
tions which, that journal declares, " flatter the most
detestable passions and sow impiety broadcast."
The semi-official Correspondancia Autografa, re-
ferring to a statement made by one of the journals,
says that it is not true that O'Donnell intends to
break off with the Conservative party and join the
Liberal one, but that his object is to act with both,
so as to establish order and liberty.