The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-25 00:00:00

Our Colonies.

The Times, referring to the dinner of Canadian
delegates, observes that if the practical indepen-
dence of the colonies be now established and in-
violable, if their spontaneous growth cannot be
arrested, if their self-action cannot be controlled or
their public opinion so much as influenced by this
country, it certainly behoves them to consider well,
and in good time, the very great difficulties and
onerous conditions under which the Imperial con-
nection is maintained. That connection now costs
us the abstraction of 14,000 soldiers from a mili-
tary force which we are told on all sides is in-
adequate to the pretensions to be maintained and
the work to be done. It costs us that large. pro-
portion of our navy which, on any emergency,
would have to be detached for this work. It costs
u. the perpetual weakness we suffer in comparison
with our neighbours or rivals far or near
by the notoriety of this necessary deduction
from our disposable power. This is what it
costs us, and to the colonies themselves it
costs even more. Though they would have us to
bear the brunt, the quarrel, if any, would be with
us, and our connection would be the political weak-
ness through which they could be invaded. Any
question, in which they may happen to hae abso-
lutely no concern, may become the occasion of an
attack which, if not fatal to their independence,
will have to be resisted at fearful odds or bought
off by intolerable penalties. In any possible con-
flict with their neighbour they will be the dwarf
and England the giant of the fable, and no victory
whatever will compensate for the actual injuries
that the weaker may have to pay for it. 'These
are considerations that would hardly have been ap-
plicable in the good old days of Imperial unity and
colonial dependence. But they are everything now.
It is now for the colonies themselves to answer the
questions their forefathers might have fairly put as
to the designs of the mother country. Responsi-
bility goes with power, and the colonies, being now
powerful, are also responsible. What will they do ?
There is no immediate necessity for a definite
answer, but the time may come, and it is far nearer
than it has been. The Telegraph is satisfied that,
confederated or not, the British North American
provinces have a great future before them. Already
they constitute—taken together—the fourth mari-
time Power in the world, their commercial navy
being inferior only to those of England, America,
and France ; and, as the country is opened up by
increased facilities of communication, this strength
must inevitably increase. If they decide—as
seems probable— on forming a Confederation, there
is no reason why that should at all weaken the tics
which at present unite them to the mother
country.

MR: AND MRS. CHAS. KEAN IN BRISTOL—The
reappearance of these famous actors on our boards after
such a considerable interval of time, and after their inte-
resting professional tour in Australia and America, is an
event which was naturally interesting to the lovers of the
drama in this city. Unfortunately, as wo think, for the
public and the macagement, the present engagement of the
heaps is very limited—" Louis X 1.," the " Merchant of
Venice," and "Henry VII 1.," being the only plays in which
they are announced. On Wednesday night the first-named
piece was produced, Mr. Kean, of course, taking the part
of the crafty and superstitious King. There is nothing to
bo said of the performance but praise, and the highest
praise is that which fits best with the performance. Mrs.
Kean played the small part of Margaret, and showed how
much can be made of little by a true artiste.—Western
Daily P rat'

A scene of great excitement
vailed in Deptford on Wednesday dininia
liad its origin at the house of the relieving ofl. ,
Mr. Pattie, High-street. A number of labourers
and others had applied for relief in the course of the
evening, but all the available tickets having been
disposed of it was announced that no further dis-
tribution could take place that night. On receipt
of this intelligence, at about eight p.m., the appli-
cants, in large bodies, proceeded to parade the
streets in a threatening manner, causing such ap-
prehension in the minds of the tradesmen that a
general closing of shops at once commenced. A.
large body of men passing along High-street made
a forcible entry into the shop of Mr. Mager, a
baker, breaking the windows, and emptying the
shop of all its contents. An attack was next made
on Mr. Buskin's, baker, and the door forced in,
several panes of glass broken, and loaves stolen.
The next victim of the rioters was Mr. Sammond,
in the same street, who, in order to protect his
premises from injury, voluntarily handed out his
stock of bread to the mob, who thus carried off
every loaf which the shop contained ; and, in ad-
dition, wantonly seized a sack of flour, and scat-
tered it in the street.
Thence they made their way to the shop of Mrs.
Cracknell, in the Broadway, also a baker, where
the windows were broken and the place completely
plundered. A pork butcher's in the High-street
was also stripped of all the available joints the mob
could lay their hands on. A linendraper's shop, in
the occupation of Mr. John Webb, known as Co-
burg House, was next attacked, the rioters succeed-
ing in making considerable seizures of the stock.
Mr. Urry, a baker, was better prepared, having
already closed his shop, and when the roughs ap-
peared he prudently bolted and barred the door, and
the lawless assemblage passed on in search of easier
' prey. By this time, however, a strong reinforce-
ment of the A reserve of the metropolitan police,
consisting of mounted as well as foot police, appeared
on the scene, and by their prompt measures succeeded
in dispersing the mob and restoring comparative
order. A large number of the rioters, however,
remained loitering about in groups up till midnight,
occasionally giving vent to loud yells and curses.
Under apprehension of a renewal of the like
disorders yesterday morning, the tradesmen pru-
dently kept their places of business closed. At an
early hour large numbers of men made their ap-
pearance in the streets, and the presence of the police
had the effect of preventing any serious mischief
in the main thoroughfares. A baker's shop, how-
ever, situated in old King-street, and kept by Mr.
Piper, was forcibly entered and all the bread carried
away.

About 200 of the mob next drew up at the end of
High-street, near Wellington-street, between a
baker's shop on the one side and an extensive but-
cher's establishment, well stocked, on the other. In
the latter, on one of his blocks, sat the worthy pro-
prietor facing the mob (which was drawn up by their
ringleaders in front of his shop), and with the most
provoking sang froid sharpening his large knife on
a steel, feeling the edge, and then again looking at
the mob. A man, stated to be well and even re-
spectably dressed (for his class), then advanced to
the centre of the rioters, and, pointing into the shop,
said to the gang, " There you are ; walk in and help
yourself." This was repeated two or three times,
but the ruffians disliked the determined look of the
cold steel so courageously handled by the butcher,
and abandoned the idea. They were about turning
their attention to the baker's opposite, when 10 mem-
bers of the R division of police, in charge of a ser-
geant, appeared on the scene, and stopped any
further proceedings in that direction. The trades-
man before alluded to stepped forth from his shop
and, pointing out the ringleader, and narrating his
attempts to excite the mob to violence, requested
the police to take him in charge, but they, either
from not being able to legally proceed under the cir-
cumstances, or otherwise refuse to do so.
By this time, about 11.30 a.m., the majority of
the rioters left in a body, and proceeded along the
Greenwich-road in the direction of Greenwich, en-
tering on the road a baker's shop, situated at the
corner of Derbyshire-road, and taking what bread
they could. Happily this was the last exploit we
heard of, and, we have no doubt, will prove the
finish of these disgraceful disturbances.
Last night the arrangements of the police were
on a scale that would have secured the peace of the
district under circumstances of an absolutely riotous
character. In the High-street, where the plunder-
ing took place, policemen in couples paraded through-
out the evening, and in various parts of the districts
mounted police were in requisition. There were also
in attendance reserves from the A and R divisions
of police under Superintendent Walker and Super-
intendent Wakeford. From the personal inquiries
of some 20 of the most respectable tradesmen of
Deptford residing in the immediate vicinity of the
robberies of the "roughs," and from conversation
with the authorities, we can state most positively
that the working classes of the locality had nothing
whatever to do with this disgraceful disturbance.
At the time this communication was made last night
—ten o'clock—Deptford was, with the exception of
large numbers of persons who had doubtless been
attracted to the spot from motives of curiosity, be-
ginning to assume its wonted aspect.

" THE SITN."—FRED. SQUIE,ES, of " The
Mitre" Tavern, New Church-street, near the Alpha-
road, Paddin2ton, respectfully informs his friends and the
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