The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 26, 1867

LONDON, TVEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1867.

The Committee on the Reform Bill had tiresome
work yesterday, and certainly their path is not
strewn with roses in this business ; the last trouble
was that it was extremely difficult to define a dwell-
ing-house. Sir R. PALMER moved that in clause
three, the Interpretation Clause, they should add
some words to define the term dwelling-house.
Dwelling-house should mean any building, or part
of a building, occupied as a dwelling and separately
rated to the relief of the poor. This apparently
reasonable suggestion was, however, made the theme
of a long discussion, in which a great many joined.
Sir It. PALMER said that another advantage of his
proposal would be that " fiats" would be included
in it, and the Committee certainly desired to ex-
tend their scheme to everything which was
" substantially," a dwelling-house. Mr. GLAD-
STONE'S observations on the matter were much
to the point. The right honourable gentleman
said that it seemed very desirable that they should
succeed in giving a definition to the word dwelling-
house, if possible. One remark of Mr. GLADSTONE'S
was especially to the point, when he said that "it
was a great mistake to set up judicial constructions
against legislative discretion in cases of this descrip-
The business of a judge is not to find the
best possible definition, but to construe the existing
law, whatever it may be ; while the business of the
legislator is to determine not upon considerations of
interpretation, but upon considerations of policy,
what is the best course to be taken." This is very
true, fpr in straining too much to be exact the best
intentioned and well-informed persons may commit
great mistakes and injure the cause which they
profess to serve, and whose interests they are
anxious to further. The right hon. gentleman was
of opinion that the best course to pursue was to
consider that that which the parish finds it con-
venient on the whole to subject to separate rating

tion.

--------
shall be for the purposes of the law a dwelling-
house.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer very wisely
agreed to some alteration, but some amusing inter-
pretations were put upon the proposals made in the
course of the discussion, Lord CRANBORNE sug-
gesting that by the lodger clause, every one who
was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment
would have a vote, and he thought if there was one
thing which might clearly be considered a principle
of the Bill under discussion, it was that " those
who lived in hovels were to be placed in possession
of political power." Mr. BRIGHT remarked that
he did not apprehend this difficulty arising, because
it was not very likely that a person who resided in
a penitentiary, even if he were let out, would en-
deavour to prove the necessary " condition of his
tenancy." Mr. HIBBERT'S definition was finally
taken, defining a dwelling-house as any part of a
house occupied as a separate dwelling, and sepa-
rately rated to the relief of the poor, am',
this clause, which was the last clause of
the Bill, was agreed to as amended. The
Boundary Commissioners clause was considered, but
unfortunately it was not decided upon, as a long
and rather vexatious discussion occupied the time
until the hour for adjourning arrived ; but to-mor-
row, it is to be hoped, the remaining work on it will
be speedily got through, and that thus the way may
be made clear for future exertions on the other parts
of the measure that are yet to be considered.
The Commission, as at present constituted, seems
to meet with general approval, and the various ex-
planations given on the subject by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer tend to remove any doubts that
might have existed an the carrying out of the affair
to a satisfactory and successful issue. A few ob-
jections were made, it is true, but in an affair of this
kind it is quite impossible to please everybody, and
there is sure to be some prejudice in the way of an
unanimous verdict being arrived at. The Govern-
ment has had a great deal of trouble in the arrange-
ment and re-arrangement of this Commission, and
we think that it is not unreasonable to expect that
hon . members will show some appreciation of this, and
not lo3e more time in making needless objections.
The session is now wearing on so fast that we really
cannot afford to lose so much valuable time in going
over the same ground so often, and beyond a cer-
tain point no real progress is made, because if some
objections are made, and the discussion upon them
takes too long, others are interposed, and hence the
patience of the House is exhausted, and energies are
frittered away that might have been much more
appropriately bestowed elsewhere.

During this season of the year the great City
Companies usually welcome to their splendid and
hospitable entertainments a succession of visitors
from the West, and last evening a large and bril-
liant assembly gathered round the banqueting table
of the Fishmongers' Hall. The entertainment was
of the usual excellence, and the only noticeable
event of the evening was the presence of Mr.
BRIGHT. The toast of the House of Commons
was naturally coupled with his name, and drew
from him an able and interesting speech in reply.
Mr. BRIGHT'S address was remarkable, too, for its
temperate and impersonal character. He compared
the proceedings of this Session with the tumultuous
excitement attending the passage of the remark-
able Bill of 1832, and he took the change in the
manner of passing a great measure as a proof of
our national progress. An eminent writer had,
he said, observed that the civilisation of a people is
attested by the manner in which it makes its re-
volutions, and he thought we might consider the
mode in which we made ours as a proof of that we
were considerably advanced in civilisation. In
1832 we effected a great change. We transferred
the Government in a great degree from the
exclusive power of a hereditary aristocracy in a
large degree to the people, especially to the middle
class, but the transfer was effected in the midst of
great excitement and many fears. In 1867 we are
engaged in a similar undertaking, but without any
disorder or tumult. Every one, says Mr. BRIGHT,
coming eastward from the head-quarters of the
fight, is in the best possible humour, and, if we are
to take himself as a specimen, there is a prospect
of carrying out the great and arduous task in a
hopeful and conciliatory spirit. The fact is, that
the one reform prepared the way so much for the
other that there is no need for revolution.
The great contest of 1832 did the work for all suc-
ceeding generations. Subsequent reforms indeed
were needed in every direction, bat the machinery
was provided for carrying them into effect. After
the reform of Parliament was once carried, the
newly-constituted House of Commons might be
trusted to reform itself and everything else, because
the public feeling could make itself felt, and what
was generally believed to be necessary and earnestly
desired would sooner or later find its exposition in
Parliament.

Mr. BRIGHT spoke of the change which is
being carried out slowly but surely in the consti-
tution of the House of Commons as most impor-
tant in its nature and tendency. The House of
Commons, he said, was attracting to itself more and
more the power of the State, and whatever the spirit
might be which animated it that spirit was sure to
be reflected in the Peers, the Government, and the
Sovereign. In Mr. BRIGHT'S opinion a stride is
being made towards democracy in the new Reform
Bill, but it is by no means certain that such
will be the effect. There is so strong a love of prece-
dent, of tradition, of custom, among the English
people of every rank, that it is difficult to carry out
a permanent change in any of our institutions, be
they municipal or monarchical, parochial or parlia-
mentary. Reforms of a necessary kind come about
slowly; especially if the breaking up of old-established
forms are necessary. The new voters may, and no
doubt will, be anxious to see many improvements
in our legislation, but we do not anticipate
that the influence which they exercise will be
more Democratic in its nature than that
brought to bear upon public affairs by the
electors of 1832. The rapid advance made by all
classes since that day has not weakened the affec-
tion of the people for their old form of Govern-
ment. Indeed, since then its solid advantages are
better understood and appreciated by the intelli-
gent lower middle classes, for the exclusiveness
and intolerance of the ruling powers of old created
so much irritation and discontent that the people
were divided into two broad classes—one which
could see no wrong in the Constitution, and one
which could see no right. Since then the people have
possessed, through their representatives, so much in-
fluence, added to the indirect influence of the press, the
public opinion generally, that they
platform, and of
have learned to regard the government of the nation
more as their own work than as a thing that was
oppressive and foreign to them. The great incqua_
lities of wealth, of education, and of social comfort
which Mr. BRIGHT deplores do still indeed exist
among us, and we fear it will be long
before they altogether vanish, but it is
not Parliamentary legislation alone which
can remove them. Even in the States of America
there are many drawbacks of the kind, and it
should be remembered in drawing comparisons that
the position of the American people was from the
first altogether exceptional. A colony founded by

intelligent and educated men, and gradually re-
plenished by e.n iigrants from civilised countries, is
in a very differ ent position from an old country,
whose people ' have gone on increasing, all classes
educated and ineducated, rich and poor, respectable
and degraded together. But Mr. BRIGHT admits
that there has been in all ranks of our population
t 4 an amazing advance" during the past thirty
years from :the highest to the lowest, and as he does
not often say a word in favour of the aristocracy
they ought tc► be properly grateful for his testimony.
He said truly enough that at this moment we could
wisely admit to the franchise a greater number
than ever befori., and we trust that the result of
that admission will be hereafter seen, as he antici-
pates, in a greater, a wore united, and a happier
country.

We think that if any additional proof were want-
ing of the skill displayed by Lord STANLEY in the
recent Conference, it would be furnished by the
manner in which the Berlin journals discuss the
affair. They are evidently between two fires ; they
are anxious to express their intense irritation, and
yet at the same time not to let their vexation ap-
pear too plainly to the eyes of the world. The semi-
official North German Gazette has just published
an article on the Luxembourg Treaty, in which
comments are made upon the remarks of Lord DERBY
and Lord STANLEY in reference to the guarantee
given by the Powers, and if those remarks mean
anything it is that England is virtually bound to
stand by Prussia. This may turn out very
different according to the various interpreta-
tions put upon it in London and Berlin,
but at any rate we may feel certain that the
noble lord the Secretary for Foreign Affairs has not
deferred too much to the prejudices of Prussian
statesmen nor trod in the steps of his predecessor
in letting that arrogant and arbitrary Power have
its own way in the end. It is not necessary, we
should imagine, that we should be beholden to the
journals of Berlin for an interpretation of our obli-
gations in respect to the fulfilment of Treaties
and undertakings of guarantees, but it is
amusing to notice the effrontery with which this
article refered to is written. Lord STANLEY, we
are told, sought to put as insignificant a meaning as
possible upon the violation of the principle of non-
intervention, and only in this light can it be pos-
sible to explain the meaning of Lord DERBY, as well
as of the noble lord ,in the House of Commons.
The fact is that Prussia is beginning to find out
that she has nearly exhausted the patience of this
country, and that she must for the future look else-
, where for co-operation.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, Tuesday Evening.

His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxem-
bourg, who is about to leave Paris, has had the
honour of being received by the Empress to take
leave. His Royal Highness was accompanied by
M. de Bornamann, Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary of Mecklenbourg Schi-
vern, and his officers.

Their Majesties have also received the visit of
the Duke and Duchess d'Aoste, who travel in pri-
vate under the title of Count and Countess de
Pollanso. Their Royal Highnesses were accom-
panied by the Minister of the King of Italy.
A despatch was received last evening in Paris,
dated from Brussels, which states that an account
has been forwarded by M. Seward to the American
Legation at Vienna, announcing that the Emperor
Maximilian had been condemned to exile, and that
he had left for Europe, and would land in England.
This news seems to be confirmed. At all events
several of the Paris papers to-day mention that
they have received information to the effect that the
Emperor had already embarked for Europe.
Some of the Paris journals copy from the
Dagbladet, a Copenhagen paper, some lamentable
details respecting the persecution practised by the
Prussian authorities towards the Danes of North
Schleswig. According to the treaty the natives of
Schleswig have full and entire permission to return
with their families to Denmark. The Prussian
authorities interpret this provision to mean that
they must take their families with them, and if
not inclined to do so, they are compelled by force.
An ordonnance published on the subject by the
Prussian authorities contains still more arbitrary
regulations. It forbids any native of Schleswig,
who may have gone to return to the Duchy,
although the treaty of 1864 gives them the per-
mission during 14 years to change their residence
as often as they like. The ordonnance also pro-
vides that any native of Schleswig who has
been to Denmark, and should return to the
Duchy, may be without notice expelled beyond
the frontier, so that they have not even the
privileges allowed to foreigners, who may stay in
the Duchy as long as they like. .
The Dagbladet terminates its account of these
extraordinary and bitter persecutions by expressing
a hope that the cry of distress from this unfortu-
nate population will be heard throughout Europe.
Upon this the Siecle says :—" We do not doubt it.
France, at whose demand the article of the treaty
of Prague was introduced, stipulating that the
Danish population of Schleswig should be consulted
as to their wish to return to Denmark, cannot be
indifferent to such acts as are here described."

The Avenir National published the following
telegram, dated from the Hague, June 24 :—" The
Prussian Government has demanded, with reiterated
instance, and obtained from the Dutch Govern-
ment, the expulsion from the Netherlands of 160
officers and soldiers, Hanoverian refugees. This
act will excite strong interpellations from the op-
position in the Dutch Chambers."
A veteran soldier of the old Imperial Guard,
named Duarch; one of those who escorted the first
Napoleon in 1814 in his rapid march from the
frontiers of the Rhine to Paris, and from thence to
Fontainebleau and Lyons, has been living in his
native place in the environs of Spine. Although
upwards of 80 he was so desirous to see the nephew
of his old commander that he recently undertook to
make the journey to Paris. The old soldier was
graciously received by the Minister of War, who,
after verifying his statements of his services, com-
missioned one of his officers on duty to conduct him
to the Emperor. His Majesty received the old
soldier with much affability and cordiality, spoke
to and listened to him kindly, and not only con-
ferred the decoration of the Legion of Honour upon
him, but made him a handsome present in money.
An atrocious act has been nearly carried into
effect by a farmer and his wife, who live in the
commune of Auhiers, in the department of the
North. Eight years ago they bought a house from
their father and mother, for which they paid 12,000 f.,
with the understanding to pay interest at five per
cent. to the vendors while they lived. Wishing to
get rid of this liability, they took steps to make the
house crumble to ruins in order that the inmates
might be buried under them. Au apparatus was
arranged to displace suddenly a beam which sus-
tained the roof. This operation they carried into
effect and the house fell in ruins, but the old man
and woman having suspicion did not sleep in the
house on the night when the act was perpetrated.
The wretches are in the hands of justice.
The ascent and descent of the great balloon the
Geant were effected very successfully, but with
some difficulty, and will form an epoch in aerial
navigation. The operation for fixing the car to the
balloon was curious and exciting, but it was com-
pleted about 5 o'clock under direction of M. Nadar
and his assistant captain, M. Camille d'Artois. The
wind was very high at the time, which increased
the difficulty. Eight persons mounted into the car,
but even after throwing out ballast the weight was
found too great, and one of the intending travellers
was reluctantly compelled to get out. The balloon
then ascended very rapidly amidst the most exciting

bravos. So rapid indeed was the ascent that the
balloon was hardly seen by the thousands of per-
sons who were assembled to look at it. It seemed
to pass into the clouds almost with the rapidity of
lightning. The descent was effected comfortably
at Longjumean at half-past 8 in the evening, hav-
ing been in the air nearly three hours and a half.
Godard's balloon, which is much smaller, made
an ascent at the same time, but made a much longer
voyage. It came down safely at Itochefoucauld,
near Augouleme.
The elections for the General Councils, to which
much interest is attached in Paris, will take place
on Sunday and Monday, the 21st and 22d of July.
Many provincial Prefects who are now in Paris
attracted by the Exhibition, have received orders to
return to their posts immediately in order to make
the requisite arrangements for those elections. The
sessions of the Arrondissement Councils will com-
mence on the 17th of August, and the Session of
the General Councils will be postponed till Septem-
ber. The measures adopted by the General Councils
have reference to local measures of such importance
that they excite almost as much attention as politi-
cal matters in Paris.

A curious fete was celebrated by the Swedes at
the Exhibition on Midsummer-day, opposite to
Vasa's house, which I have described. It was the
fete of the summer solstice, one of the two princi-
pal fetes of the year in Sweden, one being
on the longest day and the other on the shortest.
high masts, covered
and other toys, are
In
with Sweden,
verdure, o nth
dolls,e longestwhistles, day,
hoisted in all the fields, and the villagers assemble,
dance, sing, and drink, and return thanks to the
sun for all his benefits. A mimic fete in imitation
of this was arranged at the Exhibition, and was a
strange and interesting spectacle. The altar of the
solstice was decorated with crowns, flowers, and
shrubs. In the evening torches were lighted round
the mast, and Swedes, Germans, and French
danced gaily on the first floor of the Scandinavian
house, which had been transferred into a ball-room
for-the occasion. There was a confusion of lan-
guages, but nevertheless there was a very good un-
derstanding among the merry throng. All went
off admirably. Nothing was wanting but the mid-
night sun, which in Sweden shines upon the sum-
mer solstice fete, and for which the electric flame of
the lighthouse was but a sorry substitute.
An interesting sight at the Exhibition is the pro-
cess of manufacturing glass, which takes place at
the crystal establishment of Pantin. The machines
are a simple handle 100 evolutions are
madceuirnioaus. B
minute,
inuyte,
and glasses are manufactured so
rapidly that one may be almost afraid of having a
glass too much at the Exhibition.

On Sunday evening the first international ban-
quet was given in the Park to the foreign delegates
and Parisian workmen. The most perfect cordiality
prevailed at this assembly, and various toasts were
given in English, Italian, and French. The party
did not separate till 11 o'clock at night, and the
last words pronounced were expressive of the
wishes of all for peace and liberty.
The following is the title of the musical compo-
sition of Rossini to be played on the Ist of July :
—" To Napoleon the Third and his valiant people.
The hymn will be accompanied by a grand orchestra
and military music. For a baritone (solo) a Pontiff.
Chorus of grand priests, chorus of vivandiers, sol-
diers, and people. At the end dances, bells, drums,
and cannon. Excuse so little.' These words are
written by Rossini himself. rassy, 1867. G.
Rossini. Words by E. acini."
m pTohs ienrge cwe
will
sney
bes , 0
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omedal s
promotions wwill bi
ne
the order of the Legion of honour._
d isAtrti btuhtiesdi.

To-day the weather has been cold, rainy, windy,
and disagreeable.

THE NAVAL REVIEW.

The following is a copy of the official list of the
vessels selected by the Admiralty to take part in the
great Naval Review to be held off Spithead, on the
17th of July, in honour of the visit of his Majesty
the Sultan to England :-

LA TEST INTELLIGENCE,

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)