The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-28 00:00:00

MID-WALES.

courteous services in connection with the company,
the proceedings closed.

Meeting of the Constitutional Association.

A meeting of the Constitutional Association was

held on Tuesday night in the Corn Exchange, to
consider resolutions expressing confidence in the
Government of Lord Derby.
Mr. B. SOWLER, Q.C., was called upon to pre-
side ; and he asked the meeting to give a fair hear-
ing to the distinguished gentlemen who would ad-
dress them.

The Hon. A. EGERTON, M.P., who was received
with protracted cheering, moved the first resolution,
as follows :—" That this meeting is of opinion that
the policy of the Government ou the subject of re-
form, as stated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer,

is satisfactory, as indicating clearly and definitely
the true principles upon which the Legislature

ought to proceed in the settlement of the ques-
tion, and as being best calculated to result in
an efficient measure." (Cheers.) He said that, as
this was the first public meeting of the Con-
stitutional Association, it was right that some

one should explain the necessity for such an Asso-
ciation. It was the opinion of the Conservative
party and of the moderate Liberals throughout the
country that it would be unwise to let the question

of Reform fall into the hands of the extreme Radi-

cal party. The extreme Radicals professed a great
belief in the virtues of the being they were pleased
to call the working man. They ignored the fact
that it was not only those who toiled with their

hands that should be called working men.

The

object of a Reform Bill should be to embrace
all who did service to the State, whether by
their heads or their hands. The Constitutional
Association were in favour of such a measure ; and

they desired also to defend themselves, as Conser-
vatives, from malignant assaults that had been
made upon them. (Hear, hear.) _ The only Re-

form Bill that had had a chance of passing of late
years was that introduced by Lord Derby in
1859. (Cheers.) There was no ground for the

charge that the Conservatives were unfitted, as
a party, for dealing with reform. They wished to
improve the constitution, not to destroy it—(cheers)
—and the work of reform could not be in safer
hands. He must confess that the bill of the present
Government did not go far enough. (Hear, hear.)
He was content, however, to give a general support
to the Government, because he believed they were
admirers of the constitution as at present estab-
lished, and of the balance of interests, and might,
therefore, be trusted to deal with the question.
(Cheers.) He believed they would accept amend-
ments that would not destroy the constitution, and
reject those which would bring the country to the
verge
.of Republicanism. (Cheers.) The Govern-
ment had claims upon the country irrespective of
the reform question. The administrative coach was
well horsed, as had been shown by the improvement
in the Indian Government, the army, and the pro-
posal of Mr. Hardy to reform the poor laws. As a
whole, the Ministry was a better Ministry than its
predecessor. He should be prepared to go lower than
a£6 franchise in the boroughs. (Hear, hear.) He
could not
_s>e any objection to the municipal fran-
chise, and he thought we should eventually come to
that in boroughs. He believed that that opinion was
shared by many of the Conservative party. In re-
gard to the county franchise, he wished to secure a
due representation of the landed interest, which was

extremely influential, and ought not to be swamped.
(Cheers.) At this point the confusion rose to such

a pitch that the speaker was compelled to pause, and
the Chairman directed that the doors should be
closed. The room was, he said, as full as it could
hold. Those persons who had obtained admission
by means of forged orders could remain, on the con-
dition that they remained quiet. Several persons
were removed by the police, and comparative quiet
was obtained for a very brief period. Mr. Egerton
proceeding with his address, commended the pro-
posals of the Government for the re-distribution of
seats as being preferable to those of the Russell-
Gladstone bill. (Hear, hear.) He said the time
was come when Conservatives ought to sink all
minor differences of opinion and give a cordial sup-
port to the Conservative Government. The Radical
party was very strong, but very ill led, both in
Manchester and elsewhere. (Cheers.) He hoped he
should always be spared the pain of listening to the
trash which Mr. Beales--(groans)—was in the habit
of uttering to the assembliesof his admirers. (Cheers
and laughter.) In conclusion, he called upon all
Conservatives to band together for the purpose of re-
sisting radical assaults upon the constitution. (Loud
cheers.)—Mr. W. Ambrose, in seconding the resolu-
tion, said that the House of Commons was at pre-
sent a fair representative of the country at large.
(Cheers and hisses.) Mr. Ambrose referred, in
the course of his speech, to Mr. Lowe and Mr.
Bright. The name of the member for Caine was
received with partial hooting ; but the name of
Mr. Bright was received with an explosion of
groans and counter cheers that rendered it im-
possible for the speaker to proceed for a few
minutes.—The Chairman put the resolution, and
there was a large- show of hands in its favour. Ha
said it was quite clear he need not put the contrary.
(About a hundred hands were held up against the
motion amidst loud hooting.) The Chairman de-
clared the resolution carried. (Cheers.)—Mr. R.
Stanfield, who said he was a working man, moved
the second resolution. He said he would expose
one of the most dastardly, mean, and infamous ac-
tions that could be committed. Their opponents
had tried to upset the meeting, but he thanked God
they had been foiled. (Cheers.) The interruption
was renewed, and lasted for several minutes. More
men were ejected amidst a terrible uproar. The
Chairman vainly called order, but the attention of a
great part of the meeting was breathlessly fixed upon
a struggle between the police and a number of per-
sons who were resisting their ejection. In the midst
of the struggle a bench gave way, but nobody was
hurt. Comparative order was then restored, and
the mover of the resolution proceeded with his speech.
He said that he had worked night and day to esta-
blish this association. It had been sail that no
Conservative ever wore clogs, but if the meeting
could see him in his daily avocations they would be
able to say that they had seen a Conservative with
a soot-bag on his back. (Much laughter and ap-
plause.) Talk about the bloated aristocracy ! He
only wished he was one. (Roars of laughter,) He
moved " That the thanks of the meeting be given to
Lord Derby—(loudcheers)-11r.11israeli—(chee rs)
and the other members of the Cabinet, for the prompt
and efficient manner in which they had undertaken
the settlement of the reform question, and that the
general policy of the Government entitles it to the
entire confi(idnca of tho people at large."
Mr. B. FERRAND seconded the resolution.
The CHAIRMAN read a telegram from London an-
nceancing the course which the Government had
taken, and the withdrawal cf the notice of motion
which Mr. Gladstone had given. He said he ac-
cepted this resolution as a proof that the sincerity
and honesty of the Government were triumphant.
(Cheers.) The resolution was put, and carried in
the same manner as the preceding, amidst cheers
and counter demonstrations.
Mr. J. W. MACLURE moved, "That in order to
support the Government as against the factious op-
position of those who seek reform merely for the
purpose of increasing their own political power,
without regard to the fair representation of the whole
of the people, this meeting recommends that peti-

The half-yearly meeting of this company washeld
yesterday at the Loudon Tavern—Mr. Whalley,
M.P., in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said that upon the whole it was satisfactory
as regarded the present position and also the pro-
spects for the future of the Mid-Wales, and that
their position was better than any other Welsh rail-
way. lle congratulated the shareholders on the fact
that the Mid-Wales was almost the only new Welsh
railway of which the management had not been taken
out of the hands of the board and the shareholders.
Ile could not imagine any combination of accidents
that could prevent a constant increase of traffic, be-
cause they hail already obtained Parliamentary
powers to reach the vast mineral traffic of South
Wales, and the junction of the line to that district
being all that was required. In taking leave of
the company, after 15 years' connection with the
Welsh railways, he would draw attention to the
fact that it was not the deficiency of the district in
traffic sufficient to pay 5 per cent., or to any
other sources whatever, that the enormous losses
sustained in the Welsh railways were to be attri-
buted, not solely and wholly to the Parliamentary
system by which, in, the first plate, the efforts to

make these railways were made with a cost and risk tions to Parliament be prepared and submitted to
that deterred all bona fide capitalists from taking the people generally for signature earnestly recom-
part in the work, and in the next place subjecting mending the adoption of the measures of the Govern-
those who from motives of speculation did find the ment, and deprecating the factious opposition with
money to the powers of the great companies. The which they are threatened." (Cheers.) The reso-
public had such interest in the maintenance of an lution was carried. The Hon. Mr. Egerton said the
independent route between South Wales and Lan- association had been asked if they would publish a
cashire that Parliament might be expected to pro- balance sheet, and so shame the Reform League into
tect that route, and thus realise the expectations doing likewise. He assured the meeting that a bal-
that the Act of Parliament held out ; but as to i ance sheet would be published. (Hear, hear.) He
whether this would be done or even attempted, added that it had been clearly ascertained that num-
either on behalf of the shareholders or the public, I bers of tickets of admission to that meeting had
it was not for him to express an opinion or offer any been forged. He moved a vote of thanks to the
advice. The Mid-Wales Company, during the last , Chairman, which was seconded by Mr. Touchstone
two years, had acted upon this policy. and passed; and a brief response from the Chairman
After a short conversational discussion the report brought the meeting to a close at 10 o'clock.
was adopted, and a special vote of thanks having
been passed to Mr. Whalley, M.P., for his able and

The Chinese in the Pacific States.

The vast importance which is beginning to be at-
tached to the mining States and Territories of the
West will receive a fresh impetus from their proxi-
mity to the oldest and most populous of civilised
countries—China. The danger is that the Pacific
States may be overrun by the Celestials—not that
there will be any lack of good sturdy labourers.
Mr. FUNG-TANG stated at the banquet in honour of
the opening of the Steam-line between San Fran-
cisco and China, given on the departure of the
first vessel, that there were 60,000 Chinese on the
Pacific coast engaged in mining, or in trade and
commerce. This he said in good English, adding
that " we of China are very fond of trade and corn-
" merce." He was followed by Mr. CHOY-
CHUM-CHEW, who commented on the rea-
sons of the friendly feeling entertained by the
Chinese Government towards the United States,
which he considered the result of the intimate
commercial relations between the two countries.
The feeling in Chiva towards Americans is very
strong and marked. A Chinaman admires an
American as the highest development of the " bar-
barian" element. This is passing strange
to British officials, who consider that the British
display of power ought to have bad the effect of
establishing them, in this estimation. A Chinaman
is a shrewd trader, but he believes that he meets
more than his match when he comes across a
Yankee. The Chinese possess a vein of energy ;
and although they do not show it outwardly, still
inwardly they keenly appreciate the brains and in-
telligence the American brings to bear on his work.
They are, in short, good judges of human character,
and pure materialists, so the compliment they thus
convey may be considered a high cne. If this
feeling was established when no intimate relation
existed between the two countries, what will it be-
come when the young giant can put his heavy
hand upon the feeble old empire and crumple it all
up ? The first effect of the growing intercourse
will be to give America a paramount influence in
that part of the world. Indeed we believe it would be
a wise policy in England to hand over to America the
Imperial colony of Hongkong. The United States
will now be in a position to insure the object
for which that station is held—that is, the security
of trade, and the due enforcement of treaties by the
Government of China. They can do this with com-
parative ease from their proximity, and the strength
of such a basis of operation as that given
by California. The Chinese will benefit much
by their contact with such a people as those of the
United States. Cuov-Citum-CuEw noticed the
great advantage which has been derived from the
establishment in San Francisco of a free school for
teaching the Chinese the English language. Many
of the young Chinamen are now able to do the work
of interpreters, and several Chinese stores and mer-
cantile offices regularly take the American daily
papers, so that the Chinese become well informed in
the news of the world. The help this gives to-

wards elevating Chinese character will be felt in

time, as the numbers who have thus been educated
increase and return to their native country. That

the Chinamen will freely use the line opened, is seen
from the fact that the Colorado carried 700 steer-
age passengers, all of whom, probably, were
Chinese. The vessels will be crowded on the
trip back to California—the El Dorado of the
Celestial Empire. The future of the Pacific States
is very bright. Under the head of our Mining
Intelligence will be found an extract from the
San Francisco Mining and Scientific Press, giving
the returns of three mines—the Yellow Jacket, the
Savage, and the Imperial. These dividends are
almost fabulous, and cannot readily be credited;
360, 912, and 780 per cent. per annum upon the
subscribed capital are the figures given by that
journal, and for this statement it is responsible.
But we know that the wealth of the precious
metals, almost at the miner's hands, is great beyond
the belief of Europeans. Chinamen will not be

slow to avail themselves of such advantages.
Nor has the policy of exclusion obtained force in
these States as in Australia. All the Chinese who
spoke at this banquet expressed warmly their sense
of the kindness with which they had been treated
in San Francisco. Taus, then, the Flowery
Kingdom is within easy communication with
the richest country in the world. In that country
labour and energy are best rewarded, and every man
starts fair in the race. Numbers of their own peo-
ple have formed successful settlements, and reaped
large rewards even as common labourers ; and the
testimony of the most enlightened of their country-
men will establish the knowledge in China that they
are welcomed in the new land with kindness, are
free to come and go, and to reap and hold unmo-
lested the fruits of their own labour.—Anglo-Ame-
rican Times.