The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-23 00:00:00

ThE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JUNE 23, i 866

made if some were willing to do So. At any
rate, the only wise and correct thing for our Mi-
nisters to do just now is to leave things alone, and
we can assure them that they will be acting against
the wishes of the English people if they attempt
to influence the decision of the contest in Ger-
many in any way directly or indirectly.

The new Fenian raid appears to have come to a
very abrupt termination. Thanks to the vigorous
preparations made in the colony for their reception
and the decisive action of the American Govern-
ment in the rear, SPEAR'S attempt has been a com-
plete failure. The Fenians under his command
have recrossed the border, and SPEAR himself, with
his staff, has surrendered to Colonel LIVINGSTON,
of the Federal army, preferring very naturally to
place themselves in the hands of the Americans to
the risk, or certainty indeed, of being captured by
the Canadians, who might make their leaders
pay a severe penalty for their insolence.
The unexpected interference of the Americans
has completely confounded the Fenian projects,
and the heroes are dispersing in every direction.
Every facility for return is given them by the Fede-
ral authorities, and General MEADE has issued an
order offering transport home to all Fenians willing
to abandon their enterprise and respect the laws,
the officers being required to give bonds. By the
orders of SWEENEY the St. Albans Fenians have re-
fised to sign the obligation to abandon the cause
altogetl'
I'
‘tr, though they promise to abandon this move-
ment. The L CIeTS, SPEAR, SWEENEY, O'MAHONT,
and ROBERTS,
have Veen released on bail, and it is
said they will be indictf4 for a breach of the
neutrality laws. It is almost anDsing to observe
the course pursued by the American Radicals re-
specting Fenianism. Their dislike of England, and
their indignation against their PRESIDENT, unite in
driving them to lengths at which reasonable men,
whether English or American, can only smile.
They have introduced resolutions into the House of
Representatives expressing sympathy with the
Fenians, and advising the PRESIDENT to reconsider
his policy towards them, so as to adopt as nearly
as possible the exact course pursued by Great Bri-
tain during the Southern rebellion, recognising the
contending parties as belligerents, and observing
between them strict neutrality. We are only sur-
prised that Anglo-phobists should admit the
British Government as a model, but as large bodies
of armed men were not in the habit of crossing into
the States from Canada the cases are not exactly
parallel. The great cause of offence was the
departure of manned vessels from English ports,
but the proceedings of the Fenians are on a very
different scale.

The House of Representatives have shown another
instance of legislative wisdom by passing a resolu-
tion declaring that 11r. DAVIS must be held in cus-
tody until tried by the laws of the land. Judge
UNDERWOOD, after making a speech denouncing
Virginia and the Virginians, opened the Circuit
Court at Richmond at the beginning of this
month, when Mr. DAVIS'S counsel applied for
information respecting the time for his trial.
To this question they could only obtain an
evasive answer, and Judge UNDERWOOD refused
to admit Mr. DAvis to bail on the ground
that he is a prisoner of war. This in one way is the
best thing that coulJ be done for the prisoner, since
the matter has in consequence been referred to the
PRESIDENT, whose decision we have every reason to
hope will be in accordance with the dictates of jus-
tice and humanity. The American Government
must be weak and unstable, indeed, if one man can
shake it. When Generals LEE and BEAUREGARD,
when STEPHENS and all the other prominent
Confederates, have declared their conviction
of the hopelessness of the Southern cause,
and their unreserved determination to support
the authority of the Federal Government,
surely there is not much need to apprehend that
JEFFERSON DAVIS will, single-handed, stir up a
fresh revolution ! Mr. JOHNSON, at least, has too
much sense to think so, and he has too much
humanity to wish to keep the illustrious Confederate
in durance during the heat of an American summer.
Already his position has been materially improved,
and the next step would naturally be his release on
bail or on parole, as the case may Le, until the time
fixed for his trial. The Radicals are anxious to
postpone this indefinitely, partly, no doubt, because
they anticipate that the verdict must be one of
acquittal, partly some persons, hint in the belief that
death may relieve them from the difficulty. This
desire we can hardly attribute to any considerable
or influential number, since all Americans must feel
that the death of JEFFERSON DAVIS, after nineteen
months' captivity in an American prison iu a time of
complete tranquillity, -would be a national disgrace.
Mr. JOHNSON has already shown himself capable of
judging for his countrymen on matters of moment
in accordance with their national honour and cha-
racter rather than in obedience to the passions of
the moment, and this is a case in which we have no
doubt be will have the approval and support of the
main body of the people should he act in accord-
ance with his own known wishes instead of being
deterred by the threats of faction, or the clamour
of interested partisans.

We are very glad to find that the citizens of
London are considering in earnest what to do for
the relief of the labouring classes from the distress
caused by the want of proper dwellings. At the
meeting of the Court of Common Council, on
Thursday, the report of the Coal, Corn, and Fi-
nance Committee was brought up, in which, among
other topics, it was recommended that a vote of
£lO,OOO should be passed for the conversion of the
two hotels at the Metropolitan Cattle Market into
improved dwellings for the labouring poor. This is
an excellent suggestion, in every way advanta-
geous. The situation is well adapted for the purpose,
and will meet the wants of some of the hundreds
of poor industrious persons whom the rapidly in-
creasing railways in the north of London have
turned from their houses and lodgings. It will be
turning some comparatively useless property to
good account, and will be an act worthy of our
wealthy city, which can certainly very well afford
to do something towards redressing the crying evil
of the day. The citizens by geanting this money
will give convincing proof that the example of
Mr. PEABODY has not been lost upon them, but
that they resolved to show that Englishmen can
do something for their countrymen. The annual
meeting of the Metropolitan Association for
Improving the Dwellings of the Poor was held
yesterday, when many interesting facts were men-
tioned. One especially significant as regards the
public health was that the mortality in the entire
property of the association has this year been about
17 per 1,000, whereas that of the metropolis gene-
rally was 24 per 1,000. From these figures we
may gather some idea of the direful effects of over-
crowding on the health of the poor. There remains
so much to be done that we must still look for
additional help, but we are glad to see the good
work taken up in earnest by so important a body
as the Common Council.

The Gipps Land Times says that the English
pheasant is now numbered among the feathered inhabi-
tants of the woods of some parts of Australia.