The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-20 00:00:00

The Delay of the Royal Commission.

When the bill for suspending the Habeas Corpus
Act had passed the House of Lords a telegram was
sent to Earl Granville, who was at Osborne, an-
nouncing the result, upon the receipt of which her
Majesty's signature was affixed to the documents
authorising the commissioners to give the Queen's
assent to the bill. In order to allow time for bring-
ing these documents to London the sittings of the
house were suspended until eleven o'clock, by which
time it was calculated the special train would arrive
in London. After the Cattle Disease Prevention
Bill had been read a first time, there was no further
business before the house. For upwards of an hour
the Lord Chancellor remained seated on the wool-
sack, wearing his peer's robes and full wig, and
forming a prominent feature in the centre of the
house. There was not a member on the benches on
either side, but still the Chancellor sat there in his
robes of scarlet and ermine, waiting with impatience
the arrival of his brother peers and the Royal Com-
mission, which was to empower them to give her
Majesty's assent to the bill. Frequently his lordship
sought relief from the monotony of his position by
beckoning to distant clerks, apparently asking for
information as to the cause of the non-arrival of the
important document. Black Rod moved about ex-
cited, perturbed, and amazed at the delay, and
could afford no information to the solitary peer on
the woolsack. The Chancellor perused the "votes,"
now he dozed for a few minutes, and woke up anxi-
ously to inquire for the commission. Time rolled
on, the hour of midnight struck, a quarter-past, half-
past twelve, and then there entered a clerk bearing
a despatch-box, which the Chancellor opened, and
looked delighted on the long-delayed document.
Then came the Duke of Somerset and the Earl of
Bessborough bearing his wand of office, also wearing
their robes, and sat upon the Ministerial benches.
Another quarter of an hour passed, and then the clerk
entered, carrying the Royal Commission. The Lord
Chancellor addressed the two robed peers and two
others who had strayed into the house and repre-
sented the Opposition, and informed them that her
Majesty had issued a commission under the Great
Seal, authorising certain lords therein named to give
her royal assent to a bill agreed to by both Houses
of Parliament. His lordship then directed the
Usher of the Black Rod to summon the Commons
to hear the Royal Assent given to the bill in ques-
tion, and shortly after the Speaker, accompanied by
about 50 members of the House of Commons, ap-
peared at the bar of the home. To them the Lord
Chancellor, now seated on a bench in front of the
Throne with the two other peers, made known the
commands of her Majesty, and the Clerk of the
House read the voluminous document, which autho-
rised the lords therein named to give openly and
publicly her Majesty's royal assent to the bill. When
the clerk read the names of the peers who were to
act as commissioners he made profound obseisance,
and each peer in his turn acknowledged the honour
by raising his cocked hat. The reading of the letters
patent completed, the clerk was directed to read the
title of the bill, and upon this, a Commissioner
uttered the old Norman words, " La Reine le veult,"
and at 20 minutes to one o'clock on the morning of
this day the bill became law, and the privileges con-
ferred by the Habeas Corpus Act were from that
moment suspended in Ireland.

The delay in the arrival of the special train was,
it was understood, caused by two heavy luggage
trains, which could not readily be got out of the
way.— Observer.

ini:rtakalllyeccide".
NEW YORK FIFTY YEARS SINCE.—The New York
Times publishes a curious contribution—a journey-
man printer's recollections of that city half a century ago.
" New York," ho writes, "was at that time a compact city.
Brooklyn was an inconsiderable village ; the only mode of
crossing was by row-boats. Jersey city was ' nowhere.'
There were no omnibus linos, no railways, and I believe no
hacks. We took our time in those days ; nobody was fast.
The City Hotel was the only first-class house in that line of
business. Hotel faro was substantial, but plain. There was
a general prejudice against French cooking. Port and
brown sherry (pale sherry rarely seen) were good, and
Madeira delicious. Champagne was just coming in, and
comparatively little known ; it was warmed before drink-
ing ! The customs and habits of New York were much
more simple than they are now ; there was infinitely less
wealth, less luxury, less cultivation, and less refinement.
There were comparatively few temptations. There were no
' hells,' no gin palaces, no saloons, no clubs.gu..3lMTeephathnehervlios,eav:sisobcclt:eieasaianct,i
home. The Park Theatre and Scudder's Museum were the
only places of amusement. Contoit's Garden had just been
opened. A public garden with lights, scats, lemonade, and
ice cream was now. Even 'porter houses,' as now consti-
tuted, were almost unknown. It was at a porter house at
the corner of Fulton-street that the first introduction of
newspapers for general reading took place. New York was
a more economically governed city than it is now ; there
was a much higher sense of official responsibility, and
municipal honours were conferred on men of high stand-
ing and character. The standard has been lowered by uni-
versal suffrage. It may interest the ' craft' to know some-
thing of the condition of the press half a century ago. My
first employment hero as a journeyman commenced in
May, 1815, with Van Winkle and Wiley, who printed Cob-
bott's Weekly Register. I contrived to take proof sheets to
that great English Radical, and got up a somewhat fami-
liar acquaintance with the grey-eyed and always grey-
dressed man, and learnt from him much about the leading
statesmen of England. 1 was afterwards with Jonathan
Seymour, and was employed on the then great enterprise
of publishing Scott's Family Bible ; on that work I had
James Harper Harper, now the senior of the groat publish-
ing house, as my partner. Nothing was known in those
ni m e •
order W
i l tl William
m reprint 2areien'
with for
all whom
haste
ei
avopenlp
edsw.ta
days of ten or eight hours' systems ; we worked 13 hours
a day. An incident will show the capacity of leading
hinoulsBels7a,t
hthaadt
at
Rook h , ' of whicha
as
ni single
dl ea copy
yi
n;h boardssasldle s been_mru smade
running
ie,
tge es
hbvwoianenrwdee ad-
vance
was, Mr.
ayw:fenarr.eesd:freiepri nightnefifroonr reinforced,
gdi,nhoaao:nredehdodinfe o'vtrhe
achievement.
onto,ns'st . ast
Sabbath.rao sn.t
And
on
the
dTtenth
t wasnd aoyw regarded‘
iLnal2l a 4 all:°ahours.kn WonderfulThaMercantile.enrde vaihar
lcerlfhTohafhne
then
reading
sgie
ta rs
w Gazette o
morning
matter,
rarely
cpwiteuargisn'hettdhinedailymore
thanGazettejournals.a nad columnthe
and the Mercantile was not much better ; both were stupid
andadvebratirrseemn
eonftaal.l inTthereesttweoxceevpetnfinorg tphaepirera,shtihp
Commercial, were edited with ability. The ColumbianenPeowssl wasaannad
semi-weekly. The Mercantile had the largest circulation,
which I think was less than 2,500. There was not in the
whole city as much press power and capacity as is now
operating subterraneously beneath the side walk in front
of the Times-office, while thousands pass over it uncon-
scious of its whereabouts. Of all who were connected with
I the daily press of that time I believe the only survivor is
Mr. Francis Hall, of the Commercial, with half a dozen of
the then journeymen. For myself I always had good
situations, was habitually industrious, drank no beer, and
earned from $lO to $l2 a week, most of which, after pay-
ing board, went for tickets at the Park Theatre. Mecha-
nics, clerks, &c., paid $3 a week for board."
The New York Post says the report of the sailing
of a Fenian privateer from that port arose from the movements
inof h
the
ee steamshipnaval
service.F s
Fort Mhoergwaans,
bfoourignhetrlylaastsusppeplremstbeearmbyer
the well-known firm of Ward and Co., her name changed
to Cuba, and she made four trips to Havana, when she
wasrep o r
twei
dt htdwr aow nw 0
eak
sn dapg loft cbeydai np
edroscokn
wf ohr
ot ehfiatdt mog. pp 0 r
tI It
nwi
tays
of being well informed, that she had been sold to the
Fenians. The Cuba, Captain Sundberg, cleared for Bal..
ars' sailed for that port. This is re-
r. Vessels of her tonnage do not
usually between New York and Baltimore, and when
apvdlasigula
vessels sail they generally advertise for freight and pas-
sengers.
This the Cuba did not do.

•~
T

lilt

LONDON, TUESDAY, FEB. 20, 1866.

0

The Reformers of the United K;ngdom are
determined not to allow the new Prime Minister to
forget his former promises, and another deputation
has paid a visit to Downing-street. The object was
to present a
meeting memorial agreed to at a large public
at Glasgow on the subject of Parliamentary
the
Reform, and
gentlemen who attended on the
occasion naturally took advantage of the opportu-
nity of impressing their ownlt
views upon the atten-
tion of Earl
RUSSELL. The memorial called upon
the Government to introduce. a bill extending the
franchise to £lO rentalboroughs,
m counties and £6
rental in cities a
besides pro-
viding for a more equable distribution
seats. The principal speakers
tried car
fully to impress upon Earl RUSSELL the simplicitye
of the demand, and to remind him that the meecn-
which they represented had been attended byper
sons of all classes and of every variety of political
opinion. However great the differences which might
exist between them on minor points they all agreed
to a compromise, so that their memorial might have
the force of unanimity. The £lO franchise in coun-
ties and the £6 in boroughs were resolved upon as
fair bases, and one which gave the greatest satis-
faction to the largest number. Mr. GOVAN, the first
speaker, urged that there would be NO danger in
such an extension, since the working classes had
no interests inimical to those of any other class
of the community, for all they possessed and all
they sought to acquire was closely bound up with
the welfare of every other class.
Mr. CRANSTON, another member of the deputa-
tion, said he believed that the working classes
would Prefer a rental franchise to a rating

....-....-c.--•-..--....-----_
few persons can
one—a fact which very
doubt. To have the franchise on the rating
would be virtually to defeat the whole measure, to
,g keep the word of promise to the ear and break
it to the hope." The same gentleman observed, that
for lack of proper representation the working
classes had been driven to legislate for themselves
on matters closely concerning their interests, their
hours of labour, the rate of wages, trades unions, j
and co-operative societies. So far, he was, no doubt,
perfectly correct, but when he came to speak of the
1 influence of the working classes in France and
America as superior to that of intelligent and
well-conducted men of the same rank in this
country he was not so accurate. The working men
of this country have far more individual and collec-
tive freedom of thought, of speech, of political
action, than their Continental neighbours. The
journals which they chiefly patronise may not
indeed always give them unbiassed opinions
or correct judgments, but at least they
supply them with full intelligence from which
to judge for themselves; they report to them in
full the debates on public questions, and the cur-
rent criticisms on the acts or policy of the Govern-
ment. The working men of England, so long as
they behave with order and propriety, which collec-
tively they seldom fail to do, are free to debate, to
deliberate, to discuss what they will. It may be
said that words are not of much use unless they are
followed by deeds, but if the working classes of this
kingdom were deprived of these privileges they
would soon learn to value them, and we must
remember that the united Sentiment or wish of any
considerable body of the community, consistently
and perseveringly expressed in a constitutional
manner, never fails to produce an ultimate effect
on our Executive. In America the same turbulent
spirit generally pervades all political ranks, so that
the more noisy declaimers make themselves
heard, to the silencing or yverpowering of moderate
men ; but we doubt whether the working-classes in
America as a whole deserve or receive more respect
or consideration than those in England.
Earl RUSSELL in his reply, which, as usual on
such occasions, was couched in the conveniently
ambiguous terms of official reserve, remarked that
having possessed representative institutions for GOO
years, he thought the people of this country could
not do better than to found any amendments which
they might require in their political system upon
their old constitution, instead of looking for models
to the institutions which other nations might
possess. He might have added that the other
countries in which representative government has
been attempted have, for the most part, looked
to the English Constitution for their example,
and that the alterations which have been made in
it are at the best very questionable improvements.
If theoretically more perfect and more liberal, they
fail to give the same practical amount of individual
liberty. In our colonies, where democratic prin-
ciples have been more fully carried out, the politi-
cal system comes occasionally to a deadlock, and
there is a general complaint that men of intelligence
and public spirit are averse to entering the struggle.
The tendency in Australia, if the opinion of the
educated classes were taken, would be rather re-
actionary than progressive ; that is to say they
rather assimilate their constitution to the mon-
archical than to the democratic standard.

In younger countries the legislators are at least
spared one difficulty which presents itself in very
formidable proportions to the English Reformer.
He has not to deal with the invidious question of
the redistribution of seats, a matter in which the
wisest and most disinterested Minister is certain to
provoke opposition. Earl RUSSELL, while object-
ing to basing the representation entirely on num-
bers, reminded his hearers that if such a method
were adopted the metropolis would return as many
members asthe whole kingdom of Scotland. From
the tenour of the noble Earl's remarks on the question
of redistribution we may infer that he is not
prepared to deal with that branch of the subject at
present. It did not appear to him, ho said, to in-
volve as obvious a defect or require so immediate a
remedy as the state of the franchise. He alluded
to the inaccuracies of the old system, and reminded
his hearers that abuses like the representation of
Old Sarum and Gatton, and the non-representa-
tion of Liverpool and Manchester and Birming-
ham, were not now crying for remedy. The
noble Premier carefully avoided committing him-
self on any particular branch of the subject,
while expressing in general terms his assent to the
propositions of the memorial. This was as much
as the deputation could have expected or hoped for,
since Cabinet Ministers are not iu the habit of being
too communicative on the subject of their intended
measures, but it is quite as well that the topic of
Reform should not be allowed to sleep, lest an excuse
should be made on the ground of public indifference,
and other pressing questions to secure a year's re-
prieve for the newly-elected members.

The Cattle Diseases Bill occupied the attention of
both Houses last night, and made great progress,
being read a third time and passed in the Upper
House, and the committee in the House of Com-
mons getting through the discussion of a great
many clauses. Earl GRANVILLE, in introducing the
second reading, observed that if the bill showed
deficiencies, another bill on the same subject would
be introduced, which would remedy many of these
His lordship proposed that the standing
orders should be suspended in order that the bill
might more speedily be passed. Some noble Peers
offered rather captious objections to the
bill, but they amounted to nothing in
reality. The Duke of BUCCLEUCH objected
to the arrangements in Scotland. The noble
Duke also demurred to the great haste being
made, and complained that the Government had
not given any intimation of their intention to pro-
ceed with so much celerity, Lord DALHOUSIE ob-
jected to the indiscriminate slaughter. In order to
meet the wishes of the discontents Lord GRANVILLE
altered his intention of regulating the Committee,
and the House proceeded to criticise the several
clauses. Earl GREY spoke to the point, and declared
that it was very advisable for the bill to be passed
at once, and as for saying that it was only a skeleton
it contained some very important provisions, that
would operate effectually in stopping the plague.
It gave the power of compulsory slaughter, and
also provided compensation. It also stopped all
the great markets, and therefore met the require-
ments of the case so far. This was a very sen-
sible remark, and most appropriate, because in
cases of this kind people are very apt to stop at
trifles and waste precious time in discussion, in-
stead of dealing with generalities and settling diffi-
culties with all possible despatch. The Duke of
ARGYLL explained the alteration of the local autho-
rities in Scotland, which had been attacked with
such extraordinary warmth by one or two noble
lords. By this bill for the first time the power of
taxation is given to local authorities, and therefore the
Government gave it to the Commissioners of Sup-
ply, because in Scotland " there was an old consti-
tuted body which alone had the power of laying
on rates." The Earl of DERBY came to the rescue
of the Government, and recommended the reten-
tion of the clause relating to Scotland which
the Duke of BUCCLETNII insisted to strike
1

out. No amendments were made, although
sever al were proposed and two carried to a division.
A large
Majority was in favour of the stringent
me asurea proposed for the extirpation of the
disease, and Lord GRANVILLE explained that this
being: -merely a temporary measure, it was better to
agree f o the proposals of the bill rather than to lose
more ti me in discussions and alterations.
In tl he House of Commons Mr. HUNT'S Bill was
considered in committee, and the hon. member
explained the exceptions to the general prohibi-
tion of removing cattle that the bill allowed.
Bea sts that are taken from one farm to another may
be t aken along the high road for 200 yards, those
lanced at a port may be taken to a slaughter-house
five. hundred yards, and exceptions will be made in
favour of calves, working oxen, and milch cows for
sea-going vessels. After the 25th of March
sound cattle may be removed at a change
of tenancy, under the permission of the
local authorities, and for a certain time in
each quarter to stack farms at any time after the
end of next April the operation of the bill may be
suspended by Order in Council. On the whole these
seem very fair propositions, and this measure of
Mr. HUNT'S meets many of the objections, and
supplies many of the deficiencies of the Govern-
ment measure. The hon. member has evidently
had considerable knowledge of the circumstances
of the case, and made his plans in conformity with
the exigencies of the occasion. The public are much
indebted to him for the pains he has bestowed upon
the matter, and the House of Commons has evi-
dently appreciated the merits of his proposal from
the outset. Some slight changes were made during
the progress of the committee, bnt they do not
materially affect the purpose of the bill. Mr.
Hum. explained the necessity that existed for
making "stringent provisions," lest beasts should
be smuggled at night from place to place, and
therefore clause 29 was allowed to stand, although
a humorous objection to it was made to by Mr.
BULLER, who declared that it was impossible to
pass it as it stood : "the justices would have a
direct personal interest in seizing a beast driven
on the road- —they were authorised to dispose
of it as they thought fit—they might even eat it."
The unanimity with which for the most part these
bills for the prevention of the spread of the cattle
plague have been received by Parliament must be
an unanswerable argument in favour of those who
have all along declared that the Government had
been too supine in the matter. Had they long ago
adopted a decisive course the sanction of Parliament
would not have been withheld from their efforts
to promote the well-being of the community by
arresting the progress of the disease. Sir GEORGE
GREY last night again dropped hints as
to the advisability of leaving some matters
to be settled by the local authorities, and
DUNCOMBE very properly observed that such
a course was not consistent. " From our experience
of Courts of Quarter Sessions, he would say they
very much objected to taking charge of such mat-
ters; they objected to the Government shifting the
responsibility from their own shoulders and placing
it upon those of country gentlemen." This has
been a great mistake from the outset, and had these
stringent resolutions been made earlier, by this time
the cattle plague would cease to exist, for it is con-
spicuously a case in which the greatest speed was
required in order to stop the ravages which have
now increased to a point that baffles science and
defies skill.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FRO3I OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Paras, Monday Evening.

The reply of the Emperor to the address of the
Senate presented to him yesterday at the Tuileries
has created much satisfaction in Paris, and has had
a favourable effect at the Bourse to-day. The
Emperor commenced by characterising the address
as an eloquent commentary upon his speech. " You
desire, like myself," says the Emperor, 'the rational
and progressive development of our institutions, the
amelioration of the condition of the greater num-
ber and the preservation intact of the National
dignity and honour. This award is a strength."
The Emperor proceeded to say, "My Government
is not stationary. It progresses and it wishes to
progress, but upon a sure foundation, capable of
supporting power and liberty. Let us call to our
aid progress in ail its forms, but let us build stone
by stone that great pyramid which has for basis uni-
versal suffrage, and for summit the civilising genius
of France." Never was a Royal Speech received
more cordially and more enthusiastically by those
to whom it was addressed, and never probably did
the metropolis of a great empire sympathise more
deeply or more cordially with the sentiments of its
chief than Paris does upon this occasion.

The Constitutionnel says :—" The Emperor, as it
is well known among the people as at the Institute,
has the gift of expressing many thoughts in few
words. This reply to the Address of the Senate
affords a new proof of that faculty so powerful and
at all so times so rare. The great political prin-
ciples, generators of order and consequently of
liberty, are affirmed in the Imperial allocution, and
affirmed with a force of thought indicative of the
statesman and the philosopher, and at the same
time with a clearness and simplicity to be under-
stood by the most humble citizen. The love of
liberty is manifested in every word of the Em-
peror."
King Victor Emmanuel, in accordance with the
last wishes of his son, Prince Oddone, has ordered
that the municipality of Genoa shall have immediate
possession of the valuable objects of art which
adorned the Prince's private study.
Financial affairs improved considerably last week.
The absence of political news and the abundance of
money contributed naturally to this result. For
some weeks past there has not been such an im-
proved feeling upon the Stock Exchange of Paris.
A short time ago the Minister of Agriculture and
Commerce sent a written communication to the
Academy of Medicine, the object of which was to
ascertain from that learned body their opinion upon
two points relative to cattle. First, whether it was
desirable to vaccinate cattle; and secondly, whether,
if they should be of that opinion, an establishment
ought to be provided for that purpose. The Academy
of Medicine has just given an affirmative answer to
both these questions.
There is perhaps no capital in Europe where so
many institutions exist to succour the poor and
afflicted as in Paris. The establishments for the
education and care of children are also admirably
conducted. I shall take an opportunity of de-
scribing these institutions. In the mean time I will
say a few words about the establishments which
exist in almost every commune, where the mothers
of infant children may place them in perfect com-
fort and security while they go to their work. The
name given to these establishments is a Creche or
Manger, derived from the fact of the infant Saviour
having been placed in a manger. A child is taken
in here from 11 days to three years of age. The
mother takes the child in the morning after having
suckled it, returnsfor the same purpose in the course
of the day, and takes it away in the evening. The
babies are placed in a well-aired comfortable
room, under the care of experienced nurses
and superintended by a responsible directress.
For all this the mother pays 20 centimes,
or four-fifths of a halfpenny a day. A surgeon
comes every day, and every attention is paid
to cleanliness. Gymnastics are used, and the chil-
dren are taught to walk. When visitors inspect
these establishments. they sometimes make entries
in a book devoted to the purpose, and record their
opinions of them. Here is a specimen of one of the
entries :—" A. mother whose child had died shed
torrents of tears over its empty cradle. Her con-
. lessor, desirous of consoling her, said God ordered