The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-18 00:00:00

....m...
are. on his side. The very news which
tells us of the passage of the Civil Rights
Bill in spite of the veto tells us also that a mass
meeting had been held at Washington, empha-
tically endorsing the PRESIDENT'S policy.
The PRESIDENT himself is not a man to
be daunted, and if the Republicans have
passed the bill in return for his Proclamation in
favour of the South, he has taken another step
1 which proves bow little he is controlled by the fear
of their displeasure. Captain SEMMES, of Alabama
celebrity, has been released ; and we should not be
surprised if Mr. JOHNSON, in the exercise of his un-
doubted prerogative, put a termination to the long
and tedious confinement of the illustrious man
who for four years ruled the fortunes of the Con-
federacy. The open opposition to the PRESIDENT'S
wise and constitutional policy will possibly bring
matters to a crisis. At any rate it will show the
people still more clearly than before the temper
and character of their present representatives, and
will, we have, secure an entire remodelling of both
houses at the next election. At all events the bill,
however mischievous in its nature, will be in great
part neutralised by the known feelings of the
PRESIDENT, who has supreme control over the
movements of the army and the action of officials,
and who, though too constitutional a ruler to in-
terfere with recognised laws, can yet oppose a
powerful amount of passive resistance to a measure
1 which he honestly believes to be injurious to the
_ public interests.

Yesterday, at Guildhall, Mr. PEABODY attended
to distribute the prizes gained by the successful
competitors at the Working Classes Industrial Ex-
hibition. The ceremony was well attended, and
the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress were pre-
sent. Mr. PEABODY was enthusiastically received,
and the Lord Mayor made an appropriate speech, in
which he said that nothing could add more lustre
and interest to that day's proceedings than tue
presence of their honoured and distinguished friend
Mr. PEABODY. The compliment was certainly en-
hanced by the fact that of late that gentleman has
refused all invitations ; but indeed he could have
chosen no better place in which to take his public
farewell of England than a Working Class In-
dustrial Exhibition, for it brought him face to face
with those in whom he took so deep an interest.
The Lord Mayor repeated a remark recently made
by Mr. PEABODY to the effect that the " ruling
passion of his life had been that every man should
go where duty called him, and he took that to mean
that he felt that after the universal gratitude ex-
pressed by the people of this country to him it was
his duiry before he left that country to take his
farewell" of those whom he had now the honour to
address. Mr. PEABODY expressed his gratification
at having been so well received, and declared that no
one felt more deeply and sensibly the full extent of
such kindness. " I have reserved to myself," said
he, " with peculiar satisfaction the opportunity of
meeting the working men of London, whose repre-
sentatives you are in the midst of the scene of their
honourable rivalry, and the display of their meri-
torious; achievements." The Industrial Exhibitions
that have so frequently taken place of late among
us have met with great encouragement from many
of those in high positions, who, to their honour, have
come forward, -and lent the encouragement of their
presence and the charm of their eloquence to the
encouragement of -such excellent undertakings.
We may fairly say, however, that never was a more
fitting tribute paid to their merits, or a more ap-
propriate individual found to address those who
were concerned than he who yesterday distributed
the prizes at Guildhall. Mr PEABODY was, in every
sense of the word, the right man in the right place,
for he has always acknowledged the value of inde-
pendence among the working classes, and also he
has shown by unmistakeable proofs how deep an
interest he takes in their welfare. How true was
his remarks as to the benefits which all classes
must receive from the "elevating tendency " of
such successful competition as that before them.
How encouraging also was it to the assem-
bly to hear the words of hope and trust
respecting the present good and future blessings to
be derived from such skill and perseverance.
" Springing, at I do, from the people, and owning
with you the Anglo-Saxon stock, I unfeignedly re-
joice in this fresh evidence of the advancement of the
industrial classes in the dignity of labour, and in
those habits of self-reliance and honest independence
which ennoble any people, and afford the surest
guarantee of the true prosperity and moral great-
ness of any country." As Mr. PEABODY forcibly put
it, these prizes, which were the chief object of their
then and there assembling, were to be regarded as
not only certificates of merit to the receivers of
them, but also as means of advantage to the future
generation, who would assuredly profit by the re-
sult of such praiseworthy efforts, " in the fields of
scientific research, and in the open workshop of a
nation's skill." Loud cheers greeted Mr. PEA-
BODY'S expression of a hope that he might be
permitted to return to this country and see
the complete success of the work he had under-
taken for the " permanent welfare" of the deserving
poor of the metropolis. Further on, after the dis-
tribution of the prizes had taken place, he said that
they,would go- on and prosper in the good work
until every working man should feel that he bad
the dignity of a man as much as any other indivi-
dual. The Lord Mayor also said that he held it to
be rule that the man who lived by the sweat of his
brow " was among the most useful and independent
members of society." We may well consider that
this undertaking at Guildhall has been successful,
and the celebration of yesterday was a crowning
triumph both to that and similar affairs.

Sir D. KELLY moved his resolution on the Malt
Tax last night, and was un3uccessful, as was indeed
anticipated, but still it was as well that the subject
should be considered. The hon. and learned mem-
ber made out his case with great force and clear-
ness, and distinctly proved the necessity for some
remission, if not for the absolute repeal, of the tax,
as well as showing the justice of such a proceed-
ing. It is perfectly true, as he stated, that the prin-
ciple of all financial parties for some years past
had been to remit or abolish the taxes which inter-
fere with the comfort or press on the necessities of
the working classes. The Malt Tax is now
one of the last of this sort in existence, and
therefore we cannot see the validity of the argu-
ment so constantly urged by some against the abo-
lition of this tax. Sir F. KELLY turned the tables
on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he
alluded to the right hon. gentleman's frequent re-
marks as to the claims of the working classes, while
he at the same time refused to remit a heavy burden.
NEATE certainly introduced a change into this
much-vexed theme, for, in moving an amendment,
he declared that it was the duty of Parliament to
make provision for the systematic reduction of the Na-
tional Debt, and not to sanction any proposal which
would diminish the revenue. Mr. J. MILL seconded
the amendment, and treated the House to a disser-
tation on the subject of the reduction of the
National Debt, adducing the
claims
of
This
w would posterity
uld
bto
e
our self-denial and providence.
all very well if those who advocated these virtues
were Able to practise them exelusiv.l'v themselves,