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

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1866.

The proverbial lull which succeeds the storm last
night made itself felt in the house of Commons.
The all-absorbing topic of Reform, with the atten-
dant excitement of a threatened Ministerial crisis,
gave place to quiet discussions about the manage-
ment of the Metropolitan Board of Works, and the
grievances of Irish Poor-law medical °facers. Even
the questions and answers relative to the progress
of public business failed to create much animation.
Mr. GLADSTONE'S elaborate explanation of the
changes in the Order Book appeared to give some
members a little uneasiness, and Lord CRANBORNE
caused some laughter by frankly declaring that he
should be glad of a day's interval to discover his
motive. The proceeding itself was very simple.
Mr. GLADSTONE stated that the instruction to fuse
the -Franchise and Redistribution Bills into one had
necessitated a number of amendments which for
greater
convenience would be embodied in the form
of an ordinary draught bill. This proposal gave
rise to some
discussion ; several members preferring I
the regular course of passing the Bills through Corn_ I
mittee pro forma, so that they might be reprinted
with the proposed amendments •
f;Nrvhile others, in-
cluding the Speaker, approved ole
ak GL.DSTONE'S
proposal as calculated to save time
trouble.
Finally, it has determined to postpone the mat ter for
further consideration on Thursday, it being appa-
rently impossible to proceed harmoniously for a
single step in discussing either the manner or the
matter of these unlucky bills. No further reference
to the course proposed to be taken by the Govern_
went, or to the prospects of the bill itself, was made
and the House passed to the consideration of mat-
tells less immediately interesting, though not in
themselves unimportant.
After a brief explanation of the failure of
the Conference by Mr. GLADSTONE, and the dis-
cussion and withdrawal of Mr. WEvors motion
respecting the claims of the Irish medical officers,
Mr. COCHRANE moved for the appointment of a
royal commission, with the object of seeing-whether
the metropolis may- not be improved in t more coin-

prehensive and economical manner, and with
greater unity of purpose. Mr. COCHRANE sub-
mitted the existing system to some severe critict,
and declared that it was quite clear thatthere
no harmony between the Boardl
Lentld the
representatives of the Crown.
expressed his conviction t °life h-Wc:l7ll.hat the public
works were now being carried on in the most
costly and extravagant manner without producing
any adequate result, and his plan of reform would
be to fuse the Metropolitan Board of Works,
the office of Public Works, and the office of
Woods and Forests in one State Department,
with a Minister of State at the head, and
two Under-Secretaries—one being a permanent
officer and the other appointed for Parliamentary
purposes. There is very little doubt that our Board
of Works might be considerably improved, both as
regards its constitution and management, but Mr.
COCHRANE'S proposal is not likely to find favour
with the public. It would throw great additional
power into the hands of the Government, and
though we may admire and at times envy the results
achieved by the great central authority of Conti-
nental States, we must remember that such
a system would be intolerable to the
people of this country. Englishmen cherish their
municipal privileges as safeguards of civil liberty,
and if they are sometimes too tolerant of the atten-
dant abuses, it is because they are both by habit
and conviction so very reluctant to grant excessive
power to the Central Administration. At the same
time, there is no reason why considerable reforms
should not be carried out, and Mr. COWPER
last night did not hesitate to declare that
London was one of the most uncomfortable
capitals in the world, with water, gas, and pave-
ment, all in a most defective condition. At the
same time we must remember that Parliamentary
inquiry into the local government of the metropolis
is now being carried on, and we have yet to see
what its recommendations may effect.
Another topic of some moment was touched
upon earlier in the evening when Mr. LAIRD asked
the Secretary to the Admiralty why the alterations
in H.M.S. Scorpion had been suspended, and when
the vessel would be ready for sea ; also whether the
Government were aware that there were several
ironclads belonging to foreign Governments on the
Pacific and North American stations, and whether
Ithey were about to send any iron-clads to those
stations, and if so, whether they would any of them
carry 12-ton guns ? Mr. BaRING's reply to the
queries was characteristic of the dilatory and un-
satisfactory manner in which our Admiralty carry
on business. The Scorpion's alterations are being
proceeded with in a leisurely fashion, that will, he
confesses, occupy a considerable time. The Go-
vernment are aware of the presence of the foreign
iron-clads, many of them heavily armed, on the
North American station, but they are not prepared
to state their intentions with regard to her MAJES-
TY'S vessels. The 12-ton gun has not yet been
supplied to any armour-plated ship. It has been
found to be a good broadside gun, and will be
supplied to some of the iron-clads as soon as the
carriages are ready. So that we have, as usual, a
series of delays and postponements—the guns
waiting for the carriages, the ships for the guns,
the Government for the ships. The alterations of
an important vessel like the Scorpion are suspended
on every frivolous pretext, until we have the hope-
ful confession from official quarters that they are
not likely to be completed for a considerable time !
As for the armaments, if there is such delay in
supplying What Mr. BARING terms a good broad-
side gun, when are we to hope for the introduction
of the turret? If such tedious postponements
hinder the ordinary routine, when may we antici-
pate a fair trial of the new system which in other
parts of the world is working admirably?

In reply to General PEEL, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer announced to the House of Commons
last night that the proposed Congress was given up.
The first communication made to the English Go-
vernment was a telegraphic message from Paris
stating that, in the opinion of the French Govern-
ment, the " Conference was at an end in conse-
quence of an answer from Austria imposing condi-
tions that were impracticable." This celebrated
despatch of Austria contains a request that an as-
surance be given by all the Powers assembled that
they must renounce any special or particular inte-
rest, and in order to obtain that object Austria
deems it necessary that they should make
it a condition of the Conference that they
should exclude anything that gave to any of
the States a territorial augmentation, or increase of
power. The Government of France considered that
to require such an engagement beforehand was tan-
tamount to a refusal of the Conference, or even as
making it impossible. The English Government
concurred in that view of the question. Therefore
all proceedings connected with the Conference must
be considered as at an end. Although this decision
was anticipated yesterday, it is now a settled thing,
announced in an official manner, that the pro-
jected Conference is a failure, and the intelligence
will no doubt be received by many with regret,
partly by those who are averse to war, and partly
by those who favour the cause of Prussia. It cannot,
however, excite much surprise in those who have
been studying the course pursued by Austria for
some time past. She has at length aroused herself
to the conviction that active resistance must be sub-
stituted for the passive policy which has hitherto
prevailed in her councils. It cannot be said that
the Vienna Government are justified in the decisive
step they have taken in thus throwing over the
Conference, because it is a fearful responsibility for
any Power to take upon itself the virtual decision as
to
peace or war, and in a great measure this is what
theyhave done; but it is certain that there are many
reasons to be given for the course they have taken.
Prussia generally gets the best of it in all these
Conferences, and would, in all probability, have
done so in the present instance because of the
favouritism shown by this country.
The French Government, which has taken so
much trouble in the arrangement of this matter,
were quick to discern the difficulties in the way of
carrying it out, and we find that a communication
has been sent by them to Austria referrin,, to the
reply sent by that Power respecting the proposed
Conference. They regret that it must be considered
as a "refusal to take part in the Conference, and
therefore as frustrating the efforts for the preser-
vation of peace." The Government has also inti-
mated to Prussia that, in consequence of the de-
cision of Austria, the project for a Conferdenifficucemhuiesst
be abandoned, and the settlement of the
now existing be left to the " three Powers now at
variance." •

This is certainly a very sorry solution so far a$
regards the prospect of peace, but there is one thing
to say, that this abandonment of the Conference
leaves things no worse than before its agitation,
and in some respects indeed they are better, because
the disputants have had more time for reflection
during the last few weeks. Of course the Paris
journals are annoyed at the non-fulfilment of
the plan, and it is disheartening when we reflect
upon the losses and sufferings Boon to follow upon
the declaration of hostilities. The Constitutionnel
of yesterday comments upon the affair, and deeply