The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-09 00:00:00

FLOATING BATTERIES.

It would be impossible to pronounce an opinion
on the merits of floating batteries until they have
had a fair and decisive trial. From the announce-
ment of their immense size, and the strength of
the material of which they are composed, the pub-
lic are apt to imagine that they are as indestruc-
tible as an asbestos ball would be in a " fiery fur-
nace." But, as far as their capabilities have yet
been tested, we are not justified in atttibuting
to them much greater powers of resistance than
those of an ordinary wooden frigate. They are not
proof against fire, as one built by Mr. Scott Rus-
sell was so hopelessly damaged by an incendiary
fire as to render it necessary to break her up forth-
with. Those which were built during the Russian
war were "Sound to be such lubberly sailers that
they were never taken into action, and have since
served as experimental targets for all kinds of ar-
tillery practice. At Kinburn, it is true, the float-
ing batteries of the French were brought into
action, and it was said, in the usual inflated style
of French bulletins, with " immense success ;" but
no inference of value can be deduced from this ex-

periment, inasmuch as the armament of this fourth-
class fort was all of the last century, and very few
of the guns exceeded the calibre of a 32-pounder.
If the experiment in that case had been such as to
justify the extension of this principle the French
marine would at once have continued its use, and
by this time would have had a powerful flotilla of
steam batteries afloat ; but the batteries they are
now constructing are totally different from those
which operated before Kinburn, and seem to be
constructed more with a view of running down op-
posing vesselsthan of resisting their fire. Our own
experiments as to the value of thick iron plates to
resist the effect of shot fired from heavy ordnance
appear to the last degree contradictory, if the re-
ports which are occasionally published are to be
received as correct. Thus, we are sometimes told
that plates of four inches in thickness resist the,
effects of shot perfectly, and a few days after it is
reported that the plates of a floating battery of si-
milar thickness are shatteredby the Armstrong bolt.
In the midst of these contradictions, the Admiralty
ought to be the best judges of the matter, inasmuch
/as they have before them the official reports of all
the trials that have been made under their orders ;
and it is presumed that they would not direct new
batteries to be constructed unless they had some
assurance that they would prove valuable in future

wars.
In the steam batteries now constructing on the
Thames and Clyde regard is paid to the general
usefulness of the ship as an instrument of offensive
warfare, rather than to its ability, by its mere
weight of metal, to resist the effects of the continued
fire of heavy ordnance. The old floating batteries
were entirely covered with iron, except below the
line of immersion ; but the weight of the vessel was
found to be so great, and its consequent immersion
so largely increased, as to render it difficult for the
engines to propel it. In order to avoid this evil,
the batteries now constructing are ordered to be
plated with iron only on the sides of the vessels, the
bows, stern, and the immersed parts of the hull
being unprotected. To afford security, however, to
the crew when in action, the deck is coated with
iron, and shot-proof bulkheads run across the inte-
rior of the vessel at intervals. The plates used in
the construction of these vessels were tested at
Woolwich a few days since, when those taken in-
discriminately bore a pressure of between 20 and 21
tons per square inch, and those selected by the con-
tractor sustained between 22 and 23 tons per square
inch. As far as dead resistance is concerned this
must be held to be highly satisfactory, but the
momentum of an Armstrong bolt may tell a different
tale, and may cause even these powerful plates to
give way to its resistless force.
As to the power of running down a hostile vessel
at sea (setting aside the cold-blooded idea that it
implies of wholesale assassination, like smoking
Arabs in caves, or flinging poisonous compounds),
experience will show that there are two sides to
the bargain. Theoretically, it is like putting the
pinch of salt on the bird's tail, or the recipe for
cooking the hare. In the first place, in order to
accomplish the scheme successsfully, the steam bat-
tery must be faster than the vessel she is chasing ;
but as steam batteries, whatever the power of their
engines, must always, from their immense displace-
ment, be slow vessels, there is not much probability
of their out-steaming ordinary vessels of war. They
might, it is true, catch an old sailin g vessel asleep in a
calm, and run into her, but the opportunity will
not readily be afforded to them, inasmuch as the
conversion of sailing vessels to screw vessels is pro-
ceeding rapidly in every navy in Europe. And
even between running into a vessel and running her
down there is, we humbly suggest, a very wide
difference.
We may "call spirits from the vasty deep," but
whether they will obey our behest and come is an-
other matter, and the ability 9f one vessel, what-
ever her power, to run down another, depends upon
circumstances over which little control can be exer-
cised. In nineteen out of twenty collisions at -sea
the result is simply to damage one of the vessels or
both, and it is only when a vessel is struck by an-
other stem on, on her broadside, or in some other
vulnerable part, that she is so damaged as to sink.
Tho momentum with which steam batteries would
strike an opposing body would, no doubt, be im-
mense, but in many cases this would simply cause
the two vessels to become locked, and it would re-
quire considerable force to separate them. There is
another danger lurking in these "running down"
speculations. If a man like Nelson had found him-
self pursued by one of those batteries what would
his ready genius and daring have suggested ?
What, but to get ready his boarders, and on the
contact of the vessels, in the first moment of colli-
sion, to send them swarming over the bulwarks of
the foe, to hoist the union-jack on the shrouds of
the enemy's ship. In such a case, the commander
of a steam battery might find that he had caught a
Tartar. We throw out these suggestions, not with
the view of detracting from the merits of these ves-
sels of war, but for the purpose of guarding the public
from attaching to them an overweening import-
ance. Great things were anticipated from the bat-
teries constructed during the Russian war, which
many persons thought would prove invincible, but
when put to the proof they accomplished nothing
whatever. The batteries now constructed may
prove far more serviceable, but that they will re-
alise all the exaggerated results that are expected
from them is a simply absurd conjecture. The
truth is, that in the science of warfare, as in all
other sciences, we must be content to advance step
by step, and to make secure the inventions of to-
day before we attempt to perfect those of to-mor-
row.—Steam Shipping Chronicle.

ALLEGED ARBITRARY CONDUCT OF *TURKISH
OFFICIALS.—LIVERPOOL, Thursday.—The Turkish Go-
vernment was the object of some animadversion here to-day,
in consequence of the detention of the ship Romance of the
Lee at Constantinople while on her voyage to Ibrail. Cap-
tain Havelock, of that ship, was obliged to deliver up to the
government officials 250 barrels of gunpowder, which had
been shipped on board his vessel at Liverpool for a firm in
Ibrail. Fortunately the captain succeeded in procuring a
receipt for the gunpowder taken from on board his ship.

so
church interested raesqtueadr
Mr. Yardley on a summons charging him with
t
assaulting a parishioner named Souffles. It appears
that on Sunday morning last there was a wedding
layth
iSeth. Gweeorreg qa'ds
mCi ht
taerdc
into, th et
hpee ns
ter
past 10 by a side door. Mr. Soames, knowing that
the choristers and others had gone in, deter-
mined upon following them, when Mr. Lowder,
who had possession of the door, refused him ad-
mission, raised his arm and struck hint on the
shoulder, and then, banging too the door, made
Mr. Soames a prisoner by the skirt of his coat,
which was caught by the doors. Mr. Soames, ac-
cording to his statement at the police-court, was
obliged to hammer away until he could obtain his
release. Four parishioners were called in support
of the charge, and Mr. Digby Seymour, M.P., who
attended foriMr. Lowder, argued in defence that
the door was the private entrance of the rector, and
that Mr. Soames had no business there. Mr.
Churchwarden Thompson was also called, and
proved that this was not a door for the rector, but
for the public, upon which the magistrate decided
that the assault had been fully proved, and ex-
pressed his opinion that Mr. Lowder had acted very
injudiciously as a minister of peace in acting as a
policeman or doorkeeper. He added that ho did
not believe that religious principle actuated any of
the parties. As the complainant had paid two
shillings for the summons, he should fine Mr.
Lowder two shillings for the assault, so that one
party might not exult over the other
Mr. BARNARD, after stating the circumstances
which had led to the recent disturbances in the
parish, and giving a succinct history of the griev-
ances df which the parishioners had to complain,
moved the adoption of a petition to the House
of Commons, praying that some means may be de-
vised whereby the existing defects in the disci-
pline of the Church of England may be removed,
and power given to the laity to interfere, by some
cheap and summary process, for the redress of griev-
ances to which they are at present liable, from the
want of any sufficient means to restrain or remove
an erring or wrongheaded incumbent of a parish.
Mr. BARRETT seconded the adoption of the peti-
tion, which was supported by
Mr. ARMSTRONG, who said he wished to attack
the system which had been imposed upon them, and
not the man who introduced it, for 14e had the
highest possible respect for their rector as a gen-
tleman. It was, however, a question, and a very
serious one, between 50,000 parishioners on the one
hand and a solitary priest on the other. It was
obvious that it would be useless to appeal to the
bishop, who had shown that he had no power. .All,
therefore, that the parishioners had left to them
was to go to Parliament. (Hear.)
Mr. STEPHENS remarked that it was_ not safe
now for a parishioner to go into the church, for
unless he conformed to all the strange practices
which prevailed there, he might be summoned on
the following day for some outrageous act of which
he was both innocent and ignorant.
Mr. B. HERBERT stated that with regard to Mr.
Rosier, who had been cited to the Consistory Court
at the instigation of the rector, no expenses would
be incurred, unless they were voluntarily given.
Mr. Rosier would allow the law to take its course,
and would go to prison, if that should be the re-
sult of the proceedings. (Hear, hear.)
On the motion of Mr. BARNARD, it was agreed
that a similar !petition should be presented to
the House of Lords ; the petition to the House of
Lords to be entrusted to Lord Ebury, and that
to the House of Commons to Mr. C. S. Butler, M.P.
for the Tower Hamlets. _ _

Mr. Churchwarden THOMPSON announced that
he had received a requisition from a large number
of the inhabitants of the parish, which he should
act upon, praying the churchwardens to convene a
public meeting of the parishioners, to consider the
present ecclesiastical condition of the parish, and
to memorialise the Queen to renive the Rev.
Bryan King.
It was stated in the course of the proceedings
that the Rev. Hugh Allen, the afternoon lecturer,
has been presented by the Lord Chancellor to the
rectory of St. George's, Southwark, rendered va-
cant by the preferment of the Rev. William Cad-
man, M.A., to the rectory of Trinity district, St.
Marylebone. It appears to be doubtful at present
whether Mr. Allen will be able to hold his lecture-
ship (which is unendowed and dependent upon
voluntary subscriptions) with his Southwark rec-
tory.

FLOODS IN FORKSIIIRE.

Some heavy floods have occurred in differen
parts of Yorkshire this week. In the western part
of the county, especially in the Calder valley, the
streams and rivulets greatly overflowed their banks,
as did also the river Calder in several parts, and a
good deal of damage was done, and in one instance
human life was lost: The rain was accompanied
with a strong wind, and about noon on Monday a
factory girl named Matilda Clegg, eight years of
age, was walking near a will-dam at Shibden, a
short distance from Halifax, when she was blown
into the dam and drowned. Several of the worsted
factories and corn-mills in the valleys about Hali-
fax were injured by the flood, and at Suddenfoot,
in the same district of county, a wooden bridge was
washed away. In Wharfedale also, the rivers and
streams were much increased, and many hundreds
of acres of land were laid under water. In the
northern part of the county, especially in Wensley-
dale, the floods were very heavy. A mild thaw set
in on Sunday evening, which, gradually dissipating
the snow which had fallen on the two previous
days, caused a flow of water from the hills to the
river Yore, but not to such an extent as to cause
any apprehensions of the tremendous flood which
afterwards ensued. During the night the wind rose
to a hurricane, accompanied with heavy showers,
and this, it is supposed, caused a largo natural
basin, known as Summer Water, near Bainbridge,
to overflow its banks, and pour into the already
swollen and turbulent river below. With the
return of daylight on Monday morning a
scene presented itself in Wensleydale which was
as fearful as it was unexpected. The whole of
the flat tract of land from West IVitton, at the foot
of Pen-hill to below Cover-brigde near East Witten
and Middleham, was so completely submerged that
nothing but the tops of trees and a few hillocks
aid hedgerows were visible:on the largo sheet of
water which, like a vast lake, was spread over the
face of the country. The course of the stream in
the middle was very rapid and powerful, and a great
deal of anxiety soon began to be manifested re-
specting the live stock which had been left on the
pastures along the river's bank. The greatest loss
at present known seems to have been sustained by
Mr. Peacock, of Harmby, butcher, who had left 40
sheep and three horses in a field called Boat Pas-
ture. Some of these were seen early in the morn-
ing huddled together on a small hillock, sur-
rounded by water, and, as the water continued to
rise, the loss of the whole flock seemed inevitable.
It was, however, known that a boat was kept by
Lord Bolton in a shed near the river, and though
the task seemed as hopeless as it was daring, two
men, named John Taylor and James Constantine,
boldly waded into the water, and, after being
nearly overpowered, at length succeeded in getting
out the boat, when, with the ready help of a number
of persons who had assembled, 24 of the sheep
wore brought from their isolated position. The
horses had already taken care of themselves and
fortunateiy escaped without injury, but 16 sheep,
chiefly half-bred and Leicester ewes, were carried
away by the flood, and out of the 24 which re-
mained, two at least were on the brink of perish-
ing. 2, Four sheep were swept away out of flock
of 27 belonging to Mr. Whitelock, which were
in a field adjoining the Boat Pasture, but these,
with one exception, were afterwards recovered. Mr.
Robinson, of Thornton Steward, is said to have lost
three sheep out of a flock of 50, and the carcases of
a horse and other animals were seen floating down
the river. A great number of persons from Ley-
burn and the neighbouring villages visited what
may be termed the margin of the lake during the
day, especially on the road from Leyburn tjMid-
dleham, crossing the suspension bridge, which was
so completely submerged for nearly a quarter of a
mile as to render the passage of conveyances im-
possible. A good deal of damage has been done to
some of the land which was flooded, especially to
such as was sown with wheat.

TIIE GREAT BELL OF WESTMINSTER.—In Mr.
Walesby's letter, inserted in The Sun of Monday evening
last, instead of " even," read " ever' to produce rich
and mellow tone."

"On the morning of Monday, the 21st -inst., at
five o'clock, but 'not by any means thick wea-
ther, the vessel struck on what are called Sea
Ledges, a great iley.eie- irregular rocks almost
entirely cove .rater, and ever which,
when there is the slightest swell, the water breaks
with great violence. These Ledges are at the mouth
of the small fishing harbour called Maria Joseph,
about 65 miles east of Halifax, N.S.
" The vessel went on not with a shock, but with
a rip, from the very sound of which it was per-
fectly evident that the bottom of the forward pai t
at least was literally torn out. Before the firemen
could leave the stokehole the water was nearly up
to the roof of the furnace doors, and in about 20
minutes the engine-room filled, almost up to the
highest platform.
" The boats were lowered as quickly
as possible,
and without much difficulty. 'lle starboard and
port boats, Nos. 1 and 2, were swung on the davits 1..4:1
low as to be clear of the rail. The entire efforts of
the crew were then directed towards lowering the
boats (starboard and port), Nos. 3 and 4: No. 3,
nasntteeraawu.rreehl
under the charge of Mr. Smith, second officer, vas
launched in safety, but all attempts to launch No. 4
for a long while were fruitless. While the men
were still employed in the attempt to do so, and, as
ltiofep part
took
amidships;place .
they
aenewrr
tremendouset
rcgeoe
working,l
were
cet
r,
ea bo
crash,u
at
naturally
n 4 d 5 met oen
weuvndt
Ids
eagtlfhot
beganett rhhsoo h:
eee
moathe t
woof the
fomh,aarri
dd s leftb oa thets b
being
ionagt
which were out. It was at this time that loss of
to which the steerage passengers crowded. The
German families, as well as the other pasSengers
that
.have been lost, were all lost there, and the only
way in which I can account for it is this ; when the
vessel struck the se4 was almost calm, but imme-
diately after a considerable sweltarose at the very
time that she began to breakup.. The sees breaking
with great violence against the bow, and I presume
it was the people; crowding to the boat that caused
some incautious person in the starboard boat No. 1
to cry to those who were standing by to cut the
fall. His orders were unfortunately obeyed, and
the consequence was that the stern of the boat was
y
k
st
smashed to atoms against the ship's side, and most
ahwtshitlethhecs
of the people in her perished.
" The port boat, No. 2, which was also swung
on the davits, shared a similar fate, and in a some-
what similar manner. One of the davits, I am
told, gave way with the weight of the people
on her ; however that may be, I know that almost
at one and the same moment with boat No. 1
she was swamped and turned bottom upwards ;
and it is supposed the engineers were drowned
nut of her. Mr. Smith, who was on the weather
side, then brought round his boat to the lee-
ward of the vessel, where he was to lie off until
daylight would enable him to pick up some more
from the wreck, but this he found it impossible to
do. He was driven out to sea, arid with great diffi-
culty managed to bring his boat to land about 35
miles westward from the wreck. Another boat,
under the direction of Mr. Tibbitts, fourth officer,
and one in charge of the boatswain, after endeavour-
ing for hours in vain to return to the wreck, got
ashore at Marie Joseph. There was also another
lowered in comparative safety—namely, port boat
No. 4. It appeared, however, that it had sus-
tained some damage, too, as it filled immediately
on reaching the water. Mr. Biggan, third
officer, went down to assist those already in
the boat to bale it out, when he was driven out to
sea and has not yet been heard of.
"About daylight the vessel parted completely
in two, the forward part falling over almost on its
beam, and the after part settling down in about 21
feet of water. Throughout the day the whole of
the passengers and crew were taken off by boats
belonging to the place, and throughout the
night they (the boatmen) sought to reward
themselves by visiting the wreck and carry-
ing off all the silver plate along with the
whole of the clothing belonging to both passengers
and crew. Every effort was made that night to
obtain a boat's crow, but not a single man could be
found who would go. The magistrates are endea-
vouring to trace the guilty parties, but have thus
far been unsuccessful.

" A boat's crew went out on Tuesday morning
to see if auy of the wreck remained, and returned
with the news that not a single plate of the vessel
Spas to be seen. _

" The mails have been saved."

In explanation of this statement, we arc in•

formed by one of the principal officers that the
seven boats were away from the ship before she
parted, which was about three-quarters of an hour
from the time she struck, and that the loss of life
did not really occur in the way supposed by
purser. With the exception of one seaman, who
was washed off the wreck forward, the lives of both
passengers and crew wore lost in connection with
the launching of the boats. With a view to secur-
ing the safety of the family which appears at the
head of the passenger list, they were placed in the
No. 2 boat before it was lowered ; and it is supposed
that the two engineers and one or two seamen had
also got into her whilst she was yet suspended
from the davits, when a heavy sea washed over and
filled her, turned her bottom upwards, and broko
the davits. The other persons drowned were in
the starboard (No 1) boat, when it is supposed a
heavy sea touched her bottom and lifted her consi-
derably, so that the few persons who were in her
brought her down with a sudden jerk, which
straightened one of the davits and broke her fall,
and the other being cut, or also parting with the
strain, this boat and those who were in her were
lost. The purser's room was broken to pieces, and
but few of the papers were saved. The log, how-
ever, was preserved.
The schooner Alexander, Captain Shellnut, was
first to render assistance, and conveyed to Halifax.
24 of those rescued.
The schooner Lutea ran close to the wreck, went
among the breakers, and became a total wreck.
Her crew was saved.

The Delta, which it was supposed might havo
been the vessel wrecked, has arrived at Sydney,
Cape Breton.

A GALLANT ACTION.

The following gallant action, accomplished by
Capt. Hermel, of the French clipper Luzitano, by
which the captain and crew of the Birkenhead, of
Liverpool, were saved from impending death, has
been reported to the French Government. The fact
is the more remarkable as a British vessel had
previously passed near the Birkenhead, and, al-
though her dangerous position was evident, the
other ship continued on her voyage without afford-
ing any assistance. The following is the report
made by Capt. Hermel :—" On the 24th November,
about 7 in the morning, during a violent gale, the
wind blowing from the west, I perceived a ship at
a short distance steering badly, and endeavouring
to move towards the south. I found that this vessel
had lost all her masts but her lower ones. I imme-
diately steered towards the vessel, and when I was
sufficiently near she hoisted the union flag reversed.
The captain hailed me, and prayed me to take hint
and his crew on board, as his ship was about to
founder. In fact, I saw that his deck was broken
up, and that the sea was breaking over her on all
sides. I lay to as close as possible to the ship in
distress, and at half-past 8 I had the satisfaction to
receive the crew, consisting of 23 men, on board.
The captain told me his name was Edward Phelan,
of Waterford, his ship the Birkenhead, measured
883 tons, and belonged to Mr. J. Wilson, of Liver-
pool, He was on his passage from Quebec, to
Liverpool, with a cargo of timber. The Birkenhead,
being in 45.40 north lat. and 40.20 west long, from
the meridian of Paris, sprung a leak, making 5 feet
was
sf rom
gainingt the
waterw e as
tn. hour,
Findingtl the windthat
te blowingw
atefr ssres
noforth-
on the vessel, although all hands were employed at
the pumps, the captain a reef e comma d d f n to be taken
in the mizen sail. While tl •us operation was going
on the deck was burst up by the
cargo, while the
stern and bows were 1 serious y damaged by the
shifting of the large logs • o f timber. In this critical
position CapttPhelan cut away all his upper masts,
leaving only the lower ones, with
which he ex-
pectedto make the Azores, but he found it almost
impossible to make the Birkenhead answer the
helm. Thus the crew were
exposed to the greatest
danger for 12 days, until I mot them, when they
had made only SO leagues. They had passed the
northern islands of the Azores, and I am convinced
that Capt. Phelan could not have made the island
of St. Michael, for the west and south-westerly
winds were driving his ship to the east, although
he was making every effort to steer to the south.
He was then in 42.15 north latitude, and 32 west
longitude. When I received the crew they wore
reduced to the last glass of water, and the small
quantity of provisions which they had saved from
the sea was nearly exhausted. Moreover, the
weather being extremely severe, the men suffered
horribly from cold and damp. Six days before I
fell in with the Birkenhead, a ship of her nation
passed close by, but the captain did not think pro-
per to stop to assist his unfortunate countrymen.
, A violent tempest arose from the south-west shortly
after the crew arrived on board the Luzitano, and
lasted for 12 hours. Capt. Phelan is of opinion that
his ship must have gone to pieces during the storm.

THE SUN.

LONDON, FRIDAY, DEC. 9, 1859.

Mr. BRIGHT is not so very much like his own
name, either as a Reformer or as a Financier, but
what he occasionally requires a little delicate
polishing off. His dulness sometimes indeed as a
logician only needs for its recognition the merest
momentary reflection. To hear him, whether it b e
on the platform of a tavern or from between the
first and second bench below the gangway in the
House of Commons, you almost, in spite of common
sense, in defiance of your dearest convictions,
deem him to be (while you are listening to him)
quite unanswerable. It is not that he is in the
smallest degree what you would term plausible. If
you want to know a speaker exactly answering to
that description—if you want to hear a debater who
is the very incarnation and embodiment of plausi-
bility—go and listen to Sir JAMES GRAHAM. And
you will then recognise at once in the bland voice,
the persuasive air of candour, the genial and allur-
ing affectation of calm and placid " unbosoming,"
what is plausibility in a sense (just as you may
feel disposed to use it) either strictly Pick-
wickian or purely Parliamentary. Now Mr.
BRIGHT has nothing of all this, he has none of
these sleek and oily characteristics. He gives you
simply the effect, as you hearken to his tellin
periods, of one who is decidedly a hard ;litter, but
of one who is merely a hard hitter by reason of the
force, and strength, and vigour, and vitality of his
own convictions. He pelts his opponents, not
simply as Lord GEORGE BENTINCK used to do, with
dry dates and drier statistics. He deals in figures,
of course, as reason requires, more or less abun-
dantly, as indeed best becomes a commercial man
talking in an essentially commercial age to an
audience (wherever assembled) for the most part as
commercial as the epoch or as thetspaaker. But
beyond figures, far, immeasurably beyond figures,
Mr. BRIGIIT deals in facts, hard, solid, sub-
stantial, adamantine, indestructible facts. So
at least they seem to you as you hear them
hurled about ore rotundo, by that bold, plain,
candid reasoner with the voice of an auc-
tioneer• and the gesticulations of a schoolmaster.

Listening to him you feel as if you had only to lis-
ten. His arguments must be accepted as the utter-
ance of infallibility. His statements are made,
each of them, with an emphasis as though one
after another they were given solemnly upon oath.
Added to all which, the orator has his very " pre-
sence" in his favour, while you look at him as he
speaks, and certainly (in spite of yourself, what-
ever your opinions may be) "listen delighted."
That comely, frank, beaming face of his you feel to

be a fair specimen enough of the bluff cosntenan,-c
of a freeborn Englishman. His nationality t
looks forth even in. the luxuriance of his
whiskers. It is JOHN BULL as much as
it is JOHN BRIGHT you have before you—
only it is JOHN BULL without his top-boots
and his cord hunting-breeches, JOHN BULL in
seemly broadcloth. Every sentence almost, when
Mr. BRIGHT has fairly warmed to his argument,
" tells" with the ring of a sledge-hammer. We
have heard him speak in the House of Commons,
when, for nearly an hour at a time, his every
successive sentence has been followed by a cheer !
Those cheers resounding now from one side, now
from another=now from the Opposition, now
from the Government—now from both sides toge-
ther. Without being the scholarly rhetorician that
Mr. GLADSTONE iS, or a consummate master of
all the arts of debate like Mr. DISRAELI, er an
ornate and accomplished elocutionist like Sir
BT:LWER LYTTON—Mr. BRIGHT is beyond all
manner of question the most effective and
telling speaker within the walls of Parlia-
ment. During the time that he is speak-
ing then and there —he is perfectly
triumphant. It is only afterwards, upon calm
consideration, that you begin to see distinctly the
perversity of his logic and the shallowness of his
arguments.
A considerable modicum of both, of the shallow-
ness and the perversity, was laid bare in these
columns only yesterday. It was not only that we
ourselves last evening scrutinised the last dis-
play made by Mr. BRIGHT as a reasoner—
our allusion has reference rather at this mo-
ment to the keen and searching analysis of Mr.
jouN BRIGHT'S latest financial fallacies by Mr.
ERN_v.ST JONES, the Chartist. You may observe
the drL't and purpose of Mr. ERNEST JONES'S very
earnest reasoning—as opposed to Mr. BRIGHT'S
recent arjuments in regard to taxation—at
the very outset. " The Manchester school," says
the Chartist leader, " has issued a financial
programme in favour of direct taxation, much of
it, like the corn-Zaw repeal agitation, very good
as far as it goes, but practically merely a decoy to
draw the people off the right political scent. For
this purpose the finandalist speeches are highly
spiced with political allusions. We are told that we
have a class Parliament, that the rich impose
taxes to suit themselves, and spend them to sub-
serve their own interests. All very true. But if
the assertion proves anything, it is manifestly the
necessity of an altercation in the electoral law, and
. that a financial reform agitation before a suffrage
agitation is simply putting the cart before the
horse." Now there is nothing spurious in this mode
of putting the matter plainly before the public: It

is a common-sense view of what may be called Mr;
BRIGHT'S initial fallacy in respect to taxation and
reform separately considered: " But we will sup-
pose," continues Mr: ERNEST JONES, " that
by getting up a great agitation under false
pretences Messrs. BRIGHT and COBDEN could
force from the Government a reform in the
system of taxation, of what benefit do the
working classes suppose this would be to them ? I
repeat that the result could be obtained only by
holding out false hopes to the people—hopes of
plenty of work, high wages, and cheap food.
Would these, I ask, flow from direct taxation, or
even from Government ? Nothing of the kind, un-
less other and most radical reforms accompanied the
financial change. Labour, like everything else in
this country, up to the very soul of man (as witness
the sale of livings and patronage), is an article of
barter. If taxation decreases in amount, prices
fall in amount; and if prices fall in amount, wages
do not remain stationary—they fall in proportion.
Invariable experience has proved this. Nay, the
presumption from such experience is, that they fall
disproportionately. Of what avail to the working
classes is, then, low taxation and cheap Govern-
ment, unless the demand for labour be increased,
or the supply of labour diminished ? Not the
slightest." Now, all these—while they may bo
sneered at as the words of a Chartist Leader—are
(nevertheless, at the same time also, as surely and
certainly) the words of common sense. It is the
same throughout the whole of Mr. ERNEST JONES'S
communication. To the which communication we
would particularly commend the calm and serious
scrutiny of both the electoral and non-electoral part
of the community.

The two meetings which were held in the metro-
polis on Wednesday cannot be considered in any
sense as antagonistic, but there was a weighty dif-
ference between them. That of the morning was
for the middle class leaders of the people, that in
the evening for the people. Both were, we believe,
honestly and earnestly in favour of obtaining all
they possibly could for the people, but the gentle-
men who met in the Guildhall at one o'clock, con-
vened by circular, laid chief stress on an Extension
of the Franchise ; the people who met at half-past
seven at the Whittington Club demanded as the
primary necessity, the Ballot. We watched care-
fully the spirit of both, and we are bound to con-
fess that with the spirit of both, so far as related to
their ultimate objects, we could heartily sym-
pathise. But in regard to immediate objects
there was the weighty difference that the first
was chiefly occupied with the question, What
can we fairly expect from the present Govern-
ment ? the second with the question, What is
the first thing we ought to insist on with any
Government ? The first dissussions, therefore,
were tinged throughout with the lights and shades
of Cabinet and party difficulties. The latter ones
were conducted in the daylight of a good cause, un-
modified by petty and party considerations. It is
almost needless to add that the-. straightforward-
ness and simplicity of the evening work made it in-
finitely the more pleasant.
In the morning there were staunch advocates-of
manhood suffrage present, among them Lord TEYN-
HAM, who, by a very happy illustration, showed
that the money qualifications proposed might
even involve the absurdity of a man losing
his vote because his intelligence was the
very reason for his being summoned from
the town to the country, it being his qualification
for work to which our rustics arc not as yet equal.
The speech of that meeting was, of course, Mr.
BRIGHT'S. He has already advocated what we may
consider a household suffrage for boroughs, between
which and manhood suffrage there is no serious
practical difference. To this he still adhered. But
the question of the moment is, How shall such a bill
as the Government will introduce be dealt with ?
What, therefore, may we fairly ask of the Govern-
ment according to their own professions ? Mr.
BRIGHT answers the question thus. When Parlia-
ment was on the eve of dissolution, Lord JonN, to
whom chiefly is intrusted the charge of the Govern-
ment Bill, offered the disfranchisement, partial or
entire, of about thirty boroughs, with a £6 franchise
for the boroughe, and a £lO franchise for the coun-
ties. Those were, therefore, their offers to the coun-
try. With these offers before it, the country gave
them a majority sufficient to displace the existing
Ministry ; and if they do not retreat at all from
,1 these offers, they must be held, constitutionally, to
have acted honestly, and so far to deserve support.
They asked the country—will you accept those!