The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-25 00:00:00

quarters the corruption spreads most magically
throughout every department—to the do L.kyards at
home and abroad—in short, wherever there is any-
thing to be made out of the frank generosity of the
taxpayers—all is right, for—" who cares for the
country," is the sardonic grin wit which those
rats in the national granary disport themselves.
Nobody cares for the country in private
practice, but everyone blusters loud enough in pub-
lic about " our national interests—and the sacred
independence of our fellow men." Aye ! strike up
the National Anthem, and every brave speaker will
talk you asleep about upholding the institutions of
the State—the QUEEN (GoD bless her), and that he
would die to maintain her crown, dignity, and all
the rest of it.

Now, what we want is fair play for the country i
at large, and for her brave sailors in particular.
Her soldiers are now better provided for—no thanks
to the Horse Guards—a right Royal Institution,
which seems to take more care of animals, because
they cannot complain, than of poor merit, which
may weep out its soul, and die none the better.
Still the " Horse Guards " has its redeeming quali-
ties—it does good by fits—albeit, those fits ema•
nate from a favourite fountain. But all men, and
all public institutions have their weaknesses, at
which the greatest wrong-doers are the first to find
fault.

Now, in every change of Ministry the Lords of
the Admiralty have to turn out, be it first, middle,
or morning watch—it's all alike—the ship has
struck, and all your fairy top-gallant sails now
flutter in the wind—the cold wind of Opposition—
just for nothing, or something worse. And why
should this be ? Simply for political patronage.
The very life-blood of the nation is to be at the
mercy of a political Butcher. Rome was not built
in a day—nor was the British Navy—and yet with
every change of Ministry we have a change of
" Ship Husbands," as they are termed, for man-
aging the office of the " Lord High Admiral." If
we have that on the very arm, which is our only
and true salvation, why not in the army. Wait a
bit. The one basks in the sunshine of Royal flat-
tery "ashore "—the other finds—
"lts march is on the mountain wares—
Its home is on the deep ! "
and a very cold home it often proves.
Now, what we ask is this !—Why should the
Board of Admiralty be changed with every factious
change of Political Fortune-Hunters ?—and the red
tapists be allowed to wave their banners in the
wind of indolence and Royal favour.

Everything in the way of rational legislation
has, for this year, been disgracefully prevented by
those most unpatriotic party measures of the so-
called Liberal Opposition, now transformed into
the Coalition Government. Never was any year
more clearly or more:perversely wasted, for mere
selfish ends, than 1859. Instead of being, as it
might easily have been allowed to be—a model
year in the way of bold, sweeping, and comprehen-
sive legislative improvements—it has been com-
pelled by the Whig leaders, aided in this evil work
by their abettors and accomplices—it has, we assert,
been compelled to degenerate into one of the most
fruitless years of Parliamentary toil and trouble
upon record. Considering 1859 apart from merely
party struggles for place, power, and patronage—
it will figure as nil upon the pages of Hansard.
Yet, with a trifling modicum of self-abnegation,
the leaders of the quasi-reform party, yesterday
seated upon the benches of the Opposition, might
have so regulated the proceedings of the House of
Commons that _Hansard should have recorded a
series of the most remarkable changes and improve-
ments.

A reform in the popular representation was
actually within our grasp, including within it
almost every one of the great boons we have so
long, and hitherto almost hopelessly, clamoured to
possess. A cluster of legal reforms were prepared,
and some of them introduced to the House, by Mr.
WALPOLE, as late Home Secretary ; by Sir FITZ-
ROY KELLY, as Attorney-General ; by Sir HUGH
CAIRNS, as Solicitor-General--such as would have
added many a luminous page to the statute-book,
and have tended greatly to the advantage, more or
less, of the entire population. Colonial reforms
were being rapidly carried out, with a daring yet
cautious aptitude for organisation, by the creator of
British Columbia, and—but for this untoward
interruption of the labours of 1859—the destined
destroyer of the Hudson's Bay Company's monopoly.
The navy of England was rapidly advancing
towards its entire reconstruction. The army of
England was gradually progressing to the goal of
perfected efficiency. The Indian Empire, under
the governance of the Crown of England, had been
brought within view of a more complete and
rational scheme of administration. The depart-
ments were all in full activity. Much in each
might by this time have been securely and happily
accomplished. Now—reforms of all kind have
been swept aside for 1859—by the so-called Re-
formers. Everything will have to be deferred until
1860—now the Coalition has undertaken in that
year to inaugurate the new political millennium.

Although the greatest social reform of all—
National Education—advances but slowly, and, so
to speak, incidentally, it does make way neverthe-
less. Of this we have positive and reliable assur-
ance, upon authority, in the substantial form of a
blue-book, numbering no less than 700 pages alto-
gether—a historical document, comprising within
it the annual report for 1858-1859 of the Committee
of Council on Education. It is an attestation that
the department recently presided over by the Mar-
quis of SALISBURY has, during the past twelve-
months, lacked neither zeal nor industry. It is an
evidence at the same time—yet more welcome—
that the good cause flourishes. Within this last
year of grace, the blue-book tells us, 376 additional
schools have been built in various parts of the
United Kingdom. Within the same space 987 of
the old schools have either been enlarged or other-
wise greatly improved. During this last year the
whole of this vast intellectual hive has been thus
busily peopled—under the direction and supervision
of fifty-four inspector. ! Namely, peopled by a
noble aggregate of 821,744 scholars—distributed in
clusters among 9,384 daily schools—those daily
schools being conducted by 5,495 certificated
teachers, and as many as 13,281 minor teachers,
who are apprenticed. Besides these day schools—
there are no less than thirty-eight separate training
colleges, containing a total of 2,7o9—students,
schoolmasters, and schoolmistresses. There are
118 reformatory, ragged, and industrial schools—
having exactly, in all, 7,793 inmates. And in
addition to this, there are 539 schools for pauper
children, having inmates to the very considerable
aggregate of 47,527 ! Evidence surely that the
Council of Education (such as it is) is fully in ope-
ration, has something to deliberate upon, and has
full encouragement for its deliberations. So that,
as the Times profoundly remarked the other morn-
ing, that the army had not been disbanded under
General PEEL'S management, that great puffing
organ for the new Coalition, and depreciator of the
departed Government, might condeseend with
perfect truth to add that the cause of education has
not been interrupted in its development under the
Marquis of s4lAgaivitx' Proiciency, The Zino,