The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-10 00:00:00

undoubted right. But of the great masses slowly
struggling up to political standing, the thousands
who take a keen interest in public affairs, and
whose well-being is closely affected by legisla-
tion, who are chafing under a sense of injustice
which no wise statesman will foster—of these Sir
JOHN evidently thinks but little. It is not perhaps
fair to look to a member of the naval or mili-
tary professions for advanced views in this
respect. It is natural to officers who
have been long in command to look first
to discipline and subordination, to regard, in-
deed, the welfare and comfort of those beneath
them as an imperative duty, but to treat them
politically as children, whose affairs can be better
managed for them than they can manage them for
I themselves. But the strictest and most watchful
parent finds it necessary to relax his vigilance as his
son grows to manhood, and to allow him free action
even at the cost of buying his own experience,
lest, by attempting to rein him in too long, he drive
him to throw off restraint altogether, and effect the
ruin of both. It is in this spiritthat temperate men of
all parties unite in admitting the-necessity for a con-
siderable extension of the franchise, satisfied that
the time has now come when the intelligent and
educated members of the working classes may fairly
claim the right to judge for themselves, at least so
far as to elect a representative of their opinions.
In Tiverton itself Sir JOHN HAY was not likely to
meet with many dissentients when he opposed the
scheme for disfranchising the small constituencies,
for Tiverton would not be likely to escape the gene-
ral doom if it returned two Conservatives.

On the subject of national education, Sir JOHN
HAY spoke strongly, and commented upon the con-
dition of the uneducated classes as so great an evil
that, to a certain extent, he was inclined to advocate
compulsory education as practised abroad. Much as
he desired economy, he could not, he said, support
the theory that the sum which we spent annually on
education should not be allowed to increase. "We
were spending," he said, "no less than £25,000,000
a-year on our army and naval defences. Surely,
then, a bare million a-year was far too little to
spend on so important a matter as education." Pass-
ing from the moral to the physical condition of the
country, Sir JOHN strenuously supported sani-
tary reform ; and, alluding to the threatened
visitation of the cholera, he expressed his con-
viction that it was the duty of Parliament to urge
forward active measures for the cleanliness and
improvement of the towns for the repression of the
disease. The Home Office should, he thought, urge
upon the various metropolitan bodies the necessity
of promptitude and vigilance, so that London might,
if possible, be prevented from becoming the head-
quarters of cholera. We hope that the hon. baronet,
if he succeeds in obtaining his seat, will press this
important matter upon the attention of the Govern-
ment, since epidemics do not proceed with the lei-
surely routine fashionable in Circumlocution offices.
If not much of a reformer, so far as the representa-
tive system is concerned, Sir JOHN HAY is a genuine
and consistent reformer of abuses which come
within his ken, and as such we wish him good speed
in his canvassing, and hope he will have an oppor-
tunity of renewing his practical and well-directed
labours towards securing the efficiency of our naval
administration.

Mr. JOT'S FOWLER delivered an inaugural address
on assuming the chair of ;he Institution of Civil
Engineers, which was both instructive and interest-
ing. The President appropriately commenced by
referring to the great and growing importance of
the profession, which naturally called for increased
zeal and efficiency. The chief incentive in the eyes
of many will be the fact, here mentioned, of the

nni-inng ara malriner
and also the States of the New World, in the de-
partment of engineering. Much has been done, but
much more is called for by the growing requirements
of commerce and society. "We have ship canals,'
says the Professor, " but the Suez Canal
threw them all into the shade ; we have long tun-
nels through English mountains, but we have none
to penetrate the Alps ; we have noble ports, but
they are choked with trade, and new accommoda-
tion of an improved kind is called for." The uni-
versal extension of telegraphic communication will
also be rendered necessary, and therefore there is
every reason for the new President to declare that
it will take time and thought to effect these schemes
and perfect these plans. A stroke of genius, or a
sudden happy thought, can never achieve such
stupendous results as these stretched before
us. In order to attain these desirable ends
it is absolutely imperative that there should be
special efforts made, and that a combination
should take place between sound judgment and
true engineering principles.
Very true was the remark made by the Presi-
dent, that this age has witnessed the fact of " Civil
Engineering becoming a distinct and recognised
profession." Before this century many clever men
had appeared at intervals, but at the same time only
isolated and apart, and the subject did not engross
and occupy so much time and notice. It has now,
to use the earnest and expressive words here met
with, " assumed at once the position of an art of
the highest order, and perhaps without extravagance
it might lay claim to the title of a true science."
Those who are partially ignorant of the matter will,
doubtless, be annoyed, upon perusing this speech,
to find how numerous and varied are the tasks en-
trusted to the Civil Engineer. They are aptly
summarised here, and speak volumes as to the care
and skill required in the training of those who are
to serve in the ranks of this profession. It is of
great consequence that young engineers should per-
fect themselves in all departments, in order that
they may be prepared to meet any emergencies that
may arise, and only thus can they hope or expect to
obtain success in their careers and to do credit to
themselves and their profession. The Professor, in
the course of his speech, hinted at the kind of pre-
paration which was most required, and such he
enumerated as, first, general instruction and a libe-
ral education ; next, special education ; third, tech-
nical knowledge ; and, fourthly, preparation for
conducting practical works. This address may be
confidently recommended to the notice of all those
who are concerned intimately in this subject, and
to those to whom it was specially delivered it was
most valuable advice, and contained useful hints.

Yesterday the committee formed in the City of
London for the administration of the fund sub-
scribed for the relief of the Lancashire operatives at
the period of the cotton famine met at the Mansion
House for the purpose of winding up and disposing
of the surplus money. This committee was first
put in motion in 1862, and has, therefore, lasted
over three successive mayoralties, extending into a
fourth. Since the period of its formation the sums
subscribed have been very considerable, and the
total amount was £.528,720;- It is very satisfac-
tory in perusing this statement to reflect upon the
great liberality displayed towards the distressed
districts. A large proportion of the sums sub-
scribed came from abroad ; all the quarters of the
world contributed to the aggregate. The corre-
spondence requisite necessitated many thousand
letters, for wherever Englishmen were assembled
they were eager and ready to send t 1 err tribute of

sympathy and their offering to those in need. Not

I only from those parts where large numbers congre-
gated did the contributions come, but from almost
every place where " half-a-dozen Englishmen ap-
peared to be located together, from municipalities,
chambers of commerce, regiments, ships, single in-
dividuals, and several settlements in the Backwoods."
It is also satisfactory to add that from time to time
the accounts of the funds were gratuitously audited
by the eminent public accountants, Messrs. COLE-
MAN, TURQUAND, YOUNGS, and Co., and also that
the vast quantities of clothing, blankets, and flannel
contributed during the first winter of the distress
were gratuitously forwarded to their destinations in
the North by the two great Northern railways.
" Thus," said the Secretary, in concluding his re-
port, "by the great liberality of the public, and the
self-imposed labours of the committee, upwards of
half a million of money, and a vast quantity of
clothing and blankets, had from first to last been
remitted to the distressed cotton districts." This is
certainly a gratifying termination to the labours of
the committee, and they may rejoice to reflect upon
the great good which they have done in rendering
the liberality of the public conducive to the relief
and the preservation of those in distress.
The next subject considered was how to dispose
of the surplus at the bankers, which was £9,600.
Mr. W. MORLEY called attention to the wretched
condition of the dwellings of the poor in the City of
London, whieh he rightly called a disgrace to a
Christian land, and he moved that the surplus be
transferred to the Lord Mayor for the time being,
as a nucleus of a much larger fund that might
hereafter be collected for the erection of better
houses for the working classes in the City. He
added that the Corporation would contribute, in all
probability, one hundred thousand pounds towards
such a fund, if they were once certain that the
money would be properly expended. Mr. LEGGETT
declared that they had no right to divert any por-
tion of a fund placed in their hands for a "special
purpose ;" but, if they had any such right, it would
be better to expend the balance in reinstating the
"thousands in Lancashire in furniture, bed-
ding, and clothes, which they were obliged
to part with during the pressure of
their distress." The Chairman of the Commit-
tee and the majority of it were strongly of opinion
that, as trustees, they had no right to dispose of
the sum subscribed for a great emergency in any
other way, and therefore it was resolved that the
surplus be funded for the present, and its disposal
left as a matter for future consideration under
" proper legal advice." This appears to be a deci-
sion much to be regretted, and surely no tenable
argument can be adduced against the plan of de-
voting the surplus to the reinstating of the opera-
tives of Lancashire, because the money was actually
intended for the relief of the inhabitants of that district
and they still feel the effects of the fearful ordeal
through which they passed. The fact is that
people may make great mistakes if they try to be
too exact, and it is quite po'ssible to err on the safe
side as well as on the rash one. In Liverpool the
death rate is very high, and too much time and
money cannot be expended in improving the dwell-
ings of the working classes. The common sense
and good feeling of the Committee are far more
likely to suggest appropriate modes for the distri-
bution of the balance in hand than any legal
authorities will do, for in abiding by the letter of
the law they will be very apt to lose sight of the
spirit which animated the donors.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FP.031 OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Tuesday Evening.
Although the latest despatches and official com-

exists there and " order reigns" in that capital, a
very uneasy sensation prevails in Paris, which, of
course, :influences the transactions at the Bourse.
People reflect that even if the insurrection be put
down, Madrid is in a state of siege, and Saragossa
also ; a fact which is not very tranquillising. The
private letters from Madrid state that the clubs are
closed, the cafes are shut up at a much earlier hour
than usual, and altogether the city appears to be
under a sort of regime of terror. The police make
domiciliary visits, and there is every indication
that the Government is not quite satisfied with the
.aspect of affairs. There is another significant in-
dication in the circumstance that the censorship
has been at work, as there are blanks in some of
the papers. These blanks, perhaps, could have been
filled up with sinister news.

It is also remarked that, in spite of the alleged
cessation of the insurrection, the authorities of
several towns—Villarejo, Zanora, and Valladolid
—have thought it necessary to transmit various
despatches to the Cabinet at Madrid, giving details
of various movements of the rebels. These des-
patches are reproduced in the Moniteur this morn-
ing, and, although they do not contain any fact
of importance, their republication in the Moniteur
leads to the belief that the French Government
seems to think that there is something serious in
the movement. According to one account the
insurgents were marching towards the frontiers of
Portugal.
The illoniteur states that Count Walewski and
the Duke de Mouchy have been appointed members
of the commission charged with the direction of the
Universal Exhibition of 1867.

Much progress has been made in railway com-
munication in Italy. The line between Rome and
Poligny has just been opened, and in three or four
months there will be a direct communication be-
tween Rome and Ancona. Besides the direct line
from Ancona to Rome, there will be a branch line
from Rome to Florence by the line across the Ap-
penines to Ficulla. Another branch line has been
commenced from Leghorn to Rome. There is al-
ready a railway between Rome and Naples.
An eminent historian and writer on democracy,
M. Dargaud, died yesterday. He was the author
of a well-known work on " Religious Liberty ;"
and his last production, " The History of Queen
Elizabeth of England," has been read by everybody
here. " The History of Mary Stuart," so pathetic
and so exciting, immediately insured him great lite-
rary reputation. His remains were followed to
Montmartre by " troops of friends," among whom
were many men of note.

A well-known dramatic author, M. Frederic
Voisin, is also dead. He wrote several vaudevilles,
amongst them " Les Amours d'Ete," in conjunction
with M. A. Polo, and also founded a satirical jour-
nal, Le Sans Gene, which, however, had but a short
existence.

The Gazette de Cologne states that Count d'Eulen-
burg, who, it will be recollected, a short time ago,
was condemned to imprisonment for four months
for having occasioned the death of Prince Alfred's
cook, has been sent to the fortress of Ehrenbreit-
stein to undergo his punishment.

A double suicide has taken place in the Rue
Malakoff. A coachman and his wife, who were in
great distress, and were unable to pay their rent,
were found suffocated from charcoal, with which
they filled the stove, after having closed the door
and wnidows, so that no fresh air was admitted.

An interesting report has just been published by
M. Devine, President of the Municipal Council of
Paris, explaining the state of the finances generally,
and noticing the amount expended upon new con-
structions and improvements. It appears that
new streets have been made or old ones widened
or levelled to the length of 82 kilometres, and those
projected are to the extent of 22 kilometres—a kilo-
metre is 1,000 yards. Within a few years a vast
number of beautiful avenues and boulevards have
been formed. Twelve bridges have either been
constructed, re-constructed, or beautified, viz. :
The Ponts Napoleon, De Berry, d'Austerlitz, Louis
Philippe, St. Lott* d'Axcole, St, Michel, On ,