The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-30 00:00:00

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LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1866.

As the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER will have
risen from the 'Treasury Bench almost immediately
after our first impression has gone to press, for the
purpose of explaining to the House of Com-
mons the intentions of Her Majesty's Mi-
nisters, consequent upon the division of Saturday
morning last—when the second reading of the Re-
presentation of the People's Bill was secured by a
clear majority of Five, out of a House, including
Tellers and Speaker, of 636 altogether—we pur-
posely refrain from making any comment whatever
upon the rumours afloat at the moment of writing.

The Royal Commissioners have at last completed
their labours, and Mr. MAULE and Mr. GURNEY
have returned to this country, so that in a short
time the public will be in possession of their report.
SirH. STORKS will remain for some time longer
in Jamaica,. Their task has been a most
laborious One, and it is satisfactory that it should
be terminated
by this time, and not delayed as
some had anticipated until after the close of the
Parliamentary B,sa.
We do not doubt that
sufficient will appear
the decision of the Commis-
sioners to justify sora
e in Parliament, and at inquiries being made
any rate the time for
silence will have gone b
excuse made for more ex:, tiit was always the
wait until the close of the oil, that all must
inquiry which
was tak-
ing place. The manner in which theinv:t.
Commissioners
have conducted their protracted
Jamaica,
said to have given general satisfaction i:agPi°ll is
and that speaks well for their management, because
theirs was an invidious work, beyond all doubt, andlise
they had to establish themselves under circumstances
of great difficulty. Eight hundred witnesses were
examined, and when we remember that some
were recalled and examined two or three
times, we may form something of an esti-
mate of the magnitude of the investigation.
The secretary to the Commission still remains in
Jamaica to collect and arrange the documents for
the Appendix, which in itself will be a very large
volume. It is said: that the Royal Commissioners
are unanimous in their opinion-of the affairs they
have investigated. We confidently expect that Mr.
E 7R4 will be entirely exonerated from all the

accusations which were brought against him, but
if any adverse decision be come to in some respects,
it must be borne in mind that those who
arrived in the island after all was tranquil
could not possibly have been in the position to
judge of the state of the case like those who were
in the midst of the outbreak. Another thing that
should be thought of also is that the very correct-
ness of the plans of the Governor and his auxiliaries
in a great measure prevented the outbreak from
being so apparent, because its suppression was so
complete and effectual. Had a brief delay taken
place in the execution of decisive plans, there
would have been no shadow of doubt Remaining as
to the nature of the affair:
Addresses have been sent to the Governor from
Baptist dissenters, to which his Excellency has made
suitable replies, stating that he receives with satis-
faction the assurances they have given of their sor-
row at the riots which took place. Sir H. STORKS
very wisely adds that he desires the labouring classes
to understand that their best course will be to con-
tinue the pursuit of honest and continuous indus-
try, and that the Government " is resolved to up-
hold the law, and strictly to maintain the rights of
property while protecting the interests of the
labourer."

It is now believed beyond all doubt that the
UNDERHILL meetings had a great deal to do with
the disturbances that took place in the island. Mr.
FIOSACK gave most important evidence on this
point. This gentleman also stated, as many other
witnesses have done, that the quickness of the strong
measures adopted saved the island from a general
rebellion. Witness said he was in the island
during the rebellion of 1832, but he thought the
danger to the white people last autumn was in-
finitely greater. Martial law was then imposed all
over the island. Mr. IlosAcK's evidence is
very important, and he spoke out with much
force and decision. He said the ordinary tri-
bunals could not have dealt with the offenders in a
sufficiently decisive manner;and indeed he thought
the amnesty proclamation was premature. When_
the rebellion broke out he thought that GORDON
was at the head of it.

It is curious to notice how much GORDON was
connected,. n every one's mind with the outbreak.
Mr. LEE, of Kingston, stated that he told GORDON
of the outbreak, on the 12th of October, and said,
" GORDON, I am afraid your agitation in St.
Thomas in the East has led to this," to which the
other answered, " No, ray friend, I never gave the
people such advice ; I only told them the LORD
would send them a day of deliverance." Could
anything be more mischievous than to make
an observation of this kind to ignorant and
infatuated men. Another incident worthy of note
is, that GORDON mentioned that he had tried to
persuade the Baron not to go ; this looks as if he
had anticipated something ominous to occur at the
vestry meeting. It was said by some that GORDON
had asked for a postponement of his trial, but
this has been substantiated by no one, and is
therefore, no doubt, an unfounded statement. A
decisive contradiction has been given to the story of
the three prisoners being shot at the Plantain
Garden River Post Office. Ensign CULLEN and Dr.
MORRIS distinctly denied having had any-
thing to do with the affair mentioned.
It is an extraordinary affair, but there is no
accounting for the talcs which black and coloured
witnesses will make up, and their ingenuity is most
surprising. Their assurance in this case has
been very great, for they fired upon the parties
implicated, and thus there could have been
no confusion of persons or mistaken identity. No
doubt this strange story will have influenced the
Commissioners in giving implicit credence to their
narratives of the cruelty of the officers and-others
which have not been dire cap substantiated afterwards.
In St. Thomas in the East a gentleman had the
foresight to examine the grave of a negro said to
have been shot by the soldiers, and only found a
heap of clothes and other things in lieu of the sup-
posed victim. It will be a satisfaction to the public
to obtain the report of the Commissioners, but we
must remember that much of what has been painful
to all parties in Jamaica would have been avoided
had our Government shown more sense and consi-
deration. In seeking to propitiate a clique at home
they forgot what was required of them, and nothing
can extenuate their conduct to Mr. EYRE.

The Cuba brings us news to the 18th inst. from
New York, and to the 17th from St. John's and
Montreal. At the latter the excitement and anxiety
respecting the Fenian movements continue unabated,
and with reason, for the preparations and demon-
strations of the brotherhood are still decidedly war-
like. The Governor of New Brunswick expressed
the general feeling of the country, when, in adress-
ing the volunteers who continue to assemble in good
numbers, he said that if the Fenian conspiracy was
a hoax, it was one of the most serious ever con-
cocted. The colonial authorities are at all events
prepared to act with suitable energy and decision,
and it is believed that the in-coming Ministry
at New Brunswick will follow the example of the
Imperial Government in Ireland, and suspend the
Habeas Corpus Act. They will be supported in
their efforts by the Home Government, since we
learn that the ship Simoom has arrived at St. John's
with the Ist battalion of the 22d Regiment from
Malta. There is evidently good reason to be on
the watch, since Government detectives have re-
ported that the Fenians have fifteen vessels nearly
ready for armament on Lakes Erie and Michigan,
besides schooners and transports loading field artil-
lery. Colonel WHEELER, late of the Confederate
army, has been arrested at Cornwall, Canada. A
copy of the Fenian oath was found upon him.
It is in fact the realdanger of the Fenian movement
that the sudden termination of the great war left so
many officers and men trained to warfare, expert in
military organisation, idle, and ready for the first
chance that offered them a renewal of the excite-
ment, and possible profit, of a fresh campaign. It
is always difficult for a soldier to beat his sword into
a pruning-hook, but there were many attendant
circumstances which rendered it especially difficult
for the American soldier to do so. For the
Southerner especially, who had only the prospect Of
obscurity and political degradation at home, how
tempting was the opportunity of winning fresh
laurels and striking out on a new career. Unfor-
tunately neither North nor South are sufficiently
well-disposed towards this countryto regard this
breach of faith against a friendly power as any-
thine" more than a venial offence. The
American Government, who must be well aware
of this tendency in their countrymen, deserve there-
fore, very great praise for honestly insisting upon
ttlaikeisntgriet observance of the neutrality laws, and
precautions to secure it. They have char-
teredertieoninsantost
from asteamer to send a company of regular troops
Portland to Eastport, which appears to be a
grandinstructions f
hEtotruistaffhoendglohhcaoalldv,e aiandso they
authorities havethat forwarded
anrdeued_
triaEliAr.tyElaawnsd
bteheisrtrviicatiltyhpeaarnefesoreed. General
ed that
The United State:
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fisheries is also to assemble at Eastport,
and remain there until the excitement has subsided,
so that we may reasonably hope the Fenians will .