The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-13 00:00:00

whose very misfortunes claim respect and sympathy;
but the Count is far removed from all higher mo-
tives, and totally incapable of entertaining that
chivalric sentiment which the poet has described—

"As that stern joy which warriors feel
In foemen worthy of their steel."

All is on the principle of taking and keeping with
him, and other considerations are valueless. The
address of the Danes in North Schleswig is now
translated, and must be interesting to all who have
any sympathy with the oppressed. It is written in
terms of impressive eloquence, and sets forth the
deep-rooted wish of their hearts to be restored to
Denmark. It will remain for the future to show
us what attention will be paid to their request, but
meanwhile we can feel for them in their painful
position, and entirely concur with their assertion
that the decision which restores them to Denmark
will be at once magnanimous and wise.

The state of the weather is a matter of proverbial
interest to Englishmen, and our more versatile and
animated friends on the Continent have often been
known to wonder what would become of us imagi-
native islanders without that unfailing topic of con-
versation. In August and September, however, the
weather is something more than a resource against
the terrors of awkward, silence and the interest ex-
pressed on all sides becomes a genuine anxiety.
Thanks to Free Trade, we are not now so dependent
as we formerly were upon the proceeds of our corn-
fields, but the difference between a good and a bad
harvest is still sensibly felt all over the country.
" When bread is dear everything is dear " is a com-
mon saying, and certainly no one wants a further
increase in the price of domestic commodities at
present. Consequently the variations of the season
have latterly occasioned a good deal of uneasiness,
and the inevitable conversation about the weather
invariably includes some anxious reference to the
prospects of the harvest. The heavy and continu-
ous rains have left but little space for the genial sun
to show himself, and one day's fine weather is
usually succeeded by a couple of wet, or at least
showery ones. Travellers by rail can easily see for
themselves the condition of the fields through which
they pass, and from Yorkshire and other northern
shires come loud laments about the difficulty and
delay of the corn. Our worst summers usually give
us a few weeks consecutive fine weather, but that
it seems is a luxury not to be hoped for by the
farmers of 1866. People are beginning to watch
the skies with anxiety, but the old story of rain and
cloud -goes on almost unintermittingly. Under
these circumstances, it is very satisfactory to find
that in some parts of the country matters are more
favourable than was expected. Buckingham has
been among the more favoured counties, and yes-
terday the farmers of Highendon celebrated their
Harvest Home. The festival, always an agreeable
and interesting event in the locality, received some
additional importance from the presence of the
CHANCELLOR OF TIIE EXCHEQUER, who presided
over the dinner, less in his capacity as a Parlia-
mentary leader than as a resident landlord. In
making his speech, Mr. DISRAELI took care to
appear in the latter character, confessing that
the event which they met to celebrate,
the in-gathering of the harvest, was more important
than the rise or fall of a Ministry. lie congratu-
lated the district on their abundant crops, notwith-
standing the unfavourable season, and expressed a
hope that a fortnight's fine weather might relieve
the anxiety felt in the north of England and in the
sister country. In proposing the health of the
farmers, he enforced their claims on public sym-
pathy at the time when the hopes and fears, the
vigilance and anxiety, of the twelvemonth ceases,
and they are enabled to rejoice over the con-
summation of their labours. Neither were their
labours forgotten, and Mr. DISRAELI did not miss
the opportunity of enforcing the right of the agri-
cultural labourer to consideration and kindness,
more especially with regard to the condition of their
homes. The day went off successfully, leaving
nothing to be desired. Such meetings tend
to promote a kindly feeling between classes
who are all affected more or less by the same
influences, and all engaged in different depart-
ments of the same undertaking. We hope before
long that the adverse influences may be ameliorated
and that we may be able to congratulate other
parts of the country on the successful celebration o
their autumnal festival.

It is very gratifying to learn that the condition
of New Zealand is rapidly improving. Nothing
is more annoying and unprofitable than a colonial
war, harassing and vaxatious to the mother coun-
try, but tenfold more disastrous to the colony,
whose progress it retard; whose wealth it impo-
verishes, whose commerce it encumbers, and whose
agriculture it demolishes, to say nothing of the loss
of life, always lamentable, and especially to be
regretted in a thinly peopled settlement. The
Assembly was opened on the 30th of June by com-
mission, in order to go through the form of elect-
ing a Speaker. Two or three days later the Gover-
nor delivered his address, in which he expressed his
great satisfaction at the all but complete cessation
of disturbances in the disaffected parts of the
northern island. Ile added that General CHUTE'S
campaign had restored the prestige which we had
formerly lost, and that the policy of the future will

be one of kindness and consideration towards the
well-disposed natives, and of firmness towards the
turbulent. Tranquillity is now almost unbroken,
sections of the hostile tribes returning to
their allegiance from time to time. Mixed forces
of Europeans and natives have been organised by
the Government in order to suppress the straggling
parties. The Waikato chief, WILLIAM TuomPsoN,
has come down, according to his promise, to the
Governor to lay before the Assembly the real wants
of the natives. This is considered an important
thing as indicating confidence in our good intentions,
and the authorities will, we hope, turn it to account
by giving not only a fair hearing, but a careful consi-
deration to the statement which he win make. The
misconduct of some of the tribes must not make
the colonists overlook the just claims of the natives,
and the excitement of triumph will not, we hope,
interfere with their sense of right.

colony respecting the number of troop
There is a good deal of uncertainsty feltwhic in
h it
twthilel
be necessary to maintain. The War-officecalled the imperial troops ; but there are still
regiments and some artillery remaining, and the
Governor does not like to despatch these until
something definite is arranged about the de-
fence of the colony. It is intended to pro-
pose to the Assembly the raising of a force
of 1,300 men at a cost of £30,000 per annum, and
' this the Governor thinks will be insufficient, though
its cost will be a heavy burden on the colony.
The increasing value of the goldfields will, how-
ever, go far to compensate New Zealand for the ex-
penses which she has recently incurred. An un-
pleasant corollary to wealth has recently existed in
the presenca of a gang of highway robbers and
murderers of the very worst kind who had estab-
lished themselves in the neighbourhood of Nelson
and the gold fields of the west coast. They have
fortunately been secured, but not bef _re they had
Icommitted a series of horrible murders. A specimen
lof the cool and wholesale manner in Much they con_