The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-21 00:00:00

HUDSON'S BAY.

A general meeting of this company was held yesterday at
their house, Fenchurch-street ; Sir E. Head, the Governor,
presided.
The report stated with regard to the ordinary trade that
the two Hudson's Bay ships, Prince Rupert anti Lady Read,
had delivered safely their cargoes out and home, and had
made successful voyages. The quality of skins which they
had brought, however, fell short of that which was received
last autumn, and the deficiency was visible especially hi
martens. At the same time the comparison between this
year and last was not so unfavourable as it might at
first appear, inasmuch as the returns of last year were
swelled by the accidental detention iu the previous season
of the furs from Moose Factory, so that double the quan-
tity of skins from that district were included in the sales
of last spring. A third vessel, sent to the northern part
of Hudson's Bay for the purpose of wintering there and
securing their interests in the trade with the Bsquimatts,
had arrived safely at Churchill. The usual interim
dividend would be paid to the shareholders in January
next. In Vancouver's Island business was depressed,
and the relations between that colony and British
Columbia remained on an unsatisfactory footing. No com-
munication on the main points at issue between the company
and her Majesty's Government had been received by the
Committee from the Colonial-office, and no offer had yet
been made on the part of the Government of Canada to pur-
chase any portion of the rights or territory of this company.
gi which
deo:011 dthfeetatrebritthraetdioisn-
On the other hand, if any such offer was hereafter made in
connexion with the scheme of consolidating the British
.inthWeenictstlhawirtuhes of the company und
Provinces in America, or on other grounds, the committee
tl3, hadrleleent dOieoinrnnet eggorofaenttdhNteiVrneastabsoth jaynr, floe
thgeine°l4ydnae:hrnsea d every reason to hope that terho
Government of the United States had now taken all the
evidence which it expected to obtain, and that the matter
ought to bo ripe for decision. They had no doubt that the
interests of the company would ultimately be materially
benefited by the award made. At the general meeting held
in July last a resolution was adopted to the effect that a
letter should be sent to every shareholder, asking him to
answer "Yes" or "No" to the question whether the colo-
nisation of Rupert's Land should bo undertaken by the
company itself. The shareholders returning answers (un-
qualified by any remark) on one side of the question, re-
presented more than half the existing capital of the com-
pany. From the statement prepared by Mr. T. Fr%sor, the
secretary, it appeared that the number of shareholders to
whom the circular was sent was 1,493, and they received
answers from 637. Of this number 122 voters, holding
£106,160 stock in the company, had voted in the affirma-
tive; while 496 voters, holding £1,078,840 stock of the
company, had voted in the negative. The result was,
therefore, that the proposition for commencing the colonisa-
tion was negatived by shareholders representing more than
one half the capital of the company.
The °MAILMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
saithe had nothing to add to it, as affairs were exactly as
stated in the report. They would probably soon know
whether any offer was to be made to the company. The
committee had not pledged themselves in any way ; so that
the shareholders would have to decide on any
question that might be submitted.
ded the
Sir C. M. LAMPSON, Deputy-Governor, sewn
agreed to
motion for the adoption of the report, which was agr
unanimously. ri and Mr.
The retiring auditors, Mr. E. W. Watkin, M. •
Quilter, were re-elected.
of telegraphic com-
Mr. WATKIN said the establishment value to
munication in their territory would oflo being extended
the company and also to the public, by
The company had
across British territory to the Pacific.
their possession for
had the materials for the telegrePholf
the company. He
three years at the various station:
raph to San Francisco
mentioned that the American toonegyear,
and he estimated
had paid for its capital cost. important •
ne hoped
per cent, per annum. I in connection with the
f tolegraP
fore they had a °
line
right across. British territory to the
Atlantic telegraph their wintering partners in
that
Pacific. lie maintainedve an interest in the amount of divi-
dendthe territory should have
proportion to be represented by a cer-
taindeclared ; the lie also suggested that the com-
mittee number of shares.
right of banking
should develope the company's
mittee
all those things pro-
dson's Bay territory; and
that their telegraph would, 1:n completed,
ivou pdanyorbeitlsocnogstb2eo-
- the Ilu
said the whole of those matte's had often
been considered
by the committee. The reason the tele-
h had not been laid was that it would be useless across
forpe rlayivklo carried.n, out would tend to increase the sum available
i
The viIAIRMAN
gran
the territory if it were not extended east and west of it.
They must have some terms or pledge in the interests of
the shareholders from the Canadian and British Govern-
ments that the necessary outlay should be remunerative,
and that the 700 or 800 miles of telegraph to the coasts of
the Atlantic and Pacific would be ccmpleted to• join, the
Hudson's Bay line. This formed part of the general sub-
ject now before the Government in connection with the
whole question. There was a legal difficulty in making
the chief factors and chief traders interested in the com-
pany's dividends. The bank could no doubt be turned to
good account if the pending matters were settled.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the
Governor, Deputy-Governor, and committee for their
1 prudent and able management of the company's affairs.

The annual rate of mortality last week was 24 per 1,000
in London, 28 in Edinburgh, and 37 in Dublin ; 20 in Bris-
tol, 20 in Birmingham, 29 in Liverpool, 30 in Manchester,
29 iu Salford, 25 in Sheffield, 28 i❑ Leeds, 19 in Hull, 37 in
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and 31 in Glasgow. The rate in
Vienna was 37 per 1,000 during the week ending the 3d
inst., when the temperature was 1:7 deg. Fahrenheit lower -
than in the same week to London, where the rate was ._ -
per 1,000.

At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 29-693 in. The barome-
trical reading increased from 29.06 in. on Friday to 30.18 in.
by the end of the week. The mean temperature of the air in
the week was 45.6 deg., which is 2.4 deg. above the average
of the same week in 50 years, as determined by Mr. Glaisher.
The highest day temperature was 58.5 deg., on Tuesday.
The lowest night temperature was 30.8 deg., on Saturday.
The entire range of temperature in the week was therefore
27.7 deg. The mean of the highest temperature of the
water of the Thames was 48.5 deg.; that of the lowest was
46.5 deg. The difference between the mean dew point tem-
perature and air temperature was 5.4 deg. The mean de-
gree.of humidity of the air was 82, complete saturation
b3ing represented by 100. Rain fell during the week to the
amount of 0-58 in. At Manchester the rainfall on Thursday
amounted to 1-24 in., and on Friday to 0-89 in., at Eccles on
Thursday to 1-39 in., and on Friday to 0-75 in. The river
Irwell rose on Friday 25ft. above its ordinary level. An
extraordinary shower of very brilliant meteors occurred
during the early morning hours of Wednesday; fully 10,000
meteors were seen at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.
According to a return furnished by the engineer of the
Metropolitan Board of Works the average daily quantity
of sewage pumped into the river Thames at the southern
outfall works, Crossness, was 197,542 metric tons.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 21, 1866.

If we do not all get heartily tired of the subject of
Reform before the legitimate time arrives for its dis-
cussion it will not be the fault of Mr. BRIGHT and
his friends, for they are really going on ad znfinitunt
in their repetition of hackneyed phrases and stereo-
typed utterances. Be this as it may, since their
march is through the long lane that has no turning
it is our duty to follow them, and to watch their
proceedings. Last evening a grand banquet was
given in the Free Trade:Hall at Manchester, under the
auspices of the National Reform Union, to Mr BRIGHT
and a number of Liberal members. Mr. G. WILSON
presided, but there were many who at the last were
prevented from attending. Lord HOUGHTON made
a brief speech, in which be said that he was there
" only as a peer," but he sympathised with the
wishes of those present. In the course of his
observations the noble lord alluded to one of the
mottoes upon the wall. 6, Privileges are ephemeral,
the people are immortal." lle said that, if true,
politically there were Some that he would not forego;
they were the privileges of an intelligent mind, and of
the enlightened conscience, and, above all, the privi-
leges of the individual pulse and the individual mind
which beat in the heart of every En gl ishinan."
We
quite agree with this, the more so as it seems to be
the ruling passion with some of these new Re-
formers of our day to sink individuality as much
as
possible, and, in doing so, to put forward their doe
trines in preference to their independence of mind
and character, which is the foundation of all our
national greatness. Mr. BRIGHT'S speech was, of
course, the chief feature of the evening, and being,
as we suppose, at a loss how to saysomething new, he
declared that he came to that one of the most
striking meetings which had been held in this coun-
try for years with a feeling of comparative indif-

ference and an absence of responsibility. The
reason which he gave for this was that when he
received the invitation to be present, he found in
the caleulation of those to be present his name half
way down the list, and inferred thereby that
he was not expected to take a very pro-
minent place, but rather would be in the
position of a looker-on and a spectator.
So far as we can judge it would seem as if those who
had the conduct of affairs had made a mistake in
this arrangement, and the consequence was that
Mr. BRIGHT seemed a little more bitter and sarcastic
than usual, if possible.

From beginning to end ho was intemperate, il-
logical, and exaggerated everything, and every per-
son that came in his way was attacked mercilessly ;
and it is pretty evident by this time that any one
who attempts to answer Mr. BRIGHT will not only be
abused himself, but everything he touches upon in
commenting on him wlll be abused also. In the first
plane, Mr. BRIGHT recapitulated his own grievances.
He was told last year by the degenerate members of
an inadequate Parliament that he was very fond
of calling spirits from the vasty deep, but that the
said spirits did not come when he summoned them.
Judging from the opinions he entertains, it is for-
tunate, for the peace of society, that they do not
hear the voice of the charmer, we should say, but
passing on from that, the real offence is,
that just now it is the fashion to flatter
the middle classes, and to tell them that
political power rests with them, but that the ex-
treme men would swamp them by the overwhelm-
ing numbers they would introduce into the franchise.
The secret of this denunciation is, that Mr. BRIGHT'S
influence is not what it was with the middle ranks
of society ; they begin to see that he is not to be
trusted, and that, unless everything can go as ho
fancies, he sinks argument in abuse, and loses the
politician in the demagogue.
Then the newspapers have a great deal to an-
swer for in Mr. BRIGHT'S estimation, for they are
always presuming to say what will happen, and
giving us to understand, or, to use the hon. mem-
ber's own phraseology, " for the newspapers are
always understanding a great many things of which
they know nothing." We should say that they
followed Mr. BRIGHT'S own example if we were to
condescend to bandy words on such a subject ; but
there is nothing in which this great man shows
himself so little as in his affected contempt
for a power that he knows to be above him
and the influence of his violence. Ile shows
himself quite unworthy of the position he assumes as
a tribune of the people in his persistent practice of
abusing and reviling the press of the country.
Nothing, however, comes up, in a hundredth de-
gree, to the intensity of excitement and the depth
of rage which take possession of Mr. BRIGHT when
he approaches the subject of the Tories. This is
always a very dangerous topic, but when they are
in office his language is, beyond all things, intem-
perate to the last degree. To begin with his
arguments ou this point—if we can by any
stretch of fancy call them so—he says that
some persons are credulous enough to think that the
men now in office will bring in a Reform Bill, and
that, too, a very satisfactory one ; they say that
Sir ROBERT PEEL and the Duke of WELLINGTON
passed Catholic Emancipation, that Sir R. PEEL
repealed the Corn Laws, and " why should not
Lord DERBY pass a Reform Bill?" The answer is,
that " Lord DERBY is neither Sir ROBERT PEEL nor
the Duke of WELLINGTON; he left those statesmen
in 1846, and he has never shown from that hour
to this an atom of statesmanship or one spark of pa-
triotism." This clap-trap may do very well, for the
purpose in hand, but we would recommend those
who are silly enough to applaud the bombastic
utterances of Mr. BRIGHT that there is no truth in
them, and we wonder even that his effrontery should
allow him to stand up before Lancashire men and
say such things. In their time of imminent peril,
in their hour of darkest distress, who came forward
to their relief ? The political agitator, who saw
little of them and their wrongs, and the statesman
who, he says, is indifferent to their rights.
So far as:any one has ever heard Mr. BRIGHT did
nothing, and could spare no pence, while Lord
DERBY gave his time and trouble, and spent
thousands in alleviating their distress.
So much for his argument, we now come to his
abuse ; and we learn that though the Ministers call
themselves her MAJESTY'S servants, they have not
dared to proclaim themselves the accepted servants
of the people ; their conduct was bad in the ex-
treme, they " would not suppress, nor allow the
suppression of a single rotten borough ; in fact,
there was no abuse, however intolerable, however
putrid, to which they would allow the Legislative
reforming knife to be applied." It has been said by
some of his greatest admirers that Mr. BRIGHT is
our greatest orator, but he is really forgetting him-
felf in an extraordinary manner when he uses such
language. But, to proceed, as for talking of the pre-
sent occupants of the Treasury benches bringing
forward a great measure, he considers it quite an
idle supposition. "If a man were to tell me he
had a broth composed of half a dozen of the most
poisonous ingredients, and could make a wholesome
diet, I could not believe him ; the conspirators of
last seesion cannot turn out to be the statesmen of
next year." Finally, Mr. BRIGHT says that there are
enemies and false friends to the cause of Reform.
We concur in the truth of this, and counsel hint to
look home.
hnoomwe.
doing precisely what he did the last time
Lord DERBY was in power : he is going about from
post to pillar proclaiming this, that, and the
other ; raking up old grievances, finding out
past troubles, inventing some and exaggerating
other things, until the upshot is that he exclaims,
" Let us march against Philip." We have no hope
of influencing Mr. BRIGHT, but we trust that those
he is constantly addressing will show themselves
more alive to the spirit of fair play which it was the
pride of Englishmen to possess, more imbued withthe
love of justice, more affected by the sense of honour,
than to listen to the suggestions put before them
so speciously and so forcibly. By the most con-
temptible dodge of modern days the Conservative
party was driven from power in,1857, and, when
benefited by it, what measure has passed that has
freed the people or immortalised those who forced
themselves into office on false pretences ? Mr.
BRIGHT calls the present House the master of the
people, not its servant. It does the bidding of a
" small and limited—often an ignorant, necessarily
a selfish—class." But we must take care

that we are not put iu a position to
be at the mercy of a more selfish class than any he
mentions ; and all we can say is that precisely be-
cause we are Liberal in the true acceptation of the
term we demand that Lord DERBY'S Government
shall have a fair trial, and declare that they must
have one if the principles of the Constitution are car-
ried out; and we would entreat all honest Reformers
to take what measures they can get, and not to be
so busy finding fault that they overlook merit, and
so eager to put others in the right that they go
astray themselves.

Mr. HUGHES, M.P. for Lambeth, is always well
worth hearing. His speeches are not indeed likely
to please every one, neither of his own party nor of
his opponents, for he does not hesitate to express