The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-15 00:00:00

The State of Texas.

The Convention of the people of Texas has
closed its sessions. The work done will scarcely
be as acceptable to the people of the loyal
States as that of some other of the States which
were in rebellion. The Ordinance of Secession
has been simply repealed, which implies that
it was lawful when it was passed, and
remained legal during the war. The Convention
adopted a resolution renouncing the right of seces-
sion hereafter, which is like a declaration after one
has been knocked down that the assault was justi-
fiable, but that it shall not be repeated. The war
debt of Texas is repudiated, but this measure was

not graciously accorded. It was resisted by the
ultra secession force in the Convention, and only
carried after a fierce struggle. The negro is to be
allowed to testify in any suit in which one or more
persons of his colour are parties. If the suit is be-
tween white men a negro may not testify, although
the rights of plaintiff or defendant may depend
upon his evidence. This so-called principle exists
in the laws of most of the Southern States, and it is
an example of the force of the old adage about
" cutting off noses to spite faces." It is not of the
slightest interest to a black man that he shall have
the privilege of giving testimony in a quarrel be-
tween white men. If the plaintiff might have won
his case with the testimony of the freedman, he
loses it for the want of such evidence. So, if the
defendant is unjustly mulct, when he might have
established his case by the testimony of black wit-
nesses, it is his loss, and not that of the persons who
are incompetent to testify. The tenaciousness with
which this most absurd regulation is clung to by
the Southern people, in spite of their own interests
and in spite of common sense, shows that reason has
spite
earm founded
except
not yet resumed its sway over the mindsof most
of them. It is a pitiful evidence
nideeancedo no of
upon old prejudices, which
to those who indulge in it. The negro may hold
property in Texas, and sue and be. sued. isToifiitshe
lawsjust,
et
between eel] en hreiim stoand
be
thenowhites.distinction ln m
Common schools are
to be established for the benefit of white children ;
but coloured children are not to be allowed the
privilege of education, although the parents have to
pay their share of taxation for the support of the
white schools. This is highly unjust and unchris-
tianlike, but the Texans consider it a most excel-
lent policy. In order to have the control of the
State for some time the Secessionists have inserted
a clause in the proposed Constitution that no person
shall be eligible to be a candidate for the Legislature
who has not lived in the State five years. The in-
ention of this regulation is to prevent Northern-
men, who may settle in Texas, from having any
political influence during the specified time. This
Constitution is to be submitted to the vote of the
people, as a whole, without the privilege of object-
ing to any particular part. By this means it is
hoped to force the adoption of the entire instrument.
The election is to take place in June, at which time
State officers are also to be chosen. The Unionists
in the State are a very strong minority, and they
intend to oppose the Constitution because it is not
sufficiently liberal, and also to run their own candi-
dates for State officers. It is not probable that
they will succeed, but the contest will be sharp and
exciting, much more so than the election in any
other Southern State since the overthrow of the
Rebellion.

Effect of a European War on American
Securities.

The probabilities of the occurrence of war between
Austria and Prussia has turned attention to the
question, What will be the financial influence of the
contest upon the interests of the United States ?
During the whole of the civil war in America
there was great favour shown in Germany to
United States Securities, and they were methods
of investment largely available to the pru-
dent Germans, which were eagerly embraced
by them. This was done when the issue of
the war was uncertain, but the phlegmatic Teutons
had confidence in the strength of the Union, andso
they went in, investing even when they heard of
dreadful battles, and pretended defeats of the Union
armies, the latter being exaggerated in report by
the efforts of the Secession newspapers of London.
Still, the Germans continued buying what to them
seemed to be cheap investments, and gaining a good
interest, and aiding—although that might have been
a collateral matter—the efforts of the United States
to recover possession of revolted territories. Sup-
pose war desolates Germany, what is to be the re-
sult upon American Securities ?

When a country is engaged in a war, patriotism
may induce some of its citizens to invest in its se-
curities as a means of helping in a good cause. But
there must be some confidence in the stability of the
Government nevertheless, for capital is generally
selfish. We can well see the effect of this principle
in the difference between United States and Con-
federate loans during the war. The United States
found no difficulty in borrowing immense sums of
money from the people, at par. The Confederacy
negotiated one or two loans of trifling amount in
the commencement of the contest, when in-
sanity was prevalent, but as soon as the true
nature of the struggle came to be understood, and
it was perceived that it would be. a tough job,
everybody held off and loaned nothing. The
greater part of .the Confederate debt was in paper
money issued by the Government and forced upon
the people. What were called Confederate loans
were composed of funded currency, under the pres-
sure of law, and not freely invested. Now in
Germany there cannot be much patriotism evoked
by the dispute between Austria and Prussia. Both
have been selfish and dishonest in the Schleswig-
Holstein affair, and a quarrel over that subject
cannot evoke the enthusiasm of the honest. Unless
those Governments resort to forced loans they can-
not expect to obtain much assistance from their
own subjects in a pecuniary way. The latter, by
the danger, will be incited to make foreign invest-
ments, in order to preserve their wealth. There I
cannot be more favourable objects for their use
than American Five-twenty or Ten-forty Bonds,
which they already understand, and upon which
they have found the payments of interest punctual.
They will be considered safe investments, and in
the event of a great war they must increase very
much in value in consequence of the heavy demand
for them upon foreign account.—Anglo-American
Times.

Foreign Mail Packet List

- o -----

MAILS DUE.
Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton..., May 20
Ditto, via Marseilles June 14
Brazil and Cape Verde, by British packet ...... June 4.
Ditto, by French packet
Cape of Good Rope, Ascension, and St. Helena May 25.
China, Penang. and Singapore, via Southampton May 20.
Ditto, via Marseilles May 23
Falkland Islands
Gibraltar, via Southampton May 23.
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton May 2)
Ditto, via Marseilles
India (Bombay), via Southampton. . Nifty 29
Ditto, via Marsei ties
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton ..MaY 22;
igay Ditto, via Marseilles
Mauritius, via Southampton
Ditto, via Marseilles
. May 23.
... , ....
4.
Newfoundland
...June
Portugal
...... . ••
-

Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon. ..............
Unittd States and British North A.merloa, byßil-
tish packet ........................ •• ............ May 23
Ditto, by United States packo, via Southamp-
ton• • • .....................
Ditto, xia Curk .............................
Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderry May 8
West Coast of Africa, Madeira, and Temeriffe .. • June 10.
West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas and
Honduras) .................. .
Cabs and Mexico .................................. May 29,
Bahamas, via New York. May 31,
Bermuda, via Halifax May 9.

QR,
CONTRADItCtThIa73IOrF.
JamesAmi:RHeEnryNll,Yo'fS
Liverpoolh-a—
Tho statemend
suspended payment, was contradicted yesterday by a notice
from Messrs.
Fletcher, Hull, and Stone (Mr. Inienry's
solicitors), which was posted in the news-rooms of the
Liverpool Exchange.
suenc
Hops.—A Parliamentary paper Was published
yesterday, which shows that in the year ending 80th Sept.,
1865, 77,070 cwts. of foreign hops were imported into the
United Kingdom, and that within the same time 4,836
cwts. foreign and 15,425 cwts. British hops were exported
it 9121 the United Ittlagdwa W outdo abroad,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS—LAST EVENING.
The Loaz CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

Petitions were presented byPETITIONS the Archbishop of CAN the Duke of ARGYLL, Lord TEYNHAIK., and other
noblemen, against the Sunday Licensing a. ad Hawking
Bill, and by Lord CR:ELMSFORD in favour of the bill.
Petitions were also presented against tha abolition of
church rates.

PRIVATE BUSINESS:

The following bills were read a second time. :—Finchley-
road Estate, Taylor's Estate, Wigtan Water, Birmingham
Water, Uxbridge and Rickmansworth Railway, Banffshire
Roads, and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (Extension
of Time), &c.
The following bills were read a third time and passed:
Dublin Trunk Connecting Railway, Itolderness Embank-
ment Reclamation, and Tynemouth Improvement.
RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION.

The Archbishop of CANTERBURY drew attention to
this subject, and referred to a letter he had receiced from a
clergyman of the Church of England on the subject of
spiritual instruction in public schools. He inquired of the
noble earl (Granville) if the conscience clause would be
satisfied by children being exempted from instruction in the
doctrines of the Church of England.
Earl GRANVILLE said the conscience clause would
not be satisfied unless the prominent doctrines of the
Established Church were taught in the different public
schools of the country.
The Archbishop of CANTERURY mid that the answer
of the noble lord would go far to remove scruples enter-
tained by clergymen of the Church of England in reference
to this subject.
The Bishop of ST. DAVID said that he was in favour
of the compulsory enforcement of the clause. He re-
gretted the breach that had occurred between certain
members of the Church and Council of Education, but ho
hoped it was not too late to heal that breach.
Earl CARNARNON strongly opposed the compulsory
adoption of the clause.
The subject then dropped.
ATTORNEYS AND SOLICITORS (IRELAND)
bill.
ILL..
Lord CHELMSFORD moved that the house should go
into committee on this
The LORD CHANCELLOR objected to the principle of
the
Lord CHELMSFORD
L
CHELMSFORD denied that there was any valid
objection to the bill, which proposed to deal with an ad-
mitted evil. The Society of Queen's Inns in Ireland
was not founded by Act of Parliament or charter,
e andwas under the government of the benchers ofelrish ba
That body insisted on the attorneys in Ireland being r.
mem-
bers of these inns, and imposed heavy fees, and
from the
year 1794 down to 1860, there was no less than ..C87,000
paid by the attorneys in Ireland, ;for which there was no
adequate equivalent. There was no proper provision for
the proper legal education of attorneys in connection with
these inns, and he adverted to the statement of Judge
Lorgfield and other Irish lawyers in support of his asser-
tion. In 1858, for the first time, a professor and era._
miner were appointed in consequence of a memorial
from the attorneys, and these received only £l3O, which
was all that was applied to their benefit out of the sum of
£87,000 received by the attorneys in Ireland. The attorneys
and solicitors in Ireland merely wanted to be placed on the
same footing as their professional brethran in this country
by being placed under the regulation of the Lord Chan-
cellor and the Master of the Rolls with respect to their
fees and other points. The noble and learned lord
then read an extract from a letter from Sergeant
Armstrong, stating that this bill should re-
ceive his support, and notwithanding the objec-
tions of his noble and learned friend on the wool-
sack, he would press his motion for going into committee
on the bill.

The bill, with some alterations, then went through
committee.

RAILWAY FINANCE AND LEGISLATION.

Lord REDESDALE brought under notice the subject
of the financial arrangements of railway companies, and
observed that the system upon which certain works Lad
been carried on for many years past had completely broken
down. In 1864 finance companies were formed with the
avowed purpose of finding money for contractors. Some
of these institutions had since collapsed, while others had
been thrown into difficulties. To check rash railway
speculations, therefore, he recommended that in future all
new railways should be got up upon a subscription con-
tract, one effect of which would be that new schemes would
have to be well matured before they found favour with the
public ; and of course in that case the money would have
to be provided beforehand. He also suggested that the
subscription contract should be for two-thirds of the sub-
scribed capital ; that a deposit of one-eighth should be paid
upon every share ; and that no shares should be transfer-
able until three-tenths of the amount had been paid up,

Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY admitted the im-
portance of the question, but apprehended that the sugges-
',ions of Lord Redesdale would impede the construction of
railways altogether. He hoped their lordships would not
commit themselves to any resolution on the subject with-
out mature reflection and the concurrence of the House
of Commons.

Remarks were also made by the Marquis of Clanri-
carde, Lord Overstone (who approved of the object
which Lord Redesdale was endeavouring to attain), Earl
Fortescue, and the Earl of Belmore, after which the matter
was allowed to drop.
The Labouring Classes' Dwellings Bill was read a third
time and passed.
Earl RUSSELL intimated that on Friday next he should
move the adjournment of the house for the Whitsuntide
holidays until the Monday week following.
Their lordships thou adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—LAST EN-ENING.
The SPFAxPIi took the chair at 4 o'clock.
NEW MEMBERS.

Mr. Bernal Osborne and Viscount Amberley took their
seats for Nottingham, and Mr. Finlay also his for Argyll-
shire.

GALWAY ELECTION.

The report of the Galway Election Committee was
brought up. It reported that Mr. Moore and Mr. Blenner-
basset were duly elected.

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were third a third time and passed :
Canterbury Gas and Water ; Dundee Water ; Huntley, Mit-
cheldean, and Elton Roads ; Maryport Improvement and
Harbour ; Rochdale and Edenfield Roads ; St. George's
Parish; County of Gloucester; and Thames and Severn
Canal Navigation.