The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-25 00:00:00

111 L SeN, Wisil ON, THIIRSOAY EV ENING, OCTOBER 25, 1866.

',successful candidate, in token of his services to

the Liberal cause. There was a numerous com-

pally, and plenty of speakers, who had all, no doubt,
something to say that was very well worth hearing
'by their immediate neighbours ; but the chief inte-
rest of the speeches to the general public was to be

found in the addresses of Mr. BUXTON and Mr.

_BERKELEY. Mr. LONG, to judge by his speech of

'Tuesday night, is no very great loss to the national

councils. He is in favour of manhood suffrage—

objecting even to the three years' condition, which
is.of ten proposed as a condition of household suffrage.
It is not this opinion, however, to which we
take exception, since manhood suffrage is upheld by
many useful members; but the comparison of the
present condition of the English non-electors to

Russian serfs and negro slaves. Gentlemen who
talk like this seem to forget that there is something
more in a free constitution than the election of mem-
bers of Parliament. It confers other privileges than
those of walking to the hustings. Free thought,
free speech, free individual action, and security of

equal rights under the law, are, after all, the in-
alienable property of Englishmen, and it behoves us

to be careful how we undervalue these blessings, lest

In making too reckless or ill-considered changes we

find we are risking the substance for the shadows.

Mr. ONsLow is also in favour of manhood

suffrage, and says the first tones of the
voice of the people of Englaud were heard
in Hyde-park. A Frenchman who was pre-

sent told him he never saw "a more orderly
riot," which Mr. ONSLOW regards as high praise ;
but the hon. gentleman forgets that the French are
more accustomed to emeutes and street disturbances
than we are, and that in former days at least it was
rather pleasant excitement for the Parisians to have
the barricades up and the dynasty down at an hour's
notice. We have been accustamed in this country
to pride ourselves on our power of self-government
without the aid of external force, and if our logic
requires the aid of iron railings we fear our philo-
sophy is not improving. As for manhood suffrage
Mr. ONSLOW said he was not in favour of it at

one time, but that now he upheld it. He found that
in other countries, as in America and Australia,
every citizen was considered deserving of
the suffrage, and he did not see why John
Bull was not equally so. But judging from
the present political condition of the United
States the result is not very satisfactory. We see
that such a system of wholesale election fails really
to represent the intelligence and principle of the
nation. We should be doing the Americans great
injustice if we supposed that the virulent and vindic-
tive politicians who now dominate over Congress,
and are ready to sacrifice everything to the main-
tenance of • their own power, are to be accepted as
a standard of national feeling. The most noisy and
unscrupulous are too apt to get to the front
when it is necessary to push through a crowd
and in the same way the most boisterous politicians
are likely to obtain ascendancy with manhood
suffrage. The men of intellect and refinement,
who are best calculated to think over the problems
of the day, and to exercise a beneficial influence
on the conduct of public affairs, shrink from the
contest, and thus in America the complaint is
a common one that the best man will not be put

forward.
Mr. BUXTON'S speech, though strongly in favour
of the late Government and of their Reform Bill,
was remarkable for its moderation and for the firm-
ness with which he withstood the views which
appeared to him mistaken. In the midst
of an assembly in which Radical principles were
prevalent, he did not shrink from saying that he
believed the Liberal party was in a critical posi-
tion, and that if care were not taken it
would become involved in hopeless and im-
practicable schemes that may alarm the country,
and so retard not only Parliamentary Reform,
but the progress of Liberal policy. " Mr.
BRIGHT tells us, Said Mr. BUXTON," that out of 100
grown men only 16 have the suffrage. That is a
striking fact, but it has two aspects. On the one
hand, there is written on the face of the truth
that a disproportion so flagrant cannot and
must not be suffered to remain. On the other
hand, it is not less obvious that a Reform Bill which
would confer the suffrage on the remaining 84 per
cent., or the greater part of them, belonging to the
working class, would utterly overthrow the political
sway of those who now possess it ; and what the
result might be of a change so mighty no man can
foretell." Mr. BUXTON went on to say that so sud-
den and violent a change could only be justified on
the plea that England was worse governed than
any other nation•—a fact which no one could believe
who knew anything of history or politics. Mr.
BUXTON'S straightforward and liberal views were
listened to with respect and attention, although, as
we have said, they were not in accordance with
those of some of his hearers, a fact which reflected
credit on the Surrey tone of fair play.
Mr. BERKELEY, whose health was drank with de-
served honours as the champion of the ballot, asked
very forcibly whether any better instrument for
preventing corruption and intimidation could be
found ? If it could, he would, he said, gladly
adopt it, but as yet he knew of no other remedy for
those great evils. It might not, he admitted,
altogether prevent a candidate from making a bar-
gain with an elector ; but for his part he did not
think it likely that one rascal would trust another.
Neither bribers nor bribed would like such a defini-
tion ; but we are afraid that the fact which Mr.
BERKELEY so roundly stated has a good deal to do
with the opposition the Ballot has to encounter.
Mr. BERKELEY has proved an able and consistent
advocate of the cause, and we hope before long he
will have the satisfaction of seeing it triumphant.

AN EASY WAY TO PROPAGATE ROSES.—But we
are most concerned now about the autumn propaga-
tion, and I have yet a good practical note to make, and it is
for the special benefit of people who cannot now make up
their beds and frames of cuttings, but who mayhap must
wait till November or December to seta few cuttings going.
I have remarked alcove that after October, cuttings in the
open ground have a lessening prospect—or, if you prefer
the term, a vanishing perspective of success—and every
day's delay will tend to diminish the total number of those
that will ultimately make roots. It is a discovery cn which
i n cocoanutt
eh fibre
enjoyment
of a
shelter, frame
I set some value, that if late cuttings are heeled into a bed
of
worituhnadelirttalestaatgme,oospr any-
whereatmospheric
moisture to prevent shrivelling, they make a callus by about
the end of February, and may then be potted separately,
and be plunged in a cocoa-nut fibre bed in a frame, or may
actually be plunged in the open ground ; or they may be
pushed with bottom-heat to make roots and growth at once.
The rationale of this proceeding is not occult. The cocoa-
nut fibre has a preservative value ; it affords no encour-
agement to mildew, it prevents damping almost as effec-
tually as dry peat-dust or silver-sand, provided it is only
reasonably moist ; it maintains a nearly uniform tempera-
ture, or at all events does not vary in temperature with
every variation of the surrounding atmosphere; and for
some reason that I don't pretend to understand, it will coax
almost any kind of cuttings or leaves to make roots ; it is
wonderful in that respect, though so little able to feed roots
when they aro formed. But no matter about the philo-
sophy of the thing. In respect of
to those rose cutting it is as I say,
and I commend this bit of practice who wish to
multiply their roses in the safest and cheapest way.—
Gardeners' Magazine.
KING VICTOR E3IItIANUEL AND THE FREEDOM OF
VENlCE.—General Revel having made known to
King Victor Emmanuel that the national flag had been
unfurled on the Place St. Mark, and that the population
had witnessed it with joy, the Sing replied in
the follow-
ing telegram: "To General Revel, at Venice.—A thou-
sand thanks, general. Happy am Ito see realised the
aspirations of so many centuries. Italy is one and free.,
Italians must now defend and keep it so.—VICTOR /424-
MI:WEL."

L A TEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

ITALY.

FLORENCE, Oct. 25.

The King will receive a Venetian deputation at
Turin on the 4th November, who will com-
municate to his Majesty the result of the
PlebisCitum. On the evening of the following
day his Majesty will set out for Venice,
arriving in that city on the 7th November. The
King will be accompanied by the Presidents of both
Chambers of the Legislature, the Ministers, and
his military household.
Four hundred and nine Venetian residents in
Florence voted for union w ith Italy. Only one
negative vote was recorded.

ST. NAZAIRE, OCt. 25.

The steamer Washington has arrived here with
the mails from the Pacific, 1,000,000 f. in specie,
and 900 tons of merchandise. The health of all on
board is good.

THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.

CONSTANTINOPEE, Oct. 25.

Prince Charles arrived here yesterday, and im-
mediately had an audience of the Sultan, by whom
he was received with special attention and the
highest honours. The Palace of Kutschuln has been
placed at the disposal of the Prince during his stay
in this city.