The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-07 00:00:00

—_----__—...---___
All this, said Mr. ROEBUCK, was done under the
Reform Act of 1832 ; and the result of their labours
has been that every man in England might say
what he thought, and might do what he liked,
so long as he did not injure his neighbour, and that
he was the freest man that walked upon the face of
the globe. But the Member for Sheffield freely
admits that a new Reform Bill is required,
not because great changes are needed, not
because he admits a natural right to the
franchise, but because in the distribution of power
in England there are certain men who have not now
the power of voting, but who have the faculties
and the capacity, " Capacity in every sense to en-
title them to a vote, but they have it not ; and
therefore for the purpose of putting aside discon-
tent, I would have brought in a Reform Bill that
should have satisfied the discontented of the
well-intentioned, and well conducted, and educated
of the working classes of the country."
But in introducing a Reform Bill Mr. ROEBUCK
holds that it would have been expedient to distin-
guish between the well-conditioned and the well-
conducted men, and the drunkard and improvident,
and he evidently feels some irritation that a bill
which he did not heartily approve was brought for-
ward in such a manner that he felt bound to vote
for it. It was, he declared, an attempt to cajole
the house of Commons, and when that failed the
next effort was to bully them. The Government
failed in both attempts, and lost their bill and
their places. That, he thinks, is the story of
the RUSSELL-GLADSTONE Administration. As
for the new Government the member for Sheffield
is prepared to give them a fair trial, and he believes
the result of the change will be to unite the two
great parties now dividing the State. Let the party
in power, he said, get rid of some remnants of
bigotry and intolerance, and the moderate Liberals
will join them, and form a strong party representing
the real -feeling of the people of England, and pro-
tect their interests. Whether or no this prophecy
is fulfilled, it is fully in accordance with Mr. ROE-
BUCK'S characteristic independence, and all sides
will agree in rejoicing that so bold and uncompro-
mising a politician is once more laying down the
law amongst us in his old outspoken style, heeding
and fearing neither friend nor foe.

Perhaps we are better able to judge of the hard-
ships inflicted by the Prussians now that compara-
tive quiet has been restored than we were at the
period of strife and confusion which prevailed at
first. 'The conduct of the Prussians towards those
who have been thrown into their power has been
most offensive. No one possessed of any feeling of
justice, and who entertains any sympathy with the
unfortunate, can refrain from pity and indignation
when he peruses the account given of the meeting
between King WILLIAM and the deputation from
Hanover. In the most earnest and eloquent man-
ner was the address presented to his MAJESTY, but
those who have observed the doings at Berlin must
know pretty well by this time that it is impossible
to make any impression on the authorities there by
the agency of reason, or by the appeals to honour.
A doubt was expressed by the deputation that the
numerous addresses that had been prepared against
annexation had not been sent to the KING, and they
had good reason for uttering this opinion, for no -
mention has ever been made of them, while the
newspapers teemed with the replies vouchsafed to
those in favour of annexation. The declarations
made by these influential persons bear out the truth
of the observations we made the other day concerning
the exaggeration that prevailed about the general
desire for annexation. It is here stated that more
than sixty thousand signatures have been put to
these addresses against annexation, and that many
more could have been obtained had not the civil
commissary of the Prussians " adopted the most
severe measures against the propagation of these
addresses, expressing the unanimous desire of the
country in the most modest form." Let those who
persist in declaring that it is in conformity with the
general desire of the peoples concerned that the
Prussian Government is urging forward its schemes
of annexation with such rapidity just condescend
to study the words of those who speak what they
do know about the matter. Of course, it is easy
for the minority to get their addresses sent, and to
obtain all possible publicity for them, because the
Prussian authorities do all in their power to aid and
abet them in the work, while the heartfelt desire of
the generality is kept in the shade and false reports
are circulated. Thus the units are magnified and
the thousands depreciated to carry out the wishes of
the unscrupulous powers that be in Prussia. The peti-
tioners declared that they preferred to appeal to the
heart of his MAJESTY rather than to his political
wisdom. We believe that one is about as likely
to be impressed as the other, and so the deputa-
tion found to their cost. We believe that un-
prejudiced and impartial persons will think that
the arguments are unanswerable which were put
forward in this appeal. " Your MAJESTY cannot,"
affirmed they, " take pleasure in dethroning a
prince whose dynasty has belonged to the kingdom
for a thousand years, and who also wears his crown
by the grace of GOD." The inefficacy of this earnest
appeal may be traced to the fact that there was
nothing to rely on in the character and conduct of
him to whom they were addressed. Vain were
the claims of justice, the hopes for mercy, the hints
at the policy of such and such a course, when once
the inexorable decree has been put forth that Prussia
requires any given sacrifice. We cordially concur
with the truth of the concluding sentence of the
Hanoverian address, and do not doubt that the
time will come when the King of PRUSSIA, or his
successor, will have bitter cause to regret the inat-
tention and indifference with which it has been re-
ceived. "Deign, your MAJESTY, to accomplish the
promise of your predecessor, and the inxorable con-
quest of thousands upon thousands of faithful and
grateful hearts will deck your MAJESTY with much
more imperishable laurels than the subjection of a
feeble enemy can supply."
The answer of the KING iswguniteessiend o
accordancefhis
with what we have already it
pro-
ceedings, but perhaps it is even more intolerant than
usual. The unfortunate Hanoverians were told that
it was absolutely necessary forthesaipedransnmaexationto take place, and that duty towards
com-
pelled the KlNG,Mtooratlapkoewtehri,s, sitsepalslotandatvetrhsee toK
his
own wishes. ,
ING
has ever aimed at, but the force of circumstances
has made him change his plans. It is shocking to
notice the manner in which Kiug W 11,1,101 appeals to
HEAVEN, and Makes PROVIDENCE answerable for
what Prussia has done in the way of encroachments.
Surely profanation cannot go further than we find
it carried in this sentence. " The results, the great-
ness of which I had not foreseen, and I may say
never equalled in the history of a struggle between
two powerful states for their existence, and in so
short a time, are due to the visiblel,interferenee of
PROVIDENCE, without which even the most perfect
army could not obtain such results." Can anything
be more outrageous than such an assertion, and
what respect can we entertain for a monarch
who thus commits himself. According to this ar-
gument murderers and offenders of all kinds against
the law may declare that PROVIDENCE is on their
side, and has permitted theta to achieve their ends.
Success i 5 110 proof of merit, and the wrong-doers