The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-23 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY,
FEB. 23, 1866.
The House of Commons had last
in
the
yal portunityof expressing those feelico:ovfeio ning an
attach-
mentop-
and warm personal interest
1 domestic
concerns of the Royal Family, which has for many
years characterised our Representative Assembly,
The happy manner in which our present gracious
SovEnEIGN has combined the duties of aQuEEN with
the cares of another, the excellent example which she
has always set her subjects no less than as the bead
of her Court, have enlisted on behalf of the royal
household all the kindly feelings with which English-
men regard a happy home. The domestic history of
some of our earlier Sovereigns has been but a painful
record, and however readily the constitutional
loyalty of Englishmen might respond to any pecu-
niary appeals on behalf of themselves or their chil-
dren, their private and personal career could only
be
sources cf mortification and disappointment.
Very different is the case with the fair young group
which gathers-around her MAJESTY, and has formed,
we cannot doubt, the • • principal alleviation of her
sorrow. The care lavished on the mental and moral
training of tie young Princep
and PrizcesfieviiirOria their

earliest years years has been abundantly repaid by the assi-
duous devotion and tender care withwhich they have
endeavoured to lighten the burden of their mother's
sorrow. The Princess HELENA, like the Princess
ALICE, is now about to leave us for a home of
her own ; but however great the loss may be to her
mother, the QUEEN can hardly fail to rejoice that.
her daughter should partake of the happiness that
was once her own, hoping, as all must do, that it
will be of longer duration. For the young Princess
herself we must admit that such a change in her
prospects and position is more suitable to her youth-
ful years than the retirement and seclusion in which
she has necessarily passed a great part of her spring
time, and she will enter on her new career strength-
ened by the knowledge that she has faithfully per-
formediher filial duty at a time of no ordinary im-
portance and a trial of no light nature.

The young Prince, whose provision also came
under discussionlast night, has already gained some
experience of the world and its ways. Ile has been
offered a crown and has a principality in prospect,
and although a younger son his position is not un-
important. No doubt, whatever his career, it wil
be worthy of himself, his mother, and his country,
and the provision for his independence will be very
willingly made by the public. All these changes
in the circles must furnish new sources of interest
to her MAJESTY, and must tend, we should hope, to
divert her mind from the consideration of the losses
of the past to the promise of the future, so that in
the beautiful words of our Poet Laureate—" The
love of all her sons may compass her, the love of all
her daughters cherish her," till the great void of her
life is filled and the great sorrow consoled.

The crowning honour to a great career was last
night awarded to Lord PALMERSTON, and in that
assembly, where so much of his life had been passed,
a unanimous resolution was come to that a monu-
ment should be raised to his memory in West.nin;
ster Abbey. Mr. GLADSTONE, in a speech equal to
the occasion, proposed " that an humble address be
presented to her MAJESTY, praying that her MA-
JESTY will give directions that a monument be
erected in the Collegiate Church of St. Peter's,
Westminster, with an inscription thereon, expres-
• sive of the public admiration for, and attachment
to, the deceased, as well as of the heavy loss
which the country has sustained by his death,
and also to assure her MAJESTY that this House will
make good the expenses attending the execution of
the same." Mr. GLADSTONE truly remarked that
the occasions on which Parliament has presented
addresses concerning the erection of monuments
have generally been when a tribute was paid to others
than the civil servants of the Crown. Rarely, in-
deed, does Parliament make the nation, " through
the medium of its vote, the organ for expressing its
opinion of those who have passed from among us
by means of a public monument." Mr. GLAD-
STONE mentioned three cases which were among
the exceptions to the rule, but afterwards added
that the names of Sir ROBERT PEEL, Lord CHAT-
IIA3I, Mr. PITT, and Mr. PERCEVAL were thus
honoured. Lord PALMERSTON, in every sense of the
word, was truly worthy of such a tribute, and
whether we look to the length or the efficiency of
his services to the State, we cannot but acknowledge
that a public recognition of his merits as a faithful
servant of the State is only right and fitting. What
chiefly led to this proposal, Mr. GLADSTONE de-
clared to be not so much the length of time during
which• Lord PALMERSTON was Premier, but the
"general position which he held in the view
of the Parliament and the country. The
place which he established for himself in the feel-
ings and the recollections of his countrymen." Lord
I PALMERSTON'S career extended over so long a period
that it was materially connected with all the
chief incidents of the period which the memory of
the present generation can recall ; but in dwelling
upon the resolution of last night, we turn
more to the personal characteristics of the man than
to the public achievements of the statesman. As
Mr GLADSTONE declared, the attachment he inspired
was not confined to any class in the land ; it pre-
vailed among the aristocracy to whom the noble
lord belonged. It pervaded the intelligent
middle classes, and it descended to the ranks of
labour. Very correct also was Mr. GLADSTONE'S
declaration that Lord PAL3IERSTON'S position in
the House of Commons was not due to laboured or
artificial oratory. In his zeal for the performance
of public duties the late Premier set an excellent
example; and, as Mr. GLADSTONE said, it.was not so
much that his physical strength enabled him to do
so much as hia force of will repelled the infirmities
of age.
Mr. DISRAELI made a few appropriate observa-
tions, and declared that he and his friends agreed
with the utmost cordiality to the proposal submitted
to the house, as the right hon. gentleman emphatically
declared it was fitting that sixty years of public
service should be acknowledged, and that in the
" chief sanctuary of the realm" there should be
some outward and visible sign to preserve the
memory of a statesman, of whom it may be said
that he combined in the highest degree two quali-
ties which we seldom find united—energy and ex-
perience." After stating his hope that the time
might never come when the love of fame should
cease to rule our public men, Mr. DISRAELI de-
clared that he thought that " statesman to be
envied who, when he leaves us, leaves not
merely the memory of great achievements,
but also the tender traditions of per-
sonal affection and social charm. In these
characteristics we find the secret of the great fame
of Lord PAL3IERSTON." It softened the asperities of
the career of toil in which he so long struggled ;
it smoothed the way for him in his dealings
with political opponents, and now, after death,
the memory of his genial manners is his
most grateful attribute in the recollection of
his friends and contemporaries. Had he been per-
mitted to choose, no doubt Lord PALMERSTON would
have desired no better tribute to his memory than to
be thilr kindly spoken of in that House where he
had so long sat, and among those with whom he had
been azsociated.

After what has occurred no one can be surprised
at the intelligence which has reached us this day
—namely, the close of the Prussian Chambers. In-
deed, since the commencement of the present session,
all has tended that way. We have had nothing but
threats on the part of Ministers, and protests on the
side of the Deputies. Affairs have now, however,
reached a climax, and Europe again witnesses
the disgraceful spectacle of the Prussian Cham-
bers abruptly sent to the right-about. Such con-
tinued violation of constitutional rights and privi-
leges is, indeed, sad to contemplate, but we can
expect nothing else until the patience of
the nation at last is exhausted, and the
crafty schemer who has so long trampled on the
rights of those he professes to serve is compelled
to resign the position he now holds. In waiting
for his secession from power, it really seems a
mockery to call the Deputies together at all. The
closing of the Chambers yesterday took people by
and was, indeed, an unexpected affair
everywhere.
Evdn the President did not know
that such an affair waa impending. When the royal
"I hope that
order had been read, Herr GRADow