The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-04 00:00:00

though willing
'plan of the reserve is, that
to enrol hi
taut than over to actually serve in the navy, inas-
much as the ietainer he receives now as a Reserve
man ceases the moment he enters a Queen's ship.
This is undoubtedly true, and the only remedy is to
allow every seaman being a member of the Reserve
to receive his annual retainer of £6 wherever he is
serving, either in the merchant or Royal navy.
This, it is said, would be tantamount to offering
the premium to all the able seamen of the Royal
navy who would volunteer to a man in the Reserve
as fast as their ships were paid off. We have not
the least doubt but that such would be the case, and
most heartily should we rcilice if it occurred to-
morrow. Before our Naval Reserve was established
it was the fashion to laud to the very utmost the
perfection of the French system of maritime inscrip-
tion, which undoubtedly was the best of its kind for
the simple reason that it was then the only one. It
is not at all improbable now, however, that our
allies, if they do not adopt a scheme similar to our
own Reserve, will at least abandon that of their
much-praised inscription, which in a pamphlet just
published in Paris, has been most strongly con-
demned by M. Brun, the Commissary-General of
Marine. This high authority states that the system
of inscription does not work at all ; that in Toulon
alone during one year judgment has been pro-
nounced against no less than 900 sailors deserted
from the inscription ; that " France, who counts
40,000,000 of inhabitants, has only 170,000 men in-
scribed, and oat of this number, according to Admi-
ral Romain Desfosses, only 62,000 are fit for ser-
vice." Mr. Brun's conclusion is significant. lie
says :—" This state of affairs is brought about by
laying burdens on a particular class. Every one
tries to avoid being inscribed upon certain catego.
ries i above -all; when the compensation is not
-equivalent to the bervice-requir denot. &no-
^ Maritime di-e Hilt ion , but
I cannot help thinking that, as at present regu-
lated, it is most hurtful to the country."
Yet, strange tosay, very few parts of the French
military system have been more highly eulogised in,
our Parliament than that of their maritime inscrip-
tion, which is here so unequivocally condemned by
one of the highest French authorities on the subject,

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

FINSBURY.

The plot is thickening in Finsbury. Hitherto
Mr. Mills has had it all his own way, but Mr. Cox,
the late member, if he has not actually entered the
field as a candidate, is preparing to do so with some
effect. Last night he addressed a meeting in the
Cowper-street Rooms and offered his services to the
constituency. Like Mr. Sleigh, however, he thinks
that £3,000 is too mush to pay for the honour of a
seat in the House of Commons, bat he is willing to
defray the strictly legal expenses of the election.
In other words, if the electors will contribute some-
thing like £2,600 out of their own pockets, and at
the same time guarantee his return, he will have no
objection to go the length of £4OO. The meeting,
composed almost entirely of working men, was en-
thusiastic in his favour, and a resolution was passed
declaring him to be the most eligible man to repre-
sent the borough in Parliament. Mr. Cox returned
thanks, but stated that before issuing an address he
would call district meetings, for the purpose of
ascertaining the wishes of the electors generally.
There is thus some chance of a contest after all, but
should Mr. Cox eventually resolve to declare him-
self a candidate he will find that a good deal of pre-
cious time has been lost. The ground is already
well occupied by an elaborate organisation in the
interest of Mr. Mills, and even if Mr. Cox should
get over the pecuniary difficulty, which is rather
doubtful, he may discover that there are other ob,
stacles in his path of a still more stubborn charac-
ter. While Mr. Cox was addressing the meeting
in Cowper-street last night, Mr. Mills was giving
an exposition of his political principles to a large
body of the Islington electors assembled in Myddel-
ton Hall. In reply to a question, he expressed the
opinion that the present system of Parliamentary
grants for education has been proved to be th Droughly
inefficient, and that some change is necessary. He
is in favour of the Revised Code, but is willing to
give a careful consideration to the case of the cer-
tificated teachers. A resolution, pledging the mut-
ing to use its best efforts to secure his return, was
moved by Mr. N-)ttage, seconded by Mr. Fuller,
and carried unanimously. The proceedings ter-
minated with three cheers for Mr. Mills.