The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-03 00:00:00

of Canning. Commencing with a brief retro-
spect of the general features. of Lord Chatham's
character, the ,writer, like most other critics, does
not award him unqualified praise, but he maintains
that Chatham did what no other statesman of his
age could have done. He reconciled the divided
and conflicting sympathies of the nation, he made
them once more a combined and loyal people. " He
found England divided and dispirited; he left it
united and exultant." Passing on to the two great
rivals who immediately succeeded Chatham on the
political stage, the writer accords the pre-eminence
in statesmanship to Pitt. Admitting all the force
and fascination of Fox's genius, he remarks, that
" he prolonged authority of the son of Chatham
was not an accident. What is the explanation?
The nation admired the lavish gifts of the one ; but
it had confidence in the other. It is the triumph of
character." The disparaging assertion that Pitt's
success was only a succession of fortunate accidents
is justly contradicted, since history will hardly deny
him, whatever his errors in policy, a place among
the foremost of our statesmen. Coming to the times
of his brilliant pupil and successor, the writer con-
fines his eulogium chiefly to his Foreign policy, on
which he asserts the fame of Mr. Canning must ul-
timately depend. Tracing the principles which ac-
tu at e I his po: icy, and its beneficial results, he laments
his absence from the Foreign Office during the ye .pi
between 1810 and 1822. One of his grounds for re-
gret may be heartily joined in, when we reflect on
the misery caused by the Treaty of Vienna. " Had
Canning remained in office we may rest assured
that he would not have sanctioned the settlement of
1815. Had he remained in office the Holy Al-
liance' would have been nipped in the bud, and the
struggle we have lately witnessed—a struggle to
readjust on a better defined, and more
natural basis the distribution of power, in
Europe—might have been averted." An extract
is given from his famous vindication of his policy
towards Spain and Portugal, in which he electrified
the house by the assertion that he had " called a
new world into existence to redress-the balance of
the old." The summary of his later years is brief,
but the general view taken ofithe different charac-
ters of the great statesmen of their time, and of the
chief features of their polity, is full of interest. A
paper on Indian Finance is written in a clear and
lucid manner, and touches on the hardships of the
Civil Service. " Holmby House" is continued, and
apparently advances to its conclusion. The unfor-
tunate Humphrey is again in tho hauls of the
rebels, and .the doom of the King is rapidly ap-
proaching. The other story which has divided the
reader's interest with this historical narrative, the
tale of " Sword and Gown," is brought to
a conclu-
sion, which, like the preceding chapters, is written
with force and ability. The stern and reckless hero
meets a soldier's death in the charge at Balaklava,
but the fair and stately heroine, Cecil Tresilyant re-
appears by his death-bed in the form of a hospital
nurse. Evangeline is no longer alone in her mourn-
ful re-union with her lover, for many heroines of
romance of the present day have donned the grey
dress and close cap of the Sisters of Mercy. Tile
characters are sketched with vigour and indivi-
duality, and the style is often forcible. Occasionally,
however, it is marred by a straining after effect.
Sir Archibald Alison's " History of Europe" is the
subject of a merciless attack. A memorial paper on
the late Mr. Brunel renders fall justice to the genius
of the eminent engineer. An article on Hallucina-
tions offers some curious facts for the attention of
the psychologist. An essay, entitled, " Has Poli-
tical Freedom receded ?" replies to that question in
a very unsatisfactory manner, but its logic is not
unanswerable.

Colburn's New Mon Oily Magazine.

The recent progress of geographical discovery
furnishes the subject of the introductory article,
which takes a review of the achievements of science
and the advance in knowledge which has been made
by modern enterprise and perseverance. The curi-
ous story of " The Signal Lights" which is appa-
rently going to relate the marvellous fulfilment of
a dream, is proceeded with. We fear some misfor-
tune is about to befal the fair dreamer, Mrs. Lake.
Sir Nathaniel, in his Notes on Note Worthies of every
age, avails himself of the wide limits allowed in his
title by transporting us to the days of Plato, and
discussing the somewhat melancholy career of Dion,
the Syracusan patriot. Instrumental in releasing
his countrymen from the rule of a tyrant failed
to satisfy the popular wants and met a tyrant's end.
The disciple of the schools and follower of Plato
was greater in theory 'than practice, like many '
another philosopher before and since. Mrs. Bush-
by concludes her tale of " The Planter's Daughter,"
and narrates the insurrection of the negrocs and
the escape of the heroine, Mrs. Evelyn, from them.
It is scarcely fair, however, to allow her " the last
word" in the long pending dispute with her hus-
band as to theirights of the rival races, as the
arguments in favour of social order will not sup-
port the doctrine of slavery. Professor Ranke's
new contribution to historical literature is discussed
and several extracts from his History of England
are given. " The long night in '37," is a very sin-
gular paper, of a new kind that has lately ap-
peared in several periodicals. In this class of papers
the hero tells his own story, and relates -the fearful
affliction that has befallen him in the possession of
a supernatural power that isolates him from his
fellow-creatures. Sometimes it is the power to
foretel events, sometimes to read the thoughts of
others. On this occasion it is a more mysterious
quality, the victim's time glides with extraordinary
rapidity, he lives years while others only exist
hours. It is certainly curious, but such a style of
writing is open to many objections, and is decidedly
morbid in its tone. The episode of Agatha does
not improve its sense or attraction. The " Auto-
biography of Hans Mitterkamp" is continued, and
describes the battle-field of Jena. Edward Row-
sell contributes one of his reflective papers on
Church Services, and Church Dissensions. The
ninth number of Stereoscopic Glimpses shows us
Young at Welwyn,' watching a thunderstorm,
as we can fancy him standing meditating while
some of the finer reflections in his immortal " Night
Thoughts" flashed across his brain. It is a novel
and striking idea to give, as it were, a momentary
sight of each of our great poets in his home, and
the contrast afforded by some of their circumstances
must strike forcibly on the reader. " The Last
Days of a Poet" record the mournful story of
Heinrich Heine's su fferinn's and death, and expresses
indignation at the indifference with which Ger-
many has regarded the loss of her greatest poet of
the time.

The United Service Magazine.
A paper on "Manning. the Navy" attacks boldly
the defects and deficiencies in our system of naval
management. We have ourselves often called at-
tention to the evils arising from the changes in the
controlling departments with every fluctuation in
the strength of rival political factions; and the
same arguments are adduced in this article with
force and vigour. The following remarks are full
of truth, and the facts speak for themselves to all
unprejudiced persons :
Manning the navy is a subject of such vast importance to
this country that it should be elevated to the rank of a
science. Every branch of the service has its established
and distinct department. Paying, victualling, doctoring,
steaming, and shipbuilding, constitute each a department
under the Board of Admiralty; but the most important
branch of the navy is left almost to chance. The First Sea
Lord of the Admiralty is entrusted with the management
and culture of this vital branch; but only as a component
part of a voluminous whole. What makes this arrange-
ment still more objectionable is, that the same sea lord is,
as it were, a bird of passage. The Surveyor of the Navy,
the Medical Director-General, Comptroller of Victualling,
&c., and the Accountant-General, hold permanent offices.
These heads of departments, although nominally under the
control of certain Lords of the Admiralty, are so much fix-
tures, that they, generally speaking, instruct instead of
being instructed. But providing men for the navy is left
very much to accident, or to the care of irresponsible officials.
During the last ten years there have been six changes in
this particular office. Some naval lords have taken one
view, some another, and hardly two have been agreed upon
the best method of securing a supply of men for the navy.
One has favoured continuous service, another has thought
so poorly of that plan as to allow the men entered under
that engag-ement to be dispersed. The First Lord for the
time being receives instructions from the Premier, and "cut
down" or "fill up" becomes the order of the day. The
senior Sea Lord, that is, the Manning Lord, must shut his
mouth or resign ; the Premier is not to be dictated to by a
Lord of the Admiralty.
After taking a thorough and searching view of
the subject, the writer concludes by an impressive
lament over the inadequate rewards offered to un-
befriended merit :

Let the noble duke who now holds the post of First Lord
of the Admiralty look well to the present conaition' of the
navy. The ambitious lad who takes the shilling of the re-
cruiting sergeant, and enters the army, may have his dreams
of becoming an officer of rank realised, not so the naval
apprentice. The one is cheered by the hope of one day
gaining an honourable position in society ; the other knows
full well that the summit of his glory is a boatswain's or
gunner's warrant. Reform the navy, my lord duke. Now
is the time—it may lte now or never. Your grace is lis-
' temng week after week to various plans for improving the
service. Now you are troubled with a growl from the old
admirals—again, the claims of the commanders and neglected
lieutenants aro pressed. The masters have sought to be
emancipated, and other officers have had their grievances
brought before you for redress. But while attending to
these do not forget the claims of the active serving officers,
who will have to oppose their shoulders to the enemy ; and
more than all, open the gate of promotion to the highest
rank to the humblest possessor of merit. When weighing
the claims of the different aspirants for rank, turn not to
tho peerage, nor to the list of illustrious commoners. Listen
not to the suggestions of political supporters, but let rugged
merit plead her honest cause, and have justice. Then,
and then only, will schemes for manning the navy, and for
the establishment of a naval reserve, gain the ear and heart
of those whom we should encourage to serve in the British
marine.

The terrible losses at sea by the late disastrous gale
prove the need and value of good harbours of re-
fuge. The continuation of the article on this sub-
ject will scarcely fail to secure attention, Papers