The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-24 00:00:00

power of his imperial successor. Almost all we
gare
can understand here in England re
to the dispute is that Spain compNning
of certain acts of piracy on the part of the
M.k.sere
demands something more than an ordinary indem-
nification—insists upon something in the shave of
territorial aggrandisement at the expense of Morocco.
To this the Emperor of MOROCCO objecting--war
in the neighbourhood of Ceuta is the consequence.
In two of the territorial charges referred to as
either attempted or probable—those probable
in Asia and attempted in America—Eng-
land is directly involved. She is a prin.
cipal. She has here to act on the defensive
—there on tire aggressive ; defending her own
rights in regard to San Juan—assailing China by
-qy of extorting reparation or expiation from that
barbal l power. In regard to the prospective
and the more important changes
African c.7lllnges,
already acce plished very recently upon the
European Cot:'tinent, Great Britain has
I hitherto maintain. A position strictly neu-
tral and observant. •Dere are limits,
,however, to this system of neutrality and
observation. And upon her MAJEs7T's advisers
devolves, of course, the responsibility of looking
well to it, that those limits are not weakly peteed,
to the detriment of the national dignity, and tho
derogation from the national honour. The respon-
sibility is now wholly and entirely, it will for some
months yet continue to be wholly and entirely,
Ministerial—now that Parliament is not sitting
down at Westminster. There is no longer any
chance whatever of what Lord JOHN (for a purpose)
talked of so -very bouncingly before the commenc-
meat of grouse shooting, viz., an autumnal session.
Saturday last witnessed, at Windsor Castle, the
further prorogation of the Lords and. Commons, by
Her MAJESTY in Privy Council, until the fifteenth
day of December. The beginning of December
means here, of course we all know, the beginning
of February—until the arrival of which customary
period for the commencement of the parliamentary
session, Ministers will hold affairs absolutely in
their own hands. Let them look to it however—
how they acquit themselves during the intervening
period : for when the legislature has again met they
will have to give a strict account of their stewardship.
They will have to explain the discharge of their
responsibilities in the matter of Reform, in refer-
ence to the Italian Question, the Chinese Question,
the San Juan Question, and even in regard to the
course pursued by them in their policy as affected
by the outbreak of hostilities in Northern Africa
between Spain and Morocco.
As though for the very purpose of giving Minis-
ters a gentle reminder of the formidable strength
of the Opposition by which they will be confronted
in February, there approaches on Saturday next,
the 29th inst., that grand banquet to be given at
Liverpool to the Earl of DEWY and Mr. DISRAELI,
and others of the formidable leaders of the power-
ful and doubly powerful, because thoroughly united,
party of the Conservatives,

The renowned Hinckford Conservative and Ag-
ricultural Club, has just held its annual meeting;
indeed, a whole batch of Agricultural Meetings
have been filling the columns of the country papers,
for few of which it is practicable to find room in
those of the London journals. The Hinckford
Club has little need to take, formally, the name of
Conservat:ve, for what are all agricultural societies
but Conservative societies—and Conservative they
will be until the farming tenants are emancipated

—Conservative in the sense of preserving for their
landlords all the privileges the latter will strive to
retain, till the force of public opinion shall compel
them to take their stand on their personal and their
class merits. We do not disparage the country
gentlemen and their tenantry. ney comprise
some of the best material that Englishmen are
made of; but it is not so good as it might Tie.

It wants the seasoning of a little more
intellectual wind and weather. It is much the bet-
ter, already, for free trade and railroads, and for
having had a little more intercourse and competi-
tion with the rest of the world. The landlords and
farmers of to-day are not what they were a quarter
of a century ago, and quite of a different stamp to
those who vegetated on their broad acres fifty years
ago. Still there is great need for improvement ;
and nothing would bo more towards it than the
Ballot,—the boon which every farmer desires, but
the accursed thing in the eyes of every landlord.
It will be a glorious start for agricultural intelli-
gence, when country gentlemen shall be obliged to
canvass for the votes of their tenantry, not by
steward's orders, but by arousing their own minds
to convince the awakening minds of their emanci-

pated serfs.
At Hinckford, as could but be expected, all was
Conservatism to the backbone. Mr. RUIN BRIGHT
got cut and thrust from almost every speaker ; we
thought, indeed, that more honour was done to his
puissance than Conservative prudence demanded.
It is not easy to depreciate a man and at,the same
time to show yourself "so anxious' to parry his
attacks. Church-rates abolition was denounced
with all the warmth with which southerns in
America would denounce slavery abolition, the

clergyman's brother taking the lead on behalf of the
more modest reverend. " The Tower Hamlets might
vote abolition of church-rates and of other taxes
too, but the people of England were attached to

heir church, and however free trade might prevail

in other points, they did not desire free trade in
churches." Great concern was expressed that the
Prime Minister and Lord JOHN should throw over-
board the views they had held for a quarter of a
century. We strongly suspect, however; that were
the question of church-rates put to the ballot the
honest farmers of Essex would vote by a large
majority that every man should pay for his own
church.

Our old friend W. 8., of course, was there, and
Mr. Du CANE, who is getting a little reputation as
a county speaker ; the Rev. J. Cox also was not
wanting to his old reputation. The reverend gen-
tleman ventured, for he always ventures something,
to differ from his lay colleagues. He thinks the line
of demarcation is becoming stronger than ever be-
tween the Conservatives and the so-called Liberal
party. The latter want Parliamentary Government,
the former stand by the good old institutions of King,
Lords, and Commons. He prophecies that the real
battle-ground about to be taken up was the Church-
rate question, because it involved the separation of
Church and State. The Church-rate war was in
reality a war a la outrance against the Established
Church. We would advise our Conservative friends
to be a little more cautious on this subject. If, in-
deed, the existence of the Establishment be bound
up with Church-rates its days will not be many.
Church-rates are certainly doomed, and it will be
folly for the friends of the Church to argue that
tithes and rates must go together. They may very
soon be glad to reverse such arguments.
The Conservative Tvlembers spoke in what we
may term the old style and the new. Mr. BERES-
FORD did all that might become one brought up in
the days of the good old King, and Mr. Du CANE,
one who had stretched his ideas rather in the school
of Post-Reform Bill Conservatism. The former was
angry with Lord DERBY for having proposed such
a Radical Reform Bill as that which really turned