The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-15 00:00:00

men.

THE PROSPECTS OF WAR.

A correspondent has forwarded the following
extract of a letter from Vienna, dated April 12,
1859 :—* * * * „But I cannot refrain from
telling you that the chances of a war in Italy seem
to increase daily; preparations here are still carried
on on a monster scale, and soldiers arrive and leave
daily for the south. For a long time no express
trains have run on the Trieste railway, as the com-
pany has enough to do in forwarding the men and
materiel de l'armee. I have heard from a most re-
liable source that the Empress is in the greatest
distress at the near prospect of the Emperor going
to Italy."

LONDON BRIDGE 4- CRARING-CROSS

.RAILIVAT BILL.

Mr. Ingham reported from the Committee on Group 1 of
Railway and Canal Bills, that, in the case of the London
and Charing-cross Railway Bill, the Committee had ex-
amined into the several matters required by the standing
orders to be specially reported upon by committees on rail-
way bills, and had agreed to the following report :
" That a report from the Board of Trade and the Board
of Admiralty in regard to the bill and the objects thereof
had been referred by the house to the committee, and the
recommendations thereof, so far as the same appeared ap-
plicable to the bill as amended, had been considered and
adopted by the committee. That it is not intended that the
railway should pass on a level any turnpike road. That
there are no other special circumstances of which, in the
opinion of the committee, it is desirable the house should
be informed."

Mr. Ingham further reported from the committee, that
they had examined the allegations contained in the pream-
ble of the bill, and had amended the same by striking out
of the recitals the intention to confer powers upon certain
companies of subscribing to the undertaking, and making
working arrangements, such powers not being now sought
in respect of those companies, and found the same as
amended to be true, and had gone through the bill and
made amendments thereunto."

ELECTION INTELLIGENCE.

MEETING OF SIR S. M. PETO'S FRIENDS.

Last evening a very large meeting of the inhabitants of
the borough of Finsbury was held at the Freemasons'-hall,
for the purpose of hearing the political opinions of the hon,
baronet.

ROGER CUNLIFFE, Esq., presided ; and in the course of
a brief address said he would introduce Sir S. M. Peto as a
good commercial man, an honest man, and one who was
always accessible. (Hear, hear.)
Sir S. M. PETO then rose, and was received (as on his
entrance to the hall) with most enthusiastic plaudits. After
a few preliminary remarks, he said that since the dissolu-
tion had been announced he had been honoured with three
requisitions, two from the country, but the latter he had
declined, because he felt he was previously pledged to
this borough. (Hear, hear.) • He would declare himself
to be an ardent and sincere reformer, and had he been in
the House of Commons on the Reform debate he
would have voted for Lord John Russell. (Loud cheers.)
While he did not wish to see the franchise in the counties
below £lO, he did not desire to disfranchise the existing
freehold voters. (Hear.) He had been asked whether he
would vote for manhood suffrage, but he felt there must be
a gauge, because we must have something indicating intelli-
gence. He condemned the Reform Association who had
thus questioned him and told him he was found wanting, and
thought no self-constituted body ought to have the power
to dictate to the candidate or voter. Any man who was
able to pay 2s. a week, or £5 a year, was, he thought, en-
titled to a vote. (Vehement cheering.) He believed if the
Chancellors of the Exchequer were chosen from some such
men as Mr, Baring or G. C. Glyn, more confidence would
be felt in them in matters of finance than in any fashion-
able novel writers. (Hear, hear.) With regard to our
foreign policy, all must feel that the affairs of Europe were
in a very critical state, and he thought one of the powerful
causes was the enormous standing army. He believed that
the policy of this country would be that of non-intervention.
(Hear.) He much deplored the present state of Italy, but
did not think there was so much liberty in France that that
country could attempt to export it to Italy. (Cheers.)
Having drawn an affecting picture of the sufferings in the
Crimea from the late war, and deprecating war generally,
although he was nota peace-at-any-price man, he said that
all knew that war tended to exhaust the exchequer, and how-
ever necessary what had been going on in India might have
been, still it would produce a great pressure upon our funds.
Having expressed himself as willing to answer all questions
which might be intelligibly put to him, he sat down amidst
loud cheering.
Mr. J. How Ann WILLIAMS, of Bedford-row, moved,
and Mr. W. C. HUGHNAN, churchwarden of St. George the
Martyr, seconded, the following resolution :—" That having
heard the statement and explanation now made by Sir S.
M. Pete, this meeting is of opinion that the hon. baronet is
a fit and proper person to represent the borough of Fins-
bury in the ensuing Parliament."
Mr. SANDERS, of Bagnigge-wells-road, asked whether
the hon. baronet would vote for opening the British Museum
and Crystal Palace on Sundays ?
Sir S. M.,PETo replied that he should feel it his duty at all
times to do everything in his power which would prevent
the desecration of the Sabbath—(tremendous cheers)—and
in answer to another elector, said the moment he found his
business affairs interfere with his Parliamentary duties,that
moment he would return the trust into their hands. (Hear,
hear.) He was prepared to remove the toll from every
bridge in the metropolis, as also to remove every turnpike
gate within 10 miles of the metropolis, but not by imposing
a ruinous rate upon the residents of those localities ; in-
stead of which he would prefer a rate upon the entire me-
tropolitan districts, or a tax on those who kept horses and
carriages.
The resolution was then put and carried, with only three
dissentients.
The Hon. Baronet having returned thanks,
The proceedings closed with thanks to the chairman.