The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-15 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

Confining its attention to what has occurred in the
House of Commons, the Times thinks there is almost room
to doubt whether the present session can witness a settle-
ment of this Boundary Bill, or, indeed, of any other mea-
sure beyond the merest routine which can be brought
before Parliament. The aimlessness, the want of pur-
pose of those who shared in yesterday's conversation is
eminently discouraging. But we have some faith in the
good effects of the time for reflection which the practical
adjournment until Monday affords. For the last week
there has been more or less agitation about this
Boundary Bill. There have been unceasing rumours of
what might, could, or would happen when the time
arrived for going into committee upon it. The time has
arrived. Everything that could be said has been-said, and
when reflection supervenes on the confusion of yesterday
evening, it must induce a feeling of astonishment that
there has been so much excitement over a matter so simple.
It could not be expected that Parliament would embody
the report of the Boundary Commission in an Act with-
out a word of discussion ; and, on the other hand, it was
impossible for the House of Commons without grave
cause to retract its policy deliberately adopted last
year, and sacrifice the labours of commissioners
who have faithfully observed the instructions it had given
them. In such a conjuncture a select committee may
fairly be invoked to rescue the House from itself. If the
committee be impartially nominated by the Government,
and there is no reason in the world why it should not be
chosen with a leaning to the side of the Opposition, its
recommendations will be accepted without demur, and the
House will gratefully pass from an unpleasant position to
the discussion of some other of the measures essentially
preliminary to a dissolution.

The Post, remarking that the anticipated contest on the
merits of the Boundary Bill has very sensibly been post-
poned, says, the fact is that very few members of the
House of Commons have given that care and attention to
the consideration of the very elaborate report published
by the Boundary Commissioners which could justify them
in expressing their opinion on its merits as a whole.
The representatives of particular boroughs, dissatisfied
with the lines of demarcation which have been drawn by
the commissioners, were certainly prepared to demon-
strate the obvious injustice of the proposed arrangement
so far as it affected their particular constituencies.
but the obvious bias which necessarily tinged their con-
clusions would necessarily detract from their weight.
Again, it was obvious that if the House proceeded to con-
sider in detail the operation of the bill in each borough in
the kingdom, with a view to modifying the proposals of
the commissioners, the time expended would not he less
than that occupied last session in the discussion
of the various clauses of the Reform Bill. 'Under
these circumstances, it was proposed that the bill
should be referred to a select committee, whose
business it should be to entertain the complaints
of any constituencies which have petitioned against
the proposed arrangement. The desultory discussion
which followed on this suggestion ended in its acceptance
by the Prime Minister ; his proposal, however, that the
task of appoiriting the special committee should be thrown
upon the Committee of Selection having been strenuously
protested against by the members of that body, it was
ultimately resolved that the Government should on a
future day submit for the approval of the House the
names of the members to compose the select committee,
and with this understanding the House, as a matter of
form, went into committee on the bill, and shortly atter-
wards resumed.

The Daily News declares that a satisfactory adjustment
of boundaries is impossible, save in conjunction with a
redistribution of seats, Gigantic constituencies, such as
11lanchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and the metropo-
litan boroughs, need rather to be reduced to manageable
dimensions by division than swelled by the aggregation of
outlying demerits. The additional members whom this
subdivision would call for could be obtained only by the
disfranchisement of small boroughs. The present House
of Commons has, however, declined this necessary reform.
The final settlement of boundaries must therefore be
deferred until this kindred and connected task is accom-
plished.

The Standard says the chiefs of the Opposition found
that they could not rely on their followers. There is, in-
deed, a compact body ready to follow them unquestion-
ingly in any course they may choose to take ; but there is,
too, as they have found to their annoyance before, a con-
siderable section which puts forward the pretension to
consult its sense of the public interest and of its own
honour in the votes it may give, and this section declined
to support Mr. Hibbert's proposal to fling back their
report into the faces of the commissioners, and virtually
leave a great evil, recognised by every Government which
has promised to deal with the question of Reform, and
specially provided for in the Act of last year, undresssed.
There was nothing to be done, therefore, but to make as
skilful a retreat as possible, and with that view Mr. Glad-
stone initiated a discussion upon the motion for going into
the committee on the bill.

The Star points out that the debate on the Boundaries
Bill had a defect from which many recent debates in the
House of Commons have been free. It was too complai-
sant. A real grievance was in the minds of Liberal mem-
bers, or there would have been no hesitation in going into
committee ; but there was a serious disposition to avoid as
far as possible all topics of offence, and much of the lan-
guage used was so exceedingly restrained, and even
honeyed, that a spectator not in the game could only ask
what it was that underlay the seemingly inconclusive and
tuatrenchant criticisms in which very responsible members
were indulging. One point there was which was not even
hinted at. Everything that makes for delay makes for
the delectation of her Majesty's Government. But we
live in courteous times, and as a week has hardly elapsed
since Government heard the plain truth from Mr. Bright,
it is too soon for either him or any other member to ad-
minister a very strong dose again.

EFFECTS OF THE RATEPAYING CLAUSES.

In an adjacent town situated in the Black Country, and
within ten miles, a very heavy poor rate (3s. Gd. in the
pound) has been granted, and the poor people are in great
distress. In but few instances have landlords made any
arrangements with their tenants, neither has there been a
public meeting to explain to the rentpaying commu-
nity their liabilities ; consequently, when the humbler
classes obtain their notes from the collector, they
usually fly to some one to explain the matter,
or write letters to the overseers and guardians.
The following extraordinary letter is a specimen sent to
one of the latter gentlemen :—" Your honner I have been
in thirty years. With my hard work and industry
I saved a hundred and fifty pounds up to the year of
sixty and through the badness of trade and a large
family and a sick wife I have run out of my hundred
and fifty pounds up to the year sixty-four when the
colliers strike was then I did not owe the world a
penny, nor the world did not owe me a penny.
then I was oblyged to come on to my creaditors
with sickness in my house and bad trade and the
undermining of trade. I am above fifty pounds in
debt for bills that I owe and house rent, and I shall be
5G years old next July and I never troubled the parish for
a penny in my life and I will leave it to you gentlemen
to Judge for yourselves wether I can pay poor's rates or
no for I am the father of twenty-five children and
there is seven of us in family and I can't hardly get vittles
suffishen for them to eat this is to true to be a lie but I
wish it was a lie then it would be the better for me and if
you dout my word I will show you my bills and I will
show you my rent books and I stand in need of help
instead of being accrushed and apressed please to
turn it over and the year of sixty-six I had 12 months
sickness in the hous.e." [The writer enters most minutely
into the sicknesses which have prevailed in his house
during the twelve months. It is of such a delicate and
private nature that we do not care to publish it, inasmuch
as it could serve no end, and the father of twenty-five
children must necessarily have a large circle of acquaint-
ances.] The writer concludes his letter thus :—" This is
twelve months misery for a married man and Mr. F—
was the doctor this is to true to be a lie and I will leave
it to do as you like with me for I work more hours than
any man in the town and the gentlemen of the town no it
and I can't get a living in it."—Biriningham Po3t.

We have been informed that the labours of the
Trades' Union Commission, or Westminster Star Cham-
ber, concluded on Tuesday last, so far as the examination
of witnesses is concerned. The future sittings will be
&voted to the.preparation of their report to be presented
to the Secretary of State for the Home Department.
Beehive.

A case of great importance to the medical pro-
fes3ion and also to the public has been heard in the Liver-
pool County Court. The facts of the case admit of close
compression. A man sent for -a surgeon to attend his
child ; but the surgeon being from home his assistant
attended, and subsequently another surgeon went in place
of the doctor first sent for. The child died, and its father
refused to pay a claim for attendance and medicine, on
the ground that he engaged a particular surgeon, who did
not visit the child, but sent an assistant who had not
qualified, and subsequently another surgeon, whose ser-
vices the father bad not consented to accept. The judge
nonsuited the claimant, holding that a medical man was
not entitled to charge for a deputy whose services had not
been solicited or accepted.