The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-22 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

The Report of the Commission ob. the Irish Church, sail
the Times, presents itself with all the solemnity of a funeral,
not to say the silence of a spectre. Observing the strictest
rules of decorum, and shaping itself to common imagina-
tions, it is exactly what was expected, and irreproachably
what it was to be. The reduction of scale is perfectly
uniform, only " fine by degrees and beautifully less." In
all its prominent features, it is simply to Lord Derby's
Irish Church Reform what that was to the previous state
of things. There is not the slightest attempt to surprise,
to put the public on a new scent, to alter the aspect of
affairs, or even to compromise. The last, indeed, was not
within the instructions of the commission, but commis.
sioners, before this, have made exceedingly good use of
their opportunities to represent the state of things as they
wished it to appear. There is something like a bid for
support to the holders of Church leases and to the payers
of tithe rentcharge, but otherwise the Church of Ireland,
as seen in this picture, exhibits only that mixture of obsti-
nacy and humility which makes up into vulgar resignation.
It is drawing its robe about its limbs. It proposes to cast
a somewhat smaller shadow over the land, and so leave its
enemies less excuse. Such areport is not even an addition
to the materials of the question. Its value has not even
been discounted ; it has been simply anticipated, and
taken for what it is worth— which is, indeed, very little.
It neither helps towards the general decision, nor yet
towards the disposal of the numerous difficulties confes-
sedly in the way of any settlement.

The Standard considers it a significant fact that the
changes recommended by the commissioners are so few
and on the whole so limited in their character. Such are
not the changes which would be counselled by a commis-
sion investigating the arrangements of a Church deserving
the description given of it by Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Lowe,
and their adherents—a Church without work and barren
of fruits, " whose cure of souls was a sinecure," and whose
emoluments were out of all proportion to her duties.
Such were not even the changes made in 1833 by a
Minister not less attached to the Church than
those now struggling to save her from threatened
spoliation. The vast difference between the sweeping
revolution of that year and the moderate and almost
trivial reforms now suggested is the measure of the
difference between the condition of the Church then and
now, and proves both bow complete and sufficient was the
correction of anomalies and the redress of abuses effected
under the auspices of Mr. Stanley, and how earnestly the
Church has since exerted herself to fulfil the trust reposed
in her. It cannot be supposed that the commission would
be inclined to do their work imperfectly ; to pass over
proved injustice, or permit lucrative sinecures or mon-
strous disproportion between work and emolument to
remain untouched. Their very tenderness for the Church
would induce them to deal boldly with such dis•
orders as they could detect, and to make their scheme of
reform as thorough and as attractive as possible, knowing
that it must form the basis of the alternative measures to
be offered to Parliament and to the country as a substitute
for Mr. Gladstone's scheme of confiscation and disestablish-
ment. They would be tempted to err, if at all, rather on
the side of severity than of leniency, in order to produce
a counter-proposition which might satisfy wavering minds,
and perhaps win over some of the more moderate and
reluctant of the_Liberals to accept it as a compromise.

The Herald says the volume which is the result of the
commission's labours abundantly justifies what we and other
sincere friends of the Church in Ireland have always urged,
that the actual condition of the Church was dangerous
in the extreme. This condition of the Irish Church was a
favourite topic for the Liberal party for many years past ;
and, unfortunaely, the legal guardians and spokesmen of
the Church did not undertake the task of reform when it
might have been carried out in comparative security.
One of the first declarations of the present Government
on entering into office was to deal thoroughly with this
question. The anxiety of the Government was, in view of
the possible dangers which then threatened the Church,
to undertake, in behalf of constitutional interests, the
work which should have been long since carried out by
the Irish bishops and the leaders of Protestant opinion in
that country ; to thoroughly reform the Irish Church, so
as to put this branch of our Establishment on such a basis
as would enable her to defy her enemies. Had this been
accomplished in time, Mr. Gladstone's attack on the
Established Church would probably never have been
made. Such a movement would have no longer presented
the attractions, the promise of popularity and success,
which at one time seemed to attend the famous Resolutions.
The fate of that movement will soon be decided. Mean-
while, the policy of the Conservative party on this ques-
tion is being clearly marked out. That policy is to pursue
the course of reform which they originated before Mr.
Gladstone's conversion, and which they will yet carry out
after his conversion and its consequences have ceased to
have any import.
Lord Derby, in speaking of Mr. Gladstone's plan as
aiming at the confiscation of the entire property of " the
Establishment," intends probably, the Daily News thinks,
in the use of this term to speak with minute accuracy, and
to distinguish the Establishment from the Church. Mr.
Gladstone does not propose to take the entire property
of the Church : he contemplates leaving it in full posses.
sion of its private endowments. The distinction, if
Lord Derby really intended to mark it, should have led
him further. The property of a State Establishment, as
a State Establishment, is surely the property of the State,
Of all the parts of our army expenditure, the Post
believes that relating to the colonial service is perhaps the
most hopeful as regards retrenchment. The expenses,
direct and indirect, of maintaining garrisons scattered all
over the world are enormous ; the transport of the mer
and stores and the maintenance of the barracks and other
buildings are exceedingly costly, and the expense would
be much less if the troops were concentrated af.
home. For, leaving India out of the question, and
allowing for the repayments and contributions of some
of the colonies, the total charges for the regiments
stationed throughout our colonial empire is no less than
three millions, out of which the pay of the men is about
half only. Whatever reasons may formerly have neces-
sitated the maintenance of these scattered garrisons, it is
undesirable that the introduction of steam and telegraphs
have not only rendered this system unnecessary, but even
undesirable, for it is admitted by the best authorities that
a force concentrated at home, and kept in a perfect stats
of preparation, so as to be thrown en masse on any
• menaced point on the shortest possible notice, would be far
more efficacious, even for the defence of the colonies them-
selves, than if it were distributed in several weak colonial
garrisons. Although we Lave to a limited extent acted
upon this principle, we have, it appears to us, been much
too slow in adopting it, and our army reformers would do
well to press the matter vigorously next session, for un-
doubtedly a very large saving indeed can be made, even
without that reduction in numbers which has always
frightened the military authorities into determined opposi-
tion to the scheme.
Mr. Burlinghame and his Chinese Embassy have arrived
in London. From the accounts of the personnel of the
mission that have already appeared the Star expects to
derive at once profit and amusement from their presence
among us, as they seem individually to unite all the
attractiveness of the show Chinaman to the dignity of the
diplomatist. Surely, from the days when embassies were
first sent there have been none that promised to
be so interesting to the curious as this one.
Its chief is an American, its first secretary an
Irishman, its second a native of France. It is
in Chih-u-Kahn that we come to the real Chinaman,
whose illustrious line is free from every taint of western
barbarism. This gentleman is Associate Minister, and
yet he only weighs 130 pounds. Here is a lesson that
we trust will not be thrown away on those who are
eternally complaining of the inadequacy of their meant
to their desired ends. At 1301 b. height Chip-u-Khan
has managed to lay his sovereign under an obligation :
how many men are there amongst us who at 2601 b.
have bestowed one thought on their country ?
But, by the way, the other members of the
embassy are gentlemen who interpret in the principal
European languages. We wish them all a long and a
profitable stay in this country—profitable to them and to
ourselves. Mr. Burlinghame deserves thanks for having
brought them here. It was a great undertaking, and it
must not be forgotten that it is an undertaking not yet
completed. The Chinese have shewn their usual happi.
ness of thought in the choice of a name for the gentleman
who has led their countrymen these thousands of miles
from home to meet the West on its on ground. The
translation of Mr. Burlingbame's title is " Minister of
Heavy Responsibility." Could anything he fitter, more
literally true ?

LIBERATION OF IRISH POLITICAL CONVICTS.
The Nation states that two of the political prisoners in
Australia, Patrick Doran, convicted with General Burke
for high treason in 1837, and Daniel Moriarty, of Mallow,
have been discharged, on condition of not returning to
their native land ; and that within the last ten days
Michael Stanley, who, since February 1867, has been
imprisoned in Millbank and Portland, has been uncon•
ditionally released.

THE ANGLO-SANSKRIT PROFESSOR AT BENARES
CoLmtur.—Mr. A. E. Gough, 8.A., late scholar of Lin•
coin College, Oxford, has been recently appointed Anglo.
Sankrit professor at the Government College, Benares.
Mr. Gough entered his university in 1862, and having won
a Goldsmith's exhibition, obtained the following scholar,
the Puscy and Ellerton (Hebrew), in 1803;
Boden (Sanskrit), 1864 ; Kennecit (Hebrew), 1866; Deutz
end Johnson (Theological), 1807. In the same year Mr.
Cough was appointed Sanskrit Professor at 'Madras, from
witenee he_ waB trA_OfeKrcsi to Benares.