The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-14 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, FEB. 14, 1868.

We are glad to find that the first night of the
Parliamentary labours of 1868 has not been allowed
to pass over without some reference to a very
necessary undertaking. The removal of Daunt's
Rock, which has done its share of mischief, is a
matter that has been postpcned too long. Partly
from that spirit of procrastination which usually
influences public departments in such cases, and
partly from a dispute as to the relative share
of the burden to be borne by the
Government, the local authorities, and the ships
entering the harbour, the question has been put off
from day to day, and the rock might very likely
have remained where it was for years to come bus
for recent circumstances. The total loss of a fine
steamer, whose wreck adds to the perils of the old
hidden enemy, attracted a good deal of attention
some time since, and Mr. MAGUIRE, who has in--
, terested himself very much in the matter, had
evidently hopes that some definite arrangement
might be come to between the rival powers.
However, the temporary excitement passed by,
more pressing subjects claimed attention, wars and
Reform Bills occupied the Ministry and the Parlia-
ment, and Daunt's Rock remained where it was,
with the additional improvement of the City of
New York on the top of it. SYDNEY SMITH, who
was as shrewd a man of the world as he was a
ready wit, once confessed he had no hope
of a much-needed reform till a Bishop had
been sacrificed for want of it, and in the same way

it required the imminent peril of one of the Royal
ships to get the necessary measures determined on
against Daunt's Rock. Thousands of merchant
ships, bearing precious freights, pass it by, and
their danger is little thought .of, though a sea fog,
or a stormy night, or an unskilful pilot, render the
risk very serious. However, when one of her
MAJESTY'S ships had a narrow escape of adding
another to the list of its victims everybody was
roused to action, and we ought, therefore, to thank
the Fenians for one good deed done, accidentally,
and certainly unintentionally, by them. It was in
hot pursuit of a supposed Fenian privateer that her
MAJESTY'S ship Research ran against the sunken
foe, and the Government thereupon became
suddenly aware of the fact that it would
be better to incur a certain outlay than
to run an indefinite risk. Very certainly
the loss of such a ship as the Research would seri-
ously affect the Admiralty estimates ; and no Eng-

lish Minister could be indifferent to the probable
loss of valuable life which would attend such a dis-
aster. It was announced a short time since that the
Government intended to take some steps in the
matter, and last evening Mr. MAGUIRE gave notice
that on Monday he would ask whether anything
was to be done ; and whether, if so, it was proposed
to remove it by blasting, or whether it was intended
to place a lighthouse on the rock. The former
course would be by far the most judicious, and we
should hope that it was the one upon which the
Government have decided. The expense, in a mat-
ter of permanent benefit to the shipping of such an
important port, is altogether secondary to the etFi-
ciency with which the work is done ; and even in
that view of the case the erection of a light-
house is no slight expense. There can
be no possible good in retaining so dangerous a
rock at the very mouth of so valuable a harbour,
and our scientific skill is now so great that there

could be no question about the possibility of getting
rid of so troublesome a customer altogether. We
have no lack of explosive agents of the greatest

force, or of mining engineers to apply them.
us then carry out this long-delayed improvement
in a liberal and public-spirited manner, not doing
the work grudgingly or leaving it half done. The
cost of the proceeding can be but very trifling when
compared to the risks run of loss of life, loss of
freight, loss of vessel. It is a disgrace to all parties
that it should have been left so long in statu quo,
but as the Government have given a definite pro-
mise, and the member for Cork intends to keep
them up to the mark, we may confidently hope that
the days of Daunt's Rock are numbered.

Lord STANLEY could not have been surprised that
immediately upon the re-assembling of Parliament
the relations between this country and the United
States should form the subject of inquiry. Ru-
mours hare recently been set afloat to the effect
that the PRESIDENT intended to make the Alabama
claims the pretext of effecting a reconciliation with
Congress, and securing his own re-election. From
these reports there arose some apprehension that
more might be going on in diplomatic circles than
the public were aware of, and that, consequently,
our relations with the United States might be in a
precarious position. Mr. WATKIN, last evening,
seeing the Foreign Secretary in his place, asked
whether the House might expect any further papers
respecting the Alabama claims. Lord STANLEY
replied that the Government had only received one
despatch on the subject, which had not been
laid on the table, but that it had already ap-
peared in all the papers. So far, then, there is
actually nothing to learn, and we may set down all
the recent reports to any motive but the truth. The
American Government must be perfectly well aware
that Lord STANLIY cannot possibly make the con-
cessions demanded of him by Mr. SEWARD. In
fact, those demands were so exorbitant that
they almost bore the appearance of having
been purposely framed in a manner to
which no European statesman could agree,
and therefore might serve for the time
being, at least, to put an end to the discussion. If
we ask permission from Washington before we re-
cognise any fresh authority, or treat with any
foreign Power, we shall have enough to do ; and
Mr. SEWARD can hardly forget, though he does not
find it convenient to acknowledge it, that a
blockade is of itself a recognition of belli-
gerents. The English Minister was duly
notified that the ports of the Confederacy
were blockaded by the Northern fleet, a proceeding
not very customary in the case of a mere local re-

hellion, such as the secession of the ten States
now appears to Mr. SEWARD'S retrospective gaze.
His view of the past seems about as faithful as
his vision of the future, and the Minister who
confidently foretold the crushing out of the re-
bellion " in ninety days " may well be indignant
that a European Power should have persisted
in acting upon fact, and not upon fiction. The
Alabama claims are very convenient to keep in the
background and ventilate occasionally, but English
and American statesmen both know better than to
exchange words for blows about them. They afford
an excellent opportunity for what our transatlantic
friends and counsius call "tall talk," and Mr. SE-
WARD'S talk is very tall indeed sometimes. Iu this
respect he was better matched against Earl RUSSELL
than against Lord STANLEY, whose despatches are
apt to be very much to the purpose, and whose