The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-14 00:00:00

advocate, he is never at a loss for words to plead the
cause of his client, and his client in, this instance is
no less a personage than the leader of her Majesty's
Opposition. With regard to Reform, to the na-
tional expenditure, and to the Irish Church, the
member for Nottingham is quite ready to fight the
battles of his leader. "If they sent him to Parlia-
ment," he told his audience at Nottingham, " he
should be found at Mr. GLADSTONE'S back,
ready either to take the forlorn hope or to join in
storming the citadel." On the Irish question, in-
deed, he is prepared for wholesale changes. The
whole system of governing Ireland is in his esti-
mation " vicious and rotten." The ruling by a
Viceroy, he thinks, is " bad in principle," and he
thinks also that Irish landlords should be compelled
to reside in Ireland, though how that is to be car-
ried out he does not condescend to tell us, getting
out of the difficulty by a quiet " some way or
other." As for the national expenditure, Mr.
OSBORNE declared that the taxation was " per-
fectly ample," and he thought our expen-
diture excessive. Reasonably enough, he
does not wish to economise in the pay
of our soldiers, and fairly praises the Govern-
ment for having raised it. When the pay of every
artisan and labourer in the country was rising, it
was not too much to expect that they could fill the
ranks of the army with the same pittance given 20
years ago. It was a useful, a necessary, and an
honourable expenditure. As for the Abyssinian ex-
pedition Mr. OSBORNE has the courage to confess
that he was opposed to it, thinking it a questionable
thing to involve the taxation of the country in
Quixotic expeditions. On education Mr. OSBORNE
speaks to the point. He cites Scotland and Prus-
sia as instances of its power. Prussia, he
declares, achieved her successes as much by her
schoolmasters' primer as by her needle-gun, while
Scotchmen flourished the world over, just because
they were educated.
The member for Nottingham is an old and tried
supporter of the Ballot, and we are glad to find him
as hearty as ever in the cause. Instead of holding
with some politicians that the Ballot will be lees
needed in the enlarged constituencies, he believes it
will be more wanted than ever. There will be, he
says, so much pressure brought to bear, not only
from the rich, but from other classes, upon the
poor, that the ballot is A positive necessity, both
as a meaus of expediting the polling of the
electors and for the protection of their principles.
Mr. OSBORNE, however, objects to try the merits
of the Ballot in his own ease, for he distinctly
declines the proposal of the Liberal Registration
Society, that the multiplicity of Liberal candidates
shall submit their claims to the ballot to decide
which shall withdraw. Mr. OSBORNE, notwith-
standing the apparent inconsistency, has reason on
his side. He is a man of some note, of decided
ability, and of considerable Parliamentary experi-
ence. He would be a loss to the House, where there
is always a sufficiency of respectable mediocrities, and
where we need to keep as many individual figures
as we can. A ballot to decide the claims of new
and untried candidates for the popular suffrages is
all very well, but men who have really worked hard
in the Parliamentary arena and won their laurels
deserve at least the distinction of going unfettered
to the poll.
Last evening Mr. COOPE held another meeting
of the electors of the Tower Hamlets, and delivered
an address to the constituents of Bow. He went
over again the principal topics of the day, de-
claring himself to be opposed to the disendo wment
of the Irish Church, though in favour of removing
the anomalies which existed in it. On the subject
of the poor rates he spoke at some length. Mr •
COOPE is certainly in this respect admirably quali-
fied to represent the interests of this densely
populated constituency, which suffers so heavily
from the burdens of the rates. Mr. COOPE asserts
that he has always been deeply impressed (as any
man familiar with the locality might well be) with
a cense of the oppressive nature of the rates at
the East-end. Trade at the E tat-end has of late
been greatly depressed. The sugar trade,
the silk trade, the shipbuilding trade, all
had suffered. The small shopkeeper had
less trade and less profit, and while the profit be-
came less the poor rates became heavier and heavier.
To the labouring classes Mr. COOPE spoke as an old
and tried friend, neither flattering nor misleading
them ; and he was listened to throughout with deep
attention, and rewarded with warm applause at the
conclusion of his interesting address.

Speeches to the constituents are fast multiplying
upon us, and it is easy to see that expectation is
rife as to the chances of the ensuing campaign.
The Hon. F. STANLEY has addressed several meet-
ings of late, and at one in Stalmine, he passed some
observations on Mr. GLADSTONE'S address, which

are intesesting to notice. The hon. member
alluded very significantly to the circumstance that
the Liberal party, through its spokesman, is taking
the credit of the Reform Bill to itself, whereas
though the House of Commons lent most powerful
aid to the Government, the measure was due to the
exertions of the Conservatives. Not content with
this wholesale appropriation, these zealous ex-
ponents of the truth go on to say that the
Conservatives are responsible for the bad
parts of the bill, while they and their friends
contrived to secure to the country the better
portions of it. It is not to be wondered at that
Mr.,STANLEY should make some attempt to set this
right before those whom he addresses, and he re-
calls some rather awkward facts to mind—as, for
instance, that it was not an unusual thing to be
seen that Mr. GLADSTONE and his more immediate
followers went into one lobby, while the Govern-
ment and its supporters went into another whenever
what was called a "vital" part of the Bill was to
be decided upon. This work of " co-operation," to
say the least of it, is one of a very novel character,
and it is hardly likely to impress the minds of those
who can at all appreciate the meaning of the thing.
In referring to the circumstances which led
to the introduction of the Bill in 186:2
to the house, the hon. member dwelt upon the great
difficulties which lay in the path of the DEnnv Go-
vernment, and it was only the strong sense of duty
on the part of the noble earl which induced him
to undertake the task. He anal his colleagues had
indeed no light endeavour before them, and they
ought to be appreciated for their energy and enter-
prise. It is an ungracious thing, now that the time
has arrived for the decision of the country to be
taken on the affair, for those who failed themselves
to contradict plain statements and begrudge their
opponents what is fairly due. Whether through
mismanagement or incapacity Mr. GLADSTONE did
fail in the endeavour to get a Reform Bill
through the House of Commons, and that with
a major ity of sixty or seventy to bear him
out, and if the present Administration had not set
to work 1-1 ith might and main the country would
still have the vexed question in the future and not
the past. The greatest indignation has been ex-
pressed in certain quarters for the persistency with
which the Government kept office this year, but
they had not in reality finished their self-imposed
work of Reform, and this only reached completion
a few days before the close of the Session. One
battle ground during these election contests is to

be found in the consideration of the finances of the
country, and this Mr. STANLEY touched upon with
great adroitness. Mr. GLADSTONE, in his
elebrated speech at St. Helen's, contrived
to raise the extra expenditure in a very con-
venient fashion from the " two" millions he
denounced in Parliament to "three," which formed
the theme of his electioneering animadversions at
the outset of his campaign. It is, indeed, a" little
hard," as here declared, that Mr. GLADSTONE should
pronounce so hostile an opinion on the mangement
of the finances by his successors when he is himself
in a great measure responsible for the amount they
have spent, for these reasons, that he and his friends
left matters in a very inefficient state, and also be-
cause they had every opportunity in Parliament of
proposing an effectual remedy to the extravagance
they complain of. The "reckless expenditure"
which sounds so well in speech, and communica-
tions, when it comes to be looked at minu4ely,
dwindle away in a very marked manner. It ap-
pears that Colonel PATrEs has looked over the votes
in respect to money voted for the services of the
country since this Govermment came into office, and
has ascertained that only upon one occasion did a
division actually take place, when the Conservatives
voted for the reduction of the expenditure and the
Liberals for its augmentation.

Lord HARTINGTON'S address to his constituents
contained some very confident expressions as to the
superiority of the financial management of the army
during his tenure of office compared with that of
his successors. If, however, we look at the subject
in all its bearings, what is to be said. Suppose,
as Mr. STANLEY ably puts it, there had been
a war soon after the noble lord retired from his
economical exploits how would the country have
fared ? What would the Commander-in-Chief have
done had he desired to occupy the fortifications,
and what would have been the position of the naval
authorities had they " wished to put proper arma-
ments into the new class of vessels which it is now
found necessary to construct ?" General PEEL de-
clared, and no one has yet disproved any of his
statements, that he found Woolwich Arsenal
covered with guns which were unfit for use. In
the face of all this we hear that Mr. GLADSTONE
will not retract one iota of his remarks on the sub-
ject of the expenditure, so that we are justified in
believing that his strictures were intended to answer
a purpose which has not yet been fulfilled rather
than to elicit the truth of the matter, or satisfy the
doubts that existed as to the requirements of the
public service.

As time passes we are the more convinced that

the Spanish Government was well prepared by the
feeling of the country for the changes that were
rendered necessary. Unless this view of the case
be taken, it is impossible to account for the amazing
rapidity with which one important alteration after
another is effected, and to the entire satisfaction
of the community; and it appears several important
decrees have just been issued, which will, if carried
out in their entirety, materially affect the character
of the Constitution. The Minister of Justice has
ordered the suppression of the order of the Jesuits
throughout the Spanish dominions, and decided

that within three days' time all the colleges and
institutions of the order shall be closed, and the
property confiscated to the State. The Junta pro-
poses the extinction of all religious communities
that have been established since the year 1835, and
also proposes that the members of the other religi-
ous corporations should be empowered to declare
themselves " free." There is a decree relating to

.he army, which permits the return to their coun-

try of all officers and soldiers who have been exiled
for political reasons. Gen. ESPARTERO has written a
congratulatory letter to Marshal SERRANO, in which
he offers him his support to the principle of the " na-
tionalsovereignty." This expression of feeling on his
part cannot but be looked upon as of great service
to the cause of progress. It is always much to be
regretted at times of change like this in Spain
when the more potent and distinguished members
of the new regime dispute among themselves, and
it is a subject of felicitation that we have not to
deplore it on the Peninsula at this critical hour of
the proposed attempt to improve the condition of
things. Some doubts have existed from time to
time as to the state of feeling in Cuba, and in-
deed a panic prevailed on the Bourse the other
day in consequence of unpleasant rumours, but

it is now stated that the Government is
confident that the Captain-General of Cuba, Gen.
LEIISUNDI, will acknowledge the Provisional Go-
vernment so soon as the mail steamer shall arrive
at Havannah from Cadiz. The whole country has
now given in its adhesion to the Ministry and Cen-
tral Junta, and we may therefore look upon this
change in Spanish affairs as so far a settled thing.
It is really surprising that a country should under-
go so complete a transformation so suddenly, and
the most sharp-witted among political prophets has
certainly been at fault here, for who thought or
expected a month or two ago that before Christ-
mas old things would have passed away, and new
things would have taken root in a land where old
customs were adhered to with so much tenacity,
and where prejudice reigned rampant, and seemed
to strengthen and flourish in proportion as the
other kingdoms of Europe shook off the yoke of
old times, and set about adapting themselves to the
mare modern fashions? Spain has, indeed, swept
into a "younger day," from the shadows of past
ages of dark intolerance, and the best wishes and
earnest hopes of all lovers of progress and indepen-
dence will attend her in her arduous efforts, and
hail her success in a cause that is prosecuted with
so much moderation.

As a matter of course the Government of the
United States has confirmed their representative's
recognition of the new Government of Spain, and
the Governor of Cuba has declared his allegiance.
The Americans naturally sympathise strongly with
the movement and must watch the breaking of the
yoke so long worn by the Spanish people with
keen interest.

The news by the mails from New York to the
beginning of the month show that the unfavourable
condition of the finances is attracting a good deal
of notice. Mr. DELMAR'S statistics have startled
the commercial circles, and the Treasury has
thought it desirable to give them a semi-official
contradiction. The Department states that Mr.
DELMAR failed to include in his estimate a sum of
over one million dollars, the balance on hand from
last year. Mr. WASTIBURNE, the chairman of the
Committee of Appropriation, reports that the re-
ceipts from the customs during the fiscal year will
be $370,000,000, and he calculates the decrease in
the expenditure at $67,000,000. However well
founded these more favourable computations may
prove, it is certain that the present system
of military administration in the South en-
tails most needless burdens on the
people. The disturbed condition of the Southern
States can hardly be expected to alter until the
great election crisis is past and the relative position
of white and black a little more clearly depicted.
At present there is a constant struggle between the
rival parties, and while we hear by one mail that
negroes are elected to seats in one of the State Le- j
gislatares, we are told by the next that they muti4o