The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-24 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 24, 1868.

Irfhich they can find no prototype in either the
despotic al_ the constitutional Governments of other
nations_ According to this new reading of con-
stitutiot ial doctrines the Legislative body is the
supreme power in the realm, and is virtually the
Executiv eas well, What we understand by the
functions of the Executive belong in the United
Statea to the Legislative body, beside which PRESI-
DENT, Cabinet, and even Judges are mere ciphers.
It is the business of Congress not only to
frame the laws, but to see them enforced,
to keep guard over the defaulters, and call them
to account, to appoint (virtually) the members
of the Cabinet, the diplomatic agents of the coun-
try, the administration of the finances. The
wildest theories of Republicanism never intrusted
the discharge of such duties to a body of such un-
wieldy proportions. Councils, Tribunes, Consuls,
were appointed, all administrations being framed
on the sound and well-tried principle that the few
who rule should be chosen by the many who do not
rule. It is the inevitable tendency of all adminis-
trative power to become centralised ; and the result
of attempting to rule the country by a body com-
posed of several hundred members would infallibly
be the ultimate domination of a few. For the head of
a Government to be denied the power of choosing
his own colleagues is a new and preposterous theory,
and one which even a few months back would have
been ridiculed in the States. Supposing the new
PRESIDENT to be chosen from among the Radicals,
how soon should we hear it condemned, and how
rapid would be the alteration in the treatment of
tha nominal head ! But as matters now stand, it is
evident that a crisis of no slight importance has
been reached. Both parties are prepared for a
trial of strength, and there are not wanting
symptoms which foretel a change in the political
relations. We have by the almost simultaneous
arrival of three mails very full intelligence re-
specting the transactions of eight or ten days
back, and the details which we gather from it in-
dicate a settled purpose on the part of both PRE-
SIDENT and Congress. The impeachment question,
as we have said, has been reopened, and the evi-
dence collected by the Judiciary Committee re-
ferred to the Reconstruction Committee. An amend-
ment of the Appropriation Bill has also been in-
troduced into the House of Representatives,
whereby soldiers from the garrison may be sub-
stituted in place of the capitol police. This
is a dangerous innovation on the part
of a body whose avowed preference for
military over civil authority augurs ill for
the constitutional liberties of the people. The
substitution of soldiers for police at the capital
especially, now that General GRANT has proved
himself to be their ally, is an ominous proposal, and
one which seems to be as taken the advent of that
forcible collision between the heads of the State,
whose end no one can foresee. On the other hand,
a movement on the part of the PRESIDENT has some
significance. Mr. JOHNSON has created a new
Military Department, named the Atlantic, compris-
ing the department of the East and of the Lakes,
the headquarters being at Washington. General
SHERMAN holds the command, and he is the friend and
supporter of the PRESIDENT. His headquarters are at
Washington, so that he can be in constant commu-
nication with his chief. Now that GRANT has
failed him, Mr. JOHNSON has apparently sought and
found the powerfnl aid which he needs elsewhere,
and SHERMAN would probably be very willing to
oppose his old rival in renown. In the correspon-
dence which the PRESIDENT has sent to the House
of Representatives concerning the transactions at
the 'War-office, he accuses GRANT of insubordina-
tion, and of accepting the portfolio of War in the
interesteumveiltionfg StTb,eINTPORN, ESlwoEitNhtthe iaßAnNteTntdioennicosf
acniry-
ENTi
sd
rdeclaresh e
nb i s
legraelalydienoemssmato.
obey
yh
the intention,
pR Esm a
nicated. But it is no case for bandying words.
Acts speak for themselves, and there is too much
reason to fear that the interests and the schemes
now swaying the movements of American states-
' men will result in an open and serious collision.

The French Chambers will have had enough, and
more than enough, of the Press Bill before it is done,
we should think, but they do not always do the best
they can in the matter. The result of their last dis-
cussions was that the proposition to allow of publish-
ing summaries of debates was rejected. The several
attempts which have been made to alter the pre-
sent most objectionable rule in this respect have
hitherto proved unsuccessful, which is much to be
regretted in every sense of the question. We really
cannot see the consistency of M. RolmEn keeping
on his assertion of their being a " full and consti-
tutional" Government while things go on
is this way. It will be idle to talk of the
advantages that have occurred in consequence
of this bill, if so important a change as this is not
made in it. As to the proposal made that the jour-
nals should only publish the analytical report that
is given by the Government, it may be better than
not hing, but only that. The constant attempt to
conceal something gives rise to all sorts of unplea-
sant notions, and in most cases far worse is ima-
gined than what really exists. It must be borne in
mind also, that the French always say a great deal
more than they mean, and therefore what would
be serious and alarming among ourselves, is of little
or no account among them. M. GIRARDIN has
written an article in the Debats which is worthy of
notice, and shows how the feeling is working in
France about the duties of statesmen and the rights
of the Press. " Ministerial responsibility" is the
great topic of consideration just now, and its
comment and criticism engages all circles. It is
indeed time that a little more regard was paid to
this part of the affair. Under the shadow of the
Imperial rule a great deal has been done by the
Ministers during the last fifteen years that one
could have wished to see otherwise, and hence
the Corps Legislatif and the people at large
cannot but benefit by this theory being put into
practice. Perhaps the case could not be better put
than it is in this article just referred to, when M.
GIRARDIN declares that true Ministerial responsibility
consists in the Ministers acting in the Chambers
and with them, and not seeking to govern except
by their assistance and approval. Whenever the
authority of the Chambers has been set at defiance,
and the Government has taken its own course, it has
always been the worse for the country, and the
cause of progress has suffered. The " force of
things" of late has called for strong expressions
on the part of some ; and Mr. ROUHER'S
~ing admittedspeeches, inparti
thateular Chamberot
readily
has be
theforgortitgehnt.
to " interpdlate the members of the Government,"
he has gone a long way in the right direction, and,
twhh na gt iis rluicohr e
msiagyn iblise al
onotk,
edhe
ulpiaos done t
nas
sfinie all.sortThere
eoref
will be no drawing back from such a proposition
when once laid down, and the silence of the EMPEROR
on the point has given all the consent that was ne-
cessary in the matter. It remains for us to see the
consequences of all this new regime being intro-
duced into the old order of things.

Ilorniman's Pure Teas are Bd. per pound cheaper. T heir
2,500 agents—confectioners in London, and chemists in
the couutry—are constantly receiving fresh supplies of
thin, long approved Nai, 591c1 only in /vat*.

LATEST INTELL EGENCE.

(REUTEIZ'S TELEGRAMS.)

AI-

TURKEY.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Feb. 22.

The Imperial Ottoman Bank has published the
usual monthly statement of the Government ac-
count, according to which the receipts and pay-
ments from the 13th July last to the 12th instant
for the foreign loans and general debt of Turkey,
leave a balance in hand of 135,000 lires in cash,
and 136,000 lires in bills receivable.

The Levant Herald publishes a report that the
Minister of Finance has concluded a loan of
£120,000 with two London financial firms. The
terms are stated to be about 18 per cent. per an-
num, redeemable in four years, and guaranteed by
the Adrianople to the revenue.

FRANCE.
BOURSE, Feb. 22.—Three o'clock. —The market
closed as follows :

41-iper. Cent.

End of month
3 per Cent
End of month— 68 65
Credit Mobilier
End of month l9O
Credit Fonder 1465
End of month 1383 75
RAILWA'

Itt&an Loan
End of month 43 40
Mexican Loan
Do. Bonds
Spanish Threes
Home Debt..
Deferred .
.YS.

Account
Orleans
.N °Ahern llB5
Lyons and Mediterranean
Southern..... 545
Western
Eastern • •
Sardinian
Austrian 560
Lombard 3831
North of Spain 784
Saragossa
Roman 47

SHIPTVRECKS.-LIFEBOAT SERVICES.

GREAT YARMOUTH, Sunday.

The ship Omega, of London, bound from Sunder-
land to Carthagena with coals (says Mr. M. 11.
Butcher), struck on the Cockle Sands this morning.
She knocked her rudder away, came off, and drove
foul of the Cockle Light Ship, doing that vessel
damage, and having her own starboard broadside
stove in. She then drove clear, and went over the
north part of the Scroby Sand in a helpless and
sinking state. The wind was blowing strong from
the north at the time, and there was a high sea run-
ning. A signal of distress was made, and theYarmouth
large lifeboat the Mark Lane, and the Caister large
lifeboat the Birmingham No. 2, belonging to the
National Lifeboat Institution, were thereupon
promptly launched. When the Mark Lane reached
the vessel, which was then about eight miles off
the land, she was boarded, and found to have 11
feet of water in the hold. Only seven of the crew,
including the captain and the North Sea pilot, were
on board, and these men were rescued at great risk
by the twolifeboats, the master having to be dragged
through the water for some little distance, the ship
then being completely on her broadside, and shortly
afterwards sinking. The two men who were saved
by the Birmingham lifeboat having been trans-
ferred to the Alark Lane boat, the latter
was towed back to her station by one of the three
steamers which had come out from Yarmouth, and
the crew were safely landed. The remainder of the
crew, with the exception.of the mate, who is sup-
posed to be drowned, were saved by getting on
board the Cockle Light vessel, and have also been
landed here. When the vessel sank she was 14 or
15 miles S.E. of Lowestoff.

PORTHCAWL, SOUTH WALES, Feb. 29.

The smack Ann, of Rothesay, passed this port in
distress during a strong gale from W.N.W. yester-
day (states the Rev. C. D. Knight). The only man
left on board was seen in the rigging. The "Good
Deliverance" lifeboat of th eNation al Lifeboat Institu-
tion was launched without loss of time and proceeded
to the rescue through a very heavy sea. She suc-
ceeded lin getting on the weather quarter of the
smack, and let go her anchor with the intention of
dropping down near enough to take the men off.
Tho vosscl had drifted on the rocks to the east of
this port. A heavy sea, however, broke into the
lifeboat, and compelled her to slip anchor and make
for the beach. She then pulled through the breakers
and made a second attempt, but the vessel had by
this time drifted into very shallow water, and the
man left on her was bravely rescued by Thomas
David from the shore. He was much exhausted,
and did not come round for about two hours. It
appeared that the smack, with the master (who was
also the owner) and one hand on board, had drifted
from the Mumbles, and the master being washed
overboard in the Channel the vessel was quite un-
manageable by one man, went on the rocks, and
has become a total wreck.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

WORRYING THE MEMBERS OF WEST-END CLUBS.
_Elizabether Lancaster was charged, before Mr.
Tyrwhitt, by Mr. Henry Burrell, barrister-at-law,
residing at No. 36, Duke-street, St. James's, with
begging in Pall-Mall.
Mr. Burrell said that on the previous night about
11 o'clock the prisoner followed him more than
three parts along Pall-Mall, importuning him all
the while for alms, and seeing a constable he gave
her into custody. He wished to state that the
system of begging carried on in St. James's was
something horrible, and it was almost impossible
for a person to walk a yard without being molested
by a beggar.
Police Constable Bessay, 178 C, proved taking
the prisoner into custody at the request of Mr.
B urrell.

Mr. Tyrwhitt said there were constantly com-
plaints of a similar kind to that of Mr. Burrell's,
gentlemen going home from their clubs being cer-
tain to be mobbed by beggars. An example must
he made of some of them, and he should commit the
prisoner for 11 days.
Catherine Murphy and Margaret Murphy, mo-
ther and daughter, were charged with begging in
Jermyn -street.

Police-constable William Cane, 35 C, said that
on the previous night, about half-past eight, he saw
the prisoners following gentlemen along Jermyn-
street and asking them for money, and after seeing
them accost several gentlemen he took them into
custody.

The prisoner Catherine denied asking for money.
Mr. Tyrwhitt committed the prisoners for seven
days each, promising them a month each if they
came before him again, and remarking that the
neighbourhood was perfectly haunted by beggars.