The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-03 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

The Times comments on the letter of Dr. M'Neile lately
admitted into its columns. He has not added anything
appreciable either to the discussion, or to the
materials for a decision, or to the progress of thought
on the subject. Dr. M'Neile's argument is as old as
the Church of Rome itself ; indeed, a good deal older,
for it is the very selfsame argument as that on which
Rome itself worked from the beginning, and the very
selfsame argument as that on which Pagan Rome
persecuted the first Christians. Rome, like Greece,
its predecessor in the field of thought, was an
eminently tolerant Power. Any creed, any opinion, any
divinity, any system of worship, might be safely imported
into Rome and added to her Pantheon. There was one
thing, however, that Rome would not bear, and that was
intolerance. Even on the broad and comprehensive prin-
ciple of not tolerating that which is intolerant, the
worthy canon would find a good deal of work at
home. But we shall impose upon him a task beyond
his strength, and his allotted term. Nor is it
necessary the task should he undertaken. Happily,
intolerance, in whi►tever form, corrects itself. Either it
learns to be wise, humane, and practical, or it shrivels up
in a miserable residuum, and wrecks itself upon the rocks
of its own making. Need we any stronger proof of this, or
any more striking illustration, than the present condition
and certain fate of that intolerant, exclusive, tyrannical,
overbearing monopoly called to the end of the last century
the Church of Ireland, but now, as the title-page of the
Prayer Book informs us, part of the United Church of
England and Ireland ?
From the melancholy story of the Manchester accident
the Times reads a lesson upon the folly of panic, but in
spite of all reasoning, panics will occur. The Times there-
fore turns its consideration to the preventible cause of
the accident, and it is to be found in the inexcusable per
versity by which large assembly-rooms are built, as if no
extraordinary pressure (could ever be placed upon their
means of exit.

The Telegraph says it cannot doubt that the Manchester
catastrophe will draw public attention to the fact that
many, if not most, public buildings are perilously defi-
cient in the means of egress. Sooner or later, too, the
Government must require the owners of every music hall
and every theatre to make more ample provision for the
public safety. Those who are acquainted with our
London theatres and music halls must be aware that
there is no possibility for a "full house" to get out of
any one of the buildings in even moderate time.
Thus, whenever there is a panic, there will be a terrible
crush. Suppose, however, that the panic should be well-
grounded— that there really should be a conflagration like
that which destroyed the Surrey Theatre and Her
Majesty's Opera, and that the houses should not—as was
providentially the case with those two buildings—happen
to be empty. The supposition is by no means far-fetched ;
but in such an event we should have a catastrophe com-
pared to which the horrors of "Ben Lang's" would be
insignificant.

The Post thinks that few, if any, political organisations
have lived so singular a life, or have presented themselves
to the public under such singular aspects. This is the
seventh occasion upon which, in one capacity or the
other, either as an Opposition seeking to obtain power, or
as a Government endeavouring to retain office, they
have within the present reign sought the verdict of the
constituencies of the country ; yet this is the first
time that they have thrown themselves into the arena
with a cry in their mouths or a policy in their hands, much
as they are supposed to value the one, and much as they
talk of the necessity of the other. They have generally
acceded to power rather because either the demerits of
their opponents had exhausted the patience of the country,
or because intrigues in their camp had destroyed organisa-
tion and neutralised co-operative action. The Post says
that the territorial interest is no longer exclusively Tory,
and that the sense of the people will rebel against the old
Orange cry.

The Herald reveals to its readers all the mystery of the
inauguration of the Romsey memorial. Earl Granville
and Mr. Lowe are particular pets of the Times newspaper,
and when Earl Russell and Mr. Gladstone read the report
of the proceedings they had the uncomfortable sensation
of discovering that the journal, to which a good many
Liberals still more or less pin their faith, had seized the
opportunity afforded by their injudicious even if compul-
sory absence from Romsey, once more to make it appear
that Lord Granville was the real and proper successor
of Lord Palmerston, and that Mr. Lowe was best qualified
to act as Lord Granville's lieutenant. Mr. Gladstone im-
mediately rushed down to Romsey and had the whole affair
over again. But whilst Mr. Gladstone's first impulse on
hearing something disagreeable is to have recourse to im-
mediate action, Earl Russell's first impulse is to be super-
cilious. Mr. Gladstone dashed off at once to Romsey. Earl
Russell did not condescend to stir from Pembroke Lodge.
Who was Earl Granville ? Who was this Mr. Lowe ?
Persons utterly unknown in the genuine annals of the
Whig party, and mere modern excrescences of the Con-
stitution ; forward individuals certainly, and pushing,
and therefore, on the whole, to be .treated best
by the snubbing process of judicious indifference.
But when he read in the Times the proceedings of the
young Ascanius, it was too much for him. It was too late
to go to Romsey, so he sent to that paper the testimonial
to character furnished by the Corporation. The Herald
refuses to believe that any of these will be leaders of the
Liberal party, and nominates Mr. Bright.

The Daily Hews says that the Premier has mistaken the
throne for the hustings. He aspires to the role of a Court
favourite, and seeks to drag the Queen into party conflict.
The meaning of the crafty words in which, at the end of
the Royal Speech, Mr. Disraeli has contrived to wrap up
in the Queen's generous declaration of confidence in her
people, his own appeal to the new constituencies against
the policy of Mr. Gladstone and of the Liberal party,
must have escaped the candid and unsuspicious intelli-
gence of the august person into whose mouth they are
put.

The Standard says that the Queen's Speech, when
drawn up by the Tories, is generally written in decent
English, and this time the Liberals, having nothing else
to find fault with, fix upon the concluding portion of the
speech, and professes to see in it a party appeal, for which
the Standard considers there is not the slightest founds.
tion.

The Standard says that many members have bidden a
long farewell to the House of Commons, and some have
bravely rendered themselves politically extinct by their
own hands. The "happy dispatch" is better than com-
pulsory execution. In the list of these retiring members
there are a few names which every one will see with regret,
but it is the omissions from the list which will occasion the
greatest sorrow. Most persons would have been glad, for
instance, if Mr. Ayrton had decided to give himself a rest
from his arduous labours, but, alas 1 Mr. Ayrton is
not satisfied with the services he has already rendered to
his country, and he proposes to make fresh demands upon
our gratitude next session. There is one part of his address
to his constituents which will provoke an assenting groan
from all classes of the public :—" My political opinions
are too well known to you to need repetition here." They
are, indeed ! If Mr. Ayrton could only be convinced that
they need no repetition anywhere, we might look with less
dread upon his re-election. But as he would he sure to
repeat his one speech five thousand times in a new Paths.
ment, we trust the electors of the Tower Hamlets will look
out for a representative whose opinions will be likely to
carry some weight with them.

The Telegraph turns its eyes to the election of the new
Parliament, and finds fault with the tactics of the Liberal
party. What, we should like to know, are the claims of
Mr. Bradlaugh to ask the suffrages of Northampton
against such men as Lord Henley and Mr. Gilpin ? We
know what the actual members have done ; but can any-
body say what outrage on good taste and on the conscien-
tious convictions of his fellow•citizens " Iconoclast " may
not attempt in the wider circle to which he seeks admit.
tance ? Should the time ever arrive—which we scarcely
fear—when Englishmen will revile the subiime moralities
of the New Testament, Mr. Bradlaugh might have a
chance of election ; but meanwhile he is decidedly too far
ahead of his age ; and if he shatters any images at North.
ampton it will only have the effect of defacing honest
Liberalism and allowing a Tory to filch aseat. The Telegraph
deprecates the candidature of Marylebone by Mr. Mason
Jones, and the Tower Hamlets by Mr. Beale,. We trust
that in every county or borough where a contest is pro-
bable the Liberal electors will take effective measures to
prevent anything like a division or wasting of their
undoubted strength ; that they will frown down every
movement which would ad:nit the enemy to the possession
of the citadel ; and that they will concentrate their sup.
port on the candidate who will render hearty and efficient
aid in the great work of the day.

THE HEALTH OF Mn. JUSTICE MELLOR. —TIIO
Tintes has the following among its law reports :—"Shortly
before the circuit business of the sessions commenced, Mr.
Justice Mellor underwent an operation under Sir Henry
Thompson. Finding that the business at the Cornwall
Assizes would be very light, his lordship took advantage
of the circumstance to go to town for the purpose of seeing
Sir Henry. We are happy, on the authority of Baron
Channel', to state that the learned judge did so merely AS
matter of precaution, and not at all from any return of the
complaint. The Baron has heard from his learned brother, I
saying that Sir Henry had reported most favourably of
his state, and that he should rejoin the circuit in perfect
health. We are particular in making this statement, as is
has been set forth in some of the papers that his lordship
was compelled by indisposition to visit London."