The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-14 00:00:00

Custom House ought to be at liberty to do the same.

The Post congratulates the promoters of the bill upon
taring carried their measure so far, but it is to.. be
!remarked that t!:e bi I only half does the work after 411
'lt repeals the prohibition from voting at elections, but it
leaves the prohibition from " interfering" where it was.
Now, it is evident that it would be most indecent for
public officers to become active political partisans, or to
take a great part in electioneering battles, hut the regula-
tion of their conduct in this respect is a matter not for

legislation and penal laws, but for departmental rifles. In
the departments already possessing the right to vote it is
so treated, and there is no sort of reason why the revenue
officers should have a different measure dealt out to them.
hpow, tub, that interference as read by revenue corn
pissibners is a very large word indeed, and those who
Lave Any doubts on the subject would do well to
peruse acme general orders of the Board of Inland
ilevenue which have rtc titly been laid upon the

:able of the House of Commons. It will be seen
from these that it is cons:dered to be interfering
in an election to " express an opinion as to its probable
Nsult," or to be " seen in an election crowd ;" and unlew
the statutory prohibition is removed the revenue officer
will be in the anomalous position of having a vote, and'
yet not hav:ng the power to :nfo:m himself by tl-e usual
in :aus bow to exercise it. It is to be hoped that an
amendment to cover this case w:libe introduced into corn-
ttce, and that the bill, when pa-i_e-3, wal be found to
1)- ace the revenue officers upon the same footing in this
tespect as other public seryanfs.
The HeraN condemns most strenuously the manner in
_ _

which the Bribery Bill has been treated by the Liberal
party. It is true that the l reteusions they were once
fond of advancing to the exclusive possession of electoral

virtue have long since been too rudely blown 'upon, to
make it possible for them to claim the chara:'er of apostles
of purity in town or country, county or borough. Tc
revive the memory of the days when such boasting was
pabsible, we must go back to those far-off times when
Sudbury sent its two members, when St. Albans was

equally fortunate in having shambles where votes could be

. -
sold in market overt, when Wakefield and Glonces:er had
not paid the penalties of e:ecti nee:.:ng l ec adilloes by the
prolonged suspension of their right to return members,
and when Yarmouth, Totnes, Lancaster, and Reigate
were all places where money could be lavished at an
election, as the price of sending advanced Liberals to vote
in a division. For it should not be forgotten that nearly
all these venal boroughs were corrupted by Liberal gold,
and represented by Liberal politicians—that in them
Conservatives had vainly struggled to secure a fair fight,
while their opponents had vauntingly proclaimed their

&termination "to make the money fly." Still, we were
assured that these were but the acts of individuals
'burning with desire to get into Parliament at any coat
stud by any means. The wish, the aspiration, of mostiof
those who now sit on the Speaker's left band was, is, and
always has been, to purge the true electoral metal
from all trace of sordid dross, and to make the
conAituencies " free and independent " in fact at
well as in name. The curse lately taken by the party
has, however, furnished but a curious commentary uptm
these inflated pretensions. Early in the session the
Government introduced a bill for the repression of corrupt
practices. It was hoped that the passap of a measure

•whose object everybody professed to approve would be
smooth and speedy. But this was too much to expect
Avhen the Liberals were in opposition. Clause after clause
leas been assailed as rudely as if electoral purity were the
thing most dreaded by political purists, and not a few of

those who used to pride themselves on their anxiety for
An extended suffrage have acted as if the one conviction
of their lives was the importance of defeating, at all
hazards, a bill intended to render impossible a renewal
of the scandals with which the names of some half•dozen
disfranchised boroughs are inseparably associated. Had
the Government desired an excuse for dropping the bill,
they had more than abundant opportunity for doing so,
and for casting the blame of its defeat upon their adver-

saries. But they had so set their hearts on accomplishing
this much-needed reform that they communicated their
kwn earnestness to the House, and made their opponents
feel that it would be unsafe for them to temporise too far,
even for the sake of securing the venal allies of whose aid
they rave so often availed themselves. Hence it was that,
all opposition notwithstanding, the Ministerial measure
made good its way, so that its ultimate success is nor
tolerably well assured.
The Dai'y Tars, dealing with the proposals for the
reform of the army, says that though cur army might be
materially reduced, we want an elasticity of organisation,
which will adm:t of its rapid expansion, and a general
diffusion of its knowledge of drill, such as shall supply the
.material for enlargement when required. The first is to
be obtained by insisting ou thorough knowledge of duties
on the part of all who are in the regular forces—a know-
'edge which we cannot secure while purchase continues
the rule of promotion. But when we have secured an
army in which there are thousands who are competent
to take on the instant a higher command than they hold,
ire have the nucleus of any requisite enlargement.
.As to the men, we begin to recognise that a soldier
5s perfect after three years' service, and generally com-
mences to deteriorate after twelve. Our object, then, must
In not to retain the old men, but to encourage a rapid
succession of young men, who, after serving a moderate
time, will find their training has brought them into re-

quest for civilian employme its, but who in time of war
would find their own knowledge needed little brushing
up. A gain, we want a more general drilling of men
for still shorter periods, for we know also now
that but a few weeks' drill, under perfectly trained
instructors, will make men perfect for all fighting
purposes, though still imperfect for the other
work of a long campaign. Here, then, we have to depend
on the militia and volunteers. We must make them more

truly military, by more efficient education of their officers.
We must make them more available as reserves, Li
bringing them into closer alliance with the re;u'ar army—
'whether by connection of regiments with localities, or by
subordinance to one general c )mmand. Lastly, we must
find out and adopt the modes and periods of drill best
calculated to attract the youth of each particular district
to these local and temporary cervices. All this is work.
fora skilful organiser. I3ut it is work that should not be
postponed.
The Sta,Nlarcl calls attention to the fact that a com-
mittee has Llen formed to promote the erect'on—for whkh
the necessar: sanct'on has already been obtained—in
Westminster A.4bey of a me numnit in honour of the late
Rajah of SarawaL, Sir James Brooke. Its apps_ to the
public is made on mount of the single-minded devotion
with which during a 3TS course of years this Englishman
applied himself to br.,ig within the bounds of civi,.
ligation the long-neglecult island territories of the
further East. The respons-:., no doubt, will be imme-
diate and ample. For, in the general opinion, Rajah
Brooke aimed at high old cto • and accompl:shments,
brillant results. He had his a .tractors, as Governor
Eyre and even Sir Robert Napier 1,...ye them ; but had ho
sought applause he might have won is on many a me:no-
r:o,k! occasion. Instead of this he rigke4l an anc'ent in-
heritance, and even sacrificed a cousidcraii, fortune, in
order to plant a society governed by humane on the
shore: a a barb:.: °us island whose centre has never even
yet Leen explored. Crowned with distinction in an o:kn-
tal war, a career of 111110115 s r4iCO Inight have been open
to a Llan of his courage, firmuev,, clearno.se of view, and
commanding a.bil'ty ; but he prefers-0d a lonely and dair
geroui venture among savage races, on an uninviting coast,
with a hope of redeeming them from their social and tell-
wrctcicdaess.