The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-16 00:00:00

CTHE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 16, 186.8,

diminialled heads, for he cannot stand criticism. A
more f air and equable view of things is more in accord-
ance with the feeling of this country, and suits far
better with the genius of our Constitution, for
despotism and anarchy are alike uncongenial to it,
and freedom flourishes in the true acceptation of
the term, removed from either extreme and subject
to no restrictions.

The Hon. F. STANLEY, one of the members for
Preston, has written a letter on the subject of the Irish
Church, which was read on Tuesday night at a
large meeting in the Corn Exchange of that town.
In this Mr. STANLEY regrets his inability to attend
personally, and then makes some observations on
the subject before them, which are of interest at
this juncture. Having been for the last few years
connected with the South of Ireland, he frankly
avows that his opinions have been thereby
" somewhat modified from those he formerly held
on this point, as the evils of the present anomalous
system are, in the south of Ireland, but too appa•
rent." Respecting the proposal of Resolutions in
the present session of Parliament, Mr. STANLEY
believes that such a course will not be a desirable
one by any means from what he knows of Ireland.
A measure of the magnitude of the one proposed
cannot possibly be completed in principle, far less
in detail, within the limits of this session, and
hence promises will have been held out to Ireland
which this Parliament cannot redeem, r.nd the new
House will have to argue " upon the merits of pro-
posals not then before it, and approved for the support
they received from a representative assembly diffe-
rently constituted." This is very correct reasoning,
and it is to be hoped that when Parliament reas-
sembles the urgency of it may be deeply impressed
upon the minds of hon. members. Mr. STANLEY'S
" candid avowal" does him great credit, and he
seems to have taken a liberal view of the whole
question, both as regards the Church in Ireland,
and also as relates to the mode of treating it in the
House. Personal experience in Ireland has rendered
him a good judge on the matter, and he is able
to speak of the importance of somethiug being
done, while he at the same time is fully alive to
the danger that may arise from acting hastily and
rashly. The more the subject is considered the
more plain does it appear that Mr. GLADSTONE has
acted in an unprecedented manner, and that in
forcing the question forward at the wrong time he
has not in reality rendered good service to
the cause he professes to have so much at
heart. At any rate, it is a satisfaction to meet with
a straightforward statement like that contained in
this letter, and the case is put very clearly before
us in it.

Among the many crowded vessels which will this
day leave the port of London there will perhaps
be little leisure or opportunity to give particular
notice to a steamer taking her departure for Quebec.
Canada is not so distant nor is the voyage so dan-
gerous as to render the incident remarkable ;
but, nevertheless, the trip of the St. Lawrence de-
serves especial attention. She carries with her,
bound for a new home and a new career, some 150
emigrants, men, women, and children, from the
east end of London, with the just and reasonable
view of transferring labour from a country where it
cannot find suitable or sufficient employment to a land
where work is plentiful and hands are scarce.
In the eastern parishes of wealthy and populous
London every garret and kitchen is thronged, every
call for hands is answered by at least five times the
number. In poor and thinly-peopled Canada the
material sources of the country are undeveloped, the
, land waits for clearing, for ploughing, for sowing;
the mines are nndug, the houses unbuilt, all for
lack of some of that superfluous industry and capital
which can find no scope for action in the Old
World. In this respect the times are out of joint,
and the distribution of the world's popula-
tion wants readjustment. On one side of
the equator meat is an undreamt of luxury
to a large proportion of the inhabitants ; on the
other, they are boiling down sheep for the fat. On
one side of the Atlantic bread is sold at an oppres-
sively high rate ; on the other, vast tracts of fertile
land lie idle and unclaimed. It has often puzzled
explorers to estimate the population which could be
supported by our unused and now unprofitable
territories in North America by the produce of
agricultural labour alone ; but mankind is like a
flock of sheep, and the tide of emigration has never
turned in that direction. The busy cities of the
States, the gold fields of California and of
British Columbia, rather than turn their course to
the less immedately attractive, but more substan-
tially remunerative rural districts of Canada or
the Red River. 'Yet, as we know, gold digging is
but au uncertain and dangerous trade, while the
wealth to be drawn from the tilling of the soil is
more durable and more certain. There is room,
too, for active and industrious labour in other
trades ; and the regret which no doubt many emi.
grants feel on leaving England will be fully atoned
for by the sanguine prospects]which are held out to
them by those best informed on the matter.
Mr. DIXON, the Canadian Government emigra-
tion officer in this country, says that farm la-
bourers, by industry, can very well save enough in
two or three years to make a beginning on land of
their own, which can be obtained under the Labour
Act, or they can purchase a partially cleared farm.
The newly-arrived emigrant, no matter how poor
he is, can always have a place of his own, and can
fill up his time by working for the neighbouring
farmers, who, during five months of the year, are
always in want of hands. Mr. DIXON, in commu-
nicating with the East-end Emigration Committee,
suggests that should they be able to make any
further shipments of emigrants, part of them should
be sent to St. John's, New Brunswick, where num-
bers might find employment, and where the
necessaries of life are cheap. Nova Scotia
holds out the same advantages. The Government
agent at St. John's fully confirms these statements,
and undertakes to assist any number of emigrants
sent to that port in finding employment. The
passage is no longer formidable, since the St. Law-
rence is expected to reach her destination in four-
teen days, and every effort has been made to give
the emigrants a favourable start. Each of them is
furnished with a free passage and a good supply of
clothing, as well as with provisions for the voyage,
at the cost of the committee ; and besides the assist-
ance which the Government agent at Quebec is
expected to give them on arriving a small allow-
ance is to be made to each family when there. The
agent will make arrangements for sending them to
those parts of the country where labour is most in
request, so that they will not be left to shift for
themselves friendless in a strange country. They
are not, however, men or women who need shrink
from trouble or uncertainty. They have all fought
through the terrible winter at the East-end without
receiving parochial relief, and the men are for the
most part blacksmiths, fitters, sawyers, and
labourers, who have been thrown out of employ-
ment by the collapse in the Thames shipbuilding
trades. They are just the class to succeed in Canada,
the men being, most of them, in the prime of life,
with families, some with growing sons and
daughters, who will be able to render their
parents valuable aid in settling in their new
country.

The East End Emigration Committee is m

posed of bankers, shipbuilders, merchants, and
other persons of standing in the neighbourhood who
have witnessed the struggles and sufferings of the
industrious poor, and have set themselves seriously
to consider what best may be done for their relief.
They felt that it was not sufficient to collect alms
and to distribute charity when thousands of able-
bodied men were without the prospect of supporting
their families by their own labour. A severe winter
or sudden collapse of a particular trade must always
produce extensive and exceptional distress, which
must be met by prompt and liberal aid from the
benevolent. These sources of distress being only
temporary, the object is only to get over the time
until they have passed away. Thus the longest
winter must end at last in the summer sunshine ;
and a temporary panic like the Cotton Famine,
though very alarming for the time, is certain to pass
over. But the present condition of the shipbuilding
trades on the Thames does not give intelligent and
experienced observers reason to hope that things
will be better next year. The little work that might
be had is frightened away by the trades' unionists,
and the Clyde is a formidable rival to the Thames.
The lower classes of workmen, however anxious to
work themselves, are fettered by the voluntary in-
action of the shipwrights, who cannot live on 6s. 6d.
a day, so that after much trouble and inquiry the
gentlemen interested in the locality arrived at the
conclusion that the wisest and kindest thing they
could do would be to send off as many emigrants to
the New World as were willing and fitting to go.
Mr. SAMUDA and Mr. GREEN, the well-known
shipbuilders; Mr. BuLuvANT, Mr. limo, and
others, have selected the men from Poplar
and the adjacent districts, and the Man-
sion-house Relief Committee have given the
whole of their balance of £2OO to the committee.
Lord OVERSTONE has given £BOO, the balance of a
similar fund, and there can hardly be a more suit-
able mode of applying such funds. We are sorry
to find that the committee are obliged to slacken
their labours for want of means. Surely some of
those who are so ready with their kindly contri-
butions in the winter will come forward to help in
this good work, which we may reasonably hope will
enable the emigrants henceforward to keep the wolf
from the door by their own unaided exertions.

LATEST INTELL IGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

PORTUGAL.
OPENING OF THE CORTES.

LISBON, April 15 (Evening).
The Cortes were opened to-day by the King in
person, who delivered a very brief speech.
His Majesty said that the Queen had gone to
Italy, by invitation of her father the King of Italy.
The Minister of Finance woald shortly present
bills to the Cortes for improving the public credit,
and for reorganising the financial system of the
kingdom. Public instruction was receiving atten-
tion. Measures had been taken to tranquillise the
country.

INDIA, CHINA, JAPAN, AND AUSTRALIAN

MAILS.

MESSINA, April 16.
The Ripon passed Messina at midnight. All
well.

AMERICA.

QUEENSTOWN, April 16.

The National Steamship Company's steamer
Denmark, from New York, arrived off Queenstown
at three o'clock this morning with $66,700 in specie.
She landed passengers, and proceeded for Liver-
pool.

FRANCE.
BOURSE, April 15.—Three o'clock.—The market
closed as follows :

Bank Sharon 3160
Ital'an Loan —
End of month —
Mexican Loan 19
Do. Bonds
Spanish Threes
Home Debt
Deferred
RAILWAYS.

41 per Cont.
End of month —
3 per Cent
End of mouth 6B 15
Credit 3fobilier
End of month 255
Credit Foncier 1467 50
End of month —

Orleans
... 8581
Northern
Lyons and Mediterranean
Southern—. 575

5471

Western
Eastern
Sardinian ........... . ........................ 45
Austrian 550

Lombard 3721
North of Spain 74
Saragossa
Roman 47

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, WEDNESDAY, April 15.

The great event of the day is M. Baroche's speech. The
Keeper of the Seals went down to Rambouillet, a few
mile; from Paris, to lay the foundation-stone of a new
parish church, towards which the Emperor had subscribed
£4,000. While taking part in this ceremony the Minister
made a formal announcement in favour of peace. He men-
tioned, first, that it was intended to carry out forthwith the
construction of the new roads, and he then went on to say
that this work was essentially one of peace, and " could not
be undertaken by a Government at an epoch when peace was
not assured, or when war appeared imminent or even pro-
bable. The earnestness with which the Government
hastens the execution of this work is, then, an additional
proof that it wishes peace, and that it has no reason to be-
lieve in war. Y(s. gentlemen, the Emperor wishes peace,
a peace honourable and worthy of a great nation. France,
confident in its strength, is prepared for all eventualities by
the development of its military organisation, and does not
seek war, and we are convinced that no one intends to declare
war against her ; the peace of Europe will not be troubled. Do
not, then, believe in those cries of alarm, those words of
war which error or malevolence reproduces in a sort of
periodical manner. Give yourselves up with security to
the works of agriculture and indUstry."
This speech has produced on the whole a good effect,
especially as we have. telegrams from Berlin giving the
subs once of pe ceul ar icles in the official Prussian
papers. eve: heless, it is absurd for M. Baroche
or his master to speak of " malevolence," or to chide the
people for not giving themselves up with confidence to
peaceful pursuits, when they have just been called upon to
enter upon military training whether they will or no.
As the Siecle points out, such a statement coming from an
English Minister would have been decisive, but in
France the question of peace or war is decided by the
Emperor himself. At the same time we gladly
accept M. Baroche's speech as a proof that
for the present there is to he no war. This
is a great point gained, even though the Emperor should
in his own mind be merely deferring it until he has com-
pleted his military preparations, and' until the Emperor
of Austria has completed those which to-day's pavers
announce.

The Courrier Francais has reappeared, and by way of
making a sensation announces that an alliance has been
formed between Russia, Prussia, and the United States,
and that the French Government is endeavouring to get
up a counter alliance between France, England, and Aus-
tria. Of course this is a mere catchpenny statement.
The long quarrel between the Russian Ambassador here
and Baron Meyendorff has had a serious result. Your
readers will remember that when Baron Budberg was
returning to France a few weeks ago he was assaulted by
Meyendorff at a railway station on the frontier, and that
the matter was attempted to be got over by spreading
a report to the effect that the assailant was mad. But it
turned out that he was not mad, and so the Ambassador
tvas compelled to fight him, and in order to do that was
forced to resign his post. The two met in Belgium, and
the Ambassador was wounded. There are various
Amours as to who the new Minister will be. It is be-
lieved that General Fleury will replace our Minister at
St. Petersburg, M. de Talleyrand.
As to Royal movements, they are numerous enough.
In the first place the Emperor has promised that he will,
if possible, attend the great maritime exhibition at Havre.
The King of the Belgians is said to be coming to Paris ;
if this be true, his visit, happening so quickly after last
year's, will excite gossip. The Princess Clothilde,
wife of Prince Napoleon, is gone to Turin, to be
present at the marriage of her brother, Prince
Humbert ; and her sister, the Queen of Portugal, has
also left Lisbon for the same city. As for Prince Napo-
leon, Parisians are talking about the somewhat bad taste
.which he displayed in taking part in a " Freethinkers' "
dinner which was held on Good Friday, of all days in the
world,

Austria is about to reorganise her army, and will under
the new arrangement render it compulsory for all her
male subjects to serve. From the age of 20 to 34 every
citizen will be held to service : five years in the active
army, five years in the reserve, and four years in the
landwehr. Certainly, if, as N:. Limayrac declares, the
existence of large standing armies is the best guarantee of
peace, Europe may sleep quietly just now.

The confinement of the Empress of Austria is expected
to take place towards the end of the month. The event
takes place at Buda, the Emperor being desirous of still
further conciliating his Hungarian subjects by making one
of his children a born Hungarian. A monthly nurse of
that country Las been engaged, and is now installed at
the palace ; but the rearing of the child after the month
will be entrusted to an English nurse. The Empress
Elizabeth was herself brought up by an English nurse, and
las learnt to value that training.
The principalities of Waldeck and Pyrmont are now
being administered by a Prussian director, the Prince of
Waldeck having found the task of ruling his 5,900 sub-
jects too onerous. Another of these German kinglets,
the Duke of Anhalt, who at 74 years of age finds his
182,000 subjects too much for him, is now making arrange-
ments to be relieved in a similar manner. It is believed
that the Duke of Mecklenburg is negotiating a like
arrangement. What will become of the Alnianaeh de
Gotha if things go on at this rate?

The Ex-King of Hanover, like many another amateur
journalist, has found that journalism is an expensive
luxury. The Situation, a newspaper which he established
at Paris, has cost him £60,000 in ten months. He had not
even the satisfaction of knowing that his money had been
spent to any purpose, for the paper had no circulation.
Nevertheless, he contemplates starting another. It would
seem as if his Majesty had more faith in the influence of
the press than he had when he was in possession of his
throne.

The young King of Bavaria is so much out of health,
ve believe mentally, that his physicians have counselled
him to take a long journey, and he will in all probability
go to Egypt.
The Paris correspondent of the Daily Telegraph refers
day by day to alarming rumours from Spain, which lead
him to expect another revolution. Telegrams speak of
strikes, but they are probably something worse, since
Catalonia has been declared in a state of siege. " Strikes"
seem to be quite an epidemic just now. Charleroi, Geneva,
Turin, Barcelona, Bologna, Lisbon, have all been in-
fected by them, and in most cases the " strike " has been
accompanied with violence.

At Lisbon the disturbances seem to be very serious, and
it is rumoured that the Government will have to suspend
the right of personal liberty. The Queen has already left
for Turin, in order to be present at her brother's marriage ;
but it is doubtful if the King will now be able to be present
at that occasion.

Ali Pasha has written a report concerning the insurrec-
tion in Crete. He maintains the position always assumed
by the Turkish Government hitherto—that that Govern-
ment is in no way responsible for the insurrection, and
that it would have died out long ago but for the encourage-
mmt given to it by foreign Powers. Thus, there would
seem to be little chance of amendment in the administra-
tion of the island.

The report of Mr. Scudamore to Lord Stanley of
Alderley upon the advisability of working the electric
telegraphs by the Post Office has just been published. It
is prefaced by a letter from the late Postmaster-General,
in which he states that for some years he had been in
favour of uniting the managements of the telegraphs and
the post. In the report itself, Mr. Scudamore compares
at some length the results of the Belgian and Swiss
systems with the English. In 1860, in Belgium, the pro-
portion of telegrams to letters sent was 1 to 218. The
Government reduced the price from 15d. to 10d., and
immediately the proportion rose to 1 telegram to 114
letters. A further reduction to sd. has raised the
propOrtion still further. It was in 1865 Ito 48. In
Switzerland, too, a low rate—lf. for 20 words—prevails.
In 1865 the proportion was 1 telegram to 69 letters, while
in the United Kingdom the proportion, which in 1863 was
Ito 197, had only risen in 1865 to Ito 151. This is caused
not by divided management merely, but by the fact that
while Governments would arrange for the benefit of the
community, private companies work fcr their shareholders
-only.

Mr. Scudamore then passes on to consider the objection
that the subordinate agents of the Post Office depart
ment in the small provincial towns are incompetent tc
control the telegraph. He answers that there is nothing
peculiarly disqualifying in a postmaster, and that an in
creased pay would bring greater efficiency to the work. Ae
to the preliminary matters consequent on the Government
taking the business of the companies, he thinks that the
whole of the companies' property and rights might be
bought for £2,400,000, and as much as two millions and a
half would be required to start the scheme. If we got the
same proportion of telegrams to letters as Belgium, and
set the average of product of each telegram to Is. 2AI.
deducting all charges, there would be, Mr. Scudamore
skews, a net produce of something over half a million.
The following estimate of expense, Mr. Scudamore
thinks, may be relied on as one which will not be exceeded.
For maintenance and repairs of lines—i.e., the actual cost
to the four existing companies in 1865, with an addition of
10 per cent. to meet the extensions made by the Post
Office-2130,00G ; for expenses of management and super.
vision, for the expenses of transmitting and receiving
stations, and for all other charges incidental to the trans
mission of messages, being at the rate of 7d. per message
on 11,200,000 messages £326,000 ; in all, £456,000,
against a net produce of £SO4>NO.

RAILWAY AND OTHER COMPANIES.

CALEDONIAN.

The adjourned extraordinary meeting of this
company was held on Tuesday in Glasgow.
Mr. T. HILL, late deputy-chairman, took the
chair, and explained that the board had that morn-
ing appointed him chairman, vice Lieutenant-Col.
Salkeld, resigned. He had only accepted the office
on the understanding that his appointment was an
ad interim one, pending the selection of a gentle-
man who would undertake the duties permanently.
He adverted to the position of the company,
and admitted that they had made a mistake in
having anything to do with the Portpatrick Rail-
way ; but various considerations seemed at the time
to justify that step, in accordance with the former
fighting policy of the board, and he therefore con-
tended that they had only done what was necessary to
defend themselves against the North British and
Glasgow and South-Western Railway Companies.
For the future he thought that with careful manage-
ment and the carrying out the working agreement
with the North British they need not despair of
seeing a considerable increase in the balance avail-
able for dividends.

It having been intimated that the Lord Ordinary
had recalled the interim interdict granted at the in-
stance of Mr. Glen, a resolution adopting the ac-
counts and declaring a dividend in accordance with
the half-yearly report was moved by the chairman,
seconded by Sir T. Gladstone, and carried unani-
mously.