The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-18 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1868.

Yesterday was a grand day with the Merchant
Taylors' Company, and her MAJESTY'S Ministers
were entertained at a Banquet in the hall at Thread-
needle-street. The affair was very brilliant, and
the whole of the entertainment reflected the greatest
credit upon those concerned in it. The Premier,
and nearly all the Ministers, were present, besides a
numerous assemblage of the conspicuous members
of the Conservative party. The guests were nu-
merous, and the general arrangements altogether
conduced greatly to the effect of the
evening. It will be in the knowledge of
many that the Merchant Taylors' Company
is one of the most time-honoured of all the Guilds
for which the city of London has been famous, and
last evening they appeared in a spirit and splen-
dour worthy of the more magnificent days of their
history. The Hall itself is well fitted for a scene
of this kind, being lofty, and admirably complete
n its various parts. The history and traditions of
the party are Conservative in the fullest acceptation
of the term, and on more than one occasion the
party has made it a standing-ground for political
manifestations on the eve of any great crisis that oc-
curred. There is ample reason for this Company
making an effort to welcome the present Administra-
tion, for it has conferred honour on the cause by its
spirited action respecting Reform. The popu-
larity in which the present Ministry is held was
amply proved yeA .rday, for the Premier was ex-
tremely well received on arriving, and again in the
hall ; and some of the 1, aging members of the
Administration also obtained a cordial recognition.
In proposing the " Army" the Master said that the
Conservative prestige in war had been fitly borne
out by the recent success iu Abyssinia ; and Sir
J. PAKINGTON, in returning thanks, made some
interestin4observations. He truly Dbserved that it
was not the mere fact of victory that was so gra-
tifying in this affair, but also the circumstances
that conduced to it. In proposing the toast of the
evening the Master made an appropriate speech, in
which he dwelt upon the character of the Adminis-
tration generally, and concluded by associating
with the toast " the name of the right hon. gentle-
man at the head of the Government, whose com-
manding genius, great eloquence, and unshaken
resolution had commanded success in spite of
the enormous and hostile attacks which
have been made against him, and whose
good temper and tact enabled him to rule
the storm, and, if not to reach port, at least
successfully to keep to the open sea." Mr. Ms-
RAELI was received with the most unbounded ap-
plause on presenting himself to the assembly, and
spoke in his usual felicitous strain on such
occasions.

A year haz ^^c-^a since in that !all the right bon.
gentleman had the task of returning thanks for the
House of Commons, then engaged in one of the most
arduous works that have been witnessed by
this generation, and it is still occupied
in the completion of that glorious labour.
The Premier has some reason for expressing
the opinion that when the heat and excitement of
tl:9 con filet is over a more favourable impression will
be felt concerning the achievement of the last t7o
'..ears in improving the Representation of the
People, and that the generations which succeed us
will conclude that, considering the difficulties in the
way, the present Parliament has successfully
combined respect for past traditions with a due re-
gard for the progress demanded by the future. The
Constitution of our country, as Mr. DISRAELI well
reminded his hearers, is not a " paper Constitution,"
and its efforts are well seen and fully recognised
by all who take the trouble to enter into its character.
It is an aggregate of institutions, and the conse-
quence of these political institutions, aS was Well

described in the speech before us, is that in England

"society has already been more powerful than the
State." Without eriggeration, we may affirm that
Mr. DISRAELI is always very successful in delinea-
tions of this sort, and intelligent men of every shade
of party will readily acknowledge the truth of this
masterly sketch of the blessings they, in common
with other Englishmen, enjoy. "In moments
of difficulty and danger, in times of emergency,
there has always in this country been something
round which we can rally, and by these means we
have secured the greatest blessings of a civil
community, which are seldom reconciled ; that is
the enjoyment alike of crier and liberty." We
cannot expect the same unanimity of opinion to

prevail respecting the comments which Mr. Ms-
RAELI passed upon the manner in which
the Administration of the last ten years had
performed their duty; and yet, if we cri-
tically consider them, there is a dt!al of truth
which some may find more potent than pleasant
to dwell upon. In foreign affairs England has re-
gained that position which for smne time seemed
well-nigh lost for ever, an I the successful conduct
of the Abyssinian war has imparted a fresh energy
and put a new stimulus into our army and navy,
and shown the world that we vindicate at al:
hazards the might of that empire on which the sun
never sets. Mr. DISRAELI concluded his eloquent
speech by expressing his confident trust " that,
when the hour of trial came, the people
of this country will not be unmindful
of what the present Ministers have done under
circumstances of great difficulty, and with much to
contend against."

The Lord Chancellor, in his effective speech, vin-
dicated the character of the House of Lords from
the charge of idleness. The present sesiion has in-
deed witnessed many instances of their energy, and
just now they are considering four great measures,
besides a host of supernumerary matters that claim
their attention. Some other speeches of interest
were made before the company separated, and we
may add that the memory of the brilliant and success-
ful entertainment will long live in the memory of all
present. The present Government has been driven
too long by the determined and factious course of
the Opposition, but until the verdict of the country
has decided against them they have a right to be-
lieve that some recognition will be made of the
great work they have accompiihed, and those
numerous classes which their policy has enfran-
chised may not be such realy and willing fol-
lowers of the Opposition as Mr. BRIGHT would
fain have us believe.

We learn by the arrival of the Nova Scotian,
with news from New York on the Gth inst., that
the difficulty of making diplomatic appointments
is not yet over in America. The Senate indeed
appears to have grown more moderate in their
conduct since the conclusion of the Impeachment
Trial, but the Foreign Affairs Committee has now
begun to make itself troublesome, and its members
have recommended the rejection of the nomina-
tion of General 111`CLELLAN as Minister to Great
Britain, and of Mr. Cox as Minister to Austria.
The mere fact of a Minister having been
nominated by the present Government is
quite sufficient to call forth a protest
on the part of some politicians, and the newly-ap-
pointed Ministers to England and Austria seem to
have the benefit of this feeling. Mr. THORNTON is
meanwhile comfortably installed at Washington,
and has begun inquiring about the Renewal of the
Reciprocity Treaty. Mr. SEWARD is reported to
have said that the action of Congress in the matter
would be necessary. We should hope that com-
mon-sense counsels may prevail this year, and that
having indulged their feelings against England,
without any advantage to themselves, the
Radicals may cons:nt to allow the inte-
rests of the commercial community to be
considered. The merchants of Detroit, who might
reasona')ly be supposed to know more about the
matter than the angry gentlemen who meet at.
nashington, made, it will be remembered, a very
spirited and sensible protest against the rupture of
the commercial arrangements between Canada and
the United States ; but at that time the Radicals car-
ried everything before them, and England was the
object of their supreme displeasure. Times have
changed since then, and every succeeding election
shows how strongly the tide of public opinion has
set against the faction which has worked so much
mischief. The late elections in Oregon form
the latest triumph of the Democrats. An unex-
pected success has attended their candidate for
the State membership for Congress. A sharp
contest and a full vote resulted in the success of
the Democrat by a majority of nearly 2,000, and
nearly all the Legislature and the county officers
belonged to the same party. At the last election,
two years ago, the Republican candidate obtained
a seat in Congress by a majority of 55, and in the
State Legislature the Republicans secured a majo-
rity of seven members. The Democrats, as might
be expected, are greatly elated at this result, which
they accept as indicative of the votes which the
Pacific States will give in the Presidential election.
They call it satirically " the first gun for General
GRANT."

Meanwhile General GRANT and Speaker COLFAX
have been waited upon by the Committee of the
Chicago Convention, and officially informed of their
nomination for the two highest offices in the State.
General HAWLEY, who made the announcement,
said to GRANT that they were sure he would not
impose upon the unwilling representatives of the
people aoy policy of his own devising, for he had
said that " the will of the people was the law of the
land." General GRANT, who never exhibits any of
the rashness of the soldier, but always main-
tains the cautious reserve of the statesman,
contented himself with agreeing to this statement,
and saying he would write a letter of acceptance.
Three days later the letter was published, and
exhibits the same caution, and is also, we must ac-
knowledge, characterised by good sense. While
Congress is rashly pledging the future, and making
the elections of national representatives dependent
on rigid obedience to specified restrictions, General
GRANT justly declares that "In times like the
present it is impossible, or at least eminently im-
proper, to lay down a policy to be adhered to, right
or wrong, through au administration of four
years." He adds that new political issues not
foreseen are constantly arising, the views of the pub-
lic on old ones are constantly changing, and a purely
administrative officer should always be left free to
execute the will of the people." This is to say, in
other words, that GuANT, as candidate for the Ra-
dical suffrages, accepts the position which the House
of Representatives has marked out for the occupant
of the White Thule, and that he will, if elected,
consider himself merely "an administrative officer,"
whose first duty is to consult " the will of the
people," as expressed, of course, through their re-
presentatives. Happily, judging from the turn
which the elections are taking, the will of the
Congress is not likely to be so arbitrary, so oppres-
sive, or so self-seeking as it has been of late years.
So far as the refusal. to pledge himself to any par-
ticular policy is concerned, General GRANT is wise.
It would be presumptuous folly for any man to
pledge himself as Co his acts four years hence when

he assumes the conduct of the affairs of a great
nation. Such a pledge given in sincerity is tanta-
mount to announcing that the statesman in ques-
tion refuses to learn anything by experience by
the march of events, by the inevitable changes
which years bring about. If such a politician is
out of place among ourselves more must he be so
in that enterprising and vigorous young commu-
nity, which has cast off so many of the shackles
which bind the policy of the old world.

LATEST INTELL MENGE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

-+

lIUN GARY.

PESTI!, June 17, Evening.

In to-day's sitting of the Lower House the bills
on indirect taxes were adopted in principle. Prince
Napoleon was present at the sitting.

The Prince dines to-day with Count Andrassy.
lie leaves on Friday for Mezoe llegyes, and from
thence proceeds to Constantinople.
The recruiting this year takes place on the old
system.

.ree o'clock.—The market

BOURSE, June 17.—T
closed as follows
41 per Cent.
End of month... ItaPan Loan
3 per Cent
End of mouth 7O 22} Mexican Loan ... 22 25
Credit Mobilier
End of month... 312 50 Spanish Threes
Credit Foucier _1530 Home Debt 33 75
Eadiof month... Deferred

RAILWAYS.

Cash
Orleans
N orthern
Lyons and Mediterraocan
Southern-- 6OO
Western
Eastern
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard 3BO
North of Spain
Saragossa
Roman—..

46

THE 1313101 QTY OF CRIME IN ITALY.

The 7 lanes Florence correspondent, writing on
June 13, says :—ln the midst of long-winded and
arid conversations about declines and centimes a poli-
tical question of some interest has been introduced.
Deputy Finzi announced his intention to ask the
Government for certain explanations with regard
to recent occurrences at Ravenna, a town which
Deputy Farini yesterday declared, not without
some reason, had come to be considered a nest of
banditti. You were told of the assassination of
Signor Cappa, a magistrate whose functions—rather
it would seem by their mere nature than by his
manner of discharging them—had rendered him
odious to those classes of society—in the Romagna,
it is to be feared, only too numerous—who view with
abhorrence the repression of crime, and readily fly
to the poniard to rid themselves of any who con-
scientiously and energetically carry it out. Cappa,
it appears, had rendered himself unpopular- in other
words, he had incurred the hatred of evil-doers. A
story has now been got up of arrests made in Ra-
venna several months ago, and it is said that the
parsons are still in prison,
having never been brought
to trial, and that thus the assassin's hand had been
armed against Cappa. It is a matter of the ut-
most difficulty to sift the truth of such stories in
a country were the moderate press is too prone
to suppress all that is unpleasant to its friends,
while the journals of the Left, by their habitual
violence and exaggeration, often prevent credit
from being given to statements substan-
tially correct. What is certain is that the
local authorities of Ravenna neglected the natural
opportunity that presented itself of showing sym-
pathy with the murdered man and abhorrence of
the crime by attending his funeral, an I that the
unta, or Executive Committee of the Municipal
Body, has sent a deputation to Florence to coinplain
to Government of what are styled by a Bologna
piper the " unjust, numerous, and arbitrary"
arrests made at Ravenna since Cappa's assassination.
The truth is, that murders of which the motive,
for the most part, has remained a mystery, while
the perpetrators have almost invariably escaped un-
punished, have of late been scandalously frequent
in Italy. A number of papers have recently_ had
articles tending to attribute them to political fac-
tions, but this is a mere attempt to elevate some-
what the character of the crime, and to lighten the
charge cast upon the national morality. The true
cause of such crimes is the absence of a high moral
tone in the country, the inefficiency of the police,
the cowardice of juries, the facilities for prison-
breaking, the maudlin agitation against capital
punishment. Remove these original causes and
facilities for crime, and there will no longer be any
occasion to fall upon the "sects" as the instigators
of murders, which will then be of comparatively
rare occurrence. It is the same with minor offences;
they might be checked by a stern measure of justice.
But in Italy it is too common for the big fish to
break through the net. An immense deal must be
set down to sentiment in this country. What can
be more touching than a truly penitent murderer ?
Hand him a file, give poppies to his guards, and let
him away in the dead of the night, or, perhaps, in
broad daylight. Dives is everywhere well received,
and has numerous friends of high character,
although it is known to everybody that hundreds
of poor families lost their little all by the smash
of the bubble company by which he made his
fortune. This, it may be said, is a case to be
paralleled in various countries, and such is as-
suredly the case ; but, ul.fortunately, here the
evil reaches very le.gh and habitually escapes ex-
posure. The papers are very prudent, and love not
to compromise their friends an I make things un-
pleasant. A public scanial see-ns repugnant to
their feelings, however necessary it may be to the
interests of public morality, and they are glad to
smother it up. What about the Bologna forgeries?
A certain number of persons have been arrested,
including some of a social p ,sition which exempted
them from suspicion, and rendered it most impro-
bable they would be arrested, especially in Italy,
unless the strongest evidence against them had
been forthcoming. We wait to see what comes
of the affair, but it will be far from unprecedented
if nothing more be heard of it.

In order to convey to the public some idea of the
power of the battery now engaged at Shoeburyness
in proving the resisting power of the various
shields, the Times says that if its five guns were
fired simultaneously they would deliver about 1G
cwt. of shot, propelled by 2501 b.
of powder, strik-
ing the target with a mechanical force sufficient to
throw nearly a ton weight over the top of the
highest mountain in the world. _ _

The Irish Government have determined to re-
lease Mr. Pigott, of the Irishman. On Tuesday
the Governor of Richmond Bridewell received
authority from the Lords Justices (acting in the
absence of the Lord-Lieutenant) to release him from
custody on his perfecting the recognizances required
by his sentence. This concession amounts to a
commutation of punishment by one-half. Mr.
Pigott was sentenced to twelve months' imprison-
meat, and has spout exactly six in the Bride-
well.

Mr. A. M. Sullivan (of the Nation) has just de-
livered a lecture on " Hofer and the Patriot Leaders
of the Tyrol." He described it as a contribution to
the " training up of young Irishmen ia the way
they should go as citizens and Irishmen." " Hofer,'
he sail, " was for a considerable time concealed,
but at length a Judas, a Corydon was found to
clutch the Bavariin blood money." Mr. Sullivan
woul I say to his audience, in Ilofec's worth, " Oh,
friends, pray, pray always that God may preserve
to us the old religion and brotherly love throughout
the land. They had heard of late that the clergy
of the Catholic Church, the teaching, auth,)-
rity, and influence of that Church, had been
adverse to liberty, tending to national abasement,
submission, and slavery. Ah, my countrymen,
they who say these things blaspheme the truth of
history, and calumniate the best friends, the most
lunic martyis, of:liberty."

EXrLANATI

Barometer corrected and reduced to :
r., Tieing; f., falling; s., steady—lndio
mercury within last 14 hours. The
Extreme Force with its Direction du
Wean), r : 11—blue sky ; c.—clouds,
; nn,—misty, Lazy ; o.—ove
t.—thunder. Rah-fall, snow cr hail (
Sea di3turbance

dcg. a sea level. Theletters
;ate directieii of motion of the
ermometer ezposed in shade.
firing last 24 hours. Z.—calm
detached ; f.—fog ; h.—hail ;
;Yeast, dull ; r.— rain ; B.—snow;
(melted) during last 24 hours,

REMARK:

A rapid increase in barometrical pressures has occurred on our north
and east coasts since last evening, and readings are now high at all
stations : they are highest in the district named, and there is a
difference of four-tenths of an inch between Leith and Biarritz. On
the west coast a slight decrease is in progress. Temperatures are very
high except in the north. The winds yesterday were of moderate force,
and towards the afternoon were ve2ring : they are generally from the
eastward this morning, and are very light in Scotland, but moderate
on the Channel coast. Weather is generally fine and dry.

The special correspondent of the Times writes that the
outrage at Belgrade is felt in Hungary almost like a
The impression is so much the greater as
family tragedy.
there was not the slightest premonitory symptom of the
catastrophe. The Prince had succeeded in completely
mastering the Opposition, so that, except in form, he had
become, far more so than his father, the uncontrolled ruler
of his country. Every year his popularity increased, so
that at the moment of his death the chances
of founding a truly national dynasty seemed
quite assured. This would seem to exclude the idea of
assassination from political motives, did not the details
which have at present transpired leave little or no doubt
that private motives of revenge played, if not the first, at
any/rate a very essential part. A probable list of candi-
dates for the succession is furnished by the writer. There
is first the nephew of the deceased Prince, the grandson
of Milosch's brother Ephraim, a youth 14 years of age.
The second candidate named is the deposed Prince Kara-
george vich, the son of the Servian hero Czerny George;
and the third, Prince Daniel of Montenegro, the favourite
of the national party. The last, but by no means the
least on the list, is Garachanin, the Minister President.
He is undoubtedly in intelligence and character far ahead
of everyone else, and in Europe his accession to power
would be the greatest guarantee of peace and order. It
is feared, however, that there may be a difficulty in induc-
ing him to exert himself in the matter, or to allow others
to do it for him.

Now that we have the official despatches from Si;
Robert Napier giving all particulars of the storming of
the fortress of Magdala, the victory does not seem to
have been so easily attained as the telegrams had led us to
suppose. As the Daily News points out, it appears to have
been no child's play in which our forces were engaged,
and therefore the English nation ought to be still more
deeply impressed with the gravity of the enterprise and
with the genuineness of the triumph. The Abys-
sinians fought with a determination which won the
respect of our commander-in-chief, and, although
they bad terrible odds arrayed against them, returned
again and again to the attack, and yielded at last to the
sheer weight of material superiority. " We have shewn once
more," says our contemporary, "that English troops can
Perform feats deemed impossible, and can boast the ser-
vices of a general who may rank among the great com-
manders of an age fertile -in military genius. The Abys-
sinian army and Sir Robert Napier maintain the noble
traditions (4 British valour and discipline."
Under the new Reform Act every man who for one
year prior to the 31st of July has occupied as sole tenant
the same lotll,7ings,which if unfurnished would let at the rate
Of £lO a year, may claim to be placed on the list of voters.
Joint occupiers will be disqualified, and the value is to be
regarded as a question of fact for the revising barrister to
decide. If taken unfurnished, the rent paid is to be
accepted primd facie as the proof of value. Every
person paying 4s. a week rent for unfurnished lodgings will be
entitled to claim. If the lodgings are taken furnished,
the claimant must spew that, exclusive of a reasonable
charge for the use of the furniture, the lodgings occupied
by him are worth 4s. a-week, or £lO a-year. Occasional
absence during the twelve months will not disqualify, pro-
vided no other person occupies in the interval, and pro.
vided the rent continues to be paid by the claimant. The
lodger claims are to be published by the overseers in a
separate list got later than the cOMMOIMMLit of
Eicamber.