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

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LOSDON, TUESDAY, JULY 7, 1868.

The interest which has always been felt in the
domestic circle of QUEEN VICTORIA has during the
last year or two been considerably heightened by
some of those vicissitudes which must occasionally
chequer the path of high and low. The narrow
escape of the Duke of EDINBURGH from sudden and
violent death called forth the liveliest demonstra-
tions of sympathy and regret, and his safe return
to his own country has been hailed with universal
expressions of satisfaction and relief. All must re-
joice that her MAJESTY has been sp.tred such a
heavy trial, and every parent can sympathise with
the mother's delight at seeing her son apparently
none the worse fur his painful and dangerous
adventure. Since her MAJESTY'S bereavement,
however, and her consequent seclusion from public
life, the interest of the nation has chiefly centred
on the Heir Apparent and his graceful and popular
Princess. The " Welcome ALEXANDRA," so spon-
taneous and so hearty in its nature, prepared the
fair stranger to fin I herself beloved and honoured
even before being known, ant her kindness and
affability have only served to endear her still more
to her adopted people as the years have gone by.
Her long and painful illness has been a matter of
universal regret, not only because the Princess was
forced to abandon the Prominent position she had
assumed iu society, and a check was consequently
put upon much of the gaiety of the seas)a, but be-
cause every one was personally grieved for the fair
young mother compelled to endure so tedious and
painful an ordeal. Her recovery was the subject
for general rejoicing, and her reappearance in
public was everywhere hailed with satis-
faction and relief. The ne•.vs that yesterday
another Princess W 43 added to the Princess's youth-
ful family was fresh matter for congratulation, and
the warmest interest was expressed. Th 3 happy
event was made known by the firing of the Park
and Tower guns, and crowds of persons hastened
to Marlborough House to learn the particulars. A•
the Mansion house, where the bulletin was posted
early in the day, it was eagerly read by the passers-
by. happily the news continues to be favourable,
and the later bulletins are all that can be desired.
Nothing therefore remains but to hope that the
convalescence of the Princess will be speedy and
unchequere.l, and that her MAJESTY'S younger'
grand laughter may equal her predecessors in health,
beauty and intelligence.

The chief interest in the House of Lords last
evening was engrossed by the debate on Nova
Scotia, bat time was found for the advancement of
some long-standing bills. The County Courts Ad-
miralty Jurisdiction Bill and the Vagrant Ac
Amendment Bill were both passed through commit-
tee, and the report of amendments on the Arm:,
Chaplains Bill was received. The Scotch Reform
13111, too, progressed a stage, for the report of
thJ amend:nents was brought up, and after some

conversation agreed to. Several small measures
were a lvanced, and the Lor Is seem determined to
press for ward their share of the work. The prin-
cipal subject of discussion in the latter part of the
evening was the redoubtable Boundary Bill,
respecting which there exists, n.)t unnaturally, con-
siderable dissatisfaction. Thanks to the waste of
time in the Commons, and the consequent lateness
of the season before the bill came up to the Lords—
thanks, too, to the unwarrantable coarse adopted
by Earl RUSSELL and his friends—the bill cannot
be said to have been fairly and fully considered.
The two evenings which the Lords might have de-
voted to its consideration were entirely- monopolised
by angry recrimination and personal attacks. To
make matters worse Ministers are forced to hurry
on the bill in order to obtain the Royal as-
sent in time to obtain the requisitions for
county votes before the 20th of July. L)r,l
REDE;DALE, uad 2r these circumstances, last
night lost patience, an 1 declared that he thought it
more important to pass a good Boundary Bill than
to have the elections in November. The Reform
Bill proposed to settle matters for a generation at
least, but several noble lords declared their convic
tion that the hasty and careless manner iu which
the boundary question had been decided left open
grounds for serious complications and difficulties.
At first sight it may appear to be trifling and un-
important whether the boundary line is drawn at
one particular spot or another, but in reality
there is considerable difference, because in
many cases the question is whether a popu-
lous district shell come under the borough or
the county franchise. It is needless to add that
the question affects the electors very closely, be-
cause many more would be placed on the borough
register than on the county register. In the case
of Aston, for instance, the difference amounted to
between two and three thousand, and yet Aston, as
Lord EVERSLEY declared, is as much a part of Bir-
mingham as Piccadilly is of London. Again, in the
case of Jarrow, the mother parish of South Shields,
respecting which Lord RA.VENSWORTH last night
moved his amendment, the interests of many thou-
sand persons are affected. The Commissioners
recommended that Jarrow, with its 15,000 inha-
bitants, should be included in South Shields, the
most rational arrangement ; but the Parliamentary
Committee, who reversed many of their decisions,
decided against it. The Committee appear to have
had a strong obj,!ction t) include in the boroughs
those outlying populations which of late years have
sprung up so quickly round many of our towns and
cities, and which naturally belong rather to the
urban than to the rural classes. The consequence
of this unwise exclusiveness is that in some canes
one side of a street will be included in the
borough limits and one in the county, which is
likely to prove a fruitful source of contention and
dispute. We cannot help regretting that further
time and consideration have not been given to this
bill, since the circumstances attending its discus-
sion in both houses have been peculiarly unfor-
tunate.

The House of Commons began the week well,
and got through a good deal of work. The Regis-
tration Bill was read a third time and passed, but
Sir G. BOWYER pronounced a dismal prophecy con-
cerning it, for he said that it had been passed too
hastily, and with lack of information, and in conse-
quence we must expect that the new Parliament
would be a failure, and that a second general elec-
tion would take place in twelve months. We should
hope that the hon. member himself must rejoice to
find his words falsified by the success of the scheme ;
for the Reform 8111, as Mr. DISRAELI has said,
is the work of the House of COIIIIIOII3, and it
must take up and proclaim the responsibility
at will. As for the want of infermatioa people
seem to forget that a very long time has passed
since the measure was first introduced jute the
House, so that ample opportunity has been afforded
to consider its details, and really there exists no
grounds for the fears of some and the evil proguos
tications of others. The House went into com-
mittee on the Corrupt Practices Bill, and some
drscussion ensued on that, which occupied a con-
siderable time. Mr. BoUVEItIE, first of all, pro-
posed some alteration to take place in the bill, so
that a tribunal might be formed composed of six
members of the house to act under a Judge, and
that the Crown should appoint an additional Judge
to each of the Superior Courts of Common Law.
Mr. DISRAELI refused to allow the principle of the
bill to be altered, but said that he would con-
sider some propositions afterwards. Mr. MILL
spoke strongly on the importance of limiting
the duration of the bill to two years, and Mr.
GLADSTONE wished the Government to follow this
suggestion, though he declared with characteristic
caution that he preferred Mr. AYRTON'S plan to all
others. Mr. KNATCHBULL-HUGESSEN gave some
very good advice, when he said that they had come
to the paint when they must settle if they
would pass the bill or not, and that they
should not fritter away the time that is left,
and he reminded the House that it would not look
well if they appeared to the country to be averse to
putting a stop to the practice of bribery. A large
majority decided against the amendment. Mr.
AYIITON carried his amendment, and stopped the
further progress of the bill thereby, Mr. DISRAELI
declaring that he must take time to consider what
should be done. It is much to be regretted that
the hon. member should have persisted in this
course, because it is inconvenient to have his clauses
interposed; and, as the Premier said very truly,
the prot_st of the judges might weigh with the
other House and materially affect the progress of the
bill. It seems a pity to try too much, and since the
judges had proclaimed their unwillingness to have
the proposed duty put upon them, surely it is an
unpropitious time to attempt the change at this
juncture, when every day is precious, and all dis-
puted measures stand a chance of being thrown out
altogether. The Army Estimates engaged some
time, and the House was favoured by a long attack,
delivered by Major ANSON, on the manufacturing
arrangements of the army. Sir JOHN PAK-
INGTON complained, with great justice, that
uo notice had been given of this sweeping con-
demnation, and showed that the sudden and
comprehensive changes proposed would be
inconvenient, and also attended with great expense.
The Earl of MAYO brought in the Registration
Rill for Ireland, which chiefly relates to revision,
and arranges that the lista should be put in the
hands of Sieriffs by the beginning or' Nove.nber,
Lnd everything
will be ready in Ireland for a gene-
ral election as S3Oll as they are in England. The
long sitting of the 11 fuse would have effected more
Practical good hal it not been for the provoking
hindrance interposed by Mr. a': tiros. The G
vernment are not met half way in their earnest
endeavours to pass the necessary measures before
the end of the Session.

It seems that Franc.e. has decided on S' alert
policy, or at any rate is not just now inclined fur
mar. The news that reaches us from Pf:ris is de-
Adedly of a peaceful character. The EMP SIM has
yen orders that ow-Ilfth of the army s bould be
ient home on furlouffi, after the general ii spection
should have taken place, and M. ROMER .ielivered