The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-27 00:00:00

a crime.

Lord STANLEY'S speech at Bristol has been com-
mented upon by M. EDOUARD HERVE in most flat-
tering terms. This tribute from one who is so well
acquainted with our institutions is worth having,
as it is interesting to follow the writer's observa-
" Lord STANLEY," it is said, " speaks as an
honest man should speak to honeit men, and as a
man of sense to men of sense." What seems to
strike M. HERVE more forcibly than anything else
in this speech is its extreme candour ; there is no
attempt made to impart a false colouring to things,
or to make events out better than they are, and it
is this characteristic which makes the discourse so
creditable both to the speaker and to the hearers.
Some of the reflections upon the general policy
of England that are here met with are also
most admirable. It present a wiser and more
generous spirit prevails, although great diffi-
culties have to be overcome in consequence
of the effects produced by the errors of our
predecessors ; this is especially true as regards Ire-
land. It is seldom that we find the French press
treating the subjects referring to this country in so
fair a spirit, and with such justice of sentiment.
It is always something gained when the politicans
of one nation can rightly estimate the feelings and
sentiments of another, and yet the appearance of a
criticism of this nature is as rare as it is valuable. M.
HERVE seems entirely to enter into the meaning of
his subject, and this makes his opinion the more
deserving of notice. The impossibility of such a
speech as that of Lord STANLEY'S being delivered
in France need not prevent its being duly appre-
ciated and admired there for its sense and
sagacity.

tons.

Mr. FERRAND has been displaying his eloquence at
Bristol on the occasion of the Working-Men's Asso-
ciation having a meeting, and he spoke out in his
usual independent style, though his auditory were
not always inclined to hear him patiently. He en-
deavoured to impress some of his convictions upon
the minds of those present, and made a successful
hit against Mr. BERKELEY, wbo had declared in
the same sentence that they must fix their hearts
on GLADSTONE, and that nothing could answer in
the way of Reform without the ballot. Now, said
Mr. FERRAND, it is au extraordinary thing that he
should fix his heart, and the hearts of his friends,
on GLADSTONE, when GLADSTONE had always
spoke against the ballot, and voted against
it too. There is always a good deal
worthy of notice in Mr. FERRAND'S speeches,
notwithstanding their one-sidedness and occa-
sional exaggeration. In taking a retrospective
glance at past events, the bon. member said that
"the Duke of WELLINGTON made the great mistake
, of his life when he declared in the House of Lords
that he was opposed to all reform. The Whigs,

then the Liberal party, took advantage of that
avowal, and made an agitation throughout the
country. They raised the passions of the ignorant,
the roughs, and rowdies, and dangerous classes
then as they arc attempting to do now." Mr.
FARRAND proceeded to give an animated account
of the mis loings and mistakes of the Whigs, which
resulted in their majority of 350 dwindliug down
into one. Ile also animadverted upon Mr. BRIGHT'S
conduct in charging the Tories with being the ene-
mies of the working classes, while the hon. member
for Birmingham himself had always been opposed to

factory leg'shtion, and all other changes that had

been effected for the benefit of the operatives.
At one time women worked for fifteen hours a

lay, and women and children were employed in
coal mines, and there i no denying that those

,vho effected those alterations did great servime to
their country. During the course of Mr. FER-
EAND'S speech, and subsequently to it, a great deal

of disturbance was created by the unseemly de-
monstration of certain classes who had evidently
come there to promote the cause of discord. Such
an exhibition is always to be regretted, and it is
a pity that those who, directly or indirectly, fur-

ther such interruptions, do not see how con-
temptible is their device. It is never any proof
of wisdom to refuse to hear what is said on all
sides, and there was great force in what Mr.
FERRAND said, that it must go forth to the world

that the " Liberal party in Bristol were
Afraid of free discussion." Several resolutions

were passed, the first of which was that the meeting
expressed its full confidence of the home and foreign
policy of her MAJEsTY's Ministers, and, at the same
time, to "record its deep gratitude to them for
having, under circumstances of great difficulty,
restored the franchise to a large number of their
fellow-countrymen."

. _
In the former part of Mr. ROEBUCK'S able and
vigorous speech at Sheffield, the other evening, he
`ook a survey of the politics of the past and the
pr,sent. In the latter half he turned the attention
of his audience to the asp. cts of the future, and
iaid that the main politics of the coming year might
be summed up iu three things—the Sco•ch Reform
Bill, the Irish Reform Bill, and some legislation
with respect to the trades' unions of the country.
As to the increase of the Scotch represen-
tation, he spoke very hopefully, and refer-
ring to the juncture of Scotland and Eng-
land through her Parliament, he said that
from that time to this Scotland has learnt the