The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-26 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1868.

The House of Commons has at last set to work
in right earnest, and a good deal of progress was
made yesterday. We cannot blame the Scotch
members for wasting time, for they lent their aid
to the Government and got through their work
most expeditiously. Mr. BOUVERIE'S famous
amendment, which was to work such wonders, has
vanished into thin air, so far as any practical pur-
pose can be served by it, and the hon. member
and his friends may cease to exult over the brief
bright triumph which the " managed majority"
effected. This is fortunate, because it threatened,
if persisted in, to imperil the affair, and
to invalidate the working out of the English
Reform Bill. The Lord Advocate moved a
proviso, which was agreed to by Mr. MONRCREIFF
in behalf of the Scotch members. The conclusion
arrived at after some discussion of its merits was,
that no man should vote who, during the preceding
twelve months, had been exempted from the pay-
ment of poor—rates through poverty, or who had
been within the receipt of parochial relief during
the present year. The lodger franchise is to be the
same as in England. Sir EDWARD COLEBROOK
was not successful in his attempt to prevent the
creation of faggot-votes, and neither party seemed
to consider his scheme favourably, it b • emg nega-
tived without coming to a division. The sixth
clause was postponed, that being the ono which
provides that the third member to Glasgow should
be elected on the " minority" principle. The Go-
vernment were fortunate in the divisions of last
night, and a majority of thirty-nine decided in their
favour, instead of Mr. BAXTER'S proposal that
Glasgow should have four members instead of
three. This was taken as a test for Mr. DISRAELI'S
proposal of seven members to Scotland instead of
ten. A good deal of progress was made besides all

these arrangements, so that yesterday certainly
stands ape rt as a rara avis among the days of this
session. The Redistribution scheme of the Govern-
ment has been revised and improved, and Scot-
land has benefited by the alterations introduced.
It is tr ue that the members taken from the
" doomt3d boroughs" of England might as well
have been given to this country, and additional seats
added. to the list for the extension of the representa-
tion in Scotland ; but as matters had gone so far it
may be as well that things should be left as they
are. It must not be supposed that all was tame in
the transactions of yesterday, for, on the contrary,
the diE cussions were numerous and several knotty
points came under notice. There was an absence
of personality in the debate, which saved a great
deal of time, and moreover the Scotch members
stuck firm to their purpose of getting the work done
as briefly as propriety would permit them to effect it.
Sir L. PALK moved that the representation of
England and Ireland should not be interfered
with, and adduced some reasons to show that the
House might resolve that the seats which Mr.
BAXTER'S instruction claimed should be given to
England, but Mr. DISRAELI replied that this could
not be, and although he sympathised with the
object in view in this proviso, still to adopt it must
infallibly riopen the English measures. As the
right hon. gentleman truly observed, the House
have been engaged on this matter for two years,
and it had " been a very severe and difficult
labour," and on the whole they had arrived at a
conclusion which promised good to the country. Of
course if arguments were to prevail, and
every one to endeavour to be satisfied, it
would be useless to expect to come to a settle-
ment this session. As Mr. DISRAELI added, they
must look at the question as practical men, and see
whether " by mutual concession and compromise
they could not bring about a satisfactory result."
This is most correct, and if the principle had been
more fully acted upon a great deal more might
have been accomplished this session besides passing
the Scotch and Irish Reform Bills, but unhappily
party spirit came in the way and obstructed all
progress for some time. Not only did Mr.
GLADSTONE persist in pushing forward the
Irish Church question at every possible and
impossible opportunity, but faction animated
some honourable members, and led to the intro-
thiction of proposals that wasted time in discussion,
and, if assented to by the House, confused exist-
ing arrangements, and interfered with the course of
legislation this year. A large majority decided
against Sir L. PALK, and the Government came off
triumphantly in all respects in •the discussion of
yesterday. Mr. GLADSTONE and Mr. BRIGHT
fought hard to support Mr. BAXTER'S larger pro-
posal against the Government scheme of seven
members, but to no end, which shows that
the House is getting pretty well tired of their
officious meddling on every occasion that
presents itself. The Scotch members may
be congratulated upon the progress which has been
made, and the Government, we should imagine,
must feel satisfied at the manner in which this work
has been commenced. There seems now every
chance of coming to a speedy conclusion, and in-
deed there would have been no fear before had not
certain parties made it their special care to inter-
pose obstacles, and the act of others to point them
out to the notice of the House, and infer therefrom
that progress was impossible, and that this year
must be wasted. The time is short now, certainly,
but that is. no reason why any of it should be
wasted, and we have good reason now to hope that
the worst is over, and that the vexed question may
be satisfactorily settled this year. The public will
hail the probability of this with delight, for Mr.
GLADSTONE'S factious course has now no favour,
and great anxiety has been felt at the continued de-
lays in the way of progress.

The Senate Court, we learn by the arrival of the
China, adjourned on the 13th inst. for three days,
in consequence of the illness of Senator HOWARD.
Whether the same consideration would have been
shown in respect of the illness of a Democrat may
very safely be questioned. Senator HOWARD is a
Radical, and Radical votes are precious. It is no
secret that the heads of the party have been exert-
ing every possible influence upon their wavering
followers, in order to secure a sufficient majority to
convict the PRESIDENT. The members of the Lower
House even are putting a pressure upon those of the
Upper House, and we find the Republican members
from Missouri, in the Representatives, have for-
warded an address to Senator HENDERSON, urging
him either to vote for Mr. JonNsoN's conviction, or
to withhold his vote. What right the Representa-
tives have to control the Senators may well be
asked ; but this is not a time, in the minds of the
Radicals, to stand upon punctilio. The Secretary
of the Senate has tendered his resignation, having,
it is said, done so with the object of criticising in
the newspapers the conduct of those Republican
Senators who oppose the PRESIDENT'S conviction.
Those Republicans who can stand firm against all
this pressure must be men of courage and character,
but it is evident from all these devices being
thought necessary by the heads of the party that
the Managers have for some time past felt little
security as to their triumph. At Washington it is
reported that in the event of the ..PRESIDENT'S
acquittal STANTON will resign his office, so that it is
evident that the attack upon Mr. JOHNSON is begin-
ning to be looked upon as a failure.
Meanwhile the pressing interest of the Washing-
ton trial has thrown into the shade all those ques-
tions of Southern policy which formerly engrossed
so much of public attention. In fact, the fate of
the Southern States is in the balance as well as
the fortunes of the PRESIDENT, since in reality
Mr. JOHNSON'S crime consists of the disposition he
has shown to assist and restore the struggling
States of the South. The Radicals, disappointed
in their schemes of wholesale confiscation of the
lands and expatriation of the people, regard as a
personal enemy the man who has dared to speak,
act, and govern as if the ex-Confederates were still
countrymen entitled to some share of their old
rights and privileges. Mr. JOHNSON could not, or
would not, see the meaning of exhausting the country
in a struggle to maintain the Union, and then re-
fusing to acknowledge that the vanquished were
members of the Union. He asked if the
Northern argument were correct, and the
Union could not be broken, how it was possible to
talk of keeping the Southern States out of the
Union? The Radicals disliked his way of putting
the question, and began to talk about impeach-
ment. When the crisis is over, and the trial, as we
may hope it will be, decided in favour of the PRE-
SIDENT, the Southern States may have a chance of
recovering from their long-continued depression.
Even the Radicals, their natural enemies, are be-
ginning to feel that they can be no longer kept out,
and the House of Representatives has passed a
Bill removing the political disabilities of 200 citizens
of North Carolina, including Governor HOLDEN, and
several members elect of Congress and the State
Legislature. General GRANT has officially an-
nounced to the House the ratifications of the new
Constitutions by North and South Carolina,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama, only unfortu-
nately such ratifications do not faithfully reflect

ABYSSINIA.

AMERICA.

AUSTRIA.

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVEN.

the real feelings of the people. As for the condi-
tions imposed, by the House of Representatives on
the readmission of the Southern members to Con-
gress they are really absurd. Neither the Congress
of to-day nor the constituencies of to-day can legis-
late for all future time, and it will only need a
fresh vote or additional clause introduced by a new
and differently constituted House to reverse the
whole of the elaborately prepared constituencies.

Some time since great complaints were made, and
made with good reason, respecting the too favour-
able treatment which our criminals received at the
hands of the prison authorities. It appeared that
men who had broken the laws, and often been
guilty of the most ruffianly and dastardly acts,
were indulged with such a good and plentiful
supply of food as honest labourers and their families
could not hope to attain by honesty. Of course no
one would choose a prison for the sake of the fare,
but it was universally held to be unjust and un-
reasonable that men who were in any case a heavy
burden on the State should be allowed more than the
plain necessaries of life. Now, however, the authorities
seem to be falling into the opposite extreme, and
our prisoners are kept on diet which in many in-
stances proves absolutely injurious. It is not fair,
because a man is to undergo a year's or six months'
imprisonment, to break up his health, perhaps for
life, and so hinder him from even attempting to
gain an honest living. It is not only the quantity
of the food which is complained of, but the quality,
since, though good of its kind, it is so poor and
unsatisfying that men break down under it. In
some prisons no meat is given at all, and in others the
allowance is extremely short, and there are many
of those extras, such as butter, puddings, &c.,
which might supply its place. An inquest was
held last Saturday on a blacksmith who died at the
House of Correction after a year's imprisonment,
which confirmed much of what had been pre-
viously known, and wo hope will stimulate the
authorities to prompt action in the matter. A
man does not deserve to be half-starved because
he has embezzled money, and the present state of
things is most discreditable.

LATEST INTELL CGENCE

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

Secretary Sir Stafford Northcote has received
from Sir Robert Napier the following telegram,
dated Antalo, May 13, 1868 :
"No booty found at Magdala. Some articles
which could not have been carried away, except
distributed throughout the whole force, were sold
by auction, and purchased by officers at high
prices, with a view to giving small sums to the
non-commissioned officers and privates of the force
at Magdala. Total amount will not exceed £3,000.
I arrived at Antalo 12th inst., with rear brigade.
Shall keep with the rear, pushing on to Zoola all
troops as quickly as possible. Fifth Battery, 25th
Brigade, Royal Artillery, and Cameronian Regi-
ment, are now embarking. 18th Bombay Native
Regiment have sailed. Stores are being shipped
fast. For a fortnight there have been daily storms
of rain, but troops have not been detained. Weather
now better. Heavy rain had injured road through
Sooroo defile temporarily. Road again in good
order. Troops all well.
g 4 ROBERT NAPIER."

ARRIVAL OF THE CITY OF ANT WERP.
(Via QUEENSTOWN.)
NEW YORK, May 16, Noon.

Radical meetings have been held at Philadelphia,
St. Louis, and other cities in favour of Mr. John-
son's impeachment, at which resolutions were
adopted strongly denouncing the Republicen Sena-
tors who opposed the conviction of the President.

Senator Henderson has addressed a letter to the
Missouri delegation, in the House of Representa-
tives, stating that he will neither resign nor shrink
from the obligation of his oath to do impartial jus-
tice to Mr. Johnson.

It is reported that the Impeachment Managers in
the House of Representatives are prescribing an
investigation to prove, if possible, that certain
Senators had been bribed to vote the acquittal of
Mr. Johnson.

Mr. Woodward, a Democrat, has offered a reso-
lution to the House calling for an investigation
into the conduct of the Missouri delegation in en-
deavouring to cause Mr. Henderson to vote for the
conviction of the President. Mr. Garfield and
other Republicans objected, and Mr. Woodward's
resolution was not received.

The bill admitting the Southern States was, pre-
vious to its passage by the House, amended, so as
to prohibit the nullification of debts due to loyal
citizens of Georgia before June, 1865.
It is rumoured that the Cacos rebels had captured
Goraiv es.

The Inman Royal Mail steamer City of Antwerp,
from New York, arrived at Queenstown at 12.30
a.m. to-day (May 26), with $249,500 in specie.
She landed mails and passengers, and proceeded im-
mediately for Liverpool. All well.

VIENNA, May 26.

The Emperor received yesterday at a private
audience the Austrian exhibitors who had received
prizes at the late Paris Exhibition.
In reply to an address of the exhibitors, the Em-
peror spoke in terms of high praise of the merits
of the Austrian manufactures, and stated his firm
resolution henceforth, as hitherto, to persevere un-
falteringly in the course upon which he had entered
for the solution of the high mission entrusted to his
charge.

The Vienna papers state that the Government
has authorised the Creditanstalt to redeem shares
to the amount of ten million florins, or to reduce
its capital permanently to forty millions.
May 25 (Evening).

The Emperor sanctioned to-day the bills relative
to schools, civil marriage, and the position of the
different religious denominations. _ _

It is said that the Imperial sanction to these bills
will be announced to-morrow, in the official Gazette,
and also in the Lower House of the Iteichsrath.