The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 12,_1868

reference to an inquiry as to whether or not
Mr. MILL himself is an Atheist. And a more
astounding reply to any such inquiry we suppose
never before was penned by mortat man. It is worth
examining minutely. In fact, it appears to us
to be a solemn duty on the part of. every elector in
Westminster, to examine it minutely. Having said
this, we shall give, first of all, the canvasser's inquiry
—beginning " Mr. MILL, Sir," and which is thus ex-
pressed in two sententes "As `a volunteer can-
vasser and committee man (St. Anne's district) I
have met several refusals to vote for you on account
(as the voters say) of your being an atheist. It would
give me great satisfaction, and also secure a large
number of votes for the Liberal cause, if you would
in some public manner contradict what I consider a
slander upon your public character." Now, cour-
teous'y put, that involves a plain question enough,
and—one might reasonably expect—would, as a
matter of course, elicit a correspondingly plain an-
swer. Yts or No ? Atheist or No Atheist? That
is all any one wants to know. And the
alternative involved is-one of so mouientous a cha-
racter, is one of such stupendous importance, we
won't say between Man and GoD, because that is for
the moment beside the question, but between Man
and Man, that one might ordinarily expect any one to
come to the point at once—very certainly, at least,
any one who was . 'not an Atheist. Not so'
however, Mr. MILL, who is a Philosopher, and
a Logician, and a Statesman. Take his reply,
sentence by sentence. Here is the first sentence—
" I suppose the persons who call me a n
Atheist are the Same who are impudently asserting.
that Mr. GLADSTONE is a Roman Catholic." But
Mr. GLADSTONE has done what Mr. MILL has not
done, he has repudiated the assertion—he has given
it a flat contradiction. Here is Mr. MILL'S second
sentence—" I should think my friends in Westmin-
ster must by this time be aware that Tories in
Election times stick at nothing." Now, Tories
in this instance, had nothing whatever to
do with it. Mr. MILL'S correspondent, his
own canvasser—(and surely as rational men
Mr. MILL'S canvassers don't waste their time by
calling on Tory voters in the hope of winning their
support ?) —Mr. MILL'S own correspondent and can-
s asser has just informed him in the very letter the
philosopher is answering, that he (the canvasser) has
ract several refusals to vote for Mr. MILL, "on ac-
count (as the voter says) of your being an Atheist !"
Otherwise—could the canvasser but authoritatively
assure the voter that Mr. MILL is not an Atheist,
he (the elector) would vote for him ! Clearly, there-
fore, not aTory! Aai, by consequence, quite as
clearly also—that Mr. MILL is shamefully mis-stating
the case when he calks iu that second sentence about
the " Tories sticking at nothing I" Now for the third
sentence, however, in this astounding communication.
"An attempt was made," says Mr. MILL, "to raise
the same cry against me at my first election, and the
defence which I did not choose to make for mysel
was made for me by several eminent dignitaries of the
Church of England." What was that defence, by
the way ? Let us have it. Surely it is worth publish-
ing over again. Was it of more value, we wonder,
as affecting the root of the one question in-
volved in all this—was it of one atom more
value than that letter the other day penned
in favour of Mr. MILL by the Very Reverend
the Dean of WESTMINSTER ? A most philosophic
intellect, a wonderful logician, the clearest mind—and
all that sort of thing. But not a syllable about any
principles of religious belief whatever—which
at the very same time is precisely the matter in
question. However, let u s hear Mr. MILL'S
foarch sentence, which runs to this effect :
"At that time"—remember he is referring to
the period of the last General Election —" At that
time I deelln.4"—what ? He was charged then, as
he himself says--exactly as he is charged now—with
being an Atheist ! "I declare]," h.) says, "my de-
liberate determination on principle (!) not to answer
any questions whatever respecting my religious creed,
because I acknowledge no right in any one to ask them,
and because I owe it to future candidates, and to

the interest' of future constituencies, not to en-
courage a practice the effect of which would be that
when no objection can be found to a c Indidate's cha-
racter or political opinions, attempts would be made
to extract from himself materials for raising a re-
ligious prejudice against him, which is often easiest
stirred up— [hear this, Pudicitia !]—against the best
men" (Meaning me, Sir). " I think," says Mr.
MILL now (in the November of 1868) " I think 1
shall act most rightly, and most in conformity with
my principles by adhering to this declaration." The
next sentence is really admirable as a put off —6, If
any one again tells you," writes Mr. MILL to his
correspondent and canvasser, " that I am an Atheist,
I would advise you to ask him how he knows, and
in what page of my numerous writings he finds any-
thing to bear out the assertion ?" It is, for all the
worn, like the red-faced man in the " Sketches
by Biz" Mr. CHARLES DICKENS'S " Parlour
Orator." " What I say is, prove it, Sir 1" Mr. MILL,
as the last known specimen of the red-faced
man (and it may be a question as to
whether or not he has cause at the
moment for blushing) is so perfectly well satisfied
with his imposing poser—with his reference, that is,
of so many necessarily illiterate electors to his own
voluminous, and most of them profound, lucubra-
tions, to the end that, on reading them, he should
therefrom " Prove it, sir !" that he adds, with a sort
of simpering complacency, " You will find he has
nothing at all to say." Adding, by way of conclusion,
"If he talks about my subscription for Mr. BRAD-
LAUGH, he should= be asktd whether he thinks that
the working men. of Northampton, who have
adopted Mr. BRADLAUGH as their candidate, or
the members of the Reform League who
elected him one of their council, are all Atheists V.
And that is all ! Mr. MILL is charged with being
an Atheist, and that, Great Heaven, is his answer to
the charge Why, a reply like that one can only
be read with a feeling of abhorrence. The whole
thing amounts simply to this—the letter is an elabo-
rate evasion. An ordinary man—not a wonderful man
like this, not a man like Mr. MILL, a great logician,
a great thinker, a great author, a great statesman, a
great philosOpher, but an ordinary man, one of your
average men, a man of parts, of education, of intellect,
such as it is—in a word, a man like the general run of
the candidates now before the country—would have
regarded a charge like this as an outrage of the gros-
sest description, and would have answered it and
repudiated it accordingly. Not so Mr. MILL, whose
reply in regard to it, whose disgraceful reply in re-
gard to it, as we conceive, is only another and a crown-
ing insult to the whole body of the Electors of the
City of Westminster.

MR. %Tour occupied a curious position. on Tues-
day night. He, a member of the Peace Society, had'
to address a meeting of the gun trade. If he had
been called upon to address a meeting of under-
takers he could scarcely have been more awkwardly
situated. He could not wish his audiene a busy
time. Ile would- as soon think of expressing
a hope that there might be a brisk demand
for coffins as anticipate with satisfaction a large demand
for rifles. Nevertheless, he extricated himself from
his position with his usual ingenuity. Asmming
that the gun trade would continue, he told hits gun-
making constituents that they ought to have the

orders. He condemned Government manufacturing i
establishments as the centres of extravagance. They
are not open to competition. No one has any personal
influence in keeping down the expenses. Every one
connected with them is interested in increasing the
expenses. It is impossible to get money's worth out
of a business where money is " no object." We know
what the stock answer to this argument is, and we
may as well take note of it, though Mr. BRIGHT
did not. It is " the Haslar gunboats." Really
this answer tells the other way. Under what circum-
stances were these boats built ? The country had
" drifted " into war. In spite of its enormous and
costly dockyards, it found itself without the very
vessels which were requisite to carry on the war.
They were not forthcoming ; the dockyards were
overburdened with work ; the Government were
compelled to adopt the then unusual course of apply-
ing to builders outside. They did not choose the
best, because they did not know who the
best were. They hurried on the completion of
the order, and the gunboats proved unseaworthy.
But if the country had previously been in
the habit of getting its ships built by contract,
it would have known where to go in the emergency.
Experience would have taught it who were the ship-
builders that might be trusted, and who were the
men who "stamped" their work. The experience
was acquired at a risk that is terrible to contemplate.
Most fortunately the war came to a close before the
gunboats were used. But for that circumstance the
country would have witnessed such a calamity as has
never yet been seen. That this explanation is
a fair one is preyed by the fact that since then the
Government has had recourse to private yards. It
knows well enough that there are men who can be
trusted, and experiendb has shewn that no finer
and no cheaper war-vessels can be built than
those which are built on the Tyne, the Thames, and
the Clyde. When we see the magnificent ships
which have been turned out from these yards,
and learn that we have thrown away two millions
sterling in seven years because all our ironclads were
not built there, it is simply ridiculous to talk about
the Haslar gunboats. is well might we denounce
railways because the opening of the first was marred 11
by the death of a Chancellor of the Exchequer.
There are two other points in Mr BRIGHT'S address
which deserve notice. He declares that the man who
reproaches him for not attending committees of
supply in order to check the estimates must be
either a knave or a fool : a knave because he really
knows, or a foolbecause he does not know,that nothing
was ever gained bychallenging the estimates, andthat
no estimate after it was submitted by the Govern-
ment was everrej ected by the House of Commons. This
is quite possible, and yet a man may be neither
knave nor fool for asking that the member for
Birmingham should not always be absent when
the public money is being voted away. Mr. BRIGHT
contends that Mr. HUME, with all his energy and
perseverance, failed in his object, and implies that
his life was really wasted. We only wish that we
had a few more such wasted lives. Mr. HUME died
in 1854. The year before he died the expenditure
was fifty millions sterling : it is now seventy
millions. Will any one venture to declare that
it would have been as high as this if he had lived
till now ? The truth is, this watchful criticism of
the estimates tells far more than the most eloquent
denunciations of extravagance. The critic may not
see at once the reward of his labours. He may
divide the House a hundred times against particular
estimates, and be beaten each time; but his influence
will be felt in following years when the estimates are
being framed. . _

The other point in Mr. BRIGHT'S speech is his
reference to the part that he took in factory legis-
lation. He says that, if he erred, he erred in what the
Conservatives would call good company—together
with Lord DERBY, Lord CHELMSFORD, Sir JOHN
PAKINGTON, and others. We should have been
better pleased if Mr. BRIGHT had honestly
admitted that he was wrong, and offered
as his apology the plea that "no man is wise
at all hours." The true explanation of this
mistake we believe to be, that all men are uncon-
sciously influenced by self-interest ; that Mr. BRIGHT,
in common with the manufacturers generally, thought
that the Ten Hours Bill would injure them, and they
resisted it as strenuously as the landowners resisted
Free Trade.

LATEST INTELLLGE,4O

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

QUEENSTOWN, Nov. 12.

The National steamship France, from New York,
arrived off this port at 10.30 a.m. to-day, with
$46,000 i„pecie. She landed passengers and pro -
ceeded for Liverpool.
Messrs. Stokes, M'llatne, and Co. have received
from their New York correspondent the following

message :

NEW YORK, NOV. 11.

" Four days' receipts at all the ports, 33,000
bales ; approximate estimate for entire week,
80,000 bales. Same week in 1867 receipts were
58,000 bales. Market decidedly quieter, owing to
receipts."

WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAILS.
PLYMOUTH, Nov. 12, 12.45
The Royal Mail stedmer Atrato, with the West
is reported off here.
India and Pacific mails,

OUTWARD INDIA, CHINA, AND AUSTRA,

LIAN MAILS.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Ceylon, from Southampton on the 31st October,
arrived on the 9th inst., at six a.m., and left at one
p.m. the same afternoon for Alexandria. _

:ORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, WEDNESDAY, November 11.

Mr. Disraeli's speech-continues to occupy some attention
here. But the full text throws no light upon the puzzling
telegraphic summary. It is impossible to divine whether
Mr. Disraeli's Ministry really has made overtures to
France and Prussia on the subject of disarmament ; the
French journals are inclined to think it has not. The
Temps says that though it is not advisable to attach
too great importance to the "calculated effusions " of the
principal Minister of the Queen, it may, nevertheless, be
concluded that England intends to persevere in her
part of pacific mediator in continental affairs. " This
policy appears to be accepted by all parties on this side of
the Channel, and it will doubtless be continued by Lord
Stanley's successor, whoever he may be."
The Baudin affair—subscription, legal consultations, and
articles—Lave at least had the effect of filling the newspapers.
Spain, so long the piece de resistance, is almost forgotten in
this new excitement. Seven Paris journals, including allthe
principal Opposition papers except the Liberta, publish
the subscription lists. They have been inserted also in the
columns of numerousprovincial papers, the Phan de Loire,
the Suffrage Universe' of Caen, the Impartial of
Nevers, besides others at Toulouse, Lyons, Rochefort, and
Marseilles. Three distinguished lawyers of the Imperial
Court have consulted, and have given their decision
against the Government. The article under which the in-
dictment is framed is as follows :
"Art. 2. Is punished with imprisonment from one month
to two years, and with a fine of from 100 f. to 1,000 f.,
every person who, with the object of disturbing the public
peace or of exciting hatred and contempt against the
Government, practises manoeuvres or carries on communi-
cations (for that object) at home or abroad."
The lawyers cannot conceive how to publish a subscription
list for a sepulchral monument can be brought under the
category of offences dealt with in this article. They main-
tain that honours paid to the dead have been permissible
to all parties, not in proportion to the merits of the
deceased,_ but in proportion to the estimation in which
they are held. There have never been any limits-imposed
in this respect. The word " manoeuvre "is indefinite, and
might without difficulty be made to include a great deal,
but it is difficult to see how this subscription comes within
its scope. Besides the consideration that subscriptions for
monuments have never be fore been prohibited, how can
the editors of the journals who have published these lists
be charged with " manoeuvres " when they have com-
mitted but one simple action ? The word " manoeuvre
implies something complicated, secret ; but there is nothing
of the kind here. The lawyers are unanimous that no
offence whatever has been committed, and this conclusion
is supported by a very large number of their colleagues
both of the Court of Paris and of the Court of Appeal.
Several representatives and two former Presidents of the
Assembly are amongst the subscribers. This affair does
not look promising for the Government. Neither the Temps
nor the Journal de Paris have been seized, but they are
now included in the indictments.
M. Flavin, the proprietor of the Siecle, is so ill that his
condition is despaired of.
A similar report must be made of poor Count von Goltz.
He has grown very much worse of late, and can scarcely
swallow. The torture caused by his complaint, already
excruciating, is increasing. He himself has given up all
hopes of his recovery. His resignation, which has long
ago been tendered, has at length been accepted
and Baron Werther is spoken of as his successor. The
Empress Eugenie, between whom and the Ambassador a
warm friendship exists, visited him the other day. On
parting she said, "Au revoir ;" to which Count von Goltz
is said to have replied, " Yes, in another world."
The Opposition is organising for the next general elec-
tion. Taking warning by their own sad experience, and
by the Liberal party in England, they are endeavouring to
prevent as much as possible contests between the
opponents of the Government. The next general election
will be a severe struggle in some departments ; the Oppo-
sition has gained ground, and hopes to secure several
more seats in the Corps L4gislatif.
At length the gentler sex Las been induced to take part
in the velocipede races. Five or six strove for a prize a
day or two ago.

THE WEATHER TABLE.-THIS DAY.

METEOROLOGICAL RETORTS.

Extreme Bea
Thursday, tn.
1 F.
I 0
W R. Ito
Nov. 12, B. T. W. Ito F. IX
A ' 12
8 a.m. —
Nairn
Aberdeen
Leith
Shields
Scarborough 30'48r. 45 41 E. 2 2 S.S.E. o.c. 3
Yarmouth 3O 41r. 45 42 E.N.E. 3 5 -N. o.c. 3
Helder
Cuxhaven
Skudesnws
Ardrossa•n - 1
Green castle 30'4Cr. 44 42 N.W. 1 2 S.E. b.eo
Holyhead
Liverpool
Va.entia 144 )42 S.E. 3 6 S. rh.c o'l9 3
Cap, Clear 3O-32r. )48i 47 S.V. 2 4 I S. c. io'26j 3
Pocl, s t. 30'39r. 47 147 S. 2 8 S.S.E. 0.c.'0'35i 3
Penzance 30'5Er. 46 41 N.N.E. 2 4 S.E. c.m! 3
Plymouth 30•42 r. 40 159 Z. 0 3 E.S.E. c.f. I 3
Weymouth 30'42r. 44 ;42 N.C. 2 1 1 E.N.E. c. 0.; 2
Portent() uth 30 41r. 43 i4l E.N.E. 1 2 t .N.E. m.O! 1
London ,
G'peGris Nez, 3113 r.,59 j 37 E.N.E. 4 5 E. r. 2
L'Orfe 3Lr. ,!43 E.N.E. 3 3 Y.N.E.
N•E, •3.0• 1
Hoch efort 30'32r. 43 41 N.E. 4 4 E.N.E. 0. 1
Biarritz
Corunra —
Brussels —
Paris
Strasbourg —
Toulon 29'89r. 45 43 E.N.E. 4 5 N.W. b. 5
Heart's Con-
tent (6 a.m.
local time) 30*c7r. 31 31 S. 2 2 S. 3

EXPLANA'

Barometer corrected and reduced to
r., rising; 1.. falling: e.. steady—indic
mercury within last 14 hems. The
Extreme Force with lie Direction du
Weather: b.--Llue sky; c.—clouds.
: m.—misty, hazy :o.—ove
t.—thunder. Eatu-fall, snow or Lail I
Sea disturbance.

F 2 deg. a sea level. The letter
ate directh n of 'notion of the
emors eter exposed in shade.
mug last 24 hours. Z.—calm
detached f.—fog ;
cast. ;r.—rain:s.—snow;
(melted) during last 24 hours.