The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-30 00:00:00

THE CANAL ACROSS THE PANAMA ISTHMUS.

A letter in the Standard draws attention to a considera.
tion of much importance in connection with the canal to
be constructed across the Darien Isthmus. He says that
the 'Washington Government has endeavoured to obtain
from the Columbian Government powers to construct and
to keep possession of the canal, fortifying the entrances
under certain conditions. Is this true? If it is, such a
bargain cannot fail, as the writer says, to provoke ae
distrust of all maritime nations.

MR. MILNER GIBSON AT ASHION.

MANCHESTER, Thursday Evening.

Mr. Thomas Milner Gibson met this evening the
new portion of the constituency of Ashton com-
prised in the township of Hurst, and was most en-
thusiastically received by a crowded meeting ; Mr.
Oldham Whittaker preside 1.
Mr. GIBSON said some doubt had been attempted
to be thrown upon which party in the Ilouse of
Commons the people were indebted for the onew
Reform Act and the extension of the franchise to
the great body of the people. They were all well
aware that the Government of Lord Russell intro-
duced a very moderate measure of Reform, but
which many thought to be a much larger mea-
sure than ought to be carried, and was termed
by the Conservatives a measure which would
tend to Americanise our institutions, and was
calculated to turn England into a Republic.
The bill was defeated, and Lord Derby's Go-
vernment came into power, proresing to resist
the tide of D,mocracy and put an end to all
progress. They had not been in power long before
they found that they must do something to
extend, and, as Mr. Disraeli phrased it, degrade
the franchise. They undertook to settle the ques-
tion of Reform, and he gave them credit for it. He
admitted they ha 1 a difficult task to edue rte their
party and to allay their fears while endeavouring to
satisfy the country. Mr. Disraeli had to satisfy
two parties—the Liberals that something real was
about to be accomplished in the form of household
suffrage, and the Conservatives; and thus, by means
of checks and counterpoises, the apparent exertions
of the power of the people would be defeated. The
first of these counterpoises was to give certain men
of property two votes, while working men had one ;
the next was that the new voters were to have had
two years' residence in their houses before becoming
entitled to the suffrage ; and the third was that no
person was to have a vote if his landlord paid the
taxes. 'I here was little doubt that if these had
been carried, the Reform Act would have been of
doubtful value. But who got rid of these
checks which were intended to defraud the work-
ing man? There could be no doubt the credit
belonged to the Liberal party. (Cheers.) He
confessed he thought the time was come when we
ought to pul•J aside this question as to ratepaying,
and he wool I like to see the Reform
.Act sup-
plemented by the ballot. (Cheers.) The longer he
lived the more he was convinced that in a country
like England, where people were so afraid of offend-
ing their neighbours, and wished to live at peace
with them—where there was so much social caste—
the protection of the ballot was necessary. Nothing
would tend so much in Ireland, where land was
held under a yearly tenancy, and the landlord
pulled one way and the priest another, to put the
tenant at his ease as vote by ballot. Ballot would
give freedom and power to those who who had the
franchise, and if they ought not to possess it then
our policy had been wrong in giving it. (Hear.)
A good deal had been said about the public expen-
diture. It was claimed that the Whigs were quite
as extravagant in that department as the Tories.
Going back over a period of 50 to 100 years—he
confessed he could not speak with confidence, but
he could speak limiting retrospect to a reasonably
limited period, because he had been a member of
the Liberal Governments and knew what they did
during the time they were in office, and he did
know that there never was a man more earnest
and determined to reduce the expenditure of the
country than Mr. Gladstone was as Chancellor of
the Exchequer. (Cheers.) His exertions were
not very popular with the Departments, but dur-
ing the period he held office, some five or six years,
he did reduce the permanent expenditure by some-
thing like more than £3,000 per annum. But for
that he could not have repealed such duties as that
on paper (upwards of a million), and reduced the
duty on wine and other articles. And yet no one
could say that the naval and military services were
not as efficient as at any time during the war. It
was to be regretted that in so short a time as the
present Government had been in office the whole of
this expenditure had been reimposed. But he must
say that he thought nothing effective could be done
in relation to real economy in the national expen-
diture unless we were prepared to encounter the
question of the great magnitude of our military and
naval armaments. Ile was not exactly a Quaker ;
he knew, as the world was now constituted, we had
not arrived at the period when we could trust to the
forbearence of everybody, and leave the interests of
the country undefended ; but there was a limit that
ought to be observed in times of peace. He be-
lieved, not only in England, but throughout Europe,
the opinion was gaining ground that the enormous
military and naval armaments maintained were un-
necessary ; that they were oppressive and ought to
be diminished. (Cheers.) He believed that sen-
timent was gaining ground in France and all
through Europe ; they were not owing to the wish
of the people, but were maintained through the
power acquired by the military classes in the vari-
om Goveranionto, Ho found Mr. Digraeli in 1851

protesting against these enormous armaments, and
most recently Lord Stanley saying the policy of
England was a policy of peace. But why could
not some step be taken with a view to mutual re-
duction of armaments ? The main expenditure of
this country was upon the army and navy, and it
was his firm belief that unless the electoral body
took the matter in hand themselves, so great was
the ascendency of the military power in the con-
trol of the Departments, no military reduction would
be effected. The success of such au attempt would
depend upon the foundation of public opinion, and
he hoped that Ashton would not be backward in
supporting the great cause of retrenchment, be-
cause if any community had au interest in peace
and retrenchment it was this town. 'lice hon.
gentleman concluded with some remarks on educa-
tion, and referred to the advantages secured by the
repeal of the newspaper stamp and paper duties.
Ile was enthusiastically cheered, and a vote of con-
fideace in him was carried by the meeting.