The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-22 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, DEC. 22, 1868.

taxes, if any, he was likely to remit, and as to what
reduction he conceived might be possible in
the aggregate of the national expenditure.
Yesterday's speeches, in fact, at Greenwich, at the
University of London, at Birthingham, and else-
where, were simply formal addresses from Ministers
of the Crown speaking in their representative capa-
city, and greeting their respective constituents.
There are circumstances connected with Mr. GLAD-
STONE.S appearance before the electors of
Greenwich which naturally enough imparted a
peculiar interest to the occasion of his re-election
by them as their representatives. As is not usually
the case, there was a sentiment between the consti-
tuency and the representative. During the turmoil
of the General Election, the electors of Greenwich
spontaneously, unasked, without a " with your leave
or by your leave," had chosen Mr. GLAD-
STONE as the colleague of their old member,
Alderman SALOMONS : instigated so to do through
a conjecture, through a fear, it should rather
be said, then very general among the Liberal
electors of the United Kingdom, lest the Leader
of the Liberal Party should be rejected—as in the
end the result proved him to be—by the consti-
tuency of South-West Lancashire. The forethought
was provident. Mr. GLADSTONE, discarded by his
native county, found the constituency of Green-
wich to have been, in his regard, faithful
among the faithless. Greenwich had not
only done him that good turn by elect-
ing him thus unasked, it had conferred an enor-
mous obligation upon the whole Liberal Party by
guarding it thus from the ludicrously anomalous posi-
tion in which it would have been placed had. its
Leader been found to have been returned nowhere
to a seat in the very Parliament of which
his own followers formed the immense and
overwhelming majority. Talk of yeoman's service
—here it was ! And yeoman's service done with a
heart and a half, in the very nick of time, and with-
out its having been in any way solicited. It is a
memorable incident, and ono which will always be
associated with the name of the Greenwich consti-
tuency. It has at once and permanently raised
its reputation among the great metropolitan con-
stituencies. And it is hardly probable that at any
future time Mr. GLADSTONE will be tempted to seek
elsewhere the suffrages of his fellow-countrymen.
The member for Newark, the member for the Uni-
versity of Oxford, the member for South Lancashire,
has settled down now permanently, we may pre-
sume, in the position of member for the borough of
Greenwich. In that position as M. P. for Green-
wich he inaugurates his career as First Lord of
the Treasury. And as a husband is said to raise his
wife to his own social elevation, even though his posi-
tion happens to be of the lowliest, so may it be said
in regard to a great statesman, in respect to the
obscurest of constituencies. The obscurest, Green-
wich is not by any means : but, even supposing it to
have been so, its importance would at once have
been enormously increased by Mr. GLADSTONE'S
election and re-election, as its chosen representa-
tive. As to the relation in which Mr. BRIGHT
stands towards the constituency of Birmingham, it
is simply absurd to speak of him as the least consi-
dered of its three Liberal representatives. He was
there the last upon the list in the recent contest sim-
ply and solely for safety's sake—so as to prevent the
hazard of one or other of his colleagues miss-
ing the chance of election with him. Fears were
entertained as to their election, none as to his—and
hence his name was at the bottom of the list
when the aggregate rolling was announced. Yes-
terday, however, he stood forth alone and unop-
posed for re-election, and, as was only fitting un-
der the circumstances, was so re-elected by acclama-
illation. Restored to their position as members of
Parliament, Ministers of the Crown may now de•
vote their time and attention undisturbed to the
preparation of the great measures, but more particu-
larly of the great measure with which in a few weeks
more they will have to meet in earnest, and for
genuine work, the recently electe I Legislature.

IN the midst of pelting rain from murly clouds
that made darker than usual the darkest day in the
year the PRIME MINISTER of Great Britain was
re-elected by his new constituents. It is but four
weeks since Mr. GLADSTONE was, to use his own
expression, driven a vagrant from his native
county, amid the jubilant shouts of his
political opponents. In that short period he has
seen his opponents overthrown, and the rejected of
South-west Lancashire installed in Downing-street
leader of the nation. Mr. GLADSTONE'S position
is unprecedented. To be rejected by a great
constituency at the very time that he was being
chosen by the great majority of the nation, to be
called upon to form a Government without the usual
preliminary conflict in Parliament, to have to return
thanks to a constituency for re-election before he
had had the opportunity of returning thanks in
person for his first election, are circumstances so
strange that Mr. GLADSTONE might well be par-
doned for dwelling upon them at greater length than
he did. But the PRIME MINISTER cannot afford
much time for retrospect. lie has his hands full,
his head full, his heart full, and out of the abundance
of the heart the mouth speaketh. It was not sur-
prising, therefore, that a considerable portion of his
speech should have been devoted to the Irish
Church. This is the most difficult question
which has been presented to statesmen for
many a generation. Other important measures
have taken far longer to pass than this is likely to
take; but a delay in their case arose from the reluc-
tance of Parliament to accept the principles which
they involved. It was easy enough to admit Roman
Catholics into Parliament, to abolish the Corn Laws
when once the country was resolved to do so. But,
while it took only a few days to persuade the nation
to disestablish the State Church in Ireland, the
details are so complicated that they will need
many months to elaborate,' Under these circum-
stances it was not to be expected that Mr. GLAD-
STONE would give more than a general idea of his
policy on this intricate question. The nation knows
that he is determined to disestablish and partly dis -
endow the Irish Church, that he has promised that
no part of the funds accruing shall be devoted to the
Roman Catholic Church ; and knowing these two
foundation principles, it can afford to wait.
Mr. GLADSTONE'S time for raising the superstructure.
The nation is the more willing to do this because the
details must necessarily be somewhat dry, not to say
unintelligible, to a large number of persons.
But the Ministerial bill of fare is not confined to
one dish. If the Irish Church is the piece de resist-
would
be
found
P a ei er
el
a tphs e arefetli e n
aottiloi nearlywdeii.sehepsolledit
as substantial.
that it cares rather more for the reduction of
the estimates than for the reduction of ecclesiastical
establishments. The one was almost as prominent a
feature in the Liberal election programme as the
other, and Mr. GLADSTONE had the satisfaction of tel-
ling his constituents that already 3liiiisters had begun
to retrench, and that the estimates would shew the
result of their labours. Reduced estimates mean
reduced taxes, and so Mr. GLADSTONE'S information
is good news at this season, when most of us are
anticipating an influx of tradesmen's bills. On the
other subjects adverted to by Mr. GLADSTONE there
was one concerning which his rather amkquas voce
were significant by their very ambiguity. Mr. GLAD-
STONE announces that while he has always preferred
open voting he wished that the voters should be pro-
tected. But how if the two conditions are found

Several Ministers spoke yesterday, bat there were .
no confidences. The Prime Minister spoke at Green- .
wich. The President of the Board of Trade spoke
at Birmingham. The First Lord of the Admiralty
at Pontefract. The Chancellor of the Exchequer at
the University of London. It was the same with
other members of the Cabinet. Each of those hold-
ing office, and having seats which by the reception of
office they had ipso facto vacated, each of those ap-
peared before his constituteuts, claimed re-election,
and was, as a matter of course, re-elected. Each spoke
graciously, frankly, and to the point. There was no
studied reticence. There was no careful evasion of
any theme that could be mentioned. The Irish Church
was commented upon, and so also was administra-
tive economy, and so also legal improvements, and
the possible revision and emendation of the last great
Reform of Parliament, and military reorganization,
and the modification of the existing system of poor-
law relief, cum ceteris paribus among the great
and vital questions of the hour. All these
things were touched upon. They were each in turn
openly discussed. But upon not one of them, upon
not even the Irish Church Question—the question
of all others more immediately pressing upon the
attention of the nation, of the Legislature, and of
the Government, as having first of all to be dealt
with —was there anything whatever, as we have just
now said, in the nature of a confidence. And it
would simply have been out of place had it been
otherwise. The hustings at Greenwich, honourable
platform thongli it is, for any member of the House
of Commons, for any Minister of State to speak from,
was hardly the tribune from the elevation of which
Mr. GLADSTONE, as Prime Minister of England,
could have been expected by any rational man to
foreshadow what is now being meditated by him and his
i colleagues in the way of disestablishing and afterwards
of disendowing the Irish Church as a State establish-
ment. The half academical, half political gathering
together yesterday under the roof-tree of the London
University, was scarcely the entourage from the
midst of which Mr. LOWE could be reasonably ex-
pected to give the public a foretaste of his notions as
t to the coming Baidget (his first Budget) as to what

SPAIN.

PORTUGAL.

MALTA.

incompatible ? how if the late elections, with their
enormous pressure of squires and clergy upon the
county voters have shewn that " protection " is essen-
tial, and can be secured only by secrecy ? Mr.

THir, SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 22, 1868.

GLADSTONE is clearly open to conviction upon that
point ; and if we do not greatly mistake, we shall
see that measure receiving an amount of
support in the new Parliament which it has never
receivedbefore. These questions—and they arebut a few
of the many mentioned by the PREMIER—wouId be
enough for one session even thoughthere were no such
matters as foreign affairs to be discussed. We
devoutly hope that these will not interfere with the
real work which Mr. GLADSTONE means to lay before
the House of Commons.

LATEST INTELL MENCE.

(REUTERS TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.
(Per the City of Antwerp, via Queenstown.)

NEW YORK, Dec. 12.
The Senate finally consented on Thursday to hear
the President's Message read.
The Senate eontinues the Committee charged
with the investigation into the alleged bribery and
corruption of the Senators during the Impeachment
trial.

A resolution by Mr. Wilson, providing for negro
suffrage in all the States, has been introduced into
the Senate by Mr. Wilson, and has been referred to
the Judiciary Committee.
Test cases, involving the constitutionality of the
Legal Tender and Reconstruction Acts, have been
brought before the Supreme Court.

It is rumoured that President Johnson, at the
request of Mr. Seward, has sent Mr. Caleb Cushing
to Spain, to open negotiations for the purchase of
Cuba.

It is reported that prominent repeal agitators in
Nova Scotia have been notified that the Canadian
Government will increase the Nova Scotia subsidy
50 per cent. if the repeal movement be abandoned.

Whelan has been respited until the 29th inst.

MADRID, Dec. 22.

The Correspondencia of to-day says that, so far
as the results of the elections just terminated are
known, it may be presumed that in Madrid the can-
didates selected belong to the party in favour of a
Liberal Monarchy.

The Papal nuncio here has transmitted to the
Pope the wish of the Provisional Government that
the sentence of death recently passed upon the two
State criminals should be commuted.
The elections in Seville and Barcelona have gone
in favour of the Republican party.

LISBON, Dec. 17.

Senor Bento da Silva has resigned his posts of
Minister of Finance and Foreign Affairs. The
former is held provisionally by Senhor Calheiros,
the present Minister of Public Works ; and the
latter by the Marquis Sada Baudeira, President of
the Council and Minister of War.

VALETTA, Dec. 22.

Intelligence from Catania to the 21st of Decem-
ber states that Mount Etna had been undisturbed
since the 9th inst.

The Casa Inglese is undamaged, although the
ascent of the cone is difficult from the depth of
new scoria which have fallen. The mouth of the
principal crater is hermetically closed by a huge
stopper of lava and scorin3, so that not even smoke
issues from it.

OUTWARD INDIA AND CHINA MAILS.
GIBRALTAR, Dec. 19.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's ',steamer
Ripon, from Southampton the 12th inst , arrived at
Gibraltar at five on Thursday afternoon (17th.)
All well.

UUAILEb.

PARIS.

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, MONDAY, December 21.

I regret to say that the bulletins of the Marquis de
Moustier's condition grow rapidly worse. The malady
from which he is suffering, disease of the heart, makes
such advances as to give rise to the gravest apprehensions
of the result.

Experienced very bad weather.

DREADFUL STORM.
WicK, Tuesday.

His successor, the Marquis de Lavalette, has not
inherited a sinecure. The outbreak in the East is evi-
dently becoming a serious matter for Europe, as much
from the difficulty of securing joint action amongst the
Powers as from the bitterness of the quarrel between the two
principals. It is to France that the heavy work of
diplomacy must fall. Other Powers are hampered by
their well-known predilections for one or the other party.
The Western States alone are perfectly free, but the
Ministerial crisis in England has left the first place in
diplomatic action to France. M. de Lavalette has, it
is confidently reported, submitted to the other Cabinets
a scheme of action which is likely to settle the difficulty.
The new Foreign Minister is an indefatigable worker,
attending every day at the Ministry for a considerable
time. His policy is so decidedly pacific that the
appointment must be regarded as a demonstration in
favour of peace. He is especially disposed to a good under-
standing with Prussia.
Similar gratification can scarcely be expressed at the
appointment to the Ministry of the Interior. The
deposition of M. Pinard is beyond doubt a great
triumph for M. Rouher, who has put one of his
own partisans in his place ; but this change is by no means
to be accompanied by a radical reform of internal policy.
M. Rouher believes in a restrictive Government ; what he
does not believe in is foolish restriction. He is determined,
for one thing, that the system of official candidatures
shall be applied with greater vigour than ever at the
forthcoming elections. An extreme exercise of the Im-
perial prerogative has signalised the advent to power of
the new Home Minister. It has been determined that
none of the various vacancies in the Corps Legislatif
shall be filled up until the general elections. This
means that several departments shall have no representa-
tives for six months. One of the vacancies is, of course,
that caused by M. Berryer. Here the Government would
certainly be defeate 1, and it might sustain a check else-
where. It has, therefore, been decided to prevent all
this by the coup de main of holding no elections.
The net result of the change at the Home Office is, on the
whole, adverse to liberty. M. Pinard was, indeed, no
advocate of the freedom of the subject, but he was also no
friend to M. Rouher. Now that the Minister of State
adds the command of the Home Department to his
immense influence in the Corps Ltgislatif, Imperialism
will gain strength in every department of Government.
There will be no power whatever in France, except that
centred in the Emperor and his lieutenant.
M. Gressier, the new Minister of Public Works, is a
barrister of great reputation.
The official announcement of the receptions of the
First of January has been published. The Emperor and
Empress have already exchanged visits with the Kinp'
and Queen of Spain.
Marseilles has not yet got rid of the great poisoning
case. The paramour of Madame Ville, the most notorious
of the offendors, has been pursued and mobbed in the
streets. He shaved off his beard in order to disguise him-
self, but he was recognised immediately, and mobbed
again. A hostile demonstration also greeted the two
women, Dye and Flayol. These two were acquitted, but
their part in the Gabriel tragedy was not of the most
creditable character.
Unjust suspicion may frequently impel people to
desperate deeds, but the suicide of a man and his wife
\ through the fear of suspicion is rather remarkable. A
! tax-collector at Boussac has just committed suicide,
because, as he alleged, he apprehended the imputation of
having stolen three bags of silver money recently sent to
Boussac by the Strasburg Mint, and which are missing.
His wife refused to survive him. The honesty of neither
had in the slightest degree been called in question.

THE WEATHER TABLE.-THIS DAY.

A dreadful storm from the S.E. occurred here
yesterday. Serious injury was done to Wick New
Harbour works. The whole of the seaward stag-
ing and the stone work executed during the
past year has been swept away, and other damage
done.