The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-02 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF TEE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Times undertakes somewhat a defence of the action
of the Boundary Commission against the aspersions that
have been cast upon it. The Boundary Commission bad
no instructions except to find out by inquiry and to de-
clare what were the actual boundaries of our boroughs,
and how far, if at all, they required to be extended. Of
course, a boundary must have political bearings, general
as well as local, remote as well as immediate. It is a poli-
tical question whether a large borough shall be made larger,
even though the enlargement be not likely to affect the
character of the representation for the next hundred years.
But the very idea of the Boundary Commission sup-
posed enlargement by the recognition of natural growth.
The time to protest against extending parliamentary
boundaries so as to include population was last year ; but
Parliament was then pervaded by the simple idea of
ascertaining the present actual boundaries of the cities
and boroughs, and recognising them, whatever the con-
sequences. The commission had only to make the parlia-
mentary boroughs correspond as closely as possible with
the mass of population, habitations, and employments
commonly intended by the name, we will say, of Liverpool
or Manchester. It was precluded from considering whether
it was expedient to increase a constituency of five thou-
sand electors by one thousand more, or a constituency of
twenty thousand electors by ten thousand more. This
was a political matter, belonging to the very large and,
indeed, boundless question of distribution. Had it ever
been intended that the commission should deal with this,
the commission—if, indeed, we can imagine it charged
with such a matter—would have been very differently
constituted and instructed. The severe and singularly im-
partial labours of the commission have now been revised
by a committee ; the results are before the House, and are
of a nature, we will not say to provoke discussion,
but to reopen the whole question of Reform.
In every case where the extension of the borough boun-
daries happens to have a political value, the committee
proposes ito abandon the recommendations of the
commission, and to leave the boundaries as they are
that is, purely artificial lines, cutting a mass of houses in
two, and including, it may be, one side of a street, but not
the other. A borough is to be a surface enclosed in an
arbitrary line—" a hard and fast line," we should say—
which shall not be altered till the coming day when not
only every line, but a great deal more, is to be rectified on
more symmetrical principles than can at present be applied.
The committee which has just made its report does pro-
pose to gratify the electors who resent, upon any ground
whatever, a serious accession to their existing numbers,
and who, possessing a certain share of the franchise, will
not see it diluted. The wish is no novelty in our history.
It has been urged time out of mind by greater or less
electoral bodies, with greater or less force and greater or
less success. But it was not a matter referred to the
Boundary Commission, and to recognise it now is simply
to re-open the whole question.

The Post admits that if the proposals of the Royal Com-
mission on Neutrality are adopted, there can be no doubt
that any repetition of the evasions of the law so success-
fully practised during the late American war will become
impossible. The only doubt that arises will be whether
we are not going a little too far. If the Government be
empowered to interpose on every occasion when there is
reason to suspect that a ship in the stocks may be intended
for the use of a belligerent, the shipbuilding trade of this
country will be very seriously interfered with. This, how-
ever, will be matter for the consideration of the Legislature
when the measure based on this report is submitted for its
sanction. Then, again, it is unnecessary to add that a law
of this kind should be accepted in a spirit of reciprocity
by other maritime Powers. There would be no considera-
tion for our imposing such restrictions on the shipbuilding
trade of this country if similar restrictions were not im
posed on others. It is a matter which, although imme-
diate]y dependent on municipal law, also involves inter-
national considerations. Nothing can be done during the
present parliamentary session, and before next spring we
shall have an opportunity of ascertaining if other mari-
time Powers are prepared to pass laws to the same effect.

The Daily News declares that if the recommendations
be adopted England will be cleared of the reproach of
leaving open the gate of opportunity to offenders. The
higher praise of foresight into the abuses to which tilt
insufficiency of our municipal law was likely to lead, or of
instantaneous perception of their real character, and
promptitude to repair them when they occurred,
cannot be granted to our jurists and statesmen. The
report beais the sgnature of the chief law
adviser of Lord Palmerston's Government, and of
the ablest legal and political advocate of the claims of the
Southern Confederacy. If Sir lioundell Palmer and Lord
Cairns had joined half a dozen years ago in recommending
the changes in the Foreign Enlistment Act which they
now unite with authorities scarcely less eminent in pro-
posing, a source of bitterness between England and the
Un'ted States, which has not yet been drained to the last
drop, might possibly not have been opened. No party
can claim any triumph or advantage over the other, as
the author of this tardy concession to a just and prudent
international policy.

The Star expresses its dissatisfaction with Mr. Harcourt
for his appendix to the report. In the shape of a letter to
the Times, at the period of the Alexandra trial, the
observations of the learned counsel would have greatly
delighted all those shipbuilders who were trying what they
could to plunge us into war, but they seem sadly out of
place at present, when the whole nation is satisfied of the
propriety of stopping the outfit of privateers, and only
wishes to be informed of the manner in which the result
can be achieved.

The Standard calls attention to a telegram, dated from
Athens, announcing that " the reserve of the Greek army
has been called to arms." What this measure imports,
and why it has been taken, the despatch does not tell us,
and we may be permitted, therefore, to express the
opinion that it has no meaning whatever outside the
Hellenic kingdom. There is a fine warlike twang in these
words, " calling out the reserve," and it may be indulged
in by a Greek Minister with perfect impunity and at
little or no cost. Greece is safe under the protection of
the Great Powers, who have allowed her for a couple of
years to commit the most flagrant breaches of neutrality
against Turkey; and as for the reserve, it will most
probably not respond to the call, and if it does it will cost
the Greek Treasury nothing, for this most sufficient
reason—that the Treasury is not in the position to pay
anything. The Turkish Government must wish most
heartily that Greece would honestly declare war
against it. In the interest of the peace of the East one
could almost wish that the Greek Government would take
a bold step and declare war against Turkey. The whole
struggle would then be very soon ended. So long as
Greece maintains her present comparatively cautious atti-
tude, and there is no falling-off in the funds, from what-
ever source they come—a question which it would not be
well to examine too narrowly—available for the support of
the insurrection, the complete pacification of Crete is alto-
gether impossible. The Turkish army may defeat every
force the insurgents can bring against it, but the Turkish
Government cannot, in a country like Crete, effectually
re-establish order so long as fresh bands of assailants and
fresh supplies of arms are landed every week, and the
chance of escape from the island is always open to the
adventurers.

The Telegraph comments cn the decision byLord Cairrns
awarding copyright to aliens dwelling in the -United King-
dom. It may be thought at first sight, that if this award
of English protection to aliens were reciprocated by the
American courts of law, it would settle the question of
international copyright without any treaty. But, though
the judgment of Lord Cairns would give a copyright in
England to any English writer who first published
his book in London, yet that very fact, as it were, dena-
tionalises the work, and when it recrosses the Atlantic
it may be treated simply as an English book— that
is, it. may be pirated and sold without the least
pecuniary advantage to the writer. In the same way, if
the American courts of law follow Lord Cairns, and
give American rights to English authors who have first
published in the United States, Mr. Dickens and others
enjoy their rights only by surrendering their English
privilege; for an English pirate might, without let or
hindrance, reprint Mr. Dickens's work from the first origi-
nal American edition. To make the new decision really
operative for great good, therefore, it would be necessary
to extend our copyright law, so that not only all aliens
publishing in this country, but all Englishmen publishing
abroad, should be entitled to English copyright.

THE GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPH SCHEME. —A
spcial meeting of the Liverpool Chamb2r of Commerce
Ny:Fi. held on Monday, for the purpose of considering
the present bill before Parliament, which has for
its object the purchase by Government of the
present telegraphic systems. Mr. Paterson, who pre-
sided, contended that the telegraphic system might be
made almost as gencral as the penny post, provided a
cheap rate were adopted, and instanced the success of
the continental system in support of his view. Mr.
Musprat read a petition to Parliament in support of
the present bill ; whereupon the chairman moved and Mr.
David Mclver, of the Cunard Company, seconded, a
du cite resolution in support of the bill. Several members
spoke on the question, the general opinion being in favour
of the adoption by the post office department of the tele-
graphic system, or some general and comprehensive plan
which would meet the fullest requirements of the com-
munity. A petition in favour of the bill was placed in
the Exchange News-room, and extensively and influen•
tially signed.

INDE.PEYDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.

The Annual Moveable Committee, the supreme govern-
ing body of the Manchester Unity of Odd Fellows, com-
menced its deliberations at Cheltenham, on Monday. The
,rand master of the order, Mr. George Walker, of
Durham, presided, and upwards of two hundred delegates
have been returned to the A.M.C. as the representatives
)f the various districts. In the course of the grand
master's inaugural address, he said there had been an increase
)f 12,290 members during the year ; £200,000 had been
distributed in sick pay, and £68,000 in funeral benefits;
the revenue of the society had exceeded half a million
sterling ; and £200,000 had been added to the accumulated
capital, which now amounted to £2,400,000. He
strongly urged adherence to the present increased
scale of contributions, which were essential for the
stability and future prosperity of the Unity ; and,
alluding to the bill introduced into the House of
Lords by the Earl of Lichfield, he said the directors had
an interview with his lordship, and regretted they could
not support the measure, as they were not prepared to
sacrifice the present position of the Manchester Unity,
with its manifold advantages, in order to assist his lord-
ship in effecting some amount of good for other societies'
Now the bill was withdrawn, a royal commission would
probably he appointed. The expenses of the Unity for the
year had been £l,lBl 17s. Bd., and as there was a loss of
£316 17s. Bd. on the business in the goods department,
they were reluctantly compelled to recommend that a levy
of a halfpenny per member should be made through the
Unity, to defray these management expenses. The board
of directors for the past year also submitted a report. 'They
stated that the number of members on the Ist January,
1868, was 417,422, being an increase of 12,290 during the
/ear, and 35 per cent. of the number were young men
ander 21 years of age.