The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-11 00:00:00

Orden by post punctually attended to.

•
IIF:" SUN" NEWSPAPER.-G. R. GLENIE
delivera the L ITE KDITION'at Chelsea, 7.40; Kilburu,
8: Starch-green, 8; Woolwich, 7.30; Uxbridge, 9.20; Watford,

91-IIIE THIRD EDITION OF a THE SUN,"
_N. giving all tlas, SPORTING N ENVS of the day, may ho seen
at .T M tNI 0 s'S house, "'[he Swan and Horse Shoe,"
Little Beta: u, City, E.C.

THE LATE EDITION of " THE SUN" at
A JAMES SPEEDY'S, "The Wellington," Wellington-street,
Strand.

THE LATE EDITION of " THE SUN " at
J. SMITH'S, 39, Bow-street, Covent-garden.

LII'E EDITION of " TIIE SUN" at
W. Slilrirs, Camden &wee," 78, Park-street, Catratee.,

to NIL

2
*l4rt• 41‘1
Int 5*.47a14?,,1.,

LONDON, MONDAY, MAY 11, 1868.

An illustrious man has passed away from us— I
one who has done much in his day to merit the
goodwill and earn the gratitude of his fellow-
countrymen. It is true, that he has for some time
retired from the stage of active life, but the circum-
stance of his death recalls to mina the busy part he
once took in the important affairs of the country.
A generation has elapsed since his most stirring
works were done, and yet he has survived to wit-
ness the passing of a second Reform Bill, and to
take part in many of the events of this time. His
death appears to have been a most tranquil one,
and his attendant believed he had died in his
sleep. Until the close of his long life, extended
fsr beyond the ordinary limits of mortality, he
enjoyed good health, and had been out taking car-
riage exercise the afternoon previous to his death.
It is curious to notice that Lord BROUGHAM did not
command the attention of the House of Lords to a
late period of his life, as did some of his most strik-
ing contemporaries in that assembly. Those he had
eclipsed in his prime surpassed him in the vale of
years, and were often the admiration and wonder
of their peers, NN bile he whose meridian had been
so successful evidently rested from his labours, and
did not at all rise to the height expected from his
previous reputation. Be this as it may, now that he
has passed away from among us, we must look upon
HENRY BROUGHAM as one of the most notable men
of the stirring days of old, and certainly as hard-
working a man as any that ever rose to eminence
by the sheer force of his own exertions and ability.
If Lord BROUGHAM did not retain his powers of
eloquence to the last, it must be borne in mind that
he put them forth very strongly and to very good
purpose at an early period of life, and attained his
political eminence at a time when many have only
begun to think of striving for a certain position,
and settling what line they should follow. The
various objects in which he showed himself a pro-
ficient proved the grasp of his mind, and showed
that he possessed a rare combination. Seldom
if ever has one man succeeded in displaying such
unusual abilities. What will be chiefly borne in
recollection of this distinguished man just departed
is the fact that he was connected for some years
with the most notable events of his country's his-
tory. It is strange to be criticising a career the
most notable incident of which might have well
been noticed by those who flourished thirty or forty
years ago. His legal triumphs were great, but the
political events in which he took a part are still
more striking. Lord BROUGHAM lived also in an
age which produced many statesmen of note, and he
held his place well against the best of them. As
might have been supposed, from the bent of his
mind and the style of his oratory, his most fitting
sphere was the House of Commons, and he never
showed so effectively in the Senate after he had left
the popular assembly where his most signal tri-
umphs were won. The Slave Trade was one point of
great interest in the House when BROUGHAM began
his career, and he distinguished himself in a re-
markable manner by the zeal which he displayed.
In the struggles of his Parliamentary career Lord
BROUGHAM made many enemies, and, indeed, was
too strong in his peculiarities and prejudices not to
offend some, but such a course was only to be ex-
pected from one - of his decided bent of mind and
determined energy. His stirring days were just at
that period when abuses were most rife, and when
there also existed a great opposition to reform of all
kinds, and we, who dwell in more advanced times,
should not fail to appreciate and recognise the ser-
vices rendered to his country by the daring Re-
former, who feared no one, and cared not for con-
sequences, provided the end could be attained, and
the Liberal cause be triumphant. The work that
he got through in each Session was amazing,
and some of our present members of Parliament,
who consider themselves very ill-used, would stare
if they were expected to rival his earlier days in
the House of Commons. He left the House
having won for himself the reputation which
will not pass away while its records survive, and if
he did not shine there with the popularity of some
he contrived to have many followers in the way he
took in his energetic and sterling course. The
years during which he was the mainstay of the
Opposition were his most brilliant ones, and doubt-
less be both directly and indirectly conduced to the
continued progress that was making while his voice
was ever raised in defence of the oppressed, and his
powerful aid at once invoked against abuses of all
kinds in Church, State, or Parliament.
In the trial of Queen CAROLINE this remarkable
man found another sphere for his energies,
and it furnished him with an opportunity
for the exercise of his forensic abilities. The
spirited manner in which BROUGHAM conducted
the defence of the QUEEN made him immediately
popular, but it must be said also that he won for
himself thereby an enduring fame, and whenever
in future years the student of history dwells on
these details, he must recognise the varied powers
that distinguished the advosate. His sudden ele-
vation to the Chancellorship created at the time
much excitement, but to all intents and purposes
he pursued the same policy in the one House as he
had done in the other, and his triumphs at the
outset rendered his position a secure one even
in the Upper House. It was by these that
the Reform Bill passed finally, and the
part that the Lord Chancellor took in that
affair can never be forgotten. When the noble and
learned lord retired from the most active duties of
public life, it was not to rest in dolce far 'dente;
that would not have been in accordance with his
vigorous intellect and energetic temperament. On
the contrary, he devoted himself to literary produc-
tions, and he encouraged in many ways scientific
and other associations, apparently unheeded by the

active spirits of this generation. Lord BROUGHAM
has gone to his account, but those who form a true
estimate of things, know full well that he
has won a proud place in the annals of Parliament,
and that he will live in the history of his country
as one who worked nobly and well, and, despite
some errors of judgment and extreme views of
politics, rendered important services to his country-
men. For some time past, in fact, he has belonged
to history, and there his fame is in safe keeping ;
while those who still survive, and are able to recall
his more sterling days, will acknowledge that he
was one of the master minds of the country at a
time when much had to be done, and when spirit
and energy were loudly called for.

To-night the members of the House of Commons
arc to leave polemics alone, and are to address
themselves to the consideration of the Navy Esti-
mates. It is not altogether an easy; task, although
it may not affect the position of Ministers or influ-
ence the relations of parties. The Admiralty is one
of those venerable institutions which every one
feels himself entitled to abuse and to criticise, and
our naval administration, costly as it is, is one of
those things which an Englishman feels anything
but satisfied about. Britannia rules the waves of
poetry, history, and tradition, but nobody who has
studied the subject feels very comfortably assured
that her supremacy, so far as ships go, is unques-
tionable, and the fashion we have of trying to
remedy mistakes and lavish expenditure of money,
though it may give us nominally a large fleet, fail
to bring us up to either the scientific or the practi-
cal requirements of the day. So long as the only
thing to be done was to find gallant sailors and
good officers, England was always first in the race ;
but of late years it has grown to be a question of
naval architecture rather than of personal courage
or skilful seamanship. England certainly has no
lack of native ability in all other departments con-
nected with practical science and constructive skill;
indeed, the war departments of other nations owe
much of their power to the assistance of English
genius. how is it, then, with so much ability, so
much money, and so much goodwill on the
part of the country at large, our naval ad-
ministration should be in such a thoroughly
unsatisfactory state ? This is the question
which a good many anxious questioners are now
putting, and which no one seems to find it very easy
to answer. To judge by the notices before the
Houses of Commons, the Secretary of the Navy
will not have a very easy time of it to-night. Be-
sides the usual minor questions on matters of de-
tail there are three successive motions of ominous
import. Captain MACKINNON, on going into com-
mittee of supply, gives notice that he will draw
attention to deficiencies said to exist in the iron-
clad fleet. Mr. SAMUDA follows him with an inti-
mation that he will call attention to the Parliansen-
tacaryptarineti‘uirAncKelitoleNd
effect that it is not expedient to expend any more
f wasvy ignwDithesamsotfioorn Sthoiptsh.e"
mc
eo
rnteayi
00l
yn
tthh
ere
building
foof r do
ou cl
aa
ne t shipso o
m our ne t
than
one ground, andiwhen we remember what the navy
estimates have cost the country in the last ten or
twenty years we shall not be surprised that some
few at least of the members of the House of Com-
mons are inclined to pause before going further.
Those who from their practical acquaintance with
shipbuilding, like Mr. SAMUDA, or from their nauti-
cal experience, are aware of the requirements of a
ship, and of the real condition of our navy,
are sensible that the House may vote twenty
millions more without our being much better pre-
pared to face a combined fleet than we are now.
The Admiralty and its constructors have spent ten
millions in building ironclads, and the result is that
during a recent cruise of the Channel fleet, in which
' it scas, according to the official report, " favoured
with singularly fine weather," some of our best
fa
ruodm
he se r costly
excessive
rolling.w ere
no
this
istheir guns
the
case
in singularly fine weather, it is not surprising " a
considerable sea and a heavy swell" should find the
Bellerophon rolling 20 degrees, making eight
oscillations a minute, and the Lord Clyde roll-
ing 29 degrees, or making ten oscillations, both ships
lasing obliged to close their ports and being unable
to fire their guns. Even in fine weather the War-
rior and Lord Warden had to close most of their
ports during five out of eight days' sail. This may
pass muster very well on paper, smoothed over by
complaisant Admirals for the edification of not too
inquisitive Boards of Admiralty, but it is not ex-
actly the sort of fleet which we should like to send
to Rsiruatsshissiaa
are
ennetdmo America,
yconsult
if
and
face
Russia.ss
iwf
well
of
Al
ldAdmirals
itheir
depends
France
chro-
nometerson the strength of the swell whether or no a
ship can fire her guns, it will be rather diffi-
cult for the most skilful naval commander
to carry out his plans. Another drawback to this
excessive rolling is that it leaves the side of the
ship unprotected.
distance
below the
is carried
arried
asome
of our finest ironclads rolls to a degree which certain
ig-
nores the water-line altogether. If a ship, we are
told, rolls 15 degrees she leaves her unarmed hull
exposed, but here we have the Bellerophon rolling
20 degrees and the Lord Clyde 291 Four ships of
the Invincible class are now in course of construc-
tion, and good authorities declare their belief that
they will roll beyond all precedent. It is no
great wonder that men of practical experience are
beginning to rebel against Mr REID'S theories, since
he has had full scope and verge enough to carryout
his plans as he likes with anything but encouraging
results. Some of his late influential supporters have
lately deserted bis standard—a sign, we presume,
that he is not much longer to be permitted to amuse
himself at the national expense.

TIER MAJESTY'S OPERA.—Her Royal Highneis
the Duchess of Cambridge and her Royal Highness the
Princess Teck honoured the performances at her Majesty's
Opera with their presence on Saturday evening. Lady
Geraldine Somerset was in attendance upon their Royal
Highnesses. H.R.H. the Prince of Teck was also present.
Amongst the noble and distinguished visitors wore the
Duke and Duchess of Newcastle and Lady Susan Vane,
the Marquis and Marchioness of Townsend, the Marquis
and Marchioness of Hastings, the Earl and Countess of
Sefton, the Earl and Countess of Yarborough, the Earl
and Countess of Denbigh, the Countess of Fife, the Earl
and Countess Russell, the Earl of Harrington, the Earl of
Listowel, the Earl of Maclesfield, his Excellency the Por-
tuguese Minister, his Excellency the Persian Ambassador,
and suite, Miss Burdett Coutts, Mrs. Brown and party, the
Viscountess Gort, Viscount Barrington, Viscount Bury,
Viscount Hamilton, Viscount Castlerosse, Viscount New-
port, Viscount Exmouth, Lord and Lady Rendlesham, Lord
F. Paulet, the Hon. Richard Curzon, the Hon. Seymour
Egerton, General Sir William Knoßr, K.C.8., Lady
Knollys, Miss Knollys, and party, M. van Weyer, Colonel
the Hon. James Macdonald, Sir George Armytage, Birt.,
Lady Macdonald, Lady Vitzgerald, Lady Selina Bedwell,
Colonel Sykes, Colonel Seymour, Mr. Lane Fox, Mr.
Hubert do Burgh, Jtc.
The Church Times, a high ritualist raper, thus
concludes an able article on the recent report of the
Ritual Commission :—There is not, however, so far as we
can see, the slightest risk of legislation following on such
a report as this, and' Convocation will treat it with as
little ceremony as it did the episcopal "rigmarole" not
long ago. The original clamour is dying away gradually,
and wise men see that there is no use in worrying toiling
scholars to soothe the dying hours of that school whose
patriarch is Lord Westmeath, whose saint is Dr. M'Neile,
whose statesman is Mr. Whalley, whose laureate is Mr.
Tupper, and whose Gospel is the " Ccufessional Un-
masked."