The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-04 00:00:00

POLITICS AT FROME.

Sir IL Rawlinson, M.P., and Mr. Thomas Hughes,
M.P., have been addressing the Working Meu's Liberal
Union. The former said that the large gathering before
him proved that the new electors were not indifferent to
the value of the franchise, and he had no fear that Frome
would be misrepresented by a Conservative member. The
recent Reform Bill had by no means settled the questions
between the Conservative and the Liberal party, and
there remained much for the new Parliament to do.
Therefore it depended a great deal on those
whom the new electors sent to Parliament what should
be done. The old compounding system would be
restored by the new Parliament, and the first year's
work would be devoted to the details of the Reform Act.
Sir H. Rawlinson referred to the question of expenditure,
and said that if the country went on in the present way
national bankruptcy must ensue. He stated that the
Tory Government undertook the Abyssinian expedition at
the suggestion of Mr. Danby Seymour, Mr. Layard, and
himself. With respect to the Irish Church question, he
thought it intolerable that a minority should enjoy the
emoluments of the entire country. Sir Henry
was opposed to a compulsory system of education.
Having been returned by 400 electors only, he would wait
until the 1,400 signified their confidence in him. This
appeal was received with much cheering. Mr. T. Hughes
then addressed the meeting. The political life of England
had been deeply stirred by the measures lately passed,
and this was a hopeful sign for the country. It now
remained to be seen how this new political activity
would develope itself. That was the great problem to be
solved by the present generation, and the great question
to be answered by the working men forming this union.
He reviewed the great political questions which had been
before the country sinca he was a boy on which the Tories
had been on the wrong side. He was not afraid of demo-
cracy ; he remembered the saying of one of the greatest
and best teachers who had lived in this country :
"If there is one cause short of the highest for which
I would die, it is democracy without Jacobinism."
There was now no doubt that we had at last come to
democracy, or, in other words, government by the people.
He said that weak Governments had been the curse of
England during the last fifty years. He hoped we should
soon have a strong Government with the whole people
behind it. The pauperism of the country was a terrible
fact. It told us that we were eating the life-blood of
of England, and that no nation could endure it ; and that
instead of decreasing it was increasing with frightful
rapidity. It required strong, wise, and Christian men to
deal with such a fearful question. Another tremendous
subject was the labour question. He trusted that in
Frome the relations between employer and employed were
'such as should exist between Christian men, and that they
all understood that what was for the benefit or injury of
the one was for the benefit or injury of all. He alluded to
drunkenness as a curse of the country, and dealt with the
question of education. We had the noblest literature in
the world, but one-third of the people could not
understand that literature. The State ought to interfere
in the education of children. Mr. Hughes stated that he
preferred open voting to the ballot,- but if they could not
vote freely without it, they must have the ballot. He
finally gave the electors some good advice, that.they should
encourage virtue and root out ignorance, not aping the
manners and luxuries of the rich, but enforcing the lessons
of simplicity, temperance, and providence. The meeting
passed a resolution pledging itself to support Sir H. Raw-
'insoa as member for Frome.

The Rev. Robert Gray, 8.D., canon of the cathe-
dral of St. Helena, and headmaster of the High School,
Jamestown, has been appointed to the Archdeaconry of
Pietermaritzburg and to a canonry in the Cathedral Church
of Natal.

We are told that there are nearly 50,000 Jews in
the metropolis, and that great efforts are now being made
to found a Jewish hospital. A committee has already
been formed. The subject is being much discussed in the
leading Jewish journals.—Scattered Nation.
A LESSON TO SWEARERS.—The authorities of
Jaszebereng, Hungary, attribute the shocks of earth-
quake lately felt there to the oaths and blasphemies
common amongst the population. Such iniquities are
now prohibited on pain of a fine of 25f1., together with
twenty blows with a stick. No offender is to be exempt
from the infliction of this punishment.

LONGEVITY.—A few days ago Henry Atkins,
aged 94, Ann Pay, his daughter, aged 72, Henry Pay,
son of Ann Pay, aged 49, and Annie Pay, daughter of
the last-named, aged 22, went cutting wheat together at
Lord Fitzwalter's, Goodnestone, near Faversham. Four
generations in a family is at any time a rare sight, but to
see four generations of full age at work together must
be much more unusual, and says something for Kentish
constitutions and Kentish air.

PRESENTATION TO MR. NEATE, M. P. —On
Wednesday, the 2nd instant, a hand o ne silver grace cup
and cover was presented to Mr. Charles Neate, M.P., by
his numerous friends, on his retirement from the represen-
tation of the city of Oxford. The presentation took place
in the town-hall, at a luncheon given by the sheriff (Mr.
T. Greenwod), who,presided ; and amongst those present
were the mayor, Mr. J. IL Carr, the Right Hon. E.
Cardwell, M.P., Mr. W. V. Harcourt, and a goodly
number of citizens. Mr. Neate acknowledged the gift fn
a feeling speech, which was frequently applauded.
A DIABOLICAL ACTION. —The Cambrian Com-
pany has offered a reward of £5O for the discovery of the
perpetrator of a diabolical action. Early on Sunday morn-
ing some one opened the points near the old stores on the
line below the Coney-green, and removed the stop block,
by which some cattle trucks were released from the siding,
and rolled off towards Llynolys. The last train that
arrived in Oswestry before the act was performed was the
goods train from Welshpool, which was due at eleven
a.m., but did not arrive until two p.m., and the waggons
were at the siding then. The mail went off as usual soon
after six on Sunday morning, and was providentially
stopped in time, or nothing could have prevented its dash-
ing into the waggons, which were on the same line of rails,
Ps tcOry 4daertiser.