The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-01 00:00:00

WHO IS RIGHT ?

The Times asserted that it was the intention of the
Premier to recommend the creation of ten or twelve
peirs. This is on " good authority." The Telegraph
states that the report is totally devoid of foundation,
and gives it "the most positive contradiction." The
Obserrer says there is reason to believe that the Times
is right. If anyone will give in a tabular form the
relative value of the three terms, " good authority,"
"the most positive contradiction and " reason
to believe," and will further give the respec-
tive value of such terms according to the
columns in which they appear, that person
will confer a lasting favour upon newspaper
readers. The guessing which the vacancy in the see
of Canterbury caused was not so successful as to
justify a similar amount of speculation upon other
interesting subjects. •

QUASI-LIBERALS.,
A contemporary notices that the band of Liberals
pledged to oppose the disestablishment of the Irish
Church will not exceed half a dozen. The only
apresentative of an important town constituency
who has been elected as a Liberal, and who declines
to support Mr. Gladstone on this question, is Sir
Robert Clifton. Of those who voted against
the resolutions in April and May last, Mr.
Antrobus and Lord Ernest Bruce were re-elected
on their promise to support Mr. Gladstone ;
Mr. Wyld, who would make no pledges, was de=
feated at Bodmin ; and Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Saunder 7,
son, Mr. Briscoe, and Lord Elcho have been
re-elected by county constituencies. It is Noted
that several avowed Conservatives will support
Mr. Gladstone, amongst them Mr. Butler-Johnstone
and Colonel Vandeleur. We question whether the
classification of some of these will please the party to
whom our contemporary attaches them. Although
Sir Robert Clifton professes to be a Radical, the
Liberals look rather shyly at him. It would be a
difficult thinkto settle the political status of Lord
lcTio ant as for Mr. Butler-Johnstone, he is a
very questionable Conservative. If the Irish Church
is made the test question, all these members must be
content to change their political classification for the
present. The case of Mr. Butler-Johnstone is a
curious one. When he made his first speech in the
House Mr. Disraeli took occasion to pay the young
man a very high compliment. A few years after,
this promising orator was hitting the Premier hard.
He will find an oratorical contest with Mr. Disraeli
very good practice, and he must not be afraid of
some deadly blows.

SOUTH-WEST LANCASHIRE.

. testimonial is to be presented to Mr. Gladstone•
It is originated by the working men of South-
West Lancashire, and those who have raised them-
selves from the position of working men. The
Liverpool Mercury has consented to receive subscrip-
tions of one penny and upwards. The first list of
subscriptions is to be published in a few days, and
though the amount may not be enormous, and
the individual subscriptions small, we trust our
contemporary will furnish.us with such information
as may give an idea of the sort of response with which
this appeal meets. The great man has taken leave of
South-West Lancashire not unkindly, and doubtless
there are many who will willingly do all they can to
shew the regret which his failure has caused.