The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-30 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

TIIIS DAY.—Morning, sh. 20m.—Afternoon, sh. 38m.
To-Mowtow.-Morning, sh. 56m.—Afternoon, 6h: 16m.

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44441
,psd

LONDON, THURSDAY, JAN. 30, 1868.

Mr. MILKER GIBSON has been addressing his
constituents at some length, and dilating upon
past, present, and future politics. Such a task at
this time is by no means a pleasant one, and the
right hon. gentleman had a long catalogue of
horrors to make mention of, commencing with the
commercial depression iu commercial affairs, which
prevails to such an unfortunate extent. We believe,
however, with him, that " British industry stands
upon solid foundations, and has a grand future
before it." Regarding our trade with Europe
there is an increased activity to notice, and the
French Treaty has worked well on the whole, but
with America things are not so good. Mr. GIB-
SON has some peculiar views of his own regarding
these matters, and it is to be questioned if these
doctrines of his somewhat exclusive school would
be in accordance with the spirit which should re.
gulate the affairs of this great country. It is very
well to make what profit we can out of these
transactions, but there is something beyond profit
in our relations with others, and also British
America and the colonies. Mr. GIBSON thinks
that it was a great success in our policy not
to have stipulated that when self-govern-
ment was granted to our colonies we should
have freedom of exchange, but that would not have
been at all the right thing to do, and very likely in
the end might have defeated its own object, as sel-
fish attempts often do. It is amusing to follow Mr.
GIBSON through his summary of the political situa-
tion of last year, and his mingled indignation and
satire make this passage of his discourse both ex-
citing and interesting. Thus he commences by
expressing his well-feigned astonishment at what
he has seen. England has been ruled by an Admi-
nistration that is confessedly in a minority, and the
Parliamentary system is "out of joint." What a
sad change is this from the good old times when all
went smoothly as a marriage bell, and the Conser-
vatives remained in their proper places, in the cold
shade of Opposition, and the Liberals had all the
gain to themselves, and talked of what they could
do without ever putting their professions into prac-
tice. Impartial observers may say that the gain of
the community at large ought to rank higher than
the mere gratific Ltion of a particular party, but
it is not to be expected that the disap-
pointed members of that party will agree to
such a thing, and hence it is not to be
wondered at that we find Mr. GIBSON animad-
verting upon the course pursued by his political
opponents, in " taking a retainer" from both sides,
and so on, and hinting that Reform had been a
godsend to the Tories, for it had put them in office
and was now retaining them in it. The right hon.
gentleman tried to show how much more had been
done by his " excellent friend" Mr. BRIGHT in the
way of teaching Reform to the ignorant than by
the " great schoolmaster," Mr. DISRAELI. " But,"
exclaimed he, " after all, what have we got
by this Reform Bill ?" And forthwith he went
on to show that the personal payment of
rates was unnecessary, and that the county
franchise bad been unsatisfactorily settled, that
representation of minorities was a political conun-
drum ; and, finally, it seemed that the chief work
of next session would be to undo what had been
done in this.

Education was, of course, referred to in this
speech, and Mr. GIBSON announced his desire for a
full education if possible, and to support this he
would levy a rate upon all classes, and he favour
secular schools. As for Ireland, Mr. GIBSON fore-
sees a good many desirable reforms in that country,
and he favoured his hearers with his views ou Fe-'
nianism. He believes that it is to a great extent
" some of the bitter fruit that we are obliged to
partake of in consequence of the unfortunate course
which the great body of the upper classes of this
country took in reference to the American civil war."
After this definition it is some relief to find the
right hon. gentleman himself admit that perhaps
they may think his views are a little eccentric.
Really for a politician who professes so great a de-
votion to free principles it is somewhat singu-
lar to find so arbitrary a line laid down. We
are not to be allowed to think as we
like. It was an unfortunate mistake that
we made in venturing to let our opinions
be known, and the consequence is that we
have brought Fenianism upon us iu all its horrors.
Of course we all knew the opinions which Mr.
GIBSON and his friends entertained in this matter,
but we were certainly 'not prepared for this extra-
ordinary view of the question respecting the country
at large. As for the arbitration question, he thinks
that we must wait for two new Governments to
settle it satisfactorily; and with this exhilarating
notion he takes leave of his constituents.

The two Houses of the American Congress find
it seemingly as difficult to agree with each other as
with other people. The latest difference of opinion
has arisen with respect to the finances. The action
of the Senate, with regard to the contraction of the
currency, has not satisfied the House of Represen-
tatives, who have sent back their bill. The Senate
repealed the authority of the Financial Secretary
instead of suspending it, as the lower Howe had
done. The Finance Committee of the Senate has
reported the bill re-enacting the Legal Tender Act,
so that financial questions are attracting a
good deal of attention. If the members of Congress
really wish to improve the situation, however,
they have a much easier way before them than di-
rect financial legislation. If they would show a
little more temperance and discretion iu their poli-
tical dealings there would be fewer of these violent
crises, and the consequent disturbance in Wall-
street or the New York gold-rooms. One or two

acts on the part of Congress, like the forced re-
instatement of GRANT, and the bill subverting civil
government in the South, will undo a whole twelve-
month of careful scheming. The effect produced
by these mischievous measures has been quickly
seen in the fluctuations of the gold premium, which
went up and down three and four per cent. in a
day. Every movement of JOHNSON, GRANT, and
STANTON was reported by telegr4ph, and interested
parties were ready at all the principal cities to turn
the news to account. As is usual in such times of
general excitement there were plenty whose busi-
ness it was to make bad worse, and who outdid
each other in the number and ingenuity of their
reports and inventions. As it is difficult for the
most experienced politicians to foretel the action
of the Radical leaders, to put a limit to their assump-

tion, or to say what influence will restrain them
or what authority they will respect, we can hardly
blame the credulity of those who put faith in these
manufactured rumours. It indicate a very un-
sound and unsatisfactory state of public feeling,
however, that so little confidence should be placed
in the acts and intentions of the Legislature and the
Executive.

STANTON is, according to the latest news, exer-
cising the functions of his office, and holding the
necessary official intercourse with his colleagues,
with the exception of the PRESIDENT, by whom he
has not been officially recognised. The military inter-
ference with civil rights goes on southwards. Judge
WooD'sCourt,atSehna,Alabarna,has been suppressed
by military authority on account of the judge's re-
fusal to recognise negro jurors. The Judge was no
doubt in error, and the admission of negroes to
juries is an important point, but the forcible sup-
pression of a civil court by military authority is an
outrage on the liberties of the people. The re-
moval of the Judge by the Supreme Court would
have been far more in accordance with constitu-
tional law if any active measures were necessary.
Another act of the kind has been committed in
Georgia. General MEADE has removed the Con-
troller of the State, and has appointed a
military successor. It is no wonder if
in face of such proceedings the financial atmosphere
is disturbed. Who can feel confidence or security
in the prosperity of a country in which law and
tradition are alike set at nought, and the guaran-
tees of popular liberty are disposed of without hesi-
tation ?

The official Report on the Sheffield Trades Union
outrages is sure to engage attention at this juncture,
and no doubt many persons will peruse its details
with interest. There are sixty Trades Unions in
Sheffield, of which twelve have promoted outrages
during the past year. On the other side, during
the last ten years no act of intimidation or wrong
has been promoted or connived at by the em-
ployers. The year 1859 was the one in which the
greatest number of outrages occurred, and since
that period the number has been less frequent.
No observations are made in the Report
upon the general policy of the unions, because it is
said that these matters are at present under the
consideration of the Royal Commissioners ; but it
is stated that had it not been for the " indemnity"
view of the question, they do not believe that the
facts touching upon the crimes committed would
have been elicited at all, and hence they have
granted certificates to all those witnesses who
were willing to make " full disclosures" of all
the offences they bad been concerned in. We
think that this was by far the wisest thing
to do under the circumstances of the case ; it was
impossible to undo the past, and all that remained
was to endeavour to improve the future, and this
could be effected only by arriving at a complete
knowledge of events. It is impossible to look at
this Report without feeling convinced that something
decisive must be done in order to put a stop to the
mr
repetition of these outrages. When we find the
they
comment in the simplest an
indeed,
fe
speak for themselves, and demand a remedy.thneeyr
The house of a non-unionist is blown up, shockingly
burning his wife and killing another woman, and this
ig diabolical outrage is concocted by members of a
Union and paid for out of its funds, the accounts
being cooked' in order to conceal the fact."
given of a man being brutally
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five
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duringut
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conceal strike,v paid
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er
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the " job." Surely there cannot be two opi-
nions as to the necessity of such things
being perpetuated in a Christian
country, and
such tyranny exercised among
a community of
freemen. The best friends and the t rue,st friends
to the working men will tell them to have
nothing
to do with such insidious advisers as those who
would go on after this fashion to carry out their
particular views; and we hope that the
day is not
far distant which will see the end of this oppres-
sive system, in its present form at any rate.

However great the general discontent with the
vagaries of the weather, and however inconvenient
the excessive rainfall of the last few weeks has been
for business purposes, there is one thing very appa-
rent, and that is the improvement in the public
health. King Frost finds out all our weak places ;
he is an enemy whose assaults on the citadel of life
need strong soldiers and plenty of ammunition to
repulse him. The aged, the very young, the infirm, the
weakly, and the invalid are powerless against him,
and even the naturally robust and the middle-
aged find it hard to face him without a
good supply of food ar.d clothing, and
warmth within and without. A few hours'
exposure to a frosty morning, an excursion carried
out in the teeth of a biting wind may be bracing
and exhilarating to the well-dressed traveller in
,his
furs and greatcoat, but that same frosty wind
pierces through the thin shawl or the ragged shirt,
and grows intolerable when endured hour after
hour, as some have to bear it. Without going.
down to the absolutely houseless and starving,
there are many whose daily work compels them to
remain in the open air—policemen, postmen, rail-
way officials, and workmen, besides many others
who are never thought of by those who rejoice
over " fine seasonable weather." No doubt we
have to thank King Frost for a good deal of useful
service, .and should find ourselves in a worse case
without him, but a week or two of extreme severity
is infallibly reflected in the death rates. The old
tradition about a mild winter is not borne out by
modern science. On the contrary, the " cold wave'
in the atmosphere produces for the time being the
effect of an epidemic. So soon as the severe
weather passes by the tables of mortality diminish,
and the difference may be very clearly seen by any
one who takes the trouble to compare the Registrar-
General's returns for Jan., 1867, with those of 1868.
In the week ending last Saturday there were 321
deaths less than the estimated average. The rates
of mortality for L'ndon, Leeds, and Hull were only
23 in the 1,000. Those of Liverpool, Dublin, and
Manchester were respectively 32, 37, and 38. Should
not this discrepancy attract the attention of our sa-
nitary reformers ?

MISSING SHIP.—The Vienna sailed from Ham-
burg for Leith, on the ?Oth of November, and has not
aince been heard of.