The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 16, 1868.

upon the Irish Church, which amount to
nothing, just because we are all anxious "to
reform and not to destroy," we find a most
admirable and statesmanlike review of home and
foreign politics, from which no true Liberal, no one,
that is, who is a Liberal as distinct from a partisan,
will care to dissent. Our only surprise is that his
lordship should have refused the offer which was
made to him by Lord PALMERSTON in 1855 (who
was much less of a Liberal than Lord STANLEY) and
that made by Lord RUSSELL in 1865. In Lord
STANLEY'S case private claims have prevailed over
public.

Taking seriat i'm the subj ects discussed by the Fo REIGN
SECRETARY, we join with him in congratulating the
country upon having got rid of the church-rate
question. He was always opposed to church rates,
even when his chief three years ago took credit to
himself and his party for having resisted the abolition
of the impost, and pointed to that resistance as a
proof of the growth of Conservatism. Then as to
Parliamentary Reform, Lord Stanley thinks as we
think, that if it had not been granted the country
would have been landed in grave perils.
We thoroughly agree with him in thinking
that Parliament should not be called upon to take
up the question of Reform again. There is other
work to do. The machine has been put in order, and
must now be set going. There is only one small defect
which has to be remedied. There is a slight impediment
to the smooth working of the machine—the personal
payment of rates. Lord STANLEY spoke right
when he said that the increased constituencies will
involve more costly elections, and so throw the
representation into the hands of even more wealthy
men than before. This is just what Mr. FAWCETT
said. No doubt Lord STANLEY will make no further
objection to the PROFESSOR'S proposal for throwing
the legitimate expenses of an election upon
the constituency. Passing by for the moment
foreign affairs, we go on to education. Lord
STANLEY does not approve of " compulsory "
education. Neither do we approve of the word.
What is meant by compulsion ? Why that if any
children are found destitute and ignorant they shall
be educated by the State, and if the State can make
the parents pay, so much the better; if not, it will be
cheaper for the State to pay than to let the children
grow up in ignorance, which is a synonym for vice
and crime. What is meant by compulsion? Why that
children shall not be permitted to work unless they are
receiving a certain amount of education; that the fac-
tory system,whichhas lately b een extended into a variety
of manufacturing trades, shall be extended to agri-
culture. " Compulsion" is a disagreeable word. We
will have nothing to do with it. We will only see
to it that a child shall not be suffered through the
negligence or the cupidity of its parents to grow up
ignorant. Lord STANLEY says that if popular
feeling is against a compulsory law, it will not work;
if it is not against the law, the law is not needed.
We do not care to argue upon this epigram ; we only
want such a law as already exists to be extended.
We leave Lord STANLEY to ascertain if it was un-
popular or not when it was first introduced. We
know that it has been most effective. Coming next
to public expenditure, we are glad to see that Lord
STANLEY is in favour of economy ; not in the
vague way which we find in most Conserva-
tive speeches, where economy is always coupled
with the " necessity for maintaining the efficiency
the army and the navy unimpaired."
He is quite fair in attributing a portion of the
increased expenditure of the last twenty years
to the decreased value of the sovereign, thatis to say,
a sovereign will no longer purchase as much of a
commodity as it used to buy. But the value of the
sovereign has not gone down so much during the
last three years, that the decline will account
for the increased expenditure of three millions.
Lord STANLEY attributes the less satisfactory state
of our Exchequer now, as compared with 1865, to the
panic of the following year. That may be an ex-
planation of the decreased revenue, yet is no excuse
for increased expenditure, but rather the reverse.
Then, as to the details of taxation—the means of
raising the revenue—we find ourselves very
much at harmony with the Foreign Secre-
tary. Taxes on locomotion are bad, just as
any taxes are which impede industry. For the
tax on insurance, which is a tax upon
providence, not one word can be said. Pauperism
Lord STANLEY finds a very difficult subject, and so
it is. It is lamentable, for instance, that our pauper
laws should act as a direct incentive to improvidence,
by aiding the man who, when he is out of work or
sick, has nothing to fall back upon, and by refusing
to aid him if he have been prudent enough
to subscribe to some friendly society or club. And
yet we do not at all see how that evil is to be reme-
died. In truth, the Minister who would devise
some remedy for it would be the first statesman of
this or any day. In the meanwhile it is to be
regretted that our statesmen do not recognise that
the liquor trade is the one great source of pauperism,
for the more difficult it is to cure a disease the more
are they bound to prevent it. Then we come to Ire-
land. There is the Irish Church, which Lord STANLEY
wishes to reform, not to destroy. Nevertheless, if, as
Lord STANLEY states, Ireland contains the most
ardent and devoted Catholics in Europe, that seems
to us all the more reason why they should not be
exposed to the insult of having established among
them, and in defiance of them, a national Church
which is detested by the great bulk of the nation.
As to the land question, we find ourselves somewhat
at issue with Lord STANLEY, simply because he seems
to confound the old cottier system—the system of
tenancy at will—with that of peasant proprietorship.
In truth, no two systems could be more opposed.
Turning to foreign affairs, we find room for un-
qualified approbation. Lord STANLEY has, as one of
his audience reminded him, adopted the foreign
policy of Mr. COBDEN. We were only afraid that,
like all new converts, Lord STANLEY would be dis-
posed to carry his master's principles to an excess.
It is quite true that, as Lord STANLEY said, we have
an excellent ally across the Channel (what a change
must have come over the nation since Lord PALMER-
STON declared that steam had bridged the Channel) ;
but we do not wish to see England become too insular.
There are times when English counsel should be
offered if England's fleets are not. Such a time has
arrived now. Lord STANLEY believes that the
nations of Europe keep up their large armies not
because they wish, but because they are afraid
of war. If he is right there ought to
be no serious difficulty in inducing the
nations to put clown their armaments. If they
really desire peace they must be glad enough
to accept any good proposal for securing it. Never-
theless there are difficulties in the way, and the
greatest is, no doubt, the unsettled condition of
the Turkish tributary States. On this Lord
STANLEY spoke with a seriousness that will
have no little effect upon the Continent.
He considers that the state of Eastern Europe
is very grave—very dangerous to the peace
of the whole Continent. We hope we do not mis-
understand him in thinking that he is endeavouring,
with other leading Powers, to alleviate these embar-
rassments, and to prevent, by wise counsel and
friendly co-operation, a calamity whose results would
be alike mischievous and immeasurable.

CAISTOR AGRICULTURAL SOTETY. -The largest
meeting in the county of Lincoln, so celebrated for such
gatherings, was held at Caistor on Wednesday last. No
less than 88 teams assembled to compete for the various
prizes. Tho land selected was a strong cloverley, and
the work was generally considered superior to anything
that has hitherto been shown at this meeting. The All
England Prize for wheel ploughs was well contested, and
was won by James Barker, Messrs. Ransome's ploughman.
On Tuesday Mr. Goodyear won tho Farmers' Sons Cup
at the Lincoln Match, which was the twentieth cup won
by farmer's sons this season witla Messrs. Ransome's
ploughs.

NOT A BAD JOKE—on the whole ! (the wish being
father to the thought of course).—The Surrey and Rants
News facetiously recommends Mr. Disraeli and his "Edu-
cated Conservatives"—who will shortly require a change
of air from Downing-street, tea REIVItht-A-TORY.

LATEST INTELL MENU.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

OUTWARD INDIA, CHINA, AND AUS-
TRALIAN MAILS OF OCT. 31 AND Nov. 6.
SUEZ, Nov. 15.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Rangoon left for Bombay at five o'clock this after-
noon, and the Simla for Calcutta at midnight
yesterday.
QUEENSTOWN, Nov. 16.
The Guion steamship Nebraska, from New York,
arrived here at 7 a.m. to-day with 70 passengers.
She landed some and proceeded for Liverpool im-
mediately.

CORRESPONDENCE PROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, SUNDAY, November 15.
The Bourse was gloomy yesterday. After-enjoying a
remarkably long term of existence in the salubrious
regions above 70, Rentes threatened to fall below it,
and have narrowly escaped. The events of the day are
unusually unfortunate for the Second Empire. First there
is Lord Stanley's speech at Lynn, which, however
just and statesmanlike, is by no means welcomed here.
1 The telegraphic summary was considered so unfavourable
that some of the papers, it is said, received invitations
from a certain quarter to hold it back and wait for the
full text. It was feared that the case of the article from
the Journal de St. Peterthourg might be repeated. The full
text, however, is even more disagreeable than the sum-
mary, and has served only to produce a stronger impres-
sion. The speech clearly announces that, in case of a war
between France and Prussia, England would remain an
interested but not an active spectator. This is no
news, but other tokens go to shew that France is left
alone in Europe. Baron Beust's circular to the Austrian
Ambassadors disclaims any warlike signification in his
rpeech to the military committee ; and it has beendivulged
that France has made Rome a present of 20,000 rifles—an
action which can hardly meet with a favourable reception
lln Italy. It would not be inappropriate, as the inderen-
Vance] Beige observes, to draw up a fourth map
pf Europe, in which all the nations on the Continent are
represented by shades more or less dark of hostility or
defiance to France. Lord Stanley, however, said some-
thing much more obnoxious. The excitement here has
been caused chiefly by the assertion, which is true enough,
that Prussia has nothing to do but bide her time in order
to fully accomplish 'her political unity. This, then, cry
the indignant Parisians, is the evil of England's media-
'ion in the interests of peace. The British Government
wish to bring about 2,ientente cordiale between France and
Prussia, but the on y mode by which it is proposed
lo accomplish that difficult task is by granting Prussia all
the benefits and exacting from France all the concessions!
Lord Stanley has fallen greatly in French estimation as a
political mediator. His Prussian " sympathies," as they
are called, are deemed unpardonable.
The Gaulois, too, has managed, by its incredible
conspiracy announcement, to do the Govern-
rent considerable harm. Not only did it state
that the Baudin agitation really emanated from
he authors of a widespread conspiracy, but it has
persisted in supporting this statement, notwithstanding
facial denials. The new journal is to be prosecuted for
publishing
false news, but, whether real or imaginary, its
' conspiracy " has had the effect of causing much alarm.
come well-informed people say that the question of this
lot was raised first by M. Pinard, the Minister of the
interior, at the Cabinet Council of Thursday. M. Pinard
tepresented France as intersected throughout by the rami-
f cations of a vast democratic league, the aim of which
pas and is to try again the test of the 2nd of December,
which placed the present r!gime in power. The Ministerof
the Interior is said to consider the situation as a very grave
pne, but he did not affirm, as the Gaulois did, that a plot
tiad been discovered. It is added that the discussion was
very animated, and that M. Pinard offered his resignation ;
but if he did so it has been refused. Another rumour is
to the effect that a plebiscitum will shortly be taken, with
the view of again securing to the Emperor the powers
which were conferred upon him in 1852, and abrogating
11 the concessions of the 19th of January and the 24th of
ovember. These statements, particularly the last, must
e taken cum magno grano, but they spew how great is the
feeling of dissatisfaction at the manner in which France is
tow governed.

Lastly, there is the Baudin affair itself. The journals are
flied with immense reports of the trial, the judgment alone
teing a report in itself. It wholly sets aside the prime argu.
pents of the Opposition, that such a prosecution was
pithout precedent, that it really came under no law,
that publishing a subscription was not a manoeuvre, and
that the demonstrations in the cemetery, whatever might
ie their illegality, had no connection with the act of the
gewspapers. The court deliberated long, but its reflec-
tion could hardly have been more than a farce. This
rosecution would never have been carried so far in
he face of a possible acquittal. As it is, it difficult to see
ow the Government can claim to have gained a victory in
his unfortunate affair.

The deaths amongst men of influence and fame have
been very numerous during the last day or two. Baron
amen de Rothschild has followed Rossini and M. Havin.
e was the fifth and last surviving son of Meyer-Anselm,
he founder of the great house. He was born May
li
5, 1792. He settled in Paris in 1812, and was
Pie head of the financial establishment in that city
with which his family is connected. He was married to a
daughter of his brother Solomon, and has a son, Edmund,
ivho in 1856 espoused his cousin, a daughter of Baron
Lionel de Rothschild, of London, who, being the son of
Nathan de Rothschild, is the nephew of the deceased
laron.

M. Navin, the proprietor of the Silcle, was neither a
food writer nor a good speaker, but he occupied an influ-
tntial position as the owner of the most widely-circulated
paper in France. After the revolution of February he
was elected to the Constitutional Assembly, the first in a
list of fifteen.

Rossini will be buried at the Madeleine. All the
artistes of the Paris opera will be present at the last
ceremony.

Another strange suicide. A gentleman of the name or
Paulin has destroyed himself by enveloping his head in
linen soaked in a large quantity of chloroform.
An extraordinary poisoning case will shortly be heard at
Geneva. A nurse is charged with having poisoned no less
than nine individuals committed to her charge. Not the
slightest pretext for these murders has transpired.

ti WEATHER TABLE.-TIIIS DAY.