The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-10 00:00:00

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LONDON, TVEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 18G8.

The house of Commons held yesterday its first
morning sitting for the Session, for the purpose of
discus ing the Electric Telegraphs Bill. The Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, in moving the Second
Reading, dwelt upon the importance of the matter,
and allowed the necessity that existed for proceed-
ig with it this year. So many que,tions had been
put aside that it had been expected this one would
have shared the same fate, but to do this would in-
*fere with the extension and improvement of the
telegraphic— communications, - and, • indeed,- place

them in a condition of "suspended animation."
• No one can blame the Government, under these cir-
cumstances, for pushing forward the matter with
as little delay as possible, and it is only to
be regretted that more progress was not effected.
A most insurmountable opposition was made to the
bill, and in consequence the morning sitting came
to au end without any definite result being at-
tained. In this we have aucKher instance of the
factious spirit which animates the course of the
Opposition this year, and they are not thereby im-
proving their position or raising their character
in the eyes of the country. Mr. GLADSTONE en-
deavoured, it is true, to make the best.
of their strange proceedings, but to very
little purpose, and he showed his usual
inconsistency by declaring that he was in favour of
the principle of the bill, but many points of con-
tiderable importance require to be explained. Ile
also admitted that ha did not question the correct-
ness of the statement of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, but still, with all these provisos, he was
not willing to allow the bill to proceed. It is really
extraordinary to notice the manner in which Mr.
GLADSTONE conducts his policy in respect to mea-
sures before the House, but the mode of his pro-
ceedings is not at all calculated to facilitate the
course of public business, or hasten the completion
of subjects before the Ilouse. Mr. HUNT proposed
that the bill should be read a second time, and
then referred to a Select Committee, when it could
be satisfactorily arranged, and any point not popu-
lar could be looked to. The Government held out.
every inducement to hon. members to proceed with
the bill, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer said
that-no opposition would be made to the clauses
being introduced for the purpose of meet-
ing the objections of the railway com-
panies, and for giving every facility for tele-
graphic communications taking place. At the
outset of his speech, Mr. Hu:srr showed that the
project of the bill had been favourably received,
and that the petitions were most significant in their
character. Thus they had had against it ten from
railway companies and three hundred and fifteen
from private shareholders ; while those in favour
had come from commercial bodies and the news-
paper press. The telegraph companies are, on the
whole, inimical to the bill.

It stands to reason that as the purport of this

measure is to enable the Government to deal with
the telegraph companies for the purchase of their
lines, and to authorise the Postmaster-General
to work the lines so purchased, that it will
be most inconvenient for the companies not
to know what is to be done, much less to have
to wait for another year in a state of indecision
and uncertainty. Another " significant fact" was
shown in this speech. A short time ago a weekly
periodical stated that the Government had aban-
doned their intention of proceeding with the Tele-
graphs Bill. This was not true in itself, but it had
its effect on the companies, because their shares
fell immediately. Mc. LEEMAN in his long address
failed to show sufficient grounds for his proposal,

which was that the bill be referred to a select com-
mittee. His objection was of a fundamental nature,
and he declared that it was most unadvisable
for the Executive to undertake these duties ; and as
for the parallel which the hon. member sought to
make out by drawing a comparison between foreign
countries and our own, it was not at all successfully
carried out. The system of espionage which he so
strongly denounced could never exist for a moment
among us, and all that part of the argument fills
to the ground. Mr. LEEMAN wished the Select
Committee to inquire into the policy of " trans-
ferring the telegraphs to the control of the State,"
but if the House agree .-1 to that proposal ,it wouli
be virtually the same as if the hon. member hid
carried out his original intention, awl move I than,
the second reading should take place that day six
months. Sjr STAFFORD NORTIICOTE, with great
justice, complained of the course the Opposition had
taken, and said that it would have been much more
straightforward if Mr. LEEMAN had adhered to his
original notice. As for the difficulties of the bill
there were none which could not at once be dis

posed of if the House were so mindel, aril he

wound up by putting the plain facts of the case be-
fore them, and stating that if the Opposition had
fully made up'thcir minds to get rid of the measure,
of course they could do so. The end was, that the
time for concluding the morning sitting arrived
before the discussion had been brought to a close,

and by their vexatious course the Opposition have

very likely put off the settlement of the affair till

another session. It is really too bad that no con-

3ideration for public interests can arrest their tactics
in the slightest degree, or check the mischievous

spirit that now animates them, to the detriment of

all progress but that of Mr. GLADSTONE'S incon-
eluSive arrangements and premature measures. It

is an old story by this time, but the public had
better bear it in mind, and note the constant repe-

tition of it, so that when the dissolution really
takes place they may see at whose account to place

the wasted time of this session.

The nature and importance of the British pos-
sessions in North America have been hitherto but
very incompletely understood by all people of this
country. The tide of emigration has poured every-
where but in that direction—to Australia, to Cali-
fornia, to New Zealand, to the United States, to
Canada, while the vast and fertile territory lying
waste in the North American Continent has been
left comparatively undeeded. Much of this has
been due to the superior attractions of the gold-
fields, but much has also been owing to the faulty
legislation, and the folly which generation after
generation has allowed the monopoly of
a private company over a fine tract of
territory capable of supporting its hun-
dreds of thousands. Unfortunately, the fur
trade being the chief source of profit, the
Hudson's Bay Company were more anxious to
keep the country as a large preserve for the ermine
and marten than to encourage emigration or to
establish settlements. Our Governments have
always failed to deal with this question with proper
vigour, possibly they have found their excuse in
the more pressing interests nearer home, which
constantly engross their attention. The vast ex-
tent of England's dominions are evidenced by the
fact that she can afford, if not despise, at least to
disregard so fine a territory, but in the present
state of affairs she can hardly do so much longer.
In any case it is a matter of regret that the land
should not be turned to more account, and we are
therefore glad that the subject has again been
brought under the notice of the House of Com-
mons. Last evening Sir H. VERNEY moved for
an address to the QUEEN praying fur a Royal Com-
mission to report upon " the capability for settle-
ment and the best means of settling her MAJESTY'S
territory lying between Lake Superior an•l the Paci-
fic, especially as to the provision for telegraphic and
other communication through her MAJE3TY'S domi-
nions from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Sir H.
VERNEY, in moving for this commission, observed
that there were millions of acres of fertile lands
between Lake Superior and the Rocky Mountains,
and that these, if settled, would afford the means of
independent livelihood to Luny thousands of Irish
emigrants. The discontent now existing among

the Irish in the United States was at the present
moment a source of serious embarrassment, and he
thought that if facilities for emigration to a dis-
trict which, po)sessed abundance of land for culti-
vating were affordel, much of the discontent now
existing would be removed. This does not appear
to us t o be one of the strongest reasons for the pro-
posed settlement, as it is by no means certain that
the Irish already settled in America will remove
northwards for the sake of coming under English
rule. Another argument adduced by Sir 11. VER-
NEY, in support of his motion, was that, if the vast
district of Lake Superior were surveyed, it would
prove the most direct line of communication be-
tween Europe and Eastern Asia. Mr. KINNAIRD,
who seconded the motion, observed that if any other
country had posiessed this territory it would long

ago have been peopled, and that if, by a policy of
neglect, we lost these countries, our responsibility
would he serious. Mr. AYTOUN, on the other
hand, thought the scheme s)mewhat impracticable,
and dwelt a great deal on the difficulty of reaching
the territory : but the hon. member was regarding
the case rather as it is than as it might
be. If the country were settled, the ap-
pliances for reaching it would multiply, the
routes be simplified, and the difficulty of access
need certainly be no greater than to many popu-
lous settlements with which a constant communica-
tion is kept up. Mr. ADDERLEY, on behalf of the
Government, agreed in the general tenour of Sir
IL VERNEY'S remarks, but demurred to the ap-
pointment of a Commisssion, since they had already
abundant information. The real difficulty in the mat-
ter was, he said, the possession of the country by a
great company whose rights obstructed the settle-
merit of the region. The first thing to be done was

to settle with the Hudson's Bay Company, and

negotiations were in progress with Canada for the
assumption of the government of the country,
and though the prorogation of the Canadian
Parliament had for a time delayed the question,
he believed it to be in course of rapid settlement to
general satisfaction. The British Government
could not therefore take any active steps in the
matter, but must wait for these preliminary
arrangements. 'We are glad to find, however, that
Mr. ADDERLEY expressed himself fully satisfied of
great importance of the territory and of the
necessity which exists for its settlement. " The
world," he said very justly, " was going on so fast
that it was impossible this great district of country
could remain much longer a fur-bearing wilder-
Lord MILTON, who has himself tra-
versed the country, and published an account of his
impressions, spoke strongly of the imperative
necessity of immediate action. The question was,
he said, no longer of the more or less difficulty of
maintaining a road, but whether Ergland wished
to keep in their present state of loyalty the colonies
of the Pacific. These have at present no direct
means of communication. They derive their food
from the United States, and are beginning, not un-
naturally, to talk about joining them. They have
(ground fcr complaint, too, in the unsettled state of
things, because every year adventurous Americans
go up during the fine season to work the gold
mines, and thus the staple value of the territory is
being worked out without profit to the colonists.
The noble lord spoke highly of the value of the
territory, declaring the belt of fertile land to be
quite equal to Minnesota, and we hope the earnest
reiteration of his opinion formed on the spot will
have weight with our authorities.

❑CSS.

LATEST INTELL WINCE,

(REUTER'S T E LEGRAMS. )

II [J GARY.

PESTII, June 10.

General Klapka hails the arrival of Prince Napo-
leon, in one of the Hungarian newspapers, as the
harbinger of an alliance between France, Prussia,
Austria, and Hungary against Muscovite ten-
dencies.

Apartments have been prepared for the Prince at
,he Hotel de l'Europe.

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, June 9.
The Hamburg and American steamship Ger-
mania arrived out at 11 a.m. to-day. The Allan
steamship Hibernia also arrived to-day.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Closing Prices—Gold, 1391; Sterling Exchange
on London, 1101; 5-20 United States Bonds (1882)
1121 ; 5-20 United States Bonds (1885) 1101 ;
10.40 United States Bonds (1885) 106 ; Illinois,
156 ; Erie, 691. Cotton, middling upland, 30.
Flour, extra state, $9. Corn, old mixed, $1 151 c.

QUEENSTOWN, June 10.
The Inman Royal Mail steamer City of London
arrived here at 5.30 a.m. to-day with pop() in
specie. She landed mails and passengers, and pro-
ceeded for Liverpool immediately. All well.