The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-09 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP TEE P

ILI° JOITIZNALJ,

The Daily News declares the present building puts
a premium on non-attendance. It perpetually reminds
members of the House that the country does not expect
their diligent attendance on their legislative duties. It
hides from the House its own thinness of attendance
by enabling a small number of members to make a
large show. Half the members being present snakes
a full House, and even one in four will make a
considerable appearance on the benclies. It will
be worth the sum which the alteration will cost, to
remove this encouragement to legislative neglect ; and
should a more democratic Parliament, having no respect
for the magic number of 658, resolve at
_tome future .time
to reduce it to 500, or some number even nearer to that of
°the; legislative bodies, the new House will be none too
large even then. We ought at least to give members the
seats to which the constituencies elect them ; and not to
reward the toils which led to those summits of an English-
man's legitimate ambition by refusing them room to do
their duty.

By the goodwill of the Government there is still, says the
Standard, a chalice that the Metropolitan Foreign Cattle
Market Bill may become law. Though the bill has been
twice " talked out," Mr. Disraeli declared in the House
on Tuesday night that "it was the determination of her
Majesty's Government to advance the measure as fast as
they could." At the same time the Premier intimated
that the canying of the bill this session depended on the
energy and determination of the House. We might
almost ask whether it is because the measure is felt to be

a good one that it is opposed so strenuously.

There

are certain politicians who seem to make a point just now
of obstructing useful legislation, lest the existing Govern-
ment should have the credit of effecting beneficial changes.
Thus there is a drag put upon the Electric Telegraphs
Bill, though the companies have ceased to oppose, and the
public are universally demanding the passing of the

measure. If the Metropolitan Foreign Cattle Market
fill were in other bands, perhaps it would receive more

- -
favour. Yet, as if to complete the anomaly, the bill
originated with the Opposition, although Mr. Milner
Gibson has thought proper to denounce in a long set
speech as " Protectionist "scheme. The bill also agrees
with the propositions of the Cattle Plague Commissioners,
as put on record two years ago.

The Telegraph calls attention to the fact that a few days
hence the House of Lords will be invited by Lord Abinger
to consider " the Revenue Officers' Disabilities Removal
Bill," which has now safely emerged from the Lower
House. We trust that the reform will be so supported
by its friends as to commend itself to the approval
of their lordships. It is a measure of enfranchise.
ment against which little can be said in these
days, when intelligence and independence are
regarded as prime requisites for the possession
of the franchise. Both qualifications are claimed
with truth by the meritorious _class of public ser-
vants to whom the project applies, and thus a case is at
once made out in its favour. No doubt a good deal has
been said about possible inconvenience to the public ser-
vice should the bill become law, but we regard such few s
as purely imaginary. And we are fortified in that belief
by the well-known fact, that the heads of departments
are almost entirely opposed to the opinions ex-
pressed by the Commissioners of Customs and
Inland Revenue, and are heartily in favour of
the new plan. It is notorious that the Post-
office authorities—not by any means the sort of persons to
encourage anything which would induce laxity of disci-
pline or inefficiency, support Mr. Monk's bill to a man.
These gentlemen, speaking from an intimate personal
acquaintance with the class they represent, avow their

conviction that the passing of the mea-ure would tend
materially to improve the service by checking agitation,
and creating a feeling of confidence and content. That
result is not to be despised, and by itself it is really a suffi-

dent answer to the poor pleas that can beadvancedagainsl
the measure.

FOUR CHILDREN AT A BIRTH.—The wife of
John Guernsey, a mechanic employed in the factory
department at Chatham dockyard, has been delivered of
four children at one birth, the whole of whom were born
alive. A short time since the wife of a soldier attached to
the third battalion at Chatham gave birth to three
children, all of whom aro now living.

A STRUGGLE WITH TIME AND TIDE.—Tho Vau-
ban lock, which is the key of the port of Gravelines and a
protection to the low-lying lands surrounding that town,
fell down a few days back, fortunately when the tide was
out. Fears were entertained that a disastrous inundation
might ensue, but by activity and energy that calamity
was averted. Defensive works against the rushing of the
water were improvised, and a company of the corps of
Engineers arrived in time, with 4,000 sacks filled with
earth, to consolidate the work already commenced and
place the adjoining district beyond All danger.

AN ARMY CONTROL DEPARTMENT.—The Secre-
tary for War has just laid before the House of Commons
the close of a correspondence between the Treasury and
War Office on the formation of an army control depart-
ment. It was commenced by Sir John Pak-ington on the
19th December last, when the right hon. baronet commu-
nicated his opinion to the Treasury " that ccAnomy and
efficiency in peace and war might be promoted by com-
bining under one controller-in chief what are called the
departments of supply—viz., transport, commissariat,
stores, purveyors, and lareacks." After Li series of
negotiations extending over several months, the Trea-
sury issued a minute, stating that there bill be
" prospectively," in addit!on to the secretary and parlia-
mentary under secretary, a permanent under secretary,
competent to advise the Minister for War on military
Matters, and he will be "generally, if not always, a
military man ;" a controller-in-chief, " without the rank
of under secretary," and with a salary of £1,500 a year—he
will be either a military man or a civilian, as may be most
convenient at the time of his appointment ; a principal
financial officer, with £1,500 a-year, who is to be of
acknowledged financial reputation and experience in
scemints, always a civilian, of equal rank the con.
troller-in-chief ; he will be as:isted by a deputy.

Having regard to the news from America, the Times
declares that the doom of the Democratic party may be
taken as sealed. The National Democratic Convention
assembled at New York on Saturday for the purpose of
defining the principles upon which they would appeal to
the country, and selecting the persons who should be ac-
cepted as their representatives and candidates for the
Presidency and Vice-Presidency in the autumnal elec-
tion. On Tuesday evening the first part of their work
was accomplished ; their declaration of principles—
their " platform," to use the appropriate term—was
settled and published to the world. Its distinctive ele-
ments, or " planks," are financial. The Convention
appears to have cast in the lot of the party with that
Western and Middle section which has demanded a
partial repudiation of the obligations of the nation,
and by so doing to have rent the party in twain,
and made it impossible that the distinguished persons
who were suggested as its leaders should be
chosen, or, if chosen, should accept the nomination,
The adoption of a policy which, however disguised, is a
policy of partial repudiation, must dissipate any lingering
hope the Democrats may have had of success in the
Presidential election. It is, perhaps, possible that the
more reckless "wire-pullers" of the party, recognising the
fact that they had no chance against Grant and Colfax,
have looked forward to another term, and are willing
to see what support they can get in the interval by
offering the benefits of dishonesty. Their conduct is de-
cisive of the present contest. It was suggested that Chief
Justice Chase might be the Democratic nominee for the
Presidency. With a " platform "of repudiation this is
impossible. Mr. Adams has been mentioned as the Vice-
President—a selection now equally hopeless. The
Western wing of the Democratic party has overcome the
Eastern. The support they may gain from the Repub•
licans through the adoption of repudiation cannot be
considerable, as the Republicans who were favourable
to it were Mr. Stevens, General Butler, and
their immediate allies the men who have been
discredited by • the impeachment, 6f "which they 'were
the zealous supporters. Contempt for law has for a time
brought Mr. Stevens and the Democrats together, and
may carry General Butler back into the party of which he
was up to the time of war a member. But it is impossible
that the alliance can succeed. The Democratic platform,
as announced by the Atlantic cable, is a forewarning of
Democratic defeat in the autumn, and must be followed
by the continued exclusion from office, if not by the
lasting disruistion, of the Democratic party.
The Post thinks that it would have been better had the
committee appointed to consider the arrangement of the
House of Commons given more heed to the question
whether it was desirable that there should be a larger
House. Mr. Barry's plan, no doubt, is an exceedingly
good one. If 569 members habitually attended to their
legislative duties, it would of course be imperative to pro-
vide them all with seats, and nobody would ask the cost of
doing so ; but so long as seats are provided for those who do
habitually atteend, it surely is a small thing to leave those who
do not under an inconvenience to which they so rarely subject
themselves ; and, after all, it is only inconvenience, for
large divisions do even now take place, as is evidenced by
the 599 who voted once on the Reform Bill last year. At
any rate, it will be aseful to see how the members of the
new Parliament understand their duties. If they come
every day in full numbers, it may prove to be necessary
to carry out the proposed plan ; hut, if they attend no
better than the pres:nt members, the House may possibly
be very well left, as it is.