The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-13 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIO JOURNALS.

The Timef remarks that a man is commonly appointed
,to a post for one of three reasons. Sometimes it is
..because he is fit for it. Sometimes it because it is
necessary that he should be removed from the position
he has hitherto occupied. Sometimes it is because he
has a wish to be, promoted and a power to enforce his
wish which cannot be resisted. To which of these reasons
can we possibly attribute the nomination of Lord
Mayo to India ? Can it be said that he is the man of
all men to be Indian Minister ? Will any one pretend
that he cannot be kept at the Irish Dice? Is there any
suggestion that he insists upon going to India, and cannot
be gainsayed? Lord Mayo is generally popular, but
hardly possesses strength of mind sufficient for the
Governor-Generalship. The Viceroy is the greatest poten-
tate of our time. There is only one person whose power can
be put in comparison with his, and that is the Czar of All
the Russias ; but the Czar has no such population subject to
his sway ; and his power, autocratic as it is, is practically
limited by more potent forces than any which control the
Governor-General. The Emperor of China nominally bears
rule over greater numbers, but his power is apparent
rather than real. It is needless to recapitulate the proofs
that the Emperor of the French is again and again restrained
from pursuing the policy which in his conscience he
believes the best for his people. The Viceroy of India is
invested with greater powers than any of these potentates.
He has a foreign and a domestic policy, both of which take
their shape from himself. That immense dependency,
which is the wonder of the world, the greatest monument of
our national capacity, is environed by nationalities of all
degrees of civilisation. The Indian Viceroy is bound to deter-
mine separately the course of his Government towards each of
them. He must range in thought from Persia to Thibet—
nay, ho must have respect to the condition of China, for
upon it depends the maintenance of an essential part of
the revenue of the Indian Empire. He must be prepared
to withstand by sheer force of character the promptings of
the men who will surround him—who will possess a far
more intimate knowledge of the several countries with
which he will have to deal than he can hope to command.
The Times concludes by a powerful appeal both to the
Premier and Lord Mayo, and, without presuming to name
a candidate for the honour, is of opinion that there is more
than one person among Mr. Disraeli's associates who would
be worthy of the office.

The opinion of the Herald is, that whatever may be the
certainty or uncertainty to be attached to the rumour
that Mr. Disraeli has made choice of the Earl of Mayo
to succeed Sir John Lawrence, there can be no
doubt of this, that Lord Mayo's antecedents in this
country are quite as good as were those of many who
have from time to time been sent out to fill the
office of Governor-General of India. The Herald alludes
with satisfaction to the Irish policy of Lord Mayo,
and finds in his character unfailing energy ; continued,
untiring application ; the highest capacity for the dis-
charge of the duties of his office ; intimate knowledge of
the conditions, wants, and prejudices of the Irish people ;
and, above and beyond all, in dangerous and difficult
times, in the exercise of power, conduct at once firm and
humane. Mr. Disraeli is recommended to disregard the
strictures of the Saturday .Rerielc, and is reminded that
Lord Monck was abused by that paper in 1861, and that
its remarks have not been justified by the results of his
appointment.

The Post draws attention to Mr. Forster's words at
Bradford. " Mr. Disraeli has done the work of the Radi-
cals, and Radicalism has gained more than almost words
can express." It is certainly not often that such a com-
pliment (if it be a compliment) can be with sincerity
paid by one political opponent to another, and it is worth
while to consider how it has come to pass that the leader
of the Conservative party has merited such an eulogium
from one entertaining such extreme Liberal views
as the favourite representative of the working
men of Bradford. Of the nature and the
necessary results of the Reform Act no two different
opinions can exist, although it may suit some to extol it
as a truly Conservative measure, whilst others, with more
apparent justice, point to it as a Radical triumph. It has
extended the franchise farther than the Liberal party in
the preceding year intended it should go ; it has vastly
increased the electoral body; it has abolished—at least in
borcughs—the " hard and fast line," and has conferred
upon all who pay rates the privilege of recording their
votes at the polling-booths. Mr. Forster has done good

service to the Liberal party in nnfolding the tactics
pursued by the leader of the Conservative party
in connection as well with the Reform Bill as
with the Irish Church question. If the former had
been the spontaneous act of the present Government,
and if its provisions expressed the convictions of the
various members of the present Cabinet, then indeed the
Conservative chief might with fairness appeal to the grati-
tude of those electors who have been newly created as well
as to those who have hitherto advocated the cause of
Reform. But it is obvious that with all his versatility
Mr. Disraeli cannot be p:rmitted to blow hot and
cold. If he seeks the support of the Liberal party
on the ground that his policy has been Liberal, he
must pledge himself to pursue with consistency
the course which, as he pretends, he has ini-
tiated, and carry out the behests of his supporters.
The confessed mistake which Mr. Disraeli made in attach-
ing himself to the Conservative party is making itself
snore and more manifest every day. On the other
hand, it must he confessed that few men would have con-
ceived his peculiar mode of correcting that mistake, much
less have been rewarded with partial success. Instead of
crossing the House of Commons and taking his seat by the
side of Mr. Bright, Mr. Disraeli formed the bold idea of
educating his followers to such a point that Mr. Bright
might, with the most perfect consistency, have taken his
seat amongst them ; and were it not for this most unlucky
question of the Irish Church, the success of the experiment
would have been unequivocal.
The Daily News alludes to one of those social experi-
ments on which all who are concerned in the relations
between capital and labour look with warmest interest. It
may be remembered that two years ago, Messrs. Briggs,
of the Whitwood and Methley Collieries, worn out with
a long series of disputes with their workmen, and reduced
to a point when the question lay only between closing
their pits altogether or introducing some totally new
system, made the proposal of an arrangement for
co-operative working. They offered to the mer
that, after providing for wages at the current rate,
after paying all other expenses, and after securing
a rate of 10 per cent. interest on the capital sunk,
the surplus profits should be annually ascertained
and divided equally between masters and men. It was
also proposed that such of the men as thought fit might
put their own small savings into the concern and become
shareholders. The proposal was discussed and accepted, and
it has now been acted on for two years. The second general
meeting of the new firm—Messrs. Henry Briggs, Son, and
Company (Limited)—was held on Monday last, and the
balance-sheet for the year was submitted. It was highly
satisfactory. After paying the 10 per cent. on capital,
there was a surplus of 7 per cent. to be divided between
capital and labour. Every workman shared in this bonus
in proportion to the amount of wages he had received
during the year. There were about 1,200 hands em-
ployed, and there was more than £3,000 to be thus
distributed ; therefore there would have been an average
of £2 10s. per head, supposing all had equal qualifications
and all had worked regularly. As it is, we may presume
that the superior skilled workmen received considerably
larger sums, and that lads or new hands may have made
only a few shillings. But in every case it was pure gain.
Those who were shareholders reaped their 13. per cent.
interest besides. Those who were not already shareholders
were offered a new opportunity of taking shares, and so
participating still more largely in future profits. Every-
one has naturally been satisfied, and strikes have dis•
appeared.

The Star says of the projected cable between France and
America : If we believed that the new scheme would do
any injury to the existing company, which under so many
discouragements and difficulties solved the problem of
submarine telegraphic communication with America, we
should be the last to look upon it with favour.
But that the limited competition which may arise
will be not injurious to either company, and
will be favourable to the public, no doubt
accounts fur the readiness with which the old
staff of the Atlantic cables have agreed to give their
experience and assistance to the new undertaking. In
fact, so complete is the absorption of the old staff, that the
making and laying of the cable will appear a repetition
of the performance which so astonished the world, and
has already proved of so much commercial and genera]
benefit. The new line cannot be completed and
laid before next summer, and during that period
if the busint se of the old company continues
to grow in proportion as it has done hitherto,
both of the cables will doubtless be at work, and the
present enormous income still further increased. It must
be remembered that the annual return of upwards of
£lOO,OOO has been gained at a period when business
was remarkably flat both in this country and America,
and when the whole continent was suffering, if not
from a panic, at least from a period of want of confi•
deuce and reaction from former excessive speculation.

Mr. Mark Firth was on Monday re-elected
Master Cutler at Sheffield during the ensuing year.

THE BISHOP OF PETEREOROUGH.—TIIO bishop
has rallied during the last two days. The acute symptom
of heart disease have, to some extent, been relieved, and,
although his lordship is still most seriously ill, it is hoped
that danger is not now imminent. He derives great beno
fit from the air of Whitby.