The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-10
OUR LONDON LETTER.

Mr.. FoRsTER's BALLOT BILL-ARMY REFORM
THE CENsUs-THE JOINT ooMMIssIoN-NEws-
PAPER -CIRCuLATIoN--THE OZARK BLUE" AND
''ToM BROWN IN AMERICA-PRovIsIoNs FOR
PARIs-THF VACCINATION MANIA-TRAMwAYs
THE ROYAL MARRIAGE, ETC, ETC.
From Our oCn Correspondent.
LONDON. Feb. %. SF1.-Poor Henry Berke-
levi To recommend the ballot year after year
to a House of careless Gallios, and then pass
off the stage of life just too soon to see his
hobby adopted into the Government stud
was ever man mere unlucky? The bill just
introduced by Mr.. Forster could not have
been placed in better hands. He is unques-
tionably the man who, of all our politicians
at the present moment, has the greatest
talent for conciliating foes without deserting
friends, and his measure was welcomed last
Monday with q chorus of appreciation that au-
gurs well for its success. The points for which
his Ballot bill claims special credit is its COM
bination of simplicity with secrecy. voter
entering the polling-booth will give In his
name, and then, and not till then, receive
from the presiding officer voting paper
marked soiM secret stamp, which he will
have to fill up and deposit in the ballot-box
before he leaves the booth. Of course none
but the official voting papers will count for
anything, and voter will find it impossible
to prove to any one how he has voted. The
mechanical contrivance seems perfect, but
will the public consent to rely implicitly on
the seeming perfection of mechanical con-
trivsnce? If the protection of those troops
was really felt to be needed last autumn at
the New York elections, it is hard to answer
yes
Eight millions sterling is tolerably large
sum to pay even for the removal of an abuse,
but we are going to pay it, and without grum-
bling too, to rid our army of the odious sys-
tenn of promotion by purchase Mr. Card
well, Secretary for War, has quite taken the
wind out of the Army Reformers' sails by
coming forward with a scheme for the reor-
ganization of our military forces far more
comprehensive and thorough going than his
best friends would have given him credit for,
and the consequence has been that on the
Irreconcilsbles, led by Mr.. Trevelayan, moving
Gas foretold you) q resolution aimed at the
permanence of our royal Commander-in-
Chiefs position, they have been outvoted by
q majority of POI to SO. All the thanks that
the ardent, ambitious Trevelyn got for his
pains was to be styled young man of extra
ordinary industry, who had fallen melan-
choly victim to petty larceny committed by
the War Office, and had his brains picked of
fine scheme. Still he hit blot in attacking
the useless expense of our so-called household
cavalry. 1882 privates, at an average yearly
cost of 1910, gold, apiece, forming body too
heavy for royal. escort and not wanted for
police purposes, why should they cumber the
ground?
This is our decennial census year, and pre-
parations are we'll advanced for the smooth
performance of the operation. On the 9th
of March a schedule will be delivered to every
occupier in the kingdom. The name, sex,
age, and occupation of every soul alive at
midnight on April are to be declared, and
the papers collected in the course of the fol-
lowing day by an army of enumerators, whose
lists will pass through the hands of registrars
aud superintendent registrars to the Census
Office before the month is out, and very
shortly afterwards, if all works as well as in
1861, be given to the world. You are not
yet hundred years old, and are dissatisfied
with sum total of over eight-and-t thirty mill
lions: we have been dozen centuries grow
ing, and hardly expect our millions to prove
more than thirty. That's pretty dense
population, after all, though, for place about
the size of New York State.
The Joint High Commission is exciting a
great deal of interest, despite the all-engross-
ing topic of the war, and almost every night
some question is asked about it in Parlia-
ment. On Tuesday a Mr. Macfe, asking
whether there was any truth in a rumor he
had heard that the United States proposed to
buy us out of Canada, got deservedly severe
answer from the Prime Minister. 81 hope"
said Gladstone, 'that while negotistions are
in progress the honorable member will not
think it necessary to ask questions in this
House founded on mere anonymous authori-
ties" Tom Hughes Anglo-American Asso-
citation have opportunely brought out tenn
perate pamphlet on the history and present
position of the fisheries question. copy has
been sent to each member of the Joint Com
mission, and as it is published by the ubiqui-
tous firm of Macmillan, it will no doubt find
some readers on your side of the water.
Whether it is possible in the nature of things
for one of the parties to an argument to state
the question at issue in form which the
other party will accept without re-
serve, don't know; but think
all readers will admit that the fisheries
pamphlet has at any rate honestly attempted
to avoid national bias and coloring. Our
journals seem to be forming very sanguine
estimate of the amount of work which the