The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-27 00:00:00

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25th June.

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 1855.

" The Constitution is in danger !" We have
had the cry so frequently resorted to in byegone
days once more revived ; but not as formerly,
not to protect the freedom and independence of
Parliament, the Press, or the country against the
encroachments of the Crown, but to prevent the
acts of Government from being in any degree
questioned by the other estates of the realm. We
are emphatically cautioned, and that by high
authority, against any impertinent interference
with the Ministerial will. We must be satisfied
with any or no information which they think fit
generously to accord, or sit down in contented
ignorance, if such should appear desirable to the
Executive. All the legislative functions of the
Lords and Commons are to be abrogated, or at
least suspended, and the only duties which Noble
Lords or Hon. Gentlemen may venture to transact
will be to vote all the supplies and sanction all
the imposts suggested by the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, or to register the ukases ©P the Prime
Minister.

This may a model " German" Constitution,
but we venture respectfully to hint that it is not
suited to the meridian of the British Isles ; nor
will it meet much favour among those who value
tjmir own rights and privileges, and insist, above
all things, on the inalienable principle of "self-
government," which belongs to every citizen of the
United Kingdom, and which is as highly valued as
prerogative a the Crown
the most dearly-prized
by Royalty itself !

Such a question should at any time be eschewed,
but it is especially inopportune under the existing
circumstances of the country. We have witnessed
with pain the gross mismanagement which pre-
vailed in every department, and which led to
such fearkl losses in men and money, and the
almost intolerable privations and sufferings en-
dured by the finest army that ever left the Bri►ish
shores. We have seen that Ministers themselves
obtained information of existing abuses through
the much-maligned journalists, and that relief
was only afforded to thousands of sufferers by
private philAlthropy, stimulated, and, we may
add, organised, nailer the direction of " a leading

journal." We have heard the Peace-at-any-price
arguments recently put forward by those who had
within a few short months been influential members
of the Cabinet, and who would still, but for the inter-
ference of the popular branch of the Legislature, have
retained their places and been permitted, if the new
theory had been carried into practical operation,
to tamper with the honour and security of the

nation ! And yet under such circumstances a

general censure is uttered by a 'very influential
personage against Parliament, Press, and People,
for the " interference" or "impatience" that pre-
vented such infelicitous 4 consequences, and are
gravely lectured as.to the "heavy trial which our
Constitutional Government is now undergoing !"
In another part of our impression will
be found a powerful article, extracted
from a respected weekly contemporary
the Examiner, to which we would earnestly in-
vite the attention not only of the community at
large, but of persons high in office, and even of

those on the very footsteps of the throne. Our

I contemporary questions the accuracy of the re-
ports that have been circulated, in a laudable
anxiety to preserve the character of the Prince
Consort from any undue condemnation, and with
a sagacious estimate of the dangerous nature of

the sentiments ascribed to his Royal Highness.
It would loyally afford him the opportunity of
correcting any misconception ; or, if the state-
ments of what occurred at the Trinity House
Banquet were but " ower true," supply a locus
penitentice by which the objectionable views may be
retracted or modified, and the mischief occasioned
to liberal and " constitutional" principles at home
and abroad completely averted.
This is a praiseworthy undertaking. The Prince
Consort is too near the person of • our most gra-
cious Sovereign to render it a pleasing task to
oppose his arguments. But if he deliberately
descend from his high position into the arena of
political controversy, he cannot complain if he
should encounter some of the difficulties and annoy-
ances inseparable from the contest. That the
Sovereign " can do no wrong" is a constitutional
maxim. On the Minister for the time being falls
the full weight of public indignation ; and thus
it is that when in more despotic countries dynas-

ties are hurled from the throne, constitu-
tional England is contented with a change in the
Cabinet. That " safety-valve" shourd not be ig-

norantly overweighted or fastened down, least of
all by one so nearly connected with the Sove-
reign. We would then, with respectful deference,
venture to give the salutary advice to one who has
often gained the plaudits of his fellow-subjects,
that he should abstain from venturing on such
slippery ground, and that he should restrict him-
self to matters in which he has gained golden
opinions from men of all classes and grades in
society. If he accept the caution, well ! If not,
we shall venture to paraphrase a sentiment that
once excited a considerable sensation in the sister
kingdom—" The exports of England, and may
lose who would subvert her ancient and time-
honoured Constitution be among the earliest ! "

Last night the veteran Lord LYNDHURST "called
;he attention of the House of Lords to the treaty
)f the 2d December, 1854, and the recent Con-

Ferences at Vienna, with reference to the position

of Austria in her relation to the Allied Powers."
It is almost needless to say that there was the same
efficient marshalling of facts and lucid arrange-
ment for which the Noble Lord has invariably
been distinguished. He also said quite suffi-
cient to excite the most apathetic from
their indifference, whether real or assumed ;
but yet he spared the withering denunciation, the
bitter invective, which he has on many previous
occasions hurled at the heads of minor offenders.,

He was manifestly desirous of affording a locus
penitentice to the Government which ha 3 made so
many friendly professions to the Western Powers,
of still leaving open the golden opportunity so
egregiously missed—of vindicating her bwn rights,
and maintaining her own interests by entering
into a closer and more honourable alliance with
France and England.

But, notwithstanding this feeling, the veteran
statesman depicted with a master-hand the vari-
ous phases of deception practised during the recent
diplomatic proceedings, and which clearly indi-
cated the existence of a secret understanding with
Russia, whose interests she had advanced in too
great a degree to ascribe the objectionable conduct
to mere inadvertence. That our ex-Plenipoten-

tiary was completely bamboozled by the more
wily diplomatists of Austria is unfortunately but
too notorious. The extraordinary credulity of
the English Government is the standing jest of
Germany, and there is not a petty despot sub-
sidised by Russia who does not cpenly applaud
the "cleverness" (i.e., the duplicity and insin-
cerity) of Austria, and ridicule the easy gullibility
of JOHN BULL, and the capacious swallow of the
obtuse Islanders.

As we have repeatedly shown, the conduct of
Austria has been far worse than that of Prussia.
It is true that the Cabinet of Berlin has let slip
no opportunity of exhibiting its subservience and
servility to the AUTOCRAT in the clearest light.
But it did not profess friendship for the
Western Nations, nor hold out the strongest
expectations of material assistance and en-
tire co-operation which there was no real inteu-

tion of affording. Nor did the Minister of Prussia
obtain or require a solemn undertaking to be pro-
tected in the event of any aggression on the part
of Russia, or by false pretences obtain a footing on
the Turkish soil. All these things, however,
Austria has done. She has occupied the Princi-
palities with troops more exacting and tyrannical
than those of the avowed enemy. She has
induced the Cabinets of Paris and London
to believe that if the negotiations entered into
solely at her instigation should fail, the inchoate
alliance would become offensive and defensive,
and " that the weight of her sword would soon
obtain by war what her influence could not effect
in the Conference." , These were the specious
hop e 3, artfully excited by Austria, but never in-
tended to be realised. And how has she now acted?
By withdrawing her troops from the Gallician frontier
and disbanding a large proportion of her army
she has proved herself determined to maintain a
disgraceful neutrality, and renders practically
powerful, although indirect, assistance to Russia
by allowing her to move all her troops to the
Crimea to enhance the difficulties of the Allies.

These are points which should sink deep into
the hearts of every Englishman ; and by calling
attention thereto Lord LYNDHURST has rendered
another important service to his country, for
which he is entitled to the marked thanks and
gratitude of the community.

It has frequently been asserted that in this
happy land there is " one law for the rich and
another for the poor,"'•that the strong and power-
ful can break through the meshes intended to
secure the minor fry—that they can, in fact,
violate with impunity ordinances, any breach
whereof will entail heavy penalties on their less
favourably circumstanced brethren. The signifi-
cant demonstration in Hyde-park on last Sunday
showed how strongly this " class legislation" was
resented by " the many ;" and we fear that

another instance will speedily be afforded to
wealthy criminals and persons moving in an
exalted station in society.
We earnestly entreat attention to the communi-
cation on the subject of Messrs. STRAHAN and
Co's bankruptcy, which will be found in another
part of this day's impression, extracted from a
morning contemporary. W. E. K. is perfectly
correct in the position he has laid down. The
terms of the statute are exactly as he has
quoted them ; and the effect of the candour of
the bankrupts, so highly lauded by their very
ingenious counsel, will be to afford them practical
indemnity for obtaining 113,6251. on the securi-
ties of their customers. Henceforward they have
only the Commissioners in Bankruptcy to deal
with. The Criminal Court is divested of its
terrors. They have made plenary confession,
and received complete absolution. They may
sneer not only at Dr. GRIFFITH, but at all
the other parties whose property has been
unduly tampered with, but who, notwithstanding
the stringent provisions of the law, are hencefor-
ward restricted to civil remedies. The proceedings
before the magistrate may now be regarded as a
solemn farce. The prisoners may be held to bail
or discharged, for what is the use of a trial when
there is no possibility of a conviction—where the
Legislature has framed " a saving clause" for the
protection of wealthy culprits.

We do not blame Mr. PARRY for ingeniously
devising the means of escape. He merely dis-
charged his duty to his client, and he did it
efficiently ; but we complain of the stale of the
law that sanctions such means of evasion, and
allows the heaviest offences of the kind to remain
unexpiated. It has long been notorious that the
grossest frauds have been committed under the
provisions of the Statute of Frauds. And it
is equally well known that bill-stealing has
been fostered and protected by the enactment
which requires a specific direction in writing as
to the application of the securities, under which
it is not sufficient that the party should himself de-
clare the purpose for which he is so entrusted if
he has not the written direction of tho owner, a
point which is invariably resented as an " insult,"
which must terminate the negotiation. The
dupe is thus plundered with impunity in conse-
quence of the legislative shield interposed before.
the offender; and now Messrs. STRAHAN, PAUL,
and BATES may " snap their fingers at the rest of
their victims." We must, however, agree with
W. E. K. that it is to be hoped that such au ab-
surd saving clause will not be allowed to continue
to disgrace the criminal law of this commercial
country.

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDA Y EVENING, JUNE 07 18tib

sick and wounded on board. The Himalaya, on
her passage from Constantinople during the night
of the 18th, in a partial fog, ran foul of a foreign
merchant barque, carrying away the barque's bow-
sprit and topmast, and doing her other trifling
damage. She wai immediately taken in tow by
the Himalaya,. which returned with her to Syra,
then distant 70 miles. The Himalaya sustained
no other damage than one of her boats being broken
to pieces. No casualty of any kind occurred among
the mules on board during the whole transit from
Gibraltar to the Crimea, and they were lauded in
first-rate condition.