The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-03 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

general commercial welfare as may best suite the vested
Interests of the hitherto dominant class, free-trade can
never be ein4erseiebre,-,TJae, lan,d of course. entitlY
to its lair abste of relLesseaiidp: bat then labour shoplil
havn its share of representation also. Let the industry,
the intelligence, and the skill of the country, have poli-
tical influence, and not keep all the power for opulent
leisure and its wealthy territorial prejudice. To this
result the country must come at last, and until it does so
these repetitions of old struggles—this re-sharpening of
old weapons and revival of political combinations, must
from time to time be resorted to. "A large body of
Liberal Members of the House of Commons have been
invited to meet Lord John Russell on the 11th inst., with
a view to some consultation and determination.on the pre-
sent position of publicaffsirs." So says a valued correspon-
dent, thus intimating that the Whig leeder is alive to
the necessities of his present case, and desires to take
counsel for its improvement. The two meetings reported
in our columns this day sufficiently attest the fact that
the Liberals are also on thp alert. Mr. Charles Villiers's
motion is impending in the House of Commons—no day
being yet fixed for the conflict that must ensue, come
when that motion may. All these signs show the exist,
ence of vigilance in the camp of the It formers and
Free-traders. Such signs are more than enough also
to put upon their guard the vigilant partisan Ministry
against whose policy it is the object of all Liberals to
act. The Tories will be united enough. Let us take a
lesson in this respect from their book; and then, with
all our forces—with right, truth, justice, energy, and
straightforwardness on our side—there is no doubt which
way the balance must turn. Lord Der by may be strong
in his position, in his wealth, and in his faith in rotten
boroughs and in agricultural delusion; but after the e rents
dt yesterday, it is an easy 'prophecy that the struggle
how beginning must end in .representative 'reform and
the final and complete ratification of our. Free-trade

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
TT Mitat.—.l4et•l D.-test, ,tee -al ioethe etrbeerence of
• : orear-rdn''• anti tie. taattetet ee elan- terns, whielt ere
see thou tet it eti • dot, es soppere ;twat [tell warmly
combated on two dtttieet grounds; first, that the now
Ministers deserve no grace; secondly, that there is actual
dagger in gran'ing it. Into the first of these points we
shad not he very curious to inquire. The second objec-
tion to " a fair. trial" is its alleged danger. Give the
Government time, and it will be able to maintain its
ground, we are assured, so as to dispense with its appeal
'ad misericordiam. It will gain over members and con-
stituencies, put out some plausible measures and illusory
promises, and then open the new Parliament with a ma-
jority pledged, we will say, to a five-shilling duty. Are
we to wait quietly for such a consummation, and, should
it come to pats, whom ore we to thank bat ourselves?
1 To be sure there will be a remedy, but it will be as
bad as the disease. We thc,ll have the urcgue, en
agitation, and a new budget of democratic
measures, by way of revenge or set-off against
the claims of the landed aristocracy. The right
course, we are told, is to stop the nuisance at
ence before it becomes worse, by turning out the Go-
vernment with the first means in our power. For ail
this there is a good deal to be said; in particular, that
some who say it are already making
the advent of Lord
Derby the signal of a class agitation. We will address
ourselves, then, to this allegation of actual danger. We
may as well grant at once that Lord Derby might pes-
sibly get a House of Commons with a majority in favour
of a five-shilling duty.
He might do this next month,
and he might do it in August, and, as far as we can see,
he is as likely to do so in the one month as in the other;
for, if prices continue to rise, there will be rather less
case for protection in August than in April. With such
a House of Commons, we • are told on both sides, we
shall have no right to complain if a five-shilling duty is
curried, and deliberately, by the
rt:rprrieesde,bctootnivsteistuotriotnhaellwy,hforleeelpye,ople.
Are we prepared,
the Protectionist journals ask, to rebel against the act of
the Legislature? As we accepted the last decision on
the subject, we ought to accept the new one; and the cir-
enmttance of the new decision being to some extent a re-
versal of the first will only impart to it a more solemn cba-
vito
lurking selfishness
meter. This is the danger, then, that by our forbearance,
the
patronage, by the
g
of agriculturists in Parliament, and by other such ways,
we may find ourselves face to face early next year wine
by
yadtuh gradual encouragement ii flllenee e f
Ministerial
pie
Protection, no longer a farmers cry, or a Ministerial
leaning, but a law of the land, which we shall be bound
to respect and obey, and for which the Septennial Act
will insure at least a seven years' leate.
Meanwhile,
what is danger to one bide is hope to the other. An
evening contemporary assures us that Lord Derby's ap-
pearance on the Ministerial beech has already inter-
rupted some negotiations in Lincolnshire, and that seve-
ral leases are waiting till i't'ean be itseertained, on the
ealhority of Parliament, what the price of corn is to be
for the future. To all this we have a sufficient reply.
s reap pe
Although it is conceivable,. and h Possible, that a
House of COMMOIIS may be returned with a slight ma-
j°rity in favour of n Corn-law; yet, out ei
doors, on
thet very appeal which Lord Derby hart made, the
judgment of the population and intelligence of this
ttountry will remain the tame, or, rather, more
than ever in favour of free trade. To use a homers
expression, "the proof Of the pudding is in th'e
eetine," and never was there such substantial and
sensible detnenttratien oa a principle es there has
been of free trade. •
Noteithstateting the nut
itatalleled calamities and follies that have disturbed the
operation of these bent ficient measures, the country is
at this moment, by every test, and indeed palpably to
nearly all uraderstandinga, in the enjoyment of a pros-
perity such as it has never seen before. And; as Sir
James Graham says, .there are few who do not " know
the reason why." We know that no majority in the
House, were it ever so disposed, would dare to restore
one shred of Protection, in the face of an almost unani-
mous people. " What then ?" it will be asked ; "Do
tou set the people against the Legislature, and allege
that the people are not represented in the House of
Common, 1" We will answer plainly. The people are
not represented as they should be
,in the House of
Commons, otherwise we Should not have supported the
demand for Parliamentary Reform, or objected to
the inadequate and illusory character of Lord
John Russell's Bill. ilaPPilY the House of Com-
mons have of late years extended its sympa-
thies far beyend its narrow electoral basis, and has been
in effect what it has nut been in form—a very fair re-
presentation of the whole British people. But, if a
violent class agitation should have the unfortunate re-
sult of producing class representatives, pledged to the
supposed interests of the actual eh ctors, then nothing
whateto r would prevent the question of Parliamentary
reform from stetting at once into formidable prominence.
We cannot answer for the measurer which might become
necessary under such a self condemnation of the exist-
ing electoral system. A system that works tolerably
will command the suffrages of the quiet and the wise;
but as soon as it works ill its anomalies become odious
and absurd. Here are Dorset and Middlesex, each with
14 Meiebere, while the population of the former is only
177,597, that of the.latter 1.895,710, or more than 10
times as much. ,Bucks and Surrey have each 11 Mem-
bers, though the population Qf tho former is only
143,670, while that of the latter is 684,805. Wilts,
Sussex, Kent, and the West Riding have each 18 Mem-
bers, though the Population of the first is only 241,003,
that of the second 339.428; that of the third 619,225;
and that of the fourth 1,339,962. Hants, with a
population of 432.033, has 19 Members; Devon, with a
population of 572,207, has 22 Members; and Lancashire,
with a population of 2,063,913, or more than twice those
of Hants and Devon put together, has no more than 26
Members, though in the same proportion it would have
nearly 90. Such a state of things cannot remain long,
and Lord John Russell never said a more unwise thing
than when he claimed for his new Reform Bill the credit
of not disturbing the interests established by the last,
whatever the actual changes of the population, wealth,
and . intelligence in the long inter val. We are for a
considerable change, but we tremble to think of the
changes that might rise out of a new Anti-Corn-law
agitation. But it is our full conviction that Lord Derby
aid his colleagues have uo intention whatever of putting
the country into this state, and exhibiting a Legislature
on one aide, and a principle on the other. Even if they
had a majority of the New House of Commons in favour
of Protection we feel
- f . sure that they would not willingly
avail themselves of it. We mus,, hewever, say we "re
,lot without. some alarm, when e w 'eee many a
ople doing
ail they can to provoke a new Protectionist quarrel, and
to drive the Ministry into '
. it in spite of themselves.
it is too clear, from tie proceedings of the Man•
cheater meeting yesterday, and •
trona various other
tlywptems, that there exists a large
party who revel
with del'ght in the idea of another collision between the
agricultural arid manufacturing interests, and who will
spare /to pains to bring it about, The very circular-
welch has summoned tee Leaguers to the rec.enstruction
et the Ltague, talks of t• the Ovid arid wicked attempt to
is not yet
reimeese a tax upon core," whichmade on
even threatened, and which has nu other existence then
(Oat ELF. Manchester "nid
e 1
edltte seem determined that it
shall be. I. is possible that they may succeed to the
,•xtent of their wishes, in provoking manyayof the agri-
culturists to demand Protection, anti -
pled their repro-
s. „wives to the attempt; hut, if the gmdo, it will be
entirely their act, and for their own puryposes. For our
part, as the new Government had come into power sim-
ply through the incompetency and internal divisions of
the last, we see no reason why it should take up the
Blanchester challenge merely f ,
oir ti,, purpose of throw-
ing the country into confusion. W eciate at its
wooer
worth la "r. Cobdero 0 appreciate
6 pretence to superior
morality, whew he employs
all hie rhetorical arts to
tempt his opponents tu do what h and(lastly be-
e ,hey
lieve to be wrong under existing c-
ircumstances. Their
own common sense and patriotistn will be far better
guides on this point than the bland apostle of peace.
DAILY NEWS.—The
installation of a Tory Pro-
tectionist Ministry has done its work Whilst a meet-
i‘g c
antle-Curve RforakinlsstawaLson Progress yesterday in London,
g
theue was being re-constructed in
Manchester; and that there might be •
no nalbconception
he manu
upon the matter,. t . theaters present in Newalt's-
buildings subscribed with ~..._
which marked their fornoersame abundant liberality
proceedings. Here is a
summary, received by electric telegraph, of the list of
at down to reorganize
moneys P e the needful agitation
for free trade:—;
" Fourteen firms, subscribed each 1,0001.-14,0001.
" Fourteen firms, each 5004--.7,000/.
" Fifty other subscribers, ranging from 3001. to 101.
tt Total, 27,500/. subscribed in {went-five minutes,
"
the meeting concluding ewith three cheers for the re-
construction of the League.
Twenty-seven thousand. five hundred Pounds as a be-
ginning is a tolerably siguitiosnt Bien _ t
the cgi . -tation which the advent of the I, •
ts or the reality of
ones to power has '
called into existence. Free trade is in danger, and
down comes the cash. There can be
no doubt
mistake in this direction. The declarations doubt or
. binaheestilke eons of the
platform are with toulatitude followed
drafts on the banker; and strong ace followed by
strengthened by a still stronger subscription
_talons. are
u°setiption list.
Newall's-buildings is to exhibit the renewal of
that
me-
morable strueglo which ended in the abolition of
cum-lees. Printers and platfortna will be ilt" of the
i request,
and every post and every newspaper will Carr
ore or
lsas over the country the arguments, the
illustrations;
the suggestions, and the figures best adapted t rations;
the bulk of the people why they should opposoo show
newel of the tax on bread, and how thel, sho Ida re'
werk to make their opinions on the suhjact t:c__ go to
the Tory Ministry. The Reformers o f 'I, all upone
shire bet an excellent example to the rest of the ~ --
dom in this respect at all eyeets, for when to b Ki.ng-
thing they do so with it clear purpose, one"'
o ecaYrr egln
a
with a firmness, Et business-like rtgelsrity, and 3` if i(i-,i on
ye to the '' main chances" of bucc"stf---whilat thee
support each , ffert by a liberality of Eboliytttry ony
,it,ution Abieti revelers their it 411331)h, in
politcimi
orootionditin onty becaed to ;hat white:, aa6 Nolen°
•;'rovfnPti their
tautio compeiitian Or a place in the mar-
. to of the world. Woulri. thW the,!,'C'tle°rd Of LatwaAlre
I could be extercleti to the rest_ ( 1.. t,>e ceeetry
and
b‘;
)s of R.-de/evert • r
,ou to include tall st,et;,,
~,..,,,it
t,,it:‘,
t‘e •, or only itt-
t6rO'res! of Q(li"Ti er?'-'t
e''lt:.• dom sienni9"°thrli'"hP(l"
falieeala to el) peret ef t ).. -.se
5a.1.11 i 1
act
in
uili,,i,.
dacturers. who teal ?'" g3' °II the subject
rise 0111;1, .
, able to feel also thet the
of tree trade. thou'd •ie a ,
,4 e . ' great
; 1,.. they Oita 'se so aria, 1p and •
seiaty of the ptinotP o i.i.r field
,r)(1
0., f sin.
cerely—the principle of a ete_
1 free ttrour—en
intercommunten of complete _ r 0
g.
bexchange
iit
the
'ttin r the El t, 'ea 11,- t
~,,,
qui o N cL.A. ..... .11' On,
product
ions of all nations ef, 11, it . or- ie •
should tee, we say,
'' e, broth oa • Louis Nspole", - • • of his .*, •
the made the following ' diresosition fireNtde furzume,
II a ticni.e
one wifh allot' er—they sn..
for
this solightene doe- Le due ire basis
in,
d doe- Le nalAi a la Chambre,
treat and orly
a • be such au amelioration Le Soutilet Ila Coustitution,
trine amongst us must
i.system .
and reform of our still feuearlas shall render ; La Pincette ala Police,
ment in r Le Feu ala Troupe, eta
in Commons House of Par trt
1 .s has been--an La Pelle (l'appel) au P I
in- name and theory always
Whilst ,exponent of eup e.
the TA, TRADE, MARCH 1,--The the views cf the whole people.taw of the THE E market as been
h
a large body and last week's • •
soil hold the power of vending
587
deliveries were smaller
i questions of trade _
dpreviously, 7,8351 b. ,8351 b.
11Qatinees to vote on popular
and ;than

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE BRADFORD
REFORM ASSOCIATION.
(coariNtrap ON MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS.)
Sir,—l want to know whether the term 3 on
which "the government is declared by the Prime
Minister to be holden, tire not striking a heavy blow
against the principle or prejudice which used to say,
that government was to be carried on through a ma-
jority in the House of Commons. It nifty only be a
prejudice; and this is an era when prejudices are
being cut down. For example, there has for a can-
fury or two been a prejudice in favour of popular
governments, and one nation after another has been
putting out feelers in that direction, with different
degrees of success, and always with a complimentary
recognition that our own island, from its geopraphicel
positicrn it may be, had taken something like a lead.
But now all this is being swept away. The last new
prejudice is, that the great want of a nation is an
autocrat. First catch your autocrat; clean and
serape him, preserving the blood and the trail ; stow
him in a gravy of Universal Suffrage Or any other
you like, stirring with a, one-pronged fork as long
as there are any bubbles ; season with Cayenne pep-
par, and serve up hot, with sausages and champagne.
Your autocrat is the contrary of your turtle; in the
latter, they say it is only the sauce, but in the other
the essential is the autocrat, and he may choose his
own trimmings. But the great thing is to have an
autocrat. This is the last and newest prejudice.
Ptrhaps this, like others, will pass away. Fratice,
worn out by the prose evils of self-government, has
thrown herself into a romance of slavery. But Eng-
land, commercially at least, may not be prepared for
doing the same. No prejudice is- to be put down too
hastily. Battles, for example, by sea and land, have
for a century together, being won and lost by a pre-
judice; and he that should have opposed the pre-
judice rashly, would have lost the battle. Napoleon
upset the old prejudice by something directly the
contrary, and by it conquered the European conti-
nent. No man can tell which prejudices are right.
Perhaps they change, as ministries do, and like them
will change for ever. Only do not go too rapidly to
pull.down our old constitutional prejudice, which was
that government was conducted through majorities in
the House of Commons. Now here comes a Prime
Minister and says, he knows he is in a minority in
one House, and is not sure he is not in the other.
Who then is the new " Grand Regulator" in
Great Britain ? It used to be the Parliament ;
it is now clearly to be somebody else. Only
let us know who it is. Let us have him
(s:ose r
as cherei beeiodnndczievfp)
individual,
zoologically.
oaofl
rl ya.
whatggl rseigthaeti
esa homo sapiens, or of
the woody? Is he lay, clerical, or common of two ?
the old power of Parliaments; th?atthwa‘tVeehmaswayagnufatPttlrod'heodaviev•nde
and worship it if it is worthy of our prostration, or
if not, may treat it like other calves whether of gol.l
or vulgar brass. We must have knowledge on thenpoints, that we may know how to guide ourselves in
the great day of reaction, which cannot fail to be
near, now that the last hour of the night has been
struck on our own clock.

Excuse me if I say, I have always been ambitious
of leading your working men. It is the same ambi-
tion which makes men desirous of leading a hatte4er.
Anybody can shine at a levee, if he puts lace eleeigh
on his back. But the thing worth trying for, e: to
have the confidence of hundreds of good men, arid
show them the way to success. I want your
working classes to see and understand; how totally
and immeasurably hostile all that is now going on in
to their honest interests. The whole object aimed at,
is to put them on two-thirds allowance of bread.
The new Chancellor of the Exchequer in the cha-
racter of a recruiting sergeant will come among them,
and shake a purse for any man who will consent te
take it by the damage of his neighbour. The s. bole
Scheme is to invite the public to enrich itself by one
man taking out of the pockets of another 'et toe
corner of the street. It is much worse than this, for
part of the batgain is, that half shall h, throw" into
the riv,er. This supreme sillinesS is what is now to go
the tone 6: And if the working classes do not sea into
the fraud, I have not more confidE-nce in the middle.
It was by mere luck, that a fiveeshiiling duty on c.:ore
was escaped before; and that luck has beetethrotvn
:sway. I do not want to speak slightingly of the middle
elasses; but they have not the nerve of L'oe workers.
In times of danger, they have always a nation _that
seinebow or other they shall be comtortablee whereas
the working man sees it in the shape of more inoligts
than bread. If the working men want political power,
let them show they have political sense. There IA no
use ID ,wing it when there is nuthing to (fie ; the
ie, when other people are looking for theilL help.
I believe the working elastics say, the middle oven ((ft
thian in the lurch on the last 'occasion. If geed men
avenge a deertion of that kind, is by doing the
thing over again for the defaulters in titee et' need.
We cone of us must stand on what we have got by
it ; but the thing for honest men while they live, is
to do what good they can, for their neighbours and
he world.

I repeat, in order that there may be " no mistake,"
that if your West Riding working classes want
political power, now is the time to show that they
have heads upon their shoulders to deserve it.
I um, Sir, yours very sincertily,
AN OLD REFORMER.
Blackheath, 3 March, 1852.