The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-13 00:00:00

THE SUN,

likely to be provocative of the slightest difference.
Beyond the circumstance, however, of the abrupt
resignation of the Whig _Ministry, and the conse-
quent formation of a Conservative Government, there
were a multiplicity of other and scarcely less cogent
reasons why remarks such as those above indicated
should be avoided in the course of yesterday's festive
proceedings. Our proximity at this moment to the
crisis of a general election, and the probability, there-
fore, of the whole country, including of course the
capital of the empire, being plunged before many
weeks have elapsed into an extraordinary ferment of
agitation, were reflexions sufficient of themselves to
point out the imperative demand of circumspection
in the observations made last evening in the principal
toasts of the festivity. Nothing, indeed, could possibly
have been in better taste than the graceful and merely
complimentary remarks with which the chief magis-
trate of the metropolis introduced the name of
the Prime Minister : while the reply of the Earl of
DERBY was worthy in many respects of his ingenious
and finished oratory, and of his sedate and dignified
statesmanship. The Noble Lord, as a matter of
course, avoided with more assiduous caution than is
customary on these occasions the utterance of any-
thing in the slightest degree calculated to have an in-
vidious meaning from its political character. He
asserted, indeed, at the very outset of his
brief but pithy observations, that it would
be more than ever inexcusable if he were
to attach to the kindness with which the names of
her MAJESTY'S Ministers were received any single
topic likely to raise an angry feeling or even a
feeling of conscientiously different opinions. He
consequently restricted himself to the expression of
those sentiments of gratification with which the pub-
lic man unbends a mind harassed by the perpetual
difficulties of office, by participating in this very
agreeable and gratifying species of relaxation,
It was not, however, to those merely idle generalities
that the Earl of DERBY restricted himself in address-
ing the guests of the hospitable head of the London
Corporation. There was one portion of his speech
which had reference to a matter of somewhat more
import than the reciprocation of after-dinner compli-
ments. The allusion here implied had reference to
the recent change in the Administration—" a
change of government so total," said the
Earl of DERBY, " could in some countries have
been considered only as next to a revolution." There-
upon the Prime Minister spoke in terms of unaffected
exultation of the tranquillity with which these extra-
ordinary political transmutations have taken place,
" without ruffling," said he, " the serene aspect of
society, and without disturbing (I say it with still
greater happiness) for a single moment the personal
friendship of political opponents." The only possible
ill-consequence of which is suggestive that in these
political displays of enthusiasm there is just the faintest
imaginable flavour of hypocrisy, and that when the
occupant of the Treasury benches shakes hands
with the Leader of the Opposition in the lobby
of the House of Commons, it is within the
limits of possibility that their previous ardour
in debate may have been less attributable to the force
of sincerity than to consummate skill as actors and
elocutionists. As the " world wags," however, it is
a source of satisfaction in the abstract to
witness the quietude with which these changes
of the Government occur in England—changes such
as in almost any other country in Europe would, ac-
cording to the truthful remark of the Earl
of DERBY, be almost tantamount to the disaster
of a revolution. The Noble Lord traced this
beneficent tranquillity of the people, in the midst of
these convulsive movements in the administration of
the affairs of the empire, to a very different cause in-
deed than that hinted at, by the traducers of modern
state-craft, as hypocrisy. To what, he asked, may
this unruffled condition of the country be attri-
buted ? "It is to the institutions of the country
itself," he exclaimed—" it is to the confidence that
every man in this country feels that, be the
Minister who he may, in the light of the Con-
stitution he must walk, by the light of the
Constitution he must be guided, within the limits of
the Constitution his course must be directed."
Those are noble words words worthy to
have fallen from the lips of the Prime
Minister of England words worthy to have
fallen from the lips of one to whose
charge the mighty interests" of this great empire
have been committed. They will revive in some
measure the confidence which had latterly been dimi-
nished by the reluctance of the present Cabinet
first to afford the nation the merest conjecture
as to its intended policy, and subsequently to inti-
mate the probable day for the dissolution of Parlia-
ment. By the utterance of those noble sentiments
the Earl of DERBY has summoned again
into life the respect of the community for the feel-
ings which induced him at a moment of uncommon
emergency to take upon himself the toils, the anxieties,
and the responsibilities of government.

We are not yet done with the Monmouth boroughs.
The recent election is likely to become " a leading
case," which will not speedily be forgotten. If Mr.
LINDSAY'S crushing letter had been the only com-
munication on the subject, it might have been a
" nine days' wonder," attracting some attention at
the moment, but speedily involved in oblivion.
However, Messrs. DAVIS, PARTRIDGE, and BAILEY
have apparently resolved that the matter shall attain
a further, and, according t o our views, a most unen-
viable notoriety.

The attempts to rebut have, as in the great
majority of similar cases, not only served
to confirm the accuracy of the original
statement, but still more powerfully to prove
the imperative necessity of some measure that would
at the same time afford protection to the conscientious
voter and free the unconscientious candidate from
temptation. If a man vote secretly, if he deem it ex-
pedient to conceal his real sentiments, lest he might
offend his landlord, customer, or employer, why
should he be compelled to publish them to the world,
to gratify what must be either a useless or an in-
vidious curiosity ? If he desire to take a prominent
and active part in political matters he can do so. The
i Power of exercising his high privilege of bestowing
Privately his suffrage in favour of the most deserving
candidate, will not enforce silence or debar him from
explainingb his views, or acting openly and above
his patron.
ard. But he may keep his own counsel, and avoid
voted for the man whom
theinjurious results political difference with
men will expend their
Ile caenfnoatnbyeru ruined because he has
to represent his •
can have no security opinions in the Legislature. Few
money in bribery,
he considers bestw when
naltihfieeyd
gained, may deceive them, have corrupted, rot! that the man whom they
person vtootoe they have bar"
his
shpoo7k/Oeunr,
of. thatThweoural'd Thep
ey can scarcely depend
vote
birthright could scarcely be depended on
negood a joke to be
on for the per-
formance of any promise. The who
t most venal elector
in accordance
depraved, be
would sell his
When there is no
therefore should be contented
market,the article
owni
et with
u his
prueraelb
purchase,
ee
7sheancannot, feelings.h oow
enabled to sell. W here there is no ever
d on
be bribery and
for
But sale
itm iuss
not
ebte
merely retained.
as to its effectsweu
corruption that "the ballot"valuable.
It is still more essential in order to prevent i
tion, either from individuals or from the mnthirnida-
signifies e
m nothingauute
,w
b fre ot
be
r from what
ta t
arisesourcefrom
thatem,,the
intimidation
few"
le
may
" the many," it is equally objectionable in any shape
or form. It is a matter of but little consequence
whether " Reds" or " Blues" were in fault, whether
it was " the Parrot" or " the King's Arms," " the
Angel" or "the Cherry Tree" that was demolished ; the
simple fact of rioting on the part of the multitude is quite
sufficient to sustain our argument. If the vote were
privately given, there would be no excitement on
either side, simply because no practical result would
be produced thereby. We should hear nothing of
bludgeoneers or prize-fighters, or of persons in the
commission of the peace endeavouring to preserve it
by bringing some hundreds of miners, armed with
life-preservers and anything that could be converted
into a weapon of offence, into collision with their
opponents. A mob, however infuriated, would do
but little mischief if left to itself, and without any
species of contradiction to the predominant views
being offered. It is the opposition that leads to dis-
turbance and eventually to bloodshed, and no rational
man could suppose that the presence of either -,.:00 or

LONDON,

500 armed and intoxicated raggamuffins could possibly
aid in maintaining tranquillity. We care not then
whether the statements of Messrs. LINDSAY, PAR-
TRIDGE, or BAILY be deemed :most credible. We
dismiss that of his Worship the Mayor, it being di-
rectly contradicted by the other witnesses on the same
side. The result in either case will be the same—the
sturdy bucolic—the most unflinching advocate of a
bread-tax, should be at liberty to record his vote, and
so should the Free-trader, any interference, even
for the best purpose, is objectionable. Let every
conscientious Reformer, then, require an ex-
plicit answer on the point. The Whigs will cushion
it if they can. We must remember that not only was
" the ballot" excluded from the " New Reform Bill,"
as it was pompously designated by its supporters,
but that it was expressly deprecated. The mover
of the address declared his abhorrence of it. Mr.
Fox MAULE, Mr. PARKER, and other Whigs de-
clared that though they had formerly supported it,
they had " changed their minds." The ballot, then,
must be adopted as a test at the hustings, and no
candidate should be elected who could not satisfy
the electors on that the most important point of
Parliamentary reform.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.

It is understood that the Government having
inti-
mated its intention to take possesesion of Neuilly
and some other portions of the Orleans property
to-day, M. BOCHER has taken steps to protest against
the act, and to make all the resistance in his power.
The Prince DE CANINo has arrived in Paris, from
Civita Vecchia.
The Marquis DE LAVALETTE has arrived in Paris,
from Constantinople.
It is said that the names of the Senators on whom
a dotation is to be conferred by LOUIS NAPOLEON are
to appear in the Moniteur of to-day. Their num-
ber is 29, among whom are two ex-Ministers, several
Generals (including General CASTBLLANE, Comman-
der-in-Chief of the army of Lyons), and other well-
known characters, such as M. LEYERRIER the astrono-
mer. The dotations are to be 10,000, 20,000, or
30,000 f. each.
The PRESIDENT of the Republic reviewed two
brigades at twelve o'clock yesterday, in the Place
du Carrousel. There were two regiments of Lan-
cers, two of Chasseurs a Cheval, two batteries of
artillery, two companies of engineerr, besides the in-
fantry regiments on the ground. The PRINCE distri-
buted the medals as on the former occasions. As the
day was most favourable, a considerable number of
persons was collected on the spot, and the troops, the
Lancers particularly, received the PRESIDENT with
loud and frequent cries of " Vive NAPOLEON !" and
the band continued playing during the review the
well-known air " Partent pour la Syrie."
Wheat and flour have again fallen in price in the
Paris market during the last week. The former is
quoted at from 17f. to 19f. the hectolitre ; rye at
14f.; barley at 9f. outside the walls; oats are firm
at Bf., delivered outside the gates. The stock of flour
is so great that ,sales are difficult ; and the finest
quality scarcely brings 55f. the sack of 159 kilo-
grammes. In the southern departments no change
is noticed in the price of raw silk. Superior quality
is still in demand at 66f. the kilogramme. Inferior
thesilk
orderstrade
received Lyons
is not
from the United States being under the market price.
qualityis brisk,le s st
the firm
prices
t S7E
fined in The
The wine market at Bercy has been dull during the
past week, without much, if any change in the pre-
vious quotations.
The Bourse was animated, and a considerable amount
of busines was transacted at a rise on the prices of Sa-
turday. The Four-and-a-half per Cents, opened at
101 f. 10e., and closed at 101 f. 500. for the end of the
month; the Three per Cents. closed at 72f. 40c.;
Orleans Railway Shares, 1,187 f. 50c.; Rouen, 792 f. 50c.;
Havre, 311 f. 25c.; Great Northern, 625 f.; Avignon,
290 f.; Vierzon, 580 f.• Basle, 282 f. 50o.; Bordeaux,
615 f. ; Paris and Strasburg. 590 f.; Tours and Nantes,
360 f. • Paris and Lyons, 643 f. 75c.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, APRIL 12.
Boulogne and Amiens, 13,! —Central of France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 23—Charleroi and Erquelines, 14,—Dutch
Rhenish, 43/B—East Indian, '2l—Luxembourg, 47A3—Namur
and Liege, 6Ts—Northern of France, 21;i—Orleans and
Bordeaux, 1434—Paris and Lyons, 12—Paris and Strasbourg,
22N—Rouen and Havre, 12—Sambre and Meuse, 4,3‘
Tours and Nantes, 11 West Flanders, 3 Western of
France, 71,i.