The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-12 00:00:00

forward, only to watch the dawn of disappointment.
A week and a month—and nearly a year passed away
—to borrow the phraseology of the song, and still no
sign of the liberation. Disheartened by this lapse of
time the Noble Marquis seems at last, from the cor-
respondence published elsewhere in our impres-
sion of this evening, to have given utterance to
his anxiety in a letter addressed to the PRINCE
PRESIDENT on the 3d of May—a letter of solemn and
fervent reminder. In it, he exclaimed to Louis
NAPOLEON--" Away with all chimeras of difficulties,
delicacies, and consequences—your decrees are final.
Announce " Le PRESIDENT le veld," and ABD-EL -
KADER'S prison doors fly open !" He called to the
recollection of the PRINCE the manner in which he
had avowed his wish sooner or later to place the EMIR
in freedom, because he believed that the honour of
France was involved in the question of his liberation
—when the PRESIDENT had written—"Je vela, tot
ou lard, mettre l'Emir en liberte parceque je crois que
l'honneur de la France y est engagee." Lord Lots-
DONDERRY closed his appeal of the 33 of May, as if
in corroboration of the justice of the sentiment, by
observing that ABD-EL-KADER once released from
incarceretion " the unsullied honour of France, and
the desire ct its powerful ruler (the chosen of eight
millions) will be accomplished." Upwards of three
months elapse after the transmission of this letter to
Paris, without one line, however brief, of acknow-
ledgment ! Under these circumstances it is, that the
last communication in the correspondence, under date
the 9th of this present August, is forwarded to the
Elysie by the Marquis of LONDONDERRY. It is
natural, of course, that the Noble Lord should have
penned this letter under feelings of more than
ordinary irritation. Whether that irritation was
justified or not the
public can decid© at
a glance. Something better
been
nn
et
xh
pi s e
e profoundted last
yaena and
inflexible silence must hate
gLr
ionr d
of L 011 O N D E
the blunder
assuredlyof
such the p
leasa
merent
by
yarecognisingßitthY
anticipations is calculated to engender a sense of in-
dignation.

resoßpenvdncieewineg, the whole of this ADD-EL-KADER cor-
respondence, is impossible not to appreciate the
generosity of the motive actuating the Mar-
quis of LONDONDERRY in his spontaneous
interposition in favour of the forlorn and
otherwise almost forgotten prisoner of the
Chateau D'Amboise. Equally manifest, at the
same time, we conceive it; to be that the position of
the Prince Louis NAPOLEON has up to this moment
been one of enormous anxiety and of equally enormous
responsibility. Perhaps he may be able to say now,
as he did in the September of 1851, " Lorsque
je ne fait pas tout le lien gue je desire, c' est
cue JE NE LE PEUT PAS"—and be able to
say this, too, with truth in the August of 1852.
But at least he need not have left it to mere conjec-
ture. Beyond this he might have inisted that as yet
his promise in the letter of September 13, 1851, has
not been actually broken—because his words were,
as already quoted, " Neanmoins lor.sque 1852 SERA
PASSE la chose sera plus facile." At any rate some-
thing more than silence, we conceive, was due to the
generosity and humanity of the Marquis of LON-
DONDERRY.

The lawyers are likely to have a golden harvest
out of the new Parliament. It is alleged that bribery
has never before been carried to such an extent.
Each party accuses its opponent of " bribery and cor-
ruption." Eminent counsel are reported to be at a
premium, on account of the demand for their services
before Election Committees and Parliamentary Corn-
missions. Solicitors entering into the long vacation
do not wholly abandon " business"—no, they carry a
bribery case with them, by way of nest egg, out of
which some legal lulus natures is to emanate, in the
fulness of time, its genus distinguishable by the length
of its bill ! In short, Members of Parliament may
expect to have long sittings in election inquiries,
while a splendid vista of briefs, retainers, fees, and
refreshers, opens to gladden the eyes and fill the bags
and purses of gentlemen learned in the law.
Corrupt practices at elections have long been com-
plained of. The Legislature have been continually
trying to prevent and punish them by Acts of Parlia-
ment. The more certain and ready mode of preven-
tion—namely, Vote by Ballot—has not been counte-
nanced by Parliament. Every remedy, except the
right one, has been tried, and the result has been
precisely what might have been anticipated—the
continuance, if not the actual increase, of that " bri-
bery and corruption," which is a disgrace to the
country and the age.
The Act (15 and 16 Viet., cap. 57), which was
paged during the last session, " to provide for more
effectual inquiry into the existence of corrupt prac-
tices at elections for Members to serve in Parliament,"
provides the machinery for ascertaining where, by
whom, and under what circumstances, bribery and
corruption may have been committed at any election.
On a joint Address from both Houses of Parliament,
the Crown may appoint Commissioners of inquiry
who shall investigate the matter in the most searching'
manner, and report thereon to the QUEEN for Parlia-
ment. The costs of such inquiry (that is, the ex-
penpsaeisdobfythte
ehCom nisineTrshe witnesses are to give
Commissioners, witnesses, &c.) are to
be
their testimony cn oath, and—to insure full disclo
sure from the participators in the alleged offence or
Treasury.
offences—persons implicated in corrupt practices,
who may be examined and make a full disclosure, are
to be indemnified by a certificate from the Commis-
sioners.

Mr. MORGAN, the bribery bricklayer at Derby,
who bad been sent thither (he says) by Mr. FRAIL,
the barber of Shrewsbury, and correspondent of
"W. B." of the Carlton Club, had heard
something of this indemnification clause, no
doubt, for on his apprehension he told the
police sergeant that he meant "to tell the truth"—
that is, to save himself by " splitting" on his em-
ployers. So said virtuous MORGAN, chicken-hearted
in the moment of detection ; but that he will be forth-
coming to
"make a full disclosure" before the Com-
missioners, or an Election Committee, is what we
certainly do not calculate upon. There is every pro-
spect, to use a familiar phrase, that "he will make
himself scarce," and his bail (the two Shrewsbury
beer vendors, one of ;them, we are told, a relation of
FRAIL) will probably have their forfeited recogni-
z_anees made good by the bounty of the Carlton Club.
Neither do we cherish the shadow of a hope that
FRAIL himself, close shaver as he is, will appear before
any CL7I councillor Xori.
from emmissioner or Committee. The Carlton Club,
of France,
a ba
rer.ubhoaves
profession,chosenthe andirfriend
and conthe
modern OLIVER Lt DIARLE, like his Gallic proto-
pe, will submit to
r
from his native counanything—even enforced exile
pride,and
suchan a sacrifice and
ornament"
y'
at oi and, and °f which
bs be is
provided
h .ided his employers de.
compensate him for it. `°h
suitably'
al bi ley'
m
Under the new system, the and
delay
Commission need not be ineuincurredi
: tah expense of a
at , we suppose,
will be reserved for wholesale cases, Such as the St.
Albans' affair, where the borough, on cony" •
lotion was
disfranchished. A. set of very searching '
questions
bas been drawn up, which may be put to Petitioners
and sitting Members by Election Committees
of the
House of Commons. Nay, even if there be no peti-
tionif there have been no
any voter may petition), the same questions may he
put to the sitting member. These questions are
most searching, and may be put upon oath. They
go into the whole matter of direct and indirect agency
—agreements as to expenses—
as to amounts disbursed,
under the name of expenses—as to further amounts
demanded, and for what—as to the sitting Member's
belief, knowledge, or expectation of further sums to
be demanded or paid—as to the particular of every
separate item of payment—as to promises made by
or for the sitting Member—as to exercise of influence
to obtain any place or favour from the Government for
any elector, or any of his relations--as to applica-
tions to exercise such influence—as to a promise, by
himself or others, to pay money on account of the elec-
tion
after the trial of the
petition was over. Here is
one of the questions : "Do you believe, suppose, con-
jecture, or suspect that any one, and who, gave
or promised any money orother
any valuable thing to
person connected with
the
election . borough with a view
to secure your
9" This is close questioning,
and the remaioinqueries are equally stringent.
The parties dho -
z
in
any
Way,
at
anhave acted for the sitting Member,
election may be severally exa-
mined iu the absence of the sitting Member, who is
then liable to be examined touchin their disclosures
~, g
befo.' be and they can
onmanniege, Public,heuse

THE SUN, LONDON,

and attorneys' bills may likewise be sifted, and the
whole evidence given upon oath.

Yet, inquisitive and searching as the inquiry must
be under this new system, bribery is said to have
been greater at the recent elections than at any for-
mer time. There is an anomaly in this very
curious, but demanding a closer examination than we
can give it now.

Having mentioned Mr. FRAIL in the course of these
remarks—when " bribery and corruption" are on
the lapis, one naturally thinks of the tonsorial cor-
respondent of "W. B."—we may
add that the report
runs that in the preliminary investigation into the
practices at the Derby election a number of letters
from "W. B." to FRAIL have turned up, seriously
involving both of the " polite letter writers."
We can scarcely think that the cunning
of the Salopian barber could have per-
mitted such documents to pass out of his hands.
Though he was so silly as to permit one letter from
his Carlton Club correspondent to be found in the
pocket of the " safe and good man" MORGAN, the
bricklayer, we must be content, we fear, to await
with due patience the Parliamentary investigation
which must take place, particularly as, to this hour,
"W. B." has not denied that he wrote to FRAIL
touching the Derby election.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

Intelligence by the French mail had not reached
us up to three o'clock, but we learn the following
items by telegraph, dated from Paris yesterday, 5 P.M.
The Moniteur announces that negotiations con-
tinue, and with a prospect of success, fora treaty of
commerce between Belgium and France.
Decrees in the Illonitdur announce several promo-
tions in the Legion of Honour, and decorations of the
new military medal, as also several nominations of
Mayors.
The Socialist candidate, M. SAIN, has been elected
to the Municipal Council at St. Etienne, and M.
JULES FAYRE to Lycns and St. Etienne.
The screw-ship of the line the Austerlitz, 100 guns,
will be launched at Cherbourg on the 15th instant, as
also the frigate La Resolue.
Government securities were firmer at the Bourse
to-day than yesterday.
Railway shares are lower. The Four-and-a-Half
per Cents. opened at 104 f. 50c., and closed at 104 f.
70c. for the end of the month.
The Three per Cents. closed at 74f. 85c. ; Orleans
Railway Shares, 1,362 f. 50c. ; the New Austrian
Loan, 95.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, AuG. 11.
Grand Junction of France, 458—Luxembourg, 414—
Namur and Liege, 61/2—Northern of France, 251,4—Orleans
and Bordeaux, 18—Paris and Lyons, 18 s—Paris and Rouen,
33—Paris and Strasbourg, 2458—Sambre and Meuse, 7--
Western of France, 9%.