The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-01 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LOND,

lON BRIDGE.

THIS DAY —Morning 21 min. after 4 1 Evening 39 min.aft. 4
To-Moaaow—Morning 0 min. after 5 1 Evening 21 min.aft. 5

DAILY WEATHER TABLE.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 1, 1852.
State of the wind and weather at each of the following
places at nine o'elock yesterday morning. The stations
are arranged in order of latitude.
HASTINGS—N., fresh breeze—partially cloudy.
FOLKEST ONE—N., fresh breeze—rain.
TUNBRID GE—N.W., strong breeze—partially cloudy.
BASINGS TOKE—N.W., gentle breeze--partially cloudy.
GREENWICH—N., strong breeze—cloudless.
STRooD--N_ strong breeze—cloudy.
SWINDON—N., gentle breeze—cloudless.
LEIGHTON—N., strong breeze—partially cloudy.
COLCHESTER—S.W., gentle breeze—rain.
CAMBRIDGE—N., gentle breeze—partially cloudy.
YARMOUTH—E., strong breeze—rain.
The returns from the following places indicate the state
of the weather on Monday morning at nine o'clock
LIMERICK—W., calm—cloudless.
POOLE—N.W., calm—partially cloudy.
HOLYHEAD—N.N.E. strong breeze--partially cloudy.
LANCASTER—N. calm—cloudless.
DARLINGTON—W., gentle breeze--cloudless—frost.

THE WEATHER.—SUN OPFICZ, Dec. 1.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
40— highest since noon yesterday.
28—lowest this morning and during the night.
41—this day, at noon.

BAROMETER, 29'98.
WIND, S.—Fine frosty weather.

THE WELLINGTON SUN.

ON THURSDAY THE ISTu, AN
EXTRAORDINARY EDITION OF THE SUN
WAS PUBLISHED, CONTAINING
A SPLENDID PORTRAIT

oF TEE LATE
DUKE OF WELLINGTON,

WITH HIS AUTOGRAPH, AND A FULL ACCOUNT

( F THE GRAND

NATIONAL FUNERAL,
AND IS NOW ON SALE.

ORDERS RECEIVED BY ALL NEWS AGENTS, AND
,AT THE SUN OFFICE, 112, STRAND,
LONDON.

••A
Zet i,*••
• • • -14 U

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1852.

Well,! we are at length to have a stringent and
searching inquiry into all the facts and circum-
stances of the "FRAIL" transaction. It will
speedily be ascertained how far " the barber's" dis-
tinguished correspondent is implicated—whether
the Right Honourable and Gallant Gentleman is
indeed fully and completely innocent, and his
accusers guilty of the infamous conspiracy charged
against them. It is but justice to Major BERES-
FORD to acknowledge that he has made no effort
to shirk or evade the necessary investigation—that
he has not, as at one time asserted, taken refuge in a
West Indian Government appointment--and that
all through he has not only protested his own in-
nocence, but retorted upon his accusers, declaring
that, " unless some steps were taken by the parties
who made the charges against him, he would
himself, in his place in Parliament, insist upon
an inquiry." We are quite willing to give the
Right Honourable Gentleman the full benefit of
the impression arising from what Sir ALEXANDER
COCKBURN justly termed " such manly and
straightforward. conduct."
It must, however, on the other hand, be borne
in mind that the case had assumed a peculiarly
suspicious aspect, and that a continued silence
would be tantamount to a confession of guilt.
The accused had previously contented himself
with asserting his innocence, but beyond that his
defence was studiously reserved. He offered no
explanations as to the extraordinary events which
brought him a gentleman of birth and position
in society—into such intimacy with the Shrews-
bury tonsor. Neither did he directly deny the
authorship of the letter found on MORGAN when
seized, flagrante delicto, with the red hand, in the
very act of bribing the electors of Derby ; nor
even confess, and avow it. He remained totally
silent, calling on the public to suspend their
opinions until the truth should be elicited. This
Wrongs silence, so very mortifying to any person ,
al innocence might be distinctly proved,
had
it leadY had some prejudicial effect, and
was if the Ri ea4eutial that it should be removed,
t u
retain hisghminieutourable Gentleman were still to
situation of gecreetrial position in the responsible
too, that his cor at War. It is just possible,
they were not might have felt that
who, if really guilt;:radY Strong to shelter one
evinced such singular
There might, there-
and culpable indiscretion.
fore, have been no alternative might,
and
theg
matte
ar t
etientoob tarty'w.tehac
se
vigorou,s defence, and carryinle but a
enemy's camp •; and the conduct of the
throng)! whose intervention the
light, was in every respect s,
brought to
vigorous onslaught
mj
tionable, that a
teiially diminish the weight otherwise attaclkable
to his testimon

Without in any wise prejudging the case that
i 3 still sub judice, we may refer to the new light
that has been thrown on the transaction. It ap..

pears that a certain Mr. FLEWKER, an Attorney,
had, on many previous occasions,
been
.de. He
active
agent on the Tory or Conservative si
had conducted, amongst other matters, the peti-
tion under which Messrs. STRUTT and GOWER
were unseated in 1848, but unfortunately too late
discovered that his zeal had surpassed his discre-
tion—that "he had reckoned without his host."
There being no person for the expenses, some
subscriptions were given—in4uding one of 1001.

Upon the nature of the forthcoming Budget
depends the existence of the present Government.
The fact, indeed, is so very obvious that it seems
almost preposterous to venture upon what may
reasonably appear to many its superfluous enun-
ciation. Yet, perceptible though the truth un-
doubtedly is, it is at the same time one of such
extraordinary importance, as to demand from us
a reminder thus explicit, now that we are on the
eve of the long-anticipated ministerial announce-,
ment. Until now it must be acknowledged by
us all that no opportunity has presented itself for
the deliberate bringing forth of this financial
statement. Circumstances have to a considerable
extent aided the Ministry, by affording them
ample time for consideration. Causes of unavoid-
able procrastination have started up one after
another in rapid and, so far, very convenient suc-
cession—early in Spring the necessity of passing
the Mutiny Act, and voting the supplies--early
in Summer the necessity of at once dissolving,
Parliament—early in Autumn the general elec-
tion, followed almost immediately by the
death of the late Duke of WELLINGTON—.
early in Winter the funeral obsequies of the de-
parted hero, occurring nearly simultaneously with
the assembling of the New House of Commons at
Westminster. Scarcely had the remains of the
Conqueror of the Peninsula been solemnly deposit-
ed by the nation under the dome of St. Paul's
Cathedral, when it became necessary to cram the
principles of Free Trade down the throats of the
Protectionist Administration. It was a duty
unavoidably devolving upon the Opposition. It
was a responsibility to which more were pledged
than the Manchester party and their sympathisers.
Something like this was required for the calming
of the public mind in the United Kingdom, and,
in some measure also for the maintenance of
tranquillity throughout Christendom. FL LEN
had to administer the leek : but—contrary to
first anticipations--he came to the House of Com-
mons, not from the West Riding of Yorkshire,
but from the borough of Wolverhampton. His,
however, was not the hand that forced it between
the teeth of the reluctant Derbyites--the task de-
volving, at the eleventh hour, upon the noble Lord
the EX-FOREIGN SECRETARY. By whomsoever
administered, the aliment has been at length most
happily devoured by the Cabinet to the dismay
of party, but unquestionably also to the popular
satisfaction. It was an act, we cannot but think,
of very memorable retribution. It was a noble
evidence of homage to the genius and patriotism
of Sir ROBERT PEEL—expressive of a tribute from
the Opposition benches, and of expiation from the
benches of the Government. Henceforth, more-
over, we can have no misapprehension whatever
upon the subject as to the relative strength of the
rival causes of Free Trade and Protection. The
question has now been, for once and for all, settled.
The system of the monopolists is buried beyond
the possibility of exhumation. In its place we
have seen solemnly and permanently established
the grand system of Free Trade; or, as it is the
fashion to call it among the later and most un-
willing converts—unrestricted competition. The
wisdom of the course pursued in 1846, the justice of
that course, and its eminently beneficial conse-
quences have all been recognised and acknow-
ledged by the DERBY-DISRAELI Government and
its supporters--what though the obnoxious clause
with the three " odious" epithets, " just, and
wise, and beneficial," was shrunk from so sensi-
tively by the leaders of the Administration.
Monopoly is dead. __Lon live Free Trade !
was the cry of the division on Friday night, or
rather on Saturday morning, in the lower branch
of the Legislature. The still obdurate fifty-three
and their friends oui of doors, PAUL FOSKETTS,
and the like, might, after this all but unanimous
division of the Parliament, as lief attempt to re-
store the system of rotten boroughmongering, as
hope to revive the abandoned principles of agricul-
tural Protection. For, the Forlorn Hope, upon
the strength of whose prowess they had counted
with such implicit confidence, have thrown down
their arms, and abruptly capitulated. The vic-
tory, in truth, has been so complete and over-
whelming, that the triumphant Free-traders are
meditating whether, as Liberal Reformers, they
may not, after their Ulm, very speedily witness
their Austerlitz.
Meanwhile, the once Protectionist, but now Free-
trading Cabinet—having (with wry faces) eaten
their leek, seasoned, be it remembered, very deli-
""telY and daintily with their own words—are
ledepend
preparing to lay before the country those carefu lly-
e"sidered measures which must constitute the
pith and marrow of the forthcoming FinancFinancialStatement. Upon the character of the measures
contained in the
Budget, as we have already ob-
served, m,l dn d
the' downfall or the stabilita-
tion of the existing
may reasonably conje‘-ictUrveerninar:lttoleraMiblynisatweras'rewoef
all this themselves.
Tl'ley must appreciate to
imperative necessity of
some extent, at least, the
the age, that of progressive advancement. They
must underotand that 'm6B eackayours are