The Sun.
London, England, 1837-03-14 00:00:00

joys. The real owner of all such property is the State,
which alone possesses both the right and the power of de-
voting it to any purpose compatible with the general
welfare.

On Saturday the Quotidienne was seized for an article
approving of the protest of the officers of the 62d Regi-
ment, against whom General BERNARD directed the ven-
geance of the Crown. The Charivari was to be tried
yesterday by the Court of Assizes, for commenting upon
the dowry demanded for the Queen of the BELGIANS.
The provincial Press is likewise prosecuted when occasions
offer with unrelenting severity.
Some waggish rogues have contrived to give M. PEttot
a good deal of annoyance. It appears that they managed
to steal out of his office a large quantity of paper, only
used for strictly official purposes—having the words
" Chancellerie de la France," and some others to the same
effect, printed on each sheet. They then filled up the
blanks in the form of official communications, and addressed
them in the usual way to such of the public functionaries
throughout the kingdom as they thought least likely to dis-
cover the hoax. Some they commended, in the name of
the Minister, for their zeal ; and others they as severely
censured for their misconduct. Officials, who never dreamt
of being heard of beyond the sphere of their political juris-
diction, were in extacies at finding that a Monarch deigned
to eulogize them, and to consult with his Ministers on the
all-important subject of their promotion ; while, on the other
hand, most active magistrates were overwhelmed with grief
when assured, in the all-powerful name of M. PERSIL, that
they bad incurred the serious displeasure both of the Minister
and his Royal Master. Of course, communications from every
quarter poured into the office of the astonished and bewil-
dered PERSIL. One heaped thanks and blessings on hills
for favours which he never thought of granting, and
another deprecated a vengeance equally foreign to the
mind of the Minister. Inquiries were immediately insti-
tuted, and the trick discovered. The public laugh at it
as a capital joke, and certainly, if well handled, it would
supply materials for a good farce : JERROLD or PLANCHE
would find it well worth their attention.

The Journal du Contnierce ststcs that the marriage of
the Duke of ORLEANS with the Princess of MECKLENBERG
SCHWERIN is decided upon, and that there is a rumor.
of the celebration of the marriage solemnities being fixea
for the month of May.
_ _

The Temps has an article condemnatory of Colonel
VAUDRY'S attempt to have himself elected a Member of the
Camber of Deputies.
The rumours from Spain in the French Papers are
unimportant, and besides, from the character of the Jour-
nals in which they appear, are entitled to no credit.

Lisbon Papers to the 2d inst., inclusive, have been re-
ceived this morning. The debates in the " Sovereign
Cortes" are as yet confined to certain improvements in the
Constitution and the State of the Interior, and, therefore,
are unattractive to all save Portuguese subjects. Lisbon
was tranquil, though the provinces are still infested with
bands of Miguelite brigands. The following remarks on
the Tariff include all that we find in the Lisbon Papers
likely to prove interesting to our readers :
LISBON, MAIWII I.—We see by the English Journals that
we have just received, that the introduction of the Tariff ill
our Custom-houses, makes a considerable impression in Eng-
land, and by way of retaliation, we are threatened in the same
Journals, and in the Parliament, with an augmentation of the
duties on the gocds imported from our country into England.
We kr.o..v not how far such threats may be realized, but for
such an augmentation of the duties to be founded on the prin-
ciples of justice and perfect commercial reciprocity, which
ought to exist between two nations which are old allies, it Is
necessary that the duties which are actually paid on our
produce in England should be in a just proportion with
the duty which English goods pay in Portugal ; but no
one can doubt that there is a manifest and most unjust
disproportion when we consider that our wines, which are the
only articles of importance which we export, pay in England
duties to the amount of 100 per cent. and more, whereas
English goods pay in Portugal hardly 15 per cent.
Whoever will examine the extinct Treaty of Commerce of
1810, will fine that the principle of reciprocity is destroyed or
evaded from the beginning to the end; and if, on the expira-
tion de facto of this ruinous Treaty, which has long ceased to
exist de jure, the Portuguese Government thinks itself bound
to introduce a Tariff to protect the manufactures and interests
of the nation, which have been disregarded by imbecile Admi-
nistrations, how does it offend England ? Does not that
Government do the same? Did it not raise the duty on our
wines in 1830, when Portugal faithfully performed the stipula-
tions of the Treaty of 1810 ?—iVacional, March 1.

An abstract of Mr. O'CONNELL'S Bill for the amend-
ment of the Libel Law, will be found in another part of
The Sun. It appears to us ano less excellent than neces-
sary measure, with the exception of three clauses, which we
think capable of considerable improvement. The sixth
clause, for example, gives the defendant an unlimited right
of proving the truth of the charge preferred by him
against the plaintiff. Now there are hundreds of cases
in which the exercise of such a right would be
an additional grievous wrong inflicted upon the plain'.
tiff. We allude, of course, to cases of personal libel,
where the records of a long life might be ransacked to
gratify private malice, by reviving and disseminating some
long-forgotten slander. The liberty of calling with impunity
a man, at sixty years of age, a seducer, because it may be
proved that before he entered upon his majority some
light-footed, tender-hearted spinster eloped with him, with.-
out disturbing papa's slumbers, is a license which we think
ought not to be extended to the public Press of this
or any other country. In the majority of cases
we agree with Mr. O'CONNELL, that the truth of the
libellous matter ought to be admitted as a justification
but we contend that a wide distinction ought to be
drawn between such libels and the class of defamatory"
attacks, of which the above is one of the least hurtful
samples. Considered with reference to libels upon pa'
rents, guilty in early life of some imprudence—atoned for
by years of the most exemplary conduct—this clause i 9
open to very serious objection. The ninth clause throWs
the costs of an action upon the publisher, if the
plaintiff fails in sustaining his action against the author
of a libel. In the name of justice and common-sense
how is this ? Wherefore should the publisher b°
mulcted in costs, where the prosecutor fails to prove
that he has sustained any injury ? Such a law would qua'
druple the present number of actions for libel ; and, i°
fact, soon put an end to publishing altogether. Our
last objection is to that part of the thirteenth clause,
,
which allows costs to the defendant, when the verdict e`
damages does not exceed forty shillings. The verdict
of damages is considerably too high, but reduced to orie
farthing, we would approve of such an alteration in the lao•
Our abjection is founded upon the regard had by juries
to the ability of the defendant to pay damages, as well as
to the extent of injury sustained by the plaintiff.

We regret to say that two or three failures ham
occurred during the last few days in Leeds.

FAMILIES RESIDING IN THE COUNTRY
are supplied with TEAS and COFFEES at the WHOLESALE
PRICE for CASH :
81ack...25. Od. 2s. 4d. 2s. Bd. 3s. 3s. 6d. 4s. 4s. id. ?S.
Green.. 3s. Bd. 4s. Od. 4s. Bd. ss. ss. 6d. 6s. 7s. Od. °°'
Coffee, Is. 6d. ls. Bd. Is. 10d. b.... Finest Mocha, 2s.
When the order exceeds £lO, the Carriage is Paid.
G. T. MANSELL, and CO.,
Wholesale Tea Dealers, 2, Bueklersbury, Cheapside

T. COX SAVORY, Goldsmith, &c., 47, Corgal '
London, informs the Public that he has fitted up THREE SHOW.
ROOMS expressly for the display of a large assortment of superior
SILVER-EDGED PLATED GOODS. He offers them at thor
low but fixed prices, which have been so successful in drawing public
attention to the WATCH, JEWELLERY, SILVER SPOON
and FORK and Silver branches of his trade. N.B. A pamphlet'
6 containinm a Detailed List of the Prices of Plate, Plated Goorn
Watches, Clocks, &c., may be had gratis, or will be forwarded R"
answer to a post-paid application.

BIRTHS.
114
On the 9th inst., at Pentropant, Shropshire, the lady of R • .
Bonnor Maurice, Esq., of a son and heir.
On the 10th inst., in Great Ormond-street, Mrs. Lewis StricifF
of a son.

MARRIED.
On the llth inst., at Barnes, Mr. W. Melton, to Miss Care
Thompson.
On the 11th inst., at St. Margaret's, Lothbury, Mr. A .-riobp.
Norton, of Islington, to Catherine R., eldest daughter of
Knight, Esq., Secretary of the Bank of England. • Ider'
On the 11th inst., at St. Marylebone, Thomas Edward neo.e,
Esq., of Doctors' Commons, and Gloucestfir-place, Portman-sir,
to Maria, younger daughter of the late Wm. Ashlin, Esq., Of
ford Lodge, Lodge, Middlesex.