The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-25 00:00:00

THE TWO PREMIERS

(From the Weekly True Sun.)
Weil, the Corn-law que'stion has been decided,
so far as a selfish band ori landlord legislators can
decide it. The House of Commons has refused to
go into Committee to inquire as to the operation of
the Corn-laws upon the country by a majority of
147. The nuinberf3 were, for the food monopoly,
342 ; against it, 1'35.

13ut although t.l.re most important part of this
deed of violence and wrong was perpetrated in the
Commons, the Lords' debate of last week points
out most clearly the course the people must
pursue. The deb ision of making an open ques-
tion of one thrit so deeply affects the main-
tenance of o,lr commerce and manufactures
and the subs'istence of our over-taxed people
was there Pally exposed. • What matter the
votes or speeches of a few of the subordinate
nrcinbers of the Govermnent, when the Prime Mi-
rister, Liird Melbourne, is a principal upholder of
the monopoly.
Lore. Melbourne wished the subject had not been
discussed because of its vast importance; he de-
clared his deliberate purpose of maintaining the
high-rent-laws, even though commerce and manu-
factures were sacrificed ; he " declared before God,
that he thought free-trade, the doing away with all
protective duties, the maddest and wildest proposi-
tion he had ever heard in his life ;" he asserted with
all the confidence of complacent ignorance the
falsehood, that "protecting duties" could not be dis-
pensed with for the sake of thepublicrevenue. Now,
the veriest tyro in political science knows, that all pro-
tecting duties produce less revenue than might be
raised upon the same class of commodities by duties
framed solelyfor revenue, and not so as to limit the
quantities imported. Who, calling himself a Libe-
ral, can now support Lord Melbourne's Govern-
ment ? Who, pretending to desire commercial
prosperity, can avoid active hostility to the Whig
Ministry ? The chief Minister of the Crown
has subscribed to the creed of the landed oligarchy,
and has betrayed an amount of ignorance almost in-
credible ; so incredible, indeed, that we dare not
call it aught but dishonesty. The way, how-
ever, is now clear before all those who are not wil-
fully blind. Nothing is to be expected from the
present Ministry, nothing is to be hoped from the
Legislature is now constituted. We have long de-
clared that opinion, and have, thereby, occasionally
incurred the censure of some whose good inten-
tions were greater than their foresight or their
energy. But now there can be no mistake ; he
who really desires to effect amendments in our laws
and institutions must endeavour to turn out Lord
Melbourne's Government, and to reform the House
of Commons. In the meantime, what is the next
step ? In reprobating the conduct, and exposing
the ignorance of the present Premier, let us give a
glance at the conduct of him who passed the Pre-
mier's chair—Sir R. Peel—and who is, probably,
destined ere long to fill it again. As if ignorance,
real or assumed, and facility in making false state-
ments, constituted the prime qualification for a land-
lord's First Lord of the Treasury, Sir Robert Peel
on the following night made the same assertion, viz.,
. that all protecting duties could not be repealed, by
reason of the loss of revenue that would thereby
ensue. We assert broadly that this is false, and
Peel, when he stated it, knew that it was utterly
untrue ; moreover, what can be thought of a states-
; man comparing the exports of 1838 with those of
' 1837, as evidence that the manufacturing industry
of this country is in a state of safe and permanent
prosperity, notwithstanding the bread monopoly,
without making the slightest allusion to the fright-
ful and ruinous panic of 1837 here and in the
' United States ? Yet such was, in fact, Peers
honest argument I This is the man who wished to
examine the question fairly I ! !
' Such are the leaders of the two factions between
' which the people have suffered themselves to be
bandied about. Will they now be aroused to make
an effort for their own emancipation ?

STRAND UNION AND THE PARISH
OF ST. PAUL, COVENT GARDEN.

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF A
PARISH BOOK.

The election of Guardians for the several parishes in
this Union has terminated by the withdrawal of all the
opposition candidates, and thus great excitement and
expense have happily been avoided. One circumstance,
however, has occured in the course of the proceedings
which has excited a consideraLle sensation, and which
is likely to be the subject of public investigation. Under
the provisions of the Poor-law Amendment Act, the
owners of property, as well as the rate-payers, are en-
titled to have a voice in the election of Guardians ; and
a " Register of Owners and their Proxies" is directed
to be kept, in which, from time to time, are to be re-
corded the names and residences of parties claiming to
vote as owners, with a description of their property, and
the names and residences of the parties appointed by them
as their proxies, for the purposes of voting. These
" Registers" remained in the custody of Mr. Corder, the
Clerk to the Union, until the month of August last,
and whilst they remained in his custody it appears they
were open to the gratuitous inspection of the rate-
payers, and entire copies, as well as extracts, were al-
lowed freely to be taken. Applications were, however,
made to the Board of Guardians, and ultimately to the
Poor-law Commissioners, by the parish officers of St.
Paul, Covent-garden, to have the Register of Owners
of their parish placed in their own custody ; and, in the
month of August last, with the sanction of the Com-
missioners, it was given up to them accordingly, and was,
as they state, deposited with the other parochial books
and documents, in the office used for that purpose at
the parish Church. When, however, Mr. Corder, as the
returning officer at the recent election of Guardians, ap-
plied under the order of the Commissioners, to the pa-
rish officers of St. Paul, Covent-garden, for " the Re-
gister of Owners and Proxies" of that parish, to enable
him to conduct the election, and to issue, if requisite,
voting-papers to the owners as well as rate-payers, he
was wa►ted upon by the Churchwardens and their
Vestry Clerk, Mr. Moseley, and informed by them
that every possible search had been made for the book in
question—the receipt of which, in August last, they ho-
nourably admitted—but that it was nowhere to be found.
It is supposed that it has been secretly abstracted from
the office by some partizan, whose zeal for his party has
led him into the commission of an act, which, in the
event of detection, may place him in a situation of a very
awkward description. The Board of Guardians, on the
facts being communicated to them by Mr. Corder, passed
some very strong resolutions on the subject,and requested
him immediately to report the matter to the Poor-law
Commissioners.

On Saturday, at the Croydon Petty Sessions, Mr.
Graham, the constable of Carshalton, was summoned to
show cause why be refused to pay the poor-rates collected
by him for that parish, and which was due to the Croydon
Union. Mr. Graham said he was ready to pay the de-
mand, if he were repaid the expenses he had been put to
in the performance of his office; but the Poor-law Corn.
missioners forced the officers to lay out their money in
obeying their orders, and at the same time instructed the
auditors to refuse them payment when demanded of the
Union. Ore of the Magistrates, who was Chairman of
the Union, acknowledged the hardship and injustice of the
case, and recommended an application to the Poor-law
Commissioners for a remedy. The Bench, after consult-

ing together, recommended the defendant to pay the money,
and promised to use their endeavours to see him repaid the
money he had expended.
THE NEW POOR LAW IN LAMBETII,--AL
Union Hall on Thursday Messrs. Barber and Hunt, two
guardians of the poor of the parish of Lambeth, were sum-
moned for refusing to produce certain books connected
with the parochial rates, for the inspection of one of the
assistant Poor-law Commissioners. After a lengthened dis-
cussion as to the right of the Poor-law Commissioners to
demand the production of the books in question, which re.
lated to Church-rates, the Magistrates decided in favour of
the complaining parties, and imposed a penalty of 51. on
each of the defendants, which was to be levied unless they
produced the book s the same evening at the vestry.
THE DUNDEE MURDER.—It is stated that in
consequence of petitions from Dundee and Edinburgh in
favour of Arthur Woods, convicted of murdering his son,
Lord John Russell has authorised the authorities there to
delay his execution for a week.

STOCKHOLM, MARCH s.—The merchants of this
city, who some time back addressed a petition to the Go-
vernment relative to the abolition of the Sound duty, have
since presented another petition to the effect, that the
Government would support by diplomatic intervention the
claim which they think they have on the Danish Govern-
ment for the repayment of what has been paid too much for
many year: past.

WORCESTER HOPS, MARCH 21.—There was
a good supply of hops at our market on Saturday, a great
portion of which were yearlings and the growth of 1836,
though a few long lots of new, of favourite marks, were
disposed of, and realised good prices. There remained a
considerable bulk of middling and inferior samples unsold
at the close of the market, although the holders of such
would have submitted to much lower prices, could pur-
chasers have been found. Weighed 79 pockets; during
the week 22 pockets.
THE H AYES TRAGEDY.—The practice of
carrying those weapons of assassination, Spanish knives,
is apparently on the increase. They have found their way
from the midnight brawler and desperado, to the pupils of
a private academy. Mere boys secretly exult in posses:
sing them, and boast of their newly-acquired facility for
stabbing an unwary adversary. Even the keepers of such
academies—men whose business it is to implant the seeds
of moral and intellectual improvement in the minds of
youth—see these deadly and detestable weapons in the
hands of their pupils without censure or prohibition.—
Bell's Weekly Messenger.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF LORDS, 217anmur 23.

The House sat to-day to hear Scotch appeals, the Peers
in attendance were the Lord Chancellor. Lord Brougham,
the E4rl of Aberdeen, the Earl of Haddington, Viscount
Melville, and Lord Berners.

THE FRESBYTERY •OF ALCHTERARDER V. THE EARL. OF