The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON. WEDNESDAY, APRIL s 3, 1839

they cannot with all their artifice, and all the art,
five of their ultra-Radical supporters, extricate
themselves without especial damage. Fain would
they recal the fatal vote if they could, but that is
out of the question—they have taken their part and
they must abide the consequences. Had the
Duke of WELLINGTON reflected for a moment, he
would have been the last man to sanction so wild
an escapade as that of Lord RODEN. The Noble
Duke, as an old and experienced soldier, would at
once have seen through the egregious blunder of
attacking the enemy in his very strongest point.
This irretrievable blunder has now been com-
mitted, and the Ministers, to do them justice,
have exhibited a high degree of generalship
in the manner in which they have taken advantage
of it. " You have attacked," say
they to the
Lords, " you have in fact passed a vote of cen-
sure on our Irish policy; from your packed and
partial verdict Ire appeal to the representatives of
the people, and by their judgment we will stand or
fall." That that, judgment will be favourable to
the Ministry there cannot be a doubt, for the ques-
tion at issue is one on whiA the Reformers of all
grades and dimensions in the House of Commons
are agreed. However they may differ—and differ
they do—on other and important points in the con-
duct of the MELBOURNE administration, there is
but one opinion among them as to the admirable.
course of policy which it has pursued towards Ire-
land, and the Hon. Member who should itfuse his
assent to a motion expressing approbation of
that course, would justly lay himself open
to the charge of being the enemy both of Ireland
and of Reform. Such refusal is therefore not once
to be thought of.
There are other circumstances tending to
strengthen the position of Ministers, which seem
not to have entered into the calculation of the crack-
brained Lords, when they threw down the gauntlet
which Lord MELBOURNE so readily and fearlessly
took up. There are a considerable number of Hon.
Members, who, though they are opposed to Mi-
nisters, and would, no doubt, be glad to see them
dispossessed of their places, provided that could be
done without endangering their own, have yet, for
various reasons, no particular anxiety to face their
constituents at the present moment. Some have
old accounts to settle—others .are not fond of short
Parliaments, and all would rather be excused from ap-
pearing so soon upon the hustings. Now as a vote
condemnatory of her Majesty's Ministers, implies
their resignation, and that in its turn implies a dis-.
solution of Parliament, we think we may fairly ed-
culate that not a few of the class of Members to
whom we are alluding, will not feel themselves
called upon to be in the House on the 15th of
April.

We know, that some speculative philosophers
of the Press, have attempted to show that a
dissolution is not the necessary consequence
of the resignation of Ministers. Our Contemporary
the Spectator, for instance, in his last number, after
attempting to whitewash the Lords, whose constitu-
ional conduct in this affair is deemed worthy of all

praise, and to whom every encouragement is held on
to to scare the Government, tells his readers wits,
oracular gravity, that there is " little chance of an
appeal to the country, whichever way the scale may
turn on the 15th of April. Ministers cannot ex-
pect a more favourable House of Commons than
the present ; and were Sir ROBERT PEEL in office,
this same House, we Make hold to asssert—not
without knowledge—would give him a handsome
working majority." This, no doubt, sounds well
in Tory ears, and falls in readily 'enough with
Tory inclinations. Unfortunately, however, for
our Contemporary's fine theory, it labours under
the slight disadvantage of being opposed to general
practice. The rule is " a 'new Government—a
new Parliament." It would, therefore, have been
but kind to his Tory allies had the Editor of the
Spectator advanced some reasons for the departure
from precedent, which he thinks probable in the
present case. Without this accompaniment his de-
lusive assertion will hardly be swallowed by the
silliest gudgeon of the party, and his ." working
majority" will be put down as just so much moon-
shine. It would, indeed, be an amusing spectacle
to see Sir ROBERT PEEL taking office on the
principle of totally reversing the whole policy of
Government for the last nine years, in the expec-
tation of being supported by the very men who
have been the instruments of carrying that policy
into effect ? No, no, Sir ROBERT knows better.
He knows that the madness next only to that of
undertaking the Government of all, would be to un-
dertake it without a Parliament of his own. Let
no man, therefore, lay the flattering unction to his
conscience, that a change of Ministry can take
place without a dissolution of the present Parlia-
ment, for the thing is a moral impossibility.

The Spectator, in his new-born attachment to
the Rouse of Hereditary Legislatois, has the hardi-
hood to say that while they are acting strictly in
conformity with the Constitution in instituting an
inquiry into the exercise of the prerogative, the
Commons are committing " an act of aggression"
on them by the proposed course. This is rather
queer doctrine. Surely if the House of Lords has
a right to express its opinion on the conduct of
Ministers, or on any other subject, so also has the
House of Commons. Where then is the aggres-
sion ? Would our Contemporary have the Com-
mons of England gagged with respect to every
point which the Lords in their wisdom choose to
moot ? The truth is that if there be any aggession
in the case the Lords are the aggressors ; and we
beg to remind the Spectator, when he talks of the
constitutional proceeding of the Upper House, that
it is one thing to comply with the forms of the Con-
stitution, and another to act according to its spirit.
The conduct of the Peers is, as to form, constitutional
enough ; but our Contemporary forgets, or at least
keeps out of view, the important truth that their
late vote was altogether a factious proceeding.
Had it not been so—had the Tory Lords been
really anxious about the proper exercise of the
Royal prerogative--why did they not propose this
inquiry into Lord NORMANBY'S conduct sooner ?

It is, if we mistake not, about two years since the
transactions into which they are all at once so
eager to inquire, took place. How is this ? What
new light has broken in upon their minds of late ?
or have they never heard till now of the matters
which they pretend to consider of so grave a cha-
racter ? This is a point of the very first import-
ance in estimating the constitutional merits of their
Lordships.

As to the " good measures" which the Spectator
imagines "might be extorted from a prudent Tory
Government, by a vigorous Liberal opposition," we
can only say that we regard the notion of getting
liberal measures from illiberal men, as one of those
paradoxical hallucinations in which our Contempo-
rary delights to indulge. We should as soon
expect to gather grapes from thorns, or figs from
thistles, as to get good measures from bad men.
One of the " good measures"—the first and fore-
most of the whole—would be the resignation of a
host of superannuated Tory officials throughout the
country, who are waiting the signal of the PEEL
advent, to resign their places, in order that they
may be filled up by persons of their own kidney.
The Spectator would fain persuade his readers
that the " game is up" with the Ministry, and
alludes to the defection of the Morning Chronicle
as a sign that " the ship is sinking." We are very
far from drawing this conclusion, from the fact of
the Chronicle's turning round on its patrons. We
sincerely believe that the Ministry, instead of sus-
ai-;:in any loss !)!. this event, will be con-

siuerable gainers by it. The paper in ques

tion has, we have reason to believe, been a
i great drag upon the Government. It has
I
playeu tne part of a true parasite, fawning and
flattering when the sky was bright, and when any-
' thing was to be got by subserviency, but flying off
the moment it fancied it perceived the approach of
a cloud. This may be cautious dealing, but it is
not the hearty, straight-forward -manner of acting
that John Bull likes to see. His friends may be
unfortunate—may be imprudent, but he does not
therefore cast them oft On the contrary, it is
when they are at a pinch that he is most ready to
stand with them.

We invite the attention of English readers of
every class to the following remarks, which we copy
from the New York Courier and Inquirer, of the
11th ult., received yesterday. It is right that the
press of the United States should be made ac-
quainted with the feelings entertained here respect-
ing- the legislative proceedings described in the fol-
lowing sketches:—
" If the people of this country and Great Britain are
not involved in a war, it will not be from the lack of bel-
ligerency in their legislative functionaries. Our last
advices from Halifax inform us of proceedings in the
House of Assembly of Nova Scotia that would better
befit a Halifax Tammany-hall than a grave legislative
body. On the receipt of intelligence from New Bruns-
wick of the late movements in the disputed terri-
tory, the Assembly adopted 13 resolutions providing for
an organization of the militia, and the raising of volun-
teers, and authorizing the Lieutenant• Governor to ex-
pend 100,0001, if necessary, in the payment of the
troops, and for other services incidental to the protection
of the province from invasion. After the passing of those
resolutions, the Hon. E. M. Dodd, who, we are told in
every case supports the dignity of the House,' proposed,
with the permission of the Speaker, that three hearty
cheers should be given, 'to be joined in by the gallery !'
The proposition wes carried into effect, and the House of
Assembly, with the rampant occupants of the galleries,
forthwith set up at the top of their 'sweet voices' three
cheers for New Brunswick and the Queen !
" This is certainly legislating with the decorum and
decency proper to the discussion of such momentous mat-
ters as those of peace and war between two great nations.
With a chief magistrate like Governor Faitfirrld in Maine,
and legislators like the Hon. Mr. Dodd and his coadjutors
in the provinces, there is a fine prospect certainly for the
pacific adjustment of our border difficulties.
" The resolutions of the House were responcicd to by
the Legislative Council, without calling in the aid of the
galleries; and Sir C. Campbell, the Lieutenant-Governor,
replied to the Council very much after the manner that
might have been expected. ‘Ve perceive, however, that
Sir Colin alleges that New Brunswick had been intrusted
by her Sovereign with the custody' of the disputed terri.
tory. The Council claims, with Sir J. Harvey and Mn,
Fox, exclusive possession and jurisdiction' for Grea!
Britain."

We cannot forbear calling the attention of the Eng-
lish press to the dignified and orderly proceedings in the
Nova Scotia Legislature. Had it occurred in Arkansas or
Texas, it would have been pointed at very significantly, as
a specimen of our republican manners ; but occurring, as
it did, in one of her Majesty's most loyal provinces, we
presume it will be considered quite a respectable affair.
True, there was no war feeling in the galleries—no cut.
break of public sentiment, as sometimes will occur with
us, when galleries are instantly cleared; and, there.
fore, what did occur being by order of the House, was ne-
cessarily very orderly. Who knows but in due time we
simple republicans may become somewhat civilised in
our mode of legislation, with such an example on our
borders ?"

The New York Inquirer does us great injustice
in presuming to believe that we look upon such
scenes as are above described--happen where they
may—as respectable. On the contrary, we de-
worthy of an assemblage of
nounce them as only
rioters, semi-barbarians. Throughout the whole of
this delicate affair we think that Sir J. HARVEY
acted very intemperately, and that the members of
the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia would
have conducted themselves much more wisely had

they not troubled their heads about a question upon
which her MAJESTY'S Government as little wanted

to know their opinion as to require their physica
assistance. The people of England lay slight stress

on colonial bravado, and are equally ready to con
detnn acts calculated to compromise the peace of na•

tions, whether performed by the supporters of Mo.

narchical or Republican institutions.

We have received thewhde of the Pads Jour-

nals of Monday. The King has succeeded in
appointing a new Ministry, and has rightly chosen
All-fool's-day for n.aking the world acquainted
with the collective wisdom which is chargeable with
the responsibility atttnda,it upon thc prOmulgation
of his Royal decrees. Never was such a set of
political scare-crows selected to insult the represen-
tatives of a free people. There are but two °ads-
sions.in the list which astonish us, and these are
to find M. GISQUET'S claims overlooked, and poor
VIDOCQ consigned to unmerited oblivion, instead
of being charged, the one with the department of
the Interior, and the other with public worship.
We will select one royal ordinance from the Muni-
tettr of Monday as a matter of form, but to save
space, which is valuable, we shall give the substance
of the others as briefly as is requisite, to render
them perfectly intelligible :
" ORDINANCES OF THE KING.
" Louis Philippe, King of the French,
" To all present and to come, greeting,
" We have ordained, and do ordain as follows :

" Gasparin, Peer of France, is named Minis-
ter of State for the Department of the Interior, in
the place of NI. le Comte Alontalivet, whose resig-
❑ation is accepted.

Turneries., March 31, 1839.
(Signed) " Lours PHILIPPE.
(Countersigned by the Keeper of the Seals,
Minister of Justice)

"BARTITE."
Of the other Royal Ordinances which are con-
ceived in the very same words, with the exception
of the proper names, the following is the sub-

l'heyhave—accepted, however, only on the express

condition that their functions shall cease as soon as a de-
finitive Ministry shall be formed, assuming, however,
themselves the full responsibility of all their acts. They
have the conviction that the motives of their determination
will be fully appreciated by the Chambers and by the
country."
The names composing the pro tempore Ministry will, of
course, not be popular. We know that beforehand. And
the Ministry will ever be called " the April Fool-day Mi-
nistry."

This is really too bad. The King might leave
to the wags of the Opposition the task of nick-
naming his resnonsible advisers. But it seems the
courtiers prefer to all delicacy the pleasure of
having the first laugh at them--probably with
a view to divert the country from taking a more
grave notice of the insult thus offered to it. If
such be, indeed, the motive for offering such an in-
sult to the new Ministry, we doubt whether it will
be successful. The Constitutionnel—now the
organ of M. THIERS—does not view the appoint-
ments in the light of a laughing matter. On the
contrary, that Journal expresses indignation and
astonishment that such an affront should be
put upon the electoral dignity of France. It
even professes incapacity to believe in the exist-
ence of an arrangement so monstrous, were it not
notorious that the Ordinance with the Royal sig-
nature affixed was inspected by persons of unques-
tionable veracity. Most of the other liberal Jour-
nals are still wore indignant, and very plainly
Threaten the Court with the vengeance of an in-
sulted and enraged people. As the opening of the
Chambers is fixed for Friday, we shall s;.e. what the
majority of the Deputies will say upon this mo-
mentous subject.
The King has not been unmindful of the ser-
vices of the ex-Ministry. M. BA RTIIE,
'lister of justice, is appointed to the lucrative office
of President of the Court of Accounts ; M. LA-
CAVE LAPLANGE, ex- Mihister of Finance, is
named Premier Councillor of the same Court ; and
Count MosTALivEr, ex-Minister of the Interior,
is to discharge the functions of Intendant-General
of the Civil List. Other promotions are in con-
templation, but no more will be made before the
temper of the Chambers is tested by the appearance
in the Tribunes of the official puppets, who are to
play the part of Ministers in the new drama of
despotism.
The abdication of the KING was discussed in
several assemblies of the Deputies on Sunday night
and Monday morning.
It is said that two new regiments of cavalry and two of
infantry will be called to the capital before the opening of
the Chambers, which will tike place, though with reluct-
ance, on the 4th of April. It was much wished to post-
pone it once more but this was impossible. According
to the Charter the Chmbers must be opened forty days after
the elections, and on the 6th of April forty days Ili!' have
elapsed since the elections were terminated.
The National says that Marshal Soult was sent for to
the Palace yesterday, and that he declined the invitation.
This refusal, it is said, was a great disappointment to the
faithful.
Lord Brougham and Mr. Leader, M. P., arrived at
Paris yesterday.
A letter from Toulon of the 26th of March says:—
" Every exertion is making to fit out the ships which are
to reinforce the squadron in the Levant."
The Jena of the line is on the road, and will soon put to
sea with the Jupiter to join that squadron. The Thetis
frigate is also preparing for the Levant station. It is said
that the Prince do Joinville is appointed to that frigate,
and will soon proceed to take the command of it.
The Mexican squadron was to be broken up. Several
vessels belonging to it have arrived here and at Brest.
The Cyclope and Vulcan bomb-ketches have anchored in
our road, from the Havannah, where they left the
Iphi-
genic frigate, and the brigs La Perouse and Laurier-.
Wherever these two vessels touched, they found men of-
war under repair, which were shortly to return to France.
—La Gazette de France.
Thel3,yof Tunis, as we learn by a letter from that
place, is constructing a magnificent palace there, at the
cost of upwards of 2,000,000 f. Almost all the materials
are stated to have been brought from Europe, as well as
the furniture, which has been made in great part at Paris.
Thousands of workmen are daily employed on the edifice,
the inhabitants being forced to contribute their personal la-
bours, or else te find substitutes for this purpose.
A letter of the 26th ult. from Krauenberg, near Cleves,
addressed to the Handlesblad, states that on the previous
day fresh disturbances had been expected at Cleves, but
had happily been prevented by the good conduct of the
upper classes, and the spirit and resolution displayed by
the authorities. Some groups of rioters, amongst whom
were several females, had formed in a part of the town
called the Heiberg, and ma.lifested an intention to attack
the officers of the tax-collectors and the landraad, but they
were speedily dispersed by the city guards, and about 20 of
them were taken into custody. By midnight all was quiet,
but the city guards rernaiuLd under arms Oil morning; 100
infantry and 20 Hulans had arrived at Cleves. A judicial
investigation had commenced into the origin of' the riot,
BOURSE,—Pests, Aforrnar, APRIL I.
maaa.—The great dill:mattes in the way of form-
ing a Ministry having continued, and the one which. has been olli.
chilly announced being considered as intended to serve the purpose
of the moment, ad interim, the uneasiness attendant on the Minis-
terial crisis has not in any degree. abated, but, on the contrary, the
difficuities are looked upon as being more serious than before. This
was Settling Day in the French Stocks for the March Accouet, and
the market has been very agitated. The Three per Cents. owned
at 801, 15c., went down to 791. 85e , and closed at 791 LOc., a
decline of 15c. from Saturday. The Five per Cents., after being
1091. 15c., and 109 t, closed at 109 f. 5c., a fall of °De. For money
the Three per Cents. are 10c. lower. For the end of April the
Five per Cents., from 109 f. 30c., elosrd at 109 f. 25c. The
Three per Cents., from 80f. 25c , receded to 801. 'I he Bank of
France Shares have declined 7f. 50c. The Belgian Five per
Cents. have not varied; the Bink Shares are 10f. higher, The
Spanish Active is per Cent, better. The Railway Shares have
declined. The St. Germain and Versailles Bight Bank, 10f. each,
and the Orleans sf. The Harre have not bees gusted, either for
money or for time.

First Highest Lowest Last
Price. Price. Price. Price.
French 5 per Cents ll9 ... 109 15 109 109
15
4 per Cents .. 102 5 ... 1,2 5 ... 10! 5 ... 102 5
:3 per Cents 79 93
... 79 95 ... 79 95
Bank of trance
...2640
...253P5
Latfitte Ba It I,ooof. 1060 ... 000•
...106
5,0 M. 5190 ...5190 „.5190
„„5 uop
Belgian 5 per Cents lO3 10:1 103
3 per Cents 7l 40 71 40 71 40 ... 71 40
Bank 690 ... . 000 .. 700
S anish Ac ice ‘.:o% 20%
Portucuese 3 per Cents
Neapolitan
50
Roman
RAILWAY SHARES.
St. Cermai
Versailles, rt. la ctio ... 0:0 ... 660 ... 600
Charleroi
... 455 453 ... 435 ... 455
Orleans „ . .... 470 51 ... 472 50 ... 4/0 ... 470
Strasburg to Bale 340 ... 343 ... 310 347
ASPHALTES AND BI FU iIENs.
Seyssel (A) O2OO —.2200 ...201.1

What practical benefit LOUIS PHILLIPPE is to
confer on France by the " Transition Ministry," or
for what purpose it was appointed, no human being
can divine. It can do nothing—it cannot even act
as a screen to protect the Sovereign, and, if not de-
stroyed by a vote of the Chamber, it must die in a
few clays a natural death. Were it not for the
grave and complicated situation of political affairs,
the French would have attacked and crushed it
with ridicule, but the stagnation of trade, the alarm
which prevails in the country, and the obstinacy of
the KING in persevering in his ruinous policy,
make it a subject too serious to be treated even by
the French in such a manner. It is said the KING
objected to Marshal SOULT assuming temporarily
the principal offices of State like the Duke of WEL-
LINGTON in 1834, but would not this have been

infinitely preferable to conferring them all on the
Sovereign as is substantially done by the last ordi-
nance. The representatives of the people can no
longer carry on the contest under the usual forms
of Constitutional Government, unless these forms
are observed also by the Crown .; neither can the
Press be restrained within the limits of the Sep-
tember laws, at such a crisis. One of the Papers
writes, in no mysterious manner, about what is
going on in the Palace, and intimates that a plan
is in agitation for regenerating an exhausted system
of policy, and allowing the reins of Government to
pass into younger hands—in other words, that the
KING finds himself unequal to the struggle, and that
the Duke of ORLEANS is to be substituted in his
place. A few days, however, will clear up the
mystery. Affairs have come to such a pass that
delay would only increase the evil. - The Chamber
of Deputies meet to-morrow, and on their conduct
depends the security of the country. The electors
have returned a vast majority hostile to an " ex-

hausted policy." It becomes them, therefore, to
act in accordance with the wishes of their con-
stituents, and call upon the Sovereign to form an
efficient Administration entertaining similar opi-
nions. By their conduct the question will be de-
cided whether the French are tit for a Represents-
rive Government, or must be governed by an un-
limited Monarchy.