The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-27 00:00:00

ATT WOOD'S WARNING.

" The Russians may be in London next summer ! What
is to prevent them from burning Sheerness next July ?
And then in forty-eight hours they may be in possession of
the Bank of England ! "
Vide Mr. Attwood's Speech on Monday night in the Com-
mons.

Britons ! attend to what your wise
Cassandra A ttwood prophesies.
Hark I hear the war-drums drumming,
To announce that Russia's coming ;
Yes, ere summer's sun shall beat
On the hot flags of Downing-street,
Nick's trim Cronstadt fleet, I guess,
Like Swing, shall set on fire Sheerness,
Cannonade the Essex shore,
And sweeping past the helpless Nore,
Land at Gravesend, some thousands strong,
Blow up the Pier with all its throng,
Thy pantry sack, 0 Tilbury Fort !
Drink all thy Governor's best port,
Put Harmer's household to the rout,
Give the poor Alderman the knout,
Then march for town with step so fleet,
And bivouack in Threadneedle-street !

Rouse ye, brave Cocknies, rouse ye, then !
Up, my Lord Mayor and Aldermen !
Call out the Beef-eaters' bold crew,
And eke the Common Council too ;
•
Summon, 'mid patriotic cheers,
To battle all your Volunteers,
And swear by your ancestral biers !
By all ye prize, ye valorous troop,
By venison pie, and turtle soup,
By wines as rich as wines can be,
By callipash and callipee,
Yell never dine, nor e'en get shaved,
Till Russia flies, and London's saved !!

COURT CIRCULAR.

Her Majesty rode out on horseback yesterday attended by
Lady Charlotte Copley, Baroness Lehzen, Miss Quinten,
Lord Gardner, Honourable Col. Cavendish, Earl of Ux-
bridge, and Sir Frederick Stovin.
Her Majesty honoured Mr. Francis with a sitting yes-
terday for her bust.
The Marquis of Normanby, Marquis of Conyngham,
Right Hon. George Stevens Byng, and Mr. Rich, joined
the Royal Dinner party at the Palace last evening.
Her .Majesty's minor alms were distributed yesterday,
and on Monday, at the Almonry Office, to upwards of
nine hundred poor men and women. All the applicants
were upwards of sixty years of age, except a few cases of
bodily infirmities. Her Majesty's Royal Maunday will be
distributed to. morrow, in Whitehall Chapel, with the usual
solemnities.

A Deputation, consisting of the Agents of Jaimaica,
Lord St. Vincent, Sir Wyndham Dailey, and Mr. Tay-
lor, had an interview with Viscount Melbourne yesterday
in Downing-street.
A Deputation, including the Right Hon. C. P. Thom-
son, Mr. Potter, Mr. Brotherton, and Mr. Phillips, had
an interview with Lord John Russell yesterday at the
Home Office.

The Earl of Clarendon had an interview yesterday with
Viscount Melbourne. His Lordship also transacted busi-
ness at the Foreign Office.
Lieutenant Hyde Parker arrived at the Colonial Office
yesterday with dispatches from Sir John Colborne, Gover-
ner of the Canadas. Dispatches were also received yes-
terday at the Colonial Office from Sir George Arthur,
Lieutenant-Governor of tipper Canada.
Sir E. Lytton Bulwer and Dr. Lardner had an inter-
view with Lord John Russell, at the Home Office on
Monday.
Lord Euston and Mr. Cayley, had an interview with
Viscount Melbourne yesterday.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer returned to town on
Monday evening, from Hastings.
The French Ambassador and the Belgian Minister trans-
acted business yesterday at the Foreign Office.
The Marquis of Headfort and Mr. Edward Stuart,
Deputy Chairmain of Customs, had an interview with
Viscount Melbourne yesterday, in Downing-street.
Archdeacon Thorpe, Mr. Pattison, M.P., and Mr.
Alston, had interviews with Lord John Russell, on Monday,
at the Home Office. Captain Buller visited his Lordship
yesterday.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.-(THIS DAY.)

DEAL, MARCH 26. —Wind E. S. E. moderate. S ailed
the outward bound; the Minerva, M'Phin, and the Minstrel
Boy, remain. Came down from the river and proceeded,
Plymouth, Bittery, Teneriffe.
PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 26. —Wind N.E. to S. S. E.
Arrived the Shannon packet, Parkinson, from Limerick.
Sailed the Glenelg, Stretler, for Bombay and Canton ;
Agnes, Stranack, Oporto; Shepperson, Hockstrom, Cette.
PLY 111011TH, MARCH 26.—Wind N.E. to E.—Arrived
the Shannon (steamer), from Dublin.
FALMOUTH, MARCH 25. —Wind W. N. W. to W., fresh
breezes.—Arrived the Azores packet, Triggs, from St.
Michael's; Royal Adelaide (steamer), Say, London, and
proceeded for Dublin ; Hercules (steamer), Talton, Lon-
don, and proceeded for Cork. Sailed, the Iberia (steamer),
Cooper, for Vigo, &c. ; Scipio, Watson, Antwerp; Horns,
Davidson, Gloucester. Off-port--Baronet, Wyllie, Port.
au- Prince, proceeded for Antwerp.
LIVERPOOL, MARCH 26. —Wind, S. E. to S.W.—Arrived
the Jefferson, Raines, from Baltimore ; Rachel, Odessa ;
Helen Scott, Scotland, Naples ; Hiram, Marseilles.
Sailed the Ranger, Brown, for. Rio Janeiro; Eliza John-
son, Petrie, Pernambuco; Mars, Roper, Trinidad; Tre-
mont, Gray, New Orleans ; Sylvanus Jenkins, Barber,
New Orleans ; Belgrave, Dempsey, Vi.go; Denmark,
New York; Powhattan, M'Cerran, New York; St. Clair,
Putnam, New York ; Marquis Bute, Burns, St. John's ;
Beranger, Craig, Newfoundland; Georgian, Marshall,
Halifax ; Leonora, Graves, Boston ; Lady Combermere,
Holmes, Africa; Watt, M'Taggart, Africa; Lady Stor-
mont, Forster, Africa; Star of the West, Nichols, Alex-
andria; Eliza Sanders, Bully, Odessa; Beceles, Man-
thorpe, Odessa ; Emma, Jarvis, Lisbon ; Antra, Ren-
frew, Lisbon.

THE MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.)

CORN EXCHANGE.

The arrivals of English Grain and Flour small, and of
foreign Wheat only moderate. Foreign Wheat sold to
country buyers at the same prices as Monday. Barley,
Beans, and Peas firm at last quotations. Oats met a fair
demand at their former rates.. Top price of Flour is likely
to be 60s. per sack on Monday next.
ARRIVALS.

Oats.
English
Ir,sn - I 13,316
Foreign
CITY FISH MARKET.

Wheat.
VA qrs.

Barley.
680 qrs.

Flour.
480iacks

-- br Is.

Supplies were to a fair extent, and trade was tolerably
good, prices much as yesterday.
NEWGATE AND LEADENHALL.

~ _..
Town and country killed meat in large supply, but trade
dull on account of the unsettled state of the weather.
Prices little better than nominal. Beef, 2s. Bd. to 3s.Bd. ;
Mutton, 2s. 10d. to 3s. 10d. ; Veal, 3s. Bd. to 4s. Bd. ;
Pork. 3s. Bd. to 4s. 10d. ; Irish, 3s. to 3s. Bd. A good
supply of Poultry and Game, but trade very dull, prices
lower.

Her Majesty the Queen has been graciously
pleased to signify to Lord Burghersh her approval of Fri-
day, June 7, for the grand fancy ball for the benefit of the
Royal Academy of Music, which will take place under the
same distinguished patronage as heretofore, at the Hano-
ver-square Rooms.
Prince Charles Philip Ernest of ,Hohenlohe-
Langenburg has died at Gratz.
The Duke of Wellington left Apsley House on
Friday last, for Strathfieldsaye ; on the same day the wag-
gon with the plate, tic., left for the same destination. The
cooks and other leading domestics have since departed.
It is supposed that his Grace will see company during the
holidays.
The Duke and Duchess of Bedford intend leav-
ing Woburn Abbey on the 15th of April, for Campden
Hill, Kensington, where their Graces intend to remain only
a few days, and then proceed to their seat in Devonshire
for a month. Early in June they will return to Kensington
to see company. We hear that several public breakfasts
will be given, and, in July, a ball.
Earl and Countess Craven are entertaining a nu-
merous circle at Coombe Abbey, near Coventry. The
family will come to town for the season the second week
in April.
The Countess de l‘larbceuf, widow of Count de
Marbceuf, the Governor of Corsica, who was Napoleon's
first patron, died at Paris last week.
The Earl and Countess of Sandwich purpose
receiving a distinguished party at Hinchinbrooke during
the recess.
ALMACK'S.—The first of these brilliant re-
unions of the beau monde is fixed for Wednesday, the 17th
of the ensuing month. The expense incurred by Messrs.
Willis for beautifying this spacious salon de danse for this
season is said to exceed three thousand pounds. An ex-
cellent series of balls is anticipated.
A Mr. Wallis has taken the Queen's Theatre,
Tottenham-court-road, and will open it to the public on
Easter Monday. The house has been thoroughly repaired
and beautified.
A new opera, Le Lac des Fees, by Auber, is to
be produced at the Academic Royale, of Paris, in the be-
ginning of April.
It is singular enough that a Joint-stock Trading
Company with India should be projected, so soon after the
East India Company itself has been compelled to abandon
all its trading privileges.
RADICALS.—"I hent English Radicals are can-
tankerous-looking critters—that's a fact. As sour as vine-
gar, and lookin as cross and as hungry as a bear gist
starved out in the spring.—Sam Slick.
THE PUN SENATORIAL--An Hon. Member I
was speaking the other evening of the various experiments
which had been made for lighting the House, and expressed
his regret that the adoption of gas had not taken place.
" The objection to that was the heavy expense," says
anotherjHon. Member. " The advantage of candles, then,"
said the first Hon. Member, " is, that cost what they may,
you consider them a light expense."
DUELLING IN BELGIUM. BRUSSELS,
MARCH 23 —We have mentioned the duel between the
War Minister's brother and the son of M. Pirson, of the
Chamber of Representatives. We have since heard of a
fatal duel between two captains of the army, one of whom
has fallen, and the other is dying. To-day another en-
counter has taken place between M. De Brouckere and
Colonel Bire, the former of whom has received a sword-
wound in his side.

EVENING EDITION.

f..._ ....7 - -.
THE CORN-LAW DEBATES.
•`/N i,-- LD - el
Being convinced that the discussion of the Corn t7"' :Eivt
.4.,,;;.`.'
laws must he resumed again and again till they b r: ..i:..%,?-4,W-Ity.
..,(
repealed, we purpose to devote a portion of our spac ~.i?ic., •,..i•c.„, :A ,Vi -r,
during the approaching recess to an examination of the .i.;i7, :'.?,,C7;:-;,,,,-- - " -CI .-4-/_\
arguments which were urged during the late debate. `.... '..,,...L.:....--"="" ....
The question at issne was whether the law passed 11.4.1 Nitt ti 44:Pil 141
in 1828 has been beneficial to the country. It say
that on foreign corn imported into this country a
duty shall be paid varying as the price between 785.,
when a duty of ls. is to be paid, and 625., when a
duty of 1/. 4s. Bd. is to be paid, which is tobrerease
ls. for every shilling the price fails below 625., so
that if the price fall to 50s. the duty will be
1/. 16s. Bd. The advantages or disadvantages of
that law was the simple and single question at issue ;
and all other matters were extraneous and irrelevant.
They might be very amusing, like Lord John Rus-
sell's previous opinion and Sir Robert Peel's reitc.,
rated jokes about the painter, but on subjects of
such a serious nature they ought to have been left
out.

It is, we think, somewhat singular that those
who adhered to the law refused to inquire into its
effects. It was passed in 1828, or only ten years
and a half ago. Prior to its enactment another law
of a different nature, and somewhat different provi-
sions, was in existence, and that was abrogated by
common consent, because it had not answered the
purpose it was intended to answer. Such a cir-
cumstance is a prima facie argument why the
effects of the present law should be inquired into.
There have also been numerous complaints of agri-
cultural distresssince it was enacted,and Committees
have inquired into that, but none of them have in-
quired distinctly and unequivocally into the effects of
the law. To us the existence of that distress and th.:.
one-sided inquiries of these Committees, seems addi-
tional reasons why a rigid investigation should be
instituted into the effects of the law itself. Moreover,
before it was enacted, almost every conceivable
species of Corn-laws had been tried and given up
because they were injurious. We have had tAal pro-
hibition, prohibition up t) a certain point of price,
and then the admission of corn at no duty or at
low duty. We have had a fixed duty both higi,
and low—we have had bounties, and we have Ld
varying scales of duties, not one of which has been
found to answer. The new law has no antiquity to
recommend it ; some of the men who made it are

yet in existence; the laws they had previously
made were failures ; there has been much distress
under their new law ; the interests it embraces are
vast—perhaps so vast that the human mind cannot
take them all in ; numerous complaints were made
of its effects, many of which were obviously unfor-
seen ; great misfortunes were predicted to come of it ;
great discontent has been caused by it ; all which
circumstances made it imperative on the Legisla-
ture to inquire into the effects of its own enactment.
The Legislature positively refused—the House of
Lords unanimously, the House of Commons by an
evcrwhelming majority. Earl Fitzwilliam's motio
called on the Lords to pronounce an opinion or
the effect of the Act ; and that their Lordships bi
their vote denied. Mr. Villiers' motions were both
for inquiry, the second had that for its object almost
as much as the first, and both,with Lord Brougham',
motion were rejected. We have therefore to consi-
der the arguments as they bear primarily on the
refusal to inquire, and secondarily as they hear c.)
the effect of the law.

The effects of this law should now be known and
palpable. There should be nothing fanciful about
them. Its benefits or its evils should be clear and
tangible. Every law is of itself, abstractedly consi-
dered, an acknowledged evil. It trenches on some
rights—it interferes with some liberties—it gives
some men power over others ; and to counterbalance
these, the inherent properties of all laws, some con-
siderable benefit should be demonstrated, as its un-
doubted offspring. It is not enough to say of a
law, that besides its own inherent vices it produces
no other evils ; it ought also to be shown that it
produces great benefits. The onus of proof, there-
fore, lies, not on those who demand the repeal of
the law, though they were ready with that, but on
those who maintain the law. They did not offer
to supply any proof, and they resisted the produc-
tion of the evidence tendered by those who offered
to prove that the law was productive of great and
manifold evils.

We have, in this Journal, admitted the validity of
one of the grounds on which the House of Commons
refused to inquire. Lord Howick showed that it
was incompetent to conduct such an inquiry to a
good end. He justly ridiculed its empty benches,
its sleepy Chairman, its fire of cross questions and
cross speeches, its contentions with witnesses,
and the contentions of its Members; and
having seen a great deal of the House
of Commons, we were constrained to ad-
mit that Lord Howick was right. But this ad-
mission forces us to ask whether the assembly
which is incompetent to inquire into the effects of
one of its own most important laws, be competent
to make such a law ? Legally it is, morally it is
not. Has it some peculiar means of gathering in-
formation, before a law be passed, of wile,. will be its
effects, which it loses the instant the law is enacted ?
Is it like a Highland seer, blind to the present, for-
getful of the past, and clear-seeing only as to that
future which has not yet come into existence ? We
give it credit for no such prophetic sagacity ; we
believe that it is at all times much more ignorant of
what will be the effects of any law before it be
enacted, than it is of the actual effects of the law
after it has been enacted. If, therefore, inquiry
be necessary before making a law—if the House of
Commons be incompetent to inquire into the effects
of an existing law—and if it have no prophetic
power, it must be morally inefficient to make laws.
There arises, therefore, from the ground laid down
toresist inquiry, a strong printaficie reason to doubt
the benefit of a law made by such an assembly, and
a strong additional argument for the necessity of
ascertaining the effects of such an extensive and
important law as one interfering with the subsist-
ence of the nation, made by such a morally in-
competent assembly. It refused to inquire ; and
has by the refusal strengthened the conviction
that it is an incompetent Legislature. The voice
of suspicion resounds in fact through the land,
and men almost universally demand other law-
makers. We did not see in the whole debate a
single other argument against inquiry which we
consider worthy of the least notice. That, it would
take up the time of the Legislature, that it was
useless because men's minds were made up, are
merely insulting arguments, for they imply that the
Legislature has time to act the tyrant, but not time
to redress the grievances it inflicts ; and that
the lofty intellect of our lawgivers is far above the
reach of any information which the ordinary run of
human beings, who feel and suffer the penalties
of laws, can supply. When the English were pe-
rishing in the fatal black-hole of Calcutta, they
supplicated the sentinel to convey information of
their conditition to the Nabob. The lofty answer
was, " The Nabob sleeps—what slave dare disturb
his repose." The English perished. So, as the nation
is perishing, the lofty answer returned to our com-
plaint by the Houses of Commons and Lords is-7
" Slaves we are occupied, disturb us not." W e
believe that their arguments in favour of the laws,
like their arguments against inquiry, properly read,
amount to little more than " Slaves we are well
tclownivigenhieynocuy•
smallest
off; and
interferedperish
submit them to a close examination. otwheavesslrl