The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-30 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION".

SPIRIT of the pumdc JOURNALS.

FROM TIIR EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY
(From the Courier.)
Our readers have no doubt observed, that the subject
of the late confiscation of opium by the Chinese aothorie
ties at Canton, and the loss of three millions sterling to
this country, either nationally or individually, has en- 0
n
tlt
ta(gnirrraaesago‘ce:el, t
nn rfalloiotpeorps udmcmrbaal
than
ah(adint
comment
tiovenpn
inekoti
upon
drinking
nor
egtne
oni fttnnomirE.
r(zoittneihi
ngnf he
aatnl
ndial
maintain
tt,tpt fueeer
bwDeml
ihdcuoaatrpinyca'
rshpie,i
atspaysgrn.
naodeef the
tice
i
ac-
eg e gin, inn , Pi
s sdebliecile:
leterc ie: reai Thedeleterious,
indulgence
geededgirnsori
Government,:see keaes r
of
oonnis
more
xr
moral
whiche to
xpense
etroaeearinscanseoti
dep and
the
revenuei
degradingu omf ,mnqoaourt
more
eoahs
ntno
national
n:ed;
pdfeu:sid:l
f,
their
eca tivr,hCi
teeyhxipena
exchequer
tites, we may conscientiously applaud a policy so tvis-q
and humane, however humiliating may be the contrast
forced upon us by the presence of a system so directly
the reverse in States boasting of a more advanced civiii- •
zation and a religion more divine of origin, as ethically
more pure. In England, in- Europe, and in America.
by an economical refinement, a permit is granted, and
universal toleration afforded for that which steals away
the brain and saps the foundations of morality, whilst
physically it destroys the energies of the body, and hur-
ries to the grave. The revolting sensualities and crav-
ings of diseased organs are legalised according to a
table of fees, just as in the discipline of the Rotnish
Church, a sinner, be he felon, adulterer, assassin, or cri-
minal of any other grade, may be shrived at a price fixed
by canon law, the extreme penalty of which, according
to the degree of crime to be perpetrated, is knot% n to
the offender, nod calculated beforehand. It may admit
of doubt whether the use of opium, even in excess, is in
effect more deleterious than the abuse of ardent spirits,
or as much so ; a point incidental, however, which is no
otherwise relevant to the question really at issue, than
as it exposes the true quality of that maudlin sensibility
which can weep and wail over ills the magnitude of
which becomes amplified in proportion as distance en-
courages ignorance, facilitates exaggeration, and renders
detection of the truth snore difficult..
(From the Globe.)
We suppose the article in the Quarterly Review on the
subject of Penny Postage is intended as a specimen of the
new sty le of oppos'aion, which is to let fly at every thing,
hit or miss, that is done .or proposed by Government.
There may be two opinions as to the immediate success of
this measure ; that is to say, as to its immediate conse-
quences to the revenue. But there cannot be two opinions,
we should thins, as to the tone and manner in.ivhich such
a question should be approached by " public instructors.'
There casuot he two opinions as to its total disconnexion
from party politics. The Tories even showed a strong
disposition to make the project their own, so long
as it seemed likely they would have the credit of
its execution. This hope having failed, they turn
and rend the object of their previous approval. This
may be in tolerable accordance with the rules of party
warfare ; but it ought to be remembered that there
is a third party interested,—the public, and that this is
not like many questions, one in which it feels feebly in-
terested, and contented to let parties make it a pretext
for their assaults on power. There is, moreover, this
inconvenience in making a party topic of the postage
question. Every popular view of it is on the Govern-
ment side. It is impossible to apply to it the Quarterly
tactics of opposition, without betraying all the illiberal
feelings of inveterate Toryism. The Conservative
leaders in Parliament were wiser in their generation than
to do this. They all disavowed " objecting to the
principle of the resolution." But the Quarterly
has change lout cela, and is bent on going a-
Head of the leaders of the party in Pailia-
ment, and stirring mutiny in the camp. As an example
of the efficacy of its new rules of action, it runs a tilt
at the postage question with every weapon from the
old armoury of objections to every possible change that
has 'env possible danger in it. The Quarterly has even
the intrepidity to attack the principle of the postage
reform, n, inch was acquiesced in by all the leaders of
its own part;'. and by some of its members, as Lords
Ashburton anti Lowther, warmly and sincerely ad-
vocated.

(Ffom the Standard.)
We have our own opinion of the duty of a Govern-
ment in the matter of l'gislation. 'We do not think it
any reproach to an Execrative that it has mot been busy
in -disturbing the established institutions of a State, and
we almost wish to see the day when the officers of the
Crown shall be precluded;, from the initiative in the
enactment of laws and limited to a strictly defen-
sive service, where defence is necessary. That
this, however, is not the opinion of Sir John
Campbell is plain from the necessitS of offering
an apology under which he consid.srs himself,
as well as from the nature of the apology offel'ed. That
this is not the opinion of the Cabinet is eqna.Vy plain
from the number of new laws that they have .
torced
upon the notice of Parliament as Cabinet measures to
the course of the last four years ; and still more mani-
fest in the several addresses by which the several
Parliamentary Sessions have been opened. Now,
the Government having committed itself so un-
equivocally to effect important changes in the
existing laws, may not defend its failure to
effect these chancres upon the ground that the changes
are not desirable by themselves, or that it is not the
duty of the Executive to procure them ;,and,accordiogly
Sir John Campbell tries to throw the blame, upon the
Conservative opposition in the House of 126rds*.'
.t." We
are taunted by our opponents," says the Let;rned.Gentle-
man, " and certainly with a bad grace, that we have
done nothing by way of legislation. From ,wh,om do
those complaints proceed ? From those who ;we-
vented all further improvement in our institutions
by a determined resolution on their part that le-
gislation should not succeed. * * *
There was a very long list of measures which passed the
House of Cotnutons, and were sent up to the House of
Lords, but what became of them there ? Why they
were smashed by those who at the end of the session say
that the Government have done nothing." Now Sir
John here' states what (we are sorry to be obliged to
say it) is the. vtry-rei'erse of the truth. The failure of
the Ministerial BIM is not chargeable upon the Conser-
vative opposition, or upon the House of Lords, but upon
the Ministers themselves, who abandoned the great ma-
jority of thenz.

PAROCHIAL CONSTABLES.—An erroneous
idea seems to prevail that the powers of the old consta-
bulary force, chosen I,y the parishes under particular
local Acts and by the Courts Lett held by prescriptive
right, have ceased and determined in the metropolitan
police district by the first clause of the New Police Act.
The fact is, the Act does not at all interfere with the
ancient right of appointing bailiffs, ale-canners, con-
stables, and headboroughs, end juries for the detection
of false weights and measures in the metropolis, where
the Court Leet is held by prescriptive right, and not by
virtue of any particular Act, as in the city and liberty
of Westminster. The new law does certainly' repeal
the 29th of George 11., entitled " An Act for appoint-
ing a sufficient number of constables for the service of
the city and liberty of Westminster, and to compel pro-
per persons to take upon them the office of jurymen, to
prevent nuisances and other offences within the said city
and liberty." At several Courts Leet recently holden
in the metropolis the stewards of the different manors
have sworn in the juries, and the constables and 1)04-
borough have been appointed as usual, and werein-
formed that their powers, privileges, and liabilitiei. re-
mained in full force. • - •
PORTSMOUTH, OCT. 28.—The Medeit*eAtiaet
arrived last night at Cowes, burst her bolterss-9E