The Sun.
London, England, 1839-02-20 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN POLITICAL

SUMMARY.

The Times of this Morning, in a lengthened analysis of
the debate in the Commons last night, on Mr. Vlllicr's
motion for an examination of evidence at the liar of the
House on the subject of the Corn-laws, speaks of the lion.
Member's speech as " a very temperate and clear one."
This is the only declaration of opinion that occurs in the
article, which is merely intended as an analytical summary.
In a leading article on Lord Durham's Canadian docu-
ments, our Contemporary observes, in his most dog-
matic manner, '• one is struck, and indeed offended,
by the iiicessant proof which they present to us, of a mind
devoured with arrogance and fretful selfishness. The faults
and mistakes of others, contrasted with his own omniscience
and perfection, form the burden of :he Durham chatmt.
The first duty of all the rest of the world is, according to
the Durham law, to conform to every one of Lord Dur-
ham's doctrines—to support every one of Lord Durham's
acts—to see, hear, and feel through the medium of Lord
Durham's'senses."

The Morning Chronicle, commenting on the decision
of the Commons last night against hearing evidence at the
Bar on the operation of the Corn-laws, says—and says
justly, too—that the decision " cannot give satisfaction to
any class of the community. It is of ill omen for the in-
terests of all. The agriculturist may read in it his des-
, tiny to all the uncertainties and the odium of a continued
agitation. The manufacturers feel, as petitioners natur
ally feel, who are turned back when they think they
have a right to attention, and are treated like impostors
for endeavouring to impart true and needful information.
And while the operatives will exult in the fulfilment of
their prediction, that it would be sheer waste of time to pe-
tition the present House of Commons, their triumph may
perhaps be abated by the fact that their own preposte-
rous conduct has given confidence to the majority that
condemns them to toil on for scanty bread." The Chroni le
then proceeds to remark on the speech of Viscount
llovvick, adding that it " will be generally read with
grief and surprise." Alluding, in another leading ar-
ticle, to the Earl of Winehilsea's motion, is the
Lords, for copies of the official correspondence respecting
the appointment of Mr. Turton, and Lord Durham's threat
in consequence that if such a motion were persevered in, lie
would go into an inquiry into the case of every public man
who has received official employment after having been
convicted of adultery in a Court of Justice ; the Chronicle
archly and pointedly says, " such an inquiry wouli be a
strange one in a House, many of the members of which
trace the origin of their houses to the adultery of the Sove-
reigns of this country." We should be truly sorry were
Lord Durham compelled to persist in this [notion of inquiry,
if only for the sake of the Episcopal Bunch, whose high
sense of morality would receive a severe shock thereby.
The Morning Post in a leading article on last night's
debate in the Commons, observes, " the partizans of the
Anti-Corn-iaw agitation, showed the white feather to an
extent very unusual among any class or party of the
Members of that Assembly, when they imagine that the
public is on their side. They avoided every thing like
argument upon the nature and consequences of the exist-
ing law." This is an assumption without proof—or rathr r
it is an assumption founded, after an Irish process
of reasoning, on proof which tells the reverse way.
Speaking, in another article, of Lord Durham's Report, our
Contemporary, with amusing assurance, defines it to be
" one of the loosest, one of the least substantiated pieces of
prolixity, that ever was offered to the Government of a
great country as an official document." The Post then
speaks of the " prodigious length" of this Report, as fully
corroborating his assertion of its worthlessness as a politi-
cal document, just as if the affairs of a great colony could-
be disposed of in a single sentence—explained within the
brief compass of an epigram !
The Morning Herald is quite frisky on the subject of
Mr. Villiers' motion last night in the Commons, and sa3s,
with uncommon sprightliness, " This is a result on which
we may well congratulate the country. The enemies of
English agriculture have strained to the utmost all the
means of mischief et their disposal. Their hypocrisy has
been unmasked—their mis-statements have been ffseroved
—their base motions have been rendered apparent.
They have been not merely defeated. Their defeat
involves, so far as they are concerned, permanent and in-
expiable disgrace. The Herald, in another article, fires off
its pop-gun pellets at Government, with as much sternne:s
of }impose, as if they were so many thirty.teo pounders,
observing, of the present Ministry, that " weakness is
stamped on its brow—indecision on its actions—foresight,
consistency, principle, it has none I"
The Morning Advertiser, speaking of Mr. Villiers' mo-
tion, and its defeat last night, truly remarks as follows:
_." The rejection of inquiry, unless immediately followed
by the proposition of a fixed and moderate duty, or some
other relaxation of the existing system, will demonstrate be-
yond the possibility of doubt, that there is no sympathy
of feeling or of action between the people and the Legis-
lature; and the effects of such conviction, which is al-
ready but too rife among an excited population, altoge-
ther defy calculation." These remarks are harsh, but
there is justice in them.