The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-02 00:00:00

TAO DON, WEDNES kV EVENING, APRIL 2, 1862.

THE rtSUN;

tax is infinitely more vicious in its essential prin-
ciples than the late paper duty, or than most of the
repealed taxes. It stands by itself in its immediate
inequality and in its immoral bearings. It could
not have subsisted so long, but that it is paid by
the most prudent part of the community, and pru-
dent men are generally patient men. Nothing, in-
deed, can be said for it, except that the Chancellor
of the Exchequer must get money how and where
he can.

We remember Sir G. C. LEWIS, when he had to
fight for it, invented, by the aid of a subordinate, a
most ludicrously ingenious argument ; if, said he,
the risk be slight and the premium low, the insur-
ance may pay, as on house property, two hundred
per cent. duty, and he can afford it. Had he carried
out his argument he must have added, but if the
risk be nil—he can well afford a higher tax ; and,
therefore, we shall levy one on all incombustible
property at least equal to the average charge for
premium and duty on other property. That equit-
able and logical conclusion did not of course suit
Sir GEORGE.

But he did not stop there. If, said he, the risk
be great, and the premium high, the proportions of
the tax are reversed. If, for instance, the premium
be three or four times the tax, the tax becomes only
thirty-three or twenty-five per cent. ! As if the 1
reversal of the proportions, by largely increasing
the total charge to the insured, made it easier for
him to bear the tax ! We exposed this extraordi-
nary fallacy at the firrin Th.' :A. t— (so
an illustration of the extent to which a most able
man can be blinded by a pre-conceived determina-
tion; In no other way can we account for the fact
that a Chancellor of the Exchequer should gravely
tell the House of Commons and the country what
amounts to this—that a man who had paid ten or
twenty shillings to an office to insure his property
could better afford:a three shillings tax, in addition,
than a man who had paid but eighteenpence for the
safety of his hundred pounds. The palpable fact
being that the hardship of the tax increases in pro-
portion as its ratio to the premium diminishes, and
vice versa ; till, if paid for property which fire could
not injure, the hardship might be said to vanish.

On a broad view of the whole case, we cannot
but think the House of Commons did wisely in
expressing its opinion so decidedly last night.

The kind interest shown by Sir ROBERT PEEL '
and other members of the House of Commons in the
fate of the victims of priestly intolerance in Spain
seems to have been worse than thrown a way. On
an appeal against the first sentence of seven years'
labour in the galleys for reading the Bible, these
simple - hearted Spaniards had four years each
added to their punishment. Their reading the
Bible was construed as " attempting to abolish or
change in Spain the Catholic, Apostolic, and Ro-
man religion "—a crime punished by the 128th
article of the penal code with imprisonment and
subsequent banishment if the accused were a
public functionary, and with the " major impri-
sonment," if any one else! Such is Spanish law
—such are Popish priests when they are in
power. Well did Lord PALMERSTON describe the
case on the 14th of March last in the House of
Commons :—" The Spanish nation is a nation full
of valiant, noble, chivalrous feelings and senti-
ments; but unfortunately in Spain the Catholic
priesthood exercise a sway greater than that they
possess in any other country; and, however libe-
ral—l believe I may say so—the Catholic laity
in most countries are, history tells us that wher-
ever the priesthood gets the predominance the
utmost amount of intolerance as invariably pre-
vails. And although in countries where they form
ia minority bi 1.... ....1.. A /Iva QV., ne i ,70.x.......7.«.......... .......1-
‘oiera non ut equality, in countries where they are
predominant neither equality nor toleration exists.
Well, sir, the case in this instance bears upon
law. It does not depend upon the will and ac-
tion of the Government. There are ancient laws
of the most intolerant and persecuting kind which
have been called into action by the ministers of
the Christian religion, and that action has been
the condemnation of these unhappy men to pun-
ishment which must in its nature be revolting to
the minds of liberal persons."
Had they been condemned for reading and
teaching the Koran, or the publications of a Spanish
HOLYOAKE, the cruelty would have been equally
indefensible, and equally disgraceful to the faith to
which its perpetrators belong. What can the reli-
gion be worth which cannot hold its ground against
the teachers of other religions, which forbids people,
if it eau, to hear of any religion except through its
own priests; and which fetters the free choice of its
professors by ignorance, maintained by imprison-
ment in the galleys for eleven years P We have a
striking corroboration of the truth of Lord PALMER-
STON'S observations from Spain itself. A Romish
journal at Madrid, the Clamor Publico, shows how
differently educated laymen, there, appreciate the
rights of conscience from what the priests do. In
a noble article, of which, though long, we insert the
greater part, the writer observes :

"We frankly confess that so cruel a sentence has made
a profound impression upon us, because it inflicts a wound
and injury on men whose offence consists in professing a
creed differing from that of the established religion. We
are well aware that the penal code in this instance, con-
formable with the ancient laws of the kingdom, prescribes
the penalty of the severest imprisonment (prisiori mayor)
on those who endeavour to abolish or alter, directly or in-
directly, in Spain the Roman Catholic apostolic religion.
But it dees seem to us that, looking at the spirit of the age,
and the tolerance which, in matters of faith, all the Govern-
ments of the world are showing, we could and ought to dis-
play less rigour against those who, in their relations with
divinity, practise other worship under the belief, however
mistaken, that heaven will thus be open to them.
" And our sorrow is increased when we consider what
would become of ourselves—ardent and sincere Catholics
as we are—if in other countries where fortune or misfor-
tune should oblige us to reside we were treated like the
unfoi tunate persons who are groaning in the prisons of
Granada. For is it not a contradiction that the Spaniards
residing in England, France, Germany, and even in Mo-
rocco, are able to worship the God of their fathers as their
heart and conscience dictate, although the dominant wor-
ship is different from ours; while here, those who do not
conform to the established religion are persecuted, prose-
cuted, condemned, and martyred? Is it just, is it creditable
to us, that the fanatical sectaries of the Karen should give
us lessons of tolerance ? What should we say if, on the
plea of reprisals, our brethren living in Protestant coun•
tries were condemned to renounce their religion under pain
of being punished for exercising it with the brand of the
reprobate and the chain of the convict ?
" Christian charity—that charity which our Divine
Master taught us—advises us to compassionate those who
have their eyes shut against the light of truth, and that we
should endeavour to regenerate them, not with punishment,
which tortures and humiliates, but by means of example
and persuasion, which may command the understanding.
We should be very glad if the Government, appreciating
these brief observations with the intelligent spirit of the
age, and seeing in them no more than the frank and loyal
expression of good intentions, should advise the Crown to
make use, in this case, of the most beautiful of its prero
gatives, and temper with pardon and clemency the inexo-
rable rigour of justice."

But what are British Catholics about ? Arc they
content to rest under the stigma of being equally
indifferent to the civil liberties of Roman Italians,
and the religious liberties of Spanish Nonconfor-
mists ? Can they read such remarks as those of
the Clamor Publico and not blush to think that,
loudly as they demanded, and gladly as English
liberals accorded them, Catholic emancipation here,

not a breath of theirs las ever pleaded with their
co-religionists in Spaitto grant Protestant emanci-
pation there ? What if Cardinal WISEMAN doing—
he ought to feel some iterest in religious liberty in
Spain. He knows allabout it here, and were he to
head a bona fide mcaorial to the priesthood of
Spain, on the contras suggested by the Clamor
Publico between the ttatment of Catholics in Eng-
land and Protestants ix Spain, it could not but have
its weight. We can assure the priests of England
and Ireland that theircool-blooded indifference to
Catholic persecutions if Protestants—persecutions
justly characterised byLord PALMERSTON as "re-
volting"—does more tian anything else to maintain
in English minds the b3lief that Popery is an essen-
tially persecuting religon. At the present day the
creed which can complacently look on while its pro-
fessors, when they hare the power, are guilty of
such atrocities, in the name of religion, as now dis-
grace Spain, is a creed which must bear more than
the suspicions of being radically inhuman. We
hope better things of British Catholics ; but if they
do not purge themselves of the complicity of apathy
or approbation, in regard to priestly crimes against
conscience in Spain, they must allow lookers-on to
draw their own inference.

LATEST NEWS.

THE INTERVENTION IN MEXICO.

The Moniteur of to-day, in its bulletin, says:—

" The Spanish papers assert that the Government
of the Emperor had requested the Cabinet of Madrid
to recall General Prim. This news is entirely false.
The French Government confined itself to express-
ing its disapproval of the convention concluded be-
tween Generals Prim and Doblado, and afterwards
accepted by the Plenipotentiaries of the Allies, be-
cause this convention appeared to it to be contrary
to the dignity of France. M. de Saligny has in
consequence been entrusted with the full political
powers with which Admiral Jurien de la Graviere
was invested. Admiral Jurien de la Graviere has
received orders to re-assume simply the command
of the naval division.

MADRID, APRIL 1.

It is asserted that Spain, sharing the opinion of
France, disapproves the convention concluded at
Soledad with the Mexican Plenipotentiaries.

PARIS, APRIL 2.
The Paris papers of to-day publish the following
telegraphic despatch :
CONSTANTINOPLE, APRIL 1.

The news received here from Syra concerning the
surrender of NAuplia is unfounded. The citadel will
vet be able to hold out four months. The 150
men within it will only treat with the Bing, and
demand the dismissal of the Ministry, the dissolu-
tion of the Chamber, the arming of the National
Guard, and the appointment of a successor to the
Throne.

THE INDIA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN

MAILS.

SUEZ, APRIL 1, 9.15 P.M.
The Calcutta, China, and Australian mails have
arrived here to-day.

FRANCE.
PARIS, TUESDAY.

BOURSE, April I.—Two o'clock.—The attention
of speculators has been occupied with the arrange-
ments consequent on the monthly settlement, to the
exclusion of any fresh operations. The business
done has therefore been limited, and prices have
receded, Threes, for the present Account, being
now at 691 r. 65c. The Railway Share market has
Lthout any material varia-

been rather heavy, but w
tion in prices.

Three o'clock.—The fol
tions

4t per per Cents 97 20
Do. end month 7 20
3 per Cents
Do. end month 69 50
New 3 per Cents
Do. end month 6B 55
Credit Mobilier 767 50
Do. Account —

lowing are the last quota.

Bank Shares 3090 -

Credit F °lacier 1535
Belgian 41.. lolg
Piedmontese Fives 67 85
Roman —
Austrian
Spanish Threes —
Rome Debt

RAILWAYS,
Cash. Account.
Orleans
Northern
New ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 1122 50 .. 1120
Geneva .. 360
Southern 778 75 .. 777 50
Western
Eastern ....
Sardinian 361 50 .. 365
Austrian
Lombard , 565 .. 565
AUSTRIA.

A letter fxom Vienna, dated the 24th of March;
says :

" The report that Lord Bloomfield has gone on a
journey to Belgrade is not confirmed. The English
Ambassador has returned here after a stay of three
days at Pesth. The object of his lordship's visit to
Pesth was a mission from the Austrian Cabinet, or
rather a mission from the Emperor Francis Joseph,
which .7,- ..-racsmitisa tv bim by, count Rechberg.
It was to make coauthor attempt at a rapprochement
between Austria and Hungary. It appears that
Lord Bloomfield addressed his propositions to M.
Francis Peak, but it is not certain that he had any
personal interview with the chief of the party
of the address. I am informed that Count
George Karolyi acted as intermediary be:
tween M. Deak and the British Ambas-
sador. As regards the tenour of the proposals
made I cannot say anything exactly, but it is sup-
posed that the Emperor—who, it may be observed,
does not share all the views of M. de Schmerling
respecting Hungary—would recognise to a certain
point the Hungarian Constitution if, in that case,
the Diet would consent to send delegates, not to
the Council of the Empire, but to a commission
chosen from within that Assembly, so as to fix by
common agreement the basis of an understanding
between Hungary and Austria. I give you this
as a supposition based upon certain facts which I
believe to be authentic. However it may be, Lord
Bloomfield does not appear to have had any better
success than Count Apponyi and other officious in-
termediaries. In fact, after having announced his
intention of remaining a fortnight at Pesth with
Lady Bloomfield, his Excellency left the Hunga-
rian capital on the fourth morning of his stay,
leaving his wife and nephew there, promising to re-
turn to Hungary in a day or two. He, however,
on his arrival at Vienna, telegraphed to Lady Bloom-
field that he had given up the idea of returning to
Pesth. It is, therefore, to be presumed that the
reply he brought back was so unsatisfactory that
further negotiations were deemed superfluous.
Thus another attempt at reconciliation has failed,
and the ideas of M. de Schmerling prevail. M. de
Schmerling's colleagues are downcast, for if they
admit on the one hand that the system of the
Minister logically recommends itself, they at the
same time do not conceal from themselves the im-
possibilities of its realization, in the face of a coun-
try, powerful from its political intelligence, and by
the union of sentiments which animate the different
parties as soon as the relations with Austria are
mooted. All those men who have endeavoured to
effect a good understanding with Hungary—as
Counts Esterhazy, Forgach, Szechen, Apponyi—
have all failed against the sentiments of indepen-
dence and legality manifested by the Hungarian
patriots. The status quo will be maintained, and
the convocation of the Diet, which ought to have
taken place already, is adjourned by the fact at
least to next autumn.