The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-30 00:00:00

aha common sense teach that the older a right is, and the
longer a particular class have been habituated to it, the
greater is the cruelty, and the severer is the practical
wrong of interfering with it. We would, therefore, have
those persons who are so greatly shocked at the attempt
of Government to make Parliament interfere with some
of the rights of Companies acquired under private Acts,
which are but a year or two in existence—we would
have them remember how little reluctance they showed
to interfere with the property of the Church and
the rights of the destitute poor, both of which had
been in existence for centuries. They would not listen
to any doubt of the perfect reasonableness, as well as power
of the Parliament, to interfere in these cases. But what
is there so sacred in the rights of a certain number of joint-
stock proprietors, existing in virtue of an Act of Parlia-
ment of last year, beyond the rights of the whole body of
the Clergy, or the whole body of those who do belong, or
may belong, to the class of the destitute poor. It is idle
to pretend that the joint-stock Companies (except it be upon
the ground of mere expediency) have any superior right ;
and, if mere expediency is to be admitted, it is idle to speak
of the rights of property at all. It is time for the Legis-
lature to learn that there is no medium between the protec-
tion of rights, and the abandonment of liberty. If this
protection is made to depend on temporary views of expe-
diency, affairs will soon be pushed to that extreme in which
everything is subject to the fleeting will of the majority, or
to a despot, who will give security in exchange for the free-
dom he has taken away.—Morning Herald.

CANADIAN AFFAIRS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRZSPO,DISNT.)
New York, June 8, 1838.

In my last I sent you intelligence of the burning of the
steam.-boat, Sir Robert Peel, off French Creek. The boat
was boarded on her upward passage from Prescott to Kingston,
while taking in wood at Well's Island, in the neighbourhood of
French Creek, ar.d after the crew and passengers were
put ashore she was set on fire and burnt. The whole blame
of this outrage is thrown by the Americans on Canadian re-
fugees. This is done, I presume, to save their own national
character ; but it could not have been done by Canadian re-
fugees if they had not friends among the Americans to aid
them in carrying their plans out. That they bad friends
both rich and powerful I have no doubt ; however it now
answers a gocd American purpose to throw the blame on the
Canadians.

Thirteen persons have been arrested by the American au-
thorities as having been engaged in this affair—two only of
them are Americans. It is said there were some 15,0001. on
board in specie, which was plundered ; some 6,000 dollars, it
is said, have been found on a Canadian refugee, named Scorn-
law, who, it is added, was the leader ; yet, strange to say, he
was admitted to bail on security to the amount of five hundred
dollars.

The excitement caused by this affair is not yet over. Those
who committed it were regularly organized : their watchword
was " the Caroline," and they called each other by assumed
names—Sir William Wallace, Judge Lynch, Bolivar, Tecom-
seh, Colonel Crockett, and so forth. If the act was com-
mitted by refugees, there is much to palliate their conduct.
Many, it should be remembered, were comfortable in the bosom
of their families when they were hunted out of house and
home by the authorities—their property handed over to their
enemies, their friends imprisoned, and exposed to every de-
scription of persecution. It is not to be wondered at that in
their despair they have forgotten the bounds laid down by
the law.

The excitement on this side, however, was greatly exceeded
by the feeling on the Canadian frontier, lest it should be fol-
lowed by attacks upon property on that side ; and guards were
stationed on the wharfs at Toronto, Kingston, and the several
landing places on the lakes. " The rebels have again mus-
tered," says a letter from Toronto, dated May 28, and pub-
lished in the Quebec Mercury, " for the purpose of destroying
the Welland Canal—setting it on fire, I suppose —the militia,
black and white, are called out at Niagara ; the 24th Regi-
ment is doing duty in the streets of Toronto, and things look
squally." So squally indeed did they look, that Sir George
Arthur considered it necessary to issue a proclamation, recom-
mending the Upper Canadians not to retaliate. They did
not, however, take his advice, for yesterday intelligence was
received here that an American steamer was fired into by the
militia or volunteers, from the wharf at Brockville. The
particulars are as follow :
The American steamboat Telegraph left Oswego on Friday
evening, June 1, at six P. NI., touched at Prescott, and arrived
between nine and ten that night at Brockville, N. C. Here
she took in and landed passengers and freight, and the Cap-
tain was surprised to find a mob come on board and ransack
the cabin. His suspicion being excited he moved off with all
speed, but had not gone far when he was hailed to bring to.
Supposing it to be for more passengers, he dropped astern to
within 20 feet of the dock, and sent his small boat for the sup.
posed passengers. He was called to come alongside with the
steamer, but he refused, whereupon about 20 musket shots
were discharged by the guard on the wharf into the boat. Four
of the belle entered into the ladies' cabin ; one passed close to
the chambermaid, and two struck the boat close to the Cap-
tain. To avoid a repetition of the outrage, the Captain set
on all the steam he could, and proceeded on his voyage.
The Captain of the Brockville Guard says they fired merely
as a warning to suspicious vessels. If so, why were the mus-
kets loaded with ball, or why so directed ? In consequence of
this unjustifiable outrage, both sides of the frontier are thrown
into a regular flame, to add to which the commanding officer of
Kingston has been heard to threaten that the next outrage
would be the signal for his landing in the United States in a
hostile attitude, for, said he, " the Canadians are able to take
the Republic without any aid from England." I hope he
will put his threat in execution—were it for no other purpose
than to see if these Canadians are so bravo and so loyal as they
pretend.
In consequence of these proceedings, Sir John Colborne
has, I believe, set out from Quebec for Upper Canada, a ith
his Staff, to assume the command of the forces in that pro.
wince, which step is looked upon here as somewhat serious.
Armed schooners, too, are, it is said, about to be placed on
the Lakes, as a protection to the British trade.
A messenger passed through here to-day with dispatches
from Lord Durham for Washington. A few days therefore
will show what course the United States Government will
take in the matter. For my own part, lam of opinion that
this continent is getting too small for Democracy and Aris-
tocracy, and that one of them must move off. The papers in
this State are beginning to look upon war as inevitable. Van
Buren is ill prepared for such a war ; he commands but a
small majority in the Congress, yet I believe a war would be
popular, and I am inclined to think that great sacrifices would
be made both by Whig and Democrats when once it became
a question of national honour, as it will soon be, if the Ameri-
can flag continues to be insulted; for in this the Americans
closely resemble John Bull—they will spend millions of dol-
lars, and involve half the world in the miseries of war, to
punish the insult of their flag.
Lord Durham, as you are aware, arrived in Quebec on the
27th ultimo. We have dates here of the 4th of June, from
Montreal, and from Quebec to the 2d. To judge from the
papers, Lord Durham is certainly using considerable dispatch,
and gives symptoms of a degree of vigour, which Canada has
not witnessed for a long time. Immediately after he was
sworn in, he called for the Attorney-General, but he was ab-
sent, to Lord Durham's great surprise. He then ordered that
the names of the prisoners for political offences, and the affi-
davits on which the charges against them had been grounded,
should he laid before him at nine o'clock, together, with a re-
turn of the number of days each was in jail. He also called
for the affidavits against " those who had fled from justice,"
and the names of all absentees under accusation. On assuming
office he issued a proclamation "to the people of British Ame-
rica," in the course of which he promised to give his assistance
and encouragement to the Constitutional supporters of Reform,
and to those who, through a spirit of patriotism, wish to im-
prove defective institutions, whilst he should exercise all the
powers, civil and military, his office invested him with against
the disturbers of the peace, the violators of the law, and the
enemies of the Crown. You will see in the course of your
reading this proclamation what the last part of the paragraph
Tin ans. lamat a loss to tell, for it is capable of two con-
structions.

His Excellency's next step was to cause Mr. Buller, his
Secretary, to address a circular letter dated 3lst of May to
each of the executive Councillors, informing them that their
services were dispensed with for the present—" His ExCel-
lency deeming it essential for the object of his mission, that
during the temporary suspension of the Constitution he should
be completely independent and unconnected with all parties in
the province." He, at the same tine, had his Commission
printed in the papers, giving him, among ether things, "power
to enquire into and to adjust. as far as possible, all questions
pending in the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada." On
the following day, June I, his Lot dsbip issued a notice
diss*olving Sir John's Council. Thus far all must
admit that his Lordship hat shown much energy,
and that of a praiseworthy character. In sending the Exe-
cutive Council about their business be has got rid of a
rookery of malevolent spirits, who would inevitably have
wreked his Lordship's reputation; and having thus sepa-
'rated himself from the official party publicly, it is to be hoped
he will guard himself from their private influence. By dis-
solving Colborne's rabid Tory Council he has created a hope
that the abominable ordinances of that body, sanctioned and
perhaps even suggested by that ignorant soldier, will be ex-
punged.
The appointment of Buller and Turton has excited the in-
dignation of the Tories in Canada. The London corres-
pondent of the Montreal Herald stated that these nominations
excited the rnr,st " unqualiLd di:-grit" in London. Taking
the cue from tLis, which, as you are aware, emanates from the
Gould clique (British American Land Company and other
moss poly influences) is London. and from the merchant
Moffat, who arrived in tine Ist of May packet. the Montreal
Herald of the 4th contvins a violent phillipic against Turton,
who, with Buller, has Leen Gazetted as Secretary to the Go-
vernment. The circumstances connected with Turton's divorce
afford them a fine opportunity of annoying both the individual
and the Government. They ha p upon the subject with all
the bitterness of which all they are capable, and I doubt
not hut that their rage will hurry tin'm into greater violence,
and bring about an open rupture between themselves and the
Chsteae. This may possibly eventuate in good to the poor
ill-treated Canadians.

I have received since I last wrote some direct intelligence
from our friends in the jails in Canada. Dr. Lionnais has
died. Ile was arrested in November on a doubtful charge,
n d expired on the 25th of kril. The long confinement
brolte him down, and thus: another victim of British oppression
has been added to the list. The other prisoners are stouter