The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-25 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

Throughout the greater portion of last week our Contem.
poraries in the Downing-street interest fatigued themselves
and amused the public with scenes of triumph over the Con-
servative party, forasmuch as three or four Members of Par-
liament who in general support Sir Robert Peel had thought
proper to throw eta opinions of their own relatively to tire pro-
po ;ed amount of the Irish municipal franchise. These person-
ages introduced their paeans by a celebration of the absence of
Sir Robert Peel from the House .if Commons on Monday, the
18th inst., and a learned narrative—or description rather—of
the ceuse of that phenomenon. The Treasury prints assured
their readers that the Right Hen. Member for Tamworth sat
" at home in a retired corner of his house, moping," discon-
solate, in solitary mortification ; and for what ? Because in
his wizar.l prcee:ence be (Sir Robert) had anticipated that
Lord Eliot and one or two other Conservatives, who sosr e
nights before had wallted out of the House without voting pro
or con. upon the franchise question, or voted against the great
Conservative body, were about to put on record a fresh, and
therefore superfluous, proof of their rely ase from the bonds of
political,co-operation, by making what are sometimes called " in-
elependent" speeehee of both the above topics in their turn. We
have heard of "being alone in a crowd," and it is to be suspected
that if the Conservative leader was consigned to anything like
solitude ou the above evening, it was that very species of
thickly-peopled solitude. If Sir Robert Peel passed the
evening at home, it must have been that he was made to feel
himself " et home" by the Reyal lady in whose house and
presence his Monday evening was assuredly spent. In short,
the scene of moping mortificathsn to which the unhappy
Baronet thee condemned himself was neither more nor less
that the most brilliant and exhilarating ball of the season,
givea by her Majesty in the Palace of Pimlico on the anni-
versary of the battle of Waterloo, to which not only the Duke
of Wellington and his whole company of 76 gallant officers
were, by the command of Queen Victoria, graciously and ex-
pressly summoned, but all the foreigners of official rank and
station now in the metropolis, with all the leading personages
of both parties in the State, and high among the litter class
the 0 disconsolate" Member for Tamworth. So much for fabri-
cation the first. Now for the second. An absurd and despicable
clatter has been made by certain Ministerial Journals concern-
ing what took place in the Committee on the Irish Municipal
Bill during the absence of Sir Robert Peel at the above en-
tertainment, when Messrs. Lascelles, Miles, and Pusey sought
pecasion to state their unwillingness to require a qualification,
which, though nominally no more than 101., might have the
effect of raising the franchieo through the instrumentality of
the Poor-law rating clause to a higher amount than to/. Mr.
Lascelles did not support the 51. qualification proposed by her
Majesty's Ministers; nor in voting against Sir Robert Peel
on the former night had he objected to a bona fide 10/. fran-
chise, but to a nominal 101., which, as calculated by a rating
process, would amount to more than 10/. He declared that
" the difference between the two sides of the House was
only as to the mode in whieh they should ascertain the
101. franchise." Now, what said Sir Robert Peel him-
self on the 11th instant, with Sir William Follett for his
supporter? " Show me a mode of testing the 101. quali-
fication which shall insure the enjoyment of the franchise to
the man possessing a house of 10/. value, though of not a
farthing higher value than 10/., and I will most willingly ac-
cept that test." Where, then, is the difference in principle
or purpose between Sir Robert Peel and Mr. Lascelles, after
this explanation of his sentiments by the latter gentleman ?
We call upon any honest and truth-telling man to point out
such a difference. So Mr. Miles's objection went merely to
the excess above 101 to which the ordinary mode of rating
might raise the qualification above that nominal sum, and to
the discordant standards of value which might thence be esta-
blished among the towns of Ireland. Mr. Miles, any more
than Mr. Lascelles, did not say that 10/. was too high a qua-
lification. He objected to one higher than 101., higher than
that wherewith Sir Robert Peel had pledged himself to be con-
tent and satisfied. Mr. Pusey confined himself to an ex-
pression of his earnest wish that the question should be spee-
dily settled, in which we heartily coincide. Our general
respect, nevertheless, for Mr. Pusey's judgment—howe-
ver sound it may be on that point—was sorely shaken
by the former heresy of the Hon. Member in acceding to the
appropriation cheese, which the nation with one voice now
cries out against, and which practically has long since been
abandoned by the Whigs themselves. We should like to
know, were it for bare curiosity, by what process those cunning
alchymiets, the Radical newswriters can extract subject for re-
joicing from any materials afforded them by the above three
gentlemen. It might, perhaps, have been more circumspect,
and less open to mierepresentotion, had they recollected the
ready tricks and devices to the employment of which all men
who profess adherence to a party expose, not themselves
atone, but the interests of that party, when they act even with
the fairest and most upright views, but without a previous and
well-understood concert ripen questious of critical concern. As
for Lord Eliot's precedure in the above instance, considered with
reference to the obligations of party, and to those extensive na-
tional interests which depend for their promotion or security on
the united and cordial efforts of all who take service in the same
great cause to carry out the propositions of their leaders—consi-
dered in that respect, we perhaps might have wished that the
Noble Lord had been satisfied with the consciousness of a
" free-will" which nobody was inclined to question, and had
supported by his vote the sentiments which those who know
him are persuadeci that he, in substance, entertains upon this
important measure. The real misconstructions, and irr,ulting,
because hypocritical, compliments, passed by the Whigs upon
Lord Eliot's " candour. liberality," &c., coupled as they were
with loud rejoicings at tine proof " thins insisted on by such
sangUine partisans of what they termed " discord in the Con-
servative camp," must suffice to show men of open and ingenu-
ous character what risks they run when vital questioee arc at
stake by attempting any other than the mod-, consistent, resolute,
and decided course of political action. If, however, the Radical
enemy builds upon such rare arid incidental occurrences as
groueds of hope that even the shadow of serious differenceexists
among ;Persil; 'sized members of the Conservative party open
any env question wherein the principles of constitutional mo-
narchy and of tur'eulent democracy, of stability and move-
ment, of Protestantism arid Popery, are involved, they are
blockheads for their pains. But divisien3 are not quite over
for the session, so nous verrons. Our own persuaeion, we
rejoice to say, i 4 still as strong as ever, and the more strong
fer what happened within the last few days, that the House
of Lords will adopt a wise remedial policy, repairing what-
ever mischiefs may have arisen in the other House of Parlia-
ment, and so adjusting the rating provisions of the Poor
Law to the exigencies of the municipal franchise as, in the
words, and according to the recommendation of Lord Juhn
Russell " greatly to lesson the existing dijficulties." The
Peers must be sensible, as are the Conservatives of the other
House, of :what inestimable value it would be to all our
higher and mere enduring interests as a people, that these
Irish measures should (ince and finally become the law of the
lend. Times.

We must remind Liberal Members of the [louse of Com-
mons that the third r:ading of the Irish Nlunicipil Bill takes
place to-Mzlit. It is understood that the Tor.es meal to di-
vide against it. and that they con't on being able to take their
opponents by surprise. Under such :ircumstanees, evi ry Li-
teral Member will see the necessity of using at his poet at an
early hour, as the division is likely to eonie on soon. We
must, therefore. urge all the supporters of Government to be
constant in their attendance 0-night, that this Tory scheme
may be frustr-tea. --:411.-rning Chronicle.

The postponed discussion on the Sugar Daties stand; f r
this evening. Having repeatedly brought the sehject under
public notice, we nee I now go through details witioh have
been already set forth in our columns during the last few
weeks. But it may be necessary to recall to the recollection
of the public the peculiar insition of a question affecting the
interests of the people of Gl...at Briton, to the extent of
upsards of three millions of 'annual taxation, extracted
front their pocke's in the prices of a single areiele of daily
consumption, fer the sole encouragement of that alive labour,
under the false pretence of getting rid of h Lich, a few years
ago, twenty millions sterling were paid by way of compensa-
tion—a fact which should not be lost sight of, nor for a mo-
ment forgotten, until negro slavery, in whatever shape, and
under whatever name, be utterly and for ever abolished. Be-
sides the annual taxation which the country pays as a premium
on slave-labour, which, without such artificial stimulus, is the
least profitable of all labour, we muse remind the public that
fraud is brought in to the aid of copidits ; and, as we formerly
proved. large boanty is paid, net co famine, but under the
deceptive pretext of a drawback. The positive annual and
average amount of that dishonestly obtained bounty we have
shown to b.., up,vards of 360.000/. (Mr. Clay states that in the
last year it amounted to 500,0001.) paid ow of the Exchequer
under the name of a drawback upon refined sugar for ex-
portation ; the effect of which is, by forcing upon the
continental markets large quantities of sugar, tly.3 pro-
duce of our West Indian colonies, to raise its price at
home far beyond what can be measured by the actual
amount of bounty peid, while that enhancement of
the price circumscribes the consumption of the article
at borne, in a great degree prohibiting the uae of what has be-
come almost a necessary of life to the poorer classes of society.
Who are the great supporters of this system of fiscal oppres-
sion and fraud? Those very liberal Ministers and professed
free traders,' Mr. Spring Rice and Mr. Poulett Thomson !
Tiley have not only exerted themselves to the utmost of their
small abilities and large cunning to perpetuate th's grievance
as they did in endeavouring to give a false view of the motion
of Mr. Pease the other day ; but they have recourse to
Inl3 statements and subterfuges worthy of a system of
chicanery and fraud. We exposed some of their trickery
and deceptive statements the other dly, in reference to
the motion to which we have just now alluded. Finding
such clumsy artifices, which were resorted fit fur the
purpose of evading the fultilmeent of promises formerly
made by themselves, that in this very year an alteration
of the drawback system should take place, were unavail-
ing, they propose to make concession to the just demands of
the public in their new Sugar Bill, but even this late and re-
luctant concession is tainted with dishonesty. The Govern-
ment having already admitted that a large bounty is concealel
in the drawback upon refined sugars exported, it is difficult to
comprehend why the Chancellor of the Exchequer should
wish to extend the opportunity of perpetrating this fraud, not
only upon the revenue directly in the positive 1035, but also
indirectly through excessive price affecting the consumption
with the public, beyond the period which the act of P4rlia-
meta
.prescribes for its termination—viz , the sth of July.
Mr. P. Thomson, on Friday evening last, notified to the
House that Government intended to introduce into the Sugar
Duties Bill that the proposed alteration should not take
effect until the 10th of October next, speaking (and of this
dishonesty we complain) as if no previous notice had been
given to sugar growers and to sugar dealers of all surto, that
the Ministers intended to make a reduction of whatever
the bounty might be, which, it will be recollected both the
Chanceitor of the Exchequer and Mr. J', Th9mt9n calulated,

or pretended to calculate, at 10s. 10d. per cwt , though it is
really 17s. per cwt. This trick which, no doubt, was supposed
to be a very ingenious one by its contrivers, is really too pal-
pable and absurd to deceive even the mind of a child. At
about this period last year Mr. P. Thomson declared to the
House that an alteration in the drawback, which would have
the effect of depriving the slave-masters of the present bounty,
,hould be made in 1838. The Chancellor of the Exchequer
has reiterated the same thing several times since, and all parties
applying for information en this point at the Board of Trade
have been told that there would be a reduction of several
shillings per cwt. on the sugar bounties from the sth of July
next. Yet,ibecause the apprenticed slave owners and the suger
refiners—the parties who have, at the cost of the public, been
dividing the spoil between them, ask upon some groundless
and unreal pretext an extension of time, in order that they
may dip their hands deeper in our pockets, already lightened
of many millions of pounds sterling by their adroit and
exceedingly refined tactics, is contented to allow this work of
manifest plundee ( fur it has been too much exposed to be any
longer a deception) to be carried on in full swing for another
extra three months beyond the sth of July. No one knows better
than Mr. P. Thomson does, or, at least, ought to know, that
the continuance of the present fraudulent system for a period
of a quarter of a year longer than the time fixed by the existing
Act, will have the injurious effect to the public of inducing
the sugar refiners to refine and export in the extra three
months as much sugar as, under the ordinary circumstances,
would be shipped in six —thereby enabling the parties in-
terested to dispose of a quantity of sugar in the foreign market
exceeding the actual surplus at home, and bringing into alarm-
ing activity all the energies of the sugar monopoly with its at-
tendant train of high prices—yes, the President of the Board of
Trade, unless in a state of owl-like somnolency, he reposes
upon his official perch as tranquilly as Lord Glenelg, with his
eyes wide open to the frauds that are practised under the pre-
sent system, and the proofe of the spoliation upon the public
in his hands, consents that the people shall be wantonly plun-
dered for the benefit of the apprenticed slave-owners for an-
other three months ! Is this what that erudite political econo-
mists means by " permitting the people's money to fructify in
their pockets?" If so, it is certainly a most extraordinary
mode of " reducing his fructify ing " theory into practice !
We trust we have done something towards enlightening not
only the public mind, but that of the House of Commons on
this important question. The House must surely now per-
ceive the drift of the proposed unreasonable and impolitic delay
in eradicating a system rooted in fraud, and will, we trust, in-
terpose to prevent the Government from being a successful
accomplice to the continuance of this iniquity which plunders
the public for the benefit of those who rob humanity of its
dearest rights !—Morning Herald.

The manufacture of Whig-Radical Peers seems to be rather
a difficult process, if we may judge from the fact that the new
Peers to he created in honour of her Majesty's Coronation,
and who of course must take part in that solemnity three days
hence, are not only yet unmade, but that the materials out of
which they are to be manufactured are yet so far as appears
unselected. If the makers of robes and coronets be not more
alert in their trade than the makers of Peers seem to be the
new nobility of the coronation must needs appear at that cere-
monial either in borrowed garb or without the costume befit-
ting their recent elevation. The Ministerial journals have for
many months past delighted themselves in nothing so much as
in talking of the creation of Peers on the occasion of her Ma-
jesty's Coronation ; yet now that we are on the very eve of
that solemnity their patrons seem to be in the uncomfortable
situation of not knowing whom to create. We shall be much
surprised if, indeed, the Coronation Peerages do not invito
the sarcasm, " parturient montes," Ecc., or if the oppor-
tunity of creating them upon which the partisans
of the Administration have calculated so confidently
as a source of renovated strength prove any other
than a new cause of perplexity and weakness. The elevation
to the Peerage of Members of the House of Cemmons is a
thing not to be thought of, for Ministers have no votes to
spare in that assembly, and are painfully conscious that few
men of their party can vacate their seats without the fearful
risk of being immediately replaced by Conservatives. If they
resort to the landed gentry who support Whig-Radical prin-
ciples in their respective counties, they open the dour to a
multitude of claims of equal invalidity, and by conferring un-
merited honour upon a few friends convert a whole host of
ambitious, jealous, disappointed partisans, into inveterate foes.
In these embarrassing circumstances what are the unfortunate
Ministers of the Crown to do ? They must set up for the oc-
casion some test of honour and of worth, to which the preten-
sions of all who are willing to accept dignity at their hands
may easily be referred. And if we may judge from the names
most confidently mentioned as those of the new Peers, the
Whig-Radical test of honour and of worth is rejection by a
county constituency. The Coronation Peers, it is now gene-
rally understood, will be few in number, and will consist
chiefly, if not altogether, of persons who can claim the merit
and advantage of having been unsuccessful candidates at
county elections.—Morning Post.