The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 9, 1853.

All Americans are loud in their praises of Capt.
INGRAHAM, and they have been echoed most
heartily in England ; and many a wish has been
felt and uttered that Lord ABERDEEN had shared
his spirit. The opinion is pretty general that a
reasonable measure of the INGRAHAM promptness
and decision would have kept Russian troops out
of the territory of our ally, and have given us an
honourable peace long before harvest. Our cordial
cheering of the American Captain, however, flags
a little if we attempt to unite our hurrahs with
those of our Republican brethren themselves. We
are compelled to feel that our cheers are more con-
sistent of the two, since British territory is the
inviolable sanctuary of every refugee from abso-
lute despotism. We are as far as our peace-loving
friend Mr. JOHN BRIGHT himself from wishing
to wound American susceptibilities. We trust,
however, that it will contribute rather to form
gradually a right feeling in America if we on this
side of the water frankly tell our transatlantic
cousins how things strike us. When we read
of the popularity of Captain INGRAHAM, and
saw it stated that, be his politics what they
might, he would have been sure of the
next election of the Presidency had he
sent the Austrian vessel to the bottom, many
thoughts crowded upon us; the bare possibility
of a war between the freest modern Republic and
the quintessence of modern despotism ; between
a nearly land-locked State and a maritime one--
how we and other European States might become
implicated--what would be the consequences in
Lombardy and Hungary, and in other States too ;
chiefly, however, we could but think of the
cause of all this upstir ; it was to save from an
Austrian dungeon or scaffold a man who had fled
for his freedom. To every European, the very
next thought must be of Fugitive Slave Laws.
The contrast between risking collision with an
European Empire, to save a kidnapped fugitive,
and enacting laws to kidnap the fugitive them-
selves, by the same people, is too strong not to
occur immediately. It is hard to conceive that
such zeal and determination can be shown by a
whole nation to save one man from bondage, and
such alacrity, on the other hand, to send back hun-
dreds and thousands to a tenfold worse slavery
from which they have escaped, it may be for
years. Nothing but the delusion and infatuation
of fancied self-interest could prevent an intelligent
and freedom-loving nation from perceiving the
inconsistency as strongly as we do. It will be a
happy result of the implication of the United States
with European affairs, which the rapidly increas-
ing power of the Union, and its equally increasing
virtual proximity, must soon necessitate, should
it compel Americans to see Slavery and Slave
Laws with European eyes. In its last conflict of
the pen with Austria, Mr. WEBSTER, who seemed
triumphant at first, came off but second best,
when Mr. HULSEMANN retorted the republican
lectures on Austrian despotism with lectures on
the infinitely worse despotism of Slavery and
Fugitive Slave Laws. A few such lessons must
do much to open republican eyes to the enormity
of the system they cherish.

These thoughts were revived on reading, but
the other day, a most elaborate judgment, de-
livered by Judge AFLEAN, of the Supreme Court of
the United States, in the case of WASHINGTON (!)
M'QUERRY, claimed as a fugitive slave (the very
name of the slave suggesting how insensible men
may become to that right of resistance to tyranny
for others, in which they glory for themselves).
This slave, who, not unworthily, bore the name
of the great American Liberator, escaped from
Kentucky into Ohio. For four years he was a
freeman, but, armed with the new law, his old
master, HENRY MILLER, ferrets him out. After
his arrest on a writ of Habeas Corpus, the case
is brought by his counsel before Judge M`LEArr,
to ascertain whether this living WASHINGTON was
illegally detained or not ; and whether he ought
to be free in the country which his great namesake

redeemed from political bondage, and in the Re-
public whose Constitution declares that " all men

are born free and equal." The master, to do him

justice, does not appear to be one of the worst ;

he was willing to sell WASHINGTON his liberty for
1,200 dollars, and to subscribe 50 towards it.

The Judge intimated very plainly that all his

feelings Were against returning a man to slavery ;
but, after canvassing most fairly every legal point

in WASHINGTON'S favour, he was compelled deli•

berately to decide that WASHINGTON was a slave !
It struck us in reading the judgment, however,
that there still appeared to be room to dispute the

constitutional character of the Fugitive Slave Law.
The celebrated clause that "persons held to ser-

vice or labour in one State, &c., must be delivered
up," was drawn in that form because MADISON

osatboijteeusettnied oont.
rt
eo
clotag
anrpiespceoe g nai
and,
sif so,
tshola,atv theery
how
can
n t
iht e o
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constitutionn-
s-
late upon it ? Again, MADISON denied the right
of Property in man. The acknowledgment of
such a right deprives the human being of a per-
sonal character at once. He is the mere instru-
ment of another's will,—a thing, not a person ;
and as the law is made for persons, it might be
fairly argued that goods and chattels were not
persons, and that it did not apply to them. As
the constitution, however, treats all men as free and
equal, as persons, no man could be fairly claimed
as a chattel.. Legal quibbles are, however, out
of the question. The stronger have made the

admit of doubt or dispute. But to whom is it
ascribable, to the railways, the steam-boats, or
the Government ? That is the question—and it
fortunately is capable of easy solution. The most
superficial examination will show that it is not,
and cannot in any way be ascribed to the construc-
tion of the railways. Nothing that science can
devise, or unbounded wealth accomplish, could
materially improve the lines of the London and
North-Western, and Chester, and Holyhead.
They are as near perfection as could reasonably be
anticipated, looking to the encouragement afforded
to private enterprise in that department. The
extraordinary ability and lavish exp e ap-
plied to the spanning of the Menai Straits, and
permitting the trains to be carried over without
delay or stoppage of any kind, prove, beyond the
possibility of contradiction, that the last-men-
tioned Company had spared nothing to perform
their part in the arrangements for obtaining the
most speedy means of intercommunication with
the Sister Kingdom. No complaint, then, can be
preferred against the railways—the means of ob-
taining the maximum of speed, at moderate prices,
are available. But how has this enterprise been
rewarded ? What inducements have been held
out to the Directors to persevere in the laudable
course on which they entered ? None whatso-
ever. Let any disinterested and unprejudiced
person peruse the Report of the proceedings at
the half-yearly annual meeting of the Chester
and Holyhead Company, and the able and
convincing statement of the Chairman, Mr. PETO,
and he must agree that it has been " the, most
ill-used Company that ever existed in this coun-
try." He will find that when, at the instigation
of the Government, they had encountered an
enormous outlay, exceeding a million sterling, for
the Tubular Bridge across the Menai—an outlay
that could not be compensated by the ordinary
return—the promises previously made were scan-
dalously violated, the reasonable anticipations of
support unfulfilled. In pursuance of a cheese-
paring economy, of a " penny-wise-and-pound-
foolish policy," the conveyance of the mails across
the Channel was taken from the Railway Com-
pany and given to a Steam-packet Company, at a
rate that would not admit of the efficient per-
formance of the duties—given, too, for a time
that tied the hands of all parties for ten years.
Nothing more disgraceful to the Government
officials implicated in the transaction can be ima-
gined ; and yet we find attempts made to transfer
the censure which they have so eminently de-
served to innocent parties, who have already too
many just grounds of complaint. These attempts
have been, are, and will be, wholly abortive.
The Government are alone to blame; and if it be
desirable that the intercommunication with Ire-
land should be accelerated, it is by the interven-
tion of Ministers alone that the task can be
accomplished. The voice of public opinion has
proclaimed the fact, that it is a duty which
can no longer be shirked or evaded.

THE HONOURA.BLE MR. NORTON.

The Hon. Mr. Norton has published a letter,
appending to it a copy of a memorandum signed by
his solicitor, Mr. Currie, for the purpose of show-
ing that, in bringing the action against Lord Mel-
bourne, he (Mr. Norton) was " acting upon Sir
W. Follett's advice." Mr. Norton also explains
his mis-statement with respect to the appointment
which he received from Lord Melbourne, and thus
concludes his letter :
" I had not, at the time of writing my former letter,
refreshed my memory by reference to documents con-
nected with this point, and, in writing about a transac-
tion which happened upwards of twenty-two years ago,
I was led into this most unintentional mistake."
The following is the memorandum alluded to :
MEMORANDUM OF CONSULTATION WITH SIR W. FOLLETT,
APRIL 28, 1836.
Sir William at first, said, "I did not think the case,
although one of the strongest suspicion, and that you
are now on the right track, strong enough in evidence
to enable me to say that you will get a verdict on it, as
witnesses of the description you have in this case are
so likely to break down on cross-examination." It will
be observed that in the statement laid before Sir Wil-
liam the character of the witnesses is strongly observed
on, and I thought it right, therefore, to state that the
result of their further examination and of subsequent
inquiry was to lead me to think better of them than
I had done when I prepared the case ; and although
I doubted Flook's general character, I thought his state-
ment to be correct, and that he would not break down
on cross-examination. Sir William then asked if the
question had been put pointedly to the witnesses, whe-
ther their suspicions were not excited by what they saw,
and if they watched in consequence ; and I told him
that such question had been put, and that the women
stated that, from the colouring which Mrs. N. gave to
the acquaintance with Lord M., and her free manners,
their suspicions were not excited, and that Flook's an-
swer was that he bad no doubt of the fact, but be thought
Mr. N. designedly shut his eyes to it. The result of
further conversation was that Sir William thought,
with a very little addition in confirmation, the evidence
would do, and he thought that it was a gross case on
the part of Lord M., and, after conferring on the ne-
cessity of taking some step, rather than admitting, by
not proceeding, Mrs. N.'s innocence, he said that what-
ever might be the result of the action no one could
doubt the fact, and that Mr. N. would be justified to
the world by the exposure. In the end, he said that if
the evidence could be strenghthened, it was desirable,
and a few days should be employed in doing so, and
that on the whole he thought the writ might then be
issued. He thought it important to prove by a better
class of witnesses than the servants the extreme inti-
macy with Lord M., and the fact of visitors being de-
nied when Lord M. was in the house, by any such vi-
sitors. (Signed) J. CURRIE.
In consequence of the publication of the letter
above referred to, Mrs. Norton has made the fol-
lowing, reply :
It is not my intention to pursue further a newspaper
controversy with Mr. Norton. He says, in his yester-
day's letter to the Times, respecting statements which I
proved to be utterly false in his first letter, that he ad-
mits their falsehood ; but had not "refreshed his me-
mory," and in writing of transactions which happened
so long since, was "led into unintentional mistake." I
entreat those who are to judge of my conduct on his
assertions, to pause over all accusations dependent on
so faithless and mistaking a memory.
The question "prominently before the public," is not
whether Mr. Norton should allow his wife an income,
or even the amount of that income ; but first, whether
a gentleman barrister and magistrate, daily sitting in
judgment on poor men's offences, should himself break
a formal covenant, to which for his own advantage he
urged a s•licitor to obtain his wife's signature ; and se-
condly whether, breaking that covenant, he should en-
deavour to distract public attention from the fact of his
fraud, by a great public scandal ; such scandal having
for its original groundwork the pretence of a stipula-
tion, which he has since been compelled to admit never
existed, and which h• has denied in print he ever as-
serted did exist ; though his denial is proved false by all
the printed reports of the County Court proceedings.
That is the portion of these miserable matters which is
before the public, and on which, in a man holding a
public situation, the public have a right to pass
judgment.
In conclusion I will only observe, that I am perfectly
willing to abide by the letter against me, written in
October, 1836, by that frank-hearted gentleman Sir
John Bayley, who was then utterly ignorant of the real
circumstances of our quarrel. lam more than willing,
I am eager, to seize this last opportunity of justifying
myself, by one more of Mr. Norton's own admissions.
I find in the letter of Sir John Bayley of October 3,
1836, the following sentence

"If that principle is once broken through and access
allowed, I see no valid reason arising out of that part of
Mrs. Norton's conduct with which I am acquainted why
Mr. Norton should not live with her again himself; a
step which would reduce Mr. Norton to the lowest
stage of degradation."
In the May and June following the date of that sen-
tence, Mr. Norton wrote those letters beginning
"Dearest Carry, and signed "Greenacre," which
urged my return home ; being his first attempt at re-
conciliation. On that sentence, then, I for ever take a
sad and scornful farewell of my husband and his scan-
dals against me. On that sentence (which he himself
has published), I for ever leave him the choice of his al-
ternative. Does he Consider that when he wrote those
caressing letters of reconciliation, he " sank to the lowest
stage of degradation," or will he admit that disbelieving
those scandals, he now reiterates them to cover his breach
of faith about a money covenant ?
Let the publio (before whom my name has once more
been dragged in the mire of false accusation) choose for
him, or let him choose for himself ; from one or other
of these alternatives there is no escape ! And now, I
will answer Mr. Norton no more. There is no story so
false, no scandal so foul, that it shall wring from me
any further reply. I have too strong a faith in English
justice to deem further reply necessary.
__

CAROLINE NORTON.
I append a reprint of Sir W. Follett's denial at the
time of all responsibility of advising Mr. Norton. It is
the only fit comment on the memorandum Mr. Norton
has published ; in which it is admitted that Sir W. Fol-
lett strongly commented on " the character of the wit-
nesses," but that " after conferring on the necessity of
taking some step, rather than admitting Mrs. N.'s inno-
cence, by not proceeding," the trial was brought, even
with doubt of success, for the sake of the "exposure !"

[Extract from the Times of June 25, 1836.]
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—Having seen in the Times of this morning that
the action of "Norton v. Lord Melbourne," was advised
" by the atle and upright counsel who conducted it,"
we think it is due to Sir William Follett to state, that
the action was not brought under his advice, and that
although he was retained so far back as the 25th of April
last, the evidence was not in a complete state for his brief
to be delivered to him until the 14th of June inst., and
when no course was open to the parties but to proceed
with the trial of the cause, which had been fixed for the
present sittings.—We are, sir, your most obedient ser-
vants. (Signed) CURRIE AND WOODGATE.
Lincoln's-inn, June 25, 1836.

DEATH OF MR. BLEWITT, THE COMPOSER.—The death
of this public favourite, both as the composer and singer
of sprightly and humourous songs, took place in Lon-
don early in the present week. Mr. Blewitt is stated
to have closed his days in great poverty, leaving a
widow and family of children to depend entirely upon
eleemosynary aid.
THE COMMAND IN IRELAND.—It is said the successor
of the present gallant Commander of the Forces in Ireland
(Sir E. Blakeney) will be Major-General Cathcart, the
Governor of the Cape, who has just completed the con-
quest of the Kafirs.
SCOTTISH SECRETARY OF STATE.—Notice of motion
was given at the last meeting of the Glasgow Town
Council, that at their first meeting the council would be
moved to petition her Majesty to confide the adminis-
tration of Scottish affairs to a Secretary of State for
Scotland.

BALLOT DEMONSTRATION AT SOUTHAMPTON.—A pub-
lic meeting was held on Monday evening last, in the
Town-hall, Southampton, for the purpose of aiding in
the movement for securing the ballot as a feature in the
promised reform measure of next session. The meeting
was convened by the Mayor, pursuant to a requisition
presented to him by a considerable number of the rate-
payers and inhabitants of the !town. Shortly after the
hour appointed for the meeting the Mayor, who was ac-
companied by several influential gentlemen of the town,
took the chair. Resolutions which affirmed the neces-
sity of introducing the ballot as a feature in the Minis-
terial Reform Bill, and the importance of taking practi-
cal steps for securing that object, were adopted. Before
the conclusion of the meeting, a local committee was
appointed, with a view of taking such further steps as
might be deemed necessary for promoting the ballot
movement.

MEMORIALS OF THE EMPEROR TRAJAN AND AUGUSTUS.
—At Peironell, a Hungarian town on the Danube, there
has just been found near the castle of the Counts of
Abensberg-Traun, an uncommonly fine mosaic pave-
ment ; also, not far from the spot where the pavement
was found, a military order of the Emperor Trajan was
discovered. Petronell is the ancient Cornuntum, and
near it are the remains of a triumphal arch, raised by the
Emperor Augustus to Tiberias, in memory of the con- ,
quest of Pannonia.

law, and the stronger will enforce their own in-
terpretation of it. It is grossly inconsistent of
course with all that is noble, all that future
Americans will be proud of in their constitution.
Judges are unconsciously influenced by the tone
of public feeling in the country when they inter-
pret the laws, especially where public feeling is
virtually law. No help can the fugitive WASH-
INGTONS expect from laws and constitutions.
Changes of commerce which shall lender slaves
valueless, political movements of an entirely unfore-
seen character, the improving moral sense of the
community, the inevitable reaction, at some time,
of conscience against the most awful crime of
Christendom, and, as this Austrian affair suggests
to us, the closer contact of America with countries
where personal slavery is unknown—these are the
chief vistas of hope for the philanthropist, and the
chief chances for the oppressed slave.

MONEY MARKET

AND
CITY INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, TWO O'CLOCI.
The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were
estimated at 5,000 bales, of which 1,500 American
were taken for export. The market was heavy, at
previous rates. The sales comprised 4,000 Ame-
rican, 100 Fermin and Maranham, at Gad. to 71d.;
500 Egyptian, at 51d. to 9d.; and 400 Surat, at
31d. to 4.0. per pound. Railway shares were
very depressed, at a decline of 1 to 2 per cent.
During the week colonial produce has been in
improved demand for the principal articles. Sugar,
being in large supply, has ruled somewhat cheaper.
Foreign afloat is still wanted. Coffee has further
advanced, and there have been large purchases,
the quantity on offer not being greater. Tea has
been heavy at the public sales, at about the former
rates. For Pimento there has been a strong de-
mand, and cotton has been more asked for. Tal-
low is again noticed by speculators. Jute has
been at full prices, and hemp has sold well.
The official account of the quantities of several
articles retained for home-consumption during the
half-year ended the sth July has been completed,
and is as follows:

1852.

1853.

22,322,066
61,607,159
58,961,723
5,024,409

2,411,246
17,846,297
6,015,938
3,046,849

904,393
4,136,815
3,882,023
1,196

25,637,710
83,590,271
64,977,661
11,953,281

1,196

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

FRANCE.

It is already known that the Emperor expressed
his displeasure at the manner in which the note of
the Powers was modified at Constantinople. He
is now said to have declared, very recently, that
nothing would induce him to engage in a war at
the present moment, all his energies being directed
to the procuring food for the people ; and, further,
that he would devote the last franc in the Trea-
sury for that purpose.
It is said that a deputation from the principal
railway companies is about to proceed to Dieppe,
to wait on the Emperor, to assure him that the
Directors enter most heartily into his views with
respect to the conveyance of provisions, and that
they will forthwith reduce their charges for that
purpose to an amount almost nominal, in order to
aid the Emperor in his exertions to relieve the less
affluent classes. It is added, that the address will
be presented to the Emperor by M. Charles La-
fitte, chairman of the Havre Railway Company.
The Government candidates for the representa-
tion of Lille, Vilaine, La Lyonne, and Le Loiret
have been elected by the constituencies of those
districts.

There were riots at Bar-le-Duc on Friday and
Saturday last. On Sunday tranquillity was re-
stored. Similar riots, produced by the high price
of corn, took place at Chateaugiron, near Rennes,
and at Rancourt, in the Pyrenees.
The Bourse opened with much firmness yester-
day, the speculators being convinced that even
should the Emperor of Russia not accept the mo-
difications proposed by the Porte to the note pre-
pared by the Conference of Vienna, the peace of
Europe would not be disturbed. The Three per
Cents. opened at 78f. 25c., and rose to 78f. 50c.,
but a submarine telegraph despatch having an-
nounced about 2 o'clock that Consols had fallen in
London, the Three per Cents. fell to 78f. 5c., and
closed at 78f. 10c. for the end of the month. The
Four-and-a-Half per Cents. closed at 101 f. 50c. ;
Orleans Railway Shares, 1,250 f. ; Rouen, 1,090 f. ;
Havre, 520 f. ; Great Northern, 877 f. 50c. ; Paris
and Strasburg, 932 f. 50c. ; Paris and Lyons, 942 f.
50e. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean, 787 f. 50c. ;
Western of France, 745 f. ; Bordeaux and Cette,
625 f. ; Great Central, 542 f. 50c. ; Lyons and
Geneva, 555 f. ; Sardinian, Victor Emmanuel,
500 f. ; Shares of the Bank of Credit Mobilier, 825 f.