The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-20 00:00:00

corms, Deo. 20.
Tuzumogirrirs, 11‘ THZ SHADS.
46—highest since noon yesterday.
Cl—lowest this morning and during the night.
44—this day, at noon.

THE WEA!

BABourrza down to 29-45, now up to 29'63. Great
fluctuations for the last few days.
w urn, N.N.W. to N.—Squally and strong, with dirty
rainy weather. It began to rain last night about ten
o' clock.

HALF-PAST Two.—The wind has shifted to N.E., blow
ing quite stormy, and cold. Barometer up to 29'75.

'.may.' --N..
"•‘.
ormii4
ffilAn
-1-7;

ONDON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1854.

The House of Commons last night affirmed, by
a majority of 39, that "it is expedient that her
MAJEsTy should be enabled to enlist and employ
foreigners in her army." The proposition, how-
ever, was strongly contested, and we venture to
assert that many of the majority never gave a
more unpalatable vote since the commencement 01
their Parliamentary career. A large proportion
of the number decided in direct opposition to
their own views and feelings. Under other cir-
cumstances, if a Derbyite Ministry held the seals
of office, the proposition would have been resisted
with the utmost energy and determination, and
the motives of those by whom it was brought for-
ward fiercely impugned. But now it seems as if
Honourable Gentlemen looked to " men rather
than measures," and that what would in one case
be sternly denounced, would, in the other, be ac-
ceptecl without protest or remonstrance.
It is but an act of justice to admit that " the
leek" was, in most instances, swallowed with edi-
fying humility. In place of making wry faces and
uttering threats of speedy and most hor-
rible vengeance, they had to dispose of
the nauseous dose with cheerful countenances,
such as nurses exhibit when inducing their
refractory charges to obey the doctor's orders,
persuading them that it is so nice, and
hinting how " glad many poor children would be
of such nice physic." The specious pretences
were, however, easily discovered ; an involuntary
rising of the gorge against the bitter pill betray-
ing the real sentiments of its pretended ad-
mirers.

Two causes were mainly instrumental in pro-
curing for Ministers the success which they
achieved. Ist, The knowledge that if the mea-
sure had been ignominiously rejected—as it ought
to have been—it would have afforded an excuse
for all past and future transgressions. The ex-
traordinary credulity, or rather gullibility, which
they displayed in regarding the professions rather
than the practice, the "sayings" rather than the
"doings," of NICHOLAS, with which they perversely
clung to the hope of peace, long after it bad
vanished from every rational mind, would all be
atoned for and involved in oblivion, if the House
of Commons considered that 10,000 English,
Scotch, or Irish, might possibly prove as
efficient soldiers as an equal number of Ger-
mans—that they could fight as vigorously for the
safety and honour of their fatherland as the
foreign mercenaries for the " for which they
were ready to sell their venal services to the
highest and fairest bidder, to NlcaoLAs as well
as to Queen VICTORIA.

Any future mishap, too, would be ascribed to
the rejection ; and if Russian reinforcements suc-
ceeded in shedding more English blood, it would
all be owing to the factious refusal to employ the
invincible and irresistible Germans ! This was a
responsibility which many persons did not wish
to assume, or to afford a convenient cloak under
which Ministers might shelter all sins of omission
cm commission. They thought, whether justly or
44thetwise we leave the public to decide, that they
w"lszl allow the Government to take its own
Course far. the present, unfettered and unrestrained
it anlple rope, and abide the result. We
confess, however, Ave cannot regard such a course
as either manly
or
t.
cons itutional. Nor do we
see how Men can consistently divest themselves
of the important duties collided to their charge
by the suffrages of free and iodependent consti-
tuencies.

But there was a second and
resortedor to
more powerful ni eornflnyl
influence in operation. The threat
in desperate cases was fulminated against
verers.
A "resignation" or a dissolution were the awful
alternatives that must follow a Ministerial defeat.'
Many felt that the result of an appeal to the
country would be that they would have to bid
long farewell to all their greatness "—that the!
could no longer append the magic initials M.P.
-to their names, but would be compelled to sink
into private life. Others, although they nlie't
anticipate a renewal of confidence and further
tenure of their seats, might tremble at the large
amounts to be extracted from their pockets for