The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-26 00:00:00

LONDON. MONDAY EVENIN4:

so as to afford any satisfactory evidence to Parliament of
the successful application of those labours which it
had anxiously given with the view of diminishing the
amount of crime. Having simply mentioned a charge
against a yourz man for shooting his father, without
making any comments upon it, he next alluded to the
case of murder, saying that it the party charged with
the crime was shown to be the individual at whose
hands the deceased tact with his death, the other
circumstances connect' d with it would place no difficulty
in the way of their coming to a decision. He would at
once relieve them, if they plrced any confidence in his
opinion, by saying, that if the circumstances were spo-
ken to by the witnesses in the same manner in which
they were disclosed in the depositions, it would become
their bounden duty nt once to place the case in the
course of further inquiry. After referring in detail to
several other cases in the cahnder, the Learned Re-
corder remitted the jury to the discharge of their im-
portant duties.

BOW-STREET.-(THIS DAY.)
A tall gaunt-looking woman named Morris was
charged with having ass.uultvd two of her own st•a.
Mrs, James, the wife of a fish•dealer in Clare-market,
proved the assault. She was standing in the Nelson
public house on Saturday night with a friend, when the
prisoner came i❑ and assaulted them in a very desperate
manner.

The friend of the complainant, a young woman named
Andrews, with red hair, confirmed this statement,
adding that the prisonor, who lived in the same court as
herself in Clement's-lane, was constantly attacking her
reputation, and she went in what is called "fear of her
life."

Mr. ITALL—Well,prisoner, what have you to say to

this? Prisonor—Why, its all false, as them ere wimen
has been a sayin of. The truth is they insulted
me first, and not basin bin satisfied of rippin up my cap,
which here is the remains, they sets to and tares my
gown up.

Mr. (TALL— But it seems you attacked them first.
Priboner—Well, my good man, they are both bad 'uns,
and that carroty one there has sedoosed my husband
what works at a rag shop.
Mr. HALL asked the officer who had charge of the
prisoner if she was drunk when he arrested her.
Prisoner—Yes, I was very drunk, and so they was too.
I'll call a witness, if you please, air, which is a female.
Mr. HALL—Very good; call her.
Mary Cope was then sworn. She said these two
females was a standin in the passage, when the lady at
the bar comes up, and has some words with 'em. With
this she ups with her fist, and knocks James's bonnet off,
and then James turns round and tears her cap and
gown to pieces, while the other one goes for the police.
Mr. HALL—The prisoner says she was not sober ?
Mrs. Cope—No more was none of 'em. They was all
drunk together.
Mr. James said the prisoner had been charged with
assault before.

Prisoner—Oh, you bad 'un.
Mr. lIALL asked the officer whether the complainant
or her friend was drunk?—The officer said they vtere
not.

Mr. HALL had no doubt that the prisoner was a most
violent vcoresn, and as this was not her first offence he
should fine her 31. or three weeks' imprisonment.
The prisoner was then removed in custody.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF TIIIS DAT.
TIMES.—The recent intelligence received from
the distant waters of the Eastern Archipelago is of a
nature to demand public attention and inquiry. In
the present state of our information we cannot divest
ourselves of the impression, that by the signal chas-
tisement recently inflicted on the Bornean pirates, Sir
James Brooke has rendered eminent service to the
cause of civilization and humanity. On first reading
the accounts of the conflict—or slaughter, should we
not rather call it ?—at the mouths of the Sarebas and
Zaluka rivers, one is naturally affected with a very
painful feeling. Here is the case of 1,500 or 2,000
barbarians, who in an incredibly short space of time
were blown to atoms, and their boats .or prahus sunk,
burnt, or destroyed by a body of British seamen, with
all the resources of civilization at their command.
This was no "naval battle," it was a "naval execution."
It remains only to be seen whether the victims had
deservedly incurred their fate, and whether any milder
measures than those actually adopted would have been
sufficient to obtain peace for the present, and security
for the future. We are so far removed from the scene
of action that we are of necessity compelled to form a
judgment without any possibility of acquiring such
accurate information of details as would have rendered

an opinion more satisfactory to ourselves, and more
convincing to the public. As yet we are rather in
possession of an account of the warlike operations
than of any minute and circumstantial description
of the state of facts which necessitated them. We
are thrown back, then, upon our previous know-
ledge of the condition of the Eastern Archipelago,
by the light of which we must read the earlier and
more meagre paragraphs of the intelligence recently
received. We know from the earliest times in which
these waters were visited by European travellers,
that they have been infested by hordes of law-
less pirates, whose rule it was, and still is, that any
ship, or maritime village, of which they could possess
themselves by force of arms was their own absolute
possession. The luckless crews of the ships, or inha-
bitants of the villages, which might be so reduced,
were assassinated as a matter of course, and the
women, if any there were, carried off to dishonour
and slevery. These things were not done in secret.
Piracy was, and is, with certain of the inhabitants of
de archipelago, a gainful trade—an honourable
profession. As you would say of a particular spot,
"it is a fishing village," so you would have described
another as a " tcwn of pirates," as much so as Algiers
was before Lord Exmouth'e days. The avocation of
a pirate
descended fercotm.lre
fatheris to
need
notd naturally,weliupon t
he
lndas
anacknowledged
extreme misery inflicted by such a state of things
upon the more peaceful natives of the Archipelago.
Coasting intercourse was crippled, not to say annihi-
lated ; traditions of blood and slaughter were perpe-
tuated from father to son ; their more intimate ac-
quaintance with the European element of civilization
was almost indefinitely postponed ; and, in short, this
fertile and noble section of the habitable globe was
left to struggle on, as it best might, under the undis-
puted sway of murderers, pirates, and common sea
vagabonds. Of the consequent prejudice to European
commerce and of the injuries inflicted upon Europeans
it is not our design to speak at length, for it was
morally certain from the first, that when the Eastern
pirates were once fairly set to try the conclusions with
32- pounder traversing guns and rocket tubes, their
fate was sealed. We know something of the modern
history of Eastern piracy frotn the diaries of Sit
James Brooke and the published testimony of
Captain Ksppel, lately of her Majesty's ship Dido,
and now of the Maeander, nor are we aware that
the testimony of these gentlemen has been Impugned
on any inateriai point. We start, then, wan the
assumption that they have borne true m itness. It
this be so, it follows that for some five or six years
past great efforts have keen made to bring the
pirates to abandon their unholy trade, as well by
peaceful remonstrance as by inflicting Upon than a
series of petty defeats, which should have brought
home to their minds the real nature of the power
with which at length they were called upon to eon-
tend. To our judgment, the praise or blame to be
awarded to Sir James Brooke, as director of the
recent transactions, must depend mainly upon the
quantity and quality of his previous efforts to turn
away the Eastern pirates " from the wickedness
which they bad committed," and were yet minded
to commit, before inflicting upon them the terrible
slaughter of which we have recently received the de-
tails. A tremendous responsibility For the utter
and complete destruction of the piratical hordes was
certain from the moment the final and awful resolu-
tion was taken to turn against them all the resources
which the experience and seience Of Europe have
developed after ten centuries of almost unceasing
warfare. It appears that in July last the purpose
was fixed of directing the expedition against the
pirates which has been attended with such sanguinary
results. The European force consisted of less than 150
men in her Majesty's ship Royalist, the Hon. Com-
pany's steamer Nemesis, and eight boats. On the
evening of the 26th of July the expedition anchored
off the mouth of one of the Bornean rivers, and on
the 28th intelligence was received that a large
force of upwards of 100 prahus were out from Sere-
has, in the direction of the Rejang, with the inten-
tion, it was supposed, of attacking the town of Siriki."
The position of the British force was instantly taken
up. " Sir James Brooke, and a detachment of the
native auxiliaries, anchored off the mouth of the
Kaluka river, and the other detachment at the
mouth of the Sarebas—the Nemesis in the bay
between the two rivers, and the men-of-war's
boats in line shorewards." It was not until
the evening of the 30th that decisive intelligence
was receivod that the piratical fleet had actually at-
tacked Palo, and were then lying in a river called
Si Maring. On the evening of the 31st of July a
scout-beat brought news that the pirate fleet of up-
wards of 100 large prahus, each manned by 50 men,
was approaching. Upon the particulars of the conflict
that ensued it is not our intention to dwell. In the
form in which they reached us they were laid before
the public in our impression of Friday last. Suffice
it to say that the horror of the scene that ensued can
scarcely find a parallel in the history of warfare. Of
120 piratical prahus said to have been in the bay on
the evening of the 31st of July, 87 were destroyed,
with an immense loss of life. Even of those who

escaped the death shot of the British force, many were
cut down along the shore and in the jungle by the
native auxiliaries. Of the merit of the operations in
a military point of view we presume there can be no
doubt. The expedition accomplished its purpose in
the most complete manner. Nor do we lay much
stress upon a fact which has been noticed, that no
prisoners were taken, although so many of the
pirates were slain. Where prisoners could have been
secured in such a case as this is not very readily
intelligible. The captives would have outnumbered
the captors, and turned their weapons against them-
selves. But, as a question of policy, Sir James
Brooke has himself taken up a broad and distinct

ground upon which he must be judged. He is re-
ported to have said, at a public meeting subsequent
to the expedition :—" Recent occurrences should open
the eyes, even of the most prejudiced, to the enormity
of the syste:n which has been allowed to grow up on
the coasts of Borneo, and I thank God, with
a large and minute experience, I have clear
and unflinching principle's of public duty, and
that I know of no way to advance civili •
zation, and secure the safety of commerce, r xcept
by the punishment of these hardened and lawless
tribes, which have long been the terror and the
scourge of Borneo, :and who even find advocates
amongst the Christian community of Singapore." Sir
James Brooke at the same time gave the most emphatic
and straightforward denial to the accuracy of certain
statements which have originated with a Singapore
journal, on the strength of which he had been charged
with inhuman cruelty. " I blush (said he) for the
authors of this monstrous calumny, lest they should
be unable to blush for themselves." Until some
very different evidence is forthcoming from any
that has been produced vet, we have little hesita-
tion in saying that the charges in question will,
by any rational man, be considered slanderous and
false. On the presumption that the defeat of these
Eastern pirates is absolutely necessary in the interests
of civilization and humanity, it would appear that Sir
James Brooke is performing goo I service by their
destruction. To take an instance upon a larger scale,
who ever dreamt of impugning the conduct of Lord
Exmouth for the bombardment of Algiers ? These
Eastern pirates are, like the Algerines, hostes humani
generis ; they give no mercy, and expect none. These
who are so ready to sympathise with the fate of a
horde of sanguinary marauders wcald do well to spare
a thought, sometimes, to the fate of those whom they
had already consigned to destruction, and to the
security of the unoffending persons over whose heads
a similar doom was impending at the same blood-
stained hands. Is the fountain of pity to be ever
unsealed for the murderer, and never for the murdered
man ? We have no disposition to countenance Sir
James Brooke in any abuse of power of which he
may at any time be guilty, but, at the same time, it is
a discreditable thing to turn open-mouthed against a
man whom we all of us so lately delighted to honour
simply because he is carrying out in a firm and
unflinching spirit a very painful duty, and fulfilling
his important mission to the best of his ability.
POST.—The monetary condition of the United
Kingdom is, at this juncture, very peculiar. The
total circulation of Bank of England notes was re-
ported, for the 17th November, at 18,000,0001. only, to
which add 1,000,000/. of bank post bills. The Bank
of England had 11,000,0001. of its own notes unem-
ployed in the banking department, while the bullion,
gold and silver, in the issue department, was upwards
of 15,000,000/. sterling, besides 828,895!. in the
banking department. Thus the bullion in store, in
botb departments, approaches to within 2,000,0001.
of the bank notes in actual circulation, and the Bank
has an unemployed balance in the two departments
of 27,000,000/. sterling—a large sum to be lying
wholly idle and unproductive. The Bank, on the
other hand, is drawing interest in the issue depart-
ment, but at very low rates, upon 14,000,0001., and in
the banking department, excluding the dead weight,
upon 23,500,000/. But the rates of interest realised
cannot, safely, be estimated, at the present time,
higher than 3 per cent. all round ; and from this
source the heavy expense of establishments and all
other charges have to be met; the proprietors, there-
fore, must look for reduced dividends hereafter.
Shallow observers ask, upon this—Why should not
the Bank, having nearly 12,000 000/. unemployed in
the banking department, buy with it Exchequer- bills
or Three per Cents. ? Rather, they say, take the
rates of interest that might thus b 3 realised than let
the money lie absolutely idle. An individual would
doubtless so act, but a bank cannot. And for this
reason: a purchase by the bank of Three per Cents.
would run the price of this stock up to 95 at least.
Whenever the Bank might desire to sell, the price
would, in value, of course be similarly depressed. As
a temporary investment, therefore, such an employ-
ment of the funds of an institution like the Bank of
England would be sure to be a losing speculation ; for
the difference upon re-sale would exceed even three
years' ordinary interest. It is fur this reason that,
when there is a plethora of money in the market, a
wise banker prefers to hold his funds, or to discount
short bills at any rate, however low, so as to insure
the future receipt of a fixed amount, rather than to
purchase, for the sake of interest, securities of any
kind that are subject to fluctuation. The notes' deposit
accounts, and other liabilities of a bank are all of fixed
amount, sure to be cashed at the particular time
when the realisation of permanent securities is
attended with the heaviest sacrifice. The mercantile
public are well aware of this, and were quite prepared,
therefore, for the resolution taken by the Bank of
England to reduce its discount rate to 2/ per cent.
The Bank, however, knew well that, even at this rate,
its desire to extend its discounts was not likely to be
accomplished ; and therefore the directors have added

to the notice of last Thursday an intimation that,
for the sake of obtaining a good transaction for their
purposes, they would not consider themselves pre-
cluded from giving out the Bank's money at a lower
rate even than 21 per cent. When the Bank of
England is in a state of plethora, it is a sure
sign that the private banks and bill brokers
of the metropolis are in the same condition, Ail
these, therefore, have money for short discounts—
all are competing with the great Bank for the bills
in the market. What chance has a public institution
in such competition ? It becomes a matter of favour
to discount a bill, and who seeks to confer favours on
the old lady of Threadneedle-street ? The Bank
parlour is only a kind of refuge for the destitute, to
be applied to like commissioners of poor-rates when
other resources fail. Then, indeed, the Bank is sure
to make its profit out of people's necessities, and its
profits are large in proportion to its means. But in
easy times a public bank may reckon upon obtaining
only such bills for discount as others are not de-
sirous of obtaining; and its profits will be less than
those of keen competitors not above canvassing for
beneficial business. Here, however, is the Bank of
England barely realising profit for an average
dividend, whip the note circulation of the country,
and the gold likewise, is at a lower
ebb than it was during the convulsion
of 1847 8. The notes in circulation, then, ex-
ceeded 20,000,0001., and the country banks had also
more notes out, than now, by several millions sterling.
There was then no run for gold in exchange
for notes to lead to the conclusion that gold was
scarce in the country, although, for purposes of fo-
reign export, there had been a drain on the Bank of
England. What, then, are we to infer from this ?
The status is not peculiar to England. The circula-
tion of Ireland has diminished to one-half of what it
was in 1847 8, and the returns of the Bank of France
show a smilar abundance of unemployed funds, and
a store of bullion equal to the entire aggregate '
circulation of nottas, including in the comparison the
branch banks of the interior. What, we ask again,
does this indicate ? Is it prosperity or the contrary ?
We think there is but one legitimate conclusion to
be drawn from the general disposition thus evinced
to leave money unemployed in banks— viz., that there
is, from some etillSe Or Other, a want of activity in
works of internal production. indusifial p*rsvits are
comparatively at a stand. People are averse to :xne-
culations of all kinds. Those who have capital employed
desire not to extend their operations, but seek rather
to withdraw funds, in order to place them in some
more secure investment not subject to accident and
fluctuations. And what is the cause of this dread of
loss from all kinds of industrial speculation ? Why
should people hoarda-afor leaving their money in
banks is the hoarding of the present dayin prefer-
ence to employing or lending capital to be employed
in trade ca in manufactures, or in promoting useful
projects, or in providing what might furnish liveli-
hood and income to tradesmen, artizans, and other
men who live by their industry and enterprise? There
is but one reason for the preference shown to the
low interest of Three per Cents. at tl3, or to a Bank
deposit without any interest, and that is—distrust of
the profitable result, at this particular time, of every
branch of industry, every speculation of trade or
production, because of the condition of the
home market under the competition of coun-
tries less burdened with taxation. Every pro-
ject, every device for earning profits and
subsistence from industry of the head or hand is
paralysed by the results of the policy that has opened
the markets of the United Kingdom to the foreigner,
and caused the , wealth that, heretofore, stimulated
and rewarded native industry to be spent in replac-
ing the capital and wages of producers who pay no
taxes. So long as we subject native industry of all
kinds to heavy burdens, and place it under restric-
tions and under taxation, the expectation that it will
stand competition with producers exempt from these
disadvantages is like the hardship of requiring the
Israelites to make bricks without straw. It compels
the British labourer and artizan to work at the lowest
wages of the competing nations, and out of that low
rate to pay the taxes, direct and indirect, which bear
upon him. This state of things will not be mended
by the Bank of England lowering its rate of dis-
count. It is only a bid made for the bills in the
market. There will be no renewal of the hope of
profit from speculation till markets are improved and
;a repudiated as the first aim of the national
cneapness
policy.

Mr. George Hudson, M.P., paid a visit on Thurs.
day to his constituents in the borough of Sunderland. In
the course of his stay the Bon. Gentleman inspected the
works at the deck, and ttttended a meeting of the board
or directors.—Newcastle Journal.

VIOLETS IN NOVEMBEIt.—AS a proof of the mild-
ness of the season, our Sedgefi,,:d corresponchnt informs
us that, a few days ago, be had presented to him a very
fine specimen of violets, gathered on Sundly hst, in a
field belonging to Mr. Shepherd, farmer, at 13utterW,cii,
near Sedgefield...-Newcastle Guardian. 4- '