The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-09 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin, In your paper of to-day lam reported as hav-
ing said that I bad no objection to the proposed Select
Committee on the Irish Poor-law, provided the name of
the Hon. Member for Manchester, Mr. Bright, were
omitted. On the contrary, my objection was to his
name having been excluded from the list, and I gave
notice that I sheuld to-morrow move that it be added to
the Committee.
I shall feel obliged by your correcting this error in
your next publication, and remain, Sir, your tne_s_t
_obe-
A. BENI"'

Reform Club, Feb. 8.
[The error was corrected in a subsequent report.--
ED. Sun.]
----------•••-.......-----
ALEXANDER MACKAY'S ' WESTERN WORLD.".--
Wo think we do not err in charaucteribest wsing
ork this
on the
new
production, as, in some respects, or
United !States. The author has enjoyed opportunities
of studying the social and political life of the American
people, greatly superior to those of any other popular
English writer who has, of late years, attempted this
theme. A residence of some years in the Transalantic
Republic, and of several months at Washin ton, during
that political epoch when the Oregon negotiations were
occasion
the
verging towards their conclusion, h zerse with
h
enjoyed throughout a familiar intercou
•
chiefs of both Houses of Congress;E and, with many in
timately connected with the cutive
such are the advantages which Mrx.c Government,
Mackay has brought
to :the performance of his interesting and responsible
task.—Morning Chronicle.

GAMBLING FOR A VOTE.--A chiffonier, named
Braillon, was on Saturday sentenced to thrte months'
imprisonment, and 100 f. damages, fur having so:vio-
lently assaulted a companion as to place his life in danger.
Before the election of President the prisoner was a great
partisan of Louis Napoleon, and ho played a game at
piquet with the complainant, who was a Cavaignac man,
as to which should give his vote to the other. The
prisoner won, but the complainant declared that ho had
only played for fun, and would not give his vote to the
prisoner's candidate. Thereupon the chiffonier became
furious, and with his professional hook struck com-
plainant a blow on the head which felled him to the
grcuil—galignani•

THE FIRST LORD OF THE AD:
MIRALTY AT PORTSMOUTH.
We extract from the HumpAire Guardian the follow-
in in that journal's report of the speeches of
the Right Hon. Sir F. T. Baring, Bart., delivered at the
meeting of his constituents at Portsmouth on Monday,
and his 're-election on the following day:__
On Monday Sir Francis said—" lie had learnt not to
be afraid of the people of the borough, and of telling
them his mind and his intentions.—(Cheers.) The meet-
ing he now had with his friends was to him an unex-
pected pleasure; for when he was in that room a few
months ago, attending the anniversary of one of the
noblest institutions in England, he little thought then that
he should hold office in so short a space of time. He was
not fond of office—he might have held it sooner had ho
wished; but when he was called upon, and when he con-
sidered that he had been a public man for so many years
of his life, and had been in connexion with one party of
political friends during all that time, he thought it his
duty trot to refute the office that was offers(' to him.
He knew that men often over-rated their capabilities,
ar d that the world was better able to form a correct es-
timate of theta then themselves ; that meeting would,
therefore, assist him in ascertainiug whether he had
acted judiciously in accepting office. From his own
personal feelirgs he might have been induced to study
his ease and comfort, and to retire from the cares and
responsib;lities of office ; for he was not a man much
keened to bear the rubs of harness. lie hoped by the
urse ho had adopted that he had not sacrificed their
coefidence and support. Ile knew there were some
peculiar difficulties attending the holding by a member
of a seaport town such an office as that' to which he
had been appointed. He, however, should not shrink
from the impartial discharge of his duty, and he was sa-
ti,fied they would not grumble with him for impartially
discharging it. In drawing up his address he thought
that was one of the first things he should mention; he had,
therefore, told them his opinions and views on the matter.
He did not wish to deceive them, and he thought his op-
ponents would give him credit for never having sought
to do so. There was one thing that had been mentioned
to him that day, and which had been alluded to in one
of the local papers. (The Hon. Baronet was here un-
derstood to refer to a letter, signed " An Elector," that
appeared in the Hampshire Guardian of the 24th ult.)
He meant the belief that ho held a political pension. In
olden times there were sinecures with pensions attached,
but these sinecures had been abolished, and very pro-
perly so. Pensions, however, for political services were
still retained, and some persons thought that even these
should be abolished. But his answer was, that it was
very well for the rich man, who made no sacrifice, to re-
tire from office without any public support or pension;
but if yon took a lawyer, or a gentleman in
any other profession, and put him in an office, out
of which he may be thrown at a moment's notice,
they should make some allowance for tho man
when his 'retirement from office takes place, for he
has, probably, given up a connexion of his
own, and one which ho cannot afterwards recover,
should he so wish. One effect of their not making this
allowance would be, that no man would be able to take
office but those who possessed a fortune. For this reason
it was thought proper to give pensions for the faithful
discharge of political services. But to prevent pensions
being improperly granted, a regulation was laid down by
Parliament that no person should be entitled to a pen-
sion but who could make a declaration that he stood in
need of it. Now he would be entitled to a pension, but
he could not say that he required it.—(Laughter.)
And he was not sorry on that account.—(Laughter.)
He thought it would be an unwise thing to deprive
public office of all emolument, for the consequence would
be that no one would then be able to fill office but the
rich. The Crown should be able to say to the poor man
as well as to the rich, " The door is open to you." On
that occasion he should not enter into a considera-
tion of political questions, but would leave them for the
day of election. He should not be able to give them any
information as to the general intentions of the Govern-
ment. They had read her Majesty's Speech, and knew
what motions were likely to be brought forward as well
as himsel,. There was not much secrecy in the govern-
ment of this country. As soon as the Ministers had de-
cided to bring any measure forward they announced it
in the House; and as soon as it was so announced, the
gentlemen (the reporters) near him knew it, and then,
however great a secret it might have been before, it
was one no longer, for they had a remarkable talent of
telling it to the world."

At the hustings on Tuesday:Sir Francis said:—
" The Crown had conferred upon him an office of the
highest trust, lent he came back to them with the
same opinions as of old, and not with any new
ones. lie had not deserted his old friends—he
had no new words to speak ; but ho came
to them under his ancient colours, and with the
same faith as he had ever held. He came to them again
because he hoped his labours might not be entirely
useless to his Sovereign, that he might still be able to
advocate the opinions he had always supported, and as-
sist the friends with whom he had always acted. When
the present Government took office, the time was consi-
dered to be very favourable to them, and that they were
not likely to meet with any serious difficulties in admi-
nistering the affairs of the country. He recollected it
was the common talk at the time that as the corn-laws
were disposed of, all would go on in a quiet and smooth
macncr. But how little could the politician look into
futurity; how little could ho sly as to what would
happen on the morrow. First come the failure of the
potato crop, which caused an immense amount of muffering
among the lower classes, and which required the
adoption of extraordinary remedies in order to save
nearly the whole population of Ireland from star-
vation. Other misfortunes had befallen that country;
but he would wish not to be misunderstood. In old times
they could only find a good man in their own party, and
believed that those of the opposite were net to be trusted,
and that nothing useful or just could • emanate from
them. He did not entertain that opinion: he thought
that to be the wisest statesman who committed the
fewest blunders—(Laughter)—and who, when he had
made a mistake, lost no time in repairing it. Ho was
not there to tell them that all that the present Govern-
ment had done was to be entirely approved of, and that
there were not some things tint might have been done
better had they been done differently. But it was easy
to be wise after the event, and to say that such a thing
should have been done this way instead of that With
regard to the navigation laws, he thought no one could be
in doubt as to what opinion he entertained. During the
past session he had voted for free-trade measures, and
throughout his whole career he had, without exception,
voted in favour of what were termed free-trade measures.
But on questions of a doubtful character he had always
considered he had the right of using his own discretion
in the matter, and if ho himself were disposed to go
further than others, but saw that there was no prospect
of carrying out his views to their full extent, he thought
he acted dh.creetly by not engaging in a forlorn hope.—
(Laughter.) He thought a man was not justified in re-
fusing half a loaf because he could not procure a whole
one. He, therefore, thought those men were acting mis-
chievously who sought to prevent people taking mode-
rate measures of reform because they could not get all
they wanted. He bad been a good deal connected with
the financial matters of this country, and they would not
be surprised when he repeated, what he had on
former occasions told them, that ' economy' was
not a popular word at Portsmouth. But he felt
convinced the time must come when they
would have, to look closely into their expenditure,
and reducd it to the lowest point consistent with a due
regard to their security. The usual routine had been to
spend like gentlemen when their income was large, and
to go into the other extreme when it fell off. He had
belonged to a Committee of the House for inquiring into
the naval expenditure of the country, and he had seen
much reason for regret at the heavy expenditure on un-
necessary works. But it was not the Government that
was entirely to blame for these things ; we may regret
the expense, but if we do not prevent it, then it Is our-
selves who are to blame. A Government was just what
the people made them. If the people called out for ex-
penditure, the Members of the House of Commons would
do the same, and Government must give in to publie
opinion. There might be an old Chancellor of the Ev!
chequer who would indulge in an occasional grumble, bute_
no heed would be taken of him, and then when 00_112,112Z
was spent they were surprised what shale hati_b_e?4:4
with it; for his part he was surprised it wen7°
WAS done
As
to the spending of the money, he believeda.
with honest intentions, and that it
Lad
some good might
appropriated by Government, and that_
they
might have
have been effected by it; but he thouglgt
Buildings had been
done quite as much good with less.
ments had taken
a been properly
erected which were unnecessary—expert
by
these and such means
place which had been of no il
severalabandonmentlevetl7l:utike6 of unnecessary works and
large amount of money had.
he had no doubt but tuatd-uripg the past year Govern-
been misemployed.
closely into the expenditure, and
reductions, and eoonoe
for the future. This would be partly
mull:mil
the
had
dul looked ke
able
funds
theytwou
in the present forces. But he might
the service would not be sa-
crificed.oflove He had a great for economy, but he
sasysinthaallt
thought that a very bad economy to
reduction in
which the security
and the stability of the country were sacrificed. One
thing, which was much to be regretted was, that one
year there would be a squandering of the public money,
and in another this would be succeeded by an undue
retrenchment ; and it not unfrequently happened
that those persons who had urged the unwise
expenses of the ono year were the very persons who
agitated for the equal unwise economy of the other. For
their kindness and good feeling towards him he could
offer little return. Whatever he could do for then
with a due regard to the impartial discharge of his
duties, ho should be most happy to do—anything more
than that he would not insult them by offering. On
these terms he would still endeavour. to represent their
opinions ; and, at the same, to place what abilities ho
possessed at the service of his country. They need
not suppose he was not aware of the difficulties of the
post he was assuming."
S ad.

JOUTHAMPTON, EXIDAY, ELEYEN A.m.—Our
vices from Havre of last evening, just received by'
steamer, mention that the Cotton Market was active.
Sales on Wednesday 3,000 bales; and Thursday 300
bales, at a rise of The New York packet of the
20th ult. was just signalled off Havre.
SCOTCH LAW.—A curious railway case will be
presently before the Courts. Founding on a Scotch Act
of 1685, the town of Linlithgow claims toll dues from
the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway, the line of which
passes through their. territory. Tho town offered to
take 1,0001. for the years 1842-3, which the railway de-
clined. On being taken to the Court of Session, the
outer and inner courts decided in favour of the charge;
the case was then appealed to the House of Lords, but
judgment was postponed till all the Judges of the Court
of Session should give their opinion, which will be done
without much further delay: Oa the general questionpf
road reform, Edinburgh is retrograding, the county
'trustees having ordered the erection of a new cheek-bar
within the precincts of the city.—.Bertvich and Kelso
Warder.