The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-23 00:00:00

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE
METROPOLITAN REFORM ASSOCIATION.
Sir,—On Wednesday the lath a storm of petitions was
poured in against the Public Roads Bill. It is true the
surmises were strong that this was an evidence of the
influence of the Attorney class in scciety; and there were
further tokens of the resistance being boned on its inter-
ference with the poor and persecuted Isrided interest. It
was plain however, that ground had not been taken
large enough to support:an opposition to such interests as
there were; and therefore the Government withdrew
the Bill.
The Affirmation Bill was advanced a stage by a ma-
jority of 70 to 46 for retaining the word "now." But
when it was proposed to read it the third time, which is
usually a merely formal process after the motion for
reading on " this day six months" has been negativ..d,
a Member on the Conservative benches rose to speak
against time, and continued till the hand of the cluck
pointed to six, and the Speaker declated the House ad-
journed.
On the following day (Thursday) the proceeding on
the same Bill was resumed, and again aejoutued (till
Wednesday) by the resistance of the Conservatives.
All these are tokens of the fact, which it may or may
not be of use to notice and impress, that the Con
servatives on all points aro acting on the conviction
that the way has been opened to their return to
power; the gap through which they have been
let in, being the feeble nonresistance of the Free
Trade party from the moment they were dizzied by
the appearance of a temporary success. Here is the
key to the position, and what has upset the coech.
The enemies of all improvement aro likely to be re-
stored to the helm, with license to do what mischief
they can at home and abroad till they can be sent awls)
again ; and all because the Free Trade party in the
House of Commens had not the genius to hold the ad•
vantage they had got, but must sit down under their
laurels to enjoy the results of past victories. And nos
every day bears testimony to the progress of an active
enemy. One day the Free Trade party are announced
to be without friends or supporters in all Europe, and
the next they are discovered to be identical with the
Communists, and to bo a living form of the great ele-
ment of disturbance throughout the world. Either
proposition does equally well, for the promotion of
the grand absurdity. A dissolution of Parliament, to
start afresh upon the principle that would put down
omnibuses to encourage hackney coaches, and close
railways for the sake of promoting the interests of
ostlers, is understood to be imminent. The great
offices of the State are in imagination parcelled out
among the partisans of the enormous silliness, like the
pieces of the unhappy ox in the instructions for young
carvers. The Foreign Secretary of the Idiotcy, thinks
himself already announcing to distant Courts the cessa-
tion of foreign trade with England in all articles which
can be made dearer or worse at home. If Port wine is

riot to be made in hothouses, it is only to be in considerae
;ion of Portugal finding some parallel fully to give up within
her own borders. We are to be fools and simpletons,
to the greatest extent for which anybody can be found to
give example. And this is going to be England's Go-
vernment. How all other enormities must flourish under
such a shadow, it needs no lively imnination to portray.
If the actual Government had more activity, they might
sound the alarm in time, and summon to the rescue.
But good easy men, they appear to think that what is
written is written; and wait without an effort for what
may be found to be their fate.
As said before, all this comes from the Free Traders
foolishly disbanding and going to sleep. If a man had
been found on guard in the House of Commons daily, to
answer roughly to all absurdities put forward on the other
side, there would have been no talk of the Abbey for
deceased defenders of the feeblest of follies, nor of place
and power for the living.
The Poor Laws (Ireland) (Rate in Aid) Bill was con-
sidered in Committee, with Mr. Herbert's amendment for
providing the money by an income-tax on the rich in-
stead of a rate upon the poor. An infinity of talk,
ending in little but establishing the general inclination
of Irishmen to take all they can get, and give nothing
they can help. And as the influential ones are necessarily
of the more wealthy classes, the division list will be a
valuable indication of feeling upon this point.
On Friday the debate was resumed on the Rate in Aid
Bill. The Member for Tipperary made an excellent
proposal ; whick was, in the present famine in
Ireland, to eat a bishop. Not eat him in the flesh, but
alt for his decease and eat up his succession. The
revenues of one average Irish bishopric, would ex-
actly furnish the relief for Ireland, which state-
men of all classes are just now in an agony of puzzle to
provide. It is good to have started the proposition,
that the revenues of the Irish bishoprics, to the ex-
tent for instance that exceeds the proportion of the
Protestant populations in Ireland and in England, may
be looked on as a poire centre la soil: The amendment
for raisin.. the money by a❑ income-tax was finally ne
gatived by 194 against 146, and the rate in aid carried
by 201 against 106.
While these contests are carried on in detail, the
clouds are gathering round us on the general question,
and nobody seems to have the genius to put up a❑ um-
brella against the storm. When the Free Traders had
gained an accidental and partial victory, they thought it
excellent sport to sit them down at oase, and protest
particularly against having any concern in the
affairs of anybody but themselves. When the
folly of the Red Republicans in France, and
the Chartists in England, had given excuse to the
dishonest and the timid to join the outcry against the
progress of political liberty on the continent, they
thought it excellent sport to double their outcries against
any demonstration of English sympathy with foreign
freedom, And now the tide is turned, and the re-
ward they have is that the Protectionists are on their
legs again, and moving in full concert with all that
desires the establishment of despotism in Europe, to
perform their share of the general manoeuvre. It is
possible they may not hold what they get; but six
months' Possession will be an intolerable evil. A
European war is one of the first of the eggs which will
be hatched. Does anybody believe that Lord Aberdeen
will go on for six months, without driving France into
activity both in Italy and Poland? ThcFrench have made
great sacrifices for peace and quietness; but they must be
deprived of reason, if the appearance of the men of Wa-
terloo and the treaty of Vienna, does not prompt them
to be beforehand where they can. Nothing but confi-
dence in the Liberal Government of England has kept
the two countries in harmony, and nothing will. It will
not be such good sport for the Free Trading class, when
they find their exclusive policy carrying them back to a
subjection to the old absurdities. But nothing can happen
which has not been deserved. Nobody has shown common
sense or common virtue, except the Whig Government.
There are no such wretched theologians as to believe
there is much necessary connexion between fault and
punishment; but there are certain rules, without which
the world could not go on, which will end in the de-
monstration that it is not given to man to shut himself
up from what happens to his fellow, and that if he tries
it, his folly will find him out.

Since every day increases the probability of a disso-
lution of Parliament, to be brought about in hope of
re-establishing the Holy Alliance abroad and buying at
the dearest market at home, it is time for the constitu-
encies everywhere to take the hint and be setting their
hounds in order. The thin has been weakly let go;
but there is possibly still time for something to be done.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
AN OLD REFORMER.

London, April 23, 1849.

COURT CIRCULAR.

llis Royal Ilighm>sa the Duke of Parma visited the
Queen and Prince Albert on Saturday, at Buckingham
Palace, and partook of a thjeuner with her Majesty and
his Royal Highness:

Her 1\ laje;ty stud Prince Albert, accompanied by the
Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, and the Princess
Helena, took an airing in a carriage and four, on Satur-
day. Colonel Buckley and Lieut.-Colonel Seymour were
in attendance on horseback.

The Queen and Prince Albert honoured her Majesty's
Theatre with their presence on Saturday evening. The
Roy al suite consisted of the Duchess of Sutherland,
Lady Caroline Cooks, Hon. Matilda Paget, Lord Byron,
Lord George Lennox, Colonel Wylde, Colonel Buckley,
and Lieutenant-Colonel Seymour.
The Queen and Prince Albert, the Ladies and Gentle-
men of the Court, and the domestic household, attended
Divine service yesterday morning in the private chapel of
Bucktnghatn Palace. The sermon was preached by the
Archbishop of Canterbury. The prayers were read by
the lion. and Rev. C. Leslie Courtenay.
The Royal children took their usual exercise yes-
terday.

A i3abinet Council was held on Saturday afternoon at
the Foreign-office. The Ministers prerent were Lord
John Russell, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of
Lansdowne, the Earl of Minto, Sir George Grey, Vis-
count Palmerston, Earl Grey, Sir Francis Baring, Sir
Joh❑ Hobhome, Lord Campbell, tLe Right Hon. H.
Labnuchere, the Earl of Carlisle, and the Marquis of
Clanricarde.

The Council sat three hours.
Lord John Russell had a Parliamentary dinner party
on Saturday, at his residence in Chesham-pace. The
'company consisted of Lord Marcus Hill. Lord Edward
Howard, Right Hon. It. L. Shiel, Captain Hon. T.
Vesey Dawson, Colonel Rawdon, Major Blackall,
Captain Megan, Mr. Pierce S. Butler, Mr. M'Cullagh,
Mr. M. N. Power, Mr. 11. Talbot, Mr. John Williams,
and Mr. J. Matheson.

The Earl of Carlisle bad a dinner party on Saturday,
at his residence in Grosvenor-place. The company in-
cluded Sir John Burgoyne, Sir Edward Buxton, the
Dean of Westminster, L'rolessor Faraday, Professor
Airey, Dr. Farre, Captain Vitch, Mr. Lambert Jones,
Mr. Slaney, Mr. Hume, Mr. Grainger, Mr. Broderip,
Mr. Hertslet, Mr. F. Byng, Mr. Leslie, Mr. Walters, Mr.
Stone, Mr. Bidwell, Mr. Bamfield, Mr. C. Lawes, Mr.
Groves, Mr. Hodgson, Mr. Hawes, and Mr. Cuthbert
Johnson.

The Standard Bearer of her Majesty's Honourable
Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms gave a dinner to the Cap-
tain, the Officers, and the Gentlemen of the Corps, en
Saturday evening, at the Oriental Hotel.

The Duke of Wellington attended the early service in
the Chapel Royal, St. James's yesterday. The Rev. Dr.
Wesley officiated and preached the sermon. At the daily
service the prayers were read by the Rev. T. Ilelnaore,
and the lessons by the Rev. J. 11. Thomas. The sermon
was preached by the Rev. Dr. Wesley.
The Countess of Lichfield, Lady Harriet Anson, and
Lord Anson, have returned to town from Shugborough.

ACCIDENT AT DEvorirouT.-7-Wednesday evening
whilst the ni( n employed breaking up the San Josef ra
Dtvonport Dockyard,. were getting some timbers from
the side, the piece, which was heavy, suddenly gave way,
and the weight overpowering the
with the!a; the conse-
quence was that John Oliver, an extra rigger, received
a severe blow in the abdomen from a capstan bar. Ile
WSW, taken to the hospital, but died afterwards fieei the
hart.