The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-30 00:00:00

and as to the amount that had been found upon her ?
He then declared that she had shot O'CoNNon when
going down to wash his hands, adding that " he was
sure she would confess in the presence of a clergy-
man," and inquiring whether, "if she confessed he
would be permitted to go free ?" and also saying
that " he was a great fool that he did not stop and
explain all." With such declarations in evidence,
with the instructions to a similar effect, which we
may safely assume to have been contained in his brief,
no advocate could have been for a moment justified
in offering a different line of defence ; and it was a
more straightforward and honourable course to do
so openly and distinctly than to have put forward
insinuations, such as were made on behalf of the
female prisoner. We do not reproach Mr, Raman-
TINEfor trying to save his client at the expense of her
husband, nor should we do so had he unequivocally
charged that husband as the sole perpetrator of the
murder, but he should not have ventured to impeach
one of the most brilliant ornaments of his profession,
nay, his very profession itself, as not warranting such
a line of defence. The Attorney- General spoke the
universal sentiments of his legal brethren when he
stated " that Mr. BALLANTINE was NOT warranted
(the NOT being unaccountably omitted in the report
of the contemporary to whom we have alluded) in
consideredby be
the
(Sergeant Learned
s
complaininga
adding
ntgh et
hcaotur e ad
,
h etedWILKINs) had only done his duty as an advocate to
op
his client ; and he must say that it appeared to him a
more manly course boldly to state a charge against a
party, and the grounds upon which that charge was
supported, than to insinuate it, and not have the bold-
ness to openly make the accusation." The Chief Baron
also showed his opinion of the defence of Mr. BALLAN-
TINE, when he said, " One of the Learned Gentle-
men:directly and openly repudiated, on the part of
the man, all share in the crime, and threw the guilt
upon the woman ; while the other Learned Gentle-
man, not quite so openly, but still distinctly enough,
endeavoured to exculpate the woman, and throw the
guilt upon the man."
The person must know but little of the duties or
feelings of an English barrister—the member of one
of our noblest professions—who could dare to assert
that "it was strange to find an English advocate
rising in his place, and permitting himself to be made
the medium of conveying to the jury the dastardly
lies and equivocations of such a ruffian as MANNING.'
Notwithstanding the extraordinary mutilation of the
report of the Attorney-General's observations the
context was sufficiently distinct to show the opinion
which that learned functionary entertained of the
impropriety of the petulant and wanton attack which
was subsequently adopted in language and form by
our contemporary.
The first law officer of the Crown well knew the
inconvenience that would be occasioned if every ad-
vocate was to set himself up as the judge of the guilt
or innocence of his client—if the man who was
retained to defend should himself be the first to
condemn. He knew the mischiefs that would inevit-
ably arise if counsel were to be held responsible for
the truth or accuracy of the statements he might
put forward in accordance with his instructions. If
such were the case the barrister would no longer be
the advocate, but the witness for the prisoner. On
the strength and solemnity of his asseverations would
depend the result of the trial, the conviction, or ac-
quittal of the prisoners. The principle was therefore
unanimously adopted, and from time immemorial has
been recognized, that the barrister must apply all his
energies to obtain the acquittal of his client. That
must be the sole end and object, and for that he must
abandon all other considerations. When that
principle is universally recogniz :A no mischief
can ensue, for the address will be taken
for what it may be worth, and the character of the
advocate will not be unduly thrown into the scale.
We can, however, in some degree account for the
extraordinary irritation that led to those unmerited
comments. Our contemporary was at the moment
smarting under the severe castigation so powerfully
administered by the Learned Sergeant to those of
the public press who, forgetting the position in which
they were placed, endeavoured to prejudge every case,
making the trial a meaningless form and empty
pageant"—who, on the very morning appointed for
the commencement of the investigation on which
hung the life or death of the accused, published a
leading article dictating the verdict that should be
returned.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.
On Sunday the PRESIDENT of the Republic re
viewed the National Guards of St. Germains.

The PRESIDENT was exceedingly well received,
and greeted with enthusiastic shouts of "Vive le
President !" "Vive Napoleon !" There were a few
cries of " Vive l'Empereur !" and several of " Vive la
Republique !" One man shouted " Vive le Roi !" on
which he was laughed at, but he added, " A bas la
Republique !" on which he was arrested. There
were a few, and but a few, cries for the " R‘publique
Democratique et Sociale."
M. DE FALLOUT waited personally on the PRESI-
DENT on Saturday, and in due form resigned into his
hands the portfolio of the Ministry of Public In-
struction.

The Assemblee Nationale has an article on the
recent Spanish intrigue, which is amusing from its
utter absurdity. In it this excellent member of the
parti-pretre declares that Father FULGENCIO, the
bigoted priest who abused his power as confessor to
the KING CONSORT by endeavouring to bring about
the destruction of the Constitution, was the agent of
Protestant England! ! ! FULGENCIO, it is known,
was ostensibly the agent of the King of NAPLES.
Perhaps the Assemblee Nationale will inform its
readers whether or not King 80M13.1 was the medium
of communication between Lord PALMERSTON and
Father FULGENCIO.

A letter has been addressed to all the journals by
M. JULES BASTIDE, denying in the most formal man-
ner the statement made by one of the witnesses be-
fore the High Court of Versailles, that the affair of
Risquons-tout had been planned in his cabinet at the
time ha was in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Abbe DE DEEUX-BIZEZE has been appointed
Bishop of Moulins.
Great preparations are making at Lille for the in-
auguration of the statue of General NEGUIEa, who
was killed in June, 1848, 'during the insurrection.
Detachments from the National Guard at Paris will
attend the ceremony.
The adjudication of the coal contract for the Medi-
terranean steam-packet service, which was to have
taken place on the 29th, has been postponed.
In the course of the discussion of the Budget of
Marine, in the National Assembly, on Saturday, M.
PANSY, the Finance Minister, proposed to repeal the
exclusive privilege granted to French ships, in 1846,
of importing tobacco into France; and also to repeal
the similar privilege, granted in 1848, to French
vessels, of importing the coal which may be neces-
sary for the Mediterranean steam-packets. It
will be remembered that, in France, the
Government is the only tobacco importer and
manufacturer, and, in consequence: of the grant
of this privilege the expenses were increased by
1,300,000 f. upon a revenue of 8,000,0001.; while with
regard to coal the price had risen from 44f. a ton to
63f. a ton, as the result of this " protection ;" and
the taxpayers of France had to pay annually, in con-
sequence, a sum of 400,000 f. additional for the
packet service. M. PASSY, therefore, proposed to
throw the carrying trade in tobacco and coal open,
and there is every probability that he will succeed in
so doing.
PARIS BOURSE, Om 29.—Five per Cents., 88f.
60c. ; Three per Cents., 56f. sc. ; Bank of France,
2,335 f.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT TBE