The Sun.
London, England, 1822-07-05 00:00:00

[TII E TIMES.]

It will be recollected, when the inhabitants of
the lonian Islands discovered a natural sympathy
with their brethren engaged on the neighbouring
coast in a struggle for existence with their ty-
rannical rulers, that Sir Thomas Maitland re-
solved, if he could not extinguish all such offensive
feelings, at least to punish every act resulting
from them by means familiar, and not often dis-
agreeable, to the agents of despotic power. The
plea resorted to by his Excellency on that occa-
sion, was the necessity of maintaining inviolate
the neutral character of Great Britain and her.
lonian dependencies, as between the belligerent
powers of Greece and Turkey. No assistance
was to be given (nominally) to either, that is to
say, none (in reality) to the Greeks—no arms,
no provisions, no recruits—on pain of the most
grievous punishments ; among which was that of
confiscation of property, and banishment for ever
from their native country, in the case of such in-
habitants of the lonian Isles as should dare to
visit the adjacent shore of Greece for the sake
of assisting their countrymen. So much for the
neutral ordinances of the Lord High Commis-
sioner. Now, a word or two touching the true
intent and meaning of these ordinances. Infor-
, 'nation has arrived in London, that a vessel
called the ilialvina, with a cargo of tprovisions,
sailed from. Zante, one of our lonian, and there-
fore neutral harbours, under the immediate eye
and sway of the Lord High Commissioner, direct
for Patras, the well-known Turkish fortress on
the Gulf of Lepanto, and there delivered her
cargo to the Paella, who paid for it by bills on
Constantinople. Now, the town of Patras had
been destroyed by the said Pacha, who retired
with his garrison into the citadel, where he was,
at the time of the arrival of this cargo, if not
actively besieged, blockaded on the land side by
the Greek patriots of the Morea. But the cargo
of provisions, under the circumstances of this
contest, the object of the Greeks being to starve
out their enemy, was in every view of the subject
contraband of war. A cargo of arms or ammunition
might, with as much regard to the observance of
neutrality, have been sent to the Turkish Pacha, as
this one of provisions. And what did the Lord High
Commissioner on this occasion? Did he attempt to
embargo the vessel ere she sailed ? Did he affect

to condemn the transaction when completed ?---
Did l►e issue another ordinance, enforcing
neutrality, or threatening the violators of his
own law with criminal prosecution or confis-
cation of goods ? No ; not a word of all this.—

It is even said—but we hesitates till further
evidence, to credit it—that a British Consul
was part owner of this unlawful equipment,
and had availed himself of his official cha-
racter to bear the vessel unmolested through
the armaments of the Greeks ! If this be
neutrality—if this be the principle of our foreign
policy—and such the distribution of its patron-
age by our foreign deparisnent, there is little dif-
ficulty in explaining the soreness often. manifest--

ed when offfcial hattretions happen fo be called
for—whbn venality Is complained of in the ap-
pointment to certain offices—and when influence
generally is menaced with any sensible diminu-
tion.

[MORNING HERALD..
If we have for some time abstained from call-
ing the attention of our readers to the dreadful
state of the suffering provinces of Ireland, it was
not because we felt slightly upon the subject.—
There are evils sa appalling to the imagination,
so afflicting to the heart,. that it is impossible to
speak of them. Where is the language. to be
found that can place before the eye a mother
stretched on the clay floor of her cabin, her six
or eight children dead or dying around her, her
husband's tears and her own dried up from excess
of woe, and waiting for the hour that will extin-
guish life as the surest means of relief If any
such family as this were discovered in this coml.
try, it would come home to our feelings, and the
charity of the people would be up in arms, as it
were, to vindicate. their community from the im-
putation of such a scene. But what shall we say,
when not only one family—not only ten or twenty,
but hundreds of such families are at this moment,
whilst we are writing, perishing in the southern
and western parts of Ireland ! The supply
which has been sent from England is, as yet,
utterly inadequate even to check the pro-
' gress of the famine. The cresses, nettles, and
wild herbs of the fields, are all exhausted.—
Fever, dysentery, and swellings of the most vio-
lent character, contend with Famine for her
victims; but we must desist—we have not power
to pursue the description. It makes the heart
sicken.—Government ought no longer to talk of
the maxims of ,political economy. It is dan-
gerous, say Ministers, to habituate the people
to look to any other source than their own
industry for their support. So doubtless it is;
but while we are reasoning upon maxims, the'
people are perishing on the land. This is a case
pnprecedented. No former practice can furnish
a rule to decide upon it—no future period is
likely to witness any thing like it. In common,'
or even serious cases, the maxim is perhaps wise ;
but here is an overwhelming calamity, which no-
thing but the strong arm and the organised means
of Government can resist. The charitable con-
tributions which have been hitherto made are
too slow in their effect for such an emergency.—
Generously they have been made—but it is not
fair to tax the generosity. of benevolent indivi-
duals too highly. The selfish; the' unfeeling,
ought to be made to contribute as well as the hu-
mane, and there is no way in which they can be
compelled to do so, unless by taxation. Go-
vernment should send, without a moment's de-
lay, half a million to these districts of wretched-
ness. The time above all things presses—
and even this sum will scarcely suffice for
the terrible emergency. Much is expected
from the collections about to be made from
house to house under the authority of the King'S
letter. Assuredly every family will sacrifice at
least some portion of their usual luxuries to
" feed the poor and the hungry" in this crisis.
We would suggest that some little weekly re-
trenchment might be made in every house, and
its produce 'applied to this charity, until the
season of distress shall be over. That time will
in all probability cover the present month, and
the greater part of the next. It is not for us to
speak.of the reward which surely awaits the per-
formance of such pious offices—or rather duties,
for it is nothing less than a duty to assist our
fellow-creatures in an hour of such agonizing
misfortune.

EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE. —A few
evenings back a person of respectability died
from, the effect of the following singular fright :
—He had been sojourning at a friend's house in
Southampton-street, Holborn, to avoid the im-
portunities of a numerous body of creditors,
and the more disagreeable visits of bailiffs, and
he thought himself quite secure from their in-
trusions ; but by some curious means or other a
Sheriff's officer who held a writ against the fugi-
tive discovered his retreat, and prepared measures
for the caption. He repaired to the house at au
unseasonable hour at night, and continued knock-
ing until the door was opened, when he forced
in,.and asked for the gentleman by name, at the
same time announcing the object of his visit.—
The unfortunate gentleman was then in bed, but
a person wept up to apprise him of the matter ;
when he hetird it his colour left him, his frame
became dreadfully agitated, and he fainted away.
Surgical assistence was procured instantly, but
life, was gene! Mr. STIRLING held an Inquest
on the body on Saturday, when it appearing that
apoplexy was the cause of death, a verdict was
returned to that effect.

DRUNKENNESS.--Wednesday a man was ob-
served hi Theobald's-road, Gray's Inn, in a state
of intoxication-; at length he 'leaned his head on
a post, and remained in that situation some time,
as if in a sleep ; a person went up to rouse him,
but at the touch of his hand the .body fell—the
man had expired !—Verdict, Died from excessipe
Drinking.

PIGEONS.—In a little village, for several weeks past, in-
numerable flocks of pigeons had filled the air in all directions.
In the woods, about ten miles west, they had occupied a space
for nesting, nearly ten miles in length, and from two to five
miles in width. « All things above, beneath, around," seemed
alive with,these lignt winged tenants • every tree was covered
with their nests; frequently `2.1 or 30 upon one. Gentlemen
of the village had been out, and 'ter spending but two or three
hours in the woods, returned with vengeance satiated and pro-
•spect of a ,•;ood dinner in the shape of one or two hundred pi-
geon% So thick were they that 20 or 30 had in many instances
been killed at a single shot. It is supposed that in one day
more than five thousand paid for their dear-bought pleasures
of love with their lives.--( New York Paper.)

A distressing accident happened lately to a
child, aged 16 months, belonging to Mr. Sher-
wood, at Bethersden : the little creature had
strayed a few paces from the house where there
is a pond, and attracted by seeing the' reflections
of its face in the water, it got to the edge of the
pond, when it fell, in, and was drowned before
assistance could be procured.
Yesterday morning, as one of the Paddington
stages was passing neir' Da'bp:terrace, a boy,
about 11 years of age, in crossing the road,: was
struck by the pole of a coach, on the head: and
killed on the spot.,

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF CHANCERY, JULY 4.
This was the first Seal after Term. The LORD CHANCEL-
LOR came into Court at ten o'clock.

REDUCED FIVE PER CENTS.

His Lordship observed, that the day had passed by for the
suitors holding an interest in the 5 per Cents. in that Court, to
dissent from their being reduced ; therefore on all the applica-
tions hereafter to be made to the Court for the payment out of
any sum of money that had stood in the five p-er cents., it must
be made as standing in the four per cents. He would feel
obliged to the Bar, in wording any order to that effect, if they
would give him their assistance, so as it might be properly
drawn up.