The Sun.
London, England, 1822-01-19 00:00:00

[BRITISH PRESS.]

In the principles avowel by Lord Sidmouth
and Mr. Peel as the rule of their political con-
duct, there is, we believe, but few, if any,
shades of difference. This probably is the
cause why the public should evince no soli-
citude upon the change that has been effected
in this particular. Upon the subject, how-
ever, of Mr. Charles NV. Wynn's accession to
the Cabinet there is some anxiety felt. The
public are desirous to know the principles upon
which the party with which Mr. Wynn has usually
acted now unite with the Tories, and whether the
union has been accomplished by any sacrifice of opi-
nions upon either side. The questions of most im-
portance at the present moment are those which
relate to the state of our finances, and to the
admissibility of Roman Catholics into the Senate
and Council Chamber. Upon these the Buck-
ingham party have usually expressed liberal sen-
timents, and one of that party, a man with whom
few can compete in point of talents or learning,

whose ppwers off' eloquence ate as singularly great
as his: knowledge of mankind, whether acquired
from observation or from books, is extensive and
profound, has presented him Self to Parliament
and the country as the parent of a measure which

had for its purpose the relief of his Catholic
fellow-subjects. Is this great question still to
continue what is called an open question ?
Will the Cabinet, now fortified by this new
accession of strength and vigour, still treat it
with indifference, as if it mattered nothing to
the Empire whether the chance of discussion
should establish the claims of so large a por-

tion of the people, or reject them? Upon this
matter, and upon the subject of retrenchment
in the expenditure of the State, the public are
indeed deeply interested , but nothing can •be
known with confidence upon the subject until
the several parties shall have an opportunity of
explaining in Parliament the motives of their
conduct.

[MORNING CIIRONICLE.I
City, Friday Evening, Jan. 18.—Ad vices from
Paris, of Wednesday last, have been received
by English vessels this day, but the regular mails
have not yet arrived. By the regulations betwixt
the two Kingdoms• these must be brought over
by the French packet boats, and the English
merchant complains that he is frequently de-1
prived of his letters, from different parts of Eu-
rope, longer than is necessary, and that the mail
ought always to be forwarded by the first oppor-
tunity. He is, however, aware that a hint to the
Post Office, in Lombard-street, is only necessary,
in as far as'theirgood will can serve• him, to have
the grievance remedied. Private accounts from
Paris, dated on Wednesday last, quote their Five
pet: Cents. at 85. 75. On the Stock Exchange
the Account terminated this day. The fluc-
tuations have been from 79, at which it opened,
to 761, to which price it fell on the 26th of Decem-
last. The price of this day has been from 77+ to
774, and it finally closed at 771, or, in other
words, at 761-, the dividend being no longer in-
cluded in the quotation. The next Account is
fixed for the 28th February, and business has
been done in it at 76-k to 761. Many persons,
who have hitherto been- in favour of an advance
in Stock, have not continued their Accounts, there-
by shewing, either that their opinions are altered,
or that they no longer see their way clearly enough
to induce them to venture on speculations. Ad-
vices have this day been received, via Liverpool,
from Charleston, dated sth December, at which
time markets were very dull. Cotton is quoted
at 17 a 17+ cents., and Rice as low as 21 dollars.
From Calcutta letters have also been received so

late as to the 24th of August. At that time there
was a good demand for all articles from England,
at a profit of nearly 40 per cent. on the last ship-
ments.—At the Corn Exchange fine Wheat main-
tains the advance of last Wednesday, and consi-
derable purchases are making by merchants spe-
culating on an advance in prices. The supply of in-
ferior grain is, however,so much greater than the re-
gular consumption,that salesof this description are,
with difficulty, effected at last Monday's quota-
tions. Fine samples of any article are extremely
scarce, and the deficiency is likely soon to ma-
nifest itself when the supply of damaged corn
becomes less abundant.—Tallow fully supports
its price. There is an idea amongst the spe-
culators that the Government intends to put an
additional duty on this article when imported,, in
order that they may assist the Agricultural In-
terest by enhancing its value. It is not, how-
ever, likely, that any farther restrictions can be
laid on foreign commerce, which is already ill
able to support its present burdens.

PROVINCIAL JOURNALS.

[From the " LIVERPOOL COURIER," Jan 1(L1

MR. HuarE.—Our worthy Chief Magistrate has very pro-
perly refused to call a meeting of the inhabitants of this town
to vote thanks to this Gentleman. The following account of his
Worship's refusal, and of the subsequent proceedings of the
requisitionists, we eopy from another Paper :
" The requisition, which was signed by nearly 100 highly
respectable names, was on Tuesday morning presented to the
Mayor, by :e deputation from the adjourned meeting which had
been held the previous day at the Saddle Inn, when his Worship
informed them, that he should be ready to give an answer at
half-past two. The deputation accordingly waited upon him
at the appointed time, when he informed them, that, with all
due respect for the gentlemen. who had signed the requisition,
he must beg leave to declitte calling the meeting. Mr. Freme
asked whether his Worship objected to any phrase in the re-
quisition, the alteration of which might meet his views. The
Alayor said, he had nothing to remark upon that point. In
consequence of this refusal, a meeting of the requisitionists was
on Thursday held at the Saddle Inn, at which !Ir. Freme pre-
sided : and after a long discussion, in which Col. Williams
Mr. Booth, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. H. Earle, Mr. Rathbone,
Thomas Thornely., Mr. R. E. Harvey, and many other gentle-
men participated, it was resolved, that a public meeting should
be called, in some convenient place, for the purpose of address-
ing Mr. flume, and a committee was appointed to carry the re-
solution into effect. This meeting, it will be seen, is convened
for Wednesday next, the 23:1 inst., at the York Hotel."
On this subject, in addition to the remarks we made in our
last, we may observe, that in proportion as the expression of
the sentiments of the public, or any considerable portion of it,
by public meetings, is an important privilege, and designed to
produce a powerful impression upon the Legislature, care should
be taken that the occasions selected be of weighty consideration,
and that the manner of doing what may be weighty in itself,
should not counteract the effect wished for. We know of nd
greater enemies to the liberties of the country, than those
who work upon every impression of popular prejudice or
passion to convene public meetings; and those who, being a
mere faction, get into some hole or corner, and, collecting a
careless or an ignorant assembly about them, dignify such a
grouping together with the appellation of a meeting of
the inhabitants of such and such a place, and exhibit a most
partial and contemptible proceeding as a public measure
to those who, in distant places,
s,. know nothing of the cha-
racter of those who have originated it. A folly and a
faction which, in fact, belong to
a few only, is thus transfer.
red to the large mass, though unjustly ; the influence of pub-
lic opinion, when it really exists, is weakened ; and considerate
men are put upon their guard, after frequent imposition, and
maintain it too scrupulously in cases which ought to have their
concurrence. It was thus that public meetings were brought
not merely into contempt, but became the subject of alarm to
all honest and quiet people, by the mischievous activity of the
Radical demagogues, during the career of print and other iti-
nerant orators, incited by the laudatory prosings. of the dibcif_
fected prints. If the populace were to be nude judges of the
most difficult questions in legislation, and were to be brought
together by thousands, to overcome by a display of physical
force, and to be taught, as the Mercury taught them, that to
petition was to demand ; if the most extravagant expectations
of prosperity, and even abundance, were held out to them as
the sure results of carrying into effect a theory of government
devised by thinking blockheads, and entertained by unthink-
ing ones, and their eye and their hearts were thus to be turned
upon their neighbours' property, it was time for the Legiala-
tare to interfere, in order to save the cour.tr.v from anarchy and
Radical spoliation ; and those most truly j.ealous. of public li-
gr.eater calamities. Public opi-
nion felt it imperative upon them to submit. to its temporary
in influence, in. so short a tanO,
abridgment,rairnogorraddeedr tosoersacpaydely.
as in those most silly proceedings and
.nieetings which. vere
never
held during a late investigation.. To decide without. evidence,
and to substitute passion for judgment, were principles. so
openly adopted, by that foolish mass of people who yielded.