The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-18 00:00:00

.uto existence)
. of its prosperity ?
..ween the old world and the

has advanced to the tneridiaP
When the intercourse bet-
new shall be recin-
teas, and 14-

ei.ocated on both oceans—when the
sae indigo of China, and the rice and the
mirreral riches of Flindostan, and the spices and
fabics of the Oriental Archipelago shall flow towards
the western shores of Amer_ica—when a line of traffic
has been opened (as it will in the end be inevitably
opened) across the soil of the New World, connecting
together with ribs of iron the Pacific and the
Atlantic—when England is enabled to communicate
with her most remote colonies, with India and
Australia, with Labuan and New Zealand, and to
communicate with them, not by a mixed route across
the different countries of Europe and Asia, where the
mail might at any moment be stopped by the strug-
gles of war or by the outbreak of a revolution
when the power of Britain binds together
the whole of her- vast but scattered posses-
sions by a line stretching directly across the
Atlantic, across her North American possessions, and
across the Pacific to Sidney, to Calcutta, to Hong-
Kong, to Sarawak, and to Cape North ;—then, in
truth, the inestimable value of Vancouver's Island
will be signally manifested. Then, when too late, the
insanity of this grant to the Hudson's Bay Company
would be apparent to the poorest capacity. As
affording shelter for our vessels of war and our ships
of merchandise, as yielding abundance of coal
for our steamers, as presenting the very best egress
from our North American colonies, Vancouver's Island
would then, as we have intimated, be altogether
inestimable. Even as it is now, however, as an
island commanding the eastern ocean, and being so
situated geographically and so composed geologically,
being the key opening North America to Asiatic en-
terpri!e, and being moreover the most convenient
coaling station along the whole coast from Behring's
Straits to Terra del Fuego—the retention of Van-
couver's Island by the British Government is directly
associated with our progress as a nation and our con-
solidation as an empire. Hence it is that we are so
earnestly solicitous that the effort to be made to-morrow
evening by the Earl of Locour may receive the
cordial co-operation of the House of Commons.

Mr. SMITH O'BRIEN and his unfortunate asso-
ciates in guilt will not gain much by their latest, and
we trust, we may say, their final attempt to defeat
the ends of justice, or rather to postpone the execution
of the mitigated punishment which her MAJESTY, in
the exercise of her undoubted prerogative, had merci-
fully substituted for the extreme penalty assigned by
the law for the serious offences of which they had
been convicted on the clearest and most unquestion-
able testimony. The fullest opportunities have already
been afforded to these unhappy men of taking the
opinions of the various tribunals before %bleb the
qlestiGn of their legal guilt or innocence could be
constitutionally decided. 1; e say, of their legal
guilt or innocence, because no doubt or difficulty
could exist 'on the subject of their moral
turpitude. It ccu!d not be denied that they
had assembled a body of armed men in open and
undisguised rebellion ageinst the Royal authority,
that they bad, in legal parlance, levied war upon
the SOVEREIGN within her dominions, and that
they contemplated effecting, by illegal and uncoesti-
tiltiOrlal means, the overthrow of the Government,
and the subversion of the national institutions in, at
least, one portion of those dominions. Objections
were, however, raised by the counsel entrusted with
their defence, that they bad been deprived of certain
privileges to which parties accused of high treason
were justly entitled. Although these points savoured
more of legal subleties than of substantial justice,
and could not in the slightest degree affect the real
merits of the case ; although the three Learned
Judges who so ably and impartially presided at the
trials had overruled these objections, on the most
convincing reasons, an appeal was unhesitatingly
allowed to the highest criminal tribunal in the
country, the Court of Queen's Bench in Ireland.
After hearing protracted arguments from some of the
most eminent counsel of that or perhaps of any nation,
the Court unanimously affirmed the judgments of the
Court below, the Judges delivering their decisions
seriatim, in terms that elicited the most unequivocal
approbation from those best qualified to form sound
opinions on the profound learning and impartiality
displayed therein. The prisoners were not, however,
satisfied ; they were not yet prepared to respect the
majesty of the laws against which they had offended,
or to sue for that mercy which our mild and benig-
nant SOVEREIGN would never refuse to the humble
suppliant, when it could be exhibited consistently
with the national safety. No ; they still resisted to
the uttermost, and made a further appeal to the ul-
timate tribunal, the House of Peers of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Irish
Attorney-General might have refused his fiat to that
appeal—believing that the errors assigned in the
petition were frivolous and untenable, that no com.
petent person could for a moment entertain a second

opinion on the subject, he would have been fully
justified in refusing his assent to any further delay,
and in having the sentence of the law carried into
immediate execution. But ntt so. That Learned
functionary was determined to withhold no
privilege that could legally be claimed, to afford no
pretext for the assertion that full and impartial jus-
ticerigh wt
oafs nfuorttrheenrdseprpe toappeal
thewasunhesitatingly
unhappy co n v
conceded,The
and the writs of error to the House
of
Lords
sued out with the sanction of the law officers of were
the
Crown in Ireland.
The result of that appeal must be within the recol-
lection of all our readers. After the cases of the pri-
soners had been fully argued by the talented counsel
selected by themselves, the House of Lords, $‘ ithout
calling for any reply, unanimously affirmed the vali-
dity of all the proceedings, and the Judges of
England, without a single dissentient voice, approved
of that decision. No further delays could then
have been interposed to retard the execution
of the dread sentence. Every device had been ex-
hausted, and the forfeited lives of the wretched

criminals were placed at the diTosal of the Exccu

tive. Justice, however, Ras tempered by mercy, and
an intimation was conveyed to the prisoners that the
Royal prerogative would be exercised in their favour,

and that the capital punishment would be remitted,

on condition that they should be transported for life

'rom their native land. No formal document was

signed—no legal pardon was granted that could have

been relied on. Independent to the last, and still
desirous of irnpedirg the proceedings of the

Government, these wretched men proudly refused

,be offe -ad commutation, and declared themselves

ready to undergo the sentence originally delivered,

;o suffer death upon the scaffold, in accordar.ce
therewith. What course, then, remained for the

Executive ? Should the ridiculous vanity of these
unfortunate criminals be gratified ? Should they
be permitted practical;y to commit suicide, and to
meet the dreadful fate from which the Royal cle-

mency would release them ? Every consideration of

justice and expediency forbade so melancholy a con-
summation. It would be beneath the majesty of
justice to be diverted from its course by the inane
andlatuoui conduct of those parties. And, however,
the mercy of our Most Gracious QUEER might be
despised and rejected, it could not be re-
called. Should further procrastination then
be sanctioned ? Should the public mind
still be excited and disturbed by further
arguments aA to the right of the criminals to insist
upon the execution of the original sentence ? Most
decidedly not. To. do so wouhl be to bring the
majesty of the law into contempt and disrepute, and 1
to encourage future offenders to bring forwa.A
far absurdities. Tha si.rm-

,4--- •
....
.-....,y and Judi- i
to ad'.
...uusly determined
brd'ir :ravern beingment
13'''
-Vr-e 0011118 e which would
terminate all further discussion.
of Lords
A Bill was s;:cord- '
ingly brought into the I-loase
r',ll Thursday,
s'aspended) passed
through its different stages tfr
and (the standing
_e following day, not
making any new enactmeso
s, but declaratory as to
the stae of the existing ' law, and affirming the power
of her MAJESTY to tOrtmallte the capital punishment
in cases of trea!nn I-
Ato transportation for life, or for
such other term ;,s might seem expedient.
This Act .1: i' ll idoubtless pass through the House of
Conamor with • s similar expedition. The opinions of
LOT'as.
BnouGuAar, CAMPBELL, and DENMAN, clearly
and deliberately expressed cn the occasion of the
first -
reading of the Bill, prove that the power of com-
muting the sentence of death for any minor punish-
ment already exists in Ireland. But if any doubt
existed on the subject, surely no rational being could
allege that it should not be finally and for ever set at
rest, and that no obstinacy on the part of a convicted
traitor should enable him either to demand the exe-
cution of the highest penalty, or altogether to evade
the penal consequences of his crime.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris papers of Saturday and
yesterday.
It was rumoured in Paris that an insurrection had
broken out at Lyons, and that the insurgents were in
possession of more than half of the city. It appears
that on Wednesday large crowds were assembled at
Lyons, and there were various processions through
the streets, but the people were quiet, and no colli-
sion took place. On the following day, however, the
authorities caused upwards of 100 persons to be
arrested, and in consequence a collision took place
and many lives were lost. The insurgents have, it
is said, gained possession of the telegraph, and thus
cut off the communication with Paris. The Moniteur
of Saturday publishes a decree declaring Lyons, and
the military district in which it is situated, in a state
of siege.
Disturbances are also said! to have broken out at
Toulouse and at bilk.
The Moniteur also publishes a decree by which the
publication of the Reforme, the Peuple, the Demo-
cratie Pacifique, the Revolution Democratic et Sociale,
the Vraie Republique, and the Tribunes des Peuples
are suspended.
The Moniteur contains a report from the Minister
of Justice on the necessity of rendering justice in
France gratuitous for the poor. The law, as at ,
present administered, is attended, the report says.
with so many formalities, that the poor are very ft e:
quently prevented from having recourse to its jir cis-
diction. To remedy the evil, either special 'courts
could be established, such as are seen in Pi-edmont
, ;
under the designation bf courts for the per r or all
fees could be done away with, as is practiced in Bel-
gium, Holland, and several states of Ge. many. To
examine the question, the report proposes to have
a committee named, consisting of Al. Renouard,
Councillor of the Court of Cassaffson ; M. Aylies,
President of the Court of Appeal a!,, Paris ; M. Berville,
advocate. general at the same, Court ; M. de Bel-
leyme, President of the Tribunal of Premiere In..
stancea at Paris ; M. Paul F abre, advocate at the Court
of Cessation ; M. Duvergiee, advocate of the Court
of Appeal; M. Boinvireiers, Batcnnier of the
Order of Advocates at tle Court of Appeal at Paris ;
and M. Aubenas, chef de bureau at the Ministry of
Justice. The Presi'Aent of the Republic has approved
of the committee.
These is a eepoet in the Moniteur from the Minis-
ter of Justice, recommending the appointment of a
special coratni!,tee to consider the difficult question
of the mort'gage system. The committee consists of
MM. N'ageaud and Wolowski, representatives of the
people -; M. Giraud, member of the Institute ; M.
Rebreuard, councillor of the Court of Cessation; M.
e'ersit senior, advocate at the Court of Appeal of
earis ; M. Paul Fabre, advocate at the Court of
Cessation ; P.T. Calmon, ex-director-general of the
registration office; M. ;le Dalmas, director of civil
affairs at the ministry of Justice; M. Royer, author
of a work on mortgages ; M. A. Fould, the banker,
end M. Armand, chef de bureau at the ministry of
justice. This committee the President of the Republic
has approved of.
The Moniteur publishes a decree signed by the
PRESID,ENT of the Republic, and countersigned by
the Minister of the Interior, convoking for the Bth of
July the Electoral Colleges for the election of depu-
ties for the places that have become vacant by the
choice of members, by decease, resignation, or other-
wise. The number of places so vacant is 35.
The following is a report of the proceedings in the
National Assembly, on Friday evening:—
The President read the order of the day for the next
sitting. The Assembly will meet in its buteaux, to exa-
mine several propositions ; among others, those relative
to the banks depending on landed property, and the re-
form in the mortgage system.
M. Beaumont (de la Somme) demanded that two com-
mittees should be named to examine these propositions.
M. Vezin proposed to the Assembly- to name one com-
mittee of thirty members, two from each bureau, to
examine them both.
The proposition of M. Vezin was put to the vote and
adopte.l.
M. V. Hugo demanded permission of the Assembly to
put a question to the members of the Cabinet.—(Speak,
spe:k.) The Assembly, he doubted not, would wish that
every guilty act should be repressed, and if the journals
were to be believed, certain acts of violence had been
committed in different printing-offices of the capital,
which were an attack on legality, liberty, and property.
He, therefore, demanded of the Government if an inves-
tigation into the affair had been ordered with a view to
ulterior proceedings?
The Minister of the Interior said that the Govern-
ment regretted, as much as the Hon. Gentleman could
do, what had occurred. The act complained of had
taken place spontaneously, and the authorities were
neither able to foresee nor to prevent it. It had been
said, that an aide-de-camp of General Changarnier had
taken a leading part in the outrage, but that he must
formally deny. lie went to the spot to repress it, but it
was too late; all the mischief bad been done, and
no attention moreover was paid to him. As soon as
the Government had been informed of what had
taken place, orders had been given to ascertain the
amount of damage done, and to discover the authors
of it; and he could assure the Assembly that
justice would be done in the affair.—(Hear, hear.)
He would, he said, take that opportunity of giving
some information relative to the state of the interior of
France.—(Marks of attention.) All the information re-
ceived by the Government proved that the movement
which took place in Paris was generally expected in the
provinces. The accounts received from all parts were
most satisfactory, with one sole exception. At Lyons
disturbance was imminent, and the prefect had written
to demand that that city should be placed in a state of
siege. He had received that account at half-past four,
and had immediately sent orders by the telegraph for it
to be done. All the troops of 6th division of the army
of the Alps had been placed at the disposal of the brave
general who commanded at Lyons. Every precautionhad
been taken, and no anxiety was felt as to the result of
the struggle. At Dijon an assemblage of 400 persons
bad been formed, but they had been dispersed without
difficulty. He was happy to say that the accounts pub-
lished of disturbances at Rheims were not correct. Some
fears had at first been felt, and reinforcements of troops
had been demanded, but their services had not been re-
quired.
The President said, that before consulting the as-
sembly on the question of its remaining en permanence
he would submit to it the following resolution :—`‘ The
National Assembly votes its thanks to the National
iLheeftm—aAjol4tayh rosefth, !that ids
ltoouodmiyuacxh..
Guards, the army, and to General Changarnier."
All file moiceemsboenvathofe
elaLeed, " Yes, yea; to General Chungarnier."
The President, continuing_.. Fer the ardour and pa-
triotism which they dicplaycd in defence of the Consti-
tution and the Republic in the late events."
A Voice on the Right—Bravo, bravo I Divide.
The Pfesident then put the proposition to the vote.
when an immense majority rose in its favour. Thirty cr
forty members of the Mountain who were present re-
mained motionless in their seats.
A Voice—Shcme on those who remain seated.

On those who were ageinst the resolution being called
on, one member of the Mountain only rose, amidst the
loud murmurs of the majority.
The resolution was consequently declared to be
adopted.
The President—l shall now consult the Assembly as
to the permanenec-r--
A Voice on the Right—No, no; con inno it.
The President—Or will von 11;ve a public sitting to-
morrow, After the LusinesB in the bureaux ?

Another Voice on the liight—No, nu ; the perms-
,ence.

The President—The Asa mbly consequently continues
ea permanence.

The National has the following on the riotous pro.
ceedings of the friends of order in wrecking the
printing-offices of MM. Proux and Bou :
" Every one has remarked the incredible silence of the
Constitutionnel respecting the devastations committed in
the printing-offices of N.M. Proux and Bottle, and at
the offices of several journals. Does not the Constitu-
tionnel dare to stigmatise these savage attzcks on order
and property? What consideration can restrain it? Is