The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-25 00:00:00

avowedly, "to maintain French interests in Italy." i
Has pot Englald also interests to maintain ? The
M.aquis of LAN4DOWNI. de:_lared the utikr day, :luci
it was with shame we heard him make the declara•
tion, that we had only a few steam-boats in the
Sicilian waters for the protection of British subjects
and British commerce, but they were not to interfere
between the belligerents. For the protection of
British commerce, forsooth ! How can British com-
merce be carried on with Sicily, if all her ports are
destroyed by FILANGIEEI? How, for years to come,
can Messina or Catania carry on commerce ? The
interest of Great Britain, to put the question on no
higher ground, commands immediate interference
to prevent the further destruction of Sicilian ports,
and to force from the King of NAPLEs ample com-
pensation for British property destroyed at Messina
by the bombardment which took place, without notice,
in September last. if France is justified in interfer-
ing in Rome to protect French interests, and to
maintain French influence, then is it the duti of
England to interfere in Sicily to protect English
interests, and to maintain English influence. And
let it not be said that the maintenance of English
influence in Sicily is a matter of no conseque4ce.
We felt the advantage during the whole of the last
war of having Sicily as an ally. Had Sicily b4en,
instead of an ally, an enemy, NELSON could nEiver
have fought the battle of the Nile. There has lien
for years past, on the part of the free nation's of
western Europe a jealousy—and by no means a callse-
less jealousy—of the increase of the power of Rulsia,
more particularly of the presence of a Russian fleet
in the Mediterranean. The King of NAPLES iSi at
{the
assistance moment acting under the influence and by •the
assistance of the Emperor of RUSSIA. He is' as
completely under the command of the Emperoi• of
RUSSIA as is the HETAIAN of the Cossacks; for Rusiia,
Austria, and Naples are bound up together in anlin-
timate alliance, and should the King of NAPLES silc-
ceed in conquering Sicily, all the ports of that isltind
will be, in case of war, open to the Russian fleet twd
closed against the British. The independence of
Sicily guarantees the freedom of the Mediterran6an
to all the nations of the world, but Sicily, under the
domination of the King of NAPLES, is the outpo4 of
Russia, and means—British communication overliind
with India cut off, and the Levant a Russian lake.'

As we observed yesterday, the third reading
the Navigation Bill was carried in the Comm,

after an animated debate, by a decisive majorit:
61. The Protectionist party, it will be remarl
offered the most determined opposition to any j

gress in free-trade principles, and clung to the
vestiges of monopoly with a zeal and devotion

thy of a better cause. They had abstained fl
contesting any of the details of the measure
Committee, being resolved to exhibit their hosti,
to the entire Bill in the strongest point of view.
was manifestly the champ de bataille on wh
they staked their entire strength, being anxious, if y

sible, to render the majority in the Commons so sligh
to justify the rejection of the Bill by the Lords.
this, however, they have totally and entirely fail
Public opinion has been too clearly and unequi
tally manifested on the question. No doubt

remain as to what must be the result of a " collision
between the Houses." The success of the measure
may, perhaps, be retarded for a brief period, but it
cannot possibly be averted. The nAtion, to which a
free and unfettered trade in goods and commodities
has been granted, will not be satisfied to continue a
monopoly of the right of carriage to any class, or
interest. It has been solemnly decided that hence-
forth impost shall be levied for the purpose ' of
revenue only, and not of protection, and Par-
liament will not stultify itself by sanctioning a
"principle" in one respect, while it legislates in
another instance on totally different and conflicting
grounds. Why should we be anxious "to buy! in
the cheapest and to sell in the dearest market" if ,we
neutralise these advantages, and deprive ourselves of
the inestimable blessings within our reach, by con-
tinuing narrow and short-sighted enactments, founcled
chiefly on hostility towards another nation, the
perhaps partly on the exploded doctrine that
national wealth was increased in proportion to the
poverty of other countries, which should thereforalbe
injured in every possible manner. A fair and gee-
rous emulation, an honourable and manly competition,