The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-05 00:00:00

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LONDON,
THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 5, 1836.

As the time for the consideration of the Stamp Bill
draws near, the Virulence • of certain Morning Papers
against .the measure seems to increase. Nor 13 theis
abuse confined to the measure itself—but it extends to
the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, with that
bitterness of spirit which can only arise from an in-
ward conviction that they arc putting forth a tissue
of misrepresentations. We are no apologists of the
Right Honourable Gentleman, for he needs none;
but we are bound in strict honour to do him
justice ; and, in the case of the Morning Papers
alluded to—the Times, Herald, and -Post, we do say
that their abuse of the CHANCELLOR of the Ex-
CHEQUER is unmerited—and, what is more, they
know it to be so. We have no wish here to enter into
their quarrel about double sheets, for in that too there
is a vast deal of double dealing, and they know it ; hut
we think they step out of the line of propriety, if not
of truth, when they assert that they were no parties
to the General Meetings we the Trade, at all
of which they attended, either by themselves of
their Representatives, and subscribed to all the pro-
ceedings ! And yet, for the last week, they fill their
columns with abuse, because the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER has extended the original size contem-
plated even beyond their most sanguine expectations !
Really this is " too bad." For our own part, we
care not if the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
extend the size so as to take in a double Atlas—far
less any of the Morning Papers which now annoy
their friends, the advertisers, by the unnecessary fre-
quency of their double sheets. These things find
their level at last, and it were perhaps better
for the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER to leave
the size unrestricted. But that would not please his
maligners—no indeed ; they in their anxiety for the
poor would rather let the Stamp Duty remain as it
is, and repeal the duty on soap ! This comes

with a good grace truly from those ►;ho have affected
:all along their indifference if the Stamp Duty were
►•:boll•; abolished ! But it is idle to proceed. in
Herald of this morning we find the following :
" In answer to the clear anti able statement of Mr. Goul-
burn. Mr. Rice, among other things, said the nt xt commu-
nication he received was from the newspaper proprietors them-
selves. Ile had been in communication with those ►►ho
represented these very individual petitioners, and'he had also
been in constant communication with their Commttee, and
therefore he never was so r.stonished in his life—all these ar-
rangements having been made with their own privity—sme
at their suggestion, well knowing as they did every step
that had been taken—that this petition, involving him in
personal charges, should be presented from the very MCIa
who participated in all he did.' If Mr. Rice experienced
astonishment on hearing our petition, we felt no less asto-
nishment on finding that he had staked his credit for ve-
racity on such an assertion. As a party' to the petition,
we distinctly and unequivocally deny the statement of the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, as far as it applies to us. With
the Right lion. Gentleman we ha►e had no communication,
either personally or by representatives, touching his super-
ficial inch of knowledge' plan." •
Now to this we answer that it is not correct. They
were not only parties to all the General Meetings, but
:.;onie of them formed part of the General Committee,
and, in addition, they are all of them subscribers to
the expences incurred. Their subsequent assertions
arc therefore most unfair to their delegates, who repre-
sented them in the different interviews with the CHAN-
CELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER.

The question of the Vote by Ballot comes on to-
night for discussion in the House of Commons. Mr.
GROTE brings it forward, and by no man could such
a task be undertaken with more propriety. He is a
lucid, searching, and dispassionate reasoner, and com-
prehends the question in all its bearings. We have
always advocated the necessity of the Ballot, for it is
the only secure protection that the poor man has
against the tyranny of the rich. The Tories, however,
will, for this very-reason, oppose it to a man ; for
right well do they know that were it once carried, they
would never again be able to muster in any effective
numerical force in the House of Commons. We look
on the Ballot as a soft of necessary appendix to the
Reform Bill, without which that great remedial mea-
sure is incomplete. The notion that it is abhorent
to the frank and manly feelings of Englishmen, is a
mere begging of the question, and only put forth in
the absence of sounder argument. Surely secret vot-
ing with sincerity is less obnoxious to the na-
tional characters than open voting with hypo-
crisy. The Ballot enables a man to vote ac-
cording to the dictates of his own conscience,
and support the candidate of his own unbiassed
selection:; but the absence of such a urotecting power,
compels him, in but too many instances, to surrender
up his judgment, and sacrifice his feelings to the selfish
interests of others. Had the Ballot been in existence
during the last election, we should not have seen three
hundred Tories returned to Parliament ; neither should
we have heard of any of those flagrant acts of bribery
and corruption which took place at Ipswich, Stafford,
Warwick, Harwich, and many other boroughs. The
Ballot would have put a stop to all these disgraceful
transactions ; reduced the number of the Tory Mem-
bers by at least two-thirds ; and enabled the House of
Commons tckbecome really and truly the representa-
tive of the country. Oppose it as the Conservatives
may, we have not the slightest doubt that eventually—
and this at no distant period—the Ballot will be car-
ried. It is not in the nature of things to suppose
otherwise, for, the want of it is seriously felt at almost
every step we take in the path of Reform.

The speech of the Noble Secretary for Ireland
in the House of Commons last night, in answer to
Mr. POULETT SCROPE'S motion against any unne-
cessary delay in improving the present calamitous con-
dition of the Irish. Poor, may be looked upon as con-
taining an explicit pledge of the intentions of the Go-
vernment with respect to this most important question.
We are delighted to learn, on the authority of the Noble
Lord, that his MAJESTY'S Government are neither in-
different to the sufferings of the poor of Ireland, nor
passive observers of their wretchedness. We are truly
glad to receive his Lordship's assurances—upon the
good faith of which we can place the strongest reliance
—that Ministers are engaged in preparing a measure
for the amelioration of the general distress ; which
measure they pledge themselves, "without subterfuge
or delay," to bring forward as soon as they can do so
on their own responsibility. With this pledge we are
entirely satisfied, as .was the House, and as will the
country, when the bearings of the question are
fairly brought under its notice. Having de-
voted much of our attention to the general
question of Poor Laws, and particularly to the effect
of any modification of the system upon Ireland, we are
strongly opposed to anything like temporary legisla-
tion upon such a subject. The social state of the
Sister Kingdom will not beat the disorganization con-
sequent upon expeiimental legislation ; and therefore
it would be less cruel to leave the poor to perish
as they are, than to disappoint them by hopes
which it may be impossible to realize. We
hare constantly defended the claims of the poor of
Ireland to the protection of a well-matured system of
Poor Laws, and we shall continue to do so with all
the energy we possess, until such a system is esta-
blished ; but we do not consider that we thereby
pledge ourselves to support temporary expedients, ra-
ther calculated to disturb the peace of the country
than permanently to improve the condition of the
labouring population. We, therefore, implore his
Majesty's Ministers to redeem, without delay,
their pledge of last night. That Ireland can-
not continue much longer without a Poor Law, is
the deliberate opinion 'of nine-tenths of the- British
people. Nor .is the Government in any danger of
mistaking its way with -regard_ to this question, pro-
vided Ministers will allow themselves to be guided by
the recommendations of the Irish Poor Law Commis-
sioners, as embodied in their Third Report, now in
the hands of Members of both Houses of Parliament.

The stormy state of the weather during the two last
days prevented the arrival of the Paris Journals of
Sunday and Monday, till this morning. The whole of
the Papers of Tuesday have also been received, so
that we have now three days Journals before us. The
Papers of Monday contain the congratulatory ad-
dresses of the Presidents of the Chambers of Peers
and Deputies, and of the Diplomatic body resident in
Paris, presented to his Majesty the King of the
FRENCH on his birth-day, together with his Majesty's
answers. According to the received usage on such
occasions, the President of the Chamber of De-
puties is allowed to give expression to his own sen-
timents, without previously receiving the instructions
of the Chamber. This usage, together with the
custom of addressing the SOVEREIGN on such occa-
sions, was lauded to the skies by the Journal des
Debats of Saturday, as a means of making the KING
personally acquainted with the real sentiments of his.
people. M. DUPIN, the President, is not the person
to conceal his opinions, and he accordingly took care
to denounce as the enemies of France, both the Doc-
trinaire and the Republican factions, apparently as
much to the surprise of the KING as of the champions
of the Doctrine. His address is curious :

M. DUPIN, IN THE NAME OF THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.
" Sire—The King's fete is ours, and every time that this
happy day returns, you see the Chamber of Deputies surround
you with its wishes for the glory and happiness of your reign.
Sire, the Chamber is identified with your Majesty. Superior
to the narrow calculation of every individual ambition, and
solely occupied with the general interests of the country, it
cordially associates itself to all the great ideas of the King, to