The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-11 00:00:00

THE SUN,

victories may be achieved. The good old days of the I
Anti-Corn-law League were forcibly recalled to our
recollection—the same earnestness and decision were
perceptible on every side, and the same machinery
will be brought into operation to attain their objects.
After such a demonstration we cannot entertain—who
can entertain ?—a doubt but that the most complete
success will attend their exertions ; that peaceful and
constitutional agitation will again obtain the required
reforms, and that Parliament will recognise and
submit to the voice of public opinion clearly and
unequivocally expressed.
The Chairman stated the objects of the meeting,
briefly but intelligibly. There could be no mistake
or misunderstanding. He told the assembled multi-
tudes that "he bespoke their co-operation in favour
of no ill-advised scheme, of no immature project—of
nothing which should involve violent changes, or
changes to be accomplished by violent means, that
"their aim was to collect into one focus the mass of
floating opinion in the district—to give it force and
direction—and to concentrate it, for a time at least,
upon the practical objects of economical and financial
reform." The torrents of applause with which the state-
ment was received evidenced the unanimous assent of
the hearers and how fully and cordially they par-
ticipated in the sentiments of their Chairman.
The Honourable Member for the West Riding
proposed the first resolution, and we rejoice to say
that its terms were not limited to measures of
economy and retrenchment merely, or to bringing
back the national expenditure to the standard of 1835,
but that coupled therewith was the determination to
secure a more equitable and economical system of
taxation. This looks as if the Honourable Gentleman
had reconsidered the opinion put forward in his
letter of the 18th ultimo, and that he no longer
considered it inexpedient to propose any " modifica-
tions or substitutions of existing taxes." The resolu-
tion implies not only that a more economical, but a
more equitable, system is required:; and no system
can be equitable or just that places the greater por-
tion of the burdens upon those least able to sustain
them—that impedes production—that subjects the
people to domiciliary visits on the most frivolous and
vexatious pretexts—that imposes :restrictions upon
our commerce with other lands—that makes the
precarious earnings of the merchant or trader
contribute as largely to the exigencies of
the State :as the certain income of the
possessor of ;landed estates or of accumulated
thousands. The resolution means that direct taxa-
tion is to be sought for, that there is to be a total
alteration of the present system, or it means nothing.
We rejoice to find that Mr. COBDEN has in this
respect yielded to the general feeling, and that he
has sacrificed his own views in order to ob-
tain general unanimity. We are, perhaps,
wrong in saying " has sacrificed his own views," be-
cause we cannot doubt that his keen and vigorous
intellect clearly perceived not only the inexpediency,
but the injustice of the present system. He
has found, however, that there is "a very great
force of public opinion in favour of direct taxation,"
that it has been " already created and organized,"
that the nation is ripe for an onward movement, in
that respect, as well as in the demand for economy
and retrenchment.

It is not now necessary to enter into the argu-
ments adduced by the Honourable Gentleman in
support of the resolution, they are already familiar
to the public, having been put forward in the letter
to which we hare just alluded, and commented upon
by ourselves and other journalists.
The second resolution, proposed by Mr. MILNER
GIBBON, related to the franchise; it stated that no per-
manent reduction of taxation could be effected until
the people obtained a more direct control over the
House of Commons by an extension of the electoral
representation. This important subject has, there-
fore, again been supported by the men of Manchester,
and on a fitting occasion. Taxation and representation
have been intimately connected together. "No taxa-
tion without representation," has been a well-known
watchword, and they will again be united together.
The third resolution, proposed by JOHN BRIGHT,
spoke of the manner in which the contest is to be
carried on. The extension of 40s. free-
holders, which was found so efficacious
when adopted by the Anti-Corn-Law-League
and the system of watching the register is again to
be pursued, and the Chairman was authorised to take
steps for the promotion of an association to secure the
objects of the meeting. Again, we congratulate the
inhabitants of Manchester and the people of England
on a demonstration so glorious, one that must excite
such lively feelings of hope—such joyous anticipa-
tions in the heart of every Briton.

Her MAJESTY'S Chief Secretary for Foreign
Affairs may rest assured of this, that before the
approaching session of Parliament has very far ad-
vanced he will be severely catechised by his anta-
gonists. It is the evil fortune of Lord PALMERSTON
to have more rancorous and petulant assailants than
any other statesman among the present advisers of the
SOVEREIGN. It is his good fortune, however, to
possess at the same time a perfectly inexhaustible
share of equanimity, and to be less liable to be sur-
prised into a dilemma, whether in the toils of diplo-
matic correspondence or in the collision of political
debate, than any one amongst the Ministers who hold
office under Lord JOHN RUSSELL. Never, perhaps,
will these invaluable qualities prove of more signal
advantage to the Foreign Secretary than during the
spring of 1849, for never, we are satisfied, will his
opponents be more vituperative in their attack or less
scrupulous of infringing the delicate bounds of
secresy hitherto preserved round the administrator
entrusted with the duties devolving upon the office of
the Foreign Department. Although our appreciation
of the Noble Lord's ability in warding off the blows
levelled against his line of policy is, if possible, more
full than ever, in consequence of the success with
which he has recently passed through so many and
such extraordinary difficulties, we must, nevertheless,
confess that we look forward to the cross-examination
to which he will be most certainly subjected with a
considerable degree of trepidation. For human
nature is still human nature, even in a bosom steeled
against the ordinary weaknesses of irritability by a
lengthened familiarity with the invigorating in-
fluences of, government. Lord PALMERSTON will
require an almost miraculous amount of self-com-
►rand to baffle the wiles of a fierce and infuriated
Opposition. He must strengthen himself against
the seductive warmth of his indignation, by a re-
membrance of the integrity of his motives, by a
conviction that the decision of posterity will be more
just than the judgment of contemporaries, and by the
reflection that the very policy which is being now
traduced as un-English, and almost unconstitutional,
has maintained peace between Great Britain and the
insurgent nations of Europe, without derogating in
any manner from the dignity of his own country, or
interfering with the respective interests of the popu-
lations of Christendom.

Latterly it has become actually and literally the
fashion to condemn the Ministerial acts of Lord
PALMERSTON. No matter what may be the course
adopted by this eminent statesman, simply because
that course has been followed according to his sug-
gestion it is at once vilified as odious to humanity
and disgraceful to civilization. And against the man
who has steered the fortunes of England through the
hurricanes and the revolutions of 1848, is pitted that
excellent ABERDEEN, whose character has been
damaged, as visibly as the rind of a
bad orange. The under - secretary of the
middle-aged gentleman who is endeavouring
to lull the anguish of his conscience by writing
sophistical pamphlets in a back drawing-room in
Brompton, is seriously matched against the man who
has proved himself a Master of Diplomacy in the
Administrations of RussELL, of MELBOURNE, of
GREY, of WELLINGTON, Of GODIRICH, of CANNING,
and of LIVERPOOL.

To show the consistency, moreover, of those dis-
sentients who mention the policy of Viscount PAL-
MRRSTON either in abusive or in depreciative lan-
guage, it is only necessary to look to a few of the
charges levelled, sometimes directly, sometimes
indirectly, against that policy during the course
of the great Year of Revolutions. In refer-
ence to one country he was too Conservative,
while in regard to another he was too Democratic.
One while he interfered too much, at another too
little. If through the medium of his brother, as
Minister Plenipotentiary, he strove to compass the
,de-
escape of the Sicilimis from the grinding ,and