The Sun.
London, England, 1831-06-06 00:00:00

doning the election for the purpose of recommencing
negotiations on other points, created such an explo•
sion of zeal and noise in the galleries, that the Pre-
sident was obliged to suspend the discussion till
order was re-established. Though the Belgian.
have now elected their King, they have not ye
lecided on the limits of his dominions. They
have, in fart, left the arrangement of the boundaries,
and the distribution of the debt, open to future
discussion; and we have more than once mentioned
,hat Prince Leopold cannot accept of the crown
'll these points are settled. It would, indeed,
indicate an impruderice little short of insanity to
place himself in a situation where he mu-t en-
counter dangers and difficulties without a chance of
overeomirg them,—where, if he agrees to any con-
cession to Holland for the sake of peace, he will
be resisted by his new subjects,—and where,
if he does not, he will be attacked by the united
.orces of the Germanic Confederation, and abandoned
by the other Powers of Europe. As the present
Government is, however, authorized to attempt the
arrangement of the Luxemburg question by treaty,
the negociationa may have arrived at such a point
befoie his Royal Highness will be obliged to give a
definitive answer, that he may be enabled to accept
Of the crown with the certainty of pleasing all par-
ties. Though the deputation when in London will
have no mission to settle the limits of their country,
and though the Prince will not acquire the power of
acting in tl:e name of the Belgic people till he has
sworn to the constitution, their presence here, re-
presenting as they do the Congress, combined with
' the influence of his exertions as presumptive sore-
reign, may go far to facilitate an amicable adjust-
, merit of the points in dispute between the con-
ferenc,!s and the new state. If the question of
Luxemburg were settled, as it may easily be, the
possession of Maestricht is the only other point on
which any real difficulties will occur, as the Bel-
gians themselves seem not to be very confident in
their right to the left bank of the Scheldt, which,
' unlike Luxemburg and Limburg:, has never joined
the insurrection. It will be fortunate for Belgium if
Prince Leopold should yield to the invitation of the
Congress on this critical occasion. The unhappy
people of that once happy country cannot afford
to remain longer in their present uncertain condition,
prosecuting discussions which agitate their social
I,bric to its foundations—torn by domestic factions,
and clamouring for foreign war—suffering from the
want of credit and the interruption of industry—the
prey of mischievous demagogues and interested in-
triguers—carrying their crown, as a Jew a costly
trinket, first to one capital, and then to another,
without being able to find a purchaser—wasting
n.
their resources in maintaining dangerous and useless
military establishments, and changing their inefficient
A dminist rti ions with nearly every change of the
moon.—Times,

It is always with reluctance that we advert to the
conduct of individuals in private life. As, how-
ever, tic case of Major Dundas has made an extra-
ordinary i:npression on the public mind, and given
rise to much comment on the part of our contem-
poraries, it will be expected of us that we also
should say something on the subject. We do not
exactly see how Major Duridas ought to be ex-
pelled the service, for conduct, hich, however base,
has no reference to military duty. It ie true that,
in many cases, where no breach of tnilitary duty is
committed, an intimation to sell our, tantamount to
expulsion, is given. But this is a questionable ex-
, ercie of authority. The best way, perhaps, would
be, in all such case,, to leave the individual to the
correction of the opinion of his associates. A man
must be made of singular materials if he can long
withstand the contempt of those with whom he
every day associates. But then it has been observed,
that in a case of seduction, however base, an indi-
vidual who moves in Major Dundas's circle would
not fall in the estimation of his associates. A Sun-
day contemporary (the Exacthier) observes—
" Such a man as Dundas—that is, a nephew of Lord
Melville, and possessor of a handsome fortune—has noth-
ing to apprehend from the class to which he b
Not the door of a fashionable mansion will he closed
against him—not an invitation nor a smile the less will
he receive fu- the ruin of Elia: theth Adams: ' The base
affair will be a matter of badinage; and will obtain a
rurient interest far the naughty man,' as he will be
titteringly styled, as if in derision of morality. What
libertine has ever been expelled from what is termed
good society' for his profligicies ? We can mention,
in t e other hand, a dozen, whose crimes have c,m-
stituted their eclat. Amongst the young vipers of the
Aristocracy this vile case is treated as a joke, and only
serves as a model for imitation. The fashionables, and
would-be fashionables, of this country are the most de-
praved class in existence. The stain of every vice is upon
them—fidsehood am! dishonesty possess them entirely, and
their taste is not a whit better than their morals. The
arts evenaredepraved by them."

But if it be true that this base act will be deemed
a ft at her in his cap in high circles (and we fear
there is but too much truth for the observation),
the opinions of such circles necessarily guide those
who have the power of expulsion. This is one of
the evils resulting from the division of a nation into
castes. There can be no public opinion, in the true
sense of the word, under the caste system, because
the sympathy of the individual is with the caste,
and not with the public. Where the public favour
is an element of success, a certain degree of defe-
rence to it will be shown by prudent individuals in
high life, w ho are desirous of standing well with the
mass of their fellow citizens. But these men will
be foiled by the caste in general, on account of the
necessity of conforming with notions they despise.
" What is the penalty (adds cur contemporary) in this
case (to a man possessed of 55,000/.)?-3,500/. And
whence does this come ?—from the public. That fortune, so
creditably applied, has Leen carved out of the public mesns.
Major Dundas is the nephew of Lord Melville ; and many
a good job has contributed to that endowment of 55,000/.
Observe, then, people of England ! how such properties
are made at the expence of your industry, and squandered
at the expence of your morahty. flow they have their
source and their end in corruption. How they proceed
from the dishonesties, and flow to them. But a Captain
Basil Hell (the Basil of Figaro) will prate to you of the
benefit of supporting a money-spending class—of support-
ing a set of people, without whose instruction, he argues,
you would not know Low to spend your money. Here is
the example—A Major Dundas is a thing of the system
Captain Basil admires and advocates. He is a growth of the
Melville stock, whose sap is gold, derived—from public
employments, we must say, least Sir Thomas Domain,
Whig Attorney-General the Second, should be at us. He
is one of the class whose use it is to teach the co►stnunity
how to spend their money. How do you like the fashion ?
Three thousand five hundra d pounds fin- the sin of a night,
the shame of a life, and the misery of a family ! People
ignorant of ►ociety say, But the man will be punished,
disgraced, expelled, shunned by his former associates.' No
such thing. In this class there is but one thing which
makes a man despicable, and emperi's his place, and that is,
public virtue, If he wish well to his species, he is de-
spi,ed so a fool, or suspected to be a hypocrite of a dans
getous sort : one paying tribute to a virtue which it is the
policy of the clique to scout as unreal—to flout as a false god.
'• Mr. No:tit asked, Dare a man, bearing the King's
commission, who would act thus, present himself to so-
ciety ?' To good society,' to the society which takes to
itself the distinction of ' good'—we say yes ; end when
Mr. North asked the question, might it not hare occurred
to him, that, while this very charge was hanging over the
defendant (and with yet blacker suspicions about it). he,
the bearer of the, King's commission, bad obtained a higher
commission ? Ile was promoted pending the prosecution
Of ungentlemanly conduct the milit try administration
takes cognizance—but this is not unyentlentahl,y conduct,
according to the mordlity of those who make rules. False-
hood and deceit are accounted not intrinsically ungentle-
manly in a country whose law is carried on through fic-
tion, and the constant expedient of whose Government has
been false pretences, Falsehood and deceit, when they are
' the instruments of petty offenders, are held criminal ; and
called, according to their application, swindling, fraud,
perjury, &c. ; but when they come into uses common to
the Lord as well as to the clown, they lose their terms of
odium. There is no vice so low and petty that does not
obtain strength by the corruptions of a bad form of Go-
vernment. A bloated Aristocracy—bleated literally by
the corruptions of the people—is a conserve of poisons."
The truth is, that where society is broken up into
divisions, having separate interests, the individual
will care only for the good opinion of those with
whom he sympathises. It is with the low as it is
with the high. In the counties of Clare and Mayo