The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-24 00:00:00

would uproot what he regards as a conviction ; but
which, in truth, is a mere prejudice, borrowed from
others. If we have space on Monday we shall devote an
article to the question of Poor Laws, as they are esta-
blished, and as they are found to operate on the Continent.
We shall omit no State in which the maintenance of the
poor is recognised by the Government as a national duty.
As to Ireland we arc convinced that a good Poor Law would
do more in one year to tranquillize her people, to banish
religious animosities, and to improve the face of the
country, than would all the laws the General Association
might recomownd, were it to continue its labours for a
quarter of a century. One thing ought never to be List
sight of—namely, that while the question is under discus-
! sion, the poor are dying of hunger. While statesmen are
endeavouring to penetrate futurity, and to ascertain the
consequences of immediate benevolence, the famishing pea-
: sants are dropping around them by thousands into an un-

grave.

The Tories of Birmingham held a guzzle on what they
consider a grand scale, on Friday last. They met simulta-
neously at several of the Inns in that town, and celebrated
the anniversary of a " Loyal and Constitutional Associa-
tion," formed about two years ago. How the different
subordinate parties managed their matters we are not told,
further than that there was a Chairman to each set. The
elite of the clique, under the superintendence of the Earl of
DARTMOUTH, met, fed, and speechified at the Royal Hotel,
and witat was s aid and done ere, we resue, must be
supposed to have been said and done at the inferior guzzling

stations.
The business commenced with the reading of a Report
which, if its value were to be estimated by its prolixity and
prosiness, must have been amazingly gratifying to the per
sons convened to hear it. From this document we learn
several highly important facts. First, we are informed
with due solemnity that the Committee of the Association
felt it incumbent on them to issue sundry handbills and
placards contradicting an assertion put forth by the Council
of the Political Union. Then comes an Io Triumphe for
a glorious victory obtained in the election of no less a per-
sonage than a churchwarden, STURGES BourtNE's vote-
multiplying Act not being once mentioned. The third ex-
ploit of the Committee was to move an amendment at a
public meeting on certain resolutions in favour of Irish Mu-
nicipal Reform, proposed by the Liberals, which amend-
ment was unfortunately negatived by an immense majority
—by the whole assembly, we believe, except the Tory
Committee. i„ The Committee then descant, though not at
all in an arithmetical spirit, upon their mighty achievements
in the Registration Court. The "number of votes which
they have added to their own side, or subtracted from that
of their opponents, is not stated—why, we cannot of course
surmise—but it is asserted with a modest generality cha-
racteristic of the Birmingham Tories, that " the success of
a candidate in the opponent interest is a thing amounting
almost to an impossibility !!" Here is news for you Messrs.
ATTWOOD and SCHOLEFIELD--yOU had better look to
yourselves in time.
The Report then adverts to the establishment of a
Reading-room, as a means of decoying the unwary into the
snares of Toryism. No payment is necessary to secure ad-
mission to this room ; all who choose to become members
of the Association, or who are introduced by members, have
free ingress ! The Committee have also been speculating
largely in Tory tracts, the distribution of which they anti-
cipate will work wonders for the cause. The Committee
seem not to be aware that it is one thing to distribute
tracts, another to read them, and a third to be convinced by
them. They take it for granted—the fools—that their
publications arc put to no other use than to be made food
for the mind.
With all the desire which the Committee spew to give a
false colour to their proceedings, and all the pains they take
to represent the Association to be in a flourishing state, its
numbers do not increase in a satisfactory ratio. They do not
of course confess this openly, but the public will be at no loss
to ui;lerstand what they mean when they say that it cannot
be expeded that an Association like theirs, requiring
sound moral ai;l political character (I) in its constituents,"
should increase so rap::-.lly as a Political Union.
There was not a word uttered at this dinner worth a
single moment's attention.

The whole of the French Journals of Thursday have
been received. The .Tfoniteur contains the following tele-
graphic despatch from Bayonne, the substance of which
we gave and commented upon in yesterday's Sun :
" Government has received a telegraphic despatch from
Bayonne, dated the 19th inst., half past two o'clock.
" On the 15th Espartcro quitted his position on the Cada-
gua, and fell back on Portugalette with his artillery and his
bridges. He expects to be joined by four new battalions.
The Carlists have occupied the position thus abandoned by
him, and on the 16th again placed all their cannon in battery

against Bilboa.
" It is said that one of the columns of Gomez arrived al

Briviesco on the 14th."
We have no additional news from Bilboa. The Gover
nors, civil and military, have nobly discharged their duty ;
and whether the town surrender now or hold out for months
to come, they have rendered themselves worthy of having
their names enrolled among the gallant defenders of Spanish
freedom. The cowardly and treacherous conduct of Es-
PARTERO calls aloud for the most signal punishment. The
head of such a man is but a poor expiation for a crime of
such enormity as he has been guilty of, in not either re-
lieving Bilboa or perishing before it.
We find little else in the French papers of any political
importance, besides the rumours about;the opening of the
Chambers, and the conduct of the Government with respect
to Spain. The extraordinary speech of Senor CALATRAVA
in the Cortes, on the subject of the Quadruple Treaty,
continues to be severely commented upon by all the leading
Journals. The Spanish Minister has ruined himself in public
estimatioa by his unfounded eulogy of theFrenchGovernment.
• Even the KrifG is dissatisfied with the extent of the acquit-
tacee obtained by N. LATOUR MAUBOURG from the Presi-
dc,-:t of the Spanish Coocil. Poor CA LATRAVA'S
: unskil-
lte long bow, conjoined with
fuines, in the art of drawing
his fears 0; France, was the reasch why he so ridiculously
and vexatiously overshot the mark. .tai:. ad in his speech
the threats and menaces employed by the Freilb:: Ambassa-
dor. His excessive terror caused him to forget the
tions which he had received ; and being himself a much
more experienced judge than a diplomatist, he blundered
on about the friendship of France, in a way which proved
that he either had not read, or had utterly forgotten, the
text of the treaty under discussion. The King of the FRENCH
neither expected nor desired to be praised for his conduct with
respect to Spain. His MAJESTY sought but an acquit-
tance—well knowing that praise from the Spanish Cabinet
would indicate a system of collusion on his part which
might alarm the Deputies, and could not escape the pene-
tration of M. THIF.RS. The whole intrigue has been wo-
fully mismanaged. CALATRAVA has sacrified his reputa-
tion, only to add another item to the long catalogue of disho-
nest intrigues set on foot by the Sovereign of the FRENCH.
The Siecic contains a number of articles purporting
to form the basis of a secret treaty between Lou;s
PHILLIPPE and Don CAttLos, fatal to the cause of
Spanish liberty. The cement of this treaty is said
to be a marriage between Don CARLOS himself and
the Princess MARY of ORLEANS, one of the daugh-
ters of the King of the FRENCH. We quote the ar-
ticles in question from the Siecle, without vouching for their
correctness—though we have good authority for stating
that the King of the FuEsett has not thought such a
treaty unworthy of his serious consideration :
" It is true that the following are the articles proposed by
Don Carlos, as the base of a treaty to be hereafter agreed

upon
" 1. Don Carlos consents to the marriage.
" 2. A treaty will be concluded, by which the throne of
Spain will be guaranteed to Don Carlos, as absolute King ;
hut that Prince promjses to govern by a Council of State. in
the same way as his brother, and to introduce into his Go-
vernment such modifications as shall be considered necessary
b 7 the Cortes convocated by esturnentus, upon his arrival at
Madrid.
3. An army of 100,000 men to enter Spain. During the
first year to be supported by the French Government ; the fol-
lowing years at the expense of the Spanish Government, so
long as its presence shall be deemed necessary.
4. Don Carlos to raise a loan of one hundred millions of
francs ; such loan to be guaranteed by the French Government.
5. Don Carlos to acknowledge all the foreign debts con-
tracted up to this time.
6. A dowry of one million of francs will be given to the
Princess Mary.
7. As soon as Don Carlos shall have made his entry into
Madrid, he agrees to abolish the Inquisition, and to publish an
amnesty without exception.
8. Don Carlos-to grant a pension (the amount to be stipu-
lated by the French Government) to the two Queens, Chris-
tina, and Isabella, who will reside in France.
9. All these conditions are made with the concurrence of the
three Great Northern Powers.
The above statement is substantially give.n b. y the Na-
tional of the same date. The coincidence is singular, but