The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-09 00:00:00

the house to obtain it. The watch was found on '
the prisoner, and he admitted before the Magistrates
that he had stolen it. This offence, though unae-
companied by any violence, or even alarm to the in-
mates of the house—for they did not know that
a thief had entered the house, until the next
morning—is punishable with death, and the Jury
not thinking it a case where life ought to be sacri-
ficed, returned a verdict finding the prisoner guilty
—of what ? only of having the watch in his posses-
sion ! When told that this was no offence, and that
they must re-consider their verdict, they, after some
hesitation, returned a verdict "guilty of stealing,"
which mitigated the crime into one not capital, as
they said nothing about the breaking. The Judges
were not satisfied with this, and Lord Tenterden
having asked " How could the prisoner have stolen
the watch if he did not break in ?" the Jury at
length returned a general verdict of guilty, recom-
mending him to mercy. Why should the spirit of
the laws be thus at variance with the consciences of
jurors?—Morning Herald.

It cannot have e.caped observation that .the
enemies of Reform have, since the first ebullition of
their wrath, entirely changed their ground. At first
they declared their uncompromising hostility to it,
in whatever shape, or under whatever guise. The
very word was water to their hydrophobia. But
now the case is quite different—they have quietly
passed the Rubicon—and, with the exception of the
Duke of Wellington, are unanimous in admitting
that some Reform is necessary and unavoidable, and
their hostility is confined to the particular measure
of Ministers alone. We do not, we confess, attach
much value to these sudden conversions. Men who
can desert their deliberate opinions so hastily are
entitled but to little credit for their conversion,
especially in a case like this, where there is too
much reason to suppose they only change their
ground by way of a feint, to alter the nature of
their attack. But, supposing them to be sincere in
admitting some Reform to be necessary, why do they
not tell the country openly and fairly what their plan
would be? They mean something or they mean
nothing. We—uncharitably, perhaps—suspect that
they mean nothing; but if something, why not let
us know what that something would be? We should
like to see the late and present Member for the Uni-
versity of Oxford, for instance, laying their heads
together to concoct a Bill which they shall offer to
Parliament in lieu -of that of Lord John Russell.
If we mistake not, they must stumble grievously at
the very threshold. flow would they get over the
preamble ? What would they make it to declare ?
That Parliamentary Reform was necessary ? or that
borough nomination was necessary, and their beau
ideal of constitutional perfection ? No, the people
may depend upon it that the boroughnaongers have
no plan but that of a determination to defend at all
hazards their own usurped possessions. They may
admit that some Reform is necessary, but they do
not mean it. Like the image-makers for the.great
goddess Diana, their only hopes and fears are di-
rected against those who would break in upon the
profits of the craft. If this be not the case where
was their conviction of the necessity of " some Re-
form," when instances of the mo't notorious corrup-
tion gave them the opportunity, as in the case of East
Retford, to have transferred a rotten representation
into the wholesome anti thirsty channel of Birming-
hate, Manchester, Sheffield, or Leeds ? To them
freedom of election is as hateful, on the one hand,
as revolution on the other; and if they now change
their ground, and talk of the necessity of some Re-
form, it is only because an open hostility to all Re-
form is too preposterous to be endured, and because
this seeming candour may, as they imagine, enable
them to work covertly and more effectually against
this unextinguishable object of their bitterest hatred.
Let nnt, then, any part of the public—above all,
let not independent, but timid or hesitating, Mem•
bers of Parliament—be deceived .by this seeming
state of half-conversion to which the enemies of
all. Reform profess to have brought themselves. With
the view of defeating the present measure they may
promise 11$ great things in its stead; but the one
thing needful they will Dever be brought to yield, at
least of their own accord—,we mean the rotten.bo-
rough system, through which alone they live and
move, and have their being. Without the disfran-
chisement of this nest of corruption any measure of
Reform must be worse than useless; and to expect
the prosent possessors of these fruitful sources of
gain to them, and of logs to the rest of the com-
munity, to relinquish them, is to look for self-devo-
tioth in t quarter where nothing but the basest selfish-
ness has ever I et prevailed.,--Morning Herald.

In the Sitting of the Frertith Chamber of Dept],
ties, of the 4th, the speech of M. Mauguin Gone
tainea much that was deserving of more considers,
tion thkn W s copld bestow on it yesterday. We
have this day given it 14 length from the Constilu-
tiound. It appears to us that M. Manpin has made
out a strong case for the French agaraL.t he Great
Powers. He has shown clearly that France did not
arm tlll these Powers compelled her, by putting
their armies i.e 4 wg.r footing; and he has shown,
moreover, from a variety pf circumstances, which,
taken together, must arty convictioo tH orgy un-
prejudiced mind, that the Absolute Powers had it
in co4templ4tion to attack France.
" I will oot -poi" he says, " either of the bloody
struggle from 1792 to 1814, FyiF the diplomatic struggle
from 1814 to 1880. • I will not ape,* 0 the dop.trines of
Vienna, Verona, of Laybach ; I will say nothing of the
popular principles persecuted or destroyed at Turin, at
Naples, Madrid. These facts are known to you. We
may draw, however, from them a grave conclusion. The
same men who directed tt.ce Ir4hinets of Europe are still in
power ; they have the same interest?, cpd they must be
subject to the law of our nature. Men do ao: rapopace
the doctrias which they have entertained for forty years.
However, it was pur Revolution of July was so pure,
accompanied by so mutt. 41A:ration and courage, that
perhaps they have opened their eyei, pppsented to see
in France a Government to which they hear na4 ii9A will.
Let us see whgt is passing in Europe, and if these heads
of the European Cabinsts have renounced their doctrines
in as far as regards us. At very moment in which
the repOrt of our Revolution was spiepi thßogh Europe,
the arming began siz.rywhere. It will be said this was dicta:ed
by prudence. Be it so. Pat we did not cause any alarm ;
no cry for war had yet been beard 4-3 this tribune. Were
these armings, however, I ask; mere meas.-J.:T.; of precau-
tion ? Let us examine facts. In October Prussia
marches; Russia negai,:igcs in Poland, and wishes to
make the Poles their van-guard ;gainst France; and if
you doubt the intentions which direct 4 these military
movementa, I appeal to the documents discovered at I,Ye,r-
-saw ; I appeal to the speech delivered by the English Mi-
nister at the opening of the Parhament of England ; I ap-
peal to the speech of Lord Wellington in the House of
Peers. Thus, at this early period, at the very moment
when their language to us was peace, and approbation of
all our movemea., their resolution was already taken, the
war was imminent. The diplomatic languages indeed,
afterwards changed, and we recei./e4 the most positive as-
surances of peace. Poland had risen.*
Taking all these circumstances together, we
think it clear that there was a foul conspiracy of the
Sovereigns against France, We were persuaded,
at the time the speech of the Bute of Wellington
alluded to was made, that this Government was a
party to the conspiracy; and we have not a doubt,
that among the other blessings resulting from the
change of Ministry, one was that the conspiracy was
thereby paralysed. The frank arid manly
.declara-
don of Earl Grey, and the cc r lial manner to whits
he expressed his wish that France and England
should be friends to 001 other, must have stricken
terror into the camp of the ,zopsyirators. How far
the Duke of Wellington's Government sv s pledg,cl
to supp-st th,;^ despotic Governments, may no ncw
be easily known; bat it is clear that he was with
them heart and soul; and t: tit he looked to the sub-
jegtiots of the French for the prostration ol,his own
countrymen. The heavy responsibility tbep of
withdrawing the nations (torn their peaceful purl
sfiaue:
ligotsso
fsn,clesasenwsadro
fccothohnnvet
leetr
absolutethpi
engecsioiu:lcooat pveee
.intoaodw,oofcn,
thei
is; great car('
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eto from
have their
ba teaennt
mdaedp
er ts7nWtteirthfuthhe-
mdents, of their con:
pledges, it iatsswuoraunldcehsavoef
peace, when they saw preparations for wa ecycerl.
y
where around them. France, then, has been n