The Sun.
London, England, 1836-08-18 00:00:00

REDUCTION

OF THE
NEWSPAPER STAMP DUTY.

TO SUBSCRIBERS AND THE PUBLIC.

The Reduction (fthe Newspaper Stamp Diag comes
into operation on THURSDAY, the Fificenth
of SEPTEMBER Next, when the Subscribers
of THE SUN will receive this Paper at a greatly
Reduced Price.
Sun Office, 112, Strand.

Tie puhlication of TIIE SUN NEW PIPER commenced this day
at 10 minutes past Three o' Clock.

421
.r•>.
',4 i

LONDON,

THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 18, 183 G

The Times of this morning anticipates the sub-
stance of the KING'S Speech with fear and tremblinr.
Our Contemporary is evidently more than half convinced
that it will contain some allusion to the recent refrac-
tory behilviour of the House of Lords ; and acting on
this impression, he reads his MAJEsTY a moral ho-
mily worthy of an Archbishop. He assures him, in
his most condescending manner, that he is in full
possession of all the virtues and all the abilities requi-
site in a British Monarch ; and being thus. lauishly
endowed, intimates that he will, as a matter of course,
make no other allusion to the hereditary branch of the
Leislature, in his speech from the Throne, than sucl.
as may be flattering to its patriotism and sagacity.
Our Tory Contemporary will, we apprehend, be disap-
pointed in this expectation. His MAJESTY does not
forget that he is the sworn father and guardian of his
subjects ; and bearing this in mind, he is not likely
to pass by with indifference the injuries they have re-
cently sustained at the hands of an irresponsible oli-
garchy. But how came the Times to anticipate such
an allusion in the KING'S Speech as that which
as thrown him into such convulsions ? Have
,ourt intrigue and back-stairs influence been
gain at work ? Have the Tory whispers of Buck-
ingham Palace reached the ears of Printing-
House-square ? The genius of Toryism, we know,
is ever vigilant, ever on the alert, and never more so
than when inhaling the atmosphere of a Court. How-
ever, be this as it may, His MAJESTY is not one to be
scared from the path of duty by the threats of a fac-
tion, and still less is he to be wheedled out of it by
their artful flatteries. Even the compliments of the
" leading journal of Europe " will not make him waver
in his purpose. He acts—as he ever has acted—on
principle. " But," says our Contemporary, " the
King of ENGLAND has a will of his own, and
WILLIAM the FOURTH is not, likely to relinquish
the constitutional discretion with which our ancestors
have entrusted him." Of course he is not, and this is
the very reason why we feel persuaded he will act as
becomes him on the present occasion.
But how absurd is it in a Tory organ to congratu-
late a King of ENGLAND on having " a will of his
own," when it is notorious that that despotic faction
deprived their Monarchs for years and years together
of a " will," or anything approaching to it ; and were
foremost to insult his present MAJESTY for being the
first to act according to his own innate sense of right !
Can none remember the abuse lavished by the Tories
on 'WILLIAM the Fourth for having dared to exercise
his " will" on the Reform Bill, in direct opposition to
theirs ? Is it forgotten who publicly declared in the
House of Commons, that should that measure pass,
it would cease to be honourable distinction to
hold office under the Crown r If the Tories have
forgotten these things, the people have not ; they at least
bear them fully in mind, and know right well besides,
that should any allusion be made in the KING'S speech
unpalatable to aristocratic ears, the faction and its
organs will at once change their tune, and pelt his
MAJESTY with abuse, in the same ratio that they now
pelt him with flattery.

Fortunately, however, we have a MowARcH, who,
strong in the confidence of his subjects, can afford to
laugh to scorn the worst menaces of the Tory squad.
None knows better than King WILLIAm, that he
does not reign by the " grace," or for the exclusive
advantage, of the House of Lords, but for the gene-
ral benefit of his people. He is not the head of a
faction, but of an empire. If, therefore, the interests
of this last require that he should formally discounte-
nance, from the Throne, the attempts of an oligarchy
to erect itself into a despotism, our gracious Sove•
reign will do so unhesitatingly.
And who shall say that the necessity for checking
aristocratic tyranny has not already arisen ? Consider
the recent conduct of the House of Lords ! Mark
well its treatment, night after night, of the many
valuable measures sent up to it from the Commons.
Has it not more than once commenced its discussion
of such measures, by expressing a strong distrust and
jealousy of the people's representatives, and acting
upon this principle, set all impartial deliberation at
defiance ? And is conduct like this to be endured,
four years after the Reform Bill has become the
law of the land ? To what purpose did we

,

free ourselves •frotn, the thraldom of the bor'ugh-
.mongers, if weVe\still to be enthralled by the
ors OuretPet was 'emancipation, not the shift-
g Volt oneNspot of captivity to another, from a
lower dungeon to an upper one. But it is impossible
that this intolerant behaviour of their Lordships can
be allowed to continue ; the time has arrived when it

is necessary to give it a check ; and none knows this
better than King WILLIAM, whom the Tories ac-
cordingly are endeavouring alternately to frighten and
to flatter into compliance with the interests of their
faction.

The subject of Church-rates was mentioned in the
House of Commons last night, and though but inci-
dentally, still in such a way as leads us to infer that
the Government have seen the imprudence, and be-
come alive to the impolicy, of the indecisive course
which they hare hitherto followed on this important
question. Lord JOHN RUSSELL took the opportunity
afforded by the presentation of a petition, praying for
the abolition of this unjust and oppressive burden, to
correct a misunderstanding of what fell from him on a
former occasion, in reply to a question put by Mr.
HUTT with a view to ascertain the intention of Mini-
sters as to Church-rates. The Noble Lord now stated
that so far from having said that he was certain the
measure which he should have to propose next year
would be unsatisfactory to that Hon. Gentleman, and
others who took an interest in the subject, he then,
and now, hoped that the measure which lie had in
view would be satisfactory to his Hon. Friend (Mr.
Wu...Ks), who had presented the present petition,
and to the great mass (not part, as it is in some of
the reports) of those who were interested in the subject.
We think we are not too sanguine when we regard
this declaration of the Noble Secretary of State for the
Home Department as decisive of the intention of the
Government to abolish Church-rates. When we say
abolish, we do not mean that the name of the thing is
to be changed, and the thing itself—the real, sub-
stantial, conscience -violating grievance—retained, under
another form. None of this hocus pocus sort of work
will satisfy the Dissenters, and Lord JOHN RUSSELL
knows this well. So far from satisfying them, it
would, were it attempted, utterly disgust them, and
alienate them for ever from the Whig Government.
But it will not be attempted. When the Noble
Lord says that he hopes his plan will be satis-
factory to the great mass of the Dissenters. that
plan, we are sure, cannot be so preposterous as
to propose a transference of the burden of Church-

rates to the Consolidated Fund, because such a plan,
when proposed by Lord ALTHOEP several years ago,
was scouted by the Dissenters, and served only to get
the Ministry into discredit with that numerous and
powerful body. We may, therefore, confidently rely
on the total and speedy abrogation of this obnoxious
impost. Any thing short of this, after the statement
made by Lord JOHN RUSSELL last night, we shall
hold, and the Dissenters will hold, as a downright
breach of faith, the consequences of which, we need
hardly say, would be fatal to the existence of the
present Government.

In another part of The Sun will be found an inte-
resting report of a public dinner given to Professor
WILSON at Paisley, at which his friend CAMPBELL
the poet attended. This is no more than a just com-
pliment to one who reflects so much honour on his
native town, not only as being the worthy successor, in
the Chair of Moral Philosophy, of such men as
DUGALD STEWART and Dr. BROWN, but as being
also one the first poets and pose-writers of the age.

The Paris Palms of Tuesday bring no important
intelligence from Spain. The Phare de Bayonne of
the 13th contains the following announcement :
" A battalion of six hundred men, destined to reinforce
the Foreign Legion in Spain, crossed the frontier yesterday,
under Colonel Conrad, who is to command the Legion.
Colonel Wilde, the English Commissioner at the head-
quarters of the Spanish army, arrived on the 10th at
Bayonne, from St. Sebastian, where he has been for the
last three months. He left us yesterday for Pamplona,
whore lie will find General Saarsfield, the new Commander-
in-Chief. General Lebeau, who succeeded General Ber-
nelle, was to be at Pamplona on the 11th, where he will
be met by Colonel Wilde, who is commissioned to convey
to him the congratulations-of General Evans, who is still
confined by illness at St. Sebastian. The Captain-General
has received a report of an action on the 4th, at Campo de
la Masilla, in which the Carlists, under Quilez, are stated
to have been surprised, and put to flight, with the loss of
eighty or a hundred killed, many wounded, a great quan-
tity of muskets, lances, and other arms. The Queen's
troops are alleged to have had but two killed and seven
wounded."
It was rumoured in Paris on Tuesday that ISTURIZ
had addressed a note to the French Government, for-
mally demanding intervention ; but that the KING was
as strongly as ever opposed to the sending an army
across the Pyrenees. M. THIERS declared himself
willing to grant Spain an efficient co-operation. He
even went so far as to send for General BUGEAUD,
and to request him to prepare a plan of the campaign.
The gallant officer lost not a moment in complying
with the wishes of the President of the Council. A
plan was prepared, and a French force of ten thousand
troops of the Foreign Legion agreed upon as a first
auxiliary corps by the Minister and the General. On
Sunday evening a Cabinet Council was called, and the
plan submitted to it. MM. THIERS and PASSY
supported the plan; the KING and M. AIONTALIVET
opposed it. SAUZET said nothing—thus admitting
that he cared very little about the actual decision of
the Council. As might be expected, the KING tri-
umphed, the Council broke up,' and MM. Timms
and PASSY sent in their resignations, which, to the
great delight of both, were not accepted. However,
to soften down asperities, as well as to manifest a
proper respect for the Spanish Government, LOUIS
PHILIPPE has consented to support the President's
plan when subjected to certain modifications which he

has proposed. These will impair but not destroy its
efficiency. In the mean time he has commanded Ge-
neral BUGEAUD to hold himself in readiness for cross-
ing the Spanish frontier.
Such were the reports in circulation in Paris on
Tuesday. How far they may be correct we cannot
pretend to determine. Indeed there may not be the
slightest foundation in fact for a word of them, ex-

cept that a Cabinet Council was actually held on Sun

day night—that some proposition was discussed upon
which the President of the Council was left in a mi.
nority—that in consequence he, in conjunction with
one of his colleagues, sent in his resignation, which
resignation the KING refused to accept. For the
truth
of more than this we cannot undertake to vouch.
Adviees from Berne state that the Swiss Directory
has adopted the following resolutions, which it has
embodied in a decree, in consequence of the strong re- 1
monstrances made by the French Government against
the protection affordea by the Federal Government to
political refugees

refugees and other foreigners who have
" Art. 1. That the
stalp cantons, and who have
abused the asylum accorded
heerty,. or the. tranquility, or
compromised by proven acts thZ
the neutrality of Switzerland in
nirienetternational relations,
that oa, be expelled the
shall, with the concurrence of the
Counter to the course
of justice.
" Art. 2. The cantons taking knowledge of every case must
provide for the execution of article:l in their respective ter-
ritories. They are to take measures to this effect in
with the Directory.
" Art. 3. The Federal Directory is to see to the faithful,
prompt, and uniform execution of the articles 1 and 2. It is

. , - ------- -- - - ....
to address to the cantons, in case of need, directions and in-
vitations to that effect.

" Art. 4. If ani-Can ton neglects or refuses to expel a fo-