The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-09 00:00:00

nn¢

LONDON,
WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 9, 1836.

A full Report of the Southwark Meeting on the
Taxes on Knowledge will be given to-morrow.

Though the Tories mustered all their strength last night
in the House of Commons, on the question of the Irish
Corporation Bill, yet they were defeated by a majority of
sixty-four, the number of votes in favour of the Bill being
307, and against it 243. Of course the beaten party will
attribute this defeat to the inclemency of the season. It
was the snow, last time, that robbed them of a victory ;
and now, we make no doubt, it' is the rain. However, be
the cause what it may, one thing at least is certain, that
the defeat of the Tories is an overwhelming one. In vain
will they try to recover it ; in vain call the House of Lords
to their assistance. Their hour is come, and whether wil-
lingly or unwillingly, they must consent to be extinguished
Not a day passes, but presses this ungracious truth still more
forcibly upon them. Desertions from their camp are of almost
hourly occurrence ; their numbers are growing " small by de-
grees and beautifully less" ; and at no very distant period, no-
thing will remain of them but the name. Indeed a genuine
Tory is already become rather a scarce article in the political
market ; but, singularly enough, we do not._find that his
value rises in consequence. Very few would bid high for
the Recorder of Dublin—that unhappy looking gentleman,
whose face is a perfect title-page of tribulation,—and as for
the Member for Belfast, he, together with his wig, might
be had for an old song. But thefe is no occasion for us to
impress these facts on the Conservatives. None know
better than themselves the degree of contempt in which
they arc held by the people. Indeed some of them seem
actually to be proud of it, as Mawworm was, when, ac-
cording to his own account, the boys hooted him, and tied
brick-bats to his " pious tail." Mr. GALLY KNIGHT is of
the number of those who thus boast of their sharing in the
unpopularity of the Conservatives ; and congratulated him-
self last night on the fact of his having found his way to the
Opposition Bench. 'We congratulate him too, and pray
that he may long continue there. He is worthy of the
party to which he has attached himself : they are worthy
of him—and both arc equally worthy of the signal con-
tempt of the community. Has over such a wretched ex-
hibition been witnessed as the faction made of itself last
night ? Sir JAMES GRAHAM strove hard to make out a
case against the Government measure ; but succeeded only
in developing his own short-sightedness as a Statesman.
He would not, forsooth, support the Ministerial Bill, be-
cause the " possessors of wealth, refinement, education,
and luxury" were against it ; while only "an overwhelming
mass of the population, who, he admitted, were rising in
wealth and intelligence," were in its favour. Yet the indivi-
dual who can talk in this strain calls himself a Statesman
Heaven help the country if he was ever again to wriggle
into place. But the Right Hon. Baronet's most serious
objection to the Corporation Bill was, that it would en-
able Mr. O'Corixxu, to become Lord Mayor of Dublin.
" This," said he—and we can imagine bow he looked when
he said it—" this would be the last warning symptom of
the approaching dissolution of the Legislative Union be-
tween the two countries." There is something certainly
terrific in the idea of a Lord Mayor DAN ! DAN, the
agitator, is a dangerous being ; but DAN the Lord Mayor
would of course, in his new civic capacity, put himself at
the head of a light regiment of Aldermen ; storm the
Castle ; knock the Lord-Lieutenant on the head with his
mace ; summon all the Irish Corporation to arms ; and
proclaim the Repeal of the Union! What wonder, then,
that Sir JAMES GRAHAM is horror-struck at the bare
idea of such a contingency. But, to be serious, not a
single argument did the Tories brine, forward last night,
though Sir ROBERT PEEL and Lord STANLEY each
tasked his powers to the utmost, that in the slightest de-
gree affected the Corporation Bill. The reasoning was all
on the side of the Reformers ; and Mr. O'CoNNELL, in
particular, proved incontestably that if the Bill were not
passed in all its integrity, the question of the Repeal of the
Union would acquire ten-fold power. The debate was an
animated and a protracted one ; but there never yet was one
in which the Opposition displayed so little tact or judg-
ment.

The Carlow Election Committee closed its inquiries
yesterday, and the whole of the evidence is now before
us. There is not a line of it, with the exception of copies
of three letters, with the substance of which the public is
not already acquainted. To republish such a mass of evi-
dence could serve no purpose. The country is heartily
sick of an affair which ought never to have been brought
under its notice. We care not to anticipate the Commit-
tee's Report ; but Mr. O'CONNELL has signally tri-
umphed over the unfortunate Ex-Sheriff, who is as great
a loser in political reputation as in pocket. We
stated at the commencement that Mr. O'CONNELL had no-
thing to fear from investigation ; and that his sole error
was in placing reliance upon the honor of a man of whom,
personally, ihe knew so little, The result proves that we
were perfectly justified in making such a statement. Mr.
RAPHAEL cuts a most contemptible figure throughout ; and
though the Committee may acquit him of all blame in giving
publicity to the transaction, we believe that few men of ho-
nour will henceforth trouble him with their confidence.
The first of the three unpublished letters was written to
Mr. O'CONNELL by Mr. RAPHAEL, before the Hon. and
Learned Member for Dublin had a personal knowledge of
the Ex-Sheriff. It is a very silly affair, and runs thus :

...__ . . .........
4. Great Stanhope-street, May 23, 1835.
" Sir,—ln one of your many brilliant speeches, all of which
I have read with eager delight, there is this remarkable, and
by me never-to-be-forgotten sentiment--' Ireland is the idol

of my worship—whoever is a friend to her, is as dear to me as
the red blood that flows through my veins.' lam a friend to
Ireland, and therefore I call upon you, Sir, to redeem that
noble pledge. Ido not ask you to assist me to a seat in Par-
liament, but say you shall have a seat, and that very soon.'
My gratitude to you shall be remembered, and I shall endea-
vour to do my part towards relieving and making happy the
brave inhabitants of your ill-treated country."
Of this letter Mr. O'CONNELL, took no notice, although
he dined in company with Mr. ltArnAm, at the House of
Mr. I. 1,. GoLnsmin, on the second day after it was writ-
ten. This puts an end to the calumny of Mr. O'CONNELL
having sought out Mr. RAPHAEL, with a view to induce
him to become a candidate for the honour of a seat in the
House-of Commons. The second letter is the private one,
referred to so often by Mr. RAPHAEL, in. the course of the
correspondence published by him in the newspapers. It is
as follows :

(" Strictly confidential.)
" Aug. 3, 1835.
" My dear Sir—Tell me in the strictest confitience whether
you have any wish to be a Baronet? Of course I not ask you
without a sufficient reason. One word is not to' be communi-
cated to anybody until I know your determination.
" Believe me to be your's, very faithfully.
" DANIEL O'CONNELL."
The confidence here enjoined was not literally abused by
Mr. RAPHAEL ; but no man of honour will say that it was
observed in the spirit in which -it was imposed—in the spirit.
in which any gentleman would consider himself bound to
observe it. Mr. RAPIIAEL did not publish the letter ; but he

rote to the Times to assure the world that he had it, an
iat it contained something very terrible indeed. The To.

ries were in raptures ; and though we do not believe that
Mr. RAPHAEL read the letter to any Member of the Carl-
ton Club, they all talked of it as containing some charge
against. O'CoNNELL which would put so end to his political
career. Now they have the identical letter, and are wel-
come to make their best of it. The following is Mr.
RAPHAEL'S answer, and, with the letters published before
the appointment of the Committee, include the whole of the
correspondence :
_

" Great Stanhope-street, Aug. 3, 1835.
" MY DEAR SIR,--I have no hesitation in stating that to
obtain the honour you allude to would be a very high step in
my ladder of ambition ; but I must in candour say that I should
consider it a poor recompense for the loss of my scat in Parlia-
ment, which, from what you told me yesterday, is, I fear, in
great jeopardy. I rely, however, on you fulfilling your en-
gagements with me to secure my seat, if possible, by fighting
the battle so long as a bad vote for the petitioners remains on
the poll, or at all events to the end of the present session.
To allow 56 of our votes to be struck off would leave fearful
odds to contend with on a future vacancy.
" I am, my dear Sir, your faithful and humble servant,
" ALEXANDER RAPHAEL.

" To Daniel O'Connell, Esq."
Judging from the whole of the investigation, it appe ii s
to us that Mr. RAPHAEL is a very silly person indedd—
one of the numerous class who have more ambition than
brains, and more money than they know how to employ to
to an useful purpose. Without possessing—according to
his own confession—the very moderate share of abi-
lity to qualify him for composing a letter to be
published in the newspapers, he would be con-
tent with nothing less than a voice in the Legisla-
tive Councils of the British Empire. But his Parlia-
mentary career is now closed, and in climbingc, the " ladder
of his ambition" he is not likely to place his foot on a
Baronetcy. Of course Mr. RAPHAEL'S ladder is little
shorter than Jacob's, else he would not talk of the dignity of a
Baronet as a mere " step." But with the exception of a
few words, when the Report of the Committee is laid
upon the table of the House of Commons, we will
dismiss altogether an affair which nothing but the
sheerest ignorance and the most pitiful egotism could
tempt any man to bring before the country. Mr.
O'CoNNELL's triumph is really most complete. With re-
spect to his offer to pay the expenses of the Carlow
election incurred by Mr. RAPHAEL, over and above the
two thousand pounds lodged in his hands, we need only
say, that the Committee is bound to see that he do not
lose a sixpence by the transaction. At the same time

his generosity in making such a proposal entitles him to
the respect of every lover of fair and impartial dealing.

We do not hesitate to affirm that, when the report of the
Committee is generally known, Mr. O'CoNNELT. will rise
as much in public` estimation as Mr. RAPIIAEL deserves
to sink—if indeed there be a lower depth than the oblivion
into which the Ex•sheriff is fast descending.

The CHANCELLOR Of the EXCHEQUER will bring in his
Bill to amend and consolidate the laws respecting the Stamp
Duties to-morrow evening, when his plan for reducing the
Newspaper Stamps will be laid before the House of
Commons.

We are obliged to postpone till to-morrow the publica-
tion of a Royal Decree of the Spanish, Government, dated
the 28th ult., relative to the liquidation of the national debt
of Spain.

The Scarborough Subscription, which we took the liberty
of recommending to the attention of our readers last week,
we are glad to see, proceeding in a satisfactory manner.
The widows and orphans of the seamen who fearlessly
sacrificed their lives in the cause of humanity, will not, we
are assured, be allowed by the British Public to feel the
miseries of want and poverty, in addition to their grief for
the loss of their husbands and fathers. Their destitute
situation comes home in a peculiar manner to the bosoms
of those who, in the pursuit of business or pleasure, may be
exposed to the perils of the sea.

The whole of the Paris Papers of Monday have been re-
ceived. The new Cabinet is no longer doubtful as to its
strength in the Chambers ; and it is, therefore, very possi-
ble that M. THIERS will now take a decided course. It is
reported that the recent reverses which followed the move-
ments of the Christinos in the Basques, has again led to the
consideration of the question of active intervention on the
part of France, and that the Cabinet has decided that a
French army shall enter Spain, if such be the desire of the
QUEEN'S Government.

FRENCH FUNDS.—PARIS, MARCH 7.
Five per Cents., 107 f. 50c.
Four per Cents., 102 f.
Three per Cents. 80f. 00c. 80c. 70c. 75c.
Bank Actions, 2,1 W. 2,165 E.
Bente de Naples, 100 f. 99E 9.5 c. 1001. 99f. 90c. 100 E sc.
Roman Five per Cents., lit 3%.
Spanish Actives, 43Y,, 44% LA %.
Spanish Differes, 23 21!4.
Spanish Passives, 14 MY. 14%%.
itoya, Spanish Loan, 34.
Belgian Loan, Five per Cents., 104.
Pori iiguese Loan, Five per Cents , 80 79%.
Portuguese Loan, Three per Cents, 48%.
•
tlaytian Loan, 395 f. 390 f.
EXCHANUE ON LONDON.
One month, paper, —f. —c ; money, 25t t,0%
Three months, paper, 25f. 35e.; money, 25f. 32%c.
—Coors Authenlique.

BOURSE, THREE O'CLOCK.-Since the morning there has
been a great tendency to a fall in almost all the securities,
owing to the bad news which the Moniteur has officially pub-
lished. The question of intervention has been brought up
again in consequence, and the Three per Cents., which opened
at 81f. 10c., are now 80f. 85c. The Active Spanish stock
and the other Spanish securities are very low; the news from
the frontiers has entirely discouraged the speculators.
QUARTER TO FOUR.—Five per Cents., 110 f. 30c. ; Three
per Cents., 80f. 95c. ; Five per Cents. Spanish, —; Three
per Cents. Spanish, —; Cortes, —; Coupons, .7-; Gueb-
hards, —; Differes, —; New Loan, —; Actives, 441;
Passives, 14/ ; Ducats, 100 35 ; Romans, 1031 ; Pedros, 791- ;
Belgians, 104 ; Dutch, —f. —c. ; Haytians, 390 f. —c. ;
Miguels, —; Brabant Bank, —; Belgian Bank, 15; Con-
tinuation, —c. ; New Dificres, 21k; Five per Cent. Perpe-
tuelles, —; Royal Loan, —.

German and Brussels Papers have been received. The
former are wholly taken up with a defence of the occupation
of Cracow by the three " Protecting" Powers. There is no
news in the Brussels Journals.
•
BELGIAN FUNDS.—Bnussus, MAReu 5
Actual Debt, 2% per Cent ,
Rothschild's Loan, Five per Cent.
Loan of City, IFC32, Four per Cent 9:1,4
Society of Commerce, Four and a Half per Cent 13,i%
Bank of Belgium, Five per Cent ll4
—Brussels Papers, March 6.
AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VIENNA, Fiwn. 27.
Five per Cents. Metalliques
Four per Cents.
Bank Shares
—4llgemeine Zeitung, March 3.