The Sun.
London, England, 1825-10-04 00:00:00

[NEW TIMES.]

The Journal des Debals gives the following as
the course of reasoning in Spain on the subject of
her South American Colonies. After saying
that some people argue as if it would be bet-,
ter for her to take a specific sum for the recog-
nition of their independence, as France did for
Saint Domingo, it adds :—" We may reason
thus at this side of the Pyrennees ; at the other
side things are not looked at with the same
eye. Spain considers her right as a possession,
a piece of wealth, a treasure of inestimable
value. She is patient_and can wait. She knows
the inconstancy of politics, and the unexpected
course which events sometimes take. She knows
that in the very bosom of the New Republic
elements of discord exist, and that the character
of the Catholic religion, the riches of a numerous
clergy, great properties cultivated by slaves, are
not analogous with republican manners. Spain
reckons on probable events in Europe; she con-
ceives, and justly, that the disappearance of a
single man might bring about a revolution in
politics ; and she does not despair of getting
back her colonies, for she has seen France, re-
publican and imperial, redemaud her legitimate
King, after 20 years of Crimes, misfortunes, and
victories." These are fine day-dreams. The
causes enumerated by the Journal des Debuts
may very probably hurt the cause of republi-
canism in South America, but they will not ne-
cessarily bring back the hated rule of the Spa.
niards. As for the example of France bringing
back the Bourbons, all we can say is, that when
Spain can conjure up such armies and inte-
rests in her favour as that the Bourbon.
Princes of France found in 1814 and 1815,
Then she may expect to have the parallel com-
pleted ; but as things go on now, she has not
much chance. By the remainder of the article

we perceive that our French contemporaries sport
the theory that the United States wish well to
Spain, lest South America should fall into our
hands. We are sad bugbears. The grasping
ambition of the Romans was nothing to ours, if
the testimony of the French politicians is to
be believed.

[BRITISH PRESS.]
The Ultra-royalists, in opposition to the French
Ministry, are, it appears by the Paris Papers of
Saturday, doing all in their power to raise an
outcry against M. de Villele for having recog-
nised the Haytian Republic. A pamphlet has
been published by M. Coustelin, which, it is un-
derstood, speaks the feelings of his party on this
subject. Ile vehemently condemns the whole
transaction in principle and detail; but he is espe-
cially scandalised at the proceedings that took
place during the rejoicings at Port-au-Prince in
honour of the acknowledged independence of
Hayti. " It was well enough," he says,.‘‘ for the
Haytians to be glad ; but what had the French to
celebrate ? Was it because the illustrious Presi-
dent deigned to confide in the word of the King
of France ? Was it the union of the health of
Charles X. with that of the Mulatto Boyer ? Our
blood boils in our veins on reading these disgrace-
ful narratives. What a lesson for the multitude!
Why should they patiently vegetate in misery and
hurnility,when tnurderand sedition can exalt them
to such lofty destinies ?" The writer then adverts to
the state of Spain, and alluding to the death of Bes-
sieres, he observes that" while a royalist paid for a
moment of error with his head, a leader of faction,
who has persevered in his criminal course, is
elevated to the rank of a sovereign !" Whatever
effect this style of writing and reasoning may
have in the very limited circle of malcontent
royalists, it can have no weight with the mass
of the French public, who will justly estimate
the propriety of the measure attacked by the be-
nefits it will produce to the commerce and manu-
factures of the kipgdom ; and not by the explod-
ed dogmas of a fanatical party. If, however,
the terms on which the intercourse between
France and Hayti is renewed, have been censur-
ed by one extreme party in France, they have
equally been the object of hatred with another
extreme party in Hayti. The last letters from
Port-au-Prince state, that a conspiracy has been
detected among the officers of Christophe's old
army.

[MORNING HERALD.]

The subject of Police Reports is one which
interests the public at large, and it cannot, we
think, be too often pressed on their attention.—
Every person, at one time or other, may have the
misfortune to appear in a Police Office as com-
plainant or defendant ; and in either of these si-
tuations he must trust much to the urbanity, the
integrity and justice of the Magistrate. While
these offices remain open to the public, there is
every probability that justice will be adminis-
tered impartially ; but if the Magistrates can
claim the right of excluding all that may be of-
fensive to them, we consider that the Police Sys-
tem must soon degenerate into tyranny. We
have all along defended the open system. The
Magistrates wish to convince the public that
a Police Office is a Magistrate's private room,
and that none can enter it without his per-
mission. If this doctrine shall be once fairly es-
tablished, the community at large will soon feel
the consequence, and regret, when too late, per-
haps, that they had not taken a more active
part. Uncontrouled power, it is well known,
leads to oppression ; and what controul have Ma-
gistrates if they allow none to be present at their
decisions ? So long as many offences are punished
without trial by Jury, and left entirely to the
decision of a single Magistrate, we consider that
there is no safety for the public, unless such
decision take place in open Court, and before
individuals who can state through the public
papers what has taken place. We have been led
to make these remarks more particularly from
our report from Marlborough-street of this day.
On Saturday two of the Magistrates, after con-
sulting for some time in their private room, sent
out the chief officer to the public office, with
orders to inform the Reporter for a Morning Paper
that he could not be allowed to attend there for
the future, and that all the officers had received
orders to exclude him if he should presume to
enter. The Reporter wished to know what his
offence was, but no charge was preferred against
him. Yesterday he applied at the office, and
hoped the Magistrates would state in what he
had incurred their displeasure, and allow him to
exculpate himself, or plead guilty. The only
answer was, that they could have no com-
munication with him on the subject of his ex-
clusion." Now we are willing to admit, for the
sake of argument, that the Reporter was in
the wrong--that he had either wilfully or uninten-
tionally made statements which reflected on
the Magistrates, and held them up to ridicule,
but at the same time we condemn, and in the
most unqualified manner, the course which they
have adopted on this occasion. They hold a
sacred conclave, and issue their order for the ex-
pulsion of a certain individual, without assigning
' the least reason for this conduct but their will
and pleasure. What honest Reporter is safe
after this ? How are the public to know that
proceedings are fairly reported, when they see
that the Magistrates have the power of ex-
cluding, without trial, or examination, or coin-
plaint,or even surthise, any individual that may be
obnoxious to them ? This is a secret tribunal to
all intents and purposes. We are quite astonish-
ed at the course which the worthy Magistrates
of this Office have adopted on this occasion.
They must, on reflection, be convinced that
the public detest all tyrannical proceedings—
that Englishmen claim it as their right to be
informed of the crime with which they are
charged, and to be heard i❑ their defence
before they suffer punishment ; and we are
quite convinced that they who are accusers,
judges, and executioners in this instance, would
have appeared in a more favourable high:, if, in-
stead of this mysticism and secresy, they had
called the individual in question to account in
public, and allowed him, like all others, an op-
portunity of justifying himself, or pleading guilty
before them.

MR. ALLEY AND MR. C. PHILLIPS.