The Sun.
London, England, 1825-02-08 00:00:00

which has started up in Ireland. Well ; what
was the conduct of the Government? Did they
foster the Bridge-street Association—did they
eulogize and support it ? Quite the reverse. They
acknowledged it was not illegal—but they dis-
countenanced it in the same way as they discouu-
tenanced the Catholic Association last year, and
with the same view—that it might of itself " die
away." From that moment public opinion re-
ceded from the Constitutional Association, and
it gradually expired a natural death. Ministers,
in both cases, were reluctant to infringe upon
the liberty of the subject—in both cases, they
threw out hints to spare them the pain of posi-
tive interference—and, in one case, the hints
were acted on ; in the other they have been con-
temned ! If the Catholics, by abusing their
rights, force the Legislature to curtail those
rights, the fault is with the Catholics—not with
Ministers ; and the true friends of Civil Li-
berty, instead of supporting the Popish Associa-
tion, ought for their own sake—for the sake of
the Empire at large—for the preservation of the
Constitution—to offer their advice and employ
their energies in prevailing on the leaders of that
body to spontaneously dissolve it forthwith. Let
the Papists make a grace of necessity. Before
the strong arm of the law is raised to smite them,
let them surrender at discretion, and they will
do more to serve their own cause, and to serve
the cause of civil liberty, than they can ever
have an opportunity of effecting otherwise
or hereafter. As the zealous and constant
friends of Ireland, we urge the adoption of this
loyal and manly step. We conjure the Catho-
lics, by the desires they express, and the hopes
they entertain of some time enjoying the full pri-
vileges of the British Constitution, to preserve it
unimpaired as it now is, and to sacrifice transient
" low ambition" to the general good of the
United Kingdom, and the permanent freedom ()-
posterity.

THE LONDON JOURNALS.

DAILY
Extracts from the Morning- Papers, Feb. 8, 1825.

[THE TIMES.]
It appears from the observations of the Lord
Chancellor, last night, that he considers, as we
conjectured, the penalties of the act of George 1.
so severe as to preclude the possibility of its ap-
plication. Indeed, it is a curious fact, that from
the moment of passing that act to the present
day, an interval of one hundred and six years,
the enormous penalties of that statute have been
mere btu/apt/mina, and have nut, in any one in-
stauce, been hurled at the head of any offender.
Say, even the civil provisions of the act, that
-which annuls all contracts made agaiust its te-
pour, have never been expressly quoted as govern-
ing the decision of the Courts of Law before •
Friday ; and even then the Lord Chief justice,
as if by an after-thought, stated a common law
ground for invalidating the contract under consi-
deration, totally independent of the statute in
question. We are glad to find that an act, which
has become all but obsolete, and which, even at
the time of the national rage consequent on the
bursting of the South Seaßubble, was not enforced
against the most fraudulent delinquents, is not
now, after more than a century, to be called into
action at a moment's notice. If thire are some
cases of fraud (and we have no doubt there are),
the common law is strong enough to punish the
offenders ; for by common law their conduct is
punishable as a misdemeanour, and all their bar-
gains void. As well as we can guess from the
speech of the Lord Chancellor, his object will
be to retain so much of the Act of Geo. 1. as de-
clareb in the spirit of the common law all trans-
fers invalid which are made by Companies before
they are legally invested with corporate rights,
and to affix some reasonable punishment to the
transgressor of the Statute, whether fraudulently
or innocently ; and for cases of gross fraud, he
will probably provide some more summary mode
of proceeding than the ordinary mode of indict-
ment.

[BRITISH PRESS.]
According to the German Papers received last
night it appears that the dissensions among the
Greeks are completely suppressed. At St. Pe-
tersburgh it was expected that some communica-
tion would be made respecting the Greeks, by
Mr. Stratford Canning ; but we are told that the
Russian Cabinet will not listen to any proposal
for sanctioning the independence of this brave
and noble people. It is even said that a Note
has been addressed to the Court of Vienna, en-
gaging that Power to adhere to the principles of
the Holy Alliance against all changes in existing
institutions. We know-of no policy more base
and hollow than that of Russia towards the
Greeks. When the conquest of Turkey was the
object of the Muscovites, every effort was
used to stir up the Christians of the Morea
to insurrection. Promises and rewards were
scattered in abundance, and every artifice
of intrigue was used to provoke rebellion,
but now that it suits the purposes of the Court of
St. Petersburgh to maintain the " powers that
be," the Greeks are to be surrendered to the
horrors of Scio and Ipsara, if the Mahometans be
competent to inflict
.that fate upon them. The
Greeks, however, are beyond the danger of re-
lying upon false friends. They know that their
safety depends solely on their own valour and
fortitude ; and they will persevere in achieving
their independence, until it be established in de-
spite of all who would wish to subvert it. The
good will and pleasure of the Autocrat of All the
ltussias is not yet the law of either Western or
Eastern Europe.

[MORNING POST.]
The recommendation from the Throne to put

down the Catholic Association, and the arguments

for and against the measure, which have been
broached in Parliament, naturally demand our
profound attention. It is, we confess, one of the
most flattering occurrences of a long life devoted
to the public service, that we should find the
highest Depositories" of power in the realm re-
sponsive to the opinions and suggestions we have
thought it our duty to urge for months past, re•
tpeeting the above dangerous Body. Does any
party in the State impugn the expediency—the
necessity of suppressing the Catholic Asso-
ciation ? No such thing. In every word

Mr. Brougham uttered relative to that mea-
sure was admitted or implied a confession
of the dangers and evils e►nbodied in the
Association. To disavow or palliate the in-

surrectionary tendency of that " virtual re-
presentation" of the Catholics, the Honourable
and Learned Gentleman did not once adventure.

lie rather exaggerated the alarm its proceedings
have been calculated to excite, and argued thence

against the policy of withholding Emancipation,
which had generated so frightful a nuisance. We
ask no more cogent or convincing a coadjutor
en the present occasion. Because, then, the
people and Parliament of the United Kingdom
deem it unsafe to let the Papists participate in all
the great and responsible offices of this Protes- [THE PUBLIC LEDGER.]
taut Government, is that a reason that a greater The intelligence brought yesterday by the
evil still, and of the same nature, should be Lisbon Mail, though not unexpected, is very im-
tolerated ? The Legislature must at least be con- portant, and is likely to prove most beneficial
eistent. If it be unsafe to afford the Catholics to Portugal, and very gratifying to the People of
an opportunity of abusing the full enjoyment of England, as it promises to place the relations
the Constitution, a fortiori, it is more unsafe and between the two countries on the only basis
would be more impolitic to suffer or sanction on which they can now be serviceable to
them to openly violate the Constitution, and both. A connection with that kingdom would
usurp the rights of the established institutions be, under our present circumstances, a source
and lawftil functionaries of the empire. In the of serious embarrassment, unless it were
name of wonder, is it on such premises that the founded on enlightened principles, and bore
Hon. and Learned Gentleman intends to found an analogy to the rest of our foreign
his future determined opposition to Mr. Goul- policy. Had Portugal, for example, resolved to
burn's Bill ? The existence of a political nuisance run a race with her next door neighbour in the
may perha be a sufficient ground for supporting career of arbitrary Government, her Treaty with
a change in the policy whence it is believed this country would be only a parchment alli-
to have originated ; but how it can he a reason ance, whilst she would belong, in heat t and spi-
for insistinz on the continuance of the nuisance rit, to the Holy Alliance. Upon any trying oc-
itself we- have- et to learn. Although, however, casion we could not, in this case, count upon her
Mr. Brougham may forget that " Emancipation" friendship; and it, therefore, became the impe-
is one thing, and the " Association" another, the rious duty of the English Government either to
people of England know and appreciate the dissolve the Methuen Treaty, or to require of
distinction. is there a single purpose but that the Portuguese Court unequivocal proofs that
of forwarding two Petitions a year to Parlia- it meant to act in the spirit of that Treaty.—
ment for which the Association now assembles, In this demand the- prosperity of the Por-
that would not survive and serve as a pretext tuguese Nation, and the independence of that
for its continuing to assemble during all fu- Crown, were as much consulted as the dig-
ture time, if " Emancipation" were conceded to- tfity and true interests of England. It
morrow ? In short, the question for Parliament contained nothing at which either the King
to decide, at present, is not whether the Ca- or People of Portugal could reasonably take
tholic Claims should be granted, hut whether the least umbrage. By complying with
granted or not, a Representative Convention be it, the King has probably prevented a recurrence
allowed to establish itself for ever in Dublin, ar- of the troubles by which, his kingdom had been
rogating and assuming the functions and forms of so sorely afflicted, besideS the dangers to which
the Legislature, and cheating the Government his person had been exposed, and the contempt
- out of the credit of administering the laws, and with which his authority had been treated. It
the King and Constitution out of the allegiance also affords the only chance that was left of
and confidence of the people. That any portion Portugal resuming her former rank and con-
of the Whigs should defend such a monstrous sequence in the European system ; whereas,
anomaly ought not, perhaps to surprise us ; but if she had followed in time wake of the great
it ought assuredly to startle their own adherents. military and despotic Powers, her erasure, at
We know not how they can get over Mr. Secre- no distant period, from the list of independ-
tary Peel's taunt relative to the "Constitutional ent Nations, would be the inevitable result,
Association." Did they not, one and all, cry out whilst her remaining
_resources would be rapidly
against that Body ; first as illegal, and then as wasted away by time effects of misrule. By the
unconstitutional ? Its legality, however, some of entire change that has been effected in the Portu-
the more moderate among themselves, who hap- guese Cabinet, the King has given those secu-
pelted to be Lawyers,admitted, and then every •rities to this country, without which she would
thine vehement and liberal was poured forth, de- have to bear all the weight, without any of the
manding its suppression as contrary to the spirit advantages, of the :Methuen Treaty. In the
of the Constitution. Now that Association collected mean time, the two leading Members of the late
no rent or subscriptions—it feed no Counsel to , Ministry leave the kingdom immediately, in order
prosecute or defend individuals ;• but it presented probably that their presence may not embarrass the
bills of indictment for blasphemy anti sedition to march of the new Government. However, as
the 'Grand Juries of the country—and when they ' they have shewn themselves faithful servants of
Were found, followed up the prosecution. This' the King, they have been appointed to honourable
was the head and front of its offending—in other 'functions abroad,. where they may, by their la-
-word's, its whole scope and •object embraced not lents and probity, fully justify the confidence of
a single feature of the hydra4leaded monster 'their Sovereign. Count Palmella has beeu ap-