The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-05 00:00:00

mulate, but one of two courses is its inevitable resul

If the powerful remain quiescent, or only exert their
power to aggravate the evil, if they criminally persist
in adding injustice to the other sufferings of the poor,
the latter at last turn again in despair—witness the
great French Revolution. Happier is it, however,
for one and all when the remedial movement is set in
action, not by the sufferers but by the agents of the,
perhaps unintentional, injustice. At the present

moment, we would gladly believe, such a move-

ment is about taking place in this country—
assuredly it never was more required. These
remedial measures to be beneficial must be twofold.

We must endeavour to prevent the augmentation of
this wretchedness by stopping the sources from

which it is supplied, and these measures may be

summed up in the one word—justice. Justice, which
peremptorily forbids the employer from abusing the
necessity of the workman (to a certain extent only
we exonerate the sellers and buyers of cheap goods

from blame)—justice, which continually condemns
that system of unequal taxation to which law-makers
of all parties and all politics are so continually prone
—justice, which views with intolerable dismay one
hundred and fifty thousand pounds given in one year
for the missionaries to the heathen, while our
own fellow-countrymen are perishing around
us, body and soul. We might fill columns with an
enumeration of the unjust and barbarous acts of this
civilized age and Christian country. Far be it from
us to decry the excellence of Charity, the queen of

virtues, but to our thinking there is less of charity
abroad than is generally supposed. We appeal to
theologians for correction if we are wrong—we do
not believe that an unjust man cax be charitable.
Therefore we say to those whose hearts are now
melted at the recital of the sufferings of the poor, and
whose purses in many instances are opened in their
behalf—Weep for those sufferings, the sorrow will
do your own hearts good ; give alms to the sufferers,
the relief is sorely required; but by so doing do not
think that ycur duty is accomplished. No man's
conscience should be at rest while he in any way
countenances a system of injustice.
Even supposing, however, that for the future the
wretchedness of our poor should be in some measure
abated, what is to be done for the existing evil ?
Extraordinary grievances require extraordinary and
immediate remedies. On this point we refer our
readers to the excellent letter of the Right Hon.
SIDNEY HERBERT, in another column, on which we
shall again take occasion to remark.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Constitutionnel publishes the following, on the
subject of the reports which bad been circulated of
notice having been given by France to England of
the withdrawal of the former from the Broglie-Lush-
ington Convention for the suppression of the slave
trade :-
" It has been lately stated that the Government had
give
from given
notieeexteocuttg the
hineßriticshonyCeanbtiionn ncd
Cabinet
coofiltused on May
intention to
cease
n can
2d90,
nloBt4tsh,
nfokr t
ht ha et
tsuppression oc
hf the
esl a
beenve t rtaadkee.
be regarded in such an absolute sense. Art. 10 of that
treaty says that the duration of it is fixed at ten years,
but that in the course of the fifth year the two con-
tracting parties will concert together and decide accord-
ing to circumstances whether all or part of the former
conventions shall be carried into effect, or whether the
new treaty shall be modified or abrogated. By these
words, former conventions,' must be understood the
treaties of 1831 and 1833, which grant to our neighbours
the right of searching French vessels. There can be
no question of returning to that. There remains,
therefore, the possibility of modifying or abrogating
the new convention ; but it is not probable that the
English Government will absolutely renounce all the
right which it gives it. The convention of May 29
conceded to England,.in exchange for the right of search,
two points-viz., our active co-operation in the suppres-
sion of the slave trade, by means of a squadron of 26
vessels, and the right of verifying on board suspected
vessels, carrying the French flig, whether they are
really French. The English Government is disposed to
renounce our co-operation in the work of suppression,
but it will not probably hold so cheap its right of verify.
ing the nationality of our vessels. The keeping up of a
numerous squadron on the coast of Africa was very oner-
ous for France, and not useful to England. Our cruisers
could not stop the vessels of Brazil and Spain, which
are commonly employed in carrying on the trade. The
English Government has so well understood the inutility
of the expense imposed on us by keeping up 26 vessels
of war on the coast of Africa, that it long since gave its
provisional consent to the redaction of our squadron,
so that it is not composed at the present time of
more than 14 vessels. The abrogation of that part of
the treaty may be therefore readily obtained ; but
to bring the English Government to renounce
purely and simply without any compensation, the exer-
cise of the right admitted by article 3 of the convention,
and which consists in verifying the nationality of our
vessels on the western coast of Africa, it must either ac-
quire the certitude that our flag cannot be employed to
shelter the traffic, or that it completely abandons the
work of its suppression. On the one hand it is, however,
certain that the French flag has re appeared before the
slave depots established on the western coast of Africa;
and, on the other band, it is difficult to hope that the
English Government, whatever may be the movement
of public opinion which impels it to it, will suddenly
renounce i:s efforts to prevent tbo traffic, after twenty
years' exertions made and 28,000,0001. sterling ex-
pended fur that object. It is never too late to repair
an error, and there is a proverb which says that
follies of short duration are the best. On these
grcunds England cannot too soon and too completely
relinquish an enterprise dictated by an honourable feel-
ing, but the success of which is evidently dispaired of ;
for it is averred distinctly that coercive means are power-
less to suppress the traffic in negroes. But a measure
so decisive will meet with many obstacles. It is, doubt-
less, loudly called for by the press, and it is said that it
will be proposed in Parliament. Nevertheless, the last
committees of the House of Commons which were en-
gaged in inquiries on the subject, while pointing out the
ineficacy of cruisers to suppress the slave-trade, did not
consider they could propose the immediate recal of the
English squadron. A committee of the House of Lords,
considering that the presence of the squadron prevented
the too great development of the trade, concluded on the
maintenance of the naval force there ; and when Lord
Palmerston was questioned on the subject, he refused to
give any explanations."
The Moniteur says :-
" Reports were yesterday in circulation of a disagree-
ment having arisen between the President of the Re-
public and the Ministry on the subject of the tax on
potable liquors. This report has no more foundation
than those which have been circulated by malevolent
persons as to pretended dissensions in the Cabinet itself
There has never been any idea of withdrawing the Bill
on the tax on potable liquors."
At the sitting of the National Assembly on Mon-
day, M. BAC asked for leave to address a question to
the Ministers on the subject of the address alleged to
have been delivered to the newly-appointed Prefects
by the PRESIDENT of the Republic. M. FERDINAND
BARROT said he left it entirely to the Assembly to deter-
mine whether the question should be put at all, and
when it should be put, and the Assembly determined to
postpone the putting the question to that day three
months. Having thus shelved the proposition of M.
Bac, the Assembly proceeded to discuss the proposal
of M. PRAM for the abolition of the custom of ex-
posing on the pillory the names of political offenders
condemned par c*ntumafe. The proposition was
rejected by a large majority. Its rejection is attri-
buted to the publication, on the day preceding, of M.
LEDRU ItomAN's pamphlet, entitled "Le 13 Juin,"
which has been seized by order of the Procureur of
the Republic, who has ordered proceedings to be in-
stituted against M. SCHNEIDER, the printer, and all
the publishers of the work. First, for exciting hatred
and contempt of the Government; secondly, for jus-
tifying facts considered as crimes by the penal law.
Four hundred of the insurgents of June, 1848,
arrived in Paris on Monday, escorted by a guard of
city sergeants, by railroad from Havre. The Attorney-
General attended at the Conciergerie and signed the
order of liberation for all. They proceeded imme-
diately each to his own home, accompanied by their
friends and relatives who hadbeen at the Conciergeris
to meet them. An immense crowd was attracted to
the spot, but the utmost tranquillity prevailed
thraughost.
The holders of Roman bonds have suffered a
grievous disappointment; on applying at M. DE
ROTHSCHILD'S, in Paris, for th' payment of the half-
year's interest now due, they were informed that there
were " no effects."
The Patrie mentions the following diplomatic
nominations as having been decided on :-M. de
Montessuy, French Minister at Hanover, to replace
M. de Rayneval at Naples; M. Edouard Thayer,
Director-General of the Post-Office, to be Minister
Plenipotentiary at Madrid ; M. de Persigny, to be
charged with a temporary mission to Prussia, in
quality of Minister Extraordinary and Plenipoten-
tiary. "Nothing," adds the Patric, "has been de•
cided on relative to the nominations to the vacant
posts at Hanover, St. Petersburg!), and Vienna."
We find the following in the Pairie
:-
"At the moment when the winter is about to com-
mence, we eagerly make known the happy symptoms
which manifest themselves in the capital. According
to information which we have received, a real improve-
ment is visible in almost every branch of industry and
commerce; foreigners are flocking to Paris; fetes are
being prepared on all sides; in a word, everything leads
us to hope that the rigours of the season on which we
are about to enter will be considerably lightened for the
u thhoeanrl
,nldlig taaeay s. s
s at wi• a sthe
of t was the
celebrated werking classes by an improvement in business, which
will tend to give them employment."
It
anniversarybythoef the Battle
High
importance a
of there beingw Ira lides.
madees in the
administration of the War Department. General
BERTRAND, the present director of the personnel, is
to keep only the direction of the infantry; General
DESCARRIERES taking the direction of the cavalry,
and General REsteLor that of the gendarmerie.
PARIS BOURSE, TURSDAY, DE.. 4.
We have bad another very buoyant market to-day,
Chapel
and at the close prices were generally marked higher;
Threes for the account closed firm at 57f. 75c., and
Fives at 90f. 85c. Tho market closed as follows:-
Threes, for cash, 57f. 50c.; for account, 57f. 75c.; Fives,
for cash, 90f. 60c. • for account, 90f. 85c.; Bank of France
Shares, 2,415 f.; 'Neapolitan, 91f. 25c.; Spanish Threes,
39f. 50c.; Ditto Fives not quoted.
RAILWAYS.-The Share Market has been also firm,
but without any very material change in prices. Orleans
closed at 7401.; Rouen, 528 f. 75c.; Havre, 232 f. 50c.;
Avignon, 2201.; Vierzon, 312 f. 50c.; Bale, 102 E 50c.;
Bordeaux, 403 f. 75c.; Northern, 445 f.; Paris and Stras-
burgh, 357 f. 50c.; Nantes, 280 f.; Montereau, 1101.
BUSINESS LONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LO.NDOA STOCK-EXCHANGE, Dim 4.
Boulogne and Amiens, 6-Great Indian Peninsula, 34-
Namur and Liege, 64-Northern of France, 21/6 dis.-
Orleans and Bordeaux, 3t/,,-Paris and Rouen, 2134 -
Rouen and Havre, OA-Sambre and Meuse, 2%-Tours and
Nantes, 4.

W ESTMINSTER PLAT.—In consequence of the
lamented death of the Queen Dowager the play, as an-
nounced for the 10th, 13th, and 17th of December, will
not take place.

UNIVEISITT BOAT RACE.—The "rowing man "
will be interested in learning that a boat race, between
picked crews of Oxford and Cambridge, will take place
at Putney bridge on the 15th inst. Boats have been
ordered at Searle's, and the crews are in active training.