The Sun.
London, England, 1825-02-24 00:00:00

[NEW TIMES.]

In the House of Commons last night, a con-
versation took place upon Mr. Byng'4 moving for
leave to bring in a Bill for the construction of
Docks in the Isle of Dogs, as to the propriety of
any Member, who might possess a direct pecu-
niary interest in a Private Bill, being allowed to
vote upon it in any stage of its progress through
the House. In this conversation Mr. Grenfell,
Mr. Brougham, Mr. Baring, and others, took
a part, and the result was, that Mr. Ilume
gave notice that on Friday he would submit
a proposition respecting the disqualification
from voting. In thus proceeding Mr. Hume
will introduce a practical alteration in Par-
liamentary business, which, in the present day
may lead to consequences very difficult to be fore-
seen. We do not mean to ascribe to the Hon.
Gentleman the talent of invention. Of that we
never suspected him ; probably the rule existed,
but had become a dead letter, that Members
should not vote on questions in which they had
a personal interest. "I his sounds very prettily
no doubt in theory, and may have been appli-
cable to some ancient peTiods. But let us try a
little how it will operate in practice in our own
days. The first victim is Mr. Peter Moore. Ile
is a proprietor in a Coal Gas Company, ergo he
can't vote on an Oil Gas Bill. The next
is Mr.
Pascoe Grenfell. He is a shareholder in

the St. Katharine's Dock Company, ergo (we sup-
pose) he can't vote on any other Dock Company.
So far so good ! But let us first ask how many
such tabooed Members there are in the House of
Commons, or rather who are not tabooed .2 Who
has abstained from taking shares in all and every
of the Thousand-and-One Schemes now afloat ?
The pure Members we fear will be very few in
number. Some are tempted by a golden moun-
tain in Potosi ; some by a railway from John-o'-
Groat's House to the Land's End ; some are for
a cool promenade in the London Subways ; some
for crossing under the Thames in a 'funnel ;
others for crossing over it on an iron bridge, and
as many of these schemes clash more or less with
others, the Proprietors will be disfranchised of
their legislative votes on a vast variety of ques,
tions. But, again, can the principle stop here ?
What are we to say to Stockholders voting on a
question which may raise or depress their property
20 per cent ? How can we permit Country Gen-
tlemen to have any thing to say about Corn
Laws. Nay, even Mr. Hume himself would be
disqualified from voting and, afortiori, from speak-
ing on that interesting topic, the liberation of
Greece; for if we mistake not Grecian Scrip and
he are still pretty close acquaintance, though some
weeks back they were not quite so cordial. We
only throw out these hints for the more mature
consideration of those who profess a more inti-
mate knowledge than we can boast of the Lex et
Consuetado Parlianienti.—The Bill for granting
relief as to the manlier of solemnizing Marriage
among Dissenters was on the motion of Mr. W.
Smith read a first time.

[MORNING HERALD.]
We are glad that the St. Katharine's Dock
Bill makes such progress, because we are well
convinced that a Dock in that part of the town
will be highly beneficial to the trading commu-
nity. The other Docks are too far off. The very
centre of business for all descriptions of heavy
goods, is St. Catharine's. Therefore St. Katha-
rine's is the place for a Dock. What wholesome
grocer in Mark or Mincing-lane, but would like
to have his hogsheads of sugar rolled into his
warehouse from the ship in his immediate vici-
nity, rather than to have them carted from the
IV est India Docks, lying at the distance they
do ? What wholesome grocer would like to
be pestered any more than he could possibly
help with those insolent carmen, with their
unwieldy carts and elephant-like horses, running
against or over all the women and children they
meet, except they get out of their %gay ? We
congratulate the City on this scheme. We were
glad, on the second reading of the Bill, that the
votes of such Members as were interested
against the establishment of this Dock were
objected to, for we would wish the purity of
both Houses of Parliament preserved. We hope
that this moral watchfulness will be strictly
maintained by Mr. Hurne and others this Ses-
sion. We should suggest, that %len the Bills
for any of the schemes now pending, are
brought before the House, the question should
he put to each Member voting in favour of
or against such schemes, " are you or are you not
interested ? Have the scheme Committees put
your name down in their books, as being a pos-
sessor of any number of shares ?" Then we
would hate every Member to pledge his word of
honour that he had no shares, and that neither
directly or indirectly was he interested in the
vote he was about to give. We think that if this
regulation were adopted, schemes would lessen in
number. But above all things, we would have
the moral purity of both Houses preserved.

[THE PUBLIC LEDGER.]
The intelligence received yesterday from South
America, is decisive of the fate of that vast and
fine country. According to the last authentic
accounts from General Bolivar, which are dated
the 18th of September, fourteen Provinces had
at that time embraced the Independent Cause ;
and the Liberator had, in every instance, been
hailed with the greatest enthusiasm by the in-
habitants. The Spaniards, who appeared to see
no other hope of temporary safety but in flight,
had lost more than 4000 men since the battle of
Junin ; and were so disorganised at last, that
their submission, or total dispersion, was confi—
dently anticipated. There is a noble and cha-
racteristic trait related of General Bolivar:—
Several spies had been. sent to examine the
strength and feel the pulse of his army ; and
when he had detected them, he dismissed them
all without any punishment, saying, that
he had no objection to any Spanish Officer ex-
amining the state of his corps. Only a Ge-
neral, supporting a generous cause, could adopt
such a resolution without risk ; for, where every
soldier lights, from principle, he is inaccessible to
the common arts of debauchery ; whereas Can-
teract, however honourably disposed himself)
would, in the same circumstances, have been
compelled to employ the utmost severity. Whilst
the Liberator was reflecting additional lustre
on his glorious career by such traits as the fore-.
going, he had the gratification of receiving,
through the hands of one of his Aides-decamp,
a communication from the Spanish General
in Upper Peru, in which the latter an-
nounced that it had been long his intention to
co-operate with him in completing the liberation
of " this beautiful portion of South America.,,_
This letter, which is dated the 10th of October,
was the more gratifying,
as it insured not Only
a speedy termination of the contest, but encou-
raged a hope that the remainder of it would have
a bloodless character. If the Royalist leaders were
previously reduced to nearly the last state of diffi-
culty, what must have been their situation, when
they were threatened in their rear, as well as in
front. Olaneta, who was at the head of nearly
5,000 men, and had personal, as well as public,
grounds of dislike to the Royalist Leaders, would,
besides those, inducements to act vigorously
against them, see
the necessity of retrieving, by
some hold operation, the time he had lost. It is
proof either of extraordinary foresight, or of con-
summate address, on the part of
Bolivar, that he
had always calculated on being joined by the for-
mer ; and we suspect, that at the opening of the
campaign it was preconcerted between them.—
This supposition would account for the implacable

dislike which Olaneta has shown to act under'
the orders of the Viceroy and it seems to us
probable that his declaration in favour of the ab-
solute King was merely a feint ; whilst it enabled
him to deceive his troops. The letter in which
Olaneta makes known his intention of co-operat-
ing with General Bolivar, is addressed to
Colonel O'Leary ; and it is really surprising,
as well as gratifying, to see the valuable aid
which the cause of Liberty in South America
has received from the swords of Irishmen, nay, of
Irish Catholics. Every where, but at home,
their merits are duly appreciated ; and whilst in
the New World, they are seen occupying the
foremost rank—the first in zeal, as well as in
courage, amongst its gallant defenders, they are
thought fit for only pains and penalties in their
own country. How long will this anomally last ?
—or rather, how long will a Government,
distinguished in every thing else by its libe-
rality and good sense, display an abandonment
of both in their treatment of more than six-
sevenths of the People of Ireland ? As long as
this line of distinction is drawn, one thing at least
is clear, that we hold our prosperity by no firm
tenure ; and the empire, when it appears to be
most flourishing, may be compared to a tree,
crowned with leafy honours, but which contains
within the principle of rapid destruction. Ear-'
nestly do we implore those who have not only the
tranquillity of Ireland, but perhaps the fate of
this splendid empire in their hands, to reflect
dispassionately on the effects of their irritating
measures in Ireland, and not to point out to her
Catholic Population, that whilst they are treated
much in the manner of outcasts at home, they
are able to carve out for themselves the high-
est honours in every other country with their
swords. We address this warning the more
fearlessly, because'we cannot engage with the re-
quisite confidence, in any great enterprise either
of war or peace, as long as Ireland is a prey to
internal distractions ; and because we know that
foreign Powers see in her troubles the means of
gratifying their envy of English prosperity, and
their deep hatred of English freedom. We can-
not close our remarks without noticing the gal-
lant action which took place off Callao, between
the Prueva, in the Peruvian service, and the
Asia, Spanish men of war. The action lasted four
hours,at the end of which the Asia was forced to
fly under the batteries of Callao ; and the block-
ade of that port was resumed a few days after-
wards. What renders this success the more
striking is, the vast difference in the size of the
two vessels, one earring only 44 and the other
80 guns. Only Captain Guise, who commands
the Prueva, would have ventured to fight a frigate
of her dimensions against a ship carrying 80 guns ;
and he has confirmed by this heroic act the high
reputation he had acquired in our own service.