The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-22 00:00:00

F, V EN iisTC4 EDITION
.;

seems iinf

Ilisquent period to de-

prive any person, on reasonable Lrounds, of the
Power voluntarily to give or withhold his assent to
measures of far minor importance than the great
Measure of founding and forming society. Because
every man in the community, the very meanest,
may be affected by tke acts of the Government, to
constitute which, by the theory of political society
being formed by voluntary agreement, he has given
his assent, be has an equal right to a voice in its
affairs in all subsequent stages. This is the prin-
ciple of universal t-uffrag,e.
It is objected to this, that no theorists carry out
the principle. They exclude the youth of both
sexes, and they exclude females. But youth are
excluded from the same cause as they are excluded
from managing their own affairs, their inability,
and their dependence on parents. Females are ex-
cluded, not because they are unable or absolutely
dependent, but because in the great majority of
cases they have no separate interests from their
husbands, brothers, or fathers, and therefore do not
require to have separate voices. Nature establishes
representative for every family as its head, and,
while it is not denied that females have rights to
defend, as their interests may be affected by the
4ets of the Government, it is asserted that the
machinery will be simplified by confining the votes
to their husbands, fathers, and brothers.
There are also certain moral causes of incapacity ;
4nd lunatics or idiots, who, like children, cannot

teanage their own affairs, and are in a condition of
helpless dependence on others, arc excluded from a
/nice in the Government, as they are from a voice
choosing their own diet and lodging. With these
eXceptions, it seems to us, on the principle of society
being a voluntary union of human beings, and go-
/ernment the means they employ to obtain the end
of that union, the equal happiness of all, that every
Person should have a share in the representation, or
that no other suffrage but universal suffrage is ra-
tlgnal and just. If, indeed, society be not founded
11,4 a voluntary agreement, if it grow up, we hardly
know how, and conquerors hare had the greatest
share in fashioning its laws, any suffrage, and

14tticularly universal suffrage, must be fatal to
their power, and they will struggle against it,
bat political society had its origin in conquest
seems to us the more feasible theory of the two,
znd vre can look therefore for nothing but contentions
vetween those who inherit usurped power, and those
who have had a condition of slavey bequeathed to
than. At the same time, whatever may be just in
the abstract, it is quite impossible all at once to
kitieve universal suffrage, on which account we
presume most of the Reformers at present, except
,the Chartists, confine themselves to demanding
household suffrage, and a new distribution of elec-
-I°lll districts. To them we give our support.

We learn from the Herald, that sonic landlords,
I°'whom their toadies ascribe the character of fine
414 English gentlemeu, have given small sums of
money, or coals and bread, to be distributed
littnongst the poor living on their estates. While
t4e,e fine old English gentlemen are claiming great
praise for petty charities, they are, in fact, levying
tax of 065,, per quarter on all the wheat these
h
1.(3r persons consume, and also levying a tax,
ll proportion, on every single article they eat and
ti
except it be water. The generosity of the
:11,4(1.10rds reminds us of the brigand whorhaving de-
tr%led a tr,veller of much property, threw him
itek a halt-crown to provide him a bed for the
:i6t• Such a cheap way of making their
:ace with GOD and their conscience, smacks
tr,ltr°tlgiy of Popish times. The landlords hope
' buy absolution for their man! offences
4 ltist the poor by giving them a plum-pud
beg at Christmas. We doubt, however, whether
People will be so easily bribed with their own
41i)neY as were the priests in olden times with a
thane of some stolen booty ; and though the peo-
i)l
„,e May take the landlords' presents to prevent im.
the
starvation, we doubt whether they will give
it'e landlords absolution. They are too knowing
°* to be bribed by receiving back a portion of
their own spoils, and they will be only strengthened
11 encouraged by that portion to demand back all
their stolen property.
t The Herald, which devotes some space almost
f''e'Y day to defend the landlords, has not yet de-
:l:ldea itself from the charge we made on Thursday,
1,114 it is advocating a law which, by its own ad-
wission, taxes the many fur the benefit of the few.
e have waited till now for an answer to our state-
114'i, but the Herald has allowed judgment to go
default. It stated on Wednesday that to repeal
the Coro,laws, would enhance the power of money,
t hich would add to the well-being of all those who
4ive a settled rate of wages or income, whether
cheY he manual labourers or Commissioners of Ex-
-1:43e1 and whether their income be paid daily,
004011 y, or yearly. Why is the Herald silent onl
i 4
topic ?

We copy from the Scotsman an Address, which
3 4id to speak the sentiments of all the Dissenters
Scotland. It is of great importance, from point-
tile out several errors committed by the WhiLl i s n
:.4tion to them, and from laying down those prin-
-4314 by which the bulk of the Dissenters may be
illPected to be guided. Their conduct, too, will
attended with important political results. If
EeY should form a union with the Dissenters of
ngland, they will be so powerful as to have great
Whigs
over the fate of every Ministry. If the
whigs will be unable to stand bereft of their
411Pport, the Tories will be unable to extend, or
l'ert to continue the present oppressions of the
Ilissenters. We have been for some time con-

/'inced that the conduct of the Dissenters has falle

41' short of their political and religious principles,
1,
hey have been seduced into acquiescence, when
they ought to have stoutly resisted. The day of
such unvtorthy submission is now, we believe,
t°4'2 ; and the Address of the Scotch Dissen-
ter' is the beginning of a career, which will show
that the patriotic and disinterested Non-Conformists
°f
this age are worthy of their sires, who conquered
for liberty, or laid down their lives for its defence.

By the arrival of the British Queen at South
411IPton we have received New York Papers of the
4.t inst., being only one day later than the last ar-
tivkl by way of Liverpool. The British Queen
brings
four thousand dollars in specie, and sixty
passengers, among whom are Baron NORMAN, Of
Belgium, Mrs. BUTLER (FANNY KENIELE) and
I children, and Mr. LEFFLER, the vocalist,
I'v hose health is said to be impaired by drinking the
bad
water of New York. Thus tee-totalism has
44 penalties attached to it, especially on the other
liide of the Atlantic. The American Papers bring
110 news of any moment. They contain accounts
1
rcnn Mexico and Texas, but they are mere repe-
litinns of the intelligence already published in The
We have extracted from the Nero York
'rlerald some account of the state of theatricals in
United States, which shall appear to-morrow,
".111.1(1 here subjoin the only news likely to interest our
Political and commercial readers
W. D. MIKENZIE.—The Rochester Daily Advertiser
qi) lutains a long report of an examination, held before
itleasttieseev:hrler, on the complaint of W. L. M•Kenzie,
several
rpeeerdsonsnoaw or- late of Rochester had con-
,lll,Pired and upon plan, in connexion with the per-
L' 1,1" in chargeg of the Canadian steam-boat Gore, to carry
.1,1 by force to Toronto, in order to claim the 1001.
.4.°ll".eldatf" fhimh bye the British
Bank,G ve r nTmuernotn.t fir.
was Cr
ea
prnree:
4elited toe o
bet ea
prime mover ha the :flair; and, in the
.°tlrse of the examination, it being ascertained that he
ItS still at the Rochester-house, a warrant was issued for