The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-19 00:00:00

fore until' the operation of those enactments can be
properly estimated.

The present session wilt be remarkable in Parlia-
mentary annals for the extraordinary amount of
business, partly achieved and partly initiated, which
has been brought under the consideration of the
Houses of Lords and Commons previous to the
Easter holidays ; and altogether the current session
promises to be more fruitful in legislation than any
preceding one for many years past. Not only have
the measures introduced into Parliament since
its commencement been not few in number,
but, in regard to their nature, they have been of the
most important character. The expedition with
which some of the Bills have already obtained the
assent of the Crown is undoubtedly attributable to
the severity of the national emergencies which they
were designed to mitigate ; and the celerity with
which these have been engrafted on the statute-book
augurs satisfactorily for the ultimate success
of the others, which are meant to ex-
ercise a permanent influence upon the social
condition of Ireland, and to prevent a recurrence
of the fearful crisis in which that country is now in-
volved. Independently, however, of these measures,
we have already ample evidence afforded us by others
of the extreme activity which has pervaded the dif
ferent departments of the State, demonstrative of the
earnest desire of their several chiefs to obtain for the
Government the honourable distinction of haying, in
a peculiar degree, promoted the social progress of the
empire. From the tenor of his address to his consti-
tuents in assuming the reins of power, it was mani-
fest that Lord Jom; RUSSELL desired his administra-
tion should found its claims to the gratitude of pre-
sent and future generations by a provident attention
to the social and moral wants of the nation. Accord-
ingly, we perceive already that public health, public
education, and the reformation of criminals, are all
matters upon which they have bestowed great atten-
tion. Lord Mourrrit has the first subject under
his immediate cognizance, -Lord LANSDOWNE
the second, arid Earl GREY the last. Besides which,
we have had gratifying and convincing proof, during
the present week, by his eloquent speech on the Fac-
tories Bill, that, to subject; of a kindred nature to the
foregoing, the Premier has fdthfully devoted the
powers of his mind. To those who consider that " the
great mass of the people are only born to work, eat,
drink, sleep, and die," the chronicles of Lord J. Rus-
szLes Cabinet will be greatly devoid of interest;
whereas to those who believe that the duties of the
statesman extend to objects of a far more elevated
character, they may be consulted deleetando pariterque
monendo.

Whilst the Government are endeavouring their
utmost to improve the mental and physical condition
of the population other public associations are work-
ing laudably and effectively in the same direction.
We published yesterday a report of the fifth annual
meeting of the Early Closing Association, held in
Exeter Hall, where the Marquis of WESTMINSTER
presided. When we find that important towns
like Liverpool, Birmingham, and Manchester,
have given in their adhesion to the principles
of this benevolent movement, we may be certain that
before long both employers and employed throughout
the kingdom will become convinced of the advantages
of not continuing their daily toil beyond the limits
of reason. It is clear that commercial prosperity is
quickened by mental energy, which rises or droops
with the strength or lassitude of the human frame,
and that, therefore, any system which taxes the bodily
powers too much is detrimental and vicious. We
think the moral benefit would be great, if the thousands
who are parents of families, and who are now kept up
to a late hour in the shops and warehouses of the
metropolis and other leading towns, were allowed to
repair to their homes at an early period in the evening.
The Association recommend that no purchases should
be made after seven o'clock. This is a reasonable
suggestion ; we shall rejoice to see it universally
adopted.

During the past session many of the restrictions
by which conimerce was fettered and impeded were
abrogated, the great principles of free trade received
the legislative sanction, and the strongest guarantee
was given to the country, that with all convenient
.peed the remaining shackles should be struck off,
that the industry of the nation might flourish with-
out let or hindrance, and attain the highest degree
of vigour and efficiency. A gigantic monopoly was
prostrated, never again to embarrass the producers of
national wealth by its baneful influence.; but, although it
was swept away, many miner enormities, deeply injuri-
ous to the mercantile interests still remain, to which
extensive and sweeping measures of reform must be
applied. Among the more conspicuous of the still
tolerated grievances, the quarantine laws may ht
enumerated. These laws are almost singular in thi:-
respect, that no class, not even an individual in the
kingdom, save the employes paid for carrying them
into execution, is benefited in any the slightest
degree, and yet by their operation the free-
dom of intercourse between nations is materially
impaired, the feelings of huinanity are outraged,
those requiring every comfort and assistance are cu►
ofr from the aid they would otherwise receive, and
a heavy and onerous burden is imposed on the trading
part of the community, which of course is levied
with additions from the people generally. They
were originally founded on mistaken views of On

aw of contagion, which the light of science has, in a
great degree, dispelled within the last few
years. The able and elaborate report of
the Commissioners appointed by the Royal
Academy of Medicine in France, and the valuable
body of evidence on which that report was
based—the facts collected extending over a period of
several centuries—incontestably establish that the
best means of protection against the ravages of the
plague, that fearful scourge, fur the prevention of
which the quarantine laws were originally enacted,
and have since been continued, are to be found in the
increase of ventilation and drainage, the improvement
of the habitations, and the promotion of the cleanliness
of the million ; the removal of all impurities calcu-
lated to taint the atmosphere, of decayed animal and
vegetable substances ; a sufficient supply of plain and
wholesome food ; and generally of everything cal-
culated to improve the moral and physical condition
of the people, and not in the establishment of a
cordon sanitaire, intended to prevent the entrance 01
the dreaded foe. In America and in the East
Indies there are neither quarantine establishments
or quarantine laws, and yet the plague has
never made its appearance in either of these coun-
tries. With the full knowledge of these facts, then,
why is it that the objectionable system is still re-
tained ?—that an actual cost of 140,0001. sterling is
annually incurred for its maintenance, which, ac-
cording to Mr. 1-lemE—an excellent authority on
such questions—is not a tithe of the expense that the
country is put to by the delays and loss thereby im-
posed on our commerce? "Cessat ratio, cessat lex," is
a sound maxim ; and it having been ascertained that
the reasons for which the law was established no
longer exist, the law itself should be immediately
abrogated.
But there is another peculiarity connected with the
code, that renders it impossible to deal with it in the
summary and expeditious manner that would be de-
sirable if Great Britain alone was concerned. If th,
laws were abrogated without the assent of other nas
tions where the erroneous impressions are still re-
tained, a greater degree of delay and inconvenience
might be occasioned than at present exists. It is, there-
fore, by enlightening these kingdoms,.by negotiations
and treaties that the object can alone be attained. The
Government has, we believe, been exerting itself most
creditably, and the prompt and ready manner in which
the motion of Dr. 13owatnes last night, for copies of
the correspondence on the subject, since the returns
granted during the last session, was acceded to, affords
the most satis6ictory evidence of their anxiety to
render the operation of these laws as little injurious
as possible to the country, Dr. BOWRING, too, has
entitled himself to the best thanks of the community
fur the able and temperate manner in which he
brought the question before the House, and for his
continued exertions to enlighten the public mind on
the subject—exertions which, we doubt not, will
eventually be crowned with well-merited success.

The Berlin Gazelle of trie 13th states that the frost
and snow, added to the great speculation, had caused
the prices of corn to rise, and, that in addition to this,
very small quantities had been imported.
The Frankfurter journahetates, that in the pro-