The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-21 00:00:00

MORN'IN`G

iTsITION

' SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM THE DAILY PAPERS OF YESTERDAY

CHRONICLE.—No contrast could be more striking than
that between the speeches of Lord Palmerston and Se- Robert
Peel, on Tuesday night. Lord Palmerston applied hia.s.-11 boldly
to the question, which he discussed in the most fearless and un-
reserved manner. His positions were conceived with clearness,
and his deductions were close and irresistible. His language,
too, did justice to his thoughts. There was no wire-drawing
—no overlaying—every sentence, every clause, was pregnant
with meaning. Sir Robert Peel, on the other hand, was con-
stantly looking two ways. He was constantly steering between
opposite principles, saving one moment and unsaying the next;
sod though it was impossible to refuse him the meed of clever-
, ness and tact, yet the cleverness was often wasted on matters of
secondary importance, and at the close of his long speech the
hearer found it difficult to form to himself anything like a dis-
tinct idea of what the Right Hon. Baronet had been so
i-
ously advancing. The effect of Lord Palmerston's speech, on
the other hand, was distinct and unbroken. Every proposi-
tion went distinctly home to the hearer, and the indistinct im-
pressions left by Sir Robert Peel were dispelled by it, as the
images of night are by the light of the morning.
TIMES.—As the Melbourne Min.stry, during the last See
years. have spun out a wretched existence by alt sorts of die-
creditable shifts, so, in the prospect of that ignominious exit
which now stares them in the face, they seem determined, like
other incorrigibles. to die desperately hard, or rather, if possi-
ble, to postpene and evade their fate. Indeed, their entire
career, trim their first alliance with O'Connell down t 4 the
sinlden concoction. of their panic budget, presents nothing
m,ore than a un form course of mean and dishonest exped.ents,
resorted to for the one sole purpose of providing for their lami-
lies, and of pro'onging their official subsistence. Their confede-
racy with the Li h Agitator was originally formed, not beceuse
they approved of it on principle, but because in their noto.ious
weakness and necessities it was indispensable to their selfi-h
desi ins. Could they have obtained a venal English majority,
equally disposed to keep them in power at the price of so many
measures p r Session fa-hioned to that majority's mind, the
Irish Tait would have been as much defied and scouted as, on
the co:ttrary, it has been courted and caressed. Principle has
been wholly out of the question. In point of fact, they mor-
tally hate O'Connnell, because his dear-bought connection
with them is at once the badge and the usurious premium of
their neediness. they detest the fellow's bullying and extor-
tions —but they are lain to submit to them, because without
O'Connell they would have been without office, without
palace favours, witliout the public purse, and without the re-
quisite patronage to pen-ion their rapacious clique.
ADVERTISER.—Pending the solution of the question—
to resign or to dissolve ?—all others lose, for a moment, their im-
p .r-ance. To-night will probably bring the announcement
of the result of the deliberations of the Government, and an
intimation of its future course. We await, with anxiety, this
result, not doubting what it should be, yet tearing lest by some
mischance, that which is so much to be desired may unfortu-
nately not he accorded. We believe, however, that the pro-
bability is, that the Government will persevere in laying be-
fore Parliament and the country the several measures
which co:npose the Budget, especially the proposed modifi-
ratio.' of the Corn-laws, and that., if defeated on them, it will
dissolve Parliament and appeal to the country. This is the
course desired by the great majority of the party who have sup-
ported the Government, and it is at once the most just and the
most prurient ; for, if a contrary course be pursued, the impu-
tation of the Tories, that their measures have been taken up
for the occasion, will appear to have been well-founded, white
it is due to the people to give them an opportunity of vindi-
cating their own rights, if the Government be unable to give
elect to then: by any other means
HERALD.—As a national agitation, the Corn-law enteutc
is a most miserable piece of imposture, and is as much indebted
to the inventive Towers of those whose especial delight it is to
magnify it as a momentous struggle, as the siege of Troy was
to the poetical geMus of Homer. Where is the gathering of
the messes to be seen ? Wt here is the concentration of the ma•
poindi to be heard? An Irish echo, which is proverbial for
(riving correct answers, would reply—hardly anywhere ! Meet-
la ,g there are in abundance, which the pen of the practised
reporter by habit (fa- we need not impute the exasperation
to anethie,; worse) styles numerous and respectable ;" but
where are tse public meeting public in the sense
that the existence of a peat national agitation would
imply Of the few which hare been called, be it observed,
the enti-Corn levi party hive been defeated 'at more than they
have saceeded, ae at Sunder!. nd. Birmingham, &c., and no
vender, eeerefere, that thep are extremely cautious in ru:oning
the rtk of anythieg 1 ke a fair and comprehensive demonstra-
tio.: of public ..pinion. Their resource is to get up the sem-
blance of an agiettien by knots and sections—to pack the small
/lining-room of an hotel as in Westminster, or to huddle to-
gether in a school-room as at Stourbridge, or to take refuge
in a hired committee .room as at Edinburgh. But a hundred
such picked audepacised meetings altogether no mo:e make
one public meetilis than a hundred black rabbits would make
otes click horse.
13:14.5T- —What will happen next? The Ministers have
• been s.trealle beaten in the Howse of Commons urn a ques-
tion which immedia•ely concerns the means of earning on
the Governreett, They have been beaten—not by surprise
—not upon any unconsidered question—not in a House of in-
seeietenr. numbers to give the sense of the whole—but they
have been beaten after, perhaps, the longest debate upon re-
s,ard—after the fullest consideretion.of the question—and in a
kisouse where more than 600 out of the 6.51 Members were
actuary present ! . What next ? Strange that it should be
left to us to ask. It is a disgrace to the Administration that
there should be anything like a public doubt upon the subject.
W t.at next ? Why, what can be, hut resignation of office ? The
lin isterial party have often taunted their opponents that they,
even if in office, could not govern the country. That is matter of
conjecture, but VI e apprehend it is nn matte,- of conjecture now,
but =leer of fact, that the present Minister; esusint govern
the country. How can they, when the very first of e pro-
posed means for raising the necessary moneys for the petblic
expenses has been rejected by a decisive majority of the whole
House of Corn:eons? They tnay say what they will of their
opponents, but these own time for turning out has at all events
come. They cannot go on with the Government. To at-
tempt desperately to cling to office after the power of govern-
ing had been thus taken away by the House of Commons,
would, we imagine, lead to consequene:s which even these in-
fatuted 'Ministers would not like to fare. They have already
alone n:uch to produce the deep disgust of the leo* of Eng-
lend—let them beware of that people's indignation.
GLOBE. —sir ..ltobcrt Feel has thrown away his last
chance of peroanently passb:g for a statesman, as dis-
tlnguished f..oin a party chief. For this purpose, dex-
terity in deb%te., and party tactics, are insufficient. There
must be force of character, and directness of purpose.
The L-nke of Wt lington showed these, when he linked
Lis name with Emancipation. Peel allowed himself to
be dragged into that measure, as it were, with reluct-
ance. Ihtskisson -showed these, when lie linked his
name with enlarged 04mmercial policy. Peel blows
hot; and cold on. that policy, with utter careless-
ness Of its public moment. In short, really distin-
guished statesmen are such by character. Peel has only
been such by contrast—a "'Triton among the minnows."
Nobody mistook him for a great man in his earlier
• period. He could. bear no comparison with the genius
of Canning, or the dauntless and decided spirit of Cas-
tlereagh. -In the mild decline of the orb of Toryism,
_Peel twinkled forth. His mission (to borrow the phrase
• of certain schools of philosophy) was to cover the
decadence, and break the fall, of his party—to put the
best face upon the defence, or the surrender, of pre-
judices—and tote ready for the one or the other, just as
might seem to serve the time. With this mission he
has endeavoured to combine a certain individual dis-
-tinction, and to take credit for the superior liberality of
dais Toryism, at every surrender of its stronglu2ds which
Yoe made to opinion. To maintain this distinction would,
however, have required to possess that quality of mind
in which Sir R. Peel has shown his deficiency—ii defi-
ciency the most fatal to all permanent reputation for
.statesmanship.•:. No man has acquired that charac-
ter, who (besides Parliamentary talents) has not
shtiwn a real value for great public objects, independent
of party.. Will any one inform us what objects Sir
Robert Peel has ever regarded except as counters in the
game which lie had to play for himself and his party ?
lie has missed the palm of statesmanship, less by con-
traction of intellect than by coldness of heart—which,
indeed, is inconsistent with the greatest enlargement of
mind. He has even missed the confidence and reliance
of his party—for precisely the same qualities which
make him its MCPC. plausible organ, snake him indisposed
Jo commit himself too far, or run too great risks for it.
,STANDARD.—The attempt to enlist the country in
the ..t,nti-corn-law agitation has already manifestly failed,
and :he fidlare will become more rapidly progressive
and .wee plainly apparent from day• to day. There
is n 4) I,ithix in such cases. The people, who have re-
fused to lid the Ministerial sedition, give by their con-
duct an eibestenition to others who have not thoroughly
weighed t:ie sidleets to consider the arguments by which
themselves have been convipced. But reflection is
all that is ever- required to put Englishmen in
Ale right path. . Let them only give their sound un-
aerstanding- fair play,and they will never go wrong.Jlt
is true that t e Common Council of London
has decided in favour of . the Ministerial project,
and true also that a meeting at Manchester has
13u"orth a similar decision. This is what every one
•
anticipated ; but few Conservatives,_„, we imagine, were so
:sanguine as to hope, that expected demonstrations
shonkl really
so tiivourable to their views, so fatal to
be
-ofwtelie Ministers and agitators, as they
the prospects
wish to speak respectfully of the
I.ll.Aa)ln'edoPrivet Common Council, but it is not to be denied,
and mejority
the Council will, no doubt,
a
boast of it, that thit body has, for more than thirty
supportedie party now in office. We
years, warm'Y t. • as to Colonel Wardle, its sub-
's...ly instance it.; otierin,
unission to the late . Mr. Hunt, its partisanship with
Qgeen Cainline, its re-electi ons of Sir Matthew Wood
and Sir John Key--z-iii short,
it has taken wit:fin the Peri° every reimarkable step that
d referred to ;the effect was,
. • •
that until very late'..ky_?.m. en of Conservative politics de-
clined a seat in the civic Parliament—a resolution on their.
_part not tending much to Cewitthe rank of the Assembly.

Ma=llM.=•Ml
a►IONEY MARKET and CITY KEW&

P 13.031 THE mosNING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
CHRONICLE.—There is a peculiar class-interest in the
City, known under the appellation of " bullion dealers," very
much alarmed that the repeal of the Corn-laws would have the
effect 43° raising the price of gold, to send abroad in payment
of the food that would then be imported. We are rather in-
clined to suspect that " the wish is father to the thought " with
this class of gentlemen, and may, perhaps, be at the bottom of
their fears for the position of the old lady of 'Threadneedle-street
when the people of this country are—as relieved they certainly
soon must be—from the fetters of the cursed bread-tax. There
is great :allacy in the assumption that a fixed duty on Corn
-would drain the Bank of England, but the heresy is neverthe-
less not confined to the money changers. A member of the
Common Council yesterday asked, " Did honourable gentle-
men want to bring the Bank of England agaia to such a de-
graded position ai that its governors should have to go again
on their knees to beg assistance of the Bank of France?"
.And there are many persons who entertain the same en tinCQUS
belief ; acme aifccc to believe it, no doubt, who know better,
In order ti gain their own ends ; but others, perhaps, give a
fair and honest credit to the statement. They would not do
~- so, we are persuaded, if they cor.sidered the question in its
try. sense. The drain of gold in 14.39, which compelled the
Bank of England to apply for a loan from the Bank of France,
ass no diosibt produced by the bad harvest of 1838; but the
pressure to the Bank coffers was greatly increased by their
own blunders, keeping money cheap, and increasing their
notes in circulation after they saw the deficiency of the how
growth attempting. in short, as usual, to fill up the
gap in their gold by art expansion of the currency. The
radical mistake of that system of management has been so often
exposed, that it will not, probably, occur again. If the
Foreign Exchanges he in future unfavourable, we shall confi-
dently expect to find that the Directors of the Bank of Eng_
laud will promptly reduce their circulation, and, by so ope-
ratiwg on prices, assist
giving a favourable torn to the
balance tcfsde. If they adhere to that rule of conduct, they
;hill find elves better able to grapple vast any similar
ernefgeneysl,4t render a recurrence of it to the same extent