The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-20 00:00:00

,4 b'jrning Int

LONDON, TUESDAY, JULY 20, 1847.

However suspicious may be the official intimacy I
which, until very recently, subsisted between M
GUIZOT and M. TESTE, it would be ungenerous
to impute to the entire Administration of the
former a corruption which has been divulged in the
character of his unfortunate colleague. No one
atigrllatiSeS CAMILI.E DESMOULINS with a love of
cruelty because in a moment of enthusiasm he
had once publicly' embraced RoBEsPrERRE' or
accuses Cardinal WOLSEY of a tenderness for bi-
gamists because he was wont to carouse with
our Eighth 1-lEziay. M. GUIZOT has enough
overt criminality to answer for to satisfy ever.
his most pertinacious opponents. We are by no
means disposed, therefore, to quarrel with him upon
a merely supposititious turpitude. The advantages
which must inevitably result from the conviction
and punishment of M. TESTE are rather of an
abstract than of an inferential character. Neither
bis punishment nor his conviction would be advan-
tageous in casting an additional odium upon a Ca-
binet of which he was recently a member. No;
the detection of venality in the late
.Minister of
Public Works can only be beneficial in its gene-
,Talized bearing upon public morality.
Little palliation is there to the guilt of M. TESTE,
that in sinning against the
lawsß of rectitude he fell
with the illustrious. Lord .O
great and immortal name withlc had branded his
'N
the culpability of
peculation. That was no excuse to TM. TESTE.
D"ToN, the boldest rebel the world ever saw, had
pockettel the dauceurs of the minions of tyranny.
That, again, was anything but a vindication of
TESTE. MIRABEAU, the greatest tribune of the
:French people, the most eloquent of modern or
ancient demagogues, had tarnished his glory by
sccepting the assignats of Louis XVI. That in no
measure diminished the atrocity of the late proceed-
ings of M. TESTE. Beyond, however, the shame of
This detected corruptibility, M. TESTE has in an
extraordinary manner aggravated his guilt by at-
tempting to add to the shame of bribery the infamy
a self-destruction. The hoary administrator,
however, 41 so amply expiate his conduct by
uniailliffictima, by a prolonged deprivation of.

-

P'•

personal liberty, and especially by degradation in the
face of the whole civilised world, that we are little
disposed to dilate in language of contumely and
indignation upon a man so miserably and deplorably
debased.
Others, however, implicated in the transactions for
which M. TESTE has been condemned, are associated
with him also in subjection to judicial severities.
One amongst these individuals is conceived by the
majority of our Parisian contemporaries to have been
award&d an undue proportion of punishment. For
'the remembrance of his long and honourable services
to France they consider that his sentence might have
been moderated without any abatement whatsoever
of the supreme justice of the Tribunal. As a soldier
of Waterloo, as an officer who has fought and bled
in the ranks of the French army, as a citizen who
has hitherto enjoyed an unsullied reputation, and
especially as one who has been, more strictly speak-
ing, imprudent than corrupt, he is regarded as in a
great degree entitled to consideration and lenity. The
Siecle feelingly remarks upon the civil degradation
of General CUBIERES, "We may be allowed to ex-
press some commiseration for a brave soldier
whose blood has flowed through nine or ten
wounds on the field of Waterloo, and who,
in the decline of his life, allowed himself to be be-
trayed into the sad paths of speculation and intrigue,
without bringing there the spirit of audacity, rapine,
and trick, to which so many others in those days owe
their impunity." Such are the generous remonstrances
which are appearing in the press of the French ca-
pital against the rigorous course adopted in the
punishment of General CEBIERES.
Altogether we are not disposed to coincide with
the purpose of these remonstrances. Respecting the
military gallantry of the condemned, esteeming his
loyalty to bis country as unimpeachable, and
respecting the integrity of his domestic life,
and the varieties of his civic virtues, we
nevertheless, conceive it to be incompatible with the
maintenance of morality •to decrease the penalty im-
posed upon a participator in such a shameless act of
peculation. We admire the spirit which animates
these appeals in behalf of General CUBIERES, but we
cannot but consider, nevertheless, that his culpability
is so far established as to render his degradation from
the army essential for the preservation of its good
character. A temporary degradation may suffice,
but a degradation of some sort appears to be abso-
lutely requisite. The punishment is bitter it is true,
but public decency has been violated beyond all ex-
culpation.

We have repeatedly pointed out the imperative
necessity that existed for the strictest good faith and
integrity on the part of the Irish landlords in the
repayment of the several sums advanced from the
national Exchequer in the hour of their affliction. It is
demanded not only by every consideration of honour
and honesty, but also of expediency. The national
character is not more deeply involved than the na-
tional interests. A more striking illustration of the
old adage that " honesty is the best policy" could
scarcely be found. We have no hesitation in saying
that the future prosperity of Ireland will in a great de-
gree be dependent on the course pursued throughout the
country in general with respect to the repayment of
the sums charged to their account by the stipulated
instalments. The future proceedings of England will
be regulated thereby. If an anxious desire is mani-
fested to discharge these obligations to the best of her
ability—if every fair exertion is made to perform her
part of the contract, the credit of Ireland will be
established, and no future difficulties will be raised
to the application of all our means to her benefit. Her
chief want is capital. She possesses all the elements
of national wealth ; her fields are of almost unex-
ampled natural fertility ; ber rivers and harbours
afford every facility for the extension of com-
merce ; her bays and the adjoining ocean teems
with life, that by a slight exertion might
be turned into a source of support and main-
tenance for a large portion of her children. Valuable
mines and collieries in almost every part of the
country, and millions of acres now lying waste and
unproductive, which at a moderate expense might be
brought into cultivation and made to produce crops
of every description. In addition to all this there is
an abundance of labour at hand, available for any
and every improvement, at a low rate of wages.
Row comes it, then, that with all these advantages
she is still so backward that she is obliged to implore
aid from another land to save her children
from perishing in myriads from want of the
common necessaries of life ? The answer
if; simple. She wants capital. The proprie-
tors of the soil are, as a body, involved in
debts and embarrassments, the estates, of which
they are the neminal owners, heavily encumbered
and mortgaged to those who have no interest in
their improvement. The necessities of the landlords
affect the tenants, the former are unable to improve
themselves, or even to encourage any improvements
by the latter. They cannot yield any present benefit
for the greatest future advantages. The latter fear,
that if they expend their labour (in too many in-
stances their only capital) on the soil, they will not he
permitted to reap the benefit thereof—that the
increased value may attract the attention of the
needy landlord, or the hearties and avaricious agent,
and lead to their expulsion from their holdings.:
thus there is a continuance of neglect and apathy,
little or nothing is done, the fields remain not half
cultivated, and the people are still immersed in
poverty, while the sources of wealth remain at their
very thresholds, uncared for and unnoticed.
This can only be remedied by the influx of capital,
public and private, from this country—the first alone
will not be sufficient, but it will lead to that peace
and tranquillity, that general submission and obedience
to the laws, that restoration of confidence, the want
of which has hitherto prevented English capitalists
from investing their wealth in Irish speculations.
Persons of this description will act with the greatest
caution before they decide on laying out that which
may be turned into many beneficial channels. They
will examine with their closest attention every point
that should be introduced into the calculation. If
they see a wilful disregard of public faith, they will
not be disposed to place much dependence on the
private integrity of the same parties. If public
obligations are evaded, and public liabilities repu-
diated, they cannot repose implicit confidence in indi-
vidual honesty, or the punctual performance of private
promises by those who unhesitatingly violate their
uublic undertakings. But, on the other hand, they will
acknowledge and readily act on the evidence that niay,
e counftefreeylri vnoegfn.tthl yewTh existenceho
epne
twh-iell, be afforded through-
the ao nu dt t
honourableweh most
of
perceive
t e
trhaant dn
om
ob-
stacles e
or difficulties are interposed in the way of
Government, that the required rates are struck,
and the means given for their collection, they will
feel anxious to assist in every manner, and this feeling
will be increased, because they will believe that that
assistance can be rendered without loss to themselves,
that their advances, whether made through their re-
presentatis es, in the Legislature, from the public
purse, or by themselves individually, will be punc-
tually and fairly liquidated. We trust that these con-
siderations may not be lost on the people of Ireland,
whose welfare and interests we have deeply at heart,
but that they may pursue a course worthy of a great
and highminded people.

Madrid papers of the 12th, and letters of the 13th,
have arrived.
The French mail was stopped, between Santander
and Burgos, on the 12th, by the Carlists. They
burned the mail, and took the horses, leaving a receipt
for the latter, in the name of CHARLES VI.
The day before the band of EL ESTUDIENTE had
been routed by the QUEEN'S troops. He himself
was wounded, and one of his Aides-de-camp taken
prisoner.

A meeting of Progressistas had been held at the
house of Senor MENDIZABAL, at which twelve can-
didates had been nominated to stand at the forth-
coming provincial elections.

MADRID BOLSA.—The Three per Cents. closed on the
12th inst. at 26 cash ; the rive per Cents. 164 ; and
Passives at 5 cash.

We have received the Paris papers of Sunday.
The sentence on M\l. TESTE, CEMERES, and PAR"
MENTIER are the subject of comment in all of them,
and, judging from the tenor of their observations, it
is probable that the sentence on General CUIIIERES
will be mitigated. Almost all the journals express
their commiseration for him, and consider him to
have been the dupe of other and more guilty parties.
The Union 'lronarcAique observes that, " Now that

the sentences are past the partizans of Government
will go about exclaiming Justice is done '—whereas
justice will not have been done until all the roots of
corruption shall have been torn up and eradicated."
"Imprudent optimists that you are," exclaims the
Union Monarchique, "you fall asleep on the crater
of a volcano. You resemble an ignorant populace,
who having immolated some unfortunate wretches
afflicted with the plague, cry out, 'We have de-
stroyed the plague!'"
The Presse, as might have been foreseen, turns the
conviction of M. TESTE to excellent account, and it
must be confessed there is some reason in its obser-
vations. It says—" Had the Court of Peers been
satisfied with M. TESTE'S solemn asseveration of
innocence (as fully as the Chamber of Deputies had
declared itself satisfied by the simple denial given by
M. DUCHATEL to the matters alleged against him)—
had the Court of Peers accepted M. TESTE'S dis-
claimer of guilt, he would have passed as triumphantly
through the ordeal as had his former colleagues on
the 25th of June, in the Chamber of Deputies."
Now, seeing that the character of M. TESTE before
this accusation was brought against him stood as high
as ever did the character of M. DUCHATEL ; seeing,
also that M. DUCHATEL was a Cabinet colleague with
M. TESTE at the time the latter accepted the bribe, it is
but reasonable to demand judicial investigation into
the charges of M. EMILE DE GIRARDIN against the
colleague of M. TESTE. Since the conviction of the
latter, the assertion of innocence of M. DUCHATEL
amounts merely to a plea of not guilty.
On Saturday the Chamber of Deputies was
engaged in a debate on the Paris and Lyons Railroad
Bill, which was adjourned to Monday.
The Committee on the Loan Bill have reported in
favour of the Government.

The prospect of the harvest throughout the south
of Europe is most gratifying. For fifty years the
markets of Paris have never been so abundantly
supplied with fruit and vegetables as at present, and
the vintage of this year will, it is said, be memorable
for its superabundance. _ _ _

The Three per Cents. were done in the Passage
de l'Opera on Sunday at 17f. 80c. This price was,
however, merely nominal, the great majority of the
speculators being in the country.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE,JuLY 19.
Boulogne and Amiens, 15%—Ceylon, %—East Indian,
1/4—Luxembourg, I%—Namur and Liege, 614—Northern
or France, 1214—Orleans and Bordeaux, 514—Paris and
Rouen, 38.

OVERLAND MAIL

TELEGRAPHIC DISPATCH.
MALTA, JULY 13.
The Calcutta mail has brought Indian news to the
2d of June.

Colonel Lawrence proposed to visit Cashmere with
Ghoolab Singh, who had expressed his desire to make
it his residence.

The Sultan Mahmoud Khan, brother of Dost Ma-
homed, had obtained permission to return to Pe-
shawur, of which he was formerly the Governor.
The Dost had returned to his capital. His dif-
ferences with the Ghilzie Chiefs had been arranged.

The interruption of the march of the contingent to
Hyderabad had been commanded by the Supreme
Government.

The Legislative Council had authorised the emi.
gration of Indian labourers to Ceylon.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

We have received Cape papers to the 29th of May.
Their contents are not important. The Kafirs con-
tinued their incursions and robberies of cattle along the
frontier, but nothing of a serious nature bad occurred
since our last advices. It was said that Sandilla, being
asked by a public officer whether he considered himself
and his people at peace with the colony, and whether he
would be satisfied with such tracts of country as the Go-
vernment might assign them. replied, " I told you six
months ago that it was peace. We are all peaceable.
As for land, we had too little before the war, and cannot
do with less now."

The Graham's Town Journal states that some speci-
mens of fossil coal had been found a few miles from the
mouth of the Bowie River, and that there were indica-
tions which led to the conviction that there will be found
an extensive deposit. Should this prove true, it will be
an important discovery for the colony.