The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-13 00:00:00

might, with equal propriety, pretend to make laws
for the Ilindoos as for us Catholic Dish, or the
hard-working, half. starved weavers and spinners,
who dwell in garrets or cellars, and crowd into
.►►arrow and confined alleys for warmth." This :s the
real point at issue hutween the classes. • The del:
and the intelligent shudder with horror at the very
idea of the poor and the ignorant making laws;
but the poor, and perhaps they were the ignorant,
now declaim, with equal vehemence, against tin
rich and the intelligent exclusively making laws
for diem.

how are these classes, how arc thcir conflicting
opinions, their adv:ise interests to be reconciled
Why should property legislate for numbers, or why
should poverty make laws for wealth ? We pretend
not to answer the question, but it puts the diffi-
culty before the public which must be surmounted
before there is the smallest chance of again bringing
the different classes into an harmonious obedience
to the law. Custom we admit is entirely in favour
of property making laws for numbers. That has
hitherto been one principle of our Constitution, and
property has not been consided safe unless it re-
tained the power of making laws. It has, how-
ever, used the power harshly and unjustly. The
condition to which industry is now reduced,
as contradistinguished from property, has gene-
rated new ideas and new thoughts in those who
have no property, or comparatively little ; and they
now generally contend against the ancient custom—
the ancient principle—of property having the exclu-
sive power anti privilege of making laws. This is
for them a compratively new idea, but it has al-
ready taken deep root, and grows and spreads every
day. We believe that there is not the smallest
chance of rooting it out from the minds of the mul-
titude. But it must be rooted out, or property
must give up its ancient privilege, or there can he
no hope of ever again seeing the classes live to-
gether in their ancient harmony. We have indi-
cated the source of the difference of opinions be-
tween the different classes—it is for practical
statesmen to consider whether they can dry up the
source, or what must be done to prevent the con-
flicting actions which will arise from such conflict-

ing opinions?

The following paragraph occupies a conspicuous
place in the leading columns of a Morning Con-

temporary :

We understand that if the British Government thinks
proper to recommend to the Porte the recognition of the
French conquests in Algiers, such an act will be considered
by the present Cabinet of France as a decided step to-
wards a reconciliation.
We arc told that an immediate resolution to disarm on
the part of France, and thus re-establish the tranquil posi-
tion of Europe, will follow the proposed recommendation.

What the British Government may think proper
to do with respect to the recognition by the Porte
of a French dominion in Africa, we cannot pretend
to determine, but there appears to us no good rea-
son why England should decline such an offer, see-
ing that the Porte has never protested against the
conquest of the provinces of Algiers, Oran, and
Constantine by France. That her African con-
quests are a source of weakness rather than of
strength to France has long..been our conviction,
but seeing that she will not abandon them—that
the Porte has never asked her to abandon them,
nor complained to the other Powers of their occu-
pation—we can discover no good and sufficient rea-
son why England should not prefer the certainty of
maintaining the peace of the world to the absence
of any title which the SULTAN can give to France
to a territory in the occupation of France, and
which never more. than nominally recognised the
authority of his Highness' predecessors.
We readily admit that a no less consideration
than the certainty of maintaining the peace of
Europe, and eventually of the world, would induce
us to recommend our Government to take any part
whatever in this affair. The conquests of France
in Africa were made in violation of the faith of
treaties, and are maintained with an utter disregard
to the sacred rights of humanity. Razias, or
wholesale massacres of the entire inhabitants of vil-
lages, without 'distinction of age or sex, the burning
houses, and the carrying away of cattle, constitute
the sole means by which civilized Christian
France combats the disaffection of the African
tribes. The French war in Africa has hitherto
been a war of extermination. And what except a
tract of desolate barren territory has France gained
by it ? Why nothing. Instead of gaining she has
lost. Independently of the treasure wasted in im-
mense armaments, Africa has cost France in men
only during the last nine years an annual loss of
about twenty thousand of her choicest troops. Most
of these perished miserably of diseases brought on
by the insalubrity of the climate. Last year there
was little fighting, and yet the loss of men from the
attacks of the Arabs and disease amounted to seven-
teen thousand. To protect the valueless conquests
already made by France, the constant presence of
an army of eighty thousand men is necessary, and
this army must be maintained out of the taxes of
the French people. Perhaps the recognition of
the French conquest of Algiers by the Porte might
reconcile the Arab tribes to the presence of their
conquerors, and thus one direct advantage wou'd
flow from British interference, independently of the
maintenance of European tranquillity.

The Paris Journals of Monday have all reached
us. They contain very little news of any interest.
The snow prevented the arrival of the wails from the
provinces, and in Paris little was talked of bes;•'
the question of the fortifications. Utv-
ject we find the following artier'

.., es

this sub-

in the Cousfi/u-

lionnd :
We> are hal,
to
able
to rectify what has beets tAid
for the last whet we have oursclveo,Ad on the
differs_
between the Ministry and the Com.
r-
.fee, respecting the project of the fortification of Pal is.
Every 'ova has felt the deplorable graYill• tna disunion on
a question so decidedly national. On Saturday, through
a transaction, which both parties did right to accept, the
Ministry and Committee agreed on all poixts.
" The following are the oases of the transaction 1--,--The
original project divided the works into twe Uitegories—
viz., the most essential and the seeetiaary works. The
first category included the principal outer works
and only a portion of the wall of circumvallation:
The wall of eirtumvallation being a useful pro-
tection but inasmuch as it is complete, this dis-
tribution of works contained in the project of Govern-
ment gyve rise to serious objection. It might be
supposed that by this Condition the Government might
consider itself authorised to commence by the forts and to
adjoin the wall of circumvallation. The amended pi-eject
of the Committee rendered obligatory, on the contrary, a
simultaneous commencement and continuation of the works.
The Ministry has consented to this medification. Another
important change has been made in the project of law. The
minis'erial proposition was in a measure a financial pro-
position. The Committee made its project, a project an •
uouncing the works. The technical conditions relative to
the execution of the wall of circumvaliation are in the
law, and the Ministry has adhered to the wording of the
Committee.

The Committee, en the other hand, has entered into
the Ministerial views relative to the length of execution.
The Committee had stipulated in its amended project that
all the works of ihe fortification were to be terminated
within three years. To diminish the annual burden oft he
expenditure the Artistry solicited a prolongation, and it
was decided that the whole should be terminated within
from four to five years. It is quite evident that, should
circumstance% make the execution of the works lime ur-
gent, the :Ilioistry would easily be able to push it on more
briskly. The whole supply bring voted, the Ministry
would have merely to change-the grant either by a Bill,
or by a Royal ordinance, opening supplementary credits
for the year.
We cannot but congratulate all those concerned in
this important deliberation for having made party or systc.
walk: spirit yield to a common sentiment of patriotism.
This transaction is of too sacred a nature not to reunite the
immense majority of votes, and we may fully expect to sec
this great work of national interest voted almost unani-
mously by the Chamber."
The French fleet in the Mediterranean is said tQ
consist of 22 sail of the line.
Among the strange rumours current in Paris on
Monday was one to the effect that the Great
Powers had resolved to erect Syria and Candia
1 into an independent Christian State, after the ex- I