The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-14 00:00:00

PUBLIC OPINION.

The Times, aware of the mischief which Tory writers
and a Tory Lord Chancellor have done to their cause in
Ireland, is now on a new tack. The following specimen
from Ithis versatile journal shows which way the wind
blows :—" Apart from the misrepresentations of two
servile London prints, which, we know, can produce
sufficient titles for their still continuing to be the vehicles
of Whig calumny, the conviction that Sir Robert Peel
will govern Ireland in such a spirit of impartial and
evenhanded justice as bids fair to paralyze party rancour
without disparaging the just rights of any portion of the
community, is very universally entertained even in circles
not otherwise favourable to a Conservative Ministry.- The
vile figment. that Sir Robert's Irish Administration will
adopt a system of unprincipled sycophancy towards the
Orangemen, and place the Roman Catholic millions under .
a rampant military despotism, is as thoroughly scouted
in every intelligent quarter, as the opposite fiction
that the Right Hon. Baronet will seek to propitiate
the Romanists by unworthy conciliations, and will
treat the Protestants with supercilious neglect. Stuff
like this is believed by nubody. Even the most heated
partisans on both sides are ashamed to identify them-
selves with such, a suspicion in either of its extremes.
O'Connell himself can hardly muster face for it ; and we
are quite sure that the must devoted followers of Sir
Harcourt Lees, who in his day was certainly no very
moderate symbol of Protestantism, do really reject it
with as much contempt as they now feel for the stupid
and senseless commemorations of the Boyne engagement,
or the nursery bugbear of the Gunpowder Plot. Nay,
the idea that the new Ministry—(known as they
are to be irreconcileably hostile to repeal, and
• determined to maintain the Irish Protestant church
as firmly and inoffensively as possible)-,-will exercise
any other favouritism than that strictly fair and consti-
tutional sort which, wholly irrespective of religious opi-
nion, they are solemnly sworn to extend to the friends of
British connexion in preference to its foes, is beginning
to be derided by the Roman Catholic priesthood them-
;elves. The symptoms of this are highly encouraging.
According to the best authenticated accounts, O'Connell's
?resent efforts to spread the flames of repeal for the

visionary purpose of consuming the Conservative Go-
vernment are, for the most part, an egregious failure. Hig
.;ombustious projectiles, though scattered far and near,
ieem to light among the people like balls of damp wadding.
Romish clergy have, in many places, shown them-
;elves to be very cool Repealers after all. Long-cherished
?rejudices, how unreasonable soever, cannot be got rid of
:n a fa w days. For our part, we believe those prejudices to
xtst in a much less degree than is commonly repre-
sented; yet admitting that we under calculate their
strength, we feel confident that when the Irish people of
all creeds find themselves ruled by an honest Govern-
aent, determined that Ephraim shall have no just occa-
don to envy Judah' nor Judah to vex Ephraim,—a de-
termination, the reality and advantage of which they will
soon appreciate,—the party animosities which have so
long distracted and impoverished them, will, at no very
listant period, be superseded by a better state of things.
The Chronicle, on the supposition that Parliament may
'ae prorogued without a full consideration of the Corn
and provision laws, makes the following remarks :—For

this specific object wag the present Parliament called.
[t has chosen to indulge in a party diversion. The con-
dition of the people and the recommendation of the So-
,Treign have been postponed to the settlement of those
:laims upon place and power which are the great objects
if factious combination. But the partizanship which
seizes the first opportunity for itself, need not deny
any opportunity to the people. It has done its own
.vork. The prize is in its pocket. The physician has

'tis fee. Is it honest, now, to withhold the prescrip-
tion ? However selfish, low-minded, and antt-patrio-
ic, the previous conditions might be, they have all
been complied with. Office was desired, and office has
been bestowed. The Whigs, it was urged, must be
busted before anything can be done, and the Whigs are
busted. What more would they have ? A five months'
toliday before one night's attention is bestowed upon the
multitudes whose means of daily subsistence are in peril.
'We really think that is rather too much. But they can
sake it, and probably they will take it, if there be no in-
terposition. We are under an authority that care¢-
lsmo--n,—reason or cretency as it. the people.
i'he landlord's majority, with its pliant leader in the
2ornmons' its Buckingham and Knatchbull in the Ca-
binet, and its Richmond over the Cabinet, has made its
lemonstration, achieved its position, exalted the prero-
4.ative of King Rent over that of Queen Victoria,
Ind is now disposed to take to the fields and preserves
'or recreation. The exhibition will be more gross
Ind disgusting than any similar procedure by which a
cation has ever been insulted, but it is not the less

iikely. It may be expected, unless timely means of
2outneraction be adopted. The Royal prerogative can
:iokl Parliament together, and may do so with the
;reatest propriety for the purpose stated in the Man-
Alester memorial. The interference is only a negative
one. Parliament cannot prorogue itself. It only rises
Jy the fiat of the Sovereign. And what better reasons

;in there be for withholding that than the distresses and
apprehensions of millions, coupled with the fact that no
Attention whatever has yet been paid to the measures for

considering which this Parliament was convoked by the
Sovereign ? Let the people, then, become her Majesty's
advisers.

The Morning Herald, descanting on the same subject,
thus contemptuously treats the sufferings of a starving
population :—" The Manchester League is now fairly
.iinbarked in a most factious career of opposition to Sir
dobert Peel's Administration ; but happily its virulence
cad extreme hostility will neutralise its mischievous ob-
ject, and disgust all but those whose support could only
injure any cause to which they might attach themselves.
. The latest device of this opposition is a requisition to the
ilayor of Manchester, requesting that authority " to
:all a public meeting of the inhabitants of the borough,
,or the purpose of considering the present distressed
state of the population. The Mayor has accordingly
appointed Thursday for an assemblage of the
idle, the discontented, the violent, and the un-
mtployed portion of the population over which he
presides, and on that day doubtless the usual
twaddle of the League will be emitted, and accompanied
Jy big words, loud and unmeaning threats, much gesti-
Julation, and " shouts of applause." But will the wealth,
the respectability, the moderation, and the education of
the great cotton metropolis be. there assembled ? We
venture to predict they will not ; they will be pursuing
their ordinary avocations in their warehouses, their
counting- houses, and their shops ; whatever may be.
their opinions on free trade or the Corn-laws, they will
:lave too much respect for themselves to march through
Joventry with the League. They too highly appreciate
the value of peace and quietness to aid in again convert-
ing Manchester into an arena for the gladiatorial exhi-
.litions of mischievous agitators.
The Post takes the same erroneous view of the object
of the meeting, but at the same time does it with some
more regard to propriety and common sense. "It ap-
pears," says that Journal, " that a small proportion of
the inhabitants of Manchester, namely, between five and
six hundred, have sent a requisition to the Mayor of the
town for the holding of a political meeting the day after
to-morrow. The object of this meeting is stated to be to
take into consideration the distressed state of the town
and neighbourhood, and the expediency of petitioning
the Queen that the Parliament may not be prorogued
.intil a full discussion has been had of the Corn and.
Provision-laws'—laws which, in the opinion of the re-
quisitionists, are the main cause of the prevailing distress.
We have no doubt that the Government will give
,ts anxious and sympathizing attention to whatever
Authentic representations may be made of the distress of
the people in Manchester or elsewhere. The Govern-
ment will probably he very well disposed to do all that
can be done in co-operation with such really benevolent
individuals as may be disposed to do something practical
for the relief of the existing distress. But we do not
think the opinion of the requisitionists as to the cause of
the distress is likely to make such impression upon the
Government, or upon any one of good sense and sound
discretion. This declaration of opinion is a mere party
matter, having about as much to do with sound judgment,
founded upon a careful consideration of well-ascertained
ilicts, as the declaration of Mr. Cobden has to do with
modesty, correctness, and propriety.
The Morning Advertiser alludes to the painful state of
the labouring classes at Stockport, and the-expected.
turnout of factory hands on the part of two or three
large manufacturing establishments, in consequence of
the anticipated reduction of prices—a reduction to ac-
tually one-half of their present miserable pittance of
nine or . ten shillings a week. The source of this evil
exists, says the Advertiser, in the present redundancy of
population. Strength, vigour, and skill, are by this
cause rendered valueless. The evil, too, will spread, and
not stop. Rapid extension of machinery will create a
greater superabundance still, and this, therefore, is the
malady which State -doctors must first of all reach, and
expel, if the public constitution is to hope for anything. like restoration to health.

MONEY—TIZADM—CONTIVIERCE.
Owing to the present restrictions on our commerce,
several of the finest and largest vessels are being already
laid up for the winter at Hull.

COTYLIVIERCIAL ILEPORM.
Yesterday evening Air. Sidney Smith delivered a lec-
ture upon the Corn-laws in the Temperance Hall, Shore-
ditch. Among other statements made to an over-
crowded audience, the lecturer showed that owing to
the non-existence of the Corn-laws in America, the
weekly bills of a family in Cincinnati was 7s. 4d., while
here the same provisions cost, 17s. lid.

AGRICULTURAL.
At Dover harvesting is drawing to a close, but it is
gent rally believed the crops will be deficient than other-
wise.