The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-29 00:00:00

information of other animals of their race, they become
aware of the approach oi the great enemy of their
tribe, and r fiAr does the alarm penetrate that they
arc Ircquently found to commence their retreat two
hundred miles in advance of the actual totvid of the
European hatchet."
At one time we tried 'Sceptically 'doubting
whether the command of God for inanitid to mul-
tiply and replenish the `eao,ll be fulfilled, and
doubting whether the increase of people in modern
times has com'pensated the decay of the human
species in Asia Minor, Turkey, and Persia. At
another he quotes the sounder view of Chateau-
vieux, which is applicable, we believe, to other
countries as well as Italy, " that notwithstanding
the diminution of the population of the Italian
tow m, there is reason to believe not only that the in-
habitants of Italy on the whole have gone on progres-
sively increasing during all this period, hut they are
at this moment more numerous than they were at
any former period of its histely, not excepting the
most flourishing days of the Roman empire." What
can be made of a writer who builds a whole series
of fine arguments on the vast population of the an-
cient
world, talks about the regeneration of na-
tions, and has a whole ch ptrr about the piinciple
of decay and renovation, yet knocks all on the head
by assenting to the just conclusions of Chateau-
yieux, that there has been a successive increase of
population?
At p. 108. in opposition to Mr. M'Culloch,
most of the evils of Ireland are attributed to the
want of resident gentry. "It is by the establish-
ment of a numerous and resident body of landed
proprietors that the great evil is prevented of the
labouring classes sinking into degradation." This
is false, as the present condition of the peasantry of
England proves. At p. 160, in order to give a
blow to Mr. O'Connell, Mr. Alison seems to be
of the same opinion, for he says that "the turbulence
of the Irish poor, and the insanity of their politi-
cal leaders, have withdrawn the fields of Ire-
land from the blessings of British improvement."
In like manner we find eulogiums, in sundry places,
On instruction without any qualification ; but when
Mr. Alison treats especially of the advantages and
dangers of popular instruction, we ascertain that
he means instruction given by the priesthood, that
other knowledge is poison, exc,-i,t it be corrected
by the condiments of priesteraft.
We are not controverting, or even explaining,
Mr. Alison's opinions, or it could easily be shown
that they—we do not speak of the facts he has bor
rowed from historians or geographers—are a mass
of incongruous superficial errors. For example,
the notion that the desire to rise in the world, as he
phrases it, or, as it is also described, to improve •
the condition of mankind, is the offspring of a po-

litical constitution, where the gradations of society
are numerous. The desire is hot begotten by
institutions, though they may direct, divert, or
almost suppress it. It may assume various shapes,
but it is a part of human nature which has existed,
like the appetite for food, in all ages, and is as
conspicuous in " the flat level of Oriental despotism,"
when it takes to hoarding up money, or pillaging
from others the only means by which its objects
can be accomplished, as in the high table land of
American republicanism, where it is reducing into
cultivation the yet untenanted forests. It is a poor
mistake in a philosopher, and a sad mistake for a
devout believer in the efficacy of nature, to ascribe
a desire which has prevailed with mankind in all
times and countries to a fleeting and temporary
political constitution. If we were disposed to enter
into controversy with Mr. Alison, there is scarcely
a page of his book which would not supply mate-
rials for it ; but controversy with such a random
vague writer is out of the question, for he who
continually contradicts himself does not require to
be refuted by any other person.
As a psychological problem, an inquiry into the
origin of such a mind and such a book would be
curious. We can only say, that Mr. Alison has
been bred a Tory, and is by ambition a philosopher.
Observation and his traditionary creed are at va-
riance, and so he falls into all kinds of contradic-
Toryism and philosophy are the opposite
oles of politics, and when the circle is completed
1 one mind the power is neutralized, and much
rubbish is deposited. Mr. Malthus, it is well
known, began his Essay on Population to refute
Condorcet and Godwin. He sought in nature an
excuse for the errors and climes of legislators, to
which they ascribed the miseries of society, and he
found it in the diverse ratios of population and food.
It is now known, though the advance of population
is the great source of all the changes in society, and
is therefore connected with everything evil as with
everything good—that food, which is always the
produce of labour, and population must of neces-
sity keep pace with each other, and Mr. Alison
has collected many facts which disprove the as-
sumed different ratios of increase, which is the
'oundation of the Malthusian system. The excuse

tolls.

for bad government falls away, and another must
be found. Mr. Alison is willing to ascribe the
misery of society under other Governments to the
follies and errors of rulers, but being a Tory he
can come to no such conclusio❑ as to the English
Government ; and, like Mr. Malthus, he invents
a theory or strains facts to make out a case for the
British Constitution in Church and State. He
endeavours to make nature correspond to his own
ideal of political and religious perfection, and tries,
through two volumes, to reduce her to his own di-
mensions.

THE LATE DESTRUCTIVE FIRES

The dreadful fire which broke out on Hore's whar
continued to rage during the whole of Thursday night
and yesterday under the immense pile of ruins created
by the falling in of the roof and wall of the building.
During the whole of yesterday the neighbourhood of
apping presented the appearance of a fair being held
there, thousands of persons being assembled in every
street and avenue leading to the ruins and from which
they could be seen. Barriers ware placed at such a
distance, guarded by detachments of police, in order to
prevent accidents arising in the event of the falling of
that portion of the buildings still standing. Notwith-
standing the sigilance of the police one man succeeded
in passing the barrio ; the result was the loss of
his life. He stationed himself at a portion of the
building near where a crane of nearly a ton weight
was still attached to one of the upper stories, which
had not fallen in, but which was in a tottering con-
dition. He had been there but a few seconds when
the crane gave way, bringing along with it a large por-
tion of the brickwork, and the whole mass fell upon
him. Ile was picked up in a shockingly mutilated con-
dition and lifeless. His name was ascertained to be
Swinford, and it was stated that he had come from Suf-
folk only two days before. The unfortunate man Lind-
sey, who fell from one of the upper stories during the
fire, still lies in the London Hospital in a very danger-
ous state.
As soon as the fire was discovered the Thames police
proceeded to convey the new iron floating-engine which
was stationed in the Docks, and which had never pre-
viously been worked, to the edge of the wharf. It is of
such extraordinary dimensions as to require 140 men to
work it, and throws several tons of water per minute, it
being built for the London Fire establishment. Had it
not been for this stupendous engine it is believed
the loss of property would have trebled its present
amount. The other force employed were the two
floating engines from Southwark-bridge and Rother-
hithe, and 13 land engines ; and from a calculation
which has been made it appears that upwards of 17 tons
of water were thrown upon the flames per minute.
The firemen have ascertained that the fire first origi-
nated on Hose's premises, but the firm are unable to
account for it. It has been ascertained that there was
a large quantity of cotton waste on the premises, such as
is used for cleaning and oiling machinery, and it is the
opinion of Mr. Braidwood that that was the cause of
the fire, as he had known it to ignite by itself, by oil
getting among it, of which there were also several barrels
in the place.
The fire, which broke out in Bermondsey at the time
when the above was at its height, also involved a fearlul
destruction of property.
The loss sustained by the destruction of the mills and
the machinery therein is estimated at 6,0001. Mr.
Frear is not insured. Messrs. Hasland's loss is esti-
mated at between 3,0001. and 4,0001. The other suf-
ferers are not insured.
At the fire in Hereford-street, Whitechapel, the loss
is estimated at 2,0001.

The Dublin Pilot puts forth the following flat-
tering comparison of crime committed in England and
Ireland during the past month :—" Since the Ist of July
inclusive there have been committed in England twenty
murderous attempts, of which thirteen have terminated
fatally ; and these are exclusive of the cases of stabbing.
lo Ireland, during the same period, eight murderous at-
tempts have been made, of which four had a fatal termina-
tion. In England, the cases of stabbing are thirteen ; in
Ireland, there has been but one case, and the solitary
criminal was an Englishman ! In England, there have
been sixty suicides within a month ; in Ireland, there has
been--one ! Trash Gregg said, the other day, that if
England embraced Popery, she would sink to the degraded
level of Ireland. Pour bedlamite ! We can say, with all
our hearts, when looking at the foregoing contrast, may
God in his mercy preserve Ireland from sinking to the
moral level o England.