The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-21 00:00:00

PUBLIC OPINION.

The Times contains a lengthy article on the Speaker-
ship, the object of which is to accuse Lord John Russell
of inconsistency in having opposed the election- of Mr.
Manners Sutton, on the ground of his personal conduct.
It also contains another article, referring to a recent dis-
pute-between Lord Grantley and some of his tenantry.
The Chronicle makes the following remarks on the
preSent state of the'law of libel :—" Something ought to
be done in the way of altering the law of libel, if it be
wished that enormous injustice, should not continually be
done in the case of newspapers. But, at all events, the
justification of a defendant ought to be made less burden-
some. Connected as all countries are with each other
in our day, there is hardly a statement in a newspaper
which might not subject it to an action, in which the
defence would be attended with enormous expense. If
newspapers are to exist, it is of immense importance that
they should exist in a state of honest independence."
There is no law that requires a more searching revision
than the law of libel. As it now exists, it is frequently
unintelligible, and always perplexing and vexatious ;
and so constructed as to benefit the rogue far more than
the honest man. Low, pettifogging attorneys, and their
congenial clients are chiefly the parties that gain by it.
The late Mr. Justice Bolland asserted that libels lurked
in almost every column of a newspaper, for that every
thing—according to the existing law—might be consti-
tuted into a libel which the party referred to might
choose to consider such. Surely it is high time that
this absurd state of things should be put an end to.
The Post compares the Whig-Radical party to the
" visionary political projectors" alluded to by Swift in
his sarcastic " Gulliver's Travels." The comparison is
a laboured one, but inapplicable ; but if our Contempo-
rary bad gone a few pages further on in the volume, he
would have found an account of certain " Strulbugs,"
whom the Dean represents as a set of prejudiced, bigoted,
ignorant men, to whom age brought no toleration, and
experience no wisdom—whose leading principle of policy
was that everything should stand still—and who, in sh
were little better than superannuated imbeciles. In these
men our Contemporary—had he been so inclined---might
have found many peculiarities that resemble those of the
more inveterate Tories.

The Cork Southern Reporter remarks that but a few
weeks ago, Peel was firm at making no changes, or al-
lowing of alterations in his prescriptions, "but the harsh
outlines of things are softened by perspective, and a near
approach has revealed to Sir Robert Peel the stern diffi-
culties of his position. Heralds of his coming and
omens of his power; Cavalry and Infantry, are marching
upon Ireland. Ruined harvests arc deepening the wail
of multitudes that starve. Bankruptcy spreads like a
plague ; on every side—in every form, the principles of
a Tory Government, the principles announced by Sir R.
Peel, are proving themselves fraught with horrible
wretchedness, as they are marked by monstrous folly."
The Doncaster Gazette, alluding to the high testimo-
nial lately presented to Lord .111orpeth in Ireland, thus
continues :—" The 'people of Yorkshire, animated by a
similar feeling., intend to present his Lordship with a
splendid testimonial--a gold vase, representing the Eme-
rald Isle in emeralds. For this purpose subscriptions,
unlimited in their amount, have already been opened in
all the polling districts ; and the sum of 2451. was sub-
scribed at the Bradford meeting, held yesterday week."
The Chelmsford Chronicle says :—" It is well known
that we strongly disapprove of the course which the
Ministry took on the Corn-laws, but having staked their
existence upon the question, they are fully entitled to
ask the new Parliament—they could not ask the old—
for a distinct and intelligible vote upon the subject."

The IViltshire Independent thus aims a stone at the
Tory landholders :—" It is many years since the Quar-
terly Review (a Tory periodical too), warned the aristo-
cracy and the great gentry against carrying on the culti-
vation of their estates in too lordly a style, and against
aiming to have a race of little lords under them for their
tenants. We agree with that warning of the Quarterly
Review : for we think the policy it recommended was
that of justice and safety and preservation for all classes."