The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-04 00:00:00

ROYAL SURREY THEATRE.

E:glith Night of the Grand Christmas Pantomime, and Grand
niorant.c Annual. he principal Characters in the Panto-
mime by the Boleno Family ; Mr. Southby, the Popular
(;lo A n Signior Felix Carlo, from Francones, at Paris : and
Miss Sharpe.
THIS EVENING, JAN. 4

Will be represented a New Domestic Drama, entitled
AIARTHA 'WILLIS, THE VAID SERVANT.

'Martha Mrs. Henry Vining.
Supported by the entire strength of the Company,
After which will be repeated the New Comic Pantomime,

entitled

HARLEQUIN AND MY LADY LEE; OR, GOOSEY
GANDER AND THE SPELL-BOUND GOSLINGS.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE THIS AY.
Morning 8 mixutes after It I Evening.... 51 uvi.tres fitter 19

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LONDON:
MONDAY, JANUARY 4. It 4

Th© Leeds Times on the 26th ult., included
The Sun amongst those Journals which are favour-
able to the new movement of the Leeds Reform
Association. Certainly we have given circulation
to its manifestoes, and we have on all occasions ad-
vocated most of the principles of that Association,
but we have never been inclined warmly to recom-
mend its present agitation, as that which ought
immediately to engage public attention. Seeing
The Suit thus connected with the Association, we
took an opportunity last Wednesday to re-state our
often avowed preference for Anti-Corn-law agita-
tion to every other, at the same time implying that
we did not aspire to
_lead the democratic Reformers,
by declaring that we would zealously forward that
particular reform which they might unite to pro-
curs. Our remarks are quoted by the Leeds Times,
of January 2d, as a proof that there is " a wish on
the part of the Anti-Corn-law leaders to check the
agitation lately commenced in Leeds." We think it
right and proper therefore, to exonerate all Anti-Corn-
law leaders from the suspicion which our words are
quoted to justify, b.) declaring that they wet e the spon-
taneous suggestion of our own minds, and came
.not from any Anti-Ctirn-law leaders, and were far
less dictated by a wish to check tat -a agitation at
Leeds than to induce all democratic Reformers to
unite in the pursuit of some one object, the best
being, in our opinion, the abolition of the Corn-
lar They were meant to preserve and to vindi-
cate the, consistency of The Sun from the charge
implied, as we thought, in the language of the Leeds
Times, and not intended to show any hostility to
the Leeds Reformers.
At the same time, as our opinion has been called
.in question, we will re-state, and endeavour to con
iitm it. If the people, we have always been of
opinion, cannot obtain the abolition of the Corn-
law in spite of the aristocracy, and however the Le-
gislature may be composed, neither can they obtain
any larger reform in the Legislature itself, in order
to effect, amongst other things, the abolition of the
Corn-:aw. The House of Lord,,, to begin with,
will be more opposed to the Leeds Association

than to the abolition. Earl FITZWILLIA Nt, that

candid nobleman, the Earl of RADNOR, distin_
guished for his uprightness, Lord BROUGH M,
remarkable for his eloquence and the far reach of
his thought, with several other Peers of great
wealth and power, are favourable to the repeal of
the Corn-law ; but we ques'ion whether one of
I,IIEIII would go the whole length of the Leeds As_
ociation. Next, every one of the present Minis-
te's would strenuously resist the demands of the
.&.suciation, while severe of them are favourable to
a large modification of the Corn-law, and would
become advocates of its abolition, with very little
pressure. Thirdly, there a much larger number

of _Members of the House of Commons favourable

to the abolition of the Corn-1 :N Wan to any point
-1-urclnooted by the Leeds Association, except the Bal-
lot. All the Members who oppose the abolition
04,, would oppose still more strenuously Household
Suffrage. Fourthly, of the great public a iarpe
majority of the electors, including of course W.,
z.-gricultucal districts, are decidedly hostile to the
principles of the Leeds Association, partictilark
it extended to Ireland, as witness the sophist!).
%%hieh has been so zealously propounded by the
Leeds Mercury. At the saine time a majority
.of the electors, we believe, considering the large
• constituencies which Mr. VILLIERS' followers
represent, are favourable to the abolition. A very
considerable number also, of the working-classes
arc zsalous for the repeal of the Corn-law, while
cooparatively few of them trouble themselves about
Household Suffrage. The Chartists are opposed
to us, we admit, to a great degree, hut they are more
opposed to the Leeds Reformers. Lookirip: at these
elements of support, and looking also at the clear
and undoubted justice of our cause, and of the cer-

taro benefits of abolition, while many persons are
convinced neither of the justice nor of the expedi-
ency of the reform advocated at Leeds, we are de-
cidedly of opinion that there is a much better pros-
pect of obtaining the total and immediate abolition
of the Corn-law from the present Parliament
than the great orgarjic changes recommended by
our friends. On these grounds, as a question of
prudence, we recommend all democratic Reformers to
throw aside for the moment all other objects, and
unite all their exertions for the abolition.

The Leeds Times asks, " allowing that we do
lay aside for a time all other schemes and projects,
and zealously endeavour to carry the abolition of
Corn-laws, we would just ask, whether there be
the slightest probability of success ?" Wc answer
a great probability. The question, since last Ses-
sion, has made immense progress in the country.
A flood of light has been poured on it by new
facts, and by the evidence of Mr. J. D. HUME
and Mr. i‘PGREGoR, before the Import Duties
Committee. By the diligent exertions of the
Anti• Corn-law League, by their lecturers and
journal, a great portion of the knowledge already
possessed has been diffused through the country.
Many persons in the agricultural districts begin to
take a right view, and those %%110 take a
wrong one tremble for their beloved iniquity.
It is impossible for the Ministers—responsible
as they are for the revenue and the prosperity
of the country—to resist the force of the evi-
dence given by their own subalterns, and of the
facts which have transpired in the last year as to the
averages ; and Lord WESTERN, in his recent letter
to the Chelmsford Agricultural Association, hints
that Ministers may propose the abolition. We may
look, therefore, for considerable support from them,
in spite of Lord MELBOURNE'S unfortunate de-
claration. Already, too, the materials for the agi
tation of this question are in operation; day by
day the evils of the law are made kNown by the
great sufferings of some one class, or the departure
of some one branch of trade ; and we are decidedly
of opinion that, with this additional evidence, and
with the scheme of agitation already on foot, the
abolition may be wrung even during the next Ses-
sion, from the Parliament as now constituted.

Certainly to accomplish this, the democratic Re-
' formers must repudiate all other measures. They
ought to frown down any man in their ranks who
should propose to struggle fot.' anything else till
abolition be achieved ? They must at the same
time take the broadest ground, and shrink not
from any of the consequences of their principles.
Hitherto this great question has been too little
debated on the grand and comprehensive principles
of free trade, and of denying iu toto the right
of the Legislature to tax any one class for the
benefit of another, which lie at the bottom of our
demands. It has been too much treated as a
matter of trade, and too little as a great moral and
political question. More has been said of the dimi-
nution of the masters' profit than of the curtailment of
the labourer's wages, while the enormous horror that
this murderous law annually puts multitudes of the
lover classes to death by the slow and painful pro-
cess of starvation, has been almost kept out of sight.
L;ttle or nothing has been done, at least not enough,
to make the labourers see and feel that this concerns
them, while a great deal has been clone, both by
our friends and our opponents, to convince them
that the masters only will be benefited. Make
them know and feel that not only their wages,
their comforts, their little luxuries, but their very
existence, and the existence of their wives and little
ones, depends on the abolition of the Corn-law, and
they will join, we believe, in the demand for that as
cordially as they ever exerted themselves to obtain
the Charter. I'he Abolitionists are already powerful
in Parliament, and powerful out of Parliament.
TUey have truth, justice, and morality on their
side ; and we have a thorough confidence that they
must prevail. Our hearty advocacy of this
course, and of this cause, is dictated by no
wish to found an association or place our-
selves, "by urgent and repeated remon-
strances," at the head of a movement, but from a
sincere and well-weighed conviction that no other
measure would tend so much to make the bulk of
the people prosperous, and restore internal tran-
quillity, or so much elevate the national morality,
and improve our political system, as the abolition
of time aristocrats' tax on the poor man's food, be-
cause that is an immoral, unrighteous tax, which
violates the first principle of society—the principle
of mutual and equal protection.

Our approbation to the proceedings of the De-
putation of the Anti-Corn-law League at Walsall
was given on the supposition that those gentlemen
were quite sure of teturning a right man. When the
first statement reached us it was announced that
Mr. FOSTER, Jun., was sure of success, and we
cannot conceive a man being a Tory, and a hearty
Corn-law Abolitionist. Now it appeals that Mr.
FOSTER declines to stand, that the League are not
prepared with a candidate, that they have to send
about and propose one who has no local connection
with the borou,!h. Their interference can only ha
justified by success, and if their interference should
lead to letting in a Tory and a Pro-Corn-law man,
they will do as much mischief to their cause as we
anticipated benefit from a Member being elected by
their initrumentality, to carry out their principles.
Nosy that they have begun they must spare no ex-
ertion to succeed, on pain of being generally con-
demned.

The approaching Session of Parliament is looked
forward to with more indifference, than any Session
we remember for many years. There seems to be
no hope on any side. Nothing is expected from
Parliament.. An excellent opportunity is thus
afforded to the leaders cf both, parties, to show how
much superior they are to popular clamour ; and
that, though deaf to its demands, it is no sooner
stilled, than they devote their energies to promote
the public welfare. We should rejoice to see
Ministers propose the modification, if not the aboli-
tion, of the Corn-laws ; and rejoice to see the Op-
position take up the import duties, and propose the
assimilation of the duties on colonial and foreign
sugar, and on Canadian and Norway timber. Sir
ROBERT Iricus may earn for himself great popu-
larity, by moving for the abolition of the Eccle-
siastical Courts ; and Mr. HA WES may win back
public favour, by removing some of the nonsensical
restrictions of the Police Act. There is plenty of
work for the Members if they wish to benefit the
public ; and unless they make some exertions to
keep alive attention, Parliament may die of that
most fatal of all diseases for public authority,
public contempt. The Members will not be able
to find a single excuse, we believe, in being assailed
from without ; they will be allowed, unawed, and
probably almost unasked, to pursue their own
course ; they will have a full opportunity of doing
what is right, and if they neglect it the blame and
the responsibility will belong to them.

The news of the Convention signed by Commo-
dore NAPIER at Alexandria was fully known at
Constantinople on the Sth ult. It took Lord
PONSONBY and the Porte equally by surprise.
-The terms of the Treaty by
no means pleased the
British Ambassador, who said the gallant Com•
modore was not authorized by him to sign it•
The Convention was equally in bad odour with
the SULTAN. What will they say to Admiral
STOPIORD'S Treaty, which is substantially the

same as that signed by the chivalrous NAPIER ?
Will Lord PoNSONBY admit that Lord PALMER-
STON Could authorize the signing of a Convention
which virtually secures to MEHEMET ALI the
hereditary administration of the Pachalic of Egypt?

It is high time that the attention of the Great
Powers who called Greece into existence as a sove-
reign state, was directed to the atrocities perpetrated
under the authority of King OTHO, and in the
sacred name of justice, upon the unfortunate inha-
bitants of that country. Have England and France
assisted in establishing legal tribunals in Greece
only to revive the torture, and have they proclaimed
the freedom of her flag that it might serve as a pro-
tection to the slave trade ? If the article which we
quote in another column, from the leading Journal
of Greece produce no effect upon the British and
French Governments, we must carry our appeal
against such barbarities to the great tribunal of the
people of both countries.

The French Journals of Thursday find, in M.
fi um ANN'S speech on the Budget, ample grounds
for editorial animadversion. Although the Finance
Minister stated that with a deficit equal to
6,160,0001. it was not his intention to impose any
fresh taxes upon the country, the Journalists sup-
pose, and not, we presume, without reason, that
such an addition to the public burdens is only to
be removed ultimately by fresh clogs upon agricul-
tural and commercial industry' and enterprise. E. 3
timated in British currency the gross income of
France for the financial year is 46,480,000/.,
whereas the outlay is calculated at 52,64000/.
From this it will be seen at a glance how dear to
France has been the Administration of M.l its mits.

General BUGEAUD, ever memorable for prefer-
ring an invasion of Cossacks to an invasion of
Prussian bullocks, on the principle of free-trade in
beef, has been appointed Governor-General of
French Africa, in the room of Marshal VALLEE.
An article from the National on this subject will
be found subjoined.

The Sileaia Gazelle publishes a letter from the Uk-
raine, dated the 9th ult., which states that several thou-
sand peasants, living on the confiscated estates of P, ince
Adam Czartoryski and Count Potocki, in Podolia and
Kiew, were to be transported, in virtue of i mperial or.
ders, to the barrens of the Chersonese and Tauris. All
the necessary preparations were made to carry this barbar-
ous 'measure into execution.

'Fhe Prince Royal of Bavaria arrived incog. at Trieste
on the 19th ult., and embarked on the 21st in the Count
Kollowrath steamer for Athens. The Prince travels under
the name of Collin de Verdenfela.

The National, speaking of the nomination of General
Bugeaud to the Government of Algeria, says :
The appointment of General Bugeaud to the Govern-
ment of Africa is equivalent to the re-establishment of the
influence (now nearly destroyed) of the Emir Abd-el-
Kadir, who may be called the creature of General Bu-
geaud, since it was lie who made him what he has become,
a powerful enemy : it is the cession of 200 leagues of
coast of an immense territory in the interim ; it is reducing
the province of Oran to the Mitidjah ; that of Oran to the
banheue of the town ; that of Bona to the surrounding
marshes. We shall have in vain conquered Constantine,
Setif Medeah, Cherchell. General Bugeaud bears, in-
stead of the sword, the pen of the negotiator of the Taloa,
and he is going to efface at one stroke, as he formerly did,
all the conquests which our brave army has bought with its
blood, and which at least indemnified us in some degree
for ten years of infamy.—Gazette de France.
No mails have arrived.

CONSTANTINOPLE, DEC. 8. —The Tahiri'Babiri, Govern-
ment steamer, which has this moment arrived from S),
brings word that Ibrahim having attempted to extricate
himself from the difficult position in which finds himself in
the environs of Balbec, and to open himself a passage ac-
cross Mount Lebanon, had completely failed in this at-
tempt ; he was repulsed with considerable loss by the
mountaineers.—Journal de Stnyrne.
It appears that the measures relative to the Grceks set-
tled in Turkey, which were resolved on by the Porte, in
consequence of the refusal of the Greek Government to
ratify the treaty of commerce concluded at Constantinople,
are going to be carried into effect.—Journal de &pp ne