The Sun.
London, England, 1823-03-22 00:00:00

TILK LONDON JOUttNALS.

EXTRACTS VRolkt VIE \ILA, MORNING ',AVERS,
March 22, 1823.

[rut 'TIMES.]
The arrivals of yesterday from France and
Madrid present no new incidents. The motions
of the present French army are not like those of
the troops that executed the will of l3uonaparte,
though there is no great difference in the morality
of the enterprises in which the two Governments
engage. Prince hilt advances slowly on his
destination. A. list is given of the several divi-
sions, the commanders, and positions of the invad-
ing force. This enumeration makes the whole to
fall far short of the hundred thousand men which
the King of France had declared in his speech to
the two Chambers that he had ready to pour into
Spain. The first corps is, it is saidf to be pre-
ceded by a division of the Army of the Faith
under Quesada. These men of the Faith would
be in an excellent position for clearing the
country of any unnecessary obstructions, in the
shape of provisions, that the French might other-
wise find on their advance.

[MO ItN I G HEIL/kJ-JD.]
The conduct of the Government in' the diPlo
matic transactions which have dragged through
an existence of so many months, begins to be the
subject of animadversion: Both- censure and
eulogy, are, however,. as yet premature ; until
the documents which record their proceedings
shall have been produced, their conduct cannot,
be fairly judged. The opinion of reasonable and
unbiassed minds must therefore be suspended.
It is true their efforts to divert France from her
frantic and profligate attack upon Spain have
failed. But if, as the Ministers-pledge them-
selves, they urged the maintenance of peace
upon 'the sound principles which should guide a
British Government with unequivocal frankness
and energy, they have performed their part.
Whether they have done so remains to be seen
by the public documents which are about to be
produce], and by the national opinion upon
these they stand' or full. It is natural to wish
that they should be justified on this trial.—
But. at the same time the justification of the
Ministry would force the knowledge or an
alarming truth upon the nation. It is, that with-
in the short period' of three or four years, Eng-
land has sUffered a great diminution of her Con-
tinental power and influence. This conclusion
is of absolute and inevitable consequence. It is
not- necessary to inquire whether the national
resources have become really weakened in, that
lime. in our thorough' conviction they have not;
but, on the contrary, have. gained strength. But
still the importance of the fact of our loss of
authority and influence remains. It is clear that
the Continental powers—at least that shifting,
cunning, shallow personage, the Emperor of
itussiavand the incorrigibly presumptuous ftt.c.
tion, which has been so suddenly, unexpectedly,
mid undeservedly raised from the humility which
their insolence had reduced them, to the possession
of supreme power in France—it is clear, we says
that these two powers at least think England may
be slighted with. impunity,. Now the question is,
whether this impression is to be left unremoved.
Are the Ministers bound to set these powers
right,: by such a manifestation of the resources
and real strength and energy of the' nation, as
would prove its ability to-maintahr its-position in
the scale of European nations?. Or will the
Cabinet think it consistent -with the honour and
safety of the country, to succumb for the pre-
sent, and make .no effort to recover lost ground,
until there be a fresh and more material aggres-
sion ? Let us see distinctly what is yielded on
this supposition.----clearly and distinctly this, Spain
is yieldetrup to France, as far as we are con-
cerned, that is, this Government must make up
its mind to the contingency of Spain being as
completely occupied by France as Naples and
Piedmont by. Austria.,

iN ENV TIMES.]
We have received Letters from St. Petersburg
of the lath of February (O. S,), which mention
that a change in the Ministry was much talked
of. The particulars, however, of the expected
removals are not mentioned. We know that
since the failure of Count Capo d'lstria's
schemes for a Turkish war, that Minister'S in.
fluent:it has been much on the decline ; but it was
generally thought, that by the dexterity of his
manoeuvres he wouldeventually recover the ground
which he had lost in the Emperor's good graces.
It is curious that as we have been taking off our
duties on Salt, the Russian Government has been
augmenting the impost on that article. " The
duty on Salt," says our Russian Correspondent,
4' has been raised 10 co. Solam.money, making it
35 co. in silver, or co. B. Nr. The price of
salt has, in consequence of this, advanced to
SlO cc. for common, and e3o co, for flue Liver-
pool salt."

IitOUNING
From the t
manner in which Lord Liverpoo,
spoke of the increase of the wealth of the nation
in every war in which we have been engaged
(with a maritime superiority) it would utmost
seem as if his Lordship regretted there was no
suitable opening for us at present, Legitimacy
being already too strong to need assistance, and
the cause of the people being always bad, owe,
when it is, subservient to a very different
His language would lead any one to think that we
had increased in wealth in censequence of war,
and not in spite of war. The distinction, hole-
fiver, is very material. We believe that in
spite of the extravagant expenditure in all the
wars, the industry of the nation, and, the inven-
tions for abridging labour, really increased our
wealth in a more than corresponding degree ;
,but how: much more wealthy and powerful -we
should have been without the extravagant expert,
diture as tr deduction I. lijs Lordship dwelt
only on the convulsions of war and retro-actions
of peace, as if the expenditure were really, no
disadvantage in itself. We were glad to find
from witat passed in the house of Commons, 019
presentingia Petition from the Owners.and
eupiers of Collieries at Forest Dean, that there is

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