The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-02 00:00:00

SUMMARY OF NEWS

AND
Public Optuton.

" Who runs may read."

puuxac OPINION.

The Chronicle alludes to a remarkable measure now
on the eve of adoption by Lord Francis Egerton, who is,
it seems, " taking the initiative for raising a body of
cavalry. It is supposed," adds our Contemporary,
" that the example of his Lordship will be promptly
followed by all the Tory aristocracy, and that the Tory
Government will thus have a volunteer auxiliary army
ready to start into existence the moment of coming into
power. Lord F. Egerton would hardly have resorted
to this step without first consulting with Sir Robert
Peel." It is very characteristic of the Tories that their
first projected measure should be one for increas-
ing the military force of the kingdom. Pos-
sibly they anticipate an " ignorant impatience
of taxation" on the part of the people—a series
of embarrassing public meetings where truths, more
stern than courteous, may be spoken, so are making pre-
parations to disperse them in the good old Peterloo
fashion ! If this be one of the remedial measures of the
Tories, it needs no great foresight to predict their speedy
downfal. The Chronicle proceeds to say, " the state of
the manufacturing districts is most alarming, and Lord
Francis Egerton is determined to be prepared against
any outbreak in his neighbourhood." He had much bet-
ter be prepared with some scheme for diminishing the
oppressive burdens of these districts. The yeoman's
sabre is no answer to the poor man's cry of distress.
The Herald has an article full of abuse of the
Whigs, and praise of the constitutional merits of the
Tories. Sir Robert Peel, in particular, is the object of
our Contemporary's most extravagant laudation. "He
will not," we are assured, " elevate Dissent at the cost,
and by the degradation, of the Church ; he will not
encourage the people to assemble for factious
and lawless purposes ; he will not introduce mea-
sures into the Legislature for the express pur-
pose of drawing down popular odium on the constitu-
tional defenders of the monarchy, which he knows
will be at once rejected ; he will not attempt to re-
duce the House of Lords to a mere recording portion
of the Legistature." It is far easier to speculate
on what Sir Bober Peel will not do, than on
what he will do. The Herald may predict
with tolerable certainty that he will do as little as needs
be for Reform ; that he will discourage Dissent, and
keep Mother Church fat and flourishing ; and introduce
only such measures as may be acceptable to the self-
interest of his party ;—but not even his most influential
organs can pretend to say that he will project any re-
forms that will be of real, lasting benefit to the commu-
nity at large. The utmost they can do is vaguely to
express their hope and belief that he will. His reserve
on this point perplexes them exceedingly ; but his party
show no reserve on the subject of what they will not do.

The Times, driven to extremities fora satisfactory
reason for Sir Robert Peel's reserve, has at length dis-
covered that it proceeds from " the modesty" of his
nature ! Our Contemporary is a good judge of the
bashful and the diffident ; but in this case his judgment
is wholly at fault. Imagine the " modesty" of an old
Tory stager verging on sixty ! Aware, apparently, that
this is not a sufficient explanation of the cause of the
Right Honourable Baronet's reserve, the Times—
anxious to be armed at all points—suggests
another, in these terms :—" Sir Robert Peel,
unkind man, will tell nobody what he means to do. He
carries himself warily, like a man among thieves, keep-
ing his hand in his pocket, and his coat buttoned tight."
Now, when it is borne in mind that it was among his
own Tory supporters, at a public dinner at 'Tamworth,
that the Right Hon. Baronet carried himself in this wary
manner—exhibited this striking reserve—the compliment
involved in the remark that he was " like a man among
thieves" will be at once apparent.
The Devonport independent urges all Reformers to
attend carefully to the Registration, observing that " the
Tories are no longer to be conciliated, but to be put
down," and that they " must now be made to yield to
the strength of public opinion."
The Cambrian doubts whether there are any men
among the influential classes supporting the present Corn-
laws, and the immense mass of subordinate errors that
rise out of them, who " can feel a deep and earnest con-
viction that in so doing, they are supporting the right.',
Our Contemporary's doubts are perfectly natural.
The Leeds Times expresses itself in very despond-
ing terms on the present state of trade, and is of opinion
that " there never was a time when profits were lower
and more unsteady ; when commercial distress was of
longer continuance, and presented less prospect of re-
lief." The last effort of the Whigs was an attempt to
remedy this state of things ; where are the remedies
projected by the Tories ? Even their most sanguine
supporters cannot venture to say that they have any.
The Berwick Advertiser recommends the agitation
of the Ballot, as being more than ever imperatively ne-
cessary.

The Dundee Chronicle assures its readers that the
" present position of the Whigs presents an awful picture
of well-merited condemnation and just retribution for
their manifold sins and transgressions of public faith."
The spirit of this remark is too harsh and acrimonious.
The Liverpool Journal remarks :—" Should St.
Swithin continue to shower down his unpropitious in-
fluences in the same manner as he has been doing for the
last few weeks, the Tory Budget will no doubt contain a
proposal for an alteration in the Corn-laws.

- " We are in a state," says the Tyne Pilot, " of
almost unparalleled distress. Even in our immediate
neighbourhood no one can shut his eyes to the misery
which surrounds our working population. It is evident
that some deadly evil is at the root of our system, and
that evil we believe to be monopoly."
The Hull .Rockingham, speaking of Lord John Rus-
sell, observes, " by his generous proposal of a financial
Reform, which he knew to be suicidal, by his disregard
of the emoluments of office in his anxiety to do what was
just to the country, he has adopted the surest means of
restoration to that high eminence which he abandons."
Notwithstanding the result of the elections, the
Bristol Mercury states that the " Liberal party may look
forward with confidence to the future, for that in a short
time the country will be governed by a firm and strong
Liberal Administration."

The Western Times asserts that the failure of the
Totnes Bank has completely broken up the Tory party
in that borough, and that the re-election of Mr. Petre is
certain whenever a vacancy occurs.