The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-12 00:00:00

lONIAN ISLANDS.

The Gazettes of Malta, a place under the dominion of
Great Britain, treat continually of the interests of the
lonians, who are under the protection of Great Britain.

We ask, with all respect, is it I)3r:towable on the part
of this great nation, to deny to those under her protec-
tion the liberty of the press, while she grants it to those
who are under her dominion ? to compel the former,.
bearing the name of free and independent, to implore
from the sympathy of the latter who are under her domi-
nion, the means of giving publicity to their wants ?
Let every honest man reply to the questions—every
Briton inspired with honour and the true glory of his
country ?
We will next ask with all humility her Majesty's wise
and powerful Government, since this refusal cannot be
honourable, as it is not equitable, is it at least justified
by any necessity ?
A President ot the lonian Senate wrote toSir Howard
Douglas, who, we will not say with what prudence,
published, that the liberty of the press would be abused
for the purpose of tying up the hands of the Griverr.-
merit, and disturbing peace of families.
What false and shameful fears! Do not the lonians,
placed between two States that enjoy the liberty of the
Pres. in ike use of it, when they please, and with more
impunity than they would do if a free press existed
~Inang them under the just restraint of the liw, and the
ai,nllnce of the l‘l:rsistrate., ready to crush any abuse
at its first afire irance ? It is true that a free press is a
restraint upon the Give riment ; but upon what Go-
vernment ? Certainly not upon one which is actuated
by the desire of making its people happy ; which, con-
scious of the purity of its intentions, despises every ca-
lumnious attack, as it receives and profits by very pru-
dent counsel, on whatever side the voice may arise that
utters it. On the contrary, the free press places in a
noWe point of v ew the Government from whose greater
attention it can derive nothing but good.
The Government acts for the public, and why should
it fear that the public speak and reason about its pro-
ceedings? Why wish its operations to be covered with
the veil of mystery? Why
wish to withdraw from
public judgment its conduct, and forbid all discussion
and reasoning upon its acts more than upon the mys-
teries of religion ? The public press, it is true, tears off
the mask from baseness, ignorance, and intrigue—
shows the country in whom it may confide, whom it
should love, and who deserve its contempt ; but from
this can injury happen to the State, or embarassment
to a Government iefliteneed by upright intentions?
Let an en!ighteneli and impartial public reply to these
ques;ions.—ll Mediterraneo.

ME GERMAN COMMERCIAL

LEAGUE.

The character and tendencies of the German Corn
mercial Union are developing themselves in successive
article, which are zealously circulated through the
German papers. They show that this great trading
..onlederacy is ossinning more and more of political in-
fluence. If will vailuall:, swallow up the smaller States
in the vortex of Prussian influence. Tue boast now is,
that thirty millions of Germans are commercially and
politically united. The new coinage, which circulates
tarough all the States of the Union, bears the head and
the titles c f the King of Prussia, though on the obverse
it has the inscription, " Vereins .Munze," or " Union's
Money." A treaty has just been concluded with Gre it
Britain, which gives to the Commercial League all the fa-
cilities which the Austrian Treaty gave to E istern Ger-
many. Bat the German press is now demanding " a
Union fl gig," which sh 11l represent not, as now, the dif-
ferent states of Germany to which a vessel may
chance to belong, but " the Union of Germany," the
" League of the Confederated States," arid a German
war-fleet to protect the extending trade. We require
now (say they) nut treaties timidly entered into with
small adjacent territories, as Holland and the Hanse
Towns, but with remote nations, with the Transatlantic
and• ultra-European world. Ti;ey call upon " the
Lengue " to nominate Consuls, to send forth its Com-
ntissioriers to report and to negotiate. The changed
position of Prussia is pointed at with no small gratu-
lation. She has been recognivd in the Oriental nego-
tiat,ont as "one of the Great Powe-s "—has become
one of the elements to be primarily consulted in the
ruling political questions of the day. The necessity of
absc.rbing Hanover has been dimly pointed out, and
certainly Hanover would lose nothing by being trans-
ferred from the tender mercies of King Ernest to the
enlightened despotism of the Prussian monarch.--
Examiner.

Shelburne, M. P. to the Continent. The Earl and her Lady-
The Countess of Kerry accom
ship embarked at Dover for Calais on Sunday en route to
panies the Earl of.
Par.., which capital they were to leave on Satordatyl,r Lyons, and
from thence to Milan. We understand his Lordship, in com-
p iny with his amiable sister-in-law, will make a tour of seve-
ral weeks in Italy.