The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-17 00:00:00

sures for their abolition, that such causes of contention
being removed, peace and amity may again dwell with
your petitioners.
Moved by the Rev. A. KEENE, seconded by Mr.
MATTHEWS,
;5. That the best thanks of this meeting are due to
Robert Hardy, Esq., for his kindness in presiding on
this occasion.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

PROM THE DAILY PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
(From the Globe.)
It has always been deemed the surest symptom of
demoralisation and approaching dispersion in the ranks
of an army, when they break out in charges of treason
and cowardice against their leaders. Some time back
the Liberals were too prone to this practice ; and the
natural effects of it did not fail to follow, once and
again. Even the triumphant and unbroken strength of
the first Reformed Parliament gave way not to the force
of external attack, but of internal divisions. " A house
divided against itself," says the highest authority, " can-
not stand." But if a majority cannot survive unim-
paired intestine divisions, how shall a minority, which
is worked by them, prosper ? If we have seen a majo-
rity shrewdly threatened to become a minority—if we
have seen its chiefs, discouraged by the occasional de-
sertion of their friends, quit the helm, and resign it
expressly to.the hands of their party opponents, what
shall we say, when we see a minority fall out amongst
themselves, and avenge their disappointments on the
head of their leader ? What shall we say of a party,
whose chief distrusts them to such a degree that he
dares not walk into office with them, even when the
gates are thrown open.
(From the Standard.)

A short but very significant and interesting conversa-
tion between Lord Mahon and Lord John Russell in
the House of Commons last night, has opened a new
view of the prospects of the country. The subject of
the conversation was the state of our relations with the
kingdom of the Two Sicilies. From what passed, a
Ministerial Journal draws the following just inference :
‘. This answer of the Noble Lord (John Russell) is
quite decisive of the state of the relations between Eng-
land and Naples. The business is now committed to the
Admiral, so that we are de facto at war with Naples."
Here, then, we have upon our hands another undeclared
war—a war not merely undeclared, but concealed even
from Great Britain to the last moment ; for it was by
the pressing interrogation of Lord Mahon that the truth
was extorted. Is this the manner in which it becomes
this empire to act towards foreign nations ? Is this the
manner in which its own Government ought to act by
the British nation ? The time of the disclosure thus
reluctantly made deserves attention. The truth was
extorted on the very eve of the recess, when, if Lord
Mahon had been less vigilant and importunate, it must
have lain hidden for at least a fortnight.

(From the Courier.)
It is now seventy-ode years since the immortal Cook
obtained for us the sovereignty of New Zealand, which,
with the reckless indifference to the commercial and
military interests of Great Britain that bas distinguished
the whole career of the Melbourne Administration, it
would appear is to be sacrificed to a company of French
merchants. The right of sovereignty arising from the
formal act of taking possession is that which has ever
been recognised by the laws of civilised nations, and
is, therefore, indisputable. The question now is,
whether the possession of these islands, of which the
chiefs are amicably disposed to us, is of so little im-
portance as to justify the Ministry in surrendering it
from apathy, negligence of duty, or incompetence to
its discharge. There is also another consideration ;
many hundred persons have been encouraged by them
to embark their capitals and to risk their prospects
in agricultural speculations in New Zealand. Are
the rights of these, the subjects of Great Britain, to
her protection, to be sacrificed because a worthless
Government chooses to abandon its obligations ?