The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-22 00:00:00

MORNING SUN.

THE SUFFRAGE A SOURCE OF
REVENUE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN._

SPIRIT of the P UPL IC JOURNALS

FROM THE DAILY PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.

CHRONICLE.— One of the most egregious sophisms of the
corn monopolists is, that the home trade being of larger amount
than the foreign, the latter may be allowed to. decline without
Material injury to the prosperity of the nation. The notion is
as short sighted as it is selfish. The foreign trade cannot be
isolated, and the ruin and wretchedness occasioned by its sacri-
fice to the restrictive system confined within certain bounda-
ries. They would overflow the entire community. Foreign
trade is not merely one of the elements of our prosperity, a
brick in the building, but the key-stone of the arch, to destroy
which would bring the whole down in utter confusion and deso-
lation. There is no power in the Corn-laws to supply the in-
creasing deficiency which they cause in the foreign market for
manufactures. The agriculturist is not the wealthier. His
own home market for his grain it deteriorated. The restric-
tion impoverishes the manufacturers; who are his customers.
By throwing a number of hands out of employment, the
wages of the entire body of the working classes are
diminished. The consumption of food decreases. We say
nothing of the suffering, nothing of the discontent and turbu-
lence, nothing of the demoralization and threatening aspect
towards the well-being of society, in such a state of things. All
dark and dreadful results may be expected when multitudes
have been brought into existence by a system which is checked
in its progress, so as to expose them to the horrors of gradual
starvation. But take it only as an agriculturist's question of
profit and loss. In the sacrifice of foreign trade, a sacrifice
which he has begun to make, he calla down ruin on his own
head. The progress of foreign trade has made him what he
is. It has created the greatness of the agricultural interest.
It has added nearly severs millions of acres to the breadth of
land in cultivation. It has largely enhanced the amount of
produce from the same extent of soil. The foreign market
has made the home market both of the farmer and the :Lanu-
fa,cturer. As it declines, the capital of the one will be annihi-
lated, that of the other will migrate, and the labouring popula-
tion be turned adrift to wreak all the excesses which their want
and their numbers stimulate. One cannot imagine a more de-
plorable infatuation.
TIMES.—The observations which we offered a few days
since on the subject of the excellent design for the establish.
ment of new Colonial Bishoprics, for which the Church is in-
debted to her Prelates, seem to have made some stir among
the journals in the Romish and Dissenting interest. The op-
position of these parties, and still more the virulence of tone in
which their opposition is expressed, furnishes additional evi-
dence of the importance of the plan. The mere mention of it
has created a panic in the camp of schism; and we observe
with pleasure that the attack is mainly directed against those
features of the design which lead us to re, ognise in it proo:s of
a reviving consciousness on the part of the Church of the im-
mense moral and circumstantial resources which she has within
herself. We are satisfied that her rulers have too long acted
upon an inadequate conception of the powers and opportunities
at their command ; and it will be for the benefit of both
Chtlkch and State that this lethargy should be shaken off. We
have seen days (not very long since) when the enemies of all
authority and order, civil and ecclesiastical, appeared for the
moment to be in the ascendant. They won their victory, such
as it was—

Srn,--As tae r<turns from the ditforent elections
throughout the country render it altogether improbable
that the Ministerial plan for meeting the finarcial em-
barrassments will be carried into effect, I am induced to
suggest a mode of raising about one million and a half
yearly, and that in a way which, while it would not fall
heavy upon any, would confer a benefit upon the many,
in securing in perpetuity the Constitutional right of the
suffrage to all:
It is simply this—to grant the suffrage to every adult
male (subject to a yearly registration as to residence),
for which the fee shall be six shillings. Assuming that
the present fee of one shilling covers the expenses, there
will remain five' shillings to go to the Treasury, which
on an adult population of six millions would be one
mil lion and a half pounds a year, as I propose.
Now, Sir, I do not think any cogent objection can be
beought against this mode of raising the supplies. It is
hut fair that every freeman should 'contribute something
directly towards the support of the State. Those who
have already got the franchise should not consider six
shillings a year as too much, seeing they will have to
pay the same, or more, to make up the present de-
ficiency in the finances. Those who are as yet unenfran-
chised, would, I am confident, be willing to obtain their
freedom on these conditions. In fact, they are contri-
buting much about the same sum at present in their
associations for procuring Universal Suffrage. The
lowest weekly subscription is a penny per week, but
other expenses make it at least threehalfpence per week,
or sixpence per month, which is, indeed, the general
price of their cards of membership, that is, six shillings
per year, the sum I have proposed as the registration fee.
This plan would enrol all the adult male population in
one class, similar to that of the capite censi of Ancient
Rome. And here, I may observe, that Rome, jealous of
her liberties, never entrusted the defence of her soil to
any but such as were free. Even when the calamity of
Canine obliged her to enlist her slaves, the very, act of
enlistment became that of their manumission ; and, in
bearing the arms of the Republic, they ceased to be
slaves, and at once were free. In sacramentum militia
liberate serritia. Libertate donati fecerant de servitute
Romanos. Entered on the roll of their peculiar tribes,
they from that day_ forward were entitled to vote for
Qurestors, Prretors, and Consuls ; those who, in
their Consular and Proconsular, Praetorian and Proprw-
torian dignities, swayed the destinies of the Republic at
home and in her Colonies. Further, this right once ob-
tained, they never lost, but transmitted it unimpaired to
the latest line of their posterity.
This country has been contented to pay twenty mil-
lions, or about one million per year, to purchase the free-
dom of the Black. Let not the adult male population
grudge to pay somewhat more to secure the perpetual
enfranchisement of the White, when all classes' and all
interests being fairly represented in Parliament there is
little doubt but that every question bearing on the
prosperity of the country will receive the amplest and
the most advantageous discussion within the walls of the
Rouse of Commons.

" By superior energies, more strict
Affiance in each other, faith more firm
In their unhallowed principles."
And now, when the better cause has recovered from its tem-
porary reverse, we speak not of mere political fluctuations, but
of the change which during the last ten years has gradually
come over the spirit of society, now, we hope to see that its
champions have learned a lesson from the zeal and devotion of
those who have opposed them, and that
" Virtue
Will, to her efforts, tolerate no bounds
That are not lofty as her rights, aspiring
By impulse of her own ethereal zeal."
We therefore hail with delight every sign of energy and inde-
pendent action within the Church, and thank her gainsayers
for the cry of alarm sihich teaches her to know the value of her
own exertions by the very terror which they excite. We bee
lieve that in the Church the life of the nation emphatically re-
sides; and that (as some of the Radical party seem well aware)
it is to the influence of her principles mainly that we must
look for an antidote to the mass of moral and social difficulties
which embarrass the course of good Government in this
country.
POS C.—Among the plausible follies with which the Whig-
Radical writers seek to mislead the public is their assertion that
were the new policy of free trade to be carried into effect, it
would bring back to this country a very great number of ab-
sentees who now live abroad for the sake of cheapness. In
putting forth this proposition the Whig-Radicals of course
assume, as usual, the complete success of their policy. The
intention is to make everything much cheaper than it is at
present, therefore it would be so if their measures were al-
lowed to pass. But what right have these people to assume
that the thing which they intend to effect by their policy would
be effected? Experience shows that heretofore they have al-
together failed to accomplish what they intended. They have
been ten or eleven years in power, intending all the while
to exhibit such wonderful capacity for popular Go-
vernment that the people would never submit to any
other sway but theirs. And what is the result? Why,
that the people are disgusted with them, and have
withdrawn from them their Parliamentary support. The
Whig-Radicals intended by the dissolution of Parlia-
ment greatly to strengthen their hands, and loudly insisted
that this would certainly be the result. But this was all delu-
sion. Instead of their hands being strengthened they have
been weakened. Instead of acquiring parliamentary predomi-
nance they have sunk into a Parliamentary minority. We
mention such matters in order to show the excessive presump-
tion of these people, who, in the face of the plainest evidence
that their speculations are doomed to disappointment,still affect
to consider that what they propose to accomplish by their mea-
sures certainly would be accomplished were their measures ap-
proved by the Legislature. As to the importation of corn from
foreign countries, Mr. Huskisson's opinion is upon record that
whatever temporary cheapness might be produced by such a
system, the ultimate effect would be scarcity and dearness.
The opinion of Mr. Huskisson is more deserving of respect
than that of the Whig-Radicals, who have become suddenly
converted to free trade doctrines, when every other scheme by
which they might hope to retain office was exhausted.
HERALD.—That with a majority of some eighty, upon the
gross returns of the general election over their Whiff anta-
gonists, the Conservatives should, by this time, have looked
into their muster-roll, and well considered who would be best
calculated to discharge the principal trusts of official power
with most advantage to the country and most honour to them •
selves—was a course which must have been anticipated at their
hands, for some weeks past. Accordingly, several lists were,
yesterday, handed about, in certain political sanctuaries in the
immediate vicinity of Pall mall and St. James's .street which it
has been our fortune to examine. Two of these we know
to have emanated from quarters with every means and every
probability of being well-infurmed on the contemplated ele-
ments which it is intended should enter into the constitution of
the new Conservative Cabinet.
In the list we quote from we find the following names and
the corresponding (Bees respectively appropriated to them
Others which belong to those whom we deem less likely to be
called, presently, to power, we purposely abstain from men.
tioning here.
First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer—
Sir Robert Peel.
First Lord of the Admiralty—His Grace the Duke of Buck-
ingham.
Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs—The Earl of
Aberdeen.
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—Lord Wharncliffe.
Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department—Right
Hon. Henry Goulburn.
Lord High Chancellor of England—Sir William Follett.
Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies—Right Hon.
Lord Stanley.
President of the Council—His Grace the Duke of Wellington.
The Speaker of the House of Commons—The Right Hon. C.
SINGULAR AND AWFUL DBATH.—On Tues- Shaw Lefevre (whose re-election it is said not to be intended
day evening an inquest was held before Mr. J. C. Cartar, at to oppose).
the Lion and Lamb Inn, Lewisham, upon the body of Mr. Secretary for Ireland—The Right Hon. Sir H. Hardinge.
James Welsh, a gentleman residing on Lee-terrace, and bro- Other officers of State—
ther to the Rev. Mr. Welsh, of Lewisham. It appeared that The Lord High Chamberlain—His Grace the Duke of Beaufort.
the unfortunate gentleman had fallen from the top of the house The Lord High Steward—The Earl of Liverpool.
while endeavouring to gain an entrance at the second-floor The Master of the Horse—The Earl of Jersey.
window. The first witness, Mrs. Harriet Balfe, a lady re. Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris--Lord Lyndhurst.
siding in the adjoining house, stated that on Sunday morning The greater part of these nominations must carry with them,
she was awoke by a great noiseat the back of the house ; she in- we should say, the concurrence of every Conservative in these
stantly got out of bed and opened the back window, when she kingdoms.
heard groaning and some tiles falling, and also heara a voice say, ADVERTISER.—The elections are now concluded. Not
"It ie all over with me." She was muchalarmed, and thought that one of the six hundred and fifty-eight vacancies created in the
thieves were about the premises. She sprang a rattle, when representation of the country by the recent dissolution of Par.
Mr. and Mrs. Welsh, senior. opened their window and in- liament remains to be filled up. Of the comparative gains and
quired what was the matter, and shortly after a policeman came losses of the two great parties into which the country is divided,
up, when she discovered the deceased lying on the ground in it is not our purpose now to speak. Our present object is to
an insensible state. Police constable Wilkins, 46 K, stated point attention to some of the more important incidents which
that upon getting over the wall into the deceased's garden, he have characterised the violent electioneering conflict which is
found the unfortunate gentleman lying as described, with blood now concluded. We say, then, that never in the annals of
,ushing from his nose and mouth ; he was removed into the election contests has an appeal to the country been attended by
house, and witoessrao for Dr. Steele, who on arriving found life ex.. a greater amount of bribery, intimidation. and coercion, than
tinet. Deceased had reeeivedasevere injury to the spine, and his has been the great party battle which has now been fought.
neck was broken ; there was a ladder placed at the adjoining Bribery has been the order of the day wherever the contests
house, by which it would appear that the unfortunate gentle- were expected to be close, and the candidates had
man had ascended for the purpose of getting in at his bedrocim the means at their disposal of purchasing the suf-
window, .hen some tiles he had to step on
gave way, and he frages of the constituency. And here it is worthy
was precipitated on tii ha the waterun butt, and thence to the of remark, that so great a number of close
and se-
garden, He (Ur. Steele) d
with some
that the deceased vere contests as have taken slate on the present occasion was
had been spending the evening _ i d
some friends, and had
never known to have occurred at any previous general election.
drank about two glasses of brandy and water. He supposed Nor have these equally balanced conflicts been confined to
the accident occurred from the deceased endeavouring to get
wishing to eisturb hi f mil boroughs or counties containing only a limited constituency;
in at his bedroom window, not
bean,.f the whole of the evidence a ---Y' they have occurred in some of the largest constituencies iri the
evidence
who had retired to rest. This
kingdom. London, Leeds, and Dublin, are instances in point
the coroner summed up, and the Jury returned a verdict of
as regards the representation of boroughs. The cases in
"Accidental death."
TproMtestAanLtsAGA. dying counties are too numerous to require or admit of a special re-
ference to them. In the populous cities we have already men-
It is not, perhaps, PROTESTANT CEMETERY
generally knownthaAt
in boned, namely, London, Leeds, and Dublin, the fact of the
•
(as if by
prejudice of the electiOns
Spain are customarily buried at midnight
and in unconsecrated ground—such is the
a something 'huh,vas too notorious to lie denied. But has bribery been
d to the Tory party? Oh,no.lf they have proved themselves
Catholic natives. Within the last year, how
the, indefatigable the
like reform has been commenced, owing to
of Aremait tdepts on previous occasions at the base employment
s needy constituents to commit a species of moral
exertions of the British Consul for Granada, treesident .at 31a-
-7 agamst• their own convictions, b holding out the—to
iPerresistible--te • of ld the Whigs,
used of being
Jape where he has managed to obtain from the Spanish Go-
tPheeejmur
disposal, have not
vernment a grant of a piece of ground for the purpose
on the present ' temptation of handfuls. go
t'ecasion when the necessn y means were at their
used as a " Protestant Cemetery," and in the absence of any
been a whit behind them in the work of cor-
Protestant clergyman he officiates as need may be. Formerly.
rupting the corm-
itency
, of the country. -In Ipswich and Lewes,
our Prmestanccountrymen, dying at Malaga,
at low- .
to name no other
ists was so open andlacesigeneralbribtehrayt nonnethmeiparghtthnafvtehaelmMoisntifsatenrciiaeld-
in thii dead of the night, to the sea-shore, and buriedwere carried,
wafer mark.' the parties were ambitious ' • • •
ere r • • of inviting attention to their .uesday morning a young woman, named Dinah raising practices. Both Parties, therefore, we hold to have
been equally guilty, at thej
demo-
Bailey, came to Guy's Ho'spital, and wished to see one of the
ate elect ions, of wholesale bribery,
surgeons immediately, but declined saying what was the matter. wherever they possessed the means, and it was deemed practicable
Althoueh her aptiearance indicated nothing particular, she wa to „sey their point by an extensive purchase of the suffra es of the
Parry, in violent election introduced into the stirgery, where she was attended by Pro- constituency, And so of the other unhallowed influences so often lessor Batley, Dr. Gull, and Mr. Hills, who, on examination,
to carry— the election of them
pressed into the service of either
con-
found the yeoman to be enceinte. They told her the institu. tests. Coercion, menaces, and intimidation, in every possible
shape and form that they could be made to assumewere -
tion was not intended for persons in her condition, and ordered
one of the porters to fetch a cab to take her to her residence,
when, to their surprise, she was suddenly taken in labour in '
antagonist candidate. Ought such a state of things to be tole-
nloyed, both by Tories and Whigs,
the surgery, and safely . delivered of twins, a boy and a girl rated ? Is is not making a mere mockery of Parliamentary
re-
She
was shortly afterwards removed into one of the wards o. resentation ? Could anything be more insulting or disrace-
the hospital, where, according to custom, both children were iflil to a country calling itself free ? As for the poor creagtures
baptist l by the.ohaplain of the hospital. themselves who are thus compelled to vote in opposition to the
••'
SUBSTITUTE FOR FOUNDLING HOSPITALS. dictates of their consciences, and at variance with their disposi
—in other islands, a mode is occasionally adopted for tion, to confer on them the elective franchise is not
only to
of all degradation, degradation in their
throwing on the Chamber the burden of supporting doom them to the worst
add
to their d
titis to mockery degradation—the
z.;;merfluous infants, which is as novel and original a plan own eyes, buy
i . them freemen, independent electors, and
it; Swift's - modest proposal" for bettering the condition mockery of. calling
themselves feel and the world sees, that they
Ki.:' Ireland. The mother puts the baby in a basket, and so forth, while they themselves
The remedy for these frightful evils
at night, when all are in bed, deposits the burden out- are theboveriests
obvious to all. That remedy is the right of secret
side a neighbour's door. If the child cries (which is very vmout!t In no other way than by the ballot, can there ever be a
likely, nacho such circumstances), the neighbour wakes, , full and fair expression of electoral opinion. To that mode of
suspects what is going on, gets out of bed, opens the exercising the franchise we attach more importance than even
Give us the ballot, and
door, and quietly carries the basket to the next door, to the extension of the franchise itself.
I of bribery, inn •
where, perhaps, the same thing happens, and the bur- the axe is laid at once to the root, noto y
influencesn which now
if deli is again removed one house further on. In this way, dation, coercion, and the other corrupt„
lattempt to •
proposal or in-
if the child is noisy, it may be transferred from house prevail at elections, but of the veryyhparn as his judgment would
to house through an entire village ; for the custom is, duce an elector to vote otherwiset
of detecting the violation
that the person at whose door it is found after day-break suggest; for where no means existed
would be asked.
• of an extortedpledge, no pledge or promise .
must take the charge of it. A certain weekly payment
Heraldof this morning indulges its
GLOBE.—The iera . can then be demanded of the authorities, but the childone of
must bnrearecl by tie. last discoverer.—Bullar's Winter gossiping propensities by giving publication to
•
a the Azores. the many programmes of the Cabinet to-be-formed,
;
amused the saunterers of
have for several days
• ANNUAL EXCURSION OF THE STATIONERS' ' which have
of this descrip-
CoxtANy TO RICHM .
oten,—Tuesday the Worshipful, Corn-
, 1 the Tory club-rooms. As every scheme . _
Passe-of Stationers, ' I tion is merely conjectural, it is obvious that an examina 1
their ';Late ba according to annual custom, proceeded in .
adaptation of the individuals for the posts as-
f n of the io
itie;__ _ rge from Blackfriars• bridge to the Castle Inn, , pt,..Z:oo,a_!or the Purpose of enjoying the usual trip to that signed them, would not only be premature, but absurd.
side-t Buell kfriami.pany assembled in carriages on the Surrey When the official announcement appears, we shall do our
was rowed up the srbridge, and by half-past' eleven the vessel duty to the public, by exhibiting their peculiar claimi,
live rowed river ley twent
uYell'V amidst the cheers of y watermen. in the Company's I individually and collectively, to the nation's confidence.
hundreds from the shore. 1 In this attempt we shall be materially assisted by quo-
.

The source of revenue which I now point out has this
advantage, that as it appeals to the highest feelings of
our nature—the love of liberty, so it must continue to in-
crease with the increase of an enfranchised population.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
WILLIAM VILLIERS SANKEY.
30, Harmood-street, July 19, 1841.

MINERAL PRODUCE OF FRANCE

IN 1839.
(From the irfoniteur Industriel.)

In the Administration of Mines, as in almost every
other department, there is great dilatoriness, in fact do
advance whatever has been made, Thus we are not in-
forMed of the proceedings of the year 1839 till June
1841. It must be the general opinion that this is taking
things a little too leisurely. We ought to add, that in
order to proceed more quickly, and to abridge the labour,
the Administration of Mines has reproduced for the last
three years certain statements in which not a single
figure has been changed !
Before enumerating the details, we think it right to
mites e a statement of the progressive improvement of the
mines :n France, with which the productive power of the
country is more closely connected than with any other.
The value a all the mineral products amounted
Francs.
In 1'834 to 306,403,016*
1836 380,345,498

1837
1838
1839
Excess of 1839 over 1838

364,371,531
365,402,136
365,631,310
229,374

Thus it will be perceived, that in 1839 no progress
was made. It must not be concluded from this that
there was any want of power to produce, or inadequacy
in the supply of ore in our forges, but only that the crisis
from which our manufactories have lately suffered, con-
tinued to be felt in 1839 in our mining districts. But
from the aggregate let us enter into the different
branches of mineral production, in order to trace the dif-
ferent changes that they underwent in 1839.
There are 232 coal mines, 171 of which are worked,
the remainder are not in operation.
There are 552 coal pits and 476 coal quarries open to
the day.
The number of lignite pits is 88, of which 48 are
worked and 40 not worked. There are 1,374 workmen
employed in these pits.
There are 44 mines of anthracite, of which 27 are
worked and 17 not worked. In these there are upwards
of 1,216 workmen employed.
The number of turf pits in France, 3,732, of which
2,027 are worked. The quantity of turf obtained
an ',aunts to 4,184,000 metrical quintals, the value of
whiCh is nearly four millions of francs.
The' Department of Mines has stated the number of
workmen employed at the turf pits to be 41,703. The
difficulty experienced in procuring accurate statements,
with respect to the working of the turf pits in the
communes, leaves some uncertainty as to the number of
workmen engaged in that labour, and the value and quantity
of the turf which they supply. In a great many situations
the communal turf pits are only worked during some
days in the summer ; and the turf which is extracted is
exclusively appropriated to the use of the inhabitants,
who have extracted it, or have caused it to be extracted
by their wives and children.
In some departments, on the contrary, the working of
turf is carried on very extensively, and the fuel sup-
plies many important manufactories ; such, as. sugar-
houses, distilleries, dye-houses, steam-boilers, lime-kilns,
&c. Turf is likewise used in some forges, but the quan-
tity consumed in the manufacture of iron appears to be
rather diminished than increased.
• About 12,000,0001.