The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-15 00:00:00

writ in the meantime.
Mr. HDAIE seconded the amendment, and ex,
pressed his surprise that Lord JOHN RUSSELL
should refer to what an unrefOrmed Parliament had
done to punish and abate bribery, while he dLclined
to follow so good an example.
Sir R. PEEL thought there was no ground for
suspending the writ. Treating was not at present
by law so great a crime as bribery, and it would be
unjust to punish these boroughs by a law against
treating to operate retrospectively. He was willing
to concur with the Noble Lord in putting an end
to every species of bribery and corruption, but he
could not pledge himself to the specific measures of
which the Noble Lord had spoken. He advised
the Noble Lord not to attempt too much, and,not to
throw more difficulties in the way of parties appeal-
ing to Election Committees.
Mr. SANFORD, as Chairman of the Ludlow
Committee, said the Committee thought it their
duty to close immediately they had come to a de-
cision. He approved of what Lord JOHN Rus-
SELL proposed, but he wished the Noble Lord to
go further, and impose au oath on every Member
that he did not owe his seat to bribery. He would
do that himself; and perhaps a public p:osccutor
might be necessary to give effect to these regula•

It was discovered many ages ago that there will
always 'be poor in the land. Modern science is
said only to have explained—by detecting. the dis-
crepancy between the laws regulating the produc-
tion of food and the production of mouths—the
cause of poverty, and to have demonstrated that it
is inevitable. The discontent, which is the natural
and inevitable consequence of poverty, is the source
of most of the anxieties -belonging to wealth. For
its safeguard wealth looks to the laws ; but
the Corn-law, directs all the natural discontent
resulting from poverty against the law, and weakens
the security of wealth, both by augmenting po-
verty and making the law odious. In the interest
of wealth, which in the nature of things is diffi-
cult of protection, we direct attention to the peti-
tions of die starving agricultural labourers of Font-
hill, who, by appealing to the L';:gislature, show
that they regard the law as the cause of their dis-
tress, or able to cure it. Their suffeting,s ate in-
compatible with continued respect for the law,
and with the safety of property. We do not say that
discontent would disappear by the abolition of the
Corn-laws, but it would be thrown off legislation
and on to nature. It would remove one legislative
cause for poverty ; it would take away one power-
ful reason for ascribing distress to the laws, and add
one to respect the laws, which give wealth its secu-
rity. It would then be seen with more certainty
than now that poverty was the consequence of in-
dividual indiscretion, and would, perhaps, no
more cause petitions to the Legislature than the
disease which is the palpable consequence of in
temperance.

tions.

Mr. WARBURTON supported the inquiry. Mr.
WA KLEY suggested that Mr. HAWES should
withdraw his amendment, and bring it on after-
wards as a substantive motion. After some ex-
planation and conversation the House divided, and
the writ was ordered to be issued by 182 to 101.
Sir JOHN WALSH moved a new writ for Cam-
bridge. Mr. WARBURTON moved, like Mr.
HAWES, for a Committee, which motion was sup-
ported on a division by 75 Members, and opposed
by 162. The writ therefore was issued.

Mr. F. KELLY, at the request of Mr. MAULE,
postponed his motion for leave to bring in a Bill
to abolish capital punishment for all offeuces ex-
cept high treason and murder. To continue the
punishment of death for what the Judges call
high treason, is as revolting an absurdity as con-
tinuing it for stealing twopence.
On the motion of Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE,
Messrs. STOCKDALE and HOWARD were ordered
to be discharged. It was not resisted. The House
then adjourned.

:he latest intelligence from Constantinople is of
the 22d ult. Advises had been received there from
Alexandria that MEHEMET ALI had caused some
Turkish sailors, to whom Colonel HoDGEs had
given passports to return to Constantinople, to be
seized and shot as deserters, and that such officers
as received passports were degraded to the ranks.
A Tatar had also arrived at the Porte in three
days from the Taurus, with the positive assurance
that IBRAIIIJI PACHA had received orders from
the Viceroy to waste no more time, but march at
once upon Constantinople. Certain it is that the
day following the arrival of the Tatar, Lord PoN-
SONEY had a private conference of three hours' du-
ration with REscirfp PACHA. If this intelligence
be true, orders cannot be too soon given to a Bri-
tish and French fleet to pass the Dardanelles for the
protection of the Turkish capital. If MEHEMET
A rx, hurried on by his evil genius, plunge into war,
the struggle must be of short duration. We are
aware that he rests his hopes on the disunion among
the Great Powers, and that he relies principally upon
the sympathy of France ; but though France is not
disposed to crush him utterly, she is as much inte-
rested as England in maintaining the integrity of
the Turkish empire, nor do we suppose she would
fire a shot at the flag of the allies to save him from
annihilation. We are not, however, insensible to
the fact, that a victory over the Viceroy would
be dearly purchased by the SULTAN, at the ex-
pense of witnessing some forty thousand Russian
troops in the heart of his dominions. We know
that the Emperor NICHOLAS would desire nothing
better than to familiarize an army, shivering on the
bleak shores of the Black Sea, to the fine climate
and clear skies of Asiatic Turkey. The CzAR
would be delighted to familiarize the Turks to the
presence of his Cossacks, and to accustom them. to
attach to such presence the idea of protection. This
must not be overlooked by England and France,
who cannot be so blind as not to see in this a sa-
Csf ictory reason for the underhand encouragement
atto
'mgievtelanceks.wihliuelstsbiaec toomteh eh
aVrinlCieEssltOYb;
bneoi tn to g
s et yield
de-
fiance.

llf cases of distress amongst the rural population
were unusual, we should not have omitted specially
to notice the petition presented by Mr. T. DUN-
-002.18E, on Wednesday evening, from agricultural
labourers at Foothill, Wiltshire. They stated to
the Honourable House of Commons that their
wages were nine shillings a week, and that they
are totally unable to support their families in
consequence of the high price of provisions. They
had amongst them 2kd. a day per head, which is
less they say than the cost of the keep of a dog.
Under such circumstances warrants had been ob-
tained to distrain on them for Poor-rates, which
would find nothing but tattered garments.
Such pictures have now so frequently been
brought before the public and the House of Com-
mons, that- powerful as may he the effects of itera-
tion, it seems almost useless to dwell on them.
Cases of fictitious distress, cases of distant suffering
among strange people, cases which appeal only to
the national generosity, and make no claim or.
right, command attention and obtain relief .
but cases of real and home-bred suffering:
which carry with them a reproach, and demand
relief as a right, cause the mind of the runner
classes spasmodically to close, lest by conces-
sion' the commission of injustice should he ae-
howleciged, and the small end of a wed,,e be ad-
mitted, which the great and the rich continually
fear may be driven home.

Reports had likewise reached the Porte that a
On this principle even the terrible poverty and conspiracy for the murder of the Frank population
distress of the Jumper-fed agricultural population of was formed at Adrianople, to revenge upon the
Ireland have only roused in the Corn-law-makin, Christians the proclamation of the Hatti Scheriff,
classes a conviction that they must not be relieved, v; hick the Mussulmans regarded as the concoc-
lest their wants should absorb all the property of tion of :he Western nations.
their masters. T AKIFF PACIIA, of Nicomedia, has been de-
o point out any danger to come graded from his rank, after having been proved to be
from such a population is like terrifying the inha.
....guilty of the most horrible atrocities. He had for
bitants of the sunny vineyards at the base of Ve. his prosecutors before the SULTAN two hundred
surius with predictions that the volcano will burst o. f the inhabitants of the Pachalick, who produced
forth and destroy them. That would only disturb w
inh court the bloody garments of innocent persons
present careless enjoyment by
evils which may
their n-he had caused to be murdered. This AKIFF
the
spreoepinhgesythe -
of i it was by whom Mr. C
bastinadoed. Besides degradation, he was sca-
CHURCH ILL was so cruelly
never come to pass.

ceedings amongst Honourable Members ; and ! effect, therefore, which such pictures of distress
as Mr. SPEAKER had no remedy to suggest but l and suffering have on the minds of the Corn-law-
the ballot, Mr. O'BRIEN gave notice that making classes, it seems a waste of time to dwell
he would move this day, that the Members cle- much on them.
eirous of giving notices should ballot for priority to 'We know, too, having a distinct recollection of
give them. Mr. BENETT'S speech on the Corn-law question,
In answer to Sir S. CANNING, Lord PAL- what will be the answer given to such cases.
MERSTON stated that our relations with Persia Nine shillings a week," said the Hon. Gentle-
were the same now as a twelvemonth ago. Nego- man in substance, " may be the wages of idle or bad
tiations are in progress for bringing about a settle- workmen, but I can assure the House and the
ment, but our interests in Persia are confided to a public that good workmen get twelve shillings and
Charge d'Affaires, and to a Consul at Tabriz. fifteen shillings per week." Unless, therefore, we
In answerto Mr.AL Pettnneps, the ATTORNEY- have some vouchers for the extraordinary industry
GENERAL stated that he expected the question, and good conduct of the petitioners, unless it can
as to the validity of the charters of certain corpo- be proved that they never enter a public-house_
rate towns would be settled on the 21st instant. never play skittles or cricket.— never taste a
Mr. PALMER gave up his notice for a motion single particle of the aristocratic enjoyment of
concerning China; the Tories have had enough of it. leisure, but toil invariably and unceasingly every
day, except clueing, church-time on Sundays—we
The Earl of DARLINGTON moved a new writ
for Ludlow. In doing so he disclaimed being ac-
know that petitions from agricultural labourers,
tuated by discourtesy towards Lord JOHN RUS-
complaining of slow starvation, will be set down to
SEL, in moving for the writ on previous days.
their own idle skittle-playing and beer•drinking
Lord JOHN RUSSELL exonerated the Noble habits.
Lord from any want of courtesy. He thought the We are not of opinion that labourers should be
Noble Lord had taken an erroneous view in mov- wholly deprived of leisure and enjoyment, that they
ing for the issue of the writ as a matter of course,
never should be idle and never carouse; but such
after what had transpired before the Committee, an opinion is entertained by the magisterial,
He did not oppose the motion, though he thought
clerical, and legislative classes, and unless we could
there was sufficient ground to suspend the writ. prove that the man who complains of being unable
The Noble Lord was quite sensible of the serious- to maintain his family on 9s. per week, labours in-
ness of the bribery, and the still more disgusting cessantly fourteen hours on every working day of
public-house treating which took place at Ludlow his life, and never goes to a fair or a merry-making,
and Cambridge. Considering the law to be defec we should be triumphantly told that his want is
tire as to bribery, the Noble Lord intends at some the consequence of his own folly. One of the
time or other to propose that any gift, before or petitioners was accordingly sent to the House of
after an election, for having voted or abstained from Correction, because he was unable to pay 161 d.—
voting, shall be declared bribery, and make void a punishment which we cannot suppose would
the vote of every person giving or taking a bribe. have been inflicted, had his poverty not been the
He is also to propose to give an indemnity to all result of idleness, beer-drinking, and skittle-play-
witnesses before Election Committees, so that the ing. Such a punishment, inflicted on :uch a man,
truth may be got at. Treating he would prohibit is only the due carrying out the arguments which
for one month before and after an election. The are continually"used by Tory journalists, parsons and
Ludlow Committee had, he thought, confined county
itself too much to the case before it, and h y gentlemen. They all say that the poverty of
e the labourers is the consequence of their own vices ;
will propose to enact that Committees should in and for poverty accordingly they punish them. The
future inquire into any allegations of bribery and Anti-Corn-law men arc already satisfied that the
treating.• His Lordship was understood to say misery of the people is caused by the Corn-laws,
that in his situation he should not be expected to the Pro-Corn-law men see in it only evidence of
prosecute the inquiries necessary to bring forward the vices of the people ; and individual exhibitions
a complete measure, and he quoted the conduct of of suffering only make them exult that they are so
Lord CASTLEREAGH towards himself as an inch- much more righteous than the poor. Their
cation that he wculd not throw obstacles in the political faith is founded on their own well-being
way of any person who followed up his hints. The in relation to others ; and, however much it may
Noble Lord also gave a history of what the Par- be shaken by their own sufferings, by the sufferings
dement had formerly done in disfranchising bo- of others it will only be confirmed.
rcughs similarly convicted of bribery, and did not The petitions referred to may, nevertheless, be
altogether repudiate the notion that the same dis- put to use. The petitioners say that they have
franchisement, after inquiry, might be extended to each five or six children. It would be impossible,
Ludlow-and Cambridge. He relies, however, on even were there no Corn-laws, for such families to
public opinion to correct some of these evils. grow up—till the eo'npetitive principle shall be
The Earl of DARLINGTON, when the Noble put down by Socialism—without caueing a con-
Lord had done, expressed his concurrence in the stant competition for employment, and the reduc-
sentiments of Lord J. RUSSELL. 6011 of wages to the lowest standard of subsistence.
Mr. HawEs moved, as an amendment on Lord If, therefore, the country gentlemen, the clergy,
DARLINGTON'S motion, for a Select Committee to the law-makers desire, as apparently they do, to
euire into bribery at Ludlow, and to suspend the keep the labouring classes poor, degraded, and
miserable, and at the same time desire to maintain
their superiority, it will surely be wise in them to
allow the labourers to work their own degradation,
instead of fixing the houded discontent of ages and
of millions of men on themselves, and on their
Corn-laws, as the immediate causes of dear bread,
extreme poverty, and degradation.