The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-11 00:00:00

SUMMARY OF NEWS

AND

Vutlltt Opt Mon.

" Who runs may read."

FOREIGN.

We were misinformed respectingthe, postpone-
ment of the trial of Madame Laffarge for the rob-
bery of the diamonds. No time has been allowed
for bringing her witness from Mexico. In the mean-
time those quacks, the phrenologists, have been
at work upon the cranium of the unfortunate
woman. On her appearance in Court, the Corre-
spondent of the Presse discovered that her mouth,
although large, expressed a " sarcastic cunning, im-
patient to attack," and that her physiognomy pourtrayed
" treachery and audacity." Of what use is trial by Jury
in a country where men allow their minds to be in-
fluenced by such absurdities ?
The King of the French and the ex-Regent of Spain
are hard at work plotting the downfal of the Constitu-
tionalists in the Peninsula. Never did Espartero stand
in greater need of the support of Lord Palmerston. We
greatly fear that Spain will have cause to mourn in tears
of blood the accession of the Tories to office.
Among the most ridiculous of the designs of the
French Legitimists is one for placing the young Duke of
Bordeaux,HenryV., as his partisans style him,on the throne
of Syria. Unfortunately, the Great Powers have recently
declared the occupation of this throne to be one of the
rights of the Sultan. The French Carlists, however, will
not be content without a/throne for their idol, by way of
preparing him for a triumphant return to France, when-
ever it shall please the Republicans to rid the world of
Louis Philippe. The madness of a Legitimist, like that
of a Tory, is incurable. As easy would it have been to
restore the Stuarts to the throne of England twelve years
after the Revolution of 1688, as to dream of reconciling
the French to the sway of the elder branch of the
Bourbons.

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- The force of steam and the increasing necessities of
unrestricted intercourse are gradually breaking down
obstructions. The movement of the Turkish provinces
that border the Danube has led to the dispensing, on the
part of Austria, with the quarantine at Orsova; so that
travellers may now proceed up that river without impe-
diment, and make the passage from Constantinople to
Vienna in thirteen days.

The German Papers say that the Duke d'Aremberg
intends to give a tournament on the occasion of his
daughter's marriage to Prince Aldobrandini Borghese.
Upwards of two hundred silver rings are to be prizes for
the victors.

From the Hamburgh brig Helene, which arrived
at Falmouth on Sunday, from Buenos Ayres, we learn
by the Master's report, that an action had taken place
between the Buenos Ayres and Monte Videan squadrons,
off Monte Video. A great many men were killed and
wounded on both sides, and though their ships were
much shattered, neither party boasted a victory.
The second Affghan campaign has been of a dif-
ferent character from the first. From the beginning of

January, 1840, to the month of March in this year, our
troops have been engaged in 23 conflicts, chiefly with the
fierce predatory clans of the country. We have sus-
tained 13 defeats or checks in the mountains, or before
their natural fortresses. We have lost 1,400 men and
17 European officers ; and the service on which the
British army is engaged, at an expense of 3,000,000/. or
4,000,000/. per annum, is a perpetual desultory warfare.

PUBLIC OPINION.
The Morning Post, with its wonted disregard of
truth, accuses Ministers of having proposed an alteration
in the Corn-laws with no other view than to trick the
people, observing—" They hit upon an alteration of the
Corn•law, and an extended application in other matters
of the principles of free trade, as the talisman by means
of which they thought they could charm the people of
England out of all memory of what had passed, and all
power of understanding what was to come. They cheated
not the people, but themselves. The bait was not swal-
lowed." No other charge can be brought against Minis-
ters than that of having been much too dilatory in bring-
ing forward their remedial measures. They should have
proposed them at least four years ago. It is their hav-
ing failed to do so that has occasioned the present gene-
ral feeling of distrust towards them. As for trickery,
there is none in the case. The Tories monopolise this.

The Advertiser is quite decided on the subject o
the abolition of the Corn monopoly. Down it must go,
observes our Contemporary. " The force (he adds) which
at this moment is pitted in antagonism to the Corn-laws,
is the force of necessity—a force so stern and unrelent-
ing, as inevitably and at once to crush into atoms what-
ever power may dare to oppose it. Not more mad or
hopeless, should the approaching harvest prove deficient,
would be the effort to arrest the progress of the flowing
ocean, than will be the attempt, should it be made, in
the coming winter, to resist the demand for the extinc-
tion of the Corn monopoly. Down that monopoly must
go, and down must go the Government, aye, and fifty
adverse Governments, were it possible to 'form as many,
that dares attempt to support it."
The Times thus defines its notions on the Poor-law
Bill :—" We have urged, as we ever shall urge, in the
name of humanity and justice, the discontinuance of
a system which operates to the oppression of deserving
objects. We have said, and we say again, that those
who use a penal test are morally bound to discriminate,
and that the sweeping application of such a test to all
classes of paupers is an intolerable wrong. But what
then ? We did not suggest that the administrators of
the law should therefore enter into a moral classification
of paupers, and apportion the degrees of relief to the
relative degrees of merit. We suggested, or rather we
demanded, in the name of the country, the immediate
abolition of the present penal test, as vicious in principle ;
and we insisted upon the necessity of substituting an-
other, which could be applied with equal uniformity to
all able-bodied applicants for relief, and which would be
quite as effectual in protecting the country against the
demands of the dissolute and the idle."
The Herald, in an article suggested by the present
state of Belgium, advocates the re-annexation of that
kingdom to Holland :—" The least excuse, or a lucky
accident, will, in all probability, if the progress of events
be undisturbed, restore the kingdom of the Netherlands,
as laid down in 1815, to the territorial settlement of
Europe. Now we venture to think that this quiet and
peaceable re-annexation would be an event desirable for
European peace and policy. The present position of
Belgium is not, as we have seen, advantageous to her-
self, and it is perilous to Europe. There is no hope of
permanent stability for her existing situation." A " quiet
and peaceable re-annexation" is a manifest absurdity,
after the acrimonious spirit evinced by Belgium and Hol-
land towards each other, in 1830, and some years pre-
viously. That spirit is not yet mellowed down, nor is it
likely to be, for a long time to come.
The Chronicle describes the present state of the
country in these forcible terms :—" Sir Robert Peel will
soon find that he has to encounter powers much more
formidable than the combatants' of party interests.'
The principles of justice, and even of self-preservation,
are in the field against him. The blood of humanity
is up, net for a party interest, but against an atro-
cious crime and a terrible calamity. Want is in our
streets and despair in our cottages. Forebodings
of riot and starvation are rising on the fancy.
The poison of monopoly is in the veins of the social sys-
tem. The protest of religion against oppression is re-
corded in Heaven. • Whoever will rule in England must,
willingly or unwillingly, untax the people's bread.
No matter for votes, divisions, and party interests
Relief is demanded by justice and humanity. The
cry will not relax for the sake of Whig or Tory."
Where, again we ask, is Sir Robert Peel's remedy for this
state of things ? The answer is ready. He has no
time to think of one. He is busy reconciling differences
among his own party. He is engaged in the momentous
task of persuading Lord Stanley to practice the soothing
system. When he has done this--which we suspect he
will never do—he will then have leisure to prescribe
for the country. Was ever Minister so engaged at such a
crisis ?