The Sun.
London, England, 1840-01-09 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—The Ladies Eleonora and
Constance Paget remain at the Castle on a visit to the
Queen, and the Earl and Countess of Uxbridge are ex-
pected to join the Royal Dinner party this evening.
Viscount Torrington arrived yesterday at the Cas-
tle, and succeeded Lord Byron as Lord in Waiting on
her Majesty. Viscount Melbourne took his departure
for town this morning.
Mr. Lane's lithographic print of his Highness
Prince Albert of Saxe Cohourg Gotha, from Mr. Ross's
miniature, was submitted to her Majesty this morning.
The Royal dinner party at the Castle this evening is
expected to include her Royal Highness the Duchess
of Kent, Earl and Countess of Uxbridge, the Ladies
Eleonora and Constance Paget, Hon. W. Cowper,
Countess of Charlemont, Lady Fanny Howard, Hon.
Miss Paget, Hon. Miss Pitt, Viscountess Forbes, Ba-
roness Lehzen, Viscount Torrington, Colonel Buckley,
and the Hon. C. A. Murray.

The Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George and the Princess
I Augusta of Cambridge, attended by Miss Kerr, Baron
Knesebeck, and Colonel Cornwall, dined with her
Majesty the Queen Dowager at Marlborough House
on Tuesday evening,.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George
of Cambridge, and Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar,
honoured Covent-Garden Theatre with their presence
last evening.
A Deputation from the Aborigines Protection So-
ciety, consisting of Dr. Hodgkin, W. Allen, Esq., It.
Foster, Esq., J. H. Tredgold, Esq., the Rev. J. J.
Freeman (Secretary), the Rev. R. Moffat, of Latakoo,
and A. B. Wright, Esq. had an interview with Lord
John Russell yesterday, at the Colonial Office.
The Commander of the Forces bad an interview with
the Marquis of Normanby yesterday, at the Home-
office.
A Deputation from the British and F9reign Anti-
Slavery Society, consisting of William Allen, George
Stacey, Robert Forster, Josiah Corder, and J. H.
Tredgold, had an interview with Lord John Russell at '
the Colonial Office, yesterday.
The Marquis of Lansdowne arrived in town yester-
day afternoon, from:his seat, Bowood Park, Wilts.
Tne. Bishop of Nova Scotia and Sir H. Macleod had
interviews with Lord John Russell yesterday at the
Colonial Office.
The Cabinet Ministers dined last evening with Lord
John Russell at his residence in Wilton-crescent.
The Brazilian Charge d'Affaires transacted business
yesterday at the Foreign Office.
Viscount Melbourne arrived in town yesterday after-
noon from a visit to her Majesty at Wiidsor Castle.
Lord John Russell will give a full-dress Parliamen-
tary Dinner on the hith inst. at the Foreign Office,
Downing-street.

TILE GOLD-DUST ROBBERY.—At the Central
Criminal Court yesterday, Mr. Justice Coleridge inti-
mated to the agents concerned in the prosecution of
Money Moses and the Cpspars, for the robbery of gold-
dust, that in all probability the decision of the Judges
on the points of law which had been under their consi-
deration would be given at the next sessions of the Cen-
tral Criminal Court.

STATE OF TRADE.— There was a good
general inquiry both for goods and yarn yesterday ; but,
as a great majority of the spinners and manufacturers
held out resolutely for higher prices, which the buyers
in general were not disposed to give, the amount of
business did not quite correspond with the extent of the
inquiries. In some few cases an advance was given ;
in the remainder the full prices of the previous week
were obtained ; and, generally speaking, the market
wore a firm and healthy appearance. —Manchester
Guardian.

Russia and England are equally extending their
power over Asia ; and it will not be many years, if
each proceeds in its present course, before they come
into contact. England will probably then regret that
she has opened the way, by extending her own military
communications to Affghanistan, for Russia, io Cal-
cutta. Her advances towards Russia shorten the dis-
tance which that power will have to go. Far better would
it he to leave all the intermediate territory between Ben-
gal and Russia unexplored and uncivilised, a barrier of
many barbarous tribes and nations which Russia must
conquer before it can reach the seat of our trading
empire, than to civilise them and make roads and com
munieations between Bengal and the Russian empire
likewise preparing the way for the Russians to march to
Calcutta. The barbarous country betwixt Russia and
the English possessions has ever been held to be the
security against an invasion from her. Our present
policy seems to be to remove that barrier by extending
ourselves over this intermediate country, and so reach-
ing a hand, as it were, to Russia to help her on the
road.—Brighton Guardian.
A serious accident happened to our worthy and
invaluable townsman, the Rev. John Fullagar, on- Mon-
dry se'nnight. Ile was journeying to Portsmouth by
the Union coach, which unfortunately upset and fell
upon him. Fears were at first entertained that the Rev.
Gentleman had sustained some internal injury ; but it
is now, we are happy to state, satisfactorily ascertained
that, although the external bruises are many and severe,
au vital part iS affected, and no bone broken. An op-
position coach had that day been started, arising out of
the late municipal contest ; and it is supposed that some
malignant miscreant of the Tory party had taken out the
linch-pin from one of the wheels to impede the progress
of the coach, regardless of the limbs and lives of the
passengers. It is much to be regretted that the spirit
of party should so pervade the common concerns of life
that stage-coaches have become political vehicles. We
have a Tory and a Liberal coach running to and from
Portsmouth every day.—Brighton Guardian.
COLONEL THOMPSON AND THE ANTI-CORN-
LAW LEAGUE.—" Birmingham, 24th December, 1839.
Sir,—After the way in which the funds and organiza-
tion of the Anti-Corn-law League have been applied to
the dissemination of personal abuse, and the execution
of party and electioneering vengeances, in their Anti-
Corn-law Circular of the 1 ith of September last, I ap-
prehend there would be inconveniences to all concerned,
in my sitting down at the banquet which is to take place
in Manchester on Thursday evening the 9th day of Ja-
nuary, 1840.-1 have the honour to be Sir, your very
obedient servant, T. PERRONET THOMPSON. To Geo.
Wilson, Esq., Chairman of the Council of the Anti-
Corn-law League."

DEATH By BURNING.—On Tuesday evening
an inquest was held at St. Bartholomew's Hospital
on the body of Eleanor Tavener, aged 79. It ap-
peared that deceased and her husband were in inde-
pendent circumstances, and lodged at the White-
Swan, Islington-green, and that the pot-boy of that
house, hearing her scream on Tuesday morning last,
hurried to her room, and found her lying, with her
clothes all in flames, on the floor, and her aged hus-
band trying to extinguish them. Witness tore the
clothes off, wrapped her in a blanket, and she was in-
stantly brought to that hospital. She had been in-
toxicated the night previous. The husband, upwards
of eighty-five, and whose mental and bodily powers were
in the last stage of decay, said his wife set her clothes
on fire whilst reaching for some money that was on
the mantel-piece. It appeared that deceased whenever
she went out used to say that she was going to
drown herself, but that on being watched she always
turned into the Pied Bull, where she got drunk.—Ver-
diet, " Accidental Death."

• __
MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT.---On the night of
Thursday last, Mr. Edw. Middleton, farmer, Apland,
on leaving the house of David Grier, Enterkin•foot, un-
fortunately missed his way on returning home, and from
the extent of ur:derwood, and the darkness of the night,
had wandered too near the bed of the Nith. When
the alarm was given next day, a party of acquaintances
went forth in quest of him ; but, however diligent, they
were unsuccessful. The neighbourhood having now
become exceedingly anxious, two parties on Satur-
day vulunte, red their services, who, after consultation,
separated, exploring both sides of the Nith as far down
as Aultigirth Bridge, and about a hundred yards below
that point the body was discovered in a narrow creek,
cold and lifeless, as may be naturally supposed. The
deceased has left a widow and child, and his loss is very
sincerely deplored by a wide circle of friends and ac-
quaintaoees.•_Dunfries Courier.
CHILD DROPPING.—Monday evening an in-
quest was held at the Kensington workhouse, on the
body of a full-grown female infant which was found on
Thursday morning last exposed in Lord Holland's park.
Verdict—Found dead, but how it came by its death
them was no evidence to prove. •

TRAPS FOR ANTI.CORN-LAW

REPE ALERS.

(Firom the Anti-Corn-lato Circular.)
Beware of steel traps ante spring guns."
It is no less necessary at the present time to warn
• Corn-law repealers of the gins and scares which are
spread to natch the unwary, than it is to caution tre•s-
passerg of thost invidious instruments, steel traps and
swing guns.
The public mind has never before been so feelingly
alive to the evils, the i justice, and the oppressive cha-
racter of the existing Corn-laws as at present ; nor has
there evr been so general a feeling that the time is
arrived when the interests of the country require that
they be totally and immediately abolished. We do not
disguise the fact, however, that there is a difference of
opinion as to the total and immediate repeal of the
Corn-laws ; sonic few advocating a modification of the
existing laws, others a moderate fixed duty—(who can
tell what a moderate fixed duty means o—others, again,
a present duty of Ss. to 10s. a quarter, to decline Is. a
year till corn be admitted free. We shall examine
each of these expedients.
First, as to the modification of the existinc, law. A
comparative statement has been circulated between the
Bill proposed by Mr. Canning, in 1827, but thrown
out by the House of Lords, and the present law pro.
posed by the Duke of Wellington, and passed in 1828,
of which the following is a copy :
Average Prices Duty according to Duty according to the
of Wheat. Canning's Bill. D. of Wellington's Bill.
73s . Is Is
72s
71s
70s
69s
68s
67s
66s
65s
64s ......,.... 12s
63s
62s
613
60s
59►
583
57s
56s
55*
54s
53s ...... 24s
It will be observed, that the principles of Mr. Can-
ning's and the Duke of Wellington's Bills are alike,
viz., those of a fluctuating duty, with this difference,
that the avowed object of Mr. Canning's Bill was to
keep wheat at an average price of 635., whilst that of
the Duke of Wellington's was to keep it at 688. a
quarter.* The evils of the present system would not,
however, be obviated by the adoption of Mr. Canning's
Bill, and it will, therefore, have but few supporters.
The corn trade would still continue a gambling busi-
ness. There would be no remedy for excessive fluc-
tuations in prices, and we should still be subject to all
the evils of a derangement of the currency attendant
on a demand for foreign corn, and a drain for bullion
to pay for it.

Now, as to the project of " a moderate fired duty,"
there is greater need of warning Corn-law repeaters,
because it is urged with a speciousness which is calcu-
lated more than any other to mislead, and by a class of
persons who, affecting great moderation, wish to pass
themselves off to the public as " very good sort of
men." These men profess, with us, great hostility to
the present Corn-law, but do not approve of its total
and immediate repeal. They agree with us in thinking
that it is rapidly injuring the manufacturing and com-
mercial interests of the country, and that, unless re-
pealed, the ruin of the nation will inevitably be the
consequence. They agree with us also that the want
of employment, and the consequent deficiency of food
and clothing under which our labourers suffer, are
evils to be fairly attributed to the Corn-laws. They
concur, in fact, entirely with us, as to the extent and
nature of the disease under which the body-politic is
groaning ; but they disagree as to the plan which we
would recommend for effecting a cure. " Your mode
of proceeding," say they, " is much too violent ; you
will shock moderate people." But they must have
strange notions of justice, who, whilst they admit that
millions of their fellow•creatures are robbed of a por-
tion of the fruits of their hard labour, can yet turn
aside from them and bestow all their sympathy upon
their oppressors and plunderers. These moderate men
would have us approach the landlords with " beaded
knee and bated breath," and humbly pray that they
will be graciously pleased to be a little more just ; to
rob the poor with moderation ! They seem to have a
notion that with some show of address and tact, but
with plenty of deference, the landlords may be wheedled
into the practice of a little honesty.
The plan recommended by this party is, to advocate
a moderate fixed duty in place of the present fluc-
tuating scale. Not that they would justify a tax upon
bread in the abstract ; they condemn, as unjust, such a
mode of raising a revenue ; but it is to conciliate " mo-
derate" men of all parties. Leaving, then, the question
justice, about which we are agreed, let us examine how
far, even as a matter of expediency, it would be good
policy for us to advocate a moderate fixed duty, instead
of the total and immediate repeal of the Corn-laws ?
Let us suppose that the Anti-Corn-law Delegates, at
their first meeting in Manchester, had come to a reso-
lution to petition Parliament for a fixed duty of eight
shillings a quarter on wheat ; a shilling a bushel would
be a " moderate" robbery when compared with the pre-
sent systein. Does anybody suppose that half a million
of people would have petitioned in favour of such a
scheme ? Nay, would not our lecturers, if employed
to advocate such a plan, have been hooted at by every
succeeding audience ? But, leaving the public out of the
question (and with the public we include the populace,
the multitude, without whose sympathy no great
political change has ever been effected), let us fol-
low the Delegates to London, where their petition for
a fixed duty had, we will suppose, come under discus-
sion in Parliament, and been made the theme of the
writers and speakers of the day. The matter to be de-
cided upon would then have involved no question of the
great principles—the truth or falsehood, the justice or
injustice, the right or wrong of the Corn-laws. The
point to determine would have been whether a fixed
duty, or the present fluctuating one, be preferable ; a
most convenient mode of raising the question for the
landlords and their party, inasmuch as there is quite as
much justice in the principle of a fluctuating, as a fixed
duty, whilst there is the appearance of a great deal more.
The vote would at. length have been taken on the
question ; but do any of our readers suppose it would
have been in favour of the supposed petition for an
eight-shilling fixed duty ? Let us call their attention
to the vote of the previous session, when Colonel Seale's
proposal to allow foreign corn to be ground in bond for
exportation, was rejected by a great majority, by the
very Ale»tbers who constitute the present House y
comm.. It was proposed that not a pound of tin
flour so ground should be used at home, but they would
not allow foreign wheat to be ground here at all, lest the
bran from it should be used to feed pigs and poultry ! !
What, then, had happened in the meantime to induce
the[self same men to pass a measure infinitely more
opposed to their prejudices and interests ? We shall
be told that the proceedings in Manchester, the forma-
tion at that time of nearly forty anti-Corn-law associa-
tions (there are now nearly three hundred), and the
presentation of petitions signed by upwards of half a
million of people, had all contributed to alarm the land-
lords, and induce them to agree to a compromise. But
these great demonstrations were brought about by the
example of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce,
which decided in favour of the principle of total and
immediate repeal. Had the decision been in favour of
a fixed duty, there would have been none of that en-
thusiastic co-operation which afterwards gave such force
to the proceeding of the delegates in London.
It must be clear, then, that had the Anti-Corn-law
party identified itself with the principle of a fixed duty
it would have justly failed in carrying out its object ;
and it would have, besides defeat, suffered the still worse
disaster of losing the sympathy and support of the public.
At present the organization and character of the Anti-
Corn-law League arc felt to be formidable by the land-
lords. They are so because they are jounded upon the
principle of justice, and not expediency.
There is another class of objectors to which we shall
briefly allude. They are in favour of the total abolition
of the Corn-laws, but they advocate the gradual in pre-
ference to the immediate repeal. The question admits
of easy solution if submitted to the test of true principle.
It is admitted that the Corn-law is unjust, yet it is con-
tended that it ought to be continued a little longer. If
it be good to retain an injustice for a day, it must be
equally so to tolerate it for twenty years, or even a
hundred. Once admit the right of legislating upon any
other principle than that of strict justice, and we place
ourselves, to an indefinite extent, at the mercy of
the; wrongdoer. ‘Ve contend that if an injustice be
acknowledged to exist, it ought to be at once removed.
It is not a valid argument in favour of continuing the
evil even for a day, to tell us that vested interests would
suffer ftom a total and immediate repeal of the Corn-
lae a. Our answer is, that there are a thousand times
as many !persons suffering from the operation of the
laws as there are benefiting by them, and the former
have a " vested" right to the enjoyment tf the fruits of
their industry, which must claim precedence y any
vested interests which the landlords or their tenants
may have appropriated to themselves at the expense of
the rest of the community. We have reason to believe,
moreover, that the plan of total and immediate would
be preferable to gradual repeal, even as far as the in-
terests of the agricultural tenants are concerned, espe-
cially if the tenants be released from their leases in all
cases where they desire it, a measure strictly just, inas-
much as the landlords, having unjustly availed them-
selves of their power to make laws for their own ex-
clusive benefit, are bound to make reparation to all who
are injured by the repeal of such laws.
Beware then of pretended moderados and moderate

• A vain attempt, as even under this law the avera7e
prices of wheat in 1835 and 1836 were 40g. per quarter.
Surely the landlords must have discovered ere this that
they may as well try to regulate the stars by Act of Parlia-
ment as to regulate the prices of wheat I