The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-23 00:00:00

S ARV pf PSEIVS

AND

tittbltt Optuion.

" Who runs may read."

The American papers bring important news from
China to the 17th of April, which will be found in an-
other part of The Sun. It states that the British had

seized upon Canton, from whence all the wealthy inha-
bitants had fled—that the High Commissioner Yang had
been disgraced and sent in chains to Pekin—that in their
engagements with the British the Chinese had lost about
3,000 men and 800 pieces of cannon, whereas the British
had only one man killed—that the Chinese Admiral
Kwang, the " lineal and terrible descendant of the God of
war, from whose wrath the barbarians could not withstand
extermination," was killed in one of the forts—and that
all hopes of an accommodation being at an end, a British
expedition would attack Pekin in the month of June.
As doubts of the authenticity of this news is entertained
in the city, we refrain from expressing any opinion upon
the events. We have, however, considered that we
would not be justified in withholding a full report of
this news from the public in the shape in which we find
it in the American papers. No news of importance this
miming from the Continent.

PUBLIC OPINILJN.
The Times asks the following carious question, with
reference to the late Manchester Conference :—" Is it
not abominably hard that we are obliged ever and anon
to abstract ourselves from more dign;lied pursuits, for the
mere purpose of putting an extinguisher upon humbugs ?"
The " dignified pursuits" of a Journal, whose sole pur-
suit for some years past has been to bolster up the cause
of faction, at the sacrifice of every just and conscientious
opinion that it once maintained—that shifts like a
weather-cock from day to day, and is consistent only in
its flagrant inconsistency ;—the " dignified pursuits" of
a Journal like this is such a broad, palpable joke, that
it is impossible to think of it without a burst of laughter!
As for our Contemporary's flippant allusion to " humbugs,"
it would be difficult to find onegreater than himself, unless
indeed it be that selfish anti-national faction which is now
as much the theme cf his idolatry, as it was five years ago of
his contempt. In another paragraph, the Times, still re-
ferring to the Members of the . Manchester Conference,
adds, "it would seem that thesg men's pompous and in-
flated arrogance has succeeded in ensnaring Lord Ducie
and Mr. Cobden, M.l'., into a belief that it was really
worth while to excite public wonder by the appearance of
a clean shirt or two at the Conference. Those respectable
persons little knew who their linen distinctions and good
sense were wasted on." From the constant reference that
our Contemporary has of late been making to clean shirts,
we infer that they are luxuries in which heseldom dreams
of indulging, for we always think most of those things
that are novelties to us!
The Morning Herald objects to the speakers at the
Manchester Conference, that they were uncultivated and
ungenteel, observing—" The Rev. Chairman of the day,
in the verbiage of a coal-porter, declared to the Confe-
rence that there was no palaver about the American
orator." The word " palaver" has evidently given
quite a galvanic shock to our contemporary's notions
of classic elegance, he himself being a model in this re-
spect ; and he adds, immediately afterwards, " The
effects of education, we had thought, were in no sense
more distinguishable than in the avoidance of slang; we
have either been labouring under a mistake, or political
dissenting teachers may be devoid of the education as
well as the manners and feelings of gentlemen." Hence-
forth, let no public speaker, whether Parliamentary or
otherwise ; ever make use of the word " palaver." The
Herald pronounces it vulgar and ungentlemanlike, and
who can demur to his high authority on the subject of
graceful and polished diction ? But if •' palaver" be
low, and worthy only of the meridian of Russell-
square ; how much lower and vulgarer mush have been
Lord Stanley's famous slang allusions to " thimble-rig-
ging !" Yet we do not recollect that our fastidious Con-
temporary expressed his disgust at this lavish display of
" Billingsgate ," for he seems to be one of those discreet
public instructors who can swallow a camel while they
strain at a gnat ! After all, however, the people will
look, not to the language of the Manchester speakers,
but to the principles they enunciated ; and if these are
sound, they will pardon the homeliness of their diction.
The Chronicle says :—" The general character of the
Conference proceedings at Manchester is such as cannot
fail to command respect. The resolutions are so framed
as to embrace the great moral and religious bearings of
the subject, founding the inferences which' they embody
mainly on facts coming under the personal observation of
the parties themselves, or on the broad, undeniable
truths of history and moral science. The convocation,
or synod, as it has been termed, promises to be as unique
in its results as in the impulse on which it was sum-
moned. It is the one general council of practical Chris-
tianity. Aided, as its object has been, by such publica-
tions as those of the Rev. Thomas Spencer and other
clergymen of the Establishment, especially by the
powerful pen and high character of the Rev. Baptist
Noel, we cannot but consider one most important result
as achieved; The religious sense and principle of the
country has declared itself against the Corn-laws." This
is perfectly true ; and the sound, healthy, patriotic spirit
displayed at the Manchester Conference will very soon
find an echo in the hearts of nine-tenths of the com-
munity.
The Post observes, in an article praising the incom-
parable public virtues of the Tories :—" 'We should be
glad to know what there has been in the conduct of the
Parliamentary party, headed by Sir Robert Peel for the
last ten years, which 'should warrant any man of vera-
city in attributing to that party intolerance or exclu-
siveness ? We defy any one, however hostile to the
Conservative party, to produce instances, or a single in-
stance, of such dispositions." For an answer to this
barefaced assertion, we refer our Contemporary to the
Parliamentary Debates fur the last ten years and up-
wards.
The Dublin Evening Post assigns these reasons for the
increase in the military force in Ireland :—" Four regi

ments have been ordered to Ireland, sqy the Orange
journals, and the Whigs, by making this tardy increase
of the military force, admit that the country is not in
that blessed state of tranquillity for which so much credit

has been given them. The sending of those regiments

to Ireland has had nothing whatever to do with the

state of the country, which is as tranquil as

represented by the Judges during the recent Circuits,
Two of those regiments are Cavalry, and they have
come over to complete the quota of that description of

force allotted to this country, and because, from the

paucity of cavalry in Ireland, much inconvenience was
suffered, and a great number of horses were rendered
unfit for service, owing to the very distant stations, it

has been found-necessary to send detachments. With
respect to the infantry, the corps ordered to Ireland,
being reduced below the proper standard, are coming
over to recruit, and complete their complement.
The arrangement is altogether one of military conve-
nience, considered expedient at the Horse Guards, and
having no connection whatever with the preservation of
order in Ireland.

The Durham Chronicle gives the following etymology
of the distinguishing feature of Conservatism :—" There

is a difficulty often in giving a new definition to party ;
for unless it be fit the original name predominates.
Conservatism and bigotry are one. Now, what is bigotry?
Walker is happier in the pun of his pronunciation than
in his definition. Big-gut. ted, or Big-gut-try, makes a
very good collateral or analogical definition, while the
real meaning of the word is an attachment to idolatrous

error—to something beyond party. All the figured
idols of the earth have been exhibited with big bellies
and the priests and idolators of all countries as carnivore
or great devourers of animal food, which they call sacri-
fice. Eaters without work would be another appropriate
definition of Tories or Conservatives."

The Coventry Herald remarks on the obscurity of the
Peel measures :—" The dishonest silence of Peel for the

last two months has not been more unjust to his oppo-
nents, than it has been embarrassing and awkward for
his own friends to deal with. Pressed right and left, be-
fore and behind, by their respective adherents, gasping,
yearning, and importuning for intelligence," news,' or
information,' the best public instructors' of the Tory
Press have been forced to say something
yet, being left
quite in the dark as to the future policy of their leader
they have scarcely known what to advance, or what to
withhold ; what to advocate, or what to oppose, save and.
except that it is quite right to turn out the Whigs."

MONEY-TRADE-C9IVIDIERCE.
The Devizes turnpike tolls have been let for the en.
suing year at 3,030/., being 432/. less than last year's let.
Accounts from Trieste say that several commercial,
failures have occurred in that city.

There has beeifff C
stftravliorni-ra able ct.
ange in the Brigh-
ton weather. On Monday and Tuesday, though rain
still continued to fall at intervals, the atmosphere be-
came much warmer, and the barometer rose ; and on:
Wednesday the sun rose in unclouded splendour, and
has since maintained its supremacy. Both Thursday
and Friday were beautiful days—warm without being
sultry. The harvest has now pmpeucesi in earnest ig

FOREIGN.
The American domestic news to the Bth inst., brought
by the Great Western, is of so miscellaneous a character
that no summary of it can be given here. Nor does it
contain a single fact of paramount importance save that
Mr. M'Leod would positively be brought to trial at Utica
on the 19th inst.