The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-22 00:00:00

RAILWAY SUN

IS NO W PUBLISHING.
PRICE (TO SUBSCRIBERS) SIXPENCE.

THE WEATHER.—Sux OFFICE, MAY 22.
THERMOMETER, Lowest, 47; Highest, 63; Noon, 67

BAROMETER, 30.17.—W1ND S.; fine.

HIGil WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE:THIS DAY.
3:corning • • 37 minutes after 11.1 Evening .. 0 minutes after 12.

man gives the entire merit. It is said that this gallant and
daring officer had not only to contend with the enemy, with
the strong forts of St. Jean d'Acre, the long line of fortifica-
tions on the coast, and the difficulties of the season then
commencing, but with the dilatory and undecided resolves of
his own admiral. The capture of Copenhagen would have
been a failure but for the glowing and youthful genius of
NELSON ; the most glorious opportunity of destroying an
enemy's fleet was lost in the Basque Roads because GAMBIER
was placed over COCHRANE, and the same might have been
the fate of the Syrian expedition had not NAPIKR, like NEL-
SON, quietly carried on the work in his own way. But even
in this very instance is a glowing proof of the ruinous
system. Sir CHARLES NAPIER, who has acquired
not European, but universal, fame for conducting
an expedition unexampled in the rapidity of its
movements, the spirit with which the attacks were made and
sustained, and the astonishing results—the security of Con-
stantinople, and probably the very existence of the Ottoman
dynasty—was, on his return, as a reward for his labours,
" laid on the shelf," and is now spending the prime of his
life in professional idleness. He is only a captain ; and what
an insult it would be to admirals, and vice-admirals, and
rear-admirals, to give him a command while they remained
on the retired list ! Nay, even the result of experience,
the most indubitable facts, the primary cause of
all our glorious victories by sea and land, during
the most awful contest in which England ever was
engaged, are entirely forgotten by Sir GEORGI COCKBURN
and those sages who maintain the sacred rights of seniority.
When the public danger became too powerful for etiquette,
and the safety of the State set the authority of the Horse
Guards and Admiralty at defiance, merit was preferred to
age, and the wisdom of our ancestors treated with the most
supercilious contempt. Sir ARTHUR WELLESLEY was made
Commander-in-Chief of the army of Portugal while only
thirty-eight years of age, and was not more than
forty- six when he concluded the sanguinary scene
by the battle of Waterloo. NaLsoN, in like manner, was
placed over the heads of his seniors. He was little more
than forty when he gained the battle of the Nile, and ended
his glorious career at the age of forty-seven. The Govern-
mont and the Admiralty cannot despise such striking proofs
of the absurdity of tke present system, and we therefore re-
joice that the Earl of ELLENnonot:Gli has made a move in
the right direction, and has resolved to follow examples which
have been productive of immortal services to the country.

Quietly and patiently the promoters of Free Trade have
watched the proceedings of Parliament in relation to the
Ministerial measures. During the seventeen weeks which
have now elapsed since the Prime Minister of England first
announced his conversion to the principles of unrestrictive
commerce, those great associated powers, through whose
instrumentality the Legislature has obtained an accurate
knowledge of the opinions entertained by the multitude, and
through whose interference many of our legislators have been
driven into just views of political economy, have maintained an
extraordinary quiescence. Anything that might savour of
intimidation has been scrupulously avoided : even the Anti
Corn-law League, previously so untiring in its assemblies,
has lapsed into a most imperturbable silence. Whatever de-
monstrations have been made during the present session in
favour of the popular policy have invariably been of an in-
cidental nature, they have transpired, as it were, accidentially
upon the hustings of any casual elections. But a systematic
agitation of the question at issue has been, as we have already
observed, most sedulously avoided. Even during the small
gap in the discussion caused by the Easter holidays, Mr.
ConDEN sanctioned, in a particular manner, the continuance
of this tranquillity, by refusing to attend certain meetings
proposed to be convened i❑ the provinces by the rasher
amongst his admirers, and which meetings were in conse-
quence of this refusal altogether suppressed. The anta-
gonists of the Corn and Customs' Bill would fain have per-
suaded themselves that this quietude implied the displeasure
of the public and the impotence of the free-traders; never-
theless, despite of these insinuations, it has remained os-
tensible to every individual blessed with a mere crumb of
common sense that the associative powers which were thus
either scorned or traduced, still possessed all their original
strength, though, for honourable and judicious reasons, that
strength was for the time being lying dormant. We cannot
too forcibly commend the wisdom of this course : the
great leaders of the movement having in it shown
a total abnegation of self, by avoiding that publicity which
could only have ensured for them the acclamations of their
countrymen, satisfied as they were with the victory which
appeared to be accomplishing. Besides this, it was the
most dignified attitude which the people themselves could
have assumed. Whatever procrastination was visible in the
Commons was so evidently attributable to the pertina-
cious zeal of a hopeless and helpless minority, that any
popular demonstration in favour of the measure, besides
being wholly superfluous, would have attached an undue im-
portance to the exertions of that minority. Everybody re-
cognised this, and hence the League persevered in its appa-
rent indolence, all the principal mercantile associations in
the empire remained still—as silent as heretofore—and the
measures of Sir ROBERT PEEL, in due course of time,
passed with a triumphant majority through the
House of Commons. The approved Bills ate sub-
sequently carried to the bar of the Lords, and
submitted to the decision of the aristocracy ; curiosity
is redoubled ; there is a manifest accession of impatience in
all quarters of the community ; rumours get abroad ; and, in
the opinion of many, the affair takes a novel and somewhat
questionable aspect. As a matter of necessity, this com-
motion in the mind of the population evinces itself in an
overt manner; the excitement gradually resolves itself into an
appreciable form, and those who are reallydesirous for the ac-
ceptance of a free-trade policy speak out calmly, but very
plainly, notwithstanding. The inferences to be drawn
from that kind of demonstration cannot be misconstrued : it
is the involuntary welling forth of the popular emotions.
And such a demonstration was the meeting of the Chamber
of Commerce, held yesterday at Manchester. Influential
in the mercantile character of its members, and influen-
tial also in the number of persons collected together upon
the occasion,: it is impossible not to view the assembly with
some interest, and equally impossible to treat the sentiments
expressed by the speakers with reference to the position of
the commercial measures now awaiting the sanction of the
Peers. Nevertheless, we Cannot induce ourselves to regard
the ultimate decision of their Lordships as of such a dubious
character as was occasionally insinuated during the pro-
ceedings of this meeting. Undoubtedly the juncture is of
such peculiar difficulty as to render it very advisable to be
prepared, if possible, for any emergency. The debilitated
condition of trade renders some such movement as the above
almost the bounden duty of mercantile men, and that such is
actually the condition of trade no one can for a moment dis-
pute, after the observations uttered by the President of the
Manchester Chamber of Commerce. If we may place im-
plicit reliance upon his authority, the operatives are in many
instances being paid not out of the profits of their employers,
not out of the proceeds of any ordinary contract, "but clearly out
of the capital," and that capital, as a matter of course, de-
creasing quickly. On the same assurances, it appears that
various print-houses "of the first importance and respect-
ability," have deemed it advisable, from the paucity of
customers, "to suspend their operations altogether." Again,
the President informs us that " some most respect
able and extensive shippers are standing almost
totally still," and in another portion of his very
practical address, that " the hand-loom weavers
are unemployed to a very great extent." From all these
circumstances, from the general stagnation in the markets,
and the consequent increase of artizans without employment,
he augurs the most lamentable consequences, unless by
the approval of the Ministerial measuree, the Peers
render the proposed policy the law of the
land, open the ports for the importation of provisions
and the exportation of manufactures, enable the bonded
corn to be made accessible to the people, and revive that
mercantile activity which forms the very life-blood of Great
Britain. Unless this step be taken by the Upper House,
" with the view of supplying the wants of those people,
I see nothing almost," he continues, " but annihila-
tion for them." Influenced by these feelings as to
the imminence of the juncture, a petition was proposed,
seconded, and adopted by this great assembly at Manchester,
praying of the Lords to take the measure into their instant
and conscientious consideration, and to follow the example
already given by their Parliamentary colleagues in the
Commons by passing the Bills unaltered—convinced that on
the incorporation of the principles contained in the Bills in
the statute-book rests the actual existence of many thousands
of their contemporaries, as well as the happiness and prosperity
of the British Isles generally, and the world at large. The
gloom of the picture of commercial lassitude visible in our
manufacturing and sea-port towns was only enhanced by
the evidence of subsequent speakers; and everything the
petition included tended to show the necessity that exists
for a speedy settlement of the lung-pending question. The
warning has been given, the prayer has been breathed; let
the Lords, as wise men, and as humane legislators, accede !

Madrid papers of the 14th have arrived.
The system of Post-office espionage appears to be in full
force in that city. The Clamor Public° states that its letters
from Paris had arrived with the seals broken.
M. Mon had recovered sufficiently from his recent illness
to enable him to attend to public business.
General MAnoro, of Bergara celebrity, bad arrived at
Cadiz, from whence lie was to embark for Chili.
MADRID Botsa, MAY 14.—The Three per Cents. were not
quoted. The shares of the Bank of San Fernando sold at 370,
and those of Isabel at 200.

We hare received the Paris papers of Wednesday.
The Greek Loan Bill passed the Chamber of Peers by a
majority of 125 to 4, after a speech front M. GUIZOT, in
which he admitted the disagreement between the English
and French Cabinets on this subject, reiterated his expres-
sions of confidence in the integrity of the Greek Minister
Courrt, and repeated his opinion that the English Govern-
ment was not in possession of accurate information on the
subject.

In the Chamber of Deputies, the discussion on the Budget
was continued, and M. GAuxma PAGES contrasted the Budget
of Expenses of the Restoration with the present one. To
this, the reply of M. LACAVE LA PLAGNE, the Finance Minister,
was unanswerable. The Restoration had not Algeria
to maintain, neither had they undertaken the great public
works which had been undertaken by the Ministry of
July, and which, from the improvements to which they had
giYQU ju the internal vnamunications of the country,

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 22, 1846.

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SECOND EDITION.