The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-23 00:00:00

ktritilTA ,:1111".

LONDON, MONDAY, FgIiRUARY 23, 1846.

The debate on the Ministerial proposition for the re-
peal of the corn laws has now continued for a fortnight.
There is not a Protectionist who does not admit that
his case is hopeless. Protection has been tried, con-
demned, sentenced, and delivered up for execution; but,
like Prior's thief,
"Who fitted the halter, still traversed the cart,
. And often took leave, yet seemed loth to depart."
it wonig fain delay its inevitable doom by talking
"fustian.'' The burden of the Protectionist song is appeal
to the people. The people, as contradistinguished from
the aristocracy and theirself, have been appealed to
theby
the League. On the 23d of Deconbor, .!845,
League appealed to the people of England, and i.vid
we want a quarter of a million to be raised within the
next twelve months, in order to enable us to carry on
the agitation for the repeal of the corn-laws ; and with-
in somewhat less than half a quarter of the time tiro
answer has been upwards of 168,0001. ;
t
is to say, in less than four months
the League will have what they asked for
as the supply for twelve months, and
we can assure the
i
Protectionists that if the League and we can assure the
Protectionists that if the League choose to draw a bill at
People twelve months on the a
mo
otafEngland for one million,
instead of for a quarter ofbill will be ac-
cepted and honoured. It has alwaysbeentheaharacter-
istio of " JOHN BULL: to be very chary of his
" cash,
Keep your hands out of his breeches pocket7h—
far:BintoN ; bug the League had applied the breeches
rocket test to John Bull, and, so far from grumbling at

them, John, who has at length learned to discriminate
between his friends and his enemies, has manfully
unbuttoned his breeches' pocket, and said, " Gentle-
men, help yourselves." The Anti-Corn-law League,
within less than two months, have raised
upwards of 168,000/. This is a great fact,
which cannot be gainsayed. The names of the sub-
scribers, with the sums which each has subscribed,
appear in another column. The men who conduct this
movement are earnest, energetic, firm, moral, high
principled men,

—" Who know their rights
And knowing dare maintain."
Men who rate at their true value the threats of
such blustering incendiaries as the Duke of Rica-
MOND, but who, should any dupe of the Noble Duke
attempt to give a practical illustration of his aphorism
that " cotton will burn as well as straw," would not be,
deterred by any fear of infringing the privileges
of the House of Lords, from including his
Grace of RICHMOND in the same indictment
with his dupe, and giving in evitlince his speech in
the House of Lords as proof of his malus animus. It is
admitted on all hands that the Ministerial mea.;ge will
I pass the Commons. It is doubted whether it will pass
the Lords. As strict constitutionalists—as supporters
for principles of our mixed Government, of which the
aristocratial element is an essential part, we beseech,
we implore the Members of the House of Lords not
to reject this measure—not to stand between the people
and their food. Let them recollect the Reform Bill.
Three times did they reject that measure, and at length
they were forced to pass it. They must ultimately
repeal the corn-laws. The measure—the simple measure
of repeal, the mere (not act of justice, but) undoing of
injustice that it is, would now be accepted by the people
as a boon. If the Lords reject it, let them beware.
The division will be analysed, and they may have a Bill
for the total and immediate repeal of the corn-laws
returned to them, accompanied by another Bill for the
reform of their Lordship's own House. No unconstitu-
tional scheme of abolition—no chimerical scheme of
reform, but a simple measure for preventing those from
giving judgment who have not heard the evidence
in the case. What would their Lordships say to the
Bill abolishing voting by proxy? Many facts might be
given in evidence to show the absurdity and the in-
justice of the present system. For instance, the late
Lord SpostouTH voted by proxy in the House three
hours after his death. Lunatic Peers have for several
sessions voted by proxy while they were lunatics.
Nay, even a felon Peer (the case of Bari FERRERS, in
1759, is a case is point) might vote by proxy up to
the hour of his execution, or perchance, as the law
knows no fractional part of a day, up to twelve o'clock
at night of the day on which he was hanged in the
morning. There are many other of the Peers' privil ges
which on investigation will be found to be equally
absurd, and contrary to the dictates of common sense.
Let them, therefore, afford a quiet passage to the law
repeal through their antiquated chamber, and not, by
fruitless resistance, court a struggle, which will disturb
the venerable dust on their floors, and may sweep away
many an ancient and time-honoured cobweb.

Female Government has been the bane of Spain for the last
fifty years, and as far as can be judged from late events and
present prospect', is yet destined for some time to be the evil
genius of the country. This is the more remarkable among
people of a brave and manly character, that seem to delight
in rude and cruel sports, that have little or no dislike to
civil war, and to daring undertakings little suited
to'the habits and dispositions of the other sex. The Court
attd Government oftHantzs IV. were ruled by the QUREN
-4 he; paramour, tlae Priice of Peacew-the beloved FERDI-
NAND was entirely, controlled bjiAsitr+,Fo4**, ivtd,
ittfrfact;thaniee. thkorder of successiona.krought on a bloody
civil war, laid waste the country, and finally prevailed by
placing her daughter on the throne. The influence of this
intriguing and dangerous woman appears to be still
undiminished. Her active, unscrupulous, and daring mind
is engaged in some new plot, which in the first instance has
discovered itself by-breaking up the only Cabinet that 'has
displayed anything like rational government in its plans,
and which may excite some violent national commotion to end
in a second civil war. Notwithstanding the unconstitutional
means by which NARVAEZ expelled ESPARTERO, seized the en-
tire control of the army, and abrogated manyimportant pro-
visions of the Constitution, it cannot be denied that he re-
stored, though in a savage manner, a distracted country to
outward peace and apparent security, and that such general
tranquillity has not prevailed for many years. The Con-
stitution, it is true, was invaded; and in an old established
Government, like that of England, this would have justly
been regarded as a great crime, but in Spain the case was
different ; neither the electors nor their representatives had
acquired just notions of their duties, and the latter, in parti-
cular, displayed the most glaring inaptitude for public busi-
ness. In the Chamber of Deputies there was plenty of
talking. The speakers delighted in long and inco-
herent, and often seditious harangues ; and, after
motions and amendments, and votes without number,
they generally ended as they began : the finances of the
country remained in the same deplorable state, the taxes
could not be collected, and the very elements of Government
were on the brink of dissolution. Latterly, however, when
this national rage for uttering vain speeches was much abated
and the Cabinet obtained some control over the Cortes, busi-
ness has been more attended to, and the character of the Go-
vernment raised in the estimation of foreigners. MARTINEZ
DR IA ROSA, the principal member of the Cabinet, has, on
the whole, conducted himself with firmness and propriety,
and removed many of the prepossessions entertained against,
him when summoned from Paris to his new post; he has
shown a disposition to adhere to the main points of the Con-
stitution, and probably has mitigated, in a great degree, the
military and sanguinary principles of his colleague NARVAEA
But the Finance Minister Mos has done more than them all
together, and the loss of such a Minister at the present
moment may be regarded as a national calamity. We have
frequently had occasion to speak in his praise, and
the more his plans have been manifested we
have been the more confirmed in oar opinion. Per-
haps there is no country in the world where taxes
till vary lately have been levied with more difficulty, or been
'so little productive' as in Spain. The political chiefs and
other public functionaries, more especially those in the
maritime provinces, reluctantly and imperfectly obeyed the
orders from Madrid; they diverted funds intended for the
Treasury to their private purposes—they bribed those under
them to remain silent, or co-operate in their peculations. The
rich landowners for the same reason never paid the full
amount of their taxes, and the natural consequence was an
empty exchequer. The Finance Minister, however,
put a stop to such a ruinous system. He introduced
a sort of property-tax Bill, which passed through both
Chambers with little opposition ; the Act has been carried
into operation with wonderful facility, and what may be re-
garded as a miracle in Spain, the income, as stated in his
last budget, exceeded the expenditure, with the exception of
the interest -on the foreign debt. But that in time,
too, would have been brought into the account.
pain, if properly governed, is able to meet all
demands upon her, and had this Minister re-
mained in office for some years longer, the effects of his firm
and honest policy would have reached the unfortunate credi-
tors of Spain at Paris and London. But all these bright
prospects have been effaced by some vile intrigue respecting
the Qu-msN's marriage, and Spain is yet doomed to uffec for
the dark purposes of .the Camarilla.

Another " adjournment " still continues to tagg the mam-
moth discussion ; nor can any conjecture be formed as to
the arrival of the grand evening of the division. The per-
ception of any argument by the agricultural champions has
proved_ to be a great stubborn impossibility : facts, which
would long since have convinced the moat arrant of all
arrant
_dunces, are utterly invisible to them, hooded and
maffled up as their intellect is by self-interest. The pros-
pect which to everybody else is clear, and cloudless, and
transparent, to them is hidden with dense fogs and impene-
trable mists—the former arising from the density of their
selfishness, the latter in the impenetrable nature of their
stupidity. Like the gentleman so often quoted from HOMER,
they mount with the persuasion of the various free-trade
orators, but directly they have reached the ultimatum—the
"abolition of protection "—down tumbles the burden to its
original post; the listeners are the same dull, pudding-
headed class as ever. Witb all possible candour, we cannot
but regard the debating which has already transpired as
nothing more nor less than a voluntary self caricature of them-
selves by the agriculturists ; the speeches alternate like bullion
and dross—now comes the trumpet of abolition, now comes the
penny ivhistle- of protection. In this manner we have already
listened to the lamentations of the Member for Oxford, and
the fury of Mr. Soorr, and the big talking of the Member
for Bristol, and been treated to a kind of tableau of the
" stag at bay" (not the railway, but the zoological stag)
from the Member for Liverpool. It was a novel kind of
recreation to the House ; it served to throw a certain piquancy
ihnetwo
ewirhe
ra.t
umplognh t
r epepossiblytitonh as
evrve pe
dr o vaetd
Ide
ni sgt
ta eh t etfoul
w; reae pre t
ai twi oany,
the particular-merit of the exhibition—namely, the novelty
before mentioned. Personal recriminations at the
and " dishonesty," and "
gPrraetulitiuedrer'ibeescoofinrPietiantthuethhe'n'd so much a matter of course,
that every person knew perfectly well the termination of
a sent once immediately any one from the Ministerial benches
tittered its commencement. Friday night, however, witnessed
A change in the discussion, which, if it proved in reality un-
agl:lonr thisan and
le was by no means disagreeable, inasmuch as it
profit aa
af
son,4l3ing like a variation from the in-
tolerable
Isrlld eda nc monotonyaga in
uponwbich everyh ad Previouslykiem bee e rungear. For
et variations
throughout.
lonld.
same variation of theold tune we are indebted to Mr
Dt
tunes, Ett.ht:
obriugitinauln falrrtuingattoerrlyi,bilyikthe.eatlm.l
ymere.tlyit chliosthueduidthefetllhariteyadbanarde
codeniedm,
otnh.epiHacoens.
oGfenhtilseman
tiowerivase pf language. He tricked out the meagre
;
sayings of the preyious suppor;ehrrsageodf
and the
mporreseterin!
commercial system in elagan
giptins
ottoeis decorationso,the
frequent of rhetoric.
usageic.Tla of whichossnum his oas jukct
clique
sh,llOW
„
had long rendered obnoxious to the Commons
sparkled as epigrams. The imagination which had evoked

"Coniigsby" mould not, in fact, fail of adorning any topic,
however hackneyed, or however; untenable. Besides these
advantages, the oration uttered on Friday by Mr. DisitAnta
bore about it a character more like dispassionate investiga-
tion than the one with which he had startled every-
body (and very possibly himself into the bargain)
at the outset of the present session. He was Indicious
enough to abstain (at least to a. very great extent) from
those furious and rancorous onslaughts upon Sir ROBERT
PEEL in which he formerly indulged with so much rashness.
Indeed the Hon. Member declared in so many words "we do
not complain of the Right Hon. Baronet having chanteChis
opinions," following up the observation with the acinouo-
ledgment that "opinion is not always in the power of the
human will." This concession we regard as very creditable to
Mr. DISRAELI, and doubly so because it has been-,tacltly
gainsayed by all his colleagues in their ungenerous and *iciuiri l-
ous vituperations on the Prime Minister. This is creditable to
him, inasmuch as its very utterance must in some measure
have estranged the sympathy of the Protectionists from 'tile
speaker; it is creditable, moreover, because it is an .:cm-
paralleled instance of meekness among the rabid ,up-
holders of the " Custom-House. When, however, 4,, in
pursuance of his object Mr. DISRAXLI thinks proper' to
assert that his party were the embodiment of public opinion
and that those principles of anti- abolition which he hincSelf
together with the other members of that party, profestsed
were in accordance with that public opinion—he fell buck
upon a most miserable fallacy. Sheer assumptions like these—
mere figments in themselves—assertions based only ~on
She wish that they were realities—words so Mani-
festly wrong and idle may certainly elicit a, Omer
from the protectionist benches, but the)* ,can
never gain a cause—they can never resuscitate.; a
fallen faction—they can never answer any conceivaliie end
for god in the wide world. If, therefore, Mr. DisßXifu )111.d
resorted, like other gentlemen in white waistcoats, to "facts
and figures," as well as to reminiscences of "the
good old times, the great old times, the grand ;old
times "—and to the precedents of Messrs. , Hue-
russois and Pm, he would materially enhance the miritti of
his harangue, besides reducing it to a much smaller compass.
His allusions likewise to crops in the Mauritius and. 'the
Havannahs are equally illusory, and unprofitable, ancl:Aale ;
they are the locum tenens of a rotten cause, and as such. are
scarcely adducible. In the subsequentchimeras—brilliant;ones
no doubt—which the Hon. Member flashed before his hearers
there is an appearance of terrible antiquity ; .he appears to be
scraping together mere chips and splinters, and then hurling
them against his antagonists, forgetful, possibly, that from
their very insignificance they must, by the natural law, float
off upon the winds, and fall most preposterously short
of their mark. Of this description are his witticisms at
the Member for the West Riding of Yorkshire, and
his sareasms ;at the League, and his impassioned fribbles
about the factories. The longer, indeed, the hours stole on,
and the more he approached the peroration of his address,
the more frivolous and petite became his arguments; it was
the diminuendo which was to precede the last noisy bars ;
it was " small by degrees and beautifully less." Still we
cannot cavil at a speech which, with all its real fallacy,- is
the most moderate, if not the best maintained, which his
party has given forth during this interminable discussion.

From a Parliamentary paper, just issued by the House of
Commons, and founded on returns made: by the Poor-law
Commissioners, it appears that the total amount levied for
poor-rates in England and Wales, in thjyear 1845, was
4,474,2751., showing a large decrease, as compared with the
amount levied under the old poor-law, even'-after deducting
all the moneys applied formerly to other ptiiioses than the
relief of the poor. But the paper is instruc.tive in another
respect. These returns were moved for by Mr. WonE-
HOUSE, in order to show the peculiar burdens en land,
and according to them the agricultural interest can
have no just reason to complain. In 1841, the
total amount levied on land was 3,113,1804 while
that on dwelling-houses and other property wks 2,041,172/.,
making a difference of about one-third against the land ;
but, according to another part of the iretAnt, &tic jeptpunt
letied on land since 1826-has boan.irianalli. dicreasipg,
•while that °mother property .IniS greallyintrithOd.'Y Vitt
increase is made still larger by the construction of every
new line of railway, and possibly, at the present moment, thr
sums are nearly equal. On what ground, then, can the
landed interest contend that the poor-rates form a peculiar
burden- on land ? _

According to accounts from Madrid of the 13th, a report
prevailed that the Infante Don HENRIQUE had secretly
fled from Ferrol, whither he had been sent in disgrace for
his foolish proclamation relative to the marriage of the
QUEEN, and that he had thus sought safety in flight, as he
had reason to believe that NAhvarA intended to banish him
to the Philippine Islands. The intelligence was said to be
contained in a letter received at Madrid from the British
Consul at Corunna. The ' other intelligence of importance
had been anticipated by the telegraphic dispatch. On the
12th a royal decree was issued, in which the QUEEN forbids
" time bargains" on the Bourse, after the eariration of those
falling due on the 30th of April next, and declares that such
pecuniary transactions shall not be enforceable by law in any
civil action.

On the 13th the Three per Cents. closed at 311 for cash,
and 31% at 60 days; and the Five per Cents. at 23 5-16 al
60 days.

The Paris papers, with the exception of some additional
accounts from Algiers, possess little interest. The Presse,
which professes to be well informed respecting Spanish
affairs, has an article on thenew Ministry, in which it asserts
that ISTURITZ and NARVAEZ will soon quarrel, so incom-
compatible are there political principles and temper, and that
the Ministry of ManAFLonas can oily be a provisional one.
Of this, indeed, their can be little doubt. One brief extract
from the Journal des Debella leads to the conviction that the
whole scheme has been planned by the Queen-Mother and
NARVAEZ. "It appears," says that paper, " that when
General NARVAEZ tendered his resignation, the QUEEN sent
for M. MARTINEZ DE LA RosA, and told him that
the President of the Council having retired from office.
that step would naturally be followed by the re-
signation of all the Ministers. To that intimation M. MAR-
TINEZ nx LA RosA is said to have replied, that ' he regretted
not being able to concur in the opinion of her MAJESTY,'
adding, at the same time, If General NARVAEZ thinks fit
to retire, my colleagues and my-self are of opinion that we
shall be able to maintain ourselves in our position, by ap-
pointing another General to the post of Minister of War.' It
is said that the intention of the remaining Ministers was to
select General CONCTIA. a Member of the Moderate Opposi-
tion, and who is considered as the rival of General NARVAEZ.
The QUEEN dismissed M. MARTDIEZ DE LA ROSA, telling him
that she would consider of it. In the evening of the 12th
M. MARTINEZ DE LA RosA delivered his portfolio into the
hands of the-QuEr24. The four other members persisted in
their determination, and were literally dismissed by royal
ordinance." -

The most :inister repo-rts were in circulation at Paris
respecting the state of the army in Algiers. fly an order of
the day, issued by the Minister of War, each of the in-
fantry regiments forming the garrison of Paris is called upon
to furnish 60 volunteers for recruiting the infantry of the
army ,;f Africa. Marshal BUGEAUD, it appears, has de-
manded large reinforcements, and the population of the
city of Algiers are in a state of the greatest anxiety, owing
to the- want of troops and a threatened attack from
ABD-EL- KADI ft. The Akbar; of the 12th instant,
cautioned the inhabitants from venturing in the
direction of Fondouck, a place within three
hours' march of Algiers, where it was reported the Emin had
made his appearance. The cavalry of the civic guard had
been called upon to escort a convoy of provisions, as very
few soldiers remained in -the town. The postscript of a
letter says : —" The rest of the military convicts have just
marched out with arms and baggage. We have not a soldier
in the place. The agitation is general. The cause of the
alarm, however, is evidently exaggerated. Algiers has
nothing to fear; but our military operations wear" an unfa-
vourable aspect."
The accounts from Berne also cause anxiety at Paris. A
letter from that city, dated the 15th instant, c 'casing the
following paragraph :—" The declaration of 61 merntiert of
the Grand Council, against the opinion expresseA:.b,i re
members of the Executive Council, that the nomination f a
council of the revision of the constitution would 4,10,0n1y
a violation of the constitution, but must lead to molt-'disas-
trous results, _has produced a vast sensation in the public
mind." 1,-.; I
The Grand Council, on the 14th, it appears, passed a de-
cree regulating the formation of the Constituent Asseinitly.
The election of Deputies is to be held on March 7. T ere
is to be one Deputy for every 300 citizens, making 139 te-
puties for the whole canton. The qualifying age for :wt. ng
3
has hitherto teen twenty-three years, but on this oco. or
those who have attained twenty are to be admitted ,tf;;
their suffrages. The only exceptions are men of iipsor.n,
mind, bankrupts, those who have received charitable 1•ele1
and convicts condemned to infamous punishments. To b,
eligible to become a Deputy, the candidate must be a clti pei
of Berne, be qualified to vote, and be of twenty-thiee year
of age and upwards. The. Constituent Body is to meet 01
March 16.

On the Paris tourse, on Thursday, the Three per Cents.• clesed/ at
84f. bbc. ; the Five per Cents , 1231. 15c. ; the Orleans- Railroad
shares, 1,210 f. ; Rouen, 1,0421. 40c ; Havre, 752 f. 50c. ;
1,005 f. ; Vierzon, 7201.; Bordeaux, 6551. ; Boulogne, 555f..1 Trayes
and Montereau, 450 f, ; Basl., 252 f. boc. ; Great Northern, •_ 771 f.
25c. ; Paris and Strasburg, 5531. 75c.; Tours and Nantes,- 490 f. ;
Fampoux, 470 f.
The following are the quotatims for other lines :
Paris and Lyons, definitive, 627 f. boc. ; Lyons and Avignon, de-
finitive, 565 f. ; Bordeaux and Cette (Mackenzie), 504 f. ; dltre-CEsPe-
leta), 5101.; Charleroi (I(ysaen's). 4921.
Lvoris, FEB. 17.—Paris and Orleans, 1,2001. ; Paris and Mitten,
1,02.1 f. 75e. - ;

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS A.T"±.O
LONDON-STOCK EXCHANGE, FIB. 20. *: •
Boulogne ,and Amiens, 12—East Indian, 1 %—eireat Northern •
France Constituted, 1514—Great Western Canada, 254--Luzem-
beurg, 2%—Orleans and Vlerzon, 1814—Orleans and Bordearix,'ll%
—Parts and Orleans, B I % Paris and Rouen, 40% —Rouen and'Havre.
30 —West Flanders, 4%,

na.:DgeyeautvhLerxexaEre THEATRE.—Theheyuna
l 1 precedent, e efrutrionsofthe m
notwithstandinga-
the nightly increasing attraction of Don Quixote and The
perceiverepresent
thaet
icor:a ko n workThursodf
atyh e
uwehxotl e e-
ct 's opera, in the preparation of which a
asloisilnuadnasdntiVnlmumnPrc.hiedß:-nfeoardi
vast sum of monoy hits been expended; and in one scene of
which we hear that more than five hundred persons are in
possession of the stage. The public anxiety to see it
something quite unusual.
The Town Council of Nottingham has ordered that
f
them n icactlioncilisthsehatrull beetimfuzaisnhdetdhwe iatdhditthiroenealhoannedsehtewroaiol!
i
Ira public
p
aT c
ost-office (London) time,