The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-11 00:00:00

trate their forces, to accumulate their resources, to
mature their plans. The way is spontaneously
opened to them, the will alone is now requisite.
According to the intelligence just received by the
Royal Mail steamer Tay, every advantage is being
already taken of this inactivity on the part of the
Americans. The Mexican forces are eagerly rally-,
ing round their generous compatriot, SANTA ANNA,
who had, on the departure of the latest dispatches,
assembled together a body of men amounting to
20,000. It is presumed that immediately upon the
completion of his arrangements the Liberator of
Mexico will advance upon the lair of the invaders,
and compel them to retreat beyond the frontiers, or
to conquer. By following a directly opposite course
to that adopted by the army of the Unite I States,
the Mexicans may most effectually realise their own
independence. By earnestly co-operating with their
valorous commander, by advancing their specie as
well as by enlisting themselves, they will alone be
enabled to redeem their own name, to decrease the
avarice of their neighbours, to establish permanently
the integrity of their dominions. A noble oppor-
tunity now presents itself to the Mexicans, by avail-
ing themselves of which they may arouse the na-
tional character from its protracted torpor. By the
invasion of the Americans, the population of Mexico
may be goaded on to a consciousness of its own
gigantic capacities.
As we had conjectured on its arrival, the last
accusation against SANTA. ANNA, to the effect that he
had paltered with the laws of international honesty,
b 3 seizing 2,000,000 dollars belonging to the English,
and appropriating them to his own uses, has been
signally disproved. Instead of acting in this un-
generous and injudicious manner, it would appear
that the traduced General was employing every con-
ceivable means for the protection of the conducta to
whose care the amount had been com-
mitted. Instead of grasping the coin after the
fashion of a brigand or a guerilla, he had merely re-
commended the bearers of the treasure to tarry at
San Luis Potosi until some moment of greater
safety for the transit presented itself. It is gratifying
to discern the baseless nature of these imputations
against a man upon whose individual honesty depends
in a great measure the hope of salvation to an entire
people. If SANTA ANNA were to prove false—which
we cannot anticipate—the Mexicans would have leant
upon a reed, and the reed would have broken.

Sundry meetings have already taken place for pro-
moting the repeal of the malt-tax, and it is indicated
that many more are likely to be held. That advan-
tageous results would flow from the abolition, partial
or entire, of this duty, is not to be doubted. Yet is
it a strange fact, as announced by the Duke of RICR-
mom) and others, that though this question must, for
ultimate success, be unanimously espoused by the
tenant-farmers, they are nevertheless at this moment
_ .

not exactly of one opinion upon the subject.
It is anticipated, that by virtue of various cir-
culars, to be issued to their several county committees,
the farmers will, by the 12th January next, be brought
to a full understanding of how beneficially the repeal
of the impost on malt will operate on their behalf.
The last meeting, convened by the Anti-Malt- tax As-
sociation, assembled on IVednesday in New Bridge-
street, Blackfriars. Mr. B. 13. CABBELL, M.P., there
obsvrved, that he thought Sir ROBERT PEEL
had not brought the question of free trade fairly be-
fore Parliament, when he omitted to deal with
the
extinction of the malt-tax. In the first place, reg,ird

b..-. ing had to the dead set made by the Protectionists
against giving the sanction of the Legislature to prin-
ciples of free trade, especially where corn was con-
cerned, is it likely, judging from the virulence with
which they conducted their opposition, that, even if
Sir R. PEEL had embodied in his plan some reduction
of the tax on malt, the agriculturists would have
desiAed from thwarting the late Premier's mas-
terly policy ? All we can say is, they never held
out such a hope to the Minister, and we must fur-
ther observe, that supposing the propriety of first
establishing free trade in corn, or malt, had been
nicely balanced—which could not have been reasonably
entertained by the veriest tyro in political economy—

by the course they pursued, and the shameful I
animosity in which they indulged, the landed mono.
polists fairly precluded themselves from the equity or
expediency of any preference being manifested in
their favour. Again, the random talk in which these
territorial gentlemen revel, is painfully pal-
pable. Their argument amounts to this—that,
if, in furtherance of free trade, one tax is to
he removed from the statute-book, all others
should be simultaneously swept off. Then, what is to
become of the revenue, whereby the maintenance of
our national credit is h.:mourably sustained ? Could
Sir R. PEEL, with the remotest chance of success,
have met the Senate, in the early part of this year,
with a proposition for the joint repeal of the duties on
foreign corn and malt, home grown or otherwise ?
If c.,nsiderations of revenue had not stood in his way,
why should he not, with equal reason, have at the
same time submitted the entire abolition, or, at any
rate, large reduction% in the duties affecting tea, salt,
tobacco, Sic. ? It is obvious that no enlightened
statesman, or sound financier, such as Sir R. PEEL,
could have been guilty of such insanity. Are, then,
these braggart Protectionists, presuming them to have
some rcspect for the interests of the public creditor,
prepared to wait till the recent relaxation of many,
and abolition of other duties, shall have been justified
by a rapidly accruing revenue—till the various voids
in the public finances, necessarily created for a time,
shall have been filled up, as, we doubt not, they will—

or, are they ready to consent to an in;reased
income-tax ? If so, let them at once proclaim it;
for the whsle question lies in this nutshell, and it is
idle to beat about the bush. Equally idle is it, for
\lr. CIIEETHAM, or other self-sufficient orators at
these agricultural association?, to dilate upon the
rapid consumption of calicoes, glass, and other ar-
ticles, that has attended the relaxation of the duties
which formerly attached to them. Tout ca va sans
dire. We always predicted such would be the case.
There is scarcely any taxable commodity, but
what, if it were freed from fiscal regulations,
would entail considerable benefits upon
community. Mall, like tea, tobacco, coffee, and
salt, et hoc genus ornne, will all be respectively con-
' sidered, with respect to the meliorative principles of
inshackled commerce, so soon as the state of the
Treasury will encourage the revision of their several
fiscal impediments. In the meantime it behoves the
representatives of each interest to make out the best
case they can with the Government for the time being.

A very important meeting was held during the past
week of the " Society for Promoting the Improve-
ment of the Law." The chair was filled by Lord
Baoua►iAM, who has already distinguished himself
For the great ameliorations he has introduced into our
statute-book, and whose past services, as well as his
great industry and zeal, his talent, ability, and extra-
ordinary acquirements, eminently qualify him for the
prominent place assigned to him amongst legal
reformers. Associated with his Lordship were many
distinguished members of the profession, who brought
their experience and learning to assist in the difficult
task—the cleansing of the Augean stable from the
impurities and imperfections that had accumulated
and sprung up during a succession of ages.
The question which had been referred to the com-
mittee was one of peculiar interest at the present
moment. The admirable letters of Mr. STEWART to
members of agricultural societies and others ad-
vocating the necessity of a " free trade in land itself,"
awakened the public attention to the great evils occa-
sioned by the present state of the law, and the diffi-
culties and expenses attendant on a transfer or mort-
gage of real property, not only to the owners of such
estates, who are thereby prevented from enjoying the
full benefits that they would otherwise obtain from
their possessions, but also to capitalists, who are, from
the same causes, debarred from a secure and desirable
mode of investment. Oae of the chief difficulties in
the way of effecting such transfers cheaply and ex-
peditiously is occasioned by the doubtful character of
the titles, and thenecessity of a close and searching in-
vestigation for a period of sixty years into every deal-
ing connected with the lands about to be disposed of,
or charged, which each purchaser or lender requires
to be made on every new dealing, by a conveyancer
nominated by himself, and in whom he has confidence,
although a similar inquiry bad, perhaps, a short
time previously been conducted under the auspices of
another gentleman of competent skill and learning.
Anything, therefore, that could obviate•the necessity