The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-03 00:00:00

having made all arrangements for the security of the country,
volunteered his services in his rank in the army, in order to
give his assistance to the officer commanding-in-chief."
This was loudly cheered. The defence of the 62d,
which the Noble Duke took up with such warmth,
does him the highest credit, and we have no doubt will re-
store that celebrated regiment to the high rank which it has
so long maintained. But we must refer our readers to the
whole discussion. It was interesting throughout, and will
be perused with great satisfaction by the people of this
country, and afford some consolation to the numerous
families thrown into mourning by the lamentable loss of so
many officers and men.

Ingenious as are the arguments with which Mr. VIL-
LIERS last night enforced his amendment of the ;4inisterial
measures fir abolishing monopoly, we must take leave to
doubt the policy of the Honourable Gentleman's present
proceeding. No one could yearn more earnestly than our-
selves for the immediate operation of free trade, no one
could more heartily desire the immediate destruction of
protection to agriculture with all its insidious and la-
mentable consequences. Nevertheless, cordially and
fully as these aspirations are infused into our
heart, we cannot but perceive the danger of struggling
for an achievement of objects, in the abstract so desirable ;
me cannot but perceive the inconveniences which must re-
sult from such superfluous efforts; we cannot but perceive
that a great and permanent good may be jeopardized, or at
least retarded, by endeavours so over-enthusiastic as those
of Mr. VILLIERS. The danger of such an amendment would
be that of dismembering a power of which the Premier is
the ostensible head—a power constituted by the amal-
gamation of all the sectional portions of the political
world, Whigs, Tories, Radicals, Liberals, and Conservatives
—a power more noble in its origin and more independent in
its action than any power to which the legislation of this
country has been hitherto submitted. The inconveniences
which must undoubtedly arise from such an amendment
would be these of rendering a discussion air. ady very
protracted, one of most interminable duration ;
of militating against the interests of all classes
by withholding from them the boon of some immediate and
practical good ; and, in addition to all this, of sowing discon-
tent throughout the land by placing all divisions of the com-
munity in a negative position, by leaving grievances still in
action during the continuance of that dilatory de-
bate, by throwing all parties into a state of the
most irksome doubt and uncertainty, tenant-farmers,
manufacturers, shop-keepers, merchants, all in short
engaged in commerce or personally interested (and
who is not ?) in the grand question at issue. And, besides all
these highly important considerations, a thoroughly excel-
lent measure would be delayed in its operation, merely for
the purpose of fulfilling certain rash engagements, at the
risk of embroiling the now acknowledged supporters of Sir
ROBERT PEEL; while the coveted prize would, when ob-
tained, merely be the expediting for a very contemptible
time an arrangement which by following out that Right
Hon. Baronet's preposition would be ensured after a trum-
pery interval of three years without (comparatively) any
further agitation. We call these three years a very " trum-
pery interval" advisedly, as in the history of nations and the
advance of time they constitute but a mere nothing in
the aggregate of centuries. As to Mr. VILLIERS ad-
ducing the irritable exclamation of the protectionists
—that they would prefer of the alternatives an
immediate to a procrastinated abolition—as to Mr. Vie-
utstts adducing this cry as a sound argument in favour of his
amendment, the idea is preposterous. Everybody must have
perceived that those expressions were blurted forth by the
agricultural gentlemen merely from the excessive irritation
of their feelings; that, in fact, it was only tantamount
to a schoolboy wishing to have a promised flogging
over at once, and have done with it. Looking Upon the
proposed delay merely as a concession to the protectionists,
it speaks much for the Prime Minister's sagacity ; while at
the same moment that delay is in all practical purposes abso-
lutely nominal. Colonial grain, vegetables, and cattle, being
henceforth offered to be free of all import duties, and foreign
articles free in 1849, where possibly can be the utility of
striving for any further enactments? It is in truth an ava-
ricious philanthropy—a very extortionate benevolence indeed !
As nothing human can be complete and perfect in all its par-
ticulars, the scheme advanced by Sir ROBERT, and approved
by a majority of ninety-seven, has undoubtedly its defi-
ciencies. Nevertheless, it is surely worthy of unanimous
approval and unanimous support in preference to the
possibility of acquiring some better measure. The sub-
stance is superior in actuality to the mere shadow of the
substance, however much that shadow may become more
and more palatable. When human subjects have been re-
duced and debiiitated by long abstinence, pathology shows
us the necessity of a gradual nourishment instead of reviving
vigour by the sudden application of a hearty meal. Pre-
cisely on a similar, though more extended, plan should na-
tions be treated under circumstances so singularly
alike. OTwsr was choked by hastily devouring a crust
of bread in the pangs of famine : a certain amount
of moral convulsion, might, in like manner for the moment,
seize a country on an abrupt introduction of this nature.
Many of these considerations have undoubtedly so impressed
themselves upon the clear judgment and scrutinising intel-
lect of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, as to induce that Right
Honourable Member to discountenance the amend-
ment of Mr. VILLIERS, and to express his deter-
mination to uphold the Ministerial measure,: in which
declaration -he spoke with the most decisive emphasis.
And on these accounts we ourselves cannot but regard that
same amendment as most injudicious, and as like to em-
barrass still further the wise and rational policy of the
present Ministry. We have already more than once insisted
upon the necessity of Parliament being more expeditious in
its mode of meeting the demands of emergency: we have
pointed to Irish poverty, to railway legislation, and divers
other paramount exigencies—exigencies that demand some
instant interference; and, as another drag upon the settle-
ment of these great points, we consider that the amendment
of Mr. VILLIERS merits the most decided deprecation.

The accounts from Madrid are to the 23d ult In the Cham-
ber of Deputies on that day the Finance Minister brought for-
ward his new plan of finance. The land-tax introduced by
his predecessor lie proposed to reduce by 50,000,000 realr.
(500,0000 He intended to abolish the tax on house rents,
to reduce that on the transmission of property and also on
articles consumed in the principal towns. In accordance
with the recommendation of the Committee on the estimates
he proposed a saving of 46,000,000 reals out of the expenses
of the Ministerial departments, and also some other reduc-
tions which he believed would be considered satisfactory.
He promised to do everything in his power for the creditors
of the State. The dividends he said would be religiously
paid and the first step in strengthening the credit of the
country would be the extinction of the coupons. The state-
ment was favourably received. It was considered certain
that MARTINEZ DE LA RosA would accept the appointment
of Ambassador at the Court of the Tuileries.
_ _ _

On the 23d the Three per Cents. closed at 32 for cash, and
32 1-16 at 60 days ; and the Fire per Cents, at 22 13.-16
for the 10th of March.

We find little in the Paris papers that require notice or
could interest the English reader. A telegraphic dispatch
conveyed to Paris by mid-day on Saturday the result of the
division on the corn-laws. Extracts are given in the journals
from those of Germany, relative to the conspiracies said to
have been discovered in Prussian Poland, and threatened dis-
turbances in Cracow and other places. Russia, Prussia, and
Austria were concerting measures to put down any insurrec-
tion that might be attempted. The 'following appears as an
extract from the Swabian Mercury :—" It is now evident
that the conspiracy recently discovered had its ramifications
throughout Eastern Prussia, Posen, Gallicia, and the kind-
dom of Poland. So hardy were the conspirators, that even
after the discovery of the plot they continued to work at their
projects. Russia, Prussia, and Austria are now taking mea-
sures in concert to prevent the insurrection breaking out. A
Prussian army cf observation is about taking up a position
along the frontier line of the kingdom of Poland, as far as
Cracow. Several regiments of cavalry and infantry have
already marched, and more are following. Troops are to be
put in motion in Silesia. Other troops will be marched into
Poland and Gallicia."

One of the Prussian journals states, and indeed that
seems to be the general belief, that the conspiracy has
been got up solely by the Polish nobility, and that the peo-
ple appear to take no part in it.
On Sunday the French Three per Cents. were done at 85f.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT TYR
LONDON STOCK IS XCHANGE, MASCO 2.

Boulogne and Amiens, 1 1 —Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Cette
(Mackenzie), 214—Dutch Rhenish, 6% —East Indian, 1 % —Great
northern of France Constituted, 16% —Great Indian Peninsular, %
Lyons and Avignon, 2—Luxembourg, 2% —lll2.drid and Valentia, 1
—Orleans and Bordeaux, I*, —Paris and Renen, 42% —Rouen and
Havre, 2934.

We understand that the retort of Sir George Clerk's being
about to be appointed to a seat in the Council of Calcutta is
a mistake, and has originated in the appointment by the
East India Directors of Mr. Clerk, an old civil ;servant of
the Company, and a cousin of Sir George Clerk's, to a seat in
the Council.

HOUSE OF LORDS -(THIS DAY.)

The House sat to-day to hear writs of error. The Peers present
were the Lord Chancellor, Lord Brougham, and Lord Campbell.
BRANDAS V. BARNETT, HARE, AND OTHERS.
The further arguments in this part-heard writ of error were re-
sumed this morning, and occupied their Lordships the whole day.