The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-29 00:00:00

e Irniig

LONDON, MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1846.

The Pam, Ministry go out ostensibly on the Irish
Coercion 13111: the question, however, which has
really broken up the Cabinet is that of the Sugar
Duties. There is every reason to believe that the
liberal intentions of the chief have been thwarted by
the interested opposition of certain of his colleagues,
and the question of the Sugar Duties it will be th•
duty of the new Cabinet to meet at once. There
must be no attempt at renewing the present duties
for one year to avoid grappling with it. Any such
attempt would involve the ultimate destruction of the
new Ministry. To be defeated on the question
during the present session would not weaken the

new Cabinet, but the attempt to avoid the discussion
would be a most damaging confession of inherent
weakness : besides, the question is one which will
not admit of delay. The sugar crop in the
West Indies has failed ; the attempt to procure a
sufficient supply of this necessary article from
countries in which free labour only is employed
has failed also. Instead of a supply of 20,000 tons,
as estimated from this source, the supply has only
amounted to 3,864 tons, while the price to the con-
sumer has been materially increased. Now the pro-
ducers of corn are great consumers of sugar, and
having established free trade in corn it would be most
unjust to the producers of that article to make them
pay a protection price for that which INIr.CAs
Ino
once designated as " the corn of the Tropics
sugar. The same measure which has been meted
out to the British must in justice be meted out to the
colonial agriculturist. The West India planters
have already received more, much more, than their
due. Be it never forgotten that at the time when
the Slavery Abolition Bill was introduced into the
House of Commons it was proposed to lend the
planters 15,000,000/. They were well pleased with the
proposition, and were doing their best to provide
something like a tangible security to offer for the
repayment of the loan, when the then Colonial Mi-
nister, Lord STANLEY, with that unreasoning reck-
lessness, that utter disregard of consequences which
has ever been his peculiar characteristic, proposed to
change the proposed loan of 15,000,0001. into an un-
conditional gift of 20,000,0001. The people had not
then recovered from the intoxication of joy conse-
quent upon the passing of the Reform Bill, and no-
thing but the circumstances of their being so over-
joyed as to render them incapable of cool reflection
can account for the fact of Lord STANLEY being per-
mitted to carry out his project. Let us beware
lest we too be induced, by the joy and gratitude
which:we feel for free trade in corn, to accept less
than free trade in sugar. Should Lord JonN
RUSSELL be the new Minister, he is pledged to give
us free trade in sugar without reference to the ques-
tion of free labour or of slave labour.
Indeed it is so impossible practically to
draw the distinction, and so transparently hypo-
critical to make the attempt while we admit
slave labour cotton and slave labour ceffee, that we
do not imagine any statesman will be found willing
to risk his reputation by broaching the argument.
There are various other important economical and
financial questions (such, for instance, as a revision
of the whole of the Excise duties) which
must, ere long, occupy the attention of the
new Cabinet; but, like Mr. COBDEN, we have a preju-
dice in favour of doing one thing at a time. The
question of questions at the present moment is sugar
—that question must be settled, and settled at once,
in the broadest sense of free trade. The new Cabinet
must, in the settlement of the sugar question, follow
the example Sir R. PEEL has set them in the settle-
ment of the corn question, and do away with all pro-
tection, or their doom is sealed.

From the consideration of the fate and destinies
of single measures, the public mind is now specu-
lating as to the fate and destinies of the aggregate
Ministry. Whether the Government is to be sub-
mitted to the guidance of the protectionist party,
or of the Whigs, under the Marquis of LANSDOWNE
and Lord JOHN RUSSELL, or is to be continued,
under the renovated auspices of Sir ROBERT PEEL,
whether the present Parliament be dissolved, or the
forces of Sir ROBERT coalesce' with those of Lord
JOHN, according to the insinuated recommendation
of the Hon. Member for Stockport, form at the pre-
sent moment the matter of serious consideration to
the general community. However much these im-
portant problems may be involved in a mysterious
uncertainty, and however conflicting and confident
may be the rumours afloat respecting the destina-
tion of the red boxes of official dignity, it would
not be difficult to prognosticate the catastrophe
of all this legislative confusion. What, indeed,
has already transpired would be alone suffi-
ciently indicative of the future. The Prime
Minister, at the very moment of achieving the great
reform of Eighteen Hundred and Forty-six, is de-
feated upon another question by a majority of no
less than seventy-three; and this majority is ob-
tained, moreover, through the acknowledgedly personal
antagonism of the agricultural party. The leaders
of these bucolic non-contents having advocated, both
by avowed opinion and by the significance of their
votes, the first reading of the very measure, and having
now rejected that measure, through the rigorous
acrimony of their pique towards the Premier,
clearly indicate the resolute and unappeasable cha-
racter of their enmity ; and, likewise, the futility
of that Minister continuing in office under a
double and overwhelming discharge of consistent op-
position and splenetic hostility. The PEEL Adminis-
tration has therefore but one alternative if it purpose
the continuance :of authority; the Ministers will be
compelled either to demand a dissolution of Parlia-
ment, by that movement releasing themselves from
the troublesome presence of the protectionists, or they
must contrive a coalition with the representatives at
present seated upon the Opposition benches. Other-
wise their withdrawal from office is unavoidable :
they might as lief fold their arms and slumber over
the desks in Downing-street during the remaining
moiety of the session for all the public business
which they can execute. SIXBAD the Sailor might
as rationally attempt the enjoyment of life when
saddled with the " old man of the sea," as

the present Ministry might endeavour to discharge
the duties incumbent on them, as the guardians of our
Constitution, when encumbered by the flagitious and
unconscientious hatred of their former associates.
Nevertheless, amidst all this confusion and entangle-
ment of parties, and amidst all these jarring interests
of statesmen, one consolatory reflection remains to

the people of Great Britain—a reflection which en-
tirely deprives the pending Parliamentary conflict of
anything at all approaching to a painful
anxiety ; and that reflection is simply that
whatever may be the consequences of the struggle,
and howevermuch the Cabinet may be altered or pre-
served, the destinies of England will inevitably be
confided either to Sir ROBERT PEEL or Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, or by mere possibility to both ! Believing
those two celebrated statesmen to be actuated by the
noblest principles of patriotism; believing that their
ambition is principally the realisation of happiness to
their fellow-countrymen ; seeing the reality of this
fact avouched in the long, consistent liberality of
one, and demonstrated beyond all misconcep-
tion in the magnanimous and ever-memorable
self-sacrifice of the other—we can bide the
issue of circumstances without any feelings
at all approximating to those of trepidation,
certain of the ultimate advantage which must result
iu either case to the multitude. Sir R. PEEL'S visit
to Zorne House is of itself an intimation that de-
what the
sictohneseqvueennpolees
steps areb being taken ; but no matter
will re of
main
steps, the
the
his. country,
immutable. Suppn„,„,:tl„,,
I,eRO.BERT withdraws, he
aons
vouchsafed
eattamment of
will withdraw amidst
having been mainly instrbuomortein,
one of the most glorious
to its
I
population, and in the attainment of h
le boon he
has nobly sacrificed the
i dearest friendship; and dis-
sipated one of the most invincible posse of adherents
statesman ever retained. Supposing Lord JOHN la
nominated First Lord of the Treasury,
he will enter
office in the full glow
nerous
of that admiration whi
and
ch has
been aroused for his character by the ge •
unselfish co-operation which he afforded to the
Ministerial promoter of free trade. Now that
freedom of commerce has been sanctioned
by the SOVEREIGN, and thus rendered the law of the
land ; now, moreover, that we may count with cer-
tainty either upon a PEEL Administration or a
RUSSELL Administration, or an amalgamation of both,
we can remain satisfied under all circumstances.

The States of the Duchy of Saxe Coburg were
opened on the IBth instant, the Minister, Baron DB
STEAN officiating in the absence of the Duke. For
the first time the public were permitted to be present
at the ceremony.
A new ordonnance on the subject of the cen-
sorship of the press has been issued in Bavaria,
by which the editors of journals are permitted to
insert whatever concerns the internal policy of the
Government without submitting the articles to pre-
vious examination. Articles relating to foreign
politics are subject to the censorship as heretofore.