The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-04 00:00:00

ov titiditt

LONDON, TIIURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1846.

In the Chamber of Deputies, on Thursday last, M.
GurzoT, in his reply to M. THIERS, after alluding to
the desire of the Government, to draw round it men
of the Legitimatist party, thus boldly exposed the
taken policy of the aristocracy :—" It had been a
great misfortune for the French nobility, that they
did not know how to assume that part, in the poli-
tical interests of their country, to which they were
entitled. They had done noticing but live in the iso-
lation of their estates, or the subserviency of courts."
" And also," exclaimed M. DE LAROCHEJACQUELIN
(and well might he so exclaim), " and also.
on the field of honour." " Yes," continued
the Minister, " most nobly and most pa-
triotically. But the intelligence if the policy of
the country had always been wantiag to them. It wa
the trAddle classes that had been obliged to conquer,
step by step, all the liberties of the country—it iv;i
to them that France owed everything !" And doe,
-his apply only to France ? Is it not the almost uni
versa' character of aristocracy ? It is, or rather, it
was—for all things now are changing. For years,
for ages, in all times, in all countries, every great
nation has hPACt its exclusive class. Every great
people thy;; have toiled and laboured, have had their
privileged few, to reap the profits—a high and
ehvated minority, raised aloft, not by their
own exPrtions, but by the pressure from beneath
'hey are like figures, whose intrinsic value is tht-
same, but whose power is wonderfully altered b.)
their position—swelling from units to millions of
millions, only by the augmentation of the ciphers by
their side. Well may the aristocracy be interested
in the prosperity of a country—they cannot make
that prosperity, but by it they are made. However.
we do not wish now to censure, or to cavil, with the
aristocracy ; our object is only to note a most re-
markable coincidence—one of those unforeseen in-
cidents, which portray so forcibly the stirring
signs of the times, which evidence so powerfully the
hourly progress of reform. While in the French
Chamber, M. GUIZOT was speaking of a nobility who
knew not how to assume their part in the interests of
their country, and to whom the intelligence of its
policy was always wanting—even while he was speak-
ing, across the water, in our own House, our nobi-
lity mere assuming their fit position, were proclaim-
ir.g their intelligence, universal as its theme. While
the French Parliament thought of what had
been, the English (ever foremost in re-
form) showed forth what should be. While the
Minister was speaking, before echo had brought
across a whisper to our shore, his ideas were illus-
trated, his expectations were forestalled. Our no-
bility have not to learn their duties. No longer
anxious to dazzle by empty splendour, or control by
narrow tyranny, they have assumed a higher place
than monarch ever gave them ; they are ready to
co-operate with the people for the interests of all.
Like the leaves and flowers of the forest, which the
root nourishes, the stem upholds—but, raised aloft,
'hey are not useless, they are not idly ornamental;
they give their shelter and their fruit—so our no-
bility, supported by the people, will act earnestly and
heartily fur the people's welfare. No longer, in the
words of VOLTAIRE—

" Aux murs de Westminster nu via paraitre vsemble,
Trois pouvnips etom.es du neelid qui les ra:,:ieth
Les depu eq du peuple, et les graLds, et le roi,
Divises d'intelet, reuuts Nu. lu ioi."

Interest now unites them more firmly than any
laws thxt the good of one is the good of all has at
:erigth been virtually acknowledged. The second
reading in the Lords was in many ways remarkable.
The debate commenced even while .►i. GUIZUT was
dis-erting on the duties of nobility, but the triuln
phant division was not recorded till the morning sun
had risen--the sun of May 29th, which nearly tw4,
hundred years ago witnessed the restoration of
STUARTS. In honour of that event, the dv wa,
rendered memorable, but its fame shall be
prouder and purer far, hereafter, It shall bt
remembered, as the day which saw not
alone the restoration of the worst of "P.
JuINGS
but the ultimate downfal of the most ir:iquitous of
laws. And in future times we shall join with the
green oak leaves which preserver!, a monarch, the
golden corn which shall prese_rve a people! While
thus in thought uniting monarchy and the corn-
laws, we cannot but
the frantic predictions of
some, who declaTed
, a repeal would be calculated to
destroy the
aristocracy and even shake the throne!
The re;
is exactly opposed to those predictions.
glorious measure now becoming law, will not
only benefit the people, but add to the privileges of
the privileged—it gives them (what they 'nave already
gladly seized upon) an opportunity of winning popular
favour, and of stooping from their ancestral elevation
to conquer a yet higher one in their country's
history. 'The decision of the Lords, suicidal
though some may deem it, has done more
to strengthen the true influence of Peers
than any royal gift or baronial extortion since
the days of the Conqueror or King JOHN : and,
so far from shaking the throne, we may safely aver
that no royal despot, or crowned conqueror, was
ever so secure, not only on the throne, but in the
affections of the people, as is our present constitutional
SOVEREIGN. But if the power of Princes and Peers
is placed on a firmer basis how much is that of the
people
their peculiar triumph. This year will be a me-
morable one in their annals. It is the turning point—
not so great in itself as lea ing to better thibgs—the
opening wide the portals of a glorious futurity.
Some months ago the now popular Minister led the
W%y .4 in a few days all will be over. During all this
time how concentrated has been the universal interest,
how engro,sed is it even now. Every event gives
place to the great subject of the day. Even th-
birth of a royal infant is scarcely thought of, while
contemplating the cradle where Free Trade, an infant
Hercules, strangles monopoly in his giant grasp ;
and the escape of an illustrious prisoner—one bear-
Jig a name of glory—is unheeded, in the joy of a far
reater emancipation, as Industry breaks off the
etters which have galled her for long years.

The Emperor of RUSSIA was atoflrt\hraer2sa6wh
23Jult. A letter from Koningsberg,
wh, , 4 its:: slaTit
on th,
, aWeekKa"igB-
- on
"In January la-t. M. Statzky. a Pole,
ittez.n years, had been established at Christiana,'passed throughinNorwaY.
,where *he had obtained civil rights,
oerg, on his way to Poland. On his return
was arrested, by order of the Minister of Police,
.1 demand of extradition by the Russihan e
have in surernment, Which
tccuses him of having taken part in trection in
Paland, and of having hail relations with M. Doinbrowsky,
;vtio has fled. Immediately after the arrest of M. Statzky,
• h. Swedish and Norwegian Consul, and these of France and
E,ighind (the two latter, because M Statzky hac. married
he daughter of a French general, born in London,) inter-
ened with the authorities in his favour. Couri•rs were 'sent
Alto the Minister of Police at Berlin, and to the Ambassa-
dors of France and England, and au active interchange of
,otes ensued between the representativ es of Sweden, S.Sway.
treat Britain, and France, and the Prussian Minister tot
foreign Affairs. The matter has terminated, however, n•
n unexpected way. M. Statzky has disappeared from the
drison in which he was confined, and it is known that he hiss
succeeded in reaching Stettin, from whence he will mbar!.
or the island of Bonholm (Dann rk), on his way to Sweden
•,r Norway, where there are no treaties of extradition with
Russia."

Accounts from Lisbon 01 the 21st ult. state that
the following appointments had been made in the
new Ministry :—the Duke of PALMELLA, President
of the Council, holding, ad interim, the portfolio of
the Finances; the Duke of TERCEIRA, Minister of
War ; and the Marquis of SALDANHA, Minister of
Foreign Affairs. Letters from Lisbon of as late a
111S4 as the 2Cd have hem receiv:d. in Paris. 11°7
4414 tillt the Fluinovv4prit otill captinuad to