The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-05 00:00:00

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE
BRADFORD REFORM ASSOCIATION.

Sir,—On Monday, April 3, the Jewish Disabilities
Bill went through Committee without amendments ;
two which had been proposed by the adversaries of the
Bill, being negatived by the votes of 196 against 99,
and 203 against 109.
The debate was an instance of the low degree in
which the House possesses the quality of being a for-
mer of public opinion, or in other words being more
than the registrar. False assumptions and false infer-
ences on any subject, are rarely met by any exposure
in the House. This seems to be left as the business of
those preparatory schools for the formation and pub-
lication of opinion, of which the meetings held by
the Anti Corn-law League were an eminent ex-
ample in one important branch. The possessors of
a wrong go mouthing on, and, if the case be sus-
ceptible of a reference to religious subjects, talking
as near to flat blasphemy as is attainable by quota-
tions of the kind in which the father of evil is poetically
held to be a doctor in divinity ; and the opponents take
quietly a great deal of violence, and a great deal of
inferential abuse, trusting to the power in their
hands, of ultimately answering by a division. lam
not sure whether this is for the best ; but this is as
it is.

From occurrences on this evening, there seems
reason to apprehend that the determination of the
Government to bring on anything decisive on the
avigation-Laws this session, is giving way. At the
same time there are tokens of their owing the ab-
surdity a grudge. The facts which brought up the
subject were these. At llavre is a quantity of cotton,
which in consequence of the disordered state
of trade at Rouen, finds no or a bad market. It
would be convenient therefore for all parties, that
this cotton should be brought to Manchester; but it
cannot—and why ? Because thete is a law which
says that neither a British nor fureign ship shall im-
port it, unless it will go round by America. This is
as if a railway might not bring goods from Liver-
pool to Manchester, without going round by Pen-
zance; the object being to put money into the poc-
kets of railway proprietors. The agricultural in-
terest has had its right of black mail against Man-
chester, and when that is in some way of being put
down, starts up the shipping interest and claims to have
another. The defenders of the last-mentioned claim
appear divided between the desire to take what might
be got for themselves by allowing the cotton to be
shipped in their vessels from Havre, and the dread of
establishing the precedent of letting a part of the road
alone. The Government refuse point-blank to have
anything to do with breaking the law; which looks
very much like desiring to give it the benefit of the
illustration.

On Tuesday the debate was on Mr. Horsman's mo-
tion for permitting the surplus revenue of the Arch-
bishops and Bishops to be applied to the relief of
parochial destitution. The motion was finally with-
drawn, on an engagement of the Government to take
up the consideration of the subject.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
T. PERRONET THOMPSON.
Blackheath, London, April 5, 1848.

HARWICH.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—You will no doubt have heard of the singu-
lar and almost unparalleled contest which has occurred
in this borough during the present week. For the
last few days we have been represented by one Mem-
ber only, (J. Bagshaw, Esq.,) Mr. Attwood having
been unseated by a Committee of the House of Com-
mons, after a lengthened investigation of the proceed-
ings carried on at the election of July last.
The Right Honourable Sir J. C. Hobhouse issued
his address for the vacant seat, but, in the meantime,
the Honourable Manners Sutton was brought forward
in opposition, and credence being given to the report
that Mr. Sutton was certain to be elected, supported,
as it appears he was, by the mayor, magistrates, and
many of the influential inhabitants of the borough, it
is very natural that a Cabinet Minister should decline
to be engaged in such a contest as was supposed
would occur in our little seaport. Added to this, the
debates in the House of Commons were not at all
complimentary to the constituency, and many grave
charges were made which were utterly devoid of truth.
What was the result of the present contest? Allow
me, Sir, first to give you the final close of the poll—.
Hobhouse l3l
Sutton
Majority
The first remark will be that the majority is small—
and why ?
First—Our opponent had the advantage of having
an active candidate on the ground, indefatigable in
his canvass, high in station, and supported by a consi-
derable portion of the influential gentlemen of the
borough.
Secondly—Our candidate was not only absent, but
issued an address to the electors declining the contest
a few days previous to the nomination.
Notwithstanding these untoward circumstances,
the Liberal electors met and unanimously determined
to return Sir J. C. Hobhouse, to show the feelings of
the constituency; and, to their credit, it has been
effected without an outlay of a single shilling, at once
contradicting the aspersions thrown upon them in the
recent debates by several Members of the House of
Commons.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
AN ELECTOR.