The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-26 00:00:00

• SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
- FROM TIM MORNING PAPERS OF SATURDAY.
• POST.-s-What do the gentlemen now think of themselves
who refused to say' or do anything decisive in support of the
principle of protection till they had heard Sir Robert Peel?
They.have heard him. How much wiser are they? They
worsist slot believe it possible, after what they had heard him
.earia former years, that ha could really mean to abandon
iin of protection. They have now heard his open-
in of-1546 ; let us ask them now what they believe?
174136114 titan to endure this as if they were the menials and,
nor the POliamentary supporters of the Minister? Do they
nieal We-Lord Irrancis Egerton and Mr. Beckett Denison,'
to dethe'ilitty work of this man who has betrayed the landed
inters*? -Uri-Minister, indeed, showed his usual craft in the
selection at the Noble Lord and the Honourable Gentleman.
Hew minnyieorn fields are there comprised within the vast
wealth of the Noble Lord? How much is the , interest of
either mover or seconder involved in the interests of. British
agriculture? The speech of Sir Robert Peel is, in the greater
part. of it, nothing better thin an attempt to get up or
revive a sort --of es post facto panic on the subject of fa-
. mine. Whether he was really frightened out of his wits
two months ago, or only pretends to have been so, in order_
to get up an excuse for his falsehood and treachery, we can-
not. tel.!, nor is it worth while to inquire. We are now to
have legislation founded on a bygone panic, and a Minister
comes down with an air curiously compounded of the pon-
derous and-the lachrymose, to revolutionise long-settled in-
terests as -a . cure for a desperate attack from which the
,country-happily recovered some weeks ago. It is provoking
enough 10 read the solemn nonsense about letters From Lord-
Lieutenant Heytesbury and Lord Spring Rice Monteagle,
and "scientific" reports from professor this or pro-
fessor that. It was, not in this way that Air.
Pitt went to work when he wanted to know low
practical matters stood. We do not know whether it
was. folly or dishonesty which prevented the Minister
from taking the plainest and directest course to obtain in-
formation as to the probable supply, of food in the country ;
but had he acted like a man of sense—had he acted as Mr.
Pitt "mirk! have done under similar circumstancee,
he 'Quid have sent for some of the leading corn-
Merchants of. London, and asked for their informatum.
It.is their business to know, ,as accurately as careful m-
vestigation can informs them, what are the probabilities of
supply and ,demand both at home and abroad. From every
part of the world in which information on the subject of
supply and probable demand can be had, they have letters
intended to regulate their business. The state of business
in Mark-lane:showed clearly enough that the panic had not
reached them, and bad Sir Robert Peel asked them how that
happened, they could have shown him very satisfactory
reasons. But either Sir Robert Peel was so overcome with
vulgar terror (which is not at all impossible), or so bent
upon making the panic of November a foundation for long
'premeditated fraud and treachery (which is extremely pro-
bable), that he did not seek for good information where he
-might have found it, but jumped straightway to the con •
elusions of Cobden and Bright. But suppose the panic pre-
:text to have been well founded, was there not the sliding-
scale? Did Sir Robert Peel believe that in the face of
scarcity prices would remain low, or did he forget that
as soon as they became high the existing law would
take sway the import duties ? But he may have thought
.11 snore sudden remedy was needful. He should, how-
'ever, have- known that a more sudden remedy. than that
which the sliding-scale would- have afforded was impossible.
Irish Meetings might resolve with habitual Irish absurdity
that the ports should be at once thrown open, but the Mi-
nister ought to have known that this would have increased,
and not removed, the dangers of scarcity. Sir Robert Peel
seems to think it rather an affront to his high dignity to say
that the protectionists put him in office. He thinks he owes
it wholly to his great talents that he is in office, and this is
not least apparent, when in his own peculiarly nauseous
manner, he affects to talk of himself with great humility.
-We will, however, ask this question. If he had, in 1841,
*vowed opinions such as he avowed on Thursday night, or if
-he had not avowed-opinions almost directly opposite, would
she have achieved the position of Prime Minister? He knows
that be maid not. And yet now, using the power and in-
.flaence derived from the profession of opinions diametrically
opposed to, free trade, he attempts to force free trade upon
the.country, and to revolutionise the landed interest. The
men who can believe that such conduct as this is honest,
may next believe any extravagance of intentional fiction or
Mad fan'aticism.
HERALD.—We have a peculiar sort of dread of Lord
Francis-Egerton. -He is to Sir Robert Peel's Government
- what the present Earl Fortescue, when a Member of the
Ilonee,of. Commons, was to the Whig Administration from
-1830 t 0,1841. Both of these Noblemen, from their high and
amiable characters,. independence, talents, and general esti-
[unions were sure tabs called forth on.any remarkable emer-
gency. The appearance of either of them in the front rank
, signified to the practised eye the existence of danger. Hence,
As we. beve said, we beheld the employment of Lord Francis
• Egerton, on Thursday, with a kind of trepidation. There
was else something almost delusive in making him the first
annunciator of the .Ministerial intentions. He comes for-
ward,- it is true, as a member of um of the highest branches
. of the aristocracy ; and hence is imagined, by a cursory
observer, to speak on behalf of the land. But the fact is
, pot so. The land of England, so far as it is employed in
. agriculture, is comparatively a matter of indifference to
Lord Francis Egerton. He 'has large property in mines;
but chiefly, and beyond all others, he is a great carrier. He
is a sort of leading partner in the firm of Pickford and Co.—
he finding the canals, and they the boats. Thus it is, after
• ail, manufacturing prosperity on which he chiefly depends;
and while he speaks as a county Member and the brother of
a Duke, his bias, .so far as interest can bias an honourable
man, is mainly with the Lancashire manufacturers. There
is another reason why we dread Lord Francis Egerton, and
that is,. his, constitutional failing, his liberality of disposi-
tion and amiability of character. He is the sort of per-
son to give a kingdom away, if he had it, out of pure
good nature. He is also romantic and enthusiastic. We
remember his once saying to a friend of ours, " I
am worth, I believe, about 70,000/. a year ; and
1 would give it all to be the author of Waverley.' " Is
this the sort of man whom the directors of the Bank of Eng-
land would like to entrust with a difficult financial negotia-
tion ? Ilia Lordship has discovered that agriculture is no-
thing else than a great.marmfacture. We rather think that
it was Mon.te,qulen who made the same remark a great many
years age, caning it, we believe, "the universal manufacture."
Hew/seer this may be, we are quite willing that agricultur..
--should be dealt with on the footing of other manufactures :
we ask no more, we expect no less. Now, we are aware that
some of the principal members of the League, who are
engaged in the fabrication of extremely simple com-
modities—pieces of cotton cloth, chiefly produced
by machinery, and into the cost of which human
skill and labour very slightly enter—are ready to
exclaim at once, " We want no protection ;—we are ready
to compete with the_world, and so ought the farmers to be."
We humbly submit, however, that to leap to such a conclusion
would be an exceedingly hasty, superficial, and unetatesman •
like proceeding. Rather let Lord Francis Egerton ask him-
self, how he would deal with the cotton manufactures of
Lancashire, if they did require protection ? Suppose, for in-
.stance, it appeared that there were, near Hamburgle a great
number of large cotton factories, which, from some favourable
•circumstances, of situation,. or • cheaper labour, &c., could
*easily produce cotton goods some 30 or 40 per• cent. cheaper
'than any of the mills in Lancashire. Would Lord Francis
Egerton then say, as he seems to havesaid on Thursday, that
" It was time to depart from that principle which had been here-
tofore maintained, of endeavouring, by protective duties, to
restrict the importation of foreign commodities ?" • Would
Pie, in a word,. say, that it was a matter of little importance
whether or not 200,000 or 300,000 hands were thrown out of
'employment? We are confident that he would say no such
thing. 'We are perfectly certain that he would earnestly
maintain that this circumstance was a most important fea-
ture iu the questiom And we ask no more on behalf of the
:agriculturists. It is a fact, asserted, we believe, by very
credible portions, that in the provinces near Odessa there are
-*capabilities of raising for the English market millions of
;quarters. Of . wheat, at an average of less than
20s. pei:,, , quarter. It is undeniable, we fancy, that
in the markets of New Orleans wheat is, otters, for
months together, sold at an average of from 2s. 6.1.
to 3*.fid.,per Jrstel, Add the freight to England, and it, is
clear that the Price is still far below what similar grain can be
rodoced at in this country. Is it not worth Lord Francis
,Egerton' while, before he rushes to a conclusion on the pre-
creme (it:region, JO: search carefully into these facts, and to see
;whether it is quite certain that neither Europe nor America
can send.iisto England after a year or two's notice, such
supplies ef.cerit. as Insist effectually discourage its growth i
sarong lee,' and thus, .'aa Lord Brougham and Lord John
Russell hirce both predicted in other days, " throw million.
of the-labourers of England out of emplo3ment."

The Unnting Season in Leicestershire has been
peculiarly.good. The fine open weather drew a full attend-
ancs, of sportsmen, and the runs have been most brilliant.
The hoepjtalities have been as profuse as usual, and the ladies
'who accompanied their lords to Milton, have by their pre-
sence greatly added to the agremens of the place. Lord and
Lady Newport, and-Colonel and Mrs. Anson occupied the
house of Lord Wilton,, and by their frequent dinners made the
absence of the Eirl and his amiable ,Counters less felt. In
Derbyshire, too, the hunting has been excellent. Mr. Mey-
nell's hounds afforded admirable sport, and the horsemanship
of the-Earl of Chesterfield's son, the young Lord Stanhope,
excited general adthiration. It is a subject of regret in Derby-
shire, that. Sir Robert tiurdet, the master of such fine pos-
sessions there, is no sportsman, and therefore contributes
nothing-to the amusement of the county.
A OGItENTATIoN or TUE ROYAL ARTILLERY.--Ap-
*cation Was made Some time ago for an increase of the
Itasal Pegiment of Artillery to the • extent of twenty. two
men to each company, and it has been decided that an in-
Crease will take.place to the .extent often men to each com-
p/my. There are seventy-two companies of Royal Artillery
sithome and on foreign stations, consequently the number of
Jam to be added to the regiment will be 720. With the ex-
Ception of Liiburn, Ireland, where Lieutenant Clerk has oh-
tamed twenty-six recruits ready to-lie sent to head-quarters,
the recruiting in other parts, especially in Scotland, is very
unsuccessful, and it is the general opinion of those acquainted
with that branch of the service, that the only effective plan to
insure fine young men to enter the service is to grant a pen-
sion of Is. per day after twenty-one years' service, as in that
ease there would be 6 difficulty whatever.
N
AXv:FIELD CORN MARKET, JAN 23.—The arrivals
of V
all grain are moderate this week. There is a much better
feeling in the Wheat trade this morning, and a fair business
was transacted in all descriptions of Wheat, at fully late
prices. .Barley, exceP title finest qualities, in limited request,
without alteration in Beans scarce, and in good re-
quer- Oats and
each maintained the prices of Fri-
day last.- Malt as before.
His Highoe re' ss •
Prince Nicholas Esterhszy left the Earl
orJersey's residence, in Berkeley-square, OR Friday, on his
return to-Middleton Parskince ernu„e
dThe Countess of Jersey,
'who had been in town
Viscount Villiers and the Hon. F. svillyi last' accompanied by
erss yesterday left for
circle. The Earl of Jersey
'Middleton Park to join the family
is expected to leave on -Monday. .
ROBBERY AT A ROMAN CATHOLIC C p
On Friday informations wasforwarded to the TsltsetthrotlinoibtitaaEnni:
police that during the night of the the—n d
Ca' holic 'chapel of St. John, it'Wigan, was entered
thief or thieves, who stole therefrom the silver articles be-
longing to the communion service.
*REPEAL DEMONSTRATION AT LIMERICK. —By an ex-
traordinary tdition of the Limerick Reporter, webave received
copious particulars of a banquet given to the city and county
Members in. the theatre. Besides the various toast-s, all the
sentiments which fell froin the lips of the speakers breathed
As strongly as ever an aspiration for a repeal of the Union.
Amongst. those who addressed the meeting were Counsellor
Devitt 'and Mr. William Smith O'Brien; the former in a
very flowery, the latter in a somewhat argumentative speech.
About 500 sat down to dinner; and only separated at mid-
night.

ltowING MATen.--BenjaMin Allen, of Greenwich,
and William Liley, of Gravesend, are matched to row, in
wager. boati, •for 50/. a side ; the match to take place in
February, and the distance seven miles, between the Lobster
a side was made at Mr, Lightfoot's, Gravesend, and a final
deposit of 401. is to be made 2d Feb. If the friends of Allen
are disposed, it is added, the match can be made for
1001. a side.
SEA Gurta.s.—On Friday several of these birds were
observed on the river near Battersea, and having hovertd
round for some time, they took their flight.