The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-26 00:00:00

crops, a general deficiency exists, prices of corn and
bread stuffs have greatly increased, and we regr,t to
say are still increasing. The question is no lcnger
one of the agriculturists, or of the manner in which
(what was erroneously supposed to be) their fall was
to be broken, but the more serious and important one
of how the people are to be fed and supported. Our
Irish brethren are already exposed to all the pangs of
famine and starvation, and several have already
perished in a Christian land from want of the common ,
necessaries of life. In far more favourable times than
the present, when the emergency was not nearly so
pressing, or the prospect for the future so lowering
and threatening, that great and wise statesman who
then presided over the destinies of the country had
made up his mind as to the propriety and policy of
opening the ports ; the experiment would then have
been far more daring. At that time a great majority
of both Houses of Parliament supported the protec-
tionist doctrines, and viewed those of free trade with
the most uncompromising hostility. Sir R. PEEL
was well aware that the course on which he had de-
termined would excite the most rancorous and en-
venomed animosity of the monopolists towards him-
self; that no means would be spared to harass and
anoy him personally ; and he was uncertain as to the
number of his supporters whom he might be enabled
to convince and to carry along with him in his
change ; yet he was prepared to brave all, to sacri-
fice party, political friends, and associates, and every-
thing that could influence a public man, for the good
of his country. Let us hope that our present Pre-
mier will be prepared to adopt a similar course in
this season of far greater pressure, and when he is
well secure of the acquiescence of a large majority
of the Legislature in the propriety of that course.
Nothing could be more handsome, or at the same
time more just, than the manner in which the
Learned Doctor spoke of the great destroyer of the
corn-laws, Mr. COBDEN, and the progress of free-
trade opinions. He said, " That man, who above all
other men represents the feelings of the manufactur-
ing population, is gone forth conquering and to con-
quer in other lands. By his own good sense he forced
conviction, by his own quiet demeanour he conducted
the judgment of others, and by his honesty and en-
thusiasm he will win golden opinions, and the time is
not far remote when that which has been done at
home will he accomplished abroad, and the barriers
which have separated us from other lands will be
broken down, enabling us to communicate to them
the enjoyments of which we have a superfluity, and
taking from them the produce which they have in
excess. Free trade has found an utterance in
France, free trade has found an utterance in Belgium,
and even in Spain a committee has already been
formed, and our high-minded friend has found a wel-
come in that once distinguished and heroic land. It
has spread through Europe, and it is spreading in
America and England, and now the words of
wisdom and truth are echoed over the land. The
voice of England is heard, and will still be heard, in
support of the interests of our common humanity."
Our space forbids further notice of the other topics
alluded to by the Hon. Member. Suffice it to say,
that a well-deserved vote of thanks was, at the termi-
nation of his statement, unanimously carried for his
past Parliamentary conduct.

The Levant mail has arrived, bringing intelligence
from Constantinople to the 7th, from Alexandria to
the 9th, from Athens to the 10th, and from Malta to
the 14th. In Constantinople we learn that CHEWKET
BEY', a strenuous partisan of reform, and Minister of
the Porte at Berlin, had been appointed Director of
the Chancery of the Divan (Beylikdji); that Hus-
SEIN, or AGHA PACHA, who acted so conspicuous a
part in the destruction of the Janissaries, had been
reinstated in the Government of Widdin; and that
lIA DJI-ETHEM-EFFENDI, the former inspector of the
public expenditure—a man of talent and strict pro-
bity--had been named President of the Court of
Accounts.

Ac counts from Alexandria state that the Nile had
risen to such an extent as to destoy entirely the maize
crops near its banks, and materially injure the cotton
crops.. The English Consul, Mr. MURRAY, had just
arrive• 1 at Alexandria in the Ariel. The Oriental and
Peninsular Steam Company has come to an arrange-
ment with the Government for the conveyance of its
merchandise. The Government is to convey it at a
fixed / .rice, and to purchase from the company the
two stl !amers which it has upon the Nile. A report
was en rrent at Alexandria that the SULTAN had or-
dered the Viceroy to prepare an expedition against
Tripol', but this rumour obtained no credit.
The :e is nothing new from Athens or 111alta.

The news from Switzerland still continues satis,

factory
A letter from Berne, dated Oct. 19, thus describes
the pl.& caution adopted by the authorities for the pre-
servat mof the public peace :
"Sin ce yesterday at three o'cicck, when the burgher
guard 'charged with the bayonet, and dispersed the crowd
which. attacked the cavalry with stones in the square
of the• Corn Hall, which was being re-paved, the peace
of the: city has not been seriously disturbed. Still, no
small t legree of agitation prevails, as much perhaps from
fear (rf new conflicts as from the exceptional measures
the pof ice have taken. Thus, from apprehension that
the ri o ters might shelter themselves in the houses which
are g si terally kept constantly open, the Government has
order e. 1 all of them to be closed, has forbidden all chil-
dren under sixteen years of age to appear in the
street , and for two days the cats and all other houses
of pt tiv lic entertainment have been kept constantly shut.
Yest• 3r day, in the evening, the Executive Council posted
up a second proclamation, in which it recapitulates all
the / at :asures taken for preventing scarcity. It counter-
man is the purchases of corn, rice, and maize made by
the wernment, the suppression of the entrance duties
on p, .visions, and the steps taken to obtain from the
Fede. d Directory a repeal of the prohibitive measures
adopt E d by the neighbouring cantons. It then exposes
the 131, 3asures taken to preserve the public peace, and
annotu ices its firm resolution to enforce obedience to the

laws. Further arrests have been made to-day. What
has ca .used the greatest sensation is the captivity of M.
Juts t >chmid, a native of Schwyz, a man of wealth,
whoa ; Few years ago was naturalised as a citizen of Berne.
.14.311 ;ht in the evening.—The Government has just
posted up a bulletin, making known the measures taken
by it A T the maintenance of order, and which concludes
as fo lb iws

" 'rom all parts of the canton assistance has been
tend, zrt td to the Government, with assurances of support
in cc 6se of necessity. Twelve hundred armed volunteers
from tl se country have already placed themselves at the
disp• Ds: Ll of the Executive Council. The Government has
not th ought fit, under present circumstances, to avail
thec Est .:1v es of this patriotic offer ;it nevertheless thanks
the .:0 limunes and individuals whom this concerns, and
feels. it self strong in its full confidence that the efficaci-
ous ai dof the people will not fail it at the moment of
dan, ;e r.'

n the 20th, which was the market day, the supply
of In% 'visions was abundant, and everything had
pas: ;et I off without any attempt at disturbance.
,:t Geneva, in consequence of the concentration Of
Fre ni .h troops on the frontier, " the Provisional Go-
vena nent has," says the Revue de Geneve, of the 22d
"th 3 ught it necessary to take some military precau-

tion s, The contingent has been placed en disp
and F. ome additions will be made to the fortifications
on tb e frontier next to France. We learn that the
Ca nb 3n de Vaud has also ordered military measures.
It ha s called out the troops d'elite, and appointed a
comr aander-in-chief for the troops who may be aa-
se m 1 Jed."

It appears that the States of the POPE have been
e • theatre of some serious disturbances, in conse-
qi le: ace of the opposition offered by the members of
tf ie old servile party to the liberal measures of the
r 'WE. There has been a hostile collision, attended
rith serious loss of life, between these parties at
I 'aenza. A letter from Bologna, of the 11th, gives
t be following account of the disturbances at Faenza :-
1 t appears that some of the young men of that town
h 'wing gone to Russi, to celebrate by a little fete
t !Le amnesty, a number of the inhabitants of Borgo (a
f subourg of Faenza, long remarkable for its support
f the former state of things, and much opposed to
t be liberal measures of the new Pore), determined to
a ttack them on their return. They accordingly
n earthed out towards Russi, and seeing a body of
n ten coming towards them, and supposing them
t ) be the persons they sought, though' they
.ere only sportsmen, they fired, and wounded
eo of the strangers slightly. These per-
so Es, on arriving at Faenza, lodged a complaint
the Governor, who at once ordered out the
eers. They, however, it appears, had received
positii .e orders from their commanding officer not to
quit t: Heir barracks, and he himself could not be found
:ee rev oke the order. -In this emergency the Swiss
?.re called out, and some of the inhabitants joining
th em ,an attack was made on Borgo. A sharp fire
w as kept up on both sides, and several individuals
w el e killed knd wounded. The struggle lasted three