The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-15 00:00:00

PUBLIC OPINION.

The Times has a leading article on tho subject of bri-
bery at elections, in which, after endeavouring to prove
that it cannot be stopped by an Extension of the Suf-
frage, our contemporary proceeds to observe:--" A
word or two upon the other plan of prevention, by in-
fliction of penalty. Did those who talk of penalties as a
.means of prevention ever hear of the working of the re-
venue laws upon other kinds of contraband traffic ? Do
they know that the strongest prohibitions on the export-
ation of the precious metals have been constantly braved
' for a profit of an eighth per cent. ? Do they know what
penalties the smuggler has hazarded when brandy, or
tea, or tobacco has been at a high duty ? Do they know
what risks the slave-trader is at this hour content to run,
' not only of his property, but of his person ? And even
if there were not this actual experience of analogy,
does not common sense itself apprize them, that where
the poor man has that to bestow which the rich man
is desirous to obtain, there, in spite of all the
threats in the world, money will be the medium of the
transfer? Neither, then, by multiplying suffrages, nor
by imposing pecuniary or personal penalties, will you
ever stop the practice of bribery. The only proceeding
in the nature of a penalty which could be expected to
produce the slightest advantage, would be the forfeiture
of the abused franchise for the remainder of the voter's
life."—The Times here takes the Tory view of the ques-
tion, especially as regards the extension of the suffrage,
which there can be no doubt would greatly increase the
difficulties of bribery by multiplying the number of elec-
tors to be bribed. And even supposing that this increase
was among the poorer classes, who would be satisfied
with a small bribe; still, more money would require to
be expended than a candidate would like to give. Ex-
tend the suffrage, and conjointly with that extension give
the Ballot, and you will have done all that can be done,
to diminish the bribery and corruption now so generally
complained of, yet so generally practised.
The following observations are from the Herald :
" The aristocracy of England, to be respected, must be
full of moral and religious truth—both understood and
practised.' We gladly confess that the majority are
void of offence, that they are unobtrusively charitable,
personally decorous, and externally pious ; but they are
cold and reserved, and they confide not in the people ;
they seek not their easily-acquired confidence ; they do
not place themselves in their natural position, and direct
public opinion ; and above all, they do not disassociate
themselves from those who are discreditable to their
seelsr. The people see the aristocracy too much through
their vices, too little through their virtues ; they ima-
gine thernselves on one side of a gulf, and the nobles on
another ; they fancy they are feared, and their intui-
tively generous feelings are turned by neglect to gall.
The tempter interposes in the form of a Whig, a politi-
cal dissenter, a Radical, a Socialist, or a Chartist ; and
the people are taught to hate those whom they are dis-
posed to love and admire. The fault is not in the people ;
ticy will rely on some influence—evil if it be not good.
It is in the aristocracy, who disregard and fail to
cherish the most natural of all connections—that
between the highest and lowest of mankind."—
There is much truth in the Herald's remark about the
" cold and reserved" character of the aristocracy. They
are in the habit of keeping far too aloof from the people,
as if they were a superior order of humanity—fashioned
of precious porcelain, instead of mere clay. The worst
of it is, that this haughty exclusiveness does not stop
with them, f,:r the infection of their example spreads ;
and every aspiring adventurer who has scraped together
a little money, hastens to separate himself from the class
from which he sprung ; affects an aristocratic hauteur;
and copies as closely as he can, the, cold reserve of those
above him, and into whose society it is the darling ob-
ject of his ambition to intrude himself. Thus by degrees
—for the process is slow but sure—society becomes split
into three distinct classes— the aristocratic, the would-
be-aristocratic, and ' the democratic--the two first of
whom combine their energies to oppress and trample on
the last. Half the evils of society—which, by the bye,
no legislation can reach—arise out of these jealous dif-
ferences !
The Morning Chronicle gives the following distressing
account of several recent heavy failures in the West of
Scotland :—" We regret to learn by letters from Glas-
gow that there have peen within a short period three
commercial failures in that city. The first, on Saturday
week, was a commission-house connected with North
America. Liabilities estimated at 40,0001. The cause
assigned was the want of remittances by the Britannia.
A considerable portion of this sum is due to that de-
voted town Paisley. The second was a calico-printing
concern, on Saturday last—not in extensive business.
The third, and most important, took place on Monday
last. It was in the shipping and commission business,
and the liabilities are estimated at from 40,0001 to
60,00 M. The failure was unexpected, and the cause as-
signed is over-investment in West India produce. A
Correspondent informs us that 'these failures had thrown
an additional gloom over this commercial city ;
and as there is no sign of improvement, the
future prospect, particularly that for the next two
months, is anything but cheering.',"—And while
these ominous failures are taking place at Paisley
and elsewhere—for the distress is by no means
confined to the West of Scotland—what are Ministers
doing—those Ministers who came into office for the ex-
press purpose of remedying the grievances of the coun-
try ? The answer is ready. They are endeavouring to
shut their eyes to the truth of things, and to persuade
themselves that there is no distress, at least none so
severe as to demand their attention ! Day after day,
hour after hour, increases the amount of suffering under
which the people are labouring ; and all we hear of
their; Tory rulers is, that some aro shooting, others
hunting, and others idling away their time at watering-
places ! Well, the time of reckoning is at hand ; and
our ultra-aristocratic Cabinet may regret, when too
late, their infatuated policy in playing fast and loose
with the best interests of the people.
The Post observes—" A Contemporary has said, with
no less truth than point, that, in their late position as a
Government party, 'the Whigs could not afford to be
honest.' The illustration given of this theory is the
fact that the Whig Ministers sometimes abandoned their
own measures—measures which they know to be just,
and necessary for the remedy of proved abuses—because
they found that some of their followers had an interest
in the abuses, and these followers they could not afford
to disoblige. This is very true, but the observation
that in their late position the Whigs could not afford to
be honest admits of still wider application, and of more
important application, because the change in their posi-
tion opens a prospect of a great change for the better.
They now can afford to be honest, and we hope they may
avail themselves of the opportunity for consulting
their own honour, and the country's advantage, which
is presented by the present state of atlhirs."—
If the Whigs, when in office, could not afford to be
honest, how much less could the Tories afford to be so,
when deprived of the emoluments of place ? But no
thinking man ever yet accused Toryism of integrity,
whether in, or out of office. In the ono case, it we..; re-
markable for nothing but its innate genius for jobbing;
in the other, for its factious and unprincipled opposition.
As for our Contemporary's expression of a hope that the
Whigs will now be honest, he means that they can only
manifest a sense of honesty by ceasing to act as an an-
tagonist party to Ministers, and sanctioning all their mea-
sures, no matter how absurd, or how short of the mark
they may be.
The following is from the Dublin Pilot :—" The hum-
bug of conciliation is abandoned, and Orangeism is once
more in the ascendant. The principles of the Irish Go-
vernment are now openly avowed. The appointment. of
Mr. Brewster would of itself have been more than suffie.
cient exposure of the falsity and hypocrisy of their de-
clarations ; but the dismissal of Mr. Cahill has !licle

-----
' assurance doubly sure.' ----ifie one was promoted be-
cause he is a Protestant and a violent Conservative; the
other has been dismissed because he is a Catholic and a
Liberal."
The Wilts Independent has the following remarks on

Sir Robert Peel :—" Of all the dishonest, evasive,and*
shuffling expedients that ever were resorted to by any
Ministry the waiting policy of Sir R. Peel is the most
contemptible. Ho had no excuse whatever for such
conduct, ho has never left the political arena, and he
knows as much now of the state of the country, and as
we/i what remedies to apply, as ke will in February.
The truth is, he knows not what to do ; ambition urged
him on to seek the post he has attained, and false pre-
tcneies have enabled him to reach it."

The Derby Reporter observes of the Royal Speech :
" The Peel-speech says something, and means—nothing.
The people are assured that all such measures as
shall appear, after mature consideration, best calculated
to prevent the recurrence' of distress, will receive her
Majesty's sanction—as if deep, heart-rending distress
was not now stalking throughout the length and breadth
of the land ! Nero fiddled while Rome was burning—
reel and his followers will dine though the people starve !"