The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-20 00:00:00

Iberning 2int

'‘l>%
LONDON, THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1848.

Nothing could have been more unanimous than
the approbation expressed yesterday evening in the
House of Lords upon the intention and probable
operation of the Crown and Government Security
Bill. After the Lord Chancellor had explained the
tendencf of the proposed measure, on moving that
the Bill should be read a second time—after showing
that the simple effects of the innovations would be to
transform into felonies the offences which had been
formerly treated as high treason, and to extend the
law so altered to the population of Ireland, several
of the most distinguished members of the Upper
House pronounced themselves decidedly in favour of
the views entertained by the Government. Lord
STANLEY restricted his objections principally to the
precipitation with which the law of treason was
being subjected to alteration, but, assuredly,
the Noble Leader of the Opposition must
exonerate the Administration in a great mea-
sure from this censure, when the advancement of
the session and the extraordinary movements through-
out the United Kingdom are borne in recollection.
That some impediment is absolutely necessary for the
prevention of sedition and the quelling of insubordi-
nation is obvious, and it is equally obvious that the
principal exigency in this particular is the instanta-
neous application to the more conspicuous offenders of
some stringent and ignominious punishment. No-
thing but severity, promptitude, and ignominy can
restore to the minds of a considerable portion of
the population of these islands, and especially of
Ireland, that wholesome respect for the law which
was justly characterised last night by theos t Duke
of WELLINGTON as one of the m
im-
portant safeguards of the Constitution. Without
some effectual enforcement of this principle of obe-
dience, the country must continue to be disturbed at
the behest of every unprincipled demagogue, of every
demagogue who would prefer the notoriety of vice
to the honourable obscurity of virtue. In Ireland
especially the greed of renown is so consuming, that
it destroys all those sentiments of humanity, and ex-
tinguishes all those lights of reason, which are in-
herent in the bosom of every Christian. What to
`hem are the sanctity of religion, the effusion of
blood, the majesty of the constitution, or the dictates
of prudence, when beyond them lies the coveted
prise of popularity? No matter whether that popularity
be spurious or evanescent—popularity it still is for
the moment, and as such is to be ambitioned and be-
loved- Nothing prevents them from struggling to-
"aids the
attainment of this grand object of their
aspirations. Nothing! Decency is outraged, com-
mon sense
abused, charity derided, intelligence con-
temned, every expression that is most base and
opprobrious employed in
the furtherance of this
odious and reprehensible prtoject. Laws human and
coo
divine are treated with
:Thous indifference by
these promoters of anarchy and orators of rebellion.
Against them the olden punishments
almost entirely inefficacious. t are found to be
c Legislature
comes the bounden duty of consequently be-
to repress the growing and insolent spirit
of sedition by a novel application of the
ly cut
vulgar inflictions upon those who are ' • more
principal
pable. The existence of this imperative necessity-
was successively acknowledged by three of the first
legal authorities in the empire—Lord BROUGHAM,
Lord DENMAN, and Lord CAMPBELL.
To the arguments by which Lord CAMPBELL
enforced the urgency of this great necessity
too much attention could scarcely be awarded
under the circumstances ; and the support re-
ceived by the Government from the Noble and
Learned Lord in this instance is the more worthy
of consideration from the circumstance of his having
already reprobated in language of so much de-
termination the Bill introduced by Lord ELDON
in 1796. The disapprobation pronounced in this
instance by Lord CAMPBELL was explained by him
last night as having arisen from the fact of Lord

ELDox's Bill tending to " the assimilation of cases of a •
very different amount of gravity"—a project,"in his
opinion, eminently calculated to defeat its own ob-
ject. Whereas, in the present case, a proportional
punishment would be inflicted, and a judicious dis-
tinction drawn among the various classes of offenders.
It was maintained with very considerable acumen by
the Noble and Learned ex-Chancellor, that the only
offences created by this Bill were " compassing or
imagining the deposition of the QUEEN, levying war
against the QUEEN, and inviting the invasion
of the QUEEN'S dominions by a foreign force." Nor,
said Lord CAMPBELL, would these three crimes consist
in their open and advised advocacy; " the crime must
be either compassing or imagining the deposition of
the QUEEN, levying war against the QUEEN, or invit-
ing the invasion of the QUEEN'S dominions by a
foreign power." After this very explicit distinction
it is anything but surprising to hear the Noble and
Learned Lord remark in conclusion that it seemed to
him a fallacy to pronounce the provisions of this Act
an invasion of the rights of the subject. " Whatever
advantages," said he, "prisoners had hitherto enjoyed,
they would still continue to possess." A more em-
phatic and unanimous approval could scarcely have
been pronounced upon a Government measure by
both Chambers of the Legislature than that which
has been uttered in reference to the Bill for the
better security of the Crown and Government. Be-
sides this, the measure received the consecrating voice
of the great legal authorities in the highest Chamber
of the Legislature.

The House of Commons, according to custom, has
adjourned for the Easter holidays, and according to
custom nearly half the session has elapsed and consi-
derably less than half the necessary sessional business
has been accomplished. However, the programme
of Lord J. RUSSELL, announced last night, evinces a
disposition on the part of the Government to make
the best use of the time that yet remains. About
ten weeks have passed since the Parliamentary
session began. During that brief period most
extraordinary events have occurred in foreign
countries. The whole continent has been con-
vulsed, old moearchies have been crushed and new
republics founded. Nevertheless, as Mr. -A-EACAULAY
happily expressed it, " amidst the commotions which
everywhere surround us—amidst the crash of foreign
thrones—the Constitution of England remains im•
moveable on its basis." During this marvellous
period the House of Commons has pursued its ordi-
nary routine, not perhaps attracting quite so much
of the public attention as is its wont—public atten-
tion being directed elsewhere. One of the first and
most important subjects which occupied Parliament
during this recent half session was the Jewish Dis-
dbilities Bill—that Bill which is so striking an evi-

dence of the liberality and tolerance of the presen
(lay—which has been read a first and second time,
his passed through Committee, and been reported,
and which is now appointed to be read a
third time on Thursday, the 4th of May. A
measure of a similarly liberal and tolerant character
has not as yet been so fortunate in obtaining the
attention of the House—the adjourned debate on
Mr. ANSTEY'S Catholic Relief Bill is postponed till
the 31st of May. It will be a singularly anomalous,
if not unfair, proceeding, should the Jewish Bill be
accepted by the Legislature, and that the Catholic
Relief be thrown over till next session, more
especially as the latter is one of a very peculiar
character, relating simply to the expungement of
certain statutes which it is impossible to enforce.
Among the most important of the subjects re-
cently considered by the House of Com-
mons the most prominent was necessarily
the financial state of the country, and especially the
income-tax. The very lengthened debates upon this
matter were chiefly occasioned by a project of the
Government of increasing the tax two per cent.—a
project which they very judiciously abandoned; and
also by a motion on the part of Mr. HORSMAN for
reducing the tax imposed upon precarious incomes—
a most salutary and popular proposition, which was
unfortunately lost by a majority of 175 ; and, lastly,
the subject of the income-tax was still further
continued before the House by a proposition of Mr.
auxin to continue the tax for one year only—
a proposition which was also lost, and by a
majority of 225. Among those measures
which have for a time occupied the attention of the
Legislature, but without any immediate success, on e
of the most important was Mr. E WART'S motion for
the abolition of the punishment of death, a measure
which that Hon. Member has already repeatedly
brought forward, and which will, without doubt, be
carried at some probably very distant day—a mea-
sure for which we are inclined to think the time is
not yet arrived, it being too advanced even for this
liberal and civilised age; the motion was on this oc-
casion lost only by a majority of 56. Another im-
portant and very beneficial measure, the only objec-
tion against which is its expensive cha-
racter, was Lord ASHLEY'S proposed Medical Relief—
a measure which, in a more modified form, perhaps,
we trust, the Noble Member for Bath will, at another
time, bring before the consideration of Parliament.
Propositions for alterations in the Irish poor-law have
been repeatedly introduced, 'but without success ;
and another Irish motion, of a more pretentious
character has just been brought forward by Mr. J.
O'CoNNELL, namely, that for repeal of the union.
The most important Irish measures, however, are yet
to come ; and we have the Prime Minister's assur-
ance that they will be very speedily introduced,
Lord DUNCAN'S proposal of a repeal of the window
duties has been lost by a majority of 92 ; and Mr
BRIGHT'S alteration in the game laws,
owing to some technical regulation of the
House, was unfortunately thrown over for a time.
Inquiries into proceedings at elections have occupied
a considerable portion of public attention, and results
have been elicited such as to prove the existence of a
most iniquitious and wide-spread system of corrup-
tion in many constituencies, results which declare the
necessity for some revision and remedy of the laws
regarding elections. These are among the chief sub-
jects on which parliamentary attention has been en-
gaged during the past ten weeks—and to these we may
add the brief debate on the monster petition, and the
introduction and passing of the Crown and Govern-
ment Security Bill. The greater part of what
remains to be done in the ensuing portion
evening, of the session Lord J. RUSSELL enumerated last
ven
On Monday, the Ist of May, the first
business to be considered will be advances for
he promotion of emigration, special purposes, namely, 1
vances to Ireland ding
vancing again the money '
ger
ayt,ioan Wa
and
ds t a Inp rd 0 i
pa
on s aLI o
fao nr
afdo r.
retpheaidlasftromtwotheyeaand-.
On the same day the second reading of the Alien
Bill is fixed—a Bill which, in answer to a question
received by the. rmLoartdion
Mrers'ulEt of information admitted to
bfreomthe
Govern-
ment from several quarters. The Alien Bill, he ob-
served, was quite opposed to the general policy of
the country, but the Government
were induced
to think it necessary under present
not circumstances—
circumstances, circumstances, however, which he did Yes—
think it
d
advisable to state. The Bill, he added, was to be
merely of a temporary character. Thursday, the
4th of May, as we have already said, is appointed for
the third reading of the Jewish Disabilities Bill, and
the day following for the Committee on the Alien
Bill, which is to be followed by the Committee on
the Health of Towns Bill, if that Committee cannot
be taken before. On Monday, the 15th of May, the
President of the Board of Trade will propose an
amendment of the Navigation-laws ;he will at the
same time state what course is proposed to be taken
with regard to the registration of seamen and the re-
gistration of ships, and explain the intentions of
Government with regard to the alteration of the
Merchant Seamen's Fund. On the Ist or 2d
of May the Secretary for Ireland is to in-
troduce a Bill with respect to the elective fran-
chise and the .
polling places of Ireland. Such are
the intentions of Government as
i declared by Lord
JOHN RUSSELL last evening, and, n answer to various
questions of Ron. Members he furthermore expressed
a hope of being enabled '
to introduce a Bill similar to
that introduced last
paying clauses of they Reform year, having reference to the rate•
he had no intention Act. He declared that
of introducing
about the Irish Church, and
En-
cumbered Estates Bill he with regard to the
observed
proceeded with in the liouse of Commons as soo that it would be
it had passed the Lords ; and a as
with respect to the
amendment of the grand jury J laws, he stated that