The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-01 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1848.

The postponement of several of the remedial mea-
sures that had been promised for Ireland, has been
prominently put forward among the :Ministerial back-
slidings of the present session. Many important
matters, by which the industrial resources of the
country might have been developer', and its best in-
terests materially promoted, hare been withdrawn,
and that at a time when any improvement was pecu-
liarly desirable. That unhappy country had indeed
suffered most fearfully_ during the preceding year.
Pestilence and famine had r:ged throughout the
land. The resources of all classes had been tho-
roughly exhausted. Landlords, unable to obtain pay-
ment of their rents, were compelled to raise
money at the most frightful sacrifices to pay
even a portion of the rates imposed for the support
of the starving peasantry, while occupiers unable to
satisfy the various demands fur which they were
liable, neglected the cultivation of the soil, and wasted

in unavailing and useless complain!s the time that
might have been more beneficially applied. A wide-
spread feeling of discontent and dislffection prevailed
on every side, which was fostered and excited by
mischievous men, who hoped to extort from the
fears of the Legislature the concessions that could not
b 2 obtained from its sense of equity and justice. The
unfortunate condition of the country afforded pecu-

liar opportunities to those aposth s of sedition to
advance their objects. Destitute inn were ready to
embark in any enterprise, however desperate, which
gave a hope of better times. Persons unable to
obtain honest employment were prepared for any
alternative that their reckless leaders might point
out. The great principle that the Liberator had,
during his useful career, so powerfully impressed
on the minds of his countrymen, and by a strict
adhesion to which he had gained so many triumphs,
was turned into ridicule, and the nnv leaders called
upon the people to arm in order that they might op-
pose an open and armed resistance to the authorities.
The great man, whose influence might have calmed the
passions and assuaged the irritations of the people had
been stricken with disease, and died at the very time
when his exertions would have been more valuable than
ever. Then, indeed, the last restraint was removed
from the advocates of physical force, IA ho ran riot in

ther folly, and ope=nly preached the mest flogi!jou3
lot:trines to the half-malleniel people. IA
rol,heries, and crimes ef the most aggravated cha-
racter, were of daily occurrence. There• wes no
‘..t:'ety for life or property in tie disturbed districts.
Sech vu.s the state of affairs when Peerlia•
ment was convened in the month of November
last, principally for the purpose of giving its sanction
to the virtual suspension of the Bank Charter Act,
v;l ich the Government had been obliged to grant, in
deference to the universal demand, on the 25th Oe•
'toher previously. At that period something favour-
able to Ireland might have been carried, but that a
measure of coercion was required in consequence of
the disturbed state of the country. The Crown and
Government Security Bill passed through the House
with the general approbation of every right• minded
man, who deplored, while he was compelled to
acknowledge the necessity that existed for the strin-
gent enactments contained therein. fore then the
first opportunity was lost. The time consumed in
carrying that measure through its various stages
would have sufficed to pass one of the most beneficial
character; but Ministers could not justly be cen-
sured because restrictive enactments were called for
upon every side, and the peaceable and loyal inhabi-
tants of the country demanded protection from the
violence of habitual violators of the law.

The operation of the statute to which we have just
allui'.ed was at first most successful in tranquillising
the country. The most disturbed districts were pro
claimed, a special commission was issued, juries and
witnesses discharged their onerous duties honestly
and conscientiously, murderers were brought to
justice, wrongdoers were terror-stricken, and a lull
ensued, which, if it had continued fur any time,
would have enabled Parliament to take the wants
and exigencie s of the country into its
anxious and attentive consideration. This calm
was however, unfortunately, of short duration.
The thrilling events that occurred in neighbouring
nations, the spectacles of thrones overturned, mu.
narchies subverted, republics constituted, and revolu-
tions occurring in so many continental states, led the
Young Ireland party to suppose that the moment had
arrived to strike a decisive blow for what they termed
the liberties of their country." A treason press
%vas organized, which put forth with apparent impu-
nity the most treasonable doctrines. Tie most
approved methods of slaughtering and destroying
her MAJESTY'S forces were freely discussed, and
the liberty of the press degenerated into
licentiousness. Juries would not convict in
cases of sedition on the clearest and most
unequivocal evidence. A new measure was de-
manded to check the growing evil, and by what has
been termed the Treason Felony Act, the law of
England and Ireland was assimilated As ith respect to
open and advised speaking and writing. Here,
again, the Irish agitators were the parties clearly
'responsible for the withdrawal of other measures
that were actually pending and not the Government,
who only pursued to the course forced upon them by
those mischievous individuals. Need we allude to
the manner in which the agitation was carried,
the organization of clubs, the drilling,
•of trained and armed bodies—that finally led to the
passing of the Habeas Corpus Act, and the premature
ou:break that so speedily followed its enactment,
an uutbreak that was completely and ,effectually
crushed, but which however compelled the Irish Repre-
sentatives to return to their respective localities, to
' exercise their just influence in restoring tranquillity.
During their absence nothing of any importance
relating to the country could be transacted ; and.
consequently, what would, in all probability, have
passed into law, during the present session, was ne-
c-ssari!y postponed.
For this the Government cannot be blamed,
but the mischievous men who thus excited their
ignorant countrymen, and brought matters to so
tearful a condition. These persons are the real ene-
mies of Ireland, whom Irishmen may thank for the
absence of remedial measures during the present
session of Parliament.

We have considered it our duty, as on former oc-
casions, to furnish our readers with an unabridged
report of the proceedings in Parliament in the case of
the deceased Raja of SATTARA. Ve think such a
course is most likely to enable the public rightly
to judge whether the Honourable Member for
the l'ower Hamlets has obtruded on the attention of
the Legislature a question unworthy its notice, cr
wl-.ether he has laudably endeavoured, amidst much
misrepresentation and many most unworthy at •
t :cks, to obtain justice in a matter peculiarly
d2manding the interposition of these who are the
nritural guardians of the unrepresented millions
of our Indian empire. The case brought forward
by Mr. TIIOMPSON yesterday is so clearly stated,
and so well supported by cfficial documents, that
we may well leave it to speak for itself. Our readers,
too, will be able to decide for themselves whether
the Minister of the Crown for Indian affairs met the
charge of spoliation and gross breach of faith brought
against the Government of Bombay ; or whether he
altogether evaded the question, and satisfied
himself with uttering a few vague and
common-place assurances of good intentions, and
a desire to promote the future comfort of the
persons belonging to the family of the Prince, who
was not only deposed, but deprived of that which
would have enabled him out of his own wealth to
provide for the support of his relations. Their deci-
sion, we think, will confirm the truth of Mr. Tueur-
sox's remark, in the commencement of his reply,
that upon the material parts of his speech, the Presi-
dent of the Board of Control was "profoundly
silent." If such be the case, we think it is somewhat
unfair to charge a Member of Parliament with un-
seemly pertinacity, in continuing to bring forward
a case of so much importance to the character of
the British rule in India, as that of the Raja of
SATTARA.
The charge made against the Indian authorities
yesterday was this : that after a British Governor
had given a distinct written pledge that he would re-
spect the private property of a Prince he was about
by force of arms to depose, and after lie bad
led that Prince to repose complete confidence in the
sacredness and sincerity of that pledge, he did, with-
out provocation, and without even a pretext, seize
and confiscate the whole of that property, amount-

itz in value to 300,000/. sterling. This was the
charge. The pledge was produced and read; other
official documents were also exhibited, corroborating►

the fact of that pledge having been given and
received ; yet, the person bound to answer
this charge, _ or to admit the perpetration
of the outrage, v.nd to promise compensation,
c oily observes that the RAJA was a despotic prince,
and, as such, could possess nothing that could be
called private property. We much mistake the cha-
racter of the people of this country if such a case of
oppression and cruelty does not excite their indigna-
ptrheseerlyteigdhtanHuolni.
broken siltnce was, the alleged violation of the
nooft htehre
Bs ui
ol
charter, by the dethronement of the late RAJA
tPi°rells'idenAt
without the express command of the home. authori-
)a redeto fo nC
own thrioclh
ties. The public are therefore left wholly without the
views of the Government on this most important
point—a point which we hope some Member will
compel them to clear up at an early period of
the ensuing session. Mr. THOMPSON'S view of
the provisions of the 33 GEORGE 111. are of
importance, not only retrospectively as applying to
the Company's proceedings in 1839, but prospEc-
tively in reference to the conduct of the Com-
pany regarding the succession to the vacant throne,
or the annexation of the territory to the
Bri:ish dominions in India. Perhaps, how-
ever, enough has been said to induce the law officers
of the Crown to turn their attention to the subject,
and enough, we trust, to prevent the injury which
might otherwise be done to those who claim
the benefit of the decease of the late Raja, APPA
Scum, without issue.

Apart from the merits of the special ease, so long
and so perseveringly brought forward in Parlia-
ment and the India House, we are of opinion,
that the • discussion of Indian topics, instead of
being deprecated, should be encouraged, con-
vi"ed, as we are, that too much attention can-
not be given to the affairs of an empire, so important
in its present value and future destinies as that which

has been acquired by the valour of the sword, aod the
sagacity of British 4tatestnen on the plains of India.

Latterly, in the instance of popular conspirators,
the violence of democracy has been lingual, not

actual. Insurgent leach,rs, v:llethr is Irchnti or
Fr. nec, have 1.).,en fornlidable
gunge, and mi..,trtaly i:.:4;[.ifielint in dt.cds. The
red republicans, both in Paris and Dublin, have talkk d
very big and done very little. Besides which they
have invariably displayed remarkable skill in running
away, from Tuom s /Jr:AGnEn to Lours BLANC,
from WILLIAM SMITH O'BRIEN to Marie CAUS-
SIDIERE. While the Irish rebel escaped through
a kitchen-garden
_on Bcolagh Coalmen, the
French demagogue evaporated through a ma-
gazin-de nouveautes in the Rue des Champs—the
one managed.to decarrp on the railway at Gand, tho
other managed to fall into the hands of his pursuers
at the intermediate station at Thurles.. In both
instances the details are too contemptible to assort
with any dsgree of dignity with a CATALINE or a
SPARTACUS. The circumstances that LOUIS BLANC
missed the last train, and that WILLIAM O'BRIEN
bought a second-class ticket are preposterously un-
heroic. They render not only the men but the cause
ridiculous. They remind one of the two carpet bags
of the Prince LOUIS NAPOLEON.

Now that the celebrated author of the " Organiza-
tion of Labour" has fled beyond the frontiers of his
country, he has, in a striking manner, deteriorated
hi; political reputation. The brave people of France
will ask themselves if the Provisional Minister of the
Luxembourg has shown a courage befitting one of
their most prominent leaders. They will remember
the contempt which followed the fitful glory of
DUNIOURIEZ into his exile—the scorn with which the
rapid egress of Louis Ramirez from the French
territories- was.- -vvatched=a contempt and scorn not
one jot less profound than that experienced
towards the recreant Moannu, when, in 1813, he
tgok arms against his native land, and died in
the midst of the suite and the soldiers of ALEXANDER
the Russian Emperor. The people of Paris will ask
themselves if DANTON would have so acted, if MraA.-
BEAU, if even the gentle but heroic DESMOULINS? They
will look henceforward at MM. Lours BLANC and
MARC CAUSSIDIERE, as not precisely the kind of men to
assume the responsibility of guiding the masses to a
just government in times of extraordinary emergency.
The former politician may now at his leisure culti-
vate the friendship of M. GUIZOT at Brompton, and M.
CAUSSIDIERE may wander in the congenial society of M.
Vinocg, amidst the sylvan retreats of Twickenham,
For a long while, at least, the cause of both will be
incapable of restoration 'within the dominions of
the French Republic. As well might the ex-
Minister of Lours PHILIPPE hope to return again to
the precincts of the Tuileries, as the ex-Provisional
Minister of Labour dream of revisiting the gardens of
the Luxembourg. We cannot but look upon the
facilitation of the escape of the accomplice of the in-
surgents of the 15th of May as evidence-of the
wily policy of General CAVAIGNAC. Without striking
a blow, without employing one link in the chain of
imprisonment, without closing the door of a dungeon
—the Government has effectually disarmed the most
troublesome of its antagonists. The National As-
sembly has rendered those political fanatics incapable of
inflicting any injury upon their country—by frighten-
ing them into a retreat. Neither Vincennes nor the
guillotine were brought-into requisition against them
by the L;-gislature—they have fallen through the
means of the bathos of their own absurdity.

Henceforth there will be not one homme de Gand,
but two; not two, at this rate, but a dozen.
We congratulate the lovers of quietude in
Paris—whose number, by the way, we cal-
culate as rather approaching to the inflnites-
sitnal—upon the riddance of these hot•brained,
3 ellow-livert d, and white-feathered marauders of the
Senate, who excite brawls in the tribune only to fly
from the peril of the encounter when their con-
spiracies recoil upon themselves. If General CA-
VAIGNAC would only confine himself to these
wholesome acts of austerity, without tampering with

the liberty of the subject, through the medium of the
liberty of the Press, there might be some chance of
stability to his Government, and some hope of re-
generation to the glorious but abused Republic.