The Sun.
London, England, 1848-03-16 00:00:00

by the chaunting of fragments of his songs. These
songs attracted public attention. THOM was hailed S
as a new poet—a second Bunns. His prospects
brightened for a while—nevertheless he is gone—he has
obtained no guerdon but celebrity. We feel confident
that all who may have perused his most eventful and very
interesting autobiography, prefixed to the volume of
his poems, all who have there: sympathised with his
exceeding sufferings, and respond to his earnest in-
terrogations when alluding to his own afflictions,
" Who are they that beat about the regions of fancy
for materials to move a tear ?"—all again who ever
admired the simplicity, and pathos, and genuine
heartiness of his poems, will, we are confident, be
anxious to give their mite towards maintaining the
orphans of the poet. Let it not be objected that the
writings of WILLIAM THOM—a collection of songs
and short poems—are of a trivial and insignificant
character, unworthy of any public recompense. Let
it be remembered that, among the poor especially,
the song is the best vehicle for conveying our senti-
ments. As an illustration of the invaluable blessings
conferred by the song-writer, we transcribe the fol
lowing description, from the autobiography of THOM,
of the effect which the singing of verses produced on
the labour of the desponding and poverty-stricken
weavers :

" Oh I how they did ring above the rattling of a hun-
dred shuttles I Let me again proclaim the debt we owe
those Song Spirits, as they walked in melody from loom
to loom, ministering to the low-hearted ; and when the
breast was filled with everything but hope and happiness,
and all but seared, let only break forth the healthy and
vigorous chorus • A man's a man for a' that,' the fagged
weaver brightens up. His very shuttle skytes boldly
along, and clatters through in faithful time to the tune
of his merrier shopmatesl Who dare measure in doubt
the restraining influence of these very Songs? To us
they were all instead of sermons. Had oae of us been
bold enough to enter a church, he must have been
ejected for the sake of decency. Church bells rang not
for us. Poets were indeed our Priests. But for those,
the last relic of our moral existence would have surely
passed away 1"

Well might the poor weaver exclaim, in a paroxysm
of poetic despondency —" Church bells rang not for
us. Poets were indeed our priests. But for those,
the last relic of our moral existence would have
surely passed away !" Yes ; it was only through the
fitful glimmering of their rhythm that the lights
of religion were to be distinguished ; it was only by
weaving songs together to the measured whirr of the
shuttle that the last vestiges of their spiritual recti-
tude were to be preserved. To Thou especially, and
to his associates, the solemn refrain of industry was
applicable :

" Ever to toil,
Ever to moil,
That is our social charter.
With city slave,
Or rustic serf,
The worker is the martyr."

A letter from Amsterdam, dated Tuesday evening,
states, that on that day, at an early hour in the
forenoon, the KING summoned the President of the
Second Chamber of the States. General to the palace
at the Hague, and declared to him that having learned
that the project of law for the modification of the
Fundamentol Pact presented to the Legislative
Chamber a few days ago, had failed to satisfy the
wishes of the people, he was desirous that the Cham-
ber itself should take the initiative, and propose to his
MAJESTY all those changes and reforms in the govern-
ment of the people and the fundamental law which
it might deem necessary and expedient, and that his
MAJESTY would agree to all their proposals.

His MAJESTY at the same time declared that he
had adopted this sudden change of policy without
the knowledge of his Ministers ! The Cabinet has
resigned, as a matter of course, and a new Ministry
is about to be formed on a Liberal basis. MM.
LuZAC and THOBBECKE are mentioned as likely to
take a leading part; they are both men of tried
Liberal opinions, and their names sufficiently gua-
rantee the future policy of the Government. The
Count VAN SCHIMMEL-PENNINCY, Ambassador at the
Court of London, is also mentioned as a Minister
in posse.

The concession of the KINQ has not only caused
universal joy, but already produced a sensible effect
on the prices of stocks, an authentic list of which we

subjoin :

DUTCH FUNDS.—AMSTERDAN, TUESDAY, MARCH 14,
FIVE P. 31 —Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents., 44 451
441; ditto Four per Cents., 66 67 67; ditto Three per
Cents., 504 51 501; ditto Syndicaat, Three-and-a-Half
per Cent., 66 ; Dutch Society of Commerce, 132 134.
Spanish Five per Cents., 104 101; ditto Interior, 181}
18i 184; ditto Passive, 3 34. Portuguese Three per
Ceutt., 154 i; ditto Four per Cent., 16/ 17. Russia,
Hope, Five per Cent., 90 91 ; ditto, ditto, Four per
Cent., 694 i; ditto, Stieglits and Co., Four per Cents.,
684 69. Austrian, Mettalick, Five per Cents., 614 ;
ditto, ditto, Two-and-a-Half, 33i 35. Mexico, 14 # ;
Peru, 134 14 ; Grenada, 164 17 164.

At Warsaw the censorship prohibited the mere
mention of the events of which France is the theatre.
The Warsaw Courrier of the 2d instant, states—
" Count MOLE is charged with the formation of a
new Cabinet." March 3d—" The Chamber of Peers
was occupied on the 22d and 23d of February, with
different petitions." 4th and sth of March—Not a
word of France.

At Posen the news produced a sensation impossible
to describe. Nevertheless, an insurrection was not
considered imminent, the people being determined to
wait calmly the development of events.

It is said that the Hungarian troops have been
ordered to quit Lombardy, as they had exhibited a
disposition to fraternise with the people. There
were rumours that Milan was in open revolution, and
had been bombarded by the Austrians, but they were
not credited.

The Lega ltaliana has advices from Milan to the
7th. Count SPACE, the Governor, who has been re-
called, was on the point of leaving. Forty pieces of
heavy artillery left for Pavia on the evening of the
6th. General RADETZKI is reported to have read
an order of the day to his officers, announcing his
intention of entering Piedmont on the 10th or 15th.
The citadel of Milan is strongly fortified, and fifteen
guns are pointed towards the city. The same letter
says that at a dinner given by the General toasts were
drank in honour of the future conquests.
The Duke of PARMA has openly expressed his dis-
approbation of the constitution granted by the King
of SARDINIA to his people. He has issued a decree
reinstating lotteries in his dominions.
Accounts from Turin, of the 10th, state that on the
previous evening the new Prime Minister, the Mar-
quis LAURENT PARETO, arrived from Genoa, and it
was reported that the following would be the compo-
sition of the Ministry :
Count BiLl3O, Foreign Affairs and President
of the Council.
M. List, War.
M. SeLorts, Justice.
M. Glum°, Public Instruction.
M. PARETO, Interior.
M. Ricci, Public Works.
M. CAvouß, Finances.
The Jews of Turin have requested to be permitted
to serve in the Civic Guard.

Don CARLOS, of Spain, has announced his intention
of leaving Genoa for the purpose of joining the Duo
DE BORDEAUX at Venice.

There were some slight disturbances at Ghent on
the 13th, occasioned by popular manifestations against
the Jesuits, but tranquillity was speedily restored,
and the kingdom of Belgium is now as quiet as the
kingdom of England.
M. SERRURIER, the Minister from the French Pro-
visional Government to Belgium, was received by the
Minister of Foreign Affairs on the 14th.

The Prussian Universal Gazette publishes the fol-
lowing letter, dated Vienna, the 7th instant :
" Yesterday the Association of Austrian Industry
held a meeting, at which the Archduke FRANCIS
CHARLES and several other Archdukes assisted. The
following address to the EMPEROR was adopted :
" Extraordinary events have taken place in the west
of Europe. Public credit is shaken; manufactures are
at a stand, and danger is imminent. A firm adhesion to
the Government, and a close alliance between Austria
and the rest of Germany, can alone re-establish the con-
fidence which heretofore existed. This association,
consequently, gives your Majesty the assurance that all
its members are ready to devote themselves for the
dynasty, inasmuch as they are convinced your Majesty
will adopt the wisest measures to prevent the evils with
which wo are menaced."

The Archduke FRANCIS CHARLES replied as fol-
lows :

" I thank you in the name of his Majesty for this ma-
nifestation, and I shall communicate it faithfully to the
Emperor, for we have never doubted of the fidelity of
which you have just given a proof. Yes, we must remain