The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-12 00:00:00

PUBLIC OPINION.

The Penny Postage is not in much favour with the
Morning Herald, which, accordingly, advocates an in-
crease of the rate:—" For our own parts we honestly
confess a desire that a return should-be made, not to the
old rates of postage, but to such a rate as, while it would
not check correspondence, would improve the revenue;
it being evident that a much higher rate than the pre-
sent would not restrict written intercourse, would be
cheerfully borne by the public, and would he most bene-
ficial to the Treasury. The Penny Postage is an incon-
testable example of the danger of adopting the wise
saws of political economy in all their ultimate simplicity;
yet, during the Parliamentary discussions on this sub-
ject, Mr. Rowland Hill constantly vociferated that his
great discovery (!) would fiscally fail unless his penny
plasters were adopted."—An increase of the rate—not-
withstanding the Herald's assertion to the contrary—
.would unquestionably have the effect of restricting "the
written intercourse" of the working classes of society,
and so far, would be an obstacle thrown in the way of
their intellectual improvement. Regarding the matter in
this light, we should not be at all surprised if the Tories
were to attempt an increase of the Postage rate, for
what do they care about the interests of the labouring
classes, so long as their own remain uninjured?
The Advertiser thus comments on the Duke of Wel-
lington's late strange declaration in the House of Lords
respecting the distresses of the country :—" There is
plenty of food, he avows—no less than three million
quarters of corn, in addition to the produce of our own
harvest ; and yet, in his Grace's estimation—the man
whose knowledge and wisdom, preside over the Cabinet,
and mould its policy—in his Grace's estimation, Parlia-
ment could not relieve the distress ;' he has seen
Parliament sit for many years, and distress always com-
plained of ; but he has never seen measures proposed
which could create work '—the want of work, not the
want of food, being, in his Grace's opinion, the cause of
the prevailing distress. Let the sufferers take comfort
from that ! They have been suffering for many years ;
why should they now become impatient ? Habit is
said to be second nature ; and his Grace of Welling-
ton has therefore some rete:on for thinking that long
habits of fasting should long since have reconciled
the poor to the process of starvation."—if the
Tories could change places with the working
classes, and be put upon a course of starvation for the
next five months, they would be clamorous for an inves-
tigation into their case, long before that period had ex-
pired. They would not allow themselves to be put off—
as they now put off the destitute operatives—with a
vague promise that their situation should be inquired
into next February. It would be no satisfactory answer
to them, that the amusements of their betters must be
considered before their own necessities. They would
not rest contented with a smooth speech from Sir Robert
Peel. No, they would boldly take the question into
their own hands, for no one is so desperate and deter-
mined as a Tory., when his personal interests are invadid.
Witness his conduct on the Reform Bill, when he con-
vulsed the country from one extremity to the other, for
the sole selfish purpose of preserving his pocket boroughs.
The Chronicle is of opinion that Sir Robert Peel will
have some difficulty in satisfying the expectations which
he has raised among the people. We do not think so,
for the people expect little or nothing from him, and
cannot therefore be disappointed to any very provoking
extent. The following are our Contemporary's own
words :—" That.:Sir Robert Peel will- be able to satisfy
the expectations- which lie.has excited is very question,
able. He has to invent a scheme of protection which
will satisfy the landed interest, and of enlargement
And freedom of commerce to satisfy the industrious
'classes. He has to invent a scheme by which, without
adding to the taxation, he is to augment the re-
sources of the country. He is not only to do what
the Whigs proposed to effect, but he is also to do
a great .deal more. He is to mitigate the rigours
of monopoly, without offending or alarming the mo-
nopolists ; he is to make a change in the
Corn-law, and yet retain the support of the agricultu-
rists in trying to benefit the manufacturer; and, in ad-
dition to equalising the income and expenditure of the
country, he is to maintain the Poor-law, and yet retain
the support of its opponents. The Duke of Richmond
has given him leave to make a change in the Corn-law,
provided he protects the agriculturist; but how fair play
is to be done to the commercial and manufacturing inte-
rest, in conjunction with the amount of protection which
will satisfy the Duke of Richmond is, we fear, a pro-
blem which will require a profounder mind than that of
Sir Robert Peel's to solve."—A change in the Corn-law
that will satisfy the Duke of Richmond, and those who
think with him, will be equivalent to no change at all.
The change, to be really valuable, must be exceedingly
distasteful to the monopolists.
The Times says—" The real misfortune is, that the
distress which does exist, and which is likely to increase,
is of a kind which no laws have created, and which no
legislation can cure. This may be perceived from the
fact, that well-informed persons anticipate a speedy re-
moval of the cloud which at present hangs over the mer-
chant and the manufacturer, without, however, at all
expecting that the condition of the labouring classes will
be thereby improved. Trade, they say, seems likely to
get better ; the complaints of the master manufacturers
may be expected to subside, but no such hope exists for
the cotton-spinning operative ; he, and all connected
with him, must look for the fate which has long since
overtaken the handloom weavers, and from (he same
cause."--If, as our Contemporary states, "no legislation can
cure " the present distresses of the people, then the task
of the Ministry is in one respect a sinecure, as indeed
they seem strongly disposed to consider it. But for
what, we ask, has Sir Robert Peel taken office, if not to
ameliorate the condition of the people ? For what has
he intreated five months' deliberation, if not to devise
some remedy for the distresses, which all part'es acknow-
ledge to be generally prevalent in the count .y ? For
what did he turn out the late Ministry, if not to legislate
in a more efficient spirit, than he contended they could
do ? If we agree with the dictum of the Times, then we
must come to the conclusion that in accepting office, no-
thing was further from the Tory Premier's thoughts
than to provide a remedy for the distress of the people,
seeing that no remedy can possibly affect that distress.
We quote the following from the Post :—" A politi-
cal petition comes up from Tamworth The Secretary
of state desires to know whether the signatures are ge-
nuine or fraudulent, and sends down to inquire. Old-
fashioned honesty would have rejoiced at this, but Whig-
Radical honesty was exceedingly sure (not without some
reason, as it appeared upon examination), and cried out
most lustily. Whig-Radicalism cannot bear that the ge-
nuineness of its political documents should be carefully
scrutinized. Again Whig-Radical honesty made complaint
of the bribery and intimidation at the late general election.
Such thinge.are.very wrong, said the Conservative Prime
Minister. Let the facts be inquired into, and where we
find the crime let us punish it by disfranchisement with-
out regard to the population of the place where it has
occurred,- .Does not Whig-Radical honesty rejoice and
clap its hands at this ? By no means ; it is, on the con-
trary, very much vexed, and says that Sir Robert Peel's
proposal is a distinct announcement of a wish virtually
to repeal the Reform Act !' "
The Plymouth Journal, r emarking on the prorogation
of Parliament, says :—" We are almost tempted to wish
for a power to compel the Members of a Parliament deaf
to the remonstrance of reason, and the cry of distress, to
remain and attend to their duty, instead of basting to
the country to kill hares, partridges, and pigeons, and
fine and imprison poachers."
The Somerset Gazette observes, in an article on the
distresses of the country-:--" England is the country for
the rich ;—it is a very paradise for the privileged, for,
as they make the laws, so the laws are made for their
profit and advantne. But it is not a habitation for the
poor, nor is it any consolation to the millions, who are
unduly depressed by class legislation, that a few of the
most energetic among them, when favored by a combina-
tion of lucky accidents, are permitted to raise themselves
to rank and fortune."

We quote the following remarks from the Liverpool
Chronick :—" The new Ministry has justly earned for
itself the title of the Apostate Ministry.' If there is
any truth in the aphorism, Qui facit per alios, fiscit per
se, never were so many pledges and promises broken by
any Administration as those which have already been
scattered to the winds by Sir R. Peel and his friends."
The following is from the Dublin Evening Post :
"It cannot be too often repeated that it is in England
this enormous bribery—this most degrading, and eon-
firmed rottenness prevails, and yet it is to. England
alone that the Tories are indebted for the boasted
majority which has enabled them to .force themselves
upon the Queen, and to seize upon the government of
the country."
The Scotsman says :—" The people have themselves
to blame for forcing a Tory Ministry upon the Queen,
and must place their chief reliance on the legitimate in-
fluence of public opinion, and on their own exertions in
the Courts of Registration..'