The Sun.
London, England, 1834-01-28 00:00:00

have the monstrous inclination to graft the young
and vigorous sapling upon the seared arm of the
ponderous oak of ages—to apply " new saws"
and rules without reference to past or existing
circumstances--to jump at conclusions without
examining causes. Our proposition, then, is,
that if we open our ports to the free importation
of foreign corn, we shall endanger the security of
the empire, and that it will only be a preliminary
movement to sponging out the inscriptions of the
national debt. 'We know that a portion of the
press, who falsely assume the Liberal character,
and write under the bias of an evanescent autho-
rity, who pander to party at the expense of their
private feelings and the true interests of their
country, will attempt to deride this bold position.
But we are devoted to our country in the
fullest and most impartial sense ; therefore we
shall heed them not. In the first place, we
shall be informed that several plans are in agita-
tion to get rid of the national debt ; we truly
wish that the energies of our fellow-countrymen
were no longer fettered by its oppressive influ-
ence, but we shall set our faces against the char-
latan schemes which daily are put forth, and
which only tend to impress notions derogatory
to the national honour, whilst their chief purport
is to shift the burdens of the State from the
shoulders of one party to those of another, without
reference to any equitable arrangement. Mi-
nisters of the present day, unfortunately, have,
in most instances, degenerated from the states-
man-like character which formerly used so nobly
to distinguish the British Cabinet ; they have
descended into mere Doctrinaires, and seem
willing to adopt the political catechism of every
political charlatan who chooses to perplex the
public mind, by delivering himself of his crude
theories in ephemeral pamphlets or ponderous
quartos. We must be understood as not wish-
ing to check the publication of any sentiments
or notions that may benefit the community ;
that would be contrary to the spirit of just im-
partiality, of which, we trust, we shall never
lose sight : we only wish to impress the public
mind and those who govern us that it is more
dangerous than difficult to apply new legislative
schemes to the exigencies of an old State. We
should always bear in mind that Great Britain
has arrived at her present position in the slow
progress of many ages, and, therefore, it must
be contrary to reason—contrary to a sound
knowledge of human nature—hastily to adopt
the mushroom schemes of those who look no
farther than the present era. It is this want
of retrospective thought and anticipatory calcu-
lation that has led to the revolutionary move-
ments which have so much disgraced the
marching intellect of the present and the past
century. To us it appears that nothing is so
conducive to the support and well-being of the
community as the inculcation of national feeling,
and therefore we deem it our duty to resist
every innovation upon national institutions or
interests, unless it can be shown that the commu-
nity will benefit thereby. Under the name of
" Scrutator," a pamphlet has lately appeared,
professing, in terms of no very measured feeling
of importance, to be a plan for the abolition of
the corn laws, together with a proposal for the
repeal of the assessed taxes. We would rather
see a bold unvarnished statement put forth than
any opinion garnished with plausibility. The
first may astound but it cannot deceive, and
therefore we shall presently notice this pamphlet.
Mr. Poulett Scrope, who in his principles of
political economy, has, in many instances,
evinced strong marks of a talented mind, and
who, to a degree, has written for the benefit of
his countrymen, has failed upon the question of
the corn laws. He sets out with premises which
his own reasoning does not support, and, with
much intention for his country's good, he fails
in a contradictory manner in the support of a
theory which every honest mind must acknow-
ledge is injurious to the welfare of the British
community. This gentleman deserves much for
the attention he has paid to the interests of the
country—we only wish his compeers were ac-
tuated by the same feelings ; but in awarding
the due meed of praise we shall not suffer our
impartiality to be blinded. Our limits for this
occasion will not allow us to dissect the several
modern theories upon these great questions.
We shall, however, return to these vital subjects
upon the first fitting occasion—vital, we do saj,
when 6,300,000 souls are dependant upon the
cultivation of the soil—doubly vital when plans
are in agitation for driving that soil out of culti-
vation, and making the British nation dependant,
in times of war or peace, upon foreign States
for a full supply of food, whilst daily, in spite of
the theories of Mr. Jacob, they are advancing
in competition with our manufacturing power,
and the consequent unwillingness to any true
reciprocity of trade. In the abrogation of the
corn laws the shipping interests are greatly in-
terested, and the labourer will not be benefitted
by the innovation. Cheap as bread is, he can
scarcely, upon the present rate of wages, purchase
his necessary food ; when bread and wages were
nearly double their present amount, he had a
surplus which (because he could not eat then
more than he can now) enabled him to share
domestic and soul stirring comforts, from which
his poverty now precludes him ; and it ought
not to be forgotten that the humblest character
who in his sphere, from the result of well paid
industry, is above the gin or the beer shops, is
more likely to become a useful member of so-
ciety, than the deficiently employed mechanic
or peasant. Poverty is generally demoralising,
and it is so from the very constitution of the
human mind. During the future session, that
vast nursery of British supremacy, her com-
mercial marine, shall not by us be forgotten—
we have too much veneration for the Union
Jack. For the present we shall conclude this
notice, with the intention of resuming our ar-
gument immediately, and with a determination
to support impartially every interest that, in
their combined character, may contribute to the
welfare of the British empire. Morning
Herald.

In another column we have inserted from the
Nottingham Review, an account of an inter-
view of a deputation of Dissenters from that
town with Lord Grey, on the subject of the
claims of the Dissenters. Lord Grey, on learn-
ing from the deputation that they had prayed
for the separation of Much and State, said
he was sorry for it?' " The expression of
such sweeping desires as for the destruction of
the establishment, would embarrass Ministers,
would alarm both Houses of Parliament, and
startle the country. He wished they had con-
fined themselves to the removal of those disabi-
lities connected with marriage, burial, registra-
tion, and such matters ; for on these heads
there existed both in himself and colleagues
every disposition to relieve them." The Dis•
senters are not the least reflecting part of the
community ; and as the points to which Earl
Grey alluded are of great importance to the
welfare of the country at large, they, as mem-