The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-08 00:00:00

the enterprise adventured upon against the most law-
less of all systems of taxation—the taxation imposed
upon the food of the hard- working masses of the com-
munity—lapsed into silence, and for a while left the
ear of the country to the dolorous complaints of the
vanquished.

It has thus come to pass that an extraordinary
confidence has grown up in the hearts of the Protec-
tionists—a confidence that, before long, the old laws
imposing duties upon provisions must be revived,
for the gratification of the agriculturists. They
have construed the silence of their victors into an as-
surance that no obstruction will be thrown in the way
of their return to the obsolete code of monopoly.
Dreamers that they are, they have flattered them-
selves into a belief that no insurmountable difficulties
will impede their progress in their return to their
ancient predominance. Hence they have derived
rather encouragement to their hopes than the contrary
from the non-success of Lord STANLEY in his recent
attempt to cook up an Administration. They behold
in the weakness of the existing Cabinet an incontro-
vertible assurance of their own competence to follow
its Members as the Administrators of the affairs
of the British Government. For the purpose
of sustaining themselves in this very gratify ing be-
lief they put the most preposterous construction upon
all the revelations of their latest experience. Where
every one else sees prosperity, they behold only the
calamitous destitution consequent upon a Free-trade
innovation. They perceive discontent where all
others see satisfaction, and behold on all sides the
auguries of their speedy return to power, and with
that the speedy revival of Protectionist principles.
As if the multitude having once tasted the sweets of
cheap bread and of cheap provisions of all kinds would
be disposed to forego that privilege, at the behest of a
statesman hungering himself for the loaves and fishes
of the Government !

But it is maintained by the prophetic advocates of
the agricultural interest, that the next election must
inevitably send to the House of Commons an over-
whelming majority of Protectionists, and that by
necessity therefore the new Cabinet must return to
the bygone policy of the monopolists. All that can be
responded to such a marvellously self-sufficient and
short-sighted vaticination is that no more
terrible calamity than this could fall to the
lot of the expected Prime Minister. To
furnish him with such a Protectionist majority
would be to force him to adopt the most perilous
policy a Minister was ever compelled to accept as the
outline of his scheme of government. It would be
driving him reluctantly, if he were wise, and wilfully
if he were foolish, into a course of proceedings the
most admirably calculated to provoke all the turbu-
lent passions conducting a nation to a state ripe for
revolution. Against any such supreme danger it
behoves all his real well-wishers to pray that Lord
STANLEY may be defended—conscious as they all
must be that the diffusion of liberty and the develop-
ment of civilization depend, in a very great measure
upon the maintenance of order in the United Kingdom.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.

Various attempts at forming a permanent Ministry
were made durirbpr the course of S tturday, Sunday,
and yesterday, but they have all failed, in conse-
quence, it is said, of the intrigues of M. THIERS.
The Democratic Republicans have returned their
candidates in several of the communes in the. South
of France. _ _ _

The Assembly was yesterday engaged in discussing
the laws regulating the administration of hospitals.

Government Stock declined at the close of the Bourse.
Railroad Shares were more firm. The Five per Cents.
opened at 93f., rose to 93f. 20c., but fell subsequently to
92t. 95c., at which price they closed. The Three per
Cents. closed at 57f. 30c.; Orleans Railroad Shares,
$401.; R:ruen, 6401.; Havre. 270 f.; Great Northern,
477 f. 50s ; Avignon, 210 f.; Vierzon, 445 f.; Bx.ie, 146%
250.; Bordeaux, 401 t. 25c; Paris and Strasburg, 373 r,
75c.; Tours and Nantes, 280 f. Exchange on London,
short, 24f. 95c.

BUSINESS GONE IN FOREIGr4 RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, Aram 7.
Boulogne and Amiens, 9%—Central of France LOrleans
and Vierzon), 18—East Indian, 15%—Luxembourg, 3is
Namur and Liege, 814 —Northern of France, I:, Orleans
and Bordeaux, 4 Paris and Strasbourg, 103/4 Rouen and
Havre, 101 Sambre and Meuse, 4—Tours and Nantes, 6/41.