The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-21 00:00:00

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671b7;
LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1851

In the House of Lords last night,
The LORD CHANCELLOR stated in reply to a question
from Lord BROUGHAM, that it was the intention of the
Government to appoint a third Vice-Chancellor, and
that in the course of the ensuing week he hoped that the
Government measure for the reform of the Court of
Chancery would be brought forward.

In reply to Lord STANLEY,
The LORD CHANCELLOR said it had not yet been de-
termined in which House the measure should be brought
forward.
Their Lordships then adjourned.
In the House of Commons, after the transaction of

the usual preliminary business,
Mr. SLANET moved for the appointment of a Select
Committee to consider the law of partnership. His
object was, by introducing the principle of limited part-
nership, to induce small capitalists to embark certain
portions of their capital in trades which would prevent the
accumulation of capital in the bands of great capitalists,
and at the same time afford increased emplo)mant to the
industrious classes.

Mr. LABOUCUERE could not agree in all the conclu-
sions of the Hoti. Gentleman, but conceiving that some
alterations might be advent' geously made in the law of
partnership, he should not oppose the appointment of
the Committee.
The motion was then agreed to.
Mr. LocKE KING then moved for leave to bring in
Bill extending the county franchise in England and
Wales to all occupiers of tenements of the yearly value
of 101. As they had last year made u similar extension
of the franchise in Ireland, he could see no good reason
that could be urged against his proposition.
Mr. liumn seconded the motion.

Lord JOIN Russuz, whilst admitting that those
whom it was proposed to enfranchise would exercise
the suffrage with soundness and discretion, considered
that the alteration was not desirable, because it was the
principle of the Reform Bill to lest the county franchise
upon the basis of tenure, and not of occupancy. On
that ground he had opposed the Chandos clause, and
he could not consent to carry the principle of that
clause still further, so as to swamp the freeholders by
the occupiers. The Noble Lord concluded by stating
that be should be prepared to introduce in the next session
of Parliament a measure for the enlargement of the
franchise.

Mr. flumE could not understand why the Noble Lord
should delay the introduction of his measure for a year.
Mr. COBDEN rejoiced at the intimation made by the
Noble Lord of his intention to introduce a measure fur
tho extension of the franchise. He thought the consti-
tuency proposed to be introduced by this uitaiure would
be more independent than the 501. tenants-at-will, and
the 40s. freeholders would, he knew, be delighted at the
success of this motion.

After a few words from Mr. P. HOWARD,
The House divided, when there appeared—
For the motion ... . . 103
Against it:
... 52

Majority against Ministers ... —4B
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL obtained leave to bring in
a Bill to consolidate and amend the laws relating to civil
bills and the courts of quarter sessions in Ireland, and
to transfer to the assistant-barristers certain jurisdiction
as to insolvent debtors.

The remaining business was then disposed of, and the
Flouse adjourned.

The discussion on the PRECIOUS BUDGET is to be
resumed this evening; in case the Whig Cabinet
shall dare to despise the voice of public opinion,
loudly and unequivocally expressed, and to render an
obstinate and unreasoning adherence to the unjust,
impolitic, and ridiculous " .scheme" of Sir CHARLES
WOOD, there is still a loam penitentie of which they
may avail themselves—there is still an opportunity
for an honourable retreat. If Lord Joni' RUSSELL
should come to the rescue this evening, as he has
been compelled to do on many former occasions,
and totally and unconditionally withdraw the
miserable abortion that has excited so deep a
feeling of contemptuous indignation and disgust
throughout the length and breadth of the land, he
may yet retain office and preserve his tottering Mi-
nistry. A considerable time must unquestionably
elapse before he can regain his former position or re-
trieve his lost popularity. The mere fact that he
could for a moment have sanctioned the ridiculous
views of the mischievous blockhead who has brought
odium and disgrace on the entire Ministry, must ex-
ercise a most damaging influence on his cha•
ratter as a statesman. Nothing but a bold and
decisive course can avert an ignominious defeat,
and as a necessary consequence a change of Ministry
and an appeal to the country, which, in the present
state of public feeling, must prove ruinous to the in-
terests of the Whig party. The entire system of
taxation must be strictly investigated with a view to
its revision and modification. The taxes that press
on industry, that retard the full development of our
commercial relations with other countries, that are
injurious to health, morale, education, or cleanliness,
must be either totally repealed or, at least, greatly
reduced, with a view to their ultimate abolition.
And, above all, these palpable inequalities that
shock our feelings of justice, as being repugnant to
every principle of equity, must be got rid of as
speedily us practicable. The people will not tolerate
an habitual disregard by their rulers of those ordinary
rules of ethics by which individuals must be go-
verned ; they will not sanction a palpable departure
from the paths of honour and honesty, or such an
e administrationof thepria
nationalvte
firmflnances as would
reflect disgrace on aif
it con
ducted its own affairs in a similar manner. The

constitutional principle is that every man
should contribute to the liquidation of the na-
tional liabilities secundum statum et facultates.
Let some attempt at least be made to bring this
equitable doctrine into practical operation. It may
not be possible to obtain a perfect measure at once ;
but let there be at least some effort towards an ap-
proximation thereto. Sir CHARLES WOOD has un-
fortunately given so many proofs of the obliquity of
his mental vision that he can no longer be continued
in a situation for which he has shown himself to be
perfectly disqualified. The man who can perceive no
difference between the precarious profits ob-
tained by intense mental or bodily toil,
and the steady and certain dividends from
the Three per Cents., or well-secured ground rents—
which can never fail from lassitude, exhaustion, or
disease, as the human machine may do—is indeed
placed beyond the pale of redemption. There is no
hope that can be indulged in asto future amendment;
and, therefore, be must be thrown overboard with the
nefarious system he is endeavouring to perpetuate.
One suggestion has been made as to the motives
by which be must be influenced, that certainly has a
vraisemblance, a verisimilitude about it, which may in
some degree explain the mystery. He may be fatigued
with Official cares, and anxious to return into a pri-
vate station, for which he is best qualified. If it
were otherwise, why should he endeavour to continue
the mode of assessment against which the community
so clearly testified three years since ? Why should be,
while acknowledging the injustice and impropriety
of the window-tax, seek to continue it, in
its present obnoxious form, to two-thirds of
the amount now levied ? Why should he
continue the enormous loss of life and treasure
occasioned by the African squadron, and at the same
time hold out a bonus to the slave-owners to continue
their nefarious traffic in human flesh and blood, by
equalising the duties on foreign and colonial coffees,
striking 50 per cent. off the one, and only 25 per
cent. off the other? Dire he suppose that we regard
the horrors of the middle passage with so much in-
difference, or that, like overgrown children,
we are so much amused with the long steam
chases of our cruizers after these float-
ing hells—the slave ships—that he must
stimulate the trade, or is be afraid last the gallant
sailors in the squadron may become wearied for want
of excitement, and therefore seek to provide quarries
for them to pursue, that they may be at least kept fully
occupied in their unfortunate position ? Why has he
selected the timber duties for exferimenting on,
when, if our recollection be correct, he last year, de-
precated any alteration therein, and declared it to be
one of the last matters to be meddled with, or
why does he seek to propitiate the agricultural
interest by the magnificent remission of 30,000/. for
the tax on clover and grass seeds ? He must de-
sire to show the people the contemptuous disregard
he entertains for their desires and wishes, or else he
must have been actuated by some such morbid desire
for notoriety as that by which the incendiaries who set
fire to the temple of Diana at Ephesus, or to York
Minster in modern times, were influenced, or he
would never have ventured to bring forward such
crude and ridiculous propositions in the British
House of Commons.

We shall now look forward without anxiety to the
result. It is impossible that the income-tax can be
renewed in its present form. Let it be placed
on an equitable basis, and we shall not
only render a willing assent to its continuance, but
even to a considerable increase, provided we receive
a fair equivalent in the reduction or abolition of
other more obnoxious imposts. The country is not
unfavourable to the principle of direct taxation ; on
the contrary, we believe it would rejoice to see fur-
ther progress in the path on which PEEL entered with
so much success. Sir CHARLES WOOD willfully de-
ceived himself when he asserted that the protests
which were offered in 1848 against the unfair mode
of levying the imposts, of charging as high a per-
centage under Schedules D and Eas under A, B, and
C, were directed against the increase of the
charge. We told him so at the timee, but
he obstinately refused to listen to any argu-
ments directed against " the conclusion at which
he bad arrived." He is now repeating his former
experiment, and he cannot be surprised that the re-
sult should be similar.

We shall now closely watch the speeches and votes
on the present occasion, and we trust every consti-
tuency will take due notice of the conduct of its
representatives, to see what claim they may have to a
renewal of confidence at the general election that
must speedily take place, if the Ministry continue to
sanction the vagaries of their incomprehensible
financial destinies of the nation.r
sciodaedjouretorr,thaenfid CHARLES WOOD is still to pre-

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC,

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Committee on the Municipal Organization
Bill is composed of 17 against and 13 in favour of the
measure. The great bone of contention is the ap-
pointment of mayors; the Government wish to have
the right of appointing all the mayors, which would
throw an immense power into the hands of the gxe-
cutive, and enable it to exercise great influence over
the elections. The Republicans and Legitimatists
wish to have the mayors elected by the mu-
nicipalities.
General LEVASSIME, a devoted Bonapartist, has
been appointed to the command recently held by
General Jur...LizN.

Differences have arisen between the PRESIDENT
and the Ministry. The PRESIDENT wishes a
wholesale dismissal of prefects of departments, and
the appointment of devoted Imperialists in the place
of those dismissed. Among those whom the PRESI-
DENT wishes to see appointed is the notorious ROMIEU,
the author of the "Era of the Caesars." M. %VAIsSE,
the Minister of the Interior, is opposed to these pro-
ceedings, and refuses to countersign the necessary
documents to carry them into effect.
The PRESIDENT is desirous of having a similar
sweep out of the whole diplomatic body, but M.
BERNIER, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, equally
refuses to sanction it.

The motion of M. CRETON for the repeal of the
laws banishing the Bourbons has been postponed
until May.
The Moniteur publishes the following notice from
the Minister of Foreign Affairs relative to the attempt
made by some foreign agents to enlist colonists or
soldiers in France for Monte Video:—

" The enrolment of workmen or agricultural colonists made
by the agents or representatives of the Monte-Videan Go-
vernment are disapproved of by the French Government,
which will oppose theni by all the means in its power.
These enrolments would expose the contracting parties to
disappointments of all kinds if they should sueceed in eluding
the intentions of the Government."
The Patrice has the following on the affairs of the
East :

" The Augsburg Gazette publishes a statement to the effect
that the Sublime Porte bad declared an ultimatum to the
Pacha of Egypt, and that Abbas Pacha had refused to accede
to it. We must observe that our correspondence from Con-
stantinople, dated the sth February, does not make any
mention of such a fact, which besides singularly loses its
gravity in the eyes of every one who knows the real state of
things. In fact, after the war of Egypt in 1840, by a con-
vention signed at London on the 15th of July of that year,
the question of right between Turkey and Egypt was per-
fectly regulated. It was decided on the one part that the
sultan should accord to the direct descendants of Mehemet
Ali the administration of the Pachalic of Egypt, but that on
constantly fulfilled its
engagements towards the Pacha,
the other hand all the laws of the Ottoman empire should be
in vigour in that province. This convention was ratified by
the great Powers. The Porte, having
has the right to require that
Egypt shall be governed by
the same laws as the other pro-
vinces of the empire. it the empire be in progress, Egypt
must be so also. If she refuse, she incurs a grave responsi-
bility, not only to the central Government, but to the Powers
which signed the convention of July 15, 1840."
Central of France (Or-
lit; SIN rSS it a:, i_ ,N IeoRIAWNI fiAi IA YV AYS AT TUE
81,2—Northern of France, 15
Boulogne
In-
dian, 12 Namur and Liege,
LONanDdONAmSiTZ,CK9
eExXdCivH.ANGE, FEB. 20.
leans and Vierzon), 1606—Dutch Rhenish, 31;a - East In-
-Sambre and Meuse, 314--
-Paris and Rouen, 26
Havre,
eircoidiv.—Paris and Strasbourg,
101/g Rouen
Tours and Nantes, 5'4.