The Sun.
London, England, 1834-07-28 00:00:00

-$1).1147 OF THE PUBLIC .LOURNALS-

The letters of ‘f A.:Whig-ana, a Reformer," on the extra-
ordinary and anomalous state of the British Peerage, are-
lighly valuable at this period. They will inform the coun-
:try, plainly and dispassionately, of the "history and -mys-
tery" of the hereditary Aristocracy. We perceive that this
important subject gains increasing attention throughout the
kingdom, and becomes more and more a topic of discussion
in the periodical press. The political prejudices of the Peers
have operated as a barrier against many popular projects of
the late Ministries, and as liberal- opinions " progress"
among the people and the Commons, the Lords bid fair
to retrograde in their views of national policy. The Bill
of Mr. George William Wood, for the admission of Dis-
senters to the English Universities, will, in a few days,
pass to its "long home in the House of Lords. It
requires no sagacity to foresee that next Session must
unavoidably produce a great crisis between the two
branches of the British Legislature. One assembly has
been " popularised," or reformed ; the other, possessing
an absolute veto in legislation, will necessarily set itself in
increasing opposition to the " spirit of the age." The Duke
of Wellington has the custody of the keys of the door of
_reform. His Grace can at any time " deploy" with a nu-
merical majority of -upwards of fifty Peers and Proxies
against the policy and Cabinet measures of the King's
Ministers. The country confidently expects, from the bold
and direet character of Lord Melbourne, and the more
liberal character of his Administration—and from the plain
indications of Lord Brougham—several important legisla-
tive measures next Sesion. Public opinion is not unreason-
able, but it is decided and absolute. A few honest and
prepared measures—a reform of the Municipal system,
Courts of Local Jurisdiction, the purification of the English
Church, and the reduction' of the Irish Protestant Hier-
archy, and the ample redress of the practical grievances
affecting the Dissenters—must be brought forward imme-
diately on the meeting of Parliament next Session. No
rational person can doubt that the Lords will follow their
present hostile course against such liberal measures, how-
ever essential, and that Hereditary Legislators will be
what they invariably have been throughout Europe in
all ages. We almost reluctantly discuss this' diffi-
cult and critical question at this moment ; but to be
forewarned is fore-armed." The collision must come,
and is in truth not far off. We should delude the
nation, and meanly flatter Lord Melbourne, if we
did not point to this extreme difficulty in his political
course. His Lordship is known to profess and entertain
moderate, though Liberal opinions, and, as a Peer, is pro-
bably earnestly desirous of upholding his " order ;" but we
greatly mistake his character and, education, if we may not
confidently rely on his adoption of a straightforward, honour-
able, and sagacious policy. Lord Melbourne, of late years,
has shown an accurate discrimination of the progressive
changes in public opinion. His conduct in the Home-office
in critical times—his temperate policy towards political
unions, which have subsided of themselves with the circum-
stances that lead to their creation=his known aversion to
any injurious legislation against trade unions, when weaker-
minded statesmen might have desired to " legislate"—his
invariable preference of the civil force in times of public
disturbance—all denote an enlightened and liberal mind.
Indeed, what he has not done during his administration of
the important office recently held by him has al-
ways appeared to us a distinguishing merit in a mo-
dern statesman. But he is only at the threshold
of his political career. His Lordship has now the
safe custody of the form of the British Constitution. If he
cannot protect the King and the nation from the tempo-
rary and destructive return of the Tory party to power—
if, opposed by the Peers next session, he fail to devise some
mode of restoring the balance of the constitution," by
effecting a political conformity between the two antagonist
principles of a representative and an hereditary Legislature,
it requires not any remarkable mental sagacity to foresee
that a national question of organic reform (far more dan-
gerous and eventful than the recent amendment of the re-
presentation) will speedily agitate society in this country.
The present Ministry is probably the last of its party con-
struction. We require, therefore, a Premier of a bold and
comprehensive mind—a statesman qualified for difficult
times, able and willing to grapple with new wants and prin-
ciples of Government—a legislator in whom the King and
the people can place confidence to steer the vessel of the
State safely through a difficult passage. We will not now
say more on this touchy, and to Lords, unpleasant question ;
but we must look it fearlessly in the face, and we shall not
be scared from its plain and timely discussion. We know
that the country is ripe for its prudent and necessary con-
sideration.--Marning Chronicle.

Our cotemporaries are squabbling about the Privy Seal,
and an offer, or supposed offer, of it to Lord Grey. We
believe no such offer was ever made, but that it was talked
of as an arrangement which might give the Cabinet the ad-
vantage of Lord Grey's experience and talents, without the
labour and responsibility from which he shrunk when Lord
Althorp had resolved to quit his post as leader of the House
of Commons. At the express request of Lord Grey, and with
an assurance of support from a large majority of the Members
of the House of Commons, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
consented to remain in office, contrary, however, to his own
avowed and notorious inclination, and solely from a sense of
duty to the Sovereign and to the country. The same motive
which led Lord Grey to urge the adoption of such a course
on his Noble Friend would probably operate on .his own
mind, if he saw that his influence in the Cabinet was as neces-
sary ashe deemed Lord Althorp's to be in the House of Com-
mons.. Of course Lord Melbourne, and Lord Grey him-
self, mist be the best judges of the matter; but if they had
agreed upon it, we do not see how any one should consider
such a step as at all derogatory to the late Premier. No
person wished Lord Grey to quit his station—he left it on
two grounds ; Ist, his own supposed incapability of en-
during the - fatigue and responsibilities of his office ; and,
Idly, the resignation of Lord Althorp. The continuance
of the latter as Chancellor of the Exchequer removes one
of the grounds, and if in a station of great honour and
trust, with little positive labour, Lord Grey could have
been _induced to take a seat in the Cabinet with a
Ministry, every Member of which was, we believe, ap-
pointed to the station he holds with his perfect concurrence,
we'really cannot see any solid ground of objection to it.
Certainly the suggestion is not one which would subject
the Lord Chancellor, or any other person, to a sus-
picion of intending to manifest disrespect to him, who, in
the Cabinet, would necessarily have been considered its
head, whatever might have been the office he held. The
object, however, of certain mischief-making parties, is to
make it appear that Lord Grey and the present Ministry
are not on good terms ; in short, to make them quarrel if
possible. This notable scheme will fail. Lord Grey is too
wise, too honourable, and too patriotic, to be affected by
anything which those-persons may attempt, whom he knows
to be the bitter and implacable enemies of every man and
every Government which has the will and the ability to pro-
-. mote the public interests. We wish most sincerely that
any arrangement could be made which would give to the
Cabinet and the country the benefit of Lord Grey's talents
and influence. We can ill afford to lose such a man, at such
a moment.---=lllorning Advertiser.
Mr. Goulburn, on Friday last, brought a subject before
the House of Commons, which well deserved its attention.
It is one to which we have before alluded—namely, the
•
great iiiimber of commissions for inquiry and other purposes
issued"ivithinthe last two or three years, the heavy expense
thereby-occasioned to the public, and the formidable mass
of patronage created. As, perhaps, there are many in-
stances. in which the appointment of commissioners may
serve the important purpose of obtaining valuable informa-
tion upon matters whereon Parliament has been required
to legislate,. the real question to be resolved is, whether the
amount and cost of the machinery exceed the necessity of
the' case, or the magnitude of the end to which it is directed.
Mr: GOulburn showed, we think, pretty clearly, that
the number of barristers (40), and of clerks (70),
appointed in addition to the fixed establishment of
the-civil offices in Ireland, for the mere purpose of
distributing the 1,0001. sterling voted last year to the starv-
ing Irish clergy, was more than double the number of per-
sons employed in the Irish Secretary's office, in that of the
Secretary at War, and of the Home Department, toge-
ther ! The Right lion. Gentleman made it appear, that
instead:of a diminution of public offices having been effected
by the present Ministers, the real balance, on a comparison
of places reduced with those created, was in favour of the
latter no less than 332, with an addition of salaries amount-
ing to 85,0001. per annum, or a sum more than equivalent
to the whole pensiorilist of the United Kingdom, as fixed '
by . Act of Parliament. Now, meaning to deal fairly
with ' Ministers, we must admit, that if the objects
for which commissions are appointed be temporary,
and -'the corresponding remuneration temporary also,
the,complaint of Mr. Goulburn cannot be fairly urged
against them, except in so far es they take creit
for a. reduCtion where there is in fact (though but a tem-
porary) augmentation. The assertion of the Right Hon.
Gentleman is, that more than 105 barristers have shared in
the.good things distributed out of the system of nomina-
ting commissions. This is, at all events, a fearful account.
It must be degrading, as well as otherwise injurious to the
bar, that such a corps of loose hangers on should be attached
to that profession, not invited to it by the fair and regular
inducements held out to men of learning as a reward for
perseverance in their legal studies, but by a prospect sud-
denly .oened to adventurers and sycophants, who reckon
on catching the patronage of those on whom they fawn.
This, we repeat, is a misfortune to the bar, and a grievous
one to the country,' that a larger body of barristers should
be called into existence than can be supported by the
regular • and permanent demand for their services,
and then thrown loose again upon society, when the
season of commission jobbing is ended. Attempts
have been made to vindicate the inflexions cha-,

,_racter -of the -patronage thus created, by alleging-that- it-
is not bestowed on Members of_ Parliament ; but this is al-
most too childish to be-refuted. Is ministerial power never
applied to the grant of" favours on behalf of relative's, de-
pendants, and constituents of Members of Parliament ? and
are not the, votes of such Members as well secured by such
obligations as if they been bestowed directly upon them-
selves ? it is alleged, again, that the good accomplished
by means of the several commissions referred to, has more
than repaid the expense and other evils which they occa-
sioned. That is a question of opinion, to be decided by re-
sults which have not yet been made apparent, as nothing is
easier than to put forth such answers to objections ever so
reasonably grounded, on the excess in the number and cost
of commissions lately issued within a given time over those
of any former period recorded in history. Hitherto, we
confess, the harvest has been but small, considering the la-
bour and charge of that species of cultivation.—Pinies.

LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY.

The half yearly meeting of this Company was held on Wed-
nesday last, the 23rd instant, at the Cotton Sales Room of the
Exchange, Charles Lawrence, Esq. in the Chair.
The usual report was read by the Chairman, in which an ac-
count of the receipts and expenses of the 'various departments
of the concern was detailed. There was an increase in the
business of this last half year, ending the 30th of June, as
compared with the corresponding period of last year, of 29,255
passengers, and 7,727 tons of merchandise being conveyed by
the rail-way to and from Manchester.
The total amount of receipts for the conveyance of
passengers £50,770 6 11
And for merchandise, coals, &c 44,014 5 4

Total receipts
Total expenses of all kinds

. 94,784 12 3
60,092 15 11

Net profit 34,691 16 4
To this sum was added the surplus profit of the half
year ending June 30, 1833, amounting to 1,332 2 2

£36,023 18 6

From this united sum the Committee were enabled to re-
commend a dividend of 41. los. per share, to be paid on the
sth of August next. The surplus profit of the last half year,
amounting to 4,0881. Bs. Bd., still remains in the hands of the
treasurer, with the small balance of 1641., which remains, after
paying the present dividend. In the expenses of this last half
year, the sum of 2,100/. paid for new rails, required for repairs
in different parts of the line, is included. The new tunnel is
in a very forward state, about nine-tenths of it being exca-
vated ; it is expected that the whole of it will be completed
next summer.

The projected railway from \Yapping, along the docks to
the Clarence Dock, is abandoned for the present, there being
some legal objections to its formation on the part of the Com-
mon Council, which will render an application to Parliament
for that object necessary.
The North Union Railway, from Preston to Wigan (for
which a Bill has recently been obtained), with the Grand
Junction Railway, from Birmingham to Warrington, both,
when completed, joining the Liverpool and Manchester Rail-
way at Newton, will add very considerably to the business of
the parent line.