The Sun.
London, England, 1834-05-20 00:00:00

,

LONDON,
TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 20, 1834.

In another part of The Sun will be found
a report of the speech of Sir JOIIN CAMP-
BELL to his Edinburgh constituents, on his
nomination on Saturday last. We have read
this speech with some attention, and may say
of it, that it is the most frank, the most inde-
pendent, and the most liberal, that ever yet
fell from the lips of an Attorney-General.
These eminent legal functionaries have not in
general been characterized by any very exces-
sive ebullition of public spirit, and it is worthy
of remark, that the first within our time to
shake off the manacles of custom, and speak
out like a man, is a Scotchman—and that
Scotchman is Sir Jorm CAMPBELL. The
hon. and learned gentleman boldly tells the
electors that he claims their suffrages, not
in the character of 'Attorney-General, but
as plain JOHN CAMPBELL, the political
and legal reformer, who, throughout his
public career, has never once relaxed in his
efforts to promote the welfare of his country.

It is here he takes his stand. His actions are
before his countrymen—let them speak for
themselves. He is a friend, but not a tool o
ministers. He is ready to do their bidding,
and sail in their wake, so long as the cause in
which they are embarked is a just one, but wil
part company the instant he finds them
going on a wrong tack. Plain, straight-
forward language like this would, in the old
days of Toryism, when Attorney-Gene-
rals were little better than ministerial
mouth-pieces, have been deemed little short of
heresy ; surely, then, that man is worthy the
support of all honest and enlightened citizens
who is the first to lend independence and dig-
nity to the situation! As a reformer, Sir JOHN
CAMPBELL takes the only line that has the
sightest chance of being attended with advan-
tage to the community. He is a reformer
within, not without, the pale of the constitu-
tion. He takes common sense, not enthusiasm,
practice, not theory, as his guide. Steer-
ing clear of the two extremes of Ultra-
Toryism on the one hand, and of Ultra-
Radicalism on the other, he will pursue
the mean path of safety. It is impossible that
an enlightened constituency, like that of Edin-
burgh, can fail to perceive the benefit of having
as their representative a gentleman who ad-
dresses them in language like this—who, de-
spising all the usual electioneering trickeries,
speaks to them as one friend would speak to
another, in words of manly sincerity. Still less
can their national pride (never more justly
called into action) fail to be gratified by
the circumstance that their representative is, first,
their own countryman, secondly, at the head of the
English bar, and raised to this exalted rank,
not by aristocratic connexion—not by dexterous
time-serving, or seasonable apostacy—but by
the unwearied exercise of his own unassisted
energies ; by study, patience, perseverance,
backed by a bold, independent spirit. The path
which Sir JOHN CAMPBELL has trod has
not always been strewed with roses. Hear
his own account :—" As has been stated by
two of my. kind friends, I have risen from
humble life to a situation of great eminence
(Hear), and I will venture to say, that I have
done so without any sacrifice of principle
or consistency. I had many disadvantages
to struggle against. I had no party to
support me—no patron to advance my in-
terests. But with these disadvantages, I
had the advantage of Scottish education—l
had the advantage of early habits of application
and industry. By the use of these I have
attained independence ; I may say eminence ;
as I am now at the head of the Dfiglish bar, to
which several of my countrymen, -by the same
means, attained before me." In . alluding to
his constant efforts to improve the laws, the
hon. and learned gentleman speaks in the way
that becomes a gentleman and a man of in-
tellect, when necessity requires him to play the
part of an egotist. Sir J. CAMPBELL barely
touches on the delicate topic, wherefore we feel
it our duty to say of him (what we are sure he
will never say of himself), that as a legal Re-
former, he is one of the most efficient we ever
had, and bids fair, if opportunity be allowed
him, to confer still greater benefits on the
country. " In my individual capacity," says
he, " I have done the best I could to improve
the laws of my country. Placed at the
head of a commission for revising the laws
of England, by great exertions of myself
and others, we pointed out many improve-
ments, and these have been carried into ef-
fect by the government. More has been done
in this way, within the last three years, than

had been done in the long period which had
intervened since the days of EDWARD I.
(Cheers.) Measures for greater improvements
are still in contemplation ; and in one of these I
trust Scotland will be greatly benefitted ; I mean
in the improvement of the law of debtor and
creditor, with a view to the abolition of impri-
sonment for debt. (Cheers.)" Bearing in mind
Sir JOHN CAMPBELL'S public deserts, and
the just and enlightened character of the Edin-
burgh electors, we do not for an instant permit
ourselves to doubt of his success. The very
doubt would be insulting to his constituents, as
tending to imply that they had not sagacity
enough to appreciate his worth.

It will be seen from the Brussels papers that
the PRINCE ROYAL is dead. This will be
felt as a very serious calamity by the King of
the BELGIANS, and, indeed, by the people of
that country, as well as by the relations of the
Royal Family in France and England.
A projet de loi was introduced to the Cham-
ber on the 15th, by the Minister of Justice,
which enacts severe penalties against any one
abetting or encouraging the pretensions of the
Nassau family. This projet was hailed with
bravos by the Chamber.
The rejection of the Belgian Minister at
Berlin is to be followed immediately by the re-
moval (on leave of absence) of the Prussian
envoy at Brussels.

BRUSSELS, MAY 17.--The young Prince Royal died last
night. The following are the terms in which the news is
given by the Moniteur this morning :
" Laeken, May 16, 9 o'clock, P.M.
" The Prince Royal, who was yesterday in pretty good
health, had a relapse last night, which puts him in the
greatest danger.

" SECOND BULLETIN.

" Laeken, 11 P.M.

" The fits increase ; convulsions succeeded. The Prince
Royal expired at 35 minutes past 10 o'clock at night."
We learn that the Belgian ship the Mercury has arrived
at Constantinople, under the national colours. It was not
molested either on the voyage or on its arrival.
The Courrier de la Meuse contains a brief of the Pope,
addressed to the bishops, approving their plan for a Catholic
university.
In the sitting of the Chamber of Representatives, the
Minister of Justice read a project of law for repressing
public demonstrations in favour of the Orange family,
which will afford the legal means now wanting, and, by
showing the people that the Government will punish all
such imprudent manifestations, will induce them more rea-
dily to give up the criminal, anti-social notion of doing
themselves justice ; and will, in reality, increase the per-
sonal safety of the two partisans of the deposed dynasty, by
protecting thorn against the consequences of their own im-
prudence.
Art. I. Whoever shall have publicly called for, or insti-
gated (appele en provoque), the return of the family of
Orange or Nassau, or of one of its members, shall be pu.
nished by imprisonment for not less than one, or more than
five years, and a fine of from 500 to 10,000 rancs.
Art. 11. 'Whoever, with an intention hostile to the con-
stitutional government of Belgium, shall have made a pub-
lic manifestation in favour of the same family or of one of
its members, shall be punished by an imprisonment of from
six months to two years, and a fine of 200 to 500 francs.
Art. 111. prohibits the hoisting or wearing, without the
King's permission, a standard, cockade, or distinctive
insignia of a foreign nation, under the same penalties as in
Art. 11.

Art. IV. prohibits the publicly wearing, without the
King's permission, of the insignia of any order whatever.
This offence shall be punished by imprisonment for one
month to one year, and a second fine of 50 to 500 francs,
and be liable, if occasion should be, to the penalties of the
above second article, and of article 259 of the penal code.
Art. V. Articles 111. and IV. are not applicable to
diplomatic agents or consols and their suite, or to foreigners
having a mission to the government, or travelling with the
consent of the government.
Offences under this law to be tried by the court of assise.
The law will cease to be in force when the definitive
treaty between Holland and Belgium shall be concluded.
The minister presented another project of law on the
suppression of disorder by the local authorities.—Brussels
Papers, May IR.
PRUSSIAN FUNDS—BERtIN, MAY 13.

St. Schuh'. Jell. 4 per cent. 99% 98%
Prussian English Loan, 1818, 5 per cent.... 103%
Ditto lq22, 5 per cent.... --
Ditto Bonds lB3O, 4 per cent.— 9514 94%

ODESSA, APRIL 22. The Governor-General,
Count Woronzoff, arrived on the 9th at Katerinosloff,
where he took the necessary measures to furnish the in-
habitants with provisions and seed corn, and then pro-
ceeded to visit other parts of the province.—Prussian
State Gazette, May 15.

EXCHANGES ON LONDON.
1-ll.mataw, MAY 16.-13 9% ; two months, 13 8.
BREMEN, MAY 13.—Two months. 60A.
CHRIKTIIANIA. MAY 7.—three months, 5 60.
BERLIN. MAY 13.—. Three months. 6 251%.
STOCKHOLM. MAY 9.—Two months, 12 31).
—Hamburg Papers. May 16.

The following are extracts from the German

Papers :
The General Assembly of the States of the Kingdom
opened at Hanover, on the 12th instant. As appears from
the message of the Cabinet ministry, read at the beginning
of the sitting, the whole system of taxation is to be revised.
His Royal Highness Frederick Christian is on his way
to Iceland.

The King of Prussia and the Princess of Leignitz will
go to Toplitz at the beginning of July.
We learn that the French government has given pass-
ports for Calais to the five fugitives who have arrived in
France, and who were concerned in the attempt to libe-
rate Dr. Wirth. Two of the six (not nine) who were ar-
rested have been already set at liberty.

The Spanish Cortes are to be convoked on
the QUEEN REGENT'S birthday, July 24.
Little doubt is entertained that the Duke of
TERCEIRA has entered Coimbra.

The appropriation to national purposes of
church property seems to be generally adopt-
ing in Catholic countries. The Finance Com-
mittee appointed by the House of Representa-
tives in Mexico have brought up their project
of law, which is based on the application of
monastic property to State purposes.

Too many persons in parishes have profited
qy the abuses of the poor laws to leave room for
the expectation that a struggle would not be
made by such persons to preserve their ungodly
gains. The love of power is too great, and the
possession of it too sweet to the nature of man,
not to induce magistrates to clamour against an
extensive interference with them in the exercise
of it. But notwithstanding the personal ani-
madversions in which some journalists have
thought fit to indulge, we trust the CH A N..
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER and the members
of the government will remain firm, and give
their sanction to the grant of such powers and
such protection to the Central Board as are ne-
cessary to enable it to execute the great work
to be intrusted to it, in pulling down this parish
hydra, which is :destroying industry and
morality among us. GOD forbid that the
men who are to form this Board, or any
set of men in this country, should be re-
lieved from responsibility. But we insist upon
it, that ample protection shall be extended to
them. When so much hostility and animosity
has been shown against the correction of these
abuses before the law has come into operation,
can it be supposed that malignity will not be at
work after it is in action ? When thousands of
pounds of parish money have been squandered
in disputes about Settlements, can it be other-
wise than that parish money will flow in abun-

dance to bring actions against the Commission-
ers, .if they be not kept harmless in this re-
spect ? They must be protected against the bad
passions of mankind, otherwise they will never
be able to put down their bad practices. In
giving their sanction to what is necessary for
this purpose, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER and the Members of the Government
will receive the approbation and support of
every honest and considerate man in the empire,
and they know that the approbation of the
honest and intelligent outweighs a thousand
fold all the influence that can be used by the
profligate and the ignorant. Though that in-
fluence, acted upon by self-interest, is noisy
and forward, still it is short-lived; while the
former, though silent and unobtrusive, is exten-
sive and permanent.

We would call the serious attention of the
journeymen tailors of the metropolis to the
advice offered them in the Circular from the
Committee of Master Tailors on Saturday last,
and implore them, as they value their respecta-
bility as men and as fathers of families, " to
return to reap the fruits of honest industry, in-
stead of idling and loitering away their valuable

time."

The men may rest assured that this is the
advice of their best friends. Have they not
been already sufficiently deluded ? Has any one
of the inducements held out to them by the
manifesto of " the Secretary of the Grand
Lodge of Operative Tailors" been realized, or
likely to be ? Has the promised money to sup-
port their wives and families, while they threw
themselves out of work, been paid to them ? Is
it respectable for men, in any station of life, to
be assisted by charity ? Are not the journey-
men tailors obtaining a beggarly pittance from
other mechanics, who can, probably, very ill
afford such a tax upon their industry ?
It gives us unfeigned pleasure to find that
many of the journeymen begin to see the strike
in its proper light, and that although it may be
very advantageous TO A WELL-PAID COM-
MITTEE OF JOURNEYMEN TAILORS to per-
suade the men to the contrary, they nevertheless
are anxious to return to work ; and in one of
the lodges of the union a large number have
seceded from a combination which has already
proved so injurious to the great body of the
trade.

It is perhaps not generally known that, in
1811, owing to the imbecility of the Govern-
ment at home, the base conduct of the Portu-
guese authorities, and the want of money, WEL-
LINGTON was once on the point of giving up
the contest in the Peninsula. Sir JOHN
MOORE'S brave spirit sunk under the load of
a similar complication of difficulties ! WEL-
LINGTON deserves great praise for his well-
concerted plans and skill in battle, but still
greater for that stern resolution, that moral and
enduring fortitude, which enabled him, while
everything appeared to be against him, to per-
severe in all but a hopeless contest. After de-
scribing in vivid colours the causes which led
to the embarrassments of the British army, Col.
NAPIER thus states the reasons which induced
WELL I NG TON to maintain the dreadful struggle :

"Pressed by such accumulatettlifficulties, and
not supported in England as he deserved,
the general, who had more than once intimated
his resolution to withdraw from the Peninsula,
now seriously thought of executing it. Yet
when he considered that the cause was one
even of more interest to England than to the
Peninsula ; that the embarrassments of the
French might be even greater than his own,
and that Napoleon himself, gigantic as his
exertions had been, and were likely to be, was
scarcely aware of the difficulty of conquering
the Peninsula while an English army held
Portugal ; when he considered also, that light
was breaking in the north of Europe, that the
chances of war are many, even in the worst of
times, and above all, when his mental eye
caught the beams of his own coming glory, he
quelled his rising indignation, and re-tempered
his mighty energies to bear the buffet of the
tempest."

This is written in the true spirit of military
genius. Why does not our Reforming Ministry
add to its other claims on public approbation
by simply performing an act of justice—confer-
ring on Colonel NAPIER some mark of dis-
tinction or promotion commensurate with his
acknowledged merits ? Sure we are that no-
thing would redound more to their honour, or
be hailed with more delight by the army.