The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-20 00:00:00

LINDON, TAURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1856

".Huth, it's all a mistake, according to your
adage.
,‘ when the cat's away the mice will
play.' A clever, pushing fellow, WALEWSKl—
reliable, too, when he knows I'm at his heels—
but--bah ! it's always the case—apt to push
too far when he has the opportunity. Of course
he can't really sympathise with RusfJia—he's a
Pole—a little high-flown gen6rogity to a great
Emperor in his hour of humiliation—that's all.
Polek are constittitionallY romantic and chivalrous.

As to representing my views and sentiments, that
is all bosh ! You must look for them in the
Moniteur, and not in the Constitutionnel. I was
in Compiegne—Wamwsar in Paris, when the
article you complain of was written. On my
return, you see, WALEWSKI was brought to book,
and you had all you could desire by way of
amends in the Moniteur. I chsprish the English
alliance. It is my destiny. The peace and hap-
piness of the world depend upon it," &c., &c.
Such would appear to be the Napoleonic expla-
nation of the untoward article in the Constitution-
nel, the injurious effects of which on public confi-
dence, not even the presence of the Emperor
in Paris, the relinquishment of the intended
festivities at Fontainbleau, and the article in the
Moniteur have sufficed to dissipate.
The public can believe as much of this expla-
nation as they like. There is no limit by Act of
Parliament, that we are aware of, to English
credulity. It were charitable to gulp it all.
Explanations, demanding a greater effort at de-
glutition, have been swallowed before now, and
will be, no doubt, again and again ! It may, how-
ever, be as well if we recount a reason or two
for the little incredulity we may have had to
overcome. Our Imperial ally would laugh at us
if we accused him of over-scrupulosity. The
readers of The Sun would laugh at it if it denied
a desire on his part to enter within the
hallowed pale of divine right legitimacy. The
hero of an ever-memorable coup d'etat —the man
of December, the garotter of the French Press,
and would be garotter of the English, the pos-
sessor of a will so inexorable that friends and foes
have alike had to bow before it—the Emperor
who rules as well as reigns—the Imperial ally,
whose veto sufficed to put a stop to a necessary
war at the precise stage when the French Eagles
flashed bravely in a meridian sun, and the English
Standard was about to be gloriously elevated
from the mud in which it had been draggled—
well it was hard to believe a foreign-Foreign
Secretary would dare to publish a line of
which he was not assured this man, his
master, would approve ! It turns out we
were wrong —we have NaroxxoN's word
for it ; the article in the Moniteur establishes
the fact beyond the possibility of question.
But WALEWSKI is not yet dismissed—Russia is as
audacious as ever—BoatnA laughs at us—not an
object of the War is fully attained. There is
uncertainty everywhere ; and the disciples of
Peace talk most of all about War. To calm their
troubled minds, let us again assure them it is our
Imperial Ally's best policy for the present to keep
the alliance intact ; that his greatness, his very
existence, depends on it more than on anything
else ; and that he begins to see and feel, even
more clearly than before, if that be possible, that
such is the case. WALEWSKI'S dismissal, it may
therefore be taken for granted, is already decided
on. Otherwise, what would not be thought as to
his master's sincerity ? And when it comes, we
for one will set our faces like adamant against its
being accounted—a tub thrown out to the whale.
Our Governments, it must be confessed, are
not very lucky at alliances. Somehow, the
alliances they make don't do us any good, and are
regarded with not altogether unwarrantable sus-
picion. Can the fact be philosophically accounted
for ? Are our Ministers mere islanders, and
nothing more ? Our fleets dominate in every
ocean, our lag waves on every continent—her
MAJESTY'S subjects at home are a miserable mi-
nority in point of numbers to her subjects abroad
—our commercial marine enters every port—our
commercial enterprise influences every Exchange.
They ought to be something more. If any people
have the right to be called citizens of the world,
and are necessarily concerned in the general inte-
rests of mankind, we are that people. It can
hardly be that it is for want of knowledge of foreign
affairs our Goverments are so unlucky. It were
to expose oneself to the charge of slandering our
fellow-countrymen if one gave utterance to
such an imputation on their good sense.
What, then, is the cause of this perpetual buig-
ling ? Can it be our Governments deal with indi-
viduals instead of masses, with dynasties instead
of nations, that the alliances they boast of and
have to apologise for have too narrow a basis to
be 'secure ? Let the reader judge for himself.
4711 we say is—of all alliances, an alliance with
France is the one we estimate at the highest
valte ; and we should have less apprehension for
its continuance, better hope of its perpetuity,
brighter augury for the welfare of Europe, and a
serener prospect of the elevation of our common
humanity, wore we more firmly assured the Anglo-
French alliance was an alliance with the British
nation and the noble French people, as well as
with the French Emperor, NAPOLEON the Third !

We can scarcely feel surprised that the unfo:-
tunate creditors of the Royal British Bank should
be anxious to expedite a final arrangement of the
affairs of that unfortunate concern. We all know
the old adage respecting the value of the " nim-
ble shilling," and there are few whom experience
has not convinced of its accuracy. It is, then, a
matter of vast importance to all concerned that
the available assets should be divided with the
least possible delay—that even a small dividend
should be speedily paid. Trifling as it may
appear to legal eyes—that may ba opened to the
widest extent at the attempt to rescue any por-
tion of the oyster from its legitimate devourers—
there must naturally be felt by the sufferers a
degree of excitement sufficient to justify riz
invasion on the time-honoured territories of
judicial routine. It is sufficient to know that a
large sum is in hand, the immediate distribution
whereof would materially alleviate the distress of
the auffefers—that it is contended for by con-
flicting jurisdictions, and that the contest may
probably be carried through various courts to the
ultimate appellate tribunal. It is therefore
peculiarly desirable that every stage in that
progress should be got over with the greatest
possible despatch, so that the final decision
may be expedited, and the inevitable distribution,
which, according to established precedents, will
be paid.out of the fund iu Court, may be reduced
to the lowest amount practicable.
We must admit the total irregularity of the
course adopted by the committee of depositors.
To addresi the Court, save through the ordinary
channels of solicitors and counsel, was enough to
make every
hair in the various wigs present at the
usurpation stand on end. The memorial could
not, of course, be received. But it does not by
any means follow that it will be useless. Although
the able Vice-Chancellor, in whose hands the
matter is placed, could not give an official answer
to the memorial, he must be perfectly cognisant
of its contents, and fully convinced of the accuracy
of its statements. not profess to be
He could
influenced by a matter so irregularly brought
before the Court, but he will be so just
as much as if the information had come
through a legal gentleman duly instructed.
The very effective address cf the Chairman
ce
Committee cannot have been disregarded.
The
Vice-Chancellor
asellocrn: proverbially " make
decided
correctly.
bad, precedents." But there are few cases so
hard as that of the depositors in the Royal

British Bank, or so fully justifying a departure
from the ordinary course. We grant that such
steps may generally be regarded as inexpedient,
and that they must invariably be discouraged by
the Court ; but, in the present instance, we
fancy that the depositors will have no reason to
regret the step taken by their committee, who
have certainly displayed a degree of zeal and
energy entitling them collectively and individu-
ally to the highest credit. The Judge may
require tithe to decide a " vexed question," but
he will certainly not be the less anxious to do so
in consequence of the memorial, although he may
only have arrived at a knowledge of its contents
through the public journals on the evening of the
day that it was tendered for his acceptance.

We are glad to see our old friend Mr. MIINTZ
has again entered the field on the all-important
question of Currency Reform. Mr. MuNTz has,
in his time, rendered important services to the
good cause ; and, although we may differ in some
points of detail, we rejoice in the assistance of an
auxiliary so efficient and energetic ; one, too,
who has the power and the will to explain his
views in the popular branch of the Legislature.
It is true that he has not manifested much ac-
tivity for some years past—that five years have
elapsed since he entered the lists against the
bullionist Champion on behalf of the sound prin-
ciples of which he is the conscientious advocate.
But that may, in a great degree, be ascribed
to the general apathy and indifference that
prevailed amongst these who would not
take the trouble of investigating the difficulties
of a very intricate subject, and who could not be
stimulated to action when suffering under no im-
mediate pressure. He, however, displayed his
foresight by the motion for inquiry which he
originated last session. He said that before the
close of the year a great pressure for money, and
a consequent advance in the rate of interest,
was inevitable. He, therefore, brought forward
his motion, although without any sanguine hope
of immediate success, as a judicious preliminary
movement, and subsequent events have vindi
cated the policy of the course adopted. Should
the exorbitant interest now charged be increased,
or even continued at its present rate, the nation
will be fully prepared for energetic action ; and
an amount of enthusiasm will be displayed not
inferior to that which signalised the agitation for
the abolition of the iniquitous bread tax.

It is not by flippant jests or ill-timed raillery
that arguments inch as Mr. MUNTZ adduces can
be disposed of. The Times may desire to see
Mr. MuNTz a canon in " the Cathedral of Rag-
land" and vicar of Papertown, but we are far
better pleased to see him in his present position
as the independent representative of a large in-
dustrial constituency, peculiarly interested in the
due solution of by far the most important political
problem of the day. Mr. MUNTZ is not to be
silenced by such means, and the Times may be
well assured that it cannot suppress the rapidly
increasing agitation on the subject by such
attack.

The Times, with a ponderous attempt at jocu-
larity, declares "if a man were to tell us that
clothing were a bad thing because it was impossible
always to adopt it to the temperature of the air,
or the state of the circulation, we should
ask, "Do you then propose we should go without
it 1" Far from it. But we believe that it is very
nearly as absurd to suppose that a fixed state of
garments should be enforced by sumptuary laws}—
that a rheumatic patient should be compelled to
wear the light garments of a Hindoo within the
Aretie circle, or that a healthy young num should
be ordered to wear furs under the smeltering heat
of an African sue. The analogy in this case is
complete. No Currency Reformer has ever recom-
mended the abolition of a circulating medium, or
a return to the old style of barter ; but every
one has insisted on something calculated to answer
the exigencies of the day. What is suitable to
one state of affairs is altogether inopportune at
another time and under totally opposite circum-
stances. The Bank Charter Act establishes a
fixed and invariablerule, from which no deviation
is allowed. When there are no bubble schemes
on foot, no wild speculations, and trade and
manufactures are in a sound and healthy condi-
tion, it cannot be requisite to starve industry,
and to reduce the creators and producers of na-
tional wealth into unprofitable consumers. It is
equally injurious when such schemes ar• on foot
to be obliged to force money on the market at a
low rate of interest, and thus stimulate and foster
the evil. But this is what the Bank Charter Act
is calculated to do, when gold is flowing into the
c)untry, and ther a is no continental competition
for the golden products of Australia. The Bank
must purchase any gold offered at 3/. 1751. 9d. per
oz. They cannot keep it idle in their
vaults. The interests of the proprietors forbid
such a course, which would speedily reduce
the dividends to very attenuated dimen-
sion. They therefore are obliged to force
money on the market at 2 per cent., trusting to
bring back matters to the old state by a species of
legerlemain process, when the time has arrived
for the stringent application of the screw. Fluc-
tuations in the value of money, or, what is nearly
the same thing, in the rate of discount, thus be-
come inevitable, and the People are at one time
surfeited and at another starved in the midst of
plenty. We must get rid of this unwise and
impolitic system. All that is necessary is that
the people should be aroused—that they should
be taught how deeply their own welfare and pro-
sperity, and the comfort and happiness of their
families are involved in the result. Let every
Monetary Reformer now exert himself zealously
and energetically, and ere many months have
elapsed we shall have to congratulate the nation
on its emancipation from the most oppressive
tyranny that ever existed -- the despotic authority
of the Moneyocracy.

The Times has made a great mistake, surely, in
the " ha'porth" of argument which figures in its
bill of banter against Mr. BERKELEY on Tuesday.
It says—it has said it twenty times—that the
Ballot is of no use, because everybody's vote must
be known in England. It is only a small part of
a man's life ; his life is known ; as is his life so is
his vote ; therefore his vote is known outside the
ballot-box.

Almost as many fallacies as words. We don't
kno v every one's vote beforehand. Who knows
or ever knew the vote of the Times beforehand ?
It voted black a week ago ; who can insure a
black ball for the same, object next week ? We
indeed would rather 'oet five to one on a white
one. The Times on Tuesday bantered Mr. BF.R-
KELE; bantered the. Ballot, and all who happened
to be in the compa-ay. It has done it annually ;
w
will guarantee that some day, in some
t o
tiff with who
Lord J. RUSSELL and the Whigs, it will
now who
not banter them, and declare Mr. BERICBLEY and
the Ballot a gre at fact ?

Nor is every man's vote a part of his life. That
is just the tiling we complain of. His conversa-
tion at hie. ceNn table and his friend's table are a
part of his life ; if he be not in too much subjec-
tion hid ueli'spaper is so too ; and should his land-