The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-23 00:00:00

THE PRESS PROSECUTIONS.

We accept the almost ludicrous termination of
the Palmerston-Napoleon press prosecutions, as a
guarantee that no future English Ministry will
rashly tamper with the national privilege of fret
moral and political discussion at the instigation of
a foreign Government. It does not appear that
any other course was open to the present Adminis-
tration than that which they have pursued. • True,
the farce of exacting a promise from the defendants
to withdraw their pamphlets from circulation might
have been dispensed with. La-ge impressions of
them have been sold off ; the interest which at first
attached to them has died away; their circulation
had alr, ady ceased under the simple operation of
the lapse of time. The best way to prevent the re-
suscitation, of the irritating coßtroversy to which
they related would have been, by quietly dropping
the prosecutions, to have allowed them to remain
forgotten. Still if two powerful Governments can
be gratified by such an unreal concession, it would
be hypercritical to object to it. The moral of this
euthanasia of two press prosecutions is :—The
Bench, the Bar, and a
.Tory Government, have re-
coguised the right of private citizens to publish all
historical facts, and to argue all moot points of
morals and politics, provided this is done sincerely
with a view to elicit truth, and not to gratify malice
by injuring a third party. Moreover, a Tory Go-
vet ntnent has set the example of accepting the
pubic declaration of the accused, through his
counsel, that he was not animated by criminal mo-
tives as a sufficient proof of his innocence. This
olemn recQgnitiou of the liberty of the English
press will, we are certain, not be abused. The
liberty of the press means simply the liberty of all
and every portion of the public to use the press for
the assertion of its opinions. This public opinion
speaking through the press is a much, more effective
check upon press abuses than any laWs or tribunals
can be.—Morning Paper.

There were no gold operations at the Bank yesterday.
Of the 111,680/. in gold, by the Cambria, delivered to-
day, the 50,090 sovereigns will be retained iu England
and the remainder will be sent abroad. The 76,6441.
by the Maidstone, is also expected to be taken to meet
the continental demand.

THAMES.
ALLEGED CRUELTY ON BOARD AN AMERIIIA.N Sine
Three seamen, natives of England, came before Mr. OS
to complain of cruelties practised towards them by 10.
crew of the ship Rolle of the Sea, on her voyage from tie
cutta to London.
A seaman named Maclean was the first spokesman. AID
said he joined the Belle of the Sea at Calcutta, and he lir
been miserable all the voyage in consequence of the cruelt
tyranny, and harsh language exercised towards the ofrh
by the captain and officers. The second mate, Mr. 13011
struck a Portuguese seaman, one of the crew,
knocked him down across the windlass brake, and 03'
cruelly jumped upon him. The poor fellow got 61:
groaning loudly, and said to the crew, " You see thn
The second mate said, " You God d—n b—r,
" The Portuguese went fn his berth, and died of-""
injuries he had received 12 hours attc...,ards. Ho (iceu
lean) had been struck by the second mate on the head al
his fist and also hit him a cowardly blow under the °t'
from the effects of which he had never entirely reeoVerr'
Last Friday morning the captain seized him by the ne:lga
and injured him very much, and at the same time 041
him a " God d—n son of a b--h."
John Dunbar, of Woolwich, was unfortunate enough t°
join the Belle of the Sea at Calcutta. Captain Lewilik ~
l.
master, whose son was chief mate, seized him by "-
whiskers, which were then very long, and said "
you pay for that." Some of his whiskers were Putl,
off. The captain did not say what fault he d
committed, and picked up a ballast shovel and made ebtt
at him. He grabbed the shovel and held on until the
mate put his thumb nail into his (Dunbar's) throat, ilen
choking him, and then knocked him down on the deck. 110
told the captain he would make him pay for it; on Whioo
the captain said, " Yes, God d—n you, I can pay Ora.
such as you." On the day afterwards the captain er
at him, seized his whiskers, and threw him to leeward.
_A•
Henry Smith, of Canterbury, Kent, said he had n
ill-used on board of the Belle of the Sea, by the sel,
mate, and that the officers of the ship were consteri
swearing at and abusing the crew.
Mr. Selfe, on learning that the Belle of the Sea Y/P".60
American ship, said he had no jurisdiction in the mattrt;
but if the seamen ever met with the captain and his effi°4
in America they would probably obtain redress.