The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-10 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—The question mooted by General Dalbiac, st
Bristol, furnishes matter for grave consideration, and allow
me to suggest through your columns that the honour of the
army and the safety of the citizen alike demand that the
law should he settled in a distinct, intelligible form. It
would be idle, in these enlightened days, to entertain much
dread of our standing army; and I will add that to that
army is this metropolis and the entire nation much in-
debted. In Lord Gordon's riots what could equal the for-
bearance of the disciplined soldiers ? In every subsequent
riots have not the citizens of London looked to the re-
gular force with confidence that it was mighty to protect
them ; but that, as it was strong, it was merciful ? The
records of half a century—the opinions of all parties, at-
test the truth of my statement.
But a perilous question has been mooted—a question
that strikes at the root of military discipline; a
question that strikes at the foundation of British liberty;
a question that, whilst undecided, leaves the duty of a
soldier undefined,—the safety of the citizen precarious.
For to what does this doctrine, as laid down by Chief Justice
Tindal, amount but to this ; that a subaltern officer may
act without the orders of his superior ; a soldier, without
the orders of any officer ?
Let us supp,se a case. Let us suppose that a party of
soldiers were assembled without an officer, on any spot,
odfoctthreinee:;e:r;
whilst a riot was proceeding ; as the law is now laid down,
they would be justified in charging and firing on the
alike
eul
point
isn?t
should
dr rather, er,l
people, without any order so to do. And is this a safe
demandgtein that the'teh ed
would say, do not the discipline of the army and the peace
defi-
nitively settled ?

That the English soldier is alike distinguished for hu-
manity as for courage, is beyond a doubt ; that
he is alike conspicuous for moderation as for that
true courage from which moderation is inseparable,
who will deny? But the liberties of England must not
be left to depend on the dispositions of individuals, how-
ever well-disposed ; nor must so vital a question be left
unsettled.
And, after all, let the ask, if Magistrates do their duty,
how rarely, how very rarely, must it occur, that officers
should search for them in vain ? And shall the liberty of
the subject be endangered—shall the discipline of the army
be unsettled—because Magistrates are supine and inactive ?
Shall the soldier be exposed to obloquy, and the Magi-
strate be sheltered from censure? Shall th,t troops of
England be exposed to obloquy for magisterial inactivity ?
God forbid ! The honour
of the British army, the pre-
servation of British liberty, alike forbid the ides.
But it is imperatively requisite that this matter should
he definitively settled ; the liberty of the suhject must not
be left to chance ; the laws of England must not vacil-
late between these various opinions ; the preservation of
our lives, of our properties, of our families, must not be
left dependent on accident ! Let, then, the law on this
Point be declared without delay, and let it be placed be-
yond controversy and dispute.
Your obedient servant,

ALPHA.

The Crown, Dixon,
from Liverpool to Charleston (not
New Brunswick, as stated onWednesday),was on shore near
Cahore Point, coast of Wexford, 15th inst. The Master
and eight of the crew drowned.