The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-22 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

General Palmer, who, is a true Reformer, in
the most comprehensive sense of the term, be-
sides supporting the Ministerial Reform Biil,
advocates every thing in the shape of Reform
which presents itself to his observation and judg-
ment. In the speech which he mac in the
Douse of Commons, on Tuesday nights
grappled with one of the most important and
difficult questions which can engage the mind of
a statesman—the condition of' the labouring poor
of this country. kits argument goes to show
that while labour was free it prospered; but that
as the corruption of power suceeed'ed in throw-
ing off the burden of taxation from its own
shoulders—from the shoulders of wealth upon
the shoulders of labour—the productive industry
of the country languished and declines!. The
remedy for this evil General Palmer proposes,
on the authority of Mr. Heathrield, whose pam-
phlet he quotes, is a well-regulated property-tax ;
and to this expedient, we are of opinion, the
more the subject is considered the more will
the public mind be disposed to conform.—
It is true that, according to the arguments
of the Anti-Reformers, such a tendency of the
public mind would be an argument against the
adoption of that or of any other measure, be-
cause, in accordance with their theory, public
approbation is, at least, a strong presumption
against the utility of any measure; but General
Palmer anticipates the success of what he calls
the " glorious Bill ;" in which case we can
easily suppose, with him, that a proposition for
the relief of labour and the equitable distribu-
tion of the burdens of the State would not only
be attended to, but approved and adopted. We
recommend General Palmer's speech to the at-
tentive perusal of those who take an interest in
the Reform question, as connected with some of
the most important considerations involved in our
policy as a commercial nation.—Morn. Herald.
The feelings manifested by the company at the
St. Patrick's dinner have, as in the recent and
memorable instance of the Burn's celebration,
excited the bi'e of the Ministerialists of all ranks
and classes. Assemblages of gentlemen even
fir the purposes of benevolence or conviviality
will soon, we suppose, come to be considered as
a species of high treason against the Majesty of
the Ministers and the mob ; for assuredly assem-
blages of this description will never feel or act so
as to gratify the taste of those who admire the
sentiments and manners of such persons as
mainly constitute the pledged majority of the
present House of Commons, and of the conge-
nial characters who form the Political Unions
throughout the country. The absence of all his
Majesty's Ministers from this dinner was an un-
usual circumstance, which has not yet been suf-
ticiently explained. It cannot be denied that
wine of them are gentlemen, and sufficiently
qualified, therefore, to have taken their places at
the cross table. Why then did they all keep
away ? Their apologists of the Press, whether
with or without instructions, say that they did
not like the Duke of Northumberland for a
Chairman. This every body must at once sec
could not possibly be the true reason, the Noble
Duke being, as those who know him will rea-
dily acknowledge, of all men in England the
least likely to say or do or permit any thing
which would be likely to introduce into such a
meeting feelings of acrimony, or in any manner
to disturb the harmony or to detract from the
enjoyment of any body present. What was it,
then, which banished the Whig Ministers and their
retainers from this annual festival of nationality
and benevolence ? Those same apologists have
let out the secret, for why should they not
blunder as well as their betters ? And, the
.secret is, simply that the Whig Ministers cannot
hear to hear the health of the Queen Consort of
England drank with too much enthusiasm, and
it was foreseen how much danger there was that
the sons of St. Patrick might fall into this Anti-
-Ministerial error. There could be no packing
here, no concerted coughing or shuffling of shoes,
by Mob delegates and Ministerial slaves ; every
man was sure to express an honest and generous
and manly feeling ; and accordingly the anticipa-
tion so terrible to the Ministers of the King
was fully realised. No other toast given
on that day was received with one thou-
sandth part of the enthusiasm. and delight
which attended the mention of her Majesty.
Well, it may naturally be said, but why should
the Whig Ministers repine at the popularity of
a Queen so entirely worthy of the national afire-
tion ? Could their Royal Master himself have
been present, would not his noble heart have
throbbed with the proud and triumphant and
grateful feelings natural upon such an occasion to
a man and a gentleman ? Unquestionably ; but
here, at least, is a point upon which the Sove-
reign and his advisers do not feel and think
alike. The latter know that her Majesty has
experienced ill-treatment at their hands. They
are quite aware, too, that the nation knows this.
And hence it is that the loyal and fervent accla-
mations with which the Queen's name is inva-
riably hailed in every unpacked assembly of the
better classes of Englishmen is felt by Ministers
as a rebuke and a reproach to themselves. In
these few observations we believe we have said
enough to account at once for the unmanly jea-
lousy which rankles at the hearts of the Whig
Ministry and their adherents, and for the ardent
devotion which the better part of the na-
tion omits no opportunity to express. It
her Majesty has become a more conspi-
cuous ',object in the political world than
she herself .would probably wish, it is the
treatment she has received from Ministers that
has made her so. That it would be unbecoming
as well as inconvenient for a Queen Consort of
England to meddle in every-day politics we
readily admit ; nor do the enemies of her Ma-
jesty venture to insinuate that she has done so.
But even here reasonable people will not fail to
recollect that, if abstinence from politics he the
general rule, there may in respect to this, as to
other general rules, be cases of exception.
The duty of a good Queen cannot be incompa-
tible with that of an affectionate wife. If it be
true that it is not the part of a Queen Consort
of England to be a political partisan, it is
at least equally true that it is not the part
of an affectionate wife to see her husband led by
blind or wicked Councillors to what she believes
the brink of a dangerous and fatal precipice
without expressing her natural alarm, and as
tempting to rescue him, herself, the Royal Es.
mils, and the nation from one common ruin.
The wife of Cmsar did no wrong when she re-
vealed her dream ; but it was the neglect
of her warning which secured the fatal
triumph of the conspirators ! For the rest, the
Irish people arc acute enough to judge of the
true character and disposition towards them of
those men whose professions indeed sound well,
but whose acts prove them to be worse than
disregardful of Ireland's interests. Not only
did the present Ministers and their friends with-