The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-13 00:00:00

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LONDON,
TUESDAY EVENING. MARCH 13, 1832.

The venerable Earl of ELDON edified the
House of Lords last night with a very gratuitous
eulogium on his own disinterestedness, in the
course of which he took the opportunity of

alluding to several minor matters appertaining
to his conscience, which, his Lordship asserted,
" he had satisfied for upwards of forty years." We

have not the slightest doubt of the truth of this
assertion, for a political conscience is, of all
others, the most accommodating and the most

easily satisfied. There is nothing low, nothing
unreasonable, nothing squeamish, pressing, or
astringent, about a " conscience" of this cha-
racter ; it sits easily and comfortably upon
a politician, like a well-made coat o►► a
gentleman, neither crippling his movements
nor disturbing his digestion. It is pre-
cisely this sort of " conscience" that the bo-
roughmongers (like Lord ELDON) have been
in the habit of satisfying upwards of fifty years,
and most lax and unprincipled, no doubt, is that
sense of national morality which will allow them
to satisfy it no longer. But it does so happen,
why or wherefore we profess not to under-
stand, that the country's notion of this
comprehensive trisyllable is the very anti•.
podes of that which the Tories entertain.
The people—weak, silly creatures !—imagine

that " conscience" in a statesman is that strong,
ruling instinct which propels him at all times and
seasons to do his best to help his country ; the
Tories, that it is the same natural instinct, but
differently applied, viz., to their own purposes,
to enable them to help themselves. If this be
Lord ELDON'S interpretation of the word,
we concede that he has been conscientious to
the last degree, and that it is not his Lordship's
fault if he can be so no longer.

As regards Lord PLUNKET, the Marquis of
CLANRICA RDE certainly made out a strong case
for him. To be sure, his Lordship had taken
good care of himself and his kinsfolk ; but then,
by so doing, he had not compromised the great,
paramount interests of his country. It was not
proved,that in order to keep himself and friends
in place, he had sworn and re-sworn, not once,
but a thousand times, that Catholic Emancipa-
tion was an iniquity, and Reform the deadliest of
the seven deadly sins. Nothing of this sort was
alleged against his Lordship. He had only as•
sisted his friends when he could do so without

detriment to his country.
The Duke of WELLINGTON met this question
manfully, and with his usual straight-forwardness.
A man in office, said his Grace, has a right
to assist his relations. Granted ; but under
certain restrictions. If, for instance, a post in
his gift, the filling up of which is no job, no
sinecure, but of absolute service to the public
interest, happens to fall vacant, he has a right—
provided his relative is competent—to appoint
him to the vacant place ; but should this place
be a mere sinecure, of no use but to the in.;

cOmbeln., theli vie say, the man in oEhce

hiS no right to continue it, simply in or-
der that he may thereby benefit his kins-
man. So long as the two interests, public
and private, blend together in perfect harmony,
well and good but the very moment they are
at Vailante, then, in Uroti', name; wt repeat, let
individUal gi‘e Way to general good.
_ _

We grant, therefore, the justice of Lord
PLUNKET'S plea, because we are not yet con-
vinced that his nepotism has been detrimental
to the public interests. As for his having
hutherous connections to provide for, so
far from being surprised at this, we should
be surprised only were it otherwise, for
men in office (like parsons) are invariably pro-
lific ; invariably, too, come of a fruitful stock ;
and as occasion requires, can create relatives with
far more promptitude than Early GREY is likely
to create Peers.

The Boroughmongers who still affect to
usurp the powers of Government, to domineer
and direct all things, announce in their coteries,
that the Reform Bill will be permitted to be
read a second time in the House of Lords by a
majority of TWELVE ! ! If twelve be the ma-
jority by which the Boroughmongers permit
the Bill to be read a second time, one need not
rise from the dead to reveal its fate in the Com-
mittee. There, cut up, and mangled and mutil-
ated, until rendered a mere caput mortuum,
it will become the darling of the Borough-
mongers, who, after emptying the egg, will, in
mockery, present the shell for acceptance by the

nation.

In consequence of the death of the SPEAKER'S
mother, Mrs. MANNERS SUTTON, the House
of Commons, from a feeling of laudable courtesy,
did not meet last night.

A document purporting—we know not with
what truth—to be the Boroughmongers' plan of
Reform, will be found in another part of the
Sun. It is a sad affair, full of contradictions,
inconsistencies and beggings of the question.
We are inclined, therefore, to think it authentic.
As for anything like efficiency, it does not pos-
sess a particle of it. The Boroughmongers are
to continue to ply their old trade, or not, as
may suit their fancy ; no positive enfranchise-
ment or disfranchisement is alluded to ; all
is vague, general, anti inconclusive. Anti this
meagre dish of spoon-meat, the Ultras think
will satisfy the craving appetite of John Bull !
The honest old Gentleman asks for a substan-

tial slice of roast beef, and they present him
with a basin of water-gruel ! The fools ! They
have yet to learn and appreciate the true
character of their countrymen.

The following article from the Morning
Chronicle is so perfectly in accordance with our
own opinions, that we hesitate not in giving it a
prominent place in our columns. For the sake
of Reform—of the Army—and the public feel-
ing, we could wish the facts had been other-
wise:—

" The Gazette of Tuesday last contained the ap-
pointment of Major. General the Honourable Sir
Charles Greville, K.C.8., to the Colonelcy of the
32d regiment of Foot—a regiment being one of the
most valuable gifts in the patronage of the Com-
mander-in-Chief. We are at all times unwilling to
constitute political opinions the test of aptitude for
military and naval office; or in commenting on a
particular instance of advancement, of which we may
disapprove, to depreciate the real merit of an indi-
vidual. But we have heard from many quarters ex-
treme surprise expressed on this promotion. Sir
Charles Greville was not a dandy soldier—he has
we believe, seen more service than many men of
his standing; and though he may not possess the
reputation of a man of parts, or a commander of
genius, he is, nevertheless, justly entitled to the
hard-earned character of a gallant officer. But while
it is notorious that many men of superior abilities,
and of equal standing, have been kept back for politi-
cal opinion, it is certainly strange that thus early in
a Liberal Government such a proposition should be
wade. Sir Charles jGreville was the unsuccessful
Anti-Reform candidate of the borough of Warwick,
at the last general election ; and in a long Parlia-
mentary career was a silent voter for the Tories
•` through thick and thin." His brother Earl War-
wick, the Tory Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire,

the preceding week, presented an Anti-Reform Ad.
dress, (headed by himself) to the King; voted 'n
October against the Reform Bill, and with his son-
in-law, Lord Monson, will repeat the vote. The
same Lord Lieutenant notoriously excludes
ardent supporters of his Majesty's Ministry

from the lieutenancy, Magistracy, and Church
preferment, and exercises an exclusive domination
in his province. Surely such bestowal of military
patronage must be most galling to those who in the
county town made political exertions and sacrifices
of no common character. The effect on public
opinion is also most injurious. A Tory ex-Member
from a Liberal Government, receives the ammuni-

tion of the public money to fight again his battles
against the Ministry and the Reformers! This is
what is called " backing your enemies." But the
Duke of Wellington, we presume, is Commander-in.
Chief; and where Ministers are " working up hill"
we suppose it must be overlooked. We thus re-
luctantly allude to this Extraordinary Gazette, but it
is oar public duty; and numerous representations
have been made to us, for some time past, on the
subject of this department. His Grace is a pow-
erful man in peace or war."

The French papers of Sunday are occupied
more with comments than news. The expedi-
tion to Ancona and its probable consequences,
form the subjects of discussion. In the Chamber
of Deputies a stormy scene took place, as will be
seen by the following :
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.-SITTING OF

1111 If 10.

M. Martin brought up. the report of the commission
charged to examine the project of law upon promotion in
the army, which bad been amended by the Chamber of
Peers; he proposed the adoption of the greater part of the

modifications. Upon the demand of General Leydet,
the debate upon the subject was fixed for the first Satur-
day after the vote of the War Budget. The Order of the
Day was the report of petitions. Several reporters were
heard. The most remarkable petitions were—that of
three hundred and ten inhabitants of Metz, demanding the
impeachment of Min!stern, and the immediate recognition
of the nationality of Poland. This petition treated a sensa-
tion in the Chamber, the first part was rejected for the
order of the day, and the latter part Was ordered to be
submitted to the Council of Ministers. Several French
subjects at Hayti demanded that an inquiry be instituted on
the nature of the instructions given by the Government to
the Consul-General (par interim) in the republic of
Hayti. The petitioners complained that the Consul in-
jured them most serionsly by his unr. fleeting conduct.