The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-20 00:00:00

in which honour, duty, and interest alike lead us to
preserve a strict neutrality, and a most rigid im-
partiality. It is not, Mr. CLAY does not say that
is, the object of the North to abolish slavery—in
that object every Englishman would feel the deepest
interest. But even were that the point to be fought
for, we could have no right to throw our
weight into the Northern scale. We do
not believe, however, that the North cares
for emancipation, unless, indeed, by the
force of circumstances it is now under-
going the process of conversion. Mr. CLAY
must forgive us, however, if we smile at his at-
tempts to bring in our commercial interests.
We must think that the Northern States are hostile
to them. Their last tariff is an unmistakeable
attack on British manufactures ; they must abolish
it and agree to a fair revenue, not a protective, tariff,
before we can hail them as commercial friends.
Already America is rapidly becoming to us of but
secondary commercial importance. If indeed,
without regard to slavery we looked to our own
interest, it would probably be to support the South,
to break the blockade and ;.to sustain the cotton
growers. They are of more consequence to us than
American consumers who are made to pay an exor-
bitant artificial price for our produce.
Mr. CLAY'S last flourish on the destiny of the
Free States, even should part of the South be
lost, will little move the present generation.
We may well leave it to our successors to deal
with the great Republic, if Republic it continues
to be, as they find it. It may well be that
North America is yet to become several respect-
able nations instead of one ambitious republic,
which shall:almost control the world. To hear of
" offending" an America which, in twenty years,
is to have 40,000,000 of inhabitants, and in half a
century 100,000,000, will certainly in no degree
modify the conduct of England.

We all know tolerably well What is before us
in respect to the course about to be taken in the
House of Commons in furtherance of the Financial
Policy of her MAJESTY'S
Government. But it
would be very difficult, indeed, for any one to
foresee accurately what is likely to come of it !
The arrangements are at length mapped out
with sufficient distinctness. For example—directly
after the close of this brief recess of Whitsuntide,
that is to say on Thursday evening next, but two
days after to-morrow—Viscount PALMERSTON,
in his double capacity as Leader of the House of
Commons and Head of the Administration, will
move in so many words, " That the House will
immediately resolve itself into a Committee of
Supply." The next stage of the Customs and Inland
Revenue Bill being reserved, according to announce-
ment—(for the convenience of members scattered
into distant parts of the country in quest of home-
relaxation during the holidays of Whitsuntide)—
the Budget Bill, we say (already read a first and
second time without division) being reserved for its
next stage—namely, for its consideration clause by
clause in Committee upon this day se'nnight.
Whereupon—that is on Monday, the 27th instant
—on the motion that the House do resolve itself
into Committee on the Customs and Inland Revenue
Bill, Mr. NEWDEGATE will move, "That, whereas
the embodiment of the principal financial proposals
of the Government in one bill unduly increases the
power of the Government over the taxation of this
country and the interests thereby affected, limits
inconveniently the action of this Nouse, and would
annul the well-ascertained function and privilege
of the House of Lords, it be an instruction to the
committee to divide the Customs and Inland Reve-
nue Bill, so that each of the taxes to which it results
may be separately treated." Another indication
this that the Paper Duties' Abolition has become
subordinated in importance as a matter of dispute
between the great Opposing Parties, the Liberals
and Conservatives confronting each other to the right
and to the left of Mr. SPEAKER—has become subor-
dinated as a matter of dispute between the Minis-
terialists and the Opposition to the far more for-
midable, to the actually vital and momentous ques-
tion growing out of it, the Constitutional Question
as to the line of demarcation separating the powers
and prerogatives respectively of the Lords and
Commons' House of Parliament. It is the ques-
tion as to that which now remains to be settled
one way or the other way between the Opposition
and the Government. These are to fight no longer
with merely so many " paper pellets"—they are to
exchange the old party broadsides upon a matter
affecting one of the vital principles of
the Constitution. That is the course apparently
now decided upon by the Conservative Opposi-
' tion, after a lengthened delay for the purpose of
mature deliberation. It seems a very simple clues-
' tion for settlement thus, off hand, under the circum-
stances. But—looking for a moment at the dif-
ferences of opinion perceptible among those on the
Government side of the House, and among their
antagonists upon the expectant side of the Op-
position—the prospect becomes one altogether of
a very dubious character. It is not by any means
that, in the matter of that constitutional difficulty,
all those who are seated upon the right hand of
Mr. Speaker think, and feel, and are determined,
coute qui coute, to vote with her MAJESTY'S
Government. Neither is it by any means
clear that Mr. NEWDEGATE'S Amendment
will secure to itself unanimous support from those
who are seated upon the left hand of Mr. SPEAKER,
among the ranks of what happens to be called sim-
ply, as Mr. DISRAELI very recently reminded the
House, "imply and solely because they sit opposite the
Treasury Benches, " The Opposition," her MAJESTY'S
Opposition ! It is a matter of notoriety not merely
among the electors of Stroud but elsewhere, far and
wide throughout the United Kingdom, that the
' Right Hon. EDWAUD Hoissmax in regard to this
constitutional question has spoken, thinks very
strongly, feels very strongly, will in all human
likelihood vote most decidedly With the Opposition
and Against the Government. Turning to the side
of the Conservatives, have we not very recently
had the cat let out of the bag by Sir WILLIAM
HEATIICOTE in reference to the views entertained
in respect to the constitutional problem by no less
an authority, among the leaders of the Opposition,
than the right hon, and learned gentleman, for-
merly installed in
Lord DERBY'S Cabinet as the Con-
servative Rome Secretary ? Mr. WALPOLE inti-
mating to the House of Commons but a very few
evenings since,through the •
lips of his communica-
tive friend and sympathiser, Sir W.
HEATHCOTE,
his (the ex-Home Secretary's} strong feeling in this
matter, Against the opinions known to be enter-
tained by the majority of the Opposition, and in
favour of the diametrically opposite opinions enter-
tained by the mass of the miscellaneous supporters
of the Government! Others amonhe Liberals—
an exceedingly select few we shad n conjecture—

may be found to think and act with the right
hon. member for Stroud. More—we are
disposed to imagine—will be found breaking
away from
the side of the Opposition in cora-
i panionshi
l) with the right hon, member for the
University of Cambridge, possibly to speak, cer-
tainly to vote (with him) among the temporary sup-
porters of the Government That is the position_
those are the prospects—of Government and of
Oppo;itign. It is certainly a position,—so far as