The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TLTESDAY EVENING, MAiICII 17, 1851:

leave our electoral laws and constituencies as they

are.

We do hope that Liberals will not be shame-
faced or dilatory. Addresses already show that
candidates are sensible of the rights of electors to
free voting, and of non-electors to the suffrage.
These are the fundamental points. They are to
all the rest what the Repeal of the Corn-la ws was
to all other monopolies. Carry the BALLOT,
indeed, and you will carry all the rest. Untie
the voters' hands, and they will unfetter the non-
electors' hands—and both will then demand, at
least, Triennial Parliaments. Church Rates,
Jewish disabilities, army reform, and we know
not what reforms, will follow. The Ballot is the
way to all. If we could pin a member to only
one thing, we would have his word of honour, that,
life and limb permitting, he would be in his place
and vote for

THE BALLOT.

Everything in the latest intelligence from
China confirms us in our often-expressed convic-
tion as to the absolute necessity of at once
strengthening our forces at Canton, and confront-
ing our Asiatic assailants with all the might and
energy of a great military and maritime expedi-
tion worthy of sustaining at all hazards the glory
of our imperial reputation. It is, we repeat, in
the interests of prudence, of economy, of huma-
nity, that we demand these prompt and vigorous
warlike demonstrations against the Chinese. The
violaters for fifteen years of the solemnly-ratified
Treaty of Nankin, the insolent and audacious in-
sulters of the National Flag, the murderers of
the English civilians on board the Thistle, the
poisoners of the British residents at Hong Kong,
the miscreants setting a price of so many taels and
candarins upon the head of every Englishman,
and thereby holding out gn infamous bribe, cal-
culated to instigate most effectually the very
scum of the Chinese mob to assassination—surely
barbarions such as these demand at our hands the
retort of an instant and overwhelming retribra-
tion. Particularly is this rendered necessary
when it is observed, in regard to these same per-
fectly Harmless and wholly Innocent and altoge-
ther most Exemplary Chinese—the model nation
mawkishly eulogised by Mr. RICHARD COB-
DEN and beslavered with preposterous pane-
gyrics by my Lord DERBY—(Doves though they
be 1 and Planters of Olive ! and Dealers in
Rosc-water Diplomacy Fighters with Feathers
and Palters with Sugar-plums !)—actually are
employing all this, while every bloodthirsty con-
trivance within reach of the most lawless despot-
ism upon the Earth's surface, with a view to the
destruction not merely of the little band of
armed Englishmen in the Chinese waters, but
also of the unarmed British residents at Victoria
and elsewhere, including amongst their number
both women and children. Prudence, humanity,
and justice alike call for vengeance, instant and
signal vengeance, upon these miscreant Chinese !
Upon the poisoners of Hong Kong ! Upon the
cut-throats of the Thistle ! OF on the incendiaries
of our factories, and the robbers of our merchan-
dise ! Upon the savage emissary of the Celestial
Emperor, who has held out the temptation of
bloodnroaey to the assassins of Englishmen
According to the news just received by the
Overland Mail from China, it is satisfactory to
know that already retributive measures had been
adopted at Hong Kong. ALLUM, the principal
baker of the colony, together with two or three
of his chief accomplices in the crime, having
been summarily tried before a council-of-war fcr
mixing arsenic in the bread supplied to the Par-
sees, and the Moormen, and the British residents
indiscriminately ! Convicted of which atrocity,
it appears that these wretched men were at once
most deservedly led forth to execution. Among
the Cantonese again, and upon the waters
of the Estuary leading to the City, mea-
sures no less prompt and vigorous seem to have
been meanwhile energetically carried out by the
maritime forces under Admiral Sir MICHAEL SEY-
MOUR. A course of proceeding all the more ad-
visable under the circumstances—seeing that Mr.
COBDEN'S Model "Sucking Doves" the Chinese,
have been there most deliberately and systcmat:-
sally resorting to every moans within their reach
to obstruct the British forces as much as possible,
and to do as much damage as they could by any
means contrive to do, to British lives and British
property. Sinking junks in the narrow channels
wherever they could find the opportunity for so
doing, to the end that our progress up the Pearl
River might be retarded. Committing arson
wherever a torch could be set to a British Factory.
Resorting to the Drug, and the Dagger, and all
the more dastardly means for secretly causing
Death familiar to the hand of the Hireling Mur-
derer. Atrocities which have forced Admiral
SEYMOUR, even with the restricted powers at his
disposal, to the most energetic and resolute mea-
sures of retaliation. Insomuch, that while pru-
dently withdrawing his men from the untenable
positions at the Dutch Folly, and the Bird's-Nest
Fort, and the Factory Gardens, retiring to the
Macao Passage, and retaining possession solely
of the Teetotuna Fort—the British Admi-
ral had contrived to set fire to the suburbs
at Shameen Fort, and to bombard the city
with the Niger, the Encounter, and the
Barracouba. The rather remarkable "brush," which
is spoken of in our advices from Bombay, as
having taken place between the Samson and an
enormous mandarin fleet of no less than 'l5O
war junks—while it reminds us, of GULL/YER
swimming among the fleet of the Lilliputians—in-
dicates plainly enough, surely, what might be
accomplished oft-hand by an adequate force of
British men-of-war, aided by a corresponding
military armament I Let a warlike expedition,
worthy of England, be forthwith despatched
against the Cantonese, and there will soon be an
end of this deplorable bloodshed and of these
lamentable conflagrations. Here, as in many
other instances, wherein war is declared—energy
is humanity, and daring prudence I For this
rational prudence and genuine humanity—for
this vigourand determination—England looks with
confidence to the Cabinet of Lord PALMERSTON.

The Peace-at-any-Price Meeting held yesterday
evening at the Freemasons' Tavern, was, all things
considered, one of the most indecorous, if it wore
not actually one of the most despicable, demonstra-
tions within our remembrance. It will tend, we
feel perfectly satisfied, to confirm in the most sig-
nal manner possible, the now notorious unpopu-
larity of Mr. COBDEN—the present Member fox
the West Riding of Yorkshire. It will effect, no
less signally, we fear, what we regrot a vast deal
more than the final bursting up of the swollen
bladder of the demagogic reputation of the Great
Political Bagman—destroying, we mean to all
appearance, the last vestige of any hope we might
still have cherished, as to the once auspiciously
rising Political Fame of the gifted Resurrectionist
of the Nineveh Antiquities. Alas ! after the
melancholy exhibition made by Mr. LAYARD last
evening, on the platform of Freemasons' Hall—
" Farewell, a long Farewell" to the Parliamen-
tary repute of a Young Politician in whose re-
gard we formerly, and we must say most
foolishly eatertained, the very highest, and the

most elevating anticipations ! The wretchedly
unpopular and unpatriotic sentiments enunciated
yesterday by Mr. LAYARD upon the occasion of
this Packed Conclave of Brummagem Philanthrc-
pists, may be regarded, we conceive, as virtually
ringing the knell of the legislative life of the pre-
sent Member for Aylesbury ! A blunder all this
on his part, not so much matter perhaps for our
astonishment, when it is borne in mind how a
veteran representative of the people like Mr.
ROEBUCK—appropriately enough the Chairman of
yesterday's proceedings has stumbled, and
bungled, and floundered over to the wrong side in
the midst of the Oratorical Skrimmage of the
Chinese Controversy ! It has long since been
jocularly understood among all classes of obser-
vers that if ever Mr. ROEBUCK really did after all
take office he would so the most aptly under the
name, style, and title of " The Dissenting Minis-
ter !" Generally, however, his dissent has been
a dissent on the popular side, or, in other words,
upon the Right Side : for, as JUNIUS has said so
grandly and so wisely, " The People are seldom
wrong in their opinions, in their sentiments,
never !" But, until now, we cannot call to mind
any occasion at all in his protracted political
career in which Mr. ROESUCK has so erred in judg-
ment, as opposed at once to the earnest opinions
and the conscientious sentiments of the popula-
tion, as he has notoriously and irremediably done
in the matter of this Chinese Controversy. By
his vote, and still more by his virulence in uphold-
ing that vote of his, be has, so to speak, set an
indelible brand upon his reputation. Mr. LAYARD
has done the same foolish thing, identically. Mr.
COBDEN being beforehand with both them in assum-
ing that Tattoo of Combination which must long
remain the Taboo of unpopularity. And so it
comes to pass—perhaps, after all, not so very
unnaturally—that these three Chieftains of the
newly-organised and very mongrel Peace Party
yesterday danced together, moat amicably, upon
the platform of Freemason& Hall, not a War
Dance of course, but a Peace Dance—a strange
sort of a maudlin political saraband—amidst the
deafening hubbub, the mingled cheers and hisses
of a most tumultuous assemblage of lookers-on !
It ought in reason, however, to be remembered,
after all, by Messrs. ROEBUCK, LAYARD, and.
COBDEN, that if they have consented at last to
squat under the same wigwam, and calmly smoke
t )gether the Calumet of Peace, they are at last, by
the People at large, fairly " smoked" themselves.!

LATEST NEWS.

THE FORTIFICATION OF ALESSANDRIA.
The Sardinian Chamber has granted an extra-
ordinary credit to the Ministry of fiv3 millions for
the carrying on of the fortifications of Alessandria,
by the overwhelming majority of 106 votes
against 14.

An immense sensation has been produced by
this vote, which is interpreted, by the enemies of
Italy, as a demonstration of distrust, if not of
hostility, towards Austria.

Private letters from the Chinese Seas state that
the baker at Hong Kong who bad taken the lead
in a conspiracy to poison the Europeans had been
arrested, tried before a Council of War legally
constituted, and convicted of an attempt to poison
the English Charge d'Affaires and his family. The
man was condemned to death and shot, together
with three of his accomplices.

This emaznple had produced a deep impression
on the lower classes in Hong Kong.

It is said that the Treaty of Peace with Persia
contains one or two articles which have not been
published.

There is reason to fear the Austrian Govern-
ment will turn a deaf ear to the well-meant coun-
sel of England and France, and recall Count Paar
from Turin. The order has not yet been issued,
hut persons who are in a position to know what
is intended say that in a very few days the diplo-
matic relations between Sardinia and Austria will
be entirely broken off.

The members of the Conference on the Neucha-
tel question are enjoying a long vacation, and no
ono can say when they will be ready to resume
work. A day or two ago it was stated that a note
bad been addressed by the French Government to
their Minister at Berlin, to be of course communi-
cated to the Prussian Minister. We now learn that
it was couched in rather energetic terms, the sum
and substance being„ that if the King of Prussia
did not make up his mind to do something the
Conference would go on without his representative.
M. de Hatzfeld has received the instructions which
ho expected from Berlin ; they are not described
as likely to bring matters to a close, though they
may afford occasion for a third meeting of the
Plenipotentiaries, when it is to be hoped that some-
thing like business will be got thipugh. The Swiss
Envoy has also received additional instructions
from Berne. A letter from Berne, of the 14th,
states that the delay in the negotiations has pro-
duced a very unfavourable impression throughout
most of the cantons.

FRANCE.
PARIS, MONDAY EVENING.
A letter from Copenhagen, of the 15th, in the
Moniteur, says :—" The general treaty which has
been negotiated between Denmark and the principal
maritime States of Europe for the suppresion on
the Sound dues was signed yesterday in this capi-
tal. According to the terms of this document,
the clues of all kinds, to which vessels were sub-
jected in passing the Sound and the Belt, will bs
completely done away with from the Ist of April.
Denmark also engages to suppress for certain
kinds of merchandise, and to materially reduce
for others, the dues which she has hitherto received
for transit on the canal of the Eyder and on the
routes which unite the Baltic to the North Sea.
The maritime States on their part engage to pay
to Denmark as compensation, in one or more in-
stalments, an indemnity representing the average
for five years of the revenue of the present Sound
dues, capitalised at the rate of 4 per cent."
BOURSE, March 16.—The following were the last
quotations :
Cash. fr. c. End of month.
4i per Cents
3 per Cents 7l 71 20
New Loan
Bank Shares 4,105 Roman
Credit Mobilier 1,427 50 Austrian
Belgian Fives — Spanish Threes
Piedinontese (5) 9l 25 Home Debt