The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-03 00:00:00

every description of property, did not pass lightly
over the railway interest. The quotations not
only fell in common with Consols, and every
other species of investment, but the traffic was
materially reduced, owing to the general embarrass-
ment that prevailed on every side, and the extreme
depression of trade. Stock was flung on the market,
and sacrificed fur anything that could be obtained,
and when the change was produced by the virtual
suspension of the Bank Charter Act, which restored
some degree of confidence in other matters, that con-
fidence was not extended to railway property, which
continued to fall, while almost everything else ex-
hibited considerable improvement. This continued to
the present year, but at length the symptoms of a
change are becoming perceptible. Messrs. RAILTON,
in order to test the value of the unguaranteed capi.
tat, assumed that a person on the 26th April, the
date of their last circular, "purchased one share in
each of twenty-three unguaranteed lines (the most
attended to at that period) by an outlay
cf 7331. 16s. 31, and kept them over until
the 26th July, three very dull months in the
share market, and without any apparent improve-
ment in confidence to attract particular observation.
The result showed no variation in value upon one
line, a loss upon seven lines, and a gain upon fifteen
lines, leaving a balance of profit amounting to 31. 7s.
3d. per cent. at the end of three months, or at the
rate of 131. 9;. per annum."
This advance, although trifling, affords a cheering
augury. It shows that the feeling which has made
capitalists shun railway stock far the last few years is
b•-ginning to change, and that as other channels of
investment are becoming narrower, and money i.
accumulating in amount, with a falling rate of inte-
rest, a considerable portion will be attracted into
railways, which cannot fail to improve considerably
in value.

One of the first measures likely to occupy the at-
tention of the Legislature in the next session of Par-
liament will be the Irish Land Question, and we
think it is the duty of all who wish for the moral,
social, and physical improvement of the people of
Ireland, to aid the Government in the settlement of
this vital question. Ministers are pledged to legislate
on this subject, and those parties who would create
any difficulties in the legal adjustment of the relations
between landlords and tenants in Ireland are not, in
our humble judgment, serving the cause either of the
Government or the people.
Thera is no inherent difficulty in the subject, save
that which is inseparable from the settlement of any

question where jarring interests are concerned. The
laws in relation to land are not more unalterable than
the laws which relate to any other species of property,
They are the creations of the Legislature, and we
conceive it is not only within the province, but that
it is the actual duty, of the Government to amend cr
alter them as the social state and the public interest
might require.
It is idle to say that the matter should be left to
the civilizing influence of education. The history of
the world proves that no degree of enlightenment can
work such a mural miracle as t ) elevate the general
body of mankind above the considerations of selfish-

ness. The wi.,dom and learning of BACON did no

preserve him from the meanest and most sordid in-
fluences. If those moral principles and those "better
feelings," which should spring from them, were to
advance hand in hand with the rapid progress of
human knowledge, there would be no necessity for
the additions made, session afta session, to our civil
and criminal co le. We have no faith in these Uto•
plan anticipations ; indeed, the answer to such falla-
cious doctrines has been written, over and over again,
in characters of crime and blood.

One of our contemporaries, in endeavouring to indi-
cate certain fallacies which he attributes to those who
write and speak on this subject, has, in our humble
opinion, fallen into greater fallacies than any
which he has attempted to point out. He says—
" Many persons are apt to suppose, that if they prove
certain conduct to be impolitic end unjust they thereby
establish its illegality." In anything written or
spoken upon this point that came under our observa-
tion we have certainly been unable to discover any
such confusion as is here implied. We are quite
aware of the imperfection of our laws, we are aware
that many acts of injustice can be committed which

cannot be strictly said to be illegal, and it is to cure
this defect, to prevent acts of inzpolicy and injustice
being committed under the shelter of the law, that we
call for legislation upon this subject. The legisla-
ture cannot make men good and wise, but it can
make men act with justice.
The same contemporary notices " another fallacy

in which persons are apt to indulge who talk on this
subject, and that is, that land is held, according to the
and constitution of the United Kingdom, in trust,
and that consequently a landowner is bound by law
so to comport himself with respect to his land as to
make it produce the greatest happiness to the greatest
possible number ;" and goes on to ask in what text•
book, in what legal decision, this maxim is to be
found, &c. &c.

We do not believe that any text• book or legal de-
cision will supply any such maxim ; we believe the
absolute owner has at this moment perfect and entire
demieion over his estate. We know that the land-
owner in Ireland can evict his tenant, raze to the
ground the humble roof-tree under which his fathers
have reposed forages, and send him and his helpless off-
spring to perish by the wayside—we know that
this power has been exercised under circumstances of
great cruelty. We believe this power dangerous to
the social welfare of Ireland ; we believe it has al-
ready worked much mischief, and will continue to
work still greater evils without the interposition of
the Legislature ; we,would, therefore, call upon the
Government to introduce some measure to meet such
a crying grievance.

There is no power, no right, beyond the control of
the law and the constitution ; and one of the great
perfections which jurists attribute to our constitution
is, that it contains within itself the elements to cure
any defects which time or circumstances may pro-
duce. We would, then, call on the Legislature to
deal boldly but Equitably with this matter, to deal
between party and party in accordance with the
most rigid spirit of justice. We would certainly in-

terpose some legal shield between the tenant and a
capricious or cruel landlord ; we would save the in-
dustrious tenant from being driven out a houseless
wanderer, and would give him such a fixed
interest in the soil as would be calcu-
lated to make him a useful citiz-n, while,
at the same time, we would preserve every just
right of the landlord, consistent with those higher
and paramount considerations, the preservation of
human life, and the general well-being, peace, and
order of the community. With regard to the asser-
tion that land in either England or Ireland is not the
subject of a trust, we are amongst the number of
those who conceive that "property has its duties as
well as its rights," and that every landlord is morally,
if not legally, a trustee. His rights are based on
public utility, and we think he is bound by the obli-
gations
of society so to exercise his rights and duties
as to produce the greatest amount of good to the
social community of which he is a member.

ALARMING FIRE AT KENNINGTON.—This morning,
be, ,nging to Mrs. alarming
fire broke out in the pre-
misesat an early hour, a very
Kenning-
ton-lane, Lambeth. The fire Mehery, No. 17,. Lower Kenning-
ommenced in a blind manu-
factory, and but few minutes elapsede ere the lower portion
of the building, together with the staircase, became enve-
it.waaeheirT and two loped in flame. At that period Mrss
chil-
dren were in their beds asleep,
danger.
iatreat trouble
that they could be made sensible of theirt
P, and
happily succeeded in escaping from one of the bacgkerw.i Theyls,
The engines of the London br'gade and West of England
office quickly attended, and plenty ot water having been ob-
tained from the Lainbzth Company's mains, the engines were
set to work, but the firemen were unable to get the flames
extinguished until the whole of the stock in trade was de-
stroyed, the lower part of the premises burned out,' and the
upper floors seriously damaged. 'l' fle origin of the lire could
not be ascertained.

11ER MAJESTY'S TiIEATRE.—Tn E
GltAtiD
CONCEPas.—We learn that it is the intention of the
committee of the Grand National ConcertF, to produce origi-
nal lyrical works by
native composers. George Maclarren
and Edward Loder are already erigagfAl, and we believe an
offer ln.s been made to John Barnett, the author of The
Mountain Sylph. Balie will be th,.: unuical director; Ihrr
Mohque, leader; and the celebrated Musard is to be en-
trusted with the cuinpoing and conducting of the dance-
music. We understand also that the wort -famous chorus
of the Berlin Chapel Royal, consisting of seventy inale
voices, under the direction of Kaptl- Meister Neidth,rdt, has
been secured. The orchestra will amount to ninety-eight
performers.

THE RECORDERSIIIP.—Mr. Montagu Chambers
has announced himself as a candidate for this office.

EXCURSION TRAINS.—The txeurion train from
Oxford, yesterday, brought up to Paddington 3,200 persons.
The train yielded about 65C1., and the expenses were, per-
haps, 304