The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-01 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
mom THE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOBE.—The wrongs inflicted last year by the
French on the Sovereign and people of Tahiti, have not
merely remained unrcdressed—they have rapidly multi-
plied in severity and extent. The accounts just arrived
from the Society Islands, which were published in the
Globe of yesterday, have excited surprise and indignation
among men of all parties. These renewed instances of
aggression must, we apprehend, be sufficient to rouse
Lord Aberdeen from the indifference with which lie has
hitherto treated the subject. The occupation of Ta-
hiti by French troops ; the deposition of its Queen ;
the confiscation of property ; the imprisonment of the
chiefs whose presence and influence with the people
might have been troublesome to the invaders—have
been followed up by the seizure and imprisonment of
the British Consul. These acts of unprovoked vio-
lence upon a defenceless State have been committed
under the pretext of a " Protectorate," not merely un-
sought by the "protected" Queen Pomare; but earnestly,
and with touching simplicity, protected against and de-
plored by her. Au appeal by the insulte and deeply-
injured Queen to the English Sovereign, for pro-
tection against the outrages which had been perpetrated
on her person and government, made last year, was at
first slighted. Tahiti and its dependencies are siaiated
at a vast distance from England—nearly at the antipodes.
They are also of slight importance. in the scale of na-
tions—mere specks on the map ; and are manifestly too
insignificant to merit the interference of England, whose
sympathies are with great and powerful nations ;
to whose tender mercies she magnanimously consigns
the weak and the defenceless. Time was, when a
more noble spirit actuated the councils of Britain.
It is true that Britain was not bound by absolute
and formal treaty to maintain the independence of
Tahiti ; but there was an assurance, almost in the nature
of a solemn promise and engagement, given to Tahiti
by a former Foreign Minister of this country, that Eng-
land would watch over its safety and interests. That
interesting spot had been civilised and Christianised
by the labours of English missionaries, who had
settled there, and had introduced: a form of govern-
ment closely resembling in its institutions that which
exists in this country. Under that constitution,
Tahiti advanced to a considerable elevation of civil
and social excellence. The arts were introduced and
cultivated ; commerce was established, and regulated by
recognised laws; and religion gave a tone to the morals,
and stability to the institutions, of the country. The his-
tory of nations affords no instance of an improvement so
rapid in everything which elevates and ennobles roan as
Tahiti exhibited. Such was the condition of Tahiti when
the French Admiral Dupetit Thouars last year commit-
ted those aggressions by which he acquired inglorious
fame. With an apathy of feeling and tardiness of act,
which implied an indifference to the complaints of
French aggression that were made to him as the Foreign
Minister, Lord Aberdeen at length directed a represen-
tation of the case to be made to the French Government.
M. Guizot disavowed the acts, and promised to inter-
fere. Lord Aberdeen was elated with success ; and
puffed forth his own doings in Parliament, as though
his diplomacy was unequalled in its policy and unprece-
dented in its influence. Somehow, or other, the French
admiral was impracticable. The " Protectorate "—in
the propriety of establishing which Lord Aberdeen
had acquiesced—was followed by the occupation of the
island. All knowledge of this extraordinary proceeding
was also disavowed ; and a very courteous assurance
was given to our Ambassadsir that the French Govern-
ment did not adopt the responsibility of the act. Still it
has been followed by yet more flagrant proceedings in
Tahiti b 3 the French commanders. The Queen has
been deposed ; and has sought refuge from per-
sonal indignities on board a British frigate. The
British Consul (Mr. Pritchard) has been seized,
by military authority, and placed under arrest,
without any charge being alleged against him,
or any explanation furnished as to the cause of this out,
rage upon his person, and this insult to his country's
flag. Mr. Pritchard fortunately eluded the vigilance.of
his keepers, and escaped on board the English vessel, by
which he has reached this country. He was to have an
audience with Lord Aberdeen yesterday. Summonses
were last evening issued for a Cabinet Council to be held
this day—it is conjectured, for the purpose of deliberating
upon the extraordinary conduct of the'French Govern-
ment, not merely in tacitly encouraging, while it professes
to disavow, the acts of its agents in the matter of Tahiti ;
but for pursuing die same aggressive policy in Algiers
and Morocco. The quiescence of' England, with respect
to the occupation of the former, has encouraged the
alarming invasion of the latter territory; and, combined,
assumes an aspect at once portentous to the preservation
of peace, and derogatory to the good faith supposed to
exist between France and England; on which alone pacific
relations can be preserved between the two countries.
We are—we have ever been, the advocates of peace.
But the maintenance of peace is not best promoted by a
mean and truckling acquiescence in acts which com-
promise the honour, and deteriorate the interests of
Britain. The country that exhibits indifference to what
is due to its character and safety, is on the verge of dis-
honourable and disastrous war. We do not attribute to
the French Ministers a desire to involve the two countries
in a war. But we do charge them with yielding to the
war faction which -exists in France, to an extent that
must result in war, if they do not pause in their aggres-
sive policy. They will otherwise find themselves com-
mitted beyond the power of retractation. Pacific as-
surances ara but words. When the acts of a Govern-
ment are found in frequent antagonism to its professions,
there requires no extraordinary powers of prescience to
predict the result.

STANDARD.—The proposed embankment of the
Thames from Blackfriars to Westminster would be a
noble ornament to the metropolis of the British empire,
but we are not quite sure that this consideration has not
been rather injurious than beneficial to the project.
The public is so far utilitarian, as to think that
" the game ought to be worth the candle," and that
ornaments may be bought too dear. Accustomed,
therefore, to look
upon the proposed embankment.
as an ornament, and as an ornament only, though to
be bought at a high price, they turn coldly from it.
This would be our own feeling too if we had not to
" make the journey,"
as the French happily describe
such hard work, of Fleet-street and the Strand, as often
as we have to make it, and to run the risk which every
one must run in crossing these perilous thoroughfares
some half-dozen times a-day. This disagreeable expe-
rience has convinced us, as it must convince every one
who will prove it, that some additional means of com-
munication between the centre of the City and West-
minster is a matter about which there can be no longer
an option. The grand duct, which might have
served very well for a population of a million, will
not serve for a population of about two millions, with
a traffic increased fivefold, to say nothing of the feli-
citous introduction of those most lumbering of all
impediments, omnibuses. In short, a new thorough-
fare, continuing the line of Thames-street to West-
minster,
not to
indispensable to the safety,
tbemetre say comfort, of all the pedestrians of
ispolis, already
and
every addition to the ex-
tent, population, and trade of this huge city
makes the want of this additional thoroughfare more
is, where this new thoroughfare is to be situated ?
ilnvtiotbleirnabrblee.
riTvehre obnanl
besides some thousands probably of other
y question then that can be raised
k it cannot be placed without cut-
ting through,
expensive houses, the Inner Temple, the Middle Tem-
ple, King's College, Somerset-house, the Savoy, the Adel-
phi, Hungerford-market, Whitehall-place, Whitehall-
gardens, Richmond-terrace, with the magnificent resi-
dences of the Duke of Buccleuch and others. The bare
purchase of the ground for this line would probably
cost as much as the. erection "of a terrace upon arches
from Blackfriars to Westminster twice told. Yet be-
tween such an enormously expensive street as we have
suggested and Lord Lincoln's proposition there is really
no choice, for, we repeat it, the second thorough-
fare is perfectly indispensable. An objection has
thes current of the river.
°
been raised, that the masonry to support the pro-
posed much of the tide
water ace
as terrace" r
to '
re
We should think that this would be scarcely an objection,
if, as the report on Westminster-bridge states, the current
has become so rapid since the removal of old London-
bridge, as to deepen the channel seven feet, between
twnoduelrd
less displace
rapid
Westmister and Blackfriars, and to undermine the founda-
tions of all the older bridges and all the buildings whose
'
foundations are on the rivers banks. But suppose any
mischief to arise from the diplacement of the water,
that may be very easily remedied by finding a new place
side, ordeepening
the frontage
for water on the Surrey
bu t 'by
on the Middlesex bank ; ,in truth, we believe this
fear to be perfectly groundless. Whatever, happens,
we must have the thoroughfare, and the sooner the
better.

MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS.
CITY, TUESDAY EVENING.
TIMES.—The premium on gold at Paris is 91 per mille,
which, at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 141. per
ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25
39 ; and the exchange at Paris on London at short
being 25 471, it follows that gold is 0.33 per cent.
dearer in London than in Paris.
By advices from Hamburgh the price of gold is 433
per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 31.175. 141.
per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 13 9 ;
and the exchange at Hamburgh on London at short
being'l3 9, it follows that the price of gold is the same
at Hamburgh as in London.
The course of exchange at New York on Loudon is
1091 per cent., and the par of exchange between Eng-
land and America beino. 109 23-40 per cent., it follows
that the exchange is 0.03 per cent. against England.
But the quoted exchange at New York being for bills
at 60 days' sight, the interest must be deducted frog'
the above difference.
The English market has been rather languid to-day,
speculators selling on the news of the Otaheite affair,
published at length in the Times of this morning, which,
considering present high prices, was natural enough ;
but although a correspondence between the two Govern-
ments may follow, there is a general belief that Sir