The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-20 00:00:00

IV it
11111VIT

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH so, 1840.

Detesting as we do from our innermost heart of
hearts, the abomination of slavery, nevertheless we
cannot but feel cruelly disappointed in the victory
achieved last evening by her MAJESTY'S Government.
England, it is true, has pledged herself—by the costly
magnanimity of twenty millions sterling—to the dis-
countenancing of that most hideous of all trades, the
traffic in men. Yet, pledged though she be to the
consistent pursuance of this humane course of
proceeding, we do protest against the no-
tion that to this end England is required
to squander thousands upon thousands annually
upon a supplementary project of generosity, which
experience has proved to be altogether useless—a
project, moreover, which, while effecting no com-
pensative benefit, enervates our maritime energies,
and decimates our gallant seamen, besides, as we have
already intimated, lavishing no less an amount yearly
than one million of the national income.
Recognising the intolerable nature of this grievance,
a grievance, be it observed, rendered doubly
irksome and onerous from its occurring at a
period when financial retrenchment proves to be re-
quisite for the welfare of the empire—the Liberal
representatives in the Commons House of Parliament
were nevertheless compelled, in spite of their own
conscientious convictions, to vote in direct support
of a system which in their souls they abhorred, com-
pelled, be it said, to the shame of British statesman-
ship, compelled to this violation of their belief by the
ungenerous intimidation of her MAJESTY'S Minis-
terial advisers. Under all circumstances the number
of Cabinet questions is sufficiently large ; but, if the
policy adopted yesterday forenoon by the Prime
Minister be regarded henceforth as a precedent by
himself and his successors, that number will be liable
to a perpetual and incalculable enhancement. The
legislative supporters of the Government, ac-
cording to this plan, would be subject to the inter-
minable domination of the First Lord of the Trea-
sury. Threatened with the retignation of the Cabi-
net, they would be compelled to obey the injunctions
of the Premier upon every sui-ject that in his petu-
lance or dogmatism he might choose to designate a
Ministerial question. Anything more tyrannous
than this mode of proceeding we cannot
conceive, anything more subversive of good
legislation, anything more detrimental to the
character and repute of the popular branch of the
Parliament. It is a; if the scionce of statemanship,
and the plallosephy of political administration were

to be reduced to a system of mere personal
opinion, of merely individual sentiment. Than this
we cannot imagine anything more calculated to
abase the genius of the Constitution. Believing this,
we protest against the conduct of the ruling Govern-
ment, again and again, with all the earnestness of our
indignation.
That there was a real and imperative necessity for
some such motion as the one brought forward yester-
day by the Hon. Gentleman the Representative
of Gateshead, we take to be clearly and
irrefragably proven by the records of the reconnoiter-
ing squadron along the coasts of Africa during the
last few years of its calamitous and ineffectual
existence. When we observe among those records
nothing but testimonies of the futility of the entire
enterprise—testimonies rendered; doubly melancholy
by their association with the details of
sickness and mortality among the gallant
but unfortunate mariners employed in that
idle attempt at suppressing the slave trade—we re-
quire no further assurances of the folly of the under-
taking. If we could possibly blockade the whole of
the extended shores of the African continent, so as
to render it absolutely impossible for the wretched
children of that land of barbarism to bekidnapped
and expatriated in a state of deplorable
and accursed servitude —if this ineffable ad-
vantage could be secured without laying our
brave sailors under the destroying scourge
of pestilence, and without draining away to no pur-
pose one million of pounds annually from an ex-
hausted Exchequer--then, and then only, we should
regard the motion of Mr. Hurr as cruel and inju-
dicious. But when we see clearly, alas ! too clearly,
that the navy is marred, and the revenue robbed, and
the slave trade as capable of continuance as
ever, under the prevailing system, we regard
the interposition of the honourable Gentleman
the Member for Gateshead as a noble vindication of
the national prudence, we ♦iew the peremptory con-
duct of Lord JOHN RUSSELL with the most intense
repugnance, we consider the character of the House
of Commons to be, under his auspices and authority,
very materially jeopardized. So gross, in truth, is
the despotism of the late Ministerial policy, that
the most strenuous vindicator of the Government has
found itself compelled to utter a few brief but
emphatic words of indignation. So extravagant is
the decision arrived at in the Commons, under the
intimidating direction of the First Lord of the Trea-
sury, that the organ most opposed to financial re-
trenchment feels obliged to pronounce its dismay
at this most profligate expenditure. 'While the nation
is yearning for, at least, some moderate reduction in
the amount of its annual disbursements, it is driven
to the necessity of beholding 1,000,000/. yearly
squandered upon a futile scheme of Quixotic philan-
thropy.

The only redeeming feature in the " Brick-dust
Budget," the modification of certain stamp duties on
" transfers, mortgages, and bonds," was brought
forward on Monday night in the House of Commons.
Although the change is undoubtedly a move in the
right direction—although the gross inequality and
injustice of the existing scale have been long made
subjects of complaint on the part of the community—
and although the attention of financial Ministers
has been directed to' the matter for the last
fifteen years, the measure of relief is of
the most meagre and paltry description. It
is, indeed, highly characteristic of the littleness and
evasions for which the Whig Ministry have rendered
themselves so remarkable on all fiscal questions
There is no large or comprehensive view taken on
the question of stamp duties. There is no effort to
correct the gross anomalies by which the stamps on
fire insurances amount to double the premiums paid
for insurance. There is no desire to modify the
enormous duties on marine insurances, the effect
of which is to send business to other coun-
tries, to give to Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amster-
dam, Hamburgh, or the United States, the !profits
that would otherwise be realised in London or
Liverpool. There is no removal of the taxes on
knowledge—no revision of the advertisement duties
—no reduction of the stamps on attorneys' and solici-
tors' certificates—no change in the stamps or bills of
exchange, that operate so injuriously to small traders.
Nothing of the kind. The gross abuses on all these
points so loudly complained of and universally ac-
knowledged are still suffered to prevail and to nourish in
rank luxuriance. The system is to be continued which
imposes infinitely heavier burdens on the less wealthy
classes than on their more fortunate neighbours.
The proposed alterations only extend to " transfers,
leases, mortgages, and bonds." The change may in
some respects prove beneficial to agriculturists, but it
will scarcely be perceptible to any other class
or section in the community. An addi-
tional evidence is thus afforded, that the
sole end and object of the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
in his new financial scheme, is to conciliate the Pro-
tectionists, the inveterate opponents of the Govern-
ment of which he is a member, and that he is in-
different to the opinions and wishes of those who
have heretofore lent an honourable and disinterested
support to the Whig Ministry. He may, however,
too late discover that it is easier to disgust and
alienate friends than to win over enemies, and that in
the fruitless attempt to gain Protectionist support he
may deprive his colleagues of the friendly regards of
the Liberal electors throughout the entire country.

Parturiunt modes, mascitur ridiculus mus. For
fifteen tedious years the consideration of successive
Chancellors of the Exchequer has been anxiously
directed to the subject. In 1835, the late Earl
SPENCER, then Lord ALTTIORP, had actually pre-
pared a scheme, and laid it before the House. That
lamented nobleman did not, however, restrict himself
to the points that might be pleasing to the bucolic
palate. Although his agricultural tastes and predi-
lections were openly avowed, he did not con-
sider himself justified in legislating for the
benefit of a particular class. He, accord-
ingly, contemplated a general revision of the
entire stamp duties, with a view to an equitable ad-
justment thereof. The same subject attracted the
attention of his successors in office. Under Lord
MELBOURNE and Sir ROBERT PEEL, Sir FRANCIS
BARING and Mr. GOULRURN in turn investigated the
matter, but shrunk from the difficulty of the details.
The magnitude of the conception astonished their
weak minds. What ! undertake a task that would
take a tolerably skilful accountant two or three days
to master ! The expectation was ridiculous. Besides
there was no great pressure from without, and
the " squeezable" Ministers gladly postponed the
topic until there should be a greater agitation
on the point, when a concession might be regarded as
a boon, and might help to sustain a falling Cabinet.
The end may easily be conceived. Nothing whatso-
ever was done, and an admitted grievance, affecting
the interests of the great body of the people, was
suffered to continue without any attempt at a practi-
cal remedy.
At length the brilliant thought flashed upon the
bewildered mind of our present Minister of Finance,
that he might be enabled to carry out the project by
instalments. We know not whether he rushed through
the precincts of Downing-street, shouting like a
second AucnixnnEs, " fup;x2, zuffixx." Some slight
extravagances might certainly be allowed at the
happy solution of the difficulty. We shall not, how-
ever, attempt to speculate upon the ebullitions of joy
to which Sir CHARLES WOOD gave expression when
at length relieved from his puzzling doubts ; suffice it
to say, that after the painful throes, continued through
so many years, he was at length happily delivered of
this legislative bantling, amid the cordial felicitations
of his astonished toadies. lie proposed, in place of
what be himselfj ustly termed "the present weeding-4/
unequal and unjust rates, to adopt as nearly as might
be the principle of an ad valorem duty." Not, be it
remembered, on every description of stamps, but
simply on " bonds, mortgages, and transfers." Here
was an exertion of genius! a master-stroke of financial
policy ! ! a discovery that would render the name of
WOOD distinguished through all future ages ! ! ! No
wonder that the Whigs stood astonished at the capa-
city of their Minister of Pinance, that they congra-
tulated themselves on the services of so transcen-
dent a genius. The very language must be
altered to signalise an achievement so miraculous,
and " Woodhead " or "Blockhead" will hencefor-
ward be regarded as a term of admiration and respect,
in place of being one of reproach and contumely.
Other changes are, it appears, also promised at
some future period. The Right Honourable Gentle-
man declared " that he thought it right to take up

the matter piecemeal, to see how much they could
carry out." We cannot, however, recommend the
public to indulge in too delightful anticipations, or to
hope for very speedy ameliorations. A simple
problem may show them at what points
the expected reforms may: be looked for.
If it takes fifteen years' consideration to bring for-
ward a reform such as we have described, how long
will it require to mature a project for the equitable
adjustment of all the stamp duties ? Those who may
take the trouble to work out the above question will
moderate their expectations, and learn how infinitesi-
mal are the chances of obtaining any large or com-
prehensive measures of fiscal or financial reform at
the hands of the Right Hon. J3aronet the Chancellor
of her MAJESTY'S Exchequer.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Moniteur has officially announced the appoint-
ment of M. ROYER as Procureur-General of the Re-
public.
It is said that MM. THINKS, MONTALEMBERT, and
Co., have become so exigeant that the PRESIDENT
of the Republic has been compelled to refine
many of their demands. They desire to reduce
him to a mere non-entity. There is, it
appears, therefore, no probability of the
permanent establishment of an entente cordiale be-
tween the Ely 6a and the reactionary majority of the
Assembly. Indeed, that majority is splitting up
into fractions, M. ODILON BARROT and several
of his supporters having expressed their disap-
proval of the adoption of such measures
as for instance those proposed for increasing the
caution money to be deposited by journals, as mea-
sures calculated only to irritate, without leading to
any definite result.
It is said that M. VIDAL, who has been elected
both for Paris and for the Lower Rhine, will choose
to sit for Paris.
M. LAMARTINE has written to M. CHARLES LA-
GRANGE, declaring his conviction that the accusation
brought against M. CHARLES LAGRANGE of having
wantonly fired a pistol shot at the troops on the
Boulevard des Capucines, on the 23d Feb., 1848, and
of having thus intentionally produced the collision
which brought about the revolution, is a calumny
totally destitute of foundation. It appears that
no pistol shot at all was fired, and that
the story so long current is a fabrication con-
cocted by the reactionaries for the purpose of endea-
vouring to cast odium on their opponents. The lie
was, e believe, first published in an English reac-
tionary journal as from a correspondent.
The Bourse was agitated, and the price of Go-
vernment securities declined. The Five per Cents.
opened at 92f. 10c., fell to 91f. 63c., and closed at
91f. 80c.; the Three per Cents. closed at 56f 75c.;
Orleans Railroad Shares, 762 f. 50c.; Rouen, 535 f. ;
Havre, 235 f. ; Great Northern, 433 f. 75c. ; Avignon,
195 f. ; Bask, 116 f. 25c.; Bordeaux, 400 f.; Paris and
Strasburgh, 343 f. Th.; Tours and Nantes, 245 f.; the
New Roman Loan at 77i.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
L'AN DON STOCK-EXCHANGE, MARCH 19.
Northern of France, 13%—Sambre and Meuse, 21,x.

SPAIN.

The Spanish clergy are actively engaged in re-
cruiting a Spanish legion for the service of the PorE.
A pecuniary subsidy is also to be furnished by the
Government, which subsidy would, however, be more
honestly devoted if it were appropriated to the pay-
ment of the unfortunate bondholders.