The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-23 00:00:00

kabientn4 int

LONDON, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1844.

The rouse of Commons last evening sat till Five
o'clock. Mr. G REENE, the Chairman of Committees,
br.-ught up the report oa the Bank Charter ; the re-
solutions contained in it were agr, ed to, and a Bill
in accordance with those reso'utiuns was introduced,
anti read a first time.

We quote the following passage from a Morning
Contemporary :—" The conduct of the Earl of
bEunr in the present contest for South Lancashire
that which most fitly becomes him as a nobleman
who has been all his life rationally liberal in his
politics ; he has intimated that his numerous tenantry
are, so far as his influence goes, to be at full liberty to
to, vote as they think fit. This is worthy of the
head of the house of STANLEY. This is that conduct
which makes him truly respected by his dependents.
He interferes not at all. He gives utterance to his
desire that those dependents shall be permitted to
exercise "
.. their constitutional right as Englishmen.
generous determination on the part of
•tit%
,syty,of E.EBY which we learn from
ti hi :onty will be persevered in
STANLEY—will inflict a. "heavy
"I:l4'*gotifid couragement," on the ENTWIEI.•
IL& tri,ft7,-, viol,. 114 -calculated the support of
CA? on,
14 a

the house of Derby, and drawn from it their chief as-
surance of a victory. As a matter of course, they
will indignantly repudiate our Contemporary's state-
ment, who seems to be well-informed on the subject ;
and, by way of raising the depressed spirits of their
friends, they will make a point of giving out through
the country, that they are sure of the votes of the de-
pendents of the house of Derby. But this hoax
will deceive no one, and if persisted in, will be sure to
recoil on the heads of the party who put it forth.
Meantime, it gives us unfeigned pleasure to state
that the prospects of the free-trade candidate are as
flattering as his most sanguine friends could desire.
Mr. BROWN, as we hear from all quarters, has met
with the most marked success on his canvass;
many whom his supporters expected to have found
lukewarm have shown themselves most zealous in his
cause; and he has even met with good-will where he
expected to have encountered the most inveterate hos-
tility. In fact, the principles of free trade have, since
the last election, spread in a most surprising manner
through Lancashire, and found adherents among those
who, not four years since, were warmly in favour of
the monopolist faction. But this circumstance, in-
stead of inducing the free traders to relax in their ex-
ertions, should give nerve to their determination, and
arm them with fresh spirit to persevere in their great
struggle. However flattering their prospects, they
should think nothing gained, till all is gained. Early
and late they should be in the field of action, every-
where on the alert, with an eye that never winks, and
a heart that never wearies. Crest-fallen as they
are, and diminished alike in numerical strength and mo-
ral influence, their enemies are still not to be despised.
They are expert, veteran tacticians, familiar with
every species of electioneering chicanery, and utterly
unscrupulous what underhand means they have re-
course to, provided they can only succeed in accom-
plishing the darling object of their ambition—the
defeat of the Anti-Corn-law candidate. But this
triumph—if Mr. BROWN'S friends use but common
caution, and exert themselves to the utmost—the
ENTWISTLE party will never achieve; and within a
brief space of time, we feel confident that we shall be
able to congratulate the free traders on another vic-
tory more important, if possible, than those recently
gained in the metropolis and in the cathedral city of
Durham. Mr. BROWN—if we may judge, at least,
from the present cheering and significant indications—
will be the future representative for South Lancashire
in the Commons' House of Parliament—a House
which is more in want than ever of such a Member—
of one who will not, to quote Lord CASTLEREAGH'S
startling metaphor, " turn his back on himself" at
the beck of a Minister, but will hold fast to the prin-
ciples of free trade and enlightened reform through
evil and through good report, at all risks and against
all opposition. While speaking on this subject, we
may advert to what fell from Mr. TAYLOR last night,
at the weekly meeting of the Anti-Corn-law League.
" We entertained slight hopes," said that gentleman,
"of what would be done in Parliament. There was
an assembly which went by the name of the House of
Commons, but he denied that it represented the
feelings and opinions of the people of England.°
There is but too much truth in this remark. The
House of Commons has ceased for some three
or four years to be the mouth-piece of the
people, and is now nothing more than the
unhesitating, unconditional representative of Sir
ROBERT PEEL'S opinions. It is, in fact, a full
length reflection of our august Premier, and the re-
flection is one of startling fidelity. The House, when
spoken of as a body, used to be called—and is still
called by a pleasant fiction of the Constitution—her
"MAJESTY'S faithful Commons," but henceforth it
should be called "PEEL'S faithful Commons," for it
endorses all his views, and unmurmuringly submits to
his ascendancy. Under such " untoward" circum-
stances, it is more than ever imperatively necessary
that the Anti-Corn-law League should take prompt
advantage of every vacancy that may occur in the
representation, and task their energies to the utmost
in order to ensure the return of such " good men and
true" as Mr. BROWN.

We learn by a telegraphic dispatch received at
Paris on Wednesday, that serious disturbances have
broken out in the canton of Valois, in Switzerland.
This canton lies between the Simplon and the Lake
of Geneva, and is divided into two districts, called
the Upper and Lower Valois, which for years have
shown great hostility to each other from religious as
well as civil disputes. The town of Sion, belonging
to the lower division, and situated on the banks of
the Rhone, had been seized by a party of the Upper
Valois, and a general battle—if battle it can be
called—was expected to take place on the 18th. The
other cantons, however, will probably interfere to
prevent any serious mischief, and compel them to
settle their differences. It is also stated in another tele-
graphic dispatch that affairs at Tangiers began to assume
a serious aspect, and that preparations had been made
to resist the expected iivasion from Spain, by sum-
moning to Tangiers sotne neighbouring tribes. The
foreign Consuls had protested against this step, and
those of England and France had dispatched orders
for some vessels of war, in case of a contest between
that principality and Spain ; but this affair is even
more contemptible than the disputes among the
peasantry of the Valois. These dispatches will be
found in another part of the paper.
The Paris papers of Tuesday are chiefly occupied
with comments on the pamphlet of the Prince DE
JOINVILLE, and the military operations of the Duke
D'AUMALE in Algeria : the Constitutionnel, in par-
ticular, makes severe attacks on the KING and both
the Princes, as will be seen from the following ex-
tract :

"Two Princes of the Royal Family are before the public,
one holding the pen, the other the sword; and both appear
to suppose that to make or meditate war, enters into the
prevailing passion of the country. It would be an error to
think so. If the genius of peace has on the earth a domicile,
it is in France. Unfortunately, peace, such as it has been
made for us, resembles an abjuration of our dignity, and
France has protested, protests, and will pretest, not
through any belligerent mania, but through respect for her
honour,- until the full conciliation of honour with peace.
Perhaps the two Princes have keenly felt the hu-
miliations of our pacific regime; it belongs to their age ;
besides, the unpopularity of a policy which has placed peace
uncler the protection et fear, must have concurred in per-
suading them that public favour was to be gained in tick-
ling the military nerve of the French. Thence the
chauvinism in word and action of the Prince do Joinville and
the Duke d'Aumale. Conformably to the order of primoge-
niture, we shall examine the note before the deed of arms.
God forbid that we should be induced to judge too
rigorously the warlike hypotheses of the young Admiral!
Our navy is our frontier, our moveable fortress en the side
ofGreat Britain, and in all combinations which sacrifice in
reality or in appearance our interests to the demands of our
neighbour, it is the navy which devours most bitterly the
shame of the sacrifice. Let it, therefore, be permitted to
testify with pride that its arms would not betray the national
cause if ever a struggle should be necessary to maintain the_
legitimate rank of the country. - In this respect we believe
that the Prince de Joinville has been the organ of our fleet.
Perhaps also France has applauded with more playful malice
than Anglophobia the explosion of this broadside in the midst
of the late calm and base caresses of the entente cordials.
It is not displeasing that by the side of a Ministry which re-
mains hat in hand before England, the dynasty should place
its hat a little on one side on the ear of one of its Members.
That produces a good effect on the public. Who knows if
the irresponsible hand which signed the ordonnance of the
disavowal of Admiral Dupetit Thouars may not, under the
eyes of M. de Mackau himself, have corrected the 'Woof sheets
of the firm, precise, and patriotic note of the Prince de
Joinville ?

Bis patria3 cecidere manna.
However that may be, putting aside the political intentions,
this note, regarded simply in a naval point of view, is ex-
ceedingly remarkable. We shall sincerely give our opinion
of it; and, first, we thank the Prince de Joinville for
having assigned its veritable importance to steam naviga-
tion, and for having worthily appreciated the appropria-
tion of our resources and our national genius. If the
idea be not new, what is incontestibly new is the expres-
sion which it has assumed, and the influence which it will
exercise in its present form. Besides, there is more merit
than is generally thought, on the part of an officer of the
sailing navy talking with matured enthusiasm of the im-
portance of the steam navy. We ought to be seriously
obliged to the Prince de Joinville not to have allowed him-
self to be held back in the blind worship of the past. His
note is the flag of the new school and of the future. Wei
shall reproach him, however, with having appeared to look
too much on the present state of steam at sea as the last
point of steam. •It would not have been difficult for his
Fip);_niinneetetreaoitutitoinsinatobhai perceivesd exa the progress that it must reach, and
f I had looked better at the matter, we should not have to
_ note a revolutionary exaggeration. For a
de Joinville repudiates n example. It
suddenly
appearsdenly
th
et o
old
tthraatditthioenPsrianncde
our former system. It is no doubt with good reason that he
likens teurtillery for sieges our
aught
men-of-war; the apprecia-
tion is as just as it is new.
ghtthey toe
of human
el
na
n arcondemned,to
t
broken up, or allowed to rot? No. And it is to diminish at
once the majesty of the sea and the power
withdraw from the theatre those vast floatinga-batteries.
Monseigneur, since old thrones are transformedd subsist
on this condition, why did you not think of t; •
also our large vessels, in place of condemn:magansnf eming?
the arm
The Duke d'Aumale has nobly risked his perse6o,n;
exhi-
bited the heroic bravery of a soldier ; be it
had a soldier the more and a genera/ the I,,as. This check
will be repaired, we have no doubt ; but, it has cost blood,
shed inopportunely without fruit, and ifovill cost more, which
it would have been impossible to spa! T. These are princely
amusements. By what inconceivable a berrat ion has the Mi-
nistry entrusted our troops to the ine rperie nced and eager
bravery of a leader of three-and-twenty- ? Al "e the talents of
the general in a date of maturity by Divine: right under the
precocious epaulets of a child of roy'&l descen t ? We pardon
the Journal des Debate with toying pe) Ted up *QM
- •

phrases of the funeral oration of Bousset in honour of
its living prince, its cherished pupil ; but is not
old Marshal Soult better acquainted with war than
M. Cuvillier-Fleury ? They have servilely been amusing
themselves with making another Prince de Conde of the
Duke d'Aumale, and Conde has just been acting like a
corporal ! This is what Napoleon one day said to Murat, and
we do not wish to have a Murat any more than a corporal,
however brave he may be, to conduct our expeditions in
Africa. Let us have no princely chauvinism! We can rea-
dily tolerate the pen in the hand of the Prince de Joinville ;
but when one holds the sword, and disposes of the soldiers of
France, it is not to be supposed that excellent France shall be
indulgent for blood giddily shed. She is become avaricious—
the period of profusion is past.. Besides, it ill becomes the
Government of peace, at any price, to tolerate those military
outbreaks. Certainly, in the eyes of the country, it would
not be with the palm-leaves of Algeria that the humiliations
to which the policy of the Government resigns itself could be
hidden. If, therefore, in place of success, the bulletins from
Africa are the avowals, painfully disguised, of merited checks,
it is astonishing that the Government does not guard better
against those fancies of little wars at any price."

The Petrie gives the following account of the con-
duct of the Prince of JOIN VILLE, in respect to the affair
of Otaheite

" The Prince de Joinville applauded more than any one
else the conduct of Admiral Dupetit-Thouars, from whom he
had received a letter of eighteen pages, dated Tahiti, Novem-
ber 9. This letter, -which a Deputy who stands well at Court,
showed to several members of the Chamber, detailed the
powerful motives which had forced the Admiral to oblige
Queen Pomare to respect the French flag. The verbal re-
monstrances of Lord Cowley were sufficient to obtain from
M. Guizot a disavowal of our brave Admiral. It was in vain
that the Prince de Joinville had endeavoured, with the letter
of Admiral Dupetit-Thouars in his hand, to prove to M. Gui-
zot the necessity of waiting for further information respecting
the events at Tahiti before taking a step which would be a dis-
couragement to ttie whole French navy. According to M.
Guizot, powerful interests imposed upon France such an act of
condescendence towards England. The efforts of the Prince
were without effect. But when at last the Prince de Joinville
learnt from the mouth of M. Reine himself all the details of the
seizure of Tahiti, he was so indignant at the cowardice of
M. Guizot, that he declared that he would no longer serve
under so disgraceful an Administration ; and on the same
day, he addressed a letter to the Minister of Marine, resign-
ing his commission of Rear-Admiral. M. Guizot, seeing the
mortal blow which was to be struck at the policy of his
Cabinet, went adroitly to the King, who required of his son
to withdraw his resignation. The Prince de Joinville gave
the King a respectful, but immoveable refusal, which caused
a very stormy scene at the Tuileries. The Prince at last,
moved by the tears of his mother, yielded with great regret;
but not wishing to remain in Paris during the interpellations
on the subject of Tahiti in the Chamber of Deputies, he pro•
cipitately left the Tuileries, before there was even time to
prepare his travelling carriage. Accompanied only by an
aide-de-camp, the Prince took a place in the diligence of the
Rouen Railway, and arrived at Havre in the most strict in-
cognito, disdaining to receive from so cowardly a Govern-
ment (une gourentement aussi ladle) the honours due to a
Prince of the blood. This conduct, of which the details are
guaranteed by a person in a high situation, can only increase
the lively sympathy the nation entertains towards the Prince
de Joinville."