The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-11 00:00:00

more lucid narrative, no more impassioned apostrophe,
no more brilliant declamation than what was comprised
in the speech delivered in the Welsh language by the
Rev. JOHN PHILLIPS has at all been articulated by any
previous orator on the Hungarian Question. We
doubt not, therefore, that this splendid harangue will
be perused with that fullness of interest which is due
to a speech which must be regarded in some manner
as a masterpiece. The brief but earnest address cf
Mr. LUKE is also deserving of particular attention, as
are those, in truth, of the different gentlemen who
had the responsibility of proposing or seconding the
resolutions. Altogether, the meeting at Bangor is
favour of the exiled Hungarians is an event of no
inconsiderable significance, accompanied as it has
been by the generous expressions of sympathy with
those heroic unfortunates, which the people of
England will be ever proud to remember as having
been uttered in the House of Commons by the lips of
the illustrious statesman her MAJESTY'S principal
Foreign Secretary.

Lord )uregare has declared his intention of renew-
ing, at the earliest opportunity, bis motion for a
repeal of the window-tax. Since that proposition
was negatived by the decision of the House of Com-
mons circumstances have transpired which it is
hardly possible to doubtl will materially affect the
next division upon that subject. The House of Corn-
mons have exhibited their power and disposition
to interdict light and air from the dwell-
ings of the poor, by imposing a tax upon
windows, and thereby converting a necessity
into a luxury. Scarcely had Legislature thus exem-
plified what it could perform, being legally em-
powered thereunto, than a sad experience has shown
what, with all its senatorial wisdom it can not do. It
can shut out air and light from the garret and
the cellar, and exclude ventilation from the crowded
court and the narrow alley ; but it cannot do this and
at the same time interdict the ingress of disease
and the rapid spread of contagion. Pure air
is one of the essential elements of life, hence its
enjoyment should be beyond the interference of law-
makers. It hardly seems necessary to dwell upon
the importance of the proposed repeal, so assured are
we that that repeal will very shortly be carried.
Taxation is, of course, a necessity in every consti-
tuted state ; and rightly carried out it conduces to
the furtherance of that prime object of all statesman-
ship, the greatest good of the greatest number.
By taxation each individual contributes his mite
for the benefit of the community, and, in return, re •
ceives from the community protection of life and
goods, and innumerable other blessings, which he,
himself, single-handed, would be quite unable to pro•
cure. Such is, on a first view, the good effect of taxa-
tion, but, like everything else, it may be wrested
into a curse instead of a blessing. It becomes
such when it presses with disproportioned weight
upon the shoulders of the heavy-laden. If in human
legislation any one wrong be more iniquitous than
another, it is, assuredly, committed by those who,
having the power of distributing imposts, take a no-
minal share for themselves, and lay the intolerable
burthen upon the weak, and consequently defenceless.
With all that national liberty of which we boast,
with all the philanthropy and benevolence of
which there is so much talk, our code cf laws—good
as it in the main—is disfigured in many instances
with that " blot in the 'scutcheon," which no ocean
of philanthropic tears can wash out, and no moun-
tains of hospitals and churches can cover—injustice,
It is not our wish to decry any one of those benevo-
lent schemes which form a happy and hope-
ful sign of the times. On the contrary,
every project which is in any way calcu-
lated to alleviate the sufferings and promote the
welfare of the people—whether by facilitating their
transit to other lands, or by providing schools and
dwelling-houses for their moral and physical health in
this—always has commands d and always will command
our earnest and hearty support. Yet, although charity
be the greatest of virtues, she must yield precedence
to justice, for charity presupposes the existence of
justice. Henee, while we anxiously expect at the
hands of the Parliament many popular boom this
session, those boons will be valueless unless they are
preceded or accompanied by the removal of all
obnoxious statutes. Among these is the often-
mooted subject of the window-tax. The
unequal working of this tax is most flagrant. The
tax is imposed upon everything bearing
the name of " window,", hence it applies equally
to the most extensive and elaborate plate glass win-
dow of a ducal mansion and to the miserable orifice
which admits a partial light into the dismal cellar.
Here we have apparent equality with most unequal
consequences. The tax imposed upon the rich is to
them a trifle, and its only effect is the construction of
two large windows instead of three small ones, hence
one of the first things an English traveller remarks
abroad is the number of small windows in foreign
houses. With the majority of the people, however,
this tax is productive of continual discomfort and
frequent disease. The primary laws of health have
recently been again and again expounded by sanitary
commissioners. One of the first of these is free ven-
tilation. Human beings, like the plants of the field,
cannot flourish without air and light. So unanimous
is public feeling upon this point that Lord DUNCAN'S
proposition cannot again meet with a denial.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris papers of Saturday
and yesterday.
In the Assembly, on Friday, in answer to the in-
terpellations of M. PISCATOILY on the recent occur-
rences in Greece, the Minister for Foreign Affairs
said, that when the Government last week had re-
quested to have interpellations adjourned for a few
days, it had done so with the hope of being able to
communicate to the Assembly the result of the first
steps taken in the matter. The Assembly would per-
ceive, from the statement which he was about to
make, that the time that had intervened had not been
lost. Having received, on the 31st of January, in-
telligence of what had taken place at Athens, the
Government had immediately directed the French
Charge d'Affaires at London to express to the English
Government the painful astonishment which it ex-
perienced at the news of these most unexpected events,
and to ask Lord PALMERSTON if the conduct of Mr.
WYsu and Admiral PARKER had been in conformity
with instructions transmitted from his Lordship. On
f the 4th of February the Government sent off M.
DROUTN DE LHUYS on an extraordinary mission
to the Court of St. James's, and on the sth trans-
mitted to him a note from the PRESIDENT of
the Republic, offering his good offices to bring
to an amicable conclusion the differences which had
.arisen between England and Greece. That offer was to
be presented yesterday, the 7th instant, and the an-
swer, there could be no doubt, would be of an affirma-
tive character. In addition, this morning a dispatch
had been received by the English Ambassador at
Paris, declaring that the arbitration of France had
been accepted, and that a dispatch had at once been
sent off to Mr. Wrsa and Admiral PARKER not to
proceed further in the matter at present.— (Hear,
hear.) The Assembly would percei▪
ve that with the
part which the French Government had undertaken
in the matter, it had the obligation imposed on it not
to enter into any appreciation of the facts which had
taken place. grave motives evidently existed to pre-
vent him replying to the interpellati▪
ons of M. PISCA-
TORY further than he had now done. The Assembly,
he doubted not, would be satisfied with the explana-
tion which he had given.--(Hear, hear.)
met M.
pwiEthi'RßllouGdNEEce
cries no"—" The order of
aosf,n,dsedo, the tribune, but was
the day." lie expressed his satisfaction at the infor-
mation given by the Hon. Minister, and was proceed-
ing when such loud marks of disapprobation arose
That he was obliged to descend from the tribune.
The matter then terminated.

The Moniteu- r of Sunday publishes the decree of
the Assembly declaring void the thirty seats occupied
iy the convicted of the High Court of Justice of
7Versailles. The Presse maliciously suggests that if
M. PROEDLION, who is kept au secret at the Con-
t2iergerie ever since the publication of his attack on
t;he PRESIDENT, were elected to fill one of them, it
might perhaps be embarrassing to the Government.
_The elections are to take place on the 10th March.
M. DE LAMARTINE had an interview with the
•E'RESIDENT of the Republic on Saturday.
The report of the dangerous illness of Marshal
,SOULT is officially contradicted.
An inquiry has been instituted by order of the
ftxovernment into the case of the young man named
kc,,iIANTERBAU, wounded on Monday by the police, and
ails° as to the truth of the statement of the National,
that the city police had been the voluntary cause of
he peril to which General LAMORICIERE was ex-
posed on Monday.
The steam-frigate Gomer, commanded by Captain
:saris,
is ordered to take the convicts of June, 1848,
art Cherbourg, Brest, and Belle Isle, and convey them
tv Algeria. The Gower, which has actually taken