The Sun.
London, England, 1826-06-05 00:00:00

[MORNING eIIItONICIA.]

During the struggles between England and Holland
in tbe reign of Charles the Second, the more saga-
cious of the Dutch Politicians, when they contrasted
the cheapness ofliving in England with the dearness of
the means of subsistence in their own country, from the
weight of taxation, predicted that their rival, then posses-
bed of 10,0 wealth, fewer ships, &o. than themselves, could
nut fail to outstrip them in a abort time, from the in-
fluence of the favourable circumstances to which we
have alluded.
0. hi sonic things (says a Dutch writer of that day) we may
lssove ~he advantage, A 4 in the capital wherewith trade is driven,
the ciebex :if our merchants, number of shipping, coping by Le t-
paii of A,largite, &c., but in others England; for they have cloths s
for the heck, and meat for the belly, better cheap for the poor
loll;he customs of England anti the number of her
ships kept regularly increasing; while Holland, on the
eontrary, remained stationary, if she did not decline,
England, which then was so cheap a country com-
pared with the Continent, is now, front the pressure
of taxation, the dearest in the world. The Dutch
foresaw that the cheapness of living in England would
draw much of their capital to that country. Now we
impose heavy duties on the importation of
even the agricultural produce of Holland. With-
out the excuse of the Dutch, who were obliged to
tarry on protracted wars for the very existence of their
indopmdei,ce, we have rushed into one expensivo
war after another, wasting the resources of the coun-
try, and mortgaging
the industry of unborn genera-
tions. We are now plying for the egregious frilly of
,ffir statesmen, We are surrounded by rivals, who
proceed lightly in the career of industry, white we are ,
sinking to thew earth with our load. Our capital.
which, from the excessive price of food here, can only
be employed at a low rate of profit, naturally betakes
itself to countries less burdened ; and thus our foreign
trade is becoming every day more and more eiekly.—
In distant markets, we find every where rivals, who
have been nourished bv British capital; and even the
bulwark of die nation—the navy, ire threatened by the
natural tendency to recur to a shipping, which can be
tio -much more cheaply built, repaired, manned, and
provisioned, than our own. Whichever way we turn
outsetves, we find ourselves in the midst of difficulties

from the effects of the expensive wars so long waged
by the profligate Government of this country. We
trust the cause of the difficulties and distress of the
nation will be kept in mind at this period. Those
men who prate to the people about Popery and so
forth, are deserving of contempt as imbeciles, or of
hatred as hypocrites. The grand question is, the ap-
plication of the resources of the nation. Honest and de-
termined men are wanted to make a stand against the
profligacy which threatens us with such dreadful con-
sequences. The energies of patriots should be con-
centrated, and not wasted on too many objects.—
Much may be done by a few men in Parliament, ever
mindful of their duty, and ready to attack, at all
times, the citadel of corruption. The example of
Mr. Hume will not, we hope, be lost on the country.
'[here is no instance in the history of the world of a
surrender of political power by a body, except under
compulsion ; and we, therefore, are fitr from sanguine
with respect to the possibility of a Parliamentary Re-
form. We fear there are too many of our Statesmen,
who advocate it on the principle of Mr. Fox, that
"it was a fit thing to be made use of in argument in
the House of Commons, but not to be carried into
execution." We firmly believe that not a few of those
who vote in favour of reform, as a means of ingratiat-
ing themselves with the electors of popular places,
would not easily forgive themselves, were that object
to be carried. As it is a hopeless object, in the pre-
sent circumstances of the country, we consider the
question as in some sort a secondary one. If it be
wished merely to make speeches, Parliamentary Re•
form is, indeed, an admirable subject. But for re-
sults none can here be hoped for. Our readers may
be assured that the work for the next Parliament will
not be light. The occasion demands active and clear-
headed men, able and willing to fight the good fight
against selfish monopolists and extravagant consumers
of the resources of the nation.

[NEW TIMES.]
- Parliament is no more ; the voice of the Proclama-
tion is gone forth, and the pomp and circumstance of
M.P. has fleeted before it, leaving not a wreck behind.
Agreeably to the allowable bull of the worthy Secre-
tary of the Post-dice, franks are now to be charged
with postage. The glorious seven years jubilee is
come back, bringing bribes to some, and banqueting
to all. The smirched artificer shakes hand with my
Lord, and the Squire respectfully listens to Tom
Butcher's tale, instead of regaling -him with his own.
Feseennine verses, that have slumbered in peace and
quietness for a lustrum and a half," are now brought
forth 4t new-hatched to the bickering time"—old jokes
are furbished up anew—scandals that have died, and
been buried, are exhumed, and walk abroad again as
vivacious as ever. Yet out of all these seeming evils
there is good to be educed. In these periodical
jumblings of the great and the small, both parties are
gainers—the haughtiness of the aristocracy is abated
—the honest independence of the lowly is exalted—
both are made to feel the value of each other's assist-
mice, and thus the bands which unite the rich and the
poor are strengthened, which, for the want of some
such an arrangement, by which, their mutual depend-
ence is shown, might be altogether dissolved. We
pretend to no second sight, and therefore it may be
dangerous to attempt the adventurous task of prophe-
eying what may be the issue of the present appeal to
the people of England, to speak of the election accord-
ing to established phraseology. When old Napier, of
Nferehiston, prognosticated the end of the world, he
unluckily fixed on so near a day, that lie out-lived
his last day some dozen of years. But if such a mis-
hap is to be apprehended, when speaking of an event
necessarily sonic few years removed, the danger is
wonderfully increased, when five or six little weeks
must confirm or confute our predictions. With this
risk in view, however, we venture to express our belief,
that the component parts of the next will be very. much
the same as those of the last Parliament, notwithstand-
ing of the notes of preparation in more than one quarter.
Three questions, indeed, excepted—the Catholics—
the ,Corn Laws, and the Colonists—what is there
but mere family pride, or personal pique, to create
contention ? And of these three the last only is that
which seems to be much talked about, except in the
dear country where they talk much about every
thing. In regard to the Corn Laws, the question is
no longer one of principle, but of details. And since
all influential men seem now disposed to discuss not
only these, but all measures whatever, in the spirit of
soberness, we cannot, on account of the differences of
opinion, in respect to them, look for any very violent
contest. As to any accession to the ranks of the Op-
position, we think that most unlikely ; at the same
time there will not probably be much sensible diminu-
tion. The band is, indeed, now so completely skele-
tonised, that, in order to reduce it further, we must
crumble it in pieces. We shall have Brougham again,
of course, for Wi»chelsea--Westmoreland is utterly
out of the question ; and we rather think we shall
have the learned rector also. Cobbett has very
slender prospects—Hunt none. We should not pro-
phecy so much for Waithman, if his subscription were
as many thousands as it is hundreds, but no quantity
of brass will, in such a struggle, make amends fur a
deficiency of copper.