The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-20 00:00:00

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LONDON, MONDAY, MAY 20, 1844.

After considerable throes and much apparent suf-
fering, Sir ROBERT PEEL at a late hour on Friday night
w,as safely delivered of a brace of heavy jokes, in the
House of Commons. Hon. Members were exceed-
ingly considerate and complaisant on the occasion—
as they usually 'are when a Prime Minister affects
the comical—and laughed heartily as each joke
sprang into existence, infinitely of course to the delec-
tation of the waggish utterer. The circumstance
that called forth his drollery was this. The article of
_Confectionary having been incidentally touched upon,
Aoni . lumeueav asked what was the reason that the duty
plums was to altered, whereupon Sir ROBERT
PEEL, delighted at the opportunity of making a
humoious hit, observed— He could scarcely be
much surprised at the remarks of his Hon Friend,.
the worthy Alderman, for he was no doubt
so en:-

couraged by his extraordinary success last year ,
in discussing the duties on turbots and lobster-
sauce, that it was no matter of astonishment to
find him now standing forward as the advocate '
and defender of the great plum-pudding interest.
In discussing the first course his triumph had
been so complete, that at a late period of the
festivities he could be expected to do nothing less
than bring the same energy and equal know-
ledge to bear upon the subject of plums and
puddings." Having thus demolished Mr. Alderman
HUMPHERY, the irresistible Premier next proceeded
to let fly the keen arrows of his wit against the Hon.
Member for Kendal, who, it seems, had had the
hardihood to make some unpalatable remarks on the
increase of the duty on foreign apples, adding that he
"should be very glad to hear any excuse given for
the increase, except that it was agreeable to Sir
EDWARD KNATCHBULL and the Kentish farmers."
Upon this the facetious Premier replied—" He could
assure the lion. Member that when his Right Hon.
Friend accepted office with the present Government,
he made no stipulation whatever on the subject of
the apple duties, and had entered into no compromise
upon that great and important question, which ap-
peared so deeply to agitate the mind of the Hon. Re-
presentative for Kendal." This, it must be confessed,
was brilliant ; though, so far as we can perceive, it
had no more to do with Mr. WARBURTON'S question
respecting the increased duty on foreign apples, made
—as that gentleman observed—" in the very teeth of
the Report of a Committee of the House," to whom
the subject had been referred—the Premier's sarcastic
reply, we say, had no more to do with the Member
for Kendal's question, than it had with the turbot-
and-lobster-sauce question so eloquently and im-
presively argued last year by Mr. Alderman Hum-
PMERY. But great wags are seldom close reasoners,
and in our admiration of the PEEL drollery, we must
consent to overlook the deficiencies of the PEEL
logic. In answer to the Premier's humorous allusion
to the turbot and lobster duties, the discomfited
Alderman observed :—" It is true I talked about them
when the tariff was on the table, and now I
will go on. I've spoken of plums, and now
I'll go to another question of importance—
orange-peel. Orange-peel was not to be touched,
and yet they were going to raise the duties on
preserved plums ! Why was this P He was sure
there was something more in it than met the eye."
The worthy Alderman is right. There is something
more than meets the eye in the proposed non-inter-
ference with Orange-Peel. Orange-PEEL —that is to
say, the PEEL who was once Orange, but is now ready
to adopt any colour that may best suit his interests—
is a privileged person, who must not be touched, nor
even indirectly interfered with. He must be left free
to pursue his own course, without let or hin-
drance. No Member must presume to question
his motives, or offer the slightest opposition to his
sovereign will. When Orange-PEEL—or rather
Camelion-PEEL—says a thing must be so—why,
then, it must be so ; as we saw the other day in the
case of the Factory Bill, where a body of upwards of
eighty Members hastened to recant their opinions
merely because the Premier had assured them that
their perseverance in a consistent course of action
would be exceedingly distasteful to him. He
willed, and they obeyed. How long this abject
submissiveness on the part of the House of
Commons is to continue, we know not ; but
this we do know, and rejoice at—namely, that it has
already damaged the party, which calls itself Con-
servative, irretrievably in the eyes of all the thinking
portion of the community, who now see clearly that
it has no fixed, manly, principles of its own, but
readily takes whatever impress Sir ROBERT PEEL
may choose to stamp upon it—sees with his eyes—
hears with his ears—wears his livery—and accommo-
dates itself, without so much as a whisper of remon-
strance, to every change that may from time to time
take place in his course of action.

In the classification which posterity will make of
the statesmen of this century, Mr. President TYLER
and his political supporters in the Legislature of the
United States of America, will possibly occupy an
ignominious rank. They may achieve that bastard
notoriety which is no genuine progeny of the. love of
true fame; but they will be known, only to be
scorned—remembered, but to be held ,Up to the exe-
cration of those who would advocate the rights of
human freedom, in the individual, and. the integrity
of national guarantees for the masses. These rights
and guarantees it has long been the deliberate aim of
the PRESIDENT and his faction to violate, audaciously
and openly, for the purposes of his own aggrandize-
ment, and the extension of their influence on
the American Congress. But even their
complete success would but secure them a
niche among the "receivers of stolen goods" whom
the consent of all mankind ranks among the most mis-
chievous parts of society, whether in states or muni-
cipal communities. They are taking from Texas that
which, while there is no Texian people to give away,
Mexico rightly reclaims as her own property. And
all this time they are allied with Mexico.

From the answer of the Earl of ABERDEEN to
Lord Ilaouo Lust's question of Friday evening last,
in the House of Peers, it seems that a treaty between
the Government of the United States and that of
Texas has actually been signed by President TYLER
for the annexation of the great territory of Texas to
the already enormous dominions of the Federal
Union. To give validity to this act on the part of
the principal organ of the United States' Go-
vernment, it seems, indeed, that it must be
ratified by the affirmative votes of two-thirds of the
Senate ; and we are rejoiced to find that there exists
so marked a dissent from the views of the PRESIDENT
on this subject, in a most extensive and influential
party in Congress, who have already protested against
such an annexation, that Mr. TYLER is likely, after
all, to be out-voted in his efforts to carry through
this scandalous affair. We call it scandalous for
many reasons :—of these the most apparent and incon-
testible is, that it is a scheme for adding either three
or seven new States (for such, according to Mr.
O'Cormem's information, are the two territorial divi-
sions proposed) to the existing Union, and thereby
oversetting the present equalized balance of influence
between the northern and southern—the free and
the slave-holding States. To these last, in which
negro slavery exists under its most cruel, immoral,
and revolting forms, the annexation of Texas, a new
southern acquisition lying on the shores of the Gulf
of Mexico, would give not merely a prepon-
derance, but a permanent swamping' control over
the wishes and opinions, the practice and the
policy of the northern States on the sub-
ject of slavery. The same influence would
of course predominate in determining the whole
social and political relations of the Union. There
would thus be worked an absolute, organic change
on the very principle of the Federal Constitution ; the
development of which, in the course of a very few
years, would certainly manifest itself in a secession of
.the northern from the southern members of the
Federation.

But the aspect under which the case presents itself
to other Governments, especially to that of Great
Britain, is the immediate matter for our considera-
tion. We have very lately, in speaking of the geo-
graphical importance of our position in the West
Indies, remarked on the degree in which it gave us
the command of the entrance into the Gulf of Mexico,
and the trade of enormous regions of North and
South America. But an inspection of the coast line
of Texas, will show how enormous an accession
of sea coast on the Gulf the United States
would acquire, and the facilities they would com•
mand of increasing slave importation into their
southern territories, and carrying on the
execrable trade in slaves to any extent which the slave-
holdingmajority of their Legislature might then be
disposed, covertly or openly, to sanction. For all
preventive purposes as to slave-trading, the position we
have spoken of, hitherto invaluable as one of observa-
tion, would be, as it were, outflanked by this enlarged
maritime frontier of the Sfates. In. relation to the
slave-trade question, therefore, it is difficult to imagine
how—with any regard to her own honour, with any
consistency in that vindication of the faith of treaties,
for which she is justly renowned throughout the
world ; with any sincere determination to uphold the
spirit, and propagate the example, of her own illus.
triousproceeedings in the suppression of slavery through
her colonial dominions—she could avoid a hos-
tile collision with the United States, were this
annexation carried into effect. But the complicated
difficulties which such an annexation of Texas would
introduce into our specific relations with the United

States, would not have terminated, were all these
perils obviated, and their causes of mutual alarm and
jealousy removed. So true was the observation of
Lord ABERDEEN, that this was a question new and
unexampled in the history of public law. Mexico is
an independent state. We are in amity with her, and
have long kept up diplomatic connections with her. The
republic of Texas has avowed and fought for its in-
dependence, as a State. We have so far recognised
her claim to virtual independence as to have accre-
dited Consuls and agents to her Government, with
which, also, we are on terms of amity. But Mexico
claims Texas as an integer of her own republican do-
minion. She has, up to this time, prosecuted that
claim, and regards the Texian Government and its
subjects as contumacious rebels. She has never given
her consent to any proposed transfer of her rights of
sovereignty over Texas. Can we preserve friendly
relations with the Power which still reclaims this se-
parated State as a revolted dependent, at the same time
that we maintain them with another Power which
absorbs and receives into its own dominions such se-
parated State, on the plea of the voluntary proposal
of the latter in the character of a free and indepen-
dent State ?

These are the political accidents of the affair, with
which it may one day become so perplexing to deal.
There can be no mistake about the motives and the
objects which have precipitated its present aspect.
They are, beyond all doubt, on the part of the
American PRESIDENT and his supporters, the reckless
suggestions of an unprincipled and criminal, but
paltry attempt to secure a longer lease of power in
the Government of the United States, by sacrifices
however base, and pandering to the excited passions
of the populace—at a cost however frightful, of the
blood of nations, and the best interests of humanity
and civilisation.

The intelligence from Madrid is destitute of in-
terest. The funds still remained in a very depressed
state. On the 10th, the Three per Cents. were
quoted at 28k, and the Fives at 21, both for 60 days.

Paris papers of Thursday, and the Madrid mail of
the 10th, have been received. The intelligence from
the United States respecting the annexation of Texas
to the republic, has caused some sensation in Paris,
chiefly among the parties hostile to England.
The National calls on the nation to disregard the
entente cordiale of M. GUIZOT, and to think only of
the great advantages which a good understanding
with the American Union must create for France.
The writer adds that the annexation of Texas to the
States is a new political combination, weakening the
British Government and its aristocracy in the most
sensitive point; that the relations of England with
the Cabinet of Washington cannot be friendly ; that
her Canadian possessions are in danger ; and that
the European Powers, and particularly France, who
have tolerated the insulting yoke of British supre-
macy, should be prepared to take advantage of the
chances which this new combination must ere long
afford.

SOUTH LANCASHIRE ELECTION.
Opinion seems much to be divided as to what the re-
sults of this most important election will be. The Tories
have begun to throw out insinuations that the funds of
the League are to be profusely lavished. Than this,
however, nothing more untrue was ever uttered. Not a
shilling of its funds will be thus expended—indeed, there
is no occasion, not the least, to draw on any foreign re-
sources to carry out the intentions of the free traders.
In less than a couple of hours, upwards of 6,000/. was
subscribed by fewer than a score of individuals, and the
guarantee fund will, from present appearances, exceed
20,0001. In the Manchester district alone it now amounts
to upwards of 10,000/. Liverpool is expected to do fully
as much ! Talk of want of funds, indeed 1 why, on no
former occasion was there ever half the amount sub-
scribed. _ _

Vv
A rather more particular scrutiny into the register had
given additional confidence to the free trade candidate.
It is a matter of perfect notoriety, and admitted by the
Tories, that they have grossly neglected their duty in
non-attendance to the registration of their friends ;
whilst it is on the contrary equally notorious, that the
Liberals have paid unceasing attention to that important
matter. Thanks to the League for this, at any rate; in
this respect, the League may certainly be said to have
expended some cash ; but evidently not to be prepared
for the present election, which has come upon all parties
by surprise.
The free trade committee are now fairly at work, not
only, in Manchester, but throughout South Lancashire,
and, as there is no doubt that their arrangements are of
the best-and most effective description, the most favour-
able results aro anticipated.
In consequence of the poll being fixed for Whit-Mon-
day and Tuesday, the 27th and 28th, and as that week
is also the race week, the time will be one of the great-
est possible bustle and tormoil. No work of any kind
can reasonably be expected to be proceeded with.—Leeds
Mercury.
Since our last publication this contest has assumed an
appearance of somewhat greater animation than it had
previously exhibited ; and we believe that a tolerably
active canvass is carried on by both parties, both of whom
are, as usual, very confident ; but we are quite satisfied,
that neither has yet received returns on which any rea-
sonable judgment as to the chance of ultimate success
can be founded. Both seem laudably cautious of spend-
ing money ; and there is consequently a marked absence
(with one exception, to which we shall briefly allude) of
those squibbing placards which are generally so abundant
in contested elections. Altogether, it seems likely to be
one of the quietest and least exciting struggles that have
been known in the annals of electioneering.
It will be seen from reports which we give elsewhere,
that both the candidates have begun their visits to their
different towns in the division ; Mr. Brown having yes-
terday visited Wigan, Bolton, and Bury ; and Mr. Ent-
wisle having made his appearance at Liverpool on Thurs-
day, and at Rochdale and Oldham yesterday. But we
have not, yet heard when either of them will pay their
respects to the electors residing in this town.
It will be seen, that, in addressing the electors at
Rochdale yesterday, Mr. Entwisle made some allusion
to a placard which had appeared on the walls.—
Manchester Guardian of Saturday.

FLANDERS AND DUTCH MAIL.
BRUSSELS, MAY 12.—Her Royal Highness the Duchess
of Kent will stay for about a month in the environs of
Berne, with her sister the Grand Duchess Anne (wife of
the late Grand Duke Constantine, from whom she was
separated), whom her Royal Highness has not seen
since 1818, when she came to England to marry the
Duke of Kent.

The King, who left the railway station yesterday
morning at a quarter past ten, arrived at Namur at half-
past twelve, and at his seat at Ardenne at five o'clock.
The Theodore sailed on the 15th from St. Thomas's,
with 128 passengers and previsions for three months.
At the beginning of the sitting of the Chamber of
Representatives to-day, the Minister of Finance pre-
sented a project of law for re-imposing the duty of
excise on all employed in the manufacture of cheese in-
tended for exportation. It was sent to the sections for
examination.

In a preceding sitting the several Members expressed
a desire to know what had been the result of the law of
the 6th April, 1843, for the prevention of smuggling. The
Minister of Finance gave some explanation, from which
it appeared that smuggling has become more difficult
since the law has been in force.

The Chamber, after a long debate, rejected by a ma-
jority of 51 to 27, the motion of M. •elahaye, to delay
the vote on the commercial question till the Government
have presented some further information respect-
ing its views,
AMSTERDAM, MAY 15.—This morning, at half-past
four o'clock, his Majesty the King arrived here by a
special train from the Hague. His Majesty imme-
diately proceeded in the same manner to Utrecht, in-
tending to go from that place to Soetsdyk and the Loo.
UTRECHT, MAY 15.—This morning about six o'clock
his Majesty passed through this city on his way to the
Loo, whence he will return this evening to Soetsdyk,
His Majesty came in forty-two minutes by an extra train
frem Amsterdam.

The Minister of Finance has given notice in con-
formity with Art 3, of the law of 27th December, 1840,
that the total amount of Treasury bonds issued accord-
ing to the law of 27th December, 1840, and 19th June,
1843, was on the Ist of this month, 1,278,100f1.
GORENCHEM, MAY 14.—1 t is generally reported here
that a branch from the Rhenish Railway is to be made
by way of Jaarsveld, Schoonhoven, and this fortress,
and then to be continued to join that of Antwerp.
THE HAGUE, MAY 15.—The Queen, accompanied by
Prince Alexander Henry, set out to-day at noon for
Soetsdyk. Their Majesties are expected to return about
the end of the week.

PADERBORN, MAY 10.—Yesterday evening there were
deplorable disorders in the town of Gesecke, in our
neighbourhood. Between eight and nine a mob col-
lected and attacked the houses of the Jews residing
there, all of which, except one, were, more or less,
damaged. It does not appear that any person suffered
violence. It is said that the cause of this act of Vandal-
ism was, that a venerable priest at Gesecke had received
an anonymous letter, with the post-mark " Paderborn,"
which contained, not only the greatest insult to himself,
but such scandalous abuse of the Roman Catholic
Church, and of everything sacred to the Roman Catho-
lics, that we refrain from repeating it. The contents were
speedily known in Gesecke, and the letter was imme-
diately ascribed to the Jews. This excited great indig-
nation against the Jews, when it was resolved to chastise
them and hence deplorable excesses were committed.
An investigation into this business is now going on,
which, we suppose, will throw some light on it.

TILE PRIZE COMEDY AT THE HAYMARKET.—The
Committee appointed by Mr. Webster to award the prize
of 5001. offered by him for the best five act prose comedy,
illustrative of modern British manners, completed their
labours on Saturday, when the prize was awarded to the
author of the comedy entitled Quid pro, Quo. The prize
comedy is from the pen of Mrs. Charles Gore. The
decision of the Committee was unanimous.