The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-12 00:00:00

ettrb latittion

SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock.

SPIRIT of th-t PUBLIC J OURNALS.
23031 TUE EVENING rarFais OF THIS DA.I.
- GLOBE.— " We wage no war with madmen or
the rant." The former would not understand, and
the latter would be deaf to expostulation. But, as-
suminie that Mr. O'Connell :is _ neither insane nor
venal:::;-luid giving those of his coadjutors who are
also members of the. Legislature credit for being pos-
sessed, equally with himself, of sound self-disposing
minds, and of pure patriotism—we confesS'OuTselves
at a loss to comprehend the motive by which they are
actuated in absenting themselves from their Parliamen-
tary duties. Their seethes and their acts are in perpetual
antagonism. Their speeches at the weekly meetings
tield at the Conciliation-hall are filled with attacks
upon the measures connected with Ireland which her
JSlajesty's Gavel nment intend to introduce to Parlia-
ment during the course of the present session ; and
yet these patriotic Irish Members of the House of
Commons declare their intention of absenting them-
selves from Parliament during the discussions
upon those' very measures ! Nothing in absurdity
equal to this hal: ken exhibited ; if we except the
way in which -^a" number. of Irish farmers •at -a
fair shoWed their antipathy to a bank, the proprie-
tors of which had -rendered: themselves obnoxi-
ous to the popular dislike. The farmers took the
pains to buy up all the notes of the odious bankers
they could "get at, and burned them in the presence and
amid the shouts of the excited multitude " Sure, and
what ivill..they do now ? Won't the bank be broke
now so many of their notes are burnt ?" Similar folly
is exhibited by the Irish repeal Men bers of Parlia-
ment. "Well stay in Dublin, finding fault with the
measures of Government ;..we'll,. scold, in our own
peculiar style of vituperation; every public man and
every_ public journal whose views :are contrary to, or
do not extend to the same •letigths with,. our own.
We'll fiercely -denounce the measures, .and the men
with whom they Originate. tatire'li not exercise our
rightto oppose these- measures, where opposition would
be legitimate and, to a considerable extent, effectual.
We will keep where we are, magnanimously holding
ourselves aloof from our arliamentary duties. We
will thus violate our duties to our constituents and our
country; both of which _we love with an intense pa-
triotic affection!'' Such is, in effect, the language
of the. Irish repeal Alembers.. Who does not see—
always, of course, excepting themselves,--that they
are playing the game of the Ministers-whom they
denounce as enemies to their country ? What does
Sir Robert Peel—Or any of this colleagues—or
those who suppOrt his measures- in- Parliament, care
for • the vituperations of Mr. 0':-.;onnell and his
coadjutors in the Conciliation Hall ? His and their
absence from the House of Commons—being relieved
from their presence, and, above all, from their speeches
--constitute the theme of their congratulation.
blir.isters will carry their measures without the
obstructions which might- be interposed-to their prce
gress. were Mr. O'Connell and his friends present in
the House. They will thus get through the business
of the session probably a month sooner than they
would do, were the eloquence of Mr. O'Connell
and his Repeal coadjutors to be employed in
the debates—a relief which. they would par-
chaie at a -large price, if money could procure it.
But_ how,does Mr. O'Connell reconcile -his absence
from Parliament with the obligations which he under-
tovoic when he became a member of the Legislature ?
Cari.:the Self-constituted Repeal AssoCiation absolve
hiai, froth" his engagement ? Will the people of Ire-
land-as distinguiAlled fieim the mere mob—consider
that trashy speeches:, delivered weekly ht the- Con-
ciliittion• Hall; will-compensate for regular attendance
in ;:iiicr.lOorious -atpbcation to the varied duties of
ParliaMenti?-. The public business of the country-7-
we are willing to admit—can be conducted without
him, and those to Whoin his example is a • But
can Mr. O'Connell hope to maintain his position: with-
out Parliament? We :trove, not, .
STANDARD:—The subjects which. engaged the
attention ,Of the house of CominpriS'lstat night Were
more important than interesting; foritio'Wever it hap-
penfte be interesting, a topic must have ,something of
novelty or something of the picturesque or senti-
mental ; and railroads, union workhouses, and,
parochial, settlements present little that is
either . new, picturesque, or sentimental. The
topics are., nevertheless, grave and very. im-
portant topics. As far as we . can under-
stand Mr. Wallace's very long speech, that
gentleman wishes for' 'a kind of railroad saturnalia,
a railroad license in the gross' and the &tail,
perinitting all persona to run railroad's wherever
it may seem good to them, and then allowing
the public to male tie' of them upon, Ns hat
terms the moderation of rail Way. travellers' Might
award. This is a. pleasant presp!ct enough.
Railways running side by side, crossing, jostling,
and intersecting each other at every angle of the
quadrant, for competition sake. But then starts up
. •
another question—what chance of competition, -when
travellers are to be entitled to pay ad libitum, or,
for that matter, to use the railway, upon Mr.
Wallace's doctrine of the universal " liberty of
locomotion," without paying anything ? We ap-
prehend that the adoption of this 'doctrine would put
an end to all railways by a very, simple process. Lord '
Ho wick takes a very different view of the matter. If
Mr. Wallace would have a railroad anarchy, Lord
Ilowick contends for a railroad autocracy in the Le- .
gislature or, the txf c4tive; it is-notquite'clear which.
Railroads, says. his Lordship, **intended for the
public
convenience ; but the public being.' blind to its 'own
convenience, authority must interpmeto guide, it, and
mark out the most convenient line. The inference is
just, wcre'ile antecedent correct ; hut the antecedent
is not correct : the public is not !blind : ti 4 ite own
convenience; but much more clear-sightedjin.- the
matter than any legislature Or any executive, and
has a much stronger motive than either can have to
exercise its discernment. Railroads are calculated
for general convenience ; but this convenience
is to be paid for, and the more persons
avail themselves of the convenience, the
greater the number of the persons who will
pay ; thus the probable amount, of payments
to be anticipated affords an exact measure of the
amount of convenience to be afforded, and this is
the very same measure by which men calculate
when they propose to invest their money in
railroads. Is it not a wiser course.-^than. that pro-
posed by either Mr. Wallace or Lord "Hovvick to
leave it to the public, es heretofore, to judge of the
convenient lines., and reserve to the Legislature the
power of deciding against the inconvenient lines ; and
%%Inn aline convenient for one party happens -to be
inconvenient for another to arbitrate :between them ?

'MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENTS.—We can now state
with. tertiinty, that the Hon. W. B. Baring succeeds Sir
Edward' Knatchbull in the office of -Paymaster-Gtnerab to:.
the Forces ; and that Lord Jocelyn succeeds Mr.
Baring at the Board ~of Cosvol, Fiese f changes
cause vacancies in the represenfafio'hor
rough and King's Lynn. We believe we ;May state
with equal certainty; that Sir Edward Knatchbull will
shortly, be raised to the peerage —Evening Paper..
Ton EARL: OF MORN INdTON.—We regret to state
this venerable nobleman is daily growing weaker, and little
or no hope is now entertained of his recovery.

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM •
RAIL WAY.-(THIS DAY.)
The:half yearly general meeting of the Proprietors
of;the above railway was held this afternoon, at the
EnWn-square Station. G. C. Glynn; E.4.,Chairman of
the Directors. occupied the chair. There was a very
large atrendance of- Shareholders, and; the proceedings
although short, were of very great importance. The
Chairman, in his opening address, stated that terms had
been agreed, upon between the Londorillnd-Birmingham •
Company, the Birmingham and Manchest'a.r Company, ihe
Trent Valley Company, and the Churnet Valley Company,
that an amalgamation of three of these Companies, and
a perpetual lease •of the other _should take place.
Jt was proposed to take a perpetUallease of the Trent
Valley Company by the London end Birmingham Com-
pany, who would guarantee a dividend,. equal to that on,
the London and Birmingham Company,- to,.the Tont
Valley Shareholders. The - amalgamation witrh. ,the
Churnet Valley Company. was to:he effected upon.Orms
to be governed by the nmouut c£.dividend and the ex-
penditure in five yearn from the preaentilSime,
The -
amalgamation with the Manchester and Birmingham Corn, •
any was to- be effected by the Shareholders in that'
Comp Any receiving '251. 10s. London and . Birmingham
stock fur each of their own full .shares, and 61. 7s. 6d.
upon the small shares. 'These propositions were ref
ceived with the utmost unanimity, and the sanction a
the Proprietors was awarded amidst much applause.- A
divide" of 5/., per cent, fur the half- ) 'ear 'was 'then.
&Oared, and power having been given. to the Directers.
to carry out the various projects which. they ;have in.
bawl at present, thanks were voted to the-Chairman, and.
the nit eing separated.

LONDON AND GREENWICH RAIL-.
WAY.—(T HIS DAY.)
l - The half-yearly general meeting of the Shareholders
9
of this Company was held to-day, at the Lond avern.
Mr. SEADBOLT,. Chairman of the Board of Dir
took the chair shortly aft. r one o'clock, and ealle
Mr. Wilson, the Deputy-Chairman, to read the upn
report,-o
which was as follows:
" Your Directors have great pleasure in submitting to
the Shareholders their proceedings, and. tife annexed
statement of the accounts of the Company, for the half-
year .ending the 31st December last. our Directors
baveciven the most careful and anxious consideration to
the clauses and, provisions proper to be inserted in the
Articles of Agreement for losing the Railway, and all
the works and conveniences connected therewith (in-
chiding the land on either side of the. Railway reserved
for widening the line, and varying from 244 feet, more
or less, to 30. feet), to the • South-Eastern (Dover)
Company, rendered tho,more difficult.. and important by
thy girotiffigitrlee of. the term being rói, 999. years, and
thorefory mtakiorr of the nature of a purchase., as well
ii dit demo% sal' by the magi:ll44s of Nat,