The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-02 00:00:00

britnin ,:--)311,11t

LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1844.

Lord MONTEAGLE asked the Earl of DEVON when
the public would be put in possession of the results
of the Landlord and Tenant Commission in Ireland ?

The Noble Earl said he had been prevented from
returning to Ireland as he had intended, by a subpoena
from the Nourt of Queen's Bench, but in the mean-
time the Commission was carrying on the inquiry.
Ile was afraid he should not be able to resume his
duties in the Commission till the trial on which he
had been subpoenaed was concluded.
Lord BROUGHAM moved for copies of the corre-
spondence which had taken place between the English
missionaries in the South Sea Islands and the Go-
ment, relative to the affairs of Otaheite.

The Earl of ABERDEEN had no objection to pro-
duce the papers, and at the same time assured Lord
BROEGUAM that he need be under no apprehension
as to the manner in which the missionaries would be
treated by the French authorities. He thought it
right to state also that the resolution come to by the
French Government, disowning the act of Admiral
DIIPETIT THOUARS, was purely spontaneous, and that
not one word of remonstrance had, either by the British
Ambassador, or by official communication, been made
to France on the subject. The war parties in both
countries were making much noise about this affair,
but fortunately they were little regarded.
Lord BROUGHAM expressed his satisfaction at the
answer given by Lord ABERDEEN, and the returns
were ordered.

The Marquis of NORMANDY gave notice that on
Mmtday next he would present a petition complaining
of the conduct of the Board of Charitable Bequests
in Ireland.

Lord BiononAist also gave notice-that on the same
day he would call the attention of the House to the
progress of the new Houses of Parliament.
In the COmmons, the Salisbury Branch Railway
Bill, the York and Scarborough Railway Bill, end
the Severn Navigation Bill, were read a second time
and ordered to be committed.

• Mr. GLADSTONE brought up the Report of the
Select Committee on Railways.
Mr. T. DUNCOMBE, in an excellent speech, moved for
a return of the money paid to reporters employed to take
notes at the meetings for a repeal of the union. He
described the three principal witnesses—Mr. HUGHES,
Mr. Ross, and Mr. JACKSON, and implied that they
had been suborned by the Government as spies. He,
however, made an exception as to the part which
these reporters took in the affair, and exculpated Mr.
HUGHES and Mr. JACKSON, and threw the whole
blame on the Government.

Sir JAMES GRAHAM made a very lame defence.
He took the whole responsibility on himself. He
employed all the parties, and also admitted that a
communication had been made by the Government,
that is by himself, to the Herald and Standard for a
loan of their reporters ; but the main points of Mr.
DUNCOMBE'S speech he could not answer, and
though he had no objection to furnish a return of all
tha money paid, the motion strangely was lost on a
division, there being for it 73, and against it 144.
The discussion did not place the mode in which the
Irish trials had been conducted in a more favourable
light, nor raise the character of the Home Secretary. '
Mr. Ross, or as Mr. DUNCOMBE called him the
" Carlisle patriot," had stated that he was employed
by a person high in office, but he was prevented by
the Counsel for the Crown from saying who that
person was. Sir J. GRAHAM supplied the deficiency,

and announced that he was the "person high in
office " alluded to. Lord JOHN RUSSELL made
a brief speech on the occasion. The conclusi n was
admirable: and told with great effect. Every discus-
sion that takes place on these Irish trials only tends
to confirm the public mind in the belief that the tra-
versers were not justly tried. "I will state my be-
lief," said his Lordship, "that if the same offence
had been committed in this country, supposing the
Attorney-General for Englan d had pursued a somewhat
similar course, we should have had a different charge
from the Judge, and a different verdict from the jury.
That is my opinion ; and be the persons who they may,
I never will cease from endeavouring to obtain for the
people of Ireland the full enjoyment of all those rights
and privileges, of the possession of which the. people
of England are so justly proud." These generous sen-
timents were responded to by loud cheers.
On the order of the day for going into Committee
of Supply, Mr. S. CRAWFORD renewed his motion
for redressing grievances before granting supplies.
Mr. BLBWITT seconded the motion; and on a division
there were for the motion, 15 ; and against it, 95.

The House then resolved itself into a Committee
of Supply. Sir C. NAPIER complained of the thinness
of the House, when millions was voted away, and
also blamed the reporters for shutting their books ;
but on this occasion he had no reason to complain,
for they reported his speech fully, and, though their
books were closed, we have no doubt the Gallant
Commodore's remarks about the navy were faithfully
given. Some other speeches were made, and several
large grants voted, and the House resumed.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed
of, and the House, at One o'Clock, adjourned till
Monday.

We are of that old-fashioned school of Englishmen
who look to our navy with feelings of unbounded
confidence, affection, and pride. It is a service the
most native and proper to our people. It is con-
nected with their hereditary habits as an insular
nation, and endeared to all classes by the prejudices
of those habits. Then—there are the associations of
three centuries of triumphs and supremacy upon the
boundless waters, " whereon it moves, and lives, and
hath its being," which consecrate its position in the
popular esteem. Pre-eminent alike in maritime dis-
covery and in naval warfare, it has spread the renown
of our country to the most distant regions that sur-
round the poles, or lie " beneath the line ; "
and it has vindicated the honour, asserted the
rights, and extended the dominion and in-
fluence of our flag against all opponents, in
every climate, and upon every sea. Against the
confederacy of all the nations of continental Europe
it has defended our own empire, and vanquished, and-
dictated its own terms to, those who would have
challenged :our political existence as an indepT ndent
State. But its sphere of real glory, its career of
beneficent utility, have been only enlarged and dig-
nified in seasons of peace. Far from relapsing into
a condition of indolent disorganisation, this noble
force have long been accustomed to keep up their
practical discipline, and discharge the duties they
owe to the State which maintains them, by protecting
our wide-spread commerce in the ports of every
country to which it extends. During the last century
it has not only revived the spirit of geographical and
mercantile enterprise, which prompted our CABOTS
and our DRAKES to "put a girdle round the world ;"
not only taken and maintained the lead in all those
immense acquisitions, which have increased and en-
riched our knowledge of the globe ;—but it has
achieved a reputation, through the abilities of its offi-
cers, for patient research, laborious accuracy, perse-
vering intrepidity—for sagacity and truth, in all the
higher branches of astronomical observation and of
philosophic experiments for determining problems the
most important to navigation,—which have ever been
unrivalled in the history of science. Whatever,
therefore, regards the present condition and the per-
manent welfare of this fine service, should always
command the profound attention of every English-
man who feels an interest in the glory of his native
land. For ourselves, it is long since we have expe-
rienced these sentiments more powerfully than on a
perusal of the debate, in the House of Commons last
night, on the " Navy Estimates.".
We can scarcely hope to touch, within our
limits to-day, the various important topics' which
presented themselves for discussion on this occa-
sion. But it is only fair to remark, in general
terms, that they involved matters of the most vital
importance to the material strength of our navy; to
the efficiency of the service, especially in the su-
perior classes of its officers ; to the further im-
mediate extension and improvement of that most
essential and decisive arm of modern naval warfare,
aimed steam-ships, with a view to the preservation
of our present preponderating strength in this de-
partment (and which can only be preserved, by
adopting the course so powerfully insisted on by the
gallant officers who successively addressed the
House on these points) ; to the evils of
favouritism in the patronage of the Admi-
ralty,—most especially perhaps in the department
of naval architecture ; and to the necessity of both
the professional and the civil heads of that Admiralty
dismissing obsolete prepossessions and prejudices, in
favour of inventions, discoveries, and principles
tested by the most carefully conducted experiments,
and by practical results the best authenticated and
the most conclusive. It is gratifying to remark that
Conservative Members of the profession joined
heartily with Whig and Radical brother officers, in
the valuable admonitions which they tendered to
the Government authorities on these all-important
subjects. The tone of personal independence
which they took was well contrasted and dignified
by the professional solicitude they manifested for the
well-being of the service to which they belonged.
Whilst we pay this just tribute to the speeches of
Sir CHARLES NArmit and Captain Rous, Captain
PECHELL and Sir GEORGE COCKBURN, we must ex-
press our regret that the latter (for whose first-rate
seamanship and distinguished professional career we
entertain the most unaffected respect), should have
evinced a little of that impatience under contradiction
and the statement of opposing opinions, which went so
far to justify the objection powerfully urged by Captain
Rous to the impolicy of retaining in active employ-
ments and commands, those; whom age or infirmity
ought to have retired, in order to be replaced by men
less advanced in years, and whose greater energy and
physical vigour must be so much better suited to the
demands and exigencies of the service. The Right
Hon. and Gallant Gentleman's answer to Captain
PECHELL will not satisfy any man that her MAJESTY'S
naval force, off the coast of Ireland, has not been oc-
casionally called upon to aid, directly or indirectly,
in the collection of poor-rates and other such services,
at once distasteful to and incompatible with the true
duties of the navy. Captain PECHELL did good service
in calling attention to the, gross neglect of the Admi-
ralty, in so long delaying the adoption of certain in-
dispensable improvements in the build and equipment
of our war-steamers. He instanced their tardiness
in fitting their vessels with that invaluable and mar-
vellous application projected by Mr. SMITH, and
pressed upon the Board unceasingly during the last
year or two, of the Archimedian screw-pro-
peller. The French war-steamer which accom-
panied her MAJESTY part of the way from
Treport, and afterwards, if we remember,
visited PortSmouth with the French Princes, is a per-
fect model of a steamer on this.prbaciple ; in the use
of which, greater security and effectiveness are neces-
sarily attained with greater symmetry, from the
absence of the unsightly and cumbrous paddle-boxes
on the sides and waist of the craft—offering, at onee,
the fairest mark for the enemy's guns And the most
certain means of her own instant and irretrievable
crippling. What was the answer of Sir G. COCK-
BURN to the case of immediate necessity so irresis-
tibly put to him,—on the fair assumption, always ad-
missible in argument though to be deplored indeed,
were it truly in anticipation,—of hostilities between
France and England? This:—

" They had now several engineers engaged in testing the
results of different experiments, and he had no doubt but
that before many years elapsed we should have adopted a
principle so much improved as entirely to defeat the rivalry
of foreign nations."

" Before many years have elapsed"—alas ! the ques-
tion of the wisdom or the folly of our steamers being
Now prepared and fitted, or not, with these screws
may have been already decided. We must resume on
an early day, our notice of the remaining passages
in the debate.

The only intelligence in the Madrid journals, of the
23d ult., is a decree published by the FinanCe

ter, relative to the tobacco duties. According to this,
vast reforms are to take place, and the interest on the
Three per Cents. is to be faithfully paid. The plan is
to lease the duties to a company of capitalists, on
certain conditions, among which are the following :
The contract shall endure for ten years, reckoning
from the Ist of May, 1844. The contractors shall
pay 75,000,000 reals (750,0001.) each year, into the
Treasury, without any reduction, and the contractors
shall advance to the Government 50,000,000 of reals
billon, in gold or silver, or in bills on Paris and Lon-
don, or on the provinces, at the exchange of the day,
in four equal payments, the first payment to be made
on the day the contract is taken possession of. This
advance of funds on the part of the enterprise will
bear an interest of 6 per cent., payable half-yearly.
The contractors will be repaid this advance of
50,000,000 (500,0001.) at the rate of 10,000,000
each year of the last five years of the duration of the
contract. All this promises fair ; but, nevertheless,
we say to English contractors, leave all the advan-
tages of the contract to the Spaniards themselves.
We fear it is only another scheme to raise the wind,
and rob those who will be mad enough
.to trust to
Spanish honour.

The Three per Cents. were quoted at 30 7-16 at
sixty days, and Fives at 23.

The affair of Otaheite still occupies public atten-
tion at Paris, but it is to be hoped that the explana-
tions given by Ministers in the Chamber on Tuesday
will set it at rest. The conduct of Admiral DUPETIT
THOUARS, on the showing of the Minister of Marine,
rwas both unjustifiable and ridiculous. No resistance,
said M. GUIZOT, had been made against the French
authorities, either by the QUEEN or the English, and
there was nothing whatever to justify the conduct of
the Admiral. He indignantly repelled the charge
that the Government had acted in this affair in con-
sequence of any communication from the English
Cabinet, and declared that the resolution which had
been adopted by the KING in Council was a sponta-
neous and independent act. A brief report of the
speeches will be found under the proper head. The
KING returned to Paris from Eu on Wednesday
forenoon. The funds on Thursday closed at the price
of the preceding day.

THE BOURSE-THURSDAY, FEB. 29.

First Highest Lowest

Last

Price. Price. Price. Price.
French Five per Cents. .... 125 70 .. 125 75 .. 125 70 •• 125 70
Four per Cents. .... 106 10 .. 106 10 .. 106 10 .• 106 10
Three. per Cents.• .• . 82 35 . • 82 40 .. 82 35 82 35
flank of France •• . .... ... 3270 ••3270 ..3270 ••3270
Lallitto Bank, I,ooof. Sharesllos .. 1105 . • 1105 .. 1105
Belgian Bank
Belgian Fives .•••••• • .. • • • • 104 ... 1041 .. 104 .. 1041
1840 .. ••• • • • 1071 • • 107 k 1071 1071
1842
Threes •••• • • • • ••• • 7G 75 • • 76 75 76 75 • • 76 75
Spanish Active ... ••• • . • ... 334 .. 331 • • 331 .. 334
Passive ... . 51 .. 54 • • 54 • • 54
Portuguese Five per Cents • • 46 .. 46 •• 451. 454
Neapolitan lO3 • . 103 • • 102 30 • • 102 65
Roman •.• • • ... •• • ....• 1061 .. 1064 • • 1064 • . 1064