The Sun.
London, England, 1828-05-19 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.:

The debate of Friday evening on the Navy Esti- 1
mates will have been read by every man in the coup-
\
try with an interest inseparable from the subject of
our national marine. If a diminution of the defen-
sive eetablishmente, of Great Britain could be ren-
dered either productive of eventual econc4my, or con-
eirtent with the public safety, there is no reasonable
being who would think of withholding his assent
from the measure, and undoubtedly we may take
credit for asserting that the objection would not
come from the Times; but the independence of Eng-
land being identified with her greatness, and both
with her existence, it is obvious that proposals which
touch the force of the navy must be decided on con-
siderations not technically of a financial nature ; and,
indeed, that if they were, the governing question
eeith an upright Statesman would he, not how much
could be immediately reduced, but at what point he
ought to hesitate, from the ‘vell-founded apprehen-
sion of being forced by other Powers to revive, at
double cost, the efficiency of a broken-up system.
So much we have judged it prudent to hint by way
of exception to the universality of the rule, that where-
ever a shilling can -he saved for the public, the knife
ought to be employed with an unsparing finger. We
trot, however, that the Finance Committee will not
.be deterred, either by the insinuations or direct at-
,lacks to which its proceedings were exposed on
Friday, from a bold and manly perseverance in the
course whicheits duty prescribes, and which the mo-
tives for • its appointment, declared on the part of
I'dinstere, and concurred in by the whole nation,
er.arlee4 out as that alone through which even the
tightest '.relief or public benefit can be accom-
plished. We :rust that no impatience, no ill-tem-
per, no levity from any quarter, will shake the un-
derstood purpose of the committee, to search into
every department, to publish every abuse, and to hole
ap every jobber and wrongdoer to animadversion. If
we cannot have a full report now, let us wait until
we can insure it—six or eight months will have been
well employed in the business of detection, re-
;trenchment, and reform, taking for granted that no
part of the time thus intended to promote and com-
plete the ends of an essential inquiry, will be turned
to the lamentable work of intriguing for indulgence
to. specie ea.3e; of prodigality, or for mercy to great
names, which is no better than compounding with
the most dangerous of all felons. Suspicions are
undoubtedly afloat, that the Finance Committee was
agreed to by some of the mere shrewd among men
is of as a dexterous tub to the whale— a specu-
lation of the official gentlemen, which it rests with
the members of the Committee to .frustrate, The
manly and direct character of the Duke of Weiling-
ton makes us slow o listen to such a suspicion.—

Mr. Maurice Fitzgerald, in the discussion on Fri •
day right, observed, "that he could say of such of
friepds a; were upon the Finance Committee,
that they were competent to the ordinary purposes
for which embers of -Parliament were intended.—
(Hear and laughter.)--But it was extremely dangerous
to allow them to go beyond their tether, and to touch
treat subjects, for the management and investigation
of which they were never intended either by nature
or education." What are the ordinary purposes for
which Members of Parliament are intended ? Voting
blindly, we suppose, whatever they are told to vote,
ie the main purpose. But, by way of indemnification
for not being allowed to touch any of the great sub-
jects, they have the privilege of amusing themaelves
with such trifling subjects :Is making and reforming
Law?. Legislation i 3 as easy ss playing at nine-
pin s.—Morning,Chron4:ele.
We are glad that Mr. Thompson means to bring
in a _Bill to repeal those foolish laws called Usury
Laws, made to prevent people from lending their
money at whatever interest they please; as if a man
had run as great a right to obtain for the use of hie
money whatever he can, as he has to sell his good-.
for as much as he can. For, after all, money is but
the representative of goods ; and if it he fair for a
man to deal in goods in any way he pleases, and for
any profit, ',,urely he has the same right to deal in
his money, The hest book, or rather pamphlet, that
we have- read on this eubject, i 3 Mr. Bentham's
Defence. of Usury. Before the queetion comes
before the House, we would recommend every-
Member of Parliament to read that pamphlet. It
is very singular that, while the nation it-elf has been
the great Usurer, and ;w Mlle, the Parliament has for
so great a length of time encouraged National
Usury, that - the Parliament should have made
such severe laws to prevent the Usury of individuals.
Who encouraged Usury more than Mr. Pitt—when
he had used to borrow money of the trairees at the!
rate of giving them a bond for 10.0/. for 501. or COI.
only of money received, besideo an interest of 3/., I
which, on the 50/. or 60/., would he six or five per
eent. per annum '? If these Usury Laves had not
been in force, the people of this country would not
have been so foolish as to have lent such immense
sums of money to the unprincipled Governments of
South Amerira, nor would people have put it in the
power of swindlers to have plundered them of their
property in working old worn-mit mines ; nor should
we have lent. our money to our enemy, the Russiana,
to enable them to conquer our Ally, the Turks, or
07e Persians; and eventually to pour their troops
into our East India possessions. We hope that Mr.
Thompson will be supported by the Commons
generally in this measure. At the same time, we
think titat the Law of Arrest for Debt should be
also done away.—)Horning Herald.
We confess that we feel neither doubt nor tear
respecting the issue of the conference on the Ca-
tholic Claims to-night, and that we should not expe-
rience either,even were the House of Lords to adopt
the Resolutions of • the Commons. It is a very dif-
ferent thing for two bodies of men to agree that
meana ought to he taken for settling the Catholic
';aims, and to agree what those means shall be.—
No man in his senses can object to settling the Ca-
thole Question, and one of the first and most ob-
viotic. modes of. attaining that is to give them each a
as may prevent them from troubling. Par-
liament for slime time to come. We would rather
see the House er Lords do this than merely nefea-
tive the'resolution. The disturbances of Ireland,
are connected with its. religion,
sci far as they may
tie •traced to one measure—the admiseian of the
fortyshillie freeholders to a vote for INTernii„„
,of Parliament. The next best thing to not doingl
wiling, is to undo it as. sPt'eff-ilk ias possible.--- .
Let the forty shilling franchise hea,a:thdrawn. It
a: cote burdeu to the freeholders th.arriselves—
theyle62l it to be such, and it J" besides, a curse
so their country. No human
,oeing reaps anyaa.,
•-aantage from it but the O'Connells; Lind the Priests.
The second step would be, to put down that com-
pound of impudence and iguorenre, the Aseociat. ion.
Of all the assemblages that ever were permitted
beard the Government of the country, and outrage.
the laWs of peace and good order, to which ail otlaten
lawn are and ought to be subservient, the Catholic,
Parliament is the most mischievous. Indeed,- the
only wonder to us has always been, how it has been
tolerated so long. The next thing ought, to he to
teach the priests of the Roman Catholic.fiath that
their study lies in things spiritual, not things tone
porol, and that the first man that ahall7be (mind
prostituting the ordinances (Pt' God, by using the
'pulpit as a political rostrum, should preach his next
tay sermon within the walls of a prison. Those
three measures once adopted, we shall not, for some
veers to come, heat' any thing more about the Mi..
raculoua virtues of emancipation, to clothe the naked,
and feed the hungry.--Neu

The administration of the public contributions
at Paris have completed, on the 106 inst., the purchase
of Havaurnah tobacco, for which they advertised for
tenders in the month of March. The supply, which hai
been finally undertaken by Mr. BAILKIEVX, of Bordeaux,
amounts to 50,000 kilogrammes, and the price accepted
is
490 francs for the mark S, and 540 francs fir qualities
inferior to it. The sample of mark S, on which the con-
tract has been entered into, indicated a much superior
quality to the article supplied last year at a price of 500
from