The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-20 00:00:00

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ittitill

LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1844.

A Morning Contemporary observes, with reference
to the game-laws—" There is every reason to believe
that anober session will not pass without a complete
revision of these laws. We may also add, that since
.Sir JAMES GuAnAm has been at the head of the
Nome Department, the evidence on which committals
and convictions for poaching have been founded has,
in every case of alleged severity, been required by
him from the convicting- and committing magistrates.
On every account it is most desirable that the admi-
nistration of the game-laws, during the approaching
autumn and winter months, should temper mercy
with justice; and a broad distinction be taken by
magistrates ketween poachers from necessity, and
poachers from idleness and confirmed vicious habits."
There is both good sense and good feelingint.hislast
remark of our Tory Contemporary, though me doubt
lnuch whether his suggestion will be acted on by
our provincial magistrates, many of whom—if not
the majority—are ardent sportsmen, and, regarding
poachers as criminals of the blackest die, look on
them with the same sort of shuddering horror with
'which ST. DUNSTAN as the old legend tells us—
koked on the Devil. We must confess also that we
entertain strong doubts as to the probability of the
same-laws being subjected to a searching revision in
the course of the next session. That their exceeding
rigor may be partially relaxed, and the amount of
their notorious injustice be diminished, is likely
enough ; but when we bear in mind of what class of
men the majo-, portion of the House of Commons is
composed, and consider the power which they have in
their hands, when united in a body—as they would

probably be on this question—we are far indeed
from anticipating that any very important altera-
tion will be made in the game-laws. At
least two-thirds of the country-gentlemen in
Parliament—who, whatever other good qualities
they may be endowed with, are by no means remark-
able for the possession of " absolute wisdom''—at
least two-thirds of this non-sapient fraternity, cling
to the despotic, feudal laws which regulate game, with
the same desperate tenacity with which they cling
to the laws which regulate the price of corn. In
their partial eyes, each of these oppressive statutes is
a miracle of senatorial sagacity—the most glorious
monument of the wisdom of our ancestors ; and to
subject either to a process of sweeping revision, they
would look on as one of the most unconstitutional
acts possible—an act calculated to draw down the
vengeance of Heaven on this offending country, and
make it a byeword and a mockery among nations. As
a parson sticks to his tithes, and a placeman to
his sinecure, so does a sporting country gentleman
stick to his game-laws. He thinks of his preserves
and plantations—his moors, his marshes, and his
stubbles—and is impressed with a sickening apprehen-
sion that all would be rendered wholly valueless,
whether for the purposes of profit or amusement,
were the present statutes which regulate game once
to be subjected to a rigorous process of amendment.
We anticipate, therefore, a fierce opposition in Parlia-
ment to any measure which Ministers may bring
forward for an alteration in the game-laws--unless,
indeed, it be of a tame, inefficient, milk-and-water
character; but we trust that they will not allow
themselves to be brow-beaten by the interested hos-
tility of sporting members, but carry out their scheme
in a bold, independent, impartial spirit, such as the
importance and necessity of the subject demand. Few
things indeed require the prompt and serious attention
of the Legislature more than the game-laws. They
are the origin of half the crimes that are perpetrated
in the agricultural districts ; they sow the seeds of
ill-will between the landholder and his tenant-farmers;
they fill our poor-houses with paupers, and our gaols
with criminals ; they people our convict-ships, and
send constant supplies of wretched victims to our
penal settlements ; and finally, they put the torch
into the hand of Swing, and light up county after
county in a broad, destructive conflagration. How
many a poor, simple-minded peasant who might
otherwise have been a useful and creditable mem-
ber of society, may lay his utter ruin at the
door of the game-laws—laws the justice and
common sense of which, he, in common with thou-
sands of other people, could never be brought to com-
prehend! If the Legislature had always been as
scrupulously attentive in providing for the amuse-
ments of the poor, as it has been in providing for
those of the rich; if the peasant's common land had
always been as jealously guarded from invasion as
the nobleman's or squire's preserves, we should not
now have witnessed the ill-omened spectacle of a
sullen, discontented, alienated peasantry, who, instead
of regarding their superiors as their benefactors, re-
gard them only as their oppressors.

The Government are disposed, we think, to take an
important step, in reference to the great interests of
trade and navigation, in the right direction. We
perceive that the Treasury authorities have called for
returns of the dues and charges, of all kinds, levied
on shipping, " in each port, harbour, or creek in the
United Kingdom, stating the rate of the several dues
levied per ton on each vessel, whether under autho-
rity of Acts of Parliament, and what Acts—by orders
of municipal corporations, and of what date, or by
charter, consent, prescription, or any other autho-
rity, so as to exhibit the entire charges of every kind
on vessels at ea^h of the harbours, ports, and creeks
of the United Kingdom, distinguishing the several
charges upon vessels taking refuge in the harbour
only, from those upon vessels delivering the cargo in
whole or in part ; and also on vessels in the coasting
or in the foreign trade ; distinguishing also the
charges levied for local lights and beacons in each
port (exclusive of those of the Trinity House, the
Irish Ballast Board, and the Commissioners of the
Northern Lights), the charges for pilotage into and
out of each harbour, and the charge for ballast, and
whether under any and what board the same are
levied." The beneficial scope and tendency of such
minute and necessarily voluminous returns as these
may not be obvious, at first sight, to those who are
accustomed to the common, but very absurd notion
that " harbour dues" can possess but little general
relation to the great interests of commerce. It will
be obvious to a moment's serious reflection, however,
that the numerous, and, in many instances, exorbitant
and oppressive charges which are levied under this
general title, from our own coasting vessels, as well
as from foreign shipping, trading to our coasts, have
a direct tendency to diminish and destroy the profits
of all maritime interests. The shipowner is the se-
verest sufferer by them ; but his liabilities re-act, in
the increased rate of freight, &c., on the merchant
and the producer, and finally, through these, on the
consumer, abroad or at home. Among the many
good services rendered by Mr. Hums in the course of
his long and indefatigable Parliamentary career, in
defiance of all discouragement, and disregard of the
entreaties of friends as well as foes (having a com-
munity of interest in keeping up the destructive pres-
sure of these imports), none have been more earnestly
performed by him, and at one period with so little ap-
parent chance of success, as his periodical motions for
returns connected with the receipts of light-houses,
harbour-lights, &c., by private individuals and cor-
porate bodies at different points of the United Kingdom.
For a long time all such information was steadily re-
fused ; but the Hon. Member returned to the attack
with that "dogged perseverance," as his political an-
tagonists have designated it, which is so characteristic
of his public energy ; and, by degrees, returns oozed
forth, slowly and reluctantly indeed, from the sealed
vessels of a few among those hereditary and mis-
chievous monopolies. The principle once conceded
was sure to be carried out to its legitimate
extent. We hear no more now of " the scandalous
interference with vested proprietory rights," which
used to be the mildest terms applied to any
proposal for ascertaining how much was an-
nually charged upon the trade and shipping of the
country, in the shape of dues for lights inefficiently
maintained, or for impracticable harbours,'the shelter
of which no wise or prudent mariner would dream of
seeking, though the track of his voyage might neces-
sarily compel him to run within their Parliamentary
jurisdiction. Government having taken up the
whole of this extensive and complicated sub-
ject, the most unreasonable cavilers at the
views of the Hon. Gentlemen in past years,
will doubtless discover now, that the institution of
inquries such as these bespeaks, on the part of her
MAJESTY'S Ministers, a vigilant and intelligent atten-
tion to the welfare and the protection of our national
commerce. We have no desire to depreciate the
merits of the Treasury, but we are anxious to re-
claim for Mr. Hume that just proportion of the
praise which is due to him who first pointed out the
direction in which the powers of the Legislature
might be advantageously exercised for the-remedy of
a crying evil of almost unsuspected magnitude. In
an early period of the ensuing session we hope that
some Member of Parliament will move for papers
calculated to exhibit an estimate of the probable
amount to which these multifarious imports have di-
minished the sum of that trade which foreign
shipping would, under this partial mitigation or
their removal, have carried on with this country.
Besides numerous other lights, beacons, &c., the
claims of which are imperfectly or not at all
recognised by custom, common law, or Act of Par-
liament, there are forty-two lighthouses of England
(if we- remember rightly) that compose the list of
those for which dues are or have been demanded. Of
these, fifteen are :on the eastern coast of England,
thirteen in the English Channel, and fourteen in the
Irish Channel. On the coasts of Ireland there are
twenty-six lighthouses; on the Scotch coasts, seven-
teen. But there is a large number of points on our
d toe e
deficiency
dangerous shores where these guides and bea-
owanendne;ers on the seas" are still want-
ngi
fornupon the humanity and policy of' the
of which is an actual e
nipirree_p reproach
iti-
gated only by the consideration of the pecuniary bur-
den their erection must impose on the country.
In offering these remarks we are so far from
undervaluing the plea asserted on behalf of
vested interests, that we very sincerely hope the
Government may devise some large scheme of con-
solidation, control, and management, in respect
,f- lighthouses and harbour dues, which may,
wherever private rights are involved in the title to

these, be based on a sacred principle of compensation ;
but we do hope that; such vested interests may be as
speedily as possible, by that process, extinguished.
Where private capital has aided the views of sagacity
or benevolence in constructing these most valuable
public works, which the Government of the country
had either neglected or never been enabled to provide,
it is most fit that the capital so advanced, with an
equivalent for a fair average of all subsequent re-
turns produced by it, should be reimbursed to its
legal representative or owner. But it is not fitting
that the amount of the tolls or dues levied for the
support and maintenance of such works should be
determined by the judgments—to say nothing of the
caprices—of parties whose interested relation to them
must make them, with the public, very suspicious
authorities on such subjects. We hope, in short,
to see the day when the Government—taking
all these concerns into its own hands and control—
shall devise a scheme of dues and tolls, which, being
fully commensurate with the actual expenditure in-
curred by or required for the establishments in
question, shall be limited by that demand only, instead
of being extended to the creation of mighty incomes
for private owners. In the returns moved for by the
Treasury officers, the germ of a system appears to
develop itself, destined to extend, multiply, and give
the greatest practicable efficiency to those noble
aids to trade and navigation, at greatly diminished
infinitely less vexatious, and definite rates of contri-
bution from the shipowner and merchant.

Madrid journals of the 12th inst. have been re-
ceived. Their contents are not without importance.
In one of them, the Eco del Cornercio, we find some
explanation of the mysterious concealment of the pro-
ceedings previous to the bombardment of Tangiers.
Mr. HAY, the British Consul, had made an arrange-
ment with the Emperor of MOROCCO, but that did not
satisfy Marshal BUGUAIJD and the young Prince.
The following is from a correspondent of that journal,
dated Gibraltar, the 7th inst.:—
" The Emperor Muley Abderhaman had accepted the
proposals conveyed by Mr. Hay, the English Consul at
Tangiers, and consequently the differences between the
Courts of Spain and France and Morocco were consi-
dered as adjusted, but, yesterday, in virtue of orders re-
ceived from Marshal Bugeaud, and even before Mr. Hay
had returned from Mogadore, the Prince de Joinville
opened the fire against Tangiers, and effected with his
whole squadron a bombardment which lasted some
hours. After a vigorous defence, the batteries of the
town were completely destroyed by the French squadron.
The other squadrons took no part in the bombardment.
It is affirmed that the Belle Poule frigate has rather se-
verely suffered, and that the crew was saved in the boats
of the other ships. At half a league from the place
12,000 Bedouins awaited the landing of the French
troops, but it did not take place yesterday. Mr. Hay
arrived hither last night, at eleven o'clock, in the Eng-
lish steamer, the Vesuvius."
Letters from Cadiz state, that after the bombard-
ment of Tangiers, the squadron under the command
of the Prince DB JOINVILLE proceeded to Cadiz,
where they arrived on the 7th, in order to repair the
damage they sustained; but they were soon to bom-
bard the other towns on the coast of Morocco.
There had been some disturbances at Madrid, but
they were speedily put down.
The Three per Cents. were done at 27 13-16 at 60
days, and the Five per Cents. at 19k.

It is a singular circumstance in the policy of the
French Government with regard to Morocco, that
though accounts are published of the attack on Tan-
giers, of the destruction of the forts, and of the
small loss sustained by the French, only two boys
having been killed, that the public have received no
information on authority relative to the conditions of
the ultimatum and the reply of the EMPEROR. There
is a total blank between peaceful negotiation and the
bombardment of one of the principal seaports—all
that the French authorities deign to communicate is,
that the answer was not satisfactory. The French
justly complain of this hiatus; but the English have
more reason, for on the nature of the negotiations and
the terms proposed and rejected, rests the important
question—on what grounds did the Prince de JOIN-
viLLE make such a sudden and destructive attack
upon a town belonging to a Power in intimate alli-
ance with England? The Opposition papers espe-
cially reprobate this strange course of proceeding.
" While every bulletin," says one of them, "from the
army of BUGISAUD, however long or unimportant, have
been given at length in the Monitour, the circum-
stances which. .preceded and accompanied the bom-
bardment of Tangiers are most briefly mentioned."
" Many things," says the National, " remain to be
explained, in order to render the preceding dispatches
intelligible, and to account for so prompt a transition
from peace to war, and it is natural that the public
should be anxious to know the exact amount of our
loss, and what measures were adopted towards the
town after the bombardment." The Constitutionnel
makes similar remarks, and adds, " there are many
families waiting with anxiety the return of the
casualties and rumours of all sorts, which the silence
of the Government unfortunately tends to confirm.'
The only article put forth by a Ministerial paper, to
clear up the mystery, appears in the Globe ; but it, in
fact, gives no information whatever, while it accuses the
EMPEROR of a design to protract the negotiations till
the French fleet should be driven off the coast by the
equinoxial gales; but this is mere conjecture, and
the public will not believe one word of it while the
full details are withheld. These are the remarks of
the Ministerial journal:—

•
" It was evident that the Emperor of Morocco wished
to gain a month more, and reach the season of the equi-
nox, when it would be impossible for the French squad-
ron to remain on the coast of Morocco. The Prince
perceived the snare, particularly when he found that an
evasive answer was returned to two important points in
thv ultimatum—namely, the dissolution of the body of
trollops stationed on the Algerian frontier, and the settle-
ment of the boundary question. The discussion relative
to Abd-el-Kader, and the objections made by the Em-
peror with regard to the place of his banishment, con-
vinced M. de Nion that he was not in earnest. How do
you wish me to expel the Emir,' observed that Sovereign
to the French negotiator, when you found it so difficult
yourselves to drive him out of Algeria ?' "
In the meantime the greatest preparations are in
progress for continuing the war with vigour. Several
vessels in the harbour of Brest are to be put in requi-
sition, and in a very short period there will be a
French force on the coast of Morocco sufficient to
put a atop to all commerce. The Constitutionnel says
the next place to be attacked is Mogadore :
"After the operations against Tangiers the squadron
was to have proceeded to other ports as far as Mogadore.
At the latter point the difficulty of attacking will be
greater than at Tangiers. The pass which leads into
the roads has, it appears, not depth of water enough for
ships beyond the size of brigs. It is probably owing to
this circumstance that the port of Brest has been ordered
to hasten the arming of the three gun-brigs, La Vigie,
L'Alonette, and La Tactique. A corvette de charge is
very shortly to leave Toulon, and join the squadron, with
war ammunition, to replace that which has been ex-
pended in the bombardment of Tangiers. Two more
steamers, one of 320 and the other of 220 horse power,
have also been sent to the Prince de Joinville, and it is
also said that the steam-frigate Montezuma, which is
coming from Rochefurt, will join his squadron."
The French funds, in consequence of the alarming
state of affairs, still continue depressed. On Sunday
the Three per Cents. were quoted at 80f. 70c.
It appears that the Government have at length re-
solved to curb the restless and mutinous boys of the
Polytechnic school. Their last offence was refusing
to be examined by a professor of the name of
DUHAMEL on the ground that his appointment was
not regular. The KING has, therefore, by the follow-
ing decree, dissolved the school :
" On the report of our Minister the Secretary of
State for the Department of Marine and Colonies, act-
ing ad interim as Minister of War, and considering the
acts of disobedience and disorder which have lately
taken place in the Polytechnic School, we have decreed
as follows :
" Article 1. The Polytechnic School is dissolved.
"2. The chiefs, administratons, professors, exa-
miners, and officers of the school, will preserve their
titles and emoluments.
" 3. An ulterior ordinance will regulate the reorga-
nisation of the school.
" 4. Our Minister the Secretary of State ;for the De-
partment of the Marine and Colonies, directing ad
interim the War Department, is charged with the execu-
tion of the present ordinance.
" Given at Neuilly, on the' 17 th of August, 1844.
"LOUIS PHILIPPE.'

BinGISTON, MONDAY.—The Baron and Baroness
Seebach and Count Dmitry Nesselrode arrived last night
by the last train from London, on a visit to Count Nessel-
rode, at Pegg's Royal York Hotel. Baron Seebach took
leave of the Baroness and his father-in-law this morning,
and proceeded by the nine o'clock train to Dover, on :his
return to the Continent. The Baroness will commence
sea-bathing forthwith, and, He understand that Dr.
Franz has also recommended her to take equestrian ex-
ercise on the Downs. Count Nesselrode rode to the
Dyke on horseback on Saturday, and in the evening Dr.
Franz dined with him arthe hotel. The Magnet steamer
arrived at the Chain-pier this morning, about one o'clock,
from Dieppe. Among the passengers was M. Kesseleff,
the Russian Charge d'Affaires at Paris, who imme-
diately proceeded to the York Hotel on a visit to Count
Nesselrode,