The Sun.
London, England, 1826-12-04 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The critical posture of affairs between Spain and Por-
tugal, as it involves au opposition between the essential
interests of Great Britain and others of the superior powers
of Europe, or, more correctly speaking, between their re-
spective systems of policy, has become a serious topic of
consideration. in the political circles within the last fort-
night. 'We see not how a rupture can be avoided, but by
the departure of the French troops from Spain, and of the
enNt osrhodu
jodesbiet really
cc.
o squadrontir o usu
of Englandllythe Ffrio.emnchtheeTovegternism.
ous of retaining a single soldier beyond the Pyrenees, at
an enormous expense, and to the eventual destruction of
whatever discipline accompanied the army in its invasion.
The House of Bourbon has already solved the only problem
about which it had any reason to be solicitous. The
troops, it is now manifest, are faithful to the Royal Family;
and what can be gained for the real benefit of the monar-
chy by this waste of strength on a foreign and ungrateful
soil, is more than we can imagine. It appears dear, that
the longer the Monkish principle of Government prevails
at Madrid, the more certain and ready will be the prospect
of a re-action, unless prevented by France; and, therefore,
the more extensive the demands upon the latter kingdom
for support in men and money. M. Villele, as an indivi-
dual, is convinced of this;
.but as a creature of the priest-
hood, he is forced to accommodate his policy to objects
which it is impossible for him or for any reasonable states-
man to approve. However, let this Minister look before
him carefully : it is better to leave a. fallinglouse to its
fate, than to spend the price of a dozen new ones in vainly
striving to support it.—Tintes.
The intelligence from Colombia, by ,the last. Jamaica
packet, has not, it seems, enabled Mr. Hurtado to say one
word about the remittances from hie, Government—the
unseen and mysterious dollars, from Carthagenat which he
so providentially insured. Has the vessel which contained
them foundered ? Perhaps he has received official des-
patches upon the subject, explaining the causes of the de-
lay : at all events, he must now be in possession of docu-
ments which will convince the Bondholders that the money
was once at Carthagena,- and intended to be forwarded to
England. It is the snore necessary that Mr. Hurtado
should lose not a moment in giving the most' unreserved
explanations upon this subject ; -because, from all that
publicly appears, there is absolutely nothing which can
lead the most sanguine creditor of the Republic to hope
for what is due to him. Where are these Carthagens dol-
lars, for the safe arrival of which the insurance was
effected ? Are they still at Carthagena ? Have they
been sent back to Bogota ? Have they been applied to
some other purpose? Or are they at the bottom of the
Atlantic ? Mr. Hurtado must not expect that he can re-
main silent upon this matter, and escape opinions injurious
to his character.—Netv Tinier.

It is a very common practice, but not the more excu-
sable on that account, for any one who is accused, to
turn round upon his accusers, and instead of rebutting the
charge, prefer one against them. The thief, for instance,
complains continually of the rough usage be has expe-
rienced from the polite-officer • the lady of questionable
Virtue talks 'of the scandal which has been thrown upon
her character ; and the wholesale dealer in fraudulent hub-
bles moves for a criminal information against the libellers
of his honour and reputation. Without assimilating the
case to any, or either of these, we cannot help thinking
that it is at least injudicious in Mr. Brogden to suppose
that he will at all aid his own case, by attemptingtoftow
any of the odium of it upon Mr. \Vaitbman. But Mr.
Waithman, forsooth, like the press upon somewhat similar
occasions, is attempted to be made the scapegoat; and Mr.
Brogden would really have the world believe that he is,
through Mr. Waithman's means, an injured and persecuted
man • and but for the over-officious, unwarrantable zeal of
the Worthy Alderman, would have been quietly reseated
in the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee with a
salary of 1,2001. a-year. But, whatever may be the merit
or demerits of the matter, Mr. Wititliman has no title to lay
claim to it. All-that Mr. Weithinan did, as far as Mr.
Brogden is concerned, was in substance this—" I
mean' " says he, .,to bring -the whole question of the
late Bubble Mania before the House, and under-
standing that the late Chairman of its Com.
mittees has been engaged in some of thorn JI
shall oppose his re-election till that inquiry has taken
place." But it was not Mr. Waithman who threw the
first stone at Mr. Brogden ; it was Sir Joseph Yorke.
On the election of the Speaker that blunt and honeet
Member spoke out in a way that could not be misundar.
stood ; and threw down the gauntlet in a tone of defiance
which no one ventured to reply to. But surely all this
did not come unexpectedly upon Mr. Brogden. His share
in these matters had been discussed from•the Land's End
to the Orkneys, long before either Sir Joseph Yorlce or
Mr. Waithman had said one word upon the subject ; and
therefore if Mr. Brogden has. a satisfactory defence to
offer, which we hope he has, he should have been pre-
pared with it months ago; and not now express surprise
at an accusation, which, we will venture to say, every men
in the kingdom, competent to judge of the matter, knew
very well would inevitably be made. We repeat that we
shall be happy to see Mr. Brogden come pure and unsuls
lied from the ordeal which awaits him. We hope he will
be able especially to show how he, a man of mercantile
habits, could have 1,045/. paid to his account at his
banker's, without knowing from what source it came. But
whether he can, or whether he cannot, Mr. Waithman is
not answerable for the consequences. He has conducted
himself up to this moment quite unimpeachably upon the
subject. Of course he must expect to raise a hornet's nest
about his ears. The whole tribe of plunderers will of
course hate and abuse him. But there is a power stronger
than they—the power of public opinion—which will sup-
port and maintain him, if he does his duty fearlessly, ho-
nourably, and impartially.—Morning
Without alluding to particular instances, which the very
subject we are about to mention will probably show that
it would not, perhaps, be quite safe to do it, it must be ob-
svoioumes
ttiomeeveeinTraogneed tihnatt the Pe
the
em osrtis4ios irtant ttrnudg been
gle ithas ifoorr
many:years had to contend with, in behalf of its own, and,
or!tee
with it, that of the public liberty. The question at issue
seems now to have resolved itself into a very narrow come
pass—viz. Whether to expose' the vices and the frauds tss
mostthe mosts cases
p"reoboabtseeorifv tmankindtlat
criminale or
informations
be not a
crime Its
are
sorted to. Actions for the civil injury, which
dents the opportunities of justifying their assertions if they
can, is the remedy which conscious innocence, we should
imagine, would most readily promptsa man to adopt.—
Next to that, nit indictment where a Grand Jury would
have the means of sifting and interrogating Witnesses. The
last, and least to be admired, is that by v 61114141 informs.
mien, which imposes upon the Judges the painful duty of
p v it
o ‘vinoi
being compelled to belieVe and act upon whatever a man
can screw up his conscience to swear to on his null behalf;
for it is
upon oath
the statements of which lie complains. Now one result of
such a rule is, that the' more infamous a man is, the more
readily he ran obtain his coil. A base wretch, for instance,
clplidailiiesenig n,
should
ooutlfdlis falsifyfoin of proceed.
that
essential,
the
whose eyes a judicial oath is of no more consequence than
the habitual ones which he every moment uses, can, when
tits are told of him, readily obtain his cri-
who may have violated all the laws of God and man, in
any awkward truths
by swearing that whichhe himself
krtorvs
We wish we could, for their own
too be which the Court must, in that stage,
"PP"' andt fter tilrieties.ake:of public liberty and justice, see
sakes;,
he Courts ridding themselves of this anomalous kind of
jurisdiction. Why should not Grand Juries be resorted to
in all eases? There-has been no denial of justice ontheir
part, Indeed they have, on most occasions, slitoWn too
ready a tendency to admit of groundless charges. But be-
fore them there is at least a chance (often, to be sure, a
very sorry one) of witnesses being crossweemiiied, and of