The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-21 00:00:00

illarniu.l ... 4.1 t..

LONpON,,VRIPAY, JUNE 21, 1844:

In the Commons forty-nine petitions werepresented
in favour. of the -Repeal of the, Union.
In answer to question from 'Mr. MASTERMAN re-
lative to the pperation of ,the , Bank, Charter. Bill and
Joint-Stock Banks, lir. GLADSTONE said it was ,not
not the intention of the Government to apply the pro-
, visions of the Bill ,to these banks at. present, except•
with' regard to registration. The Government recog-
nised all tile privileps of these.hanke up .to the pass
ing of the 13111. . " • .

C aptE9I:I44YARD asked 16 • Government whether
there was any truthin the report th 4 P‘rl DE GREY
tiO resigned his:Ciffice as Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland..
Lord ELIOT 'could give no answer, and referred the
Hon: Member to Sir ItonERT PEEL.

At a later period of the evening Sir R. PEEL ob-
served that he had mistaken Captain Leirsiizi's= quek-
tion respecting Lord DE Games resignation—he had
resigned, but solely through ill health,
Mr: sit/ELL goe.notipe that he would this evening
put a question.,..to Roßta'r P,AEL, to ascertain
whether he :had issued anrorderktoi the Education
Committee, relative to Church patronage -in Ireland.,
The'llouse went into' Conunittee the Sugar
Duties Bill,. when .:a very.amusii*- dist, 118819 n took
place, about.slave-labour sugar and free?labour. sugar.
The only answer relative to ih-eir 4,lippctiost was
given by Mr. iILAIMITME, wha:Said 41* slavery of
Java was different from the slavery 4,,? Br ski . This.
was no answer at ally anclnotwitlistitkilug spaio able
remarks made by Lordt.PAEXERSA'OI4, Ministers
could not adduce another 'argunietit in favour
of their differential duty. Mr. Hints stated,
evidently with the' apprObation of, tbe House,
that the. Government itself did nat„kno*Ayliat the
distinction meant. A lengthened; towveritatlon- fol•
lowed, when Mr. GLADS4VNE, beYiedrivelYinto a
corner, declared that. he ,did_oot know-whether the.i
sugEw raised in ‘Cochin-China was the produce of free
labour:- Nearly the. whole of the evening was o&u
i-
pied n the discussion of the different,elauses:of this
Bill, and no'Government certainly ever made such a
tame defence for a- -' • -
treasure of ouch vast importance,
GLADSTCriawho .hail .to bear,the brunt of. the
battle, had recourse to mere shuffling—to the logic
practised in debating clubs, and Sir Itoszat Pan

now and then came to his relief, but, unrortunately,
he lent him no aid. Taking it altogether, this Sugar
Bill is the most bungling measure ever introduced
into Parliament. Government pretend a hcrror of
sugar raised by slaves; they insult the Brazilians,
among the best of our customers ; and they give a
preference to some miserable islands in the East,
where, according to all accounts, slavery is more ram-
pant than in South America.
On the fourth clause being read, which referred to
certificates respecting the countries from which sugar
was to be imported, a division took place, on the
motion of Lord PALMERSTON, when there were, for
the clause, 114 ; and against it, 60.
Several other clauses were agreed to, -and the
House resumed. The report was ordered to be re-
ceived this day.
The Parishes (Scotland) Bill was read a third time
and passed.
The other orders of the day were then disposed
of, and the House adjourned at half-past One. '

At the usual weekly meeting of the Anti-corn-law
League, which took place on Wednesday evening in
Covent-garden Theatre, Mr. COBDEN, alluding to the
approaching debate in the House of Commons on the
bread-tax, observed :---" Before we meet again in
.this place for the promotion of the objects of free
trade, our friend Mr. VILLIERS will have submitted
this question to the consideration and decision of
Parliament. I will not now stay to inquire as to the
probable manner in which the Members of the House
-may treat that motion; it is sufficient for us to know
that, after their election to Parliament forthe pur-
pose of upholding and continuing monopoly, the rank
and file of the monopolists, who think it . right to
.sacrifice every interest, of the country ,to, their
own, are not likely to make any concessions
noi:v' The „ probability unquestionably is, as
the Member for Stockport says, that the Con-,
servatives will vote to a man in favour of
the continuance of the corn-laws ; but it is by no
means a matter of certainty that they will ,do so, for
after their late extraordinary and unhesitating
changes and tergiversations, at the command of their
Corypineus, Sir ROBRRT PEEL, it is impossible to
speculate on the course of conduct they will be likely
to pursue on any public question of moment. That
they will look pretty sharply after, what they,•con,
sider to be, their own interests, may be predicated of
them with great safety ; still, as their blind, cringing
obedience to their despotic chief, and their horror of
embarrassing him by any decided manifestation of
independence, are apparently stronger feelings with
them than even their own selfish interestsv there
is little doubt that if the Premier was to del
clare hitn.self a corn-law repealer, , the Conser-,
natives would instantly declare themselves to the
same effect. Whatever measures he thought fit,
in the' plenitude' and profundity of his • po-t
litical wisdom, to• bring -forward, his sycophantic
adherents would be sure to stamp with the
seal of their approbation, no matter how absurd or
ruinous it might be to the welfare of the community'
Were he even to cashier Lord LYNDHURST, and make
thC Devil the keeper of the QUEEN'S
.COnSCIOICO, wi
firmly believe that 'the ConservatiVes would hail the
,appointment as one of the most moral and virtuous
that could possibly have been'made ! As it is not at all •
likely, however, after his formal announcement at the
commencement of the session, of his intention to make,
just at present, no further alteration in the corn-law 4
that Sir ROAERT PEEL will support Mr. VILLIERe
motion on that question; we may fairly presume that
his obsequious party will exhibit equal determination
,to make no concession on this point, •so that nothing
more will be obtained by the discussion Than an
additional proof that the House of Commons represent
the sense of the country to no greater extent than -
did in the days of the boroughinongers. Mr. COBDE
nett proceeded to' give an explanation of the reaso
which induced him to give his late vote on the Spg
, _

. .
question ; and remarked- , in 'reference to 'the present
aspect of affairs in Parliament:—" He was sorry tO
say - that such was the opinion of political partie
throughout the. country, '"that his belief- was that
people cared very little for one party or the other,
and that there was very little to- choose between
ihem." There is but too ranch truth in this'obser-
vation. Both Whigs and Tories have long lost the
confidence.of the country—the latter, hoWever, 'to ii
much greater degree than the former—and what is k
still more discouraging sign of the timei, is the daili
increasing conviction among the people, that there '
scarcely a public man of any note whose consistent
and disinterestedness may be relied on. For th

general distrust we have, in a considerable tneasur4,
to thank Sir Itontat PEEL, whose indifference tp
principle and resolute adherence' to the expediency-
system of 'government, which have infected a gretit
'majority of the House of•Commons,' have at lengli
fully opened the eyes of the public, and •taught theM
what they may expect—or rather what they may not
expect--from their representatives in Parliamen.
We have, however, one consolation. Things cannet
continue much 'trier in their-present stide;for it is
the nature of'an evil, when once it has attained la
certain height, to generate its own remedy: I

Lord MOTTEAGLE, on Thursday sennight, moved,
in the House of. Lords, for the appointment of la
‘‘Select Committee on the Import. Duties, with t
view of con4ldering the effect produced by protecti
duties' do the foreign commerce, the home .industry,
the revenue, and the general prOsperity of the British
Empire." The speech of the Noble Lord, whigh
occupied more than three, hours in its delivery, !mid
obviously been prepared with extraordinary care mid
reflection. It is lOng since we have perused any
effort of this kind, which was more remarkable for its
indtchtion of these qualities—so esseutial tothe impres-
sive effect of an address to the House of Peeos;
- •
replete with fiscal and cO minercial statistics, aiid
devoted; in the Main,' to the distaSteful object Of
pstablishing, against the legislation of the present acid
of former GOvernments, a ease of signal iniseoneep-
Itionus to the true interests of trade, and of deplora-
ble failure in the policy adopted in dealing with theini
by British. Administrations, The speech was not less
truly than emphatically characterised by the Earl 'of
DAtaionkE, on whom devolved the task of rel:4l4g
to it, as " a very able and admirable" one. !

Those of our readers who -would desire to avail
themselves, of the rapid, but well-arranged and coin-
prehensiVe summary of the follies involved: in oiir
long. fostered policy of protecting duties—their effects
upon foreign commerce and their reaction upon our-
sebires.Ve 'epTestly- refer, to the report of Lord
;MONTEA4LE'S speech. If we were. to attempt any-
thinglike an abstract of ' its 'various and 'important
details, Ave should' only do great injustice to a 'state-,
. ment Which had'been already carefully -considered by
• it,s -noble author. We 'Should bd most, sorry to' dete
'zriarate- the value and effect 'of so well digested; Se
perspiduousi and so - eXceliently:reasoned an. eiposi,
tion . of the grounds on Which his Lordship cal,led• tor
the doinmittee in lquestion. That in.e. Houso:of 29
Peers '(of whom 128 were present and.ol! 'proxies)
'there should have been declared a majority of 109
against the'inotion,.will surprise no one' Who'-knOWS-.
how 4, they manage these things" in .that brineh of
thehegislature. It is instructive-to 'note, 'however;
, tlftkottha: 'lB4:Peers whose votes rejected thepropo-.
eistioni: 94. were proxies; i.e., not present at- the de;..
.bate:.. .- '.- - I':`?l='-9.:. ' . .., '' ' ' • ' - ' • -
:;t:441q42.4t01.1; after adaucing precedents for:
similar 'and, more extensive =returns from the year
1820. dOWnWards, Unpressect ion their LdrdshiPs the
:fact that .this was , '" neither i 'political nor a party—..
not:"eyiU)Cpolitieitt question:''' . But it-Ts' `one at
alVtlines of paramount and 'urgent importance; and °
from particular' circumstances connected with the
results of the' large financial' measures wherewith the.
present Government had -Commenced their adminis.-
tratioin, at riO l'eti6a 'ocAild. it have-- ben Meie 'conve-
piently entertained or With leia danger `of occasioning
4 any disturbance to the operations of. commerce, Or of
unsettling the minds and the SpedUlatiOns bf eorhiner-
cial>men. . Should the 'result of such an inquirras he
' sOlicited'hei as undoubtedly' it. .would be, a present
,ostensible reduction of revenue, the increasing product
of the gm would enable the Government to
begin tine of reduction, without that danger
whisk a more unfavourable condition of the public
'finances-might seem to.threaten. On the 'other hand,
to.,.put :these. duties on dbetter and correeter - footing
would undoubtedly 'expand, to a point beyond 'belief,
, tifeienergies‘ and the, beneficial rOtnrps- of the con ~
move of ihnnnuntry. He witlied, to consider the
hip* autietitis' bearing' paitiCiflarlY: c 4 'the,; it
protection. Now, so far ficZnilll;i)—tecling our
he would take the liberty of showing that they held

out the most delusive hopes, which were injurious to
the interests, in particular, supposed to be protected;
and, in general, to the interests of the whale commu-
nity. Then he explained what were the views on
which a State ought to proceed in the management of
its commercial and financial administration, namely,
to obtain the largest amount of revenue for the public
service which it required, and which should be taken
in a manner the least burdensome to the public at
large. National should be dealt with, as nearly as
possible, in the same manner as private interests ; and,
as to the latter, all individual action should be left
free. With these notions, the well-known definition
by Mr. RICARDO of the true principles of free trade,
perfectly harmonised. Lord MONTEAGLE, with great
clearness expounded the three classes of duties with
which commercial legislation had to deal. The first,
—a duty for the purposes of revenue—if rightly admi-
nistered, was one which every class ought to derive a
a direct benefit from ; for it was meant to maintain
the honour and establishments of the empire. The
second one was called a countervailing duty :—" If it
could be shown that any class in the community had
burdens peculiar to themselves, it would be the
greatest of all acts of injustice if the State were to
allow articles similar to those produced by this over-
burdened class to be introduced into this country
without payment of duty." He instanced the case of
hops. A fair protection to the British grower, who
paid it, demanded that French or Belgian hops should
`not be 'admitted, except at a higher duty. But the
third and most indefensible duty of all, was a "pro-
tecting duty," as it was, by a sort of solecism, called ;
for, granted to one interest or class of our agricul-
tural or productive industry in particular, it was ne-
cessarily an oppressive or fraudulent duty, charged on
other classes or interests to the same extent. But not
unfrequently it operated to the serious prejudice of the
very party in whose favour it had been created. The
Noble Lord quoted very cogent and apposite extracts
from two eminent fiscal authorities, the one a public
servant of the United States—the other of this Go-
vernment : Mr. CALHOUN, of the United States, and
Mr. DEACON HUME, who for thirty-eight years sate
at the Board of Customs, and for eleven years at the
Board of Trade, equally denounced them in two re-
markable passages, which the Noble Lord read at
length. Having laid these large and solid foundations
for his motion, the Noble Lord incidentally noticed the
"sliding scale" of Sir ROBERT PEEL'S law as being
obnoxio-ua to all the reproaches of inefficiency and ab-
surdity to which other protecting duties are so largely
open. He also. contended that, with the exception of
some seven or eight articles out of the 11,000 or
12,000 comprehended in • the new tariff, Ministers had
not adhered, io settling that document, to their own
prinriples of_ commercial policy, as avowed by them-
selves. Thus, the duty on cotton imported (raw ma-
terial), which was not to have been quite six per
cwt.,,is kept up at eight, to say nothing of the larger
indirect taxation on yarns and manufactured goods
for export, into which this new material enters. He
gave abundant credit, however, to the Government
for the large advances they had made in the right
course in reducing the duties on woollens and coffee.
The examples of Spain and of France supplied him
with powerful illustrations of the hand-in-hand
march of smuggling with protective duties ; and he
forcibly illustrated the hypocrisy and imbecility of
the grounds- assigned by us for prohibiting all slave-
grown sugar by dales, ivilich seemed, to have been
calculated on a 'forgetfulness, of the fact, that if we
did not permit the importation of such sugars direct,
we indirectly, but Most efficiently encouraged the
further production of slave-grosin sugar ; as by
admitting,lor example, the sugar of Brazil or Cuba,
for re-exportatien,- and', 'emPloying it in our consign-
, Malta tO,St. P4o6biirgh. ' From the case of timber,
he argued that the operation of protective duties'was
to substitute an inferior ,article for a better ; and he
condemned the. Ministerial policy of remitting, to so;
large an, extent, the duties on colonial timber, as a
vast but ineffective' sacrifice of revenue—not beneficial
to any extent to the colonists themselves, and involv-'
ing the gradual but fatal decay of our trade with
Norway, Sweden, and the Baltic ports.
We , room to pursue the subject further
but wo must again remark that this speech was one
of the ableatwhich the session has produced ; and we;
ate dispOsed to, think that, it will not be without its'
effect on the future commercial and colonial policy of
Ministers.

The discussions in the bureaux of the French Chamber
of Deputies on the Education Bill, have excited much'
interest at Paris, and leave little 'doubt that the ob-
noxious measure will either be materially altered, or
rejected altogether. Most of the journals are opposed
to it,' and it does not find even one supporter among
the members of the Committee appointed by the
Chamber to draw up the report. In the debate
.which took place in the Committee on Monday, M.
THIERS made a strong attack upon the Jesuits—in
other words, the Church—defended the claims of the
University, and announced his determination to op-
pose the. Bill in every legitimate way. Other Mem-
bers also spoke against the Jesuits. Possibly this result.
may convince the clergy that they have disclosed
their scheme prematurely, and. that they must make
more- converts among the people, before they can
contend against the State,: and also public opinion,
throughout France, Qn this subject the Presse has
the-following remarks The ultra-University spirit
yesterday carried off a signal victory, in the nomina-
tion of the Commissioners on the Secondary Instruction
Bill. The nine Commissioners are thus distributed—for'
the liberty of instruction, more or less extended,
-Messrs. DE TOCQUEVILLV, CARPE, and ODILON
Manor; for the University monopoly, Messrs. ST.
MARC GIRARD/N,'•DE REMUSAT, THIERS, QUINETTE,
and DUP-IN. ; M. DE SALVANDY - attacked the Bill in
general, without declaring to which side he leant.'
The question will, therefore, behold in the opposed
camps the Left Centre, represented by Messrs.
TRIERS and REMUSAT, and on the other the
Left,. represented by Messrs. ODILON BARROT
atld Toccruivmr. This result is equiva-
lent to an indefinite adjournment of the solution,
of the 'question ; and we are firmly convinced would•
have been altogether different had the clergy—corn-
prehending that all agitation on its part must inevit-
ably 'have the effect of raising up against it old dis-
trusts badly extinguished—abstained from interfering-.
in the question by means of the daily press."
The quarrel between the French bar and the Pre-
sident of the Courßoyale still continues. M. Szama
will 'make no apology, and the barristers consequently
refuse to plead, so that public business is en-
tirely at a stand, The subjoined account of what
took place in the Court on Monday appears in Ga.
lignanis Messenger of Tuesday :
" Several conferences having taken place between the Pro-
cureur-General, M. Hebert, the Judges of the Cour Royale,
'and the Batonnier of the Order of Advocates, with the hope
of bringing about a reconciliation between M. Seguier, the
President, and the bar, of the difftweaces which we have no,.
tired, there was great agitation yesterday morning at the
Palais de Justice, and the first chamber. over which M. Se-,
,guier presides, was full of advocates in plain clothes, anxious
learn the result of the-steps taken by their council. Messrs.
Chaix d'Estange the Batonnier, Marie, Bethmont, and Lion
'vine, were the only Ministers' who appeared in their official
-costume. • At half-vast nine the Court eat, and the President
called the first cause, without taking any notice of what had
passed. On this M. ,Peean, the avoue, moved that the hear-
ing might be postponed for a week, on account of the absencis
of his advocate. This was done, with an announcement that
if there were no pleadings on the part of the suitor, the law
officers of the Crown would be heard. Two other
.causes
were called, and put off, in like manner, to be judged• on the-
.zeport of the counsellors of the Court. All the rest of the
causes on the list were afterwards deferred for a week, and
" the Court broke up."
The Messager publishes two dispatches from the
Duke iiikumALE, giving an explanation of the un-
fortunate affair of Biscara, and casts some blame oir
the officer who hadcommand of the small garrison ;
While the .National attributes the calamity entirely te.
.the negligence or imprudence of the Duke himself*
"Before accusing M. PETIGAUD," says that journal,
"the Duke D'AUMALE should have begun by justify
inihimself from the fault which he had previously
committed, in allowing himself to be surprised in an
attack'Which he neither knew how to foresee nor pre-
ventomd in which- a great number of our soldiers,
were killed through the want of skill of their too:
young general. Let each be judged according to 14
deeds." .
THE BOURSE--TUESDAY, JUNE 18.
. -• First ,Ilighest Lowest Last •
Price. Price. Price. Pried.
Wrench iive pere3nts 122 122 30 .. 122 .. 122 20
Four-and-as Half ll3 .. 113 .. 113 .. 113

108'202'oneper Cents.
Three per Cents.. • 82 60 . • 82 6.5 • • 82 60 • • 82 GO
Bapk. of France .... • 3060 • ..3060.. .•3060 ..3060
Laftltte Bank, I,ooof Sharesll3o ..1130 . • 1130 .. 1130
B.ooof Shares 5100 ..5100 .. 5100 ..5100
4.4181e0 13itnit. .• . 660 .. 660 .. 660 .. 660
"Belgian Fives,lB3l.- lo4l' .. 1041 .. 104 •• 104 •
1840 - ..'lO6l 1051
1842 •••••••• 109 .. 109 .. 109 .. 109
Spanish Active .
1131401 • * _ _* t 34i .. 141 se in go. 14i