The Sun.
London, England, 1826-07-27 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

If the revenue of the kingdom be really in' a. prosperous
state, we are , forced to observe that. Ministers take un-
gammon pains to excite with .regard to it .the most -1011."
vourable and gloomy suspicions. It has been already, and
almost universally felt, that the manner in., which the
public accounts are presented, implies some. consciousness
that complexity and obscurity are valuable ingredients in
the financial systeni of this Government. Quarters are so
ruittogither in their prodUce and expenditure--;.Exche
quer Bills and Bank transactions, and deficiency bills, and
plus and minus quantities so nicknamed and confounded,
that no two men, of the clearest heads,.and with the most
straight-forward anxiety to tell truth, find it poSaible to
pronounce the same jiidgthent on the same series of arith-
metical propositions, put forth by the Treasury in its
documents. But there is' a simpler species of imper-
fection lately manifested in our periodical acenunts Under
the notion, possibly, that from, an acute investigation of
the whole Amesa of _materials on hand, some Wight more
discerning or ill-starred _than the rest, might hit upon
the truth in all its native ugliness, these cautious
accountants ,'have taken up the practice of suppress-
ing facts, instead of distorting them. They conceive that
there is more safety for thew systemin universal igno-
rance, than in partial error—and have. acciodingly so
framed their last official returns, that in one or two most
important branches -of the_ revenue, instead of being
baffled 'by ambiguous statements, we are in limine non-
suited, by finding that ,there is.no statement at ell. Not
one syllable has transpired'• in the qnarterly financial re-
ports of late: published, either as to the amount of the
Irish revenue, or us to the produce of articles in the Ex-
cise, compared with an antecedent and corresponding period.
But this, we submit, is a serious grieVance. It has been
usual to afford such a comparative return, as a useful Mea-
sure by which to calculate any decline or improvement of
the national power of consumption, and in whet par-
ticulars was exhibited such an advancement or decay.—
TO men in business, there cannot be named a more In-
dispensable basis. for their speculations, than some ac-
knowledged standard by which to ascertain the level
of demand In various branches of commerce. The
omission with regard to Ireland is even more strik-
ing, for it is concealment in the bulk, and really
implies, until the fact shall have been promulgated,
a state of things. too fearful even for allusion.—
There appears good authority for 'believing, with re=
speet to the English revenue only, that its tendency is to
a rapid diminution, The Custom-house duties for ins
stance, appear to be falling off at the rate of 600,0004 per
quarter, or '2,400,000/. per annum for promise of mi.
provemeut, in the nature of things generally, there is
none. ''The continued distress of our manufacturers, and
the growing competition of foreigners, for a sample of
which we refer once more, -to the last instructive sales at
the indigo, market, show' in strong colours, one at least
of the grounds on which a fair view of the finances of
England ought at' thia period to be built. If there are
parasites base enough to flatter the community, when it
ought to be adriminshed, and to cry out, " all's well,"
when the ship is almost on her beaux ends, we are of a
different class of Englishmen. We say, that if a broad and
decisive scale of retrenchment be not instantly adopted
and established, the wealth and power, the credit end ho-
nour, of this much-enduring and long-confiding nation will
be brought to a speedy catastrophe. The establishments
of the empire, military and civil, must be reduced, or the
national qedit9r will be made to pay for them in the flesh
which lies " nearest to his heart."----Timcs.

We mentioned yesterday that on. Tuesday and Friday
last week, there were only each day ten bankrupts. We
ought also to have stated that on Tuesday last there were
the lame number---namely, ten only. - Here is a week and
a half, and thirty bankrupts, while on the 2lith of January
last, in one day, namely, Saturday, there were sixty. Now,
after this, it would not surprise us if the papers should put
forth the words " proofs of returning prosperity.," when
they treat. of matters in regard of tradellorning Herald.
:Om frequent ineetinga of the CatiMethave; fteMest of
°Ur readers know, exited an intense degree of interest,
end, in . truth, curiosity has been ever since on tip-toe, in
order to reach the cause. , All these done, however,
have been fruitless as usual, and such is the proverbial se-
crecy of the Cabinet, that we do not recollect an instance,
even when party feeling ran highest, of a charge of prema-
ture disclosure having been urged against it. Amongst
the various rumours current on the subject, two have car-
ried the palm from the rest; and the difficulty is now,
the public being so divided upon.their respective merits,,
decide to' which of these two it belongs. It is invistek
011 One side, that deliberations, protracted to such an
usual length, and continued from day to day, can only bet
ascribed to some extraordinary cause, and as there is
ons qnestion, 'to which anything like transcendent inwee-
tance can attach at present, namely, the situation of the'
manufacturing districts, it furnishes a solution of the.
enigma, capable of, satisfying the most scrupulous. It is
urged on the other hand, as the meetings are held.
at the Office of the Secretary for Foreign Affairs,i
that they cannot, with the least show of probability,'
be referred to any other topic,: but to. one properly be-
longing to that department, and that circumstances have
recently arisen abroad, which impart to this opinion'
nearly a character of moral certainty. In the mean time,
it. never struck these opponents that Ministers might be,
occupied in deliberating on both questions; and they seem
also to have forgotten that these frequent meetings are
usual at this season of the year, when Ministers disehargi
a great deal of business at once, that they may enjoy a:
longer relaxation from the cares and drudgery of office.'
We shell now mention another, which, though, it has not
made much , noise as yet, comes, hoWever, accompanied,
by such circumstances, as give it at least. as strong
claim as the two former to credit. it is said that the por-:
tentoue anomaly of a divided Administration upon the
mostvital subject that, has for many years engaged the at.,
tention Of the Legislature, as well as the fears and. hopes
'if the nation at large, has been pressed of 'late upon his
coill,earrues by one of the most distinguished Members of
the prj.sent Cabinet, with more than Ins accustomed, and,
as it wom'd appear,
with resistless energy. 'Rumour goes
on to add, (hat his efforts have been crowned with the
most; unexpeCted
and that in a word there
- Success,
prospect at present of the Catholic Question being
carried in the next Session. It is further added-,
that a Noble Earl, front the Northern division of the king-,
dom,aa distinguished for talents and honourable character
es, for his uniform support of Ministers, and who has long
enjoyed is conspicuous Place in threfriendship of the Pre
mier, has bean invited to join the Cabinet. As he also
ranks high in the esteem of the King, it is supposed he
will be induced to overcome his strong predilection for
private life, which would be the greater sacrifice on his
part, as he has hitherto found in his love of the Arts, and
in the pursuits of Literature, a fund of gratification as pure
as it is Solid. Moreover it is hinted that a 'Whig Noble,
man, of high rank, as well knoWn far the moderation of
his princip-les int for his sound knowledge upon ell ques•
Lions connected with trade and finance, may be 'prevailed
up* in this case to take a seat in the Cabinet. 'Without
knowing the degree of value to which these rumours ere
entitled, we can only say that, from circumstances which
we cannot bring' our minds to
have recently transpired,
treat them with that marked degree of distrust with which
erience has taughtus to treat such speculations in ge-
exp
nerah—Public Led,ge.
of our higs is lre. They ere
The zeal
high-spitteditatesmen--- geri.
disinterested patriots—
tlernew—hon?
urable nimi—incompt seuator,
.Prinviple
with them isfar above interest, and. corruption neves
the same air. Let use look a little at the
breathes ; Th embryo patriot, if in middle
reef of a Whig* e iehating soeietv whet
fledges himself us
is
m some t. _
• At first his eloquence
improve his attainments in e,ocution, which so
goes to
lighted mamma in the holidays.
ade up of patched sentences
s or classieal orations,
only elocution, being m •
P'arbamentary debete,.,
from the - ,„ paid at school ; and it is nut
al,COitC4 vT
which be Pl cvl7
nr*
Act'
; it..

life,
he