The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-18 00:00:00

inattilt fns

-LONDON, THURSDAY, APRiI, 18, .1144.

ROBERT. INGLIS is a. kindly, :SLIM!, wen-
iiitentioned man, who never advocates any 'Measure
• tiattlii does not, really believe ix for the benefit of the
people ; but he has a slight touch of intolerance: in
his nature, and is apt to be- crotchet)' and led astray
typrejudice.on all'questions wherein the interests-L:
or presumed interests--of the heirarchy• are can-
--. .• •
cerned. On every occasion of this sod, Oxford never
fails to rise up like a menacing phantom before him,
and scare him from the straight-forward pathtfobviou.s
juti.ce and common- sense. Were he to consult the,
sod suggestions of his. own reason,: his votes
au! veechas would t be very often
Allikerent
utecoes7ti.kat they
by the ares ;
Pebeui he is fettore4
les of his position, and entertains
and discreet recoleetion of the unceremonious
.raan. tier in which Sir R. 013ERT :PEEL. mos. cashiered,
• when, on the memorable question- of catholic Email-
, •
.cApati9n, he ventured to set np his °" -judgment in
opposition.. to that of
. nb.
his rigid `‘ Church Statit and ".
onstituents! Sir UOBBitT INGIAA inclinaoen,
to ezhibit similai independence. He hasreached that
sesiste• and unheroic time of Lifeislnhentertav-
to te for'
ritartYrdom- loses :aft'iti relish leave
things as he finds them, and run tractably 'Oxford

harness. This is the secret of his decided and almost
solitary opposition to Mr. Humes motion, on Tuesday,
in the House of ComMons;for opening the cathedrals to
the public. Sir R. Istnnis judgment—at least,we infer
so from the exceedingly lame, clumsy, and sophistical
manner in which he handled the subject—told him
that this motion was, a` rational one?.but his discretion
compelled-him to enter an earnest protest against-it.:
If there was no struggle at work in his mind between
his convictions and his sense of etpediency, how are
we to account for suclishallow,ind'Onclusive reasoning
as the following, which he seems to have urged with
no other view than to maintain his consistency at the
expense of his good sense ?-.-s" The Hon. Member
for Montrose," observed Sir ROBERT blows, " ar-
gued that the opening of the cathedrals would be the
means of enlightening arid improving the people ; but
for his own part he did not belieVe that' there was
a necessary connexion between intellectual and moral
excellence, and therefore he 'did not feel called
,upon to support this motion. At the brightest
period of the intellectual world, they had found that
thete had existed the gteatest masses of public and
private corruption. Many were the instances of great
taste being connected with great personal depravity ;
and for 'these reasons he was satisfied that, to make
-the people skilful judges of statuary and painting,
isms not the soundest mode of enlightening them. in
the doctrinei OfChristianity." Tli4s is a mere begging
of the question—a palpable evasion of Mr.lluste's
argument. No one ever dreamed of insisting, cer-
tainly not the Hon. Member for Montrose, that there
is a "necessary connexion between intellectual' and
moral exVellence," for great powers of mind have in
all iges of "the world been occasionally foind asso-
ciated with great vices; but these are merely ex-
ceptions to, the general rule ; in by far the majority o
cases, virtue and morality have never failed to follow
in the train of mental cultivation. As :regards the
lion. Baronet's remark, that "at the brightest period
of the intellectual world, they had found that there
had existed the greatest masses of pUblid and private
corruption," ancient ;and modem history alike prove
this to be erroneous. Was- there :. more profligacy
during the Augustan age of Rome, than during- the
later and more dergenerate period of the Cutacannss,
the IfiI,I6CIAI3ALII3E9, the GoarnANs, and their suc-
cessors,;_ when the national intellect had become
enfeebled 'and corrupted ; when eloquence and
poetry were mute ; when public patriotism and, pri-
iite Worth were all but extinct; and the "Mistress
of the World," was indebted for existence; not to the
high'coUrage of her own citizeni, but iolCly to the
sword's of nide, foreign, mercenary soldiers?- PaSs-
ing to modern times, was there a, greater amount of
corruption' during the highly-intellectual period of
the Grande Monurque's reign, than daring the coarser
and more brutalising reigns of the Regent ORLEANS'
and ,Lours XV., when manners, intellect, and taste
had all equally degenerated from the exquisite tone
of refinement which they possessed. but .a few years
before ? As regards' our own country, was there' a
greater mass of corruption and profligacy during the
Elizabethan period—our Augustan age=--than during
that of crp.ar.Es It, When small wits and draniatists,
and still smaller- poets and orators; Were all
r that. Great 4ritain .had -to boast, in the
way of national intellect ? There is' scarcely
one epoch in history of any moment that does not
prove the fallacy of Sir Roirear Isicnis' assertion.
But his argunientil.noi'merely fallacious—it is open
to a still graver objection, 'Tor its 'obvious tendency is
to discourage all attempts at civilisation, and indi-
rectly to insinuate the vast moral superiority of the
dark ages over those' which have been 'more. enlight-,
ened. In direct opposition to the crotchety Member
for Oxford, we are for throwing dpen our cathedrals
and churchei Unreservedly to the public;' for the
contemplation of such imposing objects • ,cannot
fail, by the thoughtful arid' refined habits they
engender, •to make the people better citizens
and better ChriStittni. Within the walls
of our,grand,, ecclesiastical_ edifices, the man of even
Ordinary ficUlties may find the materials of poetry, of
history, of religious and philosophical contemplation.
The hallowed spirit of the past is about him ; voices,
solemn and-;affecting iri their tones, speak to hiM
from the tombs of the illustrious dead ; his soul, in
spite of himself, confesses the magic' influence' of the
spot ; hilk very tread.—and we have seen tbis not once
1
but a dozen timesis that
.of awe and reverence ;
and when he quits the consecrated walls, he quits
them, for; a while at least, an : altered man.
" Whatever," says old' "JOHNSON quote the
.passage from.' memory, and therefore with hesita
tion—" whatever' withdraws us from the power of
our ordinary senses, and makes the past predominate
Over the present in our minds, advanCei us in the
dignity of 'thinking 'beings." Now, none can deny-
that the' contemplation of 'Our-Cathedrals—these mag-
nificent monuments! of ages long since gathered to
the years beyond the fleod--:possess, ilea high degree,
this salutary—this ennobling influence ; and, there-
fore, we repeat, we are zealous advocates of Mi'.
HUste'A proposal for throwing them Open; Uncondi-
tionally,, to the public.

The debate of Monday evening last on
,the Miscel-
laneous Estimates,. was calculated to procluceOrcible
impression on the public mind- of the really valuable
labours which, session ,after 'session, are undertaken
and performed by a knot, of conscientious, vigilant,
and disinterested guardians of the.public purse. The
truth of the old adage, that " what is every body's
business is nobody's bUsiness;" is, 'under no circum-
stance, more instructively exemplified than
,in the
*House of Commons discussions on the management
of our national expenditure. The two startling facts,
that, Of a total revenue from taxation .and, all Other
sources; -amounting to nearly 50,000,000/. pef annum;
the interest and charge ofthe public debt are about some
two or three millions more than the moiety ; -and that
the remaining balance oily being available to the
indispensable services of the ' empire, 'its fleets and
armies, royal, judicial; and civil establishments,-
pensions, half-pay, &c. &c., • 'it' therefore becomes
of paramonnt 'importance to keep down every
r head of expense to a scale . of the ' utmost
economy compatible with the efficiency and ener-
gies of 'the service ; these •facts should in'ffice
to imbue every •Alernber of the House
_of COmmons
'With a deep sense of the duty of vigilant supervision,
so far as he is concerned, over every proposed outlay
of the public money. He is returned by his consti-
tuents,-invested With that as among the most im-
-portant trusts with which it is possible for a fell Ow.!
subject to be clOthed., by those who confide to 'him the
exerei§e'of their most iinportant priVileges. It is 'W. .
torious, however, that waist, in respect of ..some par-
ticular and isolated vote,'especially if it involve a new
`grant not vrevionsly allowed by the Legithiture, the'
statements of the several functionaries charged with
' the' duty of bringing forward the estimates' prepared
by the several departments'over which they severally:
-preside--are made to alniostempty benches. The 'Coin-.
mittee of Supply is usually graced, indeed, by the 'pre-
. sence of the 'Ministerial Leader, and of the-Chancellor
' of the'Eichequef. But how 'wearisome the attendance
:on 'its sittings, in which beyopd all question the most
,important adminiltrativ'e-bilsiness of parliament is
transacted, is censidered by the majority of Members,
:clay be inferred from the common occurrence of the
House being', on' such occasions, counted ,out, not
-being able to inake 401fernbers....Even at this period
of the session only 58 Memikrs,pn both sidei, divided
on Monday night on a vote, not calculated to "bore
them" by any considerations of political principles
involved
and one, therefore, which probably ar-
ras,e(i in it,
many more Members - than would' otherwise
'have been found ' ins their places, for it regarded •
tie Confirmation of " a provision for providing
.sixteen 'Queen's plates"—(at the public ex-
•pent,e,.though)—" to be, run for at races in Ireland?,
Mr. WILLIANS and Mr. HUMS, for the pe" pie, hom
they seem to think overtaxed enough without•li .wa
ing
to-meet charges of this kind, opposed. Pro Much Ofa
particular vote ,as went to appropriate 1,5741. for, this
'highly judicious, conciliatory; and ! profoundl3.-
politic purpose. Colonel Sir F. Taziscii arid. Colonel I
. , 1
Srl4lloll, tor ,tne rac!s, "rode the high horse;'
and,
on a division, "won the plate by a majority of 32.
This result is worth a remark: Sir R. 1.144L:8 Go.
vernment may havefelt (as its advocates contend) so
-keenly as to the jeopardy in which the Union bet Ween
the two kingdoms of Great lyitain and .Itelatid was
being placed;by-O'CONiNELL's Repeal agitation', as to
have acted conscientiously in venturing on the expe-
rimentof the 'State prosecutions. But :With. what
unrningled satisfaction must they now feel themselves 1
'secure of Irish hearts, and:lrish peace and-thankful-
-neW, by liiing- Praetiseirtm the .liberality-Of the
Imperial Parliament with so much success as to in-

duce into renew the grant of the Phcenii-Park and
Lord Lieutenant's plates !

We find that without adverting to some larger
items, the amount of which would have considerably
swelled the aggregate we are about to speak of, the
very' reasonable propositions, as they seem to us, of
Mr. HUME and Mr. W. Wrmiams on Monday night,
would, had they been carried, have effected a reduc-
tion of expenditure on the then submitted estimates,
alone, of nearly /00,000/. Mr. WILLIAMS thought
the expenditure (an annual one, almost to the extentof
5,0001.) on the improvements of Phomix park, Dublin,
a very proper subject for curtailment altogether. 'So
do we. It cannot be that-such a sum can be-.ever,
wanted this year—after all that has been laid out on
the same locality; and the proper expenditure of the
woods and forests, or the royal demesnes, ,palaces,
&c., in England, as well as in Ireland, really calls
for stricter attention and inquiry than the House of
Commons at large has yet shown itself disposed to pay
to it. A vote of more than 58,0001. for the yearly
salaries of the officers of the two , Houses cif Parlia—
ment, &0., and, in the absence of any detailed
estimate, for the Lords, Mr. Hume propOsed to
reduce by 12,000/. ; and he wished altogether to
cancel another foolish item of 2,250/., for en-
grossing Parliamentary Bills. Why they should
-not be written, nobody could show. No matter ;
all these proposals were rejected. ' The same
fate attended the remonstrance of MT. WAR-
BURTON and others against a 'charge of 20,000/.
for one year's journeys of QUEEN'S messengers. It
Seems-these gentlemen don't travel by railroad. They
ought to do so for expedition's' sake, and for economy.
This last consideration would certainly, we should
say, justify the reduction of the vote by 10,0061., or
one-half. Colonel SIETRORP. (whom it is lovely to
find, in spite of his beard, anoccasional Reformer),
gave notice of his intention to move the Crown for
the removal of the present Comptroller of the Exche-
quer, as a most useless officer. This would bring the
Exchequer "
vote down to 2,000/. less than its present
amount. Mr. HUME, very properly considering that
the Church had enough wherewith to, pay the Eccle-
siastical Commissioners for England, was for striking
out the item for their -annual salaries and official ex-
penditure, 3,200/.;• but this also was retained, like
preceding votes. The same indefatigable and useful
Member argued that inasmuch as six Poor-law Com-
missioners, at salaries of 2,000/. per annum each,
(very large allowances, we should Say), would amply
and most efficiently replace the .present Commis-
sioners and their ostentatious official staff, the vote
called for, on account of the latter, of 53,000/., ought
to• be withdrawn, or reduced by 12,000/. ; say to
41,0001. His proposal was rejected. On , this
point,.again, it is impossible to deny that Mr. HustE
produced a good case, and made a: very fair offer.
And we cannot refrain from . saying as much of his
proposal to . cut down the grant of 876/. for
travelling ' expenses' '(nf one -year) to Poor-law
ComMissiOneis. It might hare been, we appre-
hend, without injustice, reduced by one-half.
Of the 212,3241 voted as the expenses' of stationery
and printing in the Government departments, a little
real disposition to economise, on the part of Ministers,
would . hive enabled them to dispense, -say, with
12,0001. On these votes, also, from 90,000/. to
100,000/. might be annually saved, if such indefatigable
and .upright labourers in the great cause of .econo-
mising the public expenditure as Mr. HUME and his
friends, could find a body of supporters as constant
in their -assiduity to business of so unpleasant, car-
.tainly, but 'of so momentous and public-spirited a
character, is that to which:Mr. Hume devotes himself
ih the Committee of Supply.
• Let-us consider how small and insignificant a frac-
tion the grant, or votes we have written of form of
the great 'aggregate of annual charges on the public
revenue. If, by the application. of similar principles
of searching and vigorous inquiry, and the same per-
tinacity , in insisting upon explanations and informa-
tion, these reductions' of charge could he pushed, as we
are satisfied they might be, in all the various depart-
ments of the public service, Civil List, &c., from hun-
dreds of thousands to millions ; 'who shall. undertake
to say in what degree the burdens of the people might
be presently lightened; the debt decreased; the re-
venue enlarged by moie of it being relieved for
various-branches of service; and thus, new develop-
ment be given to capital, labour, and commerce.

We have intelligence from Madrid to the. 9th inst.
The Gazette contains two decrees—one conferring
the Grand Cross of the Military. Order of San Fer-
nando on General RoNcALT, who commanded at
Alieant ; and the other the Order of Charles 111.,
on the Minister of the Interior. The General was
daily eXpected at Madrid. -
On Tuesday, •the 9th, the Bourse was open, when
the Three per Cents. were done at 36/ for cash, and
37 at sixty days; and the Five per Cents. at 23k at
sixty days.

The Parh papers are almost entirely filled with the
dispatch of. Admiral DtancriT Tikonafts, and com-
ments on that singular document. It has. been a
God-send to the, Opposition. , They had got through
all their stock of motions against the GuzzoT Minis-
try, and had no hopes of bringing forward any sub-
ject that could. lead to a division, when fortunately
M. Item arrives with the dispatch in his pocket. It
shows great hostility to the English, and consequently
is held in high estimation both by the Tnuas party
arid the Legitimatists. They are ,determined, there-
fore, to-make the.most of it, and have entered into a
coalition for the purpose of shaking the Ministry, and
perhaps turning them out. On Monday they met in
one of the Committee-rooms of the Chamber, and,
among other leaders present were MM. irHIIRS,
13ERIITER, REMUSAT, ODILON BARROT, BILLAULT,
and VIVIEN& After some disCussion they agreed
that one of them; probably M. BILLAULT, should give
notice of a motion on the subject; but as they had
not agreed to the exact form in which it should be
made, he resolved to postpone the question till the
following day. In the meantime their journals are
doing everything to excite. the Chamber and the pub-
lic against the Court and the Cabinet. The follow-
ing extract from the National is moderate when com-
pared with the statements in some other journals :

" Eyert.supposing the report of M. Dupetit Thouars has
undergone no change or mutilation in its passage through the
bureaux of the Ministry, and that it is published just as it
was received, there is still twenty times more than was
necessary to prove that the Admiral confined himself within
the limits of his duty,,when he repressed the insolence of the
English agents at Otaheite. We have only to read the re-
cital of.the intrigues of•Pritehard, shutting up Queen Pomare
to prevent her from communicating with the representative of
France, and to imagine the position of our seamen, when they
saw M.• Toap landing soldiers and establishing signal-posts,
and the flag of the, protectorate obstinately replaced by an-
other flag, hoisted and lowered daily with that of the English
frigate; Suppose, as the Admiral has well observed, any Euro-
pean .Power had conducted itself in the same way in China'
as England did at Otaheite, that such Power had- induced the
:Emperor of China to remove the outward sign of hiS
with England, and to hoist one showing that he lia-ti.,placet),
himself under the protection of that Power, would not Egg-'
laud in such case have felt that she had a right -to demand
from. the Emperor ofeltina an account of his coaduct,•aad to
chastiselim, by deposing him if she had, the power to do so?
What England would. have expected from her officers under
such circumstances is precisely what our officers. hive done:
It is not necessary, however to go so far as Mita to find
striking . comparisons. England exercises. a protectorate
over an archipelago' almost 'at oui7 rgatesthe lonian
Islands. Let us send- missionaries thither, -and persuade
the unhappy Greeks to hoist another flag than- that of -the
Lot:d High. Com Missioner, and which should, -correapond
With the tri-colour flag, and see w h ether our neighlourelvould.
disavow the-Admiral who should convert the, protectorate
into possession. England, in such case could not stop there;
and the unhappy islands would soon his covered with
scaffoldir."', • •

The Journal des Debats has no article on the sub-
ject, but the Globe, SI Ministerial paper, thus defends
the. Government, and blames the Admiral

There was wanting only to justify the conduct of the Govern-
ment in the atTair of Otaheite, the report of Admiral Dupetit
Thouirs. It will be seen by it—lst, that at the time of the
occupation by the Admiral, the ,flag of the protectorate had
not ceased to flbat over every point where it had been set up;
2d, that this 'flag had never been hoisted at the residence of
Queen Pbmare, and that, consequently, it was not nem-
' nary to lower it in order to hoist the fancy flag, composed of
leaves of. the. palm tree ; 3d, that, independently of the ill
feeling, not of' the English Government; but of some Eng-
lish subjects, independently of the regret of the Queen,
which is easily.to be accounted for, if not justified, the Ad-
miral does not mention a single fact of a nature to compel him
to'aet as he did act, without waiting for instructions from his
Government." '

The Moniteur publishes returns of the last quarter's
revenue, which show an increase of 1,007,0001., as
compared with the same. period last year; and the
large amount of 7,647,000 f. over that of 1842. There
had been a decrease, however, in the customs' duties.
On Monday the funds, with the exception of the
Five per Cents., remained firm. Large purchases
had been made in that stock, which brOught dOwn
the price to 122 f. 90c. The Threes closed at 83f. 40c.*
- THE BOURSE=--MONDAY, APRIL 15.
First Highest Lowest Last
Price. Price. Price. Price.
French Five percents...... 123 •• 123 .. 121 85 .. 122 85
Three per Cents....• 83 50 . 13'35 .. 53 35 .. 113 40
Bank of France...• ....• 3100 ..3100 ..3090 .•3100