The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-29 00:00:00

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LONDON. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1845,

On every fitting occasion that has presented itself for some
time past we have earnestly and honestly endeavoured to
advocate the interests of her MAJESTY'S Navy. Considering
that arm as the most powerful which the national service
possesses, we have ever felt the most anxious solicitude to
watch over the course of all events which had a bearing on
its efficiency and healthful vigour. The anxiety under which,
from time to time, we have endeavoured to preis its pre-
eminent claims upon the public sympathy and protection
has been at once justified and rewarded by the flattering
adknowledgments which have been addressed to us
by parties long attached to the profession, and whose
approbation we, of course, consider the more valuable
by reason of their great personal experience and technical
knowledge of all the details into which it has been our duty
to enter. But if we have endeavoured to strengthen the
appeals preferred by, or on behalf of the neglected and meri-
torious officer, we have not forgotten we trust the perhaps
yet more important claims of the hardy seaman. In pointing
_ _ _

out the vital considerations which gave a more than tem-
porary interest to the important complaints, and revelations
of defective construction, and deteriorated sailing and hand-
ling of our ships, which were so usefully, albeit unceremo-
niously, produced before Parliament, by such uncompro-
mising professional critics as Sir CHARLES NAPIER, Lord
INGESTRE, Capt. Mous, and Capt. BERKELEY, the main
object that it seemed to us our duty to insist upon was, the
better treatment of our sailors. It was so self-evident

that the majoritypf the defects, moral and material, which
had been brought under the review, first of the Admiralty,
and secondly of the Legislature, arose from that vice in our
naval administration, which neglected all established provi-
sion for maintaining the crews of our men-of-war in a condi-
tion of permanent efficiency, that we at once concluded the
remedy of this error to be at the root of all practical reform
in the service. Retiring pensions, or half-pay, or some other
means of maintaining able seamen, when paid off from one
ship at one time, not only in a condition, but with a desire to
enter the service in any other vessel, at any other time, when
required by the Government authorities—this seemed to be
the first expedient necessary to be adopted. The mere equity
and justice of the case demanded it, and every consideration of
expediency and policy was in favour of a plan which
could not fail to impart confidence and affection to those gal-
lant spirits whose interests it would be its especial purpose
honourably to secure. Therefore we have, on all opportu-

nities, attempted to do justice to the long-delayed pretensions
which, until the commencement of the present Parliament,
have found so few supporters to persist in pressing them as
topics for conciliatory adjustment, before some great political
exigency should arise to convert them into imperious de-
mands of uncontrollable and almost hostile necessity. While
there is yet time we trust that all the arrangements and con-
ditions necessary far the attainment of this great object will
be completed promptly as well as liberally.
We are led to offer this suggestion the more emphatically
in consequence of an announcement we have recently copied
from the Western Conservative, touching some very unfor-

tunate manifestations that have exhibited themselves on
board her MAJESTY'S ship Albion. We have read this ac-
count with infinite pain, and we trust shall not be suspected
of any lukewarmness of regard for the comforts or the feel-
ings of our tars in general in protesting that we consider the
conduct of the parties concerned in these. disturbances to
have been of the most flagrant and offensive character. We
will even go further. Doing all justice to the motives which
may have actuated those gallant, humane, and
distinguished officers, Commander CHAMBERS and Capt.
LOCKYEAR, in the very forbearing spirit in which
they exercised their authority in repressing the mutinous
disposition of the malcontents in the Albion, we do think
that that forbearance has been pushed to a point almost in-
compatible with the safety and honour of the service. Acts
of more mutinous insubordination—excesses of more inso--
lent violence, short of personal outrage—mischievous and
malignant destruction of the ship's equipment and stores,
so far as they went—more utterly unworthy of the manly
character of British seamen wedo not remember to have read
of. The generous moderation of the Commander (Cnanr-
nEns), twice exemplied under circumstances of irritating
disobedience of orders, seemed to produce no sort of effect upon
the mutineers—for such we must call them. What the absti-
nence of the commander failed to produce the more decided,
though still very forbearing course adopted by the captain, did
not accomplish. The affair ended—for the present, at least—by
releasing thirty-three of the men who had been put in irons,
and retaining seven others in durance, to await a more signal
punishment. Our own impression of the circumstances re-
mains immovable. namely, that such culpaple criminality re-
quired a more extensive example, seeing how many were
known to be engaged, and how many more, in the darkness
of the night only presumed to be so, in these outrages. It is
of this last consequence that it should not go forth to the
crews of other of her MAJESTY'S ships, that such demo-.
ralising examples may be set to the most nume-
rous branch of the service with comparative im-
punity. If such a notion were for a moment permitted
to acquire general credit, there is no estimating the injurious
tendency it might produce by its influence upon some fo-
reign powers, which would seize with avidity upon any in-
dications of such an auxiliary to their hostile designs as in-
cipient disaffection in the British fleet. This is one of those
cases, then, in which it behoves the authorities to institute a

most searching investigation, with a view to visiting some
marked, though not excessive punishment, for such acts of
incipient mutiny. Those authorities must be prepared, how-
ever, while they visit penalties on others, to take their just share
of public censure and displeasure as to themelves. Nothing,
it may be, can sufficiently excuse these sailors of the Albion
for what they have done; but there may be much to account
for and extenuate it. This very probable result ought not
to deter them, in a matter of such vital interest to the nation,
from instituting and carrying through such an inquiry, It

may be found that the duty devolving on the crews of these
experimental squadrons, by reason of past errors in the pro- •
ceedings of the Admiralty ; the dispersion and discourage-
ment of able bodied seamen ; the all but invincible difficulty
experienced in re-enlisting them ; the time consumed and the
obstacles to be overcome in forming them; the faults and ruinous
economy of sending ships-of-war to sea, with peace or reduce
complements, with no matter how small proportions of able
men ; the consequent increase of the same hardships by reason
of increased labour, increased watches, diminished comforts,
and abridged indulgences, may have formed the staple
grievances complained of by the mutineers on board the
Albion. Again, we repeat, that they cannot justify nor ex-
cuse the enormous delinquency of which the culprits have
been guilty, in sullying the prestige of British naval loyalty.
But their being clearly ascertained to have formed the ele-
ments of a past catastrophe, may be, we trust in GOD, the
eertain means of obviating their recurrence in future. The•
one thing needful that remains to do is—that which ought long
since to have been done—justice to our seamen.

It is evident that the monopolists are now perfectly re-
signed to their fate, and that Sir ROBERT PEEL may, when
he pleases, carry a measure for the repeal of the corn-laws
through Parliament with quite as little difficulty as he car-
ried his measure fur the imposition of the Property-
tax. We last week alluded to Lord ASHLEY'S most
remarkable letter on this subject, and the publication of
that letter has given rise to a still more remarkable speech
from a gentleman of still higher Tory principles than Lord
ASHLEY—a gentleman who is generally considered as one of
the Duke of BUCKINGHAM'S Members—we mean Mr. 131cx-
Irma Escorr. Thus does he speak of Lord ASHLEY'S letter :

" Lord Ashley is an able man, sees truly what is coming ; but
then Lord Ashley is tainted with that which is the feeling of so
many county Members, or, it' not their feeling, it is the mode
in which they speak and write. He mites of the corn-law as
given up, but then he describes its loss as a blow, and a blow,
in another place, destructive of the prosperity of his constituents.
Why, surely, if the Noble Lord thinks this, then the House of
Commons is the place where he and others who think the same
should ward off the blow. Lbrd Ashley Is quite right in saying
the corn.law is given up ; but how can he be right in submitting
quietly to allow his constituents to suffer heavy blows It Gen-
tlemen, the truth is—and it had better be spoken plainly—
it is the conduct of the special representative of what they
call agricultural opinions which has precipitated the fall
of this corn.law. Why, I have sat in the House of Com-
mons and heard a gentleman, a worthy friend of my own—pur-
in character, high in fortune and station—harangue the repre-
sentatives of the people by the hour on the low price of beef, mute
ton, veal, and lamb—and do this avowedly for the purpose of
supporting agriculture and promaing up protection; in other words,
arraying the supposed interests of agriculture against the real in-
terests of the people, whereas I always thought that the only way
to maintain any system of protection was to show, if you can, that
the interests of the community required it."

Mr. Bicturam Escorr is quite right. The only way to
maintain any system is to show that the interests of the
community require its continuance ; and it is because the
most clever advocates of monopoly in bye-gone times (in-
cluding among them Mr. BICKHAM Escorr himself) have
failed to show that the interests of the community required
protection, while, on the other hand, the most subtle oppo-
nents of free trade have been compelled, even while they
opposed it, to admit that its doctrines are the doctrines of
common sense, that the doom of monopoly is sealed,
and the avatar of free trade is at band. Now
Lord ASHLEY considers this will be a heavy blow
to the agricultural interest ; Mr. BICKHAM ESCOTT,
on the contrary, although he feels with Lord ASHLEY
that " the game is up," dreads no blow. He thinks
the change inevitable, but he does not despond for the result.
Nor is there the least reason for desponding. On the con-
trary, the farmer will be greatly benefited by the change,
for he will have attained a sure and certain basis on
which to form his calculations for the future, and will
be no longer the victim of those who have sought to make
him believe that legislation could do for him that which
every man of common sense was perfectly aware it was out
of the power of legislation to accomplish, viz., fix a minimum
price for his produce; and have under this false pretence
induced him:to promise to pay a rent higher than they were
in justice entitled to demand, or than he was in in prudence
justified in giving. Mr. BICKHAM Escorr thus proceeds—
" Lord Ashley is, indeed, right on one point; when the leading
men of all parties are agreed to support common sense, it must be
very uncommon nonsense that can prevail against them."

We hope, therefore, that there will be no factious opposi-
tion to the change which is now inevitable, but that the less
enlightened Members of the monopolist body will "read,
mark, learn, and inwardly digest" the words of certainly one
of the most talented and courageous of their champions, and
keep their " uncommon nonsense" to themselves.

Madrid papers of the 20th inst. have been received. Ac-
counts from Barcelona state that slight disturbances had
taken place at Gerona, St. Andres de Polamar, and some
other small towns in Catalonia, but, not as had been reported,
on account of the new tax. They appear to have been caused
chiefly by the despotic conduct of General BRETON and a
rigid enforcement of the recruiting system. At Gerona an
officer of the civic guard had been killed, and two of the
recruits said to be implicated were to be shot. BRETON, in
consequence of these events, had set out for Gerona on the
15th, accompanied by a strong detachment of troops.
A letter, dated Santander, October 17th, says:—" The
day before yesterday Sir JOSHUA WALMESLEY, accompanied
by the celebrated engineer, GEORGE STEPHENSON, arrived in
this town, for the purpose of examining the road between
this place and the canal of Castile to Valladolid, with the
view to establish a communication by railroad. Sir J.
\VAT...LESLEY was received by the provincial deputation, and
the illustrious travellers are to be attended by a special com-
mittee during their stay."
No business was done on the Madrid Bourse in the Five
or Three per Cents., but Coupons not to be capitalised were
quoted at 24 for cash.

The Paris papers contain no further intelligence relative
to the battle between a division under General LAMORICIERE
and the Arab troops, of which ABD-EL-KADER was said to be
an eye-witness. "We expected," says the Journal des
Debats, " to find in the Messager the close of the telegraphic
dispatch from PERPIGNAN which had been interrupted by the
night. Our evening Contemporary, however, contains no-
thing on the subject, and the fog which has prevailed all day
no doubt is the cause." Some of the French journals srcu-
late on the means to be adopted by Marshal BUGEAUD to
put down AIM. EL-KADER. One of them states that the
campaign which is about to commence cannot be of long
duration, in consequence of the rainy season, but in the
spring a complete expedition will be organized
to pursue the restless chief to his last re-
treat. A letter in another, dated Toulon the
20th, says :—" It is believed that the Governor-General
will penetrate into Morocco at the head of a column of 15,000
men of all arms, after having pacified the province of Oran,
and driven ADD- EL- KADER into the territory of the empire.
Everything announces that the military operations will, on
this occasion, be conducted on a grand scale. Thirty
assistant-surgeon have arrived in our town to proceed to
Africa, by, order of the Minister of War, to be attached to the
hospitals. Others have embarked at Marseilles. We are
assured that diplomatic negotiations are about to be com-
menced with ABDERAIIMAN, and that a naval division, or
perhaps the entire squadron commanded by Admiral PARSE-
VAL DESCIIENES, will proceed to Tangiers to support the re-
clamations of our Consul. But to what purpose is it to ne-
gotiate again with the Emperor of MoRocoo? Has not this
Sovereign always protested his friendship for France, even
whilst his son and his generals at the head of an army of
40,000 men were attacking our army on the frontier. ?"
We find little djmestic intelligence From thess papers
of any interest. The accounts of the harvest and the
state of the grain in the southern provinces were favourable.
According to accounts from Dresden of the 120th inst., the
address of the Lower Chamber was adopted without amend-
ment by a majority of 55 to 12. During the discussion
several Members protested against the claim of the Govern-
ment to alter the religious oath without the consent of Par-
liament. The Minister of the Interior skilfully turned aside
the question raised, declaring, for the satisfaction of his op-
ponents, that the Government would never forget that
Saxony was the cradle of Protestantism. The reformation
commenced by BONGE, was still spreading, and the feelings
against the Church of Rome were generally and loudly ex-

pressed. The following declaration made by the German
Catholics of Pforzhem, in Wirtemberg, we give as )a

specimen :

" We cast from us the chains of Rome, we desire that the
German priests should recover the right which every man pos.
sesses to choose a wife for himself. We demand that auricular
confession should no longer be abused—that prayers may be said
in our mother language, and that the priests should no longer
anathematise the Christian Protestants, which but tends to destroy
concord and peace in families and in the communes, and excites
in the breasts of the people hatred one against the other."
" On the 21st the Emperor and Empress of Russia embarked at
Genoa, accompanied by their suite, for Palermo, on board several
Russian frigates which were waiting to receive them. The King,
Charles Albert, repaired to the frigate which had the Czar and
family on board, to bid them adieu. The artillery of the town and
forts kept up an incessant fire during the whole time of leave.
taking, which lasted more than half an hour."

At TconroNt's on Sunday, the Three per Cents were done
at 82f. 35c. We subjoin the prices of shares in new lines as
quoted at Marseilles and Lyons:—
MARSEILLES, Ocr. 22.—Marseilles and Avignon, I,olof. ;
Vierzon, 745 f. ; Orleans and Bordeaux, 676 f. 25c.

LYONS, Ocr. 23.—Marseilles and Avignon, I,ooof. ; Paris
and Orleans, 1,192 f ; Paris and Rouen, 1,015 f.; Orleans and
Vierzon, 737 f.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, OcT. 27.
Anglo-Belgian — Luxembourg
Boulogne and Amiens.. 10 Namur and Liege 4IA
Bordeaux &Mediterran North Jamaica .....
Bordeaux and Toulouse Orleans and Vierzon ..
Do. & Cette (Espeleta) Orleans and Bordeaux ]o'/
Do. ( Mackenzie's) .. 1% Over Yssel ... 1 iti
Central of Spain .. — Paris &Lyons (Laffitte) 2
Demerara
Dendre Valley ......
Dutch Rhenish ... -
Dieppe & Paris Junct — Paris and Vonen . 3914
Dijon and Mulhouse
i East Indian
Grt Northern of France Do. (Compte delL'Est) 2%
(Laffitte's)
Ditto (Rosamel's)
Do. (Le Boeuf ) — Royal North of Spain. --
Do. Pepin le Halleur — Sambre and Meuse .... 6
Great Paris and Lyons — Strasburg and Basle ... 9
Great Western Bengal 1 Tournay,Jurbise, Lan-
Jamaica Junction — dent, and Hasselt...
Do. North Midland — Tours and Nantes
Do. Extension
Jersey 1 Do. (Lefebvre's)
Louvain and Jemeppe.. 34 Verona and Ancona —
Lyons and Avignon.... 2% West Flanders 4

AMERICAN NEWT►

ARRIVAL OF TIIE CAMBRIA IN IV INE
DAYS FROM HALIFAX.
LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY EVENING.

We have received this evening by the royal mail steamer
Cambria, Captain Judkin', New York papers to the 15th,
Boston 16:b, and Halifax the 18th instant. The Cambria
has made an excellent voyage of eleven days from New York
and nine from Halifax. She met there the Hibernia, which
reached that port in thirteen days. The Great Britain had
the misfortune to run short of coal after a very stormy pas-
sage of seventeen days from Liverpool to New York, and was
obliged from want of coal to put into Holmes Hole, Nan-
tucket, where she was supplied by a schooner which hap-
pened to be laying there. It was erroneously- supposed,
from her firing guns of distress, that she. had gone on shore,
but this was not correct, and she arrived, as before stated, at
New York on the morning of the 17th. The number of pas-
sengers (about 100) by the Cambria was increased by two on
the voyage—the lady of one of the passengers being safely
delivered of twins on Sunday last.

The intelligence in these papers is not important. All talk
abut a war with Mexico had ceased—indeed that devoted
country is in such an unsettled state, that domestic rebellion
cannot be kept down, much less a war be undertaken against
Texas or the United States.

The trials of the anti-renters in Delaware county had ter-
minated. Two of the men engaged in the shooting of the
Sheriff Steele were sentenced to be executed on the 29th of
November, and seventeen others to various terms of impri-
sonment.

'the Mormon troubles had subsided, but not until an efffc-
tual demonstration had been made by the local authorities,
who were prepared to put them down by force, by, the strong
arm of the law. Lynch law, according to the papers, had
been put into requisition in the case of some Mormons near
St. Louisville.

Some of the New York papers are occupied with specula-
tions on the expected modifications of the tariff by the ensu-
ing Congress, and it seems to be generally conceded that Mr
Polk is in favour of returning to the Compromise Act, or an
ad valorem duty of 20 per cent. on all articles introduced.

The American Post-office had advertised for tenders for
carrying the mails to Liverpool, Cowes, Havre, Lisbon, and
other places, by steam. Only Americans are eligible.

CANADA.—A serious fire broke out at Montreal on the 4th
inst. It originated in a building in Queen-street, occupied as
a coffee manufactory and coppersmith's shop, where it could
have been confined had there been decision and power to
demolish a few small wooden buildings in the vicinity. The
ere spread rapidly from building to building, over nearly the
entire block, from Queen-street, on the north, to Prince-street,
on the south, from Wellington-street east to Gabriel-street
west ; one house at the corner of Queen and Gabriel streets,
and part of a building at the corner of Queen and Wel-
lington streets, were saved in a damaged condition ; the part
.t" the one at the corner of Wellington and Queen streets,
wa; cut in two, and the burning end severed from the other,
The fire crossed Prince street, consumed the next block
through to Nazareth-street, and crossed Nazareth-street,
burning one or more buildings on the south side of that
street; two or three were blown up' to arrest the fire. The
buildings-consumed were many of them of a rather ordinary
kind, wcupied by families in the humbler walks of life; the
distress and privation, therefore, caused by this fire are great.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
The following is the latest commercial news :

NEW YORK, OCT. 15.
In money matters all is easy. The banks have a moderate and
steady business demand for discounts. Fancy stocks are stationary.
because, perhaps, much of the capital usually afloat and applicable
to short loans on stocks, has been absorbed in the first. rate bonds
and mortgages which the fire insurance companies have beta
obliged to part with in order to pay the losses thrown on them by
the great fire in July.

All apprehension, and indeed all rumours, of war with Mexico
are now at an end, and as the stated time for the assembling of
Congress is now approaching, there will probably be no new Execu-
tive thmonstrations in Texas or elsewhere.

There has been a slight Improvement in the quotations for some
of the State securities. Indiana bodds have advanced several per
cent. within the past two months, without any visible cause. The
market value of the stocks of the delinquent states generally
does not vary much, as speculations in them have nearly
ceased. There are great fluctuations in the market prices of our
good dividend•paying railroad stocks, although the operations are
limited, and they are not controlled particularly by brokers. There
are so many new schemes proposed, and the mania to engage in
new lines has taken such hold upon certain classes, that the stock
of the old companies is sacrificed to make investments in new,
having wider margins for an improvement. We have no change to
report in the condition of our state treasuries. The public works
of this state have been unusually productive ; the receipts exceed
those of any previous season. It is estimated that the revenue of
the New York state canals for 1845 will not fall far short of
3,000,000 dollars.

The revenue of the year from customs will fall very con-
siderably short of that of last year, while the expenditures will
be swelled by several additional millions on account of the mill.
tart' and naval display in Texas and in the Bay of Mexico.
What influence this may hare on the projected assault in the
next Congress upon the tariff we leave to conjecture. It is, how-
ever, certain, we apprehend, an attempt under the auspices of the
President will be made to modify very essentially existing
duties. A recommendation to abolish the minimum principle in
ad valorem duties, and generally in favour, of reducing all duties
to a mere revenue standard, will, it seems to be understood, be
made in the President's Message on the opening of Congress. The
Secretary of the Treasury's report will fortify this recommendation
by ►tatistics prepared ad hoc. Whether Louisiana which needs
protection for its sugar, and Pennsylvania which needs protection
for its coal and iron, and Virginia and New York which needs pro-
tection, the first for coal and mit, the latter for salt, and all the
various manufacturing intere►ts of the country, which needs more
or less protection—will be less p. erfUl in their influence upon
Congress than the executive vas • nmendatlon backed by the plant-
ing interest of the south ,std the delusive theories of a partial free
trade—remains to be seen. We think not.

Exchange on England has undergone a slight decline, bills being
dull of sale at 91. On France, the current rates are sf. 25c.

Cotton—The market is quiet, as both buyers and sellers are hourly
expecting the arrival of the Great Britain, with later advices from
Europe.

Flour—The demand has been moderate to-day. Holders,
however, are firm at 4 doll. 87i cents. to 4' doll. 94 cents. for
Genesee, and 4 doll. 78 cents. to 4 doll. 87i cents, for Michigan
and Ohio. 1,000 barrels of Michigan sold at 4 doll. 78 cents.
New Southern flour is sold at 4 doll. 87i cents. to 5 doll. Rye
flour, 3 doll. 50 cents. Sales of corn meal have been made at
2 doll. 87i cents. The receipts of flour, via the North River,
during the last two days amount to 24,583 barrels.
1,600 bushels rye sold at 70 cents.; 3,000 bushels of bailey at
59 cents.; 1,500 do. and :;,000 bushels of wheat, on private terms.
North River oats sell freely at 40 to 41 cents.; 3.000 bushels
southern white corn brought 61 cents. weight.
Ashes—Pots are in fair demand, and sales are made at 3 doll.
94 cents. to 4 doll. Pearls are in moderate request at 4 doll.
121 cents. per 100 pounds.
Tallow sells freely at 7i to 7i cents.