The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-19 00:00:00

Ant

LONDON, MONDAY, MAY 19, 1845.

The Duke of NEWCASTLE was so much flattered by the
reception which his former address to his countrymon
received from the press and a certain portion of the
public, that he has been induced to resume his labours,
and has just issued another song of lamentations,
which fills more than three columns of our
Tory Contemporary, the Morning Post. It is quite
refreshing to hear the opinions of a ♦enerable disciple
of the Eldon school. They have become obsolete in
every society, as well as in both Houses of Parliament,
and therefore come before ns almost with the freshness
of curious discoveries gleaned from antiquarian re-
searches. Lord ELDON, when Toryism was in all its
pride and glory, resisted every reform in Church and
State. He would not allow a peg of the fabric
to be touched, and looked with as great revetence on the
defects as the beauties of our Constitution. " If you take
out a pin," said he, " it will fall to pieces," and the Duke
of NEWCASTLE thus follows in the same prophetic
strain :—" I have elsewhere stated, some time ago,
how that by loosening one stone in the building
we have endangered the whole fabric—so, repeal-
ing the combination laws brought about the re-
peal of • the Corporation and Teat Act —as a
consequence, the emancipation of the Roman Catholics
followed—then reform in Parliament—from thence
arose a cry against the Church ; to appease this
cry the Ecclesiastical Commission was devised
the revenues or resources; of the Church Establish-
ment were to be drained, and exhausted bishoprics
and various other dignities abolished—everything done
to abuse, humiliate, and impoverish the Church
which an improvident meddling could devise, and
only stopping where shame forbade to proceed further ;
next, the old corporations were destroyed—the Educa-
tion Bill passed ; and these Acts followed one upon the
other—one in consequence of another, and one after the
other, were recommended to the Legislature, and the
reason why was apparently because the preceding
Acts had become law. I will not enumerate
many other bad mfasures, such as the new Poor-
law, Rural Police Act, &c., enacted, no doubt,
to restrain that very poverty and crime which confusion
and uncertainty had created. My object is to show
that one bad precedent begets another, and that this
stratagem hay been systematically pursued, as a suru
though unperceived mode of stealing a march, of sapping
our morality, undermining our civil and religious insti-
tutions, and, iu fact, of revolutionising the State."

He points out the grievances of the present day—
such as th 2 Jew.; Bill and the Maynaoth Endow.
; sf:er premising; that, as far as his recollection
serves, not one good measure has passed since thc en-
trance of the present Administration into office, and
then proceeds to the remedies ; but we are unable to
discover their nature or how they are to be applied. As
far as 1V.3 can judge, he has no wish to beat the Mi-
nister by majorities, end cause him to resign. He would
simply starve him to death. Here is the specific, and
we leave our readers to judge for themselves :
" The time, I believe, is favourable; events, I believe, are
ripening, if not ripe. Cast off the dynasty of error, imposture,
and impurity; cause it to cease by inanition, and let that of
healing and healthy truth prevail ; enthrone it with your free
and generous sympathy, your united acclamation, your calm,
moderate, but settled and determined resolve."

Let us be thankful that it is as hopeless now to re
suscitate the old system which the Duke idolises, as it is
to raise the dead to life.

We have already adverted to the discussion which
took place on Friday in the Commons relative to the
state of the na'v ; but it is a matter of too much im-
pertance to be pasicd over without further notice, and
we are glad to learn that the question will not be al-
lowed to rest where it is. The subject will probably be
resumed on Friday next, or whenever the navy estimates
are again brought forward. It is unnecessary, on this
occasion, to dµ ell upon the paramount and indispensable
necessity which exists for maintaining the navy in a
condition capable of efficient extension at the shortest
possible notice, and on a footing of present strength and
preparation much beyond the ordinary scale of our peace
establishments. To enter into any recapitulation of
these reasons would be at one unnecessary and invidious.
We take it, however, that there is scarcely one English-
man in the United Kingdom rho would not support
by his vote and sanction the fullest establishment of this
constitutional force which may be necessary, having a
prudent regard to the existing aspect of foreign relations.
The fact is that men see we are perhaps on the verge of
one of those political exigencies in which practical ex-
perience supplies the proof of constitutional theory, as
to the readiest, the furthest reaching, the most formida-
ble, the most national arm of our strength.
The navy is the common rallying point of men
of all parties who are agreed in attachment
to our constitution, whenever the honour and the
welfare of the empire appear to be menaced, whether
immediately or remotely. Yet to that navy, the nation,
indebted as she is to it for her most substantial suc-
cesses and progress, as well as her most illustrious
triumphs, has been but a harsh stepmother ; fond
enough of its glory, so conducive to her own greatness,
but niggardly and reluctant, withal, in making commen-
surate provision for its maintenance on a scale of com-
mensurate liberality. " Britannia," in truth, has, from
time to time, manifested something like a cold neglect:in
her habitual deportment to this, the noblest of her chil-
dren. But when she has found it indispensable to invoke
its protection and its power, in order to vindicate her
rights or her authority, she has unhesitatingly thrown
herself into its arms, and rendered it all honour in the
sight of nations. The great mischief appears to be that
that consideration and cherishing affection, which ought
to be permanent and continuous, have hitherto been in-
termittent. It is not the least of the elements that have
constituted the good fortune of this empire, that such a
capricious and interrupted treatment has but in a very
slight degree estranged the affections of such a progeny.
But let her learn caution by the past, and have some
better hold on their affections for the future, by a wiser
and a more generous course of action. The upholding
of our navy should be at all times :the foremost
care of the Legislature, the most anxious duty of the
Executive. We are glad to observe that Mr. WIL-
LIAMS, representing as he does a section of .the House
of Commons which is pledged to the most rigorous eco-
nomic supervision of the public expenditure, declared,
"If the Government considered it expedient in reference
to the state of our foreign relations, to increasethcee
navy, he would not oppose that increase, for whatever
tended to enhance its efficiency he looked upon as the
truest economy." Had this observation preceded the
speech of Captain BERKELEY, it would have served as an
admirable text for the observations of that Hon. and
Gallant Officer. For what was their eject ? Simply to
prove that in the system of manning our ships of war,
(line-of-battle ships wore especially) the Board of