The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-26 00:00:00

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LONDON. TUESDAY, AUGUST. 26, 1845.

The two Alcmbers for South Wiltshire, Mr. SIDNEY
nERBLET and Mr. BENETT—one a Cabinet Minister,
the other his Parliamentary follower—have lately at-
tene.c.!, and spoken at, a farmers' club dinner at .War-
minster; ard there is much in the time and place of
meeting, in the names and characters of the speakers, and
in the speeches themselves; to give importance to the
Warminst4.r or:ltory.

A Nor 11 Wi't hire Member, Mr. SOTIIERON, has lately
th en p,rplexing agriett'turists t,s WI fear of change; and,
with stlpposed attftority from the Prime Minister him-
self, telling- the Wilt-hire farrcers that a repeal of the
corn-'aws in a short time is certain. A Cabinet Minis-
tergoe down t) the affrighted neighbourhood, has the
opportunity of <psaking t, a farmfrs' club, speaks, and
does he • giv:- so authorit-ttive eontr:dicti, n ti the So-
TfignOn anno,o:epo ? N.I strh thing ; he is content
ti, give• an r•xp(a+.4 a speech of his own, delivered
s,rne onths back in the Rouse of Commons, in which
be find boo) thought to tell the agriculturists not to go

Poor Mr. BENETT !—he left the Whigs because they
would not protect agriculture for him, and now finds
that in going to the Tories he has gone from the frying-
pan into the fire. Oh ! what would the old gentleman
give now if he could get Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S eight-
shilling fixed duty of 1841 ?
Mr. BENETT was particularly clamorous at War-
minster for the repeal of the malt-tax. " His opinion
was that, instead of taking taxes off timber and glass,
which no man could eat—which were luxuries out of the
reach of the poor man—they should take off the malt-
tax. He would never cease to attack that tax for the
purpose of giving to the poor man the luxury of beer.
This would be better than nibbling at cheese, buttetN
&c."—(A voice, " The poor man could eat cheese and
butter.") Yes, indeed, the poor man could eat
cheese and butter. And why not, Mr. BENETT,
take the taxes off cheese and butter also, instead of glass
and timber, which the poor man cannot eat ? Why not
take the tax off even bread ? Is this your reason for
taking the tax off malt, and not off cheese, and butter,
and bread, which we find in another part of your re-
ported speech? " Why not take off the malt-tax—(ll,ar,
hear)—thut would give them a better price for their bar-
ley?" Avid yet, Mr. BENETT, you would fain Lave us
believe that your desire for protection, your hatred of
free trade, your abuse of the League, is all love for the
poor man. " That would give them a better price for
their barley ;" and Mr. BENETT goes on to say, " and
they could then afford to sell wheat at a lower price."
But wheat at a low price, according to Mr. BENETT, in
another part of his speech, is an evil for the poor man.
" I am cn observer for the last fifty years, and I can tell
you that at no period, when corn was cheap, have wages
been high." But if Mr. BENETT can bring himself for
a moment to believe, with the vulgar, that cheap bread
is a blessing, why, in that moment of inspiration, will
he not allow us to cheapen bread by importation, as well
as through the r( peal of the malt-tax ? Mr. BENETT'S
Warminster oration is, indeed, a choice specimen of
bucolic logic.

The ful!owing petition from the inhabitants of
Cologne, dated August 14, on the subject of the pro-
mised constitution, was presented to the King of
PRUSSIA on the 16th

" Sire,—The undersigned trust that they respond to the
exa'ted sentiments of your Majesty, in expressing a wish in
accordance with the necessity generally felt, of obtaining from
the high wisdom of your Majery the fundamental ba.is of a
general representation of the people, the publication of which
is anxiously expected by your loyal subjects. The citizens are
anxious to obtain a greater participation in their affairs, that
is, to be permitted freely to choose their municipal councillors
and burgomasters. For the last thirty years your faithful
subjects have awaited a blessing which they know to he con-
templated by the Government of your Majesty."
On the 18th the King and Queen of PnussrA, accom-
p tided by Counts DE STOLIIERG and THIELE, Ministers

.)f State, and by Baron DE CANITZ, Prussian Envoy to
Vienna, arrived at Frankfort on the 18,h, and Itft the
following day for Wurzburgh and Munich.
A report was prevalent at Berlin, on the 16th, that
religious differences now existing in Germany •,,,ouid be
..nade the subject of discussion in the r..terManic Diet,
with a view some 13.15itive deei';.on at to the degree if
freedom to be granted to the new sect of the German
Catholic Church.

We learn from cne German Universal Ga:cll,!, that on
the 18th a proclamation was posted at Leipsic, in
forfplug the people that the KING had appointed com-
tnissoners to it quire into the 1. plorable events - of the
12th, who would soon arrive in that city. On the same
day the Municipal Council published a document for-
bidding, under the severest penalties, all popular meet-
ings without a special permission of the authorities.
The Rhine Gazette states, on the autuority of a letter
from Coblentz, that whilst the King a PRUSSIA was at
the Chateau of St"lzenfels a council was held, at which
,everal political question, of high iinportacee, and also
tilt, question of the relig ous cliff. Tenccs in Germany,
were discu sed. Prittce AfurrEaNicri, says the lettet,
presided at the Council, and dint Earl of ABERDEEN and
Count BRESSON were present.

. Madrid papers to the 18th have arrived. That city
was in the greatest agitation, and an outbreak was
hourly expected. The new house taxes are excessively
unpopular, and the shopkeepers of the capital have de-
, termincd to shut up their shops and to resist the pay-
ment of them. On the 18th several shops we're shut up,
and it was expected that on the 19th every shop in Ma-
drid would be closed. The Ministers have, it is re-
ported, left Madrid for La Granja and Aranjuez, giving
the Captain-Gentral MAZARvEDo full powers to act
as he may see fit. Troops were pouring into
the city, and it was said that the military would
have orders to force open the shops. In the meantime
the people are preparing for an emergency by laying in
stores of provisions, and a bando was to be published by
the political chief forbidding the closing of the shops.
The aide and the Castellano both disapprove of the
plan of shutting up the shops. The former has returned
to its allegiance to the Government, to ►which it offers
its life and fortune on the present occasion.
The Queen of SPAIN and her mother arrived at Santa
Aguada on the 11th inst., and on the next day her MA
JESTY was to commence taking the mineral waters. The
royal party on their road from St. Sebastian to
Mondragan halted at Bergara for the purpose of examin.
ing the monument erected, on the spot where the
meeting between EsPARTEIto and MAROTo took place, at
which the celebrated convention was entered into which
put an end to the civil war in the Basque provinces.
MADRID BOLSA.—The Three per Cents. declined
they were quoted 31i cash, 311 60 days ; 15,600,000
reals done. Nothing in the other securities.

We have received the French papers of Friday and
Saturday. The following diplomatic changes are an-
nounced in the anstitufonel:—

" M. Rossi, our Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of
Rome, only holds that office pro tcmporc, for Baron Bois le
Comte is to be appointed, Ambassador to the Holy See in the
room of the late M. Latour Maubourg. The post at the Hague,
left vacant by M. Bois le Comte, is to be given to M.
Bussieres, who will be succseded at Dresden by M. de Eyragues.
M. de Langsdorff is to remain at Carlsruhc, and his office of
Minister at Rio Janeiro is to devolve on M. de la Rosiere, First
Secretary of the Legation at Rome. This last vest is intended
for the young Prince of Broglie, viho is to be replaced in Madrid
by Baron de Talleyrand, an attaché in London. There are also
to be promoi ions among the secretaries and attaches when M. de
Fontenay, the Minister at Stutgard, and M. Alleye de Ciprey,
the Envoy at Mexico, will retire from public life. Three can-
didates are on the list for those two situations—Baron Gros,
former Chargé d'Affaires at Bogota ; and Mews. de Laval, tte
and-Adolphe Barrot• M. de Ssrtiges, Secretary of the Lega-
tion in Greece, is to be provided with a mission, and replaced
by M. Thouvenel, brother-in-law of M. Cuvidier Fleury. M.
de Bacourt, it app. ars. ab ndons the diplomatic career, and
surrenders his post of Minister of the United States to M.
Pageot, who is already named Plenipotentiary. The mission

whining to Parliament, and by which speech, so under•
stood, he had given umbrage to agriculturists, but in which
what he really did say was (so Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT
now informs use farmers of Warminster), that it would
be distasteful to agriculturists to go whining to Par-
liament, and that they would not du it. Was it worth
the while of a Cabinet Minister to go down to Warmin-
ster, and make a speech for the purpose of giving this
explanation? Better, indeed, that Mr. SIDNEY HER-
BERT had left his speech unexplained. The advice which
he was represented to have given the agriculturists was
good advice, and, we should say, so long as agriculturists
call for agricultural protection, wanted. But the state-
ment, that it would he distasteful to the agriculturists to
go whining to Parliament for assistance, is, we should
say, with all proper respect for Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT,
so long as agriculturists call for agricultural protection,
untrue. And Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT has not even the
excuse of having heard nu whining" at the Warminster
dinner. Mr. BENETT had spoken before him, and is
there no " whining" here?—
" This was a serious period for all who were engaged in agri-
culture. Agriculturists hardly knew what to be about • they
scarcely knew what laws might stand, or what be repealed, in
the next or succeeding years. They were told they were to
have a repeal of the corn-laws. He, for one, did not believe
it; for he did not think it possible that a measure which would
create universal distress among all classes would be permitted
to be carried into effect. a a a Heretofore the agricul-
turists had possessed the greater power, hut it was now become
a serious contest. They had now Ministers, too, rather lean-
ing to the new doctrines ; their position was now altered, and
the question arose, what course they ought to pursue? • * *
Still (said Mr. Benett) if they would let us alone we should be
perfectly satisfied; but they will not let us go on in the old
Jog-trot way—our labourers in comfort, and our,elves happy
and contented.—(Laughter.) I see that there is a leaning
towards the trading interest by those who are high in power;
while, at the same time, I have heard them make declarations
of their continued attachment to the land. But lam not de-
spairing, and would have none of you to despair."
Viry like whining, it not whining in reality, notwith-
standing the magnanimous disclaimer of despair with
which the whining is wound up. But Mr. SIDNEY HER-
BERT heeded not his colleague's whining, nor thought it
necessary to reply to his colleague's gentle rebukes of the
Cabinet; of which he is a hopeful member. Mr SIDNEY
HERBERT made a speech full of soft compliments to his
colleague and his constituents, but of everything to the
point singularly empty. The emptiness of the Cabinet
Minister's speech is significant. If Mr. SIDNEY HER-
BERT had been able to say that the Government were
resolved to abate no more protection, would he not have
said it ? If he could have given a flat contradiction to
Mr. SOTRERON, would he not have done it? There was
no consolation fin- Mr. BENETT to be got out of Mr.
SIDNEY HERBERT'S speech, nor for the SOTRERON af-
frigiced W.ltshire farmers ; but we may augur from it
future advances of the PEEL Government to free trade,
and we believe that there is no member of the Cabinet
in his heart more liberally disposed than Mr. SIDNEY
HERBERT himself, or more ready to laugh outright, but
that it would be rude, at his colleague's whining out-
pouring.