The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-08 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM TH;.: EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.

GLOBE.—The recently issued orders ot! the
Court of Chancery, to which general attention
has now been called, are exciting the universal
disgust of the entire legal profession; It was
supposed that a measure brought forward in Par-
liament as one of reform would at least have pro-
vided against some of the most flagrant abuses
connected with the subject to which it referred;
but the recent enactment is so monstrous a piece
of extortion and injustice, that many suspect its
framers of a desire to bring the name of Law
Reform into disrepute, and prevent the public
from making any further demand for it. The evil
of the modern practice of wasting the early part
of the Parliamentary session in idle debate, and
hurrying measures through both Houses within
the last fiw days, when no time remains to deli-
berate, was never more forcibly illustrated than
in the present instance. The Bill out of which
the evil now complained of arose, proposed
simply the abolition of certain offices which
public opinion had long condemned as needless
and extravagant. A measure having for its
object the getting rid of the Six Clerks was sure
to meet with general approbation; but the public
little dreamed that certain compensation clauses
were to be thrust in at the eleventh hour, by
which a system of permanent extortion was to
be established for the purpose of making up
the loss that parties deprived of their situa-
tions would otherwise experience. We remeni-
ber that complaints were made by one or two
Members that they had not sufficient time to exa-
mine the proposed measure. It was immedi-
ately replied, that Chancery reform was called
for, and that when a Bill was b•:fore the House,
there had been no frivolous objections made, on
the score of nun-acquaintance with its details, to
passing it. By these means, many were entrapped
into supporting a plan of spoliation under the as-
surance that tir2y were aiding in reform, and
the law was thus passed without that exanaiint
lion which would have detected its barefaced
iniquity. It is well known that the emoluments
of the Six Clerks were found, on investigation,
to be much more.exurbitant than had been sup-
posed, and this was a strong reason for the
abolition of their offices. In providing for
compensation, it is, in our opinion, most unjust
to take the very exorbitant scale of remurieration
which has crept in from old abuses. The allow-
ance to the individuals. who retire should be
framed with a view to what in fairness' they
ought to have been paid, either than with. regard
to what by a corrupt systeth they have been iu
the habit of receiving. Besides, supposing that
it is thought fit to compensate in proportion to
the extravagant emoluments obtained, why
should a permanent charge be laid on the suitors
in Chancery to meet a temporary purpose?
for, though pensioners are proverbial ly
it is to be remembered that the Six Clerks and
their troop of compensated copyists are, alter all,
only mortal, while there is no provision for re-
leasing the suitors from a tax imposed to raise
pensions that will be no longer payable. That
the attention of Parliament must be called to
these Orders, there can be little doubt; but we
should suggest to. Lord Lyndhurst the propriety
of acceding to the feeling universally expressed
by the profession, and-- rescinding, or, at least,
modifying some of the most -obnoxious of the.
new regulatio.is.
STANDARD.--Our anxiety to give as much
as possible of the intelligence brought by the
Overland Mail compels us to abridge our obser-
tions. We cannot close our reference to these two
most unprofitable wars in which our country is
engaged, without lamenting the circumstances
which have placed the nation in these " bella
nullos habitura triumphos," these wars in which
we cannot conquer without incurring new danger,
and from which we cannot retire except
as conquerors, without disgrace and ruin. It is
surmised, that a sense of the folly of continued
resistance has at lengh touched the Chinese .Go-
vernment, and there seems every reasonable
prospect of a successful termination of the cam-
paign in Afghanistan. But what then ? We shall
have proved to the Chinese and the Affghans
that we are able to beat them, when we .choose
to attack them ; but shall we have proved
that we were just or wise in making. the
attack ? Is the mere display of se much
power worth the thousands of lives and
the millions of money that have been
squandered upon it? But if the country gene-
rally has reason to complain of these wars, how
much more reason has the present Government?
Their stupicLand unprincipled predecessors in
office has., to borrow the simile of one of the
Whig party, "
.fastened them in a groove;. from
which they cannot deviate to the right or left,
and in which they cannot even turn about."
This the condnion of Sir Robert Peel's
C: bin in reit& al not to theAfighau and Chinese
was only, hat lo rcfeence to many other de-
pat:tuieuts,Of policy in which their condtict is
blamed inconsiderate Conservatives.

TILE M ARKETSYESTERD AY.)

to -
CORN EXCHANGE

;61, we:At's wrtvais were tokrably good of
Wltt-tt tont litt,rl,y, and ,tnali otlwr Grain. This
tuiJrnOtg's supply wtis 6t,ort. English Wheat 2s, 4lni
b'orviqn h• per rittant•r tleart.r than !ast Monday. Bariey
maintaintil its value. Brans and hoilin Peas were un-
altered. Grey Peas were Is ptr quarter dearer. Oats
met a fair demand, at is per quarter advance on the
prices tit' this day se'nnight The Fiour trade was in a
dull state, on account of the disagreenn.lnt between the
top price millers and the underseliers.