The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-07 00:00:00

TIIR SUN, LONDON, MONDAY MORNING, JULY 7, 1845

thus presented to the monotony of his daily laborious
employments. Infinite associations,too,ofthe mostgene-
rous and refining character ;may connect the poor man
with the well-remembered haunts of his infancy, or his
boyhood, by ties as powerful as any which ever can bind
the rich to any favourite locality of theirs. Of such
scenes the poor man himself, and his fathers before
him, have been the free denizens, at liberty to wander
unchallenged and uninterrupted. Does Lord:Listemst
imagine it is nothing to this poor man to deprive him
of so valued a privilege ? Or does he really suppose
it is anything short of mockery, after so successfully
experimenting on the poor man's indigence as to carry
on such a Bill, in spite of all his protests and his de-
precations against its principle, to talk to him about
the value of a detail which will allow of his establish-
ing his rights at a "small cost," forsooth, who has
not been able previously to command money enough
to prevent those rights from being attacked ? Since
the Commons have allowed the Bill, (which, as if
further condemnation were needed for it, is stigma-
tized by the warm support of Sir JAMES GRA.
HAM)—since the Commons have allowed the
Bill to go into Committee, we must hope that the
Lords will not neglect the case of the unrepresented
poor, but signalise themselves by discharging that
duty towards a class which the Commons appear to
be so much disposed to neglect. In the meantime,
we should really like to see in the House of the latter
some of these Noble, Right Honourable, and Honour-
able Legislators, who, on other occasions, somewhat
obtrusively and pharisaically, put forward their pre-
tensions to be considered the especial champions of a
cheap abstract humanity, come forward and declare
themselves on this question of a practical grievance,
by arresting, even at this late hour, the further pro-
gress of the Bill, and kicking it out of that House,
which ought never to have permitted it to proceed to
the stage which it has reached.
Lord Lisicomes championship of such a Bill seems
to us in perfect keeping with that fidgetty desire to be
doing, which is common to men so young when
called to offices of high respectability. He would
rather commit an injury on a most interesting,
though humble order of society, than not exercise his
official jurisdiction. Not to originate ex officio Bills,
be their scope and objects never so invidious, appears
to be more objectionable,',inhis view, than:to set in mo-
tion the functions of his office, even though their ac-
tion be to prejudice and extinguish the poor man's
rights of common and waste. How much it is to be
lamented, looking to the quarters which project and
conduct these Inclosure Bills, that the voice of no
manly aristocrat, like that of a WYsinnam, survives
in the Commons to shame and banish from ithin its
walls this pitiful petty- larceny sort of legislation
against the old rights of the poor—incidental rights,
if you please, for, whether they be or be not absolute,
we care not one rush. Their force and char:cter. are
as clear under the prescription of centuries
as any title of the PELHAM, and FIEN.
NESES, and CLINTONS, among all the parchments
in their muniment chests. It is melancholy, how -
ever, to see the heir of the house of Newcastle iden-
tifying himself with legislative efforts as little to be
commended for their constitutional or equitable cha-
racter as the " Public Works," especially within the
same jurisdiction in Trafalgar-square, which associate
a foreigner's notions of British taste and magnificence
in the adornment of a grand site for national display
with all that is paltry in conception, contemptible in
art, scandalous in execution, and ludicrous in effect.
Pigmy fountains, not allowed to play at night, for
fear of the derangements incident to the night air;—
colossal basins, in which the granite dolphins, and
basins and all, seem to be swimming about, like
atomic wreck, " ingurgite vasto," and a pavement, 'or
platform, which, in point of material, would disgrace
the inner court of a prison, or the works of a mock
asphaltum company. The Earl of LINCOLN should
be advised to strike into some new line. He will
derive no more credit from his attempts at commons
inclosure legislation than he is destined to reap from
the preposterous failures that have attended the
mouse-producing inclosure of Trafalgar-square.

The QUEEN and Prince ALBERT honoured the Belgian
company on Friday, for the:first time, with their presence
at the performances in Drury-lane Theatre. It has been
a matter of surprise among persons who attend to the
illustrious
movementsreolafttihvees
ICol:wurtinifttahtisheeoruMntAry7ShTavd asnod
long
delayed the visit ; but, if we ire to credit public report,
the mystery is now explained. At an interview which
the treasurer of Covent-garden Theati.7 bad with the
sitting Magistrate at Bow-street, on Friday,
it would
appear, from the conversation which took place, 'bat
in consequence of the Anti-Corn-law League meet-
ings being held in the theatre, the Court had
resolved not to countenance by their attendance any
performances at that house. We cannot place any con-
fidence in this story. The League is a perfectly legal
association ; its objects are of the very first importance
to the community at large, and more especially to the
poorer classes of her MAJESTY'S- subjects ; it is sup-
ported by greater numbers, talent, political influence,
wealth, and, we may add, Christian charity, than any
association that has sprung up in England for half a
century ; and so numerous are the contributors to
its funds, so large the sums collected, and so
strong are the feelings of the great mass of the
community in its favour, that all well-informed persons
are now fully convinced* that its object must in a very
short period be accomplished, and one of the most ob-
noxious laws of the land be speedily modified, or alto-
gether abrogated. We cannot, therefore, help regarding
the report alluded to as a calumny on her MAJESTY,
and an unjust imputation on the SOVEREIGN for mix-
ing up Court influence with a question that ought
to be decided impartially by the Legislature.
The very coincidence of the royal visit, too,
bears us out in this opinion. Will her MAJESTY favour
the importation of foreign performers to injure English-
men and Englishwomen, and at the same time object to
the importation of foreign grain, so necessary for the
prosperity of our manufactures, and so indispensable to
the well-bring of her peaceable, intelligent, industrious,
and loyal subjects?

Madrid journals of the 27th ult. have been received. It
appears from some of them that he QUEEN'S proposed
journey to the Basque Provinces is very much opposed by
both the Moderado and Progressista parties, as they feel con-
vinced that the principal object of it is to make arrsngements
for the marriage of her Majesty with the Prince of ASTURIAS,
and that Queen CHRISTINA is the principal agent in the
business. We are inclined to think, that after the kind
treatment she received at Paris during her exile, she will
say a good word for the Duke DE MONTPENSIER. His
marriage with the QUEEN'S sister would gratify the Court of
France. NARVAEZ and CHRISTINA are said to be on bad
terms, and an open quarrel in a short time is anticipated.
NARVAEZ, says the Tiempo, is determined to accompany the
young QUEEN wherever she goes, and prevent any Carlist
intrigue that may have been contemplated.
The Three per Cents. closed at 31% for cash, and 323% at
60 days; the Four per Cents. at 201/1 for the 2d of July;
and the Five per Cents., at 20% for cash, and at 21% at 60
days.

The French Chambers have brought the business of the
session nearly to a close, and it is understood that the pro-
rogation will take place towards the end of next week, or
early in the following week. During the discussion in the
Chamber of Deputies relative to the budget of receipts, se-
veral motions were made by Opposition Members, among
others, one by M. DE ST. PRIEST, for a uniform postage of
eight sous on all letters, except those of soldiers and sailors,
but the motion was finally withdrawn on the Finance
Minister stating that it was his intention to bring in a Bill on
the subject next session. Another Member proposed a tax
on dogs, which was opposed by the Government. The Con-
stitutionnel and the Journal des Debats contain articles on the
state of Syria, andthough perhaps there may be a little colour-
ing on both sides, the condition of that country appears suffi-
ciently deplorable. " The Maronites," says the former
journal, "have suffered the most severely. They have lost
more than 2,000 of their people, among whom women, chil-
dren, and aged men form a large majority. The losses of
the Druses amount to about 1,000 persons, and these, for the
most part, able-bodied men. All the Christian villages in
the mixed districts have been burnt, their harvests ravaged,
and their mulberry- trees destroyed. In a word, their ruin is
complete." After attaching great blame to the voluntary
inaction of the Turkish authorities, the Journal des Debats
adds :—" The Turkish Governor wishes to force the Christians
who had quitted certain districts to take refuge in the towns
to return to their homes, and in order to force them to
comply, he has refused the rations which he allowed
them for a short time. The refugee Christians on their
part refuse to return to their villages, where they know
that they can find no protection, and they remain
abandoned to public charity. In the meantime the Druses
continue to pillage and to massacre the Christians who re-
main in their houses. They raise forced contributions on the
convents. Each convent is obliged to furnish oil, rice, and
bread. The Druses do not confine themselves to the pillage
and destruction of trees and to the burning of churches; they
massacre and mutilate the men, and strip and violate the
women. Several of the latter have been found hanging to
the trees by their hair. The unfortunate Christians are emi-
grating in masses. Charitable assistance was not wanting,
but it was insufficient for the relief of so many sufferers. M.
FOUJADA the French Consul, has, under these melancholy