The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-12 00:00:00

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MAY 12, 1842.

PRICE 5(1

SPIRIT t.‘f the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
FROM THE EVENING. pAPEH9 OF TUESDAY.
GLOBE.—" When these gentlemen do agree, their
unanimity is wonderful," as the Critic says. For the
sake of some future approximation to purity of election,
we congratalate the House of Cemmons on the uoanitnity
apparent last-night. It appears to have been felt on eti
sides that the due; denounced was "- too bad" tle. derence,
and that the notoriety furnished sufficient ground for the
most searehing inquiry. We have cited precedents from
the times of Pit ; and we might tied resemblances in the
same period of the attitude. taken by the Minister of the
day, when grave charges were brought forward, the
pressing of Which was likely to be inconveuient to some
of his own friends. In the ease of Warren Hastings, as
in that of Lord Melville at a. • latter periodi Pin did not
hesitate to abandon to the tender mercies of the House
of Commons a partisan or a colleague, whose impeach-
went might find occupation fur forensic activities, which
might otherwise fix on points still more vital to hie
Ministry. On this point, at least, the present. Minister
has taken a leaf from his alleged prototype ; and main-
tains that high profession of respect for whatever beam
the name of Parliamentary privilege. which would cer-
tainly have been placed somewhat in jeopardy by an op-
posite course. We have nothing to do with the truth or
falsehood of Major Beresfurd's angry reprisals on the
Hon.-Member for Bath. The lion. Member's motives
are beside the question. A man may bribe from the best
motives ; or at least lie 'may so persuade himself. A
man may expose bribery from the worst motives ; or may
be said to do so. The public has nothing to do with mo-
tives, as it has no teat for ascertaining them ; and can
only infer sinister motives from illegal and illicit proceed.
ings. Neither have we the slightest disposition to impute
peculiar turpitude to the acts of the parties implicated in
theseallegations. Those on whom the Tower of Siloam
f'ell were not sinners above all the Galileans. Nor are we
sanguine of a radical cure of the evil complained of by
topical remedies. Moral evils so deeply seated and in-
veterate will hardly be reached by such means. It is
within the memory of many persons acquainted with
one of the towns implicated (Nottingham), that the fact
of having accepted a bribe was deemed se disgraceful
to a member of an operative society, as to occasion his
expulsion. We fear this virtue is rare now, and that no
law can directly restore it. There is, however, a suffi-
cient extent of sound opinion prevailing in the country,
to enforce that all that law can do shall be done to limit
the range of malpractices.
STANDARD.—The debate upon Mr. Roebuck's mo-
tion last night was conducted with a.good temper and
gravity suitable to the subject. Notwithstanding a
burst of party petulance from Lord Palmerston, a
little encouraged by Lord John Russell, the public
has reason to be satisfied with the spirit gene-
rally displayed, and more particularly manifested
in the speeches of' Sir Robert Peel and Lord
Stanley. It struck us, however, in the first -in-
stance, that Mr. Roebuck's motion was not judiciously
framed, and the progress of the debate confirmed us in
this opinion : indeed, we cannot think that even the
amended resolution adopted by the House is precisely
what it ought to be, though we freely admit it
may be made effectual for its purpose. It is the
commonest thing in the world to remark, in read-
ing a Parliamentary debate, that though the de-
bate may have been honestly conducted, and con-
ducted with ingenuity and talent of a high order.
the real question has been lost sight of. Of this hag
night's debate, in our opinion, aftbrds a remarkable ex-
ample. The real question was, the suggestion that bri-
bery had been practised at -Nottingham and the
other places named ; but the question treated
last night was, not t'se question of bribery,
but the question of compromise. And see what
was the effect of this error. The compromise
itself, and the crime of which it was supposed to be
the cloak, were all treated as resting upon vague ru-
mour, and, therefore, by some considered as -not
calling for the interference of the House ; com-
promise, it was argued, may be innocent, or
it may be the reverse, and we are bound in
reason and in law to assume the better part
of the alternative, Besides, there is no prece-
dent for bringing a compromise in question without
some evidence to go upon, and to look for evidence
from parties to a compromise is to call upon men
to criminate themselves. The House, in effect,
treated these flimsy quibbles and 'technicalities as
they deserved ; but still the opponents of inquiry
were left with the advantage that always belongs
to those who reskt a ease not perfectly and satisfac-
torily made out. New we contend that the House has
siifficienL matter—matter of record, too—upon which to
ground the inquiry upon which it has resolved ; viz.—in
every one of the cases referred to, a petiticn, directly and
specificalkicharying eels o/' hrihcql, has been presented—
presentedhymen who have given their names arid addresses
and even entered into securities to prosecute the charge.
(FROM THE EVEN.ING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.)
(11,013E.—Whenee, after all, then, is this cheap
ness of through the Peel tariff; to come ?
Partly perhaps from rice, and potatoes. and herrings.
Partly from cheapened manutiteturee. We do not
Dleall to deny the advantage, in competing 'with fo-
reigners, of
_those reductions on raw materials, ae
tiinber, and semi-ni a tufactured articles, as copper,
See., proposed by the new measure. But the
effect of all these, as regards mere cheapness of
living at home. cannot be Very important. The
main sources of' cheapness are closed against
its, and proclaimed " exceptions." And Sir Ro-
bert Peel. in his usual manner, seemed anxious.
to re-aesure the operatives engaged in those branches
manual industry with which it is designed
to bring their French rivals into closereompetition—
by representing, (with a tangible illustration which he
exhibited to the I louse) the operation of the smuggler
as baffling. all measures of prohibition. Assuming this
to be true, as regards the more portable finished ma-
nufactures, it follows that we shall not get them any
cheaper after the proposed reduction. Where then,
we again ask, is the reduced cast qf living to coma
from r We will tell him—if the present depression
of commerce continues. From the reduced command
of the precious metals by this country, which must
lower all prices.
STAN DI Rll—The exposition of the tariff occu-
pied the greater portion of the night's sitting. The
reduction in the timber duties needed little to he said.
in commendation ; but may we be pardoned if we'
supply an omission suggested to memory by anotKr
part. of the Premier's speech—we mean the Intimate
connexion of the timber duties with the fis!ieries.
It appears that the United Kingdom, and particu-
larly Ireland, is in the habit of importing inunense
quantities of salted herrings. Nows -this seems to us
a fact the most disgraceful to our legislation that can
be 'imagined. Ireland has within a range of two
hundred miles, on the western side, more and better
ports than are presented by all the west coast of
Europe, front the extreme north of Lapland to Gibral-
tar. Ireland is said to have two millions and a. halt'
of people unemployed—of these five hundred thousand
must be hardy and robust men. Now we speak from,
direct knowledge when we say that the abundance:,
of herrings, in the season, upon the west • coast of •
Ireland is so great, that even this prodigious num-
ber of men would for several months of the year
find full employment in taking them, if only
the dmnand of all Europe would supply a
market, which we think it would not. Why,
then are the people of Irellind unemployed and ill
foul, with the means of abundance of employment,
and food mocking, as it were, their verc
shores,? They have no boats, but such miserable
craft as cannot live in any except time smoothest .sea.
It is -a sight—a disgraceful sight—often seen—hun-
dreds of Dutch and even French fishing-boats, em-
ployed within the view ofthe starving Irish peasantry;
taking herrings to b.! carried back to a continental
port—there cured—and then sent once more west-
ward to he sold in Ireland. Now, it is impossible
to assign any other cause for this disgraceful
social paradox, but the high rate of the tim.
her duties. By lowering these duties Sir Robert,
Peel will create. ae Irish. Fishery, possessing tker,_
tages greater than any other fishery in the wor4ul,
:11141 in that create an inexhaustible supply for
the navy. See- what. the French Government is
doing, and wisely and
,patriotically doitrr, to
create ports along its western coast, in. despite
of nature ; and this with the avowed purpose
'of keeping up the supply of maritime thople ne-
cessary to support a navy such as tilt, political
position of France requires. And we., to whom
Providence has given the ports—we, •who have
the people of whom we know not how to dispose—we,
whose national existence depends upon our navy,
sacrifice all, sacrifice the comfort of millions, the pro-
fits of a lucrative trade, and the means of national.
security, to a wretched timber duty. W, who this
day might have hundreds of thousands (now objects
of pity, and suspicion, and anxiety) cheerfully and
happily employed in raising food for themselves and
their fellow-creatures, put a petty tax as a bar be-
tween our country and so great a blessing.

SUDDEN 1) ILITif .—Tuesday morning, at 6 o'clock
a man, at present unknown, went into the coffee-shop, No. 44
Wych-street, Strand, and having called fora cup of coffee. sat
himself down. He had no sooner done so than he fell heavily
to the ground. Mr. Hare, the proprietor of the shop, supposing
hint•tobe in a fit, bathed his temples and handswith cold water,
but finding that to be of no avail, he called in the police, who
placed him upen a shutter, and conveyed him to King's College
Hospital, where he was promptly attended by the house-sur-
geon, but the poor man had ceased to breathe. Two shilling.
in silver, a few pence, two clasp knives, tome memoranda, ands
other papers were found upon him, but nothing to lead to his
identification. He is about 38 years of age, five feet five inches
ywishtokaetr,,dafarkir complexion,,and &eased
suited trousers, blucher
liniigah,bdiacarkk hi sandy
t,
audi
boots, and has much the appearance of a printer.
A tumultuous scene occumxl at the Theatre des
Varieties, at Toulouse, on Tuesday. Some persona in the first
tier of boxes, having hissed the actors, the occupants of the pit,
after many vain attempts to procure silence, began to throw dif-
ferent objects at the offenders in the boxes, who, in their turn.
tore up their seats, and threw them at their assailants in the
pit. The quiet portion of the audience rushed in alarm from
the theatre.The pollee then entered, and arrested several of
the most t 'indent on both sides.o
FRENCH PLAYS.—Madlle. Dejazet inade her second
appearance on Monday in Les Preinieres Arnies de Richelieu,
a pleasant Parisian vaudeville, which glides through its scenes
gracefully and amusingly. As the young Richelieu—Madlle.
Dejazet enacts the boy—ambitious of being thought a man, and
stung to the quick at, every mortification of :this his parvenu
ambition. All this, with other points, was admirably expressed,
and her attitude when she stood gazing at the box of sugar.
plums, choking with anger and mortification, drew down a
round of applause. The performance altogether was quite tacit
cessful, and the actress was loudly called for at the conclusion.
of the piece.