The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-29 00:00:00

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SUN OFFICE Three o'Cl)ci.

Irish disturbances and Tory Government appear to
be inseparable. Lord DE GREY MILS scarcely seated
in his Vice-regal Chair, when the old animosity of
Orangemen against Catholics displayed itself in all
its hateful rancour ; the most opprobrious epithets
were used almost in the hearing of his Excellency,
and but a faint attempt was made by the Ex-
ecutive to convince the offended party that the
New Government was resolved to adininister equal
justice to all classes of the Irish people. What has been
the result? Insolence on one hand, and distrust of the law
on the other, with every appearance of disturbances which
when suffered to reach a' certain height, can be
put down only by an armed force. In the county of
Tipperary, even Tory Journals -admit that the people
are in a more discontented and dangerous condition
than during the Government of Lord NORMANDY,
black as they were wont -to picture his Administration.
A Coercion Act they say is indispensably necessary,
and the Lord Lieutenant of the County is called upon to
convene the Magistracy. and appeal to the Government
for protection to life and property, "for which at pre
sent there is no security," This is certainly a dismal
description of the state of the country, occurring too
within a few weeks after Lord DE GREY boasted of the
tranvillity produced by the vigorous admininistration
of the laws. The lame, which under Vie late Lord
Lieutenant and his predecessor were found snffi-
ciently strong, even with all the indiscriminate
gaol deliveries and wicked leniency of Lord NOR-
MANDY, are now helpless, and the Irish must,
according to the good old Tory practice, be put
down by coercion Bills, Insurrection Acts, and all
that hateful, unconstitutional machinery which distin-
guished the worst periods of the CASTLEREAGII Govern-
ment. For the peace of the country, we confidently an-
ticipate that Sir ROBERT PEEL will discountenance any
such dangerous experiment. Why have recourse to
brute force, when past experience proves that the Irish
are much more easily governed by mild treatment and
equal laws, than by hosts of .policemen and standing ar-
mies ? This is not a time to begin a furious crusade
against seven millions of Catholics to gratify the wicked
passions of Orangemen.

The nightly squabbles of the House of Commons
about the business of Election Committees, must con-
vince every man of any reflection, who, troubles his head
about the matter, that tha time has arrived when pullic
convenience demands the establishment of a fixed and
regular tribunal for deciding upon all contested elections.
It is clear that the Hot;Se of Commons enjoys privileges
which it cannot enforce, and which, if it could, would not
meet the objections which are constantly made to modes
of proceeding so clumsy, so ill-defined, and so entirely
under the control of individual prejudice, caprice, or
party feeling. As the House of Commons is not a judi-
cial tribunal, it can merely commit to prison fur contempt
of its authority— an offence • more likely to give popu-
larity than to excite any feeling of public indignation '
against the offender. Now it is essential that the tri-
bunal trying contested elections should possess all the
judicial functions of a Criminal Law Court, and that its
authority should be entirely independent of the House.
What are called the privileges of the two Houses of
Parliament were valuable in feudal times, when the ad-
ministration of justice was regulated by the pleasure of
the Court. But as civilisation advances, law rightly oc-
cupies the place of privilege, In fact, privileges become
abstirdities, unless defined and protCcted by laws.
It is unnecessary to remind the House of Commons

that no tribunal in Great Britain is regarded with more
universal contempt than an Election Committee. As
soon as the political complexion of the majority of such
Committee isknown, there is not a door-keeper or porter
about the Home who cannot tell with certainty whether
the Member petitioned agv.inst will, or will not, be un-
seated. It becomes a mere party contest. The Judicia -
forms observed are intended only to blind the public to
the farce going on within doors.

The rtliection of Mr. WALLACE'S motion for leave to
bring in a „Nil to reduce the number of the Judges of
the Court of Session in Scotland, dues not surprise
us. The Roust. of Commons is filled with lawyers,
and every lawyer fit the House of Commons looks for.
ward to a Judgeship. The more scats there aro on
the Judicial Bench, the Alamo chances there are of
speedy preferment. Judgeships, moreover, are a
source of patronage to the Government, +4,1 every Mi-
nister finds in patronage a security for contimmage in
office. Still the labours of Mr. WALLACE will not be
unproductive of immense advantages, Already exten-
sive reforms have taken place in the administration of
the law in Scotland in consequence of the publicity which
he gave to the abuses existing in the several law Courts;
others will follow, and thus the fear of exposure will
operate beneficially upon the judicial bench of Scotland.
Mr. WALLACE proved, by a reference to the Parliamen-
tary documents that. the Court of Session does not sit
more, on an average, than two hours daily for about six
months in the year, and that of that two hours one-
third is occupied in disposing of orders and ora-
tions of no importance. Then the form of plead-
ing from written papers, instead of viva aver, imposes
immense labour upon the advocates, and impedes every
motion of the wheels of juStice. But these evils, though
deep-rooted, are not immovable. Mr. WALLACE has
only to persevere in his exertions to reform the admi-
nibtration of the law in Scotland, to be sure of -ultimate
success.

We have Madrid JoUrnals of the 20th instant, but
their contents arc uninteresting. We therefore merely
subjoin the state of the Madrid Stock Exchange :
MADRID Bouasr, Aram 20.—The liminess done to-day
amounted, in English money, to about 213,402/. The market
has experienced but little variation, prices being much the
same as on Tuesday. In the Three per Cents, ten opera-
tions were effected for a sum of 8,900,000 reals, at 22i
and 23k, at sixty days. In the Five per Cents., 18,800,000
reals were negotiated, in thirty bargains, at 27;„1. 13.16, 284,
and 28, also at sixty days. • In the Debt without interest there
were two transactions for three millions of reals, at 6i, at sixty
days. Not a single bargain was done for cash throughout the

day. Exchange on tendon_ at I,nety days. 37i to Ltd
• here 'was hitie or noectra'n.t for th x paper.

. ..... _
Phere is IL) news in the French Jiennakt ~f a.tc in-
terest to English reader's. The Rriilw•ay BM was the
subject Of discussion in the Chamber of i)eputi,s on
Tuesday, but the debate was carried on in the raids: of
conversations, often loud enough to pi•cvunv the speakers
from being heard. The impression out of doors seems
to be that the Government proposes to do inora than it
has the means of accomplishing. This is a •tery common
error with all Government6', as well as that of France.
Ministers, for the time being,
.always fancj themselves.
omnipotent :

The following Royal ordinance is published irs The Monileur
Algeriene of the 20th April
No execution to death, by whatever jurisiliction it may
have been ordered, shall take place in any part c f the French
possessions in Algeria, until a report has been made to us (the
ing), and we have decided to give a fret, course to justice.
Nevertheless, in eases of extreme urger.tcy, the Governor-
General may order execution, making a'.i immediate commu-
nication to our Secretary of War of the reotives of his decision,
which he will make known to us. TVs power granted to the
Governor- General cannot be delegated .0
We lean from Berlin that a fa., ourable change had taken
place in the health of the ex- King of
A letter from Warsaw, dated A•pril 13, in the Frankfurter
Journal, states that the army of Poland and Lithuania is almost
immediately to be placed on a peace footing.
The Alonileur of the 27th has no official part. Tt gives no-
tice of the hours on the 30th of April and Ist of May at which
the King will receive the several public bodies, deputations,
&c., on the occaion of his fete.—Constitutionnd.