The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-11 00:00:00

N, FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 111 1842.

VI. It is understood that our ships of war
which were seized by the barbarians have
not yet been burned, but as formerly, lay
anchored off Hae-cho-ohill. On the nineteenth
the villagers secretly proceeded with intent
stealthily to set them adrift, designing to deliver
them to the officers and obtain rewards. They,
however, did not supposelhat they were closely
watched by the barbarians, who sent their boats
in pursuit, and opening their great guns, killed
three of the people and recovered the said vessels
all back again.—lbid, Dec. 4.

MENT.

thing by the fire, the officers and crew of the
American ship, Potomac, having generously sub-
scribed 550 dollars. -The Grindly, which was to
convey the emigrants to Port Philip, had not
arrived up to the 19th October last. Here the
necessity is shown of providing a sufficient
number of boats.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
FROM THE EVENING PAYERS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOB [l—Blackstone's comtnentaries on the
Peel Corn Bill are not uninstructive, and the
vote of the Hon. Member for Wallingford is not
insignificant. The former points most justly the
delusions revived by this measure respecting
future average prices, as having been held
out by the same statesmen respecting the
prices to be secured by their Bill of 1828.
The latter indicates the true feeling of that
" agricultural community" which its thimble-
rig representatives have put in their pocket, and
which the Premier admits to be generally op-
posed to the changes now undertaken by him.
" The Right Hun. Baronet anticipated that the
operation of his scale would make the price of
wheat rule between 51s. and 563. per quarter, but
he (Mr. Blackstone) very much feared it would
be reduced considerably lower, perhaps to 505.,
for he could not but recollect that the avowed
object of the Duke of Wellington's Administra-
tion in 1828 was to keep the price about 035.,
whereas, according to the Right lion. Baronet's
own statement, the average during the last 14
years had been only 575."
It is surprising that the degree of common
sense which enables the Member for Walling-
ford to perceive the delusiveness of these pros-
pects of average prices, does not enable him to
perceive the folly of legislating for prices at all.
The maintenance of the sliding-scale is the main-
tenance of the principle (as Lord Howick re-
marked in his admirable speech of last night)—
" of maintaining certain prices, and preventing
certain fluctuations ; at least such were the
views of the framers of that Act, and at the
time of its being proposed Parliament were
taught to believe that the effect of it
would be to steady and equalize prices ;
and by increasing the duty in proportion as
prices fell, and diminishing the duty in proportion
as prices rose, that it would have the effect
of limiting that rise and fall within certain limits,
which the framers of the Act considered it was
not expedient that the prices should exceed."
The total failure of the law of 1828 to accomplish
these purposes might have taught those who
passed it, and who are passing the present mea-
sure, the error of principle they still cling to. It is
impossible to fix price by law. It is very possible
by law to make it fluctuate more enormously
than it ever would do if left to the operations of
regular commerce. If this be success, the law of
1828 has succeeded with a vengeance.
STANDARD.—The Ministerial Corn-law Bill
was last night read a second time, by a majority
of 284 to 176—a majority of 108, in a house of
465 members, Speaker and tellers included.
This division, however, does not show the whole
strength ofthe agricultural or of the ministerial
party; for Mr. Blackstone and other Conservative
Members voted against the Bill, in order to
preserve the existing law. We shall say little
of the debate, consulting in that, we believe,
the wishes of most of our readers; but, before
we say even the little we have to offer,
it may he well to revert to one or two considera-
tions which we ventured to suggest when the
subject was first opened in Parliament; these
considerations will be found to meet a great
deal that was said last night. First, then, we
contend that frequent revisions of a law affect-
ing a matter so variable, in many respects,
as the price of corn, are by no means in-
compatible with the strictest adherence to
the principle of protection. To take a fami•
liar instance :—The nation and its depen-
dencies are protected by a naval and a military
force ; but these forces are determined by annu-
ally varied estimates, and governed by the an-
nual Mutiny Act, without any compromise of the
principle of protection. The case of the Corn-
laws is not very different. The people are pro-
tected from famine by these laws; but the exact
numbers necessary fur such protection must fluc-
tuate with circumstances, the principal among
these circumstances being the cost of pro-
duction and the relative value of money. If
grain can, on the average of one period, be pro-
duced at half the cost of a preceding period, it
is plain that it no longer demands the same
amount of protection ; or if the relative value
of money has undergone a material change, a
different scale of duties is necessary. The
prices of 1814 commanded a higher rate of
duty than the prices of 1828, and it is pos-
sible that the prices of 1828 might demand
a higher scale of duties than the prices of
1842. We are not now arguing that such is
the case. We merely wish to show that the
practice of revision is not necessarily in-
compatible with the principle of protection.
Again, we have said that it may be the duty of
a Minister to bring such a subject before Parlia-
ment, even although he sees-little necessity for
change; and that it is a peremptory obligation
upon him to do so when he thinks necessary any
change, however small, or how insufficient soever
to silence clamour.
COURIER.—We congratulate the House and
the country on being at length fairly rid of the
corn question, at least for a Session or two; for,
considering the efforts that have been made to
over-lay the public mind with erroneous notions
on this subject, and the disclaiming of finality
by its authors, we would do violence to our
conviction were we to pretend that we look
upon the present settlement of the question
as at all conclusive. And herein lies the
weightiest objection to which the measure is
obnoxious. Last night's debate elicited nothing
very novel; indeed the merits and demerits of
the proposed Bill had been -so searchingly can-
vassed, so thoroughly sifted and winnowed, that
little freshness could be expected to enliven the
fourth and final debate, as far as the House of
Commons is concerned. The gallant Member for
Middlesex, Lord Howick, and Mr. Sheil,were the
only new speakers. Col. Wood, when the Bill was
first proposed, felt somewhat disappointed, as he
had expected a measure of a somewhat less prohi-
bitory character, but subsequent consideration
gave him a more favourable opinion of it. Lord
Howick deemed it a " considerable improve-
ment " the precursor of other changes in
the same direction while Mr. Shiel ob-
jected to the measure as vicious alike in
principle and detail, his opinion being, that
the maintenance of British commerce should
be paramount. to all other considerations.
These are the only novelties to be found in the
debate, if' we except a juggle of Lord Howick's on
the word " protection." In the inflated language
of the Grey school, the rejected of Northumber-
land denounced the term as " unsuited to the tem-
per of the times," and this, be it observed, after the
principle of protection had been affirmed by the
largest majorities yet experienced in a reformed
House of Commons. If we are not to judge of
the " temper of the times" from the constitution
of that House, which is more especially the em-
bodiment of public opinion, through which alone
the electoral will of the nation can be constitu-
tionally- or truly expressed, pray how is it to be
ascertained? Are we to take the mouthings of
hireling lecturers.,-are we to take the denuncia-
tions of fanatical dissent—or the growlings of baf-
fled faction as true and infallible exponents of
the " temper of the times." Away with this cant
of generaliSms.

THE NEW HOUSES OF PARLIA-

(From the Surveyor, Engineer, and Architect,)
The works of this splendid pile are now in active
progress, and although the magnitude of the under-
taking, and the many unforseon Circumstances which
may occur to delay it, render the time of its comple-
tion a matter of uncertainty, it is still satisfactory* to
observe that no exertions are spared to hasten the pro-
gress of the works, and that, should the present
favourable weather continue, a more than usual rate
of proceeding may be anticipated during this spring.
Another winter's experience has been added to that
of last year in reference to the capacity of the inagno-
sian limestone to stand the attacks of frost, and
nothing can be more satisfactory than the sound state
of all the blocks of stone which are dispersed over the
site of the works, We did not observe a single crack
or flaw in any of these blocks ; and being assured that
the severe frosts of last winter were equally unpro-
ductive of injury to the stone, we may conclude that
it is more exempt than most other limestones from this
particular species of destruction.
It is scarceiy possible, without the aid of drawings,
to convey to a stranger a correct idea of the propor-
tion of the building which is completed up to this time.
In general terms it may he said, t whole river
front is carried lip to the second a consider-
able part of which the preparations are novc, being made
for raising the iron girders of the floor. The east and
west ends are also raised to the same height ; the con-
crete is laid for the tower At the western end of the
building, and the foun,;:tations for the tower at the
eastern end are in coarse of excavation. The depth
of concrete is seveid feet four inches, and the York-
shire landings, wihich are to cover it, are six inches in
depth, and ns immense superficial dimensions, many
of them exceeding 150 square feet. These stones are
the -micaceous sandstones of Yorkshire, and are pro-
cured from flramley Fell and other places in that
county.
There are at present six travelling cranes used on