The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-05 00:00:00

in a firm, equable, and considerate manner; and
that no erroneous system of Terrorism will be
adopted, which, like exquisite cunning, always
overshoots the mark, re-acts injuriously on the
Government which sanctions it, and aggravates
the very evils which it was intended to remove.
We cannot close these hasty observations
without alluding to the sermon preached before
the Judges, by the Rev. Mr. COLDWELL, previous
to the opening of the Commission; wherein,
alluding to the riots, lie traced them exclusively
to the " deism and infidelity that were widely
spreading through the land," adding, " that the
men engaged in them, first set aside the Bible,
then brought into disrepute the Church, and de-
clared open hostility against its ministers." This
is sad clerical cant. The riots in question
had nothing on earth to do with the Church or
the parsons. They were altogether a belly af-
fair—the result of mingled ignorance and desti-

tution. As for the Rev. Gentleman's statement
that those who took part in them were Deists
and Infidel:, we firmly believe—and we make
the remark in no disrespectful spirit—that the
majority of them were quite as good Christians
as himself, though they were not perhaps so well
paid for their Christianity.

We occasionally give brief reports of the pro-
ceedings and decisions of the Revising Barristers
in the Registration Courts, while at the same
time we are aware that no intelligence in a news-
paper, not excepting even the long speeches
made in favour of a Repeal of the Union, is read
with so little interest. The individuals who claim
votes, and a few of their friends, may take some
interest in the business, but as regards the
public in general, it is a matter of perfect
indifference whether a Whig or a Tory name
is struck off or retained. At the first revi-
sion of the Voters' Lists, after the passing
of the Reform Bill, these Courts were crowded
with anxious expectants for electoral privi-
leges, and the papers were filled with long
details of objections made against different par-
ties, while, at present, half a column is con-
sidered ample space, even in journals which have
room enough, and to spare, for recording the re-
sults. This is certainly a remarkable change in
the political feelings of the people within the
brief space of eight or nine years, and it may,
therefore, be interesting to inquire into the
cause. It cannot be attributed to a general
apathy regarding constitutional rights, for at
no period did such a general conviction
prevail as at the present time, that the people
are not represented in Parliament, and that re-
forms must be introduced into both Houses for
depriving the aristocracy of their monopoly of,
power, and protecting the great body of the
people against the abuses of class legislation.
The apathy must, therefore, arise from some
well-grounded conviction that all the valuable
provisions of the Reform Bill have been set
aside, and that it is useless to trust to a charter
which has been found so completely in-
operative. Bribery is carried on to a greater
extent than ever, there are still small
rotten boroughs in abundance, and in large towns
canvassing, accompanied with promises and
threats, never exhibited such unusual vigour as
during the last election. It is painful to witness
such a change, but it is still more painful to
know that this apathy may be traced to the
political conduct of certain parties in whom the
people at one time placed confidence, Lord
JOHN RUSSELL'S " finality" speech, the ejection
of Lord BROUGHAM and Lord DURHAM from the
Cabinet, and the infusion of others in their place
of all but Tory principles, have alienated the
people from what has been called Liberal go-
vernment, and made them look out for other and
more faithful leaders. But the task appears all
but hopeless, for if even as large a number of
honest Reformers were returned to Parliament
as the present state of the suffrage would admit,
what could they do against the Tories with the
finality man at their back? Are we to wonder,
therefore, that the Sturgites and the Chartists,
and other political parties, should be driven to
the necessity of devising some scheme for the
abatement of these evils, and that, in despair of
finding a sufficient remedy by ordinary means,
they should go much farther than many of the
middle classes consider prudent or practicable ?
Such demonstrations, however, are marked symp-
toms of the defective state of society, and require
the immediate and careful attention of our rulers,

We have news from Madrid up to the 25th of
fast month.

The C'orresponsal publishes a notice of the
Director of the Bank of San Fernando, an-
nouncing to the shareholders that they are en-
titled, for the present year, to a dividend of 4
per cent., which will be paid to them after the
Ist of October.

The following is an extract from a private
letter:—

" The commercial treaty with Great Britain is
again beginning to be talked of, and it is even asserted
in some political and diplomatic circles, that the pro-
ject has been actually discussed between the Regent,
his secretary (General Linage), a Spanish statesman,
supposed to be M. Gonzales, and Mr. Aston, our
Minister. The last correction was said to have been
given to it so far back as the 20th of August. It is
thought th at the Government will present it to the
Cortes, tog ether with the projected treaties with Bel-
gium and Holland, and that whilst the discussion is
proceeding Zurbano will be kept in Catalonia to over-
awe the o otton spinners and manufacturers of Bar-
celona. NC. Cortina, aware of the conclusion of this
tnithroughonly
with h the r''FiCaorrlti ea sm, e ins t
aconcertingfriends,
treaty, and of the plans of Government for carrying
is
en
with
t
measures,but ev
secret societies of Barcelona, to procure their failure."

We !ave receivediall the— Paris papers,
but with t the exception of a supposed insult offered
to the Fi .ench flag, they contain little news. It
appears t hat the British brig Cygnet, employed
for the prevention of the slave-trade on the
African toast, had fired with ball, ahead of a
French vef sel called L'Aigle, to bring her to,and
as the rapt min paid no attention to this, a second
shot was fu •ed, and two Englishmen boarded her,
when, fink Ling all was right, the vessel was al-
lowed to depart. While the mutual right of
search cons .inues, we really-cannot see any part of
this procee' Eng of which the French commander
has a right to complain. His protest, and Ithe
reply of Ca.lptain WILSON, the commander of the
Cygnet, will be found in another part of the
paper.

The Journal des Debats states that M. PAGEOT
had been appointed Minister Plenipotentiary,
and charge d to fill, ad interim, the post of Minis-
ter of Fran ce at Washington, in the absence of
M. DE BAC'OURT.

The Illo:21teur Parisien announces that the
King of PatTsstA received most graciously the
authorities of the French town of Pontarlier, on
his passage al; the Saut du Doubs, on the 28th ult.
His MAJESTY expressed deep concern in speak-
ing to the Saab-Prefect at the painful loss sus-
' tained by France in the person of the Duke of
ORLEANS, a ad inquired with the greatest interest
after the h ealth of the Duchess of ORLEANS,
whose rare qualities, he said, had left the most
honourable anal flattering impression in Germany.
Accounts fi •om Eu of the 30th ult. state that
the KING, Qv EEN, and Royal Family walked on
that day from the Chateau to Hotel Dieu to visit
the sick. Th( it MAJESTIES were received at the
gate.of the he )spital by the Prefect of the De-

sorted to, as the Judges of the land were not un-
frequently in the habit of using in the ultra-Tory
days of PITT, SIDMOUTH, and CASTLEREAGH,
when the great object of Government—in such
cases of riot and sedition as the present—seemed
to be, less to administer impartial justice, than
to ensure the conviction of troublesome and ob-
noxious opponents. His Lordship wound up
his succinct, lucid, and temperate charge,
by some appropriate remarks on edu-
cation, the diffusion of which generally among
the working-classes was, he said, the only effec-
tual method of rendering them good men and
good citizens, and of counteracting the attempts
of designing political incendiaries to undermine
their principles, and array them in hostility to
the established institutions of the country. From
the spirit that pervaded his Lordship's charge,
we feel satisfied that the law will Le
administered—as it always ought to be,
but, alas! not as it always has been—