The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-22 00:00:00

al
4*etonblibition

greater reverence, for puiJlic functionaries,
or a better opinion of that Constitution by which
they consider themselves oppressed. If we are
to believe the poets, music humanises the mind
and even tames the brute creation; and the Ma-
gistrates of Middlesex might therefore have tried
the experiment at least for one year, to see what
mould be its effects on the moral-force Chartists.

The Madrid mail of the 13th brings nothinc,
of importance from the capital or the provinces
of Spain in the way of news, and the specula-
dons of the journals are destitute of interest.
The Three per Cents. were done at 21i at 60
days, and Five per Cents. at 27 2711, 27 at 60 days.

The remarkable letter of Lord ABERDEEN,
addressed to the Lords of the Admiralty, rela-
tive to the slave trade, furnishes an ample topic
for discussion in the Paris papers of Thursday. In
that letter it was admitted, on the authority of the
Advocate-General, that the proceedings at Gal-
iinas Rio Cestos, and Sea-bar were not strictly
justifiable, and that the instructions given to her
MAJESTY'S naval officers could not with perfect
legality be' carried into effect. His Lordship
submitted also um the consideration of the Ad-
miralty, whether it might not be -proper
to caution our naval officers respecting.
the manner in which they acted on their
instructions for blockading the mouth of
of a river; lest the duty confided to them in
suppressing the slave trade might be
.confounded
with the very different one of the actual blockade.
The writers in these journals generally express
satisfaction with this document, while at the
same time they adduce it as a confirmation of
their assertions, that the right of search had not
been executed according to the law and eight of
nations. No doubt they are justified in drawing
such inferences from the letter, and Lord ABER-
DEEN, on finding that our cruisers had received
defective or illegal instructions, did no more than
his duty in redressing the grievance, and taking
precautions against its recurrence. It must, at
the same time, be remarked, that the points re-
ferred to by his Lordship do not bear directly
upon the great question—the right of search
but the French writers, nevertheless, take ad-)
vantage of the circumstance, and consider the
admissions made by the British Minister as very
good reasons for abrogating the treaties of 1831
and 1833.

" Officers," says the Commerce, • who are so little
competent to understand the instructions given to
• them 'or the repression of the
.slaVe trade along the
coast Of Africa, and who have been guilty of acts of
pillage and destruction, which cannot be considered
as sanctioned by the- laws of nations,' ought not to
complain of being calumniated, when we charge them
with Wanting moderation in. the exercise of .the right
of search. By a strange coincidence it is at this
moment, when ill. Guizot, in order to defend that
right, repelled the accusations adduced against the
British. navy, that Lord Aberdeen confirmed the jus-
tice of our coniplaints in his letter to the Lords Coin-
-missioners of the Admiralty. M. de St. Aulaire may
boldly present himself to Lord Aberdeen • and, witl
the letter of his Lordship in his hands, demand the
abrogation of the treaties of 1831 and 1833."
" The British Government," . says the Courrier
Francais, " appears to feel that her honour engages
her to disavow the acts-of barbarity and pillage com-
mitted by her cruisers at Galling and at Rio Sestos.
We now ask all those who have read Lord Aberdeen's
letter, whether the Minister ought to have confined
the effects of his displeasure to a sort ofpublic censure
of the acts which he points out to the attention of the:
Admiralty? Is this a sufficient reparation for such
excesses ? We are aware that the Minister who drew
up those homicidal inAructions quitted office with
Lord Palmerston and that he is no longer responsible,,
except to public opinion ; but does • not Great Britain
owe an indemnity to the people who have suffered ?
and is not this conclusion wanted to Lord .Aberdeen's
letter? A great nation, when it 11 outraged, huma-
u-4Y: ought not to be satisfied with making a public

SUN OFFICE Three o'Cloelt.

A petition was presented to the Middlesex
Magistrates on Thursday from certain Chartists,
praying fur a dancing and music license for a
building in Holborn, belonging to what is called
" The National Association of the United King-
lom, for Promoting the Political and Social Itn-
provement of the Poor," and, after counsel had
Teen heard fur and against the application, the
Acense was refused•by a large majority, only four
bands being held up in its- favour. We are at a
loss to discover any good reason for the course
adopted by the Magistrates on this occasion,
especially after tile liberal speech made by their
Chairman, and the manner in which he
pointed out the expediency of provid-
ing moral edification and amusement fur
the people. That speech, according to the
report, was loudly cheered from : all parts of the
Court, yet in a very brief space after this cheer-
ing had subsided they declared that to one class
it least, and that rather a numerous one, such
amusements shall be denied. The petitioners, too,
lid not belong to that violent sect called " Phy-
sical Force men," but to another which has se-
parated from the general body, and which pro-
poses to aecomplish its objects by peaceful
means, by mental, physical, moral, and political
instruction, and by•healthful and rational recrea-
tions, which may serve to cheer the working
glasses after the toils of the day. Singing is
3onsidered by many a very rational amusement,
and Sir ROBERT PEEL has such a high opinion
of its moral tendency that he intends to propose
a public grant of money for its encouragement.
Dancing also is considered rational exercise—at
least it is practised by many rational people, and,
though its moral effects may not be so conspi-
•uoas, it is patronised by Ahnack's, by the
Nobles, and the highest ladies of the land, and,
indeed, with a few exceptions, by the whole com-
munity, from the kilted. Scotsman, whO rejoices
in the " Highland fling," to the QUEEN herself..
fhe petititmers, therefore, cannot be charged
with asking permission to carry on illegal or im-
moral practices ; nor would the license for which
:hey prayed enable them to give more effect to
loctrines which may not be suited to
:he taste of the Middlesex Magistrates and the
Vestry of the united parishes of Sf. Giles and St.
Cileorge. If the lessons they teach are danger-,
pis and illegal, let the place be shut up at once,
et the leaders be tried for their offences, and
the public be convinced that they are in the
hvrong; but let not public functionaries, entrusted
with great powers, exercise them with partiality,
and grant permission for harmless amusements
lo one class of her MAJESTY'S subjects, whilst it
is refused to another. These remarks are sug-
gested without any reference to the political
tenets of the part!es, but from a sense of justice,
and a conviction that these useless annoyances
And unreasonable antipathies only frustrate their
object. Does not the very fact, that these men
are not treated like others, tend to confirm them
in one of the fundamental doctrines of the
Charter, that they are not faithfully represented
in Parliament? Arid would not a license - fbr
inch a place have rather taught those peo-
ple respect for the Magisterial bench,
and put them on their good conduct,
in order that they might confidently apply
tbr its renewal? Bat when they find them-
selves a marked sect, • and are refitsed privileges
granted to the frequenters of Exeter-hall and
other places, not remarkable either for the
moderation or the charity displayed at the
meetings, they cannot be expected to entertain