The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-17 00:00:00

sperity and gladness would instantly return to every part
of the empire.
But it is said that the agriculturists and the sugar
planters would be injured. We deny it. The repeal of
the obnoxious laws could not add a grain to the present
quantity of corn and sugar in existence, nor cause any
more to be grown this season. All the corn which is
now in bond will come into consumption in the course
of a few weeks, at a nominal duty, without any addi-
tional demand for it. Repeal the Corn-law, and though
not au additional grain of corn could be obtained,
the demand for it would be greatly increased. Our people
are much under-fed-; we believe that twice the pre-
sent quantity would scarcely suffice them ; and with a
free trade they would have the means of purchasing twice
the quantity. Under the influence of hope the manufac-
turers would continue to set more hands to work, and the
demand for food would increase faster than our own and
other countries could supply it. There would be no Nil
of price, therefore, beyond the fall which will takeiplace
after the harvest is gathered in ; not a soul would be in-
jured by the repeal, but multitudes would be saved from
starving, the country would be secured from decay, and
the monarchy from a great convulsion.
The same argument applies to sugar. The quantity
now grown would not meet the demand, and the planters
would lose only a portion of the discriminating tax they
now levy on us. They would cease, however, to compete
with one another so eagerly as at present ; they would
cultivate at a less cost ; and ultimately would lose no •
thing. We have no hesitation, therefore, in asserting
that the measure of repealing the PEEL Corn-keeping.
out Bill this Session, to which the Duke of WELLINGTON
last Light sneeringly alluded, is precisely that measure
which would give the country instant relief, and en
which. as we know—hopeless as it may appear—many
manufacturers yet rely to save them and their workmen
from ruin,

When the Messrs: WIGNEV, :the bankers of Brighton,
were under examination seven weeks ago, on April 23th,
we drew attention to the conduct of Loudon hcuses,
which, taking great care of themselves, countenance
houses which they know are unsound, in carrying on a
business which they also know must be an injury, and
probably a fraud, on some unsuspecting persons. We
then said that the sort of business the Brighton Bank
carried . on, the nature of the payments for which it
had to provide, and the kind of security it must have
continually offered for advances, must have made
its London Correspondents acquainted, years ago,
witl the true state of its affairs. Who can believe, if
such were the case, had the Messrs. MASTERMAN refused
the agency of the Messrs. Wicxav's Bank some years
ago, that the delusion practised by those gentlemen
could have been so long continued, or would have been
so injurious to the Messrs. WIGNEY'S clients ? We fur-
ther remarked that we have not heard that the London
correspondents of the Brighton Bank are creditors to
any extent ; they no doubt took care of themselves ;
but whatever may be the case in law, it does not
satisfy morality, that an opulent London house, which
lends its countenance to a country house through six
years of insolvency, in the end escaped without any
loss. Reminding our readers of these circumstances,
we now leave the following extract from the examination
of Nlr. I. N. WIGNEY,. on Wednesday, to the common
sense of the reflecting public:—

In your 1 glance sheet there is an item of 27,504/. 3s. 10d. in
liabilities to Messrs. Masterman and others,believed to be good.
How much of that has been paid?— All except one bill.: When
all the liabilities have run off; Messrs. Masterman will be in-
debted to the assignees to the extent of 2,0031. 3s. Mr. George
Wigney's name is endorsed on bills to the extent of 13,0001. He
began to endorse bills for me during the last year. My account
was overdrawn, and Mr. Masterman said it was desirable to
have a name on the bill.

The SPEAKER of the House of Commons has behaved
in a most unwarrantable manner to the Non-Intrusionist
clergy of Scotland, and he may be very thankful that
he does not belong to the Kirk, for excommunication
would have been the slightest punishment the General
Assembly would have deigned to inflict upon him
for his wanton cruelty. The Member for Argyleshire
some months ago brought in a Bill to regulate the
exercise of Church patronage in Scotland; the hopes of
the party, consequently, were greatly excited ; the
Government, they fondly imagined, were inclined to
listen to their claims, as at the request of the
Home Secretary the Bill was postponed for six
weeks, in order that matters might be arranged,
and Wednesday, the 15th of June, was finally settled
fur the discussion of this important measure. A great
number of gentlemen, according to the statement of the
Right Honourable Member for Edinburgh, posted up to
London to be preient at the debate ; they had
obtained Speaker's orders for admission, and were
waiting in breathless anxiety for speeches from Mr.
CAMPBELL, Sir JAMES GRAHAM, and Mr. Fox Mama:,
when, to their utter astonishment, they found themselves
wickedly deceived. After the ice had been broken by
the great patron of the Non-Intrusionists, Mr. Fox
MAULE, the SPEAKER rose and said, " The Bill in-
terfered with the patronage of the Crown, and should
not have been introduced without the consent of her
MAJESTY. Under these circumstances I think the
House of Commons cannot permit the measure to pro-
ceed farther." Cruel mockery ! Did not Mr. SPEAKER
know when the. Bill was introduced, that the
Crown had the patronage of nearly one-half
of the livings, and that before Mr. CAMPBELL
could move one step, the consent of the Crown must be
obtained ? Sir ROBERT PEEL of course knew this
quite well also, yet he has allowed these men to march
up and march down again, like the French King's men,
without the slightest attempt to atone for the insult.
He would not promise the QUEEN'S consent, because
it would be contrary to a precedent fully established in
1833, and the Hon. Member for Argyleshire must there-
fore seek some other mode of bringing on the question.
No wonder that Mr. Fox MAULE was in a towering
passion when he found that he and his party had been
led on such a goose chase, and that the Premier only
added to the insult by refusing to yield one inch. All
that could be obtained was the appointment of a day, the
sth of next month, for discussing the question, and, we
trust, Sir It. PEEL will throw no obstacles in the way of
this arrangement. It is desirable that the question
should be set at rest, vast numbers in Scot-
land are greatly interested in the matter,
and arc anxious to have a decisive answer from the Go-
vernment. The forty deposed clergymen should not be
thus left in suspense, and some regard also should be
had for the feelings of those who are exposed to a sirailar
visitation.

If we may judge from the capricious and conflicting
tone of some of their daily eigans, and the significant
hints dropped, accidentall:i, as it were, from time to.
time in the House of Commons, by those who usually
act with them, thrd Tory party would seem to be in a
very unsettled, uneasy, and even ricketty condition.
True, they bare a majority, but it is not one to be re-
lied on at a pinch, but is liable to a thousand fluctua-
tions. While one section of the Tories " goes the whole
hog" with the Minister, another gives him but a quali-
fied support, and a third intimates pretty plainly its sus-
pm • -*on that he is unfaithful to his trust. On great oecti-
sious, when their very existence as a dominant party
is jeopardized, they may make a momentary show of
unity; but, generally speaking, they are no longer, like
the old man's bundle of faggots, bound firmly and
strongly together in the bonds of one common interest ;
but are a mere loose collection of sticks—and such
sticks !—liable at any time to be displaced, snapped, ..ad
scattered to the winds. Sir ROBERT PEEL, in cut: has
succeeded in completely unsettling them, a' flinging f
the apple of discord among, them ; an; • more tliatt 'once
during the session, both he and they he owed their
safety to the timely sUpport afforded tkem by the ()Ivo-
sition. Never were Chief and his clan placed in a
queerer position, towards each other ! While he pro-
fesses to lead, them, by virtue of his vigilant attention to
their interests, he does his utmost to impair thos-e In-
terests ; and they in return, while formally ndkitowledg-
ing hint as their head, lend him a sullen, reluctant
support, and now and then break out into open
mutiny, and flatly refuse to 8- march through Coventry
with him. Have any of our readers ever seen a pig-driver
conducting a refractory porker to Smithfield ? If they
have, they will not easily forget it, fir it is one of the
most amusing exercises of ingenuity that can possibly be
witnessed. The man, well knowing the obstinate nature
of the brute he has to deal with, holds him fast by a
string attached to his leg, which, however, he pulls with
great gentleness, so as to lead the animal to suppose
that he is taking his own direction. Thus by dint of
coaxing and adroit management, and giving a slight tug
when he wishes him to go down & particular street,
he gets him, say, as far as the purlieus -of
Smithfield, and is already beginning to congratulate
himself on his success, when suddenly the stubborn brute
comes to a dead halt, and refuses to go an inch further:
In vain the poor driver tugs, and thumps, and endea-
vours by all possible stratagems to persuade him to alter
his resolution ; his efforts are wholly unavailing ; and
at length, driven to desperation by the swine's invincible
obstinacy. he gives the string one mighty jerk—it snaps
—off goes the emancipated animal—and the bewildered
driver, like Sir Jons Nfoonn, is " left alone with his
glory!" Sir PEEL'S management of the Tories is,inst
a parallel case with the above. lie is the pig-driver,
and they arc the pig. The string with which he holds
them fast, and by which he hopes to lead them in his
own direction, is their sense of self-interest. Of course
he handles this guiding agent with the greatest caro
and adroitness; so as to give them the least