The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-09 00:00:00

PUBLIC OPINION.

In reference to Sir Robert Peel's tariff, the Post observes:
—" Substituting substance for shadow—Conservative realities
for Whig Utopias—Sir Robert Peel's bold measure for the
relief of the suffering commonalty at this moment awakens the
most eager attention, abroad as well as at home. Even in dis-
tant regions, where commerce has long slumbered, it revives
the spirit of enterprise. The facilities created by the revision
of our tariff will make other nations rival, and emulous suitors
for the favours of England. We were the first, some months
since, to call the attention of our commercial countrymen to
the inexhaustible dormant riches of Hungary. Its inhabi-
tants, in the enjoyment of the blessings of freedom under the
wise paternal Government of our sincere Austrian ally, con-
sider us as their free brethren of predilection, destined to
withdraw from their land, as regards commerce, thc incumbent
curses of isolation and sterility. The news of Sir Robert Peel's
revision of the tariff has spread like wildfire in Hu, gary.
The Magyar journals are full of this subject, and from day to
day discuss the advantages Hungary and its sister provinces
might derive from a treaty of commerce betwixt Austria and
England."
The Herald thus speaks of Mr. Roebuck :—" In the House
of Commons there are few Members who have a shorter
method of going to work than Mr. Roebuck. His trenchant
style and vigorous appeals have not many imitators. But the
number of those who, possessing the same powerful weapons of
attack would have the honesty and frankness to turn them
against offending friends as well as offending foes, where the
interests of the Constitution required their impartial exercise,
is, we fear, still smaller. We think that the course adopted
last night, by Mr. Roebuck, entitles him to that praise which
every Member of the Legislature may legitimately challenge,
who, having undertaken a grave public duty, fearlessly dis-
charges it, regardless of personal considerations and party pre-
possessions."
The Times says :—" In two of the cases with which Mr.
Roebuck has to deal—Nottingham and Harwich—not a word
of evidence has yet appeared—the inquiry has not opened—
the House has no means of guessing, except from the eccentric
motion of one of the Members, what are the accusations, or
how supported, on which the petitioners intended to rely. Mr.
Roebuck, indeed, may think that if he is allowed to examine
the agents, he will get all out of them. But what is allowed to
him must be in future allowed to all ; and is he prepared to
establish the privilege in any Member of Parliament of exa-
mining any agent, upon any subject however confidential (and
this is pretty fairly so), which he may think likely to convict a
sitting Member? We think none of these alternatives will be
likely to find much favour in the eyes of a practical House of
Commons ; and therefore, as we have said, we wait anxious to
see what else they may find themselves able to excogitate."
We quote the following from the Chronicle :—" Mr. Roe-
buck deserves the thanks of his countrymen for the bold and
honest line which he has ventured to enter upon and carried
out. It could not have been expected by him that his ques-
tions would elicit from all the guilty parties an admission of
their original offence, or of the compromise by which they have
contrived to defeat the ends of justice. Captain Plumridge
met the matter by a peremptory denial of all participation in
bribery, but with a frank avowal of the irregular arrangement
by which his seat is to be transferred to another. E Mr. l-
phinstone denied every imputation, and we think satisfactorily.
The silence of the others is the most ample of all possible ex-
planations, and, thanks to Mr. Roebuck, the country new un-
derstands, as well as the !Members of the House of Commons
have all along understood, what is the real meaning of the re-
cent reports of Election Committees."