The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-03 00:00:00

PUBLIC OPINION.

We quote the following from the Morning Herald:
—" Twelve months ago that perpetual prater Mr.
Cobden instructed his confederates of the Anti-Corn-
law League that through the instrumentality of pro-
tection to domestic agriculture there was far too great
a breadth of land devoted to corn cultivation, and
that upwards of two million acres of our soil under the
plough was unfit to produce anything but thistles,
and was only worth rent because of the Corn-law.
He then insisted on the absolute necessity of ceasing
to cultivate poor clay lands; he then persisted that
we grew far too much wheat and fed far too few
cattle ; and he then attacked landowners for their sel-
fishness in persisting to tear up land which never
should, he declared, have been disturbed. Then the
curse of the country was described by this oracular
leaguer to be an obstinate determination to be as
independent of foreign supplies of corn as possible ;
then the greatest national blessing that could be-
fall us was said to consist in giving up all attempts to
feed ourselves ; then high rents were pourtrayed as
the iniquitous result of pro-Corn-law legislation ;
then farmers were characterised as public nuisances ;
and then the very idea of our ability to increase the
production of bread-corn was scouted as the wild
fancy of foolish and interested landlords. Down
with home agriculture and up with foreign grain'
was but three, short months ago the war cry of the
Manchester League.. How changed is now the staple
of the diseoursea 'this man and his associates; the
Corn-law is now assaulted because it prevents and
delays the introdnctiori of improved systems of has-
bandry—bet:auie 'it has a tendency to check home
production=because it stands in the way of more
draining, better hedging, better fencing, better
ploughing, better sowing, better everything—because
it restricts the demand for agricultural labour—and
because it limits the domestic consumption of our
manufactures."
The Chronicle say., with reference to Lord Ellen-
borough's Indian policy—" It is no longer attempted
to be denied that the recent successes in Affghanistan
were achieved by the Generals in spite of Lord Ellen-
borough. The Governor-General ordered an ignomi-
nious retreat ; the military authorities accomplished a
most triumphant advance. The recovery of our
country people, whom Lord Ellenborough would have
sacrificed, is itself compensation to the national feel-
ing for a hazardous and expensive military enter-
prise; but this result, as we have shown, formed no
part of the Governor-General's design. What advan-
tage, then, has Lord Ellenborough contrived to ex-
tract from these triumphs, which, if his order had
been obeyed, could never have been achieved ? It
would .really appear as if mortification at having
been defeated in his attempt to defraud the nation
of what was due both to its character and in-
terests, had urged him to a course as nearly as possi-
ble similar to that upon which he had at first deter-
mined. The retreat which he ordered in the Pro-
clamation of the Ist of October, with the exception
of the unpremeditated recovery of the prisoners,
differs but little in its result from that which he or-
dered in the spring of this year. Battles have been
fought, forts have been destroyed, a ' great moral
lesson' has been taught in Affghanistan. But no
sooner has all this been accomplished—no sooner has
the avenging sword fallen indiscriminately upon guilty
and innocent, the seeds of future animosity been
broad sown from one end of the land to the other, the
elements of greater disorganisation than ever existed
before effectually let loose, than forth comes the Simla
proclamation • and, to strengthen the moral lesson,'
tells the Affghans, Though we have been able to
overrun and lay waste your country, yet I confess
that we are unable to keep possession of it. There-
fore we let go our hold, and undertake to recognise
any Government you may establish.' This is Lord
Ellenborough's moral lesson ; which, however, Would
not be complete without the additional assurance that
all the hostilities in which the British empire had en-
gaged against these people were crimes of the blackest
dye—for none deeper can there be than unnecessary,
and therefore unjustifiable, war."
The Post says :—" It has always been our opinion
that very little good could come of 'concession' to
persons whose principles are bad, whose motives are
selfish, and consciences callous. So we said when we
saw the gifted head of the present Government bring
forward measures of a nature which could not but
have the effect of making bolder and stronger the
party whose political extinction thi people sent him
into office to accomplish. So we say now, when we
see this hungry, impudent, and grasping party turn-
ing round on the Premier, and taunting him for
giving to them conditions which their own -leaders
would never have been able to obtain for them. Sir
Robert. Peel has said and done much that was favour-
able to', the principles of the Liberals. He took no
advantage of the pre-eminent position of himself and
his 'party, but seemed more anxious to conciliate
his fallen foes than the friends who so enthu-
siastically supported him. Sure we are that he
acted on a firm conviction of being in the right_
of doing all that was best calculated, under the
circumstances, to promote and establish his country's
welfare. -No-- doubt in this he made many personal
sacrifices—no doubt, by steering a different course
he might have secured for himself a great amount of
popularity with the faithful friends on whom he relies
for political power. We did ourselves, with the bold
sincerity of true friendship, express our alarm at the
principles propounded, and disapproval of some of the
measures introduced by the Tory Government. The
Radicals, in a paroxysm of petty exultation, broke
into exclamations of delight at the course they saw
of the Premier's
things taking. But what is now their tone ? All im-
pudent calumny and vituperation
character and motives. othing, they declare, has
been done—nothing that can satisfy the philosoplic,
the enlightened, the foes of farms and friends of fac-
tories. Let this be a lesson. Let men who have
principle—let men who have the destinies of an empire
in their hands—think now that it is time to stop in
this career of concession."

MONEY—TRADM—OOII2IV/ZRCE.
The charity of the Royal Free hospital, Greville-
street, is about to be removed to the extensive pre-
mises of Messrs. Seddon in Gray's Inn-lane, formerly
the barracks of the City Light Horse Volunteers ;
these premises have been fitted up at a cost of nearly
10,000/. for the purpose.

NAVAL AND MILITARY.
The Telensaque has been sufficiently raised to
ascertain the nature of her cargo, which is found to
be of timber and tallow. Some metallic substance also
had obstructed the passage of several of the harpoons.
Accounts brought by various vessels and steamers,
state that no less than the wreckage of 12 large ves-
sels, and the' complete loss of their cargoes,has taken
place during the late hurricanes, as well as three
which have been burnt to the water's edge'; upwards
of 32 persons are ascertained to have perished in them,
along with an unknown number in the vessels burnt.
LAW AND POZZCZ.
Wilmot Buckle the murderer ,of `his wife at St.
Mr. Greendl, M.P.,
Buckley mur
‘,
Helen's, has confes.sed his crime in the Presence of
and afterwards at the inquest. He stated that the
and the Superintendent of police,
deceased had goaded „him to distivetioa about hii

former sweetheart in Wigan, and that he pulled his
knife out of his pocket and stabbed her. The Jury,
without a moment's hesitation, returned a verdict of
" Wilful murder" against the prisoner, who was re-
moved to Kirkdale gaol, to abide his trial at the next
Assizes.

Jane Biggerstaff, was finally examined at Worship-
street, with having stolen a large quantity of miscel-
laneous property from different children, and com-
mitted for trial upon four separate charges.
John Joliffe, a man about 32 years of age was re-
examined at the Greenwich police-office, on the charge
of intermarrying with Elizabeth Winterburn, his
former wife, Maria Joliffe, being still alive. The pri-
soner did not deny the offence, and was fully com-
mitted for trial.