The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-07 00:00:00

I ~`.

days, witness the. mode of presenting petitions to the
Hoifse of Commons, and the manner in which they are
received by the Clerk, at the table, without regretting
the cause of such a departure from what so long held a
high place in the' minds of free-born and enlightened
Englishmen, and that expediency should have stepped in
virtually to abrogate a usage and a right congenial to
the spirit of Magna Charta.
No one will deny the great inconvenience which fol-
lowed the lengthened. discussions which for a time took
place on the presentation of petitions, for some years
after the passing of the Reform Bill. At that period the
whole energies of the nation were called into action, and
were deeply excited; and, consequently, petitions, to the
House of Commons especially, may be said to have been
almost innumerable. But this state of things has long
gone by, the petitions have decreased in proportion, and
of late years exist only on great and particular and try
ing occasions.

It is well known that the people have felt extreme dis-
gust at the manner in which their petitions have been
treated, and that from one end of the kingdom to the
other they have been advised to hold both Houses of
Parliament in contempt, and to petition no more.
Extremes are always bad. For years past no Mem-
ber of the House of Commons has been permitted in any
way whatever to explain, and far less to discuss, the peti-
tions intrusted to him, even by his own constituents. Can
this possibly be right ? Is it due to a suffering, and
starving, and patient people thus to treat them ? This
is no party question, and we believe the result will prove
it so, for we are greatly mistaken if Mr. WALLACE'S
motion does not meet with general support from the
Conservative side of the House. We wish Mr. WAL-
LACE good speed ; he is engaged in a righteous cause,
and will find himself supported on a division by the
liberal and independent Members. Let every advocate,
then, of freedom of speech and fair play be in his
place on Monday by five o'clock, so that the Member for
Greenock may have their countenance, and that support
which his motion deserves.

The Madrid Papers received are to the 28th ult. On
the 27th the Chamber of Deputies was still occupied
with the Address, the debate upon which was of no in-
terest out of Spain. One sale was effected in the Five
per Cents. for cash on the Madrid Bourse on the 27th
ult., which was done at 32. There were three bargains
made at 32i and 32i, at 60 days, to the amount of
14,960,000 reals.

We have received the whole of the Paris Jour-
nals. Two subjects—the legal responsibility of the
printers of newspapers, and the propositions for electoral
reform, which have been brought before the bureaux of
the Chamber, with the view to discussion in the Chamber
itself—nearly engross the original columns of the Paris
Journals. Our Contemporaries differ as to the degree
of responsibility which should weigh upon the printer
in all other cases than that of newspapers, but they are
quite agreed as to the hardship of the addition which has
been made by the Legislature as regards the responsi-
bility of printers, to the other important guarantees
against abuses of the Press. The Constitutionnel says
there can be no objection to this responsibility in other
cases than that of the journals, for without it facilities
would be afforded to anonymous pamphleteers, and
others, attacking religion, morality, and social order ;
and who, having entered into none of the engagements,
without which a journal cannot be published, would set
the law, as applicable only to themselves, at defiance. But
considering that before a daily journal can be published
a deposit must be made of so large a sum as one hundred
thousand francs, in order that, in the event of a convic-
tion for libel, there may be always a fund at hand out
of which to take the damages, and that there must also
be a registered editor, legally responsible for the con-
tents of the journal, they contend that the law of which
they complain should either be repealed, or at least be re-
garded by the Government and by the tribunals as a dead
letter. Two or three of the Paris journals observe that
to enforce this law is to re-establish a censorship,
viz. the censorship of the printer who is employed by
the newspaper proprietors ; for, say they, if the printer
of a newspaper is to be held responsible for the articles
which appear in it, he will take care not to allow any
article to appear until he shall have read it carefully,
and ascertained, even to the satisfaction of his timidity,
that it contains neither absolute nor constructive libel. In
order that this observation may be fully understood
by our readers, it may be proper to remark that in
France the number of printers is limited, and that the
projectors of a newspaper cannot, as in England, make
use of their own types, and give to any person the
nominal title of printer of the paper, for which all that is
necessary is to take out a licence, which cannot be
refused, and which costs only one shilling. In France,
an established printer having his own types and presses
must be employed, and if the law declaring the respon-
sibility of printers for works to which their names arc
affixed is to be rigidly enforced in the case of daily
journals, it is but natural to suppose that the print( r
will insist upon controlling the lucubrations of the
writer, and on excluding everything which may appear
to his timidity to be susceptible of prosecution.
The observations of the journals on the propositions
for electoral reform are without novelty, and, therefore,
without interest. The public have had so much argu- •
ment on this question already, that it will be quite suffi-
cient for us to notice the comments of the Paris Press,
when the question shall again come, but in a more direct
shape than hitherto, before the Chamber.
The Courrier Francais has an article on the budget
of 1843, in which it endeavours to show that the Minis-
try are relieving the Treasury at the cost of the dignity
and security of the country. This is a repetition of the
old charge, but the Courrier now endeavours to give
force to it by reference to figures. Our Contemporary
begins with the economy which has been effected in the
department of the Minister of War. Here, it says, less
than 30 millions are saved annually, whilst the army is
improperly weakened by the reduction of 82,000 men,
and the expense of calling them up again would, adds
the Courrier, more than double the amount of the
saving effected by the reduction. This we imagine must
depend entirely upon the period at which an additional
force might be considered necessary. If, next year, fir
instance, the 82,000 men now reduced should be again
incorporated in the army, the saving would be nominal,
but the duration of peace would render an increase of
the army unnecessary, and an annual saving of only 30
millions, which is the estimate of the Courrier, but which
is not exactly that of the Government, would, if frequently
repeated, form a very important item. The chief com-
plaint of the Courrier, however, is directed against what
has been done in the naval department. It says :
" The Budget of the Marine for 1842 amounted to 136 mil-
lions, including an expenditure of fourteen millions for the
transatlantic mail steamers, nearly six millions for the colonial
service, and a first credit of 4,400,000 fr. for extraordinary
works. Thus in reality the real amount of the ordinary expen-
diture of this Budget was only 112 millions. The Budget of
1843 being fixed at 98,763,0'26 fr. the Ministry pretends to
have effected an economy of about thirty-sevenmillions, which
is reduced to twenty-five millions, if we deduct the twelve
millions of credit opened for the building of transatlantic stea-
mers, and which credit is almost exhausted. Let us n'iw see
to what extent our navy has been reduced and dislocated in
order to obtain this reduction of twenty-five millions. The
primitive Budget for 1841 supposed the existence of 130 armed
vessels, of which eight were to be ships of the line, and an
effective force of 22,464 seamen. In order to be prepared for
events, the Ministry of the Ist March had ordered for 1841,
and the Budget of 1842 had also provided for a force of 22.5
vessels, of which twenty were to be ships of the line, twenty-
two frigates, and thirty-five steamers, and the number of sea-
men was to be 45,474. The Budget of 1843 proves that a
disarmament has taken place, or is to take place, although
another name has jesuitically been given to it. In the first
place the number of vessels is reduced to 158, and instead of
45,474 seamen afloat, there are to be only 28,230. Our feet,
therefore, is reduced two-fifths, whilst scarcely one-fifth is
economised on the amount of the Budget."
To the English men of war proceeding to the Chinese seas,
the passage of which by the Azores, or the Canaries, we have
announced, we must add, the Siren brig, and the transports,
Belleisle, Sapphire, and Apollo. The last three have troops
on board. The Belleisle alone, an old ship of the line, con
verted into a transport, has on board the 98th Regiment, con-
sisting of 750 men.
The Admiralty appear to intend to re-inforce the squadron
of Admiral Sir Charles Adam, on the coast of the United
States and the Gulf of Mexico. Besides the Illustrious, of
74 guns, which has joined him, the Implacable, likewise, of
74 guns, will, it is said, soon follow. The Warspite, a 50-gun
frigate, which is going to take Lord Ashburton to the United
States will remain attached to the same station. The Vin-
dictive frigate was likewise intended for the same destination,
but was nearly lest on Wednesday last,on entering Portsmouth
harbour. She received so much damage that it will take some
time to repair; but it is thought that the Admiralty will send
in her stead one of the vessels of the same class.
It is to he observed that all the vessels which we hare men-
tioned are real men of war, each provided with a considerable
Artillery. The squadron of Sir C. Adam is now composed, of
the line the Illustrious a 26. g
schooners or cutters, carrying
un frigate, three of 26 guns,
a brig of 16 or 20 guns,
seven
each from 2 to 6 guns ; and nine steamers, several of which
are of 200-horse power.-- Constitutionnel.
.130U11SE—PA1tIS. THURSDAY, FEB. 3.
First Highest Lowest Last
Price.
Price Price. Pres.
retich 5 per Cents ...... ll9 10 ... 1.0 ... 119
4 per Cents ........ 103 ..• 10
8
."
"
3 per Cent,,_ ........ 79 85
_„ so ... ... 80
Loan l5 ... 80 95 •••010 15 80 25
4lnk of France ••••
••• ..3340
Belgian 5 per Cents.
.... 10434
Latfitte Bank 1.0001. Share, 1020 ...11'211 ...1017 50 ...le2o
5.0001. Shares 50
90 ...50.
o
...5030
,linen Bank
5 per Cents., 1840 105% ~. 105% 105,i 1145%
Active ys 95% 25
Passive
Old Deferred
Dutch 2% per Cents. ........... 52.14 .. ••• 52%
svapotitae
,_ 197 a.) ••• In 7 'O7 55
10434 ... 104% 10434
...........•. 104
„„ 104 IC4 104
RAILWAY It' Germain 897 so 897 50 ... 890 590
Veraailics. ri. ............ . 7 342 50 242 50 ... 341 25 341 25
212 50 ... 212 50 .. 211 25 211 25
Rouen ........ 505 506 25 ... 505 ... 305
Urie.ais .................... .... 547 so 5t7 50 ... 545 343
itrasburgtonale..... .... 2ll
,_ 230 • 230 ... 230
. .•

ipanish

.it -
Th ree hundred ishabi tants of Clerkenwell were
summoned on Sat rd y
Clerkenwell Court, for poor-
rates, and ordited to pay them in seven days.