The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-14 00:00:00

titz c§nn.

LONDON :
SATURDAY MORNING, MAY 14, 1842.

An. interesting discussion took place last night in the
House of Commons, on the principles of commercial
legislation for our colonies. It wits raised by the motion
of Lord Howlex, on the question of going into s Com-
mittee on the tariff, that it was improper to impose any
differential duties in favour of the colonies, which do not
now exist. His Lordship confined his speech pretty
much to that question ; but the Ministers, being unable
to answer his arguments, branched off into a variety of
general doctrines about the preservation of the colonial
empire, and about allowing unlimited freedom to the
colonies for their trade. Lord STANLEY, in particular,
was extremely loud, vehement, and vague. They will,
however, by their remarks, make the people of England
aware of the value of the colonies. Sir ItonEnT
PEEL, in truth, stated, in so many words that if our
Government were not allowed to entrol the trade
of the colonies, the nation ought not to be at the ex-
pense of governing them. Now as it has been proved,
over and over again, that the 'ontrol exercised by the
Government of the motheK country over the trade of the
colonies is inost ir.testis both to the mother country
and the cole.iti6, it follows that our colonies are a
useless-expense, -and ought to be given up. It has been
demonstrated over and over again that, so far as trade is
concerned, the mother country would derive more advan.
tage from the colonies by having nothing to do with the
government of them ; and we hail with satisfaction Sir
ROBERT PEEL'S conversion to the theory which the To-
ries have frequently abused Mr. HumE for adopting. In
all his principles Sir ROBERT PEEL is becoming a free
trader—in all his practices be remains an arrant Tory,
and the slave of a vicious system.
lie displayed his character in opposition to his prin-
ciples- last night, when, finding it extremely- incon-
venient to answer the home arguments of Mr. BARING,
he admitted that he was incapable of justifying the de-
. tails'6f the tariff ; but on questionS of differential duties
details' are- principles, and to be unable to justify them is
to acknowledge that they ought not to be passed, Sir
R. PEEL felt this, and therefore he took refuge in some
vapouring 'talk about making -a vigorous financial exer-
tion; and arrogantly telling' the House they mutt take his
scheme as a whole without examining those details
which he is unable to justify. The House, being as
servile as ho is arrogant, took. hint at his word, and
voted, by a considerable majority, for what he was unable
to defend. The more we see of the House of Commons
the less we respectit.

It is deeply to be regretted that while the citizens of
-London are praiseworthily bestirring them elves to
render pecuniary assistance to the people of Hamburgh,
an impression should prevail among the populace there.
that the destrnelioa .of their noble city was the work of
English incendiaries. Yet such is the fact. All the accounts
received this morning from Hamburgh state that so strong
was the popular delusion upon this point, that it was
feared some Englishmen would be murdered in conse-
quence. " While this unfortunate and frightful delusion
prevails," writes our correspondent, " those Englishmen
now so active in suppressing the fire are scarce safe; A
great jealousy has unfortunately prevailed among the
working classes of Hamburghers against many Englishmen
employed here who reexiVe higher pay. These are only en-
gaged in machine 'Manufactories and for the railway; that
is, on work forwhieh the townsmen are manifestly incom-
petent, but which they boast they can do as well." This
is the meat rational solution of the popular delusion.
Son fiend incarnate set a rumour afloat which
he knew the people would swallow with avidity.
But let no violent acts of a people in a state
of frenzy operate to their prejudice in any Bri-
tish bosom. Let not the hand of charity be stayed by
the violence of pour people driven frantic by their losses
and their sufferings. On the contrary, the existence of
such a delusion is an argument in favour of our being
more liberal. We cannot take a better or more
Christian means of removing it than by con-
tributing largely to the restoration of the an-
cient emporium of German civilization and com-
merce. We trust some Member of the House of
Commons will moot the subject of this calamity in the
House, that her MAJESTY'S Government may have:rin
opportunity of expressing sympathy, at least, for
the people of Hamburgle Moro substantial support
just new might only have the effect of checking
private benevolence. But should it be ultimately found
imposible to restore Hamburgh without an. appeal to the
generosity of Parliament, we should be among the very
first to countenance and support it.

The causes which led to the late frightful calamity on
the Versailles Railroad will, we trust, meet with due
consideration before the Railroads Bill pastes both
Houses of Parliament. Some useful clauses, proposed
by Mr. HARDY, were rejected almost without hearing,
chiefly on the authority of the Member for Reading.
This we regretted at the time, and from the Report of
the Academy of Science at Paris on the disaster, we are
convinced the Bill must be materially altered, else it
should be rejected altogether. That learned body,
in a document published on Thursday, pointed out
the danger of using two locomotives for the
same train, the cruelty of locking up the passen-
gers, as is done on some of the English lines, and
the absolute necessity of having elastic substances, or
luggage trucks, between the passengers and the engine,
as proposed by the Member for Bradford. Want of
space prevents us from making any lengthened remarks
on the importance of these suggestions, but indeed they •
are so rational and well-founded, that they require
little comment. If no Member of the Commons, there_
fore, have the courage to take up the subject, and move
the insertion of additional clauses in some future stage
of the Bill, the public must look to the House of Lords
for protection.

Tht:re is no politieal news in the French papers. The
iightful accident on the Versailles Railway, and the
• ailway Bill occupy the attention of the public Journals