The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-26 00:00:00

PAAL.I.A. ENTARY.

The House of Lords did not meet yesterday.
The House of Commons met as usual, and was engaged the
whole evening with the Tariff, in which, we are happy to say,
they made considerable progress. Three divisions took place,
the first on a proposition of Lord Howick, to reduce the duty
on butter from 20s. per cwt. to 108., which was lost by 115 to
50; the second, on a proposition of Sir John Guest, to reduce
the duty on cheese from 10s. tid. per cwt to 55., which was
lost by 82 to 37 ; and the third on copper ores.
Mr. Palmer brought forward his amendment, to keep on all
the present duties on vegetables, exhibiting the Conservatives
as anxious to withhold food from the people; but his proposi-
tion was too monstrous, and met with so little support, that the
Hon. Member did nut press it. 'the House sat till a quarter
past One o'Clock, and get through the tariff as far as the metals.
PUBLIC OPINION.
We take the following from the Chronicle: —" An analysis
of the division on Mr. Miles's motion on Monday night gives
the following results:—

Against.
212 Tories
168 Liberals

For.
86 Tories
`27 Liberals

113

380
Tories who voted for Mr. Miles
Liberals present

Supposing the whole Liberals present had roted
with the 66 Tories, Sir Robert Peel would
have been lett in a minority of

Sir R. Peel, as all who have paid any attention to the de-
bates in Parliament must remember, never omitted, Oh all oc-
cassions, taunting the Whig Mintstry with their obagations to
him for supporting them against their own friends. It happens,
oddly enough, that, thus early in his Government, he should
be reduced to the predicament. of owing his saf,ty to his oi po•
rents. The fact is the more striking, as it is nut on an ~11i1111.
portant question he has teals been indebted to his political op-
ponents, but one which he deems the boast of nis administra-
tion. The measure which he has dwelt on, affording to the
country a conTensation for the Income-tax, is the one
which would have been thrown out but for the sup-
port of the Liberals. It may not be amiss here to notice, in
connexion with this circumstance, the avowal made in Mon-
day night by Mr. Golly Knight. He did not hesitate to admit
that the Tories did not see anything objectionable in the free-
trade principles of the Whigs—had no fault to find with their
budget—but, disliking the Whigs, opposed their measures
merely to displace them. '‘ When they were taunted by Hon.
Gentlemen opposite with their sudden conversion to free-trade
principles—(Loud cries of Hear, hear,' from the Opposition)
—he would take leave to inform those Hon. Gentleman, that it
was not of those principles they had been afraid ; it was Radi-
calism they dreaded They had never been
afraid of coffee or sugar—( Hear, hear)—or any such minor
considerations."—(Laughter.) In short, the opposit.on to the
Budget was founded in no hostility to the Budget. The Tories
viewed the Budget merely as aftbrding them an opportunity
of trying the strength of their party. The farmers were, no
doubt, under a contrary impression. They were taught to be-
lieve that the Tories really viewed the Whig measures as
fraught with ruin to the agriculture of the country, and in that
belief they gave them the most strenuous support at the last
election. This may have been very deter; but the worst of
these experiments on general credulity is, they do not bear
re-
petition. e have never failed to notice with satisfaction the
liberallanguage held by Sir Robert Peel and Mr. Gladstone
in the course of these discussions. The conversion appeared to
us complete, in as far as srincipies were concerned, however
much the application might fall short ; and we only regretted
that the conversion had not been effected prior to the Budget
of 1841, that the country might have been spared the infliction
of the long delay which has taken place before receiving the
benefit of measures for the relief of trade.

The Times says :—" The much-expected motion of Mr.
Miles has at last come on, and gone off. It has, of course.,
proved what every one knew it would prove, a demonstration of
displeasure et nihil amplius,' Sir R. Peel finding himself, at
the end of the debate in a majority of 267. We are glad to
see the temperate tone taken by those who opposed the Govern-
ment measure, and not less glad that their opposition has been
ineffectual. Indeed the motion never had the appearance of a
winning horse. Even if it had been carried, it would have lett
the fanner in a state of most complete uncertainty whether his
protection was to be increased or diminished—it merely pro-
posed that' the duties to be levied on all live stock imported
from foreign countries, for the purposes of food, be taken bq
weight.' They were to be charged at so much the hundred
weight, instead of so much the head. It is clear, however,
as was pointed out in the course of the debate, that the question
in which the farmer is really interested is, that of the amount
of duty, not of the manner of its levying. He could not pos-
sibly know whether Mr. Miles's proposal were to be a gein
or a loss to him, till he heard whether the duty of 20e. a head
now proposed by Sir R. Peel, were to be superseded by one of Is.
or of Bs. a hundred weight. The Members of the Government,
however, who spoke on Tuesday evening, rightly addressed
themselves, not so much to the terms of Mr. Miles's motion,
as to the feeling which it is understood to indicate, and laid
down in a clear, manly, and convincing way, the grounds of
their proposed Change. '
The Post thus pithily comments on a remark let drop by Sir
Robert Peel in the House of Commons on Monday last :
" Sir Robert exclaimed on Monday evening,' I wish we could
make a considerable reduction in the price of meat.' It might,
perhaps, have been not less patriotic to express a wish that the
means of consumption enjoyed by thy labouring closes might.
be increased. The two wishes are by no means identical. A
lowered price of meat by no means involves increased means of
consumption by the labourers. to whom meat is now, in many
cases, a forbidden luxury. When Sir Robert. Peel wishes that
he could make considerable reduction in the price of meat,'
he might, not unfairly, perhaps, be teqrsted to specify in wiiat
element in the price of meat he would desire to see the reduction
effected? Would Sir Robers rejoice to see the reduction in
price effected at the cost of :the grazier ? The grazier gene-
rally loses by fattening stock. He is enabled to su,tain that,
loss, only in consequence of the increased facilities for farming
which the fattening of stock places at his disposal.
" Would Sir Robert rejoice to see a reduction in the price of
meat effected at the expense of the labourers, to whom the
rearing; and fattening of stock furnishes employment?
Scarcely—for Sir Robert laments the diminishing means of
consumption now at the disposal of the labouring classes? Or,
finally, would Sir Robert Peel rejoice to see a reduction in the
price of meat effected at the expense of the owners of land?
If so, then it might be well, if sir R. Peel would inform the
landowners of England, that he deems the returns which they
now receive from their investments in the soil exhorbitant.
These returns may be equivalent to two and a half .per cent."
The Herald cursorily remarks, in a leading article on the
subject of the tariff:—" Mr. Miles professed an intense admi-
ration of the principle of comeensation which Sir Robert
Peel's commercial proposition offered for his compulsory aug-
mentation of public burdens; but from such compensation he
was proposing to strike out the most important item. Chea;i
coffee, butter, bread, and cheese, are all very good things ;
but cheap meat is, we venture to
,think, a much better thing.
Sir R. Peel's Scotch correspondent thought cheapness of all sorts
of provisions—save herrings—very desirable. Mr. Miles opines
that dear meat is the only exception that ought to be in ado to a
general reduction in the cost of living. The shoemakersapprOve of
every reduction save that of boots and shoes. Major Beres-
ford's Channel clients loudly demand that the present prices of
cod and turbot be supported. The cork-cutters allege that it'
is a monstrous injustice to lower the price of British cut
corks ; while some of Mr. G. Bankes' constituents protest
against the freer admission of foreign stones. The same vice
runs through all these objections ; the interests of the con-
sumer is wholly overlooked that high prices may be maintained.
We shall be told that push this argument to its full extent,
and the Corn-law is indefensible ; but this is not se; bread is.
the basis of food, and its price-.the regulator of wages e these
considerations remove the Corn-law from the application 'of
this principle ; law trite of bread cannot compensate A people

fbr deptfidesce ; but the same proposition cannot be predicated
of any othei cotiinindity;'
MONEY—TRADE—COMMERCE.
The Emperor of Austria has issued an order for the opening
of subscriptions in all the provinces of the empire in favour of
Hamburgh.

ECCLESIASTICAL.
The question of a Church-rate was put to the vote at New-
rat, in the Isle of Wight, on Thursday last, when the Anti-
church party gained the day by a majority of 70 over 61.
FINE AR*.CS.
the City a Committee has been organized, with many in-
fluential names, for the purpose of presenting to the Pasha of
Egypt a gold medal, as a slight mark of their esteem for the
ready facilities to the conveyance of the mails to and from
India through his territory, notwithstanding the war. Lieut.
Waghorn, It N., is active in the business.
The treasurers of all tha sea-ports in France have been au-
thorised by the French Minister of Marine to receive contri-
butions towards setting up the proposed monument to the late
Admiral D'Urville.
LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC.
A prize has just been awarded by the French Academy at
Paris, for the best eulogium on Pascal.
At the anniversary meeting of the Linnman Society, held
on Tuesday in Soho-square, the Council stated that, owing to
their purchase of the collections and library of Linnwus, pur-
chased by them of that great naturalist's executors in 1t328
amounting to 3,000/., a debt of 5001. still pressed upon them,
A sum of 6001: had already been collected by subscription, bu.
there were still outstanding debts to the amount of 6071. 13s. sdt
COURT—FASHIONABLE.
The Duchess of Sutherland gave her grand fete at Stafford.
House on Tuesday, and the whole suite of her magnificent apart-
ments, with the exception of three of the Duchess's private
rooms, were thrown open to the brilliant company. The sup-
per took place at one. There was a royal table lsid for 20, in
the green library, with gold plate.
THE. TRICA.L.
Rubini is expected to arrive in town in a fortnigh', or three
weeks at the latest, to fulfil his engagement at the Italian Open..
lvanoff, the Russian tenor, is now singing at the opera at
Bologna.

ELITIVIOURS OT THE DAY.
It is reported that a new claimant to the honours of the
ancient barony of Uhandos, of Sudeley, is about to appear.
The new aspirant claims as heir male of the body of Robert,
son of William, tourth son of the fourth lord. It has hitherto
been concluded, in the absence of direct evidence, that the
above-mentioned Robert Brydges died without male issue.