The Sun.
London, England, 1820-05-12 00:00:00

FOR Tnn SUN.

ail our declamation, the whole resolves itself into

this simple proposition, and which from past ex.
perience we may lay down as an axiom, namely,
That Agriculture and Commerce are the sources

whence national licippiness, opulence, and int+e-

peDdence triwil netze.ssarily emanate.

Since these,. by actively employing the mind,
preserve it from indolence and despondency on the
one hand, and from rapine and treason on the

other, at the same • time they furnish the

Nation at large with those comforts, without

which life must be a barren wilderness. While,
by the returns of such industry, the country
becomes opulent ; from such opulence the State
derives that revenue which gives efficiency to all
its Legislative measures, whether such measures
have a foreign or domestic tendency, and thus
constitutes its independence. Wherefore, the only
relative inference, deducible from these premises,
is, that hatever stagnates our commercial
current or narrows its seas, must he incon-
sistent with sonod policy, and inimical to the
best interests of the Empire. Hence, then,
I presume, that the only mode of restoring the
languid energies of the country is the encourage-
ment of our Agriculture and Manufactures, and
by the extension of our Commerce.

From this view of the subject, who will with-
hold his heal ty coucturenee from the Petition
now before the House; or who will not most
anxiously wish that its prayer may be ottani.
mously and speedily granted by the immediate re-
moval of all those restrictions which affect our
commercial interests ?

But here I cannot forbear rem4rking, that in the
disoissinti of all questions of national importance,
the debate should be conducted tree from all party
prejudices or pet sonal allusions ; otherwise the
Speaker awakens those passions which ought to
be hushed, and diverts the attention of his audi-
tory front the subject under irnmedi,ite considera-
tion. ‘Vben a wide and trackless field of argu-
ment being disclosed to view, each proceeds as is
most congenial to his own Feelings, preimbees, and
propensities, until he ultimately finds hirriself be-
wildered in the intricate labyrinth at false reason-
ing: while truth is sactithed, or rAther assassinat-
ed, at the shrine of caprice, and just reasonug
at that of mere opinion.
Muy 11th,

A BRITON.

*** The Petition from the Merchants of Lon-
don, recently presented to Parliament, and which
appeared in THE Sus of the 2fith ult., relates to
matte's so interesting to the Country, that it
well deserves the attention of the Legislature.—
%Ve have signified that our Paper shall be open to
tree discussion respecting the objects of that Pe-
tition, and we invite the Communicatioos of our
Commercial Readers on a subject of so much im-
portance.

CAUTION TO SERVANT9.-Wednesday about
sever o'clock in the morning, a man dressed in
a fustian jacket and trowsers, and having the
• appearance of a painter, called at the house of
Mr. Parnel,- at Walworth, and told the servant
maid that he came to examine the house by order
of Mr. Paine', preparatory to its being painted.
The girl, having no suspicion, admitted him with-
out hesitation. He first surveyed the kitchen,
where (as if inadvertently) he left his rule, and
then proceeded to -look at the front and back
parlours ; here he suddenly missed his ride, and
desired the servant to fetch it, which she did ;
after pretending to take the measure of the wains-
cot, and taking a tew notes on a piece of paper
with a Mark-lead pencil, he went away, promis-
ing to call again when the family were-risen. • As
soon as Mr. Parnel got up, the girl .communicated
to him what happened; but as he had ordered no
nainter to come, he immediately suspected a rob-
bery, and .on examination, it was discovered that
the sideboard drawer had been forced, and thir-
teen pieces of pl'ate stolen.

Tuesday evening, as Mr. James Smith, 'Vestry
Clerk of St. Mary, ‘Vhitechapel, was passing along
Haydon•square, near the Minories, a fellow corn-
ing by, •shoved him aside, and drew out his watch.
Mr. Smith, not perceiving that be was robbed,
turned round, and reprimanded the fellow for his
conduct, when the thief made a polite apology,
and walked off. Mr. Smith, on discovering his
loss, pursued him, but without effect.

Between eleven and twelve o'ciock on Thur-s•
day night, while a party of the Lanark County
I'atrole ,were at the solidi end of the Thn-
ber-bridge, Glasgow, they heard the report of
fire-arms. It appeared to proceed front Warm.
Waier-street, and on going up the street they
met three fellows. On one of the pal role cry-
ing—here they are, the -fellows ran off. One
of them, however, was secured, and a ii:stol
was found next day on 'the inside of a wall near
%chic!' the capture was made. It is supposed
to have been thrown over the wall. The pri-
soner is an Irishman, a cotton•spinner, arid lives
at Greenhead. The shots were fired into the house
of an operative cotton-spinner in Narrow-street,
Hutchesontown. The ruffians were displeased at
the man for working for wages which they re-
garded as too low. They appeared to be well
acquainted with the premises, as two of the balls
lodged near the head of the bed, from which
it is inftrred they intended to murder the family
while asleep. The Irishman has been lodged in
jsil,-and a precogni.ion is going UM—(Edinburgh
Courant, May S.)

Ebrroß—ln 014 discussion of the Ques-
tion relative to our Commercial Interests, much
useless declamation has been employed to con-
vince us of what must, be obvious to every re-
flecting mind ; at the same time much irrele-
vant matter has been introduced, and a variety
of characters brought on the stage totally uncon-
nected with the point under debate. Since, after