The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-25 00:00:00

g*g ,:71'= ult.

LONDON!
WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY 25, 1842.

Mr. VILLIERS deserves the thanks of all classes for
his spirited effort last night_ to reduce the duty on
cattle to ls. a-head. If the tariff is to be passed by
the help of the Liberals, the least they can expect is
that it be made worthy of their acceptance. He
failed, however, in his well-meant motion, being
wholly unsupported, we regret to say, by the Whigs.
At the same time, his statements were appalling, and
ought to have made statesmen of all parties heartily
ashamed, if shame at their continual and repeated
failures were not worn out by excessive use. Mr. VIL-
LIERS stated that criminals imprisoned had increased
one-third, or from 20,000, in 1836, to 30,000,
in 1840.
Since 1837, too, pauperism has increased 25 per cent.,
and we know that the relief bestowed on the people
has not been equal to their extraordinary endurance of
privations. In one case, Mr. VILLIERS stated, a man
was detected stealing potatoes ; he had an aged
mother and two sisters depending on him, and when
his dwelling was examined there was a pot, on the
fire, which contained a dead dog, boiling for the food of
the family. We believe that is only a specimen of
the hardships and miseries to which the population
are, in many cases, reduced ; nevertheless, our rulers
will give them no relief ; they
withholding food from them, which might be obtained
in abundance, both in the 'United States and on the
continent of Europe ; and for this surpassing cruelty
they will yet have to answer. insist, in fact, in

The language used by some of the speakers on Mr.
MILES'S motion was singularly instructive. The
motion itself, to levy a duty by weight on all live
stock imported for food, was a practical absurdity.
Let the reader suppose the Legislature to impose on
the importing merchant the duty of weighing every
kicking bullock, every struggling and squeaking pig,
every frightened sheep of the many million head of
these various kinds of cattle vvhich the Squires assert
will be imported, and he will at once see that none of
the tasks imposed on Ihatcumis equals that which
Farmer MILES would impose on the importers of
cattle. Such a ridiculous motion was, fortunately
for the reputation of the House, crushed by a large
majority. It is worthy of no further notice, except
as an index to the foolish things legislating Squires
can concoct and attempt.

Amongst the sayings worthy of being commemo
rated, we must place first that of Mr. GALLY KNIGHT,
erewhile, we believe, a soi disci& Liberal, and corre-
spondent of the. Examiner. this gentleman, with
more sincerity than generally belongs to his party,
avowed that what they opposed, when they voted
against the labe Ministers on the Sugar question, was
not free trade, but Radicalism and extreme doctrines.
These, he said, were what the Conservative party were
afraid of, not free trade. We did not expect to have
so soon an avowal that the real source of the neces-
sity of Sir ROBERT PEEL for the Tory party, as we
stated on Monday, is their dread of the people. Mr.
GALLY KNIGHT, however, admits it ; so our boasting
Conservatives of freedom already submit to a dictator
from their dread of the unpropertied masses. We
but this is an unexpected acknowle
know that the Chartists are growing in strength ;
dgment of their
ereme power.
of such Parliamentary
The immorality, however,
conduct, is especially worthy of notice. ATr. ~
.....ALLY
KNIGHT avows that he votes against allowing the
people to haVe cheap sugar, and cheap bread, though
he is convinced that they are advantageous to the pub,.
lie, in order to stave off political improvements. He
speaks, too, not for himself only, but for the whole
Conservative party.' They are doing, then, every day
that very thing for which Mr. HUMS was so long re-
prehended by the Tory press, voting black is white.
They are far worse, however, than Mr. HumE, for he
wished by his vote to save the commonalty ; the Conser-
vatives, on the contrary, avow that they wish to oppress
And impoverish the people. Such open political pro-
fligacy surpasses in turpitude . all the disclosures of
Election Committees, and indicates that the Legis-
lature is completely demoralized.
• The folly of this proceeding is equal to its guilt.
Mr. GALLY KNIGHT hates change, and wishes
to avoid it, and he votes for a measure which makes
the injustice which provokes a change more glaring
'and insulting. He sees an old building crumbling to
pieces by its own weight, and he adds to its top-
heaviness to make it last the longer. A system is
loudly censured for its oppression, and he makes it
more odious, in order to ensure its continuance. Par-
liamentary errors are provoking a re'volutiOn, and .he
wilfully multiplies them, adding to the general irritation
which exists, in order to put a stop to change. If
we may take. Mr. KNIGHT as a type of his party, we
must conclude that they are already overtaken by that