The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-22 00:00:00

SUMMARY OF NEWS

AND
publtc eptitton.

" Who runs may read."

roisExciN.

The condemnation of the Siecle by the Chamber of
Peers, has created a great stir among the Opposition
Journals. The moderate 'supporters of the Orleans dy-
nasty all lament it. A summary of their opinions cannot
but interest British politicians:—
The Cou rrier Francais, a moderate Opposition Jour-
sais—" "ISL Ferree, in his address to the Chamber,
asked if the moderation of the Siecle was to be made a
circumstance of aggravation against him ? The reply of
the Chamber was a sentence, which inflicts upon him a
month's imprisonment, and 10,000 f. fine. The National,
which had compared the Chamber to a charnel-house,
was not punished with greater severity. How are we to
explain the fact, that in an assembly of men who have
grown old in the business of the world, and whose pas-
sions ought to have been calmed by age, there should be
four who demanded three years' imprisonment, twenty-
one who demanded two years, and thirty-six for one
year ? Put into the scale the article of the Siecle, and on
the other side one year's imprisonment, and say whe-
ther such a punishment, for such an offence, would not
be an enormity.
The Constitutionnel, M. Thiers' organ, observes with
equal bitterness :—" The sentence pronounced by the
majority is sufficiently rigorous to be regarded as a seri-
ous and afflicting symptom. The article was without
importance ; and the defence before the Chamber was
respectful and moderate. Notwithstanding all this, the
accused has been condemned to the maximum of the fine.
What more could the Chamber have done against a
journal opposed to the existing institutions, in punish-
ment of violent insults, and repress the audacity of a de-
fence which would increase the original offence ? We
entreat the Chamber to reflect. It would not surely, in
the present day, in order to adopt the system of an im-
prudent and exciting Government, lend itself to the dan-
gerous attempt at reaction."
The following is from the National:—" We have little
to say on the condemnation against M. Perree. We will
merely make a simple comparison. Last year we had
the misfortune to give way to our natural impressions,
and wrote with a little warmth. This gave a shock to
M. Seguier, and he and his colleagues condemned us to a
month's imprisonment and 10,000 f. fine. M. Perree has
just received the same punishment. We must frankly
confess that we were more bitter than the Siecle towards
the Palace of Medicis ; yet the Siecle meets with the
same severity as the National. This was, without doubt,
done in order to show that M. Daunant was right in re-
garding the offence the greater as coming from a dynastic
journal. Thus a little venom in the Siecle, and-
-10,000f.; a great deal of venom in the National, and-
10,0001'. If the supporters of the dynasty value the
liberty of their opinions, they will do well to look-to this."
The Siecle, writhing under the sentence, says ironi-
cally :—" It was not the fault of a great numbel• of the
Peers that the sentence was not that of a year's impri-
sonment. The Chambers of the Restoration, even when
they were gravely insulted, were not so severe. The dig-
nity of the Chamber will doubtlessly be much enhanced
by this sentence. This is. a consolation for us, as we do
not desire that France should ever suffer from the deca-
dency and, debility of its public bodies."
The Commerce has the following relative to the return
of the Count de Salvandy to Paris :—" The Count do
Salvandy, for so we must in future call him, arrived at
half-past one on Monday at his hotel in the Rue de
Casette, and went the same evening to the Tuileries with
his Secretaries of Embassy, for the purpose of delivering
to the King his credentials, and explaining why he had
not made use of them. We are assured that Queen
Christina was there at the same time, of course by chance.
This morning M. de Salvandy received several visits.
His new and splendid carriage, with grand heraldic em-
blazonments, was to be seen in the court-yard. We are
as yet ignorant if M. Salvandy is to preserve his title
and appointment of Ambassador. All we know is that
he will hold his Countship if he loses his embassy."
In the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, M. Gui-
zot defended the foreign policy of the Government. The
following sentence, with which he concluded, is highly
important, and cannot but excite the attention of the
British Parliament :—" We have been told (said M.
Guixot) that we have made no accession of territory. For
ten years we have been occupied with the conquest of
Algeria, and it would be hereafter seen whether or not
that conquest was important, and he could assure the
Chamber that Lard Aberdeen had admitted that he
looked upon the French conquest of Algeria as an fait
accompli, and against which he had no objection to raise."
According to a letter from Alexandria, of the 24th ult.
in the Leipsic Gazette, as a Greek Bishop was returning
from a tour in Upper It;ypt, the boat in which he was
sailing was overtaken by a sudden squall of wind when
off the Maison Carree, was upset, and sunk, the Bishop,
his servant, and 11 other passengers, being drowned.
The corpse of the Prelate was taken out of the water,
and carried to the Greek convent at Alexandria, where
it lay in state for 24 hours, end was then buried with all
the rites of his religion. He was only 36 years old, but
was generally esteemed. The Catholic Bishop was re-
turning with him at the same time, but, being in another
boat; escaped his fate. ,
PITRILIC "071.1741M01T.
The ' Times states that between the An ti-Corn•law
League and the masses of the manufacturing population,
there exists not only a contrariety of political aim, but
an utter diversity of interest and feeling ; and adds,
"in proportion as the Leaguers and their designs have
fallen in public estimation, and in the chances of success
within the last six months, the character and influence of
the operative class have risen. Both have come forward
and explained their views of the existing distress and
its remedies ; and the superiority in every way, moral,
intellectual, and practical has been with the operatives. '
The Advertiser, speculating on the course of policy
likely to be pursued by Sir Robert Peel in the approach-
ing Session of Parliament, expresses its apprehensions
that he has not the moral courage, whatever may be his
convictions of duty, opposed as he knows he would be
by the colossal landed interest, to propose any alteration
in the Corn-laws which will be of substantial service to
the country. •
The Post observes, in the course of a leading article,
suggested by Doctor Hook's recent letter on the subject of
the Bishopric of Jerusalem—" The public now take a
very decided interest in matters relating to the Church.
The apathy and lukewarmness of past times are gone.
This we owe, under Providence, to the earnest writings
of the men of the Oxford School, who certainly have
wrought, within the last ten years, a wonderful change,
and have diffused a general sense of the importance and
sacredness of our ecclesiastical institutions, which pre-
viously had no place in the public mind."
The Herald, in commenting on the Times' hint of the
expediency of prosecuting some of the Anti-Corn-law
speakers at Edinburgh, says—" The recommendation
is nothing less than to revive the ex-officio days of Lord
Castlereagh, and to fill our jails as full of Anti-Corn-
law repeaters as Lord Melbourne and his colleagues did
of the Chartists. What can the Times mean by recom-
mending such a step ? The recommendation is simply
another proof of its total want of judgment. The Times,
we repeat, is rudderless.
The Chronicle is of opinion that the coalition of the
Times with Chartists and Socialists, and its "reckless
advocacy of some of their wildest doctrines (such as that
about machinery), is an indication either of a sad lack
or discretion on the part of its managers, or of a reek.
less party-spirit among a portion of the supporters of the
present Ministry." Our Contemporary adds,—" It is
utterly impossible to maintain a crusade against ma-
chinery, as a substitute for maintaining the Corn-laws."