The Sun.
London, England, 1827-03-02 00:00:00

SPIRIT 0* THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

We have to communicate the 'most important news
respecting emigration from this country. It was but this
day fortnight that Mr. Wilmot Horton, who said he
agreed most cleverly with the great Mr. M'Culloch, pro-
posed the re-appointment of the Emigration Committee
which had sat last session, by whose labours and directions
British paupers were to be transported to, and enriched
on, distant regions. The Committee have already pro-
duced one short report, which, with a single thrust, slays
both master and pupil, Mr. M'Culloch and Mr. Wilmot
Horton (Sidrophel and Whaccuni); for the Committee
report, that they will not recommend the application of
the national funds to purposes of emigration, except in
aid of local contributions; and that the expectation that
emigrants shall be removed and located (a Scotch word,
by the way) at the public expence, is a misapprehension
which ought to be removed with ail speed. There is but
one circumstance from which we are induced to regret this
conclusion, which is, that as Mr. Wilmot Horton was sure
that the emigrants would soon repay the expenees of their
original removal and location, his salary, as Under• Secr-
etary, which might have been charged Upon the money
coming in from these repayments made by tlie emigrants,
must now inevitably fall upon the nation.—Timis,

tact night (the important night) eame forth, after re-
peated delays, owing to un:avoid-able causes, the Ministers'
propositions for altering the Corn Laws. We shall not
attempt to etaraeterise them briefly, because the sentence
to be -passed upon Meal depends upon many circum-
!,:itri&,,s, which it would be difficult to represent in one
compendious view. If, then, a set of Ministers were seen
- studiously providing that the people of whom they had
the care should not be suffered freely to enjoy the munifi-
`eenee of nature, and the God of nature; if they should be
'acen devising propositions, by which bread should bc so
served out to the way-faring man, and labourer, and arti-
san, as that these might notdie, but' could hardly Eve; and
if such Ministers were acting voluntarily, and not under
constraint, but for the sake of experiment, or in the
-wantonness of legislation, we might justly reprobate
the impolicy of their acts and the hardness of their hearts.
But if these Ministers were not left to the-free exercise of
their own ju.dgment ; if they had to please or conciliate a
powerful interest, which, upon 'the most false and frivo-
lous -pretences, claimed to itself the exclusive right of feed-
the people of every degree in the State; then would
our Warne of such Ministers be in some degree altered;
and inasmuch as the charge of unfeelingness would be
ebatedj would that of subserviency be increased. Minis-
k'er% have, however, by these, propositions, shown
Themselves determined to place the agricultural people
vastly in the wrong, if they start any objection to the
new Corn Laws to be founded on them. We recom-
mend the tables, which we have published in-another part,
to attention. They will explain clearly enough, without re-
petition here, the scale of duties with which it is meant to
charge imported corn. It is not to be admitted duty-free
till the price of the home-grown article has mounted up to
705. per quarter, or pretty nearly Ds. a bushel. Sixty shil-
lings is assumed to be the point at which the British
-corn-grower needs protection : and how is he to be pro-
tected ?—by clapping the impost of 20s. per quarter upon
foreign wheat. At 605., therefore, and every lower price,
foreign wheat may be considered as in effect prohibited.
No wheat can be imported at present, the home price be-
ing about 53si ; and the duty, according to the new scale,
no less than 345. No notice was taken, except by Sir F.
Burdett, of the changes arising from the state of the cir-
culating medium, and the variations in its quantity. We
Were glad to observe last night, that Mr. Canning seemed
to be entirely recovered from his late indisposition. His
voice was as strong as usual, and neither his manner nor
his attitudes betrayed:any traces of feebleness or languor.--
Ibid.

The perusal of numerous Portuguese papers and letters
received by the three last packets, has enabled us to take
a more comprehensive view of the late and unexpected
movement of the Portuguese Apostolicals into the pro-
vince of Minho—a movement which, the more we con-
template it, the more we are convinced that the -affairs of
Portugal have not hitherto been considered with the at-
tention which ought to • have been bestowed on them.
The sudden attack on the Portuguese territory, towards
the close of last Noveinber, by the Marquess de Chaves,
at the head of a small band of rebels, was at first viewed
more in the light of a mad and desperate act, such as may
be undertaken by an eager
.and. .restless adventurer, im-
helle,l by motives of ,ambition or. revenge. The lapse,
owever, of nearly three months, during which time seve-
ral important events have occurred, among which the em-
barkation of a large British force is not the least remark-
able, has changed the character. of,the aggression, and dis-
tinctly shown that it is- not- the undertaking of a single
family, or founded on a plea so much at variance with
the feelings of the population at large, as was generally
imagined. An immense surface of country has, in the
interval; been traversed and revolutionized; and yet, al-
though the Apostolicals have not gained a single victory,
in the face of their opponents=at !east no one deserving
of such a. name—they have obtained a considerable acces-
sion of physical and moral strength, notwithstanding the
several Generals commanding the Constitutional troops
have done their duty in the field, and displayed both skill
and activity in the various operations they have been
called, upon to perform, in defence of their new institu-
tions. Soinething then is wrong, in one quarter or the
other. If the Lisbon Government, as at present con-
stituted, is really in earnest, the opportunity of prov-
ing its sincerity is now within its reach; but, we do not
hesitate to hay, many private letters received by the last
conveyances speak of its apathy, and complain bitterly
of its want of cordiality in the Constitutional cause. No
one single traitor, numbers cry out, has yet been. pu-
nished; and although the country is in the most immi-
font danger, no corresponding effort is made to rescue it
from disgrace. Mean and cringing apologies have been
accepted from the Monarch who has plotted the down-
fall of the Constitution; his Ambassador has been allowed
to reside in a capital in which he care be viewed in no other
light thin age spy; whilst, in the interim, the House of
Peers, in the face of an empty treasury, from motives of eti-
quette or opposition, openly refused to accept the only means
by which a stand could be made against the inroads of rebel-
lion. This is a gloomy but true picture of the country to
which we have been called upon to send an auxiliary force,
at an immense expence, and at a season of the year extreme-
ly.dangerous to our countrymen. , The Lisbon Government
has reason to be proud of the efforts .of: its little armies
in the -field, badly organised and feebly equipped as they
are; but it has nothing to boast of as regards either its
foresight or its patriotism, except, perhaps, the appeal
made for foreign aid. Let us, nevertheless, hope, that
the last pto.oß of Ferdinand's duplicity,, as well as this
evidence of the energies and power of the Apostolical
party, will rouse the Ministers of the Infanta Regent to a
sense of the duty they owe to their country as well as to
the Constitution. .As long as the present contest con-
test continues, the provinces into which the Rebels enter
are demoralized and laid waste. But for an accident, the
second city in the kingdom, and the first in point of libe-
rality of opinions, would have heenexposed to pillage and
destruction. As it is, the richest and most populous pro-
vince has been overrun, and the seeds of rebellion widely
scattered. Granting that the Rebels have been compelled
to fly from Minho, in the same 'Manner as they lately were
from Beira,' their retreat 'being secured, they will again
re-enter on some other point, well assured that the last
partisans who welcomed their approach will again receive
them with open arms. In Lamego, Vizeu, and lastly, in
Braga, they were received with illuminations, and feasted
by the authorities; and even at St. Thierzo, although so
near to Oporto, theßenedictine Monks took up arms in their
favour, and assisted in preventing the bridge from being de-
stroyed. If all these instances of treachery and disaffection go
unpunished,it,is vain to weary the poor soldier by harassing
marches, or ask the aid of an ally. The last movement
of the Apostolicals, although unsuccessful, has greatly in-
creased their power and influence—out of the six pro-

vinces into which Portugal As divided, hey have already
penetrated into three, and still hold possession of one.—
The war has rid* been going on for three months, and in
that interval several fresh traitors have publicly declared
themselves. Would this have been the case, if the first
who were taken had been punished, or if the abettors of
the rebels had been properly dealt with ? Nothing but
the most perfect unanimity on the part of the true Con-
stitutionalists, seconded by the energies of the Govern-
ment, could have pat an end to an invasion which evi-
dently threatened the existence ofsboth. Portugal, at the
present moment, stands in the situation Spain was in
during the early part of 1823, and there was a leading fea-
ture in one of the military operations of that time which
the present Apostolical hero of 'Portugal had probably in
his eve. It will be remembered that the period above al-
luded to was as disastrous to the Spanish Anti-Coustitu-
tionalists as that which merited the late retreat of the Mi-
guelites from Upper Beira. Routed on every point, and
dislodged from tl strong holds they had taken, the Spa-
nish Anti-Constitutionalists had no other support than
what they could find within the French territory. Without
this protection, so directly opposed to the laws of nations,
as well as to the solemn protestations of the Gallic Mo-
narch, they would no longer have been able to carry re-
bellion into the heart of their country. In the midst of
this general defeat, one of their leaders, the noted Bes-
sieres, who, like the rest, was warmly pursued, changed
his routes, and undertook a movement so bold and
judicious,, that if it had been successful, it would
have covered him with glory.. Instead of seeking
with his followers an asylum in France, as most of his
colleagues had done, and aware also of the unprotected
situation of the capital, he made a feigned march, sud-
denly passed from Arragon in New Cistile, and rapidly
advanced on Madrid. A movement so unexpected took
the Government by surprise, when only a handful of troops
could be assembled to impede his advance, and defend the
gates of the capital._ The firit he succeeded in defeating;
but he paused when he approached the second, the mili-
tary genius of their commander holding him in awe, whilst
at the same time he saw his pursuers, who had followed
him from Arragon, already approaching. He then escaped
on one of the flanks, and finding himself harassed on his
rear, divided his force into small parties, and eluded the
vigilance of his pursuers. This movement of Bessieres,
in design, boldness, and results, was exactly similar to the
late one of the Marquess de Chaves on Oporto. He equally
withdrew aethe critical moment. If the recent history of
the Rebels in Spain—those who, aided by a foreign Power,
eventually threw down the Constitution—had not been
forgotten in Portugal, the present war would not have
lingered so long, nor would Oporto have been 'so nearly
threatened as it was on the 2d instant. It might have
been expected,. that.analogous circumstances would have
taught those interested in the welfare of their country,
the means of guarding against similar consequences. It is
useless for the Portuguese Patriots to deceive themselves.
It is now evident that the same organ which prescribed to
Bessieres his conduct in Spain, has commissioned the
Marquess de Chaves in Portugal: And yet who was this
organ ? Most assuredly_ it was not King Ferdinand, or
his Counsellors. This organ, therefore, must be looked
for in another quarter ; and this inquiry is, perhaps, more
interesting to the future honour of our arms, now engaged
in the cause of an ally, than most persons affect to believe.
If these rapid and demoralizing movements are no; vigo-
rously and promptly checked, we shall ere long see in Por-
tugal what in 1823 we witnessed in
.Spain ; with this
difference only, that then we were not the avowed pro-
tectors of Spanish Constitutionalists.-21forning Chronicle.
Our objection to the law of " Imprisonment for Debt"
is not founded on any narrow or partial view of the sub-
ject; we consider it equally inefficacious and inhuman—
equally opposed to reason and Christiahity. A Corres-
pondent who advocates the existing usage, asks us ." If
the law of Imprisonment for Debt were repealed, how
would you compel the payment of debts ?" We ask him
in return, " Does this law really compel the payment of
debts ?" In the generality of • cases we believe it has no
such effect, and as our Correspondent states himself to be
a member of the, legal profession, he ought to be aware
that exceptions only prove the general rule. But we have
no objection to answer his question directly, and to point
out a mode of procuring the payment of jirst debts more
effective and less objectionable in every respect than that
of throwing into a gaol the body of the debtor. Let his
property be attached, if he have any, whether it consist in
goods or lands, in moveable or real possessions. If, how-
*ever; the debtor, should have no property of any kind, it is
clear that neither imprisonment nor any other mode can
compel him to pay. And to throW a man into a dungeon
who is utterly insolvent can have no other end than to feed
the malice of a vindictive temper. Who, that has the
common feelings of humanity, would like to have upon his
conscience the fatc_of that unfortunate man, Devenish,
whose case has just now produced such a strong sensation
in the public rebid ? Yet instances of such forlorn misery
—such helpless suffering—arising out of our present mode
of depriving a human creature of his freedom, who
struggles with difficulty, for his daily bread—are of fre-
quent, occurrence ; but they pass unnoticed and unpitied,
because some particular accident does not direct the
public attention to them. The last means of such per-
sons ate dragged from them by gaolers, turnkeys, &c.,
under the pretence of supplying them with the com-
mon necessaries 'of life; and, being deprived by impri-1
sonment, -from even the chance of earning any thing ,
more, exhaustion of body and agony of mind soon bring
them to a premature grave. We know that we are likely I
to alarm the prejudices of lawyers of the "ancient school,"
by proposing that lands as well as goods should be attach-
able for the payment of ordinary debts; but the public ad-
vantage should be paramount to all individual interests.—
Yet we do not introduce a new principle. We only recom-
mend the extension of one already admitted. At a very
early period, the Legislature felt it necessary to make a
provision for debts contracted in the way of commerce, and
due by persons of landed property. The statute-merchant
was passed for this purpose, and the elegit allowed the
taking the rents and profits of one-half the lands of the
debtor, until the obligation was discharged. Why may
not this principlube extendeds and those whose goods and
chattels cannot answer their just debts, be compelled to
liquidate them by a certain portion of the rents and profits
of their lands. Thus, there would be no longer a shadow
of a necessity for arresting the bodies of such persons;
while it is equally clear that those unfortunate persons who
have no property wherewith to answer their creditors, are
not to be made capable of paying if deprived of their liberty.
While they are able to exercise their occupation and facul-
ties, there is a possibility that they may be able to do some-.
thing in time to satisfy those who have just demands upon
them ; but once thrown into a gaol they must rot there tin=
less sent out again in a worse condition than before, by the
operation of an Insolvent Act. But one greater advan-
tage than any other that society would derive from the
abolition of the Law of Arrest would be, that the de-
structive system of almost unlimited credit which now pre-
vails, must be cut up .by the roots. People would not then
give credit, unless , satisfied with the character, or the
means of those who applied for it—and thus persons of
moderate incomes would not be induced to exceed their
means, and bring progressive ruin on themselves and farni- •
lie
,by the dangerous facility of getting into debt.--.-Morn-
ing Herald.. •

RECIPROCATING FOUNTAINS.--Panderborn
spring in Westphalia, dibappears twice in twenty-four hours, re-
turning after a lapse of six hours, with a great noise, and so vio-
lently as to turn three mills at a short distance from its source:
The flux and reflux of Laywell spring, in. Torbay, are very visi-
ble, and performed in about two minutes, when the spring re-
mains at its lowest ebb for about double the time. Giggleswick
spring, in Yorkshire, is always reciprocating ; but at unequal
periods, and in an irregular manner. One resembling it is near
the Lake. of Bourget, in Savoy; which generally after Easter
exhibits ebbs and flows several times within the hour. The na-
tives call it la Fontaine de Marveille—the marvellous spring.