The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-08 00:00:00

tt S.uitt

LONDON:
MONDAY MORNING, AUGUST 8, 1842.

WAR BETWEEN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.
The Montrose steamer arrived at Southampton on
Saturday afternoon, and brings the extraordinary intelli-
gence that Spain has declared war against Portugal. The
Spanish troops are already assembling in large numbers
on the frontier, and particularly in the vicinity of Bra-
ganga, at which point, we presume, hostilities will corn-
memo between the two countries.

We borrow this announcement from the Hampshire
Telegraph. We have to add, that the Hampshire Indepen •
dent mentions a rumour that twelve sail of the line are or-
dered to be fitted out, which, taken in conjunction with
the news from Lisbon, has an omnious appearance.
The editor of the Telegraph seems not to be aware that
the relations between Portugal and Spain have for some
time caused uneasiness. It was mentioned a week ago that
the Spanish Government had given official notice to the
Portuguese Government that it was necessary, according
to its views, to advance a military force to the frontiers
of Portugal, in consequence of the disturbed state of the
frontier district. At that time General RODIL'S army,
12,000 strong, was on its march in that direction, and
some troops had actually arrived at Braganza. Another
army, it was also announced, was on its march to the
southern frontier of Portugal. It would seem as if some
jealousy on the part of Spain, of the treaty lately concluded
bctweea Portugal and this country, combined with the
which Spain entertains towards Portugal on ac-
count of their commercial,• or rather smuggling rela-
tions, was at the bottom of this prompt proceeding on
the part of ESPARTERO. From whatever cause it may
arise, no man can answer fur the consequences of any
war—which may now be commenced in Europe.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has very properly
-refused to mako himself or the Government a party to
those corrupt compromises which Mr. RoNnucies Com-
mitt,,e has verified. lie declined to grant Lord Cum.-
request to be appointed to the Chiltern hundreds,
and the Noble Lord remains a Member of the House in
-,pity of himself. By these means all these compromises
will be rondered of no avail, and all the parties to them
-will fail in accomplishing their object. No better punish-
ment could probably be devised, and, the public will
laugh heartily ?..t the tricksters being tricked.

What willh..tcome of the promised 2,0001. to be paid
by Mr. RusaELL and Lord CHELSEA, in the event of Mr.
INELL3 not being elected, we know not. Possibly they
anay plead that they have done, all they can to complete
the other part of the bargain, and t"-:creforo they ought
mot to be called on to pay the mouey. It is clear by
Zurd Ch.ta.sx.t ende4youriug to fulfil his engagement•,
that he preferred resigning his sett to paying his share
of the 2,0004 and it will be hard on the Noble Lord to
compel Mth to "lay Zhu money and retain the seat
ragainsthis,will, Whether the unexpected refusal of the
Chancellor of the, Exchequer will exonerate him from
the payment or not we know not, and it seems probably
that the knotty point may cause as much negotiation as
did Lb..; first corrupt compromise.

On July mtit we ventur:4to express an opinion that
the House of Commons, would, for its own sake, throw
out the Colliery Bill, as amended by the Lards, which
falls so far short of what the House of Comraons supposed
to he necessary for the protection of the colliery popula-
tion. Lord AsuLEr's unbending benevolence, has, how-
ever„ disappointed us. He - recommended the House of
Corritrons on Saturday to adopt the Lords' amendments,
and they were adopted.
-Before Lord ASHLEY persuaded the lious3 of Com-
mons to interfere with the subject, the Legislature was
mot responsible for the condition of the collier population.
it was an affair betwixt the men and their employers;
between the colliers and their wives; between the little
trappers, and their parents who sent them into the pits.
The only part of it for which the Legislature was respon-
sible, or which could be said to grow from its regulations,
apart from all the laws which inulate property, was the
practice of binding out parish apprentices under the
Poor-law. For all the enormity of that, as it grew di-
rectly from an act of the Legislatuae, and was sanctioned
by it, the Legislature was strictly responsible, and it was
bound to interfere and prevent the parish officers from
selling poor orphans into slavery for many years
tinder its authority. For all the other evils of the
colliery }.stem it was no More directly responsible
than for the fact that society, consists of masters and
workmen, of capitalists and labourers, of opulent idlers,
and industrious poor. Fearful, indeed, will be its re-
spmsibility if it assume, as Lord A.suLEy would have
it, the duty of regulating each of the many occupations
of society, and of preventing every evil which the imagi-
nation of weak and ignorant men may ascribe to it. Ho
in luced the House of Commons to assume the responsi-
bility of regulating employment in mines, a::d henceforth
(very evil which belongs, to that occupation, every acci-
dent in a mine,- every hardship to which the colliers are

exposed, will be ktstly laid to its door. The Bill to
which the Commons has now assented falls far short of
lie Bill which the Commons thought necessary. nd by
4ssenting to it, that house must answer for the much
lihich is omitted, as well as the little which is done.
sAccording to Lord ASHLEY'S own statement, he has
acrificed the children in order to save the women. He
admits, therefore, tha t he is henceforth the guilty sacrificer
9f the poor trappers—that HE offers up their infant happi-
ness on the altar of MoLocu. But if any persons de-
Serve the care of the Legislature, it is children. Grown
Women can, in general, take care of themselves. They
have a voice in such matters, and they know how to
Make it reach the Legislature. In fact, they have peti-
tioned, and have generally prayed to be let alone, though
Lord ASHLEY and his friends, out of love to them, have
disregarded their prayers. With most impertinent self-
conceit, these philanthropists pretend to know better
what is good for the women than they know themselves ;
and, in spite of their prayers, the Legislature has for-
biddm them, after a certain time, to be employed in
coal pits. But to carry this crotchet of Lord Asu-
LEY'S into effect, he has sacrificed the poor helpless,
voiceless children. 'That is a specimen of the monstrous
absurdity of pseudo-philanthropic legislation. The
awful folly of it is equally conspicious. By so interfering
it makes itself answerable for every evil, real or imagi-
nary, which afflicts mankind, and heaps on itself a load
of responsibility which, in tae end, must sink any and
every Legislature which assumes it.

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