The Sun. — London, England, 1837-09-14 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. It is not improbable that the next mail from Lisbon will bring us the result of the struggle between the Cnartists and Constitutionalists. We not only think, 'but we most ardently desire, that the former may be successful. For this anxiety, to which we have al ready more than once given expression, we have been taken somewhat roughly to task by contemporaries both here and in Paris. Nothing is more - easy than to attack any particular system or institution so long as the assailant is permitted to deal in vague generalities, cautiously avoiding any specific accusation. Look at the English and French newspapers, such of them as have favoured the public with disquisitions upon the relative merits of the Charter and the Constitution. ' Look, too, at the sort of aid they receive from their fellow-labourers of the Lisbon press—the Government press—the only one permitted to exist under the Liberal Constitution ! In what consists their objection to the Charter of Don Pedro ? Is it that it gives too much , power to the Crown, and too little to the people ? Is it that it does not afford sufficient guarantees for the pro tection of person and property, or that it has not estab lished political liberty upon a e sufliciently broad basis ? —No ; not only are none of these objections true in fact, but they are not even urged amongst the fictions of partisan warfare. We have column piled upon column of abuse of the Devoristas and the Estrangeirns—the changes are rung upon all the notes that make up the monotonous gamut of the grievance -mongers—" oppression of the people," " robbery of the public purse," " despotism" in all imaginable shapes and forms. Now is it too much to ask even for one single illustration, either in the pro visions of the Charters or in its practical operation, which will justify this wholesale and inconsiderate con- Oemnation ? It is sufficiently remarkable that since establishment of the Charter by Don Pedro, there has been scarcely one change of Administration which 'has not been effected literally by a revolution. One of the worst effects, perhaps, of protracted civil war, is the unconstitutional preponderance given to a mili tary power called into existence for the purposes of the day, and which remains without an occupation, when these purposes have been answered. In Portugal the triumph of Don Pedro threw a large and armed mass of unemployed men upon the resources of an ex hausted and worn-out country, for subsistence. Nut only the troops of the line, but the very citizens, too long accustomed to the arbitration of the sword, refer all their grievances to its prompt decision. A convention of the Clubs to-night—a precon certed meeting of " the Nationals" in the Campo Grande to-morrow—then a deputation of officers to the Queen-4.his is the history of a change of iVlinistry in Portugal. But, frequently as we have been obliged to loot: upon these burlesques of Constitutional Go vernment, we have been always struck with the fact that nothing more was ever demanded than a change of men. Even the boldest of that banditti which has got the Lisbon clubs under its control, never suggested the overthrow of the Charter of Don Pedro. To think of applying this as a -remedy to any existing evil was too great an absurdity. In the September, how ever, of last year, this bold project was for the first time attempted, and with success. And now for the first time it is discovered that this Charter, for which Portugal made such unexampled sacrifices, is the very vilest of political systems I We shall be excused if, before we give credit to this statement, we require something more than the mere assertion of those who put it forward. Does the Charter confer upon the Monarchy any powers inconsistent with the freedom of the people ? What are they ?—point them out. The prerogatives of Donna Maria are precisely those of Queen Victoria. She has the right of de claring war or peace. She has the right—theore tically we mean, for practically it is assumed by the clubs—of dismissing her Ministers, dissolving and convoking the Cortes, and o f a pp o i n ti ng to suc h offices of the State as are properly filled by the choice of the Sovereign. Addressing ourselves only to those who admit that the form of government best adapted to Portugal is a constitutional Monarchy, we ask, what further limitations would they impose upon the prero gatives of the Sovereign than those imposed by the Charter of Don Pedro ? Nor does the Charter confer any exclusive privileges upon the aristocracy of the country. They are subjected to a responsibility rather more efficacious with hereditary legislators than the " responsibility to God" that is in such favour with Sir Robert Peel. We now say nothing of the policy of creating a second Chamber, for the course adoptel by the Constitutionalists themselves obviates the necessity of out entering upon the subject. All parties, Chartists and Constitutionalists, being agreed upon the necessity of a second chamber, the sole question is, whether, under the Charter, the people had suffi cient protection against the obstinacy or infatuation of any Lusitanian Lyndhurst who might rise up amongst them ? Constituted as the Portuguese House of Peers was, it is impossible, let it bear ever so strong a resemblance in disposition to our own, to bring the Government to a dead lock for more than two conse cutive sessions. But neither the existence of the Upper Chamber, nor its peculiar constitution, was a ground of objection to the men of September : for one of the first results of their own crude legislation was the re-production of this Chamber, as part and parcel of their Utopian scheme. Well, then, what was there objectionable ill the constitution of the Lower Cham ber —par excellence the People's House ? We confess we are not very ardent admirers of the process of in direct election. Strange enough, the plan of double election adopted by the Democrats who framed the Constitution of Cadiz and that of Oporto, was David Hume's perfection of the representative system. And he was right, too ; for in its operation it considerably circumscribes the poptdar power, which undoubtedly would accord with Hume's notion of the " perfection of the represantative system." But whatever may be its cm: ct, the same system of double election belonged to the Charter as to the Consiitution. Every man possessing a property qualification to the amount of about la. of our money had a voice in the election of the " col leges" by whom the representatives were subsevently elected. Any " improvement" upon this must obvious ly end in universal suffrage, for which, as seems to us, the people of Portugal arc scarcely yet prepared. But the relative merits of the Charter and of the Con stitution will be best appreciated by the fact, and it is a fact, that the chief force opposed to Saldan ha and Terceira consists ofavowed and notorious Miguelites. The Morn ing; Post avows this. Our Contemporary tells uc that the " imposing aspect of the National Guards is mainly to be attributed to the number of Royalists who have come forward to enrol themselves." We have no doubt that a great number of Royalists have come for ward to enrol themselves, and from a motive that is sufficiently obvious. They know that the Constitu tion is utterly impracticable, and, that if worked by the tnen who have taken into Ineir heads to establish it, it will necessarily throw the country into a state of anarchy and confusion most favourable to the latent hopes of the adherents of the old regime: while, upon the other hand, the success of the Charter, by conso lidating the present Monarchy, shuts out for ever the moss distant prospect of a restorations—Morn. Citron. It will surprise no loyal and honest Eoglishman to learn that the disgraceful compact between O'Connell and our Cabinet has attracted the attention of fo reigners, and becom e as much a matter of surprise and scorn abroad as it is at home. The Journal des Debats, which publishes O'Connell's late letter (omit ting, as too absurd, his audacious and mendacious trash about Ireland educating Europe, peaplino th e calendar wi t h sa i nts, founding. the Alier universities of the world, and so forth), has ttl e following observations nn that epistle ;—"it is in some sort the programme imposed by Mr. O'Connell for the next ession on all those I'vlembers t)1 whom he is the absolute master (that is to say ) bn three-fourths of the representation I)? IrelanT), and the treaty of alliance which he offers to tilt Melbourne Ministry. It will doubtless be re rnirked with what pride Mr. O'Connell, in thi s letter, puts himself forward as the arbiter of the desti nies of the Melbourne Administration, and of those of the whole Reform party, by means of the representatives of Ireland who are devoted to him ; with what haughti ness he insists on his conditions ; and while he makes pro fession of upholding the Whigs, how comformahle his programme is to the most extensive demands of the Ra dicals. We do not understand the movement of opi nion which is in-progress in England, and which ma n:fested itself with mnch eclat in the recent elections, if the language of Mr. O'Connell, instead of strengthen ing the Ministry, does not become for that Ministry new source of embarrassment and a tieW cause of weakness. Never bcfort Was the dangerous protecto rate of the Great Agitator so plainly and so strongly avowed, and Lord Melbourne knows m o t h tun w e lt what it has cost him up to the present time to hail with much gmAtude this neWr slotu eVidence of it." We think with our 'rebel toaemporary, that Lord Melbourne would father O'Connell had not written this epistle ; for certainly, with our opinion or (won:. Hell's treasonable designs:, and the Cabinet's diseatek truckling to the traitor, we would willingly ray Daniel largely for writing once asweac, because we are sure ' that if he did, many months would not pass away be fore he and his friends the Ministers Would have re ceiettl tl;e pusisinnent they both so richly deerve. We can readily understand that any journalist of ohl;- nary respectability will look with equal astonishment and shame upon the national disgrace that at this mop ment bows England to the dust—the dispettre of tole rating a Ministry which, instead of punishing a self proclaimed traitor, humbly craves his protection ; end pays and praises him, by themselves and the Swiss scrib blers they subsidize, for bestowing that protection. We do not recollect any other instance of a great notion being so utterly degraded, and bearing the stain and stigma so quietly. The Journal des Debats must look upon this compact between the Melbourne Adminis tration as it would look upon an alliance between the Mole Administration and the French faction which strews with garlands the graves of decapitated traitors. But if the disgrace of the nation be great, the dis grace of the Government and of the individuals who compose it is greater far. Let out French contem poraries consider the relation in which O'Connell and the Whigs stood to each other but a few years ago. The Whigs denounced O'Connell in a speech from the Throne. In the debates on the Address in answer to that speech every Whig, high and low, from Lord Grey down to Lord Hatherton, vilified and reviled the " agitator ;" and they held the same language to wards him in the debate on the repeal of the Union. On the other hand O'Connell poured forth his abuse upon them, collectively and individually, without mercy. He wrote of them in 1834 thus :—" Everything has been done by the Whigs to injure and insult the Irish people." Again, " Ireland has nothing to expect from the Whigs but insolent contempt and malignant but treacherous hostility." After the Whigs had been ejected from office in 1834, he said of them—" We will be told that the Whigs did much good for Ire land, and intended to do still more. Oh, yes, we coerced them into some matters of mere secondary uti lity. But whom have we to thank for it ? Not them, but our determination to see Ireland happy, and the vigilance and activity that enabled us to turn their im becility, their hypocrisy, to account." Of Lord Grey he wrote, in 1834, thus—" Earl Grey actually appears to have governed Ireland as if the principles of his management were hatred and contempt of the Irish people. Again, in the same year—" Of what value is it that Earl Grey should have retired if he has left to his successors the same proud and malignant ha tred he appeared to entertain towards the Irish na tion ? * * * * I know that Lord John Rus sell cherishes feelings of a similar description." Of Lord Melbourne, he said in the same letter—" In plain truth, it is quite manifest that Lord Melbourne is uttetly incompetent for the high office he holds. It is lamentable to think, that the destinies of the Irish people should depend in any degree on so inefficient a person." Of Lord Lansdowne, also, he said in the same letter—" Lord Lansdowne, too, is hostile to Ireland, with a hatred the more active and persever ing, because he is bound by every obligation to enter tain diametrically opposite sentiments." Nosy, all this was coolly and deliberately written by O'Connell just " five weeks and two days" (as Mr. E. Macdonnell shows) before he and the Whigs commenced the con nexion which has sunk that profligate party into an abyss of political and personal degradation from which it is impossible that anything short of a miracle can extricate them. If the Journal des Debats should have time and space, it would do well to translate these extracts, in order to show to French statesmen what high-minded persons are Lord Melbourne, Lord John Russell, and Lord Lansdowne, &c., who now, • in order that they may retain their places and their pay, humbly kiss the feet of that O'Connell who so kicked them only three years ago. Let the Journal des Debats tell its readers that the " base, brutal, and bloody Whigs," as O'Connell then called them, still hold themselves out for Liberals and gentlemen, though they are now the toadies of the Big Beggar man who so blackguarded them in 1834.— Times. A more daring and infamous attempt was never made against the representative principle than that which the Tories are now preparing to carry into effect, by raising subscriptions to petition against the return of the Li beral Members of Ireland. Of all the devices to de feat the legitimate working of the Reform Act this is the most iniquitous. We may be told, that as every Member of the House of Commons is in the eye of the Constitution regarded as a representative of - the whole United Kingdom, as well as of the constituency by which he is especially chosen, the inhabitants of any part of the kingdom are justified in interfering with and influencing the return of the representatives selected by any other part. But to allege this principle in defence of the outrage now proposed against the Irish representatives is most absurd and fallacious. It is true that, when elected, each Member is a representative of the whole people of the United Kingdom, as the general interests should ever be considered paramount, and never made subservient to the interests of individual con stituencies ; but this does not give any right to one part of the empire to snake a systematic attack on the representation of another part. Or if the principle he admitted at all, the whole House of Commons should he elected, not by separate constituencies, but by the whole electoral body of the empire. In this way every elector would have votes in proportion to the number of Members in the House of Commons, and the ma jority of the electors only would be represented in the House of Commons. This would rather be an awls - ward result for the Tories, yet it is the obvious sa pience of their position. On a tolerably close calcu lation of the number of voters who polled in the last election, it appears that on the gross poll of the United Kingdom the Reform voters exceeded the Tory by several thousands. Now if this majority were to—and if the principle upon which the Tories attempt to de fend the gross assault meditated against the representa tion of Ireland were acted upon, it would—decide upon the whole of the Members to be elected to the Hou. e of Commons, where would be the " miserable monopo lising minority ?" There would not be a single Tory in the House of Commons If the electors of Ireland and Scotland were to have the right of voting for English Members, as is implied by the defence which the English Tories set up for their unjust assumption of controul over the elections of Ireland, there would not be one Tory, from Sir Robert Peel to Peter Borthwick, at present a Mensher of the House of Representatives. But the Tories in their blind zeal see not the dan:..;er of the general adoption of their own principles, or that the weapons to which in their ex asperation they have recourse, may be wielded against themselves. If they did, they w ou ld not furnish to the Irish Repcalers such potent arguments against the continuance of the Union, as are put forth in their protests against the recognition of the majority in the House of Commons, because about a fifth part of !hre majority is composed of Irish Members. Neither would they supply such irrefutable arguments in favour of the Ballot as are set forth in their dail y complaints of intimidation at the election, and the barbarities which they represent as practised against those voters who demurred a compliance with the popular feeling. in Ireland. Neither would they recommend exclu sive dealing, of all vile and diabolical influences the most vile and diabolical—and which, if put in practice by the people—and it is a g ame which two can play at—in th e manner recommen ded, adopted, and avowed by the Tory aristocrats, would soon leave Toryism at a discount. But these things are all unheeded in the rage of the assault against Reform and its jrepresentatives. Where a popular principle or indivi dual is to be assailed, the Tories consider all weapons lawful ; but when the weapons of their selection are I wielded against themselves, they ring the very welkin 1 with howlings. However, the sy s t emat i c attac k de- MIT, SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, Is. signed to he made on the Irish representation through the agency of English snbcriptions, i 5 one :Thich the Mu3e of Commons cannot suer to pass unrepciled, without a serious and dangerous compromise of its privileges. If such a system be tolerated, we may better at once revert to the old borough n&nitujtioti. system, fathet tlittn Meek the people with the sem. blance of a representation to be invalidated by the . jomt-stock purse of Tory persecution.—Morning Ad vertiser, port their own." If any one thinks he can make a het' r de - setiption thf.m this of the present Ministry, Ict him try.—Morning I'osl. • M . We beileVe 'diet het- MajCSWS nustel:s have by this tithe stefficititt season to doubt the prectioability of getting on with such strength as 'they pds.; sess in the Hobo 4 CbiliiilOhs. The success of " Protector " in Ireland seems for a tine to have set them lh•side them. elves. 'flier sreowl to think that 'the tkeouragement of an flnglieh opposition majority justelectcd, Mr.CrCen veil cou'd, nevertheless, enceced return of Mihisterialivs from • Ireland, in the pro -I)..ri on o two to one, he muat be able to do anything else that he pletiettl. lurin g this paroxysm Lord Velinerston advertised his frivolous and frantic address to the electors of Tiverton, from which he appeared to think that Mr. O'Connell had settled all Ministerial difficulties through the !Irish elections, and that Cabinet Ministers were thenceforward free to in dulge their genius, and amuse themselves. But this dream has already passed away. It has been found that -even the Radicals are not willing, like Mr. O'Con neli, to make the keeping in place of a certain set of Ministers the principal object of their political exertions. The Melbourne Cabinet will not be allowed to repose in salaried idleness, lest by attempting to do anything they should be "embarrassed." The elaborate advice to this elect which they caused to be promulgated has been met by scornful derision, or angry rebuke ; and their sneers at those Radicals who prefer the urging , forward of their peculiar principles to the mere execu tive guardianship of the present Administration has met with no better fate. We perfectly agree with an evening contemporary, a very uncompromising advo cate of democracy, in what he advances concerning the falsehood, as well as the ingratitude, contained in the sneers of the Ministerialists against those whom they call the " Tory Radicals." It is notorious, says this democratic advocate, that they who are called Tory-Radicals differ from the Whig-Radicals, not in im political principles, but on the question whether their common principles should be subordinate or pa ramount to keeping the Whigs in office. There can, we think, be no question that this is a fair statement of the case ; and we do not imagine that anyone who does more than pretend to honesty in political matters can hesitate to say which part is the more just and honourable, and, therefore (looking to ultimate ends, and not to 'present selfish purposes), the more po litic. On the one hand there are certain persons holding extreme democratic principles, and strug gling to bring them forward, under the idea that by 'leaking the public acquainted with them the public will acquire a preference for them, and insist upon their being made the basis of Government. On the other hand there are certain persons not denying the validity of these democratic principles, but insisting that it is better not to urge them upon public attention, and with the weight of official authority, because to do so would be to endanger certain profitable places which they hold, and perhaps to place in the Executive per sons who are hostile to those democratic principles. It seems to be almost an insult to any man's un derstanding and sense of justice to argue that the first of these parties is to be preferred, as more worthy than the second. When we say that the, second sneers at the first as "impracticable men ," who are actually serving the cause of the opponents of de mocracy, we say enough to excite the indignation every honourable mind. If the Whigs who hold the Government disapprove of democratic principles, they ought, as honest men, to say so, and to announce the abandonment of the democratic measures they have hitherto advocated. This they should do if they re solve on giving them up, from conviction either of their abstract error, or the impropriety of their intro duction by Ministers of the Crown. They ought not to expect the support of men whose principles they are not willing to put forward, from fear of danger to their own places. If they do not disapprove of these princi ples, it is the most flagrant depravity in the world to say that they will hold them back, from fear that, if they brought them forward, it might throw the Government into the hands of the Tories. If their principles were of an opposite nature, there might be someground for such an argument ; but it is the most palpable violation of all sense and reason to pretend that democratic prin ciples will be better served by an Executive which does not bring them forward than by any party whether in the Executive or not, which does. The life and soul of democracy lies in its open appeals to the people. Keep it in the back ground—keep it locked up in official bureaus, waiting for a con venient season, in which it will not embarrass the Government—and it necessarily languishes and dies. If the Ministers be friendly to democratic changes they say that which is not true when they say that the possession of the Executive by the Tories is the worst thing which could happen for their po licy. It would certainly not be so unfavourable to the progress of democracy as a holding of the Govern ment by the Whigs, in fear that if they stirred demo cratic questions it might throw them out of office. It may be asked of us why, if this be so, we should wish the 'Furies to have office ? We answer, because we think they would conduct the Government honestly, and upon the principles of the British Constitution, which are not democratic. We are well aware that the present democratic Ministers, being thrown into Oppo sition, would do much more to disseminate democracy einong the people than they would do as Ministers-- partly because they would be under no restraint, nor fear of personal loss by the advocacy of democratic principles,and partly because they would thereby harass the Tory Government. We arc not at all insensible of the evils and disturbance which might thence arise ; but we would rather u r any other evil than that arising from doubt and distrust as to the real cha racter and views of public men. We would much prefer what, in COllllllOll English phrase, we will venture to call a fair stand-up fight with demo cracy, and abide the issue, whatever it might be, than go on with a Government halting between two opi nions—a Government which all know to be weak, and which many on both sides of political questions suspect to be treacherous. We repeat that, in saying this, we are not unmindful of what might be suffered in this struggle, nor too confident that in the end the victory would be with us. But of this we do feel confi dent, that if there were a fair open struggle—we do not mean of civil war, but of the intellect, and feeling, and interest of the respective parties—there would be a far better chance of preserving intact the bold, manly cha racter of the English nation, than there is in the manner of proceedin g which the Whigs seem to prefer. We value this character too much not to-be willing to do or to suffer any thing for the sake of its preservation. So long as it is preserved we have no fear of any thing more than temporary political evil. But if we are to be debased by a long-continued system of Govern ment, which does not dare to be openly and valiantly either one thing or the other, but pretends that by de grees it is to establish democracy through a certain management of the Executive in a Monarchical Go vernment, then we may become a nation of hollow, pompous puppies, like the French, or like Lord Pal merston. kV'e cannot better conclude these remarks than by a sketch which, in our judgment, admirably well applies to the existing Government. It leas drawn, as many of our readers will remember, by a mas ter-hand ; the most thoroughly mean and worthless of all English Kings being the character described. We alter it only so far as to make the words apply to a collective body instead of to an individual. " In their personal character there is nothing uniform or sincere, and this has introduced the like unsteadiness into their Government. They are indolent, yet restless in their dispositions—fond of working by violent methods, without any vigour —boastful, but continually betray ing their fears—showing on all occasions such a desire of peace as hinders them from ever enjoying it. Hay ing no spirit of order they never look forward--con tent by any temporary expedient to extricate them selves from a present difficulty. Rash, arrogant, per fidious, irreligious, unquiet—they make tolerable leaders of a party, but bad Ministers. They have talents fit to disturb another's Government, not to sup- POLICE INTELLIGENCE. 111 A NSIO fib John Henning, a young fellow dressed like a carman, and having the appearance of a country boy, was charged with running away with a chest of teat value 8/, Be. 2d. This Cita deited dtirlosity atid infighter, Mr. H. Limby, of No. 8, Greek-street, Soho, wholesale tea and coffee_ dealer, stated that the chest which was di rettbd MedWifi; Sittintvhourne; Kent, had been deli- Vered to the porter Of the 18 taio )lead: in the Borough. It was to go by Reikis's van. Wm. Popie stated that he had been delivering goods doing Tuesday and Oa elwsq. in question was taken off his cart while standing at Mr. Hairs gate s near the Custom House ittay i, and while be woe abeent about three minutes. On missing it be raised an alaftil, arid lie §odri aft& saw the prisoner in custody. A carman. named George Seaton, saw the prisoner moving along very fast, aftee letting eroesed Tower-street, with the chest on his shoulder. Suspecting that all tea, wrong, he followed, and asked the prisoner where he got the chest, to which he replied that he was ordered to carry it by a gentleman in black. The Prisoner—Please your Lordship, so I was. He told me to carry it to Petticoat-lane. The LORD MAYOR—The gentleman in black did? Pray What sort of a gentleman was he ? Prisoner—l can't just tell, please you, my Lord. I only knows he was in black. The LORD MAYOR--I am afraid it was the gentleman in black that directed you in the matter. Had he a tail ? Pri soner—A tail I A. pigtail do you mean, please you, my Lord ? No ; I can't say as he had. The LORD MAYOR—Did you look at his feet? What sort were they ? Like a cow's ?—(A laugh.) Prisoner—l can't say as they were like a cow's, but he says to me, . " Take this here box," says he," to Petticoat-lane." The LORD MAYOR—Aye, I believe the gentleman in black does a great deal of business in Petticoat-lane. He's ' always giving directions of the same kind to the people in that neighbourhood--( Laughter.) Prisoner—l don't know as he does, my Lord, for I never seed him afore. The LORD MAYOR—Oh, yes, you have. He has given you a good many orders, which you have executed as faith fully. He has a very general business, and has employed most of the people who have stood where you now stand. Prisoner—l wish I could catch him. The LORD MAYOR—Follow my advice, and endeavour to shun him. You see he has got you into a bad scrape. Mr. W. Hall, the proprietor of the Custom House Wharf, complained that the carts and the workmen from the Tower to the Custom House were exposed to the most serious depredations, and requested that additional police men should be placed in the district. Fellows, who dis guised themselves as carmen, committed robberies every day in the neighbourhood. The LORD MAYOR said he believed there was ground for serious complaint, and gave directions accordingly. The prisoner was remanded. A Frenchman, named Alphonso Alleaume, was intro duced to the LORD MAYOR by a lady of rank, who stated that she resided in the neighbourhood of the place in which the foreigner had been making such inquiries as showed that he was an utter stranger, without friends or the means of living. She said that Mons. Alleaume, although not educated in practical science, applied a considerable portion of his time to the study of mechanics, and constructed a machine for filtering and clarifying water. This machine he took with him from Paris to Brussels, with the intention of making a pecuniary speculation of his skill, but, strange as it might appear, the police of that town mistook it for an infernal machine, having reference to the opposite ele ment, and apprehended the owner as the diabolical agent of conspirators against the throne of France. The inventor of the improved plan of making muddy water bright was then cast into prison, and his machine underwent examina tion, when it was proved that there was no sympathy what ; ever between its powers and those which, by explosion, dealt destruction around. After a confinement of two months, the matter of accusation came on before the Court of Appeal, and the supposed infernal agent was acquitted. He was, however, soon after his acquittal, ordered on board a vessel bound for England, and, without passport or cere mony of any kind, he was brought off to London, where he was landed without money, or friends or acquaintances, and, in fact, just as if-he had been dropped from the clouds. The LORD MAYOR asked whether the machine was of so complicated a kind as to be likely to be mistaken for such an engine as would blow people to atoms ?—Monsieur Alleaume said it was of simple construction, and, whatever ignorant persons might hate supposed, could not have been thought capable of doing mischief by men of any scientific acquirements. The LORD MAYOR—It was merely for clarifying water? —Mr. Alleaume said it was most decidedly and palpably for no other purpose. The LORD MAYOR said that the circumstances just de tailed were extremely mysterious. He could not for the life of him see how a machine made for filtering water could on a sudden be converted into so terrific a species of fire arms, but he supposed it was by some infernal machine of the kind " the Thames was set on fire."—(A laugh.) His Lordship advised Mr. Alleaume to approach the King of Belgium through the medium of his Majesty's Minister, and respectfully represent the case. A better opportunity could not be afforded than presented itself at the moment, when his Majesty happened to be in the dominions of his niece, in which he so long resided, and where the complaints of the oppressed might reach him through the most pure channel of communication. The Frenchman, who is a young man of extremely mild and unassuming manners, expressed himself in terms of the warme s t gratitude to the Lord Mayor and the lady who introduced him to his Lordship, and stated that he should follow the advice so benevolently given. BOW- STREET. Yesterday a tall powerful young man, named Mathews, conductor of one of Cloud's Hammersmith omnibuses, was charged with assaulting Mr. Evans, a young gentleman re siding at Tmwell Lodge, Hammersmith. It appeared that on Tuesday evening, at a quarter before nine o'clock, the complainant got into the omnibus at Ken sington, with the intention of proceeding to the Bank, the words " Hammersmith and the Bank" being painted con spicuously on the vehicle. As soon, however, as the omni bus reached Somerset-house, it pulled up, when the de fendant opened the door, and told the passengers, nine in number, that they had arrived at their journey's end, and that . th e y mus t ge t ou t. He then demanded one shilling from each passenger, when the complainant said that his fare was six-pence only, adding, that as the defendant declined proceeding to the Bank, which he was bound to have done, lie (complainant) would he compelled to pay 6d. more for another omnibus to take him there. He then offered the defendant 6d., which he refused to take, and, upon the complainant sayinghe should not give him any more , he seized him by the collar in a violent manner, and then snatched his hat and pocket-handkerchief, swearing that he should retain them until he received the shilling. The complainant then called a police constable, into whose cus tody he gave the defendant, and he was immediately con veyed to the station. The defendant, in answer to the charge, said that before the passengers got into the bus at the place of starting he informed them all that they would be put down at Somerset House, and they were aware that a shilling was the fare always charged at night. The complainant said that no such notice to the pas sengers had been given ; and as to the charge of a shilling, it had never been demanded of him before for the same distance, although he was in the constant habit of travelling to and from Hammersmith and London by the same con veyance. Sir F. ROE, having consulted with Dr. Robinson, ob served that the assault was a very gross one, and called upon the defendant to pay a fine of 51., or be committed for two mouths to the House of Correction. MARYLEBONE. Yesterday t a well-dressed middle-aged man, named James cook, who or the last five or six years has been carrying on his impositions as a fortune-teller, or diviner of future events, at 40, Nutford-place, Edgware-road, was placed at the bar before Mr. RAWLINSON, charged under the follow ing circumstances : It appeared from the evidence that the prisoner was for merly a gentleman's servant, but relinquished his situation to follow the more lucrative study of the black art, in which he gained such a celebrity, that his dupes were not confined to simple servant-maids and love-sick damsels, but ladies moving in the highest circles came to consult this great oracle, whose carriage customers amounted to 20 or 30 per day. Information of the nuisance having been con veyed to inspector Tedman, of the D di v i s i on , h e deter mined upon putting the wizard's knowledg e o f f u t ure events to a severe test , and it was speedily arranged that the wife of a policeman should call upon the prisoner, and have her fortune told. The prisoner, who had but little to say for himself, was sent for three months to the House of Correction. A new Church, under the direction of the Church Commissioners is shortly to be erected at King's-cross, St. Pancras. Last week, during the fair at Troes, a temporary bridge of ropes, imitating the principle of the iron suspen sion bridges, was thrown across the Seine for the accom modation of foot passengers. It was the work of a car penter of that town, and is likely to be adopted in other parts of that district where the river is not very wilf,L, SURREY SESSIONS.-WEDNESDAY. COMMITTAL OF A WITNESS FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT. Morriv, a well-dressed young man, was indicted for stsalissi a watch from the person of George Moor, of Church-sl reef, Lambeth, The prosecutor ; on ascending the witness-box, was ask d b {lle eheirrnan What profession or business he followed ? The reply and s g &slicing-master (throwing himself into a curious attitude), and I should be happy to give your worship a lesson." The CHAIRMAN desired the prosecutor to answer the questions ptit td Ithh in a proper manner, and not to make any impertinent observations. The prosecutor then proceeded to deseriba the gircum , stap:les of the alleged robbery. 'I he pfsPß!entor, in his cross•examination by Mr. Cham- , hers for the defence, wits asked whether he bad been drink ing that morning, as his appearance nod the answers he had given to some of the questions put to hifn in Court evinced that he was not sober even then ? Prosecutor—What has that to do with the case. not. answer such a question, The CllmamAtit here interposed, and said that the pro secutor was bound to answer, but still he refused to do co, saying that he could not see what it had to dc; with the ca7e.,. The CHAIRMAN here remarked that it was evident the prosecutor was then under the influence of liquor, and strongly censured his conduct for appearing in a Court of justice in such a condition, to prosecute a man whose liberty depended upon the testimony given by him. The prosecutor was then ordered to stand down, and a man named Druet, with whom the prosecutor had been on the night of the alleged robbery, was called forward as a witness for the prosecution. The moment Druet, got into the witness box it was apparent that he was then under the influence of liquor. The CHAIRMAN then told the Jury that in consequence of the condition to which the prosecutor and his witness had reduced themselves by intoxication in coining forward to prosecute, it would be highly dangerous to convict a man upon such evidence. The Jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict of Ac quittal. The witness, Druet, having remained incarcerated in gaol for contempt of Court, when sober, be was brought up to the bar, and he then apologised for the conduct he had pursued while under examination, and said that he had fallen down the hold of a ship some years ago, since which time whenever he took liquor he became totally unconscious of what lie said or (lid. The CHAIRMAN having given him a severe lecture, and admonished him to refrain in future from spirituous liquors, especially if he should have occasion to appear as a witness in a court of justice, then added that the Court had con sented to his discharge. Druet made a low bow to the bench, and hastily withdrew from the Court. Joseph Jacobi, aged 50, stated to be a Polish Jew, was indicted for having fraudulently obtained in Southwark, of Abraham Friend, a watch, with intent to cheat and defraud him of the same. A Polish gentleman stated that he attended at the re quest of the Committee of Polish Refugees to interpret, if necessary, and to watch the case. The prosecutor, Friend, stated that he was a stationer, resident in White -street, Moorfields, and had known the prisoner some months. Nearly a year ago he called on witness, stating he had just come from Poland, and asked him if he knew of his wife and family in Warsaw. Witness asked him his name, and he gave that of Abraham Isaac Hyt. Witness then said he knew a family of that name in Warsaw very well. The prisoner then said that he was going by the name of Joseph Jacobi, and begged that wit ness would not expose him to the Polish Refugee Com mittee. He next asked witness if his family knew of his ....--. _ (Jacobi's) having been sentenced to 18 months' chain labour in Jersey for passing forged notes. Witness told him that that was well known, as it was reported in the newspapers. By the CHAIRMAN—The witness is a Pole by birth, but left his country 2.5 years ago, before the Revolution. He is not a refugee. The witness proceeded to state, in reference to the in dictment, that the prisoner frequently called at his lodgings to be relieved with money. On the 25th of July the pri soner pressed to accompany him to call on Mr. Marks, in King-street, Borough, when witness bargained to take a watch and give 41. 10s. for it, if approved on trial. Wit ness took the watch away, and a few minutes afterwards the prisoner parted company, but about six o'clock again met him near the Queen's Bench prison, when the prisoner said Mr. Marks very particularly wanted the watch back ; and witness, believing him, gave him the watch to take to Mr. Marks. A few hours afterwards the fraud was dis covered, and the prisoner was found, when he said he had taken the watch " in fun," but that he would return it the next morning. This, however, he did not do ; and when again seen, he escaped from his pursuers, by running away. He was at length taken into custody as he was walking along Blackfriars-road. He then told the prosecutor he might do his worst. The witness, in addition, stated that he was yesterday offered 51. outside the Court to forego the prosecution. Cross-examined by Mr. CHAMBERS—I am a converted Jew, and have been so 14 years. I am a stationer. I vend paper and pencils about the streets. I sometimes go into the Queen's Bench. There is a Mr. Levi Solomon there for debt. I . don't know he is detained there by the pri soner for a debt of 30/. Don't know the prisoner was hustled and ill-treated when he went there. Mr. Israel Marks confirmed the last witness as to part ing with the watch to him. Did not know the prisoner, and had never authorised him to get the u etch. Cross-examined—Had been remanded by the Court for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors for 12 months. Mr. CHAMBERS addressed the jury for the defence, ob serving that he was instructed to show that the prosecu tion was a conspiracy against the prisoner, who had suc cessfully opposed the discharge of Levi Solomon. .Alrs. Woulfe deposed to seeing the prosecutor, Friend, take the prisoner Jacobi by the collar near the Queen's Bench prion, and threaten that he would serve him out for detaining Solomon. Mrs. Moses swore that the prosecutor had applied to her, stating that he would give her husband 2/. if he would appear in court, and swear the prisoner had offered the watch for sale. The prosecutor vehemently declared that both the last witnesses had sworn falsely. A gentleman, formerly a lieutenant i❑ the Polish service, gave the prisoner a good character, and stated that the latter had behaved with great bravery at the battle of Os trolensko, and would have been promoted if he had not been a Jew. He was on the refugee list, which he could not be if he were not a good character. Other Polish exiles gave the prisoner a good character, and stated that on the day charged in the indictment the prisoner was at borne from one o'clock in the day until mid night. The CumaNtAN called the especial attention of the jury to the last new piece of evidence, which, if true•, proved an alibi. The case was most extraordinary, all the transactions spoken to on either side occurred on the same day. Having minutely recapitulated the evidence the Chairman left it to the Jury to determine upon. The jury, after consulting some time, returned a verdict of Guilty. The CHAIRMAN told the prisoner the Court had seldom to pass judgment on a foreigner ; he had, however, been convicted after mature consideration, the Jurors disbelieving his witnesses. The sentence of the Court was, that the prisoner be confined for six months to hard labour. COUNTERFEIT COIN.-CROWN PROSECUTION. Inn. Harris, 19, was convicted of having unlawfully uttered and paid to Catherine Reed, at Mitcham, a coun terfeit shilling, well knowing it to be so, and with having one other counterfeit shilling in his possession. The CouaT sentenced the convict to imprisonment for twelve months. Tile following, being known offenders, were sentenced to transportation for seven years :—Elizabeth Ellington, Frances Baker, alias Hamilton, John Spencer, Jas. King, James Gee, James Collins. _ . Thirty-five prisoners having been discharged by procla mation, the Session ended. Mr. Hope has commenced his improvements at Dcepdene, so long in the possession of the Dukes of Nor folk, and purchased of the Dowager by the late Thomas Hope, Esq., thirty-five years ago. A magnificent hall is now building, and the estimated expense will be thirty thousand pounds. Yesterday afternoon a serious acci dent occurred to a poor Irishwoman, in the Strand, nearly opposite f_:o a n in utt s's banking-house. The unfortunate woman, who had Pant in her arms, was crossing the road from Bedford-street at the moment that a carriage, in which were two gentloore men, was passing. The coachma n, on perceiving the p woman's danger, pulled up with his utmost strength, but not before the horses had struck her down, and she lay struggling under their feet, crying out in a piteous tone " Save my poor child." Several persons who witnessed the accident rushed forward, and dragged her and her infant from their situation of extreme peril. One of the gentle men instantly alighted from the carriage, and, g i v i ng hi s card, desired that every necessary attention should be paid to the woman, and drawing forth his purse presented her with two sovereigns and some silver. It was understood that the gentlemen were connected with the establishment of a foreign P rince now residin g in the metropolis. On t h e woman and her babe being taken to a surgeon's in the neighbourhood, it was ascertained that the child was totally unhurt, but the mother had sustdiued very severe injury by her having been kicked on different parts of her body by the horses. CORONERS' INQUESTS. CHARGE OF MURDER BY POISON.—Yester da y respectable jury was imp anne lled before Mr. PAYNE, at the Golden Anchor, Leadenhall-street, on view of the body of Mr. Jacob Cohen, aged 61, a general merchant, who WO reported to have been poisoned. The deceased, who left enns;:lerable property, was buried on Sunday last, when, on tile report ol...tining circulation, information was communi catcJ to the Curoh.7r, who ordered the disinterment of the body. On the jury being sworn, Mr. Almosnino, Secretary to the Portuguese Jewisl S n agogue, stated that, in consequence of the body havil ] l td been disintered, it might be supposed that the de ceased been buried without due precaution having been adopted ouk their part ; but had the least suspicion arisen no funeral would hart been allowed. The CORONER observed that they would hea r the o_4: deuce, and he had no doubt but that sufficient cause won V be shown for the disinterment. Miss Mary Bully, a female about forty years of ages posed that she was a single woman, and lived at No. 1. Brown's-buildings, St. Mary Axe. She let lodgings to cap-' tams of vessels and mercantile gentlemen. The decease came to town four times a-year, which he had been in th habit of doing since the year 1809. The last time he at rived was on the 22d of August. A few days after witnesf accompanied him to Peckham Rye, in a chaise , when b. caught cold. He was subsequently taken ill, and confined to his bed with an inflammation of the chest. He was at' tended by Mr. Brown, a medical gentleman. On Thurs day last he got worse, and died that day. CORONER—Have you any knowledge respecting the dis tribution of the deceased's property ? Witness—Yes ; he • s tid that all his property should come to me, since he hi • no relations living that he was aware of. CORONER—Where is his property now ? de not know yet what is the extent of the property, not having had time to make inquiries. But I believe it is in all parts of the country, where he had extensive dealings. Mr. Almosnino observed that he believed the deceased died in opulent circumstances. The witness added that what property he had was at th e Saracen's Head, Aldgate, where he put up his chaise. After the deceased's death she went to the Saracen's H ead and took away some bonds. He had money in some consols. She did not go in the name of Cohen. CORONER—Has he left a will ? Witness--Yes ;he made it on Thursday before his death. 1 have lodg ed it to I the hands of a proctor, and I believe it is now in theCo m mong. He has left his property entirely to me. have a witness to prove this, who was present when the will was drawn up. did By a gentleman who attended for one of the family---I not know that he was ever married, or that he once byed with his wife at Hackney. The gentleman stated that there was a son living. The witness stated that she was not aware of such con nections, since he never communicated them to her. Mr. Thomas Brown, of St. Mary-axe, surgeon,. depose(' that he was called to attend the deceased on Thursday after' noon. He complained of a pain in the chest, and was .„,51!, faring from great difficulty of breathing and a cough. v". ness prescribed to him and left. He called again t he same evening and found him worse. He died the same night ; Witness has since opened the body and found the chest f a te° r_ lungs in a diseased stite, arising from an inflammation o lungs. The deceased said he had caught cold from leaving off a flannel shirt. There was no appearance of poison. By the Coroner—The last witness said in the presence of the deceased, who was sensible, that he (the deceased) had 1,0001. in the Bank, and that he had left all his Po' perty to her.—Verdict—" Natural death." Yesterday evening an inquest was held at Stepney' °I% view of the body of Harriet Hughes, a fine young wote r of 20 years of age, which had been taken out of the gent's Canal on Sunday night last. Frederick Hughes, the father of the deceased , stated that his daughter had lived for the last six months as servant with Mr. Bates, a comb-manufacturer, in Berners-stree!, his Commercial Road. On Saturday night last she slept at house, and she then appeared to be in good health an spirits, and this was the last time he saw her alive. °I Tuesday evening be called at the house of her master , an' was surprised to find that she bad not been there since Son: day night, and it was by mere accident he bad learned. about an hour before that her body had lbeen take n out of the canal, and was then at this house. Juror—Do you know whether your daughter was artie r nant or not ? Did you perceive anything different t appearance latterly ? Witness—Certainly not. 1 ( 10 believe that anything of the sort had taken place ; but have learned from my wife since she has been missed, t" tit she had on one occasion attempted to poison herself , bu t the stuff she had pnrchased was different to that which she intended it should be. John Watson, of No. 1, Colman's-court, Brovon'S•lat Spitalfields, deposed, that he had kept company w ith tm" deceased for about two years, and used frequently to se e her. On that day week lie walked out with her, and while going along the canal, at the very spot where she was found, he directed her attention to the bubbling on the Wa ter, caused by the small fish rising on the surface, when she said she would come there some night herself and jump in, as it was such a pretty place to die in. On Sunda,'er evening he called at the house of her master, in c om p' with two other young men, and she walked with them to e public-house, where they had a pot of ale. While there s h e cried, and appeared very low spirited, but would no t tell hi... the cause. He subsequently saw her home, and l eft her rat the house of her master in Berners-street, abou t half-Ps 10 o'clock, and that was the last time he saw her alive' a “ The Jury returned a verdict of " Found Drown thereby leaving the case open to further investigation. A curious case will shortly be presented to the lawyers of this town ; the question to be decided is, wbe the t r salmon be a salt or fresh - water fish, and for this reason, 03,. if they be the former (which the lynx-eyed gentlemen the Custom-house have set them down to be), they PIY 3 duty of about 44 francs per cwt. ; but if the latter, tiler will be subject to a duty of only half a franc per cwt. , 3 most important matter to those who are fond of ind"lging; their palates with a taste of this delicious fish. We '" vt. not how the lawyers may decide this knotty point, but oho fact is certain, that salmon first come into existence in fresa water, as they always ascend rivers in order to spawn ; L. n h this fact, if common la w b e gu id e d by common sense it certainl3 ought to be), would give the decision in fit " u f of the consumers of thi s article of luxury. All accou nt l, the salmon concur i n s t a ti ng , that it invariably a scend rivers at breeding time ; s om e of them attain a large: i ;" and most probably nev er qu it the fresh water. It corded in the Encyclopcedia Britannica, of one In r if caught weighing 741 b. They are not found in the M r e :!.. terranean or warm climates. They will ascend hand ' t °: of miles up rivers, and contend with the strongest cu rren 0 _ and make astonishing leaps where there are cataract3ol3r. waterfalls to impede their progress, at the spawning se" e SILV E EDGED PLATED DISIIE T. COX SAVORY offers for selection , arran g ed in his St,,ovr Rooms, a mcst extensive variety of CORNER DISHES Set of Four varies in price from S e ven to Ten Guineas at c T. SAVORY, Working Goldsmith, Silver smith, and Whinakerr 47, Cornhill, London. N.8.---'l'he Handles are made to remo ve from the C o vers, 1% hick may be used as Dishes ; thus the Set will form Eight Dishes, wh en required. On the 11th inst. , at 19, B S i t il . ITlellieSu:s Place, Mr?. Ilalket, of a daughter. On the 11th inst., Mrs. S. F. Miller, of Fortess-terrac e, Kentish town, of a son. On the 11th inst., at Newing ton, Surrey, Mrs. Iliff, of a son. worth lE sq pl . 7 o c f , London, on the inst., the wife of Thos. HeL- MARRIED. On the 3d inst., at All Souls', Langliam-place, M. Medrington, Esq., to Louisa Maria , yo un g est daughter of Mr. A. Cruickshan of the Haymarket. On the 12th inst., at St. James's Church, Mr. Charles Willis, of St. James's-street. to Juliana, youngest daughter of John Goodwin, Esq., of Dalchet, Bucks. On the 14th of March last, at Cuddalore, Henry D. Phillips, Esq., of the Madras Civil Service, to Mary Harriet Leonora, eldest surviving daughter of the late George Moore, Esq., ofthe Leonora, Civil Service. On the 11th inst.. at Teigh, Rutlandshire, Mr. John Yonge. of Jermyn-street, to Eleanor Mary Gordon, widow of the late Charles Gordon, Esq. On the 14th of June, at the Palace Chapel, Valetta, Gilbert •f• L. Buchanan, Esq., Royal Artillery, eldest on of the late Colonel Buchanan, Royal Engineers, to Julia Sophia ihmmersley, Youngest daughter of Lieut...t..olonel Wallace, Commanding Royal'Artillerfo Malta. On tii,...' 12th inst., Mrs. Ro l pe l r, ll' o 'D f liondon-street , FAtzroy-riu 4r " r . e‘ aged 76. La c y of On the 6th inst., Sophia, daughter of M r. Benjamin ' c d Pentonville. r Strio ' • ched ol , l s th 6t e h 2 R 4t e ho m f June last, 9 in . Jamaica, Captain John Geo. ' - .0; its tlll n the lOth b inst , Elizabeth, youngest daughter of the lat e 3' •0! Henry Bolland. . On the 11th inst., George, infant son of Mr. W. Dean, of l‘ itigi N well-hill, aged 9 weeks. i Sloan e On the sth inst., at Ramsgate, Mrs. Elizabeth Cole, 0 , - street, relict of M. Cole, Esq., of Peterborough, aged 84. On the 11th inst., at Upper Clapton, Peter Duncan , Elq . ' iii his 78th year. - On the 11th inst., at Turnham-green, Mr. Peter Grantillon, ill his 65th year. On the 12 th ins t., in York- p lace, Priscilla, the if Of 1111°1 lig Tooke, Esq. On the 'bth inst., at Denne Park, Horsham, Sussex, Judith Anil' wife of G. B. Platt. Esq. __, ' ---- _____-- - ---------;lF° ____ London: Printed and Publi:Jied by MURDO YOUNG. oty 112, Strand, at The Sun Otlice, No. 11', Strand, in (1 ,6 c° • of Middlesex. —Thursday, September 14, 1837. J