The Sun. — London, England, 1841-01-20 00:00:00

ie r fl' on to r active 3°l/11 L ou, s iderable 3, pat tic ,. s f must v v " „ dr f the eetu t ; t , all dsY i n the° depicted el d • huts 0 )I,t), V -111 f donage o 4 lead alm i; 11 . deor, red, b ° latte ce. end 1;„0 Nouel• l s go , hen. 1 5311 1: 110 tro - ,. s chL p.e"fr a l l 'I I rr.a -1 r iF, E: Sr v ol et All $ buSY of th e 0 the " house ; rigs 4ll „l cor ding ir wis 09,4 i t is e v.. y, but 0, 0 of theA and ese gl ;i :fore be , p I e.." 11 . e nio li d the !'d of bis nbasssder vi hat g r° ,i caunog..i •• hat the r o ha still so inceni,soo e he feet s'o) do'vit ° , ict4cr 0 0 F1 man 0 Phis ii, 11 its coa l e uld ret' h d give nd hi. 6 ,7 Iffin / le not it s ' repeA ral to bi the 91 1 i 1 Inca. ), I do it,7 t the r i d' lf Ft li j fo, privy' are i ninon e ) u hersel l s o )e little t ti , er W I f) the e l ,l l a n d, vib'clij !atcii.P' „ e, thet fd y hose , ' %po se: ul 0 P.,P 4 1 for ;iii hey e h f 0 POO' quit" de, ;rent ut tee v Of d a te ice , „be of oP a bou t .'i c ooP e t retie 4 11° ' , ad--tc ° l en deato him,- story tb 00 !ti bo'v t ,p ed, ig rg° SJ ds rocee rPaelt s ptie4: ll f thong' I,,i ° a tbe s e e i _ar 1 S 4f 11 l , es ferU"9 N g° et ' and .e / , 11 hi She i ss i e g ood b l o of d poi sw hoel 1 ' 8 w"Of 0,14 to 4 0 d. :oe , e rf , tee' i s ; va l e d e, bo e° ot ] ,be e4' as P l : c 9 iss g ,pssiocootioi 5 s a iiiif,:? ISTSidelle r ip 4 `c u d d Dav e gb .o f 9 ihs „rai,lol,o ay' " I ,l' lis 11 .,f)r y j et, fle! Coos ° r• Ol• tali" n lo VO N ObY' 00 1 n cel' A N !). on' Pr' Li or jr tic ° v i .e6 l f go a g oell` 'OO ted ffi r 'be ril ;I V OA pie • t il be- ' or 01 4) 10 e D 6 " 11 0 ec toll Otr esd 0 0i - oo ri . dli :1141 0 r e ' 3gr. 10 10 00 cr 4 o op* 7r , EVENING EDITION. CORN-LA WS - AVERAGES - FIXED DUTY. We mentioned on this day week, in reference to he quotation we then made from the Edinburgh Review, that we would reconsider the question of a fixed duty on food, and state the result. We shall now first beg leave to reproduce Sir Robert Peel's objections to such a duty, all of which we consider well-founded. Before the Reviewer, in the teeth of all his own arguments on the subject of import duties, adopted the incongruous recom mendation of a fixed duty, he should have consi dered and answered Sir Robert Peel's objections. Before we place the quotation under the eyes of our readers, we will make another remark. Sir Rebell dwells with earnestness and censure on th e " expedients " which would be resorted to, in order to influence the price when it reached nearly 7 o s. Those expedients, therefore, arc immoral, in Sir Robert Peel's opinion ; and he puts them forth as objections to a law establishing. a fixed duty. Th e law which would cause them is at least an Objectionable, if not an immoral law. But similar expedients are now continually had recourse to, and all Sir Robert Peel's objections to the " expedients" tinde r a fixed duty, the justice of which we admit, a pply with a tenfold force to the present fluctuating !' eh ente• Within the last six months we have seen its heituties, we may almost say, on an exaggerated l ' ea le• Till the averages reached a price at which "'heat was i mported duty free, it is an undoubted e• th at they never corresponded to the actual ?rice at which the baker bought flour from the rider, and at which the working miller a c tually Iboort.:(g,ht it o f t h e f armer , an d consequent l y never s Pnded to the price at which bread was sold. v•as accordingly to many persons a subject of *4r prise, and of almost universal complaint, after ! IX averages h ad attained the height for which the i.edients" were had recourse to, and after they had :falle n from 735. to 655., that there was no cor r.-11)01116g fall in the price of bread. In fact, the Price of bead and the averages seem to have very little connection. T hey do not rise and fall toge ther. The intention of the Legislature, then, .. It itich i s t o l et i n wheat when bread is dear, and 4 'eel) i out when bread is cheap, is not fulfilled. It i skamhugged and deceived. Its power is prac tically mocked at and set at nought by the " ex pedients" which suit the purses of speculators. T he present law is ineffectual as well as immoral, and the Legislature itself is imbecile as well as wicked It earn o' reach its own ends. Whatever mischief t f t 'eaY dc—and God alone knows how vast is that, human abilities cannot measure it—it is 24/Potent even to give practical effect to its own IllacculentT. Sir Robert Peel, by the remarks are s~~all Low quote, acknowledges the immorality o f the body of which he is a member. Will he, by : Ib tlaining from some coercive legislation, to en "e a correspondence between the price of wheat at° the price of bread, also acknowledge that the Inl tieettey of which we have convicted the Legis lature is incuratAe SIR ROBERT PEEL ON A FIXED DUTY. The k g ht Hon. Gentleman said, he preferred a fi red litxty to the sliding scale ; and being asked to ,tutsiis amount, he said he thought seven or eight per quarter %you'd be the amount of the duty siitted recommend. Then the Right Honourable G eritleenan heieg aware of the objection to a fixed dory, th at wh en th e p r i ce o f corn b ecame i nconveniently "4 1 1, it tnigie- be difficult foe a weak, or even a strong (i f:venm:llz., to maintain a fixed duty in the face of pmts, he proposed, in order to obviate the di& tulty, when torn arrived at the price of seventy shillings pee quarter, the duty should vanish, and corn be ad mitted free. That was the only proposition which had been subrnitt: d to their consideration by her Majesty's o etrinaset . Let him then observe to the Right Hon. tntienian, ';tat his proposition would hardly remove ot , e of objecti ons w hi c h were ma d e to th e pre tsta. t q'tem. Would it ten d to promo t e a fi na l settle "t of the euestion ? Not in the opinion of the Hon. ' lll Aber for Ci!okerhampton, because the whole of his peer t went to show that the landed interest was b . : 111 , 1 " . ( 1 to no protvetion whatever ; that so f ar f rom kirt a :"lg any ex c l us i ve taxes , t h ey were exempte d f rom e ' articular burlens, and that with no s h a do w o f 111 tice sh ou ld any dur,y, fixed or variable, be imposed on It hut arta; o f f o r e ign corn. All the arguments .00 tr.. e ai p.ie t l to protecting corn for the purpose of in- a'mg • 1 1 - te taerts of landlords 'A ould equally apply to a ced duty as to a variable duty. All the bad appeals „the Passions of the multitude, all the arguments ut ties imp , iicy and injustice, the unchristian and • principles of taxing the staff of life, would ;:tt e. ' l3 : to fiecd t duty equally with a variable duty. ti 3 1 1, =! twos. would apply with increased for cev erag when ' l 3 - tam e to look at whet had been the average t tnor., of t v levied on foreign corn imported under exe.ting set i e f or a cons id era bl e num b er o f years 043. t. • Th ere . ta d b een s i nce t h e C orn- l aws were i n r 4 on of Liasign wheat imparted into this country, ,i n 'mem mast naption, not less than 9,297,000 quart e rs, I : the ~ averte,. amount of duty levied on that immense 14 : "lity did unt exceed ss. .;d. per quarter. He was • • Prepared to say that there were not great objections 4 "1 shifting scale; but as to the amount of t „ qt r . , Payable und er th e p resen t s y s t em th ere 4 7' not be a shadow of doubt that it was sit e / much less than that which any one who p ia -tiled a fixed duty at all ever thought of t )sin Under the existing system, the duty ke ando..ily , onounted to ss. sd, per quarter ; the Ali, A' at of dAty 'Ton the " staff of life," as it was termed, 1, 4 : 11 ) , .. exceed the sum of ss. sd. The ignorant man " Prepared to understand the cause or the of 1 0i an :Wen inieurtation, and it would be no satisfaction to be te.fi that a duty of ss. sd. was to be ex td "''e (I for one of 83. Those who upon a question of to. : 1 x iture res. eted to an appeal to men's passions ta; ( - 10 so with equal effect, whether the duty was the 1 0 , ''trt • or th e ot h er, or w h et h er it was i m p ose d accor d. • e Provisions of the existing law with its sliding or under that which would impose a fixed duty es :4'tlheial or ending at a certain point. The ativo as a ni change, who denounced the present Corn-laws 1 0 ' r eligious and tyrannical, would be as well entitled ZQ '" to utCer one amount of duty as under another. th tlere anything, he would ask, in the proposal, orice of corn rose to 70s. per quarter, 1 : 14 t) Should cease , or b e ma t er i a lly dimieished, that 4 't " e ssity would' have the effect of disarming every . I. t P , , ' %Aid' lay within the reach of the popular a!zi %ftit';lA et once silencing every appeal to the passions Il t ,,: 4u kind? He begged also to remind the Hon. Gcn '4‘l,,iin 9posite, that independently of failing to give %f n4ellon to those who were opposed to the imposition et '9 duty whatever, be had not answered any one of 'N i.l r etions of detail ; he had proposed to retain the 44 4 e : °4 : s Ystern of averages. Surely that was anything 4 . ,ing satisfaction to his Hon. Friends who de t trade. Was that free trade, or anything 11 11. ' 1; Nothing could be more evident than that his lie was one of avcrager, for how otherwise a s ,," lie sYs ascertain his price of 705., at which his duty 1 1 ,7 t 0 calmmen ce ? Th en he begged the House to Iti:b,ite at the m anner i n w hi c h th e p r opos e d pl an o f th e Hoc. Gentl eman wou ld meet the argument of of e A s ',M.'au merchant, who urged the probable effect h e -concient harvest, when bad corn must of necessity d ucc r "lght into the market, and when its intro 441.:,;..to,nietwtohuold moat assuredly affect the rate of prices. House observe the probable effects of the preegataua.l.r_ise of . the price' of corn to Gls. or 68s. ; what ad o , "'no did the Right Hon. Gentleman propose to ti se l 4 / ` against the tricks and devices confessedly prac s, , for the purpose of operating upon the averages ? qu i r P °a ing that the price remained at 695. 6d., the st nY.seeording to the plan of the Right Hon. Gentles t eA l l would be payable ; but increase the price by a Thy shil ling, and foreign corn would be imported duty It would be difficult to conceive a greater temp t 6• `) to practise upon the averages than this state of u g B Would p resent. It offered immense i nducements 1 0 ,,,Pee?pedients of all sorts for the purpose of caus -o,', the p,` tee of corn to turn 705., for the moment its t h' e r age peice exceeded that sum of 70s. per quarter, o , ar market mi g h t at once b e i nundated w i th fore i gn tie' and migaht continue to be kept up in that state ll averages were made. In suc h a case h ow d i d di t tight Ho n . G ent l eman propose to prov i de for the bore with w hi c h th e A mer i can merc h ant woul d hal to contend i n mee ti ng hi s r i va l s i n the ports of e n a nd? The American who thought of exporting mi , to this coun t ry , hearing that th e pr i ce was 705., .o.at s uppose himself safe in sending a cargo, relyi ng confidence upon being able to introduce Ameri can in England duty free. Before his corn could • .„, ‘ , U e,Aitne to ar r i ve i n t h e p or t s of Gre a t B r i ta i n , h e "'",id•find th at t h e pr i ce ha d sun k to 69 5 . d ur i ng the L 1 , 'at ‘ s it of his c orn across th e Atlantic ; partie s i n th e it of practising upon the averages would have ma ed.to effect a reduction, and so the object which the 7 4 , 1 i1i `eon specul a t or p ropose d t o himself would be ut dt.`feated,ted, and he would find himself under the ne f,tialty.ot" paying a d u t y o f B s . per qua rter upon that Eutoll he head hoped to belie exported to England duty "Si. Upon these grounds, then, he professed himself .....v.,... at a loss to discover how the IZight Hon. Gentleman overcame some of the objections !o the averages and a sliding scale. If the Right Hon. Gentleman abandoned the averages, he must resort, or be inconsister.t with himself, to a free importation, with a fixed duty of Bs. In times of great abundance, of unexampled—he might say, of excessive and superabundant supply—corn would be poured into this country from the ports of the continent of Europe, and from those of America ; the importation of foreign corn would then be subject to no control. Then, in times of great scarcity, could any Goverrrnent maintain a duty upon the importation of foreign corn ? It would be described as a tyrannical impost upon the "staff of life." He did not hesitate to say that such a duty would be practically removed ; end if it were once removed, he professed himself unable to see how it could be re-imposed.—Hansard's Debates, Vol. SS. LITERA TU RE. EDINBURGH REVIEW, No. 146. Longman, London, 1841. Colonel Napier's History of the Peninsular War, which has been so severely attacked by the organs of the Tory party, because it exposed the errors of their policy as regards Spain and Portugal during Moore 's and Wellington's campaigns in those coun tries, forms the subject of the first notice in the present number of the Edinburgh Review. A highly favourable opinion is expressed of the Gal lant Colonel's history, of which the Reviewer says : " The work comes before us both as a work of art and a testimony ; it might fail in the one capacity, yet retain all its value in the other ; but if it justly chal lenge our admiration in both characters, their will it take its rank in after times with those few but precious records of antiquity, wherein the writer was an actor as: well as historian. Judging the work as a testimony, we find that it brings before us a new, correct, and striking view of a series of transactions of importance, equalling any that are recorded in the story of mankind. Looking at it as a work of art, it demands our admiration as a clear, ner vous, and interesting narrative, enriched with profound and original disquisitions on the art with which the author is peculiarly con versant, viz. that of war, and of which the campaigns he describes afford unequalled illustra tions." This is great, and not unmerited, praise ; but we must protest against the remark that the historian relates " a series of transactions of im portance, equalling any that are recorded in the story of mankind." The Peninsular war could of course only have been of such importance, with re ference to its effects on the colossal power of Na poleon, and thereby on the destinies of Europe ; but it was a mere episode in the great struggle, which was not decided in Spain and Portugal, bu t among the snows of Russia, and on the field of Leipsic. Had Napoleon never invaded the Czar's dominions, or, even subsequently to that disastrous event, had he been able to maintain his ground in Germany, and beat back the Allies ; the British campaigns in the Peninsula, however successful, would have had but little influence on his fortunes ; Spain and Portugal would indeed have been rescued from his iron grasp, but he would still have been a mighty conqueror, with the greatest and fairest portion of Europe at his feet. In hastily running over some of the leading events in the Duke of Wellington's Peninsular campaigns, the Reviewer observes of his Grace that " the very safety of Eng land, brought to imminent hazard by the ignorance and vices of faction,and of factious Ministers, depend ed on the fortitude, sagacity, and good fortune of one man alone—and that man was the Duke of Wel lington, who directing, and being assisted by, the indomitable courage and energy of an English army, and favoured, too, by the fortune which had deserted the great captain of the age, saved us from disgrace and ruin, and brought the bloody contest to a successful issue." On the " Life and Genius of Rubens," is a criticism on the paintings of this great artist, whose splendid colouring and fertility of invention are dwelt on with special emphasis. The remark that " his notions of the human figure in both sexes were so biassed in favour of Flemish exuberance, as to render them very unfit vehicles for the representation of refined sentiment, dignified passion, or pathos,' will be corroborated by all who are familiar with the paintings of Re bens. "Wron g s and Claims of Indian Commerce" is a well considered statistic article, in which, after re commending that a fair proportion of the broad current of British enterprise should be directed to the shores of the east, to which end " the diffusion of popular information is the first requisite," the Reviewer insists that the amend ment of the laws under which lands are sold for the recovery of arrears of revenue, is a measure indispensable alike for the security of the public resources, and to give safety and facility of transfer, and warmly urges its adoption, " without loss of time," by the Indian Legislature. "Lock hart's Ancient Spanish Ballads" is a review of a delightful little work published many years ago, and lately republished. In this criticism we are assured, and the observation is a just one, that the translator " has caught the emphatic feature, and has in so doing combined sufficient fidelity in his copy without losing the freedom and unconstrained flow of his original, which he has frequently im proved by a judicious pruning." " Effects of the Protective System," enters into this often-discussed question at considerable length, and advocates inter alia a thorough reformation of the policy of pro tection, the Reviewer contending that "unless a decided change shall take place, our manufacturing interest will be placed in the most imminent jeo pardy." On the " Financial State of the Public Roads" is another article, exclusively of a:practical character, and is penned in a just and rational spirit. Of " France and the East',' we shall at present say nothing, as we shall probably take an early opportunity of canvassing the question in another part of The Sun. " Comic Dramatists of the Restoration" is a lively, ingenious essay, per vaded by a sound and healthy tone of criticism and morals. We quote a passage or two, with the spirit of which we cordially agree, and which is suggested by the flagrant indecencies of the comic writers of the days of Charles the Second : " Dryden defended or excused his own offences, and those of his contemporaries, by pleading the example of the earlier English dramatists ; and Mr. Leigh Hunt seems to think that there is force in the plea. We altogether differ from this opinion. The crime charged is not mere coarseness of expression. The terms which are delicate in one age, become gross in the next. The diction of the English version of the Pentateuch, is sometimes such . us Addison would not have ventured to imitate ; and. Addison, the standard of purity in his own age, used many phrases which are now proxribed. Whether a thing shall be designated by a plain noun-substantive, or . by a circumlocution, is mere matter of fashion. Morality is not at all in terested in the question. But morality is deeply in terested in this—that what is immoral shall not be presented to the imagination of the young and sus ceptible in constant connexion with what is attractive. For every person who has observed the operation of the law of association in his own mind, and in the minds of others, knows, that whatever is constantly presented to the imagination in connexion with what is attractive, will commonly itself become attractive. There is un doubtedly a great deal of indelicate writing in Fletcher and Massinger ; and more than might be wished even in Ben Jenson and Shakspearc, who are comparatively pure. But it is impossible to trace in their plays any systematic attempt to associate vice with those things which men value most and desire most, and virtue with everything ridiculous and degrading. And such a systematic attempt we find in the whole dramatic lite rature of the generation which followed the return of Charles the Second." BROADSTAIRS, JAN. 19.—Arrived, to pass the winter season, the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and family, at the Royal Kent Library ; Captain Fletcher and family, of the Ist Guards, and the Rev, Mr. Mathias and family, at Belvedere Cottage ' • Captain Peake and family at Regent Cottage; Edward Fletcher, Esq., and family, at Purmont (louse; Mrs. Brown and family at Ogle House ; Mr. Robinson and family, Mrs. Armstrong, &c. at Nelson-place, &c. &c. Tiiis lashionablc and healthy place is now become a great favourite with the public. SALISBURY PLAIN —On Saturday evening many villages on Salisbury Plain were visited with a sud den and alarming flood, occasioned by a rapid thaw of snow, by rain, and by the frosted state of the ground over which the water passed, without much of it being able to penetrate the surface. At Shrewton thirty-six houses hese been washed away, and three lives have been lost, a man, a boy, and a girl. At Wylye, not many houses, but one life. At Stoke, about thirty houses. At Tilsbead, seven houses. At Chitterne, two entirely, two par tially. Lower down in the stream of the flood the conse quences have probably been still more disastrous than those above-mentioned. The whole mass of waters bursting up stout bridges in its course; and receiving every mile large additions to its bulk, must have passed by Wilton and Salisbury, but the valleys aro there broad, and therefore lives may not have been endangered. Few villages on the plain can have escaped altogether. In Consequence of indisposition, Mr. Wakley has requested Mr. Balser, the Coroner for the eat.:ern division of Middlesex, to officiate for hint until he is able to resume his duties. This Mr. Baker has ponp:uted to do ; all in quests in air. Wakley's district will, therefore, fop the pre sent, be beld by the former gentlemn. •- • . •• .. • .01 - • • SUPPLY OF WATER-LONDON AND WESTMINSTER WATER COMPANY. civilly. If the delegates had rambled to the King's Head, or 500 other houses, or committed any acts of violence, his clients could not be conpide.red—responsible beyond the authority they had given. The prisoners were finally ordered to find bail, them selves in 1001., and two sureties in 501. each, to answer an indictment at the next assizes for illegal conspiracy. TO THE EDITOR OF ,Tia_ SUA. - - Office of West Middlesex Water Works, New-road, Jan. 19, 1841. Sir,—My letter of the Bth instant has been miscon strued—the object of the concluding paragraph was to state that, notwithstanding the West Middlesex Coin pany had incurred a very great expenditure' to reader the water supplied bright and pur e a t all seasons, noin crease in the rates had been made on account of that outlay. By order of the Board of Directors, M. K. KNIGHT, Secretary. 'lO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR,—Allow me to correct an error in the Grtiele in your Journal of Saturday last, relative to Manchester becoming a port, wherein it is stated that the project for cutting a ship canal from here to the River Dee was submitted to the public !about sixteen years ago by the " fate Mr. W. W. Tait." As this gentleman is alive, and iu good health, the mistake your Correspondent has unintentionally fallen into, may inflict unnecessary pain to absent conaectioos and friends, have the goodness, therefore, to - give an early insertion.—l am, Sir, your obedient serv.snt, Manchester, Jan. 19, 1841. E. M. JONES. SEIZURE FOR CHURCH-BATES. The Church has fallen foul of the Dissenting minis ters at Harlestone, the adjoining market town to Bun gay. The following letter from a Dissenting clergy that of that town explains the case. It has been widely cir culated and made, no doubt, some impression on those who conscientiously refuse to pay for the support of a Church which is the richest in the world : TO JOHN GEDNEY, ESQ., ONE OF THE CHURCHWARDENS OF REDENHALL WITH HARLESTON, NORFOLK. SlR,—The Church..rate war has commenced in our quiet little town. On the 12th inst., the Rector's War den, with a constable, entered the house of. my brothe: minister, the Rev. S. Laidler, and took therefrom one table and seven chairs for the rate of Is. OA. On this disgraceful proceeding I address you, Sir, rather than your brother in office, because you are the Parishioners' Warden, supposed to be the guardian of our interests; and because you are capable of being reasoned with. I hare long admired your eff•,rts to break the trammels of agricultural prejudices; and you have done much to add to the stock of the farmer's practical knowledge. Let me then call your attention to the injustice and im piety of compelling Dissenters to support your Church. You take the Bible to be the authoritative test of what the Creator requires of his creatures, and you profess to de rive your views of religion from the Word of God ; and thus far we agree : but here the agreement ceases. lam punished for taking the Word of God as my rule, and you are rewarded with my chairs and tables for your interpre tation of the same rule. The law of man comes between me and the law of God, and requires me to support your form of religion, which I reject as being opposed to the Bible. Do you approve of this? Let us change posi dons. Suppose the Catholic religion once more estab lished, yourself a Dissenting Protestant, and Mr. Aldous taking your chairs and tables to pay for his high mass. Could you then approve his proceeding, or recognise his moral right? It does not a whit alter the case, whether you are the Dissenter or I. The reasons which would justify your resistance in the case supposed, are the wry reasons which justify Dissenters in their line of conduct. But Church-rates are the law of the land I No. There is no law to compel the parishioners to make a rate ; and until a rate is carried in the vestry, there is no law upon the subject. Suppose a bad law authorised you and your fellow Churchmen to repair your own private houses, and charge the expense upon your Dissenting neighbours, would it not be simple robbery to take advan tage of such a law ? No, Sir, it is your own voluntary act, and not the law, which makes the Church-rate But I take higher ground. A thing may be legally right and morally wrong. A rate may be legally made, but, with my convictions of what the Bible requires of ►ne, I may be compelled to resist the payment of it. In all civil affairs, I acknowledge the supremacy of " the powers that be," but in the province of religion I uwrly deny their authority. The.question is simply this, whether right, to obey God or man ? I cannot obey both in the matter of Church-rates—to which I shall do homage, judge ye. But to return to our particular case. Never was a grosser act of injustice perpetrated. I say advisedly, th-t the rate, for the payment of which Mr. Laidler's goods have been seized is a nullity, and the Churchwardens know it to be such. The vestry-book, produced before the Ma gistrates, proved that the rate was, by a blunder, made at a vestry meeting a fortnight before the Churchwardens were themselves appointed : and I am competently ad vised that the distraining Magistrates, the Rev. Mr. Spen cer, Rector of Starston, and J. flavors, Esq., a Roman. Catholic, have subjected themselves to an action in trespass. This, Sir, is the case I have to bring before you. `rise rate in question is confessedly illegal—yet you have ven tured to distrain the goods of a respectable parishioner for not paying it. What is this? Is it not theft ? If you had acted legally, the case would have been one of opores sion ; but as you have acted in opposition to the law it is theft, and nothing else. You shrink from this conclusion. But remember, that as you are one of the Churchwardens, you are responsible for all that the other officially does. I call upon you then, as a conscientious man, to wipe your hands of this foul deed of injustice and impiety. Put an end, as you have the power of doing, to the injury thus done to the principles and feelings of your Dissenting neighbours. Allow me, Sir, through this medium to address a word to my fellow Dissenters. You, my friends, cannot, with disgust and execration, witness the outrage committed by the harpies of the Law-church on Mr. Laidler's domestic comfort. M-my of you attend upon his ministry, and look up to him as your spiritual instructor. You will now flock around him to tender him your sympathy, and to manifest your approval of his principles. A cleaving disgrace will rest upon the head of that Dissenter who now shrinks from his duty. I have heard that there is not an auctioneer in Harleston who will undertake the job; I am sure none who makes any pretensions to respectability will do so. And if the thing be so disgraceful that no auctioneer will sell, who will be base enough to buy ? I now, Sir, commend this matter to your serious atten. tention. You and the liberal members of your Church have a duty to discharge both to your own characters and to us, namely, to discountenance by word and deed the persecuting conduct of the Rector's Churchwarden. (The Rector is the Archdeacon Oldershaw. It is observable, the Incumbents of Bungay and Braintree are elk. Arch deacons, the venerable men Glover and Oakely.) Until 3 o_ do this, you violate the golden rule of Christianity, " As ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also unto them." Come out, then, and take a stand against the High Church bigotry which frowns upon us on every side. f Show your attachment to your principles by supporting your own. forms of worship, but let us Dissenters alone. This is ail we aek of you, let us alone ; and until you do this we shall never rest. Your's respectfully, DAVID LLOYD. Harleston, Jan. 13, 1841. THE ASHTON MURDER. TUE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 20, 1841. GERMA. N ' ~FRANKFORT, JAN. 7.—The military preparations are continued with unabated industry, notwithstanding the small chance which seems to exist of the need of a warlike demonstration. The Bavarian Government has sent the General Von Bauer, the Quartermaster-General at Munich, to the conferences which arc still continued at Carlsrhue. In the mean time a great victory has been achieved over the popular cause in Germany by the suppression of the Deutsche National Zeitung , published by Vieweg of Brurs nick, a measure not less significative of the state of things here than the proclamation of the Elector of Cassel, which 1 noticed in my last. The editors were obliged to discon tinue publishing from the beginning of the year, by an order from the Ducal Government, acting of course under higher impulse. The crime which has been thus severely viAts d was the attempt to take a decided line in the dis cutsion of political subjects, and in the dangerous example which this paper set of giving leading articles—a practice which has hitherto only obtained in thi comparatively ob scure regions of Stuttgard and Freiburg. Nor is the announcement of a new Liberal paper in the Grand Duch . ) of Bad e n, t o b e con d ucte d by M. Giehne, wh o wrote clever answer to the Pentarchic some time back, eonsi d,,sed as an indemnification, as his wings are sure to he clipped if he takes adventurous flights. to Hungary the question of mixed marriages has been again brought before the public under a novel form. The last Diet had passed a resolution, by a great majority, in. sisting upon the right of all Christian members of the com munity to the free exercise of their consciences, and de ci.ring it to be contrary to the law for any clergyman to demand a written engagement respecting the education of children from parties desiring to be married. The Comitat of Pesth, in its last local legislative meet ing, reduced this principle to practice, by imposing a fine of 600 florins on any priest of any confession who should so act against this resolution. The Primate of Hungary, M. Kopaozy, has publicly protested, in a long letter, in which he openly assumes that the Legislature has no right to dictate to the clergy what functions they have to per form, or in what manner they are to perform them. In Berlin there seems to be some anxiety respecting the difficulty of keeping a strict control upon the international distinctions in the duties levied under the Customs league. People who have been taught that this league had abo lished all check upon internal commerce in Germany, will be surprised to learn that wine and spirits pay an ad ditional duty when imported into Prussia from the south ern States of the league, while beer and some other ar ticles pay a higher duty on entering Bavaria. Salt, which is a Government monopoly, cannot be introduced from any one State into another. These discriminating duties like passports and all other restraints upon mental and bodily exertion, worked well enough as long as people moved slowly, but now that railroads arc getting the fas hion, and seem to have their advantages, the official heads arc growing afraid that th e nat i ons w il l get on too fast for them. t am, however, happy to add, that the prepara tions for commencing the railroad between Berlin and Frank. fort suffer no delay in consequence of these petty objec tions. The works are expected to be commenced in the spring. EXAMINATION OF THE PRISONERS. ASHTON, JAN. 18.—The prisoners Paxton, Rowbotham, and Irving, and another, Joseph Mowcroas, since arrested at Oldham, were this day brought up for examination before Messrs. Jowett, Lord, and Wright, Magistrates of Ashton-under- Line. Mr. Alcock, superintendent of police, stated, that the four prisoners now before the bench were apprehended under warrants, charging them with having on the 30th of October, with other sawyers of Manchester, conspired to injure and oppress the master sawyers , of Ashton in their trade. Benjamin Goldthorp being called, said that he was a n aster sawyer ; that early in the month of October his hands had turned out. Garland (the man murdered) was one of those whom he afterwards got to work for him, and he continued with him up to the 31st of October. He frequently saw the turnouts . passing his timber-yard, in bodies of from four to twelve. He saw none of the pri soners now before the bench amongst them, but Mowcross was one of a deputation appointed to meet the master sawyers. Peter Keogh said that he was a sawyer, working for Mr. Cowley, of Ashton. He had worked for him seven or eight weeks, and lived in Manchester. On the 31st of October he want there with his brother, Patrick Keogh, and his nephew, James Keogh, John Harvey, and Tlioinaa Garland. They were on their way from Ashton to Man chester, when they were met, between tile hours of four and five o'clock, about a quarter of a mile from the Ash ton Church, by from 12 to 15 men coming from Manches ter, and who commenced beating them with bludgeons, because they were not members of the union. Cross-examined by Mr. Foulkes—l could only recog nize one man, named Roberts. He stepped up, and struck my brother on the left eye. I interfered, and prevented him. What took place after I cannot tell. I thought it best to make my escape. A man followed me. He struck me with a "bludgeon. I don't know him now I saw only one stick. Garland was mortally a 0 n led. The men with me were sawyers not in ti e union. I know the man who struck my brother, and no other. He was the man who came into Stone% yard. His name is Thomaa Roberts. I have known him for five years back. There was light enough for me to see half an hour after this took place. I have seen three of the prisoners before, but they were not present. I hare always bad a great esteem for them, and they for me. I mean Rowbotham, Paxton, and Irving. Ido not know the other man, Ido not know that they belong to the union. I had not time to recognise any of the partici', on the loads, but believe the prisoners were not there. Thomas Butterfield said he lived in Manchester, and was a sawyer. He worked for Mrs. Horner, of Manches ter, who was a cabinct-maker and timber -merchant. lie was top-sawyer, and Patrick Lenand was his partner. They were not in the union, and had not been for four or five years back. On the 31st of October they were at work, and at seven o'clock in the evening two men came to them and said, Patrick Lenand must go to the Smith field Tavern, as he was wanted there. Ile went on to state other particulars, involving coercion and com bination. When his examination in chief, and cross. examination was brought to an end, --- Mr. Foulkes, the professional advocate of the prisoners, addressed the Pc ta n hg c ea h, in6 a sti nd h tineoGenot,regnail,ed that his infringed ; tly.rsc h e. 4 7i an rts had d i 6,h,:, common laws of for,the land, held that t e h i e t b r eyr proceedings came indisputably within the re,o f gpised limits of the law. Every man had a right to es timato his own scryices, without certainly resorting lo lance, a d suCII was not the errand of the prisoners. pp o n the very evidence of fiutteriii2Ja they were entitled tq an acquittal, for, according to his own showing, whit the de leuates were sent to do, they were instructed to do it THE INUNDATIONS. BRENTFORD. NEW BRENTFORD, TUESDAY EVENING. --The distrelied boatmen, with their wives and children, are still domiciled It the National School-room, in the Butts. Last even in, they were, through the kindness of the vicar and churchwardens (aided by the trifling subscriptions that have come in), again supplied with coffee and bread and butter, and at night with a supper of beef, bread, and be er. The inquest on the body of William Spruce will, it is understood, b e held to-morrow afternoon, when the whole of the causes of this direful calamity will no doubt b 3 L eloped. During the day several of the leading millers, maltstera, and wharfingers have been in communication with the City Navigation Committee, and with the directors of the Grand Junction Canal, on the subject of raising and re moving the wrecks which now totally impede the naviga tion of the canal, and thereby ascertaining the event of Jautage done, and a meeting of the parties interested wac ~ :onvcned at the Three Pigemss. At seven o'clock the meeting assembled, when Mr. HALL said that the City bad no jurisdiction in the :natter, and that the duty belonged to the Canal Com pany. Sir Francis Head said, " Yes, we'll help you, and ',At must help u, for, although the navigation belongs to the Company, the boats and freight do not." They had, therefore, to settle what body of men each of the sufferers could send to assist, and Sir Francis Head would meet them at nine o'clock to-morrow morning to settle the re mainder. WINDSOR. Shortly after nine o'clock on Saturday evening the lower part of the town was laid several feet under water, in con sequence of a violent rush of waters from the uplands in the Great. Park, in the vicinity of Cranbourne. In the wace of less than half an hour, without any previous warning, such was the rapidity of the progress of the s:rearn, that the whole of the houses on the south side of Gleucester-place were inundated, the cellars, parlours, , and kitchens being filled, and the main road leading from Windsor to Ascot, for several hundreds of yards, three mid four feet under water. A gradual rise con tinued till past one o'clock on Sunday morning, when :he water partially subsided, after doing consider. able damage. Mr. Oliver, the proprietor of the Ade laide Hotel, in Sheet-street, will be a sufferer to the extent of upwards of ROL In less than ten minutes from the first indication of the flood, his wino cellars were completely filled, rendering it impossible to make any attempts to preserve his property. Pipes of wine and hogsheads of spirits immediately floated. The vent-pegs, from being knocked against each other, were in some forced ou:„ and a quantity of wine and spirits thus sacri ficed. A policeman on duty hearing the cries 'of some dogs in a stable at the rear of the house of Mr. Lawrence, an extensive builder, called that gentleman from his bed between one and two o'clock in the morning, and he, on hastening to the stable discovered his horse standing in four feet of water, and two favourite dogs swimming about the place nearly exhausted. The trains between Windsor and Reading have been considerably delayed. On some parts of the line the water has been two or three feet in height, running through the furnace of the engine, and thus putting out the fire. The Thames commenced rapidly rising on Sunday, and when this account left Windsor yesterday, the waters were on the increase. A great portion of the Little Park, near Datchet, is flooded ,o the depth of several feet. The Brocas, at Eton, is simi larly flooded and the whole distance from Windsor to Surley Hall (upwards of two miles), and for a censiderab e extent beyond, is one sheet of water. We have heard that several sheep were drowned near Maidenhead in the course of Sunday night. On Saturday evening, while several parties were enjoying a glass at the Hope lan, at Frog more, the water suddenly and unexpectedly rushed into the parlour, and in less than a quarter of an hour it had risen to two feet in height. The damage done for many miles round Windsor, and the destruction of property, arc roost extensive. ESSEX.-LOSS OF LIFE. The inundation of the river Lea has caused considerable darriage throughout the western division of the county of Essex. During the whole of Monday this part of the country, to a distance of about six miles in length, reaching into Epping Forest, was one vast sheet of water, the depth in many parts where the land lay low being five or six feet. The prospect from the line of the Eastern Counties Railway caused much alarm, as north and south of the line, as far as the eye could reach, was one united body of water, which was banked up by the railway, and had its outlet only through the arches. From that portion horses and cabs were seen swimming in various directions, and vast quanti ties of timber were floating upon the surface of the water, the greater portion of which was the property of Mr. Gear, tirober-merchant, and one of the contractors for the East ern Counties Railway. Yesterday boats were being rowed about in the neighbourhood of Stratford and on the Marshes, baween that place and Lea-bridge, collecting the timber. In many parts, owing to the rapidity of the current, the ground has been furrowed up three or four feet, and it is feared a vast breadth of land will be found to be swept away, carrying with it the seed and a great portion of the prodice. At Stratford two boys who saw a horse swimming and borne along by the flood, went to its as sistance; they, however, soon found that they were unable to stem the force of the current, and were un fortunately drowned. In the neighbourhood of Wan stead Abbey much damage has been done to the ground, and the farmers have sustained extensive losses. The red bridge near there is carried away, and the low lands arc all flooded. On the Northern and Eastern Railway, upon a survey of the line taking place, it has been found that a depression of the embankment has occurred between Lee-bridge an d t h e li ne o f th e E astern Coun ties Railway, so as to remove the sleepers. The trains have not proceeded on the line since Sunday. On that day, about half-past one, the train that went down to l3roxbourne was compelled to return upon reaching Lee bridge, to the station, at High-street, Shoreditch, when the passengers received back their money. The Direc tors of the C om p any have s i nce prov id e d conveyances, at railway p r i ces , practice of t rave lli ng b y the line. for those persons who have been in the THE ROADS AND COACHES. Yesterday many of the mails and coaches arrived after their time, but not to the extent of delay on Sunday and Monday, as generally the floods were subsiding, and the condition of the roads were improving. The mails and coaches from the eastern counties, came in without much delay. The mails arrived in time at the Post Office, with the exception of the Devonport and Bristol, which did not arrive until a quarter to ten ; and the Ipswich mail, which arrived at ten. The Bir mingham trains came in as usual, but there was a con. siderable delay on Monday in the arrival of the Derby Junction trains, in consequence of a severe influx of water near Loughborough, the water having accumulated in many parts to a depth of upwards of fifteen feet. There was also some delay in the passage on the Great Western Railway. A great deal of water had also accumulated in many of the cuttings of the Southampton Railway. The driver of the Devonport mail reported having seen the bodies of three men in a barn near Shuter, about six miles from the Basingstoke station, who had been drowned by the flood, and the destruction of property about this part is considerable. It has bee - Z .- ascertained that eight cottages have been washed away at Stonehenge. THE WEATHER. The lowest point of temperature in or near the metro. polls was yesterday morning, at four o'clock, at the Zuolo gical Gardens, where the thermometer stood at 32 F. The mildness of the weather singularly contrasted with the severity of the few previous weeks. Yesterday evening the wind veered round to the north, and the thermometer sunk several degrees. Sonic snow fell in the course of the night and this morning, with a sharp north-east wind. LLO YD'S SHIPPING.-(THIS DAY.) LONDON, JAN. 20.—1 t turned to freezing yesterday evening, end there was a light fall of snow during the night. Wind this day at noon, fresh northerly brzeze and fine. DIAL, JAN. 19.--Wind N. to N.N.E., fresh breeze. —Winnock, Ware, from Hobart Town; Minstrel, Burton, ditto ; Louisa, Jackson, Bombay ; Apollo, Mile, Granada ; Admiral Moorsom, Demerara ; Alga, Routicdgc, Hondu ras. Sailed the outward bound. LIVERP,OI„ JAN. 19. _Wind N. N.E., Light.—Arrived the Leonard Dobbin. from Bombay ; Susan, Monte Video. Sailed the Lady Raffles, Osborne, for New South Wales; John Sirokinson, Hutchinson, Batavia ' • Cracow, Kerr, Bombay ; Emma, Fisher , Rio Janeiro; Virginia, Boysin, Para; Trinidad packet, Hadson, Trinidad ; Lady Pan noire, WPNeil, Havanna ; Coronet, Bute, New (Means ; Bowditcb, Crowell, ditto; Leopard, Jordan, ditto ; Eliza Keith, Simpson, Charleston ; Robert Burns, Matthews, ditto; Adrian, Davies, Boston. Off port, Flowers of Ugie, Calcutta. DUBLIN, JAN. 16. —Arrived the Branches, White, from St. John's, N.B. WATERFORD, JAN. 16.—Arrived the Indus, IVl`Farlane, from Calcutta, with loss of bulwarks, &C., and head and cutwater damaged. The Town of Wexford steamer, arid Dov:, of Wexford, have been in contact ; th e latter lost bowsprit, jibboom, &c. WHITBY, JAN. 19.—A vessel laden with tar is wrecked near Abraham Wike ; one man drow ne d. SUNDERLAND, JAN. 17.—Upwards of 200 ships have been driven from their moorings from the River Weir by 19.—Wind N.—Th e M ary, Blues, from proceeded with out di scharging. the ice, ar,d most of them have receiv e d d amage est i mated at 80,0001. L an o d ndon, which put i nto Grimsby leaky, has bGe7l l til ' hi o re : L t un r tbr s 've s ej : o ygA u eNtd r .o ; 1, JAN. 19. —Wind N. N. E.—Sailed the Harrington, Mercer, for New Zealand. SUBSCRIPTION FOR DISTRESSED P00R.".• NIARYLEDONE.—At a meeting of the committee, the chair man (the Rev. Dr. Spry) announced that he had been authorised by a g entleman, who was anxious for the succoss cf the present subscription, to state that he wo* Add 401. t) every 4bo/. subscribed t11)0 th e 8 14bScription reached thp sum of &,000i. The amount already subscribed ex ceeds 1,000/. Thu Town Council of Invern ess h ave reso l ve d to pedion the Crown for a conanutation of the sente n c e of death passed by the High Cou rt of Justiciary upon the uolorttiolte Alexander sentenced to be executed bore on the 29th inst. A petition of the inhabitants is also i ; progress. M' Rae was at One period an extensive sheep firmer in this county, and paid au annual rent of 1, ;001 ftr the lands of gletiquoich.- 7 -../: i , 7 " 44 c4uriv.. gardens by General Ch urchill. All the A fi ne male ieopard was on Monday present e d t o 1 4 1 , 1 , e i nia o i s ol a o f i t c h a a l t establishment are in good health. S WI TZERLAND . BERNE, JAN. 14.—The Executive Council of Borne has published the following bulletin of the late occurrences in Argau The Government has received the following official intelligence from the canton olArgau, dated last evening : " The revolt of the free bailiwicks may be considered at an end, Ou Monday evening the insurgents were re pulsed by the Argovian troops, beyond the village of Vil tnergen. The loss of the insurgents is unknown; the troops had I killed and 2 wounded. On Tuesday the convent of Mori was occupied without resistance. With the exception of the Abbnt, all the Monks of the convent had abandoned it, and left the Argovian territory. The Councillor of State, Waller, and his companions in cap tivity, were restored to liberty without having suffered any injury. The Grand Council of the canton of Argau has assembled, and will adopt such measures as the interests of the country require. " The 6th battalion and 6th company of the Carabiners of Berne entered the canton of Argau. A corps of troops trout Bask country likewise made its entry into Argau. " The canton of Zurich had called out the entire of its first contingent, the 6th battalion, under the orders of Lieutenant -Colonel Markwalder, and the first company of Carabineers, under Captain Zeller, are now marching to the frontier of Argau. A second battalion and the com pany of artillery Wertmuller are tow under arms, and ready at this moment to take the field if their co-operation be required. " Under these circumstances, it is probable that the Government will not stand in need of the other Bernese troops lately culled into active service, and that ere long the military measures lately adopted may be modified. In the canton of Soleure, 10,566 citizens took part in the vote on the new constitution. Of that number, 6,289 accepted it, and 2,277 rejected it, so that there was a ma jority of 2,012 in favour of its acceptance. " By order of the Executive Council, " THE STATE CHANCERY." 4 O'CLOCK P.M. The Grand Council of Argau has just decreed the sup- pression of all the convents comprised within the jurisdic ti!m of the canton. 115 Members voted for the measure. Tile Petty Council was charged with devising a mode of carrying it into effect. Finally, the Assembly voted thanks to C.!ouncillor Waller, to the faithful functionaries, and troops of the canton. EGYPT. ALEXANDRIA, DEC. 26, 1840.—The intelligence which the last French steamer has brought us from Constanti nople is by no means calculated to encourage the hopes of peace which were beginning to be entertained he: e. Captain Fanshawe had arrived there on the 16th inst. with the act of submission of Mehemet Ali, which had been graciously accepted, and a steam-boat was appointed to leave that capital on the 20th instant, and convey hither the officers nominated to deliver to the Pacha the Sultan's pardon, to reinstate him in the Government of Egypt, and receive the Turkish fleet. All cycs have anxiously watched for the arrival of this steamer ; but although, with the fa vourable weather that prevailed, it might have been here ere this, nothing has yet been seen of it. The sun has now set, the post closes to-night, and the French steamer sails early in the morning, so that it may be some days ere I shall have an opportunity of informing you of the result. If the Turkish officials came with no other objects than those above men tioned, there would be little doubt of their favourable re ception ; but the Pacha has learned that the Sultan is far from being eontent to let matters rest there. We now understand that the Divan, after receiving the convention of Commodore Napier, made known to the Ambassadors that the Porte was disposed to grant Mehemet Ali the civil government of Egypt en heredite, but not the military go vernment. It also declared that the Pacha must give up possession of the Egyptian feet, must reduce his army, and surrender the keeping of his fortresses to officers ap pointed by the Sultan, Ste. It is believed that the Pacha has long been aware of this artiere pensee of the Divan, and that he is pre pared, at all hazirds, to resist any interference with his military authority in Egypt (at least any Turkish interference) as equivalent to an attempt to destroy him outright. Every body says without hesitation, that if another Pacha were sent here clothed with military authority, the life of Mehemet Ali would not be safe a sin_ gle day. If therefore the Sultan be permitted to persevere in this demand, we shall certainly see bloodshed in Alex andria; for the old man will not yield to certain ruin without a struggle. To-day he s ites been exercising his harbour laatteries with ball. Those adjoining the French mid English Consulates have been firing at the Diamond Rock, in the eastern harbour, adjoining. the Pharillon. Their aim is curiously short or wide of the mark ; but practice may make, if not perfect, at least dangerous, for the French engineers hero have said so much, and been so much laughed at, in common with M. Thiers and his war like sentiment, " Let us gain time," that they are now, I believe, anxious to have something to do, even if it be to discover the truth of the theorem which they still maintain theoretically, that four guns in battery (24 or 32 pounders) arc equal to the broadside of a line-of-battle ship ! They exult considerably in the fact (perhaps I should say, assertion, although it was freely spoken of as matter of undh - puted notoriety in our fleet), that the Paixhans shells of the four steamers which formed the central division at the siege of Acre (the Phoenix, the Stromboli, the Gorgon, and the Cyclops) were all seen to fall short of their mark by the ships stationed right and left in the eseseent of attack. It is surprising what pains they take to criticise the British service, and to blazon fo r th a ll t h e minut 4 ae of om i ss i on or neglect. They all have it here that poor Lieutenant Hocking bled to death in his first affair on shore for want of a tourniquet, there being no sur geon landed at the time, although there were 500 men then itt fire on the beach. On the 23d inst. the Pasha received a courier from Gaza, and it is stated that he has received certain accounts thence of the forces concentrated there, viz., 4,000 men, who lately left Cairo to meet Ibrahim Pacha with Neilsen Bey, the son of the Sheik I3echir, and the other Druse chiefs,, who had been held as hostages in Egypt till now. These were all led by Selim Bey, who writes to the Paella, that he had during his march received the submission of the revolted Bedouins, who had come to excuse themselves, saying that they had been deceived, having been led to believe that the English were masters of Alexandria, and were marching on Cairo; and that, in fact, they had thought they were then without a Government. It appears that Selim Buy had thought this excuse quite sufficient, and reported progress accordingly. At Gaza he had found 8,300 more of the army of Syria collected from various garrisons (and particularly the debris of ' .6crei : among which were 8 Col o n e l s an d 3 Mtainl.!. await the Pasha's ord e r s th ere , .rans. They all Sarni Bey has gone to Cst to gather money to pay the troops. The exaction-, in the provinces are made with ex treme rigour to meet the urgency. The amounts absorbed by the various petty Pachas would of themselves empty a treasury, There are 16 of them in Egypt of the double t4ii dignity, who enjoys 350 purses each, or 1,7501, per annum. Ibrahim Pacha (nephew of Mehemet Ali) has been appointed administrator of the Chiftlik of Sharkie, Said Hey (the son), to the Chiftlik of Behera, and Abbas Pacha (the grandson), to the Chiftlik of Garble. The flag on the Round Tower of Windsor Castle, which it will be remembered suffered material da mage some time since, has again been rent by the violence of the wind. In the paltry spirit of economy, which is now observed in the most minute particulars concerning the castle, an old flag is usually hoisted during stormy weather, the new one being only kept for gala da)s. Shortly after the flag had been hoisted on Sunday morn ing, a large rent was perceived in its centre, the wind at the time blowing ratbor violently. To save the large flags a small onq is sometimes hoisted. When seen from the tcovn it has all the appearance of a pocket handkerchief, and excites pretty general ridicule. During the past year the Wesleyan Methodists have erected no tewer than 130 chapels, at a cost of 80,004, being a l arger num b er t h an i n an y other year wring tbcjf VAiSteaca as a body. HONEY MARKET and CITY NEIV, (TUESDAY. EVENING.) TlMES.—Attacks have been made from time to time in this journal upon the principle, and still more upon the practice, of the various loan societies which have sprung up in the metropolis under the recent Act of Parliament by which they are authorized and regu lated. In doing so, many facts which are not to be controverted were adduced to show that these socie ties are susceptible, at least, of great abuse ; that they are a cover to great extortion, and oppress the classes they were Intended more especially to relieve. These attacks have been felt, and are complained of, as would naturally be anticipated, by the parties suffering under them ; and as they have a fair claim, under such circumstances, to be heard in their de fence in the same channel from which the attack proceeded, it is proper to notice what the arguments ire which are set up by their defenders, i. e., the oarties interested in their behalf. A long letter, under the signature of " Veritas," is as well calculated for this purpose as any we have seen. The writer, after adverting to the injury done to the loan societies by the attacks referred to, denies that the Acts of 5 and 6 William IV., by which they arc authorised, were in tended merely to enable benevolent individuals to ad vance small temporary loans to the humbler class, while he has no doubt that this was among the objects de signed. On the contrary, he considers that the altera• tiono the Bill underwent in its progress through the I - louse prove that it was considered a trading, not a be nevolent measure—that is, one that would give an op portunity of assisting worthy persons at a small risk, while those who wished to invest capital might, find a remunerating profit by advancing sums not above 151, to persons who would prefer borrowing on the pay ment of a per centa,,ac to receiving charitable aid If 5 per cent. had been the maximum of interest allowed, he says the law would have been inope rative, and that in London, out of 120 enrolled societies that existed in June, 1840, with -an aggre gate capital of 500,0001., only one—namely, the Friendly Loan Society"—was established on the benevolent principle, the capital of which net er amounted to 3,000/., while even that sum could not, be employed, though the other societies had applications beyond the power of their funds to supply. The in sufficiency of five per cent. profit to pay the working of this society is considered by this writer as an argument in favour of the increased rate, and he says that the parties connected with it, who gave a great portion of their labour gratuitously to save expense, hailed as a great benefit the raising of inter. st under the;Aet. Such means as were possessed by that society could not, he thinks, have annihilated the old money-clubs, which have gradually died away since the establishment of the present loan societies. As for the enormous profits said to be made by loan societies, he considers that competition with one another will be a sufficient check to any excess of that kind. The large nomi nal rate charged by loan societies is, on the whole, according to the statement of this writer, no more than is counterbalanced by the risk of loss which these societies run, and they are altogether use ful assistants to the poor, protecting them from the grasping avarice of private money-lenders. With respect to the arguments above stated, it is evi dent that they, in reality, amount to no more than to show that a loan society, conducted on fair principles, will be a good rather than an evil—a fact which can hardly be denied, the only difficulty being the obtaining of a guarantee that these fair principles will be adhered to. It will be seen that competition is the only cheek against extortion mentioned above, but it is hard to dis cover how that should operate more in the case of so-• eieties than in that of private individuals, the extortion of who:n is admitted as one of the great evils against which the societies are to afford protection. Societies, it is well known, are not accustomed to be more scru pulous than individuals, where their interest is concerned, and the doubt whether the removal of restriction on the rate of interest, as far as regards small loans, does not operate injuriously on the poor, who ; inexperienced in money matters, would least of all pause to balance the advantages offered by different lenders of money, seems just as much to apply to societies as to private money lenders. CHRONICLE.—It being true that the Bank Di rectors arc not legally responsible for their mismanage ment of the circulation since the last renewal of their charter, and that they cannot be punished for having departed from the contract with Parliament, under which their privileges were then continued as a single bank of issue,—it being undeniable that subsequent to October 1833, we very seldom find the published ac counts of the Bank in unison with the principle on which the Bank was bound to be guided in ordinary times, with regard to its issues,—we must repeat our question to the people of this country, and again ask if the Bank of England should be rewarded by a new lease of its privileges and profits, as the na tional bank of issue. Lord Althorp, " good easy man," void of all suspicion himself, and judging of others by himself, said, " I feel confident that per sons standing so prominent as the Bank Directors will be as completely controlled by public opinion as if they were acting under a legal responsibility." Tie test of time and experience has shown that the Bank Directors have made the observance of the con dition relied on by his Lordship the exception, in stead of their rule of management. It is admitted by Mr. Norman that it was deviated from in the years 1886,1837, and 1839 ; and he even declares that it was not founded on a correct principle. That is a separate point altogether. The question first to be considered is, whether the Directors were justified in departing from the declared rule? Mr. Norman declares that it was necessary to depart from it on account of adverse circumstances, and to render as sistance to commerce ; but the evidence adduced would seem to prove that, after last renewal of their charter the Directors were obliged, in order to keep up the former rate of dividends, to enter upon a course of action hostile to that .ihich they were bound to observe, and for their observance of which they had prevailed on Lord Althorp to stand forward in Parlia ment in the character of their surety. But while we thus find that his Lordship has been completely deceived in his reliance upon the controlling influence of public opinion, and that the publicity of accounts.,—lame, un satisfactory, and imperfect as that publicity is—has proved that the Directors have most widely deviated from that which his Lordship considered to be a " wholesome principle," we are not sanguine that any legal responsibility, by means of penal clauses, would be efficacious in obtaining better conduct for the future ; nor is it expedient that the contract, bur dened by such safeguards, should be renewed. The governing machine itself must be reconstructed, and subjected to the action of a new element of power. Lord Althorp adduced one strange argument for doubt ting the efficacy of Government control, which was, that in the years 1797, 1822, and 1825, when the Bank was charged with mismanagement, the Directors had acted with the cognizance of the Government. That very fact proves the viciousness of the existing sys tem ; for we thus see that the currency of the coun try is conducted by two irresponsible parties—the Crown and the Bank Directors ; the beautiful absurdity being that the Bank, being a private corporation, is not bound to account to the public, and that the Go vernment is in no way answerable for the conduct of the Directors of the Bank, as they are not chosen by, nor subject to, the interference of the Clown. Both of the offending parties thus escape scot free from the con sequences of their misdeeds, and it is impossible to fix the burden upon either. Although it is as clear as the sun at noon-day that the Bank parlour acts in concert with the Government, yet it is absurdly supposed by the constitution of the Bank that the Directors and the Government act entirely independent of each other ; and yet we see that the Directors are justified in their past errors, on the very ground that they were influ enced by the Minister, Th s readers it imperative on the Legislature to see that the Minister of the day, whether Whig, Tory, or Radical, should be made responsible to Parliament for his dealings with the Bank, and, for that purpose, the Crown should have a controlling power in the management of the Bank parlour. Sir Robert Peel justly remarked on this subject, that "all depended on commercial confidence." The sure way to produce that confidence is to procure efficient Parliament a ry controul over those who are entrusted with the P - ower of creating paper m one y, an d to su b m i t the;:r transac tions to the test of frequent and full publicity. By these means the country wo u ld e ,:otain the benefit of steadiness of prices, and 0.- culation of a truly - e security attending the cir convertible paper currency. The nation would ° ..non 'place full confidence in su c h a sys t,e,m, ar .' j e thus the principle contended for by the Right leonourable Baronet would be obtained. In cases of great political excitement there might be some trees riser at first. In such circumstances it is impossible to guard against results in all respects, but c ertainly, if the people knew th a t th e p a p er currency was as good as gold ; that is, if th e y k new that they could get i gold in exchange f o r th e as ki n g, the . extent of t alarm would necessarily be limited, and i f happ L en,el i Sydenhain observed, "It was imp once, would never likely occur a second , . of any county could made per fectly e : that the paper currency oset b secure against periods of political alarm when convertible into gold," because there was no bank, except the Bank of France, which did not circulate it s paper with a view to profit ; that is, no bank that re tained gold in its coffers to the full amount of its notes in circulation. This leads to a consideration of the very important question of the profits on issues derived by the Bank of England and other banks of issue. But is also bears upon the soundness of the principle for na mtheelyP that to obtain con fidenceublic must feel that whie h w ine hoauvre paper money, contended, as such, is r ea lly an d t ru ly it is equivalent to, and, convertible into gold. That is the true definition of a sound national paper currency ; and, if that rule were acted upon, political excitement would not destroy, nor even disturb to any great extent con fidence in such a system of paper money. " In order," says the rep orter on the Bank of France, " that paper without any intrinsic value, and deriving EVPINING 147.D1T10 its worth only from the coin for which it is a substitute, may have all the usefulness possible, it should be capa ble of procuring or its possessor at any moment the coin which it represents." But he adds, the Bank cannot always have at its disposal a capital sufficient to cash all the notes which it has issued. It so it would derive no advantage from its credit ; its shareholders would have no interest in forming or continuing it. " It is necessary that the perfect confidence inspired by its paper should render some of its holders disinclined to exchange it. Thus it will suffice, if it be prepared at any moment to exchange that por tion which, probably, according to the ordinary course of business, will be presented to it." This shows that the partners of the Bank of France are not excluded from profit from the issuing department, but still they have not kept as much old in their coffers as they had notes in circulation. We do not believe that this would be required to secure confidence in the paper money of this conntry. If our monetary system were placed again upon a sound basis —the notes proportioned fairly to the bullion—varying, too, in amount in the same ratio as the bullion, com bined with efficient Parliamentary control and publi c i t y, so as t o sat i s f y t h e commercial and trading interests, and to produce steadiness and uniformity, " the perfect confidence" ‘.vhicii would be thus spread abroad in the nation would, under all circumstance s, disincline a large mass of the holders from wishing to exchange.it for gold. - SUN.—The Stock Market was retier animated t) day, but the business done was chi‘tly on behalf of the public, speculation being inactive. The decline in Consols for immediate transfer was from 9U and 90 to 89i and 90, closing at the latter price for sellers. For the 25th of next month there was scarcely any alteration, the quotations being 90 to I. Exchequer Bills were not quite so high, viz. Bs. to 10s. premium ; but India Bonds improved to Bs. and 4s. discount. Bank Stock got up 1 per cent. again, the market value being 169 to 170. The Re duced Three-and-a-Hall per Cent. Annuities realised 984 to 99 to-day. The Foreign Market was rather dull, but prices did not generally recede. Spanish Active Bonds remained at 24 to 244 ; Portuguese New Five per Cents. at. 32, and the Three per Cents. at 201 to ; Colom bian Stock of 1824, was a trifle better, viz., 233 to 234, and Mexican of 1837 brought 28i. Buenos 'Ayres Bonds advanced from 19 20 to 20i and 21. Belgian Stock improved to 98i and 984. Russian was firm at 1131, and Dutch Two-and-a-half per Cents. were again at 50} to 504. Railway, Shares were heavy. There were symptoms of improvement in the Foreign Exchanges. The rates were, Paris, 25f. .5.5 c. to 6i)c. ; Hamburgb, IS 7to 4 : Amsterdam, 12 to 4 ; Ant werp, 12 2 to 1, and Frankfort, 1484. The sales of Indigo have been going off well to-lay, a certain proof of an improved state of things in the manufacturing districts. _ - The following are the official returns of the exports of bullion from the port of London, for the week end ing Thursday last : Silver Coin to British West ladies 1,200 oz. Silver Coin to C a l a i s BO,OOO z. Silver Bars to Calais SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURN A L,,S, IOOM TM; MuI;NING l'ArlißS OF THIS DAY„ (From the Morning Chronicle.) The Tories are as deficient in blushes aa in most other charms, else, instead of voluot. e ing, daily ( riti cisme upon the Repeal agitation, the slightest retvence to that topic would damask their cheeke. The blush has been called the color viriutis, whir' s accounts for its having no piace amongst the beau ties of 'Toryism. The Repeal is their own especie' i question : they alone arc respons:ble for the Infeoting of it, and for I- whatever interest it has excited in any part of Ire land. If its favourable reception has been anything but very cordial, or very general, the merit is not theirs. Had the Tories been in power, what is tow but a murmur would lueve long since been a mighty roar. if there is a breeze under Loid Ebriugton, what a hurricane it would have blown bad some Tory viceroy filled his place! What impudence it is in the 'forks to taunt the Whigs with an agita e i on which has been rendered powerless and hurtle,,s ex clusively through the popularity of a Whig -Admi nistration, and the respect which it has carved for the British sceptre ! A Government foteeded upon principles of justice and protection despiees t'ae shocks which, under one of an opposite character, would con vulse and disjoint the kingdom. Let, an administration come into office upon the principle, of treating Irishmen as the inferiors of Englishmen, and curtailing the few rights and liberties that Irishmen enjoy, then indeed will Repeal be an alarming question, and the voice of the agitator be echoed by the nation. The Tories, with Lord Stanley's Bill in their' hands, and actually menacing Ireland with the manifold proscriptions and_ iniquities of that nefarious measure, presume to charge th e Whigs with the Repeal movement. The parallel for suelt effrontery is the fugitive pick-pocket, bellow ing " stop thief !" Why, had the Tory chiefs held a sel.emil synod to deliberate upon the' most effectual mode of driving the people of Ireland into the adoption of a course of desperation, could they have struck upon a better plan than the commencement of an attack upon the elective franchise, led by the most malignant and pertinacious enemy of Irish liberty and the Irish name ? " The blood will follow, where the knife is driven ; The flesh will quiver, when the pincers tear.". We do not justify the tactics of opposing Lord Stanley by raising a cry against the Union ; on the contrary,. the more violent the assailant, the greater the expedi ency of conducting the public defence coolly, and com bining as much popular 'strength as , possible in resist ance to aggression. Mr. O'Connell's prevailing error, as it appears to us, has been the notion that furious at tacks ought to be furiously repelled, and every frantic Tory demonstration met by one equally frantic on the part of his outraged countrymen. Now, our notion. is, that the more of demoniac hostility the Tories exhibit in their Irish policy, the more should so briety and discretion characterise the public oppo sition. Let the struggle be one of violence and pas_ son upon one side, and calm resolution and princi ple upon the other, and reason and experience forbid us. to doubt for a moment upon which side will be the victory. But the question is, which is the party answerable for this Repeal agitation, the extravagance of which we thus condemn, and the mischiefs of which we have so often pointed out ? Who, but the authors. of all evils, and all calamities, discords, and distubanct3, through the length and breadth of the empire, but es pecially in Ireland, the country of their peculiar bate, the mark of their uncontrollable animosity ? When the Tories reprobate the Repeaters, we reply that the Re peal agitation is but an index to the extent of Tory outrage. That such a question has been agitated at all. is their workmanship, while the fact that, having bee en agitated, it has made such little way with the people, is the praise of the party in power, who are so preposterously and impudently upbraided with having raised and enecuraged it. But the Tories are not merely the real authors and originals of the extravagant designs which they vainly labour to fasten upon these who not only disap prove of them in principle, but have discountenanced them in practice ; the Tories are the only party in the country against whom the Repeaters could have the slightest chance of waking head. The Liberals have once already overpowered a Repeal agitation (and one. too, of Lord Stanley's production, his Lordship being: then a Tory statesman in Whig colours and a Whig Cabinet) ; hut we never have read or heard of a Tory - Ministry extinguishing a national flame, except by throwing into it the object of desire. In doing so they have violated every- principle of policy and honour without a scruple. In doing so, they have sacrificed, eiteout hesitation, the vastest and most sured inter ests. Not, even the Church itself have theespeeted, when its immolation was necessary to suppress an agitation and tnaintain a Cabinet. Thus they put down the Catholic Association ; thus they ex tinguished the agitation of th e Catholic question ; thus they subd ue d Mr. O'Connell, and thus only could they subdtie hint again. Is the Act of Union dearer to them than the Established Church ? Yet, holding the latter to 'oe the holiest interest and the noblest institu tion, and hotline also its safety to be incompatibl e w i t h the emancipation of the Catholics , they neverth e l ess conceded that emancipation, and thereby sacrificed that holiest interest and that noblest institution, prov ing )), 1 such c onduct both their p er fid y and their w with whi c h t h ey had neither the honesty to sympathize n or t h e courage to grapple. And this is t h e p arty w hi ch would snatch the reins ca agitation no slaveso cowardice, ofe , an and ackwlodging themsel ves t h e b eaten of G o verianent out of Wide hands—to resist Mr. ovonnell and Repeal ! They resist Mr. O'Connell and Repeal ! Probably as they resisted Mr. O'Connell and emancipation. No, no ! we want other, better, and stouter deleielers both of the Church and the Union. A just Government is the only one that can analogy, successfully res i st i mproper demands. Judging by tne Tories would be as easily frightened out of the Repeal of the Union as they were out of the Repeal of the Penel Laws. Tyritany is ever cowardly ; end, beside;, we know that the official Tories would not only repeal the union between England and Ireland, but the union between heaven and earth to keep them selves an I:our longer in place and pay. (From the Morning Post.) town of Leeds bei ng t h e many popu'ous places—the We understand that preparations arc making. in most active in the work—for carrying on a general and "agitation," with the avowed o bj ect o f altering t ised he present Constitution of Parlia ment . Th e s ti y s t tp atili oint to be striven for is the extension of the elec tive franchise. What we have to apprehend in this matter is a kind of Chartism engrafted upon O'Con e principles of d emocracy, b ut w i thout the nism—h open ll and tuoedisguised declaration of them which English democrats have hitherto preferred. Revolution is to be. sought for by a continual process of torment and dis quiet—by a persevering system of disturbance within the verge of the law. We are of opinion that this at tempt will fail, because it is opposed to the taste and habits of the English nation. We will not patiently