The Sun. — London, England, 1839-01-01 00:00:00

MAGAZINE DAY BLACKWOOD. The tale of the " Onyx Rine is brought to a close in this nunaber. It is a well-wr;Aten fiction, containing many choice, descriptive, and poe,iic passages, which none but a man of glenuine powers of, fancy could have penned; but, as a whol E., it is of too dreamy and abstracted a character to please g enerally. There is a want of sustained human interest in. it ; and laesides this fatal deficiency, the author does not. I work ou.t the purpose which he appears to have in view, wi th suriicient distinctness. " Some Account of Himself" is a humorous, biographical sketch, interspersed with incidis nts of a stern, tragic order, by one who signs himself an :Irish Oyster -eater. The dialogue portion of this eccentt ic. memoir is the worst part of it. In " Italy as it was" we hi tve a spirited account, by an English traveller, of a robbery committed upon him and his party by the Italian briga t ids of the Appennines. The theme is a hack nied one, for Washington Irving and Mrs. Graham have already made it sufficiently familiar to us, but it is descanted en with a live liness and animation that impart to it almost an air of novelty. " De Lamartine" is a memoir of the celebrated French Poet, whose " meditations" have made him so popttl ar on the. Continent. It is pennedin a flat , tering style, for De Lamartine's politics are Conservative, and in politics of this stamp Maga rejoiceth. " Mitchell's Second and 'Third Ex , ,teditions" is a clever digest of some of the most rect tat jourrAies of discovery in New South Wales. Well may ern tigrantFi from all quarters of the mother country be daily flock ing to this remote settlement, for by -all ac counts it is co ze o'i the most fertile and salubrious spots on the face of the 'earth " Persia, Afghanistan, and India" is a well-timed article, and treated in a more just and liber a l spirit tha a we should have expected in this uncom promising Tory p eriodical. " Our Pocket Companions" is an able criticism„ from the unrivalled pen of Christopher North, on the poetry of Collins, in the course of which Christopher tread is Dr. Johnson's strictures on the same de lightful poet, wii.ll3 notable severity. We subjoin the intro ductory passag e of this article, which is in the author's most delightful s t ad characteristic manner : " No weathe r snore pleasant than that of a mild winter day. So gracious the ' season, that Hyenas is like Ver—Januarius like Christopher North. Art thou th e S un o f w h om Milt on s " € Looks through the horizontal misty air, Shorn of his beams,' an image of disc onsolate obscuration ? Bright art thou as at meridian on a Ju Ise Sabbath ; but effesing a more temperate lustre not unfelt by the sleepirg, not insensate earth. She stirs in her sleep and murmurs—the mighty mother ; and qtnet as herself, thong' a broad awake, her old ally the ship-hearing sea. What thei t,ll the woods be leafless—they look as alive as when l a d en v r i th umbrage; and who can tell what is going on now within tl ie hearts of that calm oak grove ? The fields laugh not n0w..... but here and there they smile I If we see no flowers we think of them—and less of the perished than of the unborn ; for regi •et is vain, and hope is blest ; in peace there is the promise of joy —and therefore in th e s il ent pastures a perfect beauty h o w restorative to man's troubled heart I The Shortest Day in .411 the year, yet lovelier than the Longest. Can that be the •voice of birds? With the laverock's lyric our fancy filled the sk y—with the throstle's roundelay it awoke the wood. In the al ;r life is audible—circling unseen. Such serenity must be is ihabitssd by happiness. Ha I there thou art, our Familiar—the self-sameßobin red-breast that pecked at our nursery window, at id used to warble from the gable of the school-house his Bs; eet winter song lln company we are silent —in solitude we so;tilot juize. So dearly do we love our own voice that we cannot b ear to hear it mixed with that of others —perhaps, drowned ; and then our bashfulness tongue-ties us in the hush, expectar it of our golden opinions,' when all eyes are turned to the speechless old man eloquent,' and you might hear a tangle d ishevelling itself in Netera's hair. But all alone, by ourselves s, in the country, among trees, standing still among untroddt tri leaves—as now—bow we do speak I All thoughts —all fe , :lings—desire utterance; left to them selves they are not 'fiappy till they have evolved into words winged words—that: sometimes settle on the ground, like moths on flowers--sc anetimes seek the sky, like eagles above the clouds," FR. ASER'S MAGAZINE. " The poetry of Guy's Ari•bmetic"—a quaint title— consists of two me )ek-ballads, the exact meaning of which, we have not been fortunate enough to discover; neverthe less, some of the stanzas are infinitely amusing, and the run ning commentary on them in black letter, adds to the drol lery. " Nisbetrs Sweepings of Exeter Hall" is a review of a work lately published, in which the characters of many many of the Exeter Hall orators are hit off with much breadth of effect:. " Rough Sketches Afloat," is another of those naval yarns, which have been so popular during the last five or six ;mars. The taste for these sort of sketches is, however, no av on the decline ; and we arc not sorry that it is so, for ev.ough is as good as a feast. " Hum ours of the North" is a. sketch of the late Dugald Stewart, of whom, we are told, that in his later works, he was so fastidious with regard to style, that " Sometimes a fortnight's correspondence would be kept up about the modelling and remodelling of a single sentence in a proof-sheet. Various readings of the identical passages were produced, with suggwitions of Mrs. and Miss Stewart. Fi nally, the printer was requested to end the matter, by taking which editions he like' I best, the original author not having been able to make up his n tind 1" An eminent poet of the present day is said to be equally fastidious in the c arrection of his proof-sheets. " Our Annual Executionii" is a sensible notice of the different Annuals of the prusent year. The reviewer is severe but not undeservedly- so, in his censures on many of these showy ephemera. " The Cant of Criticism" is a lively ar ticle. " Guisep•pe Recca" is a tale told with much dra matic tact. TAIT'S MAGAZINE. The reminiscences of " Wordsworth" by the English Opium Eater, an article to which is assigned the foremost place in this number, is a very curious production, being eloquent and nervous in some pl ices, and in others as weak and silly as fee laugh of a Davie Gellatly. Mr. De Quincey, the reminiscent, tells us that he took fright at the very mention of Mr. Wordsworth's name—owing to his excessive admiration of him--for upwards of four years, when he w as at l ast b rought into his presence by sheer accident, and very nearly went off in strong hysterics from intensity of reverence. When, however, he recovered the shock of seeing the real Wordsworth standing before him with " solemn and spiritual eyes," and " nose a little arched and large," he was delighted to discover what an exact resemblance his face bore to that of Milton! The following anecdote respecting the great Lake Poet will amuse our readers. Though somewhat personal, yet it cannot possibly give offence, for it is as innocent as the bleat of a young sheep : Once on a summ er morn i ng, wa l k i ng in the vale of Lang dale with Wordsworth, his sister, and Mr. J---, a native West tnorelraid clergyman, I remember that Miss Wordsworth was positively mortified by the peculiar illustration which settled upon this defective conformation: Mr. J—, a fine towering figure, six feet high, massy and columnar in his proportions, l 'aPPeaed to be walking, a little in advance, with Words worth. ; Miss W or d swort h and myself beingin the rear ; and from the nature of the conversation which then prevailed in pur front rank, something or other a b out money, d ev i ses, b uying and selling, we of the rear-guard thought it requisite to preserve this a rrangement for a space of three miles or more ; which time, at intervals, Miss W. would exclaim in a tone Of vexation, Is it possible ?--can that be William ? How wry mean he looks and could not conceal a mortifica tion that seemed really painful, until I, for my part, could 4 ' 4 for bear laughing outright at the serious interest which she carried into this trifle. SiZ was, however, right as regarded the me re v i sual judgment. Wordsworth's figure, with all its defe cts, was brought int o powerful relief by one which had been cast i n a more square and massy mould ; and in such a e ase it impressed a spectator with a sense of absolute mean ness. more especially when viewed from behind, and not Counteracted by his countenance ; and yet Wordsworth was of a good h e i g h t, j ust fi ve f eet ten, and not a slender man ; on the contrary, by the side of Southey his limbs looked thick, almost in a disproportionate degree. But the total effect of Word sworth ' s person was always worst in a state of motion ; p for, according t o th e remar k I h ave h ear d from many country eople, ' he walked like a cade'—a cede being some sort of in sect which advances by an o bli que motion. This was not alw ays perceptible, and in pa r t d epen d e d, I believe, uponthe position of his arms ; when either of these happened, as was hey customers, to be inserted into the unbuttoned waistcoat, walk had a wry or twisted appearance ; and not appear nee only—for I have known it, by slow degrees, gradually to ‘ge off his companion from the middle to the side of the high road. ~ If this account o f M r. W or d swor th' s peripatetic pecu lhe iarities be correct—and we see no reason to doubt must be a very unsafe person to walk arm-in-arm with, °r while y ou are l i stening to his eloquent conversation— and who would not listen to it with avidity graduallvedging the road till at last, by one you across le roa , ?—he may keep Precipitate nudge of his elbow in your short-ribs he shoots you unawares slap into a green ditch, like a ball into the pocket of a billiard-table. Mr. Coleridge, we have some where read, laboured under an equally eccentric peculiarity ;k pedestrian. Pede strian. He had a trick, wh en y ou were walking h ac i h im, of treading on your toes, especially those which hissfro,„e upon them ; so that despite the pleasure derived Bel" wonderful powers of conversation, you were always W o ea r i d ilin g in his company ! After describing minutely ferentBl"th's person, who, it seems, has very indif tion e g e-- perfectly in keeping, however, with his voca f.._., oar Poetic legs usually border on the invisible—in ° e vi l are little better than mere shadowy abstractions, obserr.. De Quincey goes on to describe Mrs. Wordsworth, in vi ng, after a whole page of rapturous panegric,. that her obl iquit eyes 51f . vesper gentleness there was a considerable ao n „ , , Y of. vision"—in other words, she squinted, a per 'LL Peculiarity which, we think, might as well have been " a ‘ i; Pt _ ir : i . t he background. " How do Poor Men Live ?" is animates it is manly, and the writer shows himself heartily . inteest throughout it. " Dialogue of the Unborn" is e d to be fanciful, but is heavy by mistake. " Blanche " :1 r e" is a tale that promises well. It is,however, " to be continued in our nest," which is a notice we always dislike to see. These monthly continuations are sad balks to one's amusement. " Lord Durham and the Reformers" is too personal against his Lordship, and is calculated rather to injure than to befriend the cause which it professes to have most at heart. THE UNITED SERVICE .TOURNAL. Colburn. The ordinary limits of a newspaper notice will not admit of our doing justice to the excellent and well-timed,article which the United Service Journal devotes to the considera tion of the present state of the British navy. We shall, however, revert to it in a day or two in our leading columns, as no subject can be of more importance to Englishmen than the state of our navy, and to none are we resolved to devote more vigilant attention. Besides this article, the present Number contains a letter from a veteran seaman to the Earl of Hardwicke, complaining of the gross igno rance with which the direction of our naval affairs is con ducted. From this document, which is the very reverse of diplomatic in its construction, and from the bare perusal of which Metternich or Nesselrode would recoil with horror and disgust, we extract the following frank exposition of the veteran tar's convictions upon this subject : The greatest evil is the want of a direct and positive re sponsibility. All boards are notorious for shifting ignorance, and imbecility, and injustice, from one shoulder to another. The moment the weight grows unpleasantly inconvenient one Lord throws it on the next, and so on to the Secretary in the Lower House, who, being a great man, who is not supposed to know anything about the matter more than his dear friend the First Lord, flings it on the working Secretary, who, in his turn, sits in the atmosphere of his own small authority, the household fixture, it may be, of half a century of misrule, shrugs up his shoulders and signs bn, as the spokes of the wheels (the clerks), in this leaden machinery, touch his nose or tickle his ear. It keeps going, as a matter of course, under any " Vicar of Bray"—with what use, ca pacity, and intelligence, begins to be felt and seen to our sor row, to our shame, to our imminent danger. Look at our dock-yards, look at our ships in ordinary, at our sea-going ships afloat, our seamen, and lastly, by way of temporary plaister to our wound, at that pleasant advertisement, stuck up at the corners of our streets, at the eleventh hour, ex posing, as it does, the supercilious nodding of egotistical self complacency their worships have so long enjoyed (together with their fat salaries), undisturbed. Where, I would ask them, are those floating nurseries for now " wanted" seamen, which should have been their special care and contrivance for these last twenty-two years? Who will take the shame (it should be a heavier penalty to an in jured country), of not baying had these nurseries to transplant from at every port ? How many thousand vagabond boys might have been trained in usefulness thus, instead of being sent to Botany Bay, and at almost as great an expense to the nation The Times talks of such men as Hume insisting on an unwise economy; but Mr. Hume's voice has never stopped the outlay of ten pounds in our yards or afloat. The unwise economy (skinning a flint with the left hand, while the right hand squandered prodigally), has been the sole wish and will of successive Boards—whose secretaries, or some Captain or Admiral in the House, have induced it to acquiesce ( 0, proh pudor I) in the constant niggardliness in the most essential things connected with our service; all those pretended and false economies (not one real), falling constantly on the work ing hands in our dock-yards and ships : the skeletons of all establishments, overpaid clerks, store-keepers of no stores, and useless persons, little or nothing meddled with. There has been no economy whatever of public money, or of public things; the very yearly estimates should have kept what little there is in a better state, judiciously applied; and those esti mates would have been increased had the Admiralty, through their organs in either House, but said the word, as essential for the good, forthe safety of our fleet. Descending from gene ralities to particulars, in what one thing is their wise, proper, and superintending economy (to which a necessary vigour is essential), in any one department of the hulls, and rigging, and stores of our shipping ? Where are the stores of wood in our yards, knees, ribs, planks, and fir scantling ? How got ? How paid for ? How controlled as to its being the best and cheapest—(growing in Canada) ? Where the masts and yards ready made--ready for imme diate stepping, at once to launch a fleet in a few days' notice, from being housed over in ordinary ? Where, indeed ! Where the rope mad e w ithi n our yar d s ? Our rope-houses are empty both of hemp and men I—where the canvas ? Way ng to the breeze in Russian end Norwegian fields. Our very iron-work of all sorts and kinds is not what it should be in stock in-hand—often not in workmanship. Where are our vast piles of cannon and anchor's, such as England could so easily have within her Dockyards ? Should have 1 Though in these two things we may be least deficient ; stillthat is not the question. It is still worse with chain-cables and water-tanks, and hun dreds of other essential fittings, that a wise economy would have stored as the least'periahable, and easily kept in order. No Admiralty or set of men must be blamed for the forced inaction of the times—fur allowing the Lion of England to lie down partly hid ; but for allowing him to be so crippled that he cannot spring to his feet with a bound, and shake the island-hating wolves, who every year prowl closer and closer to his covers, show their teeth, and snarl louder and louder. And here it is at once necessary to say, that until men, no matter in what station, are made strictly answerable, each for his department, it will be in vain expecting rich stores of any one thing, nor any sort of proper economy c ither in the pur chase of them, or in their expenditure or their care ; for it is in the very nature of things (of human nature) to be as selfish aa possible, and to do nothing but what is imperiously enforced under heavy penalties. In all high offices of trust, improper contracts should be made to fall on the fortune and person of the offender; bonds and heavy deposits would prevent people being lazy and careless, and playing tricks with the public money, or allowing their subordinates to waste it. All this with us is very much too lax and irresponsible, wherein lies half the evil in our Dockyards, and to our naval stores of every description ; but to dive into our ill-managed details would require three volumes octavo. Here I can but urge you, at least, to lift your voice in the Upper House against the more prominent features of the neglect and bad management of the naval service, long felt and grievously, from a three-decker down to our 10-gun sloops, to our very ships' boats—from Admirals to Midshipmen, and down to ordinary seamen and ships' boys. It is to little purpose, some cry out; it was always so—we conquered under it I I reply, we conquered in spite of it. Surely nothing but puerile blockheads, or those concerned, by being too well paid for doing nothing, will attempt to defend the manner our naval concerns are ordered. We have outgrown the snip-snap petulance of arbitrary imbe cility : neither the times, nor mere especially our empire, can afford mere offices to be the shuttlecocks of amusement, and salary to insignificant individuals, of no more moment in the scale, per se, than my poor self. England it is that says this— not I alone ; I am nothing, nobody—have nothing at stake— have nothing to hope or fear. If the Russian sets his accursed foot on Sheerness, I will take my rifle, and in common with other Englishmen, at least try to defend our fields from his cold, savage, Cossack tread. This unpleasant image is scarcely exaggerated in the prospect ; while to the West we have another power and its attendant in solence to threaten us. The boundary-line of Maine forced, will next dictate one through the heart of England ; the dis tance is at once annihilated. While our near neighbours, the French, have (taking a lesson from defeat) employed, most wisely, the four-and twenty years of peace in creating a great naval force,—created, as it is guided, by a clear-headed, impartial, and vigorous vconom ! „ we--looking to ourselves, Yorke—we have imitated them (of course) in nothing but the facings of our heavy pieced and patched uniforms—ay, and with a rare stupidity, adopting even the ugliness of the French strap (long familiarly associated with higher rank in France) on the left shoulders of our Lieutenants; so much against the grain ( I was going to say genius) of our ideas, that every puny ensign in a march ing regiment, or cornet of the Guards, has two great bullion, or grain d'epinard—epaulettes ; thence does it look so doubly mean and degrading. These are our naval improvements ; whilst us poor Mids are left with an unmeaning patch and paltry bit of gold twist. To imitate the French Middy's graceful aiguillettes, is beyond the heavy fancies of our snips in office. So, too, are we excluded from Court; but any in justice or absurdity does well enough for the Navy, and all the poor devils in it ! Will the Commission now sitting do away with one jot of the injustice and absurdity that reigns? Not a bit of it, or they will much belie their past labours ; truly a mountain labours, and a poor half-starved, half-drowned (in salt water) mouse will appear. I have lost the space for graver things (which they had better look to !) than how many sixpences, more or less, small officers arc to have—whether to be called this or that. Our ships that are, and are not, is now the one great question and concern ; the other, our working hands—their want of lifting in the scale—their want of care and encouragement. We want hands. Why have we not got them? Why are our shipping and our shores neglected, and next deserted, and those ships, called manned, not manned as they should be? Not one of our ships, my dear Lord, is manned as she should be; the scale is too niggardly, nor are the men paid sufficiently. We must talk some other time of the care of our ships in ordinary, their repair and conversion, and of the ships built from year to year, and of the neglect to be remedied of rearing boy- sa il ors on b oar d h u lk s i n all our ports; the neg lect of our shores and our fishermen,. in a word, of all our taval irit erests. I must wind up with fixing your attention, i ? i t rst on our seamen—that's the unkindest cut of all ! Look to we must, o r Al mac k' s and Regent-street may tremble. The Notes Notes of an Eastern Traveller" are as fresh and as vivid as the scenes amidst which they were written. Waterloo Albums" is capital. The idea is worthy of Hood, and we recommend it to a place in his next Comic Almanac. Several of the other articles are well calculated to gratify the curiosity of the gallant veterans to whom th e y are more immediately addressed. Taken altogether, t hi s Number contains more than the average amount of clever, interesting articles. lON D_ WILY CHRONICLE. t that greatract commercial speculation, The " Great Western Railway E nqu i ry, " i s an art i c l e , and chiefly interesting to o f at the e exclusively Shareholders ac in ica to whom accordingly we leave it, the more espec i a ll y as the author confesses that he entirely a b s t a i ns " from ex pressing any opinion or deducing. any concl us i on f rom the experiments actually made,', which, to u!, seems tanta mount to a confession that he has been telling a long s t or y about nothing. " Portuguese Literature" 'is .a graceful notice, the work of an elegant and lettered mind, of the productions of some of the most popular Portuguese writers, not of the present, but of the past time. " Studies of Undeveloped Characters in Shakspeare" is a light, pleasant, ingenious paper enough, and attracted our favour able notice in the very first sentence, where the writer ob served that it was not his intention to attempt to discover any new faculties in Shakspeare. The remarks on the Merchant of Venice are clever, but what, in Heaven's name, does the author mead by talking about " the deep woods and meadows green, where Shakspeare's procreant feet have trod ?" Were his heels or his brains the " pro creant" parts about him ? We can understand the mean ing of " procreant feet" as applied to Vestris, but Shak speare worked with the other extremity of his outer-Adam. '• Pythagorean Silence " is an entertaining essay, just long enough, without fatiguing attention. Of the remainder of the articles, we may say that each sufficiently answers its purpose. NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE. The first article in this number, " Widdlezig," is by Theodore Hook, and gives us a brief sketch of a Mr. and Mrs. Von Doddle—a sort of German Darby and Joan— which is quite worthy of the pen that drew that admirable specimen of uxoriousness, Mr. Peckover. The tale, which is evidently meant to be ironical throughout, though the irony is not quite as obvious as it might have been, professes to be an abridgement of a German novel in eleven volumes, with notes by a learned commentator hight " Zlippzopp." We have read it with pleasure, and laughed heartily at the moral wind-up. " The Polar Star" is by Mrs. Maclean, better known as L. E. L. The fines seem to have been written on board ship, and to have been dispatched home by the first conveyance. We subjoin a few stanzas : A star has left the kindling sky, A lovely northern light— How many planets are on high, But that has left the night. I miss its bright familiar face, It was a friend to me, Associate with my native place, And those beyond the sea. It rose upon our English sky, Shone o'er our English land, And brought back many a loving eye, And many a gentle band, It seemed to answer to my thought, It called the past to mind, And with its welcome presmice brought All I had left behind. The voyage it lights no longer, ends Soon on a foreign shore; How can I but recall the friends Who I may see no more ? Fresh from the pain it was to part-- How could I bear the pain ? Yet strong the omen in my heart That says.—We meet again. Meet with a deeper, dearer love, For absence shows the worth Of all from which we then remove, Friends, home, and native earth. Thou lovely polar star, mine eyes Still turned the first on thee, Till I have felt a sad surprise That none looked up with me. But thou hast sunk below the wave, Thy radiant place unknown ; I seem to stand beside a grave, And stand by it alone. " Letters from Ireland," by John Carne are chiefly re markable for their vivid descriptions of external nature. An episode is introduced into them, which is told with con siderable pathos, and has the additional recommendation of being founded on fact. The " True History of a Great Pacificator" is a sort of quizzical memoir of Van Amburgh, the famous tiger -tamer. " Scenes in the Life of an Ad venturer" '' crive one or two graphic s k e t c h es o f th e c l os i ng days of Napoleon, when he fought ali but single-handed against the armies of combined Europe. " Shakspeare's Historical Plays" display much curious research. They are from the pen of the Honourable T. P. Courte nay. " The Lesson of Life" is in Mr. Jerrold's most nervous and thoughtful manner. This writer is a man of strong mind, but does not take sufficient pains to con ciliate his readers. There is no reason why he should be always dosing them with barley -sugar, but neither is it absolutely necessary that he should be always cramming strong mustard and pepper down their throats. His pre sent tale describes the dying hours of a criminal with pro digious energy, yet without the slightest exaggeration. A few years hence, when Mr. Jerrold's powers have become a little mellowed, we predict he. will be one of the most popular writers of the age. The good stuff is in him, but at present he turns it out in a crude form. A " Cloud of Canvass" is a sea tale, and as good as such tales usually are. The " Splendid Annual" is by Poole. It is a capital quiz on the Annuals—more especially on the " Keepsake," with its long array of common-place, Aristocratic contri butors. Altogether, the number is a fair enough ave rage one. THE RAILWAY MA GAZINE. Wyld. Prefixed to this Number is a map of the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock, and Ayr Railway, now in the course of rapid formation. This great work was o.nly commenced in June last, but such has been the zeal of the Directors that its completion in the Spring of 1840 is confidently anticipated. When this road is completed, the communi cation between the West of Scotland and England will be so direct and expeditious as to be productive of the most beneficial results to the commerce of both countries. Other improvements:will of course follow, among which we are disposed to class the obliteration of many local pre judices, and the establishment of a more uniform standard of general opinion. " Principles of Administration of Works of Public Enterprise," is a paper more sugges' ive of insurmountable obstacles in the way of carrying on such undertakings than of directions for their avoidance. This is an omission, and a very great one. The other articles are on subjects, which, though of considerable interest to Railway proprietors and engineers, arc of little moment to the public at large. As a Railway Magazine—viz., a Monthly Journal devoted to a specific purpose—this pe riodical is conducted with zeal and ability. THE CHURCHMAN. Painter. " The design of this work," says the Editor, in the pre face to the volume just concluded, " is to convey useful in formation in a form which will generally be intelligible —to direct the attention to every danger and schism which may, from time to time, threaten the Church—to vindicate the authenticity and all-sufficiency of the Scriptures—and on all occasions to defend our religious Establishment." This pledge to the public none of the contributors to this perio dical are wanting in efforts most faithfully to keep. Their zeal is praiseworthily alive, not only to real danger, but to the " shadow of a shade" of it. They see Popery and Dissent overwhelming us at every turning, and they attack and abuse them most lustily. To avoid the imputation of being " dumb dogs," they bark continually, dividing their growls between the Papal Conclave and the Melbourne Cabinet. The Number before us is embellished. with a handsome view of the exterior of the Canterbury Cathedral, accom panied with a historical sketch of that noble ecclesiastical edifice. Among the original articles there is one levelled against the political equality claimed by the Dissenters, and another against the Oxford Tracts and tract-writers, which we doubt not will greatly edify a numerous body of Churchmen. DEARDEN'S MISCELLANY. Orr and Co. This is the first Number of a new monthly periodical, not unworthy of being classed with some of our old esta blished magazines, and yet published at little more than one-third their usual cost. Among the contributors we observe the names of James Montgomery, Richard Hon'itt, the Rev. F. W. Maltby, the Rev. S. Woodhouse, Thomas Ragg, and T. Featherstone. First numbers are not pro perly objects of criticism, as they are generally brought out under accumulated disadvantages on the part of the editor and the contributors. In politics " Dearden's Miscellany" is pledged to a moderate course in which the expression of extreme opinions will be carefully avoided. We wish it every success. THE ASIATIC JOURNAL. Allen and Co. • There are several very interesting and instructive articles in the Asiatic Journal for this month. The " Philosophy of the Hindus," by Mr. Kennedy, exhibits an extensive acquaintance with oriental literature. We are no less surprised than the Author that such a paper should have been rejected by the Royal. Asiatic Society, merely be cause it contained an exposure of the fallacies of a member of that body. " British Interests in Persia," and " the Kingdom of the Sikhs," derive peculiar interest from the recent proclamation of the Governor-General—an interest which they will hardly fail to gratify. The Review of " Conolly's Journey to the North of India" is likewise fraught with curious information relative to the manners of the native tribes in regions hardly known by name to the people of England. The Notes for the Month are nu merous, and selected with judgment. A GENERAL OUTLINE OF THE ANIMAL KINGD 0111.—P4sr 111. BY THOMAS RIWER JONES, F. Z. S. Van Voorst. This is a publication which we expect soon to see in general repute among naturalists. The style is plain and unpretending ; the arrangement simple and perspicu • ous ; and the pictorial illustrations numerous and well exe cuted. Our only objection is to the price, which many will think bordering upon exorbitant in this age of cheap literature. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1839. MR. STEPHENS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) - - MANCHESTER, MONDAY NIGHT, DEC. 31. I promised in my last to write at least each post. I have little to say to-night, arising out of the want of time to put together, in a connected manner, some remarks on a sermon delivered by Mr. Stephens last evening at Ash ton. I will do it in a day or two ; and I may say thus much, that some parts of it will electrify the public on its publication. There are 700 special constables sworn in at Ashton and its vicinity. The excitement is extreme in that neighbourhood. There were at least 5,000 persons to hear him. The chapel in Charlestown was stowed more completely than was the Black Hole at Calcutta ; the only difference was, that in the chapel we had a free circulation of air. An adjournment, however, took place, in conse quence of numbers besieging the doors ; and eventually the congregation adjourned to the market-place, where he spoke with astonishing effect for nearly two hours. All was quiet. P.S.—He said not a word about the proceedings at the New Bailey, except this, that he was aware many had come to hear something on that subject ; but, whilst pend ing, h e would not say one word about the matter. THE REV. MR. STEPHENS AND MR. OASTLER. (From the Times.) MANCHESTER, SATURDAY.—The arrest of Stephens conti nues to excite the utmest attention, bath in this town and throughout the whole of the manufacturing districts. The Radicals are calling meetings at various places to consider what is to be done under the circumstances, and the military arc on the alert to prevent any disturbance. Stephens was aware, three or four days previous to his capture, that a war rant had been issued for his apprehension, but he did not at tempt to get out of the way. He appears to take the matter very coolly, and feels convinced that the Government will hot be enabled to make out a case against him. The fact of the Ministry prosecuting him, a month after the alleged offence had been committed, will not add to their popularity in this part of the country, and the question is pretty generally asked, Why the English Agitator is to be punished, when O'Con nell for years has been spouting sedition and treason with im punity ?" Stephens has certainly used very violent and intem perate language in opposing the New Poor-law Bill, which has most likely tended to weaken the opposition to that in human act; he, however, thinks the course he has pursued is the right one. Mr. Stephens is a little, sharp featured, dark complexioned man, about thirty-two years of age. Some years ago he was a Wesleyan minister, but was discarded by that body in con sequence of his interference with politics. He is exceedingly popular among the lower class of people in the manufacturing districts. He has the gift of eloquence to an extraordina7 and dangerous degree, which has caused the class of persons alluded to to be devotedly attached to him. It is difficult to say what are his politics ; he is the intimate friend of Mr. Oastler, who terms himself an " old fashioned Tory." He bar been in the habit of attending Radical demonstrations for a length of time, but more as an opponent of the New Poor-law Bill than as a Radical. The questions of Universal Suffrage, Vote by Ballot, and such wild schemes he has in his addresses invariably avoided, by telling the people that the question between them and the Government was merely a " knife and fork question." On his secession from the Wes leyan Methodists the people of Ashton, Dukenfield, and Stayleybridge built him three chapels, in which he alter nately preaches. Notwithstanding the intemperance of his s p e eches, he is in titivate life a very mild, wood-humoured man, and has been exceedingly charitable to the poor of the neighbourhood in which he resides. On Christmas•day 500 working men and their families gave an entertainment to him and Mr. Oastler, on which occasion the following speeches in allusion to the present state of the manufacturing districts were made by Mr. Oastler and Mr. Stephens :-- Mr. OASTLER said—Have I told you to kill, burn, destroy ? No, never, I have recommended you, and you have done it, to petition the Parliament. You have done so by hundreds and hundreds of thousands over and over again. Those pe titions have been unheeded —nay, on the last occasion when they were presented, a member of her Majesty's Govern ment, Lord Howick, chock-full of insolence, ignorance, and pride, stood on the floor of the House of Commons and de clared, upon the oath which he had sworn to her Majesty, that these petitions were to be despised and rejected ; why, think ye ? Because the people had neither burned nor killed. There was indeed for ye ! Talk of i ncen di ar i es an d as sessirs, ! i have never since then heard the name of Hossick without disgust unutterable. What, then, was I to do? Was I to take this hint and teach the people of Eng land to burn and to assassinate ? Not I, indeed. I told you next to remonstrate, because the constitution instructed me that that was the next step to ta k e. Y our remonstrances were rejected. I then told you to demand a hearing a t the bar of the House of Commons. Against that demand the &Wm of that House was hermetically closed. Not one Mem ber could be found to present it. Still, my friends, you never heard either Stephens or myself advise you to burn, destroy, or kill. No, we turned in disgust from man, and opened, with holy reverence, the Bock of God. We there found the only safety valve; and, in my letter to the people of England, I advised you, as Nehemiah advised the Jews when they were in similar circumstances to yourselves, to humble yourselves before God; to confess your sins to Him; to fast and pray, and to implore in this your time of extremity, deliverance, by his, aid, from the hands of your oppressors. And, oh !my friends, if my advice had then been taken, your situation would not now be as fearful as it is. My enemies were not terrified at that. No; they have not the fear of God be fore their eyes; but it is still my belief that you never will ob tain your rights until you thus acknowledge God, and throw yourselves entirely into his hands. Do not mistake me, my friends. God helps those who are prepared to help then:- selves ; and I advised you, as Nehemiah advised the Jews under similar circumstances, to provide yourselves with arms. I still advise the same. Arm, arm, my friends— arm in defence of your domestic rights —the only sure foun dation of the rights of kings. For having given this scriptural, this constitutionel advice, I have been charged with being a traitor by those profess to be your friends. Is there a man amongst you so foolish as to believe that an Englishman has no right to arm himself? Let that man, if there be such a one, come up here, and I will calmly argue the question with him ; and I will prove to him, out of the Book of God, and from the principles of the Constitution of England, that the base wretch who dares to assert that a freeman has not a right to have arms, is either a deceiving scoundrel or himself a slave. The truth is, my friends, that no man deserves liberty who is not at all times both willing and able to defend his liberty to the death. Think not that I would advise you, or that Ste phens would advise you, to turn out and fight the British troops. No, no, my friends, they are as loyal as we are. They are deadly foes to that tyranny and oppression which grinds you down to dust as we are. They hate the damnable, accursed Poor-law, as much as we do; and well they may, for of all the subjects of her Majesty they and their relations are the most likely to be oppressed and pu nished by it. Whenever you meet the troops shake hands with them, explain the truth to them, and soon you will find that they are friends, ready to fight in the same cause— for the Queen, and for yourselves, against the tyrants of both. No, no. It is not the scantily-paid brave troops that you will have to fight against ; but it i s th e over - pa id, cowar dl y, assas sin-like police, whom O'Connell is now preparing for the use of the tyrannical Government, to establish their despotic sway in every rural and in every manufacturing district. The mon ster talks of heading them himself. It is against theca you will have to contend. If once they are established, then your chains are rivetted. The Tories will most likely be fools enough to join the Whigs and Radicals in O'Connell's base, brutal, and bloody attempt thus to deliver England over into the hands of her deadliest enemies. If they do, they may take my word for it, they will be the first victims. If they don't know what O'Connell is after, I do. I have warned them oft, and they have laughed at me; I now warn them again. You remember, I suppose, that a cotton factory was burnt down in Ashton last Saturday fortnight. I happened to be in Man chester at the time. I was there on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. I was in many companies, and the fire at Ashton was talked about by everybody. But during the whole of those three days I never heard Mr. Stephens's name men tioned, or th a t o f an y o f his friends, in connection with this fire. Don't misunderstand me. Nobody seemed to think it was an accidental fire—l grant that. As I have said be fore, it was a Godsend to the Magistrates, O'Connell and the Government; and we all know that an old mill, with old ma chinery, being well insured, in these times is worth quit e a s much de a d as a li ve . O ne thing, .however, is certain, that on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, in . Manchester, nob o dy sus pected that St e ph ens , or any of his friends, had any connexion with that fire ; and it is very well-known that the occupier has positively declared that, in his opinion, it was occasioned On b vv y e a d c n c e i d s d e n a y t . m o ß r i t n g ow m r f . nor . t h E e . g T r , a a n y d l o s r c , e i n n e a i n l t n h g i s leaf aardcien.g arti cle (in a Manchester paper), charged your Minister with being the author of that fire. H . ischarge was i nstant l y ex pressed t o L on d on , an d th e Ministerial press, both metropoli tan and provi nc i a l, have since then been ringing the chan ges on the in cen di ary S tep h ens a nd the blazing cotton factory at Ashton. But this is not all. Manchester, they say, has been visited by Phillips, Under Secretary of State for the Home Department, Roe, the chief officer of the metropolitan police, Maule, the Solicitor to the Treasury, and last, not least, Edwin Chadwick, of Poor-law notoriety. The retinue of these worthies consists of shoals of spies, reporters, run ners, and I know not what ; and they have at last, they tell me, found out a mare's nest. They have discovered that a plot had been laid to burn down to the ground every building in the town of Manchester ! The green bags are all full of depositions, and I am told the principal link in the evidence is, that I, Richard Oastler, have recently taken up my abode in the neighbourhood of Manchester 1 So you see what trouble Daniel o'Connell has given the Ministry, by making them be lieve that lam the Prince of Incendiaries. I was at Hudders field a few days ago, when a friend of mi ne s h owe d me a l etter from a very large mill-owner in Manchester, in which I was charged with burning Jowett's mill. I desired my friend to write to the millowner that I was too good a judge either to burn cotton mills or recommend them to be burnt, and that I would not burn his mill down if he would give me 5,0001.; that I was very well awarejust now any cotton mill owner, who was well in sured would give 20 per cent. to have his mill burnt down ; and I begged him to assure his friend that I was not so fond of cotton mill-owners as thus to enrich them by burning down their mills. I told him, also, that I had no fondness for fires, but that if I ever were to begin, I would begin in right good earnest ; and that, until there were a hundred burnt down every night, I begged he would not suspect me of having any hand in it. But I tell you what, my friends, if the millowners do not wish to have their mills burnt down, they are very foolish to make so much noise and talk about these ,matters. Their property, if it be valuable, is very precarious ; end, if they value their own property, I would advise them to talk less about fires, for nothing is so easy as to burn one of them down. For their own sakes then let me conjure them to say little about these matters, unless they do really wish to have their mills burnt down. And even then, I can assure you, Stephens is not the man to apply to. So much for the burning of the mill at Ashton. And now for a prophecy. If the insurance-offices won't pay for the fire--mark well, friends—it is my opinion the Government will, Oh, it was a lucky star I-1 green bsg, a Coercion Bill, and a rural police for so small a sum as 5 0001 ! It will be a cheap bargain for these traitors. Ali 1 ah !—a rural police, did I say?—let that be once esta blished, and your liberties are gone. Yes, my friends, I tell you seriously, that when once you are subject to a rural police your pubic voice will be smothered—the character of Englishmen will be changed—we shall copy the Sici lians—a rich man's life will then be purchased for 101.. and a peer man's for ss. Is there nut then reason that ye should arm and defend your liberties? Is it not time that you should awake out of sleep, and prevent the traitors and asses. sips, who would lord it over you with a hand of iron, from destroying your constitution and your national institutions? Is it not, I say, time that you should awake out of sleep, and in the attitude and equipment of freeman, declare, with a voice of thunder, " Britons never shall be slaves ?" My friends. you have now listened to me with great attention whilst I have deliberately stated to you my views on those all important subjects which are now agitating this mighty miire, and which have absolutely driven our governors toad. I now ask you, have I changed my tone since last you heard me ? Was I ever wont, or have I now talked treason in your hearing ? I am, they say, the dagger and torch man. Have I now excited you, or did I ever, on former occasions, excite cu to kill or to burn ? No truly, friends ; my object is, as you all well know, to secure life and property, by restoring to our laws the Christian principles of truth end justice. I leave it to the " base" Whigs, to the Fitz williams, the Broughams, and the Baineses, to produce anarchy and civil war by " refusing to pay any more taxes," by " threatening to decapitate the Monarch," and "by groaning at the Queen." I leave it to the bloody" Whig Hoeiek to untie the knot which binds society together, by ex citing the insulted people, before he will deign to listen to their petitions, "to kill and to burn." I leave it to the " brutal" death's-head-and-cross-bones-Whig O'Connell to unnationalize the subjects of her Majesty, by heading a horde of Irishmen, landing them in England, and, as he had threatened to do, at their head, " cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war." My friends, lam for " peace, law, and order," but I am not for leaving you at the mercy of your " bloody, and brutal" foes. I urge you, men, by the love which you bear for these your wives. and these your little ones—l urge you, as you love your domestic peace, and as you honour the memory of your forefathers—by your loyalty to the throne, by your veneration for the altar, by your love of constitutional liberty, I once more urge you to arm and r be ready—not to attack, but to defend those rights and privileges which God, and nature, and law, have all in trusted to your keeping. Let your arms be your next pride to your wives and children ; and, ye wives and daughters, prove your loyalty to your Qcen, your lords and sires, by keepin g th ose arms bright and ready. Re member always, that life without liberty is more to be dreaded than a freeman's death. If it be treason to say so, then am I a traitor. 0 1 my friends, I would that the great men and the rich men would deserve and secure their own titles and estates, by taking care not to plunder the poor. I would that the independent press could really understand the questions between the Government and the people at the pre sent moment. They think that lam mad—that lam leading the people to destroy the institutions of the country—or that lam a base traitor to my liege lady the Queen. The truth is, our traducers are the very men who live by treason, and delight in fire and blood ! Did I ever teach you to rob your neighbours of their property? Not I, indeed. I leave it to the " base, bloody, and brutal Whig" Morning Chronicle to teach you that trade. Read the following atrocious para graph, which appeared there in a leading article of last Tuesday The labourers have nothing to do with making the laws, the laws are made by the landlords; but they have something to do with obeying the laws, and they will consider their alelity to be subsisted by their labour as the condition on which they are to give their obedience. It is dangerous to drive men to extremities. The landowners may rest assured that they may fo:ce up the price of corn by monopoly, but when the price exceeds the measure of the ability of the people to pay, the corn will be taken without payment. There is no reasoning with hunger; and this is the mischief in driving the people to violate the laws, that the habit remains when the necessity ceases." Now, I ask you, friends, did I ever authorise you to take coin without payment ? You know that I never did. Ile tells you that " there is no reasoning- with hunger," whilst I have been endeavouring to reason with hunger for many years. I have been striving to obtain better laws, and teach ing you to hope that at last the Government will relent ; whilst this wretch, who now teaches you to steal corn, if you have net the money to buy it with, has been supporting those very laws which deprive you of the means, and now, instead of " reasoning with you," be is urging the Government to fill your empty stomachs with bullets, swords, and bayonets; and to havg those friends who fain would teach the Govern ment to feed you by the fruit of your own honest labour. This wretch says, that " the labourers have nothing to do with making the laws." I am backed by the Constitution of England when I say, that they ought to havesomething to do with making theni ; and I ens borne out by fact when I de clare, that before the delusive Reform Bill they hod something to do with making:the laws. He would lead you to believe that the " landlords" are altogether to be blamed for the bad laws which ore made. You will believe me to be sincere when I tell you that I have no reason to speak favourably of " landlords ;" but I beg to remind you, that the capitalists and millowners, who have got into Parliament since the Reform Bill, have instructed the " landlords" to be more cruel than they knew how to be before. But what an acknowledgment for this Whig scribe ! After eight years of pure Whig rule, this Ministerial organ is absolutely obliged to confess that the labourers of England are so pour that they cannot buy corn, and yet so hungry that they will take it without payment I If the Devil him se lf were P r i me Mi n i ster, he could not make matters much worse. The sapient ass concludes his remarks by whining out, " And there is this mischief in driving the people to violate the laws, that the habit remains when the necessity ceases." Yes, Mr. Government hack ; you are quite right there, and you may tell your masters from me, if you choose, that there is this mischief in reasoning with hunger by bullets and swords, that the habit of arming and ' resisting may remain when the necessity ceases. So much, Mr. Morning Chronicle, upon your encouraging the people " to take corn without paying for it." Mr. Oastler concluded by hoping the time would shortly arrive when he should have the pleasure of meeting them to celebrate the triumph of the truths of religion over every species of unrighteousness and lie which had waged war against them. The foundation was the Rock of Ages, and ere long the top stone would be put on amid the thankful songs of the myriads who would find shelter beneath its spreading roof, shouting " grace, grace unto it." Mr. STEPHENS, after a few introductory observations in which he eulogised the character and public conduct of Mr. Oastler, said--A few more months or weeks —nay, even now, you may bid defiance to the rebels who are waging war against the Queen's subjects in the Queen's name ; to the traitors, who are using the Queen's authority to enslave the Queen's trusty and right loyal liegemen, to the atheist usur pers of God's most holy prerogative, who have dared, in other parts of the kingdom, unlawfully to put asunder those whom God himself has joined together. The Poor-law Amendment Act of Parliament is not the law of Ashton, and never can be —never shall be, so help us God, and the right arms of Christian men. Let them try it when they please. I know what must follow if they dare to make that trial. I thank God the whole of Ashton parish does not contain five men who are so dead to self-interest, if to no other motive, as to come forward and proclaim themselves the willing tools of the three traitor devil kings at Somerset-house. There may be, as I know there are, more than five, or three times five, who by night, and under a promise of secresy and conceal ment, have done what they could to swear my life away— spies, informers, and assassins. At this very moment this secret commission is at work with closed doors, magistrates and Government emissaries conducting it, sending for the vilest of the vile to appear before them, with all the formality of a legal summons, as a covering, thin and flimsy enough, for their' conspiracy, but in secret, and with a pledge that their names should not be divulged. But they are known. I know them, and you shall know them by and by, not now. I must first settle with the prime movers of this dark plot. Little does England dream of what has been going on in Ashton the last few weeks. Base ,brutal, and bloody as I knew the Whigs to be, I did not think them capable of this. But I bide my time. That time cannot now be far away. When it does come, I shall be ready for it. Will the assassins who have sought my life,who havepanted after my blood, be ready for it I We shall see. But these assassins are well aware that as Poor-law Guardians they cannot wear the mask of secresy ; they cannot imprison, sepa rate, starve, and murder the poor by ballot. They must be nominated, consent to be elected, and stand forth without disguise as the wilful slayers of their poor townsmen and neighbours. The men of Ashton are up to the trick of libe ral guardians, humane and charitable guardians. Neither Mott, nor his master, the Devil, can catch them in this trap, or take them with the guile of dispensations and indulgences, relaxations and adaptations of the law—its matchless elasti city—that poison of asps which is under the lips of these sons of Satan, whose feet are swift to shed the blood of their unwary victims. No wonder Ashton has been held up as the hot-bed of agitation, sedition, privacy, conspiracy, and rebel lion. No wonder I have been hunted, and a price put upon my head. No wonder a factory has been fired—you guess by whom and for what. No wonder your Magistrates, at the bidding of Chadwick and Phillipps, and Maule and Roe, the staff of Somerset-house, Downing-street, the Treasury, and Scotland-yard,t should have toiled so diligently to get up a case, aided by a " lying varlet," a " drunken barber," and a " strolling jack-pudding." No wonder there should be, with in two miles of my humble cottage, not fewer than 1,000 special constables. No wonder gangs of runners should speed from Manchester to Ashton, and from Ashton to Man chester, at all hours of the night as well as the day. The murder will out by and by, my friends. I am not afraid : time will tell it all. You, however, can say whether, at any former period, for the space of any seven years to ge th er , th e people of this district have ever been so peaceably, so orderly, so virtuous, so moral, as they have been during th e sev e n years of my residence amongst you; whether there ever was as much respect shown to the persons of the rich, as much security to their property, as there is at this very moment. All is peace and goodwill towards all ; but, by the God who made us, and gave us our wives and children, we will fear him, and love him, and love them, though called upon to shed our blood in their defence, and lay down our lives for His name's sake. We will not have the New Poor-law. We have sworn it, and God has written down the vow, and will vouchsafe us strength to keep it. Until the instincts of our being be de- Aroyed. the laws of our nature be reversed, the word of the 1 God burnt to ashes, and blown away by black winds from hell—until the goodness and power and awful oath of the dread Jehovah be annihilated from the universe he created, and hitherto has governed, that law of devils cannot be' the law for men made in his image, and renewed after his lovely likeness. This is the whole mystery of the outlawry of Ashton, constables, magistrates, military, neighbouring spies, informers, runners, all emanating from, all concentrating in, the focus fire of hell's hottest seat—Somerset-house, the 'Parr demonium of Great Britain. Mr. Oastler has given you a rapid sketch of the doctrines we have taught, the principles we have acted upon, the successive steps we have taken, and. the course we have found it right, and hare deemed it most fitting at times to pursue, and to recommend to you. We have advised you to arm, because we found it to have been always your right, and now above all things your bounden duty, so to do. Our arguments, reasons, and authorities, from the law books, and from God's book, have been laid before you, fellow-countryman, fellow-Christians. Who has refuted those arguments ? who has set aside those rea sons ? who has contradicted those authorities? who has de nied the right ? who has dissuaded from the patriotic and most religious duty ? None but designing knaves, or abject, crouching, willing slaves. Can you trust the former ? Will you confederate with the latter? No, for you are men, brethren, and fellow-subjects ; conscious of your own in herent dignity, convinced of the value of your rights and privileges, and determined to die asserting and defending them, rather than live degraded by the surrender or the sale of r; hat ought, to a man, to be dearer, far dearer, than life itself. I have nothing new to say to you to night, nor at any other time, until I find our recommendation generally adopted. On the adoption of that recommendation depends the freedom or the bondage of my fellow-countrymen. If you slumber, or sleep, or dream, but for a short time now, all will be over with you, it may be for ever. The plot thickens ; all is prepared for your complete and perpetual slavery, if you submit to that damnable New Poor-law, an& refuse or neglect to arm, as men and as Britons, for "your wives, your children, and your houses." The revolution in England has long since begun. The Constitution has been violated ; is not that revolution ? The great charter has been broken ; is not that revolution ? The laws have been violated ; is not that revolution ? The social 'system has been de ranged ; is not that revolution ? The principles of the law, the instincts of all nature, the precepts of all religion have been subverted I is not that revolution? What greater revolution can there be than this? We have no govern ment, no legislation, no execution ; all is strife, mis trust, hatred, discord, chaos, and confusion. And who can tell where it is to end ? We do not know whence it has arisen. Frem the forgetfulness and abandonment of that holy law, which bids us " do unto others as we would others should do unto us ;" which bids us give unto all their due;" and which, above all, bids us "be merciful after our , power, even as our Father in heaven is merciful to all;" the weak have been borne down, the poor have been robbed, the workman has not had his wages, the widow and fatherless have been forsaken, and left to pine and perish ; and our very laws have been made to uphold and carry on this system of plunder, oppression, and blood. Yet a little while, and all will go back to moral chaos. If not checked now, it will most likely be impossible to check it afterwards. Who, then, are the real incendiaries—those who, like Oastler and myself, arc doing al: we can to awake the sleepers who dream of a Poor-law paradise, with policemen keeping guard at its gates, or those who themselves have prepared the ;poison, and given it an unsuspecting nation to swallow? Well, then, what is to be done? The Rev. Gentleman again adverted to the state of Ashton, and the necessity the Magistrates were under in swearing special constables, to select what are called " Ste phen's boys," being the only persons they could trust. After denouncing the oppressors of the poor in the emphatic anguage of holy writ, he observed that, although they might bind Oastler and Stephens, they could not bind the word of God. He then proceeded—" Brethren, betake your selves more than ever to that word. It is the only people's charter in the world. Read it, understand it, have it written on your mind, graven on the fleshly tablets of your heart, — love it—live it—set it forth, and the God of Jacob will lead you up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage_ the God of Nehemiah will bring you in solemn assembly, as lie brought the Jews at that time, and set you free. But I must not detain you longer in this crowded hall. God bless you, dear friends all—a merry Christmas to you, and a happy new year to England. May she date the restoration of her ancient liberties—the restoration of her ancient institutions— the establishment of her ancient altar—the religion of her pious Christian forefathers, who loved the poor and one another, f• ven as Christ loved them all, and gave himself for wis.em. Then shall her sons be free, her daughters gay, her tomcn happy ; then shall her vallies ring and her hills re-echo with the sweet scmg,i, of peace—peace under the shadow of the law— plenty on the ample table which the bountiful God of peace provides for all his thoughtful children. May Godsend it so, and send it soon." ABDUCTION OF THE YOUNG COUN TESS DONA MARIA DE POVOA E SAMPAYO, BY THE DUCHESS DE PALMELLA. We have already spoken of an event which has caused a great sensation in Paris, and are now enabled to lay before our readers some further particulars. One of the richest and most eminent persons of the Court of John the Sixth, last King of Portugal, some years ago died, and left a young child, Dona Maria Luisa Noronha e Sam payo, sole heiress to his immense fortune. A guardian was appointed in the person of M. Esteves, an ancient Judge at Lisbon. At this period the Duke of Palmella was Minister, and was intimate with the family of the youngheiress, and con trived to get a marriage celebrated between his son, the Mar quis de Fayal, aged 19 years, and the young Countess Povoa, just entering her ninth year. The family were ignorant of this marriage : they knew that a union was intended, but it was with the greatest surprise they learnt that a marriage had been celebrated in defiance of canonical institutions and the civil laws. The Duke and Duchess had the young Countess with them at Paris, but on this marriage becoming known the guardian applied to the ec clesiastical tribunal at Lisbon, which decided that the marriage was not valid, and ordered a separation. The judgment was sent to Paris, and at once supported by the civil and ecclesiastical tribunals ; but, as soon as it was no tified to the Duke and Duchess of Palmella, the latter quitted Paris, taking with ber the young Countess, and leaving no in dication of their route. The family then made a fresh demand on the authorities, stating that a convention existed between the relatives of the young laiy and the Palmella family, by which it was agreed that no obstacle should be thrown in the way of her inter course with the members of her family, and that she should be sent once a week to pass the day with them, in addition ex pressly promising that the Countess should not be taken from Paris before having attained the age of fifteen years. The family represented that in violation of these sacred obligations the minor had been carried off by the Duchess De Palmella, and they prayed that the tribunal would designate some convenient establishment in Paris for her residence, as a measure of precaution, &e. • On this request the president, M. Debelleyme, issued the Following ordonnance At the request, &c. We order that at the request of the Sicur Esteves, or at the Sicur Antonio Sampayo, acting for him at Paris, that the minor, Dona Maria Luisa de Noronha Sampayo, shall be placed in the convent of the Augustine ladies at Paris, as a provisionary and protecting measure, until i: shall be otherwise decided. In consequence, we authorise the Sieur Esteves, or his proxy, to require, in case of need, any juge-de-paix of the arrondissement or canton, when they may find the said minor, accompanied or not by the Duchess De Palmella, to effect by proper and reasonable measures the translation of the said minor to the above-named convent, to assist the competent authorities in the execution of the law. We authorise the said parties, in the execution of this or donnance, to search any place or residence of the Duke and Duchess of Palmella, and the Marquis de Fayal, their son, &c. Provided with this ordonnance, the family of the young Maria Luisa, with a diligence but too necessary, solicited of the authorities all the means of insuring its prompt execu tion. An order by telegraph enjoined the frontier authorities to prevent the Duchess and the young Countess quitting the kingdom. It was too late : the Duchess had taken the road for England by Boulogne, and, at the very moment when the arms of the telegraph announced the order, was on board the steam-boat, of which the steam was forced to its greatest power ;—a few seconds, and she would not have escaped. In vain signals were made to the steamer. Whether the fog or the Duchess's gold prevented their being seen, the boat continued its course, and was soon lost to view. The Duke of Palmella, and the Marquis de Fayal, his son, have not quitted Paris. FlRES.—Several fires broke out in different parts of the metropolis yesterday morning. Carelessness appears in most of these calamitous occurrences to be the main cause. LLANPYLLIN.—This neighbourhood has lately been infested with a set of daring offenders, who have com mitted many depredations upon the inhabitants. Last week, three fellows robbed a farm-house, though but to a trifling amount, yet in so impudent a manner, that it be hoves the authorities to be on the alert for these marauders. One of them, under the pretence of lighting his pipe, gained admittance, and two others immediately followed, and locked the door. When they had effected their object they retired, and fastened the door on the outside. An inquest was held last night in Tothill-fields, Westminster, on the body of William Bunn, late in the service of Mr. Marlow, of Tothill-street, who dropped dead on Saturday, while in the act of delivering some goods to a customer. The deceased bad lived is Marlow's service upwards of forty years. Verdict—Died by the visitation of God. On Saturday afternoon a man, name unknown, was caught in the London Docks drinking brandy fr om a cas k on one of the quays by means of a tube introduced through the bung-hole, in the manner denominated " sucking the monkey." lie was too drunk to effect his escape, and was taken to the watch-house, where he died shortly after. I is believed that he had drunk nearly a quart of the spirit. A man, who was with the deceased at the time of his cap ture, profeses to know nothing about him, and states tha t they had a ccidentally met and agreed to abstract the brandy in the manner referred to LATE MAGAZINES. In consequence of the very late hour at which several of the Magazines have reached us, we are compelled to postpone our notice of them till to-morrow. I