The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-12 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING. NOVEMBER 12, 1855,

friend of religious liberty, and what Catholics
owed to him as a most efficient advocate of Catho-
lic emancipation, yet the selfish moan Toryism
of Conference Methodism, and implacability of an
offended Cardinal, are understood to have caused
the loss of the election. The odiousness of eccle-
siastical pride and ambition were never more re-
voltingly exhibited. In common with some of
the best English Catholics, he had denounced the
" Papal aggression"—all his vast services, services
which had indeed made " the aggression" possible,
were wholly forgotten ; the spite of priestcraft
knew nothing of gratitude for the past ; he was
put under the ban ; and an ambuscade of Catho-
lic electors were kept till near the close of the
poll. These tools of the priest and the priest's
master, were to plump for his exclusion, reckless
of the disgrace, if they could by so doing turn
out the friend of Religious Freedom, although ad-
mitting thereby one who was thoroughly opposed
to: Catholic liberties if, on the contrary, the
" old Colonel" would in any event be returned,
they were to vote for him, and save their credit
as Liberals ! Of course, the Ballot would come
in aid of malice and hypocrisy like this. It would,
however, in Bradford, even with the present con-
stituency, have defeated the nefarious conspiracy
by liberating the votes at the mercy of the great
iron-founder, and of other wealthy Tories.
Were the suffrage universal, or approach-
ing to it, with the Ballot, honest politicians of
genius, like the General, could be returned for
fifty places with ease.

As to the pamphlet before us, judiciously pub-
lished by the Ballot Society for the almost nominal
price of threepence, it must have great weight
with thinking men, while those whose political
reading must be entertaining as well as instruc-
tive, will not want the desired condiment here.
The numerous persons who are well acquainted
with the writer's power of striking the fire of wit
from apparently unpromising topics, will not
need any literary recommendation from us. The
General has often reminded us in this respect of
one of our most remarkable old writers on quite a
different class of topics—FULLER, the Church
historian who, while never weary himself of those
parts of his subject which in themselves are as dry
and barren as a Russian steppe, spontaneously
and naturally enlivens them—even dry catalogues
of names—with his jovial humour. You dare not
pass over a page from which in other writers the
running title would deter you, for fear of
losing a hearty laugh. It is much the same with
the General's " Catechisms" and " Fallacies ;"
while he is hunting through every nook and
corner in the sophistry or unconscious blunders of
clever opponents, you may not venture to take a
short cut anywhere for fear of losing some of the
best of the sport.
The General bimself is no bush fighter. He
always meets his man openly, fairly setting down
his uncurtailed argument, and placing his own
answer in a parallel column. Every reader is
made a second to both parties, and sees with his
own eyes all fair, nor is it difficult for him to see
afterwards whose shot has told. The Fallacies are
taken from the Edinburgh Review, from the
speeches at the last Bath election, from the debate
on the Ballot in the House of Commons, and from
the late SYDNEY SMITH'S well-known Whig article
on the Ballot, with a notice of a few unfatherod
fallacies. Each receives its distinct reply, yet
varied as are the forms of the errors exposed, and
epigrammatic and pointed as each reply is, you
soon find that you lose much by reading, the
first time at least, as if perusing a book of pro-
verbs. There is a concatenation of reply, and a
preceding stroke of humour or wit has so pre-
pared for the greater effect of those which follow
that the reader who would thoroughly enjoy this
eiposuro of solemn-faced political special pleading
must read consecutively. Much of the " an-
swerer's" vigour is wisely put forth in answer to
the great Whig wit; a wit who never employed
his rare talent so unfortunately, and whose argu-
ments have been the stock in trade of ante-Ballot
Whiggism ever since. The epigrammatist is, and
we think judges less liable to suspicion of parti-
ality than ourselves would agree with us, fully a
match for the wit. To every man of literary
taste, whatever his opinions on the Ballot, the
duel will be one of no little interest.
General THOMPSON does not forget his old feli-
citous adaptations of some homely illustration as
deee" will long be re-
membered. Almost the
an answer to a host of fallacies. Noah's ark, the
sraa
mt e trap,p a
t r theisb yp flowera
played
ed corn-law
bby
rpalers
"sealing letters" in this
pots,
tract. It meets you when you are least thinking
of it, as the amusing yet convincing exposure of
some stately and pretentious fallacy. The prac-
tice of clubs and courts'-martial is also worked
against the aristocracy in the most novel and
telling modes. We need not tell those who are
familiar with Colonel Tsomrsort's former writings
that they will not find here the " old thing over
again for the hundredth time," aid nothing but
"stereotyped arguments." Nothing here is ste-
reotyped b
proceeding,
but the work of the printer, a very
judicious
we should think, on his
part.
Where so much is quite of novel interest,
yet can never require alteration, it is worth while
to save the cost of repeated compositions.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert having been ap-
plied to, on behalf of the Plymouth School of Art, for
donation, has replied, through the Hon. C. B. Phipps
that when 125/. have been collected his Royal Highness
will add the other 25/. to make up the sum required.
The health of the Countess Fortescue, who is at pre.
sent at Castle Hill, Devon, continues to improve.
The Earl and Countess Grey are at present entertain-
ing a select circle of visitors at the family seat, Izlowick-
hall near Alnwick. The noble earl and countess purpose
remaining at Howick-hall until the week before the re-
assembling of Parliament.
The Duke of Leeds has arrived at the Clarendon from
Hornby Castle, near Catterick, Yorkshire.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Ely arrived in Paris,
on Thursday last, from Bavaria.
The Marquis of Downshire has taken the mansion,
No. 24, Belgrave-square, formerly the residence of the
late Earl Ducie.
Viscount Palmerston left town on Saturday, for Broad-
lands, Hants. The Viscountess Melbourne and Y.
countess Jocelyn and family are at present staying on a
visit to the noble viscount and viscountess.
Lorn Dunkellin proceeds from the Crimea to India,
as secretary to the new Governor-General. Captain
Daniel, of the Bengal Cavalry; Captain H. Teerich
Fitzhugh, of the Royal Artillery; Captain A. Hunt,
3d Dragoon Guards ; Captain Macdonald, 93d High-
landers ; and Captain Bouverie, 35th Bengal Native
Infantry, will be aides-de-camp to his lordship.
Sir Roger Palmer and family have left their seat,
Cefu Park, North Wales, where they have been reaiding
since the close of the London season, for Kenmure Park,
county Dublin.
Sir John and Lady Crewe and Miss Lovell have left
the Clarendon for Calk() Abbey, near Derby.
The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., has taken
Lady Stuart De Rothesey's mansion, on Carlton House
Terrace, for a term of years.
SOUTHAMPTON, Saturday.—The Peninsular aad Orien-
tal Company's screw steam-ship Nubia, Capt. Powell, left
this day for the East Indies. She will be stationed on
the route from Calcutta to Suez. She was heavily laden
with coals and stores, and previous to her departure her
speed was tested at the measured mile in Stokes Bay.
She averaged upwards of 11 knots per hour. The scree/
steam-ship Alma, Captain Grainger, of the same com-
pany, will leave on the 26th inst., and proceed to the
same destination.
MAGNITUDE OF RUSSIA.--Russia is the greatest un-
broken empire for extent that ever existed, occupying
vast regions of Europe and Asia, and nearly one-sixth of
the habitable globe. It is 41 times the size of France,
and 138 times that of England. Yet it was too small
for the ambition of Alexander who is reported to have
said," I insist upon having the' Baltic to skate upon,
the
Caspian for a bathing-place, the Black Sea as a
wash-hand basin, and the North Pacific Ocean as a fish-
P 2 nd: " He encroached on Tartary for a pasture, on
Persia and Georgia for a vineyard, on Turkey for a
garden, on Poland for a farm, on Finland and Lapland
as hunting-ground, and took North America as a place
of banishment for offenders,