The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-19 00:00:00

a.

THURSDAY

THE FAMILY MINISTRY.

The Medicis ruled supreme in Florence—the
Sforz As were the glory of Milan—the Borgias were
the curse of Rome. Until lately, however, we never
imagined that the welfare of England could be either
very materially promoted or very greatly obstructed
by the conduct of any one family in the Peerage.
Blackstone, indeed, has told us a great deal about
the unspeakable importance of hereditary Govern-
ment ; but we suspect that he used the term in a
different sense from that which circumstances
have unfortunately given it in our time at
any rate he could have known nothing of the Greys.
The accusation brought against Lord John Russell
the other day, that every member of the Cabinet is
a lineal descendant of his great grandmother, is, it
7 a novel one. To be sure, the
cionsteesasd
d of repelling the charge, declared,
Premier,
ibecre confessed,
h'eracteristic gallantry, that " nothing on
earth should prevent him from promoting to the
chief offices of State the issue of his maternal an-
cestor, if he thought they were qualified to fill
them." We have no wish to drive him to any such
painful extremity. We have no wish to exclude
from the Government, like a political Pariah, every-
body related to so respectable an old lady. All we
wish to insinuate is, that the people of this country
—ascertaining, on the unimpeachable authority of Mr.
Dod, that the whole Russell Cabinet are inti-
mately connected with each other, and having no
equally unquestionable evidence to show that they are
all qualified for their several posts—may be apt to
draw their own conclusions from these two facts ;
and while they would individually give their heads
to be related to such a remarkable family, they may,
collectively object to be governed by them. She
certainly must have been a wonderful woman, that
same great-grandmcther of Lord John Russell. She
has actually peopled a whole Cabinet—she has lite-
rally given birth to three Administrations. In an-
other generation we shall scarcely know where to find
room for her issue. Even now we are ready to cry
out with Macbeth—
" What! will the line stretch to the crack of doom?
Another—yet a seventh! We'll see no more—
And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass'
Which shows as many more. Horrible sight!"
Oh Cornelia, Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi I
you were a proud woman ; but what had you
to boast of, compared with the great-grandmother of
the Russells ? It is not, however, the multitude
of her descendants which we so much admire—it
in the extraordinary versatility of their genius.
Every Athenian was by birth an admiral, a politi-
cian, a general, and a philosopher—every Russell
is by nature a Lord of the Treasury, a Secretary
of State, a Postmaster-General, a Privy Seal, and a
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Our pre-
sent rulers have no leisure to learn their business,
because they are always bettering their condition.
By the time a Secretary of War has just been able
to read the " Army List " through carefully, he
finds himself whisked away to the Colonies—by
the time a Secretary to the Admiralty hase begun
to know something about ships, he is packed off to
the Exchequer. If a friend from the country
seeks to pay his respects to a Secretary of State, the
chances are that he will be referred to the Horse-
Guards—if a deputation from the north comes
up to wait upon the Commissioners of Woods and
Forests, it is as likely as not that they will catch
him in the act of crossing over to the Duchy of
Lancaster. Why a Vice-President of the Board
of Trade should necessarily be made a Foreign
Secretary, is hard enough to understand ; but why,
because he is made a Foreign Secretary, another Fo-
reign Secretary should be appointed Vice-President
of the Board of Trade, is a far more difficult ques-
tion to answer—unless, indeed, we suppose that, in
the present aspect of their affairs, the Ministry have
nothing to do except to play at.that fine old Christmas
game, the chief excitement of which consists in chang-
ing places without letting any one else get into your
seat. There is one peculiarity about their manoeuvres,
however,hemas you
which deserves notice. They resemble some
of those eccentric packs of cards which the vigilance
always of our police force occasionally detects in some of the
less reputable haunts of the metropolis. Shuffle them
tyoaun pEllelaiosetTacuurtetyh, or a Russellwhere you
at
the
,m
theirworld.
foreign Stations—like
s service.eaitbe
is
abottom.
We do not know whether her Majesty's Ministers
h
any fixed rule aceording to which they change
Sometimes
tm
eseoemme
Some
men-of-war, ottfhb-
these
ssm-
ea r
513,
eaonvriouregimentssbeesebwial
lil
mo vaokeuretshobines
`Vest
first appearance in the W
the Home-office ; next, we find him in Ireland; thence
he passes over to the Col
aleCtoo hntitneentaglreamnd übatsosyr; Colonies
Indiese
.w e ;tthheennf he el i tutusow h um to
p i
and Perhaps he finally com-
pletes
with a trip to Innia. The
Marquis of Normanby, for instance, made his debut
as Governor .of Jamaica--a post for which he had

We bear no particular to Lord John Rus-
sell. We believe, indeed, that ho is not over friendly
to the liberty of the Press, and perhaps he has no
very great reason to be so ; but we can assure him
we are not his chief enemies. If he wishes to
become a popular Minister, we recommend him, in
the first place, to suppress " Dod's Parliamentary
Companion," and the " British Peerage." The
author of those far-famed compilations does in-
finitely more harm to a nepotist " Liberal" Pre-
mier than all the newspapers put together ; and
until Lord John puts down that " wretched scrib-
bler," or sends him to Norfolk Island—the British
Cayenne—the public will never be persuaded that
he holds office solely for the good of his country,
and not for the sake of the numerous and fortunate
progeny of his wonderful great-grandmother. By
adopting these coercive measures—and, perhaps, by
making
whiskers—he may possibly succeed in persuading
one half of his Cabinet wear wigs and the rest
the nation that it is not governed by cousins. In the
meantime, we may just venture to suggest to him,
in the most friendly spirit possible, that there exists
everywhere a vulgar prejudice against a public
man who is suspected, however unjus;ly, of making
his family the first object of his anxiety, and his
country the second. Lord John Russell aspires
to be the leader of a large popular party out of
doors, but his Cabinet is only open to those who can
claim admission as " Founder's Kin." Biutus did
not give the cosiilesl.ip to his maternal uncle, nor
did .Rienzi make a tribune of his little boy. We
have, indeed, heard of such things being done in
modern days, but then the offenders were always
" that disreputable association," " that carnivorous
tribe of kites and vultures"—the Tory party. An aris-
tocratic clique, at the head of a democratic faction, is
indeed a novelty. For our own part, we should as
soon have expected to seo her Majesty's cream-co-
loured coronation steeds prancing away before a dray
cart, as to behold our six or eight thoroughbred
" Greys" dragging the whole of Manchester at
their heels. In these dayt, to bear the name of
Grey, Elliott, or Russell, is itself a fortune, and
to marry a connexion of a Cabinet Minister, is a
fair opening to one, or all, of the Secretarysbips
of State. We have no wish to interfere with the
Premier's benevolent intentions towards the issue,
of his great grandmother; but it will not be easy to
convince us that we can only be legislated for by
men who bear a certain name, and that the secret of
governing England—like the art of making Eau de
Cologne—is exclusively in the hands of a single
family.—Chronicle.

proved himself " qualified" by writing two novels. I moment, trying to pick a quarrel with a ,neighbour
From Jamaica he went to the Home-office—from ' who has hitherto shown no disposition to 'be on bad
the Home-office to Dublin—from Dublins to the terms with her. That neighbour is certainly en-
Colosial-office—from the Colonial-office to Paris— titled to regulate his own household as he deems
and from Paris, we hear, he is about to proceed to best calculated to maintain domestic order and good
Calcutta. The career of Lord Granville has been behaviour. If he has sentries at every door of every
a still more chequered one. Early in life, he room, no one but those in the rooms has any title to
was made Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs. find fault; and if they do not complain of the stir-
While still a child, he was appointed a Com- veillance, what right has that grumbling lady over
missioner of Railways. As soon as he had the way to alarm the whole neighbourhood with her
mastered the rudiments of arithmetic, he was outcries ?
created Paymaster of the Forces and Treasurer of In fact, had England been content to remain
the Navy. As soon as he bad learned to ride he was quiet at present there would have been, on. the op-
made Master of the Queen's Buckhounds. When the posite sides of the Channel, two most interesting
hunting season broke up he was appointed Vice- problems working out for an observing—a wondering
President of the Board of Trade ; and when world. On the one side Free Institutions, Free
Lord Palmerstone gave up office he became Trade, and a Free. Press. On the other side Protec-
Foreign Secretary. Now just conceive what a vast tion, Exclusion, Submission. Each system has its
variety of 46 qualifications" such a man had needs advantages and disadvantages—the world would soon
possess. He ought to be at once a shrewd ao- have seen which of the two sought with the happiest
countant, a keen sportsman, a professed locomotive- results the welfare of the governed.—Derbyshire
maker, a profound economist, and practised diplo- Courier.
matist. All the different accomplishments by which
Mr. Robert Stephenson, Talleyrand, Sir Tatton
Sykes, and " The Tutor's Assistant" have severally
rendered themselves renowned or useful, ought to be
concentrated in him alone ; and, of course, as the Pre-
mier has declared him qualified for anything we can
against such an authority. Lord
have Grey, nothing n nareg to urgehappy
to add, has been a comparative
fixture during his political life ; but then to palm
him off upon any department which has not grown
accustomed to his peculiar eccentricities would be too
bold a proceeding even for Lord John Rnssell to
venture on. As for Sir Charles Wood, it would be
difficult to say what he has not been, except a
financier.

SINGULAR. DEATH FROM LOCK-JAW. -On
Tuesday an inquest was held at Liverpool on the body
of James Bradley, a cotton porter, twenty-eight years of
age, whose death had been caused in the following sin-
gular manner:—About a week previously he was em-
ployed in converting the blade of a razor into a knife by
fixing it to a wooden handle, and used the sharp end of a
file, heated, to bore holes in the wood. While so engaged
the file slipped, making a deep burnt incision in the palm
of his hand, near the thumb. A carman put something
into the wound. which he said was used for horses ; and the
deceased contieued at his work as usual, until two days be-
fore his death, when he complained that his jaws were quite
tight, and that he could hardly open his mouth. The hand,
which had been much swollen all the week, was :now of the
natural size ; and the evening before his death, on leaving
work, his neck was quite stiff; and his head all on one side.
Then, for the first time, medical advice was called in, but
too late; tetanus had set in, and in a few hours after-
wards he died. The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental
death."

LOWESTOFT, FEE. 18.—A brig is in the North Roads
very leaky, and is expected in next tide.
Two small reservoirs near Edenfield, forming part
of the Manchester Waterworks, burst during the late floods,
but no great damage was done by the accident.

LAW INTELLIGENCES
COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH„Feb. 18.

(London Sittings at Nisi Prius, before Lord CAMP-
BELL and Common Juries.)
THE QUEEN V. FEITILLAN AND DENIS.

This was an indictment for the alleged offence of
obtaining goods under false pretences, and for a con-
spiracy to obtain them.
The case was one of great importance to the defen-
dants and the public.
Mr. Knowles and Mr. R. Martin appeared as
counsel for the prosecution ; Mr. Cole for the defen
dant: Feuillan, and Mr. D. James for the defendant
Denis.

Mr. KNOWLES stated the case for the prosecution,
from which it appeared that the defendants, who are
Frenchmen, conspired to obtain a quantity of flour
from the prosecutor, Mr. Silvester, a corn and flour
factor on the Corn-exchange, with an office at 59,
Fenchurch-street. The Learned Gentleman then
called—

Mr. Stein, who deposed that he is a flour salesman,
and did business with the prosecutor. On the 30th
of May last the defendant (Feuillan) called on, and
had some samples of prosecutor's flour from him. He
expressed his desire to become a purchaser, and re-
quired a month's credit. Witness required a good
reference, and Fueillan referred him to the defendant
Denis and Co., Lime-street. Witness on the next day
called at Fueillan's house, 87, High-street, Mary le-
bone, and then heard from him, that he had contracts
with Mr. Youghusband and Soyer, for bread, &c.,
during the Exhibition. He showed witness over
the bakehouse and premises, and said he had a lease
of the house. Witness handed the reference to the
prosecutor, who, on inquiry, dealt directly with
Feuillan.

Mr. Henry Silvester, the prosecutor, corroborated
the testimony of Mr. Stein, as to the references to
Bacon and Co., Mark-lane, and Denis and Co., Lime-
street. Bacon and Co. said they knew and believed
Feuillan to be a respectable man, some time prior to
the time of prosecutor's inquiry, but that they did
not then know anything of his business. The de-
fendant Denis represented that he had known Feuil-
lan many years, had trusted him with goods to the
amount of 2001. or 3001., was paid by him, and be-
lieved him to be a respectable and safe man. Prosecu-
tor put the most searching questions to Denis, exer-
cising the strictest caution before he would part with
his flour. Denis, in reply, said that he bad been but a
short time in business as a baker ; that he was pre-
viously in business as a wine merchant ; had paid
5001. premium for the lease of his house, which he
rented at 701., obtaining, at the same time, 601. a
year for some cottages adjacent. He represented him
as free from pecuniary difficulties, and as a man upon
whose own responsibility prosecutor might deal with
him. Prosecutor, anxious to be perfectly assured
before be would part with his goods, expressed a de-
sire to see Feuillan's lease, and Denis represented that
it was in the hands of his (Denis's) attorney, Feuillan
not having an attorney of his own ; but that it was
not mortgaged, and was perfectly free. Prosecutor,
on those representations, called at Feuillan's shop, in
High-street, Marylebone, and having told him of the
object of his call, and that he had seen Denis, to
whom he had referred, he answered " that is right."
Prosecutor said he understood be supplied M. Soyer
with bread for the Exhibition, and he replied " Yes,
to the amount of 200. 300, and 400 loaves daily, and
showed him at the time some of Soyer's receipts. He
required 30 or 40 sacks of flour per week on sale, of
the value of 50/., at one month's credit. Prosecutor
remarked, that the credit asked was large, and asked
him if he was quite sure that he would be able to pay
him if he let him have the flour. He answered
" You will incur no responsibility; I have neither
debts nor liabilities hanging over me." Madame
Feuillan being present, said her husband was not that
kind of man. Prosecutor, upon those representations,
consented to give the credit, and supplied him on his
order with 22 sacks of flour, value 38/. Feuillan, on
the 17th, called and said he had used the 22 sacks,
that the flour was exceedingly fine, and that he wanted
more like it. Prosecutor, not having more of that
quality, supplied him with five sacks of an inferior
quality. On the 24th he called again, and obtained
five sacks more, the whole quantity supplied amounting
to 70/. 12s. When the credit for this expired
Feuillan was not able to pay, and prosecutor, unable
to see him, addressed several letters to him for pay-
ment, to none of which had he received an answer.
Prosecutor then called on the defendant Denis, who
said he believed Feuillan had fallen into some tempo-
rary difficulty, arising out of his having been security
for a party some years back. An actien, he continued,
was brought against him, in which he allowed
judgment to go by default, and there was an
execution consequently put into his house for
the debt and costs, to pay out which he had
appropriated the money which he had to pay
prosecutor's bill. Denis added that Feuillan
owed him nearly 2001. for flour. Prosecutor
knowing that Denis was a wine merchant, asked him
how it was that Feuillan could have had dealings
with him for flour, and he replied, that he had a con-
signment of flour over from France. Prosecutor,
seeing that he had been imposed upon, said he should
issue a writ against Feuillan, and asked his Christian
name. Denis said " Charles" only. Prosecutor re-
marked, why he signs " C. P.," how is that ? and
Denis said he did not know, but would try and ascer-
tain. Denis, on a subseqoent occasion, said that
Feuillan was in trouble, and that it would not be
worth prosecutor's while to take any proceedings
against him ; that he (Denis) bad on the previous day
lent him 12s. to complete the purchase of three sacks
of flour; but that he was about to raise money on his
lease, when both of them might be paid ; but of course
he would take care of himself first. He was resolved,
as the lease was at his solicitor's, not to let it go until
he was first paid. Prosecutor then said he bad been
imposed upon—that it was a swindling transaction—
and he should apply to the Lord Mayor for a warrant.
He then took proceedings against Feuillan in the
Bankruptcy Court, and about a month after saw, to
his surprise, the name of " J. T. Denis and C 0.,"
painted over the door of Feuillan's house in High-
street, Marylebone, with the addition—" Bakers to
Soyer's Symposium."
Prosecutor was subjected to a cross-examhinaatihoenfobrya
Mr. James, and deposed that Feuillan, wthaet
be had
the Commissioner of Bankruptcy, swore
and
prosecu-
a good defence on the merits of' his case,c
tor was not consequently
was
about to him that he must an action in the
regular way. Prosecutor discovered when wh"lenmihses.
about to apply to for tbehlytearerraasnst..attorethete Lord Mayor,
that Feuillan was in Win
the Bankruptcy Court by
The affidavits
s:pisr:necutor were here produced by
Feuillan and the
Mr. Brown, ntl
W. Goddard, an auctioneer, in Mooreate-
Mr. F. ' that he had let the house, 87, High-
street, deposedb
ne
Diaryle o
0, to Feuillan, at 140/. a year • that
d. for the fixtures, but did not' ob-
street,
he paid
861.
although an agreement for one bad been
tdrawnaial,rr The defendant Denis, when he was ne-
gotiating for the house, was sometimes with him.
The first quarter's rent was paid by him, but a dis-
tress was put in for the second, which Denis, who has
now got the house, paid by instalments. Feuillan
signed the agreement with a C only.
Stephen Thornton, a " detective" sergeant of po-
lice, deposed that he knew Feuillan in the name of
Brett, and that be apprehended him and others, in
1847, on 3, criminal charge. He was tried on that
charge at the Old Bailey, and acquitted.
Witness, in cross-examination by Mr. Cole, said he
had known Feuillan for a period of nice years in the
name of " Brett.."
William Childs, an agent of the London Trades'
Protection Society, deposed that he bad Ifilcsvfn

Feuillan since 1848, under the name of Brett ; that
he had an office with " Brett and Co." over the door;
and that the defendant Denis, when he called upon
him and asked him if he knew Brett, said he did.
Witness said, " I hope you have no transactions with
him, as I should be sorry to see you in trouble ;" and
he said he would take care that Feuillan should not
get the best of him. 'Witness added, "heis a re-
gular swindling thief," to which Denis replied he had
bad two or three transactions with him, and found it
was all right.

Witness, in cross-examination, added that he had
seen Feuillan and Denis together i❑ Leadenhall-
street, and that he had, on that occasion, warned
Denis not to have anything to do with him.
Further evidence connecting the defendants in
business transactions, was Riven by Mr. Saby, formerly
Customhouse clerk to Denis, Mr. East, on a bill of
exchange, and Mr. Payne, a coal-merchant.
Feuillan's schedule was then put in, and exhibited
his debts 1,4311. 17s. Id., and entries of goods from
various flour-factors, scarcely one of which was
paid for.
Mr. COLE addressed the jury on behalf the de-
fendant Feuillan, and urged that as a foreigner, un-
acquainted with the laws of England, he might have
fallen into errors with reference to the representations
about the lease and other matters. The Learned
Gentleman submitted that there was no pre-arrange-
ment between the defendants, and that Feuillan could
not be responsible for what Denis had stated respect-
ing him. He then called a witness to Feuillan's cha-
racter ; but he only proved that Feuillan had not
paid him a debt which he owed him.
Mr. JAMES, o❑ behalf of the defendant Denis, sub-
mitted that to connect ham criminally with Feuillan,
the jury must be satisfied that he made the repre-
sentations to the prosecutor with the intention of
frudulently inducing him to part with his goods.
The Learned Gentleman, in explanation of Denis
having possession of Feuillan's house, said be was a
creditor for 6001., and had entered under a bone fide
bill of sale.

Mr. Youngbusband, and several other witnesses,
were then called to character, and they deposed that
they had known Denis for many years as a respect-
able wine-merchant in the City, and as bearing an
excellent character for integrity and honour.
Lord CAMPBELL summed up, and having com-
mented on the facts of the case, said it was a most
important one not only to the defendants, but to the
public. In point of law the jury might find one of
the defendants guilty and acquit the oth,-r ; but on
the second count, they would be bound either, to
acquit or find both defendants guilty. the case was
now in their hands, and if they had a reasonable
doubt, they should give the defendants the benefit of
it ; but if not, then they must, without hesitation,
find the defendants guilty.
The jury retired, and after an absence of half an
hour, returned a verdict of guilty on both counts
against the defendants.
Mr. liNowLEs prayed the judgment of the Court
at once on the defendant=.

Lord CAMPBELL said he should certainly pass the
sentence of ti Court without delay, and in presence
of the city of London.
Mr. COLE interrupted, and said be trusted his Lord-
ship would bear in mind that his client, Feuillan,
had already been six months in prison.
Lord CAMPBELL then passed the sentence of the
Court, adjudging Charles Philippe Feuillan to two
years' imprisonment and hard labour in Newgate,
and Thomas Denis to one year's imprisonment and
hard labour.

It was subsequently communicated that the de-
fendants could not conveniently undergo the sen-
tence of the Court in Newgate, and his Lordship
consequently ordered that the imprisonment shall
be in the House of Correction for the city of London.