The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-29 00:00:00

in England, what would they feel if conversion to
Popery were punished es felony ? Well, thoy now
see that were not far from the ma►k. A little time
since a noble foreigner comes, most honourably de-
puted from Geneva, to solicit English intervention
with the GRAND DUKE thrcugh the Prote,,Lant Alli-

ance—a body with whose prinn proceedings we
have neither felt nor shown any sympathy. He bore,
however, a letter of the mast reasonable kind, ad-
dres‘ed to the Chairman of the _Alliance, the Earl
of SHAFTESBURY, which, at the request of the
Noble Lord, appeared in all the leading morning
journals. A deputation of highly - respectable
noblemen and gentlemen was appointed to visit
Tuscany, and intercede with the GRAND DUKE for
the liberation of the prisoners. Amongst these, was
Sir CULLING EARDLEY, who, probably expecting
only to put him in the wrong, writes to Mr.
LUCAS, M.P. for Meath, and Editor of the Tablet, to
know from him, in writing, whether he might convey
to the DUKE any expressions of indignation from Mr.
Lucas, at his gross and barbarous violation, not
merely of religious equa'ity, but of the humblest
measure of toleration. Mr. Lucas had been amongst

the loudest in raising 'he Religious Equality cry ;
hence, as is universally confessed, Sir CULLING'S re-
quest was pre-eminently reasonable. Mr LUCAS had
himself agreed that " the EA step tow--ds attaining
the blessing of secure homes and safe altars, must be
the desti action of everything in the shape of privilege,

precedency, monopoly, or unfair advantage on the
pert of the Established Church." How, then, does
the pupil of the Jesuits wriggle himself out of his
awkward position? Why, with about three columns
of irrelevant scolding, and one argument ad rem—this
to wit, that persecution is a question of majorities and
minorities 1 If the Government be absolutely Catholic
_if, as in Tuscany, it has in times past burnt and
banished Protestants out of the land—then it is no

persecution to punish those who become Protestants,
and who would, like honest men, teach what they be-
li,!ve 1 If so, assuredly Catholic Emancipation was a
blunder ; and earnest Protestants, taught by Mr.
LUCAS, will exclude every Catholic from the slightest

share in the government of the country. The Revs

STOWELL and MACNEALE will know how to brandish

Mr. Lucas's arguments at Exeter Hall. What Mr.
Lucas lacks in argument, however, we are sorry to
see, he can make up in a M'HALE style of abuse : to
make men Protestants, is the work of "souping,
swindling, mammon proselytism ;" it is " to meke men
devils, or anything, if it were possible, that is worse,
rather than allow them to save their souls in the pure
way in which their fathers worshipped GOD," We
fancy Mr. LUCAS has given the coup de grace to the
religious equality movement. If he be its represents-

tive, the hoax is too transparent.
We dare say Mr. Lucas may be acquainted with
another fact or two, of which, however, we take the
liberty to remind him. An old tried and ardent ad-
vocate of Catholic Emancipation, a writer and speaker
of high standing, whose avowed creed for Ireland was,
disendow all sects,or endow all equally, was in the last
Parliament member for Bradford. He had voted
against the disendowment of Maynooth, by which he
lost some hot anti-Catholic voters, but, unpardonable
sin !—he had voted that the Pope of Rome should not
have the liberty of forging titles out of English ter-
ritory. For this he could never be forgiven. Tuscan
mercies only for such Protestants ! Well, an opponent
to Col. THOMPSON was put forward, a nominee of the
Orange Vicar, and the Orange Club; pledged against
Maynooth to the backbone. No matter. The real
advocate of equality for Catholics must
be punished
at all hazards. Accordingly, the priest and the Ca-
tholics, in obedience, it was credibly rumoured, to a
missive from Cardinal WISEMAN, watch the contest
till near its close. The run is close, Col. Tuoursori
is a-head ; but at the eleventh hour, down comes the
priest with thirty-six voters, who had always voted on
the liberal side before, and ejects by a majority of six
their real friend, the liberal Col. Tuomrsosr, in
favour of the Orange Club nominee. To gratify
the meanest, most malevolent spite—spite worthy
only of the beings amongst whom Mr. LUCAS
classes unhappy Protestants, the father of Free Trade
and one of the ablest Liberals in the House of Com-
mons, is ousted to make room for an intellectual and
political !Nobody, (worthy iron-master though he
be,) sod a pledged foe to their Catholic equality !
Only a year or two before, Sir CULLING EARD-
LET, when a candidate for the West Riding, was pro-
bably himself a victim to the same sectarian spite.
He had been an active theclogice.l opponent of
Popery. When, however, he appeared as a candidate,
he consistently avowed firmly the same views on Re-
ligious Equality at the hustirg3 which he had always
maintained on the platform; his theological warf—e
wi, h Catholics had not dimmed his perception of their
just claims as citizens. Yet it was thought that the
Catholic voters who only abstained feorn polling,
(for they had no Cardinal then to order them
exclude
e t, i t
if'
to vote for rn avowed enemy to their social rights,)
were about sufficient to have given Sir CULLING V.
mua jo ri
will
place Catholics
Orangemen in power, and
will pursue this spiteful con.
d
.i
theirtheyf
political friends, from pure vindictive-
ness; if they will, in addition, defend the most cruel
Frs-cution where their religion il dominant, and
refuse to show any British feeling of the rights of
con-iience, let them not be surprised if they be dealt
with according to their deeds, rather than according
to their words. To9cany and Bradford will not soon
be forgotten. We have emancipated the Catholics
from renrities ' • let them emancipate themselves from
the bitterness, bigotry, end sectarian selfishness of a
bygone age ;—or it will be thought that those need
another CROMWELL who understand not the blessing
of living under Queen VICTORIA.

FUNERAL OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.—Seats
will be er-eted around the parish church of St. Mtny-le-
Strand, the proc"cds of which will be appropriated to the
parochial charities,
Her Majesty's ship-, of eve*, in going up or down
Channel, continue to drop their colours half-mast high on
psssing Dover Castle and the rime ceremony is viso ob-
served in parsing Weimer Castle.
RETIREMENT OF MR. INSPECTOR FIELD, CHIEF OF
THE DETECTIVE DEPARTMENT OF METROPOLITAN POLICE.
—After long end arduous service of twenty-four years in the
employmsat of the government, this meritorious officer re-
tires on the good servico pension. His urbanity of manners
end conciliatory disposition endearsd him to all those con-
nected with him both in end out of office ; and he leaves the
Set vice with the most valuable of ell advantages, a good name
and irreproachable character.
THE GLOBE INSURANCE COMPANY.—The half-
yearly meeting of the proprietors of the Globe Insurance
Company, WP9 held yesterday at the °Mere in Carnhill, and
the usual dividend at the rate of six per ce-at per annum,
free of income• tax was declared. The chairman (Mr. Fresh-
field, M.P.), in the course of his address to the mating, gave
a favovrable account of the progress and present position of
all the departments of the Company's business, and of the
results which had attended the revised scheme of life
insurance. A vote of thanks was passed to the chairman,
deputy-chairman, and directors.
PASSING COUNTERFEIT COlN.—Yesterday even
an adjourned meting of the Committee of the Tradesmen's
National Protection Association for the prosecution of per-
sons p' sing counterfeit coin, WP9 held for the dispatch of
business, at the house of Mr. George Welte one of the di-
rectors, in Shoe-lrne. During the slims period which has
elapsed since the organization of thie body, the knowledge
of its objects and intentions has extended to a large con-
nexion of tradesmen end merchr its engasted in extensive
ways of lovsi.,e. - from all of whom the warmest expres-
sions of epprovel end ready re-operation have been received
The supineness of the law office,o of the Mint in exerci-
sing that pesticular nett of the functions of a public
pros,cutor :which is r evolved upon them, has at length
produced the necessary mount of inconvenience in
pubic affairs to occasion an effoii, by combination, to per-
form them; and in the vigorous operations of this associa-
tion will henceforth lie the great s:cut:ty which the public
must look to from the systematic victimization of the titterers
of base coin. At the present time, the machinery of the
essociation is almost ready for immediate working, and con-
sidering the enormous ainovnt of fraud which is willingly
submitted to, rather than incur the annoyances and cost of a
prosecution, it is impossible to believe that the public will
not largely avail themselves of the admirable aids which this
association proposes to afford, by the exercise of which alone
society can be delivered from one of its most virulent plagues.
The chair wrs taken by Mr. William Kirk, the chairman cf
the easociatior, Two directors were added to the list, and
arrangements settled for immediate business. Mr. Brad don
the solicitor to the association, announced that he had that
day submitted the rules and regulations to Mr. Wm. l'ayne,
the counsel of the association, and that that gentleman had
approved them.
DESTRUCTION OF THE LATE CHARTIiT'S HALL BY
FlRE.—This morning about two o'clock the Assembly Rooms
of Webber-row, Blackfi jar's-road, were discovered on fire by
a policeman. The flames spread most furiously. and ere the
arsival of Mr. Braidwood, Mr. Connorson, Mr. Henderson,
end others with several engines of the Brigade and West of
England firemen, the whole building and contents were en-
veloped in flames. On the wivel of the firemen every endea-
vour was made to prevent the extension of destruction, but
the fire extended its fury to the adjoining houses in Black-
friars-road, es also Webber-row. floe engines being kept,
however, constantly in operation, by five o'clock the lire was
extinguished, not, however, unt't the entire destruction of
the lecture-room, dancing-room, end every valuable. A
coffee shop also, adjoining. taken but reentry by a Mr. But-
cher, was also weedy damaged, as alio the house of Mr.
Smith, BlacLfriars-road, a chemist and druggist. The assem-
bly-rooms, let occasionally to Southwell, the lecturer, are
nut insured; and as to the cause of the cal :mity, nothing
could be ascertained. A meeting had been held in the
room?, on the previous evening, and upon the company
leaving, all was left apparently perfectly safe. Insurances
were partly effected in the sun, West of England, and other
offices.