The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-17 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The motion of Mr. Charles Lushington for the removal
of the Bishops from the House of Lords was only lost by
a majority of 197 to 92. We confess we did not expect so
large a minority. The Bishops have formerly contributed
not a little to the unpopularity of the House of Lords, and
the present unpopularity of the Peers seems to be particu-
larly visited on the Bishops, if we may judge from the ac-
cession to the numbers in the Commons who wish to see
them removed from the Upper House. But if, as Lord
John Russell stated, the arguments of Mr. Charles Lush-
ington went rather to change the Episcopalian for a Pres-
byterian Establishment, than tojustify the removal of the
Bishops from the Upper House, may not his Lordship's ar-
gument, that the Bishops are the individuals of the Church
who can best be spared to attend in Parliament, be rather
an argument against the utility of Bishops than one in
favour of their being Members of the Legislature ? Are
not those the best friends of Episcopacy who contend that
its duties are of the utmost importance, and that without
the constant vigilance and labour of a Bishop the Church
could not be well governed ? If a Bishop attends as he
ought to his spiritual duties, we suspect he will have little
time left for attendance in Parliament.—illorn. Chronicle.
The " Finsbury Reform Dinner,"as the White Conduit-
house display of democracy and " domestic cookery" is lu-
dicrously called, was certainly a very droll affair, but to
speak the truth, not a little disgusting also. The first
toast was " The King—his just rights, and no more." The
second toast was " The People—their just rights, and no
less." Now, why the studied reservation which
is observable in the words "no more" as applied
to the words "no less" when attached in contra-
distinction to the rights of the people ? Can there be any
doubt as to the meaning of these White Conduit toast-
makers ? Can anything be more contemptible than this
sneaking, snivelling mode of insiiliating, that what they call
the rights of the people shall be pushed as far as possible,
while the constitutional rights of the Monarchy are to be re-
stricted to whatever limits the weakness of the Crown and
the treachery of Ministers may invite the Radicals to pluck
up courage enough to insist that they shall be confined to ?
, We think this worth notice, as characteristic of the meanness
of the spirit of the party ; and it is only in this respect that
we consider it worth any notice at all : for the real nature of
their schemes is as well known as their inability to carry-
them into effect is apparent. Mr.Hurne was the first speaker
who inflicted an oration upon the Democrats, gorged, as
the account runs, with " domestic cookery.') His speech
was, as all his speeches have been recently, half Radical,
half Ministerial. Ile attempted to persuade the company,
that his only object was the public good, and that he was
" never influenced ley personal feelings." No doubt he
thought so, or he would not have said so : but we incline to
believe that, upon reflection, he will find himself wrong.
Was he all for the public, and not at all for himself, when
in India he monopolized so many offices—when he entered
Parliame.nt and sat and voted in it as " rank Tory"—
when he immortalized himself in the affair of the Greek
Loan—when he is paying those daily visits for places to the
Treasury of which the Ministers complain so bitterly ?
Ile, moreover, told his hearers, eaat in 1819 be was
considered little better than " a wild beast.' Verily
the march of civilization must have far out-strided the
march of intellect, when he whom others considered little
better than a wild beast in 1819, is, by his own confession,
merely a goose now. Mr. Harvey, who followed Mr.
Heine, differed from Into, and demonstrated that the Mid-
dlesex goose did not waddle far enoweli or fast enough for
the consummation of Radicalism. This called up Mr.
Roebuck, who, without compromising his own opinions
(which, to do him justice, he never does anywhere), re-
probated Mr. Harvey for not holdin e the same language
in the house of Commons. Sonic of the party kissed Mr.
Roebuck, but they were quickly put down. Then Mr.
Hervey tried to reply, but this was refused ; he was hissed
in his turn, arid the meeting was threatened %vhli a break-
up hi the midst of the performances. At length, however,
li-. Harvey was allowed to speak again, and the Hon.
'Member then asked Mr. Recheck why he did not " etn-
;eels( his views in a substantive motion (for the llonse
of Commons), instead of merely making a democratic
speech on the first night of the Session ?" " Pretty
play, gentlemen," as they say at single-stick matches
when the playet (?) crack one another's crowns for the
nmusement of the crowd. Here, however, the set-to
stepped, Mr. Roebuck appearing to be satisfied with having
"drawn the first blood." We, being neither umpires nor
seconds, content ourselves with narrating the course of the
combat, and give no opinion as to who had the best of it.
Colonel Thomson rose, as he said, to calm the agitation of
the scene. He compared himself to a shepherd in Viceii
—thought that Messrs. Roebuck and Harvey were "elr-
reure.T niebo," arid proposed, after the peaceful and im-
partial practice of the rustic times to which his classic re-
collections (or something else) had transported him, to
eeefer a prize upon each of the combatants. Fancy one
of Virgil's shepherds in White Conduit-fields? Oh, Peter
Pastoral ! Peier Pastoral ! who will hereafter call yours
au overdrawn character ! The gallant shepherd then went
on to declare, that he feared neither man nor devil—mean-
ing, of course, "one down and the other come on"—for
lie admitted that he was afraid of "a mob," and apropos
thereto called the House of Commons "a mob." Then,
much more after the fashion of a Smithfield drover than
a Virgilian shepherd, he talked about the iniquity of
" the tax upon bacey," and in the same breath
foli I attempted to say some civil things to the ladies !
—What an Arcadia would Shepherd Thomson's be, ye
nymphs of White Conduit-fields ! Pig-tail for primroses,
and short-cut instead of snow-drops, returns, for roses, and
quids in place of cowslips—Virginia for violets, and instead
of Pan's pipes, mere pipes of pipe-clay! The proceedings
of the domestic-cookery and democracy feast were wound
up with a speech from Daniel O'Connell, who made a
puling, pitiful appeal on behalf of the Whigs ; and when
that did not seem to take, he begged the company, if they
were determined to kick out the Ministers, not to be so
imprudent as to commence their kicking until Church-
rates should be abolished, and the Irish Corporation -Bill
passexl, It is not very surprising that when it comes to a
question of kicking, the tail should take the alarm, and de-
sire to be out of reach, or well cased before the operation
begins. But does Daniel call this backing his friends the
Ministers ? One word in conclusion. We beg to offer
to Lord Melbourne, anti to the rest of the Cabinet, our
congratulations upon this addition to the many public de-
monstrations and declarations which have recently been
matte, that so far from it being possible for them to sa-
tisfy their Radical allies, those allies propose for them, as
the ultimate reward of all their concessions, past, present,
and to come, that they shall be " kicked out."—Times.
There are few persons unbitten by the rabid mania of
party, who are not now convinced that the last return of
the Whigs to office has been a national calamity, and that
under Sir Robert Peel's administration, had he been allowed
to continue in office, the country would long ago have been
safe, and valuable reforms in operation, instead of finding
itself arrayed, as it now is, against the threatened popish
revolutionary measures which Lord Melbourne and.his col-
leagues are compelled to bring forward by the unconstitu-
tional and irresponsible tyrant, who rules them as with a
rod of iron. Every former administration, however unpo-
pular it may have become, has had to the last some adhe-
rents in the country ; but it was reserved for our present Whig
rulers to a acquire alike the scorn of friends, and the ridicule
of opponents. In whatever department viewed, whether home
nr foreign, colonial or financial, this tribe of incapables appear
but to rival each other in the fatal distinction of inefficiency.
In the meanwhile, each one, naturally enough, asks his
neighbour how much longer such a state of things can last?
How much longer the affairs of a hitherto mighty empire,
like that of Great Britain, can continue to be confided to
hands, the majority of whom look to office as a mere means
of subsistance, and are therefore willing to retain it upon
any terms? The best state of a popular Government
is when the rulers and the people mutually give and
take the tone from each other. Is such the case at pre-
sent in England ? Is the Government the organ of the
sense and feeling of the country upon any one topic, or in
any one department ? and if it has any nominal adherents,
are they not divided into two classes of the hungry ex-
yectants of patronage, and of those who look to the over-
;throw of existing institutions as the consummation of their
seorcely concealed wishes ? Still we are aware that there '
are many persons, whose judgment is entitled to re-
spect, who consider that the time is not yet ripe for the ex-
pulsion of the Whigs from office, and that grounded upon
the opinion that their former dismissal was premature, of
itself led to their return. These persons judge that the
cup of general contempt is not yet full, and that the longer
/heir dismissal is delayed, the more certain shall we be that
their exit will be final and secure. In this view of the
matter we do not deny that there is much plausibility ; but
ought a whole nation and its interests, both abroad and at
home, to stand still, while a tribe of blunderers are en-
hancing their career of fatal mistakes, and greedily pocket.
ing their ill-earned reward? This kind of experimental
mischief is neither adapted to public or private affairs ; and
it therefore every day and every hour more strongly be-
hoves the good sense of the country to speak out, and em-
phatically put an end to a state of things, which not only
arrests the march of national honour and prosperity, hut
„may be tamely allowed to exist, till the incendiary hand
which moves its puppets has raised the conflagration which I
ie evidently aims to effect.—Morning Herald.

'The Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into
the.' Vase of Mr. Lechmere Charlton was last night laid be-
forer the House of Commons. We are happy to perceive
tha notwithstanding all the undue exertions used by the
Toi ies to bias the decision of the Committee, the result is
a ,iciirlication, or rather an admission—for vindication was
necessary-r—of the legality of the course pursued by the
L ird Chancellor. The Report concludes by stating that,

" under all the circumstances, the Committee were of opi-
nion that Mr. Charlton's prayer for his discharge, by reason
of his privilege as a Member of Parliament, ought not to
Le admitted." It is certainly desirable that the House of
Commons should be vigilant in the assertion of its just and
rational privileges ; for though the time is gone by when
the Executive would dare to attempt any serious or un-
warranted encroachment on the liberty of the Members of
the Senate, yet the very shadow of such aggression
should be distinctly and energetically repelled ; but, at the
same time, if every hairbrained bully, who may chance to
be elected to the representation, be privileged to beard and
insult with impunity the first officers oftheExecutive, the judi-
eial authority would sink into perfect contempt. The mortifi-
cation of the Tories appeared excessive at the " pet of their
fancy" being still left in durance, and the Chairman of the
Committee, after the reading of the report, sought to digest
the venom of his spleen by moving that the proprietor of a
Morning paper, which censured the mode in which the
Tories endeavoured to pack the Committee, should be or-
dered to attend the bar of the House. After the unmea-
sured abuse and calumnious accusations which the Tory
press have teemed against, not only the majority of the
House of Commons, but his Majesty's Ministers, it ill be-
comes them to evince such extreme sensitiveness ; but the
consciousness of the censure being deserved, naturally ag-
gravates the pain of its application. Lord John Russell
exposed the monstrous audacity of the motion in a few
',vords. "To pass," said his Lordship, " over all minor
observations of this description, a charge delivered by the
Lord Bishop of Exeter, in which, as far as I remember,
after representing the majority of this House, in their
proceedings, to be under the guidance of a faction
who wished to destroy property and all the institutions
of the country, he proceeded to say, certain Mem-
bers of this House—sufficiently designated—the Members
who professed the Roman Catholic faith—were guilty of
treachery and perjury. Sir, if we are to take notice of
breaches of privilege, I must say I think we ought not to
lose a moment in vindicating the honour of the Members of
this House, who, for giving their votes in Parliament, and
for nothing else are declared by this Right Rev. Prelate,
whose source foe making that declaration was the public
press—he has declared them to be guilty of treachery and
perjury. For my own part, when I read the pamphlet, I
thought it as gross a breach as ever bad been committed of
the privileges of this House ; but I was convinced that those
Members whom it attacked would do far better to treat it
with utter contempt—and not take any notice of' such pro-
ceedings, but act according to their own sentiments of what
their duty was ; and are we now to be told that we are
to take up cases of this kind, when a journalist chooses
to say that some Member of the Committee had been
whipped up to attend it ?" This seemed to abash
even Tory impudence, or perhaps calumny being their chief
hope in political disquisition, it was thought politic not to
press a point which might compromise every scribe that
wields a pen in their behalf ; he this as it may, the motion
was withdrawn. Other privileges of the House were sub-
sequently brought under consideration, and on the proposi-
tion of Lord John Russell, a motion passed, " That a Se-
lect Committee be appointed to examine into precedents
respecting the circulation and publication of Reports and
Papers printed by order of that House, in order to ascer-
tain what was the practice of Parliament prior to and since
the order for the sale of such Papers.' There are some
privileges of the House of Commons long in abeyance, and
their violation connived at, the formal abrogation of which
would afford opportunity of enforcing those more essential
to its dignity, and the protection of its free discussion. Of
these we trust the present Committee will recommend the
aboli tion.—Morninj Advertiser.
One triumph of the Conservative cause succeeds an-
other, in unbroken series. I t seems to be in no degree
material to the issuo in what part of Great Britain a con-
test for the election of a Member of Parliament takes
place, or of what class of society the constituency is
chiefly composed ; far, whether the, locality to be repre-
sented be in the e.,Nt, the west, the north, or the ,south—
whether the voters be principally of the agricultural, the
manufacturinz, or the commercial class, we need only hear
of a seat in the liouse of Commons bang vacant to be as-
sured that the election of a Conservative Member, by a
triumphant majority, is at hand. We present in another
part of our paper the glorious progress and triumphant ter-
mination of yesterday's poll at the contested election for
the county of Bucks. it will be seen that Mr. Har-
Court, the Conservative candidate, outstripped his op-
ponent by considerably more than two to one. From
the first we believe there was no doubt as to the result ;
but it was not anticipated, even by the most san-
, guine friends of the Constitution, that the defeat of the
Ministerial candidate would have been so signal, so dis-
graceful we may properly acid, to the party which brought
him forward. The terns disgraceful is not gratuitously or
inconsiderately employed here, for the party who put for-
ward Mr. Da.,hwood have acted throughout the affair in
that spirit of mean malignity and low cunning which would
disgrace any cause, awl the recorded votes of the electors
attest bow correctly tie feelings and principles which
guided them are understood and appreciated. To impose
upon the Conservative candidate useless trouble and ex-
pOnse, and to annoy the Conservative electors, were the
only objects which the party or the defeated candidate can
be supposed to have hail for a moment in their contempla-
tion. It would be to stultify them to suppose that they
can so fir have mistaken the character of the electors
among whom they live as to flatter themselves with the
least hope of success. But, by keeping back to the
last moment, and encouraging in the meantime the
expectation that no opposition would be attempted,
they might take the Conservative candidate and his
friends by surprise, and thus present such a comparative
array of votes, although a majority was out of the ques-
tion, as might be less fatal to the future hopes of their
party than an unresisting surrender. Upon this desperate
speculation they proceeded. On the day of nomination
their candidate emerged—we beg pardon, the candidate
did not emerge, but his name only, from the darkness in
~tihich it had-hitherto been carefully concealed. The shal-
low trick has met, we rejoice to say, with its appropriate
reward. The electors of Bucks have shown that they
were not to be cheated by a sleight-of-hand device out of
their right of genuine representation. They have mani-
fested meritorious vigilance, energy, and zeal in the main-
tenance of' their principles. The vacant place in their re-
presentation will accsrdingly be filled by a gentleman
whose political principles, whose social station, and whose
estimable character fully entitle him to their confidence and
esteem. But the tricksters, we venture to say, will be
heard of no more as a political party in the county of
Buckingham for very many years to come.—Morning Post.

A silver consular coin or denarius, was lately
washed ashore at Lyme, and is now in Mr. Carter's numisma-
tic series. It bears the head of Mercury, with the petasus or
winged cap. On the reverse is a Bigce, or chariot and pair.
The legend is A. SAERI. The minting, triumvir's name,
and C. MA., show the piece to have been a family coin of the
Marii, a plebeian family, but enobled in history by the exploits
of the great Marius. Lyme was a Roman station, and so was
Canca Ariva, or Charmouth.— Wiltshire Herald.

The Romans not only rewarded those who married
but decreed penalties against men who remained in a state of
celibacy. Fines were first levied upon unmarried men about
the year of Rome 350 ; and when pecuniary forfeitures failed
to ensure their obedience to these connubial edicts, their con-
tumacious neglect of the fair sex was punished by degradatina
from their tribe. Celibacy continued, however, to gain ground
in Rome; and, to counteract its effects, we find that, in the
year 518 from the foundation of the city, the censors had re-
course to the extraordinary measure of obliging all the young
unmarried men to pledge themselves on oath to marry within
a certain time. In Babylon, an auction of unmarried ladies
used to take place annually.

The death of Ann Lock, at Pilton, near Barn-
stable, having taken place, as it was alleged, by the Barnstaple
Union relieving officer neglecting to give her aid during her
illness, although he had repeatedly promised to do so, the
greatest agitation pervaded the town. At the inquest it was
stated that Joce, the officer alluded to, had been repeatedly
requested to send a medical man to the deceased ; he said he
would do so, but no one went. In explanation he said he had
quite forgotten it. The jury, after hearing the evidence of a
surgeon, returned a verdict " that the deceased died from in-
flammation of the lungs, and the neglect of the relieving
officer."—North Devon Advertiser.

Like most Cantabs I acquired at College an un-
lucky taste for driving. I have driven my tandem for many
thousand miles in safety, and used at times to exhibit at once
my folly and my skill, by threading the narrowest and moat
crowded streets in London. It is scarcely necessary to add,
that eventually I broke my head ; though in justice to my
skill I must declare that the fault was not mine, but my coach_
maker's. The shaft had been morticed into the splinter bar
at the very point where its goodness was broken by a knot in
the wood. One day after a long journey into the country,
and within forty yards of my own door, the shaft broke,
and I was thrown over the shaft-horse under the heels of my
old favourite. There I lay insensible. The awkward hands
who came to render assistance waisted (as I was afterwards in-
formed by my servant,) to move the horse away from me, at the
risk of putting Isis heels upon my face ; but move he would
not ; nor would he allow a foot to be raised, till at last I was
fairly lifted up from under bins, and then, though not till then,
he readily changed his position and moved wherever they
pleased to lead him. I have no inference to draw from this,
except a caution even to the most experienced whips against
tandems. I mention this anecdote as a tribute of gratitude to
my poor horse, who showed at least as much sense as his
master. It may also supply a motive for a generous and hu-
mane treatment of this too often ill-used and noble animal.--
Caveat Einptor, Gent.

" I've been buying a splendid pianoforte for my wife."
said a gay bridegroom. " A Broadwood, of course," observed
a lady. " 0 dear no, ma'am—it was a rose-wood."
At the shop of a bookseller in Marylebone-lane,
there is exhibited on a shop-board in front of the window, an
octavo volume, to which is aned the following curious label :
Crabbo's poetical poems, price only 91"

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS, FEBRUARY 16.

GRAND JURY BILL (IRELAND.)
Mr. BERNAL and several of the Members of the House of
Commons, brought up the Grand Jury (Ireland) Bill.
Mr. Campbell appeared from the India House, and brought
up resolutions, granting pensions.
ABOLITION OF CHURCH RATES.

Lord STRAFFORD presented a petition from the inha-
bitants of Great Yarmouth, praying for the abolition of
Church-rates.

Lord SHAFTESBURY presented a petition from Chat-
ham, which he stated was signed by the Churchwardens, and
a number of the respectable inhabitants, praying that Church-
rates might not be abolished. The Noble Lord also pre-
sented petitions to the same effect from the householders and
landholders of High Holston, in the county of Oxford.
The Earl of CARLISLE presented a petition numerously
signed from the parish of Halton, praying for the total aboli-
tion of Church-rates.

Lord ASIIBURTON presented a petition from a parish
in Surrey, praying that their Lordships would not consent
to the abolition of Church-rates.

The Earl of BANDON presented a petition from the
Governors of the Dispensary of Bandon, praying for the
amendment of the first clause of the Irish Grand Jury Bill.
The Noble Lord also presented petitions from the Go-
vernors of the Dispensary of Innishannon, and the Governor
of the dispensary of Dundarron to the same effect—and con-
cluded by saying that he begged to ask the Noble Viscount op-
posite whether it was the intention of his Majesty's Ministers
to make any such alteration?
Viscount DUNCANNON said that a Bill to alter the
Irish Grand Jury Act had had passed the House of
Commons, and come up to their Lordships' House, and
he would now move that it be read a first time ; and as it was
desirable that it should pass as soon as possible, he would
move that it be read a second time to-morrow. It was his in-
tention, when it was in Committee, to propose some alterations.
The Bill was then read a first time.
REGISTRATION OF BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND