The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-01 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN.

The " British Museum" is an account of the read-
ing-room of this valuable national establishment, and
its numerous motley visitors. "In this room," says
the author, " are often to be seen many of the most
distinguished literary characters of the day. Campbell
and Moore, and the late Mr. Godwin, with others of
the most popular authors of the age, have repeat-
edly met together, without any previous concert, in
that interesting locality. There are some of our mo-
dern Literati who have been unremitting in their at-
tendance in the reading-room for nearly a quarter of a
century. It was stated last year before a Select Com-
mittee of the House of Commons, that Mr. Hallam,
the celebrated author! of the Middle Ages,' had
been a regular attel 'dant for nearly that length
of time." The " iViad Captain" is another of
those naval stories -with which the periodical
press now teems to ov:rflowing. We are begin-
ning to be as sick of these prosy,monotonous yarns,
as ever we were of a fashionable novel. " Leaves
from the Journal of a Traveller," contain some vivid
Italian sketches. " Wallingford Castle" is a tale
founded on the old pop .-ular tradition, that Harold sur-
vived many years the 1, Iss of his kingdom at the disas-
trous battle of !Tasting:J. On the who!e, the Number
is one of average merit..

LONDON :
FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 1,-1837.

In the House of Loftus yesterday the Duke of RICHMOND
presented a petition of great importance from Elgin. The
petitioners complained of the detention of their letters at In-
verness, as well as of an excessive rate of postage. The
Noble Duke, in the course of his observations on the subject,
expressed his opinion of the impossibility of adopting Mr.
ROWLAND HILL'S plan of establishing one uniform rate of
postage ; but thought that a reduction in the rate of postage
was proper and practicable. The Earl of LICHFIELD said
that he was now more convinced than ever that Mr. HILL'S
scheme could not be sanctioned by the Government as, in its
operation, it would be most injurious to the revenue. The
Postmaster-General indulged in some angry comments on the
course the Hon. Member for Greenock had pursued for ob-
taining a reform of the Post-office, denouncing Mr. WAL-
LACE'S statements as " most scandalous and infamous libels."
Robberies, however, to a certain extent, the Noble Earl ad-
mitted bad been committed 2 • " but certainly the seals of no let-
ters had been broken in the Post-office," said Lord LICHFIELD,
" and," added he, " it was a libel to say that the seals had
ever been violated."

Lord BROUGHAM gave notice of his intention this day to in-
troduce a Bill on the subject of Education, and for the better
administration of Charities.
The Commission of the Peace Bill was read a first time,
an 1 ordered to be read a second time this day.
In the liousE of COMMONS, on the motion of Mr. SLANEY,
a Select Committee was appointed to inquire into the condi-
tion of the labouring classes, with a view to devising some
means Gf National °Education. For the speech of the Hon.
Member (which exhibits an interesting view of the st-itistics of
education), and the debate also that ensued, we refer to our
Parliamentary Report ; the perusal will be repaid with in-
terest.

On the motion of Sir H. VERNEy, a Bill to render owners
of small tenements liable to the parochial rates was read a
first time.

COl. PERCEVAL then brought forward his motion for cer-
tain pape!s detailing the proceedings, finding, and sentence of
a Court-martial held in the year 1816 on Lieutenant Richard
Blake, of the 55th Regiment, together with the approval
ithereof his Royal Highness the PRINCE REGENT.
A
t debate ensued, ending in the abandonment of his
oration by bary
the Gallant Colonel, who, it will be seen, retreated
tosm
discomfited and in dismay with his Parliamentary allies, after

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1837

a disastrous :and most unsuccessful attack. The Gallant
Colonel however afterwards rallied, moving for a Return of
the Irish Constabulary. There again, however, Colonel PER.
CEVAL was repulsed : his motion was negatived without a
division.

Mr. G. KNIGHT obtained leave to bring in a Bill for the
Consolidation of the Boards of First Fruits, Tenths, and
Queen Anne's Bounty.
On the motion of Mr. HUME, Returns were ordered of the
number of Electors Registered in England, Wales, Scotland,
and Ireland.

Mr. ELLICE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to amend the
Act for the Preservation of Salmon Fisheries in Scotland.

The Municipal Officers' Declaration Bill was read a second
time. The House, then, at half-past Ten o'Clock adjourned.

Our readers will be able to form an excellent idea of
the moral spirit of Orange Protestantism, by perusing
the debate which Colonel PERCEVAL brought on last
night in the House of Commons. The Gallant Offi-
cer holds a high rank among the purists of his party
it is therefore doing the inferior ranks no injustice—to
say the least—to take his conduct as a test by which
to measure their merits. If we find this leading
Orangeman not ashamed to stand forward as a per-
secutor of the worst description—a persecutor from
motives of pure revenge, and attempting to give
effect to his vindictive feelings, first through the in-
strumentality of an inferior tribunal, and then by
means of the Parliamentary privilege which he so un-
worthily enjoys—what restraint can we suppose the
great body of the party—the Orange canaille—who
have no character to lose, will impose upon their
malignant passions ?
Colonel PERCEVA L brings forward a motion for the
production of a copy of the charges, finding, and.
sentence of a Court-Martial held upon Lieutenant
BLAKE, of the 55th Regiment, upwards of twenty
years ago. The professed object of the motion
is to show that a gross affront had been put
upon the people of Ireland in general, and the inha-
bitants of the county of Sligo hi particular, by ap-
pointing to the office of stipendiary magistrate a
man who had been dismissed from the army. To
achieve by one operation two such exploits as an in-
culpation of the Government and the gratification of
personal malevolence, was an object every way worthy
of Colonel PERCEVAL'S generous ambition. He
set to it accordingly with, however, more zeal than
knowledge, letting out in the course of his speech that
there were other grounds of objection in his mind,
if not in his public charge, against Mr. BLA KE. That
gentleman, it appeared, had on one occasion accom-
panied the great Agitator to Sligo, and had expressed
political hostility to him, the gallant Colonel I
The reply of Lord MORPETII was triumphant.
It completely overwhelmed the mover, and the few
thick and thin partisans who came to his aid.
The Noble Lord stated to the House that Mr.
BLAKE had been appointed a stipendiary magis-
trate on the recommendation of Lord ORANMORE,
Lord DILLON, and many other persons of the
highest respectability ; but that as soon as Lord
MULGRAVE found that he had been dismissed
from the army, lie cancelled his appointment
—that this very Gentleman, who, at the dis-
tance of twenty-three years from the commission of
the offence for which he had been dismissed the army,
was deemel unworthy to be a stipendiary magistrate
by
.the Gallant Colonel and his party, had, after a
minute enquiry into all the circumstances of the case,
been put into the Commission of the Peace,
by an Orange Lord Lieutenant (Lord MANNERS),
ten years ago ! The Noble Lord might well say
that he thought this dismissal of a man who had du-
ring ten years proved himself an efficient Ma-
gistrate, " would have slaked the hostile feel-
ings of even the Honourable and Gallant Member ;"
particularly when it is known, as it could not fail to
be by Colonel PERCEVAL, that Mr. BLAKE'S of-
fence—which was that of striking a brother officer-
-was committed when he was a very young man, and
that he had been recommended to mercy by the Court
that found him guilty.
It also came out that the complaint made against
the Irish Government, of refusing to receive the
charges made against Mr. BLAKE by Colonel
PERCEVAL, was totally unfounded. The Gallant
Colonel gave in his charges, and they were sub-
mitted to a proper tribunal to be inquired into,
as were also those made by the opposite party
against his brother Magistrate Major BRowNE. Both
investigations were going on simultaneously when in
the very middle of the inquiry new charges were brought
forward. This the Irish Government, having other no-
tions of justice than Colonel PERCEVAL, would not
suffer, and hence the soreness of the Gallant Officer,
who, we hope, will take a lesson of caution and mo-
deration from the result of his last night's exertions.
Poor man, we sincerely pity his orest-fallen state,
Orangeman and bigot though he be.

The disgrace which has long attached to England,
amid all her free institutions, of containing a labouring
population more ignorant than the corresponding class
in any other civilized country, will, we trust, ere long
be wiped away. The people themselves hare taken
up the question—more meetings have been held in the
course of the summer on the subject of education than
for any twenty years previous, and so injurious, the public
see, is ignorance not only to the well-being of the work-
ing classes themselves, but to the community at large,
that any Government, independent even of moral ob.
ligations, would be compelled to adopt some plan for
national education as the best and cheapest of all sys-
tems of police. These feelings of the people have
been responded to by the Government and Legislature.
Mr. SLANEY'S motion last night for a Committee on
the subject, was approved of by all parties ; and if the
Bill which Lord BROUGHAM is to introduce this
evening has the same reception from the Lords—if the
Bishops will abate their High-Church feelings, and
meet the other party half way in the great work of na-
tional regeneration, we shall look upon the work as
completed. The expense forms the slightest difficulty.
Indeed it may be taken for granted that when a pro-
per system is perfected, there would be no additional
expense at all ; and that the amount required for
maintaining schools throughout the country, would•
be counterbalanced by the saving in expences for
maintaining an extensive system of police, for prose-
cuting and transporting offenders, and for building
and keeping up gaols, and we may also add work-
houses. Taking as a criterion the cost of national
schools in other countries, the expense in England
would be but as a drop in the bucket when weighed
against the vast loss which we sustain, and the ex-
pense which we incur by the ignorance of the work-
ing classes. When the great body of the people be-
gin to see (and their eyes are now opened) the vast
benefits of sound moral and religious instruction,
there will be no difficulty in finding the means. Their
Representatives in one night voted twenty millions
for the abolition of slavery. The people submitted
without complaint or murmur ; and when they agreed
to pay such an enormous sum to break the chains of
the negro slave, would they grudge half the amount
to rescue their unfortunate countrymen from the
worst of all slavery—the slavery of ignorance ? The
great difficulty will arise from religious, or rather from
sectarian, feelings ; but even this will be overcome, if
political bigotry is not set at work to excite the more
unmanageable bigotry of a certain portion of the com-
munity. We trust there will be no serious objection
iii any quarter to allow the Holy Scriptures to he read
in the schools without annotations or commentaries
peculiar to any creed. On that point England is
placed on an entirely different footing from Ireland,
and in Scotland the system has been long adopted,

without complaints from Dissenters, Catholics, or sec-
tarians of any description. Another important con-
dition ought to form a part of the measure—that each
scholar, as is the case in the British and Foreign
schools, should pay a certain sum for the support of
the master. The children educated in charity schools
are only a degree removed from those who get no
education at all—they are brought up with the badge
of charity, and it adheres to them through life.

A case occurred at a police-station on Tuesday
evening, to which we call the attention of the public,
and which we trust will not escape the attention of the
Police Commissioners. A little before eleven o'clock
a respectable gentleman stopped in New-street, about
two doors from his residence, and entered into
conversation with a young woman. A policeman
shortly afterwards ordered them to move on, or he
should be obliged to take them into custody ; and as
the parties did not choose to obey the command,
they were taken into custody, marched off to the sta-
tion, and placed before the Inspector in the common
dock allotted to characters of the worst description.
The policeman gave his evidence in such a way that
the accused declared he could not learn what the
charge was, and when the evidence had been taken
down, and the policeman again muttered over
something, a friend of the gentleman called on
the accusing party to speak out, and the only notice
taken of this by the Inspector was—" If you have
anything to say on the subject, you must attend at the
Police-office to-morrow morning ;" and forth with the
gentleman was locked up in one of the cells. His
friend then ascertained from the Inspector that the
charge was for obstructing the way and for drunken-
ness, and in reply to a question about bail said, with
great coolness, "It was not usual to take bail for
drunkenness." A householder shortly after presented
himself to become bail; but for a considerable time the
Inspector refused to see him, and even after he was
admitted and offered bail, the Inspector kept the
party imprisoned in the cell for fully an hour,
and he did not obtain his release till about two
o'clock in the morning. The case was heard
next day before the sitting Magistrate at Bow-
street, and in a few minutes was dismissed—
the Magistrate being convinced that neither of the
charges was proven. Now, even admitting that there
were grounds for taking the gentleman into custody,
his treatment afterwards was grossly illegal, and we
have no hesitation in saying, that the Inspector has
rendered himself liable to an action for false imprison-
ment. They were bailable offences, yet after bail
was tendered, the officer thought proper to exercise
his brief authority, and keep an English subject
imprisoned in a dark, cold cell for an hour. The
monstrous doctrine, that a person supposed to be in a
state of intoxication is not to be handed over to his
friends, who are ready to answer for him, cannot be
admitted for a moment. We have hitherto supported
the new system of police ; but if such a principle is
to be acted on, and we are to have petty Star:cham-
bers scattered all over the metropolis, we can assure
Colonel iowAN that his popularity is in danger,
and that the public will give credit to all the denuncia-
tions made against " the new species of armed force"
by its most violent opponents.

The Paris journals of Wednesday are as barren of
intelligence as those received since the beginning of
the week. The body of General DA MREMONT
reached the French capital on Tuesday, where it was
received with military honours. The inhabitants of
Algiers have petitioned the Government in favour of the
appointment of the Duke DE NEMOURS to the Vice-
Regency of French Africa. From Madrid the latest
adviccs are of the 21st ult., but they bring no news
of
_the slightest interest. The following are extracts
from the French journals :

Our private letters from Bona of the 9th November furnish
us this morning with the following news :—" News has this
moment been received from Constantine ;it is very good. It
is announced that Col. Bernelle has just discovered immense
sums in the Palace and in the private houses. We already
knew that he intended to search immediately after our depar-
ture. He has lost no time. Let us hope that all the riches
already found, or which may be found hereafter, will find their
way into the Treasury ; they would serve to defray part of the
enormous expencas of the expedition."—lffessager.
In our paper of the 25th of this month we spoke of the
disgrace of General Mouraview. The following details are
given in a letter from St. Petersburg:--" A highly important
event has just taken place in Prussia. Some days after the
reviews at Wosnesensk, Lieutenant-General Mouraview, Aid-
de-camp to the Emperor, commanding the army in Bessara-
bia, was deprived of his command, and banished to Wolgoda;
the same measure has been extended to two Major-Generals
in the same army. _ _

" This disgrace was at first ascribed to the caprice of tile
Emperor, who seems to take his father for his model; but it
was known soon afterwards that Mouravielk had been de-
nounced to the Emperor as having formed a plan to raise the
standard of rebellion at the head of his corps—thus imitating
the example of his cousin, Mouraview Apostol, the head of
the rebellion in 1826, and of his other cousin, Arteman Moo-
review, Colonel of Hussars, who was implicated in that affair.
"In consequence of the removal of the General, great
changes have been made in the army of Bessarabia ; several
superior officers have been sent to the garrison of Siberia, or
incorporated in the army of the Caucasus ; and the vacancy
thus occasioned will be filled up by German officers.
" Gen. Mouraview, who is descended from one of the most
ancient families of the nobility, has long enjoyed great favour
with the Emperor, who confided to him some delicate missions
at Constantinople, and also in Moldavia and Wallachia. This
affair excites great attention, and is considered as a proof that
the Russians desire to have also a little liberty, and are not
so submissive to the Autocrat as people would have us believe."
—Le Commerce.
FRENCH FUNDS.—PAats, Nev. 29.
Five per Cents., le7f. 35c. 40c. 25c.
Four and a Half per Cents., 104 f. 50c.
Four per Cents., 101 f. 60c.
Three per Cents., SOf. 60c. 70c. 60c.
Bank Actions, 2,54. f. 2,545 f.
Rente de Naples, 1. Of. 100 f. 10c. sc. 100 f.
Roman Five per Cents., 101 100%3‘.
Spanish Actives, 20%,N %.
Spanish Passives, 4%.
Belgian Loan, 102% 4%.
Brussels Society, 1,605 f.
Belgian Bank, 1,530 f.
Portuguese Three per Cents., 20%.
Haytian Loan, 365 f.