The Sun.
London, England, 1830-06-25 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The twice-adjourned debate on the Court of
Chancery Bill was resumed last night. The neces-
sity of reform in the Court of Chancery is universally
admitted. But it is contended that this Bill fur-
nishes additional means for doing what is already
done with the existing means, while the real evils
are left without a remedy. The great delay is with
the Masters, and if the progress of the cause is not
accelerated in that quarter, the speed in the pre-
ceding part of the cause is of no avail. Mr. D. W.
Harvey observed, that even if there did not remain
a single cause untried " the causes would not be
decided—no more decided than a question was de-
cided in that House when it was sent before a
Committee. The causes were sent to the Master,
and there they remained in that living tomb await-
ing no resurrection. They were buried in the ten
mausoleums i rr Chancery-buildings. But one Learned
Gentleman said that the cause would be decided so
rapidly that there .would be no occasion for a fifth
Judge; but if that Hon. Member took a coach at
Whitechapel Church to come to the Parliament
House, and was seven hours in performing the
journey, it would be of no consequence to him
where he was stopped, whether it were Aldgate or
St. Paul's-church-yard, or in Fleet-street. The plan
now to give relief was by partial acceleration."
The measure was lamely defended by Ministers and
their adherents, while the opposition to it was
most effective. The speech of Mr. Brougham, in
particular, hit the Lord Chancellor very hard. Two
divisions took place at it late hour in the morning,
which left Ministers much where they were. The
first division gave Ministers a majority of 133 to
96--the second a majority of 118 to 77. Still the
Bill was not read a second time, for on Mr.
Brougham's moving the adjournment of the House,
Sir Robert Peel consented to the postponement of
the second reading to Monday. We anticipate the
loss of the Bill. It is nowhere a favourite.—Morn-
ing Chronicle.
A warm scene took place in the House of Com-
mons last night. The subject was a late run on
the Banks in Ireland, attributed to a letter from
Mr. O'Connell to the Editor of the Waterford
Chronicle. We are far from approving of the re-
commendation of Mr. O'Connell, which, if acted on
to any extent, must have been productive of much
injury to those who are least able to bear it. It
is deeply to be lamented that Ireland should remain
in a state which enables any individual, be he who
he may, to produce the effects described by Mr.
Doherty. The truth seems to be, that the people
of Ireland are pipes on which all may play by turns.
We should like to see the people possessed of a mind
and a will of their own. If the Duke of Wellington,
no longer Minister, or Sir Francis Burdett, or Mr.
Brougham, or Sir James Graham, or Mr. Hume,
or any public character in this country, were to ad-
dress a letter to the Editor of any newspaper in this
country, in a neighbourhood where paper is circulated,
recommending a run, the letter would be disregarded,
except a doubt were entertained of the solvency of
the bank. But quis told Gracchos de seditione
querentes? The Irish Members, in their rebellion,
as it has been called, on the subject of taxation, hare
not set an example which entitles them to complain
of any one. We admit that it was ill-advised in
Ministers to meddle with the Irish Press. But,
generally speaking, there can be no reason why any
one part of the empire should be less taxed than any other
part. The Highlands of Scotland, and Wales, are naturally
poorer than Ireland ; but are we, on that account, to have
one rate of taxation in the Highlands, another in Wales,
and another in Ireland ? On the principle on which a
different rate of taxation is contended for, with respect to
Ireland, there ought to be a separate rate for each district.
if Ireland is poorer than England, it will pay less, for the
produce of a tax depends on the ability of the tax payers,
and not on the rate. The great bulk of the population in
Ireland are unfortunately below the reach of taxation, and
it is immaterial, as far as they are concerned, what the rate
is. But the gentry are selfish enough to wish advantages
over their fellow-citizens in this country to which they
are not entitled. if the Irish 'Squirearchy can only squeeze
the people, and obtain an exemption from every burthen,
whether on account of the State or the poor, that is all
they care for.—Morning Chronicle.
The Brighton Guardian contains an account of a
magnificent festival at Rye, given to Colonel De Lacy
Evans, who, aided by the public-spirited townsmen, has,
after a severe struggle, succeeded in rendering that place
an open boroUgh instead of a close one. The example is
cheering, and capable of exciting to imitation. The dif-
fusion of the elective franchise among a greater number of
individuals ennobles the new possessors, and throws fresh
difficulties in the way of bribery, as it multiplies the ob-
jects to whom it must be applied. We congratulate the
men of Rye on their success. 'We hope they will use
their victory with moderation, and exercise their right
with purity and independence. It may be expected that
the other cinque ports—Romney, Ilythe, Winchelsea, and
Hastings—will now soon appear in the field of battle—in
the fair field of constitutional battle, and in like manner
succeed in conquering their electoral privileges. They will
have the experience of the men of Rye to guide them.--
Times.

The suppression of the inhuman practice of Suttees was
a measure which we had frequently pressed upon the no-
tice of our Anglo-Indian Government, as an imperative
duty, long before it took place. It was said by those who
defended the policy of the East India Company, that any
attempt to abolish the practice would be an act of dan-
gerous interference with the religious rites of the natives
of Hindostan, and might be productive of the most serious
consequences. Even disaffection and revolt were predicted
as the probable result of a measure having for its object the
saving of human life from superstitious torture and exter-
mination. We have lived to see the Government on whose
behalf this groundless plea was advanced, refute it by their
own act. That Government, by one decisive order—as
we had the satisfaction, a short time ago, to announce—
extinguished the burning piles of a cruel superstition, and,
without endangering in the least the tranquillity of their
dominions, saved the lives of thousands of human beings
from idolatrous sacrifice ! Thus one great step has been
taken towards the civilization of British India, and a late
reparation made to the violated rights of humanity.—
Though we cannot but deplore the amount of torture and
of death that has been inflicted in consequence of this step
not having been earlier taken, yet we would not detract
from the credit to which the present Administration of
India is entitled for having at length extirpated a bar-
barism not only revolting to reason and morality, but
shocking to nature. We never could see that the burning of
widows alive on the funeral piles of their husbands was
necessary for the stability of our Indian empire. The
event has justified our anticipation ; for the order declaring
this horrible custom illegal met nowhere with the least re
sistance, although it is probable that fur some short time
the Brahmins or Priests, who profited by those supersti-
tious cruelties, will endeavour to evade the law; but, un-
der the operations of an efficient police, the practice of
tying the living to the bodies of the dead, and consuming
both to ashes, will cease to have any existence except in
the records of the incredible atrocities that are generated
by the fanatical 'debasement of mankind. But there is
another sanguinary Indian superstition which has its peri-
odical offerings of human victims. It is the worship of
the idol Juggernaut—a worship truly demoniacal, and
against the toleration of which, as far, at least, as the
destruction of life is concerned, we have hitherto protested
in vain. It is a disgrace to India, it is a scandal to human
nature, that this wooden personification of the Spirit of
Evil should be allowed, at stated times, to make a disgust-
ing and destructive progress through the land, and roll his
chariot-wheels in triumph over the crushed and mangled