The Sun.
London, England, 1837-05-16 00:00:00

THE SUETLAND ISLAINI)S.

In the House of Co:nmons on Thursday some surprise
was excited by Mr. Clay rising to present to the House
two petitions sjgnal, as he stated, by upwards of C.r.-c
thousand Shetland Fishermen. The petitions prated for
relief from the pressure of the Corn-laws, and .d,93 th..t site
House would take the state of the islands gene:oy into
consideration, with the view of relieving the inbabirants
from various obstacles which impede improvement. there.
Besides the Corn-laws, the want of a more certain com-
munication with the mainland, the want of roads and in-
ternal communications, and a system of bon,lage under
which the fisitmermen, who are likewise small ftrtners or
cotters, are held by the proprietors of the soil, ere hhe-
wise complained of. M. Hon. Members went unaware
that these islands contained three thousand inhal,.tants al-
together ; but were still less prepared to hear that th ee
thousand
.fishe:lnen coal be found in them able to write
their names. We are assured, however, that every signa-
ture was genuine, and that the art of reading and writing
is more general in these remote islands, Whieb contain a
population of about 32,000 souls, than in any other dis-
trict of the kingdom. The lion. Member stated that he
should take a future occasion to call the attention of the
House to the subject of these petitions, and we ',clime,
unless the Government take the matter in hand, a select
Committee will be moved for to inquire into the condition
of these islandars.

BRIDGEWATER NOIVIINATION.

BRIDGEWATER, MAY 15.-At an early hour this morn-

...„...
ing the wonted quiet of this towu was disturbed be the
ringing of bells, by bands of music parading the streets,
and by every other circumstance that usually portends the
coming storm of an election. Both parties were on the
alert. Th© hustings are erected at the end of the Market-
house. At twelve o'clock, the two candidates, accompa-D
nied by their friends, repaired to the hustings, where the
usual ceremonies having been gone through by the Mayor,
thabusiness commenced.

Mr. ALLEN then came forward, and was received with

loud cheers by the blue party (Mr. Broadwood's colours).
He begged to nominate as a candidate worthy of their fa-
your H. Broadwood, Esq.—(Loud cheering.)
Mr. E. SEAL E, in seconding the nomination, spoke to
the following effect :—I do so in perfect confidence that,
although he is opposed to those extraordinary changes in
the institutions of our Church and State which are called
Radical Reforms, he will be found the strenuous advocate
of every measure which may remove a real grievance. Mr.
Brocdwood will direct his utmost endeavours to perpetuate
that glorious Constitution of King, Lords, and Commons,
which has been the pride of our ancestors, and is now the
envy of the world. These are the grounds upon which I
recommend him as your future Representative.

Mr. BROADWOOD then came forward, and this was the
;ignal for as much noise as could well he imagined. As

Nell as we could hear him we understood him to say—

" Gentlemen, I have made up my mind to give a complete
and unqualified support to the Church. I will not consent
_ _

to any robbery of its lawful property under any pretence
whatever. I respect and revere the Church. With respect
to the question of Church-rates, my opinions have been
much misrepresented, and I have only to observe that any
equitable measure which will relieve the Dissenters from a
burden which is obnoxious to them, without impairing the
usefulness, or interfering with the property of the Estab-
lished Church, will meet with my hearty support. Ima
for upholding the old British Constitution, of King, Lords,
and Commons. I think that is the best system for securing
the liberties of the people. Experience bettrs me out in
that opinion.

Mr: INMAN now presented himself. He need not tell
them that the name he should pronounce front that hustings
to-day was the name of Sheridan---(Load cheers)—a name
dear to every Englishman. He need not tell them that this
gentlemAn was immediately descended from that great man
who assisted by the immortal Fox, and by the no less im-
mortal Burke, had in the Commons' House of Commons been
the supporter of the liberty of the subject at a time when the
mention of their names or their liberties was almost an net of
treason.—(Cheers.) The worthy gentleman who had pro-
posed Mr. Broadwood had told them that because Mr. Leader
was defeated in Westminster, there was a re-action.—
(Westminster is a good prooK) He said there was one
solitary Member for that great metropolis of the world.—
(There w ill be two places to-morrow.) Much good might
the apostate Sir Francis do them-. If his frieni possessed
no other qualification than that of his own name, that
alone was sufficient. Mr. Sheridan was prepared to carry
out the measures of reform and liberalit3. The lion.
'Gentleman then eulogised the Government for their con-
duct, and concluded a long speech by proposing Mr. She-
r idan.—(Cheerinl.)
Mr. BOYS briefly seconded the nomination.
Mr. SHERIDAN then came forward, and was received
with the loudest cheering. The canvas has been most
cheering, and he was quite sure that by this time to morrow
he should be placed at the head of the poll, and he was
thus confident, because he stood there on liberal princi-
ples. He was a firm supporter of the Cnuren, and, as
such, he would support it by doing justice to the Dis-
senters. He was an advocate feu: civil and religious liberty,
and was a staunch supporter of the principles of Reform,
whereas his opp.pent was engaged in a bad cause. Mr.
Broadwood was one of those opposed to all reform.—(No,
no.) He said he would not sanction any measure for the
settlement of the Church-rate question.—(He does not say
so.) If Mr. Broadwood had the power, he would repeal
the Reform Bill. The Administration had brought for-
ward measures under extreme difficulties—they had gone
straightforward—they had truckled to no one on one side,
and they had not succumbed to the Tories on the other.
They had done their best for the good of the country,
and if he had the pourer he would, under heaven, give
them his hearty support.—( Loud cheers.)
The MAYOR, having demanded a show of hands, said,
after a little delay, that he had made up his mind, and was
bound to say that the show of hands was in favour of Mr.
Broadwood.—(Tremendous cheering.)
Mr. INMAN then demanded a poll for Mr. Sheridan.

The meeting was then adjourned till to-morrow morning,
at eight o'clock, when the polling will commence.

CORONERS' INQUESTS.

Yesterday afternoon an inquest was held at the William
the Fourth Tavern, Hammersmith, on Mr. Isaac Smither-
man, aged 57, who destroyed himself by blowin-g out his
brains with a horse-pistol. It appeared the deceased hint
been a tanner, and had retired from business w7,th an ample
independence. No cause could be assigned for the act but
derangement, and the Jury found a verdict to that ecct.
Yesterday an inquest was held at the Elephant and
Castle, Pancras-road, on a male infant child in an advanced
state of decomposition, which had been discovered. in a
ditch near the Hampstead-road-bridge. The .111,y gave
their verdict—" That the infant had been found inudeeently
exposed, but whether born alive and destroyed, or died
from natural causes, they were unable to ascertain."
Yesterday an inquest was held at St. Bartha:mnew's
-Hospital on the body of John Ward, aged 80, wl o
mitted suicide by severing his throat with a razor.
James Brake, No. 4, Berkeley-street, Clerkenwell, de-
posed -that the deceased lived at No. 15, Frazine,s-eivtart,
Bakeley-street. He was a waiter. Last Friday te.ght
witness heard an alarm that the deceased had cut his tb root
in his room. Witness went there, and found him si Lting
on the side of the bed, the deceased's and witness's wives
being with him. 'A. doctor arrived, who bandagea 'up the
wound, and advised that he should be brought to f! hos-
pital. A few days ago%he observed to witness .trilat ha
was in a consumption, that be had been to seven A hosi
i-
tals, and could not be cured, and that he hoped 1 sa shon!d
not live

Jane Brake, wife of the last witness, said that; the de-
ceased's wife was her sister. The deceased wLt not in
want, but he was out of work, which preyed cc-, his
mind. - The deceased has been in a desponding n wf. He
and his with lived together affectionately.
Vcrnict---" Temporary insanity."

MEMOIRS OF A PEERESS-EDITED DV LADY
Bur., —We are not surprised that the editress of -1 vsc me-
moirs (who undertook the task to oblige her frien, j ) should
have disclaimed in the preface all responsibility for the, p(iiiic,kl
and personal sentiments they contain. The reader is ?hound to
remember this, because the tone of these volumes, = m respect
both to public commentaries and private discloser, 3S, is of a
kind to excite in soma quarters uneasy remiuiscen, Tlies(%
chapteri deal with ihe events and characters of the 4' Prince's:*
days—of the Carlton House era—of the Fo-, Slieri'la.,l
generation—tNith a familiarity that proves in every page 'aow
intimately connected with her subjects me; their secret';
author really was, and with a freedom whi „th shrinks nor, front
disclosing anything, however " delicate," about anybody, },ow.
ever high !

There is not, in the whole world , a greater In.u.;esqu
upon reasm or a greeter reproach to Christianily than the
Irish Church. It is a compound Of ty rannv and roJherv, and
has often led to murder. The object cI it: perpetration ie. two-
fold. It serves as an engine of oppregt so!,. a r.tek, on
which a whole nation may be tortured, and it is a ri,;ll,ou.ce o:
p' ender to the ariqccracy and their )ordinates. •xil:;in
its
pale arc 753,000 Episcopalians. Without it! p;lt,,, are
7,191,000 Catholics and other Dl3l ;enters.—NoilLimpton
Chronicle.

TUE STORY OF " VENETIA,:.—The rca:lers of
tills forthcomig work, from the pen of Mr. D'lsraeli, %‘iii.
fi ,d a subject of deep anl startling. it .terest, connected wittt
c'rcumstances which have occurred irk cm :r own time, and which
h :ye occasioned the strongest tlegrey c, r excitement. ni, re-
lating the story of "Venetia," V.,* autht
,r is said.to here di,
played equal boldness a:,d delicacy in h. isstatement ( I Ge;s,
and in his method of trea:ing a suti::, t re plete withdifrpAllti..ti,
which it requires a first-rate mind to ovs some.