The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-19 00:00:00

THE LATE MR. GALT.

our last 1 John
We
noticed
the
t(hUep
lamented
e nCanada)ted
deceaseS tar
0.
Galt, one of the greatest benefactors that the Canadas
have ever had.
It would have much mitigated our regret for his loss,
if we could have known that he died amidst all the
comforts of an easy competence, or that he was sus-
tained in his long and painful illness by the bounty of a
generous nation. We greatly fear, however, that the
latter years of this attractive popular writer were pas-
sed, not only amidst the attacks of an incurable and
enfeebling disease, but also amidst the embitterments
which a narrow fortune inflicts upon the mind of the
too sensitive votary of literature.
Some few years since, it was announced in the public
prints that Mr. Galt had received a pension, as a re-
ward for his various literary labours and public ser-
vices ; and we are sure that wherever this intelligence
was conveyed, whether in England or America, un-
mingled satisfaction was experienced at so judicious
an application of the Royal bounty. But—and we
state this upon good authority—no such pension was
ever received. The man who had done more for
Canada, by his writings and personal exertions, than
any one else—the originator of several public projects,
which, though successfully accomplished, had not
benefitted him one farthing—the author of successive
entertaining works, ranking high amidst the produc-
tions of fiction, and inculcating virtue and nobility of
conduct—such a man has been suffered to descend to
the grave, uncheered by any reward from his country,
and smarting under the most irritating of all human ills,
the sense of unmerited neglect I
Light rest the soil over the remains of John Galt !
We suppose that the recognition of his various services
to the public, which was denied him when living, will
now be idly expended on some monument to his memory;
and that many a cheap and artificial sigh will be heaved
for the additional illustration he has afforded of the mis-
fortunes of genius. Let us hope, however, that even
now the attention of the Ministry may be called to the
claims of departed worth, and that they may be regarded
as having descended to his surviving widow. Lord John
Russell—and we gladly seize an opportunity of saying a
single good word in favour of any of the present Cabi-
net—Lord John Russell has performed several generous
actions towards the unfortunate sons of literature ; and
we sincerely trust-that his observation will be attracted
to this particular case. Then, however late the boon
may be in coming, it would gratify every speaker of the
English language, to learn that the widow of him who
wrote that admirable volume " The Ayrshire Legatees,"
was enjoying a participation in the national bounty—
not doled out in charity, but paid as a long standing
debt, and due to her as the representative of her gifted
husband.

MR. RICE'S ELEVATION. TO THE PEERAGE.
—The Cambridge ( Tory) Chronicle says" As nothing can
be now more certain than the elevation of the Right Ho-
nourable the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Peer-
age," the Liberal party in the town of Cambridge are
on the alert, and have made application to more than one
person, but that a Whig candidate cannot be found.
There is, of course, according to the Chronicle, an excel-
lent opportunity for a Conservative, the achievement of
" a glorious victory " and so forth.
THE GREAT MONTGOLFIER BALLOON.—
The proprietors of the great Mongolfier balloon, nothing
daunted by their bad success in their attempted ascents
from the Surrey Zoological Gardens and the Beulah Spa,
and lately from the Hippodrome Racecourse, have for
thedm last two
d
busilyengaged in repairing the
sustained by bursting at
the latter place, and it is their intention, as soon as practi-
cable,aage
the
to make another attempt. It is said they have
already expended no less a sum than 1,4781., and that they
have another balloon nearly finished.
stupendous asbeen
machine

-------
KEW.—For upwards of a century, this village
has been a military station as a guard of honour to the Pa-
lace and the other Royal residences, but during the last
week orders have been received from the Horse Guards
for the withdrawal of the soldiers, and it is understood that
for the future no guard will be stationed there, it being in-
timated that the barracks are about to be converted
into a private residence, under the direction of the Com-
missioners of Woods and Forests. A detachment of the
45th Regiment of Foot, commanded by Lieutenant Nott,
has been doing duty there for the last four months,lbut was
marched on Tuesday last to join the regiment at Windsor.
The inhabitants in general very much regret the removal
of the military, to whose presence they have been so long
accustomed.

THE CHARTISTS.— CARLISLE.—,Many Of
our good friends at a ditance will, we have no doubt, re-
joice to hear that the denizens of " merry Carlisle " are as
well and as hearty as ever—that they go about their busi-
ness as quietly and as orderly as they were wont,—that
though they have passed through the ordeal of the "sacred
three days," the only persons who have cause to remember
it are the few poor deceived and humbugged creatures
who, by devoting three days to idleness instead of to honest
industry, have, by so much, curtailed their already scanty
means of procuring food for the ensuing week. We say
this, because ,ne have reason to believe that most exagge-
rated and false accounts have been circulated of the state
of this city, which has been represented as almost in a stat-
of siege, and its inhabitants moving about with fear and
trembling. Those who struck work in this city were
nearly all hand loom weavers; and a very large proportion
of them were boys and young men from 14 to 20 years old.
A few of the workmen in Wigton, Dalston, Cockermouth,
and Dumfries, held the sacred three days ; but, as in all
other places, their numbers were comparatively small, and
all passed off peaceably. So far as we have yet learned
the "strike" has been an utter and contemptible failure
throughout the country ; and it will have the good effect of
proving to the Chartists how extremely small is their num.
ber as compared to the whole population—how enormous
and wicked have been the falsehoods told to them by those
whom they call their leaders, and to support whom in idle-
ness they have expended so much of their own hard-earned
nioney—md how little is their chance of success in over-
turning the social fabric of this country by an appeal to
arms.— Carlisle Journal.
On Saturday a large number of the inhabitants of
the parish of Heston, appeared before the Magistrates at
Brentford, for the purpose of applying
to be relieved from
the payment of poor rates. Some of them stated their
wages amounted to only 12s. per week, out of which they
had in some instances to support ten children. Others
were widows, and pefsona upwards of eighty years of age,
several of whom are at the present moment in the receipt
of parochial relief. Most of them were relieved by the
Bench, with the concurrence of the overseers; a few wore
ordered to pay, and the remainder were directed to pay 6d.
per week until the rate was discharged.
The Maiquis Wellesley has engaged, for the
next two months, the splendid mansion at Fern-hill, about
four miles from Windsor, the property, and late the resi-
dence, of Sir Charles Metcalfe. Sir Francis Burdett ar-
rived at Windsor a few days since,
with Miss Angela Bur_
dett Coutts, for the purpose of enjoying a residence in the
neighbourhood during the autumn. It was the intention
of the Hon. Baronet to have secured the mansion at Fern-
bill for that period, but it had been let to the agent of the
Marquis of Wellesley
only a day or two before his arrival
at Windsor.