The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-31 00:00:00

THE BALLOT MARCH.

Every general election gives the question of the Ballot a
quick step forward ; and, sooner or later, it will have ad-
vanced to that point, where petition ends and positive law
begins. Some forty years ago, many of the most enlight-
ened advocates of Parliamentary Reform were sanguine in
their expectations that but a little while and they would
witness the practice of the Constitution made in some de-
gree to harmonize with the theory ; they had convinced
themselves of the evil of the system, and seeing how pal-
pable those evils were, they concluded that the national
mind must soon on this subject accord with their own.
They erred only in time. Many circumstances tended for
years to keep the publie eye from being fixed on the sub-
ject of Parliamentary Reform, and on the arrival of the
moment when it began to take a steady view, the question
was almost new to a large portion of the people ; hence,
the Reform Bill was suffered to pass with all the Lords'
faults upon its head. But the very passing of that mea-
sure showed that the people have only to will, and
express that will through their Representatives, and the
consequence is accomplishment. To ensure success, to
push every obstruction out of the path, this will must be
manifested not partially, as it will be in the new Parlia-
ment, but nearly wholly, as it was in the Parliament of
1832. So passed the Reform Bill, and so will pass the
Ballot Bill, if not this year, or next year, or the year after,
the law must and will come. The grinding oppression of
the men, who cover the worst of all tyrannies—that of
punishing a man for not making his action give the lie to
his conscience—by the plea of doing as they like with
their own, is fast attaining a growth in this country which
will finally work its own ruin. The day will assuredly ar-
rive when conscience-oppression shall have wrought its own
destruction ; like many other vices, it has an inherent ten-
dency to self-sacrifice ; the difference only consisting in the
Ballot forcing destruction from extrinsic hands.
Meanwhile the public mind must mature. Every man
who has watched the operation of contested elections, needs
no other evidence than that of his senses, to assure him
that in a large majority of cases, if the vote is in accord-
ance with the elector's conscience, the circumstance is ac-
cidental, depending upon the chance of the voter's senti-
ments agreeing with those of his landlord or customer, or
some other powerful friend : and by the same reasoning, if
an elector's sentiments arc discordant with those of his
landlord or customer, the vote follows the course of the said
elector's interest, and becomes in regard to his conscience,
a practical lie. This fact is seldom directly denied by the
Tories themselves ; but they mostly meet it with the con-
science-oppressor's plea—" May I not do as I like with my
own ?"—ffereford Times.

The whole of the ancient wooden front of Sergeants'
Inn has been removed, and the workmen are busily en-
gaged in erecting a handsome modern front to this very old
inn. The old buildings projected considerably into Chan-
cery-lane ;of course this will lie avoided in the structure
now raising.
In the Prussian province of Oppeln an Ordinance
has been published, directing that all persons seen in the
streets in state of intoxication shall be arrested by the
police, for the security of the drunkards themselves, as well
as for that of the public. Before dismissed they are to
give an exact account of the places where they have been
drinking, that, in case the fault be with the landlord of any
public-house, his conduct may be strictly investigated.
A letter from Rome, under date of the 10th inst.,
given in the Allgenzeine Zeitung , states that the sanitary
committee have declared that no case of cholera has yet oc-
curred in that city.

The consecration of the Russian Greek cathedral of
Warsaw, under the name of the Church of the Holy 'Trinity,
was performed on the 30th July by the Bishop of Warsaw,
in presence of the Governor and the other high public func-
tionaries. During the chaunting of the Te Deuni, 101 dis-
charges of artillery were heard from the ramparts of the
citadel. Afterithe consecration the lAishop gave a splendid
dejeuner in his residence, close to the cathedral, to the
Prince of Warsaw and other persons of distinction residing
in the Polish capital.

Between One and two o'clock on Tuesday morning,
as police constable William Sear!, T 111, was on duty near
the stop bridge on the Paddington Canal, he was alarmed
by a splash in the water. The policeman instantly ran to
the spot, when, by the light of his lantern, he discovered a
man struggling in the water. Without divesting himself of
any of his clothing, Searl immediately jumped in to the
rescue of the drowning individual, whom he had great diffi-
culty in rescuing from a watery grave. He then sprung
his rattle, when, 'assistance arriving, the body was con-
veyed on the stretcher to the station-house of the 1' divi-
sion, on Paddington-green. The means advised by the
Royal Humane Society were employed for some time, and
persevered in until the man revived. He was recognised
to be an excavator, named James Boswell, residing at No.
41, Little York-mews, York-street, Marylebone, and for the
last few days, from domestic misfortunes, has been labouring
under mental aberration. He was conveyed home by
his friends, where he remains in a very precarious state.
About four o'clock (within three hours of the above oc--
currence) as the same policeman was perambulating ano-
ther portion of his beat, close to the bridge over the
Harrow-road, he observed' a female at some distance
from him walking by the side of the canal. As he ap-
proached
,her she quickened her pace, and hurrying on to
the bridge threw herself into the water before he could
reach the spot to prevent her. Searl instantly jumped in
after her, and after diving twice succeeded in catching hold
of her clothes, and eventually he conveyed her on shore,
when she was immediately conveyed to the station-house,
and, as in the previous case, shortly revived, when the un-
fortunate female stated herself to be a Jewess, named
Charlotta Isaacs, residing at No. 1, Union-street, Bishops-
gate, but refused to state her reasons for attempting self-
destruction. Information of her situation was.immediately
forwarded to her, friends, .who, about half-past eight o'clock,
arrived at Paddington, and conveyed her home in a hackney-
coach in a very weak state. The policeman, Seed, whose
praiseworthy conduct has thus, within four hours, recovered
two unfortunate individuals from a watery grave, has, we
understand, not belonged to the force above a mouth. His
superior officers have recommended him to the notice of
the Commissioners ; and we doubt not the Royal Humane
Society will also award him some testimonial of their ap-
proval of his conduct.

A very beautiful marble bust, in a most complete
state of preservation, was lately dug up, close to the Via
Flaminia, near Rome. The circumstances of its having
been found in the vicinity of Mascena's estates, and its
strong resemblance to two medals which have been pre-
served, have left no doubt upon the minds of the Roman
antiquaries that the bust in question is that of Caius Cil-
nius Maecenas, the Patron of Horace and Virgil, and-th°
friend of Augustus. This valuable piece of ancient art is
at present in the possession of Professor Marini, near Rome,
by whom it was discovered,

The LORD CHANCELLOR gave judgment in this case, in
which the question to be decided was, whether a gift was
absolute or upon trust. The testatrix in the cause, by her
will, dated on the 25th of April, 1832, gave all her houses
in Bryanston-square, her furniture, and effects, and all her
estates and property to Sir Matthias Cox, his heirs and
executors, for their own use and benefit for ever, trusting
and confiding in his honour to comply with her wishes. In
the will no mention whatever was made of what those
wishes were ; but another paper, of which probate had
been granted, but which was without date, enumerated cer-
tain legacies which the testatrix wished to he paid. At the
hearing it was contended, on the behalf of the plaintiff,
that the gift in the will was a gift upon trust, coupling it
with the subsequent document ; but on the behalf of the
defendant it was argued that the gift was absolute. His
Lordship stated his opinion to be, that the gift was not a
gift upon trust, but that it was a gift subject to a charge,
and that Sir George Cox, the son of Sir Matthias, was en-
titled to the property absolutely, after the payment of the
legacies. The effect of this judgment is to reverse that
pronounced by the Master of the Rollt.