The Sun.
London, England, 1837-05-29 00:00:00

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

(From the Dumfries Courier.)
Professor Chalmers has a good right to plume himself
on the victory he has achieved in the General Assem-
bly. O'Connell himself is not a greater man in Ireland
than the Doctor is in Scotland ; and it is quite true
that his political following, allowing for the difference of
population, is equal to anything which the redoubted
Dan could possibly muster on the opposite side, even
when like Rob Roy, he plants his brawny foot upon his
native heath. From the first we felt assured that his no-
minee would win easy, and the result, so far from falling
under, has exceeded our expectations. " Some men are
born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness
thrust upon them ;" and placing; as we are bound to do,
Dr. Chalmers in the second category, is it uncharitable to say
that Dr. Gardiner, compared to Dr. Lee, belongs most de-
cidedly to the third ? When the Professor was a Whig, or
supposed to be one—and the distinction, we admit, is veryitn-
portant—his power was trifling in our highest Church Judi-
catory, even when reinforced by the fine talents and liberal
sentiments of the late Dr. Andrew Thomson ; but Lord
Bacon's " greatest innovator" has changed the position of
parties entirely ; and for this distinction the Doctor stands
indebted not so much to his own fervid eloquence as to the
journey to London, and.the refusal of Ministers to jump
into his measures with all the ardour of a boarding-school
miss about to elope to Gretna Green. This wont of defe-
rence to a great name mortified him sadly ; the wounds of
vanity are difficult to heal, and rarely skin over with what
the Faculty call the first intention ; and no onlooker, who
has marked his course, can fail to perceive that he has never
been the same man since. The vote, therefore, of Thursday
was not one of datur diguiori, personal fitness, or qualifica-
tion ; but, with the bulk at least of Dr. Lee's opponents,
one of pure and unmixed Church politics. Of th's gentleman
we know nothing save by common report ; but lengthened
experience has no. doubt taught him—
" Is there a man so fond to rule alone,
Bears, like the Turk, no rival near his throne"—
and he may comfort himself with the assurance that the bad
word of a brother, under all the circuolstances, can neither
break his heart nor his character. The vote taken was not
so much against him as against our Whig Ministers, the
Church Commissioners, Voluntaries, Dissenters, Radicals,
Catholics ; and, by parity, in favour of the English Pre-
lates, and their Orange and Ultra backers in both Houses
of Parliament. Paint an inch thick, and to this complexion
you must come at last. The rejected, we believe, is as
stanch a Churchman as the best of his brethren, although
he scouts the idea of the boundary system—that is com-
pelling persons surrounded by Churches to attend the one
marked out for them, whether they like the preacher or
not ; but he is supposed to be less hostile to his Majesty's
Government—refuses to go " the whole hog," and that,
of course, is quite enough. If the Westminster election was
blow the first, the " Pampleteering War" was studiously
intended as blow the second ; and the heroes of such well-
foughten fields—Sir Francis and the great Doctor—should
exchange instanter mutual congratulations. That the divi-
sion will be telegraphed to head-quarters is a proceeding
quite in the sequence of things ; and if Mr. Begg had vo-
lunteered as the bearer of the dispatch the chances are that
his services would have been requited by the honour of
knighthood. Dr. Chalmers is too old, and we do hope
conscientious a man, to think of embracing the " thirty-nine
articles," although there is no " impassable gulf" in the
shape of " black prelacy" now ; but Mr. Begg is young,
active, figures well on a platform, and personally at least
has been so fond of the mount-merit or locomotive principle,
during his whole career, that his noviciate past, and his po-
litical friends in power, we see nothing to prevent him be-
coming a bishop—a step of promotion which would surely
satisfy even his ambition. The excellent Professor Welsh
conducted his case manfully and sell ; but he was over-
powered by numbers, and in every respect treated as
roughly as a coughed down speaker in the House of Com-
mons. But we make " the Pontiff" welcome to his " ty-
rant majority," and a cause so sensitive that it absolutely
shrunk from and shirked discussion. In the minority we
recognise many honoured names, not excepting stanch
Tories, of whom Dr. Lee may well feel proud.

TIIE ETON BLOCK.---It is not generally known,
that the refractories at this celebrated school are " brought to
the block," a huge lump of wood, over which the instruments
of punishment are usually suspended in terrorem. A short
time since, the block and other apparatus suddenly disappeared,
the hall having been forced open, as rumour alleges by a cer-
tain Noble Marquis, to whom no doubt the young Etonians
are particularly obliged. It seem 9, however, that Dr. Ilaw-
trey, the master, was determined nut be debarred of his cus-
tomary exercises in flagellation. On Monday, a new block,
with a nice assortment of rods, suitable for all ages, were ob-
tained, and speedily put in requisition, to the no small morti-
fication of the community.

Extract tom Mr. Fox's speech in moving for a
new writ for the borough of Tavistock, on the accession of
Lord John Russell to the dukedom of Bedford I will
conclude with applying to the present occasion a beautiful
passage from the speech of a very young orator (the Hon. \V.
Lamb, now Lord Melbourne.) It may be thought, perhaps,
to savour too much of the sanguine views of youth to stand the
test of a rigid philosophical inquiry, but it is at least cheering
and consolatory ; and that in this instance it may be exempli-
fied, is, 1 am confident, the sincere wish of every man who
hears me. Crime, says he, is a curse only to the period in
which it is successful ; but virtue, whet he) fortunate or other-
wise, blesses not only its own age but remotest posterity, and
is as beneficial by its example as by its immediate effect.—
From a Prize Essay, by the lion. W. Lamb, read at
Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1798.

A most impudent fraud has lately been committed
in the neighbourhood of Nottingham by a swindler, represent-
ing himself to be deputed by some Noblemen, landed pro-
prietors in that part of the country, to acquaint their tenants
that the steward had been dismissed from the agency, and that
he was authorised to collect the rents and arrears then due.
Unfortunately in several instances he succeeded in duping the
country people. In one case the widow of a respectable farmer
paid him 1001., another tenant 30/., and several ethers upon
adjoining estates were similarly elafrancle(l. We notice this in
hopes of putting pofons kipori their guard.
The Albion Archers, Stockwoll NA, Surrey, held a
grind field clay in Wow t-,11 the birthday of her Royal High
neti the Poineess Victoria. Three han.lsome silver medals.
made expressly for the cccasion, were shot for, The shooting
was excellent, and after a spirited cotfest th,e first-medal was
awarded to Mr. U,varts, the Flec.ond to .‘r.; G,nitard, and am
thirct to, Mr. Langton. The same 4);..iety, the Paturday
previotis' shot a New Zcalaq-1 htlw .prows ; the bow an-
tirclP Nr, ciujt4F.d, four arrows by Mr. Evans, and titre(
afrowt by ivir, Lantos.

- Mr. KNlctur moved for a special injunction, to restrain
the defenflant from publishing or selling any pirated copies
of a drama called Malek Adel. The plaintiff was the
author of a poem in Italian with that title, which he after-
wards dramatised into an Opera with music by Da Costa,
the director of music at the Italian Opera. Previously to
the recent performance of that Opera in this country, the
plaintiff caused an English translation of the words to be
made for the purpose of sale. Shortly after its production,
however, he discovered that the defendant had printed and
was circulating a libretto of the Opera in Italian, with an
English translation, which was a palpable piracy of the
translation belonging to the plaintiff.
His HONOUR granted the injunction.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, MAr 27.
7,0 S T Elt V. STEELE.

This was action of assumpsit upon three policies of insu-
rance, effected on the brig Elizabeth, which was tried for
the second time before the Lord Chief Justice during the
sittings after last Hilary Term, when a verdict was entered
for the plaintiff for 4261., the full amount claimed. The
first policy bore date on the 21st of April 1834, and was
on the freight to be earned in a voyage from Sierra Leone
or the ports on the coast of Africa to any port in the United
Kingdom : the second, dated on the 19th of June, was on
the brig itself, value 2,000/., at 5 per cent., for the same
voyage ; and the third, dated the Bth August, in the same
year, was also a policy on the vessel, at six guineas per
cent. The defence set up was, that the brig was unsea-
worthy, and had been insufficiently manned.
Mr Sergeant WILDE, fir the defendant, had obtained a
rule nisi for a new trial last Term, on the ground that the
verdict was against evidence ; and that rule came on for
argument to-day.

Mr. Sergeant TADDY, for the plaintiff, was heard against
the rule this morning. The Court was occupied until two
o'clock, when their Lordships rose to meet the other
Judges in the Exchequer Chamber.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, MAY 27.
EVANS V. CHESTER.

In this case an action had been brought against the de-
fendant, Mary Ann Chester. Judgment was entered up,
and execution issued against her by that name, she being at
the time the writ of summons was issued out a femme sole.
After the writ purchased, but before execution was issued
upon the judp,,inent, she became covert, having married a
man named Sutton. The capias ad salisfaciendum was
issued against h2r on the 13th of February last, under which
she was at present in the custody of the Sheriff of Somer-
setshire.

Mr. DOWLING, upon an affidait that there was no mar-
riage settlement, had obtained a rule nisi to discharge her
out of custody.
Mr. WATSON showed cause.—Rule discharged.
SAMUEL V. PERKINS AND OTHERS.
This was an action of tasumpsit for goods sold and deli-
vered, which was tried before Mr. Justice Matteson, at the
last Assizes for Liverpool, when plaintiff obtained a verdict
for 8401. The plaintiff was a merchant in British North
America, and the defendants were the owners of a brig
called the Britannia, which had been chartered by a per-
son named Picard, of Miramichi. The consignee, for some
reason, did not supply the vessel with a cargo, in conse-
quence of which the captain purchased from the plaintiff a
quantity of timber, at what turned out to be a high price.
The vessel was subsequently lost at sea, and the timber dis-
persed. The captain and crew were picked up, and at
length arrived in Liverpool. The present action was
brought to recover the price of the timber. Mr. Alexander
had obtained a rule to set aside the verdict for the plaintiff
as being against evidence, and proceed to a new trial,
against which

Mr. CRESWELL this day showed cause.—Rule absolute.

CO.NSISTORY COURT, Mall, 27.
COCIIRANE V. COCHRANE.

This is a suit for restitution of conjugal rights, promoted
by the husband against the wife. The party cited not
hating appeared, the promoter was beard ►n person this
day, and prayed the Court to condemn Mri. Cochrane in
contempt.

The Learned Judge in rejecting, on legal grounds, the
prayer, had received a letter from Mr. Cochrane with re-
spect to the suit now before the Court, and in the most de-
decided manner expressed his regret at any parly hating
so far forgotten himself as to write to a judge of any Court
of justice, and by statements made out of Court to attempt
to influence his official opinion. He trusted that such con-
duct would never be repeated.