The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-09 00:00:00

THE CHAR TISTS

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—I am a country clergyman. On many mo-
mentous points nearer to yourself than are (I am sorry
to say as I fear) most of my clerical brethren. When
the Times newspaper renegaded, I ordered yours in-
stead, and have continued ever since your gratified and
sometimes grateful reader. I like you, because you can
" discern things that differ," and seem always upon the
watch, and honestly desirous so to discern. You can
distinguish between Catholics and Popery—between
true religion on the one hand, and Church of Englandism
or Dissenterism on the other—between what is good in
Chartists and their Charter, and what might be amended
in both.

But why do I write to you to-day who never wrote
to you before ? Because, for once, I may afford four-
pence, though I might not have afforded a shilling, to
gratify myself in writing to tell my newspaper Editor
how much he has generally pleased me ; and to express
my hope that he will exert himself in forcing off all
needless taxation from the shoulders of the people, as
energetically as he has this of the postage.
Let me implore your attention at this moment to the
poor bewildered Welsh Chartists. Though a clergy-
man, I am in heart, and somewhat more, a Chartist.
Surely every Englishman born. and living in his native
land has a constitutional right to the suffrage. Well,
as to the silly, infatuated Welsh Chartists ! Suppose
their conviction to be, that by showing themselves in
force, armed mainly with their working implements, tkey
should excite all England to join them, and thus at
once get their Charter made a part of the law of the
land, to the unspeakable benefit of all ! What of that ?
Surely they have suffered for their bakyism. What else
could it be ? Designed treason ? Absurd. Had it
been that, could twenty-five raw recruits have so routed
10,000 miners and colliers ? I firmly believe there was
no more thought of treason in them than in the lads of
the 45th, who so heedlessly slaughtered them I Would
that the Government would withdraw its Special Com-
mission, and prove itself wiser in its second thoughts
than in its first. Should punishment stop here, the
poor Chartists might then feel it to be their just desert,
and the Government to be indeed merciful to them and
worthy of their love ; but should the Special Commis-
sion, with Baron Williams, go farther, as in the sad case
of the Dorchester labourers, both the present Govern-
ment and the whole country may very soon see cause to
repent the rash procedure.
Would that you saw this matter, Sir, as I see it ; you
would then greatly contribute to the joy of your con
stant reader,
North Staffordshire, Dec. 5.

H. P.

DUTCH AND HAMBURG MAIL.

The British Government having been informed
by its Consul of the generous devotedness with
which the fishermen of Ostend had exposed them-
selves to the greatest dangers to assist the crews of
several English vessels which were wrecked in the
great storm in January last, has granted them a
reward of 1001. sterling.
BRUSSELS. DEC. s.—The Chamber of Representa-
tives met yesterday at one o'clock. A very long debate
arose on the non presentation to the Chamber by the
Minister of the treaty of peace with Holland. The
Minister replied that the treaty had been communicated
to the Chambers in its sitting of the 2d of May last,
and that the ratifications, which were unaccompanied
with any observations, would shortly be laid before the
Chamber.

BRUSSELS, DEc. 6.—Yesterday the King gave an
audience to the Chevalier Peruzzi, Charge d'Affaires of
the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Colonel Sir Maxwell Wallace had an audience of his
Majesty.
A letter from Eccloo to the Independent says, " Some
jou! nals have stated that the Dutch Government had
sent troops to Cadsand, with hostile intentions towards
Belgium."
It appears from other sources that a few troops had
been sent, but were hostile only against robbers that
generally appear in that quarter during the winter.
A letter ftom Rome, of the 22d of November, an-
nounces that his Holiness the Pope, Gregory XVI.,
has delivered an allocution relative to the religious dif-
ferences in Russia. After having deplored the apostacy
of the Roman Catholic Bishops, he exhorts them to
return to the bosom of the Holy Church ; to reflett on
what they have lost, to consider the terrible punishments
which according to the Holy Canon they bring down
on themselves, and on the flocks committed to their
charge. His Holiness concludes his allocution by inti-
mating that he will use all his influence with the Czar,
in whose impartiality, elevation of mind, and justice he
has so much confidence, to induce him to settle the affair
in a manner favourable to the Church.
. .

VIENNA, Nov. 27.—The mail from Constantinople
confirms the probability of the speedy conclusion of an
agreement between the Porte and Mehemet Ali.
ILANovxa, Nov. 25.—Though our revere it Monarch
at this moment enjoys excellent health, the public is

not without apprehensions of the consequences of the
great fatigue to which his Majesty has exposed himself
in the late journey and many hunting parties, the re-
views, balls, and other amusements which would fatigue
a much younger man. This apprehension of the public
appears to be the better founded as his Majesty was
lately seized (on a hunting party) with a spasmodic
attack, which, for some hours, made his Majesty's attend-
ants fearful of the consequences ; happily it passed over,
and his Majesty returned to the capital in good health.
LUNENBURG, Nov. 23.—Our apprehensions are but
too soon realized. The Holstein transit duty, the in-
troduction of which into Hamburg may be expected,
has induced the Government of Mecklenburgh to take
advantage of the excellent situation of the country be-
tween the Baltic and the Elbe, to open a free commu-
nication for the Baltic trade. .

A causeway is to be made from Wiemar to Beit-
zenburg, passing through Gadebusck, Cloddram, and
Bellaher. There are to be no tolls on this road. The
town of Beitzenburg is to have a safe and convenient
harbour in the Elbe, and for this harbour there will be
a regular communication by steam boats to other ports.
The work is already begun. Thus the condemned
communication between the Baltic and the North Sea
by short and unshackled ways will be at length fulfilled.
—Hamburg Papers, Dec. 3.
THE HAGUE, DEC. 3.—Baron B. Fagel will set out
in a few days for Paris, to resume his functions as Am-
bassador of the Netherlands at the French Court.
From the official statements laid by the Govern-
ment before the Statea' General, it appears that on the
Ist of January this year, there was in the Treasury a
surplus of 44,976,361 florins ; the actual 'receipt was
46,112,346 florins, so that there is a surplus of 1,315,955
florins.

AMSTERDAM, DEC. s.—We hear that it is seriously
contemplated to fix the seat of the Provisional Govern-
ment in this city ; we wish that this matter may be
happily accomplished, as it would be a very important
change for this capital.
THE HAGUE, DEC. s.—Our Dutch funds, after a
tendency to rise, remained nearly at the same prices
as yesterday. Little was done in Spanish Stock, the
prices were better ; Russian and Austrian maintain their
prices ; South American are more in demand.
DUTCH FUNDS.—AMSTERDAM, DEC. 6.
Money. Bills.
Actual Debt, ‘2!,5, per rent
Ditto, ditto 5 per cent.
Amon svadic,,l% per cent 9t $l5
Ditto, ditto, 3% per cent 783 7914
Commercial Company, 4', per cent 1671%' 169
Ditto (1532 and 1833) 5 per cent.
Ditto 1837, 5 per cent. —
Loan 1837, 5 per cent.
Exchange on London, One month l2
Two months ...... 11 Kg
—Dutch Papers, Dec. 6.
BELGIAN Dim 6.
Actual Debt ON per Cent.
Rothschild's Loan, 5 per Cent. ........... 1"
Loan of Thirty Millions, 4 per•Cent...7. .
...
------ 3 per Cent.......... 70%
Loan of City, 1832, 4 per Cent 95
Society of Commerce, 454 per Cent ll4
Bank of Belgium, 5 per Cent 7051
National Society
Exchange on London (short)
Brussels Papers, Dec. 6.
PRUSSIAN FUNDS.—BERLIN, DEC. 3.
Bills. Money.
St. Schuld. Sch., 4'4 per cent. litiqi 103 t
Prussian English Loan, 1830, 4 per cent 102% 102;.e
15:xchange on London, three months 6 VIA
—Prussian State Gazette, Dec. 4.
AUSTRIAN FUNDS..-NIEIINA, Nov. VS
Five per Cents. Metalliques ..... ........... 10S%
Foci- per Cents.
Three per Cents.
Bank Shares ISB4

Zetisoig, Dec. 9

The Marquis and Marchioness of Exeter are re-
ceiving a party at Burghley house, their seat near Stam-
ford. Lord and Lady Thomas Cecil arrived at the
above mansion on Thursday last from town.
We hear that the title of that gallant veteran,
Sir John Keane, the Commander of the Army of the
Indus, is to be Baron Keane, of Cappoquin, in the
county of Waterford. It may perhaps not be out of
place here to say, that Sir John Keane has not been re-
called, as has been so often stated, by her Majesty's
Government. The facts, as we can collect them, are,
that upon the resignation of Sir Henry Fane, Sir Jas-
per Nichol was appointed Commander-in-Chief in India.
Sir Jasper Nichol is, we believe, junior in rank to Sir
John Keane, and that circumstance, from military
etiquette alone, might have induced the hero of Ghuznee
to have resigned his command ; but the stronger reason
ja, that having spent more than five years in India, he
is naturally desirous of returning to his home ; and it is
with pleasure we hear that the triumph of this gallant
and generous soldier has given the warmest satisfaction
to his old comrades in arms, who will receive him with
a hearty welcome.—Observer.

THE POLITICS OF THE MASSES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR-It is a sign of what Cobbett used to call the
" worst improvements of the age," that the working
classes have any politics at all. Until a very recent
period the masses generally took their political bias
from. the prevailing opinions of the classes above them,
but In no case had they apart from Owe any opinions
of their own.

Twzrity years ago it was a thing not to he supposed,
that the working classes could fail to be influenced by a
movement of the whole of the class immediately above
them, which possessed the double charm of being in

opposition t:o the aristocracy and for the abolition of

I tax, forming the very essence of a popular measure.
Yet, such is the fact, the agitation for a repeal of the
Corn-laws, backed as it is by the wealthy capitalists,
inforceci as it is by the eloquence of some of the most
ta'ented lecturers of the day, has, and will probably con-
tinue to fail in agitating the masses, because their minds
are pre-occupied.
'l'►he millions have begun to think, imperfectly per-
haps, and withal, too energetic, but to think, and as
their intense energy attests, to think in earnest. Like
all young thinkers, their energy may occasionally be too
great for their judgment, and their conclusions, there-
fore, illogical. But, from this, who, or what class, is
or ever has been exempt. _

The working classes, like the middle classes, may be
divided into two sections, those of no politics, and those
who entertain political opinions, and like them those of
no politics far out-number the politically inclined.
When, however, a great political question arises, then
the whole political and non-political become equally im-
bued with the prevailing opinion, whatever it may be.
The masses comprise every grade of political opinion,
from the Ultra Tory to the Ultra Democrat and the
Socialist ; the great majority, howcver, until recently
believed themselves to be Whigs. After the Chartist
agitation it may appear strange, but it is nevertheless
true that the majority of the working classes are not
Chartists. They are, that is, those who profess a poli-
tical bias, what might be termed Ultra Radicals, i. e.
those who wish an Extension of the Suffrage to every
man untainted by crime. Vote by Ballot and Short Par-
liaments, the payment of Members, with no property
qualification, and Triennial Parliaments, which would
concert them into Chartists, is what they have not yet
progressed to. How long it will be before they, and by
their influence the whole of the masses, become Chartists,
may be guessed at with some degree of certainty, after
we have inquired into the cause of their having them-
selves evolved these political opinions.
It is a startling fact, that there is no opinion more
universal among the masses, both political and non-
political, than that of non-estimation of the political

►ntegrity of the present elected Members of the
Legislature. Ask a working man of no politics why he
don't read the debates in Parliament? and nine times
out of ten the answer will be, " What is the use ? what
does it concern me to know how one set of rogues
abuse another set of rogues in the dispute who shall get
the most of the public money ?" This feeling of con-
tempt for the morale of the Legislature, and the conse-
quent belief that the Legislature are actuated by any
motive but that of good to them, combined with the fact
that they are not represented in the Legislature, has in-
evitably led the masses to the discovery of the principle,
" That equal laws depend upon equal representation."
This principle, though well known, has not been until
recently current among the working classes. It has
been, as it were, evolved by themselves ; and with it
also the consciousness that the rights which the working
of this principle should give them are unjustly withheld.
This most natural result of a low opinion of the po-
litical integrity of the Government—which opinion
(whether true or false I do not stop to inquire) is
calm and dispassionate as well as universal—it will
be perceived at once must lead to the masses becom-
ing Chartists, and if that appellation, from any cause,
should get into disrepute, the same principles, wrought
out in the same manner, will be the animus of the
masses, under some other designation.
It must be obvious also that this feeling will natu-
rally extend itself from the representatives to the con-
stituency, and hence the slight opinion which the work-
ing classes have sometimes expressed of the middle
classes.

Among the working classes, as I said before, there
are all grades of political opinion, and I have invariably
beard those who have professed themselves op-
posed to Radicals and to Chartists, while abusing both
for being so, give utterance, of their own motion, and
apparently without being conscious of the fact, to some
one or other of the principles of Chartism as a part of
their own political creed.
1 have endeavoured to show what the politics of the
masses are, and what has caused them. The masses
have began to think for themselves. Thoughts, like
those described operating in the minds of men accus-
tomed to intense physical energy, naturally beget a state
' of things in which—what shall I say—more energy than
judgment is displayed, and hence the outbreak in '\' ales.
Let not those who believe themselves to be lovers of
order be alarmed at this conclusion. IT IS THE TRUTH.
And whether it be enunciated or not, or whether it be
believed or not, or being believed, whether it be
denied or not, it still is the ever progressing truth ; and
as no power can destroy the truth of a principle, so no
power can stop the progress of the events which the
knowledge of its truth evolves.
The difference between the political opinions of the
masses now, and at any former period is that now the
masses think for themselves, while before they only were
moved by the impulse of others. They will of course
act foolishly until experience shall have made them wise,
but never more will they blindly be the instruments of
their own destruction in the hands of others.
T. J. DUNNING.
[Our Correspondent will see that we have omitted a
few passages of Ills letter, merely in order to bring it
within our space.]

A Sale of considerable attraction at Robins's
Auction Rooms commences to-morrow, and continues
throughout the week, embracing the splendid furniture
and elegant appendages of a mansion in every depart-
ment, noble glasses, lamps, library bookcases, with the
valuable collection of books, prints and drawings, services
of plate, china and glass, and three carriages. It is
rarely so much of value is comprised in one sale, and it
has been matter of conjecture as to the name of the
❑oble owner, but this is kept a profound secret.

Great secrecy has been observed by the Con•
servative Journals respecting the mission of Lord Stuar
de Rothsay to the King of Hanover.—Observer.

BADMINTON.—The Duke and Duchess of
Beaufort will see company this week, when the Duke
of Cambridge and his illustrious consort, Prince George,
Lord Ellenborough, Capt. and Lady Georgiana Cod-
rington, Lord and Lady William Somerset, and Lord
Fitzroy Somerset, are expected to arrive on a visit.
`We stated last week that the dice seized by the
police, in the gaming house, in the Quadrant, were
falsely numbered, or were loaded. Several Correspon-
dents have asked us for explanation on the subject, and
therefore, without going through the whole infamy of
the process, we can state that one pair of dice has, on
one die, two fours, two fives, and two sixes—the fellow
die has two twos, two threes, and two fours. It will
easily be perceived that no combination of these dice
can throw five. By the same process of falsification
other numbers are excluded.—Observer.

UrILTSPUR-STREET CONIPTER.-011 Thursday,
at Guildhall, a number of persons applied for orders to
see their friends in the Compter. Sir Peter Laurie
said it was intended to assimilate the regulations for
visiting this prison as nearly as possible to those of the
Cold Bath-fields prison, which was the best-managed
gaol in the kingdom. In future only one visit in a
month would be allowed, except in special cases. The
names of visitors would be registered in a book at the
prison, and applications to visit would be made in the
first instance to the keeper of the prison, who, if he saw
no objection, would fill up the order and send the appli-
cant with it to the Magistrate for his signature. No
discharged prisoner would be allowed to visit.
THE FISHERY.—The Penzance driving boats,
some night last week, caught a few pilchards, but they
drove up channel near Plymouth, where they found hakes
in abundance ; they bad from four to nine hundred each.
The Plymouth trawlers are said to have taken large
quantities of hakes, which have been sold in the Ply-
mouth market, at one shilling per dozen.—West triton.
CHAIR USED BY CHARLES 1. ON HIS TRIAL.
—An attractive curiosity has latterly, along with many
others, been added by loan to the list of those which
will shortly be exhibited by the Birmingham Mechanics'
Institution. It is the chair which Charles I. not only
sat in during his trial, but which was also placed for
his accommodation upon the scaffold at Whitehall. It
has a low seat and high back, and is covered with de.
cayed crimson velvet, a footstool being attached to it of
corresponding style and materials. It has descended to
the present possessor from Bishop Juxon, who attended
at the time of his execution.—iirnzinghant paper.
We (the Cheltenham Examiner) understand
that it is the intention of the Post-office authorities, at
the request of the inhabitants of Cheltenham, to put
on a day mail from London to that town, in addition to
the present night mail. To start from London every
morning at ten o'clock, and reach Cheltenham by half-
past six in the evening. By the same arrangement, the
additional mail will leave Cheltenham every morning
lat half-past eight, and reach London at half-past four in
the afternoon.

EY4:NING EDITI(iN.
RIOTS IN WALES.
....___
A little pamplet, entitled an " Address , i,
t
Winking Classes of Wales on the late o 9*410.117,'
at Newport, by One of the People," ha 'W.e ~.t.:•,-, ,
published at Swansea. It displays 'nue . ,--., '.;,:,-''''.,`
flection and judgment, points out the de Q144,-.,5.4: „u
the physical force men, and at the same 714....47 . 1
best and, as the writer considers, the on ' .7 4;f4iit -4 ..
bettering the condition of the lower classes. . /4t: t.- 4.'4
are his remarks on the fearful odds agains."7. WC .
disciplined multitude, when opposed to a body .
regular troops :
Tile only intelligible object of an outbreak or riot,
such as took place in Newport, must be the discomfi-
ture
of the military and civil authorities of the place, '
and your retaining possession of the town; and 1 will
suppose a small portion of the country about it. Well,
suppose all this done—suppose you master some two
hundred or three hundred soldiers at a great sacrifice
of human life—of the lives of your friends--your fellow
workmen—possibly of your relatives—what have you I
gained? Possession of the town. Well, what then ?
Will this convert a single individual to Chartism i' The
firing of a gun is no proof of the truth of the Charter.
You have immediately dispatched against you horse,
loot, and artillery—a great portion of the force of the ,
country ;—and here you are, with no fortifications, to
contend with men whose very trade is war, and who
have every assistance that science and accumulated i
experience can give them—who can bring their terrible
engines of destruction to bear upon you and yet expose '
themselves to little or no danger. A body of artillery
would reduce, in a few hours, a town like Newport to a
mass of smoking ruins tumbling about the heads of its
unfortunate inhabitants. But I turn from the sicken-
ing and horrid contemplation—nor have I brought it
before you but with the intention of showing the folly of
all such attempts. Many of these attempts are, I be- I
lieve, made by men who think that all is done if they I
once get the mastery over a body of soldiers stationed
in a district ; but in reality this is only " the beginning of
troubles"—one step further towards ruin. Upon this
subject let me add one more remark :—you can form
no notion of the military power, merely by seeing a few i
troops of soldiers such as are sometimes stationed in your
populous mining and manufacturing districts. These
are very formidable from their arms and discipline—
forty
of these men would be a match for ten times their
numbers. But this is not all ;—there is a tremendously
additional strength gained by the combination of different
kinds of soldiery, each kind acting with equal skill in
his own department, and presenting, altogether, a fear-
ful odds, pregnant with destruction to any undiscip-
lined force however numerous—and even to -a force
partly disciplined, armed, for example, as the people at
Newport were. Thus, 300 foot soldiers and 100
cavalry are far more powerful than the same number of
infantry only. The same number, distributed into horse,
foot, and artillery, would be able to meet fifty times the
number that 400 foot soldiers armed with the gun, &c.,
could meet. Three pieces of cannon, served by thirty
men, would make fearful work amongst 20,000 undis-
ciplined men. They would be mowed like the green
grass before the mower's scythe.

He next endeavours to demonstrate that the
expectation of a mob being joined by the soldiers
is hopeless :
I know of no soldiery who are so much influenced
by the feelings and sentiments to which I have above
alluded, an'l I know of no country in which so few acts
of insubordination of troops have taken place as in
England. Within the last fifty years, at least 100
popular outbreaks have occurred—some from political,
some from other motives ; and you cannot point your
linger to a single case in which the military have re-
fused to fire upon, much less have joined the people.
Is it wise to risk your lives on the hazard (against all
experience) of their doing so at present? In foreign
countries there arc, occasionally, instances of military
disaffection ; but mark the consequence. They have
in every case been put down by other soldiers. And
why ? For this plain reason—once from under military
command, these men become disunited—every one is
master ; no order, no unity, all is confusion ;—and, as
you have seen from the passage of Somerville which I
have quoted; without order, a military body is nothing—
their arms nothing—and they yield to the better di-
rected movements of soldiers acting under one bead, and
moving "like one man" upon a point. Take away this
unity of direction, remove this magic of discipline, and
the soldier, even with arms in his hands, becomes a
common man—he must yield to his disciplined com-
rade. I can, indeed, safely challenge any man to point
out to me a single instance in which a military revolt
has succeeded, unless seconded by the officers, or where
the plot has had some leading men connected with it.
Well, then, all this proves that the expectation of a
mob being joined by soldiery is hopeless ; and if they
did join, tine people would gain little or nothing by it.
In conclusion lie adds :
I shall now sum up all I have said on this subject :
consider it well, and, as men who judge of others by
what you have known of them, tell me is it not a broken
reed to which you trust in entertaining the hope that
the soldiery will juin you, or tht,t you can expect any
favour from them-
-Ist. The notions of duty—the habits of thinking—
the discipline and training of the English soldier—is
such as to make it morally impossible that he would re-
fuse to act in a riot, outbreak, or insurrection of the
working classes.
i)..dly. . The consequence of any portion of the sol-
dieryjoining a portion of the insurgents, would be
certain death, inasmuch ,as they must be soon over-
powered by superior forces ;—therefore they would not
join.
idly. The cases of the French Revolutions afford no
parallel to the one we are supposing. All the habits
and circumstances of the French soldier are different
from those of the English ; and, therefore, until you
place the latter in the same circumstances, until, in fact,
you change his nature, it would be folly to reason from
one to the other.
4th. Though the French soldiers joined in the Revo-
lutions, which were of all classes. they have never refused
to put down local tumults or outbreaks.
sth. An immense number of popular tumults have
taken place in England within the last 100 years, and
yet the soldiers have joined no one of them. It is, there-
fore, unreasonable, because against ail experience, to
expect they would do so now.
6th. The soldier's ignorance of his companions' senti-
timents and feelings on the subject of duty, would pre-
vent him proposing a plot for refusing to act, or joining
a tumult or insurrection, even if inclined to do so.
My countrymen,—have I not told you enough to
convince you, that by violence you cannot succeed
Look back on Uhl various combinaeions that have been
formed for political purposes, and tell me whether one
of them has succeeded by " lab ysical force," whether
political progression has not been stayed—thrown back
by a display of it. Never was ti his truth more strongly
exemplified than in the case of 'the Irish Catholic Asso-
ciation. They, too, were men battling for their rights ;
but their arms were reason—elleir triumph conviction.
And nobly were they rewarded. The Catholic Asso-
ciation was formed, at first composed of the masses—the
working classes : power despised it, rank smiled not on
it ; but its voice was that 01' humanity and truth,—it
worked its way—it convince 3—it enlisted the sympa-
thies of Englishmen, althougn not immediately benefited
by the accomplishment of its objects—it became a
mighty power—mighty in Tnoral influence ; and preju-
dice, intolerance, and religious oppression quailed in its
presence. The Irish Catholic became one with the
British citizen. Look again at the Reform Bill. There,
too, success, crowned peaceful agitation. The Political
Unions were formed—opinion, like the wave rolling on
to its destined shore, gathered strength in its very pro-
gress ; and the people mighty, beca use the " Law, Or-
der, Union," was their motto, in. a voice of thunder
proclaimed that the things which had been should be no
more. And yet, here was no foolish, bravadoing display
of " physical force." A single scene like that of New-
port would have ruined the can: ;e. Here is a verse
sung ou the morning of the great, meeting of the Poli-
tical Unions in Birmingham, by a hundred thousand of
your fellow operatives, as the gathering Unions marched
into the field, Chartists ! who say that " physical
force" is the only means of bettering your condition,
hear!—how grand in its very peacefulness l—how ma-
jestic in its consciousness of the innate power of. Tighe
and truth !
God is our Guide ! no swc.rds we draw,
We kindle not war's battle fires,
By Union, Justice, Reason, Law,
We claim the birthright of our sires.

THE CONVICT GEORGE CANT.--At the last
October Sessions, Cant, who kept a public-house in
Holborn, was convicted of a rape on his servant, and
sentence of death was recorded against :him on the un-
derstanding that he would be transport;cd for life. A
petition was presented on his behalf, anKlamong others
the Dukes of Manchester and Bedford, au d Mr. Crawley,
M.P., sent statements to Lord Norman.by favourable to
the prisoner. Hopes were entertained, ghat these appli-
cations would be successful, but it appears an order was
sent down by the Home Office on SaturdaY to the Gaol ,
of Newgate, directing that the convict Should be re-
moved
to the hulks, preparatory to his transportation.
THE CONVICT .WILLIAM LEES.—The war-
rant
for execution was sent on Si.turday from the office
of the Clerk of the Peace to Ntwgate, but it Ivo backed
sine die, the time when " execution shall be don e," vest-
ing in the Sheriffs, subject to the fiat of the Secrotary of
State. We understand thF.t the inquiry as to his sanity
of mind for some months prior to the murder is pnsceed-
ing, the result of which expected to,rauspire in a few
days.—Observer.
In 1760 several old Peerages were renew ed in
the persons of great wealth who represented the m the
old State Papers say, " The following eminent person-
ages kissed the King's hand at St. James's c,n being
recreated Peers—Sir W. Courtenay, Bart. ; Ge urge Fox
Lane, Esq. ; George Vernon, Esq. ; Lord Milton, and
also the Duke of Newcastle, and Earl Delawarr female
Baronies), and Duchess Dowager of Mroich ester, a
Baroness, with remainder to Sir Edward Nontagu's
heirs male."

, sway ..,......•,.MPow

EVENING EDITION.

THEAT TOYAL COVENT GARDEN.
UNDER THE MANAGEMENT OF MADAME
'7ESTRIS.
'PHIS EVENING, [?ac. 9, 1839,
Will be repeated the New Original Play, in Five Acts, written
by James Sheridan Knowles, called
LOVE.

Duke of Carinthia, Mr. .!ciimer : Sir Rupert of Lsreh, Mr.
J. Vining ; Huon, Mr. Anderson ; the Countess of Eppen-
stein, Misa Ellen Tree; Katherine, Madame Vestris.
After which,
THE BEGGAR'S OPERA.

Captain Macheath, Mr. W. Harrison; Mr. W.
Farren ; Lockit, Mr. Bartley ; Filch, Mr. Harley ; Mrs.
Peachum, Mrs. C. Jones; Polly Peachum, Miss Rainforth;
Lucy Lockit, Madame Vestris.
Te-marrow, Love, with The Beggar's Opera.

Dress Boxes, 7s; Second Price, 3s. 6d. ; First and Second
Circles, is. ; Second Price, 2s. id. ; Pit, 3s. ; Second Price,
2s. ; Gallery, Is.
Doors to be opened at half-past Six—the performances to
com-nenee at Seven o'Clnck.

Tickets and places for the Boxes t• be taken of Mr. Netter,
at the Box-office, from Ten till Four, where Season Tickets
may be had upon application.
Private Boxes to be had solely of Mr. Andrews, bookseller,
167, New Bond-street.
ROYAL SURREY THEATRE.

Ainsworth's original and extraordinary Drama of " Jack Skep-
ipard" still maintains its supremacy; 130,000 persons have
witnessed its representation, and the nightly overflows have
wftirmed its popularity. It will be acted every Evening.
THIS EVENING, Drc. 9,

Val be acted, Ainsworth's celebrated Drama of
JACK SHEPPARD.

Illustratin,l.,all Cruikshants' inimitable Tableaux Vivant.
Characters :Ny Messrs. Saville, Dale, Heslop, Laws, Smith,
Ross, Neville; 'Sirs. Vining, Mrs. Daly, Miss Martin, Miss
-.
Grant Mts. I.aws,• with the Old English Drama of
To oonclude
THE LAD:',E OF LAMBYTHE.
Iva, Mrs. Vining. Katherine Miss Grant.
Lucie, Wilbert, Martin.
Wilbert, Mr. Dale.
Walter Mort Mr. E. F. 'Sa vi;3e•
John the Jester
,Mr. Smith.

Evemog.... to minutes aiter 4
TER
AT LONDON IC 17.1.00 E TO.MORRO
R.
HIGH-WA
Morning.... 27 minutes after 4

LONDON:
MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 11139.

The announcement of the Meeting of Parlia-
ment should put the Liberals on their mettle.
, Experience has demonstrated that nothing can be
gilt from Parliament, unless the public demands be
impeyative. If the Dissenters, therefore, wish fo:
the abu.'4ion of Church-rates—if the middle classes
generally require the abolition or alteration of
the Corn-laws --if the bulk of the electors require
the protection o! the Ballot—if the non-electors
still regard the Extension of the Suffrage as the
only cure for their multipiied political sufferings—
, now is the time to bestir thensselves, and make their
• wants and wishes known to .13 arliament. The
i Tories and the parsons have held npmerous meet-
ings during the recess, and have endeavoured in
j vain to kindle something like enthusiasm in their
I favour. They have bribed the operatives, they
ickye collected their retainers, they have spouted
,t, pckblic dinners, but they have failed to con-
vince i.t,e people that they ought to be in love
with " cha:us and slavery." Whoever heard of
men being enthusiastic for a bloated Church Esta-
blishment or a plundering aristocracy? The efforts
of the Tories and the parsons have been complete
It failure-, and now that they have done their worst
and their best, their oppooents should take the
field.

There is nothing generous in Toryism, nothing

ennobling in priesicraft ; the former may seduce the
weak, and the latter may terrify the timid, but the
bull spirit of independent man will reject: both the
physical coercion of the Tories, and the spiritual
coercion of the Priests. Now, before Parliament

meets, should those who resent the injustice acme
to all the Dissenters in the person of THOROGOOtti
and those who feel indignant at the injury in-
flicted on the whole nation to keep up
the superiority of the landlords, make their
opinions known by public meetings, and by
oulopting appropriate resolutions. As things appear
at present the Parliament will have a right to con- '
elude that the nation is entirely Tory, and given
up to the cause of the Priests, without one dissen-

tient voice. Let this spell be broken—let the Dis-

seaters rouse themselves—let the suffering manu-
facturers, and the Perishing workmen, laving aside
minor and remote differences, unite, and tell the Par-
liament, in language which cannot be misunderstood,
that if it mean to preserve the respect and obedi-
ence of the nation, it must no longer sacrifice the
masses to a few thousand landowners, and a still
smaller number of men who aim at founding and
preserving a dominion in the world on a pretended
knowledge of a world hereafter.

We see by the Carlisle Journal that the elect ' of
Cockermouth gave a public dinner to their representa-
tives, Mr. AGLIONBY and Mr. HORSM A N, on Wed-
nesday last. Other Liberal constituencies ought to
act in the same way. It is good to ascertain that the
opinions of their representatives remain unaltered
and good to strengthen them in their virtuous reso-•
lutions. Mr. AG LIONRY at this meeting spoke
strongly in favour of an alteration of the Corn-laws,
re'ommending Mr. HuNtE's plan of a gradual
abatement of the duty till it was settled at Bs. or
Gs. a quarter. But Mr. AGLIONBY, and all the
agriculturists, must know that this scheme of a

gradual abatement would prevent persons investing
capital in agriculture while the reduction was in
progress. At the end of each successive year
every investment would be reduced in value.
Such a plan seems feasible, but reflec-
tion has convinced us that it would be
inure injurious to the agriculturists than either the
present plan, or a thorough, complete, and imme-
diate abolition of the Corn-laws. We cannot,
therefore, say that we approve of this partial re-
moval of a gross wrong. Let the whole injus-
Lice be swept away. We are for no half felonies,
nor for maiming a man and taking credit for not
committing a murder.

Mr. AGLIONJY said that those who insisted on
having all, or they would take nothing, were playing
the game of the enemy. We agree with him, and
will take the smallest improvement we can get, al-
ways asserting, however, our right to get the whole
of what is just. But Members of Parliament and
others should remember that the demands of news-
papers or of particular persons ought not to sway
them to commit an injustice. If we demand what
is wrong, is that an excuse for their doing
what is wrong ? If the Legislature will substitute
a !mall fixed duty for the present varying scale of
duties, we will accept the change ; if it agree
gradually to reduce the duties we will not refuse
that ; but vre shall continue to saw that the whole
scheme of taxing the food of the people for the
benefit of one class, and one class only, in ever so
small a sum, is a grows act of injustice, and that
the public ought not to be satisfied till the trade
in provisions of all kinds be completely free.

We agree with the following remarks in the Ex-
aminer, and have previously expressed similar sen-
timents, though in less terse and emphatic lan-
guage :

THE To PREPARATIONS FOR POWER. It is
most certain that the Tories reckon upon the revival
of the bray of No-Popery as the means of their resto-
ration to power. It s ;q tally certain that should they
succeed in gaining ther end by such vile means, their
tenure of place would Le unstable as: water, their official
life as brie as the glory of their own ora..ge lilies. This
is more than a drop of sweet in a cup of bitters.
The greatest .iifficulty which the present Ministry
has had to encounter i 3 but the crumpling of a rose
leaf compared with the embarrassments in store for Sir I
Robert Peel, springing- up under the very steps by
which he proposes to arrive at Downing-street. Let his
path to power be ever so flowery, he will assuredly find
its possession a bed of thorns. The flame of intolerance
that now cheers will scorch him. The storm of bad
passions through which it is possible he may succeed
in sm‘tching the keys of the Treasury, will not subside
at his bidding, when it will be as much his interest to

hush the voice of turbulence, and silence the howl of
bigotry, as it now is to promote the hubbub.
That a Minister, borne into power upon th- tide
of the fiercest animosity to the people of Ireland and
their religion, should govern upon the principles of
national and religious equality, may safely be pro-
nounced a moral impossibility. Thoroughly to con-
tent tie friends to whose sweet voices he would be
indebted for his short triumph, he must administer
affairs to their satisfaction,—that is, he must not only
make bigotry and exclusion the spirit and principle
of his Ministry, but he must faithfully act in that fell
spirit, and carry out in all its rigour that iron prin-
ciple, ruled by every scream from Canterbury, every
yelp from Ashton, and every snarl from all the ken-
nels of all Ulster. This he must do, thus must he
act, to give complete contentment to the violent
section of his party, represented so well by the Bradshaws
at the feast and the Stowell: in the pulpit
As the people would have no share in bringing a Tory
Minister into power—as, on the contrary, the restoration
would be right in the people's teeth—so in the exercise
of Ministerial power there would be no popular leaning ;
all the tendencies to please would be towards the quarter
where alone the struggle for office had been encouraged
and abetted- The Ministerial soliloquy would be,
1 will be as intolerant as the nation will bear"—not,
" I will be as liberal as the Orangemen will submit to."
Exalted and happy lot of a Minister whose principles
array the millions again 't him, and who can never de-
viate into the paths of enliettened government without
incurring the shame of ingratP•ude and the odium of
apostacy I Happy Minister, whose
system must be ex-
clusion, and who can only be liberal by
stealth, and at
such intervals as elapse between angelic c.:113 I Thrice
happy Minister, either dinned with the clamcnni of his
deceived and disappointed friends, or deafened wi...11 the
roar of enraged and immitigable enemies—friends wbOtti
he cannot soothe without rousing a people, enemies
whom he cannot turn to friends by any art or charm !

It is a singularity in the history of parties,
that the Tories out of power should profess the
same contempt and hatred of the multitude as
when they were is office. We must admit,
though we cannot admire, their consistency. They
are the incarnation of the spirit of oppression.
OtiLer statesmen, when forced from the councils
of the Crown, have appealed to the generous
spirit of' liberty, and have forced their way back to
power by promising political improvements
and an extension: of the franchise. The Tories ask
for power, in the name of oppression, and threaten,
as the reward for restoring them to office, a restora-
tion and extension of tyranny. They are, perhaps,
not mad, but those who support them must be.
What SHYLOCK says to ANTONIO is but a faint
f.epresentation of the mean spirit which would re-
store the Tories to power, while they avow
their determination to spit upon the people and spurn
them as heretofore. They do not come cap
in hand, and ask for a restoration to power
as a favour. They offer no bond, if we restore
them. They claim dominion as a right, and
threaten the people as angry masters threaten their
scholars. " Let me but cate.h you, sir, and I will
flay you alive," says an angry pedagogue to an
urchin who has escaped from his clutches.
" Let us catch you," say the Toriek? to the
Catholics, " anti we will re-inflict the penal la ws on
voiz ;" to the Dissenters, " and we will compel yo .n
to subrnit to a heavier and more galling yoke for
the honour of the Church ;" and to the Chartists,
" and we will repress your grumbling and discon-
tent by the bullets of the soldier and the gallows of
the executioner." Such are the Tories out of of-
fice; in office they would undoubtedly be the actual
tyrants they now describe in their speeches.

A correspondent inquires why we call the Bishop
of Exeter " Old Toint." We are not a little sur-
prised at the question, as we had supposed that
the circumstances to which the Right Reverend
Prelate is indebted for his alias were too generally
known to require explanation. As we find, how-
ever, that we were mistaken in this supposition,
we shall proceed to gratify the laudable curiosity of
our Correspondent, and it may be, of others, by a
&mail of the particulars which attended the Bi-
shop's second christening.
_

It is needless to say that Dr. PHILPOTTS is the
most celehrat:d of pamphleteers. It was, in fact,
by means of the Pamphleteering system that he
worked his way to tbe mitre. Every step of the
ladder by which he mounted the Episcopal Bench
was formed of a pamphlet. at those productions
were good in one sense, it wou,i,d be in vain to
deny. In so far as the goodness of ae7V thing de-
pends on its adaptation to the purpose for .which
it is intended, they were of the first order of e.xce:l-
lence. The author flattered his friends, and raili:d 1
at his enemies, to a degree, and with a tact, that
threw all his competitors in that line of author-
craft completely into the shade.

For Dr. VAN AIILDERT, the late Bishop of
Durham, the most fulsome praise was too faint;
for Lord GREY and Mr. CANNING no invective
was too bitter, no abuse too gross. The former
silly old man had the richest rectory in the king-
dozr in his gift, and was therefore easily persuaded
that fle wqs the most learned man that ever wore a
mitre. 'The ;atter persons were the warmest and
ablest advocates of Catholic emancipation, of which
our hero was then—though he afterwards ratted—
the most uncompromi,=ing and inveterate opponent.
At this period of his life every year produced half-
a-dozen of these characteristic brochures, no inci-
cident being allowed to escape public notice, that
could, by any possibility, be made a peg to hang a
pamphlet on.
Now, it so happened that in one of the last de-
bates on the Catholic question in the House cf
Commons, in which Mr. CANNING took a part,
Lord LYNDHURST (then Sir JOHN COPLEY), a
man of kindred principles with Dr. PHILPOTTS,
took it into his head to make a foaming speech
against the Catholics ; hut as Providence has been '
pleased, happily for his country, to neutralize that
Learned Lord's talents by an unconquerable indo-
lence of disposition, he saved himself the trouble
of hunting for arguments in his own mind, and de-
livered, almost verbatim, the Reverend Doctor's last
pamphlet on the subject. The plagiarism was evi-
dent to the whole House.

When the Learned Gentleman sat down, Mr.
CANNING rose to reply, and commenced his speech
with the following quotation from a well-known

soner in Monmouth gaol), by Francis Hill, of No.
14, Northumberland-place, Bath, has been one of the
rrincipal causes of such outrage, have caused to be in-
terc-pted a packet of these papers, of the date of the
30th of November, directed to Mr. Newbridge, Gla-
morganshire (12 miles from Cardiff), a district in which
Chartism has very widely spread, earnestly bog leave to
call your Lordship's attention to the extensive circula-
tion and mischievous tendency of the said paper, and
herewith transmit to your Lordship the intercepted
packet ; and I am authorised by John Bruce Price,
Esq., and the Rev. George Thomas, County Magis-
trates, and Charles Crofts Williams, Esq., late Mayor
of Cardiff, to add their names to mine in making this
communication to your Lordship.
" I have the honour to be, &c.,
" R. REECE, Mayor of Cardiff."

Our Contemporary, from whom we copy this,
who is occasionally so very indignant about the
least infringement of the rights of the Church and
the Tory people, passes over this vast assumption
of power without a single comment. What would
he have saidihad the Bow-street Magistrates—being
convinced that many of his late lucubrations were
injurious to the QUEEN'S authority—underta-
ken to arrest a packet of the Times, and had
forwarded it to the Marquis of NORMANBY?
We apprehend that our Contemporary would
have prosecuted the Magistrates for stealing, and
we should not be sorry to see Mr. REECE ex-
posed to the same ordeal. We have a great deal
more to say on this subject, but we shall content
ourselves now with having attracted public attention
to it, and with remarking that the censorship of
;Nlagistrates self-appointed to the office, and acting
by no rules prescribed by a competent authority
after due deliberation, is a much more tyrannical
assumption of power over the Press than that
assumed at any time by the Government of France
or any arbitrary Government of Europe.

We are happy to be able to state that the
croaking reports about the falling off of the re-
venue from the alteration in the rate of postage,
are exaggerations. Not that it was ever expected
that the revenue would not fall off; nor was
the plan proposed without a full knowledge that
it would. The real declension, however, has
been less than was expected, and much less
than was reported. On comparing last Thursday
with the average of preceding Thursdays as
the produce of the days vary, it has been found
that the increase of letters posted on Thursday
wits about 21,000, the average of a Thurs-
day being 39,000, and the number posted on
last Thursday was 60,000. The receipts of the
Post-office on those letters was about 5001. less
than the average. On Friday the increase of letters
posted, compared to preceding Fridays, was about
10,000, and the deficiency of the receipts
about 6001. The number of penny letters pre-paid
and sent by the post on Thursday was about
23;0007; the number of twopenny unpaid letters
sent by the post remaining about the
same, so that on this branch the receipts
;,,--freased
,instead of diminishing. On the
whole, we may congratulate the public and
the Government on the experiment, so far as
it has gone—hough we have yet but poor mater-
rials for judging-- 21zaving completely retilized ex-
pectation.

We must add that no confubon or inconvenience
has been suffered at the Post-yffice from carrying
the alterations into effect.

Letters from Athens of the 19th ult. announce
that the KING has confined, by a Royal decree,
the excellent Priest, THEOPHILUS CAIRIS, for
his praiseworthy efforts to educate the Greek popu-
lation, to a Monastery in the Island of Skiathos.
This manifestation of unconstitutional tyranny so
delighted the Russian Ambassador, that he at
once consented, in the name of his Imperial Ma-
jesty, to grant King OTHO the third instalment
of the Greek Loan. But the illegal banish-
ment of the Priest CAIRIS is but one
of the thousand acts by which OTHO seeks
to win the smiles of Russia at the expense
of the liberties of his own subjects. We question
whether the Nero of the North would dare to exer-
cise out of Poland such barbarities as the following,
detailed in a letter from Athens of the 19th ult.,
addressed to a Morning Contemporary:

_ .
Some time ago a Royal decree appeared, proclaim-
!
414 that whenever deserters should not be given up,
the families should be treated in the same manner
MI the families of brigands. The consequence was,
iht,:.k a detachment of Gendarmes was sent to the
n lghb,,Ntrbood of Mistra, and seized 130 individuals,
-11 en, women, ,and children, while working in the fields,
and, without .444) them to return to their
houses to take their Vl:ogthes or money, marched them to
f twenty miles, where they
Marathonesi, a distant.'l •o
arrived halt famished an',4 Worn out with fatigue.
Their cries and lamentation: wrung the hearts
of the Gendarmes themselves, Isht:,. finding no
provisions were delivered out to theto., divided
their rations with their prisoners. Next cln;' they
were shipped on board a man-of-war for iMissolongt,•
On the Captain's applying for provisions, the Governor
replied, there were none, and they must provide for
thennsilves. The inhabitants, although very poor, scraped
together a few provisions, and sent them on board, with
a tew hearty curses against everyt:ling Bavarian. On
their arri%al at Missolorighi a similar scene took
place, no lodging or provisions being provided for
them. These miserable beings are left to die about
the streets, to the great annoyance of the in-
habitants, who are afraid to harbour them or employ
those that can work for fear of ill-treatment from the
Government ; 800 individuals from different parts of
Greece have been similarly transported. The Augsburg
Gazette may puff King Otho's humanity, mildness,
good•heartedness, and all his good qualities as long as
it pleases, but while we have such iglits daily before us,
it surely cannot mean we are to believe it.

-Constitutional State governed after this fa
shion c:_knnot long maintain its independence.

Letters and Papers from Madrid of the 30th
ult. have reached us. The Ministers had prevailed
upon the 'Municipalities' of Cuenca, Chinchilla,
Caceres, and Oyagonzalo, to support their policy by
forwarding addresses to the EEGENT, approving of
the dissolution of the late Cortes. The Liberals were
organizing a powerful opposition in the capital,
From the theatre of war the news is inconclusive.
General ASPIROZ had driven the Carlists from
the Fort of Castro, a place of great strengh,
which he instantly occupied. On the other
hand, the Queen's troops were obliged to fall
back from Cantavieja, in consequence of the want
of stores and shelter. The weather was dreadful,
the cold being so intense that many of the waggon
escorts were frozen to death. Letters from Teruel,
says the Madrid Gazette of the 29th ult,, state
that the rebels, under CABRERA, PAOLO, tii)fl
LLA NGOSTBRA, were constructing a fort at
Zinares. The Governor is DOMENETH, who
commanded at Oliaza. A convention between
ESPA RTERO and CABRZRA was spoken of
at Camarillas. Whether this be true or not
is not known ; but certain it is that CA-
BRERA has left off shooting without mercy
the mail-drivers. Relations have been opened be
tween the General-in-Chief and General O'DON-
NELL. A factious General had arrived at Ceuta-
vieja, O'DONNELL'S head-quarters. He was es-
corted by the QUEEN'S horse. In the money
market no activity prevailed. The Five per Cents.
were still at 28i for cash.

.
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