The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-24 00:00:00

TO TILE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin—ln your paper of yesterday, the 18th, are some
just and pertinent remarks suggested by the recent
meeting of the Roman Catholics at Freemasons' Hall.
It must be obvious to the most superficial observer of
passing events, that the Established Hierarchy will
speedily rue the day when they stepped forward so un-
wisely in the affair of General Education. The schools
(delusively termed " National") had been tacitly left
in their hands, and of the money to be issued by the
Treasury, they would have come in for the gleatest
share. What mere could the Clergy desire ? Yet, like

the greedy dog in the fable, they chose to risk what they
had got, for the chance of getting something more ;
and so, nat satisfied with having nearly all, they must
endeavour to obtain more than all. Such an attempt
by an Hibernian would be laughed at, and ascribed to
his breed, but, for a like blunder by Englishmen, we
must resort to the old adage, " Quod Deus volt per.
dere, prius quam dementat."
In their almost miraculous blindness, the hierarchy
have unconsciously roused their adversaries to meet
them in the field of argument. For that the Esta-
blished Clergy were not prepared ; and so, having been
caught unawares, they have verified to the letter the
adage above-mentioned. Their claims to exclusive
orthodoxy, to Apostolical instead of Parliamentary
origin, and to everything else which they arrogate for
themselves exclusively, are now openly attacked ; and if
their claims are to be upheld any longer, they must come
forward and prove those claims to be well founded.
But, can they venture to do so ? Can they dare to
have their Articles of Faith examined, and have their
Liturgy reviewed ? Queen Elizabeth's Convocation
did the first, and Charles the Second's Convocation did
the last ; but Queen Victoria's Convocation is as
speechless as are any of the Oracles of ancient days
The existing Hierarchy, Sir, are afraid to open their
mouths by Roy al authority ; for, l►ke the insolvent
trader who wants courage to look into his accounts, the
assembling of a Convocation for dispatch of business is
shunned as if it would be the prelude to striking a
docket of bankruptcy against the concern. We often
hear that among the Established Clergy there are many
who cannot afford to have a conscience. A grievous
charge is that ; and, if unfounded, the sooner it is re-
futed the better, for the credit and character of the
Church of England. The farce of assembling a
dumb Convocation, w!th every new Parliament, has been
at best but an ingenious device for giving to abuses
and heresies the semblance of truth ; and if the former
are never again to be corrected, nor the latter to be
examined, it is but fair to conclude that both of them
are protected, and sanctioned by the laws of the land.
Abuses and heresies, however, will not remain sta-

tionary. Either they must be plucked up ; or else they
will keep growing, and will spread. That both have
Servant,
been allowed to take root, to grow, and to send forth
shoots in all directions, are truths, Mr. Editor, which
it would be in vain to deny, either at Lambeth, at
Bishopsthorpe, or at London House.user'
.
I have tlh,oeuhronnloousrt
obedienttoremam,Si humble
A LAYMAN.

Tunbridge, July 19, 1839.

HOP INTELLIGENCE.—There is no material al-
teration in the grounds near Maidstone. The bine in
some places has been slightly injured by the wind. At
Goudhurst, Lamberhurst, and liorsmonden, the hops are
very good, turning into burr, and promising well for a
crop. The hop plantations in Ticehurst and adjoining
parishes, are in a growing state, and fast coming into
burr. We have had two days of high winds, which have
much battered the pines, particularly in exposed situations.
The high winds that have been prevalent at Tunbridge
Wells, for the last two days, have done great damage to
the hops in every part of this neighbourhood. At Bur.
wash, the hop plantations are generally in a growing and
thrivinff.state. In some grounds there is a little honey
dew to be seen. We bid fair to exceed an average crop.
At Wiliam the hods are looking remarkably well; plenty
of bine, and free from vermin.
as a true
docu-
ment (says the Sheffield Iris) has been sentt torsu.s
CAN THIS BE TRUE
but it is
notice sent to each of Earl Spencer's cotageo
I believe the
so unnatural, that it is almost impossibleibution:=" The
Noble Lord bad sanctioned its, distribution:—" ?—The following
Spencer are desired to take
te-
nants of the Right [lon, Earl S.
or a second family of any
ried son, or a married daengdtere,y
of them do so after this
pveeninto their houses a mar.
noticedes c description,
,a n theyd
611
flowed to hold their cottages..—
notice, they will rot
ibe.a
1839.,,
JOHN BEASLEY.-- I
not tuioahreeCel
Ju 37,-. ' ICS —At a '
OF t....ATITOL •
atlricat,
meeting of
INCREASE
strict School Society,held •
Wesleyan Di
the Sheffield
chapel oa Wednesday week, Mr. Cocker,
Carvert-street
stated that " the village in which he re.
of Hathersage,d
about 1,000 inhabitants,' • •
comprising in
sided contaiae
almost equal numbers, Churchmen, Methodists, and Roman
Catholics—of the last named, there were, when ho first
knew the village, some half dozen families—they were now
about one-third of the population."
Sir William Horne has accepted the Mastership
in Chancery, vacant by the resignation of Mr. Martin.
This appointment will give great satisfaction to the Bar.,

.1\7.1•V ;STRAND THEATRE.
After the performance of Frederick of Prussia, which
his been received so well for some time back, and in
which Mr. Hammond, as Stolbach, a comedian, excites
roars of laughter, a new piece, written by Mr. C. Selby,
entitled Seth Slope, or Done for a Hundred, was brought
forward on Monday night at this deservedlylpopular theatre.
The outlines of the piece arc these :—Belmont (Mr. J.
Lee,) in love with Emily Leeson (Miss Pettifer) a young
lady under the guarianship of a Mr. Doodle, who wishes
to marry her, or, account of her fortune, to his son, and
who, to prevent her escape with Belmont, sends, her to some
retired boarding.school, is looking over a newspaper at an
inn at which Seth Slope, an American (Mr. Hill) has just
arrived. From an advertisement in the paper Belmont thinks
he has discovered the boardiegeschool to which Emily has
been sent, and offers a hundred pounds to any one of
" inventive genius" who could assist him in getting her off.
The American', " a reglar genus," and a gentleman at
least possessing in his own opinion " the raw material" to
make one, at once accepts the offer, and having ar-
ranged their plans they depart. They next appear
dressed in female attire at the boarding-school. Seth
acting the part of aunt to Belmont, who is to• be placed
*der the charge of the virtuous conductors of the semi-
' nary for young ladies. Miss Leeson is soon apprized of
Belmont's presence, and Seth contrives to give the lovers
an opportunity of conversing privately, but while thus en
gaged a Miss Crimp ( Mrs. Selby), a governess in the esta-
blishment, discovering the real state of matters, raises a
hurricane of screeching, and their plans are frustrated.
Miss Leeson, under the care of Miss Crimp, is afterwards
removed to the house of her guardian, where the inventive
Yankee speedily appears as a professor of music, and en-
deavours again to accomplish his object, but is a second
time defeated It the vigilance of Miss Crimp. Having,
however, ingratiated himself into the favour of Sally, the
waiting maid, the indefatigable Seth batches another
scheme, which, after several " hair-breadth 'scopes," proves
,successful—the lovers are victorious—old Doodle done,
and, Seth rewarded with the promised " hurldred," and
the waiting maid to the bargain. This burletta is one
of the best we have seen for some time, and abounds
with passages of recy and irresistible humour. The
positiem- and groupings of the characters are well
arranged. Jon ahanians are introduced with a libe-
ral but judicious hand, and the manners and dia-
lects appropriate and faithful. From beginning to
end it lags test—all is life and bustle, fun and frolic, and
the hearty laug!.ter which greets the entrance of Mr. Hill
coreinucs and increases to the conclusion. We have
not much soace for extracts, but one or two we give, not
because we think them the best, but because they were re-
ceived with more than ordinary favour. On Seth's en-
trance the waiter calls for the Boots, upon which Seth
observes—

" Boots I why that's a queer name-1 'z,pcze there's
a pair of them.
" BOOTS— Oh ! yes Sir, there's another—l have got en
' - -

assistant

SETII—ThrTI your'e top boots.
" Boors-- Yes, and as I am a bit of a politiei.m and takes
the Conservative side of the question, they tails me Va.
lingtons."

Avin; ,roe of the first questions Seth puts to Belmont
is Imbed:yr he has read the President's M2SSagO, observing
" that's the sieecii—a regiar Ningra of eloquence." The
very tib!e anti • effective 111,n:icy in which 411 the CII2,

racters nere sust;,in:3l makes it unnecessary to part:eu-
lar;ze any ; to :ach and all we s'ai, you have eon, well.
The%picce :vas announced for repetition t very night
during the week, amidst enthusiastic applause, and we have
no doubt it will eon-ma:id crowded hou3es.

ASTLEY'S.

The performanses at this deservedly pcpular place of
amusement for young o ell as cid are so good as to in-
e!ine us a littl•o, to the opinion of that r,rbiter of fashion who
said that there were but t•-,o theatres in London worth
going to, viz., the. Opera and Astley's.