The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-21 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS

The City of London " g; up" this day to address her
Majesty on the Throne, according to ancient right and
usage, on the invasion of its privileges, by the attempt to
wrest from it the administration of its own police, that is,
the internal government of itself. Ministers wish to re-
lieve the City from this burdensome function, and to govern
it by a police of their own, marched into it and commanded
by Commissioners of their own appointment also. We are
not surprised at this audacious attempt. Success gives
confidence ; and how successful Ministers have hitherto
been in grasping at and concentrating in their own hands
all the administrative powers which, till their time, had been
diffased over the land at large, and settled in a variety of local
authorities—each controlling other, and so opposing the ab-
solute will of any—is but too well known. Why should
they not go on ? We do not so much point public attention
to this new inroad " on our rights and liberties" (words
almost now forgotten) as a single act, though in that sense
it is sufficiently reprehensible, but as part of a system.
The poor aro first taken out of our hands ! That we will
drop for the present. Now, the control of the disorderly,
of the criminal, and of men accused of being such, is to
taken from us ! And along with them, and under their
name, the sturdy opposers of local and general tyranny
may readily enough be comprised. What next, we ask?
Why, we will tell you, people of England, what was
contemplated next. Your children were to be taken
from you ; and wherever you now see a huge and hide-
ous Union workhouse lift its head, in its vicinity was a
Normal school to be raised for their education, by the
State—that is, by the tools of the Ministers of the
day, by schoolmasters and schoolmistress s of their appoint-
ment, under salaried Commissioners of Public Instruction
Whence came that word " normal " (normal schools),
wo ask? We know it not. It is not to be found in the
immortal work of the gigantic Johnson I Nay, it is most
remarkable, though pretending to be of French extraction
or affinity, it is not to be found in the Dictionnaire de
L'Academie, formed by the labours of the greatest men
that France ever produced. In the revolutionary supple-
ment it first shows its filthy head. So that the English
system of education for our beloved children was to be
formed on a principle and expressed by a word derived
from the terrible times of murder, misrule, and Atheism,
during which France was desolated. Then it was that
the word first crept out. Normal, indeed ! Blistered be
lips through which it ever passes, with the wish to apply it
to any English school. But to your posts, clergy of the
Church of England. To their posts they have flown. And
Lord J. Russell's account of his scheme of education, as given
the other day, was widely different from that which was first
intimated and sketched out at the beginning. To your
posts, we say also, freemen of London—conceive for a
moment by anticipation what your city will become when
regulated by a body of men over whom you have no con-
trol ; in the choice of whose clothes even, or regimentals,
you have not been consulted : to the individuals compos-
ing which body you can give no advancement for their di-
ligence, civility, or good behaviour, but through a snppli-
eating petition to the Secretary of State ; and none of
whom you will be able to degrade or remove but by the
same, to you, humiliating process. Why, e ask, is London
to be thus shorn of its power ? It is usual, when any man or
body of men are deprived of any right or privilege, to point
out some abuse of that right, or neglect of the correspond-
ing duty which it requires. Has such been the case with
respect to the internal Government of the city ! We refer
to the letter of one of our correspondents, signed " A
Citizen," by which we are reminded that Ministers them-
selves, and Lord Melbourne, the chief of them, have ex-
pressed the highest approbation of the internal regulations
and government of the city. In the conscientious dis-
charge of its duties, therefore, the city of London is to be
plundered of its dearest rights in order to bring it within
the bounds of a system, according to which all power, even
down to our firesides, is to centre in the hands of the Mi-
nisters of the Crown.— Times.

A large body of artillery marched yesterday from Wool-
ly ich into Northamptonshire. The object is, doubtless, the
prevention of outrage in the manufacturing districts. In
reply to a question put by the Duke of Buckingham, Lord
Melbourne admitted a few days ago, that Government was
cognizant of the fact, that the Chartists throughout the
kingdom are arming by thousands. The times are such
as to require on the part of the Executive, a large measure
of wisdom, promptitude, and firmness—qualities to
which our present iulers can advance no pretensions.
The factory system, the New Poor-law, and the pressure
of competition with untaxed machinery, have driven
vast bodies of labourers to the brink of despair. Violent
language is now used in every quarter, in order to pre-
pare the people for violent action, as the only cure for
the grievances, under which poor producers of all sorts have
so long suffered. The duties of Government in the cir-
cumstances are of a most onerous kind. Firmness and
promptitude are, as we have stated, necessary, in order to
repress outrage ; but mere promptitude and firmness in
the use of the means of coercion will not eradicate those
social evils, of which violent language and preparations fur
arming are but the indications. Toe miseries of the la_
bouring poor must speedily force themselves on the consi-
deration of the Legislature. Well will it be for the
country, if the Legislature shall be found prepared to ad-
minister relief! The new Poor-law must, assuredly, be
repealed. The factory system must be abolished; and
machinery must be taxed, as land is taxed, for the benefi t
as well of those labourers whom machinery displaces, as o f
those to whom it furnishes employment I—Morning Herald

DINNER TO LORD FORTESCUE
BY THE IRISH SOCIETY.

The Irish Society invited Lord Fortescue to dinner
yesterday, at the Albion Tavern, on the occasion of his
Lordship's appointment to the Lord.: Lieutenancy of Ire-
land. At the bead table we noticed, besides Lord For-
tescue, Lord Morpeth, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord
Gosford, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Nugent,
, Mr. O'Connell, the Solicitor-General for Ireland, Sir C.
Style, Mr. Wilbraham, Mr. G. Evans, Sergeant Curry,
Sir J. Duke, Alderman Humphery, Hun. Mr. Fortescue,
Mr. Pendarves, Mr. Crawford, Captain Romilly, and Mr.
M.Donald. The principal officers connected with the So-
ciety present were the Deputy- Governors Blackett,
Eaglett, and Allnutt, Mr. Secretary Rogers, and the late
Deputy- Governors Allen, Peacock, and Richardson.
The CHAIRMAN (Sir M. Wood) gave " The Queen."
—( Loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN—The next toast is one which I never
propose without prefacing it by a few remarks. The Prince
who is the subject of it is—his Royal Highness the Duke
of Sussex—(Cheers)—a prince and a citizen. The citizens
of London may look on his Royal Highness as one of
themselves.—( Cheers.) He has been a long time a citizen
—he has mixed much with us when in better health—and
he has contributed his support to all our charitable institu-
tions, and particularly to those connected with the educa-
tion of the poor.--( Cheers.) I give you—" The Duke of
Sussex, and other branches of the Royal Family."
The CHAIRMAN in a short speech, in which he augured,
from his long acquaintance with Lord Fortescue, the suc-
cess of bis Adminstration in the office to which he has been
appointed, gave—" The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland."
Lord FORTISCUE--1 can truly assure you that there is no
body of men connected with Ireland, whose approbation con-
veys to me feelings of more cordial gratification, because I
am well convinced that there is no body of men connected
with Ireland, who within the sphere and limit of their con-
nection, have done more to advance the prosperity of that
country, and to improve the condition of those committed
to their care.—( Cheers.) Allow me to say, that on this
point I speak not on mere hearsay. It is now about five
years since, in the course of a tour through some of the
northern provinces of Ireland, I had occasion to pass
through a part of the lands belonging to the Irish Society,
and I still retain a vivid and gratifying recollection of the
well-built houses, the well-cultivated lands, and the well-
looking and respectable peasantry which adorn the district
adjoining Coleraine and Londonderry. Gentlemen, if all
the proprietors of land in Ireland were like you—if all had
the same benevolent intentions united to the same wise and
judicious management, I do in my conscience believe that
more would be done in ten years to advance the properity
of that country, and the comfort of its inhabitants, than
could be accomplished by the wisest legislation, and by the
best and most just administration.—(Loud cheers.) In
the course of my residence in Ireland I hope to become
better acquainted with those happy districts which own
your presidency. I hope, too, to see widely extended the
benign influence of the example which you have been in-
strumental in producing amongst those who acknowledge
you as landlords.—(Cheers.) The Noble Lord concluded
by giving the health of the Chairman.
Sir M. WOOD returned thanks, and gave her Majesty's
Ministers.

The Marquis of LANSDOWNE returned thanks in a short
speech, and gave—" The Governor, and prosperity to the
Irish Society."
The CHAIRMAN next gave, " The Chief Secretary of
treland."—(Loud cheers.)
Lord MORPETII could assure them that he entered the
Cabinet with no feeling more strongly impressed on his
mind than that of a desire and an ardent endeavour to make
the interests and welfare of the two countries what in na-
ture they were, strictly identicalPand uniform.—(Cheers. )
He was sure they would all agree with him that an union
of Irish ardour and English sense (not that he meant to
insinuate that the English were deficient in ardour, and still
less that the Irish were not abundantly gifted with sense),
but that an union of the predominant and salient qualities
of the respective inhabitants of the two countries; would
enable this nation to beat the world, whether in war, or in
the arts of peace.—(Prolonged cheering.)
The following toasts were then given :—" Lord Gosford
and the landlords of the North of Ireland." " The English
Representatives in the House of Commons." " The Irish
Representatives in the House of Commons."
Mr. O'CoNNELL rose to return thanks, and was most
warmly received. lle said—.l came to hail the future
Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland as the benefactor of the Irish
people--( Loud cheers)—just as the gentlemen of his own
rank and station, and order, hold him to be one of the or-
naments of the class to which he belongs.—( Cheers.) I
feel proud that you have given me the opportunity
of anticipating that popularity which will greet him
in Ireland. lam safe in the anticipation ; for I
judge of the future by the past.—(Loud cheers.) I
believe your office in the west end is called the " Assist-
ant Irish Society." I am afraid that Irish Society
wants assistance—(Laughter)—though not in this room,
certainly, which seems redolent of the Irish brogue. The
praise bestowed on you as landlords I cannot confirm by
personal observation, as I live in a part of Ireland remote
from your estates; but I have heard your conduct com-
mended by persons who were not entitled to less respect,
because they could not possibly be actuated by any other
motive than a sense of truth and justice.—( Cheers.)
It has been said, and said well, that we want good land-
lords in Ireland—landlords who will follow your example.
But I own we want something—we want to be English in
everything.—( Cheers.) We want to be identified with
you in privileges, rights, and franchises, and that an
union should exist between the two countries, not in name
and parchment only, but in practical reality. So far
as the motives of the Noble Lord, who is going to
Ireland with the approbation of such friends of Ireland as
those by whom he is surrounded, in order to exercise the
office of Lord-Lieutenant, are coacertied, his high-tnitleet '
integrity is a pledge for the fidelity with which he will per-