The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-30 00:00:00

registry."
As to the off-hand official assertion, that if the first
marriage was valid, " everything that happened subse-
quently was null," it may satisfy Churchmen, but it will
not satisfy Nonconformists, who are the best judges as to
the mischievousness of such proceedings as those of the
vicer of St. Briavel's. With much difficulty they have suc-
ceeded in securing the right to celebrate their marriages in
their own places of worship, instead of in those of the Es-
tablishment. They. know by experience how assiduously
Churchmen try to prevent persons availing themselves of
that right. Is it likely, therefore, that they will quietly
allow a public functionary, who is bound to respect and
uphold the law, to break the law for the purpose of casting
contempt on Nonconformist marriages, and producing the
impression on unthinking people that they are neither
sanctioned by the legislature, nor can be followed by the
blessing of Heaven ?
Fortunately, what the Government declines to do may
be done by others ; and, without wishing for any resort to
vindictive proceedings, we hope that this case will be vigo-
rously dealt with by the Committee of Dissenting Deputies,
who did good service by their proceedings against Mr.
Lush in 1856. It is more than a matter of feeling which is
involved ; for the greatest practical evils may arise if the
clergy of the Establishment are allowed with impunity to
make delusive entries in our parish registries.—(From the
forthcoming volume of the Liberator.)

Mr, Gladstone's Chance of Becoming Leader
of the House of Commons.

Mr. Gladstone's management of the House of Commons
closely resembles the Irishman taking his pig to market

han any other kind of leadership. The want of sympathy
between him and his audience shows itself very strikingly.
He cannot bring himself to understand an Englishman's
aversion to crooked ways, either intellectual or moral. His
performance upon the night on which the Exhibition build-
ing was disposed of has left behind it, in the minds of num-
bers of men, doubts of his political honesty which it will
take years to efface. Yet it was a blunder which a genuinely
dishonest man would never have committed. A man who
had been accustomed to practise upon the credulity of his
fellow-men might not have been afraid to induce as assem-
bly to purchase a bit of lend which was heavily encum-
bered, by the assurance that the title was clear from all
encumbrance; but he would not expose his own trick to his
mortified dupes within a fortnight of its success. It was
eminently the proceeding of a man who had every desire to
be honest, but who had so crooked and warped his own
mind that he had become unable to discern whether a given
course of conduct was or was not likely to offend other men's
moral perceptions. All these defects intensify each other
in the minds of those whom they affect. A very large mass
of the House of Commons are offended by the extreme
superciliousness of manner with which Mr. Gladstone treats
every opposition that threatens to be formidable. He treats
the house as though he seemed in all good faith to believe
that his supercilious objurgations are gentle and dignified
remonstrances. His perceptions upon this subject are so
strangely blunt, that it is difficult to shake off the impres-
sion that he learnt his present style of speaking in some
previous state of existence, when he was in the habit of ad-
dressing other Gladstones formed like unto himself. It
would seem that these wonderful beings decidedly liked
being snubbed in the tone in which the usher of a country
school rebukes his little boys, and found that an abundant
garnish of unnecessary words was rather an assistance to
them than otherwise in comprehending the statement of
simple matters of fact. But there is no immediate proba-
bility that an English assembly will attain to this height
eithei• of tolerance or of perception. A considerable num-
ber in the House of Commons again bear a grudge against
him for the harshness with which his legislation has been
directed against their class interests. These, however, are
grounds of dislike which men do not care to avow very
openly ; and possibly they would gradually wear away if
they were not supported by others more respectable. But
they add no little intensity to the vigilance with which his
sins against direct and straightforward dealing are detected,
and to the force with which they are denounced. Just as
Lord Palmerston's popularity of manner makes men very
kind to the virtues of his policy, the schoolmaster tone that
has become s second nature to Mr. Gladstone prevents even
his professed supporters from affecting the slightest blind-
ness to his many political failures.—Saturday Review.
Lard,

SCULLERS' MATCH FOR £2oo.—The exciting
scullers' mutch for £lOO aside, between Robert
Chambers, champion of the Thames and Tyne, and Robert
Cooper, was decided on the Tyne on Tuesday evening, in
the presence of a large muster of spectators. The lace was
rowed in outrigged boats, the distance being from the high
Level-bridge to a boat, moored off Waterson's Gate, about
one mile. A vast deal of interest was centred in this
contest from the well-known speed of the champion, and
the fine rowing power displayed by Cooper in his late race
on the Thames with Everson; while the hollow manner in
which he defeated Tagg in a mile race on the same day in
which he beat Everson induced his friends to back him
freely at the odds of six and seven to four, which were laid
upon Chambers. At the appointed time the men rowed cif
to their stations, Cooper, who won the toss for choice,
taking the north side. A very even start was effected, and
at the end of 100 yards Cooper was leading by half a length,
and maintaining his position throughout, finally won b,
nearly three boats' lengths, thus lowering the champion's
colours on his own favourite water.

THE MAJORITY OF OUR ORCHESTRAS, growls a
fastidious Saturday Reviewer, consists of men who sci
and blow at so many shillings per hour; and when they
have scraped and blown the settled quantity, and have got
their pay, they are satisfied. They have little love or feel-
ing for music as such--as a tailor has no ardent passion
for trousers in the abstract, and a grocer can. feel no senti-
ment for sugar. They call themselves " artists," but they
arc mechanics, and the result is just what might be looked
for.
M. ALEXANDRE DUMAS has written a new
piece, " L'Ami des Femmes," which will be played in
Paris at the Gymnase.