The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-15 00:00:00

BIRMINGHAM-THURSDAY.

A Grand Vccal and Instrumental Concert took place
here last night in aid of the Mechanics' Institute. Sa
crowded and brilliant an assemblage was never known (not
excepting the Festival) in the Town-hall. Upwards of
5,000 persons were present. The singers were Mrs. Shaw,
Braliam, Harrisen (of Lichfield), and Machin. The veteran
Braham ver;:s received with the most enthusiastic plaudits,
which lasted several minutes, as was Machin, who both sang
with a degree of magnitii.enee which was welcomed by the
shouts of the crowded assemblage. Braham's " Mad Toni"
and " Bay of Biscay" wire j)!endiiily given and encored.
Mrs. Shaw was applauded in " 0 Salutaris" and the " Peace
of the Valley," as also Harrison in " In• Native Worth,"
from the Creation. Machin was encored in " The Light of
Other Days," nd enthusiastically received in his other
solos. It was Braham's first appearance in Birmingham
these three years, and if we may judge from the reception
he met with, proved hiwelf worthy of the distinguished
eminence he possesses. The Mechanics' Fund will obtain
very considerable sum by this concert, which has so de-
lighted the multitude who were present.

The name of Mr. F. T. Baring was inserted by
mistake in the Nues on the Division in the Municipal Offices'
Bill; and the Right lion. Joseph Planta was omitted in the
Noes on the Division on Pensions.
HISTORY OF A SHILLING T.—lt will scarcely be
credited that a shilling has been the means of putting Thirty
Thousand Pounds into the pocket of a gentleman, and all
within a few dais. The rcader in amazement asks how ? It
arose as follows :—The party in qtt stion was fond of dancing,
but possessed only an indifferent a-qu''•ntance with the figures
of quadrilles, &c., and with the regulations of a bill room. 1,1
this dilemma I.e purchased that exquisite little 11 jou entitled
the " GUIDE TO THE BALI, ROOM," (pUbll,llrd by C. Nli.ch 11,
Red L'on-court, Fleet-street, at the inconceivably low price
of One Shilling !) at.d at the assembly which he next vi,ited,
he proved so accomplished as to win the heart of a young lady
of great beauty and accomplishments, and worth 30,000/. I
Who would be without such a treasure as this beautiful little
book ?
Major-General Norman M'Leod, in the service of
his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, died on the 4th inst.
at Kamfras, at the age of 82.
ROCHDALE FLANNEL MARKET, DEC. 11.—
The demand for flannels still continues very good, and a fair
quantity of business has been done to-day. The manufacturer
complains much of the low price he is obliged to take for his
goods, considering the rise which has taken place in the price
of wool within the lat.t !ew months. Therd has been no change
in the wool market to-day, but it remains firm at last week's
prices.—Manchester Guardian.
LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, YESTERDAY.—
T. e sales of Cotton to-day are 3,000. The n arket has Leen
quite without change.

13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
MR. BURKE'S PEERAGE AND
BARONETAGE, for 1838,
Corrected to the Present Time, will be published in a few days.
Printed in a single Volume, on a new plan, with upwards of 1,500
Engravings of Arms, &c., price 38s. bound, forming the MOST
COMPLETE, the MOST CONVENIENT, and at the same time
the CHEAPEST WORK of the kind ever offered to the public.
Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street.

The publication of Tits SUN NEWSPAPER commenced this day
at 10 minutes past Three o' Clock.

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VIYe alt 3,44

LONDON :
FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 18, 1837.

In the HOUSE of Lomas yesterday Lord BROUGHAM presented
a petition, signed by Dr. 818/CHECK, the founder of the London
Mechanics' Institution, and several other gentlemen. and many
hundreds of the industrious persons who were in the habit of
attending that institetion as members of it. The object of the
petition was for free and unrestrained access to the various
monuments of art in this metropolis, including the antiquities
of the Tower, the Monument, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey,
the Models of the Admiralty, and so forth.
Lord RADNOR gave notice that, on Thursday next, he would
call the attention of their Lordships to the present state of the
Universities.
Lord BROUGHAM having intimated his desire that the House
should be put in possession of the accounts relating to the
Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall, there arose some inte-
resting conversation on this important subject. The Noble
and Learned Lord replied to the Duke of WELLINGTON and
Lord ELLENBOROUGH, both of whom, with Lord ABERDP.EN,
Lord HOLLAND, end the Earl of WINCHILSEA, were averse to
the production of any account of this branch of the revenues of
the Crown, in a short speech, of which the following is the
principal passage :—" There was," said the Noble and Learned
Lord, " no public department whatever in this country which
was not liable to the controul and responsible to the authority
of the Crown or of Parliament for the management of its af-
fairs. It was said, indeed, that the Crown could not compel
the authorities of these Duchies to render an account of their
stewardship, because they acre the servants of the late King.
Ile had only to answer, that if the Crown could not corepel
them Parliament could. He could not understand on what
grould it was supposed that these estates should be viewed as
private estates."
The presentation by Lord Rums of some petitions corn-
plaiiiieg of the annexation of the Bishoprics of Sodor and
Mann with that of Carlisle, led to some discussion in which the
ArchLishOp of CANTERBURY, the Bishop of LONDON, the
Bishop of CHESTER, and the Bishop of SALISBURY took part.
Tile two latter Prelates were not unfavourable to the prayer
of the petitioners, whilst the former Right Reverend Dig, i-
taries defended the Commissioners, and urged the inconve-
nience of making any alteration in a law which had been so re-
cently under the consideration of the House.
On the mot:on of the Msrquis of LANSDOWNE the Munici-
pal Office: s Declaaation Bill was real a second time ; after
which the House adj‘ urned.
In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, Mr. LANGDALE gave notice
that soon after the recess he would move that it be an instruc-
tion to the Poor-law Commissioners to furnish returns to show
how fur their workhouse regulations were compatible with the
due attendance of the paupers at divine service.
Mr. Hume presented a petition from the Political Union of
Brentford, stating that they had witnessed with iedignatien
the bribery, corruption, and intimidation which had been prac-
tised during the late election, and they besought the House to
grant them that protection which they conceived could only be
alluded by the Vote by Ballot. They also prayed ties House
to effect those changes in the representative system by which
the political franchise might be made co-extesasive with taxation.
• Mr. C A YLEY also presented a petitioa from Yoikshire in fa-
vour of the Ballot.
In answer to a question from Mr. Huta., Sir J. Ilontiousa
said that the distribution of the East India prize money should
take place with the least possibly delay.
The Muncipal Boundaries Bill was read a second Cm-, and
referred to a Committee.
Sir J. Hounousa stated, in reply to a question by Mr.
HUME, that he could not name any precise time when the pay-
meet of those persons who served in the last war in hislia
would receive their prize-money.
In reply to a question from Mr. BAINES, both Mr. LABOU-
CIIERE and Sir Cs GREY denied that the Government had been
in any degree cogniz ri:t of the distribution in the West Indies
of the evidence taken before the Committee on the negro ap-
prenticeship system, the publication of which had heel, forbid.
den in this country.
Mr. C. Wools stated to Mr. WALLACE that contracts for
the conveyance of the mails between Liverpool and Ireland
should be soon entered into.
Mr. Sergeant Toesoutto obtained leave to bring in a Bill
to provide for the a-cess of 1 arents who live apart from each
other to their children of tender age. The Hon. and Learned
Member's speech, as well indeed as the whole discussion, is
h;ghly interesting. and will amply repay perusal.
Mr. S rgeant TALFOURD also obtained leave to bring in a
Bill to amend the law of copy right.
To a not unimportant debate which followed, growing out
of a warlike motion submitted by Mr. ATTWOOD to, and ne-
gatived by, tl.e House, we direct the attention of all who
take an interest in the re'a ice posture of Russia and England
la a national view.
Mr. VERNON SMITH obtains d leave to bliag in a Bill to
settle the boundaries of Municipal Boroughs in England
and Walt s; and Mr. DENNISTOUN obtained leave to bring in
a Bill to amend the law relative to the granting of spirit
licenses in Scotland.
The last stage, but perhaps the most imps.rtant point, in
the proceedings of last night, was notice of a motion given by
Mr. D. NV. flmcvov, that he would to-morrow (this dav)
move that due prevision he made in the Civil List for tire
protection of the right of Parliament to inquire into and ap-
propriate the revenues of the Duchies of Lancaster and
Cornwall.

Our readers will find, in another part of The Sun,
a report of a public weetmg held yesterday at Bir-
mingham, at which Mr. O'CoNNELL was present.
The lion. and Learned Gentleman, i.vho spoke at
some length at this muting, made no remark
worthy of any particular comment, with the exception
of that wherein he recommended the establishment of
a Reform Rent throughout England which, he said,
would go far to neutralize the mischievous effect
of the Election Petitions of the SPOTTISWOODE gang,
On the subject of Ministers, he observed, he had "not
said the Whig Ministry was a good one—on the con-
trary, he had said it was a bad one ; and whenever, by
the organization and firmness of the people, they were
prepared to put in and maintain a better Admi-
nistration than the present, he would say, with
all his h. art, turn them out ; but until that time
arrived, lie warned them not to risk the return
of the Tories to power, who would again let

We are glad to see that Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD
is again actively at work with his law of copy right.
Last night the Honorable and Learned Gentleman
moved for leave to bring in a Bill on the subject, which,
he observed, was in substance similar to that which
had been read a second time last Session, with these
only points of difference—first, that it (lid not extend
to the fine arts, painting, music, and sculpture ; and,
secondly, that it (lid not touch the question of interna-
tional copy-right, which, he thought on consideration,
it would be better to leave to the negociation of Go-
vernment. There are few laws more defective in
their nature, and that require a more prompt
and searching remedy, than those which regard
literary copy-right. Intended for the benefit of litera-
ture, they do it infinite damage ; and leave at the
mercy of circumstances those whom it is their avowed
object to protect. Other trades and professions have
their legislative safe-guards—arc bound round by
strong and careful fences ; but literature has none.
'Fire paper-merchant's property is inviolate, but when
passing from him, it assumes the form of a printed
book, and comes into the author's possession, it
becomes a species of loose, undefined property that
may be injured with impunity; for as Mr.D'lsuA ELI
justly observed, the injured party has no other means
of redress than such as consists in having recourse
to one of the highest and costliest tribunals in the
kingdom, which of course is not to be thought of
by the majority of authors, who are proverbially of
a consumptive turn of pocket. The sculptor labors
under precisely the same annoyance. The marble
out of which he fashions his graceful works of art,
is, when in its rough state in time quarry, private pro-
perty in the strictest sense of the term ; but the in-
stant it has been wrought into some form of beauty
and grandeur, and leaves the sculptor's studio, his
Bacchante, or his Nymph, or his Graces, or his shell-
Venus—or whatever other subject he may have
I fashioned from the. marble—may be pirated and multi-
plied, as has been shown in many recent instances, with
impunity—an injury to which the artist is liable, in
exact proportion to the skill and genius which he has
displayed. Now surely these are defects in the Law
of copy-right which call trumpet-tongued for redress :
and we repeat therefore the expression of our satisfac-
tion that Mr. Sergeant TALFOURD has been induced

to turn his attention to the subject. By none could
such a task be handled with more ability, or with a
greater prospect of a beneficial result.

The frivolous objections against any inquiry into
the revenues of the Duchies of Lancaster and Corn-
wall, urged by the patty, who so long held the strings
of the public purse, excite the strongest suspicion.
There must be something rotten—something that can-
not bear the light of day, when we find such efforts
made to conceal the amount, the management, and the
appropriation of those funds in mysterious darkness.
The patrons of prodigality, waste and abuses, for lack
of argument, and, in their usual way, have recourse to
religion, and tell Lord HOLLAND that he cannot give
the Returns without a violation of the oath he has
taken to the Crown ; and, even supposing he is re-
leased from the oath by the present SOVEREIGN, he
cannot be released from that which he took to his
late MAJESTY. Their defence only shows that the
position is untenable ; and Lord ELLENDOROUGH,
though backed by the chivalry of WINCHELS EA, and
the cautious prudence of ABERDEEN, would do well
to retire in time told with a good grace. Their
anxiety for concealment will only whet the public
appetite for discovery they' will find the old
adage true to the last, and the country, till
their ignorance of these regions is dispelled, will
continue to imagine they abound with mines of in-
exhaustible wealth. The present, too, is the proper
time to make the discovery. When the Civil List is
once fixed, the case becomes hopeless, justice will he
called in to the aid of religion, and all who.wish for
enquiry will be denounced as men who would
not only disregard an oath, but violate the most
solemn compact. The necessity of enquiry, however, is
so evident that it is needless to dwell upon it ; and be-
sides, the subject could not be entrusted to better
hands. Lord BROUGHAM and Mr. HARVEY have
long been pioneers in such undertakings ; they are not
to be dissuaded by sophistry or deterred by imaginary
obstacles ; and if they should sustain defeat, the cause
will not be either want of perseverance or courage on
their part.

We have received the Madtid Papers of the 4th
and sth inst. The debate on the Address to the
Throne was proceeding in the Cortes on the 4th, there
not haring been any sitting on the preceding day. In
the sitting on the sth the Senate adopted the Marquis
de VKLUM A'S proposition for recommencing the whole
of the Madrid elections immediately after the pu'►lica-
tion of the Electoral Lists.
The Deputies have received a summons to assemble at
the Chamber on Saturday next. This is the usnal meeting
for electing the grand Committee to meet the King on his
coming to open the Session, and will be held with closed
doors.

The Duke de Nemours is fast recovering from the effects
of his accident. The Archbishop of Paris called on his
Royal Highness on Monday.
The two Princes de Montfort arrived on the sth instant
at Stutgardt, from Milan, I:here they had left their father,
Jerome Buonaparte (ex-King of Westphalia), perfectly
recovered from his late serious illness.

The British Consul at Smyrna, in the course of last
month, delivered over to the Turkish authorities five
Maltese, to be tried for coming with false plssports, and,
if found guilty, to be punished. This proceeding has ex-
cited great surprise at Smyrna, as the offence is within the
Consul's own jurisdiction.
The ..,Tlonitettr publishes the following telegraphic dis-
patch :
" BAYONNE, DEC. B.—Espartero left Pampeluna on the
4th for Ebro, with nine battdions. Gtneral Ulibarri re-
mained at Pumpeluna. One of his brigades is at Urroz."

The Eco

Spain is still without a Government.
Dec. the sth writes thus on the subject :
No longer doubt exists of the organization of a ministr
being in progress. Ef we are to judge from ceetain steps
taken in this matter, it would appear that a ministry of
a mixed character, or of compromise, representing the
opinions of the various sections of the Liberal party, is
in contemplation. Some persons, however, point out
individuals as being intended to belong to the new
ministry who not only do not belong to that party,
but who would not have the sanction of the majority
of the Congress. The necessity of forming a strong
Government is now most urgent ; a Government of cha-
racter, which may be able to arratv,e the disorders of the
Administration, and reestablish the authority of the
powers. It is stated that the Minister of War has resigned ;
but that he has been prevailed on to remain in office
unfl a new Cabinet be formed, which is now to be ex-
pected shortly. According to some, he resigned in conse-
quence of his orders not being obeyed by the commanders
in the army ; others state that he did so from being unable
to provide the army with the requisites necessary for them.
We believe that both these causes may have influenced his
decision."

The Paris papers of Wednesday furnish us with
news of considerable importance. It appears that a
conspiracy against the life of Louts PHILIPPE, by
means of an .infernal machine, has been discovered
and ftustrated by the local authorities of Boulognc-sur-
Mer, who arrested one of the conspirators, a man
named Hubert. Several other persons, at present
not positively known, are said to be implicated m the
plot, and some 16 or 17 arrests have already taken