The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-28 00:00:00

LAV TOR THE HINDOOS.

A., a servant in Z.'s house, having occasion to write a
letter, dips a pen in ink, the property of Z. Here, though
the act of A. may fall under the definition of theft, A. has
committed no offence. A., a friend of Z., calls at Z.'s
house in Z.'s absence, and writes and seals several letters
there with Z.'s paper and wax without asking any person !_s
permission. Here, if the acquaintance between A. an dZ.
be such that, according to the usages of society, the.lied
con-
sent of Z. to such use of his property must be implied
thence, A. has committed no offence. A. gets into
anpupbli
public
carriage in which Z. is sitting, and, in seating himself,
athe
slightly hurts Z. by pressing him against the side
carriage. Here, though A.'s act falls within the definition
in clause 316, yet, if the whole harm caused was so slight
that no man of ordinary sense and temper would complain
of such harm, A. has committed no offence.
England, and
His task completed, Macaulay returned to
shortly after made a tour in Italy, where he gained a
eme ,
,
know-
ledge of localities, which, in his "Lays of Ancient
1e u,,t Rome,"
the
he found of essential service. " Lord Macaulay,
lconvey-
ing writer, "always carefully studied the
scenery
va eand locality
in
of historical events, and well knew their u
vivid and accurate impressionesd various places, . In the course of the
composition of his history he
e
some-
times taking up an residenceunobservedvisit e
while pursuing his careful obsercTtE Edinburgh
for weeks together A
vacancy nowburgh the seat wasl
n
occurring in the xepresentation
offered him which he accepted,
stipulating
changes in the Ministry
that his expenses
should not exceed X5OO, and Fe!eeretary
ef War, Emil sworn
being made he was appointedn 6
842 appeared his "Lays of An-
of the Privy Council.
huCorn-lawst consideredtaking
blunder
rnilthee
cient Rome," and
place, he spoke in
interval
his
sof time should bo allowed to permit
capital from one branch of indus-
tablxu.n
thatttrhye
t oaetfrhaveva
lo9u favour
nationo
f at total la
l the
repeal,
he also opposed the ingcormoses-
strongly condemned Lord Ellenborough's
next session he
his speech on the
farmer
another;sufficient
t o transferand
conduct with reference to the gates of the Temple of Som.
thewasf 0 equally
llow following
n g severe
conclusion
Ashburton Treaty. As a specimen of his style about this
I
Unitarian Chapels Bill :
penau.othd,taakned

MACAULAY ON RELIGIOUS TOLERATION.
We know that that . sect is small, that it is unpopular,
that it can produce little effect upon elections ~ perhaps 1
may go so far as to say that it would probably be the best
way, to win public favour, altogether to repudiate thew
and their doctrines ; and, therefore, if such be the case
—if there be any person of an arbitrary nature and intole-
rant turn of mind who wishes to enjoy the pleasure of per-
secution with perfect personal impunity—then I:say that he
can have no more excellent opportunities for the indulgence
of his propensities than the present. For myself, sir, I
have taken up the doctrines of civil and religious liberty,
not because they are popular, but because they are just;
and the time may come soon when some of those who are
now crying out against this bill may be compelled to
appeal to the principles on which it rests ; and if that shall
be the case, then, sir, I will attempt to prevent others from
oppressing them, as I now seek to keep them from lording it
over others. At present I contend against their insolence
in the same spirit as I may hereafter have to battle for
their rights."
In 1845 arose the Maynooth question. Macaulay sup-
ported the Bill for the augmentation of the grant in every
stage, and once more took office as Paymaster-General, His

:..~. -

conduct on these occasions gave offence to his constituents,
and in the genefal election which took place soon after, a
coalition was f-2rmed against him of "Pharisees and Pub-
licans,"U and he was thrown out. Two years later the ni-
versity of Glasgow elected him Lord Reeter, he was presented
with the freedom of the city, and in 1852, E-clinbutzh having
become repentant, made him overtures ; and he, declining
to give " any explanation or any guarantee," once more
became its representative. Of his effect in the house the late
Mr. Whitty gives the following graphic sketch :

" MACAULAY'S UP."

It was pleasanter talking on Wednesday, when the posie
tion of Mr. Macaulay in Great Britain was measured in
a great way. On a Wednesday the house and the
committees are sitting at once, and the building is
filled with scattered M.P.s, some at work, but the most
loitering about the lobbies and corridors picking up old
acquaintance and feeling for public opinfon. About 3 on
Wednesday one was loitering about too, for the talk in the
house was not interesting—on a Wednesday it seldom is—
end one could pick up members' opinion, which is as im
portant as public opinion. You were walking along the.
committee lobby, wondering which 'room' you would take
next, when, as you paused uncertain, you were bumped up
against by somebody. He begged your pal-Con and rushed
on, and you looked to see who it was ; a member, a stout
member; a man you couldn't conceive in a run ; and yet.
he's running like mad. You are still staring at him, when
wo more men trot past you, one on each side, and they are
members, too. You are very puzzled, and see the doer close
toyou—' Members' Entrance' above it—dashed open, five
members dash from it and plunge furiornly down the 1 bby.
Why, what can be the matter ? More domes open, more mem-
bers rush out; members are tearing past you From all points he
one direction towards the house. Then wigs and
gowns ap-
pear. They tell you, with happy faces, their committees have
adjourned; and then come a third class, the gentlemen of the
press, hilarious. Why, what's the matter ? Matter I Macau-
lay is up, and all the members are off to hear him. You
join the runners in a moment, and are in the gallery to see
the senators who had the start of you perspiring into their
places. It was an announcement one hadn't heard for
years ; and the passing the word " Macaulay's up" emptied
committee-rooms. Now, as of old, it emptied clubs, It was
true; he was up, and in f for a long speech; not a mere
sput, but an oration. He was in a new place, standine in
-
the second row (above the Treasury Bench) from the tulle,
and looking and sounding all the better for the elevation and
the clearer atmosphere for orators, which must be found its
that little remove from the green boxes. The old voice, the,
old manners, and the old style—glorious speaking ? Well
prepared, carefully elaborated, confessedly essayish ; but
spoken with a perfect art and consummate management ;
not up-and-down see-saw talking off a speech, but the
grand conversation of a man of the world, confiding his
learning, his recollections, and his logic to a party of
gentlemen, and just raising his voice enough to be heard
through the room. That is as you heard him when you-
got in ; but then he was only opening, and waiting for
his audience. As the house filled, which it did with
marvellous rapidity, he got prouder and more oratorical ; and
e subject
and wahs
then he poured out his speech with rapidity, increasing e; ter
every sentence, till it became a torrent of the richest words,
crroymas theth grand was,
erigcaavl
carrying his hearers with him into enthusiasm (yes, for,,
i
roaf nvdi ee uwr)
and
lookingnd yet
notat
f
leaving epoiitntg
them time to cheer. A torrent of words—that is
the only description of Macaulay's style when he has
warmed into speech. And such words. Why,
it wasn't
4 o'clock in the afternoon, lunch hardly digested, and yeti
the quiet, reserved English gentlemen collected there ie.
hear the celebrated orator were as wild with delight es an
opera-house after Grisi at 10. You doubt it P See the
division; and before Mr. Macaulay had spoken you might
have safely have bet fifty to one Lord Hotham would have
carried his bill. After that speech the bill was not thrown
out, but pitched out. Speeches seldom do affect measures;
and yet this speech will have altered British policy on a.
great question; and, don't forget, that on a Wednesday, in..
a day sitting I People said, when it was over, that it was
superb, and so on ; and one began to have a higher opinion
of the House of Commons, though it is queerly "led," see-
ing that if the Macaulay class of minds would bid for
leadership they would get it ; and that perhaps the Lord.
Johns only get at it at present by a sort of moral justice,
because they work for it. But it wasn't all congratulation..
Mr. Macaulay had rushed through his oration of forty-
minutes with masterly vigour ; and, looking at his massive+
chest and enormous head, you couldn't be surprised. That.
is the sort of man who would go through whatever Ehe
undertook. Yet the doubts about his health, which arise
when we meet him in the street—he navel meets anybody
—when you take advantage of his sphinx-like reverie,
" staring right on with calm, eternal eyes," to study the
sickly face--would be confirmed by a close inspection on,
Wednesday. The great orator was trembling when he eat•
down ; the excitement of a triumph—the massive head not-
withstanding—overcame him ; and he had scarcely the self-
possession to acknowledge the eager praises which were
offered by the Ministers and others it his neighbourhood.
Evidently he had reasons for being as quiet as Gibbon was
in the house ; and in this case, too, no doubt, we must
think enough will have been done for fame and for our
pleasure if the history is finished.
But his strength was gradually giving way ; he became
unequal to the fatigue of his public duties, and in 1856 he
wrote to the electors of Edinburgh resigning his seat. The
year following he was appointed High Steward of the Bo-
rough of Cambridge, was made a peer, and his untiroely
death followed shortly after.
In looking at Macaulay's character as a whole, it is as a
literary man rather than as a statesman that he has a claim
on our regard ; for although his opinions on the topics that
came before him appear both liberal and just, and although
his power as an orator was undeniable, lie neither originated
any great measure nor attained the highest honour politics
can give. It is as an essayist and historian that his memory
will survive; but even here his spirit of partisanship will
injure his fame. He appears as an advocate rather than as a
judge, assumes a license only proper to fiction, and is open
to the charge of exaggerating the merit of the side he es-
poused, and of unduly depreciating those to whom he was
opposed. Nevertheless, the fascination of his style is almost
unexampled, and his works have not been surpassed in our
generation for brilliancy and power.

MARKETS-THIS DAY.