The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-24 00:00:00

ABERDEEN, ought to hold the scales. He quite
believes, too, that justice ought to be blind to
everything but tho actual proportions of things at
the present day ; and if Lord Anybody will bring
in a Reform Bill, or any kind of reform on this
plan, he will hurrah for the honest PREMIER, and
dare anybody to touch him. Lord JOHN must
well remember how when he did offer the old
gentleman a good Reform, as he thought, and the
House of Lords attempted to get rid of it, JOHN
(like the Dutchman buying skins of the Indians)
soon clapt his own heavy foot into the scale, and
made all noble opposition quickly kick the beam.
" Independent members " are also warned
against " amateur legislation," and " the ill-
conditioned and malicious of the Opposition"
against appealing to " Hansard." Now, certainly,
the country does loathe the " Hansard " debates,
and the waste of time over them. It cannot afford
however to overlook "Hansard" in its calculations.
Ministers come to us with a political passport from
their own sayings and doings, and we cannot
compel ourselves altogether to ignore the past.
It will rise up to our minds. If, therefore, a
large proportion of the present Ministry are
known to us only as the twenty years' opponents
or evaders of reform in Church and State, how
can they expect we should not want to see clear
proofs of their conversion ? Loud enough were
they in demanding that the late Ministry should
read an open recantation on Free Trade, that it,
should at least avow itself a. practically Free-
trading Ministry ; with equal justice may the
present Government be asked by all sound Re-

formers to show their faith by their works, and
by some bold and popular measures to take at once
their new position. It is know-n, we are told,
that the Ministry differ on some points, and

the country will support the Government in
boldly refusing to discuss and split upon
them. We do not think so. The points in
question are, some of them, just those most dear
to the country—those, namely, on which time for
consideration is especially asked. The country
suspects that it is begged to be forbearing because
Ministers will quarrel about them, not because of
their inherent difficulty ; and it will not long en-

dure to sacrifice its wishes to the thirty-three
Peelites, and the somewhat more numerous
Whigs. If they wish to put Manchester into
power, they cannot do better than palter with the
question of " amending our institutions ;"—in
plain words, the question whether we are to have
a House of Commons really chosen by the com-
mons of England.

INCREASE IN THE ARMY.—We are informed, on good
authority, that an increase of the army will be proposed
soon after the meeting of Parliament by the noble Secre-
tary for the Home Department, Lord Palmerston.—
Morning Herald.
ROYAL HORSE GUARDS.—Colonel Bouverie having
accepted an appointment in the Royal Household, is,
we hear, about to retire from the command of the Royal
Horse Guards, and will be succeeded by the Earl of
Cardigan.—United Service Gazette.
PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—Mr. Douglas Jerrold's new
comedy of St. Cupid ; or, Dorothy's Fortune, was pro-
duced at this theatre on Saturday evening with the most
decided success. Want of space compels us to withhold
our notice until to-morrow.

As many as nine Chancellors of the Exchequer are
alive :—Lord Henry Petty (now Marquis of Lansdowne,
and the senior Chancellor of the nine), Mr. Frederick
Robinson (now Earl of Ripon), Mr. Herries, Mr. Goul-
burn, Mr. Spring Rice (now Lord Monteagle), Sir
Francis Baring, Sir Charles Wood, Mr. Disraeli, and
Mr. Gladstone.

DEVONPORT DOCKYARD.---Out of the eleven candi-
dates for shipwrights' apprentices who have been
examined, only five have been selected for entry.
Four shipwrights have been entered to fill vacancies.
FRAUD IN THE GENERAL POST-OFFICE.-Some Con-
sternation has been caused at the General Post-office,
owing to an official in that establishment, in the receipt
of between 5001. and 6001. a year, having been detected
in committing frauds on the public and the post-office
department.
A SUCCESSFUL GOLD-DIGGER.-A young man named
Bissett, who was incapacitated from serving in her Ma-
jesty's navy by a hurt, and for which he is allowed a
small ticket of 41. per annum, proceeded in a merchant
ship to Australia, working his passage out, and on his
arrival proceeded to the diggings. About four months
since his aged mother was gratified by receiving a
cheque for 501. ; and a few days since another for 501.
by the Australian, and an intimation that he had 100
ounces of gold deposited In the bank in Australia, and
that on his return from the diggings he should proceed
to England.
ROBBERY OF £1300.-On Saturday information was
received that Bank of England notes for 13001. had been
stolen from Harrison Brothers, 2, George-yard, Lom-
bard-street. The numbers are known, and have been
stopped, but there is no clue at present to thr thief,
though a large reward is offered for his discovery.
DEATH OF THE EARL OF OXFORD.-We regret to an-
nounce the death of the Earl of Oxford and Mortimer,
which took place at his seat, Eywood, near Kington, in
this county, on the 19th instant. The deceased noble-
man was born on the 10th January, 1809; succeeded his
father, as sixth earl, in January, 1848; married, the 17th
January, 1831, Miss Eliza Nugent, the daughter of
Lord Westmeath, by whom he leaves no issue. This
4cient and highly honoured title therefore becomes ex-
tinct.-Hereford Times.
DEATH OF EARL BEAUCHAMP.-This venerable Peer
died on Saturday morning, at his house in Portman-
square ; -he has left no issue, and is succeeded in his
title and estates by General Lygon, who has represented
West Worcestershire iz Parliament for many years.
This will create a vacancy in the representation of that
division of the county. The new earl is the third son
of the first Earl Beauchamp. In 1824, he married Lady
Susan Caroline, the second daughter of the Earl of St.
Germans, now dead. His lordship is a Protectionist.
Has sat for West Worcestershire since 1817, with the
exception of the year 1831, when he was defeated by
the Hon. Captain Spencer.
EXTENSIVE ROBBERY.-On Wednesday night a rob-
bery of a serious character, both as to amount and con-
sequences, took place at the Carriage Inn, Combe Down,
near Bath. The keeper of the inn is r. Gaites, who
for many years occupied a small farm and kept a public-
house at Monkton Farleigh, Wilts ; but a few weeks
since he sold off the whole of his stock and came to
Combe Down to take the inn above named. Instead,
however, of depositing the proceeds of the sale in the
bank, Mr. Gaites, who is getting an old man, appears to
have kept the money by him, as he says, " with the view
of setting everything right first, and then depositing the
balance." Whilst the family were at supper on Wednes-
day evening, one of the daughters fancied she heard some
one over head, and upon Mr. Gaites proceeding up stairs,
a man rushed by him, striking the candle from his hand,
and succeeded in gaining the street. Here he was joined
by another man, and both of them ran off together.
They were pursued by the neighbours for some distance
across the fields, but at length lost sight of them amongst
the freestone quarries that abound upon the Down.
Upon a search being made, it was found that the whole
proceeds of the sale-the result of a life of economy and
industry-amounting to 2431. in gold and silver, had
been stolen ; and unfortunately, at present, there is no
clue to the thieves.
EXPENSES OF THE CEYLON COMMISSION AND COM-
MITTEE.-A return of the House of Commons, stating
the amount of money expended, first on the Commission
appointed to inquire, in Ceylon, into the alleged forgery
of documents, purporting to have been those signed by
Capt. Watson, of the Ceylon Rifles ; and, secondly, on
the Ceylon Committee and Royal Commission on that
subject, moved for respectively by Mr. Hume and Sir
Joshua Walmsley, has just been printed. From these
documents we learn that 8001. was advanced by the
Ceylon Government to the commissioners who conducted
the inquiry in the island, and placed to the debit of the
Madras Government in conformity with instructions ad-
dressed to the Commissioners by the chief secretary to
the Government at Madras. It also appears that the
sum of 3,2801. 15s. 4d. was incurred in printing the
papers connected with the inquiry before the House of
Commons, including paper and sewing; and that 5,5831.
13s. 9d. was paid by the Paymaster-General out of the
vote of the two Houses of Parliament to witnesses be-
fore that committee to 30th July, 1851; viz., to Captain
Watson, 6061. 7s. 4d.; Lieut.-Col. Braybrooke, 5541.
11s. Bd.; Mr. J. Selby, 7261. 25.; Mr. S. Hanna, 171.
165.; Capt. J. K. Jolly, 8/. 65.; Major Parker, 131. 35.;
Mr. P. Anstruther, 211. 2s. 6d.; Mr. H. C. Selby, 6251.
95.; Sir J. E. Tennent, 1,5421. 12s. ld.; Sir A. Oli-
phant, 1,0771. 10s. 6d.; and Lieutenant Henderson,
3901. 13s. Bd. _ _ _ _

ADIA IS . --The report which we published last
week that death had put a period to the sufferings and
incarceration of Francesco Madiai, has proved incorrect
—the spirit of that martyr to the cause of truth has not
yet passedrs frombeforee thearthw
toaful
confpenrornesthceereoafftetrhehispcimeel
persecutors
Being. The rumour obtained very general credence
here ; for it is well known that both Francesco Madiai,
and his wife Rosa, are in such weak health that impri-
sonment endangers their lives. Comment upon their
incarceration is almost superfluous—for surely all
humane and honest minds regard it as a disgrace to
Europe and to the present age. That Madiai and
his wife should, three centuries after the Reformation—in
spite of urgent remonstrances to the Grand Duke of Tus-
cany—remain immured in a dungeon for the sole crime
of reading their Bibles almost raises a doubt as to
the progress, the enlightenment, and the freedom
which we are apt to boast of as characteristic of the
times we live in. But of one thing there can be no
doubt. No one can question the unchangeablerofh.tehßreusdeputation"stseeplls
on
wnahttui
eh rhee
and tyrannical spirit inherent in the Romish Church, in
which power and persecution have ever been found co-
equal. We observe that a deputation from the Protes-
tanttve e
case—butry alliancemuch
eh
n with
has
tjhu waitedsrtesperespect
accordancetto
w on
h any
tLordhosffurther jt
subject. His lordship stated that his sentiments were
,
—that Sir H. Bulwer was still anxiously employed in
might be considered proper to take in communicating
with the Grand Duke, his lordship " begged to be al-
lowed to reserve his opinion,"—Plymouth Times.