The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-25 00:00:00

in the event of opposition to reform compelling a
dissolution, the counties would be so far in a
better position to vote on the question. Three
very common-sense reasons these, we imagine, to
encourage a mortal not to put off till next year a
reform worth carrying this. Suppose Mr. KING'S
Bill to become an Act, (which it assuredly ought to
be, if our " All Talents" delay reform) would they
next year find it harder to make and carry a
liberal Reform Bill just because they found things
a little nearer the goal than they now are ? Away
for ever, then, with the cant and slang of bit-by-
bit Reform, and let the utterance of the phrase, or
of the idea, at once set a man down for a foe to
the cause. So, again, Mr. G. BUTT'S motion for
shortening the time between the proclamation and
the day of election in counties, and its counterpart
in boroughs, is a clear advantage to the cause of
electoral purity, and of saving expenses to honest
parties. We fear Mr. BUTT is not the man to
press it, but if pressed and carried into an act, as
it ought to be, how in the world would it inter-
fere with the construction of a new Reform Bill ?
Much in the same way, so far as we can see, as
the removal of rubbish would interfere with
digging the foundations of a house.

And then Mr. BERKELEY'S motion for the
Ballot,—why that is a Reform Bill in itself.
Whigs and Tories both look on that as something
much greater than a " bit" of reform. Were our
Ministry sincere Reformers, they would of course
hail Mr. BERKELEY'S motion as the very opening
of a railroad to the grand terminus. But, alas !
we fear that they have the aversion of a Col. Sin-
THORP to railroad pace towards real representation.
A French diligence would probably suit them
much better for that journey. There cannot be a
question that this motion is likely to be a far more
important one than that for any bill which the
present Government will ever bring in. If the
national defences be a primary question in a mili-
tary point of view, the elector's defences is a
primary question in an electoral point of view.
The advocates of the Ballot may well take the
ground that our constituencies must first of all be
secured from the piratical invasions of the Carlton
Club, the privateering of landlords, and the bucca-
neering of priests. It must be pressed on the House
that the gross bribery, intimidation, and violence
of 1852,• cannot, for shame's sake, be repeated,
and that it is now high time to have done with.
Lord Joss's little acts against bribery, and to ren-
der the practice as nearly an impossibility as
human power can do. Besides the public con-
fessions of Mr. COPPOCK, Mr. EDWARDS, and
others, it has been said to us in free conversa-

tions by many a local agent of the Clubs, " the
Ballot would stop us up." If it will not lessen
bribery, why then let Mr. BEniurfiEv demand the
support of the Right Hon. Wm. BERESFORD, of
Mr. HORSFALL, and of the whole Carlton Club.
Sir WILLIAM CLAY'S notice, for taking the votes
at the residence of voters, would be of little service,
unless he also moves that the marked voting-
paper be put by the voter himself within an
adhesive envelope before it be handed to the
vote collector. Mr. DUNCOMBE'S general resolu-
tion is one for which perhaps many Tories now
would not much object to vote, as it is not a
practical one, and as all agree that something
should be done. Lord DUDLEY STUART'S, for the
repeal of the Septennial Act, is also too vaguely
conceived, though few Reformers could or would
deny its importance. The grand point is, that
Ministers should know that they must encounter
a respectable array of strenuously-supported Re-
form propositions, unless they themselves take up
the work at once.

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, JAN. 24.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by Col.
the Hon. C. B. Phipps, Lieutenant Colonel the Hon.
N. Hood, Lord Charles Fitzroy, Lieutenant-Colonel F.
H. Seymour, and Lieutenant-Colonel Biddulph, went
out shooting this morning.
The Earl Granville, the Earl of Aberdeen, and Lieu-
tenant-Colonel the Hon. A. and Mrs. Gordon, left the
Castle by an early train this morning for London.
The Duke of Wellington arrived from London to-day,
had an audience of the Queen, and kissed hands on being
appointed Master of the Horse.

The Committee on Education of her Majesty's Most
Hon. Privy Council had a meeting yesterday at the
Council Office, Whitehall. There were present the Lord
President, the Earl of Aberdeen, the Duke of Argyll,
Lord John Russell, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Right Hon. Sidney
Herbert.

The Earl of Aberdeen arrived in town yesterday from
a visit to her Majesty at Windsor Castle.
Captain Stanley Carr, Chairman of the " Committee
of Australian Colonists, and Mr. Moor, of Melbourne,
had an interview with the Duke of Newcastle yesterday
at the Colonial-office.

Earl Granville arrived in town from a visit to the
Queen at Windsor Castle yesterday.
Despatches were sent yesterday from the Colonial
Office to the • Lord High Commissioner of the lonian
Islands and the Governors of Hong Bong and Ceylon.
Despatches were also sent to the Governor of Natal.

EARLY CLOSING ASSOCIATION.—The following " Early
assstm tradesmentobe unnecessary
of London
for :
all" e
purposeslvin
Shopping Pledge', being signed through the agency
of the Early Closing Association, by that numerous class
theassistant
is
system
business ; feeling it to be a burden, and a barrier to our
moral, mental, and social advancement ; and believing
eg
the
of
late-hour
the custom of late purchasing to be the mainstay of that
unjust and oppressive system, we, the undersigned
young men and young women, engaged as assistants in
the various houses of business in the metropolis, hereby
solemnly pledge ourselves-Ist. That, henceforward,
we will neither purchase nor order any article at a hat-
ter's, hosier s, jeweller's, chemist's, tailor't, perfumer's,
stationer's, draper's, or any other kind of shop, after six
o'clock in the evening except in cases of extreme emer-
gency. 2nd. That we will, other
things
deal at those shops, of whatever being equal,
trade, which close the
earliest in their respective districts.
3rd. That we will,
to the utmost extent of our power, induce our several
friends and acquaintances to act upon the same resolu-
tions." It is stated that arrangements
to have a similar document signed
by are being made
gene-
rally, especially by the ladies of the metropolis. It is
believed that by this means an • immense impetus will be
given to the movement..
FATAL ACCIDENT AT BIDEFORD FROM BOATING.
On the afternoon of Saturday last, two young gentle-.
men, clerks in the National Provincial Bank,
named
Perry, recently from Birmingham, and Turner
Mr. Richard Turner, Abbotsham, left business'son
for of
the
purpose of a cruise. It was at the time blowingvery
strong from the N.N.W., when suddenly a heavy, gest
gust
filled the sail, capsised the boat, precipitating, ofconrse,
the young men into the water. The catastrophe being
observed from the shore, Mr. Martin, Mr. Hammett,
and others, lost no time in rowing to their rescue , they
soon reached the spot, when they found the young. manl
Perry clinging to the boat, almost exhausted, his life
being thus providentially saved. The other was
looked for, but he had sunk to rise no more. The
body was not found until Sunday night, when it
was taken to the London Inn, there to await the coro-
ner's inquest. On Monday morning, a jury was em-
panelled, and a verdict of accidental death returned.
The unfortunate individual who has thus been the victim
to 'this sad fatality was sixteen years of age, well
grown, and his intellectual capacities were • promising
of the highest order ; he was the grandson of Mr.
Richard Turner, of Grange Farm, steward to L. W.
Buck, Esq., M.P. for the county.
THE UNION BANK OF AUSTRALIA.—The half-yearly
meeting of the Union Bank of Australia took place
yesterday. The report from the directors was very satis-
factory, showing that the profit for the half-year was
107,344/. which, added to previous balance, left a sum
of 120,440/. applicable for a dividend at the rate of 13
per cent. for the half-year. The report briefly alluded
to the great prosperity of the colony, as well as that of
New Zealand, and anticipated from the more legitimate
course of business a continuance of prosperity for this
bank. The directors had to regret the loss of their late
colleague, J. R. Todd, Esq.
SUDDEN DEATH OF A FELLOW OF MAGDALEN COLLEGE,
OXFORD.—Yesterday an inquest was held at Magdalen
College, touching the death of the Rev. Edward John
Chaplin, fellow of that society. Evidence of finding the
body on the bed by deceased's servants the first thing in
the morning, and that of two medical gentlemen, one
who was called in that morning but found that he must
have been dead many hours, and that, in his opinion,
death was caused by apoplexy ; and the other, who had
on two occasions been sent for, the first of which he was
obliged to open the jugular vein, which then saved de-
ceased's life, and subsequently he had found him in a
strong fit. The jury returned a verdict— "That Edward
John'Chaplin was found dead on his bed, and that, ac-
cording to the evidence and opinions of two medical
witnesses, his death, in the judgment of the jury, was
the result of an apoplectic fit." By the death of Mr.
Chaplin, a fellowship on the Rugby foundation has be-
come vacant.
THE FATAL RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT OXFORD.—Yester-
day John Williams, the hawker, who had his arm so
seriously injured by the late dreadful accident as to ren-
der it necessary to be amputated, and who was otherwise
injured, died in the Radcliffe Infirmary. This is the
eighth victim of the accident.