The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-01 00:00:00

gfo4PNPik. 11441

LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1854.

The Kilkenny cats of famous memory do not
appear to have held on more tenaciously to exist-
ence than the present Government. Each seems
to have the power of surviving every imaginable
defeat and discomfiture, so long as it has a "tail"
remaining. The capacity of the 'present Ministry
to be beaten has long ago been proved " many a
time and oft," to the wonder of the country and
apparently also to the admiration of Parliament.

What must inevitably, months since, have de-
stroyed another Cabinet, scarcely appears in the
instance of that presided over by my Lord. ABER-
DEEN to tickle it into even a momentary state of
irritation. In illustration of all this, as it were
for the ninety-ninth time, there were the pro-
ceedings of last night in both Houses of the Im-
perial Legislature. In both Houses Ministerial
measures were thrown out. In the Lords by a
majority of ten upon the subject of the " Drain-
age of Lands Bill," moved for committal by Earl
GRANVILLE. In the Commons by a majority of
nine upon the subject of the " Public Health Act
Amendment Bill," introduced for a second reading
by Viscount PALMERSTON. It matters nothing,
however, that these two defeats take place almost
simultaneously. Ministers are accustomed to be
beaten. They are case-hardened. Defeated of
not, they will still consent to retain office—for
was not office assumed by them out of the
fullness of their magnanimity ? As it was
assumed, so it will be retained—out of the fullness
of their magnanimity I And in this manner are
the affairs of the country carried on complacently
between a constantly-beaten but still dominant
Ministry, and. a frequently restive, though "at a
pinch," an ever compliant and complacent Parlia-
ment.

The secret strength of the Cabinet is the fact of
our being at war with Russia. It is the all
absorbing sense of the magnitude of that
women-
tour difficulty, it is the mere knowledge of
the
im-
portance of the struggle upon which the
nation
has adventured that keeps its present rulers to-
gether as a Government. The circumstance 0;
the war disarms the Opposition. It does more
than this : it gives a specious excuse to Ministers
for the abandonment or postponement of measure
after measure, and justifies them in some fanner
in retaining power in defiance of every successive
majority won over the Administration. So long as
Ministers thought themselves' strong enough
to carry their pet bills through the Lord::
and Commons, in spite both of the antagonism
of party, and of the apathy of the population—
they protested that war should not be allowed to
interrupt the development of the reforms pro-
mised by them individually or collectively, on
the occasion of their first assuming the reins of
Government. But no sooner was it made per-
fectly obvious that the Cabinet could not possibly
force nostrum after nostrum down the throat
even of a willing and obsequious Legislature, than
Ministers suddenly discovered that patriotism ren-
d it imperatively incumbent upon each and all
of them to forego their favourite desions and their
most dearly-cherished projects of improvement, in
consideration of the one paramount necessity cf
the hour, that of dedicating to the vigorous col.-
duct of the war with Russia the whole of ti.e
energies and abilities at the command f
Government. Whereupon Lord Jonzr RUSSELL,
pith faltering accents, and otherwise evi•

len,ly and most unaffectedly agitated with
?motions of regret, withdrew that New
Reform Bill, to the introduction of which
in the present Session he stood solemnly pledged
to the community, and the abandonment of which
favourite scheme, even fur a time, was felt by
uim, we believe, no less poignantly than as a
bitter personal sacrifice. Since then, one after
another, lesser but still important Ministerial
measures, have been either withdrawn altogether
or temporarily postponed. The argument em-
ployed with the subordinate members of the
Cabinet has been, that surely Bills like so-and-so,
or so-and-so, could be abandoned by them in
obedience to the calls of the country, or, in other
words, in submission to the demands made by the
war upon their sense of patriotism, if a mea-
sure so important as the New Reform Bill
could be abandoned at the same behest
by a statesman as important as my Lord JOHN'
Russzrz. The appeal has, in every instance in
which it has been employed, been eminently sue-
zessful. There have been some Ministerial mea-
sures, however, which it would, under any cir-
cumstances almost, have been impracticable to
have quietly shelved so very conveniently. Two
)f these came on last evening ; -one for a second
reading, the other for consideration in committee;
,ne in the Lords, the other in the Commons ;
.ne the Drainage of Lands Bill, the other the
Public Health Act Amendment Bill ; the former
submitted to the notice of the Legislature by Lord
GRANVILLE, the latter championed by Lord
PALMERSTON'. Both, we have seen, were
thrown out. Upon both a positive defeat
,vas experienced by the Government. It is a
Government manifestly, from all these glaring
signs and unmistakeable tokens, existing entirely
upon sufferance—and this solely because of the
war between Russia and England. Ultimately
)f course, sooner or later, the time will arrive
when the country may be in a position to settle
long accumulating scores with the Administration.
Then, be sure, the doubled Income Ttx will not be
forgotten, and Reformers will begin to think anew
of the " wet sponge" recommended once upon a
time by COBBETT

Mr. JOHN CARDEN, of Barnane, has been duly
acquitted of the abduction of Miss ELEANOR
LOUISA. ARBUTHNOT. It was, indeed, fortunate
for the misguided man that the determined resist-
ance of his intended victim and her friends com-
pletely defeated the atrocious object fur which he
had assembled his reckless gang. The Sister King-
dom has thus been spared the deep disgrace of the
perpetration of an outrage once so common, that
there was no security for any young female possessed
of beauty or fortune. But, although it proved a
total failure, although the daring gallantry of an
humble man succeeded in rescuing the injured
lady, the moral guilt of the parties concerned in
the atrocious transaction was no less flagrant, no
less deserving of exemplary punishment. The plan
was deliberately formed, the various arrangements
carefully planned. Had it not been for a variety
fortuitous circumstances, an innocent lady might
have had the happiness of her life destroyed.
The result possibly turned on the position in
which Miss ARBUTHNOT was seated in the vehicle
returning from the church in which, on the Sab-
bath-day, she had been worshipping her CREATOR,
and returning thanks for the manifold blessings
bestowed on her through the Divine mercy. The
person who had formed such a diabolical scheme
had also been present. But the sacred influences
of the house of GOD had no effect in inducing him
to abandon his nefarious scheme. While appa-
i tently engaged in prayer and thanksgiving, he
was hardening his heart to the certain conse-
quences of his erirne—disregarding everything
'hat might have led to hesitation or contri-
tion. It was not even an ordinary service.
The Sacrament of the LORD'S Supper was
administered, and the young lady and her
friends were among the communicants. Mr.
CARDEN did not add that to his other crimes. He
left the church before the party from Rathronan
—probably to marshal his myrmidons—let us
hope with some slight desire to avoid the addi-
tional profanation of these sacred rites.
The party had gone to church on an outside
jaunting car. Had they returned by the same
conveyance, there is little doubt that he could at
the moment have succeeded in carrying off the
lady. It fortunately rained, and the coachman
exchanged the vehicle for an inside one, in which
Miss ARBUTHNOT was fortunately seated farthest
from the door, so that the others must be re-
moved before she could be taken. They all be-
haved with great courage. Miss LYNDON struck
the aggressor with so much f Tee that the blood
flowed from his nose. Mrs. GOUGH, Miss LYN-
DON, and Miss LAURA. ARBUTHNOT were in
turn taken from the car, but the object of the
heartless outrage still clung to what was, under
the circumstances, a place of refuge and security.
Her feeble strength could not, however, have long
maintained the unequal struggle, but for the
daring courage of SMITHWICIC, the shepherd, who,
heedless of the odds against him, rushed forward
boldly to the encounter, actually flogging the
aggressor with his own whip ! Guilt is ever
timorous. Six armed men quailed before a single
one, strong in conscious rectitude, trebly armed in
thejustice of the cause in which he was engaged.
The concoctor of the notable scheme called on his
followers to shoot the unexpected champion L.
" Boys, why don't you fire ?" was the exclama-
tion of the retreating CARDEN, and it the
"boys" had obeyed the injunction, the reck-
less offender might have had to expiate the
crime by an ignominious death ! They did
not do so, and thanks to SMITHWICK'S gallantry,
CARDEN was preserved from completing that which
would have subjected him to perpetual banishment
from his native land, to a condition far worse
than that of a slave in a penal settlement, for the
re:nainder of his miserable existence.

But although acquitted of the " abduction," be
oes not escape with impunity. Under the salu-

,Lry amendment of the law introduced in 1851,
Ind commonly known as Lord CAMPBELL'S Act
(14 and 15 Vic., c. 100), the attempt to commit
1, felony is a crime punishable by two years' im-
:)risontnent and a pecuniary fine. And if any
loubt should exist as to the principal offence
being consummated, the jury are authorised to
find guilty of "the attempt." This judicious course
vas adopted at the sugg,estion of the Learned
Judges. Itcouldscarcely besaid that the "a3porta-
tion" had been completed—that the yolng lady who
words
bad never been even removed from the car was at
any moment within the power of the prisoner. The
of the statute 9 GEO. IV., c. 31, S. 19, are
~ shall
take away or detain." It could scarcely
be contended that CARDEN did either. And if
the •
jury had convicted
of the principal charge, the
point would have been reserved, and the criminal
night have escaped without any punishment
The
whatsoever. course then was wise and
judicious, although
the punishment may be very
inadequate. Althoughttransportation had been
two richly merited, yetyears' imprisonment with
hard labour, together
with the universalcondem-
nation of the infamous outrage,
believe, suffice to deter other will, we hope and
attempting " to purvey themselvesgentlemen (!)
from
wives after the
manner of the tribe of BE.NJAMIN'"
or emulating the
more recent exploits of BYRNE, or STRANGE, or
MACNAGHTEN, or Sir HENRY BROWN
as well as if, like the three former, theyll had
en-
dured the extreme penalty of the law, or, like the
latter, had been banished for 14 years to a penal
colony ! The feeling of Ireland, to say nothing
of England and Scotland, is now too
ceptible to allow any person, however reckless,
to speculate on sympathy or support in such a
nefarious transaction.
We cannot conclude without expressing a hope
that some public testimonial may be bestowed on
S3fITEIVirICK. However amply he may be rewarded
by the parties more immediately interested, there
ought to be some token of the approval of the com-
munity of such gallantry and determination. as

that displayed by this pocr Irishman. It would
be a useful lesson to the peasantry of the district
ro show them that " virtue is not always its own
sae reward."

We direct public attention to a letter from a
military officer in Turkey. It more than con-
firms all that has been already said of the strange
" doings in the East." Verily, the Minister at
War and the Prime Minister "at peace" are
worthy of each other. How long must the nation
be made to pay, and her brave soldiers to bleed
in most inglorious ease, for the private benefit of
such incompetent advisers? Prussia and the
German Bund seem now to rule the roast with a
vengeance ! They parley for delay in favour of
Russia, and while England and France listen or
hesitate—delay is death.