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

dently and most unaffectedly agitated with
emotions 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 for a time, was felt by
him, we believe, no less poignantly than as a
hitter 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measures, have been either withdrawn altogether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
RUSSELL. The appeal has, in every instance in
which it has been employed, been eminently suc-
cessful. 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
of these came on last evening ; one fur a second
reading, the other for consideration in committee ;
one in the Lords, the other in the Commons ;
one the Drainage of Lands Bill, the other the
Public Health Act Amendment Bill ; the former
submitted to the notice of the Legislature by L )rd.
GRA NVILLE, the latter championed by Lord
Palm ERSTON. Both, we have seen, were
thrown out. Upon both a positive defeat
was 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
of 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 Tlx 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. ARBUTIINOT. 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 for 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
lesa deserving of exemplary punishment. The plan
was deliberately formed, the various arrangements
carefully planned. Had it not been for a variety
of 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-
rently engaged in prayer and thanksgiving, he
was hardening his heart to the certain conga-
coeuces of his crime--disregarding everything
that 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
I friends were among the communicants. Mr.
i
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 flrce 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 SMITHWICK, 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
the justice of the cause in which he was engaged.
The concoctor of the notable scheme called on his
followers to shoot the unexpected champion !
" Boys, why don't you fire ?" was the exclama-
tion of the retreating CARDEN, and if 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,
CA.RDEN 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
remainder of his miserable existence.

Bat although acquitted of the " abduction," he
does not escape with impunity. Under the salu-
tary amendment of the law introduced in 1851,
And commonly known as Lord CAMPBELL'S Act
(14 and 15 Vic., c. 100), the attempt to commit
a felony is a crime punishable by two years' im-
prisonment and a pecuniary fine. And if any
doubt should exist as to the principal offence
being consummated, the jury are authorised to
find guilty of "the attempt." This judicious course
was adopted at the suggestion of the Learned
Judges. It couldscarcely be said that the "asporta-
tion" had been completed—that the young lady who
bad never been even removed from the car was at
any moment within the power of the prisoner. The
words of the statute 9 GEo. IV., c. 31, s. 19, are
" shall take away or detain." It could scarcely
becontended that CARDEN did either. And if
the inry
had convicted of the principal charge, the
point would have
been reserved, and the criminal
might have escaped
rh the course
then was wise and
inadequate. Although transportation had been
hard labour, together wuthtroute' any punishment
whatsoever. The r
judicious, althoupunishment may be very
richly merited, yetltw
With o
iyt the universal condein-
ears' imprisonment with
abnteatlteiiemovnpe,toifsng wives after theMIN ufatheeeinfamouswoi
to deter otherag gentlemen (!) from
will,
" to purvey themselveswe hope and
manner of the tribe of BENJA
," or emulating the
more recent exploits of BYRNE,. or STRANGE,
or
a1%3 AwCeNlAl GansTinf,N,liokre StirheHt
El"NrneeYfßormer, they had ROWN HAYES, just
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 nothinc,
of England and Scotland, is now too clearly per'.
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
tl'at some public testinioni!A may be bestowed on
Howover amply he may bo rewarded
by the parties more itnuiudiately interested, there
ought to be some token of the approval of the cona-
siuDity, of ;RAI gallantry and determination as