The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-26 00:00:00

TEIB OATHS BILL.

The House of Commons last night threw out the Oaths
Bill by a very small majority, as the House of Lords
would have doubtless thrown it out by a large one at the

earliest opportunity. So far the result is what every
one must have anticipated from the first, only in a some-
what different form. As it happens, the Commons have
this year done the deed, and instead of the Jews falling
into the hands of Norman Barons, they have met their
fate from the Saxon churls of the Lower House. The

-
Commons have usually been content to minister to the
sporting propensities of the peers by supplying
them with
the Israelitish game to bait or pursue ; but this year they
have taken the matter into their own hands, and baulked
pious dukes and zealous young earls of the annual_ oppor.
tunity of showing the purity and warmth of their religion.
Considering how little the Lords have to do, and how often
they would like to throw out a bill if they only durst, it
really is a shame they have not been permitted to do so for
the Oaths Bill. The amiable butcher was accustomed to
promise his dear child that, if it was a good boy, it
might stick a lamb, and next year, if the Lords are good,
we really think the Commons had butter hand them the
knife and the victim together. To be sure, a majority
of four is a very mild one ; but in legislation a, miss is as

good as a mile ; or, as Mercutio expressed it, though

the wound is not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a
church, it is enough for the purpose, and, when the
public ask to-morrow how the Oaths Bill has fared, they
will hear that it sleeps with its fathers—that is, with
about a score of Jew bills, all dead and buried, and al-

most forgotten, long ago.
But, how is this l The interesting subject of this
annual sacrifice has fared this year rather worse than
usual. The Commons have usually preferred to pass
him on, indulging him meanwhile with a brief glimpse
of Parliamentary grandeur. We are really inclined to
think that the mode adopted in this bill of fagotting
grievances together, and tying under one category the
Jew, the Papist, and we know not what besides, notwith-
standing the beautiful simplicity of the arrangement, is
not understood, and does not go down. People prefer
one at once. Teen there are those have a special an-
tipathy to a Jew, and others whose horror is more ex-
cited at the least smell of Rome. Now, it is evident
that the bill in the house last night was calculated to
combine against itself both these classes. There can be
no doubt that a measure proposing to encounter at once
the whole round of religious antipathies was a grand
idea, and we must ourselves acquit the authors of
cowardice or want of straightforwardness ; but that is
not the feeling of the many. They cry out, " 0 here is
the old Jew Bill again in disguise ! We will not even
give it a chance with the Lords, but throw it out our-
selves." They see the Papist crawling under the gabar-
dine of the Jew, and the Jew under the cowl of the
monk. So they kill two birds with one stone, and last
night, thanks to the ingenuity of Lord John Russell
and his friends, both Jews and Papists were consic,ned
to the same dreary limbo of rejected bills, waiting their
return to life in another session. If people will attempt
to club their strength too much, and so to steal a
march on society, they must expect to find that society
is too strong for conspirators. Society will always deal
with individuals or classes upon their own respective
merits, and will not be overawed by numerical displays.
Bold and ingenious as Lord John Russell's plan undoubt-
edly may be regarded, we think that for the future he
will have to introduce his young friends separately to
the notice of the Legislature.
We are concerned for the Lords. What will they do
without their annual pastime ? Is there nothing else for
them to bait ? A spurious humanity has lately made cad
inroads upon their amusements, and we tremble to think
how far it will reach. Already cock-fighting has gone the
way of bull-baiting, beas-baiting, badger-baiting, and.
other old English sports. They are all voted barbarous.
Fox-hunting can hardly long retain its ground against
the modern refinements of feeling and agriculture. Even
the "gentle" sport of the angler has its enemies; and now
the Lords are not even to be allowed a Hebrew to worry.
Wo arc inclined to think that, with better manage-
ment, they may still have the sport, but then Lord John
Russell must take counsel from his clients. If they will
go to a certain volume which both of them respect they
will find very strong and rather singular prohibitions
against various kinds of mixture,—against ploughing
with an ox and ass under one yoke, or weaving with two
threads of divers colours. Now, certainly Lord John
Russell entered the house last night with a rather motley
team, and has come to grief in consequence. We will
not deny that the debate has done some good, and con-
tributed possibly to the future clearance of the members'
oath from unnecessary appendages. Nay, it seems as if
members generally did not know what they had sworn,
how much or how little. Some of them are under a loyal
conviction, for example, that they have sworn that the
Queen is in all causes, ecclesiastical and civil, in
these realms, supreme, whereas they have done no
such thing. Then, there remains the delicate and
impossible question, what and how much the
Roman Catholics have sworn not to do in the oath of
1829. They interpret it one way, and Protestants
another. Which shall decide ? Better abrogate the oath
than lay such a trap for the not very tender consciences
we have to deal with in this affair. But we must bide
our time for this ; the day is evidently not come for jus-
,ce to the Jews or indulgence to the Roman Catholics.

•Times.

Deploring, as we do most deeply, the temporary failure
of the largest and most statesmanlike plan ever brought
before Parliament for doing justice to the rights of con-
science, for removing mere forms and ensnaring ambi-
guities from the threshold of parliamentary duties, and
for strengthening, because simplifying, the solemnities of
an oath—regretting that the force of bigotry and blind
intolerance should predominate in our house of re-
' presentatives 7-- we can still afford to congratu-
late the supporters of religious liberty on the sen-
sible advance which the Jewish cause has gained
by last night's protracted discussion. The whole
tone of the debate was significant. Scarcely an
argument was used by Sir Frederick Thesiger or his
followers against the admission of the Jews into Parlia-
tuent—to the immediate object of Lord John Russell's
bill the leader of the Opposition tacitly acceded. The
famous clause, "on the true faith of a Christian," is, it
seems, ignominiously abandoned, and the line of attack
is altogether changed. The old No-Popery slogan has
been preferred as the more effective battle-cry ; and it is
novr sought to exterminate the Jews by the advance of
the whole line of " Protestant" assailants against Roman
C t holies and so-called Romanising, Anglicans.
Citron:de.

Intolerance gained another victory last night in the
House of Commons, by a majority of four, and the Go-
vernment. which has often succeeded when it ought to
have been beaten, has now been beaten on a point itx
which it deserved success,—Daily Nom.

On the division this morning, the numbers were—
Against the Ministerial Oaths Bill, in favour of
Jews and Popery 251
In favour of the Ministerial measure

Majority against Infidelity and Popery......
,Morning Hcruld.

ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION.—Yesterday, the an-
nual general meeting of proprietors in this corporation
was held at the offices,Walbrook. The chairman (Mr.H.
G. Gordon.) having made a few observations congratulak-
ing the proprietors on the flourishing state of their af7
fairs, which he said had never been so prosperous as
-at
the present time, the managing director (gr.
)
read the report. It stated that a dividend ftoirietl2ealrligsta.leff-
year, at the rate of 7 per cent., was paidon
April, to which the directors were
bonus of 2 per cent., making
year 1853, with bonus, at the rate_oBs.,
capital paid up on the 31st Dec., 1
which, after additions by the a
18
3,
&c., amounted on the 31st Dec.,
reserved surplus funds amountedfor
the
counts showed a
135,2681. A vote of thanks total dividend P
for the
ble to add a
a t°tf 15 per cent. The
) was 818,965/.,
llotaie-rit of new shares,
5 to 942,450/. The
to 188,4401. The ac-
year, amounting to
net Profit to the chairman closed the
proceedings.
Tan °AND/A.—This fine screw-steamer, built by
for theaPnednfiintstuedlarwaitnudnOprriigehnt-
Messrs. J. Mare and Ccorook.ininpany,
gear by Messrs. George
fth b ' f -
tad
nSkteaemn
Rennie ands Co., was taken out o e asin o the East
India Docks ne
engines
y Navigation_
aenS tdCrdway at workinggl
p.m., and went down the
river to Greenhithe to have her compasses adjusted,
previous to leaving the Thames to-morrow for Southamp•
on, to be in readiness to leave that port with the Medi-
terranean and overland mails of Juno 4. The Candle
is constructed of iron, and of 2,200 tons burthen, and
the engines of 450.liorse power ; and they worked so
satisfactorily, that it is expected she will make a speed of
about 13 knots per hour. She ha 3 been fitted up in similar
style to the Himalaya, by Mr. Robinson, who manages
that department for the company, and many of the.im.
provements which were adopted in the Himalaya for
ventilation and lighting the ship have been further' im-
proved and introduced in the fittings of the Candia.
The party on board and Captain Field, who has com-
mand of her, were much pleased with her appearance
and performance while going down to Greenbithe.