The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-04 00:00:00

people proud of the fame and memory of this
immortal Englishman. Every one amongst us
surely bears in vivid recollection the records of
that strange and inspiriting biography the fame of
which opens in the sequestered rectory of Birnam
Thorpe, and closes only with funereal pomp under the
gorgeous dome of St. Paul's Cathedral. Yes, and we
all of us, each and all of us, men and women,
sages and children have listened to that moving
narrative not without peculiar and profound emo-
tion. For we have unanimously recognised the
hero-patriot under the form of that " little pale
lameter"—withered and blurred one might almost
deem it by the storm of those thunderbolts which
he had called down upon his head as a champion,
or hurled around him as an avenger—mighty soul
in a feeble frame thus apostrophised by An elo-
quent writer of our generation—" Admiral Ho-
RATIO, Viscount NELSON, and Duke of BRONTE :
great at heart as a TITIAN ; gallant and heroic as
all the world and age of chivalry ; leader of the
might of England ; commander of her strength
on the deep; hurler of her thunder over the flood."
(SHIRLEY, iii. 63.) Yes—it is thus that NELSON,
ever since the famous day on which he died, has
been loved, and honoured, and idolised byhis fellow-
countrymen. It is thus that he has long since come
to be regarded as " the darling hero of England."
It is thus that the souls of his compatriots glow
within them at his remembrance. And nobly,
and touchingly, and exquisitely has it been said
of him, as we well bear in our recollection, by one
whose comprehensive genius finds sympathy for
all the indications or attributes of sublimity, whe-
ther of war or peace—nobly, and touchingly, and
exquisitely has it been said of " the darling hero
of England" by Sir BULWER LyrroN—that the
glorious race of mariners that commenced with
BLAKE, " found their most illustrious archetype
in the gentle and daring heart—in the patriotism,
disinterested and sublime—in the valour that was
ever merciful—in the ambition that was never
base—in all the memories of devoted life and
heroic death, which, age after age, shall render
not less holy than unfading the laurel and the
cypress upon the tomb of NELSON." (The Sea
Captain. " Preface," p. viii.) Britain felt
this when in the first anguish of her loss,
she offered to the resaains of her hero-
son the posthumous homage of a more
than regal sepulture. It was in that first
sense of her calamity that England went, in her
regard, beyond even the ambition of the dead
conqueror of Trafalgar. Victory had been his—
but Westminster Abbey in her eyes, in the estima-
tion of the country for which he had yielded up
his life in a blaze of glory, was not worthy, with
all its grand historic associations, to memorialise
the grateful homage of a nation by becoming
the depository of his ashes. And so the body of
NELSON, on its arrival in the Thames, was buried
in great pomp under the dome of the metropolitan
cathedral.
Deprived of her hero through the very achieve-
ment of his last and greatest exploit, England
endeavoured in some measure to attest the depth
and fulness of his appreciation. Together with
a grant of 6,0001. a-year, an earldom was be-
stowed upon his brother. Parliament voted, in
addition to this, 100,0001. for the purchase of an
. estate for the family—and granted the sum of
10,000/. to each of his sisters. Monuments
were erected, and statues sculptured to his me-
mory in most of the principle cities of the United
Kingdom. The leaden coffin in which he had
been conveyed homewards, was cut into small
fragments, and scattered among the fleet as relics
of the departed warrior. The flag that had be-
longed to him was, by a spontaneous movement,
torn in pieces by the sailors, as it was about to be

lowered into his grave, and the shreds treasured
up by them as sacred mementos. Every one vied
at that period in displaying the sense entertained,
that the loss sustained by the empire was, in the
fullest signification of the word, irreparable.
Was there not in all this, let us ask, a secret
feeling of compunction I Had not England a
painful consciousness that she never once acted
generously to NELSON during his lifetime ? Did

she act—during all those four-and-thirty years of

unexampled heroism and devotion—did England
act even once towards NELSON with generosity ?
Why, at the, period of his death he was only
a Viscount ! After all his victories !
After losing an arm, and an eye, and
being hacked and hewn away piecemeal as
never Sea Captain was before or since ! After
having, even as early as 1795 passed through no
less than 140 separate skirmishes and engage-

ments ! While How; for a single triumph, was
created an earl during the same reign ! Nay=
while JERvIS was advanced to an earldom for that

battle of St. Vincent which NELSON gained for
him by a splendid act of disobedience ! For this
the captor of the " San Josef " and the " San
Nicholas " was merely promoted to the dignity of
knighthood ! For the Nile he was simply de-
clared a Baron, and for Copenhagen a Viscount
—being insulted, moreover, after gaining the
former "then" matchless victory, by being placed
second in command under Sir HYDE PARKER on

the fitting out of the Danish expedition. Nor
was this all. Unfortunately, it was very
far from constituting the whole of our
national ingratitude during his lifetime
to wards the greatest Sea Captain of any age,
or of any country, of whom mention has been
made in the records of either ancient or modern

history. England—the wealthiest country in
the world—England, who was then subsidising
the armies of the Continent by such enormous
sums of money that she increased her debt in two-
and-twenty years by the vast additional amount
of 500,000,000/. sterling ; England, who after
the death of NELSON could give 10,000/. to each of

his sisters, and 6,0001. a-year to his brother, and
vote 100,0001. in a single grant to purchase a
family estate—could yet leave her hero during his
lifetime in a condition, literally, of comparative

indigence. We do not exaggerate. We repeat
the phrase comparative indigence. Why
NELSON was so poor, even after he had been so
very munificently raised to the peerage, he was
so embarrassed in pecuniary matters whenever he
returned home for a little repose after active ser-
vice afloat—that he was never once enabled to

keep a town-house—although a patrician. It
nay be argued, however, that even a peer can
manage to exist very comfortably without a town-
Not a very generous excuse, howbeit,

use.

'or the paltry treatment of a man who had shed
its blood so often in the cause of his country—
Ao, had gained three such battles as St. Vincent,
;he Nile, and Copenhagen—and who, besides all
;his, had gone through the flame and smoke of

nearly one hundred and fifty separate engage-
ments. But let that pass. We have something
to say about the poverty in which NELSON was
allowed to remain, up to the moment of his death,
by England. It is not generally known, we be-
lieve, but it is, nevertheless, not one jot
the less true on that account, that Lord
.NFLsoN was so straitened in pecuniary
,circumstances at the period when he was
:going to join the fleet off Cape Trafalgar that he
was without sufficient plate for ordinary purposes
admiral
al
f
to keep up a decent appearance at his table as
oronmbotahirds the`‘Vict
embarrassment,
oiyI"
and
dd
ttoo relieve
supply
the deficiency, he was actually compelled to
I?awn the
,
few jewels presented to him in gratitude
by foreign Sovereigns This, remember, in order
that he
might be enabled
to go out to sea for the
last time, there to
purchase
-Ole triumph of England by a glorious
throughdeath, the victory off
ei
Cape Trafalgar.
Why, it may be
inquired, are w
at this particular period, fortY -
yh et,
years after
nowadays,
orz "darling hero " was interred
Cathedral, recalling the popularattenintionttoPatullii'ss
very grievous and lamentable evidence of national
We answer simply—Because, not-
ingratitude ?
withstanding that great lapse of time, rather let
us say by reason of that great lapse of time,
we feel assured there is need, as we know there is
oßportunity, for reparation.
HORATIA is still living—unregarded by the na-
tion---a numerous family inheriting from her the
fame, of her illustrious sire—she herself being the
wife of a poor clergyman. HORATIA, one who has
an almost unexampled claim upon the country, a
claim arising out of the one fact that she is—Lord

NELSON'S daughter. Here is the reason for our
revival of the melancholy story of the paltry and
ungenerous treatment of that great man during his
lifetime by his fellow-countrymen. And not only
during his lifetime, but actually, let us add, after
his death and interment ! Ungenerous England
had shown herself towards him during the period
of his existence, but after his burial she must be
said, in truth, to have proved herself doubly
ungrateful. Look at the facts. A codicil
to his will was written by Lord NELSON on the
morning of the famous 21st of October, 1805, the
morning of Trafalgar, in which codicil the hero
penned thesewords—" I leave also to the beneficence
' of my country, my adopted daughter, HORATIA.
NELSON THOMPSON ; and I desire she will in
future use the name of NELSON only. These are
the only favours I ask of my King and country,
at this moment, when I am going to fight their
battle. May GOD bless my King and country,
and all those I hold dear ! My relations it is
needless to mention : they will, of course, be
amply provided for." Moreover, when the action
had actually commenced—indeed, after the fatal
wound from the effects of which NELSON but too
speedily expired—he exclaimed, " Thank GOD, I
have done my duty. . . . Remember that
I leave iwY DAUGHTER HORATIA as a legacy to my
country. Never forget HORATIA." Recollect
those words—" I leave to the beneficence of my
country my adopted daughter HORATIA." And more
—" These are the only favours I ask of my King
and country, at this moment when I am going to
fight their battle." And last of all, almost in the
act of expiring—" _Remember that I leave my
DAUGHTER, HORATIA, as a legacy to my country."
Forty-eight years have since elapsed, and the
country has paid no regard to that sacred legacy—
the nation has done nothing for that Daughter.
Endeavours, it is true, have been made, and are
still being continued by a Committee, comprising
six of the surviving officers of the "Victory," and
originally presided over by Sir EDWARD CODRING-
TON, with a view to offer to the Child of NELSON
the tribute of a tardy Testimonial. But that
Testimonial, at the best, could be only of a private
and restricted, whereas it should be of a national
and munificent, character. The time has arrived,
we believe, when the people may at length hope
to witness this sinister blot of ingratitude wiped
away from the national escutcheon. The glorious
NiThsoN has himself long since passed away, it is
true—so that we cannot offer him reparation.
Had he been a Sea Captain, not under GEORGE
but under NAPOLEON the GREAT, the latter
would have created him a PRINCE long before the
battle of Trafalgar.

But we have still the opportunity for atoning,
as becomes a magnanimous people, for our deplor-
able and protracted negligence in regard to his
wishes—for, if we have not NELSON still amongst
us, we have one who was very dear to him, and
whom he bequeathed to us as his only legacy—
we have HORATIA, his Daughter. Confiding,
earnestly, hopefully, in this particular, we look
to the munificence of the House of Commons, or,
rather let us say, to the conscientiou s and recol-
lected patriotism of the Imperial Legislature.

A more important question in all its details,
or one requiring more attentive consideration,
could not have been brought forward than that
which was last night discussed in the House of

Lords with extraordinary ability and energy. We
have so frequently explained some of the many
evils arising from the vexatious delays, the
ruinous expenses, and the perplexing doubts in-
separable from the transfer of real property—have
so frequently insisted on the imperative necessity
of a large and comprehensive measure in that,
perhaps, the most important and most urgently
required of all legal reforms, that our readers
must be in some degree familiarised to the topic.
The question has been repeatedly asked why landed
estates may not be transferred with as great
facility, and (the stamp duties excepted) with
almost as little expense, as money in the Funds or
shares in joint-stock companies ? The problem
has been solved elsewhere. The difficulties have
been overcome in other lands. Why may they not
be successfully encountered in the British' do-
minions, so that the " black mail" now levied on
such of the territorial aristocracy as may be com-
pelled to dispose of or encumber their estates
may be avoided, and one of the most onerous
" burdens on land" fully and completely re-
moved?

There is no extraordinary difficulty in framing
suitable answers to these interrogatories. The
causes may be easily traced out by those who

enter on the investigation zealously and energeti-
cally, with an unflinching determination to elicit
the truth. The abuse has been so long main-
tained—partly through the influence of practi-
tioners—who—and we would not wish to be sup-
posed to attribute any dishonest or improper
motive to many respectable men belonging to the
profession—are deeply interested in its perpetua-
tion, and are also greatly biassed by their educa-
tion and early training in favour of the "grey
iniquities," and partly by the unreasoning preju-
dice of the community, that sacrifices a reality in
search of a phantom. "An Englishman does not
choose to expose his title !" "He likes to have
his own sheepskins in bis own box." Such are

the arguments that are put forward in favour of
concealment. Why, if every thing is bond fide
and straightforward, should any man, if he be
really the owner of property, desire concealment?
Why should he want to retain his title-deeds in
his own possession—if equal, if not greater se-
curity could be obtained by placing them in a
public depositary?
It surely cannot be the wish of the Legislature
to enable parties fraudulently to continue in the
enjoyment of the rents and profits of lands really
and truly belonging to others. Such an imputa-
tion would be indignantly and instantly disclaimed,
and, undoubtedly, with abundant justice. It is
not for such a purpose that the Members of either
Houses of Parliament would advocate privacy.
But the only practical result of the existing sys-
tem is to place difficulties almost insuperable in
the way of claimants for justice. A man is not
bound to expose his title. No, not unless a bill
of discovery—it may be,what is technically termed
"a fishing bill," founded on some kind of infor-
mation, licked into shape by an acute and skilful
lawyer—be filed. for the purpose. But if the
information can be obtained, even by means of a
tedious, expensive, and vexatious process, what
can be the necessity or utility of a mystery that
can be thus cleared up, which might be injurious to
legitimate claimants/of slender means, but could
not possibly avert, or even retard, the proceed-
ings of the concoctors of an ingenious and com-
plicated fraud. Nay more, would provide
plausible excuses for the total ignorance of the
parties concerned as to documents that might
alter the right of succession. There is no such
objection to the publication of the names of share-
holders in a joint-stock company, nor to the
registration of the proprietors of Bank of
England Stock, or of Three per Cent. Consolidated
Annuities. Men who have unquestionable titles
to property do not object to the public announce-
ment of the fact. Much property is also held
under wills, recorded at Doctors' Commons, which
can be perused, at the small charge of a shilling,
by any person interested. We have never heard
that any mischief arose from the power. If,
however, it was considered indispensible that
secrecy should be observed, except when a trans-
fer was about to take place, means might very
easily be adopted to prevent any access to the
books, except on the part of persons authorised by
the nominal owners, or enabled to adduce satis-
factory reasons for the application.
On the second point, as to the retention of a
" man's sheep-skins in his own box," it is just as
easily disposed of. The point, indeed, does not
arise, for it would be merely a duplicate and not
an original that would be deposited, and addi-
tional security would thus be afforded, inasmuch,
as the simultaneous destruction of the deeds in
ownhis
chef ipossession, and that deposited in
the public registry, would be an exceed-
e
igt
:hegonlieYirgahl improbable occurrence. Thus, then,
objections to the scheme for an
wreegismatyry,appcarnoveeaosfilythbeersreitneiapslied, the aside. ue
tails of the project require close examination,