The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-05 00:00:00

We must further state, that not only have we
failed to obtain the patronage of the Corpora-
tion of London, but we have never even thought
of securing their favours. We have never
sought to please them by any other means
than those which we employ for securing
the approval of the rest of our countrymen. We
have invariably dealt with our municipality, and
with any question in which it might be concerned,
as we have with every other public body and ques-
tion—with an exclusive reference to public rights
and interests. If this journal has found favour
with any of the functionaries of the City, the fact
only proves that there are men east of Temple-bar
—as there are many to the west of that respectable
monument—who do not value praise except when
it is merited, and who can submit to castigation
when they are conscious that it is not undeserved.
Such are the only readers for whom we write—the
only public we care to please. The world has had
ample means within the last few years of testing the
truth of this assertion ; and whatever be its faults
and failings, a journal which has never hesitated to
oppose and resist even public opinion, when that
opinion was unsupported by justice and common
sense, will not be lightly suspected of dishonestly at-
tuning its sentiments in harmony with the wishes
and aims of an insignificant section of the commu-
nity. Traders in politics may undoubtedly ima-
gine that a different course is better calculated to
fill their coffers ; but the only commercial success
which is valuable to honourable minds is that
which is the final and tangible proof of the realisa-
tion of loftier aspirations.
But, after all, it is a small thing to be able to re-
pudiate the charge of vulgar pecuniary bribery.
Many other sinister influences may operate upon
the mind of a journalist, which, if not as gross as
that which tempts the 'longshore-man or the pot-
walloper, are no less base an contemptible in their
nature, and equally effectual in their working. We
are assured that the conductors of the daily press
are as incapable as any judge or Minister of State of
sullying their profession, or of bringing infamy upon
themselves, by the Acceptance of a bribe. But it
is with shame and regret that we are compelled to
doubt whether they are all invariably proof against
other allurements. Some men who aro deaf to
the vulgar whisper of avarice are not, we fear,
always equally insensible to the suggestions of a
despicable " flunkeyism." They may not accept
gold, but they may condescend to degrade them-
selves and their profession by fawning upon the
great, courting their smiles, flattering their follies,
or, perhaps, even pandering to their vices—all for
the sake of an entrée to this mansion, an invitation
to that dinner, or a card for some ball or political
reunion. There are persons whose honesty may scorn
a pile of sovereigns, but whose independence cannot
stand the shock of titled patronage, and who
yield their enraptured souls to the first passing
civility of rank. For our own part, we hold
that a journalist cannot too scrupulously obey
the apostle's mandate, " Owe no man any-
thing." The higher duties of our profession
are, we believe, incompatible with the habit of
dangling attendance on Ministers, or dunning
them for favours. The journalist who respects
himself and his work will make it a point of honour
not to partake in any hospitalities, nor join in any
festivities, to which he would not have been in-
vited and welcomed irrespectively of his public
avocations ; for, even were there no better reason
for declining such attentions, he will shrink from
the fate which infallibly overtakes the toad-eating
litterateur—the suavest courtesy to his face, and
the bitterest ridicule behind his back. From
City hospitalities, in particular, we have invariably
stood aloof. We have never tasted the civic
turtle with which our contemporary is so
much disgusted. It has never been our lot
even to darken the doors of • the Mansion-
house, or the Guildhall, or any of the Companies'
Halls, for we should have been ashamed to attack
in the morning the hosts who had entertained us
over-night.

In a word—we say it not in vanity, but with
honourable self-respect—no journal in existence
owes less to what are called " great men " than
the- Morning Chronicle. We owe no favour to
either Ministers or Mayors. We recognise no obli-
gation except that of unswerving fidelity to public
rights and interests ; and every writer who honours
our columns with his contributions can conscien-
tiously testify that his only instruction, upon
.all
occasions, is to study the question before him
without passion or prejudice,
and to support nin
t o b e
un-
compromisingly the view which ho findsondence for
right. We claim freedom and
inceP
labour with
ourselves, and we concede to all who
us the rights which we assert. on our own behalf.
Such are our ideas of journalism.

(Prom the Times.)
Mr. J. Wood has ingeniously contrived to com-
plete Mr. Acland's case against the Corporation
for him. It appears that Mr. Acland is in much
the same kind of difficulty as an advocate might be
who should desire to bring home a .case of bribery

Now-, mark this paper, the motives on which its
authors profess to proceed, and the remedy they
suggest for the evils pointed out. They tell the
world that there is want of confidence and miscon-
ception between the public and the Government
on the one hand, and the Corporation of London
on the other. They complain that the objects of
the Corporation have been misunderstood. They
attribute these inconveniences Ito the imperfect
publication, to the garbling and mutilation, of the
reports of their proceedings. Under these circum-
stances it was that the report of the Consolidated
Committee was received and adopted. It was re-
ferred back to the committee to carry it into exe-
cution, and the system devised was that the hall-
keeper should be directed to purchase 300 copies
of the journal which reported the civic courts at
greatest length. It certainly would have been
rather a bold measure to place on record in plain
English such a resolution as this :—" As the Cor-
poration of London have suffered and are suffering
much in public opinion from the attacks of the
press, let some officer of the courts be directed to
buy three hundred copies of any newspaper which
may give the Corporation a good word." But the
civic courts do not leave us altogether without a
key by the help of which we may translate the offi-
cial language of the report into our simpler verna-
cular. Mr. J. Wood is Chairman of the Consoli-
dated Committee, and he was called upon on
Thursday to speak to the point of the corruption
exercised by the Corporation with regard to
the newspapers. He appears to have twisted
about for some time in the hands of his exa-
miners, but at length he made the important
admission which we gave yesterday, and which
we will here repeat, without apology, as the
most valuable bit. of evidence which has as yet ap-
peared upon the subject. " The impression upon
many members' minds at the time," said Mr.
Wood, " was that perhaps there should be some
communication of a permanent character by which
justice should be done to the conduct and character
of gentlemen composing this Court." The scheme
hit upon was to desire the. hall-keeper to buy 300
copies of the newspaper which contained the
longest, the most voluminous" account of the pro-
ceedings of the civic courts.
Meanwhile Mr. Acland has asked the Commis-
sion for a short delay, in order to complete the
proof of his statements. He persists in saying that
the Court sanctioned the expenditure of as much
as 1,0001. a-year for the purpose of corrupting the
press, but he does not say they spent the whole
sum in that way. He hesitates in mentioning the
sources from which lie has derived his information,
lest he should unawares be guilty of breach of con-
fidence. He asks for time to consider his position
He shows an entry for 1,0001. in favourof
e.
officer who had to;deal with the newspapers. This
entry included other items besides ncwspapers, but
then the other items are charged again elsewhere
other forms. Now, it is not for us to anticipate or
to say how far Mr. Acland will be able to make out
his case against the Corporation ; but this much is
clear, that he is very confident in his assertions,
and they are made with regard to a subject upon
which every person connected with the press must
feel the deepest interest for the credit of his pro-
fession. The only point at issue between Mr.
Wood and Mr. Acland would appear to be one
of degree.

( Front the Morning herald.)
Two of our contemporaries, the Morning Post
and the Daily News, have thought it worth their
while to notice, and to deny, the statement made
by a Mr. Acland; in his evidence before the London
Corporation Commissioners, that, from 1849 down-
wards, a sum of 1,0001. per annum had been allotted
by the corporation for the purpose of rewarding or
influencing the press: It did not occur to us that
it would be in any way necessary for us to notice
this very foolish statement, seeing that our readers
would be well aware that the Morning Herald has
never been the advocate, or one of the advocates, of
the corporation, and could not, therefore, have
shared in any such reward or gratification.
It turns out, however, that the whole story is a
mere fiction. This was the most probable view of the
)case from the beginning. For who was this Mr.
Acland, the witness, that he should be especially
cognisant of any of the secrets of the corporation ?
He is not, nor ever has been, either alderman, an or
common councilman, or servant of the corporation
He has enjoyed no peculiar opportunities for be-
coming acquainted with the internal. workin
that body. He is merely a gentleman who is reci of
d;
to espouse any cause that will " pa hi
ms
who comes forward now to earn for himself some
fame as " Secretary to the Corporation Reform So-
ciety." And his story about the c
merely the last imitation of 40001. a-year" is
crows" the "three. black
which, in the Progress of a story, grew out
of the " something as black as a crow' which had
been originally stated.
The facts of the
case w
open court, by some ere briefly detailed, in
of the leading members of the
corporation, the
and mrvery next day. Mr. Wood, Mr.
Anderton,
in the Court of C . Lowman Taylor then. stated,
had been any
thCommon Council, that there never
had been ousand a year expended. What
done was thus frankly stated
"The committee came to the conchision to direct the
hall-Deeper,h
.oukreference to the name of the paper,
or its
politics, or otherwise, to look at the newspapers

PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 4.
Sir Edmund Lyons, the new commander-in-chief for
the Mediterranean, arrived by the train this afternoon,
and at once visited the port admiral, Sir Thomas John
Cochrane, in the dockyard, accompanied by his secre-
tary and retinue. After which Sir Edmund, with the
port admiral, and attended by Captain M'Cleverty,
with Flag-Lieutenant Hankey, called on Rear Admiral
Superintendent Fanshawe in the office department.
The Terrible, 21, paddle, Captain 111‘Cleverty, is not
expected to leave Spithead before Sunday.
Lieut. Lumpley, W. Peyton, and Lieut. Thos. M.
M. Wynward have been appointed first and second to
the Frolic, 16, Commander Nolloth. The Frolic is
making a good show in her rigging, and has already
entered between 50 and 60 good men. They will havo
a picked crew, for men are offering in all directions ;
the difficulty is in refusing.
The Dauntless, 33, screw, is ordered to have a
thorough examination as to the cause of the stench
arising from the interior of the after part ; it is almost
unbearable the first thing in the morning, and we are glad
to know that no exertion or pains will be spared
to ascertain from what cause this effluvium arises,
and with the chemical appliances at hand we doubt
not but that the evil will be speedily remedied.

PLYMOUTH, Nov. 4.
Her Majesty's frigate President, 50, Captain Bur-
ridge, with the flag of Rear-Admiral Price, sailed at 7
a.m. yesterday for the South American station.
The crew of the Madagascar, store depot, 44, was
paid wages on Tuesday, and she was towed out of har-
bour by the Confiance and Pique steam-Vessel's. She
sailed last evening for Rio Janeiro.

WOOLWICH, Nov. 4.
APPOINTMENTS.
Paymaster John Colwell (1832), to the Agamemnon,
91, screw steam-ship, at Devonport.
Mate Josiah H. Hatchard (1852), to the Frolic, 16,
at Portsmouth.
Midshipthan Hon. A. K. H. Legge, the Diamond, 28,
at Sheerness.

_DRraOnMeOiTsi
JON.
Jameson (1845), serving
in the Leopard, 18, paddle-wheel steam-frigate, and
William W. Kiddie (1845), to the rank of Masters.
The following chief engineers of the third class have
been advanced to be engineers of the second class :
George Weeks, chief engineer of the Simoom, 18, iron
screw stam-troopship, employed on particular service.
Sampson Harris, chief engineer of the Horatio, 9.4,
screw steam-ship.
Maurice Johnson, chief engineer of the Firebrand
paddle-wheel steam-frigate on the Mediterranean sta-
tion.

William G. Wratten, chief engineer of the Styx
paddle-wheel steam-sloop, on the East India station.
The following shipwrights at Woolwich Dockyard
have been promoted to be leading men, which will add
ls. per day to their pay :—George Leaper, Michael
Hall, and Charles Sweet.
Shipwright William Stone is appointed writer to
Measurer.

PEMBROXE, Nov. 4.
The term of service as Captain-Superintendent,
Sir Thomas Pasley, expires next session, when it is
conjectured the gallant captain will go to Chatham, to :
be succeeded at Pembroke by Captain Baynes, C.B.
The town of Pembroke has been lighted with gas,
and it is hoped that this invaluable agent will be ex-
ve
tended to the dockyard without delay.
The Saturn depot ship, is to be paid off and recom-
missioned ; a report however, is current that the haven
iswithsa t au
Saturn
wouldard- s
thenh i asp,
be converted
at the other
establishments,
lnoecl
The T
into an hospital ship, and a frigate stationed •
to be
in. the
haven instead. This arrangement would
.desirable one, as at present not a single gust
a most
the defence of the invaluable property s afloat for
On the shores of
the harbour.

Ma. RonucK, M.P.—The Mayor of Sheffield has yea
ceived a letter from Mr. Roebuck, in. reply
to an invi-
Tation to
attend at soiree of the Mechanics' Library!
he hon. member hus accounts for his inability to at am sorry to say no to any request of yours,
but as my great object is now to take my place in the
House of Commons next year, I rigidly
observe every
rule of conduct prescribed to me, by which I am told I
shall be able to obtain my wish. Among other things,
all excitement is forbidden ; and I was blamed for making
my appearance at the cutlers' feast. All speaking and
Public meetings are especially proscribed ; and I am
ordered to be as quiet and calm as my nature will per-
mit,"

EMIGRATION FROM LOCIIABER.— On Tuesday even-
ing last week, Lochaber witnessed the departure of
nearly a hundred of he sons and daughters for the
golden shores of Australia. These were all from
the Lochiel property, and went undo- the auspices
of the Highland and Island Emigration Society,
their landlord paying the third part of their expenses,
and cancelling all their arrears of rent. There can
be no better proof that emigration from parts of the
Highlands is necessary than the fact that these people
have voluntary left possessions under one of the most
indulgent landlords in the country. They found that
even without paying rents they could only exist in misery
and wretchedness, and they consequently determined to
take advantage of the only alternative left them. Even
this they could not have accomplished had they not been
aided by the Highland and Island Emigration Society.—
a society deserving the support of all interested in the
improvement and prosperity of the country.—lnverniss
Courier.
SALE OF ARTILLERY BY AUCTION.—AR extraordinary
sale by auction took place last month at Jamaica within
the hail of the Government building,t consisting of " all
the brass cannon and mortars" at present existing in the
citadels and fortresses of Panama, . Porto Bello, and
Chagres, by order. of the governor, and is described as
" excellent metal."