The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 25, 1854.

it was over, even some Dissenters, with the cha-
racteristic good fellowship of Englishmen, were
willing to contribute, and the old church is getting
quite decent again.
The truth is, the public peace, or the parish
peace, at least, demands that these compulsory
religious contributions be abolished altogether. It
has been found from an actual return that more
than one half of the persons now liable to Church
Rates successfully refuse them. The Braintree
decision has enabled almost every large town to
get rid of them, Conservative Liverpool not less
than Radical Manchester ; and the anti-Church-
Rate triumphs are rapidly extending into the
very country villages. As Lord STANLEY, who
cordially supported Sir WILLIAM CLAY, observed
in the debate, it was not of very much importance
in one sense whether they legislated or not, since
in three or four years, at most, the country would
settle it for itself. It is, however, as the Noble
Lord showed, important enough to put an
end to a law which cannot possibly be carried
out, and which is in course of abolition by a pro-
cess causing everywhere so much disputing, ill-
will, and discontent. We quite concur with his
Lordship in thinking that Sir W. CLAY'S course,
in not this time attempting to prescribe the course
by which the abolished rate shall be compensated,
is the wise one. The nuisance must be got rid of.
Let that point be settled. Let the Legislature clear
the ground of the parish pest, and the cause of
injury to the moral, social, and religious health of
the parishioners be remb-ied, and leave the considera-
tion of how the vacancysis to be filled till a conveni-
ent season. Perhaps, as in the case of the person
who taught us that word, that convenient season
may never come. It is certainly no very pressing
matter. If half the worshippers of Great Britain
pay for their own worship and repairs, the other
and richer half will not take much harm from fol-
lowing their example, at least till they can agree
as to the powers which they shall ask she Legis-
lature to give them against their fellow Church-
men. Long before that time, however, they
will find that voluntary liberality will have
given them double or treble the amount of the
old Church Rate. Churchmen need but to be
emancipated from a kind of legal necessity to
battle with Dissenters for a few pence, in the shape
of ecclesiastical tribute, and they will then exult
to show that the money was no object to them,
and that, mistaken though we think them, they
felt uw,_ler a kind of honourable engagement to
press to the uttermost the legal rights of the
• Church.

What we most regret, and we regret it deeply,
is to find Lord JOHN RUSSELL again in gratuitous
conflict with the Dissenters. It is mortifying to
think that the repealer of the Test Acts should
be the opposer of the inevitable consequences of
that step. Lord JOHN has, indeed, already voted
for the abolition of Church Rates with Lords
MONTEAGLE and ALTHORP, but then it was mo-
dified in one case by a demand upon im-
proved Church property, to which the mag-
nates of the Church would not hearken ; and,
in the other, by a demand on the Consoli-
dated Fund, which, much to their honour, Dis-
senters in like manner rejected. Either the
PHILLIMORE plan of declaration of dissent, or the
PACKE one of swearing dissent, Lord JOHN, pro-
perly enough, objects to on several grounds, and
Dissenters would not accept it if he would ; and
hence, as they would not have Whig mercies, he
determines that they shall have no others. He
perceived, indeed, that the Tories had for the
most part left him to fight it out with Dissenters,
Radicals, and Liberal Conservatives, and that
he should probably be in a minority ;
yet he determined to vote against Sir
Wumiat CLAY, that he might more consistently
oppose him on the second reading. We lament
very much that one of the best of the war Minis-
ters in the Cabinet should thus needlessly chill the
zeal of so many of his natural supporters, and we
sincerely trust he will review his position. His
old antagonist, Sir ROBERT PEEL, gracefully gave
way to him on the question of the repeal of the
Test Acts, and ho could not himself take a step
more grateful to his own supporters than that of
bowing to the voice of the nation and of the
House of Commons on the Abolition of Church
Rates. Dissenters would thank him at once, and
gladly renew their allegiance to their natural
leader ; and Churchmen would, in one twelve-
month's time, be thankful too. We especially
ask his Lordship to reconsider the argument so
strange from the lips of a man whcse name is as-
sociated with so many great reforms, that a
" concession" like this would be followed by fresh
demands. Why, it is the stock old Tory argu-
ment against all reforms ; one which Lord JOHN
RUSSELL must have borrowed from reminiscences
of Lord ELDON and Sir CHARLES WETHERELL.
Few Tories Of character would now venture to
employ it openly. Whether, however, Lord
JOHN yield or not, Church Rates are doomed.

COURT CIRCULAR.

OSBORNE, Mir 24.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended
by Lady Anna Maria Dawson and Lord James Murray,
arrived at Osborne yesterday at three o'clock, from
London. _ _ _

This morning being the anniversary of her Majesty's
birth-day, the band of the Royal Marines assembled on
the terrace at a quarter before seven o'clock, and played
the following selection :
Chorale.
Selection, " Saint Paul"
Kriegsmarsch, Da Priester
lioninin Victoria Wandersleb.
Waltzer Albion
During breakfast the band performed the following :
The Sultan's March Rossini.
Selection, " Il Don Giovanni" Mozart.
Valse, Indiana Maneathon.
Quartetto, " Rivoletto" Verdi.
Galop, "Le Crescendo" Bosieio.

CABINET COUNCIL.—A Cabinet Council was held at
the Foreign-office, Downing•street, yesterday afternoon.
The Ministers present were the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord
John Russell, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Lord
Chancellor, Eari Granville, the Duke of Argyll, Yis-
count Palmerston, the Earl of Clarendon, the Duke of
Newcastle, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir James
Graham, Sir Charles Wood, the Right lon. Sidney
Herbert, and Sir William Molesworth. The Council sat
four hours.

DEATH OF SIR GEORGE CAMPHELL.—We have to
announce the death of Sir George Campbell, elder
brother of the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of
Queen's Bench, which event took place at his seat,
Edenwood, Fifeshire, two or three days since. Sir
George, who was created a Knight Bachelor in 1833,
was eldest son of the Rev. George Campbell, D.D.,
minister of Cu par, Fifeshire, by the only daughter of
Mr. John Hallyburton. He was born in 1788, and
married in 1823 the daughter of Mr. A. Christie, of
Ferrybank. The deceased knight was by one year the
senior of the Lord Chief Justice, who was born in 1779.
RIGA.—From Riga the dates are to the 18th inst.
Complaints are made of the annoyance experienced by
the merchants from perplexity as to the actual intentions
of the English Government, since, notwithstanding. the
notice of blockade, a Dutch captain had arrived, and
stated that he had been on board a cruiser off the neigh-
bouring port of Domesness, and had ascertained from
the commander that his vessel could safely proceed to
Riga.
THE BUILDERS' BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION.—THIS
DAL—This morning a special general meeting of the
friends and subscribers to this charitable institution,
founded for giving relief to aged and decayed members
of the building profession, and their widows, was held at
the London Tavern, for the purpose of electing three
pensioners from a long list of candidates—Mr. G. Bird,
the treasurer, in the absence of the president, S. M. Peto,
Esq., M.P., took the chair. The report congratulated the
supporters of the institution on its increasing prosperity,
and the corresponding benefits the directors have been
enabled to confer bfadding to the number of pensioners.
The subscriptions and d'onations received during the past
year amounted to 1,404/. ss. 6d., and the amount now
invested is 4,0501., divided as follows :-3,0501. to the
relief, and 1,0001. to the building fund. After alluding
to the great success which had attended the late
ball held at Willis's Rooms, under the able superin-
tendence of Mr. Joseph Bird (the hon. sec.) and the
ball stewards, the report stated that the total number
of pensioners now receiving the bounty of the
institution is 13 males and 8 females, and concluded by
earnestly calling upon the friends of the charity not to
relax in their generous efforts to extend its benefits.
The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, stated that
he had great pleasure in announcing that this was the
seventh election of pensioners, and that they had met
together for the purpose of electing three from
a list of twelve candidates, one male and two
females. He trusted that there would shortly be
another election, seeing that so many would go away
disappointed ; in fact, he should not rest satisfied until
they had two elections each year. Hawing called atten-
tion to the state of the funds of the institution, the Chair-
man concluded by making an energetic appeal on its
behalf. The election having been proceeded with, a vote
of thanks was passed to the chairman, and the meeting
broke up.

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

THE WAR.

SECOND BOMBARDMENT OF ODESSA.
The Wanderer of Vienna, of the 20th, says
We have received two letters from Lemberg, one
of the 17th, the other of the 18th. They confirm
in every respect the news of a second bombardment
of Odessa, and add the following details :—The '
steamer Tiger is not a frigate, for it has only 16
guns and 250 men. She ran ashore in the neigh-
bourhood of the Villa Costazzi, and immediately
the Russians began cannonading her from the bat-
teries ; the following day, the 10th, two English
vessels of war opened afire on the Russian battery
near the Villa Costazzi. The second letter says
that seven English steamers commenced the bom-
bardment of the town, after having vainly de-
manded the giving up of the vessel and her crew.
The firing had lasted six hours, and was continuing
at the moment at which the letter received by our
Lemberg correspondent was put in the post-office."
The Oest. Deutsche Post has a letter of the 12th
from Odessa, written by a person who professes to
have been an eye-witness of what occurred. Early
in the morning of the 12th May it was reported
that three war steamers were to be seen through
the fog, and as no one has now anything to do
at Odessa but to kill time, the correspondent
drove out with a friend to a place which he
calls Fan tanker to see them. Before he got
there one of the vessels had stranded within 50
paces of the shore, off the villa Kortazzi. As the
Captain refused to surrender, two cannon, which
had been fetched up, began to fire into the ship.
Close as the vessel was to the shore every shot told;
and, after the Captain had lost one of his legs, the
ship was boarded, and 200 prisoners were sent on
shore. It is supposed that a part of the crew
had put to sea in three of the ship's boats.
The writer proceeds to say, that as the sun
began to shine brightly, he and his companion re-
solved to remain some time longer on the sea-shore.
In about au hour two other steamers appeared in
sight, " and before we had any idea of what was
about to take place, they began to fire so furiously
at some artillery and cavalry which had shortly
befOre reached the spot, that we ran off as fast as
our legs would carry us. In a postscript it is
said that the commanders of the two steamers

Laving sent in a flag of truce with a denaatn,

for the liberation of heir countrymen, General
Osten Saken had replied, " that they had only to
come and fetch them."

OPERATIONS AGAINST SILISTRIA.

Advices from Vienna under date of yesterday
say :

On the 15th Marshal Paskiewitsch, with his staff,
crossed the Danube below Silistria to reconnoitre.
On the 16th terms of capitulation were offered
to the commander of that fortress, and the bom-
bardment suspended.
On the 17th Mussa Pasha rejected all terms, and
on the same day the bombardment recommenced.

On the 18th Marshal Paskiewitseh had his head.
quarters at Kalaraseh.

Russian munitions of war have been removed
from Fokschaui to Berlet, further north in Mol-

davia.

About 1,000 Wallachians of the better class are
in prison on charges of sympathising with the Turks.
The Cologne Gazette, under date of Vienna, 20th,
says :—" The Russian generals employ not only
military but also religious means to take Silistria,
and to rouse Russian fanaticism to the highest
pitch of fury. A procession of 200 priests has
paraded through the different camps, holding up a
picture of Saint Sergius to the ♦eneration of the
soldiers. The 25,000 men who are to make the
assault, and who are devoted to certain death, have
been concentrated in a separate camp, where they
prepare themselves for the assault by fasting and
religious exercises. They every day confess and
receive the communion ; the most exciting addresses
are made to them, and they receive a general abso-
lution every evening after having had their weapons
blessed."

The Patric says :—" The last news from the
borders of the Danube assures us that the siege of
Silistria has been suspended. A sudden rise of the
Danube had. obliged the Russians to cease the fire
of the batteries established on the island which
commands the place."

Rutschuk from their position on the islands near I
Giurgewo. The fire of the Russians only attains
the advanced works, the fortress itself being per-
fectly safe. This news requires confirmation. The
Russian troops, near Giurgewo, are in an un-
pleasant.position, being obliged to hold themselves
ready for combat night and day, the Turks being
indefatigable, and frequently crossing the river
three times in a single day. Provisions have be-
come exceedingly dear, and a scarcity is appre-
hended. Great discouragement has for some time
been perceived amongst the troops in Wallachia,
as no lone any longer shuts his eyes to the dangers
which menace the Russian empire. The evacua-
tion of Lesser Wallachia, and the continued ad-
vantages gained by the Turks, have deeply acted
on the minds of the Russians. The number of
sick in the hospitals is increasing every day. At
Belgrade, a manifesto is expected from Prince
Alexander, on the real object of the armaments in
Servia."