The Sun.
London, England, 1836-01-11 00:00:00

cannot long be postponed, an easier measure to carry
when sent up from the Commons to the Lords than any
cobbled plan of partial reform. If a " Political Chan-
cellor" be needed, let him be a Judge in •a. particular
Court, and Chairman of the House of _Lords. We
have able Lawyers and accomplishet, Jurists., ",-tau-
fledon.
to grapple with such a measure: johil Camp,
bell has shown the e7..".ent and ciepth of his legal
knowledge ir Inc Real Property Commission, and
in parliament on several important questions, and
on measures of Law Reform, and that in 'arduous
and trying times. Let Ministers avail themselves
of such a " hard head" and first-rate lawyer in their
own political ranks. Mr. Bickersteth, by his evidence
before the Chancery Commission, is known to have di-
rected his instructed mind to this particular subject;
and no member of the Bar would make so good a Judge
in a Court which must be established sooner or later
by the now paramount force of public opinion. We
therefore repeat, that in the appointment of a Lord
Chancellor a most weighty responsibility attaches to
Ministers. We do not want a " stop gap," a lawyer
of no reach or decision of mind. Let the Government
waive all minor considerations—despise the cant about
adding to the number of Chancellors on half-pay and
out of work. Such a Court as that suggested, would
withdraw certain personages from mischievous party
politics ; and one pamphleteer in particular, who
would be a good judge, although a worthless politician
and would allay the fears of a Tory ex-Chancellor,
who says he apprehends that pensions, as the move-
ment goes, will soon be submitted to the test of " no
cure no pay." We say that Sir John Campbell, from
his priority of claim, and his excellent understanding,
and the extent of his legal acquirements, would be
cheaply pensioned hereafter as an ex-Chancellor if he
could be made the instrument for effecting such an im-
provement of the Equity Jurisdictions as we have just
indicated. There has been, it is true, some amend-
ment of the modes of equity procedure ; but we are as
far off, as in Lord Eldon's time, from any real infor-
mation of the Court of Chancery. The Suitors and
the Legal Reformers call for an " organic change" in
this tribunal. We shall return .to the subject to-
morrow. It is the all-absorbing topic of discussion in
the Inns of Court, and with our Legal Correspondents.
—Morning Chronicle.
Consistent as we have always been in our advocacy
of safe, thoroughgoing, and constitutional amendment,
we arrogate to ourselves no very profound acquaintance
1 with Wiggery, when we say that the extravagant ex-
pectations of purity and patriotism excited among cer-
tain enthusiasts by the Parliamentary and Municipal
Reform Bills, were never regarded by us otherwise
than as the dreams of a political optimism which the
daylight of experience would discredit. These Bills
are now law, and the short experience we have had of
them plainly shows, that though undoubtedly valuable
in several important respects, one principal result ac-
cruing from them is, that the party corruptions, which
under the old system were pretty equally divided be-
tween the Ministerialists and the Opposition, have lat-
terly been retained and revelled in exclusively by the
Whig-Radical Reformers ; while the Conservatives,
by renouncing such impolitic resources, with a disin-
teresred wisdom which deserves admiration in propor-
tion as that party notoriously possesses the pecuniary
means that can best command them, are hourly rising
in public esteem, and leaving the Whig-Radicals to
show that their pretences about Reform purity are .as
hollow as hemlock, and almoot as hateful. Lord Ash-
burton's inability to put a friend of his into Calling-
ton is kept beautifully in countenance, under the new
law, by O'Connell selling Carlow. The old borough-
mongering habit has been succeeded by the Russell
fagots ; and, as an illustration of the Whig pretext that
" a Reform Government should not be carried on by
dint of patronage," we have recently shown up the
two charming instances—first of old Dr. Hunter,
whom the Melbourne Incorruptihles have transferred
with his flannels into the vacant principalship of St.
Andrew's—and then of young Squire Jackson, the
licentiate-layman, to whom they have given the Pro-
fessorship of Divinity. Now will the results, gene..
rally speaking, under the Municipal Reform Bill, be a
bit better. Your great corporation reformers have all
a lurking passion for corporation plunder, provided
they can only get hold of it without the interference
of a jury. In Scotland, they have now had their
Municipal Reform Act in operation for more than
two years : but it turns out, that what with the re-
form taste for litigations and new Acts of Parlia-
ment, which are always expensive luxuries, and what
with the heavy sums claimed by town-councillors for
jobs and journies to London, the extravagant
corporation-pluckings attempted by some of your
borough Humes are procuring from them a noto-
riety not unlike what Joseph attained to in the matter
of the Greek loan. Nor does it fail to create scandal,
in Glasgow especially, that even under the new regime
the usual item of "private pickings" among that city's
Reform Councillors is bulkier and grosser by far than
anything that their Tory predecessors tad set their
faccs to. Mr. John Douglas, formerly a Reform can-
didate for Glasgow, and afterwards for Paisley, by both
of whose constituencies he was rejected, did at length
succeed, it seems, in getting himself thrust into the
town-council of the former place. Mr. John, being
moreover, a Scotch attorney, conceived that he might
be useful in superintending the Parliamentary pro-
gress of some local bills, as well as the Paeliamentary
defeat of others ; and accordingly, having got himself
deputed by his fellow-councillors to proceed for such
purposes to London (though not in his professional, '
but solely in his municipal, capacity), where he con-
trived to stay in comfortable quarters for about four
months—Mr. John Douglas, on his return home, sent
in his bill for fees and expenses, on the items, reduc-
tion, and settlement of which by his trusty colleagues,
a sturdy Whig-Radical _ Glasgow newspaper makes
the following curious remarks :
" This is even more than an imitation of the worst prac-
tices of Tory rule. Here we have one set of councillors
unblushingly reporting that a brother councillor should be
allowed to charge for doing his duty to his constituents ! A
set of councillors, too, who pass for REFORMERS ! # * *
They could not well avoid striking hard at the first (?)
attempt of a town councillor to charge 5401. against the
public, for his services as a councillor; but still they have
tempered their severity with mercy. What can possibly have
blunted the sharp edge of the Reform pruning knife in the
case of Mr. Do alas ? It has scarcely pierced the skin.
* * * With Mr. Douglas, however, whether from
the extreme toughness of the Reform stuff it had to deal
with, or the want of the true steel in its composition, the
Reform knife has had its edge turned up, and it has passed
over the charge of a professional fee of two guinees a-day
for his actings in the honourable and hitherto honorary
capacity of a town councillor! Sound principle is here
violated. #* * And if Reformers in the town council
can gift two guineas of the public money to one of their
members, they may gift away the public funds to each other ;
but they must never dare to open their unhallowed
mouths in condemnation of the jobbing and corruption-
practices of the worst of the Scottish burghs during the
worst period of their history. The gifts which were made
to Glasgow Provosts, on account of their great and impor-
tant services, were honest and straightforwardly generous
acts, if Reformers can compliment each other in the man-
ner now proposed ; and the Tory Councillors of Glasgow,
who managed their affairs so smoothly and quietly for the
last 40 years, may well ejaculate, ' What fools, we were to
leave these Reformers anything.'"
-This, from a Whig-Radical, on the purity of mu-
nicipal Reform in Glasgow, is, upon the whole, pretty
well. The Tory prodigal,- in the Corporation parable, Saturday John Little was examined before Colonel
may have been very far from perfect, though now hap- FOREMAN and CROWLEY MILLINGTON, Esq., on two
pily he is reclaimed ; but that the more demure bro- charges of fraud.
tiler of Reform should be detected wasting the civic William Randall, bailiff to Sir Thomas_ I‘laryon Wilson,
substance witl! riotous living-0 what a- school for deposed that the prisoner came to him at Charlton on the
just 24th of September last, and agreed to purchase ninety-two
scandal is this Why, it is Joseph Surface to bushels of potatoes, amounting to 81. 18s. 3d., and gave his
Chailes. One of the seats for Glasgow will soon be address No. 29, St. George's-road. On the 26th the
vacant by the resignation of Mr. Dunlop. Who is
Dlikely
itaos r c ciefe sudt
b.
ohsi
em
distrustfulw e hav e not o ta
nd heard.
deluded M r.fr
friends
potatoes were sent, and the carman was to receive the
money on delivery, but he put him off with some frivolous
of the Church of Scotland who divided against :.\!-r. excuse.. On the following Monday the prisoner ordered
Ewing at the last election, would only unite upon him ninety-two bushels of potatoes, amounting to 8/, 9s. 6d.,
which witness and the carman delivered in Church-street,
at the approaching one, they may be assured that a
more indefatigable, conscientious il
* tul useful member, delivered; and he told witness that he would meet
nethnak-green. Witness saw the prisoner whell the pota-
is not to be found.—_Tines.
We scarcely recollect any event, '
nected with our own country, which has
more general sympathy than the la
ic)ietlsl were
not immediately con- th;;lireeinhoaugrsu,abrtuetr
te calleddestructi on b
3f o
firert hhe'went and waited upwards of
Borough, to which place •
did ,
not come. Witness after.,
of an hour at the Ram's Head, in the
the prisoner
epi
nnr
ti s,
so
tnb. prisoner atc:
ortughleed,
s..gain Elephant
oaaind,
nt oo
of so large a portion of the great and flourishin city of and
;r. wards e receiver's_
twieiiio atap notelt icse sot
iovwitness house,
thew
New York. In spite' of occasional outbursts gof little t':.;ings of the prisoner, ablwholesale
angry feeling—the result rather of personal pique ."
of any national impression--we can unhesiw A. precisely similar
.11" potato-dealer at Deptford ; an
firm that the general feeling of the old ...orgly af-
doubt
little
said there was veil,
ease
was
daWs ipldr,otvheedcobnysta e, applied
fnoerssesesvoeuraoltbseurmemho4seess, toan cico,,rn
wit-
country to the compel the atten_fdance of

new States of NorthAinerica is one ofgeneral kindness,
pride, than shin and that in no part or the world is their rising prospe-
rity viewed with'inore satisfaction, iisirtiriniiiigisd with
York P°`" 'll 41! tIUS-es ottlie 'British nation. New
recia
,ungs of America is peculiarly an ol),ject of
y, as constittAting what thay be calledlhe
alerean.
' • ' British regard. It' is thti, place, of ail others, with which
the greatest intercourse is kept up, and as such quite as
interesting, even if not more so, than any town in our own
North American Colonies. The next advices will put
us in possession of more accurate computations of the
.anal loss which this severe calamity has entailed than
could he given in the first, and necessarily hasty details.
We have no hope, however, that its extent has been at
exaggerated. We rather fear the reverse ; and that
the destruction of property will turn out to have been
even more extensive than the highest calculations
which we have yet received carry it. Indeed, it m..ist
be reniembered.that the loss, from the very nature of
things, must accumulate every day. Men living by.
the daily profits of their business suffer a daily loss
beyond the mere value of their property
_destroyed. It
would be a splendid act of national bounty, and, as
such, forming a brilliant page in American history,
were Congress at once to take the whole loss upon
itself, by consenting to charge it upon the general
revenues of the Union. Indeed, of this we already see
that symptoms have . on the instant disclosed them-
selves. The State of Philadelphia has memorialised
the Legislature, praying " the prompt appropriation
of ten millions of dollars, to relieve as far as pos-
sible the sufferings and injuries of their brethren of
New York, whether as a national contribution, or
as a temporary loan, in such manner as the wisdom
of Congress may devise and direct." We hail this
as the beginning of so great a good, and shall be
happy to find Congress on this hint speaking the
general feeling of the vast territory and population its:
members represent. Little burdened as the United
States now are
.by taxation, such a contribution as the
whole of this extensive loss will amount to could never
be seriously felt by the nation, while, hi the absence of
some such aid, thousands of individuals must, it is to be
feared, be crushed irrecoverably to the earth. Besides
which, it may be added, that in this respect New
York has a claim upon the general finances of the
country which belongs to no other place in the Union ;
contributing as it has long done in an infinitely larger
proportion to the national revenue than any other place
or State. If this local calamity, then, be made, as it
ought to be, a national one, all its distressing features
will speedily disappear ; while, by the skill and enter-
prise of its inhabitants, New York will soon rise,
phoenix-like, from the flames, a splendid. monument of
public sympathy and national justice.—Morn. Herald.
The organs of the Whig-Radical Ministry have at
last attempted a defence of their boasting with reference
to the Municipal Corporation elections. A more fu-
tile attempt could not have been made. It cannot de-
ceive even their own party. What they say is this_
" The Conservatives derived great Parliamentary
strength from the old corporations, which were with
them—the new corporations are with us ; we, there-
fore, shall possess that strength which formerly the
Conservatives possessed." This is a mere quibble—a
deceptive play upon words. The old corporations had
elective privileges, the new corporations have none—•
the word is the same which designates the old and the
new municipal communities. They are both called
corporations ; but the thing signified is very different.
The new cannot make Members of Parliament—the
old could. This quibble reminds us of the eiquisite
syllogism by which Aristides is proved to have been
a quadruped :—" Equus est quadrupes—Aristides
fuit equus—Aristides fait quadrupes." Or, to make
another of a similar kind, more directly applicable
to the matter in hand--what would the Radicals
think of this argument ?—" John Trot has a mare,
and can ride to market—the Radicals of Manchester
have a Mayor, therefore the Radicals of Manchester
can ride to market." Both these syllogisms are of pre-
cisely the same quality as the following :—" The old
corporations were Conservative, and returned Conser-
vatives to Parliament—the new Corporations are Ra-
dical, therefore they will return Radicals to Parlia-
ment." The fallacy is the same in all--that of using
the same term in the argument to signify different
things.. The members of the old corporations were all
electors of Representatives in the House of Commons.
They do not lose that privilege by the loss of their cor-
porate offices. It remains with them, and they are not
likely to use it in favour of Radicals. The new muni-
cipal officers have not, ex c2fficio, any such privilege.
They are not a whit more potent to elect Members of
Parliament than they were before the acquisition of their
municipal dignity. A multitude of councillors will be
of no use at.the poll. They have not even the fraction
of a vote amongst. them, qua their municipal autho-
rity. Nine councillors —will not make a man at
the hustings. They are, as it were, empty bottles,
which look as well as full ones till you put them to
the proof. They are a name, and nothing more. But
not so with the old corporators. They cease, indeed,
to have local privilege and authority, but their votes
for Members of Parliament continue good. They are
still effective men at the hustings and at the poll.
Need we say more, to show that the pretence of the
Whig-Radicals about the Parliamentary influence
which they will derive from the riew municipalities is
mere moonshine ? They mention, indeed, another
thing—..they talk of the funds which the direction of
corporation property places at their disposal,, and hint
that with these funds they shall obtain votes. 0, vir-
tuous and consistent Whig-Radicals ! Is this your
" Reform" in the election of Members of Parliament ?
But the laws against bribery must be brought to bear
against such patriots. We do not expect to be over-
whelmed by all they can do through the profligate mis-
application of corporation property, to which they are
evidently so well inclined.—Morning Post.

INSOLVENT COURT.-SATURDAY.

The officer of the Court, Mr. Simpson, stated that he
had received seven affidavits from persons who were confined
in Cardiff Gaol, at the suit of a Clergyman (the rector of a
parish in Cardiff), praying for leave to petition, and to be
heard on the ensuing Circuit. It appeared from the affidavits
that they had been confined in a gaol on a judgment against
them in the Ecclesiastical Court, for having forcibly entered
the befry of the church, and rung the bells.
_

The Commissioners thought there was a necessity for
fuller affidavits being made, and the matter was ordered to
stand over for that purpose.

BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.

John Russell, late of Newport-market and Rathbone-
place, butcher, was opposed by Mr. NicHoLLs, on the part
of Miss Martha Holmes, for the damages and costs in an
action for a breach of promise of marriage.
The insolvent, since the commencement of the action
brought by Miss- Holmes, had disposed of property to
the amount of 452/., and had been arrested on a debt
of 23/. He had executed a deed of assignment to a-person
named Beaumont.

Mr. McHoLLs prayed for the production of the detain..
in' creditor and Beaumont.
Mr. CooKE resisted the prayer.
The Commissioners ultimately adjourned the case Sine die
for the insolvent to produce his detaining creditor and Mr.
Beaumont, to whom he had made an assignment of certain
property.

GREENWICH PETTY. SESSIONS.

TIME SUN, LONDON, MONDAY, JANUARY' 11, 18A.

but he should be able, if time were allowed, to bring nume-
rous similar charges against the prisoner.
Tile prisoner declined saying anything, and was remanded
to a future day. He applied to be allowed to put in bail
for his appearance, when the Bench consulted together, and
said that be would be liberated on entering into his own re-
cognisance in 100/., and findinc, two sureties of 50/. each,
and giving 48 hour:' notice of bail.
. •- _

•
SURREY SESSIONS.-SA.TURDAt.

Nicholas Charles Bochsa, the celebrated professor of the
harp, was indicted for assaulting -a livery stable keeper.
Mr. Boelisa some months since hired a fly of the plaintiff,
and i❑ consequence of a refusal to pay.the whole amount
charged, the latter went to Mr. B. s house to serve him
with a summons to attend the Court of Requests. The
plaintiff was introduced to Mr. Bochsa in the parlour, who,
the instant the summons was served upon him, jumped up
from his harp, seized the plaintiff by the shoulder, thrust
him out of the house, and then struck him a violent blow
on the back part of the neck, which set his nose bleeding
and he had since been subject to headaches.
The evidence was corroborated by a man who accom-
panied him to the house.

Mr. CHAIIBERS, on the part of Mr. Bochsa, said that
there was no doubt the plaintiff went to the house for the
purpose of provoking a breach of the peace, otherwise he
would have let the usual officer serve the summons. _ _

The female servant was then called, who stated that she
heard Mr. Bochsa order the plaintiff out of his house, but
did not see him strike him.

The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty, and the Court
sentenced Mr. Bocbsa to pay a fine of 5/.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.

A woman of the lowest class was brought before the
LORD MAYOR, charged withaving run away with the coat
and waistcoat of a gentleman, who was stated to be the
brother of a Member of Parliament. The facts were rather
odd, as was the complainant himself, an elderly, stout, sad-
looking person, who appeared in a coat and waistcoat which
had evidently been made for a man of smaller dimensi9ns.
The scene was as follows :

The complainant—My Lord, I am the injured person in
this business. I was last night in Bishopsgate-street, and I
saw a good many poor devils about, who looked as if they
wanted something to drink. SO I slipped off my coat and
waistcoat, and told this woman to go to the next pawn-
broker, and spout 'em for all she could get.—(Laughter.)
Well, I waited at the corner of Petticoat-lane until I be-
came so precious cold that I went to look after her, but I
soon found that she had bolted.
The LORD MAYOR—Bolted ? I suppose you mean she
ran off with your coat and waistcoat ? Complainant—Just
so, my Lord ;it was a regular clean bolt. So I said to a
woman that, was with her when I gave the clothes, " Ant
this a shame, that I should be stripped, when I meant
only what was right ?" But what did she do ? Why,
I hope I may be obliged to take tea if she did'nt bolt
too.—(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR—You seem to be very fond of that
word " bolt." Is it not strange language for a person in your
station in life to use ? Complainant (not seeming to com-
prehend his Lordship)--I assure you, my Lord, they
both bolted like bricks ; so I ran after them, and I
called to the police, and the officers bolted after them
like shot, and grabbed this one ; and she can tell all
about it.—(Great laughter.) •
A policeman stated that he saw the complainant come
out of a gin shop about half muzzy, but with his coat
and waistcoat on. Five minutes afterwards witness saw
him take off his coat and waistcoat and -give them to a
female, who turned the corner and disappeared. Witness
did not interfere till the complainant told him that the
coat and waistcoat had walked off to the pawnbroker's.
The LORD MAYOR to the complainant—You can't say
that this woman took your coat and waistcoat ? Com-
plainant—She bolted as well as the other, that's what I
know. If she was not down to the move why did she
bolt, I'd be glad to know ? Neither you nor I would bolt
for nothing.—(Laughter.)
The landlord of the house at which the complainant
lodged, said that the gentleman was a person of peculiar
habits, whose pocket his brother had been obliged to re-
strain, for two pints of beer would have had the effect of
pourinc, out 100 sovereigns in a minute amongst the dis-
tressed,° if the gentleman had that sum about him.
Here the complainant shed tears, but the coat he had
on was so tight about the back and shoulders, that he could
not put up one of his haad& to wipe his eyes without throw-
ing his arm in a very awkward manner behind him. The
waistcoat, too, was so tight that he was obliged to leave un-
buttoned the whole of the lower part of it. To this was
added the effect of two pints of porter which he had swal-
lowed at his breakfast.

The LORD MAYOR—I am very sorry, Sir, that I can
do you no service in this case, except it may be of service
to you to advise you not to get into such company again.
Complainant—What would you have me do, my Lord,
if I should be so unfortunate ? The LORD MAYOR—Do,
why, bolt, to be sure.—(Laughter.)
Complainant (with energy)—Bolt. You're right, my
Lord.—l hope 1 may be smothered in tea if I don't bolt.—
(Great laughter.)