The Sun.
London, England, 1825-04-21 00:00:00

TO THE CDITOR. OF THE SUN.

Sta—Mr.SCARLETT'S Petition from the English
Bar on the subject of the Catholic Claims, is one of
those which in former days were honoured with
the title of hole-and-corner petitions. The peti-
tiqn was handed round to the friends of the mea-
sure, and their signatures solicited with the utmost
earnestnes, and it is no wonder that it met with
the partial success it did. Perhaps, however, if this
l,,arned body had been called together to discuss
the propriety of the petition, the effect produced
,night have been of a very contrary nature, and Mr.
Scia LETT, instead of being honoured with the care
of a petition from the English Bar in favour of
the Bill for the relief of Roman Catholics, might

have been requested to present one against any
further concessions to that discontented Body.
No meeting of any kind took place. Notwith-
standing this domestic way of getting up a Peti-
tion, only 163 Barristers could be found to sign
it ; and in order to account for this great defec-
tion of numbers, we were told that more would
have been procured, but many did not wish
to appear before the public as a body ;
and were left to infer from what was
said, that many more did not sign from mo-
tives of ambition and a desire for emolument,
to the attainment of v.hich anti-Catholic opi-
nion 3 wee essentially necessary. Now, Sir,
I beg leave to declare, that there are many •vho
if they had-known of the petition would have de-
clined to sign, not from any motive of ambition,

or from a fear that any professional emoluments
would have been curtailed, but from motives

of conscience only—from conscientious scruples,
that any farther concessions to a body to
ichose clamours so much had been already
yielded, without producing the tranquillity and
quiet that is the avowed object of the present

E;iil, as well as •of those which preceded it,

would be highly dangerous to the Empire. I beg
then to rebut the accusation and to inform Nir.

SCAIILETT that there is quite as much honour, in-

tegrity, and disinterestedness in those Members of
the English Bar who did not sign as there is
amongst those who did, and that the enter-
toitnnnent of opinions opposed to the desire
of the Catholics does not necesssarily subject
them to the charge of bigotry or of selfishness.
There are 600 practising Barristers at the Eng-
lish Bar at least, indeed the Law List gives the
names of more than 800 ; but taking them at
GOO, it is to be hoped the 437 who did not sign
the petition will he allowed an opportunity of
expressing their opinions on the subject, and
v hen that is done, some correct judgment of the
real feeling of the English Bar on this momentous
-/question may be formed. I trust some Gentlemen
of eminence at the Bar will propose a Meeting in
04le of the Halls of the Societies, for the purpose
of taking the matter into consideration, and
-droning up a Petition more consonant to their
opinions, in order that the Public be undeceived
on thii• head.

AN OBSERVER.

FRENCH PAPERS.

"(From the Etoile, dated Tuesday.)
CONSTANTINOPLE, MAUCH ii.
Accounts from Trieste say, that Austrian vessels, which had
ta';en in cargos of provisions at Constantinople,' for the purpose
of sttpnlying Patras and Lepanto. have not been able to pass
titrou;;h the Greek squadron blockading these two places, and
that they will perhaps be obliged to go and unload at Zante.
From the preparations malting "here, 'it 'is thought that the.
rCdpitan Pacha will go against Samos, and that, after having
erected batteries on the coast of Asia, he will attack that island.
Pour Ortas of the Janissaries have lately been arrested, Ile-
nf having been concerned in the late conspiracy. It ap-
pears that a refractory spirit still prevails in that corps.
The public attention was much engaged some days by the ex-
traordinary purchases which the principal English mercantile
house in this port was making in every direction, of silk, cochi-
neal, cotton, &c. The Corporation of Turkish Merchants has
complained of this forestalling, which has raised the prices, and
tieprived the manufactories of the country of the means of work-
ing. The Government has not yet come to any decision.
The Captain Pacha still affirms the submission of Odysseus,
-who is said to have already given up his family as hostages into
the hands of Omer Pacha of Nem opont.
(From the Constitntionnel of Monday.)
CONSTANTINOPLE. MARCH 15.
The Porte has caused a new Note to be presented to Mr.
Turner, the English Charge d'Affaires, warmly remonstrating
on account of the supplies with which England has again fur-
nished the Greeks, especially in artillery, ammunition, &c. The
Dregoman of the Porte has had a very warm altercation on the
_subject with Mr. Turner, who declared to him that he had no
knowledge of the fact; that he was convinced the Porte had
been deceived by the reports made to it, but that he would how-
ever transmit to his Government the Note which had been de-
livered to him. It appears that the Porte is likewise much dig-
satisfied with the Lord High Commissioner and Authorities of
the lonian Islands. M. de Ribeaupierre is expected, and till
his arrival all diplomatic negociations- with M. de Minziacky
will be suspended.
(From the Journal des Debuts of on
M a,y.)
ZANTE, ARCH 1.
The fortress of Patras is still blockaded by sea and land.— 1
The malcontents having been driven from our island, have by
this time submitted to the Greek Government, for Zahn's,
Andre Londos, Calamogrlartis' and Colocotroni, are at present
on their trial; but the general opinion is, that this affair will
terminate in a general amnesty. Maurocordato, a man always
justly esteemed, has just arrived at Napoli, and there is no
doubt that his conciliatory character will set aside all difficul-
- ties. The report that Odysseus had withdrawn into a ca..
vern is false; but there are no fables that the friends of the
Turks will not invent respecting him. His defection exists
only in the Spectateur Oriental, or rather the Journal of the
Turkish Cadi ofSvnyrna. The pirates of Volo, taken by the Cam-
brian, will be placed in the hands of the Greek Government to be
tried. The island of Eubcea is overrun in every part by bands
of Guerillas, who keep the Turks shut up in the fortresses. A
naval division of the Capitan Pacha is in the Dardanelles.—
Ibrahim Pacha, son of Mehemet Ali, has returned to Egypt;
his father has authorised an anent to draw upon him for
400,000 francs for the purpose of procuring him officers in
France. General B—, who is at present at Alexandria, is
organising bodies of blacks into regiments.. The insurrection
which has broken out in Syria makes some progress. The death
of Ismael Gibraltar, Admiral to Mehemet Pacha, has been an-
nounced ; he was a reneged°, who has created more talk than
he deserved. The Ottoman Porte frequently deliberates and
consults with the French Ambassador on the plans of the ap-
proaching campaign. An unfriendly disposition prevails against
England at Constantinople, on account of the last loan of'
2,000,000 contracted for at London by the Greeks. The Divan
cannot conceive how his Britannic Majesty has not the power
of decapitating the bankers for meddling in such an affair.—
..The most perfect tranquillity reigns in the Peloponnessus..