The Sun.
London, England, 1836-10-05 00:00:00

means of supporting themselves, according to the no-
tion of what their station demands, without the aid of
the public purse. By the unfortunate constitution of
the House of Peers, the old connection between pro-
perty and function no longer exists—the title and office
of Peer remain when every shilling of property may be
gone, and the people have no security against the fu-
ture possibility of nineteen out of twenty of the Peers
being absolute beggars. We need not say that one
great cause of the eagerness of the people for the Re-
form Bill was _the knowledge that the resources of the
country were the prey of aristocratic paupers—at home
and abroad•; they and their connections were, directly
or indirectly, quartered on the public. The reason
why the public are now impatient for a reform of the
Peerage is the rooted conviction that the Lords are
opposed to the Commons, because they wish to retain
abuses profitable to their order,—because they have
interests opposed to those of the nation.—Morning
Chronicle.

We have frequently had the satisfaction of calling
public attention to the proceedings of the Vestry of
the Parish of Saint George, Hanover-square, and to
point, as to a model for imitation, to the activity and
vigilance with which they watch over parochial affairs,
especially as regards the rates and their expenditure.
The Fourth Report of the Vestry Committee is now
before the public, and contains much information of a
highly interesting character to the rate-payers of Mid-
dlesex, and also a most triumphant reply to certain
allegations made by the Middlesex Magistrates, affect-
ing the conduct of the St. George's Committee. The
parish of St. George furnishes the best illustration of
the advantages to be derived from the representative
system of parochial administration. Independently of
the abuses which have been corrected by the repre-
sentative vestry, and the far more satisfactory manner
in which it provides for the wants of the parish, it
has in the few years of its administration already saved
the parish to the amount of several thousand pounds—
as may be distinctly proved by a comparison of the
results of the new with the old system. In the last
three years of the non-representative vestry, the
whole parochial assessments amounted to 304,6851.,
whereas, in the last three years of the representative
vestry the rates were not more than 137,2681. So
that even with the deduction of 22,5001. remitted by
the vestry in 1831, on account of the rate-payers re-
fusing to pay the rates, there is still a balance on the
three years of one hundred and forty-five thousand
pounds in favour of the representative system—a fact
which appears to the public with a force that neither
sophistry nor argument can controvert or resist. The
conduct of the Middlesex Magistrates appears to
furnish abundant material to the Committee for com-
plaint and censure. Some time since, when a vacancy
occurred in the office of Treasurer, it was proposed,
as well on account of security as the saving of ex-
pense, that the account should be transferred to the
Bank of England, whereby that office might be dis-
continued. This proposition, however, was evaded
by the Magistrates, who adjourned its considera-
tion—and, with a total disregard to the recom-
mendation of the Committee, and even to com-
mon courtesy, immediately proceeded to elect a
treasurer to the vacant office. This is but one
of several charges made against the Magistrates,
for defeating the intentions of the Committee, and pre-
venting the better administration of parochial affairs
in the county of Middlesex. These charges deserve
a strict investigation on the part of the Government, as
from attempts made to suppress the correspondence it
would appear, that the Magistrates have not such con-
fidence in their conduct bearing the test of an investi-
gation, or meriting the approval of public opinion.
The Magistrates, it is true, gave a reply, or what they
were pleased to term such, to the charges made by the
Committee; but they refused to have it printed, though
they subsequently affect regret that it was not sent to
every member of the Vestry, as they believed that the
Gentlemen of the deputation who waited on the Home
Secretary were unacquainted with the circumstance.
The report before us gives a convincing exposition of
the quibbles by which it was endeavoured to baffle
serut►ny, and also abstracts from several Acts of Par-
liament, and recommendations both from the Vestry
and the Government, which the Magistrates have
utterly neglected. The Committee successfully reply
to certain statements and insinuations made by the
Magistrates, arid after publishing the report of the
Special Committee of Justices, thus comment on its

contents :

" St. George's Committee having now inserted the whole
Report of the Special Committee of Justices, on the duties
of the County Treasurer, proceed to offer a very few com-
ments upon it.
" The Committee it will be seen was an important one
by the selection ; there was the Chairman of the Middlesex
Quarter Session, 4he Ex-Chairman of the Middlesex
Quarter Session, the Chairman of the Committee for Ac-'
counts and General Purposes, with several other Justices
of the legal profession. What did they recommend to the
Court of Middlesex Magistrates?
" First, That the Salary for the duties of Treasurer of
the County and Treasurer of the Tontine, including all the
duties connected with those offices, shall be 750/. a year, as
at present ; as Treasurer, 600/. ; as Paymaster of the Ton-
tine, 1501.'
" The Court of Middlesex Magistrates ultimately and
unanimously adopted the recommendation, omitting the
words ' as Treasurer, 6001. ; as Paymaster of the Ton-
tine, 150/.'
" Upon that rule and regulation Mr. Allen was subse-
quently appointed. The Vestry of St. George will hardly
credit their Committee when they state the fact, that the
power to appoint a Treasurer of the Tontine by the Mid-
dlesex Magistrates, ceased about forty years ago;—because
the money received from the purchasers of the Tontine
Annuities had then been expended—and that the power to
pay the Treasurer of the Tontine a salary out of the county
rates of Middlesex never existed at all. St. George's Com-
mittee of Vestry now submit the Act of Parliament to
prove the fact."
We reserve the concluding part of the Report, re-
specting the affairs of the Lunatic Asylum, for subse-
quent notice.—Morning Advertiser.
A bright prospect is opening on Ireland. After
six centuries of oppression and degradation, liberty and
glory begin to dawn on her. But a few years ago, and
all was gloomy—now the thick darkness begins to be
dispelled,. and the light to break in upon her destinies.
At this moment Ireland occupies a commanding and
elevated position among the nations of Europe. Every
one sees in that position the prelude to liberty, glory,
and happiness. She presents at this moment the noble
spectacle—a spectacle she never before exhibited—of a
perfect union of feeling and purpose between her Go-
vernment and her people. Their principles are the
same—their objects are the same—their resolves are
the same. Their principles are comprehended in the
general one, that Ireland ought no longer to be tram-
pled on and degraded by an Orange faction—their ob-
jects are to vindicate the rights and assert the liberties
of Ireland—and their resolves are that they shall never
not even for one little moment, remit their exertions on
her behalf, until full justice be done to her. This is
the spirit which animates alike the people and the Go-
vernment of Ireland. Seven millions of her sons are
now making her wrongs a personal matter. They are
individually wounded through her, and the determina-
tion of every one is to avenge those wrongs by rescuing
her from the iron grasp of her Orange enemies.
Every true Irishman, overlooking individual modifi-
cations of political views, is now resolved to act for
his country as if her destinies depended on his isolated
exertions. This is a moral spectacle of the loftiest
order. It is one on which the civilized world is now
gazing with admiration and delight. But it is some-
thing more than a spectacle of mere abstract sublimity.
It is one which presages the highest and happiest prac-
ticallreland. What power can resist so
cslos re
raesuunitis to
union of
hearts, and such fixedness of resolve
a
presented in
Bayonets ? the case of Irishmen at this
are
moment ? Brute force? Assuredly not.
The army of Great Britain, even though headed by
the most illustrious of her Tory generals, would find
ere long that they were engaged in an unequal contest
with seven millions of a united people. So perfect a
union as Ireland at this moment exhibits, on the sub-
ject of her grievous and manifold wrongs, is but another
name for omnipotence. No earthly antacronist power
could long resist it. We yesterday calla attention to
the admirable address of the Lord Lieutenant. His
words have by this time spoken joy to may mil-
lions of hearts. And this, not to the hearts of Irish-
men alone, but to the heart of every true lover of li-
berty, and of his fellow men, in England and Scotland.
Need we say that the address of the Lord Lieutenant