The Sun.
London, England, 1831-01-15 00:00:00

EVILS OF IGNORANCE.

(From the Morning Chronicle.)

In Mr. Justice Alderson's charge to the Jury, at
Dorchester, on Tuesday last, there are some excel-
lent observations on the evils of ignorance, and the
duty of the higher classes to endeavour to diffuse
the benefits of knowledge among their poorer neigh-
bours :

" By giving to them (said the Learned Judge) an edu-
cation which shall consist, nut merely in reading and writ-
ing, but in the knowledge of their various duties ; by en-
deavouring to make them more prudent and more virtuous
citizens, you would place the only effectual bar to the in-
crease of pauperism, and its consequent wretchedness.
Poverty is, I fear, inseparable from the state of the hu-
man race ; but poverty itself, and the misery attendant
upon it, would no doubt be greatly mitigated; if a spirit
of prudence were more generally diffused among the
people, and if they understood more fully, and practised
better, their civil, moral, and religious duties-L-By your
advice, therefore, and assistance on these impdrtant sub-
jects—by your relief of the distresses of the poorer classes,
where they exist—by your patient attention to their com-
plaints, even where those complaints are, from ignorance,
ill-founded—but above all, by the force and effect of your
own examples."
No country is richer in homilies than-England.
This is good advice, unquestionably. But, while
Mr. Justice Alderson thus lays down to the rich
the rules by which they ought to be guided, other
men are it seems busy poisoning the minds of the
poor. "It is on a population partially distressed,
and half-instructed, that evil men have been too suc-
cessfully practising their dangerous arts. They have
endeavoured to persuade the lower orders that they
are to be made rich by law rather than by labour,
and that a general determination prevails amongst
the higher classes to oppress them as tyrants, rather
than to assist them as friends." This is exceedingly
wrong, when the higher classes set such examSes
of disinterestedness for their instruction.- Has it
not been demonstrated by the publication of the
Pension List, of the sums divided by the Membeis
of the Privy Council, of the superannuations, &c.,
&c., that the higher ranks seek not to benefit them-
selves at the expense of their fellow-citizens ? To
half-instructed men matters may appear in another
light; but complete instruction would leave the lower
orders full ofadmiration of the virtues of their superiors.
No, never was there a grosser misrepresentation
than to say that Corn Laws were not intended for
the benefit of the poor; the Game Laws were not
intended to draw closer ties of affection, which bind
together the 'Squire and the peasant; and that
tithes are not the mode of remunerating the Clergy,
which most tends to promote the lessons of Chris-
tian morality taught by the pastors of our holy re-
ligion. When the poor came to be wholly instructed,
they will see in all these things only a benevolent
design to mitigate the evils inseparable from their
condition.

One of the half instructed, a Mr. Malcolm, the
author of a work in three large octavo volumes, on
the Agriculture of Surrey, dedicated io the late
Duke of York, of whom he was the surveyor, gives
the following account of the working of that part
of our institutions which has for object the promo-
tion of godliness :
" Tithe is injurious to the morals of the people, because
it sets them at variance with the Ministers of the Gospel ;
some it drives front the church to the sectaries, and others
to the alehouse ; every man is driven in some way or
other to devise means to avoid the payment of the tithe,
and oftentimes to destroy, but always to lessen the value
of that property, which, by law, belongs to another. It
is unjust and insufficient to the parson, because, in a fit of
madness, the greater part of the corn lands may be laid
down tp grass, as is the case in the parish of Buckland, to
the serious diminution of his revenue ; and because in a
very large -parish he cannot take his tithe in kind, if he
thinks his composition has been too small, but at a cer-
tainty of a very great loss in spite of all his exertions or
his threats. They will take care, by a.previous under-
standing, to give him notice that at such a time his tithe
will be set out ; this will be as _ late in the afternoon as
possible (and it is not lawful to enter any man's ground
before you have received notice) ; he cannot be with his
teams in every, man's farm at the hour which they
have appointed ; some will carry the corn before be
gets there, and he must, in that cay,,,put up with what
they may choose t •to leay.-Welitif as his tithe; whe-
ther it be fair in quantity or not ; some will make
small sheaves, and take care to leave the smallest,
which is so placed that it may fall into the fur-
row, that if it comes wet it may get well soaked ;
others will have all the women and children in the field to
glean as soon as the farmer begins to carry, who are in-
structed to have a pull at the parson's tithe ; others will
have the tithe beat out in the night; others will have the
tithe carried off by wholesale, and pretend to know no-
thing about it ; others will carry it away in the day time,
to prevent, as they say, its being stolen by night. Some
won't let you ride into their premises after or with the
waggon ; others won't suffer a waggon to enter that has
already got any tithe in the waggon, although it should
not exceed a dozen shelves, and perhaps the whole
parish wig give you but one notice instead of one every
day. Again, every one of your tithing men are to be
bought by strong beer, drams, and money ; so that in fact
it is a complete and perfect robbery of the parson from first
to last—from the highest Magistrate in the parish to the
very lowest farmer. But should the determination to
take the tithes in kind arise from any particular pique on
the part of the parson or the impropriator, and be resisted
violently on the part of the parish; as was the ease at Bat-
tersea and elsewhere, I do not know of a scene more truly
deplorable. No language that I can find can paint the
consequences in its true colours."
There can be no question as to the benevolence
of intention towards the lower orders, in supplying
them with such pure exemplifications of Christian
morality in every parish. Pity, however, that the
half-instructed should not always be benefitted by
these examples. Thus, for instance, Sir T. Gooch,
at the Beccles Quarter Sessions, on Monday last,
according to The Bury Post, declares that the la-
bourers have been urged on by their superiors to
acts of tumult and violence:—
" He declared his readiness to meet the times fairly, and
his determination to do all in his power to avert the evil
which seemed to threaten us ; but he observed, it could not
he done effectually by any one class of persons ; the land-
lord, the titheholder, and the farmer; were equally called
on to take an active part in ameliorating the distress in this
country. Rent and tithes must be equitably reduced, and
employment must be provided for time poor ; be knew, from
observation, that there was no part of this county in which
employment could not be found for many hands that were
now idle, and such as would not only remunerate the em-
ployer, but yield him a profit ; and be was sure that by
manam,rnent, much good might be effected in this way.
He was sorry to remark that this part of the cosinty had
been disgraced by riotous and tumultuous meetings, and
he deprecated the atrocious and un-Englishman-like con-
ductthose persons who were reported to have encou-
raged urged on the poor labourers to acts of tumult
rage ofa n
ear,' that such means had been had recourse to ; but
iw cold
scarcelyand violence to compel a reduction in rent and tithes: he
had hu
bring himself to believe that any man
could have acted so disgraceful and cowardly a part as to
press forward the necessitous labourer to such acts as would
subject him to the just punishment of the law, to impri-
sonment or transportation, because he had not time man-
liness to come forward with a fair statement of his own
grievances. Was justice to be thus trampled on, and the
laws to be thus broken with impunity? No, he felt as-
sured that all men who loved their country as he did, would
act at the present crisis with firmness in suppressing tu-
mult and disorder whenever they showed themselves; for
although he was anxious to see the poor made contented,
and raised above want by their industry, he hoped that
nothing would ever be conceded to force ; and he declared
he would rather forfeit his life than give an atom through
intimidation."

CANTERBURY, FRIDAY NIGHT.—We are
sorry to have to communicate another incendiary act near
Dover. The coaches coming to this city from that place
this morning brin7 the intelligence that an alarming fire
broke out there this evening about six o'clock. It appears
that fire was designedly set to the premises of Mr. COLE
MAN, of Priory Farm, near Dover. When the fire was
discovered expresses were sent off to Dover for the engines,
but they had not arrived at the time the coaches passed.—
The Phoenix fire-engine here was kept in readiness. A large
farm-house and buildings attached, besides five large corn
stacks, were on fire and wholly consumed. There can be
no doubt that the fire originated in the act of an incen-
diary, as the building., which formed part of the Priory,
letting froir all parts toof assistfiiit'. in Texhteinisa
g)euaishnintgryth'eretlr7tmcoesl:
a"rriedrealbmoidlty of at least three hundred went thither from the
adjoining village of Bucklaud.

PORTUGUESE REGENCY LOAN.

(From the Morning Herald.)

The Committee of the Stock Exchange have been much
engaged this morning (Friday) in discussing a protest
which has been laid before them, against the circulation of
the new loan, which, it is understood, is coming out under
the agency of Mr. Moberly, in order to raise money for
the use of the Regency of Terceira, acting in behalf of
Donna Maria 11.

It appears that a rule was made by the Committee some
time in the year 1827, under which the Committee do not
allow any new Bonds (which may be issued by a Power
which has stopped payment of interest on former loans)
to he quoted in their authorised lists.

The protest against the Terceira Loan (which is *ailed
a " Portuguese Regency Loan," in the new printed
bonds) is founded on this regulation, the parties alleging
that the money for the dividends on the Portuguese Loan
of two milliews (raised in 1823), although regularly paid
over by Brazil to the Regency of Terceira, is withheld
from the bondholders of that Loan (the dividends on which
have not been paid since June, 1828), and the. mon^y,
contrary to good faith, misapplied, to the support of Portu-
guese refugees in England and Terceira. The protest also
alleges, that the Loan tat present contemplated by the Ter-
ceira Regency will be a fraud on the public, as the new
Bonds contain a pledge that the interest and Sinking Fund
shall be paid out of the money annually remitted by Brazil
to pay the dividends on the Portuguese Loan.
Under these circumstances it is thought scarcely pro-
bable that the Committee of the Stock Exchange can (in
defiance of the regulation they made in 1827) sanction
the quotation of the new Bonds, while the dividends
on) the Portuguese Loan, as the protesters affirm,
continue not only to be misapplied, but are also attempted
to he pledged for the support of new contracts. We under-
stand that the protest and statements of the parties who
attended to support and oppose it were very attentively
considered by the Committee, and that the final decision
of the question will be made to-morrow, (this day) by the
General Committee of the Stock Exchange.
Those who suppoit the new Loan contend that it is for
the interest of the Portuguese Bondholders that it should
be allowed, inasmuch as the only chance of their being
paid their dividends depends upon the overthrow of the
usurped Government. They add, that the Brazil Govern-
ment will never pay the Portuguese dividends to the agents
of Don Miguel, and that if they would, the money, in all
probability, would never find its way into the pockets of
the bondholders, in which latter opinion we perfectly agree.

BANFF REFORM MEETING.

(From the Elgin Courier of Friday.)

A few days ago a requisition, by the most re
spectable burgesses and inhabitants, was sent to the
Provost, requesting him to call a general public
meeting of the burgesses, freemen, and inhabitants
of the burgh " for the purpose of considering the
propriety of petitioning Parliament for a moderate
and rational Reform, and an extension of the Elec-
tive Franchise throughout the burghs and counties
of Scotland; to which the following excerpt from
the minutes of the town council was sent in answer;
—" A requisition addressed to the Provost request-
ing him to call a meeting of the inhabitants upon
the subject of Reform, and an extension of the
Elective Franchise throughout the burghs and
counties of Scotland, was laid before the council by
the Provost, which being considered by the council,
and the Provost having stated his own sentiments
upon the subject, it was resolved that the Provost
should decline the prayer of the requisition, leaving
it to any inhabitant of the burgh to do in the matter
as to him seems best."

In consequence of the Provost having thug de-
clined to interfere, a meeting of the requisitionists
was held, at which they agreed to call a general
public meeting for the purpose of petitioning, to be
held in the Court-house, on Tuesday the 21st inst.
and appointed a Committee of their number to pre-
pare petitions for both Houses of Parliament to be
submitted to said meeting.
The meeting having been called by notices posted
up in all parts of the town, and left at public offices,
and by tuck of drum through the burgh, was held,
and was numerously and respectably attended.
GEORGE LEMMON, Esq., merchant, after stating
his regret that the Provost had not found it expe-
dient .to call this meeting and to preside thereat;
begged to propose that the chair be taken by James
Mackintosh, Esq., banker, which was unanimously
agreed to. Mr. Mackintosh having taken the chair,
George Petrie, Esq., solicitor, read the requisition►
to the Lord Provost, the answer thereto, the
minutes of Committee, and the petitions which had
been prepared. These petitions were expressed in
the most moderate and respectful terms, and reflect
much credit on those who took the trouble of fram-
ing them.

J. A. CAMERON, Solicitor, Esq., in rising to
move that the petitions might be approved of, said,
in common with the mass of the people of Great
Britain, the requisitionists had been for a consider-
able time of opinion that the great machine of
the state, from age and other visible causes, required
' considerable change, to fit and enable it to keep
pace with the rapid step of improvement in the pre-
sent enlightened times. They were also of opinion
that much of the lamentable distress which now af-
fected the different classes of the people, might be
attributed to the undeniable fact that the inhabitants
at large were not fairly represented in the Commons
House of Parliament. They further saw men fic-
tively employed with desperate energy in endeavour-
ing to sow the seeds of disaffection throughout the
Nfld. And last of all they had seen with astonish-
ment and alarm, an opinion gravely and publicly
stated that the people of Scotland did not wish for
Parliamentary Reform, and art extension of their
elective franchise. Seeing and considering these
things, the requisitionists thought that if moderate
men, all who wished their country's good, did not
step forward at this important crisis, and by a plain
expression of their complaints, tell the pure truth to
the Legislature, and lead the well disposed in the
proper path, that the incendiaries to whom he had
alluded might acquire such preponderating influence
as would produce the worst of consequences. He
knew that he might probably here be met with an
answer that was by no means new to him, nor new,
he did believe, to a majority of the present meeting,
he knew that those who deemed themselves the
wonderfully wise, the big, the prat•lent, might say,
that the cause was in the hands of Government,
shut this was not the time, that our petition would
embarrass, not strengthen the Administration. No
argument appeared to him more superficial than this
was ; for it was an established maxim in political
science, that if the people did not produce sufficient
evidence, by constitutional means, that they were
aggrieved and wished relief, the plain inference was
that they fel at least contented with matters as they
stood. He remembered well that the same party
who now attempted to blind the public with these
flimsy opinions, adopted the same line of argu-
ment during the struggle for the relief of the
disabilities which affected the Roman Catholics.
Their veil of sophistry was then, however, pene-
trated, and the people combined in their wishes
for the Emancipation of their Catholic country-
men, had, in concert with the Government, brought
the cause of civil and religious liberty to a success-
ful and glorious issue. He trusted that similar suc.
cess would attend their efforts in the cause of tempe-
rate and judicious Reform. The cry th4t Reform
was dangerous, was coupled with all the phantas.
magoria of imaginary evils, could no longer be
listened to. Those who used the argument might
attempt to impose, or try it on others, but it was
pretty clear they did not ;Inpose upon themselves;
and if they did, none but simpletons could longer be
cajoled by such vague unreal apprehensions. It was
those would-be-wise alone, who were the means of
producing any real danger (if such there was, which
he denied), by charging, with foolish pertiaai...ity„
too antiquated and obsolete opinions, which no
longer formed part of a Britoil's belief. Having ,
made these general remarks, which want of space has
obliged us consideral4 to abridge, Mr. Cameron
proceeded to explain the facts upon which the state-
ments in the petitions were founded. He remarked
that in order to satisfy the meeting that the state
of the representation of Scotland was founded on
" fictitious principles, and monopolised by a few,"
it was only necessary for him to observe that a mere

man of straw, a being exiiting only by the fiction of
law, was in possession of a large share of the re-
presentation throughout Scotland, and that this
" unreal mockery" of a man, usurped the right, or
at least sat in the place of the real proprietors of the
soil; while the gross number of voters for the coun-
ties of Scotland, for the representation of two
millions of intelligent arid moral people, did not
much exceed 2,000 individuals. His present Ma-
jesty was the first British Monarch, he btlievcrl,
who had publicly said, " My people's grievances
must be redressed, and Itt them be fairly repre-
sented in the House of Commons." Whatever
dangers others might see in such sentiments, his
presentd 11laj e
and
sawlzeral
Ministry,noe anda
experiencede coupled with a
a d.
vocates of the same opinions, he would not doubt
but that all branches of our industry would speedily
flourish.

JOSEPH WHYTE, Esq., surgeon, highly approved
of the view which had been taken of the 3ohject of
Reform by Mr. Cameron, and had much pleasure in
seconding his motion.

Mr. JOHN FRASER asked if the petitions expressed
any sentiments on Parliamentary Reform ?
Mr. CAMERON replied by stating that the pe-
titions did express sentiments on Parliamentary Re-
form, and referred to the first paragraph of the pe-
titions; as the petitions were from a Royal Burgh,
the state of the Representation of Burghs claimed a
prominent place.

Mr. FRASER was satisfied with the explanation
given ; that he had been a Reformer all his days ;
and was pleased to see any measure proposed for
Reform even although it should out-go all the length
he should wish.

The CKAIRMAN stated that the motion before the
meeting should now be dispostd of, and therefore
those who approved of the petitions which had been
read should stand up sod signify thee.
by a show of hands, which was readily done an,
lowed by three loyal and deafening cheers to our
most excellent Sovereign William the Fourth, and
his gracious consort Qieen Adelaide.

GEORGE IMLACII, Esq., banker, moved that the
petitions which had been read and approved of should
be transmitted to the Lord-Lieutenant of the county
to be presented to the House of Lords, RI: d t 0 T .
T. Kennedy, Esq., and Robert Grant, Esq., tc be
by them presented to the House of Commons, with
a request that the Noble Earl and those other distin-
guished friends of Scotland would support the prayer
of the petitions. He congratulated his fellow-towns-
men at seeing them now assembled in support of
their constitutional rights; and after paying a merited
compliment to the Noble Earl, to Mr. Kennedy and
Mr. Grant, who had all along espoused the claims of
Scotland, concluded by moving that those present
should now with one accord proceed to sign the
parchments on the table.

GEORGE PETRIE, Esq., solicitor, said, with re-
gard to the distinguished individuals selected to pre-
sent the petitions to Parliament he had only to ob-
serve that he considered the Noble Earl who was to
be entrusted with the presentation of the petition to
the House of Lords would receive it most cordially,
as the tone and temper of the petition was such as
could not fail to meet the views and sentiments of
his Lordship ; and he was sure that the brilliant ta-
lents and universally acknowledged services of the
Hon. Gentlemen proposed to be entrusted with the
petition to the Commons House of Parliament, were
such as to recommend them in as eminent degree,
and he had no doubt they would give the petitions
that support which the important objects they em-
braced so well merited.
The meeting afterwards broke up.

A certain manceuvring C--ss, ranking
among the elite of high life, is, it in said, considerably
piqued at the character drawn of her in the tale of " Mo-
thers and Daughters," which is now the race. Some of
her kind friends have pointed out the resemblance, and
while they affect to sympathize at her distress, join beat tily
in the general laugh at her expense.

It will be seen by the reported proceedings
of a meeting which took place yesterday, in the ward of
Farringdon-without, that on a rumour being spread of
the death of the CITY CHAMBERLAIN, the inhabitants of
Cie ward then assembled pressed Mr. Alderman WAITH-
MA
N to stand candidate fur the vacant office, and offered
to support his claims. The worthy Alderman has long
been distinguished for his seal and exertions in the public
service of his fellow.citizens, when nothing was to he
gained bat their good will, and may now reasonah!y hope
fur a more sabstantial acknowledgment of their regard and
satisfaction.— Times.

WOOLLEN TRADE.—As far as the matter
goes, it is certainly satisfactory to fiud that the orders
issued to the serge-manufaeturers, in this county, this
quarter, by the East India Company, are more exteysive
than they have been for sonic titne past, as it wi I produce
a proportionate quantity of labour at this dreary c-ason of
the year ; it cannot, however, but be matter of rrvet, if
report speak true, that the prices at which the contiacts
are taken are so low as will leave the adventuring master
but a small return for the capital he so meritoriously em-
ployed.—Exeter Flying Post.

The Semaphore of Marseilles says, the
Ex-Bey of Tirrxm will be relieved from quarantine on the
11th, and will at six in the evening of the sane day set
out for Paris by the diligence. His suite consists of one
of his old officers, a M. Suzzo, an interpreter, and sir
servants. He, it seems, preserves the same haughtkess
and despotic tone which sat well upon him when ruling
over Mount Atlas, but it not quite so consistent with his
present situation, He fell into a rage when bargaining
for his places in the diligence, and it was with the utmost
difficulty that his interpreter could convince him that the
fare was fixed and invariable. He could not form an idea
that the coachmaster would dare to demand 100 pistol,' for
his conveyance, beoause at Titteri a airnilar insolence would
be rewarded by the loos of the impertinent's head."

A MISTAKE.—Last week Mr. CIIAFFEY,
of Thorncomb:, Devon, was standing at his door, about
eight o'clock in the evening. It was very dark, and he
thought he hoard some person cutting his cloth on the
rack, as bad been the case last winter. He immediately
went into his house for his pistols, and then hastened to
the spot. He again heard the noise, and called out : but
no reply was given. The object of his fears, however,
seemed to advance towards him. A second challenge was
given, acccompanied by a threat of " I will blow out your
brains, if you advance a step further." The object of
terror then cams almost clues to Mr. C. ; with the latent,
he thought, of knocking him down. He fired, and int_
mediately found that he had shot--his owe horse ! the
,iniunal having broken Into the field, and rubbed against
the cloth. The ball penetrated several inches, and was
with difficulty extracted by Mr. KNIGIIT, of Crewkerne.
The horse is likely to recoverfrom the effects of the wound.
—Dorset Couvds Chroxick.

A VIRAGO.—The Monmouthshire Merlin
gives the following specimen of one of the " gentle sex,'
who was convicted of stealing some wool, at the late
Quarter Sessions for that county. On hearing her sen-
tence of six months' imprisonment, she began to wring
her hands, and assumed an appearance of the most incon-
solable distress. It being, however, communicated to
the Noble Chairman, that she had been before transported
for a similar offence, his Lordship ordered her to be im-
mediately removed from the bar. As soon as Mr. Airit.•
RETT ottempted to do so, she screamed out, 6' Oh, mur-
du, murder, murder!" put herself in a pugnacious atti-
tude, and distributed numerous Jacksonian blows right
and left, Not satisfied with this, she seized a brass can-
dlestkk, which had been placed before her in the dock,
and hurled it with great violence at the head of
the prosecutor, In the midst of this confusion she
redoubled her cries of " Murder !" and it was with the
greatest difficulty that four or five of the hall-keepers
could remove her. The Chairman, we believe, preserved
his gravity; but the rest of the Court, the Jury, Counsel,
and spectators, were convulsed with laughter. The cha-
racter and history of the won are said to be of a very
singular nature. Of an Amazonian disposition, she is a
perfect adept in all sorts of knavery. She was several
years in New South Wales under sentence of transporta-
tion, and returned at last with a considerable sum., of
n4,ney. On her return to Monmouthshire, she resumed
the old trade, and thus increased her fortune to a large
amount. Hearing of a young roan who had been for ensue
time imprisoned in Brecon gaol for illegally increasing the
population of the realm, she offered to purchase his libera-
tion if he would marry her. The youth consented, was
discharged, and went through the nuptial ceremony with
his generous bride. The loiter, however, was, in this in—
stance, bitten, for it turned out soon afterwards that oho
happy bridegroom had another wife, who was still living,