The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1836,

crisis- for themselves, rather than for the country.
Under what delusion Lord Lansdowne grew so violent
during the last week before the recess, and Lord John
Russell so incautious in his remarks upon the Lords'
amendments of the Irish Corporations Bill, we cannot
pretend even to guess; but we suppose there must have
been some misinformation as to the disturbance. likely
to be got up in support of violent courses. Mr.
O'Connell may have forgotten that England was
not Ireland, and, relying on the impression which
his vanity leads him to suppose he had made in his
tour to the manufacturing districts, he may have pro-
mised a popular demonstration in support of his own
against the House of Lords, which there is now no hope
of his being able to accomplish. Whatever may have
been the cause of Ministers losing their heaA—we
use the words metaphorically —previously to the
adjournment of the Houses of Parliament, they have
brought themselves into a very awkward position, for
while they have allowed something like a declaration of
war against the House of Lords to go forth in their
name, .they find that hostile sentiment wholly unsup-
ported by the country, and, if we mistake not, very
distinctly opposed in the very highest quarter. We
do not think that the outrage committed by Mr..O'Con-
nen in the furious letter against the House of Lords
which he addressed to the people of England was com-
mitted in concert with the King's Ministers. We
have reason to believe that they saw it in their own
Morning Chronicle with considerable regret, and they
would have openly censured it if they dared so far to
disoblige Mr. O'Connell. But they did not dare, and
he well knew that they would not, when he contrived
to obtain its insertion in their journal. He then went
a step further (probably without consulting them),
and gave notice in Parliament of his motion for "re-
form" of the House of Lords, which gave rise to
another notice, relative to the expunging of Mr.
O'Connell's proposition from the notice-book of the
House of Commons. Between these two notices it may
puzzle even such accommodating personages as his Ma-
jesty's Ministers to steer. It was enough to arouse
the disgust of every one, however inclined to pay re
spect to the official station of his • Majesty's servants,
to find Ministers in the House of Commons listening
in silence to such a notice of motion as that given by
Mr. O'Connell. Considering the influence (suffi-
ciently notorious) of the Hon. and Learned Member
it was an occasion upon which Ministers of the Crown,
if they had, any opinion upon the subject, might have
been expected to declare it. We believe they have
already found that such an expectation was not con-
fined to the subjects of this realm, nor was the disap-
pointment theirs alone. They have found that, how-
ever impossible it may seem to them to offer opposi-
tion, or openly express disapprobation, where a fa-
vourite scheme of Mr. O'Connell's is 'in question,
there is one whom it concerns them to look to in some
degree, as well as to the Hon. and Learned Member
for Kilkenny, who cannot persuade himself that Mr.
O'Connell must be allowed carte blanche—that he
must be suffered to do as he pleases, without the
King's Government interfering to prevent him, even
when an institution which the Ministers know their
Royal Master is determined to support has been
violently attacked by him. The real " crisis," then,
seems to be this :—Mr. O'Connell has wane further
than Ministers will be allowed to go—he has gone so
far that, if he persevere, Ministers must either oppose
him or oppose their Sovereign. What part, then,
will such courage as they possess lead them to take ?
Hitherto they have contrived to serve two masters,
making it appear that the services were compatible
and consistent one with another ; but if Mr. O'Con-
nell persevere with his motion against the House of
Lords they must choose between the master at West-
minster and the master at St. James's. To which will
they incline ? The choice of Hercules was soon
made ; but Lord John Russell is not Hercules, nor is
Mr. Spring Rice. They will make no choice if they
can help it, but, as usual, endeavour to effect a com-
promise. They will try—we believe that they are even
now trying—to make Mr. 0:Connell withdraw his 'no-
tion. They may succeed; but Mr. O'Connell knows their
difficulty, and if he yields for their convenience lie will be
sure to have his price for his complacency. Thus it is
that the political concerns of this country suffer, and are
likely to continue to suffer, from the superintendence of
a Ministry which has no settled character, no fixed princi-
ples, no determined policy of its own, but must twist and
shift about to avoid the difficulties which ever attend
upon weakness ; and, like desperate spendthrifts, pay
any price for present accommodation. Who can tell
what pernicious bargain may not be now made by the
Ministers with O'Connell, to get out of the dilemma
of supporting the constitutional authority of the House
of Lords or disobeying their Sovereign's commands ?
We know what the last great bargain with Mr. O'Con-
nell cost. We know that when his assistance was
wanted to throw out the Peel Administration the con-
dition was that the " appropriation," or Church rob-
bery, clause would be proposed by the Government,
though, up to that time, it had been opposed by them
in their official capacity. What new sacrifice of prin-
ciple and consistency Mr. O'Connell may now think
proper to wring from them we cannot tell ; but we have
no doubt they will promise him anything for the next
session, if he will but accommodate them for the pre-
sent. In such a bargain they will reckon that they
have two chances—circumstances may occur to enable
them to break with him, or to enable him to uphold
them in breaking with the monarchy. We really be-
lieve that they care little which may happen, so that
they do but continue to enjoy the personal consequence
and the incidental advantages of being Ministers.—
Morning Post.

CHANCERY COURT:-THURSDAY.

WOOD V. PRESTON.

This was a petition praying that Sir Francis Myers be
ordered to pay back to the account of the cause a sum of
1,5001. which he had obtained under an order of the Vice-
Chancellor, without notice to the manager of an estate at
St. Kitt's, who alleges that he and the creditors have a prior
claim which must he satisfied. The case was argued yes-
terday by Sir W. Horne and Mr. Burge on the part of the
petitioners, and by the Solicitor-General on the part of
Myers.
Mr. Parker being heard on the same side this morning,
and Sir W. Horne having replied,
The LORD CHANCELLOR said, the pr,,yer of the petition
must be granted, namely, that the money be paid back into
the hands of the Accountant-General, and as it was not
fitting that the fund should be lessened through the acts of
Sir F. Myers, in not using due caution in his proceedings
with respect to the estate, he must personally pay all the
costs of the petition:

KING'S BENCH.-THURSDAY.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE,

HA7'7'OlV -GARDEN.

Yesterday Henry Harrison and Willianz Harvey, smartly-
attired young men, were brought up for re-examination be-
fore Mr. LAING, charged with having committed numerous
robberies, under the following daring circumstances.
The office was literally crammed by highly respectable
individuals who had been plundered by the prisoners, and
the case excited considerable interest.
It appeared from the evidence of Mrs. Scott, of No. 32,
University-street, New-road, that on Monday last the pri-
soners called at her house to inquire about a suite of apart-
ments which she had to let furnished, when she introduced
them to the parlour, and after a little conversation she took
Harrison up stairs, leaving Harvey below. When they
were about to leave the place she missed two books and a
waistcoat, and feelicg satisfied that nobody else could have
taken them but Harvey she taxed him with the robbery,
on which they rushed out of the house, and ran off with all
possible speed. She instantly pursued them, and the pri-
soner -Harrison was overtaken and secured by Sergeant
Ford, 7 E division, but Harvey escaped. It was stated
that Harvey had a squint and wore green spectacles, and
on referring to the Hue and Cry" it was ascertained they
exactly answered the description given of two fellows who
had perpetrated various robberies under similar circum-
stances.
George Collier, 38 E, apprehended the prisoner Har-
vey, in consequence of the description given of him.
Mr. LAING—Hare you traced any other robberies to the
prisoners ? Collier replied that in consequence of the pub-
licity given to the former examination there were .not less
than forty respectable persons present who had been robbed
by them, and were ready to give evidence against them.
They had stolen gold and silver watches, jewellery, money,
&c., under pretence of taking furnished apartments. He
(Collier) had traced a gold watch, worth fifty guineas, be-
longing to Dr. Taylor, of Bryanston-street, Bryanston-
squareA to have been pledged by the prisoners at Mr. Tur-
ner's, pawnbroker, Brydges-street, Covent-garden.
Dr. Taylor attended to identify the property.
Numerous persons, principally females, here pressed for-
ward, anxious to prefer charges against the prisoners, who
were identified as having called to enquire after lodgings,
and taken away gold watches, jewellery, plate, and 'other
property, and their malpractices were levied upon the in-
habitants of every part of the town and its OutskirtS, and

in the City.
Mr. LAING inquired whether the officers had discovered
their residences ? They replied that the prisoners would
not tell where they lived, or who were their friends, and
they had no clue whatever upon the subject, although they

had made every inquiry.
Mr. LAING never heard of a more Audacious proceeding.
The prisoners had been plundering by wholesale in every
part of the town.
Collier had no doubt that he could bring numerous other
charges against them at the next examination.
The prisoners, who are slim, genteell-ooking young men,
stood at the bar with great confidence, and when Harvey
was recognized by the title of the " squinting prisoner," he
smiled ; they maintained silence.
Mr. LAING said that they were two dangerous members
of society, and he hoped that the publicity given to the
case would induce every person imposed upon to come for-
ward and prosecute then'. He then remanded them until

Thursday next.
APPREHENSION OF A GANG OF COINERS.—John
Newland, Philip Kelly, and Johanna Lennard, were finally
examined, charged with coining. It appeared that infor-
mation was received that a gang of comers were in the
habit of manufacturing base coin at a house situate No. 3,
Kennedy's-court, St. Giles's, and on the afternoon of the
21st inst., Hall and Duke, officers of this establishment,
Reynolds, an officer of Clerkenwell, with Sergeant Ashton
11, and another constable, 47 0 division, determined on
taking them by surprise. On their arrival they found it
to be a two-roomed house, when Reynolds and Ashton
proceeded up stairs, and bursting open the room door they
discovered the prisoners with moulds and other implements
at work. The prisoners on seeing the officers threw the
moulds out of the window. Reynolds seized the prisoners
on which two ferocious bull dogs rushed upon him, and one
of them caught hold of him by the neck and did not leave
his hold until Ashton beat it violently on the head until it
fell apparently dead on the floor, and the other animal,
which was equally furious, and flew at the officers, was
similarly treated. The prisoners were then handcuffed and
brought in a hackney coach to this office. The officers
produced the moulds and other implements which Mr.
Field, the Inspector of the Mint, proved to be appli-
cable to the purposes of coining. Several base shillings
found in the apartment were also produced and identified.
The prisoners denied the charge, but they were fully
committed to Newgate for trial.