The Sun.
London, England, 1825-01-25 00:00:00

[MORNING HERALD.]

Some of the Papers announce that the work-
men are employed in preparing St. James's Pa-
lace for the reception of his Majesty, who is
about to remove therefrom Carlton House, which
is to be immediately pulled down, and a new
Palace erected upon its site, extending consider-
ably towards Charing Cross—and which they
add, has long been a favourite object with the
King. We are free to confess that the state of
all the Royal Palaces, with the exception of
Windsor, has long been a reproach to the na-
tion, whose Monarchs have been worse lodged
than many of their subjects. We wish the mat-
ter had been taken up long ago, at a period of
his present Majesty's life, when, in the course of
nature, he was more likely to live to enjoy what-
ever the nation may do in this way. But the
plan above alluded to is not, we apprehend, ex-
actly that (if indeed any such could be found)
which will meet. with very general assent. At all
events there are two things which should be well
considered before any steps are taken towards
its accomplishment—the one, whether the site
proposed is the the most desireable which the
metropolis presents—and secondly, whether there
is any prospect, in the present apparently low
state of the arts among us (judging at least
from what we have witnessed of late years) of
our seeing a Palace planned and executed in
any way worthy of the-ration and its Sovereign.
And first, as to the proposed site. We doubt
very much whether a house in a street, as this
would be, can ever amount to what the mind con-
jectures of a Palace ; towards which a degree
of space seems requisite which cannot be found,
we should think, between Pall-Mall and the
Park. There are, we conceive, three situations
each preferable to this ; and these are, Bucking-
ham House, Kensington Palace, and the Regent's
Park. It is essential, we are aware, that the
town Palace of the Sovereign, where Court and
Councils are to be held, should be at no
unreasonable distance from the Houses of
Parliament, and other places of official and
public resort. For this reason we should say
that Buckingham House presents a site more
convenient than any other. Kensington Palace,
though rather farther from the above points, pre-
sents many attractions. And in the Regent's
Park a magnificent structure might be raised, to
which the New-street would form a ready and
splendid access from the heart of the Metropolis.
But whichever of these sites may be fixed upon,
we hope that the national funds will not be in-
trusted to such hands as have hitherto had the
direction of public buildings ; and that if a Palace
is to be built worthy of our national character,
its erection will riot be allowed to become a
' source of patronage or jobbing, or to devolve
upon the tasteless and ignorant people who have
already lavished (we believe we may say) mil- •
lions of public money in erecting monuments to
their own imbecility. The state of modern ar-
chitecture is one of the greatest scandals to the
age; and we are sure that his Majesty himself
would much rather continue Nv ithout a Palace than
possess one of those gingerbread gewgaws which
would be likely to emanate from those who have
hitherto turned their hands to such matters. If
this cau be remedied, it is only, we conceive, to
be done by opening wide the door of taste and
competition to artists of our own and other coun-
tries. Let plans be called for b 7 Parliament,
and submitted openly to public criticism. Let
rewards of sufficient magnitude be offered to
tempt and call forth the higher qualities of the
art. Let them extend not merely to the build-
ing itself, but to the groundwork and character
of the whole design ; and finally, let not the
choice and decision rest with a little vain, igno-
rant coterie, who live upon each other's flat-
tery ; but let public opinion and public taste,
openly courted and openly obtained, adjudge a
point so essential to the future splendour of the
nation and its Monarch. The funds for this
work, we are aware, must be considerable ; but
still we think might be obtained in the way
which we know would be most pleasing to his
Majesty—that is, without being materially felt
by the people. A great proportion of the neces-
sary means might be raised by disposing of one
or more of the present Palaces,
and by the sale
of a considerable portion of Crown hinds. If,
for instance, Carlton House were abandoned
as the site, that every Palace itself might be
I sold towards the erection of a new one, and the

materials of the late King's Palace, at Kew,
which every one wishes to see removed, might
be readily brought in aid of the same object.—
These, however, we admit are minor considera-
tions. What we would most seriously impress
upon all parties is this, that proper care be taken
by profiting from past experience, to render the
expenditure one at which neither ourselves nor
posterity will have reason to repine.

[MORNING CHRONICLE-]
We remember when Scott's Divorce Bill came
down from the Lords to the Commons, the al-
lowance to the lady was raised by acclamations
in the House of Commons from four to six hun-
dred pounds a year. We will not trust our-
selves with describing the character of the letters
of the Lady then read, but they were unique.—
The late Spencer Perceval was the only Mem-
ber who had the manliness to reprobate the
course pursued by the House as a direct en-
couragement to vice. We believe the husband re-
fused to take the divorce subject to the in-
creased allowance.—This'was of a piece with the
English law and practice respecting Adultery
and Divorce. The Bishops, in the House of
Lords, consider certain texts as their rule
in Divorce cases. The Law of England
makes adultery only a trespass, though the
Scripture makes it a heavy crime. The Pu-
ritans were consistent who attached to adultery
the same punishment to which it is liable at this
day in Scotland. There notorious adultery is a
capital crime. Here it is considered a feather in
the cap of a man of fashion. How consistent the
conduct of the House of Commons in Scott's Bill,
and the virtuous indignation against a member of
a profession which has seldom been looked up to
for models of the Apostolic virtues !

In the Foreign Market yesterday every thing
was steady. Colombian Bonds were at 914, and
Mexican at 811. Considerable business was done
in the Shares of the South American Mining
Companies, but those of all the Companies for
the employment of capital at home were heavy.
Even the Provincial Bank of Ireland Shares,
which were at 5 premium buyers, fell to 2 ; but
this fall was caused by the number thrown upon
the market by persons who have subscribed not
for the purpose of real investment ; and there
cannot be a doubt that they will soon reach their
fair value. It has been stated in a Morning Pa-
per, that Mr. Rothschild has made a contract
with the Government for some Mines in %Vales,
but that no arrangements towards forming a Com-
pany are effected. This is quite correct ; Mr.
Rothschild's contract is for 31 years, and is un-
connected with another Welsh Mining Company
now forming.—No steps will be taken towards
the formation of a Company until the reports of
several scientific men, who have been employed
to survey the district, shall have been received.
In the event of the Company being formed, the
Shares will be issued without premium to the
contractors.—The Shares of the new " West-
minster Milk Company" are out, and are barely
at a premium. In Rail Road Shares there is no.
thing doin4. The Shares of the New General
South American Mining Company (a company
for buying up mines) are at a premium of 121
per cent.—The new Mexican Mine Shares,
brought out by Green and Hartley, are at 400
premium.—(lbid.)

CATHOLIC RENT IN LONDON.—We do not
know whether the hint we threw out a fortnight ago to Parish
Officers, " to guard against the weekly allowances to out-door
paupers, being fooled away in payments of Catholic Rent" has
been acted upon. If it have not, the fear that it may be, seems,
as will be seen from the following article, to have pretty well
knocked the thing on the head. Instead of a Dublin subscrip-
tion for the week of 8001. or 1,0001. the London payments
amount to but 11. 14s. jitl. :—At seven o'clock, last evening,
the Third Meeting of the Friends of the Catholic Association in
London, for promoting, what they term, the " Catholic Rent,"
took place in the Roman Catholic School Room, in Dean-street,
Soho. At the close of which the Chairman (Mr. Virtue) an-
nounced that the donations and subscriptions of the evening
amounted to 11. 14s. 76d. and accounted for the smallness of
the sum, by the infancy of the Association in this country, the
plans of the Committee not being yet quite matured, the apathy
of many well-wishers to the cause, from their not being perfect-
ly acquainted with the objects the Meeting had in view, and
flnally, the fact, that to-night, a similar Meeting was held at
the Roman Catholic School in Moorfields, where many of the
promoters of the Catholic Rent in London, had to attend.—
( Courier. )

A SMUGGLER STIOT.-01) Monday and Tues-
day last, an Inquest was held, by adjournment, at Rockliff-
cross, about five miles from Carlisle, before Richard Lowry,
Esq., Coroner, on view of the body (lying in an out-house there)
of Charles Gillespie, of Wigton, labourer, w'no was shot on the
preceding Sunday, by Edward Forster, officer of customs and
excise, stationed in and about this city, under circumstances
fully explained in the evidence. George Irving, of Mossband,
in the parish of Kirkandrews-upon-Esk, labourer, was the first
witness examined. He said, between seven and eight o'clock
on Saturday night, Edward Forster, officer in the customs
and excise, having made a seizure of a quantity of whisky,
called upon him, in the King's name for assistance, and, in
consequence, witness assisted him to carry the liquor to ltoc-
kliffe-cross, where they put it into a byre belonging to William
Irving. After remaining there three or four hours, they went to
Rockliff-marsh-end, on the look-out for smugglers, and they
continued in and about that place till day-light, when they went
behind a bank on the Marsh. After staying there till about
ten, Forster took out a spy-glass and observed some persons
coming over the water (from Scotland) in a boat, and re-
marked to witness that he thought they were smugglers.—
They lay concealed behind the bank, until the men came
up, when Foster jumped over the bank, and seized a man
named Scott, who had upon him a quantity of whiskey, which
Foster took ; the men were armed with sticks, but Scott did
not make much resistance. The deceased dropped a quantity of
whisky which he had in his possession upon the ground,on which
Forster desired witness to seize him, which he did, and the de-
ceased inade no resistance. They then proceeded towardslrving's
house. Witness was along with Scott, at a distance of be-
tween 40 and 50 yards before the deceased and Forster, when
I Scott ran away and witness pursued ; soon after he heard a pistol
fired, and in about a minute or less he heard another pistol
fired; Forster called to witness, and he went to him and saw
deceased lying upon the ground, supporting himself upon his
right arm. Forster was about nine or ten yards from the
deceased, wiping the blood from his head ; and he told
witness that the deceased had almost killed him, and added
that he believed he had shot him. Forster then went to
Irving's house, And witness soon followed him. He there had
his head tied up with a handkerchief, through which witness
saw the blood gush, apparently flowing from the wounds he had
received from deceased. He (lid not afterwards see the boy who
was in company with the two men. Forster and witness soon
went back to where the deceased was lying, and found him
quite dead, and they removed him to Irving's stable. Other
witnesses were examined, anti the Jury returned a verdict of
Wilful Murder against Edward Forster." The Coroner
issued his warrant for Forster's apprehension and committal;
but he has hitherto kept aloof, and will not again be seen, pro-
bably, till the assiaes in March, when he will most likely sur-
render timself.--( Carlisle Journal. )

DUEL.-A meeting took place on Saturday
morning between Captain S— and Mr. N, of
Acton. The former was wounded, but it is
hoped not dangerously.