The Sun.
London, England, 1836-04-09 00:00:00

WILLIAM GODWIN.

Our obituary contains the death of the celebrated Wm.
Godwin, in the 81st year of his age.
Mr. Godwin was nearly fifty years before the public as a
writer. His celebrated work on Political Justice attracted
more attention, perhaps, than any publication of the time.
The author possessed one of the finest requisites of a great
writer ; he addressed himself to his reader. in an earnest
and impressive manner. Whatever may be thought of Mr.
Godwin's philosophy, it will be universally admitted that he
presented it in the most attractive form. Malthus's cele-
brated work on population, which first appeared in one oc-
tavo, was written for the express purpose of refuting the
ideas of human perfectability advocated by Mr. Godwin,
by showing that from the tendency of population to in-
crease beyond food, vice was a necessary part of the eco-
nomy of the world. All the errors of the book of Malthus
may be traced, we think, to its controversial origin.
Mr. Godwin attempted most walks of literature, and in
several he excelled. As an essayist, his " Enquirer" will

always give him a claim to a high place. His observations
on style—pursued through several Essays—are peculiarly
serviceable to the young. He also attempted tragedy, but
we believe his only effort was not suscessful.
As a novelist, " Caleb Williams" will always entitle him
to the first rank. Who ever 'took up that interesting work
without being glued to it till the close ?
Mr. Godwin having been a warm admirer of the French
Revolution, suffered not a little from the obloquy cast on
all who shared his views. When Sir James Mackintosh
delivered his Lincoln's-inn Lectures, Mr. Godwin was one
of his hearers ; and we believe he was not a little surprised
to find that no small portion of the labours of Sir James
was devoted to the refutation of the heresies of his former
associate. Having entered into business as a bookseller,
Mr., Godwin wrote a number of works on Education, which
were published under the name of Baldwin (the disguise be-
inc, necessary from the obloquy to which we have alluded)
and obtained very extensive circulation.

Mr. Godwin retained his health and faculties till within
a short time of his death. He was a successful author of
novels when turned of 70 years of age. He was rather
under the middle size, compactly built, and we have always

understood was, during his whole life, almost a stranger to
disease. The small place under the Government which he
received during the Grey Administration, was considered a
well-deserved reward.

Mr. Godwin was, we believe, the last of the Revolu-
tionary school of writers of any note.

IRELAND.

ORANGEMEN'S LOYALTY.—Notwithstanding the boasted
loyalty of Orangemen, " No surrender" is still the motto.
On the 25th ult., the Masters of. Orange Lodges for the
Castle-blayney district of the county Monaghan held at
Ballybay, the notorious Sam Gray in the chair ; when these
worthies, not content with the sneering at his Majesty's
" gracious answer," doggedly avowed their determination of
" assembling when and where they please ;" and that while
they make " no surrender" their watchword, they will not
give up their hope of rising again above the control of a
Ministry holding office at the beck of a Popish demagogue !
This is one of the many samples which these loyalists, by
prescription, have recently given of the justice of their pre-
tensiens.—Register.
COUNTY REFORM REGISTRY ASSOCIATION.—A full and
highly respectable meeting of the Reformers of Fermoy
and its vicinity took place in that town on Monday. The
Constitution endeavours to confound, as if there were any
similarity between them, the County Association with the
Orange Lodges, alleging that not a month has elapsed since
the King, in his answer to the. Address of the House of
Commons, declared his determination to discourage the
Orange and other similar Societies, and that, in defiance of
the expressed will of the Sovereign, the principal adherents
of his Ministers are hastening to organize in Ireland new
Associations, which, it is asserted, arc open to the very
charges brought against the Orange Lodges, of exclusive-
ness and illegality. This is a misrepresentation. The
County Association is constituted for a purpose indisputably
legal and constitutional. It has one sole, public, notorious,
and defined object. It is neither secret nor exclusive. It
is not sectarian in its character, including, as it does, indi-
viduals of all religious denominations ; and the members are
not under
by
any obligation of oath, neither do they recognize
each other
signs or symbols.—Corle Reporter.
The late meeting in Mayo is one of those great public
proceedings which call for the most distinct consideration.
This great meeting of the county is honourable to its talents
and its spirit, and we have no doubt the choice of the
county, whenever an election takes place, will be stamped
with wisdom as wall as integrity.—Dublin. Freeman's
Journal.

TGIF REGISTRIES. COIiNTY OF LONGFORD.—Eleven
Liberal electors were rerristered at Ballyrnahon this day
(Monday) befure Mr. Fred. Lindsay, acting assistant-bar-
rister in the room or Mr. French, who was indisposed. The
Tories had not one solitary claimant to produce. There
were four Liberal claimants rejected—two for insufficiency

of value, who have lodged appeals, one who bad not his
title deeds in court, and one who claimed as a 10/. free-
holder, for not being in possession of all the premises out
of which he sought to register, but in which he had an in-
terest far exceeding 201. per annum.

The Sessions have commenced this day (Tuesday) at
Longford, Where the Liberals are expected to make con-
siderable progress, having served upwards of two hundred
notices.

KING'S CouNTY.--The Registry for the Birr division of
the King's County commenced in that town on Saturday.
The number of notices, not counting duplicate ones,
amounted to about 108. The Tories never before sus-
tained such a signal defeat as they experienced on this oc-
casion. They registered but five, while the Liberals have
added forty-two good substantial men to their ranks. One
or two lessons more of this kind will completely cool all
Conservative ardour in the King's County. As a speci-
men of the evidence, one of the witnesses who gave his
testimony under the most violent paroxysms of excitement,
lnstily deposed that the land in question " would not•bog a
snipe !" Colonel Lloyd, with his cohorts, took a lively in-
terest in the early part of the proceedings, but fled in dis-
may in the course of the day. The two County Members,
Mr. Fitzsimon and Colonel Westenra were at their post,
together with Major Richard Westenra, of Monaghan, and
an English gentleman of liberal politics, who seemed much
amused at the animation of the scene.

At Phillipstown session last week, Consellor Gibson pre-
siding, not a single elector on the list was registered for
division of the King's County, none attending.
CORK CITY REGISTRATION.—LiberaIs registered at
Mallow, 36 ; Tories, 31—majority for the Liberals, 5. At
our City Assizes, just ended, the Liberals registered 64 ;
Tories, 13—majority for Liberals 51—Total 56. When
the result of the year's registry is published, the Liberals
will show such an increase of strength as will deter 'the
Tories from practising the tricks played at the last election.
THE DEPOPULATING WICKEDNESS.--MC fell spirit of
persecution has been exhibited throughout the entire week.
The Protestant parsons, armed with writs of rebellion,
have gone on reckless of human suffering, persecuting the
poor peasantry with unrelenting cruelty. It is only seven
days since ninety-six individuals, including widows and or-
phans, the young and the infirm, were ejected from their
dwellings, and cast on the highways to starve or plunder,
and that in a single district of Carlow. It will no doubt be
asked, what was the offence of these forlorn creatures,
what did they do to call down the vengeance of the noble
and ruthless desolator ? The question (says a Correspon-
dent of a Contemporary) can be answered in three words—
they were poor. This was their only crime. But were
they unwilling to work? No such thing. There is not in
any part of the habitable globe a more hardy or laborious
being than an Irish cottier, a person willing to submit to
more keen privations for the sustenance of human life. We
now turn to Tipperary. Concurrently with the exter-
minating proceedings in Carlow, the field is taken in the
former county by the agents of the parsons, and " writs of
rebellion" run riot through the length and breadth of the
land. One man is seized in a tavern, and though he offers
security to the amount of 7001., the " Commissioner" re-
tains his grasp, and the tithe defaulter is thrown into pri-
son. A few days after, the same functionary renews ope-
rations, and traverses an entire district, over hill and dale,
-at the head of a police party. He ,searches for his prey ;
but finding the bird flown, is the minister of rebellion
to suffer disappointment ? No such thing. Returning
homeward, he finds other employment in distraining
for tithe arrears—he seizes five head of cattle, the
property of a gentleman ; and then, to show how im-
partial he can be in harassing all parties, breaks open
a house belonging to a poor widow, and carries
off a horse. The service of the day is concluded by
getting drunk and firing pistol-shots, to the no small alarm
of the neighbourhood. Such is the diary of a commissioner
of rebellion. And all this is done with the aid of the police,
but no Magistrate, and amid a population the most excita-
ble and daring in Ireland. The people of Wexford are un-
willing to pay tithes, waiting, and small blame to them, for
a final settlement of the question ; not so, however, Colonel
Rochford. This gallant Tory settles with the parson, and
straight proceeds to levy the amount from his tenantry. A
seizure takes place, and then follows a scene which we copy
frem the correspondent of the Wexford :—" Several
thousand persons attended at the appointed time and place
of sale, and seemed as if they came to attend the funeral of
some lamented friend. They stood in awful and gloomy
silence, and appeared as if buried in profound thought. The
goods were offered for sale, but not an individual in the
vast assembly would stain his bands with property seized
for the ' odious impost.' The Sheriff brought neither mili-
tary nor police to attend him. Indeed, there was no occa-
sion for them. The county Wexford people are too ho,
nourable to abuse his confidence ; and, thanks to political
agitation, they are too well instructed, too enlightened,
and they have too much confidence in the present Go-
vernment, to commit a breach of the peace. Two spies
attended on the occasion ; but their ingenuity could not
torture one act or expression to the disadvantage of
the people in attendance. The persons distrained at
Browne's- wood, are J. Kelly and J. Browne, Roman Ca-
tholics—honest, upright, industrious men, who have paid
their rents punctually. The properties of four respectable
Protestants, extensive landholders near Ballindaggin, have
been seized for tithes. Monday, April 4, is the appointed
day of sale. These Protestants are Mr. Bassett, of Mo-
nalee ; Mr. Jacob, and two others, all distrained at the suit
of the Rev. Preston Elrington." This is but a brief sum-
mary of oue week's work in only three counties of Ireland ;
and the reader will now judge of the prospect of tranquil-
lity in a country where such transactions are only regarded
as matters of course ; above all, he will be able to estimate
what portion of Irish outrages is fairly chargeable on the
measures of Lord Mulgrave or the Whig Administration.
Yet, strange as it may appear, the Irish peasantry are, after
all, more peaceably disposed at this very hour, and under
this load of provocative oppression, than at any former
period of our history."
BLACKSOD RAILWAY.—A deputation, consisting of
Colonel Knox Gore, Lord Lieutenant of the county of
Sligo, on behalf of the county of Mayo Committee of the
Blacksod and Broadhaven Railway, Sir Henry Meredith,
Bart., Hon. Sir Francis Stanhope, Robert Murdock, Esq.,
agent to the Earl of Arran and to Mrs. Leslie, Mr. Leahy,
solicitor, &c., have had an interview with his Excellency
the Lord Lieutenant, at Dublin Castle, relative to the sur-
vey of the harbours on the western coast of Ireland, with
a view of selecting an eligible one as a naval, commercial,
and packet station ; and also for the purpose of getting his
Excellency's instructions to the Board of Works to have a
calculation and statement made of the expense of a survey
of the intended line of railway from Dublin to Blacksod
and Broadhaven harbours, by Mullingar, Longford, Gra-
nard, Carrick-on-Shannon, Boyle, Ballina, Castlebar, &c.,
aid from Mullingar to Galway, by Athlone, Ballinasloe,
&c. ; and to have an engineer named for the purpose of
such survey by the Board of Works, with a view of ascer-
tainino%the merits of the line, and the probable expense of
completing the project. His Excellency received the de-
putation most graciously, and stated that he would commu-
nicate with the Board of Works respecting the survey, and
the appointment of an engineer, and that he would also
communicate with the Government on the subject of the
harbours. _ _ _ _ _ _

SUlClDE.—Between 12 and 1 o'clock on Saturday, John
Deane, a private in the 33d Regiment, stationed in the
Royal Barrack, and servant to the adjutant, put a period
to his existence by hanging himself. The deceased, who
was a fine-looking young man, about 25 years of age, was
distinguished as one of the best servants in the regiment,
and as a most sober, steady man. A disappointment in a
love affair is supposed to have been the cause of his unfor-
tunate end.—Freeman.

UPSET OF THE CORK MAIL—AS the mail from Dublin,
via Kilkenny, was travelling at the usual rate, half-,way be-
tween
the latter place and Callan, it was suddenly upset, in
consequence of the cap of the axletree coming off. There
were two outside passengers besides coachman and guard
on the coach at the time, but fortunately all escaped with-
out serious injury. The guard then procured a post-chaise
in which he arrived here two hours after the usual time.
By a similar conveyance the mail was forwarded to Cork,
but was doomed to meet with a second accident, as the
chaise was also upset on Watergrass-hill, and the guard
slightly bruised.
ACCIDENT FROM LIGHTNING.—EarIy on Thursday
morning last, the schooner Glasgow (f llothsay, Captain,
Miller, then lying at anchor at -Dorinch, in Westport-bay,
was struck with lightning, and a mariner, who was sitting
near the chain cable on deck, was struck by the electric
fluid so violently that he was found in a state of insensi-
bility, and so severely burnt from his head to his feet that
his life is despaired of. It appeared that the chain cable
acted as a conductor, for the lightning, having entered
the vessel by the hawse-hole, and exploded with a report
equal to that of a 21-pounder. The vessel received no se-
rious injury.

Despatches were received at the Portugeuse Lega-
tion, in Baker-street, on Thursday, from Plymouth, an-
nouncing the departure of his Royal Highness Prince Ferdi-
nana of Portugal, at eight P.m., on Monday, for Lisbon, in
the Manchester steam-vessel, the weather having become mo-
derate. The Duchess of Braganza frigate and the Espe-
ran2a schooner, convoy to the Manchester, were driven, by
stress of weather, the former into Portsmouth and the latter
into Falmouth. Both vessels have since sailed.
Robert VlTallace, Esq., M. P., arrived here this
moaning, on his way to pass a few days at Kelly House..
the Easter holidays can, however, hardly be called a time
relaxation to our indefatigable representative, Indeed,
in so far as they have brought him a change of du,u,resa:red
accordingly, we believe that he has this day,been
various conferences on matters connected witn. thei
his constituents.—We have heard that Mr. NVal Parliamentary
this for London early next week, to resume his
labours,—Greenock Intelleyencer. ciin'tt:eilCesletsa%o•of