The Sun.
London, England, 1836-11-07 00:00:00

destroy every vestige of British sovereignty over one of
the finest countries on earth, and to establish a perfect
legal subjection of the English race, by whose invin-
cible bravery it was conquered, to a mixed and foreign
cue, unable
.through any nobler instrument than that
of hypocritical and deceitful turbulence to recover its
lost dominion. The factious outcry against the House
of Lords at borne springs from the same selfish and
desperate profligacy, made more odious through the
comparative magnitude of the evil to be wrought by
it, as is visible in the Canada machination. In both
cases it is a presumptuous faction that speaks, in the
name and in contempt of the real principles of an in-
telligent people : in both cases it is a sound and sa-
lutary authority which they seek to overturn, and to
supersede a system of just and useful government by
one of wretched ignorance and base oppression. Lord
Gosford and his colleagues, who must have discerned
the true character of the Canadian conspiracy from the
first, might, it is certain, have uncloaked it more
promptly and skilfully, and have now denounced it
with more vigorous and emphatic reprobation. The
country, however, is awake, and will execute for itself
the trusts, and secure the interests, which are so mi-
serably compromised by the feebleness to which they
have been committed.---Times.
The church-rate grievance is virtually at an end.
The Dissenters, as we expected they would, are fol-
lowing up their denunciation of those obnoxious im-
posts, at their late meeting at the City of London Ta-
vern, by vigorous and decided measures. They are
now organizing themselves into anti-church-rate asso-
ciations throughout the country, with the view of offer-
ing such a resistance to church-rates as must necessa-
rily terminate in their speedy and entire abolition. It
was the fault of the Dissenters themselves, that these
rates were exacted so long. They had been so simple
and confiding as to trust to the exertions of others, ra-
ther than to their own. Experience has taught them
their error. Repeated disappointment has at last led
them to see the folly of trusting to the spontaneous
interposition of the Legislature, to rid them of their
grievances. They are now convinced that, if they
do not vindicate their own rights, no one else will.
Nay, more—they are persuaded that they have the
means in their own possession of extorting justice,
from those who never would have conceded that jus-
tice to them of their own accord. Both Houses of
Parliament will, next session, be besieged by peti-
tions from all parts of the kingdom, praying for
the extinction of church-rates, and these petitions
will be drawn up with an energy, and in a decision of
tone, though with becoming respect, to which neither
House of the Legislature has been accustomed. The
language employed will not be so much that of
humble, timid supplication, as of assertion of their un-
doubted right to the boon they ask. The Dissenters
will approach the table of both Houses with the bear-
ing of men who know their petitions will not be de-
nied, because if they should, they have the means in
their own hands of ridding themselves for ever of their
fetters. The Dissenters, in other words, have come
to a resolution in all parts of the country, that they
will pay no more church-rates. They do not mean to
offer any active resistance to those who may be em-
ployed to enforce the payment of those odious imposts;
but they will offer a passive resistance to the collectors.
They will submit to have their goods distrained, and
put up to the hammer, rather than any longer outrage
their consciences by contributing to the support of a
Church of which they so strongly disapprove, that in
some respects they consider no better than her sister,
the Church of Rome. This is the right way of going
to work. Our surprise is that the Dissenters did not
adopt it sooner. Better, however, late than never. We
are sure they will now, to a man, act up, in the fullest
sense of the term, to the resolution to which they have
come. And if they do, what earthly power can effec-
tually contend with them ? They arc a numerous body,
far more numerous than the members of the Church.
Besides they have the people on their side, including a
very large proportion of Churchmen themselves. The
Crown may, therefore, prosecute as long and as much
as it pleases ; but it will be unavailing. The furni-
ture of the Dissenters may be put up to auction ; but
who will be the buyers ? The person who would bid
• for goods put up to the hammer under such circum-
stances, would inevitably entail on himself an eternal
odium in the place in which he resides. He would be
hooted out of society. His acquaintances would be
ashamed of him. Anti where, let us further ask,
would the requisite number of brokers be found to
distrain in all the cases of the supposed passive re-
sistance ? When more than the one-half of many
communities would be found offering this passive re-
sistance to the collection of Church-rates, the task of
putting it down by the forcible seizure and sale of their
goods, would be found to be altogether impossible of
execution. We congratulate the Dissenters, there-
fore, on the immediate prospect of deliverance from
the Church-rate grievance. Let them but hold firmly
together a little longer, in their determination to clear
their consciences and save their pockets in this matter,
and their triumph is beyond all dispute. The object
to be obtained is one of so glorious a character, as may
well reconcile us to any little remaining sacrifice which
we may yet be called on to make for it. We congra-
tulate, too, the real friends of the Church, that they
will soon cease to see the fair fame of that Church tar-
nished by the unholy strife and bitter animosity of
feeling which have in so many cases been the fruits of
the enforcement of these obno-eious imposts.—Morning
Advertiser.
Of 94 prisoners for trial at the late Wiltshire Ses-
sions, 37 could neither read nor write, 44 could read
imperfectly, five could read and write imperfectly, four
could read well, and four only could read and write well.
As to their ages-29 were under 20, 33 from 20 to 30,
15 between 30 and 40, 11 between 50 and 60, and one
above that age. The same source from which we gather
these interesting particulars, states that within the last
30 years, at the corresponding Sessions, there was on
one occasion only two prisoners for trial, and on another
four These are appalling facts, and we fear not very
creditable to the Magistracy, or, indeed, to any of the
higher classes of this opulent and extensive county.
Wherever else the schoolmaster may be abroad, it is
quite dear that he must be comparatively a stranger in
Wiltshire ; and that the heavy expense of their prisons
might have been saved and much better applied in
diminishing the number of their inmates. That such
might and would have been the case seems evident
enough from a mere reference to the facts above stated;
for if out of nearly a hundred criminals only eight are
found to have been educated at all, at least in
any useful sense, and four of those eight only half-
educated, it follows, that had the rest been properly
educated, nine-tenths of them would in all probability
never have found their way to the Wiltshire prisons.
It is impossible, too, to forget that this is a county in
which commitments under the game laws have been
for many years more numerous than in any two, or
probably three, other counties in the kingdom ; the
expenses, as well as demoralising effects, of which are
thus exhibiting themselves in a way not to be misun-
derstood. It is not without great regret, too, we add,
that all this occurs in a county, the wealthy residents
of which have in a space of four months' solicitation
subscribed only little more than 2,0001. towards alle-
viating one of the most ruinous local calamities which
ever occurred, we mean the destructive hail storm which
occurred near Salisbury, in the beginning of July. We
are aware that these remarks will, one and all, be not
‘T,eihey arise,•ypa
lateable in the quarters to which they apply.
however, from no local or personal feeling
on our part, but solely from a wish to see the Nobility,
gentry, and magistracy occupying the useful station in
society for which they are so well qualified, and which
fill.—Mornine• Herald.
it is their duty to
We have great pleasure in directing the attention of
our readers to the proceedings at Devonport on the
first festive meeting of the Conservative Association
recently established in that stronghold of official in-
fluence. Our report of these gratifying proceedings
is borrowed from a local paper professing political pri-
ciples opposed to our own, and to those of the valuable
and important institution, the vigorous birth of which
it has, with whatever reluctance, been compelled to ce-
lebrate. In this instance, at least, there can be no an-
prehension that the statements are exaggerated—that
the meeting is described as more numerous and re-
spectable than it really was—that the unanimity, the
energy, or the fervour of the Conservatives are de-
scribed in more glowing language than the occasion
•