The Sun.
London, England, 1838-05-31 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, MAY 31, 1838.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC: JOURNALS

Much disappointment and dissension would often be avoided, were
parties to define what they actually mean by the terms they employ. No
two persons, for instance, attach the same meaning to the word Church.
Mr. O'Connell, for instance, on Tuesday night, when alluding to the
Roman Catholic Relief Act, " admitted that it was implied by that Act
that the Protestant religion should be secure from the encroachments of
the Roman Catholic religion, and that in reference to the Church Esta-
blishment, it was for the Protestants to decide whether or not they would
increase or diminish the articles of religion. Its discipline and its doc-
trines were all free from his impeachment; but when they came to
the codsideration of pounds, shillings, and pence, when they came
to the payment of money, he denied that they had granted any-
thing which either expressed or implied that they had not as
good a right to interfere as the Right HonourableGentleman (Sir R. Peel)
himst IC" Now, all this comes of not defining what is meant by Church.
Mr. O'Connell understands by it an assembly of persons believing in cer-
tain doctrines, and subject to a certain discipline. This is the meaning
of. Church in the primitive times of Christianity. Mr. O'Connell would
be liberal to excess in the matter of articles, but would withold tithes.
Sir Robert Peel, on the other hand, considers articles and discipline as
merely means to an end, the enabling those who profess time articles
and submit to the discipline to enjoy tithes and other temporalities.
The end is the property. All ambiguity would have been avoided
had it been declared in the Relief Bill that no Roman Catholic
should offer any impediment to the persons calling them,elve3 Pro-
testants agreeing on any number of articles, adding to or dimi-
nishing the present number as they might sec fit, or to their retaining
the present discipline or altering it, in whole or in part. Would such
a declaration have been deemed satisfactory ? Sir Henry Vane is said
to have tricked the Scotch Presbyterians by stipulating that the Churches
of the two kingdoms should be reformed according to the word of God,
the Scotch never dreaming that any doubt could be entertained that the
Presbyterian model was in strict accordance with the word of God,
while Sir Henry had a very different model in his mind. Those Pro-
testants who think that a Church and temporalities are identical (and we
fear there are but too many who think so) were like the Scotch, deceived by
their own confidence. Had they read the Bible, in which Christ says—
"My kingdom is not of this world," it might not have
altered their views as to tithes being the end, and the articles the me. its ;
limit it would perhaps have opened their eyes to the imperfect nature of
the security on which they were about to rely. Unfortunately, however,
High Churchmen never read the Bible, and only avail themselves of it
when the object is to defeat any plan of general education. And yet
wilco Dr. Magee said of the Irish Catholics that they had a Church
without religion, and oldie Presbyterians that they had religion without
a Church, the saying might have suggested a doubt whether Church and
Tithes were exactly synonymous. It remains to be seen how far Mr.
O'Connell's liberality to the Protestants in the way of articles will prove
satisfactory to the clergy,—Morning Chronicle.
When we glanced the other day at the number of occasions on which
the conscientious generosity of the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert
Peel had stepped in to save the Queen's Ministers from that destruction
which had been prepared for them by their own professed supporters, it
was far from our thoughts to describe as i any degree censurable the re-
sistance given to the wild and iniquitilus proposal fur robbing West India
planters of their vested right in the labour of the negro apprentices. It
would have been impossible for Conservative Members of Parliament to
vote in favour of Sir Eardley, Wilmot's proposition, or adversely to the
resolutions of Sir George Grey, without making theinselves parties to an
act of the worst example—for authorising in every future instance a
broad and downright violation of the rights of property, an unqualified
breach of the most solemn compact, and an utter defeazance of those secu-
rities and safeguards which it is theprovince of legislation throughout the
whole civilised world to throw around the persons and fortunes of
unofrencling men. The West India proprietors are accused of having,
by the breach of their engagements to the negroes, released the Imperial
Parliament from the bonds imposed upon it by the Art of I 533. But
this is, first, not true ; and second, if true, Parliament has in its own
hands a remedy—that specific remedy which it undertook to employ—
viz. a legislative provision, or provisions, of such a nature as should
compel the planter and the negro to abide by and to fulfil the en-
gagements which had been stipulated for both by the Act of
1833. The Imperial Parliament then took upon itself the right
and duty of entirely superseding, should it so think tit,
the Legislative action of the Colonial Assemblies, for the purpose,
not of breaking up and annihilating time compact of 1833, and
exonerating either white man or black man from his relative
obligations to the other, as Sir G. Strickland, Sir E. Wilmot, and such
statesmen have required, but of enforcing that compact in all its
branches, and binding both planter and negro to that course which, from
a regard to their mutual interests, and to considerations of general
equity and wisdom, the framers of tile gradual;Abolition Bill had all along
contemplated. If by thus reasoning and thus voting a large number of
Conservatives have obtained for the cause of justice a victory, which
has pro tanto helped to keep for a moment longer those feeble Ministers
in office, we are as ready as our neighbours to regret such an indirect
consequence of an upright action ; but if a legislator, or a member of
private society, were to refrain from doing what honour and inte-
grity demanded of him for the protection of the innocent, lest he
might thereby promote collaterally the views of those whom he considered
his enemies, no act prescribed by duty would ever be performed,
and the world would become a fled for the certain triumph of
every selfish and malignant impulse. In Monday's Number we referred
to the speech of Mr. Gladstone (published in a pamphlet), for confirma-
tion of our own sentiments with regard to the gross injustice and
treachery proposed by the Strickland and the Wilmot motions. The
speeches of Sir Robert Peel and Lord Stanley on that same evening were
equal ly conclusive. The one fundamental fact, that the six years' ap-
prenticeship was part of the pledged compensation to the West India in-
terest, should of itself be sufficient to settle the question in the mind of
every honest Member of Parliament. But, happily, some crimes are frus-
trated by the difficulty which the nature of things itself throws in the
way of their execution, and when Sir Robert Peel asked your " imme.
diate abolitionists" how they would deal with those West India
proprietors who, multi* the sanction of the existing law, had
purchased for large sums of money the unexpired labour
of apprentices from other masters, or how they would en
the instant, and at sight, set about framing a new code of measures
for regulating the new state of society which would be produced by the
change in the condition of the negro, from servitude to absolute free-
dom—the visage of immediate abolition fell—even the dexterous im-
pudence of O'Connell was staggered and refused to answer. On the
whole, we are not sorry that the whole case of the "immediate aboli_
tionists" was pushed into open day. The progress of the discussion in
three successive stages was such as to develope the salutary tendency of
public opinion in this country to correct itself. The majority of 54
against Sir George Strickland improved into one of 72 in support of
the resolutions introduced by Sir George Grey ; and as for the issue of
Sir Earclley Wilmot's motion, it deserves no notice beyond that which is
due to a definite record of the unsuccessful cunning practised by the
subalterns in the service of her Majesty's Government.—Time,,.
Yesterday the observations of our cotemporaries on the proceedings
of the previous evening in the House of Commons, evinced an unusual
coincidence of sentiment. All parties united in eulogising the con-
ciliatory tone of Sir Robert Peel's speech, and auguring most favourable
results from the terms on which he expressed his willingness to bring
to a satisfactory settlement the three leading questions of Irish policy—
the Church, the Poor.laws, and Corporations. Would that we could
participate in these hopes as cordially as we wish their realiza.
tion 1 Far be it from us, however, by a premature expression of sus-
picion, to disturb the good feeling and confidence necessary to the
wished-for constimmation. When men profess an inclination to turn from
the evil of their ways, even ii their sincerity be dubious, it is judicious
to give them the utmost encouragement, so as to leave them
no pretext for not persevering in their own reformation. We,
therefore, impugn not Sir Robert Peel's sincerity, but we would im.
press upon the public mind the necessity of unremitting vigilance, the
more effectually to secure those fair promises which were so temptingly
displayed in the Right Honourable Baronet's speech on Tuesday night.
The reply of a Member of the Chamber of Deputies, who, on being
asked if he believed in the conversion of Talleyrand, answered, " I be-
lieve in no conversions, not even in that of the 5 per Cents.," will not
often be found inapposite to those sudden changes of political or re-
ligious opinions. However, at the best, there will be much difficulty to
be overcome in rendering the proposed measures efficient to their ob-
jects. We confess also that we cannot see the advantage of making
measures so perfectly distinct in themselves mutually dependent on
each other, and so far were gratified by the observation of
Sir Robert Peel, to the effect that if the Tithe • Bill should
not pass, that circumstance should not be allowed to ope-
rate as any impediment to the passing of time Irish Municipal Bill.
On this subject, however, we must endeavour to guard against having
the promise kept to the ear amid broken to the sense. The proposition
to fix the municipal franchise at 10/., for instancts, is not establishing
what is professed to be so ardently desired—an identity of laws between
England and Ireland. Every one conversant with the condition of Ire-
land must know that the same class of persons who pay on time average
101. a year rent in Ireland, pay in this country at least 201., so that fix-
ing the franchise in Ireland at the former sum would be equivalent to
fixing it at the latter in this country, and therefore the corporate con-
stituencies at a 101 franchise in Ireland will be placed under a far
higher qualification than in this country. Pressure of matter, how_
ever, for the present, compels us to reserve our commentary on this
and other parts of the proposed policy for Ireland.—Morning Advertiser,

We understand that Mr. Stuart has stated, that
from first to last his short connection (less than twelve months) with the
borough of Bedford has cost him at least 10,0001.—llertford lirfurnicr.
Among all the occupations of the morning, the
Queen still finds time to continue taking lessons in singing from Signor
Lahlache, who has had the distinguished honour of teaching her Ma.
jesty for some time prior to the accession. The Queen is also in the
habit of performing pianoforte duets with such of the young ladies in
waiting as are musical ; but her Majesty seldom plays alone.
In the return from. Epsom Races yesterday, an
accident occurred near Tooting in consequence of the driver of a
britschka attempting to pass some carriages on the wrong side of the
way. The britschka Came in contact with a carriage and four which
preceded it, and unfortunately the postilion of the leading horses had
his leg broken. The man was carried up to town and conveyed to St.
George's I1o;pital, where lie is doing well, We understand, how-
ever, that he has a large family, who suffer severely from big tills,
fortune.

RESEMBLANCE.--A Dutchman, in describing the
appearance of his two horses, said that " They were so much alike, that
when you saw the one, you would think it was the other. One was a
plack horse wid a white spot in his face, and the other was a white horse
wid a pi: ck spot in his face."

A certain Tory Parson, not five miles from Dover,
on calling to pay a bill at the shop of a respectable tradesman the other
day, on being asked by the shopman if he had any farther commands,
answered in the following terms :—" 0 no. Your master, I find, is the
wrong colour for me. He is a Joe Hume man ; and :all his race are
thick and thin blues; and therefore (said he) as the Jews must have no
dealings with the Samaritan; I must beg to withdraw my
Dover Chronicle.

NEGRO EMANCIPATION.—yesterday a placard
was very extensively posted and circulated throughout the
city, an-
nouncing a meeting to be held very shortly on the subject of negro at,
prenticeship. The placard bears the likeness of a negro upon his
bonded knees, and underneath are the words, in allusion to the forth-
coming coronation, " Will her Majesty consent to become a Queen of
slaves ?" The appeal is somewhat
wheats in the neighbourhood
of what pointed:
strong clay soils arc looking remarkably healthy,
being good colour ; but upon the sands they are thin
ETastißE
well et
set,foC and of
:f
and looking yellow; in some places they are nearly brown, and in low
swampy situations the frost has been so severe as to kill the Wade and
root; by acres together. Barley on the forest land is generally looking
well, though upon poor soils it looks starved, and presents a very patchy
it has received injury in wet and swampy
saipti,:eaatiroannsc.e,A and,similar
remark will apply to oats. Beans and peas are
uoth looking well, but they do not progress so fast as could be desired.
like wheat,
Seeds are also looking, well, but where sheep and cattle have been suf.
fered to pasture the frost has made a serious havoc, and a want of ver-
dure is very generally complained of“—Doncaster Gazelle.
We are sorry to announce the death of the Dowager
Countess Poulett, which took place at Brighton on the 27th instant.
Her Ladyship was the only child of the late— Borges, Esq., of East Ham,
Essex. She married, first, Sir John Smith, Bart., of Havering_
bower, who took the name of Borges; and married, secondly, in July,
1816, John, fourth Earl Poolett. Her ladyship Was much esteemed
and beloved by all who knew her.
EXPORTATION OF THE PRECIOUS METALS.—.
The exportation of gold and silver coin from the i ort of Londe to
foreign ports, for the past week, ending 29th inst., is as under;—
Gold coin to Hamburg, 755 oz.; Mauritius, 520 oz. ; Cape of Good
pe, 1
`2,20 66 oz. ; silver ditto tq liottertlain, 1050Q0 oz.; Mauritius,
, ounces: