The Sun.
London, England, 1838-07-03 00:00:00

Zln

WITH WHICH
THE " TRUE SUN" IS NOW
INCORPORATED.

LONDON :
TUESDAY EVENING. JULY 3, 1838.

The two brief discussions in the House of Lords last
night, on Mr. TuavoN's appointment, and on the Corn-
laws, taken in conjunction, arcs most instructive and edify-
ing. On the former, whien related to an individual trans-
gression, the Bishop of LONDON expressed great indigna-
tion at a little attempt which was made by Lord
BROUGHAM neithfsr to excuse nor to palliate the immorality
but merely to 's'how that up to a period of three years after
its commiss'asn, the circumstance which is considered
to be the cross aggravation of the offence in Mr. Tuaroses
case stirs by the law of England no offence at all. Adul-
tery of itself is too common in society, and particularly in
the; class to which the head of the Metropolitan pa ac y
addressed his observations for them to tolerate any great
indignation against such an offence ; but he could launch
out against Mr. TURTON because his wife's sister
was his accomplice. It was this eircumstance and
not the mere adultery which constitutes the unpardonable-
nese of Mr. TURTON'S offence ; and, up to three years
after it was committed, according to Lord BROUGHAM, it
was no offence for a man to marry successively two sisters,
or by the law the aggravating circumstance was no
aggravation at all. Such was the state of the law
though the Bishops form an element of the Legis-
lature. Last night, however, the Pope of London
could not sit silent under Lord Baounswes remarks, and
rose with some indignation to protest, in this individual
case, against the implied doctrine that the law of the
Church—which if it be valid at all must be the Gospel—
was less sacred than the law of the land. He protested
with prudish indignation against any doctrines or acts
which tend to weaken morality ; and his protest will find
an echo in every honest heart of the kingdom.
But after the discussion was at an end, Lord FITZ*
WILLIAM presented some petitions against the Corn Laws
and that nefarious legislative scheme to enrich those who
framed it, by stinting and starving the poor—that grand
contrivance for plundering the widow, and the orphan,
and the hard working artizen, in order to put gold into
the pockets of the law-makers—that attempt, as it
was justly characterized by Lord FITZWILLIAM, to
counteract the beneficent wisdom of the Deity
—that. ettrangliog of willing industry—that flagrant
and continual violation of the principles of common
honesty, which are not only inculcated in the Gospel,
but universally form the basis of the codes of al
heathen nations, and without respecting which, society
cannot exist—the Corn-laws excited no indignation on the
part Of CHARLES JAMES LONDON—it was met by no pro-
test against holding the law of Gon to be less sacred than
the plunder-schemes of men, including Bishops—but was
discussed in the peddling spirit of moneychangers, looking
at nothing but how much gold may be got by violating the
very first principles of morality. Now, this contrast between
the indignation of this ecclesiastic against Mr. TuturoN's
offence, and his silence concerning this much greater offence
committed by the Legislature itself, of which be is a
Member, shows how much the moral opinions even of
ecclesiastical law-makers arc influence.] by their own selfish
interests. The Bishop of LONDON had nothing to gain
by Mr. TURTON'S violation of morality, except it was
reputation by denouncing it ; but as a tithe-owner and a
land-owner he gains largely by the Corn laws, and he is not
so silly as to reprehend the Legislative immorality by which
be and his brethren are enriched.
Though the voice of the Prelates was not !Pled against
the starvation law, the brief debate which occurred afforded
US great satisfaction. We were even pleased at the de-
termin ttion of Lord MELBOURNE not to meddle with the
law without the concurrence of the people at large. Under
our representative system that is a just and wise resolution
and it must at once convince the people, that if they wish
to be helped they must first help themselves. Till they
move the Legislature will not move ; and till the y require
the starvation laws to be abolished they will be retained. IVe
were pleased, however, to see that thelandowners trr mble for
their booty. The Duke of RICHMOND, the Earl of HARD-
wtoc, and Lord PORTMAN are obviously alarmed lest the
Corn-laws should not hold out for another year. A shower
of rain more or less, a cold bleak day, a frosty night, the
chance of a scanty crop—and our information says that it is
very unpromising—fills them with apprehensions. They
already foresee a partial dearth, open ports, hungry mobs,
and the Corn-lairs perishing amidst universal execration,
which will extend itself from the unjust law to the unjust
law-makers. They are testing before hand in their terrors
the tribulations which awdit them, and which they well de-
serve, for abusing the pubic confidence and stintng the
food of tire pt:op'e to enrie:i themsel% es. No race of men
in the world were more respected and honoured than the
landlords of England,' till they unfortunately took it in
their heads. to make their income depend on taxing a short
supply dread, an I ever since, they have been looked upon
with something like Lorrer, and their decay will be hailed
with exult,,Con.
We have another consolation for the toil-worn, un-
washed artizans. The land-owners and the tithe-owners
are engaged in a dispute as to the share which each shill
have of the revenue levied by taxing the people's bread.
There lies before us a pamphlet entitled " Remarks on the
Manner in which Tithe should be assessed to the Poor-
rate under the existing law ; with a Pretestinthaatgalainwt
the change which will be produced
by a Bill introduced into the House of Commons,