The Sun.
London, England, 1825-03-24 00:00:00

'l'll E LONDON JOURNALS.

DAILY

Extrizetsfroin- the Morning Papers „March 24,1825

thIaRNING POST.]
The chief bu-siness of interest in the House of
e oTtunons last night was the introduction of the
Catholic Bill by Sir Francis .Burdett, and the
discovery which ensued, that Mr. O'Connell's
cliicns to the paternity of the measure existed
solely in the imagination of that learned Gentle-
man, and in his letter to the Catholic Associa-
tion., in which he modestly said, " that the Ca-
tholics would hear with great pleasure that the
draft of the Bill had been committed to him."
Now as the truth of an assertion of this kind
could not possibly be doubted by any man who
has the least regard for veracity in public or in
priyate, Mr. Secretary Peel really believed that
the draft of the Bill had been committed to Mr.
O'Connell,and very justly made that circumstance
a ground for recommending that the details of the
measure should be duly examined. But to the in-
floite surprise of the House,up started Mr. Tierney,
a gentleman entitled to fully as much credit as Mr.
O'Connell, and with more charity than conviction,
declaring that gentleman " incapable of uttering
an untruth," proved in an undeniable manner that
he had told a a gross one. "As a Member of
the Committee (said Mr. Tierney), I can say that
Mr. O'Connell had nothing to do with the draw-
ing up of the Bill. Some mistake must have oc-
curred. Mr. O'Connell is incapable of uttering,
an untruth, and there must be some misconcep-
tion with respect to the matter. That Gentle-
man may have given some information to the
Members of the Committee individually, or he
may have gone so far as to have written down his
opinions, but he has taken no share whatever in
the drawing up the Bill." Had not Mr. Tierney
uttered the truth, the other Members of the Com-
mittee were present, and would have set the
matter right ; but not one of therm, not
even Sir Francis Burdett himself, the Par-
liamentary father of the measure, wasted
one word in vindication of Mr. O'Connell's
veracity. They probably considered the case
hopeless, and prudently abstained from directing
public attention to the errors of a friend, by a
vain and injudicious attempt to defend them. It
appears, indeed, that the present Bill -contains
none of those provisions which Mr. O'Connell's
prophetic pen had announced to the Catholics of
Ireland. It neither abolishes forty shilling Free-
holders, nor makes a provision for the Catholic
Clergy; but merely goes to effect an alteration i
in the Test Law, which will admit the Ca-
tholics within the pale from whence they have
so long been excluded. No opposition was
made to the first reading, except a few words
from Sir T. Lethbridge ; but the wish of the
House was expressed to Sir Francis Burdett that
he would not persist in fixing the second read-
ing for the 14th April, as many Members would
then be engaged at a distance in the discharge
of their ►magisterial duties. The Honourable
Baronet, however, bad.been placed in a difficult
situation. The friends of the Bill, who perhaps
relied for its passing through a second reading, in
the absence of those very Members, had requested
him not to flinch. Ills gentlemanly feelings, on
the other hand, told him plainly that the part
thus imposed upon him was repugnant both to
common decency and to honour. The fluctua-
tions of his mind were at last set at rest by a
powerful appeal made by Mr. Peel to the feel-
ings of the. Gentleman, and much to the dismay,
no doubt, of the inventors of the ingenious ex-
pedient to avoid discussion and resistance, the
lion. Baronet consented to postpone the second
reading of his Bill to the 19th, instead of the
14th of next April.

,ENew Times.]
Among other business at the India House yes-
terday, was the confirmation of a pension of a
thousand a year to that most distinguished indi-
vidual, Major-General Sir John Malcolm. It is
hononrable to the Company thus to testify their
gratitude for services, which even in that vast
field for talent, our Indian Empire, have seldom
been paralleled. Indeed, Sir J. Malcolm is a
very extraordinary character. To few men is it
given to shine alike in the paths of literature,
diplomacy, and war ; but in each of these, Sir
John has done more than enough to bitild up
a high and lasting celebrity. His works on
Persia, on the Political Ilistorg of India, on the
Sikhs, and on Central India, have attracted
the admiration of our best ativiewers, without
distinction of party. In Asiatic diplomacy, there
is probably no man living who has taken so active
a part. From the year 1798, when he went as
Assistant Resident to Hyderabad, till 1822, when
he retired from the military and political direc-
tion of Central India, there were few great poli-
tical operations in which he was not more or less
consulted ; and his negociations with the King
of Persia, with Scindia, Holkar, &c., are master-
pieces of ability in the diplomatic art. As a sol-
dier, Sir John has been known from very early
youth. It is t wo-and -forty years since he first ar-
rived in India, where his peculiar aptitude in ac-
quiring the languages the country, joined to a
tirlentstill more valuable, that of conciliating the
affections, and commanding the zealous exertions
of the natives, soon marked him as an officer of
the highest promise, whilst his commanding figure
aad personal intrepidity rendered him no less
conspicuous in the day of battle. But the feature
which peculiarly marks his military character is
his devoted attachment to his companions in arms,
the native soldiery. In all his works he has
pleaded their cause with an affectionate energy ;
and in the field he has sought every means-of en-
eouraging and rewarding their valour, of providing
for their 'health and comforts, and of converting
even their prejudices into means of advancing the
public service. The natural consequence is, that
no British Officer was ever more beloved, or re-
ri_ected,. by the native troops, nor ever obeyed
by them with greater promptitude, than Sir John
Malcolm. The tribute of our humble praise •
tii:this distinguished officer is weak ; but the •
kradari d laudato vino has stamped his name
with a far .higher commendation. We need