The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-09 00:00:00

Saturday. It is still the leading topic of conversation
in most of the commercial circles, and every conjecture
is hazarded as to the course which Lord PA LMERSTON
Will pursue to enable the merchants to adopt the Coun-
cils of the Crown with impunity. To make the sub-
ject of the letter intelligible to every person, we have
only to observe, that some two or three months ago,
the Russian Government, with a view to destroy the
British commerce on the Danube, established quaran-
tine regulations to be enforced at two several stations
on that river, and at the same time commanded that a
toll should be exacted from all vessels navigating the
waters of the Danube, to defray the cost of suastai
blishments.
.Our merchants very properly re used to
submit to regulations tantamount to an annihilation
of our trade in that quarter, or to pay any part of the
impost thus imposed—contrary to known treaties and
the law of nations. Having submitted the question to
his MAJESTY'S Government, the following answer
was returned, by order of the Noble Foreign Sec-
retary

" Foreign Office, May 5.
" Gentlemen,—ln acknowledging the receipt of your letter
of the 27th ultimo, upon the subject of the obstructions
offered by the Russian authorities to the free navigation of
the Danube, I am directed by Viscount Palmerston to acquaint
you, that his Lordship has called upon the law adviser of the
Crown for his opinion as to the regulations promulgated by
the Russian Ukase of the 7th of February, 1836 : but, in the
mean time, Lord Palmerston directs me to acquaint you, with
respect to the latter part of your letter, that it is the opinion
of his Majesty's Government that no toll is justly demanded
by the Russian authorities at the mouth of the Danube, and
that you have acted properly in directing your agents to refuse
to pay it. " I am, Gentlemen, &c.,
( Signed) " J. BACKHOUSE.
" To Messrs. G. Bell and Co., Fenchurch.street."

We do not agree in opinion with those who
suppose that the refusal of the British merchants to
submit to the regulations of Russia, with respect to
the navigation of the Danube, will lead to any hos-
tilities between the EMPEROR and the King of
GREAT BRITAIN. We presume our ambassador at
St. Petersburgh will be instructed to offer a remon-
strance, and NESSELRODE will advise his SOVEREIGN
to repeal the obnoxious ukases as far as regards Bri-
tish vessels. Of course our remonstrance will be ac-
companied by an increase of our fleet in the Black Sea.

The proceedings which took place at Oxford on
Thursday, are no less disgraceful to that University,
than they are scandalous to the character of the Esta-
blished Church. They are, after all, nothing more
than the natural result of an Ecclesiastical system con-
trived primarily, for purposes alien to religion, and
in which the worldly interests of a particular order
of men have always been, and always must be,
the ruling principle. Did we want any confirmation
of a truth generally admitted, these proceedings would
tend to show that priests, whatever religion they pro-
fess, are the same in all places and in all ages.
Their motto may differ in words, but its universal
interpretation is " Great is Diana of the Ephesians."
The holy convocation of Oxford in strict conformity with
approved precedents, drawn from the most ancient as
well as from modern times, condemned Dr. HAMP-
DEN, not because his opinions were likely to be pre-
judicial to the interests of true religion, but because
they thought their own " craft was in danger." The
blow was levelled ostensibly at the heretic, but it was
really aimed at the Reformer of abuses.

In vain will the true friend of the Church of Eng-
land look for any thing like candour or justice in these
frantic proceedings. Even the forms necessary to give
them a show of decency have been unceremoniously
dispensed with. Instead of such a solemn and careful
investigation of the work, said to contain doctrines so
dangerous to the true faith, as might have
been expected from. Men who had the interest of
that faith at heart, and who were anxious that their
own conduct should bear the strictest scrutiny, what
do we see ? A congregation of 500 clergymen, sum-
moned_from all parts of England, simply to vote a
sentence of condemnation against a brother clergyman.,
unheard ! A few isolated passages in an abstruse theo-
logical work, are extracted by a Committee appointed
for that, purpose, who put their own construction upon
them, and draw inferences which the author denies to
be legitimate ; and on the Report of this Committee
sentence is passed, without the least proof that any
of the 500, but this Committee, had ever seen the
book! We should like to see the book that could
stand such a test as this. Let the Bible itself be sub-
jected to this treatment—let insulated texts be taken
and criticised without reference to the context—and
what would .be the consequence ? Who would ex-
claim so loudly against so unfair a practice as these
very judges, who have set the example ?

We trust Dr. HA:,.IPDEN will not let the matter rest
where it is. • The highest legal authorities in the land
give it as their opinion, that the Statute passed by the
Convocation is illegal, and that Dr. HA AIPDEN has as
much right to the privilege of which he has been de-
prived as he has to the Professorship of Divinity. Dr.
HAMPDEN owcs it to his own character not to submit
to the tyranny of the University, if a shade of doubt
exists as to its power.

We have received a copy of the New Project of
Electoral Law, presented by Senor MENDIZABAL to
the Chamber of Procuradores on the 25th ult. It is
substantially the same as the Bill of last year, which
appeared in The Sun, and which led to the dissolution
of the Chambers. We shall, therefore, not publish it
a second time ; though a summary of its principal pro-
visions may prove interesting to those who may have
but an imperfect recollection of the main articles of the
former Bill. The New Law proposes that persons,
and not property, shall form the foundation of the
Electoral right, and accordingly enacts that a De-
puty shall be nominated for every 50,000 souls of the
entire population in all the provinces of Spain. In any
province where the population exceeds 50,000 by half
that number, the inhabitants are to be represented by
two Deputies ; so that in such province the people will
have a Representative for every 33,000 inhabitants:.;
The island of Cuba is to elect eight Deputies : the
island of Puerto Rio, five; and the Philippine Islands,
four Deputies. For every other part of Spain the
number of Deputies will be fixed by the census of the
population.

The right of voting at elections is very limited, being
vested in 160 electors for each deputy. These electors
are to be the persons paying the largest amount of
taxes in the province, Spaniards by birth, the children
of free parents, and of 25 years of age. The Govern-
ment, with a liberality worthy of Spain in her best
days, has excepted persons belonging to the learned
professions, who being householders and of legal age,
are to enjoy the right of voting without being subs
jected to the scrutiny of taxation. In this list are in-
cluded all advocates of two years' practice, assessors,
recorders, proctors ; doctors of medicine, surgeons,
apothecaries ; architects, painters, sculptors ; doctors
of law and divinity, licentiates, professors of science or
philosophy in any University or College ; all per-
sons who have taken degrees, or at any time filled a
professor's chair in any recognized seat of learning ;
all Government officers by Royal appointment, who
enjoy a salary of 24,000 reals per annum in the ca-
pital, or 12,000 in the provinces ; and all officers in
the army, navy, and militia, of and above the rank of
captain., whether on duty or retired. The right of
voting is withheld from all foreigners, although na-
turalized, unless married to a Spaniard ; all persons
under criminal prosecution, or who have suffered an
infamous corporeal punishment; all bankrupts and per-