The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-20 00:00:00

THE KIRK WEATHERCOCK.

We copy the following from the Edinburgh Adver-
tiser :

REPEAL OF THE VETO.
We have read the last pamphlet by Dr. Chalmers—
" What ought the Church and the People of Scotland
to do now ?" with the deepest interest ; and we consider
certain announcements in it as to the new policy and
principles which it recommends the dominant party to
adopt, to be of such public importance at this crisis of
the question, that we should deem ourselves failing in
our duty did we not call particular attention to them.
After an elaborate but not very effective defence of the
course followed by the Church during the last six years,
Dr. Chalmers announces in plain terms—" The FIRST
thing then which, in our estimation, the Church ought
to do is to repeal the Veto Law." "We may now be
said to have failed in obtaining the ratification of
the Veto Law at the hands of Parliament."
And he then adds—that " We should, on the first op-
portunity, that is at the next meeting of the Assembly,
that is, should there he then no better prospect of ob-
taining a change of the Civil Law than now, proceed
to rescind it. We must not be deterred from the path
of consistency and honour, by the storm or the outcry
of coarse-minded imputations which will rise against us
from the hirelings of the Tory press, and which will be
reinforced, we hare no doubt, at one time by the ridicule,
and at another, by the execration of their new allies,
the Radicals," &c. We pass over the sensitiveness to
the very natural remarks which not merely the press,
but all Scotland will make on this tardy acknowledg-
ment of the necessity of that step which the country
has already called for almost unanimously nor are
svaTshenotimpdoorntea,ntorthainng-
inws une
c thate d going
at to lastD askr.
CAw
hhs
asyle
mmtebhrl ys, A.
the author and pro-
poser of the
.Veto Law, the acknowledged champion
of the Church in all the discussions during the last six
years, and in comparison with whom no one ever dreams
of ascribing any influence throughout the country to
any other of the Assembly speakers, has now announced
that the Veto Law must be repealed ; and that this is the
first step of the proper outgoing of the Church from
the position ire which she finds herself.
Dr. Chalmers announced as the FOURTH thing
which the Church ought to do—‘, The disposal of the
refractory ministers of Strathbogie." "It is a matter
in which we have no choice, and ought to have no
hesitation." And certainly the day after this pamphlet
was published, Dr. Chalmers exhibited no hesitation
whatever in urging matters on to the utmost ex-
tremity against those most ill-used and oppressed gen-
tlemen. But the ruling party in the Church may de-
pend upon it the common sense of the people of
Scotland—nay, of Great Britain, will not tolerate
such an absurdity—such a gross outrage as the next
Assembly repealing the Veto on account of the Civil
Law, and yet punishing the clergymen who said that
the Civil Law must be obeyed by us, the ministers of a
national and endowed Establishment. The clergymen
of Strathbogie are saved.. Of that there can now be
morally no doubt. Dr. Chalmers's announcement that
the Veto Law is to be repealed has secured that point.
We have not the slightest doubt that if such an enor-
mity were to be attempted, Parliament would instantly
interfere by a restraining and protecting Act.
But there is another most important practical point
in Dr. Chalmers's new pamphlet. He ends with de-
claring that patronage must be " not regulated,
but destroyed," and he recommends the people
to begin a new course of agitation for the abolition
of patronage. He says this is a matter for the
people, not for the Church. We agree in that ; but
it will soon be seen that it is the Church orators
alone who will take this matter up ; and that we
shall have the same sort of agitation attempted by
them this year, which, professedly for a different
object, they tried to promote last year. We do not be-
lieve that they will succeed. But in the meantime the
important practical point connected with this subject,
which we also wish most prominently to bring before the
notice of the public, is this—Dr. Chalmers announces,
as-in his opinion an essential condition on the abolition
of patronage, and the transference of the initiative (to
use his own phrase), to the people, that the elective
power be vested not in mere inhabitants or scat-payers,
but in communicants." He holds it to be indispen-
sable to " annex this ecclesiastical qualification." And
in another part of his pamphlet, he declaims against
any attempt from political views to give weight to
the people at large by giving them, quasi people
orinhabitants of the parish, any such privilege,
whether that of veto or election--which he contends
must be limited solely to communicants. We do not
dispute the propriety of such a qualification, if the
change is ever to take place. But before the agita-
tion for the abolition of Patronage is begun, it is also
of great importance to the people themselves, and to
the character of the Church—to prevent disappoint-
ment in the one, and the appearance of deception by
the other—either of which would be most prejudicial,
that the people should understand exactly what is the
sort of popular election which it is proposed to substi-
tute in lieu of patronage.

CENTRAL .UIIIMINAL COURT

OLD G'OuRT.

Richard Harris, alias Perkins, was indicted for that
he, having been previously convicted of uttering false
coin, did afterwards, on the 4th day of August in the
present year, utter and put off a counterfeit shilling, well
knowing it to be so.
Mr. Bodkin arid another Learned Gentleman con-
ducted the prosecution.

The record of the prisoner's former conviction was
put in and proved, and it appeared that upon that con-
viction be was sentenced to twelvemonths' imprisonment
and bard labour.

Anne Nock proved that her husband was a tobac-
conist in Upper St. Martin's-lane. On Tuesday the
4th of August the prisoner came to the shop and
asked for half an ounce of tobacco, and he laid down a
counterfeit shilling, which she discovered was bad and
told him so, and he left the shop. He came again in
the afternoon and again asked for some tobacco, and she
served him, and he gave her a good half-crown, and she
returned him two shillings and fourpence in change.
He then objected to the tobacco and required the half-
crown back, and she gave it to him back, and he laid
down a bad shilling and Is. 4d. as the change
she had given him. She discovered that the shilling was
bad, and accused the prisoner of it, and he ran out of
the shop, but she pursued him, and he was taken by a
police constable. She was quite sure that she gave the
prisoner two good shillings in change for the half crown.
William Earl, a pslice constable, deposed that he saw
running, and he took him into custody,
the prisoner put a half-crown into
crown was afterwards identified by
tht
hl
andilsee hpwar no, prisoner
sdeen.c
ut
heTo
didriishshalf
Mr. John Field, the inspector of counterfeit coin to
the Royal Mint, proved that the shilling produced was a
counterfeit one. The half-crown was a good one.
The prisoner, in his defence, said that he was never
in the shop of the prosecutor in his life.
The Jury found the prisoner guilty ; and William
Haynes, alias Ranger, was also convicted of a similar
offence.
He was called up for judgment with the last eyolozoes. ,
pri-
soner, and they were both sentenced to be transported
for ten years.
William Gates, aged 19, was indicted for feloniously
stabbing John .M‘Carthy, with intent to maim and dis-
able him, or to do him some grievous bodily harm.
Mr. Payne defended the prisoner.
It appeared from the evidence that the prosecutor
and the prisoner were in a public-house together, on
the night of August 1, and some dispute arose between
them, and the prisoner threatened to smack the prose-,
tutor's face. They left the house, and the prosecutor
went up to the prisoner, and asked him what he meant
by threatening him, and laid his hand gently upon his
collar, and the moment he did so, the prisoner stabbed
him in the chest.
Mr. Payne addressed the Jury.
Verdict—Guilty. Sentence deferred.