The Sun.
London, England, 1824-04-03 00:00:00

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TIIE LONDON JOURNALS.

DAILY
Extrosts
,fretn the Morning Papers, _April 3.
[MORNING POST.]
Both Houses of Parliament were actively en-
gaged last night. In the Lords the Silk Duties
Abolition Bill was read a second time on the
motion of the Earl of Liverpool, and with the
universal concurrence of their Lordships. An
interesting discussion then arose respecting the
operation of the Tithe Composition Bill in Ire-
land, which the Earl of Liverpool declared to
have succeeded beyond the most sanguine ex-
pectations of its authors ; more than one-tenth of
the parishes in that country having entered into
compositions with the Clergy in the short time
that had elapsed since the passing of the mea-
sure. The Marquis of Lansdown then moved
the second reading of the Bill for allowing Uni-
tarian Dissenters to solemnize their own mar-
riages, under certain regulations, in their own
chapels. The Archbishop of Canterbury and
the Earl of Liverpool supported the Bill with
the intention of changing some of its provisions
in the Committee. It was opposed by the Lord
Chancellor, the Bishop of Exeter, and several
other Right Rev. Prelates and Noble Peers, but
ultimately carried on a division by a majority of
two, the numbers being, for the second reading,
36 ; against it, 33.—The Commons were en-
gaged in the early part of the evening in a Com-
mittee of Supply, in which Mr. Ihme, who
wishes to strike at every thing, plunged into in-
flammable gases up to his neck to prove that Sir
Congrevw had " no science in him," and
ought not to have been appointed Inspector of
Gasometers in this metropolis. If the Hon.
Gentleman was not fairly blown up by the gas,
he was so by his friends, for even Mr. Lambton
turned against him, and assisted in exposing and
ridiculing his ignorance. Mr. Secretary Peel
then moved the second reading of the Alien Bill,
which Mr. Hume recovered, in time, sufficient.
sang froid and resolution to oppose. The neces-
sity of the measure was fully and ably demon-
strated by Mr. Secretary Canning, in a strongly
argumentative, eloquent, and classical speech, in
which he stated Some important facts of late oc-
currence which had decided his Majesty's Minis-
ters to renew that Bill, instead of suffering it to
expire, as they were previously inclined to do.—
The question for the second reading was carried
by a majority of 174 to 94.

[sionxlmo cisnortreLl.]
Mr. Hume called the attention of the House
last night to the Grant for defraying the expellee
of Conveying the Honour of the Order of the
Garter to his Majesty the King of Portugal.
The moment chosen for conferring this honour
on his Most Faithful Majesty naturally gave rise
to a good deal of remark at the time ; and
i
Mr. Hume might, therefore, well ask whether
there were any peculiar circumstances which
tGhearKteinrgtoohs Brother
of England
rtoentdraelriesmit d
the Order
of o
he
of Portugal, immediately after the receipt of the
it
intelligence of the violation of his oath, thereby
incumbentt
n
giving an appearance of connection to the two
acts. Mr. Canning said, 66 the grant had
been carried years ago, but several circumstances
had intervened to prevent its being carried into ex-
ecution ; and as no occurrence which might have
taken place in that country could have originally
induced the iniention of conferring the honour, so
on the other hand they could not prevent its ac-
complishment." It certainly does seem singular
that the circumstances which retarded the trans-
mission of the honour, should cease to exist the
very moment his Majesty of Portugal ceased to
be a Constitutional Sovereign. If the honour is
a mark of esteem or regard, is it a matter of in-
difference whether the individual on whom it is
conferred is deserving of esteem or regard ?
But, perhaps, it will be said it is not a mark of
esteem or regard. In that case we have nothing
to say. But if it is, one cannot help being struck
with the circumstance, that a mark of regard
should be conferred on a Sovereign at she very time
when he ceased to deserve it. What would be
thought of the man who, in private life, bestowed
a mark of Iris esteem on an individual descending
from the pillory, to which his perjury had ele-
vated him, because the determination to do so was
taken some time before, when be entertained a
firm belief in the honour of the party, but cir-
cumstances had hitherto prevented him from car-
rying his resolve into effect ? We are sure that
his Majesty's advisers, who being for the most
part Protestants of the first water, hold nothing
so much in abhorrence as the dispensing with
oaths, must have felt indignant at the bare-faced
manner in which so many of their Allies have
lately perjured themselves. We are, therefore,
utterly at a loss to understand upon what prin-
ciple they acted on the occasion in question.

[NLW TIMES.]
The notice published by Mr. Hurtado in all
the Morning Papers, yesterday, of his intention
of exchanging the Colombian Bonds issued by
Mr. Zee, for those of a new loan about to be
contracted under his authority, produced a con-
siderable sensation in the Money Market. The
announcement was unexpected, for several par-
ties who laid claim to the friendship of Mr. Hur-
tado asserted in very positive terms that that gen-
tleman had expressed himself to the effect
that no such measure could ever take place.—
How these parties can exculpate themselves
a few days will chew ; in the mean time
there is a talk of sundry affidavits being pre-
pared, to chew
.that there were good grounds for
gment of the
what they stated. The acknowled

PRICE SEVENPBNCE.

loan, as it. is termed, has given great satisfaction
to a large majority of the public, whilst some
persons have suffered, from the sudden advance
which took place yesterday from 69, -at'which
price the bonds were the preceding evening, to
85; they finally closed at 83. •

FBRITISII PRESS.]
The Marquis of Lansdown, in a speech of
considerable ability, moved the second reading of
the Unitarian Bill, last night, which, after a de-
bate of considerable length, was carried by a
majority of two,—the numbers being, 35 for
Lord Lansdown's motion, and 33 against it. The
Chancellor, with his wonted attachment to all
toleration, warmly opposed the Bill. The great
Legal " Ancient" came down from the Wool-
sack, and declared his opinion, that the conces-
sion of this Bill to the Unitarians would be the
greatest. blow ever levelled at the Established.
Church of this country ; adding, that if it passed
there was nothing to prevent the other Dis-
senters from corning before Parliament in a
body and making similar claims. The Arch-
bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London,
both withaChristian liberality honourable to them,
supported the principle of the Bill, but opposed
the licensing clause. Lords Liverpool and Hat-
rowby expressed the same opinions. Lord Cal-
thorpe gave his support to the Bill, but feelingly
lamented, with more than the pious commisera.
tiou of the Right Rev. Prelates around him, the
absence of belief by the Unitarians in the great
mystery of the Trinity. The Noble Lord de-
plored the unfortunate scepticism, not as the pri-
vation of a speculative means of grace, but as the
loss to them of an active hope of happiness here-
after. The simple Unitarians, we are sure, will
duly appreciate the pious sympathies of Lord
Calthorpe, and his charitable regrets for their
" souls' salvation." Lord Holland warmly ad-
vocated the Bill, and called on the Chancellor
distinctly to state, whether the Toleration Act of
relieted the Unitarians from penalties
which previously existed against them for the
profession of their principles ? Lord Lansdown,
in his reply, defended the Bill ably, and asked
Lord Eldon to explain why he permitted the To-
leration Act to this body, of the 53d of the last
reign, to pass " sub silentio," while, with a strange
inconsistency, he deprecated the present measure,
which was only a consequence following on that sta-
tute; but the Chancellor gave no explanation. We.
do not think that the Established Church has any
thing to apprehend from measures of enlightened
toleration of this description. That Church must
stand or fall on its own merits, and proscription
or monopoly never can prop it. We do hope
the Chancellor's anticipation will be realised, and
that all Dissenters will come in and claim the
same just relief, and that they will obtain it.—
We trust also that we shall soon See the last
statute, impugning unlimited liberty of con-
science, blotted from the statute book of this
country.

[THE T{;11 ES.]

Mr. Hume, in his speech on Thursday night,
touched but a nook of that unnatural impost, the
Legacy-duty. We hope to see the whole of it
laid aside for ever. We are aware that when the
situation of the country allows the Chancellor of
the Exchequer to commence the agreeable
work of remitting taxes, it may be difficult
to make a selection among conflicting claims for
priority. Every one thinks that tax the most
severe, and the most strongly demanding a re-
peal, to the pressure of which himself, from his
trade, profession, or situation in life, is most ex-
posed : yet do we think a general principle
might be adopted in this respect, which would
leave no just cause of dissatisfaction to any one.
It is reasonable to conclude that those taxes
to which the nation has always been subjected.
are most congenial to the habits of the people,
and are borne with least impatience; but that
those which are of a novel nature, and to the
vention of which the Minister was forced only
by the exigencies of the war, are most pain-
ful to public feeling—most repugnant to national
usage. Of this description is the Legacy-duty.
No impost of the kind was ever before thought
of in England. It was a reproach of the most
crafty and cruel of the Roman Emperors, that
even death itself did not rescue the deceased
from his rapacity, the tyrant being frequently
left a co-heir in the will. But with us Government
is co-heir, in a greater or less degree, to all the
personal property of the kingdom, no matter
whether we die intestate, or endeavour to transmit
what we had previously secured from the gripe
of the tax-gatherer by a testamentary disposi-
tion.—Another objection to the tax is, that it
imitates the Income Tax in its most oppressive
and odious traits : it is an inquisitorial tax. It
not only seizes a parcel of a man's property
which has been converted into money at his de-
cease, but it enters his mansion, his counting-
house, and shop, and itthereestnnatei his trading
stock, the utensils of his business, its net produce,
effects the value of which it is often most inju-
rious to disclose, and it shares the amount with
the legatee. Ibe tax, however, with all this se-
p ll
ed
thisa nincapacity)wed
are
verity, is still a partial tax : it is incapable of
beingr s
undera
thankfultoreal p
rtohia)etrtlyt. la-
;--
thatbu that is, it weighs upon individuals who are strug-
gling with the winds and waves of fortune, and
endeavouring to reach a port of security ;, but
from those who are arrived, in that port, and are
secure, it exacts no contribution, as a fee for the
protection of the cargo which they have landed.

[MORNING HERALD.]
There is no leading article in this paper to-day,