The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-05 00:00:00

EVEN-NG F. q 0

at East Tivcrly. This was a new establishment in
Hampshire, of v.hich Mr. Finch was the governor, that
Gentleman having applied 10,000/. to the pu7pose of the
institution, The proceedings of the day commenced with
a parody upon one of the sacred hymns ; after which Jr.
Finch, as hierephant, read from a hook some passages in
disparagement of Chi i,tianty, endeavouring to show that
Christianity had less merit than the heathen religions,
because it had made les3 progress among men than any of
them. After that, Mr. Finch delivered a sermon, choosing
for his text that passage of the Scripture, in which it is
said, "He that believeth not shall be damned." Upon
that text Mr. Finch argued that Christianity represented
God as a wicked and cruel being, who delighted in inflict-
ing pain and torment. Their Lordships would bear in
mind that these were the doctrines which were taught in
an establishment, supported by an estate of 500 acres.
—( Hear, hear.) But Mr. Finch went on in his
lece re, to say much against other matters besides
religion. He told the people that they produced all the
wealth of the community, and that they were pining in
want, whilst they who did no labour were wailovvin; in
wealth. --(Hear, hear.) Mr. Finch further told them that
the Bible was a filthy and immoral book. These were ea-
tablishments which must be put down.—(Cheers.) They
could nut bb endured, and the Noble Lords behind him
(on the Ministerial benches) would not be endured if they
did not put them down.—( Hear, hear.) The leaders of
the Chartists were in many cases the leaders of the
Socialists—they held their meetings in the same room on
alternate nights. n Leeds the Socialist newspaper and
the Chartist newspaper (the IVortherr, Star) were printed
and published by the same person, Joshua Hobson. In
Dudley the members of the two Societies were co-
extensive, and they had but one leader, Mr. Cook,
who was lately committed to gaol as a Chartist.
One of their arguments against religion was founded upon
this passage of the Scriptures—" Let every soul be sub-
ject to the higher powers." Upon this they said that
Christianity authorized oppressive relations which nature
cried out against. Such was the hostility of those people
to all earthly governments, their hostility to all heavenly
governments they had already shown. He would trouble
the House with but a few instances of the deplorable re-
sults which those pernicious doctrines had produced. At
Birmingham, a man who had been a good husband and
parent before he joined the Socialist body, became so
brutal to his family that his wife was compelled to apply to
her friends to remonstrate with him. But this only in-
creased his brutality, so much that be threw her out
of window, and caused her death, for which he
was transported for life. Another Socialist was now in
prison awaiting his trial for the murder of his own child.
Lord MELBOURNE here made an observation which
was not heard in the gallery.
The Bishop of EXETER said be was not condemning
the men before trial, but even if they should be acquitted
there would remain enough of cases arising out of Social-
ism to give the N Viscount ample employment. The
Right Rev. Prelate then read a letter from the uncle of a
youth, aged only fifteen years, who committed suicide in
consequence of the disregard of life and its relations with
which Socialism had imbued his mind. He also read a
letter, relating to the suicide of a person named Stavely,
at Coventry, who was said to have killed himself through
the influence of Socialist doctrines. At a trial at Worcester,
one of the Jurors, being a Socialist, refused to find a man "
guilty, upon the ground that the man was not responsible
for what he could not help; and the Moral World exhorted
Jurors to bear in mind that the circumstances in
which the operative classes were placed, urged them
to acts which were conventionally called crimes.
The advice to Jurors was not to punish for actions that were
conventionally called crimes. The Noble Viscount at the
head of the Government had stated the other night that
Socialism was nothing but a great experiment, and that he
thought the force of truth would put it down. So that, in
fact, the religion of the country was to be put to hazard
in order that a great experiment might be worked out.
The Nobtc 11Iarquis at the head of the Home Department
had stated that he had confidence in the good sense of the
people to put them down, but that if anything would give
those doctrines currency it would be persecution. The
only persecution that he (the Bishop of Exeter) had sug-
gested was the enforcement of those laws which it was the
peculiar duty of the Noble Marquis to enforce. The
Noble and Learned Lord who had gone (Lord Brougham)
went much farther thon either of those two Noble
Lords be had named; but as he had left the House,
he (the Bishop of Exeter) would not make any
observations upon what had fallen from him. He
was not surprised that Noble and Learned Lord
had left, for no doubt lie did not wish to hear any
more of the subject—( A laugh)—although he admitted,
with regard to seditious publications, that no prosecutions
ought to be instituted without a certain chance of convic-
tion, yet that did not apply to blasphemous publications,
because they tended to strike from the Government the
basis on which it was founded, Religion was the sole
foundation of the Government—the whole form of the
State rested upon it—upon the sanctity of an oath every
duty depended—every security that bound man to man
was subject to it.—( Hear, hear, hear.) Therefore, he
contended, that on no scission ought a blasphemous publi-
cation, if it could be prosecuted with effect, to be passed
over. He would beg to remind Noble Lords of an Act
that passed in 1819 inflicting the punishment of banish-
ment on blasphemy and sedition. The statesmen in oppo-
sition at that time did not hesitate to oppose it—but on what
grounds ? It would be seen from the Parliamentary
debates that '° Lord Grey reproached the Government for
not enforcing the old law against blasphemy, instead of
asking for new laws. He complained that such publica-
tions had not been prosecuted as they ought." Lord
Erskine said, " the controversies of the numerous sects of
Christians, however widely different from the doctrines of
the National Church, were completely and rightly tole-
rated. Nothing in such discussions was considered to be
blasphemous; but as to the direct and indecent attack, on
the Church of the Christian religion, on which the old
constitution of the State was founded, they were severely
and justly punishab e by the law as it stood, which ought
to be most rigorously enforced. He would put down such
pernicious publications, and there would not be the
least difficulty." Lord Lansdowne " complained that
they were called upon to pass the Bill without any le:,
formation of the inefficiency of the existing law.
A protest ast tinst that Bill wes signed by Grey,
Erskine, Vassal Holland, Minto, and Lansdowne,
on the ground tkat by the exertion of the existing law the
press could not be exerted for any bad purpose without ie.
earring suitable punishment. That doctrine was held net
only by Lord Erskine but by Sir James Mackintosh, Sir
Samuel Romily, and all the great friends of the press. But
he had a more recent authority, for even so late as Friday
the Noble Lord (the predecessor of the Noble Marquis)
was reported to have said that no complaints of the dis-
turbed state of the country were made last Session when
he was employed in investigating the matter, otherwise h°
would have enforced the present law. It was some satis-
faction to him (the Bishop of Exeter) to know that the
ancient office_of Attorney-General still existed. No longer
ago than last term an ex-officio information was filed
,against an individual for a seditious libel. The libel so%
certainly a most foul one, and if proved against the indivi-
dual he ought to meet with condign punishmentel
[Hear, hear, hear.) He was glad that the Learned
Attorney-General had felt the necessity of exer-
cising the prerogative of the Crown, He was snrce
that if that Learned Gentleman's attention had been called
to the smallest portion of those libels, some of which h.e.
(tbe Bishop of Exeter) had read, lie would have said
was monstrous for him to file an ex officio informati°"
against Feargus O'Connor ; and yet, with all his informs'
tion from these detestable libels, he had still higher
authority than those he had referred to—he had the authes-;
rity of experience to show that the exercise of the
was sufficient to stay the mischief, and the due exeentlhe,r,
of the law would put an end to it altogether. W'es
in the first proclamation issued by her Majesty,
Magistrates and others were strictly charged and colt
manded to be vigilant and strict in the prosecution of s,
Nob'
persons who should be guilty of excessive drinking, bleio
phemy, and so on. Ho now called upon the
Viscount in obedience to the commands of his Sovereign'
to take those steps which he had advised his Sovereign to
to command him to take for the prosecution of teos
libels. He would net trespass longer on t.l'e
c of their Lordships, but would content himself Wslt"
moving that a humble address be presented to her Nit,-
jesty, praying that an inquiry might be instituted inw
various Societies existing in England, and especially oil
Society called the Socialists ; and that her Majesty 11,
direct steps to be taken to preveet the diffusion of .0
phomous and immoral doctrines, by printed publications
and by other illegal means. he Rig bts
The Marquis of NORMANBY thought t
Rev. Prelate had laid no ground for the step he had cane,:
on their Lordships to take; still less had he laid el?,
ground for the perversion, though, perhaps, unintentionsd
of the language he (the Marquis of Normanby) beeo
used on a form r occasion. The Right Rev. Preis;
d
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country
rayt
against
Rawnt
illegalaeei
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without
Prelatet shnuoAaegnr
es assurance nsef
might
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heaemtdahts
were art thhogeoeenta
el
ctl
broughtet
oi
rules
eibelievedcngtsnnrhground
etatu Governmentkdennt
their
notice.p ro s e t tnt
existing Government was not a Goveeidhdffrikerteinyt
Government,
n t l
eenl
iebsu
et
nittr
uws
taesd
wit
with
the
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tratie;
to inform the Government ofP
theduty ofarties in the r
fere
The Right Rev Prelate had stated that, on the last °eel,
lion, his (the Marquis of Normanby's) tone had Altera,
He denied that ; his views had never altered as to the -of
ture of the principles of that Society, and the necessitf_oo
putting them down, if they existed to the extent, :,:tot
ghee
such
cwnhtl
of
dfpgtahrreoet se
cc
°f
rciaf
inglatt:dilif
were such as the Right Rev. Prelate had represented. 'cid
he did adopt a different tone as to the course recomtn; hio
by the Right Rev. Prelate, and as to the accuracy °idea
information upon many points—the fairness of his bad
rences, and the charity of the imputations which he ess-
thrown out. As a proof of the fairness of these irnilied
tions, he would mention that the Right Rev. Prelatevoo
quoted some words used by a person named Fleming' so
was a Socialist delegate at Sheffield, and had theug for
unfounded statement such as that, was a fit subjeefrost
an attack on the Government. He had also state
,fee
an address had been received at the Home scer.
from Newcastle, but he had not quoted the ens
He (the Marquis of Normanby) did not recollect ths coe,
such address had been received ; but if such were the cot,
it received nothing more than a formal acknowletlighst
otherwise it must have come under his notice. Them. 10',
Rev. Prelate bad also referred to the letter which "cy- eieiP
received from the clergyman at Birmingham, °3 sou
part of the case he felt it necessary to say somethilg'sler;
state his reasons for repeating his opinion, that th° coe°
gyman would best have done hi 3 duty if he had rePr,reesal
.those circumstances to the Home Office or to his outji
at the time they occurred, instead of reserving the— e
six months afterwards. This brought Lim to the e.eassoee
Mr. Pare, and lie would
whom he as appointed, statewinthefipeinted,
rstinsto an, inhe bay
to the officer by what
stated on a former occasion, that lie was appointed oe
he had any connection whatever with the Socialisteo'feae
that Mr. Pare had been recommenced for tin't the
by a majority of the Guardians of the Poor, balecle°,l
two Members for the bereegle the Church*:o,
the Headborough, and three Magistrates of the tO
__nor