The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-24 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM PILE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAT.
(From the Times. )

We will not enter at this moment into a commentary
on the falsehoods, or the sophistries, or the absurdities
of those who, for purposes of their own or of other
people's—some through treachery and some through
tally—bestir themselves for the repeal of the union be-
tween England and Ireland. This at least is clear,
that whosoever else are betraying their duty, the
Ministers are betraying theirs. If they were impressed
a sincere belief that the aggregate people of the
two countries would be the better for that repeal,
or even if they seriously fancied that Ireland her-
self, considered singly, would he benefited by the
-severance, then, whatever might be thought about
the statesmanship of such a set of rulers, at least it
would he possible to acquit them of actual dishonesty.
But they have not even the excuse of being dupes.
Tney unequivocally, and even loudly and ostentatiously,
reclaim their better knowledge ; they profess their
solberence to the principle of the union—their reso-
sstion to maintain the integrity of the Crown's domi-
niesiss—s et they favour, by their criminal connivance,
he unnateral conspiracy which would pluck away Ire-
'and from the heart of Britain, and they foster and
.awn upon the man who gets his living by the daily
wages of revolt. The miserable shillings, the very
pauce of a starving people, are solicited, demanded,
levied, by cai,jery, by superstition, by direct intimida-
tion, to ry-The hollow mountebanks who deal in this
anlversa remedy for Irish woes ; and the authorities
--Ilia ought to arrest these unlawful itinerants, end
guard the gaping, helpless crowd against their impos-
serzs, come in Nish cap in hand and vouch for every
vagrant in the an. At the Castle of Dublin these
marauders are the guests of the Lord Lieutenant, the
Queen's Viceroy ; in the House of Commons the; a
the " Learned and Honourable Friends" of the Chiefre
Secretary for Ireland. What inference ase unin-
structed men to draw from all these contrarietieso
They hear the Ministers of the Crown condemn the
agitation of repeal ; they see those same Ministers ca-
ressing its fiercest agitators. Can they conclude that
repeal is any very serious mischief in the eyes of the
Government? Talk of Chinese authorities winking at
the safe of a poison that lulls the people! what say you
to connivance at a poison-trade which maddens them?
Yet, is good truth, connivance is too faint, too favour-
able a word. If the mischief were done in secret, and
the Government, having
intelligence of it, should simu-
late ignorance and evade the notice of it, that would be
simle connivance. But here th
opt uded in open day and broadcasteseeds of rebellion are
over all the land ;
here is aibraggdrt and bullying nuisance which publicly
dares the Government to repress it, and which the Go-
vernment yet shrink from repressing, till their unworthy
acquiescence has sudden into a recognition. Thus the
trade of repeal at this day not only is a profitable,
le, but
has become a safe one. It is a licensed traffic ; its
hawkers carry the Government badge.
(From the Morning Advertiser.)
The Session of Parliament, which has closed, was
one of the most protracted in its sittings which recent
years have witnessed. It commenced in the middle of
January, and, consequently, lusted nearly seven months.
We. wish that the value of its legislation had, in any
measure, corresponded with its duration, Unfortunately
that has jot been the case. It has, on the whole, been
unproduciive of good fruits of a positive kind. Ministers
harassed, without one hour's interruption, from the
commencement to the Close of the Session, by a nume-
rous, an organized, and inveterate opposition, were not
telly defeated in some of their beg! uleasures, but the ab-

solute certainty of not being able to carry them through,
prevented their bringing forward other important plans of
Reform. It is clear that the present state of things
cannot long continue. The country will not silently
submit to be thus tantalized year after year. Means
must be taken against the return of another Session to
insure the triumph of those Liberal measures, which the
voice of the people and the interests of the country im-
peratively require. But while it is matter of deep re-
gret that the protracted Session, which has just closed,
has not been more productive of beneficial results, it
has not been altogether barren of good. In some in-
stances great principles have been asserted—in others,
important measures have been carried. At present we
only refer to one, namely the Ecclesiastical Revenues and
Duties Bill. With some few unimportant miscalled amend.
ments, that measure has been passed into a law, and
the great principle of the right of the Legislature to
make what reforms in ecclesiastical matters it deems
expedient, has been thereby asserted. This, the Church
racy depend upon it, will be no unproductive principle.
It will be followed up, ere many more Scs;ions have
elapsed, with reforms in the religious establishment
which will first shake to its centre, and then lay in the
dust that system of prelatic domination and cupidity,
which is as discreditable to episcopacy as it is inju-
rious to true religion. The spirit of the age demands,
as one of the earliest ecclesiastical reforms, that the
Bishops be ejected from the House of Lords— a place
in which they ought never to have been suffered to set
a foot—and that their present princely salaries be re-
duced to 1,000/. or 1,200/. per annum.
(From the Morning Herald.)
The cause of Conservatism, as opposed to the spirit
of reckless revolution, consists mainly, if not entirely,
in directing the spirit of confidence into its legitimate
and proper channels ; whilst the anarchist or radical
addresses himself to this inherent impulse of the
human mind, with the hope and desire of destroying
all existing institutions, the Conservative wishes every
alteration and improvement in society to proceed in
harmony with the laws and religion of his country.
He does not defend errors because they are ancient
but he desires to rectify them in harmony with ancient
institutions. He works upon the endless capabilities
of improvement in things Which are, rather than, by
demolishing the present edifice, to call forth a new
erection on the ruin and subversion of everything which
is received and established. This, we say, is the great
pervading and practical distinction between the Con-
servatives and the Radicals, and it is a distinction which
ought to be kept steadily in view whenever an appeal
is made to the country by a general election. That
election, take place when it may, will be decisive of the
British Constitution in Church and State. It will
either crush the mad desires of those, who, under the
specious name of Reform, are seeking to destroy the
laws, liberties, and religion of England ; or it will enable
them to carry all their schemes into rapid effect, and
to lay prostrate the grandeur, glory, and security of the
British empire. The question is therefore between
reform and revolution—between the wise, sober, and
comprehensive revisal of existing institutions, and that
mad desperate love of change which is the certain fore-
runner of universal anarchy.
(From the Morning Chronicle.)
When, in a recent article on Canada, we adverted to
the grounds on which Lord Sydenham's government
was entitled to confidence and support, we were fully
aware that our sentiments were in unison with those of
moderate and reflecting men, both in this country and
the North American colonies. Accordingly, we are
not surprised at the candour with which a Contem-
porary (the Weekly Chronicle) confesses that " we
were wrong in our anticipations as to the result of
Lord Sydenham's mission to Canada, where he has
shown talents for which we did not give him :cre-
dit, and fairly earned the honour that he has
achieved." Nor has a similar tribute of approval
been withheld by an able journal, which cannot
certainly be accused of partiality towards the Go-
vernment or its colonial policy. " Who knows,"
says tike Colonial Gazette, "but that Governor Thom-
son (who has, we think, fairly earned his peerage by his
exertions in favour of the Union) will carry out the
whole of Lord Durham's policy ? We are among
those who sincerely wish that Governor Thompson
may continue to deserve his Peerage." It is impor-
tant to place on record these testimonials of satisfaction
because they proceed from parties whose approval
is at all events sincere, and because the Tory camp
thus remains the only quarter from whence the Canada
Bill, and the exertions which brought it about,
are regarded with discontent. The comparative
merits of Lord Durham and his successor are
a very insignificant part of the Canada question,
and would never have been alluded to by
us, had it not been that contrasts had been drawn be-
tween " the Peerage and the grave," and the like, in a
tone of sentimentalism, which did appear to us in the
worst possible taste. The character of Lord Darham
now belongs to history ; it can gain nothing by compari-
sons of this description ; it will lose nothing by expo-
sure to the test of the severest truth. His noble name wir

live long in the memory of the Canadian people, as the
bold and skilful pioneer of those healing measures which
he was not destined to carry into effect. To realise
Lord Durham's plans was the mission of Lord Syden-
ham ; he has fulfilled that mission as an able Statesman
and an indefatigable man of business, and public opinion
has not failed to award him his due share of the praise.

CENTRAL URLITINAL COURT.

OLD COURT.

EMBEZZLEMENT.-IVm. Bell, a corpulent person, of
respectable appearance, aged 66, was charged upon three
indictments, imputing that he had received divers sums
of money amounting to 1701. and upwards, for and on
account of the Equitable Gas Light Company, to whom
he was a clerk, and that he afterwards feloniously em-
bezzled, secreted, and stole the same.
The prisoner, i❑ the absence of his Counsel, pleaded
not guilty.
Mr. CIIkMBERS shortly afterwards came into Court
and conferred with the prisoner, and the Learned Gen-
tleman requested that be might be allowed to retract,
and plead guilty, by confessing judgment, and throw him-
self on the clemency of the Court, as he (Mr. Cham-
bers) understood, that the prosecutors were anxious to
save the prisoner from transportation.
The prisoner put in a written paper, which was read.
It set forth that he had first become irregular to serve
another person, and the defalcation became a glowing
one, and he regretted that he did not make a disclosure
to his superiors.
The ltecoarca told the prisoner it was a painful duty
to pass sentence upon a person of his age and apparent
respectability—a person, too, who had filled a responsi-
ble and highly honourable situation. The Court had no
feeling to indulge but a sense of the duty it owed to the
public, and they must decide in all cases according to
ci-cumstances, without respect to the sphere of life in
which the prisoner bad moved. The prisoner might be
assured that he was under no obligation to the Court
because he was not transported—it was age, and that
alone, which saved him from that punishment. The sen-
tence of the Court was that he be imprisoned in the
House of Correction (Coldbath•fields) for eighteen ca-
lendar months, and kept to hard labour. The convict
appeared deeply affected.
ROBBERY ON BOARD A GRAVESEND STEAMER.--
John Collins, aged 24, described as a butcher, was in-
dicted with John Davis (who has absconded) for steal-
ing, on the 6th July last, divers orders for the payment
of money—to wit, among others, one note of the Bank
of France, of the value of 1,000 francs, the property
of Gilbert Claud Alzard, on board a vessel on the na- '
vigible river Thames.

-Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Ballantine were for the pro-
secution ; and Messrs. Payne and Paillips for the

etence.

The prosecutor was examined through the medium of
an interpreter at considerable. length ; and it appeared
by his statement that he was robbed on board the Fal-
con steamer of his pocket-book, which contained French
notes to the value of 11,000 francs, about 4541. 15s.
English money.
There being no proof that the prisoner was on board
the ves3clon the day in question,the Jury acquitted him.
It was stated that Davis had forfeited recog,nizances
to the amount of 4001.