The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-01 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS

FROM THE DAILY PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
( From the Globe.)
The Society of Jesuits were the great reformers of
European education ; the most audacious speculators,
the most fearless inquirers, the masters, in a word, and
not the detractors, of mental culture. These are the
weapons which a Church must use to regain spiritual
domination ; and even these, as the example of the
Jesuits shows, will not ultimately maintain a power
hostile to the spirit of the age. It is, therefore, for
the enlightened friends of the Church to con-
skier whether they can do that institution a worse
service than to attempt to throw it back upon a basis
which has become antiquated. It the Church cannot re-
main stationary is an age of advancement, it is for them
to consider whether it shall fol:ow the prevailing direc-
tion, or start in a direction opposite to that of the public
mind—and which of these courses offers the best chance of
assisting to guide it. We hold those leading churchmen to
have committed a capital error who league with their po-
liticians against the extension of education by the State.
That was the fitting prelude to Church Extension in these
times ; and the extension of church efficacy would not
have failed to follow it ; that is to say, provided the
Church is still possessed of internal energies. If it is
so, as we believe, it must have proportional part in
public education ; if it is not, it may be right in dis-
couraging State assistance to that object. But how little
future can await a policy that is founded on such a con-
sciousness ! It is no less, as vbe believe, a blunder
on the part of Churchmen to press forward with
schemes of Church Extension by State assistance in these
times. The Church must take at all times what the
State can give ; and there are three churches, not to
mention all other denominations, whose members are
now no longer by connivance those of the Imperial
Legislature. How Sir Robert Inglis, with his doughty
determination never to pay a sixpence for teaching as the
Word of God what he believed to be contrary to that
Word, can expect so much more complaisance from
other communions, he has perhaps never asked himself.
To do Churchmen, as a body, justice, they do not ex-
pect it. The signatures to the petitions for extension
are insignificant, compared to what they would have
been had Churchmen generally concurred in their
prayer.
(From the Courier.)
Mr. E. J. Stanley is equally unfortunate in his at-
tempts to defeat the River Weaver Churches' Bill, as
he will be unlucky in his future attempt upon North
Cheshire, should that attempt be made. The House of
Alderley, albeit mitred in the person of one of its mem-
bers, is not over distinguished for its piety, as witness
this fierce and abortive opposition to the diffusion of reli-
gion among a lawless race of navigators, and endeavour
to retain them in utter unbelief; or turn them as a pis
tiller into the ways of Socinianism so much in fashion
with the Stanleys of that ilk. Nor is that house more
noted forits humanity, as in proof take the New Poor-
law starvation and bastardy Bill, of which, Bishop and
all, the North Cheshire firm are and have been such
thoroughgoing supporters and gaol incarcerating advo-
cates.

(From the Standard.)

We must refer to our report for the proceedings of
the House of Lords last night upon the Irish Muni-
cipal Bill. It will be seen, from a hint dropped
by Lord Lyndhurst, that the chance of the bill
passing in any shape depends upon the Government
introducing a new measure to settle the question of
boundaries—a course which it is scarcely open to Mi-
nisters to adopt. Lord Brougham protested against
the 10/. qualification as too high, and observed that no
objection had been raised against the household qua-
lification in England. But has any objection been
raised against the 10/. qualification in Scotland ; and is
it not notorious that from the average rate of house
rent in English corporate towns, the household qualifi-
cation is practically a 10/. qualification ? This
would rot be the case in Ireland. The sche-
dules have been postponed ; and, therefore, the
case of the exemption of Dublin has not come
regularly before the House. When it shall
come under consideration, there is reason to hope that
Lord Wynford's propoi.ition will be adopted. Mean-
while, we trust that those noblemen who would save
the Irish metropolis, at least, from the O'Connell
domination and from annual lLibbonmen elections, will
not relax either in their determination or their exer-
tions. Ministers, we have the best gtounds for be-
lieving, will accept any Bill that shall give the city of
Dublin to their patron and master, because he knows
that with that lever he can effect his darling object—a
dismemberment of the empire.

The present income of the Church is little short
of eight millions a year. We have now before us certain do-
cuments laid before Parliament by the Tithe Commissioners,
and.ordered to be printed by the house of Commons, showing
the number and amount of commutations already effected. It
will be remembered that the returns of the clergy of the
amounts of their income, showed the revenue of the Church to
be, in round numbers, three millions and a half per annum.
It was not expected, when these returns were made, that an in-
quiry into the actual revenues of the Church would so soon
follow,—or those who made them would have adhered a little
more rigidly to the truth. The number of cases of tithes to be
commuted in England and Wales is 13,500. The returns made
by the Tithe Commissioners (under the date 13th of February,
1840), show that 3,890 cases have been commuted, and that
the total income fixed as due to the clergy from these is
1,-168,7771. Bs. 1 kid. It is fair to assume that these cases
are, as compared with the total number of cases, of average
value ; and hence, by the use of a little vulgar arithmetic, we
find, that the revenues of the Church derivable front tithes
alone instead of being three millions and a half, are actually
5,097,299/. Its. 9d. ! Now the whole of this immense sum is
derivableftom tithes alone; and in it no account is taken of
the large property held by the Bishops in palaces, parks, and
demesnes,—by the Deans and Chapters in lands, houses, and
mines,—that Queen Anne's Bounty is not included,—that
part of the 5,678,7151. (See Parliamentary Paper, dated
Whitehall Treasury Chambers, May 19, 18-10") which has
been paid to the Church out of the taxes since 1801, is taken
into account,—that glebes are not included, and that none of
the many fees to Which the Church lays el:dm, as Easter dues'
and marriage and burial fees, arc accounted for—when, there-
fore, we add all these sources of income to that which is now
clearly shown to be derivable from tithes, we are certainly
under the mark in fixing the income of the Church at eight
millions per annum. And yet there is a party amongst the
Tories who ety ont for more money—for " more Church !"
Can the power of impudence farther go ? Journal.
SUICIDE IN THE RlVErt.—On Sunday morn-
ing, between four and five o'clock, an inspector of Thames
Police and his boat's crew, while passing the steps of Waterloo
Bridge, on the, north side, found a man's hat, in which was a
letter directed to a Mr. Divvy, a gentleman residing in the
neighbourhood of Long-acre, who identified the hat as his son's,
and the letter to be in the hand-writing of the missing youth,
who is about nineteen years of age. There is no doubt that
the young man has committed suicide, but no cause can be as-
signed for the act, as he was on good terms with his family up
to the time of his disappearance.
We are glad to learn that the colliers in the
neighbourhood of Pontypotl, seeing the folly of their conduct,
before the total exhaustion of their funds, have wisely teturneJ
to earn their wages. • -

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

ROUSE OF COMMONS, JUNE 30.

The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour.
Mr. WALLACE presented a petition from the Relief
Congregation against any public grant for the purpose of
Church Extension, and a petition against the Cornl-aws.
Mr. HOGG presented a petition from certain ship-
owners and merchants of Bombay, complaining of the
operation of the Navigation Laws. Ti e petition was or-
dered to be referred to the Committee now sitting on East
India produce.
'Mr. BAINES presented a petition from the Protestant
Dissenters of Cambridge with 700 signatures against any
public, grant for the purpose of Church Extension, and two
petitions from Suffolk to the same effect.
Mr. FINCH presented a petition from the Medical
Associatitu of Glasgow, praying that the working of the
Vaccination 1301 might be entrusted to Vaccine Boards,
and not to the Poor Law Comrnisskners.

Mr. T. DUNCOMI3E presented three petitions from
Messrs. Vincent, Edwards, and Snellard, the Chartists,
complaining of the treatment to which they have been sub-
jected since their removal from the Lenitentiary, and
stating that, although they were not now compelled to
wear the felons' dress, they were subject in all other re-
spects to the same regulations as the felons, with regard to
food, hours, books, and communication with their friends,
and that they were obliged to tear their fo..d with
their fingers, not being allowed the use of knives
or forks. The lion. Member prevented similar petitions
from five other Chartists named Baldwin, Bradford, Bar-
clay, White, and Crabtree. The last mentioned com-
plained that by the regulations of the gaol of Wakefield,
the meat painful restraints were imposed upon hint. lie
was not allowed to communicate by word, gesture, or even
by look, with any of his fellow prisoners. His life was
endangered by his confinement and the severities with which
it was accompanied, as he had been for six years afflicted
with a disease of the liver and pulmonary consumption.
He was always opposed to the employment of physi-
cal force, and he prayed the House for a relaxation or
remission of his punishment. The lion. Member presented
also petitions from Glasgow, Frome, Barnsley, and several
other places, complaining of the treatment to which the
above mentioned petitioners and other political offenders
were subjected, and praying for a mitigation of their
punishment.
Mr. HUME presented numerous petitions against the
Copyright of Designs Bill, from printers, engravers, and
others in L'.ndon, Stepney, Mile-end, Leather lane, and
other places in Middlesex ; and also from Glasgow, and
other places in Scotland. The Honourable Member
also presented petitions from Antrim, Dromore, and
Lismore, in favour of Medical Reform. From Thomas
Gort, of Paisley, complaining of the defective state
of the Representation of the County, and praying
the House to make such alterations in the Suffrage as
would render it universal and necessary to adopt the 13a1-
lot. Also a petition from the congregation of the Chapel
in the Poultry against Church Extension.
Mr. PLUMTRE presented a petition from
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Mr. BROTHERTON presented petitions from Man-
chester and Salford, complaining of distress, and praying
for a repeal of the Corn Laws.
Mr. EASTH 0 PE presented several petitions from the
Dissenters of Leicester and its neighbourhood, against
Church Extension, and praying for relief of the burthens
imposed upon them.