The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-08 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

BLACKWOOD'S STANDARD NOVELS,VoI. I.
Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1841.
The present volume contains two of Galt's ear-
liest and best tales, the " Annals of the Parish,"
and the " Ayrshire Legators' " together with a
memoir of the author, written by his friend, Mr.
Moir. This memoir is chiefly taken from Mr.
Galt's own autobiography; but the letters in-
terspersed throughout it are original, and im-
press us with a highly favourable idea of his
frank, manly, and social character. It was un-
fortunate for his , reputation as an author,
that his works appeared about the same
time that the Waverlev novels were de-
lighting or astonishing the world; and being
also chiefly devoted to Scottish subjects, were,
by the majority of readers, pronounced to be
imitations. But nothing was ever further from
the truth, for Galt, in his own peculiar line, was
quite as original as his master; and in his ad-
mirable sketch of "Leddy Gripps" in the "En-
tail," displayed a power of minutely pourtraying
character every way worthy of his illustrious
contemporary. If Galt had not the exuberant
fancy and chivalrous enthusiasm of Scott, he had
quite as much humotif," and of a more decidedly
Scottish cast, for it was dry, and grave, and
caustic, and pre-eminently shrewd ; whereas Sir
Walter's—though we do not forget his " Cuddie
Headriggs," &c.—had more of the frank, sunny,
English bonhommie and cordiality about it. We
have little doubt that "Blackwood's Standard No-
vels" will be a successful speculation, for it is
proposed to comprise in the collection some of
the cleverest fictions of modern times.

PICTORIAL SHAKSPERE. Part XXX VIII.
C. Knight, London, 1841.
This Part contains the Sonnets of Shakspere
—or rather the last portion of them—and is em-
bellished, as usual, with a variety of appro-
priate illustrations.

THE COMMISSIONER. Part I.
Curry. Dublin. 1841.
As this is only a First Number, we must see
more of the work before we can venture to pro-
nounce a decided opinion. At present, all we
can say is, that it promises well.

ALEXANDER'S EAST INDIA MAGAZINE

" The Origin and History of the Indian Navy,"
written in a brief and, hurried style, forms, ne-
vertheless, a useful•paper, from the correctness
of its data. " The Ceylon system of the Universe,"
with its thirty-four heavens, one hundred and
thirty-six hells, and doctrine of materialism,
gives a curious exposition df Cuigalese belief
" Papers on Malwa informs us that the notori-
ous Holkar still lives, though in a most preca-
rious state, and has adopted Dundee Row, a boy
of eleven years of age,• of the Holkar tribe, son
of a common Sowar, and thereby entirely shut
out the restoration• of, Martin Row. " Life at
Melbourne" contains some valuable meteorolo-
gical observations upon the district, and consi-
ders the chief causes of its great sickness of late
to arise from its river of generally impure water.
Honololu, both in its shipping and internal trade
is reported to be on the increasing and improve-
ment.

ANTI-MONOPOLY AT LIVERPOOL.—We have
great pleasure in stating that a numerous and influential
meeting of ths friends of free trade was held in this
town, yesterday, Thomas Thornely, Esq., M.P., in the
chair, at which it was unanimously resolved to form a
Society for the purpose of exposing the injustice, and
aiding in the overthrdw, of the Corn-laws, the Sugar
Coffee, and Timber Duties, and of all other commercial,
and agricultural monopolies, and protections of every
kind, now in existence.—Liverpool Times.
The Railway Bridge, in consequence of the
heavy rains (across the Bath road), has so far given way
as to be considered quite insecure, at which from 50 to
100 men are engaged day and night, in order to prevent
its falling. It is intended, we believe, to lengthen it.—
Salisbury Herald.
CONVICTION OP EDWARD BOLING.—This
notorious villain, of whom our readers have doubtless
read, has been tried for "bigamy" at the Superior Court
of Rockingham county, N. C., and found guilty. He
was sentenced to be branded with the letter B on the
left cheek (which was carried into execution in the pre-
sence of the Court), to be imprisoned three years, and
receive 39 lashes at three several times before the expi-
ration of the term of imprisonment. His abode has been
assigned to him in Guildford jail. It would been well to
have branded in legible characters the word " fiend" upon
his forehead.—American Paper.
RUMOURED CHANGES.-4n addition to the
reported change in the Horse Guards, by the apppoint-
ment of Sir George Murray as Lord Hill's successor in
the office of General Commanding-in-Chief, which we
noticed in The Sun of Monday, we are intbrmed that
it is probable the following changes will also take place:
—Lord Fitzroy Somerset to be appointed Commander in
Chief in Ireland ; Sir Henry Hardinge to be appointed
Master-General of the Ordnance ; and Mr. Herries to be
the new Secretary at War.
A meeting of Deputies from all the towns and
villages in Forfarshire, and the adjacent counties con-
nected with the linen trade, is fixed to take place at
Dundee on the 6th of January, for the purpose of for-
warding the cause of repeal of the Corn and Provision-
laws.

The Rouen Papers state that a well-known
poacher was found dead three days ago at the foot of a
tree near Quillebceuf. His skull had been shattered by
a discharge from his own gun, and it appeared on ex-
amination that he had formed a retreat among the
branches of the tree, whence he could the better mark his
game, but in getting up a twig had no doubt caught the
trigger of his gun, anfil thus produced the accident.
A few days ago a youth of 17 years of age, who
was employed in a nail manufactory at Valenciennes,
was killed by a blow of a wheel of the machinery, which
was revolving at the rate of 800 times in a minute. A
similar accident has just occurred to a man in a sugar
refinery at Choque, near Bethune.
A tailor, named Pabre, of Lodeve, in the He-
rault, had a quarrel some time ago with another tailor,
named Coste, of the same town. Bad feeling was en-
gendered between them, and a few days ago the former,
entering the shop of the latter, exchanged a few angry
words with him, and, drawing a pistol from his pocket,
shot him dead on the spot. The next moment he put
another pistol to his own head, and blew out his brains.
ATTENDANCE OF COUNSEL.—The sudden
termination of Michaelmas Term at the unusual hour of
eleven o'clock in the morning by Lord Denman has
caused a considerable sensation both with the profession
and the public. We are rather surprised to see that
Lord Denman has been blamed by some of the news-
papers for his conduct in this matter. The public would,
we conceive, come -to a very different opinion, if they
knew the real state of the case. There is a considerable
arrear of business in the Queen's Bench, and the Judges
are doubtless anxious to reduce it ; and we must say
that it is the duty of the bar to assist them to the utter-
most in accomplishing this wish. Now, do they so ?
We would ask any one in the habit of attending this
Court if there is not frequently very great difficulty in
proceeding with business, arising from the absence of
leading Counsel. The Judges do all they can to get
them to attend—they. remonstrate, they linger, they
complain—all without effect ; at last they act, and
probably they may now be attended to. If the
adminiztratiun of the law were to be carried
on purely for the benefit of the profession, the
practice of the bar in this respect might be all very
well ; but is not the suitor to be considered a little
in this matter ? He isield that his cause is put off till
next term, by reason tif the absence of Counsel; his at-
torney tells him that he retained such a Counsel, and
that if the cause had only come on, all would have been
right, but that unfortunately he was not there. What
are his feelings on the occasion ? They are not the most
agreeable, and surely deserve consideration. Now, if
all this grumbling were to end in nothing—if the suitor
must bear it—we should not say a word; but we have
repeatedly pointed out the remedy. The leading Com-
mon Law Counsel should fix on some one of the Superior
Courts (as the Queen's Counsel in the Courts of Chan-
cery have recently done) and adhere to that. We
should then hear no more of the Courts adjourning from
the absence of Counsel. Whether this would injure the
individual Queen's Counsel we do not know. We con-
ceive not. Was Mr. Knight Bruce injured by confining
himself to the Vice-Chancellor's Court ? We believe
that his profits were as great as those of any man
of
whom there is authentic record. But if the Counsel
were injured, we humbly conceive that this is a case in
which the superior claim of the public comes in. and the
particular interest must give way. We trust, therefore,
that the result of the Present sensation may be that the
course we hare pointed out may be adopted.---Legal 1
Observer.