The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-22 00:00:00

THE FAST-DAY.
(F-„m the Disp,.tch.)

COURT CIRCULAR.

:7 7 7 • Al!, T) ,-riFf.r+.
.111.. the ,„ ;:
Hn'ice • 3 ;,•
vex. chapel at. Bucku;i;hair. iiie. sk,roloo, -0, I;
preached by the Bishop of Norwich. The Hon. and Rev. C.
Leslie Courtenay officiated at the service.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert, attended by Colonel the
Hon. Charles 'Grey and Colonel Bouverie, visited her Majesty
the Queen Dowager on Saturday at Marlborough Hou.i.e.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent also visited the
Queen Dowager on Saturday.
The Queen had a dinner party on Saturday, at Bucking-
ham Palace. The company included her Royal Highness
the Duchess of Kent, his Serene Highness Prirce Edward
of Saxe Weimar, their Excellencies Baron and Baroness de
Moncorvo, the Marquis and Marchioness of Clanricarde,
Lady Emily de Burgh, Lady Fanny iHoward, Baroness de
Speth, Earl of Desart, Viscount Clifden, Lord Campbell,
Lady Campbell and Stratheden, Hon. Miss Campbell, Lord
James Murray, and Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps.
A military bud attended during dinner.
Her Majesty had afterwards an evening party. The com-
pany consisted of his Excellency Count Dietrichstein, their
Excellencies Monsieur and Madame Van de Weyer, the
Countess of Jersey and Lady Clementine Villiers, Count
Potocki, Lady Caroline Cocks, Hun. Miss Stanley, Hon.
Mrs. Charles Grey, Major-General and Miss Cavendish,
Captain Hamilton, R.N., and Captain Francis Seymour.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert visited her Royal
Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, at Gloucester House,
and their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cam-
bridge, at Cambridge House.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert took their usual early
walk yesterday.
The Royal Family took their accustomed airings yester-
_

1.i!:,•
t+!
the sake of - the throne and the a.itar." Fast-days came
rsaincl annually, and seemed to belong to our honoured
institution and constitution. They were occasionally
varied by Thanlsgiving-days. When our soldiers
had slaughtered many ut the French, we gave
thanks ; and when the Fs emelt had slaughtered many
of our so'diers, we fasted. The religion and the
slsughtering aiv ova weiet together ; so that blood
did but flow, the re was sure to be devotion, and I
suppose this was what inspired Wordsworth with the
thought that "Carnage is God's daughter." The nation
of that strange relationship is not abandoned, if we may
judge from the recent Proclamation for a Fast. As in
those days, our rulers ascribed to Deity the destruction
of the French, so du they now ascribe to him the star-
vation of the Irish. The difference is, that then we
wished Him to continue to destroy the French, and now
we wish Him to leave off destroying the Irish. Both
slaughterings are referred to Providence ; working in
one case by leadcu bullets, and in the other by rotten
potatoes.
It was gen. rally supposed that this sort of barbarism
was at an end. The number of those who know better
has been multiplied in the interval. A new generaticn
has sprung up; and if little has been done for its educe
tion, there is a widely-acting Spirit of self-instruction
amongst the masses. Honest Fanaticism has been made
more modest; and inere cant has become less effective.
The proclamation for a Fast. day took the public by sur-
prise. People had thought of :hundred different things for
the relief or mitigation of Irish distress; they had thought
of opening the ports last November; of prohibiting the
exportation of food; of making large purchases abroad
with Government funds ; of a temporary subscription;
of a permanent poor-law ; but they never thought of
fasting as a cure for famine. Only a superannuated
devotee, here and there, is to be found with any faith in
its efficacy. Providence is net generally believed to be
particular about our eating flesh or fish. It gives no
outward and visible sign of a curse upon mutton,
or of merit in mackerel. There is no obvious
reason why roast meat and repentance should not go
together, and be not less available than contrition upon
cod-fish. Calamity does not spare those who feed only
upon sprats. That a meagre diet constitutes devotion,
has come to be regarded as a superstition. The surprise
at the doctrine of the Proclamation has sunk into a quiet
disgust. People raise their eye-brows, and shrug their
shoulders, and wonder what it means. Some imagine it
a counterpoise to the recent developments of liberality at
Rome. Since Popes have become enlightened Pro-
testant authorities do the superstitious to sustaiunthe
world's balance between the absolute and the progressive.
The calm digeity that should characterize a Procla-
mation is not evinced in this document. Its tone seems
to anticipate a sceptical and scornful reception. "We
do strictly charge and command," that reverent state of
mind which no human being, with whatever brier
shadow of authority invested, can effectually command
in the conscience of another. The proclamation
threatens disregard with the " wrath and indigos
tion" of " Almighty God," Who dares thus talk
of throwing thunderbolts? Who made the conclave a'
Osborne House, the Privy Councillors of Providence?
Anti what further and earthly punishatent is to be su-
peradded to the divine? With a strange assumption.
after the command upon people to be fasting, reverent
and devout "as they tender the favour of Almighty
God, and would avoid his wrath and indignation," it is
added, " and upon pain of such punishment as may be
justly inflicted on all such as contemn and neglect,
the performance of so religious and necessary
a duty." So then, the culprit is first to be
delivered over to the devil, and afterwards to the
Attorney-Genera]. He is in danger, first of the penal-
ties of divine indignation, and then of the statute (where
is it) in that case made and provided. This is taking
great liberties with heaven, and with human conscience.
Neither our numerous and independent sects, nor the
members of the favoured Church, are accustomed to be
thus commanded. More will be disposed to anger than
to humility; while the millions will eat their dinners,
and go their ways, as if nothing had happened of al,
this sonorous fulmination.
The Irish famine, and the comparative scarcity which
is beginning to be felt in England, are ascribed by th.
Proclamation to " the iniquities of this land," and to our
" manifold sins and provocations." Now, Sir, if this be
the fact, and if the Deity be really visiting the Irish with
a wise and righteous punishment for their wickedness, I
humbly suggest that no more public money should be
voted for relieving them, and thus counteracting the.
Divine dealings. On that theory, it makes us ex pot
facto accomplices in their guilt. God punishes, and we
help. He shuts them up in the dungeon of despair, and
we set open the prison doors. He starves, and we feed.
The piety of the Privy Council is a strange jumble. It
blunders somewhere. It is at fault egregiously, eitbes
in the pecuniary grants, or in the providential judgments.
The sins should have been particularized. What
Edmund Burke prcfessed himself unable to do, is at•
tempted in this document ! it "draws a bill of indictment
against a nation." But the counts are not clear. The
specification is omitted. The Irish peasantry may de-
mand of the Privy Council " What sins ?"They
may appeal to that portion of Scripture introduceti
into the service which completely nullifies the spirit
of the Proclamation. The bishops, as if its
sly rebuke—(can the Right Reverend Fathers be
so humorous?)—have put in the text which tells us
that those on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were not
sinners above all men in all Jerusalem. The Irish may
infer that starvation is no test of sin. Job's comforters
must have assisted at Osborne House. The
peasants have lost their potatoes, and, there-
fore, are plundered of their character. They
must be in fault, for they are famishing.
The foulness of their deeds is inferred from the ravages
of fever. If this be Christian consolation, it is very
cold. It would be horribly heartless, if the concocters 01
the document had any meaning in their words. Pro-
bably they thought of nothing more than the common
conventionalisms of a religious dialect, and so went
blundering on—now vilifying Providence, and anon the
people.
If there be " iniquity,"" sin," and "provocation' in
the case, and they have caused the potato blight, the
offenders should be ferreted out. The Irish people have
not been particularly wicked of late. They have re
formed their ways as to whisky, marvellously. In the
matter of repeal they may have been wrung-headed, but
they have very meritoriously kept the Queen's peace. I
do not see that any peculiar and enormous sin can be
brought home to their door. Nor does it appear that
"the iniquities of this land, so far as they are charge-
able upon the population at large, have been unusually
heinous. At present the all-covering mantle of charity
is over them. Patience, energy, unfailing generosity,
have been evinced, to an extent that might have saved
the potato, if it rotted simply from the want of righteous-
ness. Who the n are the sinners? Mr. Plumptre points
to Sir Robert Peel and the Maynooth grant; Lord G.
Bentinek intimidated the free traders; Dr. Chalmers
glances towards the railway directors that run Sunday
trains; the juries of Irish coroners bring in a verdict of
Guilty against Lord John Russell and the Whig
Ministrjr, If any of these charges can be es
tablished, let the culprits be prosecuted. But it
gives a very odd idea of Providential govern
went to represent such parties as punished
by the badness of potatoes. Had they been the offen
dens, and nature employed (according to the proclams
tion doctrine) for punishment, the blight would rather
have fallen upon the vineyards of the Rhine and the
silk-worms of Syria. There would have be en typhus
among the turtle, and a scarcity of champagne. White
bait would be bad and venison villainous. No, they
have their faults, and grievous ones; but they have nor
brought on us the necessity for fasting by any of the
offences just enumerated.
In another way, their case is not so clear. It now ap-
pears that a much larger stock of food might have bees
accumulated in our warehouses, from Eastern Europe, hail
the corn duty and :he navigation-laws been suspended
last autumn. For that neglect, that deep sin of go-
vernmental omission, we are beginnaig to pay dearly.
The pressure will become much heavier, before any sup
/lies can be obtained. The industrial classes, who are
(by taxation) the true feeders of the Irish, are already
pinched themselves ; and have the prospect of severer
privations. Proclaim a fast for them, indeed 1 It is
proclaimed ty the prices in Mark lane, and ob-
served. net in churches or chapels, but at bakers'
shops. A clergyman in Spitalfields advertises fo'
broken victuals to distribite amongst the desti-
tute on the evening of the fast-day. Charity is in-
voked, that thousands may have a chance of breaking
the day, and a bit of bread, together. This doctrine
of fasting is an ill-timed mockery to suffering millions.
They have, per force, fasted enough already. And
how many operatives can ill afford to lose the day's
work, which they forfeit the days wages. The
by
piety of the rich is the penalty of the poor. Royal
and ducal revenues know no intermission. Rents
and dividends are not diminished by fast-days. The
poor man is fitted a sixth of hiTshnwse,ektillye infacsotmineg;
and
rich man, not a sixpene
prayers of the Peer are paid that bohyebrtaehdemtpaheyaat
bethe
at .ne
oi
mmA..
111)0a rs
posing
idpi
display
awyaioi wantonly on
devotion.ly created,
It
pretend to
thisetoftew
who
mon sense of the country should endure all this, for fear
little more of justice
of the noisy vituperations o
f interpret the will of Heaven.
janad;cahnadritnyotwtohueldlesbsen•orbenr
g
PUBLICOLA.
ficial to mankind. acceptabletb a
dtAeoa ofe
t fa
for be
eai nn
dg

J a the

day.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited the
Queen yesterday.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge and
the Princess Mary attended Divine service yesterday morn-
ing, in St. Michael's Church, Chester-square.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge attended
Divine service yesterday morning in Grosvenor Chapel.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cam-
bridge, attended by Lady Augusta Cadogan and Mr. Edmond
Mildmay, honoured the Marquis and Marchioness of Lans-
downe with their bompany at dinner on Saturday, at Lans-
downe House.
A Cabinet Council was held at three o'clock on Saturday
afternoon, at the residence of the Marquis of Lansdowne, in
Berkeley-square. It was attended by Lord John Russell, the
Marquis of Lansdowne, the Earl of Mints, Sir George Grey,
Viscount Palmerston, Earl Grey, the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, the Earl Auckland, Sir John Hobhouse, Lord
Campbell, Viscount Morpeth, the Earl of Clarendon, the
Marquis of Clanricarde, and the Right Hon. T. B. Macaulay.
The Council sat two hours.
A meeting of the new Bishopricks Commissioners was held
in Whitehall-place on Saturday. There were present the
Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord John Russell, the Earls of
Chichester and Powis, the Bishops of London, Durham,
Winchester, Chester, and Lincoln, the Home Secretary of
State, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
A deputation from the Committee for establishing Houses of
Occupation for Discharged Prisoners waited on Sir George
Grey on Saturday, at the Home-office. The deputation con-
sisted of the Earl of Denbigh, the Lord Bishop of Norwich,
Lord John Manners, M.P., Sir Horace St. Paul, Bart., Mr.
John Laurie, Mr. Alderman Sydney, Mr. James Window, Mr.
Joseph Heywood, Mr. William Jerdan, the Rev. S. R. Catt-
ley, and Mr. W. J. Donthorn.
A deputation from the Commissioners of Sewers for Surrey
and Kent, consisting of Mr. H. Kemble, M.P., Messrs. Not-
ledge, Shadbolt, Johnson, and Drew, had an interview with
Viscount Morpeth, on Saturday, at the office of the Commis-
sioners of Woods and Forests in Great George-street.
The Duke of Wellington and the Earl of Aberdeen at-
tended the early Service yesterday in the Chapel Royal, St.
James's. The prayers were read by the Rev. Mr. Helmore.
The sermon was preached by the Bishop of London. The
Hon. D. H. Gordon was ordained by the Bishop of London.
At the daily Service the Prayers were read by the Rev.
Mr. llelmore, the Lessons by the Rev. J. V. Povah, and the
Communion Service by the hey. Dr. Sleath. The Sermon
was preached by the Bishop of Chester. The Anthem was,
" 0 Lord give ear" (Greene). Mr. Turle presided at the
organ. The Marquises of Anglesey and Northampton,
Ladies Wilton, Palmerston, Campden. and Compton, Lords
Wilton, Granby, Cawdor, Listowel, St. Germans, Eliot,
Castlereagh, and W. Graham, were among the nobility
present.
The Bishop of London will preach the Sermon on Wed-
nesday next, at the Chapel Royal, St. James's.

ITALIAN OPERA -AT COVENT-
GARDEN THEATRE.
(From the Observer.)
A fortnight only has elapsed since our columns pre-
venteda description of most of the arrangements of this
undertaking.
On Saturday the last of the boarding in the front of
the theatre was removed Nearly the whole of the face
if the building and portico has been washed; and the
carriage-drive, a species of stone tramway, under the
latter, is nearly completed. The arrang' inents for the
access to the theatre, so far as Bow•street is concerned,
"Say thus be described. Going up from the Strand, the
tirst entrance will be for the gallery, the second for the
pit; the next, by means of the grand portico, for the
(poxes; the next, the stage-door; and the last is the box-
)ffice.
Her Majesty, Prince Albert, and the other members
of the royal family, will have a separate entrance at the
back of the theatre, leading round by the old box -office
in Hart-street. Here the illustrious visitors will also
alight beneath a portico, which is almost completed.
Saturday morning commenced the operatien of pull-
ing down the scaffolding which was erected to enable the
nainting and completion of the proscenium, and the ceil
tag was perfected on Friday evening. By this after-
noon the scaffolding will have been altogether removed,
save such trifling portion as may be necessary fer the
accommodation of the decorators.
The painted ceiling has occupied Signor Verardi and
his assistants for a considerable part of the period which
has elapsed since our former notice of the works. The
ceiling has been painted by Signor Verardi and Signor
Ferri; the figures are the work of M. Zarra. The paint-
ing is divided into two compartments, which may be de-
scribed as the outer and inner circles. The ceiling, or
the kind or cupola, is of a circular form, extending
seventy feet from the gallery to the proscenium, and
sixty-two feet across from side to side. The old chan-
delier, which was put up by poor Laporte, at an expense
of 1,0001. has been removed, and will be replaced, it is
said, by a successor of larger demensions.
All parties concerned in the undertaking entertain the
utmost confidence as to everything being in a state of
readiness for Tuesday the 6th of April.
In the course of the next, or at the commencement of
the following week, Rovere (the buffo from Milan), Ley,
Lavia, Tulli, Polonini• and Hano will have reached the
metropolis.
In reference to the ballet, which will be a new one, it
was be stated that the requisite rehearsals have been
carried on in Paris.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—As a labourer at the Docks at 2s. 7d. per day,
with a wife and lat ge family (six children under four-
teen), pray do point out to those in authority the great
injustice myself and hundreds other poor men like
myself are subject to, is not being allowed to work,
and our families almost starving as it is, upon
this little pittance ; and, although I am grateful
to those who employ me at all, yet on Good Friday we
shall have to make another sacrifice of a day's labour ;
for it is with us as in the India warehouses—no work no
pay. Your interest on our behalf will be received grate-
fully by hundreds, and by yours very obediently,
HENRY GORING.
14, Holywell-lane, March 20.

A Boy SHOT AT PENRITH.—Thomas Bell, a
youth aged sixteen years, son of Robert Bell, of Eamont-
bridge, stonemason, was accidentally shot in Sandgate, Pen-
rith, on the morning of Monday last. It appears that a boy
of the name of John Little (son of a labourer of that name
who lives in Friar-street, Penrith), had been entrusted with
a gun to frighten the 'cows from a field of wheat, the pro-
perty of Mr. Foster, of the ;. rown Hotel, Penrith. This boy
in charging the gun so fixed the ramrod in the barrel that
he could not get it out again, and meeting Bell in the street,
asked him to pull it out. When attempting to do this the
Fun went off, and the ramrod passed through Bell's body.
fhe by still lives, but is in a most dangerous state.—New-
castle Joursal,

THE SUN, LONDON, MO`NDAY EVENING, MARCH 22,_1847