The Sun.
London, England, 1840-02-18 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Most people are of the opinion of our correspondent, who
wr;tts from Graccchureh-street, and would be glad
to find the Judges more incli:x3 to protect witnesses
under cross-examination, than to encourage pert Bar-
risters to behave towards them in a wuy that they
would not venture upon in decent company.
We will endeavour to find room for the letter of " A
Member of the late Polish Diet" before the discussion
comes on in the House of Commons.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW.
Morning...—. 23 minutes after 3 I Evening 2t minutes after 3.

(-?--T-e'',4,z?
40,47-

(r) 4-11. 41) SA" •

LONDON:
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1240.

The Peers were informed that her MAJESTY has ap-
pointed this day at two o'clock to receive their address
of congratulation.
Petitions for the alterations of the Patronage law in
Scotland, and for the abolition of Church-rates, were
presented.

- Lord ELLENBOROUOH, acting on the Tory tactics of
dictating to the Government, suggested to Lord 111EL-
zocaNE that he ought to lay before Parliament all
possible information about Hill Coolies, the last de-
spatch from Lord AUCKLAND and General WILLSHIKE
concerning the capture of Kelat, and that the name of
the Brigadier-General ought to be included in the vote
of thanks.

Viscount MELBOURNE concurred with Lord ELLEN.'
BOROUGH, and as the Noble Lord wishes so it is to be
done.

On account of the indisposition of the Duke of
O.NDERRY WELLINGTON, the Marquis of L
ERdViscount
post-
poned his motion respecting Spanisraffp
'To a question put by the Bishop of EXETER
et
ea letter
MELBOURNE answered that he had recEeivs
, of Leicester,
fnuortthi n
from the Rev. Mr. lavING
Socialism was on the increase, and that lie stating
that
consequence of that letter taken any steps to a
question. " Did the Noble Viscount think any stepser
should be taken ?" He gave no answer, because it
would lead, he said, to an argument on the whole sub-
ject, which he wished to avoid ; and he questioned
the prudence of the course the House had already
adopted.
The Bishop of EXETER was, of course, not contented
with this, and stated that the Viscount ought to have
instituted inquiries, particularly as the growth of So-
cialism was partly to be attributed to the Noble Vis-
count's own indiscreet act—presenting ROBERT OWEN
at Court, who had been recommended by the Duke of
WELLINGTON'S Ministry to foreign powers. The
Bishop mentioned with great gusto the different zeal of

the Rev. Gentleman who, getting nothing from Vis-
count MELBOURNE, got a clerk in a railway-office
turned off, because he was a Socialist. Charitable per-
secutors ! Did the great master of the Bishops
and Reverend Gentlemen appeal to the authorities,
whether Roman or Jewish, to turn out of office
those who did not believe in him ? Alas! no. He
and his followers were the persecuted Socialists of that
day, and were smitten and buffetted for their belief by
Hilt Priests and their servants, just as the Bishop of
EXETEa and his Reverend followers buffet and smite,
according to the milder mode of persecution which mo-
dern times tolerate, the followers of Mr. OWEN. Such
is the disastrous effect of possessing power, that the
persecuted become Nrsecutors. Good men should pray
that power m iy be kept far from them.
Viscount STRANEFORD, is announcing his intention
to make a motion on Thursday relative to inland ware-
housing, indulged in a little tirade about the state of
our relations with Buenos Ayres ; and the Noble Lord
extended a fictitious principle of English juri,prudence,
" that there is no wrong cvithout a remedy," to the inter-
course of nations and the course of the moral world. If
it were true either in low or fact, that there were no
wrong without a remedy, how hippy would mankind be,
and how certain cf obtaining justice.
Lord DENMAN laid on the table a Bill not to allow
in all casts of libel or slander, when the dam iges did
not exceed 405., more than 40s. costs. This will be a
good law so far as it goes, and will prevent those in-
significant actions, being brought for libel, which Lot d
DENMAN justly described as complete nuisances to the
Courts at present, and never benefiting the parties who
bring them.
The Noble Lord also laid on the table a Bill to re-
move doubts about the power of rating inhabitants.
Their Lordships adjourned at a Quarter before Six.
In the Commons a considerable number of petitions
for Church extension, for the abolition of Church-rates,
for the release of the Sheriffs, and for the pardon of
FROST, were presented.

Mr. WALLACE withdrew his motion relative to re-
turns of those persons who had furnished information con-
cerning the Post-effiee. Mr. HERRIES took the oppor-
tunity of vindicating the officers of the Post-office from
the implied charge of having acted improperly in fur-
nishing him with information. They had not done so.
Notices were given of motions by Mr. Sergeant
JACKSON to limit the Municipal Franchise in the Cor-
poration Bill for Ireland to those who possess the Par-
liamentary franchise ; by Mr. 'luau, for returns of the
legacy duty ; by Mr. LANGDALE, to place Catholic
and Protestant children on the same footing as the
Asylum Schools at Greenwich, Chelsea, and South-
ampton ; by Sir J. GRAHAM to ask questions about
China and Persia ; and by Sir R. PEEL, for a return
of pensions granted since 1834, and for the number of
men and quantity of stores sent to Spain under the
Quadruple Treaty.
In reply to questions, tho LORD ADVOCATE stated
that he had not received instructions to prepare a De-
claratory Act relative -to patronage in the Scotch
Church. Sir J. HORHOUSE stated that no decision bad
yet been come to concerning the deposition of the
Rajah of Sattara ; and Lord JOHN RUSSELL stated that
he had no official information that Mr. HOWARD had
commenced an action against the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Mr. VILLIERS is to bring forward the Corn-law ques-
tion on some day after the 20th of March.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL presented. another petition
from Messrs. HANSARD, stating that a writ of sum-
mons had, been served on them on the 14th of
February, and that THOMAS BURTON HOWARD was
the attorney of Mr. STOCKDALE, in the action. The
Noble Lord then moved that the former petition of the
same parties be taken into consideration, and proceeded
to move, in order to protect and vindicate the privi-
leges of the House, that the Sheriffs, Sub-Sheriffs,
bailiffs, clerks, and others, not Jurors or Judges, who
should be instrumental in levying any damages in
such actions, would be guilty ofa breach of privilege
and contempt of the House. After a few objections
from Sir E. SUGDEN, and a few remarks from Sir C.
GREY, the motion was carried by 146 to 75.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL then moved that this resolu-
tion be communicated to the Sheriffs and others by the
Sergeant-at-Arms serving it on them. This gave rise
to a short debate, in which the Recorder displayed much
greater heat than becomes a Judge at any time ; and
Sir E. SUGDEN was full of lugubrious apprehensions of
what the House of Commons may do. Lord JOHN
RUSSELL made a spirited reply, in which he most aptly
quoted, in defence of the House publishing its Reports,
the charge delivered by Lord DENMAN, in the case of
Lord BERESIORD v. the Morning Chronicle, on
Saturday.
The mot!on was agreed to.

After Mr. HANSARD had been examined at the bar
to ascertain who served him with the- writs in these
new actions, the ATTORNEY-GENERAL'ittilOVed that
Mr. PEARCE (Mr. HOWARD'S Clerk), and Mr.
HOWARD, jun., should attend at the bar this day, which
was ordered.

The House Ws subsequently counted out, about
Eight o'Clock, on Mr. BAINES bringing forward his mo-
tion on the subject of First Fruits and Tenths.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL, Sir STEPHEN LUSH-
INGTON, and the Globe all seem to have misunder-
stood and misrepresented the case of TuoßoGoop.
It is quite true, we believe, as stated by Sir STE.
PIIEN LUSIIINGTON, that THOROGOOD gave the
Magistrates notice to prevent them from inquiring
into the validity of the Church-rate, and deciding
betwixt him and the Churchwarden'. But why?
Because by submitting to their tribunal he would
have acknosdedged that which he conscientiously
denies—the justice of taxing Dissenters to support
the Church. That was his main objection to the
rate, and on that point the civil Magistrates could
give him no relief. He therefore refused to submit
his case to their jurisdiction. As Sir STEPHEN
LI:SHINE/TON and the Globe say, he did force
himself into the Ecclesiastical Court, but we have
never before heard that voluntarily braving an ob-
noxious
and unjust power, deprives a man of the
claim to the title and character of a martyr. To
run away from such a power, to be caught by it and
impaled, constitutes a sacrifice rather than a mar-
tyrdom. To assert that Mr. THOROGOOD loses
the claim to be a martyr by voluntarily throwing
himself into the power of the Ecclesiastical Court,
implies either gross ignorance of the English lan-
guage o: a wilful design to pervert it and confuse
the public mind.
But after Mr. TIIOROGOOD had placed himself
in the power of the Ecclesiastical Court, because
that was the only means by which he could bring
the question, which he wished to dispute, to issue,
he did not answer the citation, nor defend his
cause. Why ? Because he was advised by the
Society in London not to appear ; for this reason,
that " by not appearing, he would do more good
to the cause." He might have been ill advised on
that point; he ought, perhaps, to have appeared ;
but he did not appear, that he might more effica-
ciously contribute to put down Church-sates. If
devotion to a cause constitutes one element of a
claim to the title of martyr, that clement is as con-
spicuous in Mr. THOROGOOD'S reason for not an-
swering the citation as in withdrawing his case
from the power of the Civil Magistrates. He did
not appear, was committed for contempt of the
Court, and has ever since been imprisoned.
From first to last his ardent and unflinching de•
votion to the cause he suffers for,—his unbending
resolution, and his brave endurance, cannot be
denied ; and if such qualities do not make a man a
martyr, he will not become one by being burnt at
the stake.

Men in office, ecclesiastical judges, and public
writers, appear to have no conception of such vir-
tue in a humble man. If THOROOOOD had remained
out of office for six months to achieve some patrio-
tic work ; if he had refused a Judgeship, or resist-
ed the smiles of the Treasury, they could have un-
derstood his sacrifice, and would have admitted
that he was a martyr to his principles ; but as a
poor man, to have stood forth for freedom of con-
science, to have voluntarily braved in that pur-
suit the whole ecclesiastical power, to have pa-
tiently endured thirteen months' incarceration, when
he might have come out by entering an appear-
ance in the Court, and paying the money, is wha
Lord J. RUSSELL, Sir STEPHEN LUSHINGTON,
and the writer in the Globe, cannot comprehend.
Theyis
takenrefuse upthe
relief to TIIOROGOO D, and deny h
claims to public sympathy in a good cause. They
have
arts of the Tories, and mock at
suffering.
" Of all the wept whi!,-.11 can afflict distress,
Sure the
,itioisstnti(i)twter
his a scornful jest."
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