The Sun.
London, England, 1840-04-22 00:00:00

JOHN THORQ.OOOD.

TO THE EDITOi? OF THE SUN.
Sig,--I send you the following extract front a letter I
received this morning from John Thorogood
" Cheltustotd Jail, April 18.
" Dear Sir,—T write you a line, merely to inform you
that the Churchwardens called on me to-d®y in this jail,
for the rate made last year since my imprisonment. I tol4
them I should not pay it. Mr. Gipp said he would read
over to me the amount of the rate, according to the assess_
*tient. I said, " You can do as you like about that." He
read it over from a small slip of pper, and said, " Yea
decline paying it ?" I answered, "4 do." I then turned
round, opened the door, and walked out. I have since
learnt they called upon my wife, who could net keep her
temper, and ordered them out of the house, or the would
turn them out. Coming here,' she said, ' asking me
for a rate after having robbed :no of my husband for fifteen
months, for a peltry ss. 6d.' I feel sorry they have in-
sulted her—myself I don't mind."
I do not remember that the history of religious persecu-
tion furnishes a more genuine specimen of fiery z4al. I
beg your readers to carry their imagination to the pea of
this man, who has for fifteen months. suffered imprisonment
for defect of obedience to the demands of the Church
let then► see him strong in his principles and the support
of a good conscience, but with his spirit broken and his
health enfeebled, and then picture the salitude of his prison
life invaded by the Churchwarden of his parish_4ll,o,
author of his sufferings—who comes not to comfort him,
but to manifest the spirit of his Church, by advancing new
claims, and experimenting on the strength which may re-
main to him after fifteen months' confinement.

I am not aware of any parallel to this but in the his-
tory of the Inquisition, where an official was appointed to
superintend the infliction of torture, and as the surgeon
announced the degrees of diminished strength, dc.alandod
at each successive stage the required recantation. Even
there some consideration was afforded, and the limbs of
the recusant were loosened from the torture before the re-
newed demand was made; but here the official enters the
gaol to put his question, prepares for a detainer to be
lodged at the gate, and reminds his victim of the fate of
Mr. Jones of Llanon. The wantonness of the insult ap-
pears, too, when we remember that, as it was certain
Thorogood would not pay a Church-rate, it could be reco-
vered only by summoning before the Magistrates a man
who is closely imprisoned, or citing him in gaol for neglect-
ing its previous citations.

-Be good enough to expoae this enormity, and oblige
Sir, your obedient servant,
Bungay, April 20. - JOHN CHILDS.

TO THL REPRESEN TA TIVE
PEERS OF SCOTLAND.

"My Lords—l cannot avoid expressing my asto-
nishment that the declaration recently made by the
Bishop of Exeter, when a discussion took place in the
House of Lords relative to the Reserved Land appro-
priated by the State for the support of a Protestant
Clergy in the Canadas—that He could not call the
Church of Scotland a Church '—has not excited some
public manifestation of displeasure on the part of your
Lordships,' for a more unwarrantable and unguarded
speech was hardly ever delivered. Indeed, it is an in-
sult to the people of Scotland, which your Lordships
ought to have resented ; and I regret that you have
suffered, with impunity, the clergy of your native CQ1111•
try to be so unjustly calumniated.
That the Presbyterian clergy of the Church of
Scotland have as just a claim as the Episcopalian cletgy
of the Church of England to a share of the reserved
lands, surely none but tL most bigoted will deny t. for
in the United Kingdom they are both equally recognised
as Established Churches ; and there is not the least
doubt, when the Act of 1791 took place, that the Go-
vernment of that day never for a moment contemplated
conferring on one Church the reserved lands in Canada,
to the exclusion of the other. Indeed, Lord Harrovvhy
has stated that Mr. Pitt, who was the instigator of she
Act, declared that such was never his intention.
0 Both Churches are, or ought to bet equally under-
the protection of Parlian.ent; and I am confident that
every prudent and discreet man must view the conduct
of the Bishop of Exeter as highly reprehensible, for de:-
(daring in his legislatorial capacity, that He could not
call the Chui cli of Scotland a Church.'

" In the hope that your Lordships may yet be induced
to manifest your displeasure at this calumnious att-a,d,
made on the Established Church of Scotland 'dy tic
Prelate of Exeter,
" I beg to subscribe myself,
" Your Lordships'most obodkit servant,
"April 17, 1840." " ARTHUR VERE."

The
London, No. 3. Lower Seymour-street, Portman-square.
Countess of Clifford presents her compli-
rts to Mr. E. Solomons, and is much gratified in being able
oesnay that his" Pateht Spectables," adapted to her sight nearly
six
years ago, have continued undiminished in the perfect ease
and pleasure she was so delighted to have experienced from
their use immedial'ely he so skilfully applied them, enabling her
to read or engage her sight for the most minute employment,
and for any length of time, by day or candle-light, without the
slightest fatigue. Indeed, it is with the greatest pleasure tine
Countess testifies to Mr. E. Solomons' perfectly successful
treatment of her sight, and submits her own peculiar case in
conformation of the strong and deserved recommendations his
Spectacles have received, and of Mr. E. Solomons' high pro-
fessional standing. Countess CONST A NTI A CLIFFORD.—To
Mr. E. Solomons, Optician, 313, Old Bond-street, and 1, Old
Jewry, City.
VULPINE AFFECTION.—In drawing the cover
at East Gordon on Saturday last, the Duke of Buccleuch's
fox-hounds unkennelled a fox bitch, which, on breaking cover,
was observed to be carrying one of her cubs in her mouth. l
fact having been stated to the huntsman, the pack was innle.
diately whipped off.