The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-26 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM THE DAILY PAPERS OF SATURDAY.
TIMES.—We take blame to ourselves for having suffered
any of our Contemporaries to anticipate u 3 in the expression
of their just indignation at the atrocity perpetrated by Lord
Cardigan in the Hounslo,,v Riding-school on Easter day.
The public is, unhappily, too well acquainted with that noble-
man's character, to feel much surprise at hearing. that he dis-
regards the solemn oreinances of religion; nor is his reputa-
tion for mildness as a disciplinarian so well established as to
make the infliction of corporal punishment upon a soldier
under his command appear an extraordinary thing. But we
did not think Her Majesty's army contained a person who
could deliberately choose Sunday of all days in the week,
and Easter-day of all Sundays in the year, for the execution
of a sentence, always barbarous and disgusting, upon one
of his men,—who, not content with this, could summon his
soldiers to witness the savage spectacle within half an hour
after the conclusion of divine service, in the very place where
they had just before assembled for the worship of God. All
this Lord Cardigan did. On the most sacred and solemn fes-
tival of the Christian Church, the anniversary of the Resides-
tion of our Blessed Lord,—on that day, surrounded as it is
with irresistible associations of mercy, pardon, and peace, pro-
claiming the terms of amnesty and free forgiveness to every
sinful soul,—this wretched being, whom men call noble, who
thinks himself honourable, who is an officer bearing the com-
mission of a Christian Queen, and the acting Lieutenant of
that Queen's husband, did not scruple to exact from a fellow-
creature, in the building just used as a house of prayer, the most
inhuman of all the penalties tolerated by law. We doubt if
in the whole series of 180 n years which have elapsed since the
great Event which the Church commemorates at Easter, any-
thing parallel to this act has before occurred ; and, under all
the circumstances, we can hardly speak of it as less than dia-
bolical. Precedents there have been for the infliction of cor-
poral punishments in the British army en Sundays, under cir-
cumstances of pee uliar emergency. But for their inilictlon on
Easter Sunday, we trust—we believe—we feel sure, that no
precedent has ever been known ; and we can imagine no exi-
gency, short of mutiny itself, by which it could possibly bejus-
tified. Having thus expressed the feelings which this oc-
currence is catcula.ted to excite in- every Christian mind, we
have next to inquire what Ministers and the authorities at the
Horse Guards intend to do ? No one pretends to defend Lord
Cardigan's conduct. It has been the subject of two conversa-
tions in the House of Commons, and the Secretary at War has
pronounced it to be " most improper and culpable ;"—unpre-
cedented, because officers of the greatest standing and expe-
rience in the service agree that " such punishments can
never be justifiably inflicted except in cases of military
exigency, and on march, when there is no choice ;"
wanton and gratuitous, because in the case of the
soldier eunished by Lord Cardiga.n, " the punishment
might, without the smallest inconvenience, have been post-
poned till the next day." What, then, is to be done with this
inveterate offender, this plague-spot of the British army, who
eetems to exist for the single purpose of vetting public opinion
at ceetiance, and bringing discredit upon the unwise clemency
which re stored him, after one well-merited disgrace, to em-
ployments :,r which he is by temper and character thoroughly
di-qualified ? 0:1 Tu day Mr. _Macaulay assured the House of
Commons that .. smell notice had been taken, and would be taken,
of the case, a; would Actually prevent the recurrence of any simi-
lar one in future ; antioipetine, we suppose, Lord Hill's general
order upon the occasion, ,whieli we publish to-day. That do-
cument does, indeed. characterize, Lord Cardigan's conduct in
terms of very pointed censure. "It is well known," says Lord
Hill, "that it is nut the practice of this country to carry the
penal sentences of the law into execution on the Lord's-day ;
neither is it the practice of the army, whether employed ahead
or at home. The General Commanding-in-Chief is, there-
fore, surprised that an officer in the situation of Lieutenant-
kolonel commanding a regiment, should have carried such
a sentence into execution on Sunday." This is very
well as felt as it gees ; but it is not with a bare
expression di...on! Hill's " surprise" and disapprobation that
the public will remain satisfied. It will be their turn to be
" :surprised," if the officer who, in addition to his many other
notorious delinquencies, has committed this revolting outrage
upon humanity, decency, and religion. is suffered to remain
et in the situation of a Lieutenant-Colonel commanding a re-
git.ient." Should their reasonable expectations on this point
be ales longer disappointed, we trust some independent Mem-
ber of the House of Commons will take an early opportunity of
cutting the Gordian knot, and move an address to the Crown
for the removal of the Earl of Cardigan from the Lieutenant-
Coloneley of the II ti, Hussars.
I.DVERTISEII.—A " General Order" from the Horse
Guaseds appears in our columns to-day, in reference to the re-
cent re vatting desecration of the Sabbath by Lord Cardigan, in
having a man flogged at Hounslow immediately after divine
service There aepears in this " Order" a great discrepancy
from the statement made. by Mr. Macaulay in the House of
sGenmons, when he intimated that it was not unusual for cor-
poral punishment in the army to be inflicted on the Lord's Day.
The Adjutant-General distinctly states that " it is well known
that it is not the practice of this country to carry penal sen-
eeness of the law into execution on the Lord's Day ; neither
is it the practice ot'' the army, whether employed abroad
or at Louie ;" and that " the General Commanding-
in-Chief is therefore surprised that an officer in the
situation of Lieutenant-Colonel commanding a regiment,
shou!d have carded such a sentence into execution on
Sunday." We are esratified thus to learn that even the
Sabbath in the army S. not generally outraged by such
a sanguinary abomination as that perpetrated at Hounslow ;
but we are astonished that the Gencrel Commander-in-Chief,
after having endeavoured to screen Isord Cardigan's infamous
aggressions on the feelings of the officers under his command,
after the thorough contempt that his Lordslsip has evinced on
aid innumerable variety of occasions for public opinion and
public decenity, and after the Commander-in-Chief having
thrown the shield of his most culpable protection over the
ignoble. offender, whereby he virtually acknowledged that
_Lord's prescriptive right to exemption from military penalty,
Sloe-ever enormous his transgression—under such authorised
immunity of offence, we are astonished that the " General
et Commander-in-Chief " should "feel surprise" at any out-
eaans which Lord Cardigan could offer to military discipline
or vublic decency. For our own part, we are not at all sur-
prises! at Lord Cardigan's conduct. It was a thing to be ex-
pected. When superior authority connive at dereliction of
public duty, it cannot be expected that parties tempted to its
violation ivi.l he scrupulous in its observance. In retaining
,Lora Cardigan in the service, after the inexcusable offences
proved against him, Lord Hill identified himself with these
offences, and therefore ought not to feel surprise at their repe-
titiun. For all subsequent delinquencies, it is not Lord Car-
digan who is to blame, so much as the system which tolerated j
his endurance in an appointment whet sin he had exhibited j
such glaring proofs of incompetency and unjust and tyrannical
sninistration.
HER ALD.—A general order, dated 22d April, 1841, has
been issue 1 from the Hore Guards, on the subject of the
punishment of a soldier of the 11th Hussars in the Ridincs-
house, at Hounslow, on Sunday, the 11th of April. In so far
nts the terms of this order expressly corroborate the views we
took, and the opinion; we expressed in the Herald of the day
beeeore yesterday, it is impossible that we should find any fault
with them. We had said of .Mr. Macaulay's speech on the 21st
instant on the subject, that it did not vindicate Lord Cardi-
gan friers? the charge of having " needlessly and offensively
desecrated the Sabbath." The general public order ( which
we publish in another column) declares it to be " well
known that if is not the practice of the country to carry
the penal seneenees of the law into execution on the
Lord's Day ; neither is it the practice of the army whether
employed abroad or aseehome." In the Herald of the 15th in-
stant, we treated the infliction of this punishment on the Sab-
bath, as " an unseemly ,14Tront on the solemn ceremonies
which had just before been ceseseluded ;" and we contended that
" nothing but a sudden act see mutiny on the part of the
offender, or the circumst ince of h. 's regiment being in actual
service, or in the field, or doing duty iii e.
eis garrison town where
it might be of incalculable moment to it instantaneously
every flagrant breach of discipline," would tee a ground of jus-
tification for such a course. Now the gee se:al order" seems
to confirm this opinion distinctly. It mig;:t be surmised
by anybody, who had had no experience of the immu-
table justice and stern impartiality of the Hors,. Guards,
that after the recital of the offence in the firs -t para-
graph of the " order," it would have gone a.' toe
denounce the offender ; and by name. Oh, no ! 't
should seem that the Lieutenant-Colonel of " Prince Albert .'a
Own" has the privilege of exemption from all personal desig-
nation in a public document that is expressedin the language
of censure. " The General Commanding in-Chief is there-
fore surprised that an officer in the situation of Lieutenant-
Colonel commanding a regiment, should have carried such a
sentence into execution on Sunday." The uninformed public,
or that portion of it at least which a year hence may be rude
enough to have forgotten Lord Cardigan and all his graceful
levities, may thus be left to its own memory, or to consult the
whoauthority of an old Army List, in order to determine
was this " great un-named," whom even the rude
censure of a General Order forbore to indicate by
any other identification than that of " a Lieutenant.
Colonel commanding a resiment " A lucky man the " Lieu-
tenant-Colonel " certainly -is! .But, since the authorities at the
Horse Guards seem at saloss to decide how their " general or-
der " should be made to apply, since it is evident that James
Earl of Cardigan, is not to be en assumed to be intended by
its terms, sac would stronglyrecommendie to the Noble and
Gallant Lord, the Commander in- Chief, put tho old-fa-
shioned superscription at thw head of
docu-
ment—namely, " To all whom. it may c errnem,arkTahbele,ali,,
we verily believe, would comprehend but one officer ibn her
:Majesty's dominions ; and, in that case, the Earl of Cardigan
would make good his title to.. thii sole property in the Coan-
inander-in-Chiers mysterious communication!
POST.—In a very well-written article, as opposite as pos-
sible in tone and temper to that " explosion" upon which we
animadverted in our paper of Thursday morning, the Times
endeavours to explain away the natural deductions which we
made from the violence of which it was guilty on the day before.
In its publication of yesterday our Contemporary says—" W
.e
observe that an article which we published on 'I hursday (t us
should be Wednesday), has been mistaken by a respect-
able morning Contemporary for an 'explosion' of anger against
the Conservative party in general, on account of some
supposed lukewarmness of the Nottingham Conservatives in
support of Mr. Walter. Now, as we never had the
-smallest reason to believe that any such lukewartnness
.existed, it is scarcely necessary for us to disclaim the
map utation of having written under the influence of the
leeling which our Contemporary imagines." We are glad to
fuel that the Times was not influenced as we supposed it was.
and did not mean to level any volley of abuse against the
loaders of the Conservative party. We are very well pleased
indeed to hear this, but our pleasure we must confess is dashed
with regret that writers so experienced and so influential as
those of the Times should express themselves in a manner so
liable and likely to be misunderstood. We hope it is scarcely
necessary to say that we should rot presume to make
this remark if we alone had been "mistaken" in the
manner pointed out by our Contemporary. In that case we
. should have apologised for our error of perception, and there
Save let the matter drop. Bait as we find that the Chronicle,
l'he Sun, and the Globe, that is to say, all the London Papers
which took any notice at all of the article in the Times upen
which we animadverted, fell precisely into the same error as we
did in its interpretation, we hope we may be permitted to say
that it were well if the very important leaders of the Tizzies
were written more perspicuously.
CH RONICLE.—The honest man and staunch Conserva-
tive of 4he Times who refused any longer to subscribe to the
Consekative association, as, by turning out the present Ali-
nieery,the.country would only gain the substitute of one set of
,soundrels for another," ,has been so far disavowed by that
journal, that it says it had not the remotest idea of ap-
plying the phrase in its literal sense to Lord Lansiowee
or Lord John Russell, much less to such men as
Lbrd Stanley, Lord Lyndhurst, and Sir Robert
Peel. But though the Times did not coeceiwa
the above personages to , be literally s. oundrels, it
" thought it well to let the Conservative leaders see what bit-
terness of feeling their Whig propensities have a tendency
to excite in the minds of what we verily believe to be a
large class of their most valuable supporters." The Conserva-
tive leaders are, it seems, at issue on " subjects of the
gravest importance to both Church and State." However, Sir
tßobert Peel is still allowed a locus penitentice. He has given
grave offence on =my occasions to the great body of the Conser-
'atine, but he may still command the support of the immense m a-
jority of Conservatives if he will adopt the views of those who re-
gard the present Poor-law as a measure impolitic,unjust,unchari-
table, and unchristian. But if he reckons upon their support
without adopting their views, he must ultimately split up on
the rock of the Poor-law. s. If," concludes the Times, "ave
must either acquiesce in the new Poor-law, or abandon him
(Sir R. Peel), we cannot lone hesitate which alternative to
...choose." It would be difficult to understand how Sir Robert

Peel could, at the twelfth hour, alyindon the opinions respec-
ting the new Poor-law which he has recorded a hundred
times. without proclaiming himself the scoundrel which he is
merely called in the bitterness of disappointment by honest
and staunch Conservatives.
GLOBE.—A strife for pre eminence in Chartist fa-
vour seems to be established between the Times and the
Northern Star. The former journal has no less than
three Chartist articles in its publication of this morn-
ng, in support of the Chartist-Conservative candidate
for Nottingham, to whose " personal interests" it seams
disposed to sacrifice what little remnant of reputation I
remained to its advocacy. As it attacks the Globe in
one of those articles on the subject of opening Regent's
Park to the public, an allusion to that article may be
excused. We are able to state distinctly, as an answer
sufficiently subversive of the gratuitous assumptions
and unfounded assertions of our abusive Contempo-
rary, that the Commissioners of Woods and Forests in-
tend to throw open all the unoccupied gress land in the
Regent's Park for the free use of the public ; and that
their only hesitation on the subject had arisen from the
consideration, how far it could be done consistently with
what was due to good faith towards the lessees of the
villas, who have expended large sums in their construc-
tion and ornament. The impudence with which the
Times has indulged in the assumption; and assertions
we have referred to, is assuredly unmatched except by
itself. " If," says tkis most courageous violator of
truth and decency—" if the country had been earlier
cursed with the evil incumbency of the Whigs, it is
certain that not an acre of the Crown lands would
cvsr have been ornamented for public convenience ;
and, above all, not so much as a hen-walk would
have been apportioned to the poor," &c. &c. There
is nothing more capable of proof, that in no one
circumstance has the present Government been
more advantageously contrasted with former Govern-
ments that in its earnest desire to afford accommoda-
tion in, and facilities of access to, all public property
and institutions, to all classes of the community.
This year Primrose-hilt has been purchased by Govern-
merit for the use of the public, and secured against be-
ing inclosed and built upon ; the G:een Park has been
improved for the accommodation of foot-passengers ;
and in the increasing number of persons who take ad-
vantage of Hampton Court being opened to the public,
we see the gratifying results of Lard Deocannon's wise
consideration for the public enjoyment and improve.
ment, when in the pursuit of pleasure and recreation.
COU BIER.—It is reported in the City that the
shareholders of the British Iron Company, of the direction
of which Mr. de Hochepied Larpent is Chairman, are
about to start Major Richardson as a candidate for Not-
tingham against him, on the liberal interest. The circum •
stances attending this curious division in the liberal ranks
may be thus briefly explained. It is known that violent
dissensions have long existed among the Shareholders of
that Company, but more particularly between a consi-
derable section of the Shareholders and the Directors,
and that the affairs of this extensive Association are in
much confusion, principally through the tuinously expen-
sive litigation with Mr. Attwood, and the ultimate loss
of the suits at law in which it was involved with him.
When matters are in an unprosperous state, and people
lose their money, they are seldom found to keep their
temper ; a general truism, which is not gainsaid in the
instance of the British Iron Company, the members of
which, as before observed, are all at loggerheads. The
Directors, of course, and whether with or without rea-
son, in respect of which no opinion need be hazarded,
come in for a large share of censure for the adverse
situation of the Company's affairs, and Major Richardson.
as the leader of the malcontents, is therefore peculiarly
pitted against Mr. de Hochepied Lerpont, who is
champion as well as chairman of the directory. The
parties, it is understood, after various stormy general
meetings, have got into Chancery; where of course they
are likely to remain. Considering that about one million
sterling of the shareholders' money has been expended
or wasted from first to last in this most unfortunate and
mismanaged concern, it is really not to be wondered
that the luckless losers, many of whom may be en-
tirely ruined by the result, shall become exasperated
and litigious. Hence the proposition of the body, in
gratitude for his exertions in their cause, to nominate
and run Major Richardson against Mr. De Larpent,
and as the Major is a well-known Liberal, and of much
longer standing as such than the merchant, for he early
fleshed his sword for liberty in the cause of Colombia,
it is believed that he will carry with him the vast ma-
jority of the Liberal interest in Nottingham, whatever
that may amount to. The Major is, besides, an effec-
tive orator, and can bounce about the Ballot, and cut
capers to the usual party fiddling anent Corn-laws, and
Church-rates, in much more approved ad caj;tandum
style than his less experienced trading compeer can
make pretension to.
STANDARD.—Ministers have suffsired another
defeat, and a defeat of that description of which they
have a monopoly in our political history—a defeat in a
case in which even success would be infamous. A
clause had been introduced into the Ministerial Bill
for the administration of justice, excluding from a
right to compensation the holders of all offices abo-
lished by the Bill whose appointments did not
bear a date prior to the 14th of March, 1840,
when Ministers first introduced their measure. The
purpose of this limitation was to deprive an individuel,
time Honourable Robert Scarlett, of the benefit of a
claim to which he would regularly be entitled, for no
other imaginable reason than that the Learned Gen-
tleman is an able and consistent Conservative. The
apology for the meditated injustice only exposes more
offensively the meanness of those who attempted it.
Lord Abinger, it is said, who named Mr. Scarlett to
the office, must have been aware that Ministers intended
to abolish it ; and, therefore, ought to have appointed,
not a gentleman of high standing, and character, and
long experience at the bar, like Mr Scarlett, but some
one who had either no private professional duties
to he interrupted, or such professional prospects
only as he could afford to sell for the consideration
of a few months' official salary ; and Lord J. Russell il-
lustrated and enforced this argument by a story of a pri-
vate secretary of his own, who had received no compen-
sation for the loss of an office to which he had been
appointed upon the eve of its abolition. Every one can
sec through this mass of fallacies. Lord Abinger was
bound to appoint an efficient person in whom be could
confide to discharge the duties of an important office,
these duties being constant, and always of equal delicacy
and magnitude ; and his Lordship was to know nothing
of the designed proposition of Government, nor was he
to anticipate the decision of Parliament upon the pro-
position when made.

MONEY M RK ET and CITY NI: WS.

FROM THE MnRNINO PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.

CIIRONTCLE—The funds have not been quite so buoyant
to-day. A purchase of 100,000 Consols fur the Account was
einsciA in the early part of the day at 90%; sub•equently,
how.lver, sales to some extent were made, which caused a
slight depression,`he quotation having declined to 901,4 sellers,
which was the closing price. Bank Stock was 1721/2 to .3%.
Exchequer Bills 14e. to 1.4.1'. p
The rates of Exchange on .
rem.
qamburgh and Amsterdam were
a shade lower, but on Paris there N:'43 no alteration.
e. iei,ced a further
In the Foreign Market, Spanish Stogyk per
slight improvement, owing to she prevaiiLlg opinion that the
affair of the Regency will terminate in the elec:.'ou of the Duke
of Victoria alone to the office.

PARLIAMENTARY DIVISION.
(From the Pates and Proceedings of the Rouse of Commons.)
FRIDAY, APRIL 23.

ADMINISTRATION. 9F JUSTICE (No. 1)

BILL.

In Committee.—Clause ( That it shall be lawful for any
officer of the Court of Exchequer, who was appointed to his
office or employment in that Court prior to the 14th day of
March, 1840, whose office will be abolished or affected by the
operation of this Act, to make a claim for compensation) brought
up and read the first time. Clause to be read a second time.
Amendment proposed, to leave out the words " who was ap-
pointed to his office or employment in that Court prior to the
14th day of March, 1840." Question put " That the words
Proposed to be left out stand part of the clause." The Cora-
-1 mittee divided :

Aglionby, H. A.
al
Baring F.
Berkeley, F H
Blake,
Bowes,. J.
Brotherton. J.
Busfeild, William
Chalmers, P.
Clay, W.
Dalmeny, Lord
Evans,
Davies,
's
,SG
Evans, iColonelrblle dL y
i';v•a W.
Ferguson, Sir Robert
Fort. John
Gisborne T.
Gordon, kobert
;,'
Ei4anr
Grey, Sir G.
Grosvenor, Lord R.
Guest, J.
Hawes, B.

:NORITY—AYES, 70.
I Hayter, W. G. Salwey, Colonel
Hobhouse, Sir J. C. Scholefield, J.
Hobhouse, T. B. Shell, R. L.
Hodges, T. L. Stanley, E. J.
Hume, J. Stanley, M.
James, William Stock, Dr.
Labouchere, H. Strutt, Edward
Listowel, Earl of Stuart, Lord James
Macaulei, T. B. Surrey, Earl of
Maule, Hon. rox Tancred, H. W.
Morpeth, Viscount Thornely, Thomas
Monis, David Troubrioge, Sir T.
Morrison, James Villiers, Charles P.
Muntz, U. F. Vivian, John H.
O'Connell, D. Vivian, Sir H.
O'Connell, J.
Wakley. Thomas
O'Ferrall, H. M. Wilbraham, G.
Paget, Lord A. Wilde Sir Thomas
Palmerston, Visct. Williams, w,
. Edward
Philips, M. Worsley, Lord
Phillips, G G. Wyse, Thomas
Rawdon, J. D. Ty.I.L6 it .
Rutherford, A.
Russel!, Lotd John
Parker, John

iJORITY—NOES,
Gordon, Hon. W.
Goulburn, Henry
Graham, Sir James
Grant, Sir A. C.
Grey, Sir C.
Gritnston, Lord
Hepburn, Sir 'l'. B.
Hogg, J. W.
Holmes, W.
Hope, Hon. C.
Hotham, Lord
Hurt, Francis
Ingham, Robert
Inglis, Sir It. H.
Jervis, J.
Jones, John
Kemblc, Henry
Knatchbull, Sir L.
Laserlles, W. S.
Loather, J. 11.
Lygon, Hon. Gcn.
Lvoch, A. H.
Maclean, 1)
%,ai.on, Lord
Master, Colonel

Ant robus, Edw ird
Bailey, Joseph
Bannerman, A.
Baring, H. B.
Barrington, Viscount
Blackburne, 1.
Botfield, Beriah
P ramston, T. W.
Broadley, H.
Buller, C.
Burr, Higford
Burrell, Sir C. M.
Canning. Sir S.
Clerk, Sir George
Ccurtenay,
Cresswell, Cresswell
Dalrymple, Sir A.
Darby, George
Disraeli, Benjamin
Douglas, Sir C.
Eaton, R. J.
Egerton, W.T.
remantle, Sir T.
Gladstone, J. N.
Godson, it.

-3.lonypenny. T
Morgan, Octavius
Nicholl, J.
Norreys, Lord
Pakington, J. S.
Parker, It. T.
Peel, Hon. Sir R
Polhill, Freaerick
Richards, K.
Round, John
Scarlett, J Y.
Silithorp, Colonel
Sainer.et, Lord G.
Stewart, James
Stewart, John
Stuart, Villiers
Sog,icn, Sir Edward;
TeigninJw h. Lord
Thc• ger, F.
Ti otter, J.
Wilbraham, Hon. 13.
Wood, Colonel T.

TELLERS.
kollett, Sir William
Pemberton, Thowai

DUBLIN, APRIL 22.—His EXcellenc y ar-
rived at Kingstown this day. on board the Lightning
steamer, on his return from England, and proceeded to
Vice-regal Lodge in the Park. We are happy to
annotance that his Excellency is in excell,nt liedth. Some
2ays previous to the departure of the Lord Lieutenant for
vo❑=hire, the Evening Mail announc..d that his Excel-
lency would not return to Ireland, having accepted the
Home-office, as successor to Lord Normhnby, who had
been appointed Governor-General in India. We then cc-
suited the Mail that his information was incorr..ct ; but
our Contemporary heeded us not. Perhaps he is now
convinced of his mistake. —Dublin Evsniny Post.