The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-27 00:00:00

HEREFORD.—Mr. Brand has responded to a regal,
sition, and stands for Hereford.

AYLESBURY.—Mr. Sergeant Byles will be opposed
by Lord Nugent at Aylesbury.
SOMERSETSHIRE.—A Hampshire paper states, " We
hear that Mr. John Wood, the barrister, is likely to
be proposed as candidate for Somersetshire, on Pro-
testant principles, in opposition to Mr. Acland."
ABERDEEN.—We observe in one of the south-
country papers a paragraph stating that opposition is
threatened to Mr. Bannerman. Nothing of the kind
is known here. It was at one time thought that
General Arbuthnott would be opposed in Kincardine-
shire, but from the number and influence of the names
attached to a requisition to the General, which we
have seen, we feel satisfied that any such opposition
would be fruitless. Some of the London newspapers
have been speculating on the results of the contest
between Sir Leith Hay and Mr. George Duff in the
Elgin Burghs. They evidently do not understand
what they are writing about.—Aberdeen Herald.

GREE;OCK.-Mr. Walter Baine, it would appear,
does not intend to stand again as a candidate for the
representation of this town in Parliament. There
has been handed about for signature, under the
auspices of Mr. Baine's friends, a requisition to Lord
John Hay, brother of the Marquis of Tweeddale, and
a Lord of the Admiralty, to become a candidate at
the ensuing election Mr. Dunlop, advocate, who
opposed Mr. Baine on the last occasion, and very
nearly defeated him, although he entered upon the
field at so late a period as to render his return almost
hopeless, pledged himself at that time to stand again
whenever a vacancy should occur. Having been in-
formed by his friends of the movement that has been
going on in the other party, he came immediataly to
town, and had a meeting of his committee in the
White Hart Hotel. He is to remain in town to pro-
secute his canvass personally. In the event of a con-
test taking place, it will, in all probability, be a severe
one.

Dual:ital.—There is a rumour in circulation that
Colonel Thorns Wood does not intend to offer himself
again for the representation of Middlesex, but means
to solicit, on the Londonderry interest, the suffrages
of the constituency of the city of Durham.----North
British Mail.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

Mr. Burgon, of 35, Bucklersbury, was summoned be-
fore the Lord Mayor for having refused to pay the
church-rate, amounting to 5/. 25., due to the united
parishes of St. Stephen's Walbrook and St. Benet
Sherehog.
The LORD MAYOR—Have you got your summons,
Mr. Burgon?
Defendant—No, my Lord; I left it at home, between
the leaves of my Bible.
The LORD MAYOR—You object to pay the rate?
Defendant—l have conscientious objections to the
rate. I consider that lam conscientiously bound to re-
fuse to pay it.
The LORD MAYOR—It is my duty as a magistrate to
enforce the payment. lam under a legal necessity to
act peremptorily upon occasions of this kind; I have no
alternative. My duty is a mere matter of form, which
I have no power to alter.
Defendant—lt is no matter of form for me to part
with that for which I have laboured, for purposes which
I cannot recognise, and to which I am opposed from
principle.
The Loan MAYOR—You know well that you are le-
gally bound to pay the church•rate. Where can be the
good in putting yourself to the inconvenience of refusing
to do what, you must be aware, you are compellable by
law to do?
Defendant—Your Lordship has mentioned the consci-
i.tnathpdeiregoiisutltohaiillnlevtmyrda:septnibhesteaer.cftealcutpslyaeslii}d
entious reason I have for objecting to pay, for the law
as
alrohgauvee
of the land has nothing to do with conscience; cunscience
jeatuohnfinidTgss
nchymiaeeeognnlmact,
boeeuonßptioodl bf lohmAri
meYtoh.
that
Riri
sentencedea—Tet
has nothing to do with a civil magistrate.
d
eihmt
hetmonths,
lnai manmt hykat s ono,
fi
was
co-
incided there.

Defendant—My conscientious objection is founded
upon the principle which I recognise, that the Church of
England is based in error. That church holds to bap-
tismal regeneration, which I consider to be altogether
fallacious and destitute of foundation in the Bible.
There is no mention of such a thing at all in Holy Writ
as baptismal regeneration.
The LORD MAYOR.—I am not bound, as a magistrate,
to enter into a discussion of this kind, and I shall not
hear any more upon such a point.
It was then regularly proved that Mr. Burgon was
chargeable with the rate to the amount represented, and
The LORD MAYOR told him that if he questioned the
validity of it, he must give notice to that effect to the
magistrate, and his appeal would go before an ecclesias-
tical tribunal.
Defendant—l have already mentioned my conscien-
tious objection on the ground of the recognition of bap-
tismal regeneration by the Church of England. I have
another objection to state. I have reason to believe that
there is a great endowment in our parish. I believe
that there is as much as 8001. a year, which ought to be
appropriated to the repairs of the church, to contribute
to which I have been summoned; and it is my opinion
that if such appropriation took place there would not
be any necessity for applying to me.

The LORD YIAYoR-I:Thatis a matter to which m,
jurisdiction does not, as you very well know, extend.
Defendant—My Lord, my first objection, which ori-
ginated in a conscientious scruple, you have set aside.
The LORD MAYOR—You may continue to entertain
that objection, but I am obliged to act as a civil magis-
trate on the occasion, or I become liable to be served
with a mandamus.

Defendant:LTV-hen I saw that my first position was
likely to avail me nothing, I thought it necessary to try
another, and I mentioned the command of funds in the
united parishes as a rational excuse for refusing the ap-
plication. I am not (as our reporter understood Mr.
Burgon) a believer in geographical or in parochial Chris-
tianity, and I cannot see why the Church of England
should compel those who do not subscribe to her doc-
trines to subscribe to her support. I pay tithes in addi-
tion to the expense which the imposition of this church-
rate inflicts upon me by the sale of my goods. Your
Lordship must see that education, likewise, is involved in
this question.
The LORD MAYOR—Yes. I apprehend that. .ou are
one of those who so strongly objected to the Ministerial
plan of education ?
Defendant—Just so. I objected for the same reason

the field, but, owing to some cause or other, no defi-
Inite arrangements are made. Such procrastination is
by no means creditable to the borough, indicating an
absence of the decision and energy indispensably ne-
cessary to the occasion.—Neweastle Guardian.
PENRYN AND FAr.mouni.—We are at length au-
thorised to announce that Mr. Mowatt, a gentleman
who has already had considerable experience in Par-
liament, will offer himself as a candidate at the ensu-
ing election. Captain Plumridge will also solicit a
renewal of the confidence reposed in him. We learn
that Mr. Howell Gwynn, who was defeated at the
last election, also intends to offer himself; and report
says that Captain the Honourable Swynfen T. Car-
negie, R.N., at present M.P. for Stafford, contem-
plates presenting himself to the electors. We have
not heard whether Mr. Freshfield, who represented
Penryn in four or five Parliaments, intends to come
forward in compliance with a requisition presented to
him some few months since.—Falmouth Packet.
BIRMINGHAM.—The uncertainty which at present
prevails as to the precise duration of Parliament has
been influential in checking speculation on the chances
of a contest for Birmingham. We understand, how-
ever, that it has been determined to bring forward a
gentleman in opposition to Mr. Spooner, who is
indebted for his seat merely to unseemly dissension
amongst the Liberal party, who differing in matters
of detail, are nevertheless agreed in the great princi-
ple of progressive reform. The same gentleman who
solicited the suffrages of the electors on that occasion
will again be selected to test whether the constituency
of Birmingham will continue to be practically dis-
franchised, by returning members whose votes on all
great questions of commercial or social reform neu-
tralise one another. Although no committee has
been formed, and in fact no meeting has yet been held,
we believe that there is no doubt that Mr. William
Scholefield will again come forward in opposition to
Mr. Spooner, and there is still less doubt that if he
does he will receive the cordial support of the great
body of the Liberal electors. It is also generally
understood that Mr. Muntz will again offer himself
as a candidate, and unless disunion once more gives
the advantage to the Conservatives, we may confi-
dently expect to see Birmingham relieved from the
political inconsistency which at present attaches to it.
—Birmingham Journal.
NORTH DURHAM.—The abstinence of Colonel
Beckwith from a canvass, after issuing his address to
the electors of North Durham, has been construed
into a symptom of hesitation and indecision. Nothing
could be more erroneous. Colonel Beckwith has re-
solved, very wisely and considerately, to refrain from
p►unging the division thus early into an excitement
of an election. Neither the Hon. H. T. Liddell nor
Lord Seaham, for aught that the Liberals know, may
vet take the field. So far, Colonel Beckwith and
Mr. Duncombe Shafto are the only candidates for
the representation of Durham in the next Parliament.
It may be too much to expect that they will be
elected without opposition ; but, at any rate, until
the Tories pick up the glove, or betray some inclina-
tion to do so, the Liberals may very well remain quiet.
Should the Tories give them battle, the course of
action is plain. There must be no distrust or diesen-
tion amongst the supporters of the Colonel and Mr.
Shafto. The great bulk of the Liberal electors will
sanction no half measures—no splitting. " Beck-
w ith and Shafto," or " Shafto and Beckwith," must
be the vote.—Gateshead Observer.
SOUTH DURHAM.—The two divisions of our county
are now, in one respect, in the same position. Mr.
Hedworth Lambton has resigned in the north, Mr.
John Bowes in the south. Mr. Lambton's health de-
mands privacy and ease. Mr. Bowes's purse protests
against another contest, The Tories, in fact, have
won the election of 1847, by contesting the election
of 1841 ; that is, if the Liberals of South Durham per-
mit a gentleman to whom they are everlastingly in-
debted, to be driven out of Parliament by the money-
power.—Gateshead Observer.