The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-30 00:00:00

EVE NENTG SUN..

•
The lady then took her place in the chair,. and M.
Lafontaine having stated to the au dien ne that
I he had never seen the -lady before, and that b e Was
very doubtful, from the strength of will which she st emed
to possess, whether his operations would have any .effect
upon her, said he would try. In two minutes and a half
she was thrown into a profound' sleep, and M. Lafon-
taine said that she was completely mesmerised, and he
would proceed to exhibit in her case the phenomena.
which he had frequently exhibited •in the cases of other
persons similarly reduced under the mesmeric influence.
The lady's husband said that he did _not wish her to be
subjected to any further experiment, and _IL Lafontaine
accordingly restored her to a state of sense, when
she declared that she was utterly unconscious of any-
thing more than that she had resisted, to the utmost of
her power, the influence which was exercised over
her, and which she found to ovezeovie her
senses, and induce her into a state or sleep.
A young lady who had sat for nearly two hours- upon
the platform without any notice from the company,
was then led forward by 1. Lafontaine. tie
(in French) I have been disappointed in the attendan.'te
of a female who has been subjected to Mesmerism,
and in whom I might have illustrated some of
the most important phenomena. But there is this
young lady, who is, I am told, a natural sot:lmam-
)).
,:',";st. I am told she has been already before
Bacot. Dttpotet ; but I believe she has not been perfectly.
under ).:-he control of any magnetiser. She is a natu-
ral aninni,.-nbulist. I can bring her into the state of sorn- ,
nantbniiso, but it is not in my power to govern her or
control her
4et, i
s as I can those who are n a perfect state
of maemetsm. -
You will see much in her which may
look liike charNtanrY-
however, it is my object to
I have no control:over those o
arrive at Truth, a4settrities under which', she sometimes chooses to veil
b-
herself.

M. Lafontaine then used the passes, or movements
of the head, which are generally employed in the subjec-
tion of a patient to the Mesmeric influence ; and the
girl, having appeared for some time to be thrown into a
profound sleep, suddenly rose up, and spoke with a.
flippancy and boldness quite opposed to the modesty and:
deference of her previous manner. M. Lafontaine said.
(in French) " Slie.s now in a state of natural somnam-
bulism. I have to repeat that I am told she is a.
natural somnambule. I think so from what I see of her..
' She has never been reduced under the power of the mag—
netiser. She is not now under my power, but I think I
can do this—if any gentleman will write for me on a
piece of paper any English phrase to ask her a question.
I will think it, and she will give the answer."
TIT girl said " Indeed I will not."
Seoeral paperg were sent up to M. Lafontaine by
persons who were curious to see the experiment
carried out to its fullest extent, and he presented them
closed to the eyes of the patient. On each occasion she
said "I know very we/lwhat it is, butl will not tell you."
He said it is not in my power to bring her under the
control of the operation.' She is a natural somnam-
bulist, and she is in that state now. I may take her out
of it, but I cannot control her.

The young lady was then allowed to roam upon the
platform as she pleased, and she exhibited a most piti-
able appearance of fatuity. She laughed, joked, and in-
terfered in the subsequent experiments in a man-
ner which drew tears from the eyes of seve-
ral ladies who sat near us, who expressed, ' before
she was brought out in that helpless state, great ad-
miration of the gentle and sincere expression o: her
counterrance. The Professor was then about to close the
lecture and illustrations, when a gentleman, who was we 11-
known to all the members of the Press who at--
tended at the lecture, and whose ingenuousness will be-
admitted by all those who have ever had the pleasure or
his acquaintance, requested to be subjected to an•.
experiment, for the purpose of ascertaining •
whether or not he himself was susceptible of
this mysterious influence. In eleven minutes and se,
half he was thrown into what seemed to be a pro-
found sleep, in which he was, as far as we could judge,.
powerless and helpless. When revived by the maaipula-
tions of the exhibitor, in answer, to questions put to
him by several of his own friends, who had been
the loudest in their denunciations of such incidents in
the course of the illustrations as were niost doubtful, or
least comprehensible, he said that whilst M. Lafontaine
was making those passes which were intended to operate
on him, lie felt a sensation of warmth pass up his arms
from his wrists to his shoulders, and a sensation besides
which he could not describe otherwise than by comparing
it to that which one feels upon inhaling the nitrous oxyde
gas. It was not the same sensation, but was something
very like it. He did not think that he had been asleep
at all. (In truth he was asleep ; his head fell over
the back of the chair, and he was to all appearance in-
sensible.) He said that he felt a sensation of drowsiness
coming over him, but he felt it in his power to resist it„
and he did resist it. He did not think he had been asleep; he
was quite certain that his consciousness had not been_
suspended ; he knew very well that he had not been
asleep the whole time.
A gentleman then stood up and shook hands with the
Lecturer amidst very great applause from all the company,
who were evidently united in one feeling of admiration.
for his candour and good humour.
A considerable time was afterwards occupied in the
exertions of the Professor to restore the somnambule
from a state of unconsciousness, and after the lecture and.
the illustrations bad occupied three hours and a half the
company separated.

ANTI-CORN-LAW CONFERENCE
OF MINISTERS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
.Sia,—The conference of Ministers of the Gospel, to
be held in Manchester, in reference to the Anti-Corn-
law movement, will have the effect of agitating the
question of clerical interference with politics—than which
no point of daily dispute is more requisite to be under-
stood. My doctrine is decidedly anti-political, and yet
my congregation has appointed me to attend that con-
ference on the side of total and immediate repeal. Corn
being at present under political regulation, let politicians
defend the law, or alter it for another. I purpose to at-
tend as an advocate of liberty, but to have nothing to do
with the upholding of politics. It is a question of poli-
tics or none.
The Spectator, to which you reply in your leader o f
the 26th, is afraid of more sectarianism from the meet-
ing. I wonder at this, considering that paper's usuAl
liberality. I expect the diffusion of much generous feel-
ing from the discussiqn, as ministers of all denomina-
tions are invited ; and the question, like that of sla-
very, or any other enormous wrong, is common ground.
There is no less of debateable material than on the ques-
tion of slavery. The withholding of corn, the shutting
of ears to the cry of the poor, and such things, are too
plainly and broadly written for matters of disputation.
Politicians may argue the merits of sliding scales and
fixed duties ; but ministers can only take up the Corn-
law as a moral question. If they take the Bible for
their guide, the only Corn-law they will have to rule by
must be that of Pharaoh, in which the Patriarch Joseph
was the actor. But that was for the saving of life, and
feeding the people ; a fact which shows that despotism
can sometimes do more for the common good than Bri-
tish legislation.
Because this country is half ruined by the doings of a
political priesthood; why should your Contemporary be
alarmed fur a meeting of ministers who have no political
existence, and who in principle are either non-political,
or, like myself, anti-political ? There is little probability
that the Church will send her parsons to plead the cause
of the poor, the hungry, and the naked. She is en-
riched by the starvation of the people. She is willing to
say, " Be thou warmed, and clothed, and fed ;" but she
will keep her hold of the key of the corn that is rotting
in bond. Dissenters principally, who eat the bitter fruits
of monopoly, and pine under political scarcity, will send
their ministers to the conference ; and it is not likely
they will take up the defence of politics, under whose -
heartless power the country is sinking into demorali-
zation and wretchedness, notwithstanding her amazing
mental energies ; and the whole world is madean;reO • I
of enmity and strife, and a field of bloodshed.
om
an
expect they will take up the cause of freccit
man's rights upon the broad basis of "the glorious
liberty
of the tons of God."
deny me the privilege of meeting
will your Contemporary
r ut enekt oe
nt anl
el es rs
sPt,ser: Ico-nelferpearge:rdNilinyg
m3B:ebraouthseeris.aon; nalml
refuse me the right
itnicisntoenrllilof
riaakbeinegausengail nasmt drunkenness.
Would he have a mosnotpoe y politics to the fraternity
politics ? lie might as.bfw
of the broadshelete,
willa think better on this matter, and
'lse-PLpaofrsons would have of reli-
gion ?ttihone
and act in the political world with
to discuss politics,
being politicians.
and energy, without
firmness
Many ministers, I am sorry to say, are in the same
confess Li itP!'s. possible enough for ministers of religion
error as your Contemporary. They think, they have no
politics, but should quietly let the
rulers
of the world do as they please. They, therefore, bury
business w
themselves among books during the week, but creep to
the pulpit on Sundays. Yet they deceive themselves, for
a
they all labour to have their doctrines made universal,
nd say that in that event war will be no more. If they
are right in that expectation, they labour by their preach-
ing to realise greater political revolutions than the world
has yet seen. They labour for the overthrow of every
Government in the world. Where, when their aims are
attained, will be the military power and honour
by which Royalty and Nobility have all their glory?
Ihe younger branches of aristocracy must then be ho-
nestly and usefully employed. The coercion of law will
be over and gone. Compulsory taxation will be no more.
And in every social regulation the voice from the Throne
will be realised. " Behold, I make all things new." In
every sentence that a minister utters, either in the pulpit
or out of it, that infuses the spirit of peace into his
hearers, he meddles with politics, and undermines exist-
ing institutions.
It is-one-of-my highest and most pleasing duties to
wean my congregation from politics, and to illustrate the
happiness of a world governed by moral power ; to show
its practicability from the creation of all nations of men
into one blood ; and its hopefulness from the revelations
of the Gospel. Yet I interfere much with politics, and
always join the people, when, as in the Anti-Corn-law
movement, their object is the lessening the quantity. In
the lessening of the quantity, I believe all political im-
provement to have its being.
I am, Sir, a general admirer of your principles,
A DISSENTING MINISTER,.
Walsall, July 28, 1841.

OLYMPIC THEATRE.—It is pleasing to find
this attractive place of amusement proving a refuge and
means of support to the dramatic corps of Astley's, so
suddenly thrown out of their sphere of action by the fire
at that theatre, and it is equally so to witness the per-
formances of such men as Mr. T. P. Cook, Mr. Rayner,
and Mr. Hammond, who have given their services gra-
tuitously in the cause of charity. Mr. Keeley, Mr. Balls,
Mrs. Honey, and Mrs. Grattan have also offered to per-
form without claiming reward from the treasury; and it
is to be hoped so excellent an example will be followed by
all whose names cm give aka to so worthy an elliot