The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-19 00:00:00

SMALL DEBTS BILL.

On the motion of Sir GEORGE GREY, the House re-
solved itself into committe pro forma on this Bill, that the
amendments might be printed.
After a short conversation the Bill was ordered to be re-
committed on Thursday next.
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK hoped that those who were
to be appointed judges under this Act would have time to get
rid of their common-law practice.
The Bill was then ordered to be printed, and to be recom-
mitted on Thursday next.
THE NAVY.

On the order of the day for receiving the report of the
Committee of Supply being read,
Mr. BERNAL wished to ask a question of the Honourable
and Gallant Gentleman opposite (Captain Berkeley),
It was in reference to the naval supremacy of Great Britain.
The question he wished to know from his lion. and Gallant
Friend was, how the personnel of the navy was hereafter to be
maintained—how, in fact, the ships of this country were to be
supplied with efficient men in case of any emer-
gency ? The best way for maintaining peace was
to be prepared for war, and when they saw the exertions of
other countries to improve their navies, they ought to look well
to this point. The present plan of dismissing men at the end
of three years' service was Tot objectionable, and he wished to
know if it was to be maintained?
Captain BERKELEY said the
ts huebjeccotnsicdaemraetiounndoefr,thhies
more especial consideration, and he could assure the Hon.
yw u bjeeetr e doing in
all they could
The to
merchantplaee the
AMdemmibrearlty, that, a n dthe the s
navy on the most efficient footing.
navy at the present time contained some of the
°s
most efficient men in the world, and the object of those with
suchwh a whom he acted
fdorwcoeuflrdambethtoespe,laicnecathsee
of
ferasny lceeminergpoesnseeyso as
n of
to turn out, in forty-eight hours, one of the most powerful and
efficient naval forces in the world.—( Hear, hear. )
After a few words from Mr. HUME,
Admiral DUNDAS 'aid; in addition to what had fallen
from his Hon. and Gallant Colleague, he would do his best to
place the naval service on the best footing, so as to meet any
possible emergency.
Mr. 'WILLIAMS complained that the system of three
years' service had operated to drive great numbers
of British seamen into the American navy. This matter
ought to be remedied. He wished to know from the Hon. and
Gallant Admiral (Dundas) whether the iron steamers were
really fit for the service, as he had learned that when one of
them received a shot it completely incapacitated it for use.
He should like to know if it were se.
Admiral DUNDAS said there were much fewer seamen
going into the American service than hitherto, and the service
was generally improving in this respect. With regard to the
iron steamers, those referred to were constructed at the instance
of the predecessors of the present Admiralty, and until the effi-
ciency of these steamers was better proved, it was not their in-
tention to construct any more.
Captain PECHELL hoped the present Admiralty would
look well into all the matters connected with the navy that re-
quired improving, and bring forward a definite plan on the sub-
ject which the House could understand.

Mr. COWPER defended the proceedings of the present
Admiralty. He highly approved of the system of establish-
ing Sailors' Homes, and he hoped that every facility would
soon be given for doing so.
Mr. HUME wished that some general system or plan
should be ►aid down upon the subject, so that it could be pro-
ceeded with early next session.
After some further observations,

Th.. Report was then brought up.
Captain PECHELL wished to know whether there was any
power of altering the retiring pensions in the service without
an order in Council ?

Mr. COWPER said, that in ordinary cases there was, but
such an order was sometimes required.
The Report was then received.
The Report of the Committee of Ways and Means was then
brought up and received, as was also the Report on the Public
Works (Ireland) Bill.
The Report of the Court of Exchequer ( Ireland) Salaries
and Compensation Bill was then brought up and received.
The Report on the Income-tax Deduction 13111 was also
brought up and received, and the Bill was ordered to be read a
third tire to-morrow.

The Naval and Military Departments' Bill was read a third
time and passed.
NEW ZEALAND LOAN ACT AMENDMENT.
The House then went into Committee on the New Zealand
Loan Act Amendment Bill.

The clauses having been agreed to, the House resumed, and
the Chairman having reported progress, the Bill was ordered
to be read a third time to-morrow.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER (IRELAND) BILL.
The House then went into Committee on the Court of Ex-
chequer (Ireland) Bill.
The clauses having been agreed to, the House resumed.
PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND) BILL.
The Public Works (Irelatd) Bill was then brought in and
read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-
morrow. .

The Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod here attended to
summon the House before the bar of the House of Lords, to
hear the royal assent givea to several Bills (fur which see
Lords' report).
On the return of the SPEAKER,

Kir. HUME moved an humble address, that her Alaje,ty
will be pleased to request from the Prussian Government copies
of any report, and of any regulations adopted thereon, by that
Government, for educating, specially qualifying, examining, or
testing the qualifications of persons for the public service in
civiloffices previously to their appointment ; and
willthat be pleased to lay such information, or a
haenrdilmi
aijleistatyry
translation thereof, before this House.—Agreed to.
FLOGGING.

Mr. HUME presented a number of petitions against the con-
tinuance of flogging in the army and navy. The Hon. Gen-
tleman also presented a petition against the Bible monopoly.
EJECTMENTS (IRELAND) BILL.
This Bill was read a third time and passed.
RATEABLE PROPERTY (IRELAND) BILL.

This Bill was also read a third time and passed.
CUSTOMS DUTIES' BILL.

On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHE-
QUER, the House resolved itself into Committee on this Bill.

CUSTOMS DUTIES' (No. 2) BILL.
This Bill went through Committee, and the House having
resumed, the report was ordered to be brought up to-morrow.
PUBLIC %V IRKS (IRELAND), No. 4, BILL.
The report on this Bill was brought up and agreed to.
NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT BILL.

This Bill passed through Committee, and was ordered to be
reported to-morrow.
The Tithes Commutation Bill was postponed until to-
morrow.

The Steam Navigation Bill was read a third time and
passed.
MESSAGE FROM THE LORDS.

Messengers from the Lords brought up several Bills, with
amendments, Which were ordered to lie on the table.

Tke other orders of the day were then disposed of, and the
House adjourned at a Quarter to Seven o'clock.

THE BLIND FIDDLER.

The itinerant musician may be considered as the le-
gitimate successor of the old Scottish minstrel of tuneful
memory, who perambulated the country to the infinite
delight of the people. Although the fiddler of the later
days was more accustomed to frequent the houses of the
farmers and the peasantry than the lordly halls where
the harps of his ancestors were strung, it was more in
consequence of the progress of modern customs, which
had begun among the hither masses of society, than
from any falling away in the profession. On the contrary
the blind fiddler was a person in considerable note in the
circle which he periodically visited. So regularly were
those visits paid that the rural population could calculate
the precise time of his coming, and prepare for the same.
If those visits were in winter the blind fiddler was al-
ways sure of a warm nook at the fire-side, as well as a
numerous and liberal auditory—if in summer, the village
green was soon enlivened with busy feet by the notes of
the Orpheus ; between the dances, his budget of
jokes and wonders, the fruits of his wide wanderings and
the varied society iu which he mingled, was op nod to
the delight and astonishment of gaping rustics. if he
held them not, like the ancient mariner, with his glitter-
ing eye, he did so with his t loquent tongue. Nature,
who, when she deprives an individual of the use of one
faculty, generally makes up for the loss by giving addi-
tional force to another, made this worthy a walking
newspaper—a periodical of mirth, news, and music.
Every house and family, for miles round, was as familiar
to him as the tunes he played, and hence the aptitude
of the well-known saying, applied to one we►l versed in
local chronology, that he must have. led a blind fiddler.
Unenviable, indeed, must have been the post of leader,
subjected to the never ceasing volubility of one who
lived both in noise and by it, and with no opportunity
of retaliation but what the trick of a false jump might
afford.

The blind fiddler was the spirit of all merry meetings
and penny weddings throughout the country. At all
such festivals you were as sure to find him seated on a
barrel-end as you are to find the Martello Tower in the
Frith. With what swiftness his fiddle bow was plied—a
very spirit was in his elbow and fingers—he seemed to
play against time; a perfect sand-bag, too, was this
old worthy, p.tions which were sufficient to make a
stronger man stagger were drops in a bucket to him; the
tankard came as readily to his lips between the (Inners
as the rosin to his bow, and, in both cases, it improved
the tone. We have scarcely a solitary specimen left of
the original blind fiddler. Only one we yet hold delight-
ful intercourse with, and he seems to be, like a " bro-
therless hermit, the last of his race." That rare gift of
time and tune for, which he was distinguished is worn
out, and, although the ancient power of music sometimes
makes his lip quiver with emotion, when, with a plaintive
grace, he plays " Auld Robin Gray," yet, not unfre-
quently, he will mix up the cadences of " Satan among
the Tailors" with a faveurite quadrille. Polkas and
Mazurkas are wholly unknown to him, and he would
scorn the idea of prostituting his fiddle to the work of
playing an ovY.rture or a modern gallopade,—that fiddle
which has given life to " bab at the bowster," may
never thrill forth the compositions of a Julien. The
fiddlers now-a-days, are no more like those of old than
an egg is like an oyster. They want the peculiar twist
of the mouth, the merry bob of the head, and stamp of
the foot. No grease brightens their picket lids, no snuff
begritns their visages, they are odiously clean—de-
generate sons of mighty Orpheus!—From " Old Scottish
Characters" in the Leith Herald.