The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TIIURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 17, 1848.,

TO SIR ROBERT INGLIS, M.P.,

AND OTHERS.

Sizt,—l should not think it necessary to address
you my humble remarks on that all-absorbing sub-
ject of the day, Jewish disabilities, was there not, as
I learn by a public print, now a petition on the
Lords' table against the Bill in question.
Declamations become useless against the over-
whelming torrent of the age, and Scripture quotations
absurd when misinterpreted, or at least cited agree-
able to a self-suiting dectrine. lle whom the mea-
sure, as its prime mover, will for ever honour, has
eloquently and quite sufficiently shown that the
question is a mere religious one ; but you seem scru-
pulously to think that Christianity is at stake by
forgiving sinners. Allow me, then, humbly to remind
you of our Saviour's own prayer. low can you hope for
forgiveness if 1900 years of the most cruel and
humiliating sufferings of those whom you regard as
your religious adversaries cannot produce in you
that sense of common fe€ling that the time of forget-
fulness is fully arrived ? That same Divine prayer
you repeat in the Creed, in other words, the " hope"
for forgiveness, is become a " belief" in you, and can
it so be when your action denies its truth ?
The foundation of Christianity is " charity," which
survives, as it surpasses, both " faith" and " hope ;"
how then, allow me to ask you, would you explain
your belief in Christianity, which you so piously fear
to be shaken, when you yourself demolish the edifice
by depriving it of its very foundation ?
Eighteen hundred years long have the Jews been
tyrannically kept as slaves, and now even you seem
little inclined to think of that absorbing question
"Is Israel a servant, is he a home-born slave ?"
Does Christianity constitute or confer a monopoly
either of birthright or place, to be sold, Esau-like,
for a mess of potage ? God forbid! "Make straight
paths for your feet, lest that hich is lame be turned
out of the way, but it rather be healed." " Remember
them that are in bonds, as bound with them ; and
them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also
in the body."

In wandering through the divine Apostle's Epistle
to the Romans, I may, without wounding the sus-
ceptibility of the great University, whose oracle I
needs must think you represent in the matter in
in question, perhaps, be allowed to think that
Paul, though speaking of circumcision, did not
wish to exclude baptism from his comparison, and
putting the simplest construction on the simplest
words, we find this remarkable sentence :—" For he
is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that
circumcision which is outward in the flesh." And
the Apostle, justly interpreted, when justly under-
stood, says thus :—For he is not a Christian that is
one outwardly, neither is that baptism which is
outward.

I surely cannot be taxed with blasphemy when I
take the broadest view of the broadest subject, of a
subject of humanity, of charity. Blasphemy I The
very doubt that our Divine Master could wish for the
exclusion either of man or tribe from his earthly and
heavenly blessings amounts unquestionably to the
greates of blasphemies !
Though the question be an international one
Europe has her eyes fixed on you. You have eman-
cipated the slaves, and were reduced to the stern
necessity of yielding to the complaint of your half-
brother Catholics. You expend millions on missions
for promulgating the doctrines of Christianity, and
would you forget at home what you teach abroad—
that charity is the Gospel's vital breath, that by the
action of charity alone, not by its idle profession, you
can alone convince and reform ?

It would be folly to follow the petition above
alluded to in all its steps and erroneous arguments, if
arguments they deserve to be called ; but what proof
does in matter of fact result from a quotation of
Smollet's history respecting the revocation of a former
Act past in favour of the Jews ?
Ist. That so many hundred years ago some en-
lightened men felt the necessity to make some con-
cession to unfortunate. exiles.

2d. That Parliament inconsistently revoked the
next day what it had granted on the previous one.
3d, Had Parliament not been so inconsistent then,
it would very likely not have become the lot of the
present honourable assembly to be called on for the
execution of so important a measure.
But, to point out more forcibly still the absurdity
of such a quotation or reference, allow me conscien-
tiously to ask you, Who among your religious anta-
gonists should be justified in the wish to sea you
burnt alive, on the plea of Smollett's history reveal-
ing to us that so many hundred years ago many of
your religious confraternity shared in so cruel a
fate ?

I will refrain from alluding to the speciality of the
City election, which secured to the Baron de Roths-
child 6,792 votes ; I will not enter into long details
on the present most general manifestations in favour
of the Bill, which manifestations may once more
convince you of " Vox populi vox Dei est ;" and I
will conclude with reminding you that the question
is not one of grace or mercy, but one of conscience
and justice. In this land of freedom you will, you
cannot ref use so just a claim. _ _

London, Feb. 17, 1848.

Dr. Z.

THE YARMOUTH BRIBERY CASE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—I have just read your artic:e on the Yar-
mouth bribery case, and, with your permission, I
desire to snake one or two observations on that
question.
After expressing your just indignation at the gross
corruption of the voters, whose conduct has brought
disgrace upon the borough, you proceed to ask, "Is
it surprising that the Committee recommends the
disfranchisement of Great Yarmouth ?" Here, Sir,
let me remind you that the Committee only request
the House of Commons to disfranchise the freemen,
allowing the 101. householders of the borough in
future to return the two Members.
This recommendation of the Committee is founded
on justice, and I am sure will meet with the appro-
bation of all the well-disposed inhabitants of Great
Yarmouth.
It may not be uninteresting to state that it has
been the practice for very many years by both parties
in Yarmouth to pay to each eeman for each election
the sum of 2/. 2s. for his vote, and a ten-shilling
ticket for drink has been generally added. This
circumstance will explain what was meant by some
of the witnesses saying the " Reds" (Tories) owed
them ril. for previous occasions. It has been the
desire of the Liberal party in the town for years past
to do away with this " head-money," which the free-
men look upon as their inherited right, and the can-
didates know very well they must pay them or lose
the election. In 1835 Colonel Anson and Mr. Rum-
bold lost the election, after sitting in parliament for
the borough about twenty years, in consequence of
their attempt to break up this pernicious custom.
It is to be hoped that the House of Commons will
immediately act upon the recommendation of the
boroughs should indeed, I do not see why freemen
should not be disfranchised at the
Their privilege is an unjust one, and is
Olt' much corruption at elections. What
sCPirnairgle dminhatluillihititbtmaitovseereeo.one man more than another to this pri-
vilege ? which is generally obtained by serving a
sevenson
yea apprenticeship to a freeman, or by being
the years apprenticeship
freeman-. In Yarmouth there are about
1,000 of them, but as about half of them are house-
holders as well, they will not all beadeprived of the
franchise.
I will not intrude further upon your space, and
shall be obliged if you can insert the above remarks.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
A YARMOUTH FREEMAN.
London, Feb. 15, 1848.

[The fact that 500 of these corrupt freemen are
householders is sufficient of itself to influence the
House of Commons in pronouncing the entire dis•
franchisement of the borough. An ounce of Parlia-
mentary civit will not sweeten the fame of Great
Yarmouth—its offence is rank, and smells to heaven.
—En. Sun.]

TESTIMONIAL TO GEORGE
CRUIKSIIANK.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIB,—I have read with much pleasure of the " con-
templated testimonial to George Cruikshank." He
has rendered the world his debtor. Henceforth every
true friend of popular progress will accord him a high
place on the list of great and good men whom " his
soul delighteth to honour. Whilst we give all due
praise to Cruikshank, let us not forget, however, that
the leading ideas of the work which has immortalised
him, were suggested byZ a Poem entitled "The
Blessings of Temperance, the composition of an old
Irish shoemaker, named John O'Neil.
The world is sometimes strangely unmindful of
its benefactors. The fervid strains of Ebenezer
Elliott awakened the minds of his countrymen to the
monstrous evils of the corn-laws. The celebrated
Anti-Corn-law League vs as the result. The corn-laws
repealed, Mr. Richard Cobden was presented by the
British nation with some eighty or ninety thousand
pounds. Now Ido not
grudge that patriotic indivi-
dual a single farthing of this vast " sum ;" but was it
generous of England to neglect in the hour of her
triumph the brave poet, who had incited her sons to
action with all the vehement eloquence of a Tyrtceus.
Happily the " Bard of Sheffield" is in independent
ciraumstances. Such, unfortunately, is not the case
with John O'Neil, he is old—afflicted with ill-health,
and I fear the " res angustadomi."
Sir, your kind sympathic3 have ever been with
Ireland. You have never played the Celt slanderer,
you do not live by pandering to the lowest prejudices
of Englishmen. Say, is not the Saxon indebted, and
that largely, to the mental labours of this poor, hard-
working Celt—labour' prosecuted under I know not
how many difficulties and privations ? Should, he be
slow to testify his gratitude.
In conclusion, I think it right to state that I am
personally unacquainted with Mr. O'Neil, but, as an
Irishman, I could not refrain from writing these few