The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-02 00:00:00

• case is sanely conceivable, and yet, Ve6re it
not the fact, it would hardly be inentioned
gravely in the House of Lords as one which had
actually occurred. Most assuredly truth is stronger
than fiction ; the only parallel we have heard is a story,
some time since facetiously told by Mr. O'CoNNuu, of
an Irish jury, who, shortly after the insurrection of
1798, and when an amnesty had been proclaimed for
every offence, save that of murder, were trying
a prisoner charged with that offence ; a strung
case had been made out, and all were look-
ing for a conviction, when the prisoner pro.
duced, as his witness, the man alleged to have been
murdered, and for whose assassination he was then
actually on trial. The proceeding was, of course, in-
stantly stopped. The judge said it is unnecessary to
say one word ; the prisoner has rebutted the charge in
the most satisfactory manner; the issue paper was handed
up, and, to the astonishment of all, a verdict of guilty
was returned. The judge was astounded, asked was it
possible they could understand the decision they had
come to—was it not a mistake ? No, my Lord,
said the foreman, with a self-satisfied smile, it is quite
correct ; he might not have murdered that particular
man, but I can assure your Lordship that he stole a
very handsome bay mare from myself, and we all knew
that he most richly deserved to be hanged, and we
therefore, find him guilty. And this good story, at
which many a hearty laugh was provoked at the ex-
pense of the blundering of our Irish brethren, is
actually equalled, if not surpassed, by educated gentle-
men magistrates in England, who more than forty
years afterwards adopted a similar course, and with this
in addition, that they were filling the situation both of
judge and jury, and that there was no presiding officer to
correct their error.

The earliest of these statutes now proposed to be re-
pealed was passed so far back as the reign of HENRY M.,
and, as well as other of the earlier enactments, was
levied exclusively against the Jews. By it no mem-
ber of the Jewish persuasion was permitted to
hold lands within the realm. It is true that
doubts existed, that many eminent lawyers con-
ceived that there was nothing in the law which in
capacitated Jews from holding land ; but why should
any obscurity exist on such a subject? The law should
ever be clear and explicit, to be understood by the
meanest capacity, that "he who runs may read ;" and
no question should be permitted for the refinement of
legal subtleties,where the samecould so easily be amended;
above all, no remnant of bigotry and intolerance should
be permitted to remain a part of our law. Another sta-
tute requires the wearing of a badge denoting Judaism,
and prescribes the form of that badge for males as well
as females. Such an Act might suit the times when a
Jew could not appear in public without being subjected
to the grossest indignities—being spat upon, and buf-
feted, and his beard plucked—but is not suited to the
present era. By some statutes any person attending
any place of worship different from the Established
Church was subjected, for the firstoffence, to six months'
imprisonment, and for the second to twelve months',
and for the third, to imprisonment for life. Any mem-
ber even of the Eastablished Church, who attended any
other form of religious worship, was subjected to severe
pecuniary penalties and to ecclesiastical censure; nay,
though his parish clergyman was a man of a character
so depraved that he could not conscientiously sit under
his ministry—although he attended religious worship
according to the forms of the Established religion
twice, nay thrice, on every Sunday, if he did not
attend his own parish church, he was liable to the
penalty. Again, see the penalties to which our Roman
Catholic brethren are subjected. Whoever maintains
the spiritual authority of the see of -Rome, fait-efts for
the first offence his entire personal property ; for the
second, incurs the penalties of prmtninure, shall N.
placed out of the protection of the law ; and for
the third, is guilty of high treason !! ! They most
conscientiously hold this opinion. A declaration,
or rather an oath, against it, has been lung
abolished, in order to permit them to sit in Parliament,
and yet the penalties are still permitted to remain to
encumber our statute-book. Well might the LORD
CHANCELLOR term it " the abominable statute of recu-
saucy." Any person importing a bull or document in
writing, or any instrument from the POPE, is guilty of
high treason, and subject to be executed as a traitor, and
to all the fearful consequences following such a convic•
Lion, and yet we tolerate the religion. The bishops
and priests are recognised, who cannot carry on the
duties of their offices, the details of their Church esta-
blishment, without communication with the PoPE, who
cannot be consecrated or appointed save by the same
authority. Various other similar statutes still exist, but
we are now happy to say they have been grappled with
in a spirit of true liberality and enlightenment, and we
shall shortly be enabled to utter the proud boast, that
no vestige remains of bigotry, intolerance, and super-
stition, and that our statute-book will be as free from
the reproach, will evidence as universal tcleration, as
that of any nation in the universe.
The accounts from Madrid are of the 23d ult.

In the Gazette of that day we find a dispatch from Gene-
ral CONCHA, dated Orense,April 19th, in which he states that
he had, while marching to the relief of that town, heard that
the insurgents had retired from before it ; that he should
await there the reinforcements and artillery which he ex-
pected would arrive from Monforte on the 20th ; and that on
their arrival he should commence offensive operations against
the insurgents.

The political chief of the province of Orense, ILDEFONSO
FLOREZ DE PARANO, writes to the Minister of the Interior,
on the 19th inst., in these terms :—" From a confidential
communication I have received, the column of insurgents
left, on returning to Vigo, a troop in Ridavaria, for the pur-
pose of selling the stock of salt, and levying a money-tax.
The rest of the province is tranquil."
A column of infantry, under the command of Brigadier
Soza, and 150 carbineers, commanded by Colonel Blizarts,
had arrived at Orense, to reinforce Coxcn.t. Brigadier
MATRON has replaced General PUIG SAMPER in the ccm
mand of the Corunna expedition. Pura &ALPER, who has
resigned, has retired to Betanzos. A captain and a drum-
major have been arrested at Logrono, for conspiring to at-
tempt an insurrection. The authorities, who were apprised
in time of the plan, preserved tranquiility undisturbed. In
consequence of this attempt the Captain General has de-
clared the whole province in a state of siege, and has issued
a proclamation, decreeing " that all pereons, having reached
their eighteenth year, no matter what rank, class, condition,
or sex they belonged to, who by word or deed should con-
spire, or cause to conspire, against the Government of her
Majesty the QUEEN, should be put to death without any pre-
vious trial or inquiry."

BANDERTO, an officer of carbineers who had joined
!RuaTß, has been taken prisoner. While such is the state
of things in the north of Spain, the southern provinces are far
from tranquil, and it was confidently anticipated in Madrid
that are long the Sierra Ronda, in southern Andalusia, would
become the theatre of an insurrectionary movement. The
Government have suspended the publication of El Clamor
Publico and of the Eco del Commercio. 'According to the
Espanol several arrests of Pregressistas have taken place at
Saragossa.

MADRID Boise, APRIL 23.—Three per Cents., 31%. Ex-
change on London, 37%.

We have received the Paris papers of Wednesday.
The Bordeaux and Cette Railway Bill, without any clause
compelling the company to form a branch line to Castres,
passed the Chamber of Deputies by a majority of 219 to 45.
The general discussion on the Western Railroad Bill
closed on, Wednesday. The debate on the budget
would, it was expected, come on about the 20th of May.
_ _

A Bill for. the extension of the fortifications of Toulon had
been presented to the Chamber by the Minister of War.
LEM= has refused to engage counsel, and the Court
has consequently directed M. DUVERGIER, the batonnier of
the orderef Advocates, to conduct his defence.
There-was a grand review on Tuesday morning at St.
Maur, in the Bois de Vincennes. At twelve, the Duke DE
NIMOURS and the Prince DI JOINVILLE arrived with a
numerous staff. Very shortly afterwards appeared IBRAHIM
PACIIA. and his suite, in the Court carriages. In 1841,
lettanrm PACIIn sent over to the KING of the FRENCH, as a
present, eight or ten remarkably fine Arab horses, and among
them the one the Paella rode at the battle of Nezib. On
Tuesday, on the field at St. Maur, the Prince found his old
war-horse ready caparisoned for him. He mounted his steed
with evident gratification, expressing, in animated terms,
his gratitude for this mark of attention to him. Tne Duke
DE MONTPERSIER was at the head of the sth Regiment of
Artillery, to which he has lately been appointed colonel. At
five o'clock a grand dinner was given to the Egyptian Prince
in the apartments of the Duke DE MONTPINSIEE in the
fortress of Vincennes.
The Courrier des Etats Unit; states that the French Minis.. try has revoked its determination not to allow American
vessels to bring tobacco to France for the supply of the
Government. The Courtier says that Mr. KING, the Ame-
rican Minister in Paris, had protested against the first deci-
sion, and convinced the Ministry that, however natural it
was to desire to give exclusive favour to French vessels, the
doing so in the present ease would be a violation of existing
treaties between France and the United States.
The Presse comments upon this statement in the following
terms
We are still willing to believe that there is no truth in
this news. If it be, however, proved to *the contrary we
shall not know how to condemn sufficiently the weakness, and
we might add, the ignorance displayed by the French
rnment when it purchases work
ve
Go-
vernment in the affair. Whattoibsacethoe position of
ttoheGo-
It
acts in the quality. of a merchant;
If it suits a private trader better
said gcrtathatexh;
it up in its own manufactories anitd.maanfteurwraacrdsturesseaellsaint;
vats individual might do.i
pense, no one has a.rig vessels,
lons bast
he cannot be reproached with a makes a bad bargain, but
no contract on his
for there has been
vi-
olation of engagement,
freight b American vessels shall
to import his merchandise incomFrepinainch.
part that the cheapness ofy
the
preference.
be a decisive reason why they shall have