The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-09 00:00:00

THE PEOPLE'S JOURNAL.

Though but the preliminary jump of a new ad-
venturer among our monthly publications, the People's
Journal bears about it an impress of health and stability,
which at first is sonewhat enigmatical, until we re-
member that its literary and artistic contributors are
equally experienced in the requisites for similar pub-
lication. What appears to be the most decided charac-
teristics about this serial is its fervid, and earnest, and
paramount advocacy of the populace. Nor is th;s tone
of earnestness, an affectation ; it bursts forth in bosom
gushes, it beats with the beating of an unseen but eloquent
heart ; it utters its bold ban upon oppression, it breaths a
soul sigh for the woes of poverty, it points to the on-
comings of better and brighter things ; its general
spirit is not that of morbid grumbling, but rather of a
heaven-born hopefulness. These qualities, however,
from their very sacredness, are restricted of course, to
the serious portion of each number; the lighter litera
tare abstains from the profanation of such themes—the
anomalous mingling together of grand truths and flip-
pant jokes. William Howitt gives two rather milk-and-
watery estimates of Charles Dickens and William
Wordsworth—men whose eulogy should not be sounded
forth in staid and formal periods, but in warm, and im-
petuous, and unstudied tones of love. We say advisedly
of love—for is that not a recompense well merited ?
Have they not severally attempted to excite within our
hearts affection for the Unseen and for the Seen ? And

have they not succeeded triumphantly in that beautiful
endeavour?—have not their simple utterances stirred up
the waters of our inner-spirit ?•-•-and are they not each
absolutely in some measure, what Shelley calls
" The silver key of the fountain of tears!"
by moving our dearest sympathies " up from our heart
unto our eyes,"—and after this shall we not speak of
them boldly, plainly, lovingly, and cordially ? For
this quietude of style, William Hewitt is the very anti-
thesis of George Gilfillan, who estimates passionately,
and yet discriminatingly. Some metrical morceaux of
Ebenezer Elliott ; two smart sketches from London So-
ciety, by Angus B. Reach, with capital illustrations, by
Kenny Meadows, (the couple of waiters in the tavern
scene being the very extravagance of driller)) ; with a
plentiful supply of other very en-ertaing matter, form
altogeaier a valuable and amusing magazine of more
Than ordinary merit, for the surprising small sum of
eightpence halfpenny. So much enterprise, so much
ability, so much benevolence of purpose will not surely
go unrewarded or unnoticed.

A numerou!cPoPlenctiroiniVeGf bnriEefVbluEt lqqa.pital contribu-
tions ; they are chiefly capitals but not all, ono or tw
sinking down below n'itn mediocrity, particularly a very
o
(fortunately) Short chapter, headed " A Safe Shot." It
is all attempt at the graphic and conversational, which
sinks to the common-place, while it taggs Cn td clever
engraving from a painting by Arnfield upon the same
subject, like a briar to a lady's petticoat. Sweetmeat,
the property of Mr. A. W. Hill, is here presented to us
by the engraver of llacker, and a worthy descendant of
Lollipop he appears to be, from that limning, Scribble
gi.Ts a rollocking" Day with the Pytchley," and, with
some similar sprightly and roystering effusions, The
Sporting Review passes muster this month with no little
credit.

THE Duals eV Whingtvrox AND THE DOVER
VowNrntrAid.—Last week we noticed that active steps were
being adopted by an influential class of our ytiung and
spirited townsmen, to constitute themselves into a body Of
volunteers, to avoid the less noble militia service in, the eitnt
of the embodiment of that corps. Ptitstiaht to thhi piirpoSO4
John Hunt, Esq., toiVii cotmcillor, last week addressed a
letter to our Lord Warden, the Duke of Wellington, re-
questing his Grace, in the event of the militia being Called
out, to allow the parties in question tp mt k;oltinteo
within this ancient Cinque Port% To Mn Hitnt'g letter his
Grace has sent the IblloWing reply, which puts at rest the
notion which had got abroad that it was the intention of the
Govcrnment shortly to call out the militia

"London, Feb: 3, 1846.
"Field. Marshal the Duke of WellinetOU Prehnii his ENV',
pliments to Mr. Runt Ite hM reKved his letter. The
Duke is the Lord Aratdtii bf the Cinque Ports, and the Com-
mander-in,Ohlef of the Army; but he is not aware that in
either capacity he has legal authority to enable him to orgy.
nise and form bodies of armed men in the Cinque Port& He
has no information upon the intention of the calling °tit of
the militia. It has been stated that one of her Majesty'* Vet-
vants has given notic, in the House of Parliament of which
he is not a member, of his intention to introduce a Bill for
the amendment of the militia laws. The Duke has not heard
that such Bill has been introduced.

" John Hunt, Esq., Dover."
UNDERGROUND RooMs.—A correspondent of The
Builder, adverting to the contemplated revision of the Me-
tropolitan Buildings Act, draws attention to Schedatle
which wilt render tenantless the underground apartni
~nfe of
nearly the whole of the small houses in r,ondon, after July,
1846, without remunerating
4 th-a owners for the loss of rent
for the same, although each •''
. mete houses has been built
agreeably to the old
several district
and under the inspection of the
tirely er- - _.urireyors. Should Schedule Kbe not en,
fe" ....sod from the new Act at the expected revision,. sd
as existing buildings are concerned, sonic protision
should be made to remunerate the on nerd of such property,
who ate generally small tradesmen and frugal mechanics,
persons who ought to be assisted and not injured by Acts of
Parliament. 20,000,0001. were not long since voted to re-
, munerate the rich owners of human flesh whose property in
the same was prohibited by Act of Parliament.
ROYAL HARWICH YACHT CLUB.—William Knight,
Esq., the Rear-Commodore of this club, has just received a
letter from his Excellency the Danish Minister at the Court
of London stating that the yachts of the club shall be free
from the charges in the harbours of that country. The
Harvdcb Yacht Club now contains forty-four sail, in addition
to a few on the stocks ' • the privilege now conceded by
Denmark already been granted to the club by eleven
other powerS ii2'lluding Hanover, I'russia, Holland, Belgium,
-
Portugal, &C. in,* Harwich regatta is fixed for July next.
ARRAN.—We
ha
.”e received a communication from a
correspondent in the isla,
,ds of Arran, stating that fever pre-
vails to ap alarming extent %ens the poor inhabitants of
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