The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

THE CHARTIST TRIALS.

CRIMINAL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

OLD COURT.

CONTINUATION OF THE TRIAL OF CUFFEY,

LACY, AND FAY.

Mr. Baron Platt and Mr. Justice 'Williams took their
seats on the bench at ten o'clock.

Mr. Baron eLATT then proceeded to sum up the evi-
dence and to direct the jury. When an Act of the Legis-
lature changed the name of a crime in the nature of its
punishment, it was their duty to see that it was carried
out wisely and properly, and to bring to the considera-
tion of the entire case minds wholly unbiassed by any
prejudice. If they believed from the evidence that the
prisoners intended to subvert the constitution as by law
established, they must find them guilty of the heinous
offence imputed to them. The Learned Baron then
read the evidence adduced during the trial,
commenting upon portions as he went along.
The task occupied, as may be imagined, a
considerable time. With respect to the part played by
Powell, he said it was not unlikely that he was a silent
member of the conspiracy; he took upon himself a task,
to sustain which, it was obvious, that he was obliged to
act as a member, both in word and deed, in order to
blind the other members. Their own experience in life
must tell them that this was the course which a man
would naturally adopt under such circumstances. He
did not ask them to look at that person's evidence with-
out distrust; but if his story was corroborated by other
and independent testimony, so us to h are no doubt that
it was not only probable, but strictly true, it would be-
come their painful province to find the prisoners guilty.
He did not think the Government to blame for availing
themselves of his testimony, and he did not think the
prisoners could complain of it. It did not follow because
a person was in the habit of lying among his shopmates
that his testimony was unworthy of belief when given on
oath in a court of justice—the more especially since he
had no object to gain by coming there to deceive them.
This led him to call the attention of the jury to the way
in which one :of the witnesses—one of Powell's shop-
mates—gave his testimony. He gave his evidence with
much flippancy, and repeated the blasphemous expres-
sions said to be used by Powell with a smiling face,
whereas no person of well regulated mind could repeat
such imprecations except with a feeling of shame and
disgust.
(The Learned Judge is not likely to conclude his ad-
dress until late in the afternoon.)

LITERATURE.
ALISON'S HISTORY OF EUROPE.

In noticing the completion of the new edition of
this eminent production, we neglected to mention the
introduction of a most compact, and yet most elabo-
rate Table of Currency, extending from 1792 to
1847, inclusively. To indicate its singularly com-
pactness, we need only mention that the table occu-
pies four octavo pages (Vol. xx., pp. 108*-111*),
and within that compass we have, for each year
mentioned, the amount of the national debt; the an-
nual revenue ; the national debt in each year in
quarters of wheat, at annual prices ; the revenue
yearly in quarters of wheat, at annual prices; the
money applied yearly to the redemption of the debt ;
and the average price of wheat (Winch. qr.) over the
year. We would particularly direct attention to this
section of the Appendix to " Alison's History of
Europe," not only from the extraordinary utility of
this Table of Currency, but because the circumstance
is expressive, in a very remarkable manner, of the
care exhausted upon this splendid edition by the
author himself, and by his publishers, the Messrs.
Blackwood.

LETTERS TO THE COUNT ESSOF OSSORY.

By Horace Walpole. 2 Vols.
We are somewhat late in noticing this work, but
times and seasons have nothing to do with Horace
Walpole. His works make their appearance nearly a
hundred years after they are written, and when once
published they are imperishable—thus combining
the characteristics of the phoenix and the perennial.
Another new work of Horace Walpole's, and in the
year 1848 ! Another new work ! Is it the last ?
We hope not, and we will believe not until time
shall assure us to the contrary. It is not long since
we sorrowed over the " Memoirs of George M."—
one of the most interesting works from that interest-
ing pen, because we supposed it to be the last
work of Horace Walpole, and now behold another
has sprung to light ! Another budget of Walpole's
delightful epistles is here presented to us—those
epistles which form a running and most amusing
commentary on the history of the times to which they
refer. Letters contained in these recently published
volumes form in one respect a striking contrast to the
last work of Horace Walpole's that we had the plea-
sure of perusing, namely, in as far as regards the
author himself. The " Memoirs of George III."
I,ortrayed to us Horace Walpole in London—Horace
Walpole immersed in politics—the confederate of
plotters, the confidante of intriguers, the initiated into
the mysteries of cabals; and most amusing were
those back-stairs revelations. In these volumes
Othello's occupation's gone. Horace is the
recluse of Strawberry-hill. In many incidental
remarks and many choice passages in these letters
may be found abundant evidence of the kind
heart and kind disposition of this much-
maligned man. One letter contains a beau-
tiful touch of natural pathos. He is writing
to thank Lady Ossory for an embroidered vest with
which she has presented him. He begins by ex-
tolling the beauty of the workmanship in a style of
elaborate anal highflown flattery. " Flora," he
says, " had selected the flowers for the pattern, and
Thalia had thrown over their arrangement an inde-
scribable grace," (which last idea is a truly poetic
one). having spoken of the beauty of the vest, he
proceeds to tell with what delightful feelings he had
for the first time arrayed himself in it. But his de-
light was short-lived. Catching sight of himself in
the mirror, he is struck, painfully struck, with the
contrast presented by his withered face and shrunken
form and his rich and elegant attire. He disrobes him-
self of the vest, and the language in which he describes
his feelings to Lady Ossory is, as we have said, full of
natural pathos. In a future edition of this work we
should be glad to see some alterations, or rather atria
'ions, which might render it better suited to the taste
of the present day. Not that we approve of the plan
PA„,,:rastes,' bed, which uuld adapt all things to
one common standard. We certainly prefer a work
ith its own author's merits and defects. Still there
are exceptions to every rule. In Walpole's time
many subjects of discourse and many words were to-
lerated and generally made use of in society which
are now considered as highly indecent—such as these
should most certainly be expunged. There are not,
it is true, many such blemishes in the work now be-
fore us. There is one tale, however, " The
Peach in Brandy," which we are sorry the
good sense of the editor did not condense.
The tale in question is not only coarse and indecent,
but it has not (as far as we can see) one single recom-
mendation. It has neither wit nor point. Why
Walpole should have written it we cannot understand,
and why the editor should have suffered it to be pub-
lished we cannot imagine. But this blemish is in-
, significant when we set against it the many merits of
these volumes. The account here given of France
during the first revolution is rendered additionally
interesting by recent circumstances.

FINE ARTS.
MR. DISTIN AND HIS SONS.
This lithographic print of the portraits cf Mr.
Distin and his three sons, the original performers
on the Sax Horns and: the Sax Tubas, is a beautiful
specimen of lithographic art. The portraits are life-
like.

PORTRAIT OF MR. HUDSON, IMP.—The beautiful
full-length portrait of George Hudson, Esq., painted by
Grant, and exhibited some time ago at the Central Ex-
change in this town, has been engraved by Ward in the
first style of the art, and will shortly be issued to sub-
scribers. This is the best likeness of Mr. Hudson that
has been executed.—Newcastle Journal.

On Monday, a bride, starting from Newcastle, on a
wedding tour, had her pocket picked of 2004 at the rail-
way station.
Viscountess Ebrington was safely delivered of a
daughter yesterday.
THE ROYAL ENGINEER'S MESS AT CHATHAM.—
The case arising out of the charge against Anthony B.
Wright, late mess butler, for misappropriating a sum of
money collected by him from the officers of Royal Ar-
tillery and Engineers, for their mess wine bills, has been
abruptly put an end to by the sudden death of the ac-
cused. For some days previous to Wright's apprehen-
sion he had exhibited symptoms of violent excitement,
and on the day on which he was taken into custody he
bad threatened the life of his wife. On Monday he was
discharged from ;custody, the magistrate telling the
complainacts, Captain Scott and Lieutenant Barry, that
their remedy against the accused must be by civil action.
The next day Wright became so violent, and at the
same time appeared so unwell, evidently labouring under
a species of insanity, that it was deemed advisable to
convey him to the Medway Union Workhouse at Chat-
ham, where he was placed in the ward set apart for such
patients. lie continued in the same excited state up to
two o'clock the next morning, when he died in a fit. An
inquest was held on Wednesday evening, before J.
llinde, Esq., coroner for the county, when Mr. Ely, sur-
geon, stated that he bad seen deceased previous to his
death, and he then appeared like one labouring under
delirium tremens, which wholly arose from excitement.
The coroner, having briefly yet carefully summed up,
the jury returned a verdict, "That deceased died in a
fit of aroplexy."
ADDRESS EVERY MAN BY HIS NAME.—And here
may be offered a further friendly admonition. Upon
whatever ocoasion, public or private, the foremastman be
addressed, let him be called by his name. If unac-
quainted with that, let some kind or encouraging epithet
be adopted. The appellative of "my man" can offend
no man, whilst that too frequently applied epithet, "You,
sir!" is obnoxious to the meanest boy. Not that the
vulgar practice of courting popularity is here advocated.
Affected humility may be said to be meanness personi-
fied; whilst low familiarities debase, and at once destroy
every feeling of respect. The instant an officer descends
to be familiar with the men his authority sinks—neither
can ho expect nor exact obedience. A moral may be
L found in the following anecdote ; When the author