The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-24 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 24, 1856.

The Oath of Abjuration Bill last night passed
through Committee in the House of Commons,
and, with the addition Jf certain clauses proposed
by Lord J. RUSSELL, was ordered to be reported.
There would be but little discussion on the mea-
sure itself if its real intent were that professed.
Nothing can be more absurd, and, we may add,
more irreverent, than compelling parties to swear
against matters that have no actual existence. It
is not only useless to make solemn declarations
against the claims of the Pretender and his de-
scendants, but it is eminently calculated to bring
the sanctity of an oath into contempt and disre-
pute, and thus to have a very demoralising effect
on those who are called on to swear respecting
such frivolous matters. The evil consequences
of what were formerly known as " Custom-
house Oaths" became so painfully notorious, that
it requires no argument to be urged against the
continuance of a habit in every respect so greatl y
to be deprecated.
Bat the effect of the bill will be indirectly to
get rid of a serious matter, which it indirectly
occasioned. The oath was framed against Jaco-
bites : they have ceased to exist. But it operates
against a very different class, and serves to exclude
all conscientious Jews from seats in either House
of Parliament. It is not the substance but the
form of the oath that is objected to. Baron
ROTHSCHILD or the Lord Mayor could honestly
abjure any allegiance to the descendants of JAMES
the Second ; but as high-minded men they would
wish to do so in a manner which they considered
to be binding on their consciences. It is only
moral persons who would be excluded by the form
—precisely those whose services would be most
beneficial to the nation. Had the House of Com-
mons changed the form when Baron ROTHSCHILD
first presented himself at the bar, in accordance
with the precedent established in the case of Mr.
J. PEASE, the matter would have been easily and
finally disposed of. But Lord J. RUSSELL then
" strained at the gnat." He would not permit
the matter to be so quietly arranged. He sought
to make political capital, and would allow no in-
direct settlement. To his ridiculous scruples
Baron ROTHSCHILD may ascribe his protracted ex-
clusion from Parliament. But the Noble Lord is
now willing to accept the compromise, and to
take indirectly that which the Lords have pre-
vented from being carried in a substantive form.
The matter may now be considered as disposed
of so far as the representative branch of the Le-
gislature is concerned. But how will it be dealt
with in the Lords ? That is the question. Will
the hereditary legislators retain a clumsy and
indirect mode of producing a result which could
not be effected by a straightforward prohibitory
enactment ? No man supposes that if a direct
bill against Jews sitting in Parliament were now
introduced it would have the slightest chance' of
being carried. It is, therefore, disgraceful to have
such a blot remaining on the national statute-
book, arising through mere inadvertence. As we
long since declared, the House of Commons should
take the matter into its own hands ; and when
Jews had been sworn in the form which they
believed to be most binding on their consciences,
we should find but few objections en the part of
Members of the Upper House to abrogate the
obsolete and ridiculous oaths now required to be
taken before parties are admitted to take their
seats.

We cannot conclude without referring' to au
observation by Mr. H. DRUMMOND, which,
although by no means relevant to the subject un-
der discussion, is still worthy of attentive conside-
ration. The 11911. Gentleman spoke of the Royal

Marriage Act introduced by GEO. 111. through a
feeling of spite against his brothers, and which
des!royecl the happiness of his own children. We
have already urged serious objections against
that unfortunate law, and it would be well that it
should be noticed before other Princely victims
are sacrificed at the shrine of an obsolete and in-
defensible prejudice.

The accounts from the Crimea do not show
matters Ito be so greatly coleur de rose as the
quasi " peace rejoicings" would lead us to suppose,
nor do they afford much ground for supposing that
the Precious Treaty will provide for the perma-
nent tranquillity of Europe. Many of the aggres-
sions of Russia, and the restrictions imposed on
the trade of the Danube were introduced, under
the pretext of being sanitary measures, mere qua-
rantine regulations, against which no reasonable
objection could be offered. It now appears that the
Muscovites are alreadyresuming similar prOceedin
and that Gen. WINDHAM, when visiting Kaffa, was
kept a strict prisoner in consequence of the pro-
hibitions that had already been promulgated. It
was perhaps fortunate that the cloven foot had
been so speedily displayed, as it will probably pre-
vent the formal evacuation of Kertch until the
British stores have been completely removed—a
matter for which the Russians will only have to
thank themselves. It is said that a feather thrown
up indicates the direotion of the wind ; and from
what has occurred to General WINDHA.M we may
form a fair estimate as to the intentions of the
Russian authorities respecting the trade and com-
merce of the Engine.

Other untoward circumstances have been men
tioned, which show that the feeling between the
French and English soldiers is not exactly that
which might be desired. _Several cases have
occurred of English parties having been very
wantonly and improperly fired on by French
soldiers, and life has been lost in consequence. It
is to be regretted that the French authorities have
not acted as promptly and decidedly in bringing
the wrongdoers to justice as they might have done.
Such omission must excite irritation on the
part of those who have seen their friends
suffer, or have themselves been placed in
danger by the reckless proceedings of those
who ought to act as friends, and not recklessly
to resort to deadly weapons without sufficient
cause. They may be tempted to take the law into
their own hands another time, so that the offen-
ders may not escape with entire impunity.
These may be considered as of trivial import-
ance, but, as we have said, they do not -augur
well for a protracted peace. The people of Great
Britain are smarting under the sense of injury.
They see that they ware permitted to drift into a
war for which they were not prepared, and that
peace was foisted on them when they wore fully
competent to enforce all that their honour and inte-
rests required. They see the extraordinary prefer.
ence exhibited for foreigners, and the advantages
offered to Germans who never drew a trigger during
the war, but which are not afforded to our own
veterans who have borne the brunt of the eu•
counter. Grants of lands in the Colonies are to
be offered to the favoured aliens, while English-
men obtain no such privileges. The militia will
probably be disembodied at a time when it will
be difficult, if not impossible, for those who vo-
lunteered their services at the hour of need to
obtain employment.
The whole matters relating to the enlistment of
the Germans has occasioned. very natural annoy-
ance is this country. The matter was studiously
excluded from the Royal Speech at the opening of
the Session, although it subsequently appeared
that it was the chief object for which Members
wore summoned at a very unusual time. The
bill was carried by surprise, and it was generally
felt that an unworthy trick was played, to which
the ABERDEEN Ministry in a great degree owed its
expulsion from office, and most justly so. We
trust that there may be no further truckling to
Germanism, although unfortunately we have as
yet seen nothing to indicate that the objectionable
course has been abandoned, or that an Englishman
will be regarded with as much favour in his own
country as a German stranger. These are signs
of the times which cannot be regarded as auspi-
cious omens for the welfare and prosperity •f the
United Kingdom.

Whatever may be the effects of music in the
Parks on the London population—and on that
head the testimony of Mr. BROUGHTON, the
Marylebone Police Magistrate, given in our
columns yesterday, is most satisfactory and con-
cluive—there can exist no shadow of doubt now
as .to the effects of the receu t interference of
Exeter Hall with the people's Sunday recreation.
These are the deepest and most wide-spread in-
dignation, and a more and nore resolute deter-

urination to have the prohibited music. A refer-
ence to the report of the great and enthusiastic
meeting last night at St. Martin's Hall, Long-
acre, the latest of many similar meetings held
during the week, will show how intense is the
feeling on the subject, and how great a proba-
bility exists that the people congregated in the
Parks to-morrow will have music provided for
them. This probability, we may say the cer-
tainty, of being regaled with sweet sounds will
be a source of pleasing anticipation to the hun-
dreds of thousands who had 'previously resolved
to be present, and in all likelihood will greatly
add to their numbers. The working population,
we feel bound to urge, cannot come in too large
numbers, and too resolutely but peacefully vindi-
cate their fights as freemen. They have but to
give unmistakeable expression to their views and
feelings in order to the discomfiture of their inso-
lent Sabbatarian tyrants. No Premier in his
senses dare maintain the prohibition of so harm-
less a recreation against the will and at the
expense of the working men of London. It is
perfectly outrageous and intolerable, and in
common manliness the population are bound to
persevere until the prohibition is rescinded.
That event is likely to occur at no distant date.
Lord PALMERSTON having been subjected to
coercion, notoriously yielded to the Sabbatarians
without having changed his opinion. The only
thing which can retard it is disorderly meetings.
None but rascally roughs, we are confident, will
conduct themselves otherwise than creditably,
and these, if necessary, should be summarily
ejected. We have, however, very little fear on
this head, so vital is the boon of healthy
Sunday recreation to the multitudinous poor,
whose hard lot it is to be imprisoned during the
week in lanes and
alleys, the atmosphere of
which would be deemed too poisonous for any
criminal to inhale. There will be no disturbance,
and the friends of the poor among the rich will
be happy to see as many of them as possible in
their decent Sunday apparel. Mr. BAINES; of
L2eds, who insolently sneered at their " Sunday
finery," as he called it, will not, we are afraid,
be there to justify that sneer or the obscene slander
which he levelled against the Londoners personally.
Under any circumstances his presence could hardly
have been looked for, but -considering that one
result of his letter has been the organisation of
music on Sundays in what may be called the Leeds
Park (Woodhouse Moor), his fellow-townsmen will