The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-08 00:00:00

THE PARISH PRIEST.

In the parish which I know perhaps better than
any other, a large and populous parish in Derby-
shire, no one could recollect having heard of it pos-
sessing a decent clergyman. The last but one was
a vulgar and confirmed sot. The last came a re-
spectable youth, well married, but soon fell into dis-
sipated habits, seduced a young woman of fine per-
son and some property, who, in consequence, was
abandoned by her connexions, married a low wretch
who squandered her money, and finally died of ab-
solute starvation. The clergyman's wife, heretofore
a respectable woman, wounded beyond endurance
by this circumstance, took to drinking: all domestic
harmony was destroyed : the Vicar began to drink
too. A young family grew up amid all these evil
and unfortunate influences : the parents finally se-
parated ; and as the pastor fell into years, he fell
into deeper vice and degradation. I well remember
him. I remember seeing him upheld, in a state of
utter intoxication over a grave, by two men, while
he vainly strove to repeat the burial service, saying
there is one glory of the sun, and another glory
of the son"—till they led him away, and closed the
grave. I remember well his small, light person, his
thin but ruddy countenance, and his singular ap-
pearance as he used to trot at a quick pace up to
the church, or down the village street back again,—
for at that time he performed duty at three churches,
each of which was three miles distant from the other.
On one occasion, in winter, wishing to make great
haste, he put on his skates and took the canal in his
way; but it was not well frozen beneath the bridges,
and the ice let him in. He hurried home, and
changed his clothes, but left his sermon in his wet
pocket, and arrived only to dismiss his long-expect-
ing congregation. The old man, notwithstanding
his vices, had much good nature and no pride. He
accepted every invitation to dinner at the weddings
of his humblest parishioners, for his own dinners
were, like those of the miser El wes, generally cold
boiled eggs and pancakes, which he carried in his
pockets, and ate as he went along. His hearers
were many of them colliers, and in their cabins he
has sometimes got so drunk that he has fallen asleep,
and they have put him to bed with a slice of bacon
in one hand, and one of bread in the other. I re-
member him meeting a labourer in the fields one
Sunday, as he returned from church, and seeing
that the man had been nutting instead of to prayer,
he said, " Ah, William, you should not go a nutting
on Sunday Have you got a few for me, Wil-
liam ?" When he administered the sacrament to
the sick, he advised them not to take much of the
wine, lest it should increase their fever; but added
charitably, he would drink it for them, and it would
do as well. In short, he was not without redeem-
ing qualities : but he is dead, or rather, was kicked
out of the world by a horse, when he was in a state
of intoxication. Anothercame in his stead, and such
another ! I see him now in fancy—he is still the in-
cumbent or incumbrance of the parish, and may be
seen by any one who lists—a hard-faced, vulgar-
looking fellow, whom at a glance you know to have
a heart like a pebble, a head full of stupid mischief,
and a gripe like iron. I think it was Alderman
Waithman who said in Parliament, that of all
tyrannies, none are so odious as the tyranny of a
parish priest. And this fellow is a tyrant to per-
fection. To the poor he speedily showed himself a
fierce and arbitrary dictator; they must abide his
pleasure as to the time of marrying, burying, and
baptism ; and he extorted from them the uttermost
farthing. It is a coal district; and the coal has
been got in the surrounding country, but had been
left under the houses to prevent injury to them.
This he claimed and sold. In getting the coal, he
threw down a part of several houses, cracked and
undermined others, and would probably have thrown
down the church, for the workmen were actually
beginning to undermine it, when the churchwardens
interfered. He bought farms, and borrowed money
to pay for them ; and when compelled to pay part
of the interest, he persuaded the attorney to give
him a memorandum of the receipt without a stamp,
and then laid an information against him in the Ex-
chequer. He got a commission to prove wills, and
charged the poor ignorant people double, till some
one more experienced informed the proctor, and got
his occupation taken away. He was to be found at
public-houses, and in the lowest company, till the
very family who got him the living, absented them-
selves from the church ; yet, with a very common
kind of inconsistency, when the people complained,
and asked if he could not be removed, this very fa-
mily declined acting in it, alleging it would be a
great scandal for a clergyman to be dismissed from
his living I At length some unwise guardians, who
had lent him the money of their orphan wards on
his bare note, and the strength of his clerical cha-
racter, have put him in prison ; and the longer he
lies, the greater the blessing to the people. The
following is part of the report of the Insolvent
Debtors Court when he applied to be discharged:—
" The Rev. Gentleman's debts set forth in his sche-
dule amounted to 8,9451. Bs. 9d. It appeared that
he had exercised certain lay vocations ; speculated
somewhat in land; dabbled a little in twist-lace
machinery; worked a colliery; and now and then
enjoyed a bit of horse-dealing. The insolvent's in-
come was 246/. per annum, and his outgoings 500/.
a year.

Such is the ecclesiastical history of this one pa-
rish; such would he that of thousands were they
related; and all this is the natural result of the ab-
surd and iniquitous system of state and individual
patronage.—Howitt's History of Priesteraft.

STATURE OF• THE HUMAN RACES NOT
DECREASED.-An idea is widely spread, of the decrease of
the stature of the human races. This opinion, which is
unanimously received, might easily have been propagated by
one and the same people, and in that case unanimity proves
nothing. Antiquity, besides, believes also in pigmies, and
according to the principle of analogy, it might be as reason-
ably maintained, that the stature of man has increased.
Neither the remains of the human fossil bones re-
cently discovered in many places, and which appear
to be of very high antiquity, have belonged to men
of other than an ordinary height, nor the ancient
monuments, tombs, utensils, arms, paintings, nor
the mummies of the Egyptians exhibit any sensible
variation i❑ the human stature fur four thousand
years. Beyond this remote epoch, monuments dis.
appear, and we have only analogy to guide us.
But if, as is quite certain, the changes produced on
men by civilization are completely analogous to
those which don,estication produces on animals; and if
we recollect that the average of the height of the former
is equal to that of their savage types, it will be admitted,
which is confirmed in other respects by what we know of
tribes which are not savage, that the average height of
civilized man of the present times differs very slightly, not
only from those of the civilized men of ancient times, but
also from those of men living in a savage Atate before any
civilisatio-i.

The following curious facts respecting the rattle-
snake, are from a letter of Judge Samuel Woodruff,
to Professor Silliman, in the last number of the
American Journal of .Science:—
Some time in the month of August, I went with
Mr. T. Kirtland, and Dr. C. Dutton, then residing
at Portland, to the Maiming for the purpose of
shooting deer, at a place where they were in the
habit of coming to the river to feed on the moss at-
tached to the stones in the shoal water. We took
our watch station on an elevated part of the bank,
13 or 20 yards from the edge of the water. About
an hour after we commenced our watch, instead
of a deer, we discovered a rattle-snake, which, it
appeared, had left his den, in the rocks beneath us,
and was advancing across a smooth, narrow sand
beach towards the water. Upon hearing our
voices, or for some other cause, he stopped
and lay stretched out with his head near the water.
It occurred to me that an opportunity now red
to try the virtues of the white ash leaves. Re-
questing the gentlemen to keep, in my absence, a
watch over our object, I went immediately in search
of the leaves, and on a piece of low ground, thirty
or forty rods back from the river, I soon found, and
by the aid of my hunting knife, procured a small
ash sapling, eight or ten feet in length, and with a
view to make the experiment more satisfactory, I
cut another sapling of the sugar maple, and with
these wands returned to the scene of action. In
order to cut off the retreat to his den, I approached
the snake in his rear. As s•ton as I came within
about seven or eight feet of him, he quickly threw
his body into a coil, elevated his head eight or ten
inches, and brandishing his tongue, " gave note of
preparation " for combat.

I first presented him the white ash, placing the
leaves upon his body. He instantly dropped his
head to the ground, unfolded his coil, roiled over
upon his back, writhed and twisted his whole body
into every form but that of a coil, and appeared to
be in great anguish. Satisfied with the trial thus
far made, I laid by the white ash. The rattle-snake
immediately righted, and placed himself in the same
menacing attitude as before described. I now
presented the sugar maple. He lanced in a moment,
striking his head into a tuft of the leaves, " with
all the malice of the under fiends," and the next
moment coiled and lanced again, darting his whole
length at each effort with the swiftness of an arrow.
After repeating this several times, I ag,ain changed his
fare,and presented him the white ash. He immediately
doused his peak, stretched himself on his back in the
same manner as at the first application. It was then
proposed to try what effect might be produced upon
his temper and courage by a little flogging with the
white ash. This was administered; but instead of
arousing him to resentment, it served only to in-
crease his troubles. As the flogging grew more
severe, the snake frequently struck his head into the
sand as far as he could thrust it, seeming desirous to
bore his way into the earth and rid himself of his
unwelcome visiters.

Being now convinced that the experiment was a
satisfactory one, and fairly conducted on both sides,
we deemed it unnecessary to take his life after he
had contributed so much to gratify our curiosity;
and so we took our leave of the rattlesnake, with
feelings as friendly at least as those with which we
commenced our acquaintance with him, and left him
to return at leisure to his den.

We are glad to find that the Presbytery,
after a nice splitting of technical difficulties, at last came
to P unanimous decision to take measures to put a stop
to the extraordinary proceedings in the College Church.
To many it must have appeared almost an excess of lenity
to have permitted such doings so long. In all mental
aberrations, the most effectual plan is to cut them short at
once by the firm and judicious exercise of authority, and
we doubt not the practice will be found as perfectly effi-
cacious, not only in this particular ease, but as an ex.
ample, in terrorein, to others.—Edinburgh Observer.
CHARGE OF POISONING.—Mr. HULL, a
respectable farmer, o 4 Clacton, Essex, a widower with four
children, has been committed for trial on a charge of
having attempted to poison Mr. PY3tAti, landlord of the
Queen's Head, Clacton. The parties were drinking porter
together at the Queen's Head, and Mr. PYMAN discovered
that something had been put into the mug, which, on
analrsation, proved to be corrosive sublimate and arsenic.
HULL denied the charge, ani said it was likely that Mr.
PrzitAN had put the poison in the beer from a feeling of
jealousy.— Suffolk Chronicle.

A DISLOCATED NECK RESTORED.—On
Friday evening last, a poor woman named FRENCH, the
wife of a labourer residing at Ilamsden Heath, fell down
stairs, and having a candle in her hand, she was unable
to save herself; the consequence was, her neck was dislo.
cated, and her head lay upon her shoulder, apparently
immoveable. Her son, who happened to he within call,
having, by accident, been acquainted with the means of
restoring the neck to its right position, placed the head of
his mother between his knees, and with some exertion
effec•ed the object. The poor woman is likely to do well.
—Essex Herald.

POWER OF Muslc.—The following incident
occurred to B. ROMBERG, at a concert which he gave at
Pre•burg in April last. It affords a fre,h proof of the
influence of music over animate beings. The Countess
of It-, who was seated in the first row of benches,
observed a large spider, which gradually moved nearer
and nearer towards the player whilst he was performing,
and, when it had approached to a very short distance
from him, stood perfectly still, as if listening to his
delightful play. A loud and violent chord, however,
seemed, either from the noise it occasioned, or the vibration
it produced on the floor, to scare the insect, and it ran back
towards the Countess, who, in her fright, begged a neigh-
bour not to tread it under foot but to make it move in an-
other direction. ROMBERG, in the meanwhile, had come
to a softer passage; at which the spider, instead of con-
tinuing his flight, turned back and approached close to the
performer, anti remained transfixed as it were to the spot
until he had finished his solo. The spider, who then dis-
appeared, had not escaped ROSIBERG'S attention too. He
observed that it had frequently occurred to him to remark
a similar fondness for soft and gentle melodies in other
insects of the same species ; which he conceived to arise
from the peculiar harmony of the violincello.

IMPORTANT DUEL AT PERSHORE...--11l
consequence of a point of honour, which had been discussed
"a la crib" the previous evening in the stable, and which
had not been satisfactorily arranged, a meeting, with more
deadly weapons, took place on Wednesday, 31st ult., between
Mr. and Mr. ; and notwithstanding that every
precaution was taken by the seconds that no material harder
than the beads of the heroic combatants should be inserted
within the deadly tube, and that every publicity was given
by the principals themselves to the civil authorities, and to
the ladies of their acquaintance, yet no one was kind
enough to interfere to prevent the appeal for injured
honour; and, alas ! they must fight. Arraying themselves
in solemn black, they repaired to a friend's garden, and
having taken their distances they waited the signal, their
countenances fey betraying the working of their cou-
rageous heats; hut whether from the surgeon, seconds,
and friends being determined to enjoy the tragie.comic
scene, or some misunderstanding in giving the previously
arranged signal, a delay took place, which the combatants
prudently took advantage of, the one by cautiously retreat-
ing with outstretched arm into the summer house; while
the other, with an equal regard for the first law of nature,
safely ensconced himself behind a poplar tree ; then peeping
at each other for a moment from their places of security,
the signal was given to fire, when they discharged their
pistols loaded with segars I The matter thus truly ending
in smoke, appeared to give the belligerents as much 6' sa-
tisfaction" as it produced mirth in the bystanders, and the
seconds interfering, a shaking of bands took place, and all
Parties then left the ground.—Frorn a Correspondent of
time Worcester Herald.

The House resumed at a quarter-past five.
A message from the Lords brought up several Bills
passed by their Lordships.
Mr. O'CONNELL said he hoped the House would
indulge him a moment whilst he called the attention
of Hon. Members to a breach of privilege.—( Hear. )
It occurred in the Times newspaper of that day, and was
an attempt to attribute such language to him, as it would
neither become the House to hear nor himself to utter. In
that paper, referring to what had taken place at Limerick,
he was made to say that " it was a lousy attempt
to put such feelings down."—(Loud laughter, in which
the Hon. and Learned Member apparently joined, and
cries of " Hear, hear.") He thought it was unfair to
attribute to him language, which ought not to be used in
that House. He should not take further notice of the subject
at present, hut the next time such an occurrence took
place he should feel it to be his duty to take other steps-
-(Hear, hear.) The Hon. and Learned Member then
presented a petition from the Political Union of Dublin,
praying for the repeal of the Coercion Bill, and other
petitions.
Mr. GROTE presented a petition from the inhabitants
of the Ward of Portsoken, praying for the entire repeal
of the assessed t,ixes.
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL.

Lord ALTHORP having moved the order of the day
for the third reading of the abolition of Slavery Bill,
Mr. H. L. BULWER alluded to the rumour that Go.
vernment had taken up some transports, and wished to
ask the Noble Lord (Althorp) whether they were to be
sent to Portugal, and whether that was in consequence of
any apprehension entertained of a hostile movement on
the part of Spain.
Lord ALTHORP said that from all the information
the Government possessed, there wis no reason to appre-
hend any interference by Spain in the affairs of Portugal.
With regard to the hiring of transports, he was not aware
that any had heen hired—if there had, it certainly had no
reference to any hostile attitude on the part of Spain
towards Portugal.
The order of the day for the third reading of the Slavery
Abolition Bill was then read, after a fee observations from
Mr. Sergeant PERRI N and Mr. SrANLEY.
On the question that the Bill be read a third time,
Mr. 'sYILKS rose to move the insertion of three
clauses of which he had given notice. These clauses
were Ist " that the statutes of 7 and 8 George IV.
chap. 30 and 31 should be in force in the colonies
so far as they relate to the malicious setting fire
to and demolition of any churches, chapels, and places
for religious worship, and to the obtaining compensation
from the hundred or district for damage so done ;"
the second was, "that apprenticed labourers should
not be compellable to labour on Sundays, but
should on Sundays have freedom for religious wor-
ship; " the third was " that to provide for the education
and moral and religious instruction of the apprenticed
labourers and their children on liberal and comprehen-
sive principles, his Majesty should be nuthotized to
grant moneys not exc. eding 25,0001. yearly to be
applied to those objects in the colonies—(Hear,
hear, hear)—by such persons, in such manner, and sub-
ject to such regulations as his Majesty should by Order in
Council direct ; but that accounts should be laid yearly
before Parliament of the amount and application of such
grant." The Hon. Mernb-r having stated that his object
was to place the West Indies upon the same footing as
nearly as possible to England, concluded by moving the
first resolution. .

On the question that the clause be read a second time
being put,
Mr. Secretary STANLEY said that he entirely con-
curred in the principle of the clause, and reprobated as
much as any man the outrages which had been committed
in one of the colonies in which it originated; but
be did not think it could be properly introduced into this
B;11, which had a different and distinct object in view.
This Bill was to apply to all the colonies, but the
disgraceful intrigues it was intended to prevent had
occurred only in Jamaica, and it would be throwing
an imputation on the other colonies, in which religions
toleration was not only professed but practised, to intro-
duce this clause into this general Bill.—(Hear, hear,
hear.) It was, however, a subject which must
early come under the consideration of the Assembly of
Jamaica, and he assured the Hon. Gentleman that unless
it listened to the Government, and gave such lair
protection as they were entitled to demand to places
of worship, Ministers themselves would take such steps as
would be necessary for that purpose.—(Hear, hear.)
He hoped, therefore, the Hon. Gentleman would with-
draw his motion. _

Mr. BUXTON would concur in that recommen-
dation, if the Government pledged itself to see that
the Assembly of Jamaica not only prevented such
outrages, in future, as had been committed,
but restored, as they were in justice bound, the
chapels which had been burnt. He trusted that none of
the magistrates who had distinguished themselves by
th, it disgraceful conduct in this matter would be
made special Magistrates under the Bill. Their conduct
had been wicked in the extreme.

Mr. WILKS explained.
Lord ALTHORP said, if the Hon. Member meant to
persevere, he would state the grounds on which he thought
the House ought not to interfere at present. This House
undoubtedly had the right to legislate in colonial affairs,
but it was of the highest importance that that right
should be exercised with the greatest caution, and only
when nothing else would effect the purpose. The ques-
tion was, had we arrived at that state of things ?
A House of Assembly in Jamaica had undoubteAly
not acceded to the proposition of Government. Another
House had been summoned, to know what it would do,
and he really thought it would be premature for the House
of Commons to interfere, before it knew what the
sentiments of that House of Assembly would ne.
If that House of Assembly should persevere in a course of
injustice, in not making amends to persons whose pro-
perty bad been abused in the most aboininatile way.
it would then be for the House to consider what it
should do. The Government bad felt the necessity
of interfering in the cause of slavery ; but he (Lord
Althorp) thought it would be a bad precedent to inter-
fere in this or in any other case, until the most imperative
necessity presented itself.
Lord SANDON regarded the acts which had been
referred to, as having taken place in the island, as of the
most atrocious nature, and as tending to throw difficulties
in the way of improvement.
Mr. MILKS said that, after what had fallen from the
Hon. Gentleman and the Noble Lord, he would withdraw
the first of the clauses, but would proceed with the second,
and press it earnestly upon the attention of the House.
It appeared to him extremely important that such a de-
claratory clause should be introduced, that the apprentices
should rid longer be subject to that sad and cruel persecu-
tion, by which they had hither.° been afflicted.
The clause was then brought up, and read a first time.
On the question that it be read a second time,
Mr: Secretary STANLEY stid he did not see any
objection to the principle of the clause, although it was
somewhat too generally worded.
The clause was accordingly read a second and third
time, and added to the Bill by way of rider.
Mr. WILKS rose to bring forward another clause for
the purpose of carrying into effect the resolution to appro-
priate 25,0001., for the annual instruction of the negroes,
but

The SPEAKER said, it was irregular, as such a pro-
position could only emanate from a Committee of the
whole House, and the Bill could not now be re-committed.
Mr. HARDY moved the insertion of certain words in
the 16th clause, for the purpose of preventing the mas-
ter from imposing any additional hours of labour, without
the sanction of a magistrate and of the slave.
The SPEAKER then put the question, that this Bill
do pass.

Mr. A. JOHNSTONE rose for the purpose of address-
ing the House. He could not look forward without ap
prehension and alarm that no sort of provision had h• en
made for the instruction of the neeroes. Too
little attention had throughout been paid to the
expressed wishes of the people of Great Britain. The
Legislature of Jamaica, he believed, would nut take any
steps with regard to the important subject of education.
The Bill was then read a third time and passed.
Mr. WILKS gave notice that early next session he
should move a resolution, declaring, " That his Majesty
should be enabled to advance such sums of money as ghoul.
be deemed necessary to provide, in a comprehensive and
liberal manner, for the mural and religious education of