The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-08 00:00:00

THE SUN,

action of the Romish hierarchy in Ireland went beyond
an insult, but so'ruuch difficulty exist, d in devising a
form of words ahich would meet the evil without
renching. on religious liberty, that he thought it unad-
visable to legislate upon it.

Mr. NEWDEGATE, Mr. STANFORD, and Mr. PLIIMPTRE
condemned-the Bill as nugatory.

Mr. W. FAGAN denied chat there was any intention
on the part of the POPE to insult either the SOVEREIGN
or the people of England.

After a few words from Colonel SIBTHORP,
The second reading of the Bill was postponed to
Friday next.

The New Vice Chancellor's Bill was read a second
time, and the House adjourned.

Friday, the 7th of March, the day of the promised
Ministerial explanations has past, and the country is
but little wiser than it had previously been. It is
true that the changes and alterations in the Eccle-
siastical Titles Bill at present intended by the
" transition Government," have been announced, but
it does not by any means follow that no further mo-
dification may take place therein. An Irishman, it
is said, should be permitted to speak twice on any
subject in order to convey his true meaning, but our
present Ministers are in this respect " more Irish than
the Irish themselves." We find them, especially in
"matters of finance," claiming the privilege of "new
speech," even to the third and fourth time. Indeed,
we believe that three-and-a-half financial statements,
in each and every session, each one materially dif-
fering from the others, may be regarded as the fair
average of Sir CHARLES WOOD'S performances. We
shall, therefore, not feel any great confidence in the
success of any measure, or its passing through Par-
liament without mutilation or emasculation, simply
because it has been made " a Cabinet ques-
tion." That, indeed, might be regarded by
some persons as affording a strong probability that it
would never reach maturity. The Whig Ministers
apparently consider the sacrifice of their (legislative)
bantlings in as venial a light as did the ancient
Grecians. The moral infanticide is ruthlessly per•
petrated, and a day towards the close of the session
is invariably set apart for the operation, which is now
familiarly known as the " Massacre of the Innocents."

We must confess that we should consider it a
matter of very trivial importance whether the Bill
were altogether abandoned or passed in its present
shape. It was, indeed, sufficiently weak and diluted
when first introduced by the First Lord of the Trea-
sury, and scarcely fulfilled the anticipations that had
been entertained after the publication of the manly
and uncompromising letter of its author to the Bishop
`of DURHAM. " Sayings and doings" are, however,
proverbially different, and the proceedings on the'
Papal aggression constitute no exception to the general
rule. The performance fell as far short of the pro-
mise as the entertainment provided by a braggart
innkeeper might of the " bill of fare" previously
exhibited. Still, however, it did something, although
by no means adequate to the exigency of the case.
It not only imposed a pecuniary penalty on every
person assuming an ecclesiastical title taken from
any place in the United Kingdom, an enactment
that would seldom, if ever, be enforced, and which
might therefore be regarded as a mere brutem fulmen,
but it gave some efficiency to the prohibition by
making all deeds executed under the assumed title ab-
solutely null and void, and vesting in the Crown
all property conveyed or ht.queathed to any person
or persons under the designations or titles thus for-
bidden. The latter clauses, the only really valuable
part of the Bill, are now, however, to be abandoned.
Nothing remains but the first clause, which forbids
the assumption of the territorial style or dignity on
pain of forfeiting 1001. sterling (if it can be recovered,
or if the Attorney General thinks proper to sue for
it, a matter of no great certainty), but every act
by, or to the party, deliberately setting the law
at defiance, will be valid to all intents
and purposes. And yet it was on account of this
miserable abortion that Lord JOHN RUSSELL rejected
the alliance that would enable him to form a strong
Government, qualified to carry on the business of the
country without exciting the pity and compassion
of friends, and the scorn and derision of enemies.
For this he was prepared to let in a Protectionist
Ministry, at the risk of the entire commercial
legislation of late years—that for which Sir
ROBERT PEEL broke up a powerful party, relin-
quished office, and incurred the animosity of quon-
dam friends and followers—being assailed, if not com-
pletely overset. A retrograde movement was possi-
bly to be encountered, and the most valuable part of
the session to be frittered away and wasted, be-
cause he would not give up the ricketty and miser-
able object that is about to be palmed on the country
as an adequate vindication of the Royal prerogative
and of the national independence, both of which had
been so recklessly and so unwarrantably invaded.
But let us see what will be the effect of the propo-
sition, supposing that it should receive the Legisla-
tive sanction in its present form. There will not, it
appears, be any provision against the forbidden title
being used by any other person but the party claim-
ing it. Dr. WISEMAN will therefore be addressed by
all Roman Catholics, and by many other persons, as
Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, by the former
as a matter of right, by the latter as a
matter of courtesy. He will soon be
known by no other denomination. Letters
will be directed, transfers of property executed, aye,
and legacies bequeathed, by that style. So that even
he courts of law will be obliged to recognize the
forbidden title. He may use it too (if he please)
among his familiar friends, and he must remain
scathlees ; for we have seen from a recent correspon-
dence that his Eminence does not consider it neces-
sary to criminate himself by making any unnecessary
admissions. But even if a conviction should take
place, what would be the result ?He would only
forfeit 1001.; and how long, we ask, would that sum
be wanting? Why, it would be collected by penny
subscrip,ions in St. Gde,,'s, within a single hour,
if the wealthier Roman Catholics, who would
vie with each other to be permitted to
satisfy the penalty, would allow such an
appeal to be made. In Ireland the mat-
ter would be different. Jona; of, Tuam would
probably challenge a prosecution. A new state
trial would arise, occasioning greater excitement
in all its details than that even of O'CONNELL him-
self. With what interest would the striking of the
special jury be regarded, and what chance would
there be of a fairly selected jury agreeing in a ver-
dict ? Let these questions be fairly answered, and it
will be seen that the present measure is worse than
useless. Let us, then, have something adequate
to the emergency, and becoming the dignity of the
British nation, or let the matter be at once, and for
ever dropped, and the contemplated Ministerial ar
rangements concluded without further delay, but, at
all events, let not the national statute-book be encum-
bered with such ridiculous enactments as the Eccle-
siastical Titles Asiump:ion Bill in its present at-
tenuated form.

Our blessed CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER hes
been unable to make up his mind with respect to his
blessed Budget. Another fortnight has been de-
manded on his behalf before the public curiosity
can be gratified with respect to the new financial
SCHEME that is to be brought forward by the Right
Elonourable Baronet. It might be supposed
that the interval which has elapsed since
the adjournment of the debate on the Budget—
a clear fortnight—would have been sufficient
for consideration. But such is not the ctie ; two ad-
ditional weeks must be conceded to the "brilliant
financier" before he can be exFected to "come
to a conclusion" with respect to the ioccme.kx,
or to discover that 3Cel. per annum, ob'anied by
the unceasing and brain-consuming toil of the pro-
fessional man is not as valuable or as tangible a
security in the money market as the dividends
of 10,0001. in the Three
that the per Cent. Consols; or
precarious earnings of the merchant,
tnanuft:cturer, or trader is not quite Ls safe as well-
circumstanced ground rents. We confess that, es
far as ,
Sir CnAnnEs WOOD i 3 concerned we
despair of an considerations of justice or
expediency making any impression. He would
recklessly and obstinately persist in his ori•
ginal project at any cost, utterly indifferent as
ro the results; but his colleagues will pay a greater
respect to the voice of public opinion ; they
ere made of squeezable materials, and will yield
to the pressure from without if sufficiently
potent. Sir CHARLESWOOD way now be regarded