The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-06 00:00:00

THURSDAY EVENING,

ormolu eloA .on the chimney -piece) it is now full ten ml-
nutel p?..st the hour."
"I ask pardon, Madame; but I have been detained mach
to my regr,,r, in consequence of not being sufficiently ac-
quainted with the localities about town."
" You are from the country, I believe?"
"My family has been livine. in the neighbourhood of
Loudon for a short time past."
" And you consider yourself competent to undertake
the education of my daughters in the branches which I
have specified?"
" I have a complete knowledge of French, from having
resided abroad for some years; and have sufficient ac-
quaintance with music, to be able to impart instruction
in that department. I do not feel so thoroughly grounded
in Italian, but I can read it with ease, and have no doubt
I shall be able to impart a sufficient knowledge of it to
my pupils."
"You have observed, that I also require that my go,
verness should be able to impart a sound English educa-
tion. What are your capacities in that respect?"
"It scarcely becomes me, Madame, to speak of my
own culture; but I may say, without vanity, that I have
received a most careful education, at the best schools"—
" Ah! I'm afraid that sort of thing is becoming far
too general among your class. It is quite astonishing.
what a number of young persons apply for these situa-
tions: here have I bad letters (tossing the pile from her)
from I do not know how many people."
The aspirant for place hung down her head, and was
silent at, the remark of the distinguished lady, whose lot

it was sot to go a governessiug. -
" Have you been at all accustomed to take charge of a
wardrobe. My daughters have been accustomed to
very superior service from their last governess, and I
wish every attention paid to them in this department."
"I shall do my best, Madame; and having bad con-
siderable experience in this way, I feel greater confidence
than in some of the other branches.
"Pray what experience have you had?"
"I have entirely managed the clothing and wardrobe
of my own family."
" Slender enough, perhaps, if that be all your expe-
rience;" and she glanced at the dress of the candidate.
" It been better with us than it is now," she an-
swered with a sigh, and her eyes filled.
"I meant no offence, young woman; but let me ask,
how em Ito know that you can do all you say?"
The young lady stept forward—for Mrs. Ferrers had
not bethought herself all this time to point her to a
chair—and presented a letter.
"I have the honour to present a testimonial from a
lady to whop I am well known."
" Ah! Lady Lovemore; I see. A lady of distin-
guished rank. I wish I had known this sooner. The
fact is, I have been induced to engage a young person of
high recommendation, who waited upon me this morn-
ing, and who, I think, will quite suite me. lam very
sorry; but should I be disappointed in her. I shall let
you know. I think I have your address. Yes, hero it
is. Good morning, Miss—l shall not detain you longer.
Good morning!"
And the young lady turned, with a heavy heart, and
left the boudoir, walked through that gorgeous drawing-
room, her small foot sinking amid the pile of the rich
Persian carpet at every step, scarce glancing at the
precious statuary and artistic works with which the
place was fills d—for the hollow grandeur struck a chill
to her heart—then proceeding down the grand stair-
case, she passed again the livened footmen, and had
nearly reached the half-opened door, when a young gen-
tleman, who had just dismounted from his horse in the
street, brushed into the hall, without knocking, and en-
countered her full in the face. There was a recognition;
a blush mantled her cheek; and making a hurried bow,
she proceeded quickly towards the door.
"Miss Vernon! This is unexpected. I regret that I
should not have been within at the time of your making
this visit. I was not aware"— And ho hesitated.
" There is some mistake, Sir. I have only been ap-
plying about the governess situation which was adver-
tised in the papers"—
" Oh! I remember! Some young person in whom
you are interested, I suppose?"
"No, Sir, I was applying for myself; but I was quite
unaware that I should meet you here, or that you were
connected with the lady of this house."
"Indeed. For yourself! How can that be? I had
no idea of such a thing. Your connexions"—
" Connexions go for little, Sir; we must live. My
family has been plunged into poverty, and there is no
alternative for us but to take our place among the hired
labourers for bread ;—but I detain you. Sir; and it is not
fitting that I should;--- Adieu, Sir."
" One word—allow me to ask your address before you
go. I cannot understand all this."
" I have left my address with Mrs. Ferrers; but should
now feel most reluctant to enter upon the engagement
which I had proposed with her. Adieu."
And she left. Harry Ferrers—for it was he—felt that
a light had departed from the place, as the door closed
upon her. Why, this was the face which had haunted
him ever since he had last encountered her, like some
beautiful vision, at Lady Lovertiore's soirée—to whom he
had learned she stood related. And now—that she
should be a supplicant at his mother's, for the situation
of governess!—he could not comprehend it.
He sprang up stairs, and met Mrs. Ferrers on the
landing. She was about to give her orders, in passing,
to bring
theirgathec forenoonarriagerou drive.
round, that she and her daughters
might
" You have had a young lady here?" Harry asked of
his mother.

" Young lady? I have had six young persons
inquiring after this situation ; and I might have had
fifty. There seems to be no end of governessee now-
a-days."
" But the young lady I met just now—Miss Vernon
I mean. Surely, you cannot have had six, far less fifty
applicants like her."
" Harry! I think you are foolish. What should you
know of such people?"
" I have met that young lady at Lady Lovemere's.
wish to know her address. 6he told me she had left it
with you."
" The address! My dear child, have such things to
me. You may be competent for many things beyond
my reach; but leave me to choose a governess."
" I am not thinking of a governess, my dear mother."
" Then, what can you be thinking of?"
" By-and-by I shall tell you."
Harry succeeded in obtaining the address, with many
misgivings on the part of Mrs. Ferrers; but she had
faith in the prudence and integrity of her son; and, be-
sides, he was his own master.
We must explain the mystery of the rencontre between
these two young persons in the hall of Mrs. Ferrers'
mansion. Many months before, Miss Vernon had moved
in society equal to that of the Ferrerses. The father
was a merchant, carrying on an extensive trade with all
parts of the world, and was deeply engaged in large
speculations in Eastern markets. But the war with
China threw all his affairs into confusion, and involved
him in sudden and unforeseen ruin. He withdrew from
trade, a broken man, with scarcely a wreck of what
had before seemed a gigantic fortune: such casualties
are of every-day occurrence in the mercantile world, in
seasons of reverse and disaster. He retired, with his
family, into a suburban district, where they found the
limited means which had been saved from the general
havoc insufficient for their maintenance. Old Vernon
was poor, but still proud, and his sons and daughters in-
herited his spirit. They had relatives of high rank, but
could they consent to live upon the pittance they could
beg from them? No! the sons would carve their own
way in the world, as their father had done before them,
and meanwhile, the daughters, each of whom had re.
ceived a first-rate education, would endeavour to main-
tain themselves. Lady Lovemore, related by blood to
Mr. Vernon, deplored this change in the fortunes of her
friends, but was unable to dissuade them from the reso-
lution they had formed. It was at her house that young
Ferrers had met Miss Vernon, slwrtly before her father's
reverse; he had been suddenly struck by her—haunted
by her face—and his heart had been secretly touched to
the quick. He had returned to her Ladyship's house,
mixed in her sotrOes, joined her parties, but had never
her, until suddenly and unexpectedly
his mother's hall. It was her first ex-
periment in the career sht, had resolved upon; her first
n couhnet
re riend
unsuccessful attempt to obtain a situation as a governess.
And it was also her last. Henry Ferrers' soul was
moved with pity for the position of this beautiful girl—
and "pity
againke k had e met
is akin to love." eT
sought her at her home:
he wooed and won ber honourably; they were fitted for
each other—in intelligence, heart, beauty, and love;
and when these are in harmony,
the disparity of mere
worldly fortune will never be felt as an obstacle.
Henry Ferrers again introduced bliss Vernon to his
mother—but not as Miss Vernon—and not as a Gover-
ness for his sisters!

DUNDEE AND PERTH AND ABERDEEN RAILWAY.—
shareholders of the Dundee
company, presided. From the report of the held on Friday, in the office,
half-yearlyPertha mAebeetridnegenof
Rthaeilway
18s. 4d., being an increase over the cor-:
Junction Company was
Dundee. Lord Kinnaird, chair-
man of of the
151olf the previous year of upwards of 1,5001.,
di-
rectors, it appeared that the revenue for passengers and
goods traffic on the Dundee and Perth line, for the half year,
respondingamounted
year. The working
or 3,0001. a , expenses and other charges
amount to 6,8281. 2s. Du., being a decrease as compared with
the previous year, and thusmaking the present clear surplus
upwards of 2,0001. above that of the corresponding half-year
t to
periodls ,
ending 31st January, 1850. The report was approved of.
On the motion of Mr. Kennedy, it was unanimously agreed
to present Mr. Anderson with the sum of one hundred gui-
neas for the time and valuable services he had given to the
company as an engineer.
LORD CAMPBELLS BILL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE.—
Lord Campbell's Bill to Improve the Administration of Cri-
minal Justice, now in the House of Lords, has been printed.
It contains 34 clauses. The object of this Bill, as expressed
in the preamble, is to prevent offenders escaping conviction
by technical strictness in the proceedings. A criminal court
may amend any variance not material to the merits of a
case. In indictments for murder and manslaughter the man-
ner and means in and by which the crime was committed
need not be specified. In trials for felony, if the offence be
not completed, the parties may be found guilty of an attempt
to commit the same, and in that case are to be liable to the
same consequences as if they had been indicted and convicted
of the attempt to commit the felony only.
Among various
alterations contemplated is one of a novel character on the
arraignment of a defendant either for felony or misdemea-
nour. He is not to be called upon to plead " guilty," or "not
guilty," but shall be asked, "whether be wishes to plead
' guilty,' or any other plea, or to be tried?" If he shall say
he wishes to be tried, then the officer shall enter a plea of
" not guilty," and when a refusal toe lead is apparent then a
plea of" not guilty" is to be record
SENSIBLE HORSES.'—Laing', in his Travels in
Norway, says that the horses in that country have a very
sensible way of taking their food. Instead of swilling them-
selves with a pailful of water at a draught, no doubt from
the fear of not getting any again, and then overgorging
themselves with dry food for the same reason, they have a
bucket of water put down beside their allowance of hay. It
is amusing to see with what relish they take a sip of the
one and a mouthful of the other alternately, sometimes only
moistening their mouths as a rational boing would do while
' eating a dinner of such dry food. A broken-winded horse
' is scarcely ever Seca in Norway.

MINISTERIAL CRISIS.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
CHRONICLE.--Lfrd Juan Russell appears to be
slowly arriving nt certain sound coticlusion with re—
spect to the aggression business. He is reported not
only to have informed the meeting of his supporters on
Tuesday that he is opposed to unnecessary 1,-I4ilation,
but to have raised again:t Lord eitautey's proposal the
wel;-founded objection that inquiry by a cownaitLet,
wouid only tend to prolong an agitation which it is on
all accounts desirable to terminate. It is true that he
nevertheless announced his intention to proceed with the
Ecclesiastical Titles Bill in a modified form; and, he
entreated his adherents to waive their objections to the
measure, in order to secure the country against a change
of Ministry, and a consequent return to Protection. The
Ecclesiastical Titles Bill must be considered on its own

demerits, whatever may be the form of vexatious tri-
viality which, from time to time, it n;tay successively as-
sume. It is unfortunate that its author was not earlier
impressed with the evils of " unnecessary legislation."
The virtual repeal of the Charitable Donations Act in
Ireland, and the gratuitous persecution of the Scottish
Protestant bishops, can scarcely have formed part
of the vengeance which may have seemed neces-
sarily called forth by the blustering language of the
Pope and of Cardinal Wiseman. Almost the whole

force of the measure will fall upon persons entirely un-
connected with the recent aggression. A powerful body
in Ireland, and a harmless community in Scotland, will

bear the brunt of the "necessary legislation," to which
provocation has been given only as respects England. It
is true that the only necessity which originally occa-
sioned the introduction of the Bill still, in some degree,
compels the Minister to proceed with it. The party ne-
cessity of seeming to follow up the Durham letter, and
of humouring the late agitation, still forces Lord John
Russell to alienate Ireland, and to interrupt the business
of the Empire; but it is satisfactory to observe that the
Premier's enthusiasm has subsided into an unwilling as-
sent to some undefined minimum of persecution. As the
rapid subsidence of the recent popular agitation becomes
generally recognised, we do not despair of seeing the
evanescent zeal of the Premier dissipate itself into entire

forgetfulness of the whole subject. His prudent protest
against a continuance of the contest implies a still more
rapid return to sobriety. The popular feeling—which was
correctly indicated in the Speech from the Throne as
the origin or excuse of an unstatesmanlike attempt at
legislation—has almost ceased to afford an apology for
the perpetuation of the blunder. The Durham letter has
collapsed into the Aggression Bill—the Attorney-Gene-
ral's statement of its provisions into the clauses as they
actually appear—and the printed terms of the Bill into
some unknown formula, constructed to suit the taste of
a Roman Catholic archbishop without irritating the Bri-
tish lion, who is becoming slightly ashamed of his re-
cent " alarm and indignation." The country at large
was indignant at finding that a measure which was
offered as a satisfaction to Protestant seal was repre-
sented, however untruly, by its authors, as a contriv-
ance for the benefit of the Roman Catholic laity. Every
fresh oscillation in the conduct of the business has
tended still further to alienate general sympathy; and
we believe that the revolution in public opinion foretold
by Lord Aberdeen will be completed in a shorter interval
than that which he may probably have assigned for the
change. We have little curiosity as to the changes which
may be promised by Sir George Grey in his statement
tomorrow. The pretext that the Bill interferes with
the consecration of prelates or the ordination of priests
is too absurd to be repeated, after a week's conside-
ration of Lord John Russell's singular announcement to
that effect; but it may be presumed that, on some more
or less plausible ground, the provision of the third clause
will be virtually abandoned. The second clause, which
renders void proceedings which were never recognised by
law as valid, may be retained or omitted at pleasure.
The concluding provision for the discovery of illegal
trust deeds will probably be left in the Bill, when it has
been determined that there can be nothing to discover.
The false recital in the preamble, as to certain imaginary,
"doubts," will no doubt he inserted as a congenial in-
troduction to the penal fictions which will fill up the
clauses. The 1001. penalty, to be sued fur by the Attor-
ney-General whenever an existing Government may be
disposed to persecute either Roman Catholics or Scotch
Episcopalians, will no doubt figure in the foreground of
the Bill. Yet this silly and insincere farrago will give
the Government and Legislature as much trouble, and
will consume as much of the time of the country as
would a genuine and effective scheme of active persecu-
tion. The Irish opponents of the measure must be a
singular body of politicians if their resolution is weak-
ened by the marked success which has hitherto attended
their cause. The Aggression Bill has broken up the
Government, and has prevented the formation of a
stronger Ministry. With singular infelicity, the wishes
of a Roman Catholic prelate have been recognised as
the basis of legislation, without any serious attempt
to meet them. If Archbishop Murray's remonstrances
are entitled to any degree of attention, they extend to the
whole principle and to all the details of the Bill. There
is no excuse for any penal legislation whatever against
the Irish Hierarchy; and any modification of a measure
introduced for the purpose of committing this injustice
is only an admission of weakness and of error, without in
any way removing the objection. Lord John Russell
already stands convicted, by his own admission, of
having attempted " unnecessary legislation;" and,
in admitting that whatever is unnecessary is also
inexpedient, he condemns his own recent policy.
It is more than probable that, at the next check
in his career, the Minister will reel oil into the
course so strenuously urged upon him by many of his
present or late supporters. The restriction of the Bill
to this country will get rid of some difficulties, and
will stave off others for a time. Yet even in this case

the final passing of the measure will remain as uncertain
as ever. Tho ultra Protestant feeling of the country
will scarcely assent to that virtual recognition of the
Pope's authority in Ireland which would be implied in
express restrictions imposed upcn its ,exercise in Eng-
land; nor could Lord Stanley, with any regard to con-
sistency, allow the establishment of a legislative distinc-
tion between the rights of the Crown on this side of
the Irish Channel and on the other. The Government

is involved in an inextricable labyrinth, and it can only
escape by retracing its steps. The applause of those
whose clamour induced it to enter the maze is every mo-
ment becoming fainter and fainter; and those who
warned it of the danger, while there was yet time to stop
short, will yet be found to have been its most prudent
friends, though they may probably meet with but little
gratitude.
ADVERTISER.—It has been the subject of great and
general regret for many years past, that England has no
poet. Byron was the last of the race, so far as his own
country is concerned. Nor do we know that other coun-
tries are in this respect much better off than our own.
Everywhere there is a dearth, if not an absolute destitu-
tion of real poets. It is true, that there is no lack of
persons pretending to the name. If versifiers were
synonymous with poets, we should have the latter in
abundance. They would be plentiful as blackberries—a
fact which is abundantly testified by the intolerable
quantity" of lines which every year ushers into exist-
ence. There is, we fear, an equal paucity of another
class of men, who for all practical purposes are much
more important than poets. The country is sadly in
want of Premiers. The race of real ones seems to be ex-
tinct. As true poetry died with Byron, so real Premier-
ship appears to have perished with Sir R. Peel. The
sorry figure which the present possessor of the office has
cut ever since be crossed its portals, must make the coun-
try feel more sensibly by contrast every succeeding day,
the magnitude of the loss which England sustained in
the death of the Right Hon. Gentleman. Had that
illustrious statesman been spared to us, we should not
have been domed to witness the humiliating spectacle
which this great country has presented for the last fort-
night. The Queen and the country would have simul-
taneously turned to him, as the individual destined to
extricate the nation from its difficulties, and to restore
England, as if by magical agency, to the place she had
so long occupied as the greatest country on the face
of the earth. The adage is in everybody's mouth—that
we do not know the real worth of great and good men
until wo lose them. Never did the saying apply with
greater force, than in reference to the death of Sir Robert
Peel. It is only now that the nation begins to realise
the loss of the Right Hon. Gentleman in its
full extent. But regrets are unavailing. He has been
snatehed from us, and cannot be recalled. Though we
cannot help mourning hie departure with, if possible, a
greater depth of sorrow than before, we know that we
must mourn in vain. We must now look to the living,
not to the dead—to those who aro still among us, not to
those who have been wrested from us. But to what par-
ticular quarter shall we look for the man who can bring
the country safely through the perils of the present
crisis? Not, certainly to the Whig Premier. lie has been
tried and found wanting. It is he who has brought us
into all our difficulties, and it would therefore be unreason-
able to expect him to extricate us from them. He is
wholly unfit for his office. It is one to which he ought
never to have been called. It is one to which he never
would have been called, but from the lamentable paucity
of qualifications for the Premiership, to which we have
alluded. And yet there the Noble Lord is. He is the
First Minister of the Crown. The destinies of the
greatest empire on which the sun ever shone, during the
six thousand years he has run his course, are committed
to the hands of a man who is wholly incapable of pro-
perly guiding and controling them. This is a melan-
choly reflection. It is a lamentable fact. What is to
be done? No one can answer the question. No one
can point out a person, among all the men who make
pretensions to the character of statesmen, to whom the
reins of government could be transferred with confidence.
They are in bad hands; and yet the universal conviction
is, that they might be in worse. This is certainly sorry
comfort; end yet we are compelled to consider it as com-
fort in its way. In all the great conjunctures which we read
of in the history of other countries, and in all we have
witnessed in our own land, there has arisen some
master spirit suited to the emergency. With the hour
there has come the man. The storm has thrown up to
the surface men of great genius, who had been before
buried in the depths of obscurity. Not so in this in-
stance. We see no indications of a coming man—no
symptoms of the advent of some person of mighty mind,
fitted to take the helm of affairs—qualified to discharge
efficiently the functions of the Premiership. The coun-
try does, indeed, still cling to the hope that such a per-
son will suddenly burst, like a brilliant luminary, on our
benighted political world. The nation will not forego
the satisfaction of thinking, that the day of deliverance
from our troubles is near at hand. We would not, if we
could, extinguish this hope. We would notteo
share
exchanged for despair. Rather, by far, wheel
"'
it with our countrymen. But wo cannot
farol without
round for
s we can
ground. And, certainly, there never, o
discern the signs of the times, was less g
hoping than there is at present—th at we are
on the eve of seeing some mighty g o
denly start up, to bring us out of our troubles.
The crisis in which the country is placed has been
greatly aggravated by the infidelity to his principles of