The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-07 00:00:00

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE BRADFORD

REFORM ASSOCIATION.
(EVERY MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY.)
Sir,—On Wednesday the 2d, the House made pro-
gress with the County Courts, and the Medical Charities
(Ireland) Bill, in Committee.
On Thursday the Oath of Abjuration (Jews) Bill,
after a number of ostentatious protests on the part of
opponents, serving only to display the weakness of their
side, was read a third time and passed, without a divi-
sion. The Greenwich election was alluded to, in a way
that throws light on the peculiar processes of reasoning
which may be pressed into the service of a failing cause.
The reason of the election of a Jew at Greenwich, was
represented as being the circumstance, that both the
candidates were Liberals and in favour of the admission
of Jews to Parliament. The further circumstance which
nobody was expected to see, being that no opponent to
the admission of Jews dared show his face.
The representative for Greenwich was expected to
present himself on Thursday to take his seat; but it
appeared ho had determined to postpone it till after the
decision of the Lords. This may be polite, but it may
be doubted whether it is politic. The Lords will only
take huff at the notion of being capitulated with.
On Friday the Ecclesiastical Titles Assumption Bill
was brought on for third reading. Tee Member for
Abingdon (Sir F. Thesiger) made au able use of the last
bull of the Pope, and the still more sp'cey document of
the Archbishop of Florence under dace of 9 June,
which ere to be found in the Times of Tuesday l July.
It is quite clear that the Pope tied his advisers, like able
strategists, counting on the support they have received
from the most active part of the Dissenters and Ultra-
Liberals, have determined that the morsel to be swal-
lowed, liko that of the prophet, shall be rolled in as
much dirt as they are able to contrive. We are
put up for sale by the Pope, for one hundred days
liberty of fornication, or any other sin more to the taste
of the purchaser. And the Archbishop of Florence
concentrates the offer into an elixir, like the drop in the
middle of the frozen bottle of champagne, by offering
one day's indulgence is discretion, to any who will engage
in the holy work. What particular day's work, and what
particular choice of day, did the Archbishop point at?
Was it to chase the day of going to the Exhibition, and
shoot at the Queen? Whether it was this or not, God
and the Archbishop know. But it is for the dullest of man-
kind to know, that it is within the meaning of the terms.
The House of Commons, as I have often tole you, is a place
for the concealment of ideas; if a friend of yours
had tried to say this there, he would have been put
down as an impertinent. But there is no need to con-
ceal the opinion out of it, that an authority which
thus openly sells us for sin, ought to be treated like the
authority of the Sheikh the imperfect philology of our
forefathers denominated the " Old Man of the Moun-
tain." It is possible that many of his followers were
good kind of men, "forward in field and pleasant in
hall;" but they were bound to execute the commands of
their mountain chief whatever they might be, with reserva-
tion only of the possibility that if the order came to be di-
rected specifically to themselves, they might throw up
their allegiance. It might, or might not, be politic and
wise, to place such a sect under general disabilities and
incapacities. But however impolitic or impossible it
might be to be severe on individuals, it would be but
common sense to keep an eye upon the mandates from
the Mountain centre.
Suppose, now, that the followers of this Chief had
pleaded, that it was always known that they bore alle-
giance to such and such a power. That it had never
been disguised and never would be, that his commands
had been in times past of such and such a nature, and
had been obeyed by those who chose to obey them, as
they would be again. That consequently there was no
medium between entire refusal of toleration to the fol-
lowers of the Old Man aforesaid, and full liberty of re-
ceiving his commands. Would not this have been,
word for word, the argument urged in the late debates,
and backed by those of other sects who, under the
pretext of religious liberty, have ohosen to take the
part of allies?
Is there, for instance, at this moment, an oppo-

nent of the Government's measure, who, if there
had been laid on the table a copy of the medal
struck by Gregory XIII. on occasion of the
17GONOTTORVAI STRAGES which we call the Massacre of
St. Bartholomew, would have dared to deny, that what
was done then was right, that if ordered again it must
be obeyed again, by virtue of the infallible rectitude of
the orderer? Here, then, is your position. You are
treating with men who believe in un authority, which in
the present hour of supposed improvement vauntingly
sells sin, and holds out the license for mysterious and
unmeasured wickedness for less than thirty pieces
of silver;—you are told that Totzel and his iudm-
gences shall be revived upon you, in order that fair
warning may be given you that you shall bolt the whole
hog or none,—that you shall lay no flattering unction to
your soul, that it was any smoothed-down porker or
smug suckling which was offered to your digestion,
but the old original wild boar out of the forest, bristles
and tusks and all, with which you were to make a treaty
tor passage through your intestinal canals.
It is not, therefore, because anybody has refused the
extension of equal liberties to the Roman Catholics, but
because the head or heads of the Roman Catholics have
refused to rest content with their position unless accom
panied with the acknowledgment of the most abject sub-
mission to their supremacy. They say, it is our religion
to believe that you are schismatics and heretics, and as
such to be brought to an auto daje at the Church's con-
venience and not before. It is our religion to believe
that your bishops are non-entities and your sovereign a
usurper, because unblessed by the only legitimate source
of power. Either admit us with this, or we are per-
secuted gentlemen. We give you fair notice. We refuse to
come in without all our ten horns along with us. We will
not leave a hoof behind, of anything pertaining to our
state. We come, as the Hanoverian woman said, " for
all your goods;" and you are mere simpletons, if when
we teke them you set up the childish plea that you did
not know.
If anybody, then, should trouble himself with ask-
ing you why I voted against introducing the Member
for Abingdon's Amendments when they were proposed,
and voted afterwards against their being struck out, say
it was because new evidence had been given in the in-
terval, of the madness we should be guilty of in not treat-
ing an enemy as an enemy, after all the pains he has
taken to tell us so.
-The Amendments of the Member for Abingdon were
retained by majorities of 208 to 129, and 175 to 124; and
the Bill finally passed by 263 votes to 46. The question
is now with the Lords. We shall see whether Cobbett
was right when he said, " Thank God for a House
of Lords;" and if the Lords like to amend the
Bill, they can take the majorities on the Member for
Abingdon's Amendments as the measure of what may
be calculated on in the Commons.
When the motion was made for the Bill being read a
third time, the mass of the Irish opponents repeated their
" ostentatious withdrawal." It appears that their plan
was to come back at some time of their own, and that
through some mismanagement of their own they did not
come. A manifest intention (as indeed in the shock of
political conflicts is inevitable and excusable) having
been displayed to construct out of this a charge of un-
fair dealing on the part of some or other of their oppo-
nents, I have only to
proffer myself as a witness if occa-
sion should arise, as to the extreme absurdity and puerile
unfairness of any such attempted tail-piece to what may
without malignity be described as an unsuccessful etre-
;egem of tho complainants.
I am, Sir, yours very sincerely,
AN OLD REFORMER.
London, July 7, lB5l.

BEDISIINSTER COLLIERY ACCIDEIN T.—The sub
scription raised for the purpose of rewarding North and the
men who laboured for the release of the buried Co liers, and
also for giving some assistance to the colliers themselves,
was yesterday closed, the collectors considering the amount
raised—about 5,/. sufficient to meet the circumstances
the case; and we have been requested by them to thank the
public for their benevolent aid, and to intimate that no fur-
ther contributions will be required.—Bristol Mercury.
EXTENsIyE IIoBBERY OF J.LwELs.-0a Saturday
information was received at the head police-office, Scotland-
yard, that the premises, 13, Lambeth-terrace, Lunbeth-road,
had been entered and plundered of a quantity of the most
costly description of jewels, set with diamonds, in value up-
wards of 501. ; a Bank of E igland note for 401. ; a number
of sovereigns and half-sovereigns, forty half-crowns, and two
guineas in money.
DEPARTURE or THE ASIA.—On Saturday after-
noon, at one o'clock, the Royal Mail steam-ship Asia, Capt.
Juctkihs, left the Jamey with g cal cargo and 116 puseagere.