The Sun.
London, England, 1834-03-22 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

A discussion of more thaTicommon interest took place
last night in the House of Lords on a petition from 63
resident members of the University of Cambridge, recom-
mending to their Lordships " the expediency of abroga-
ting, by legislative enactment, every religious test exacted
from members of the University, before they proceed to
degrees, whether of bachelor, master, or doctor, in arts,
law, and ph}sic." Previous to any remark suggested by
the debate or conversa ion which followed the speech and
motion of Lord Grey for the receiving of the said peti-
tion, we cannot refrain from canal the reader's notice to
that admirable document itself, which we have inserted in
arother column, and which is alike distinguished
by perspicuous statement, by nervous argument, by
the knowledge it displays of the practical connection be-
tween our civil and religious institutions, and the ener-
getic and lucid brevity wherewith it expounds the
paramount reason for rendering the spirit of that academic
system, through which men are launched into active life
in this country, conformable to the enlarged and amended
spirit which has of late been breathed into the temporal
pAicy of the nation. The following passages, suggesting
a sound and liberal view of the question, as it affects at
once the interests of the dissenters and of the universities
—and, further, as it illustrates the harmony which ought
to re:gn between our civil and ecclesiastical legislation,
could not be excelled, in our opinion, for clearness, force,
or simplicity:—
" Your petitioners conscientiously believe, that if the
prayer of this petition be granted, the great advantage of good
academic education might be extended to many excellent men
who are now, for conscience' sake, debarred from a full partici-
pation in them, though true friends to the insitutions of the
country; and your petitioners are convinced this is the best
way at once to promote the public good and to strengthen the
foundations of thecivil and ecclesiastical establishments of this
realm.

'' The university is a body recognized by the law of England
as a lay corporation, invested with important civil privileges,
and on. that account resting on no secure foundation which is
not in harmony with the social system of the state. Your
petitioners therefore humbly beg leave to suggest, that as the
legislativebodies of the United Kingdom have repealed thp Test
Act, and admitted Christians of all denominations to seats in
Parliament and to places of dignity and honour, they think it
both impolitic and unjust that any religious test should be
exacted in the university, previously to conferring the civil
privileges implied in the degrees above enumerated."

Now, these are the sentiments, as described by Lord
Grey, who presented the petition, of nine professcrs, two
heads of houses, 11 tutors, and many of the most en-
lightened and eminent men in that great sent of learning,
63 in number—a minority we admit, but a most respect.
able minority, out of ' total of 170, of which the body of
residents consists. The names of some of the petitioners
were given by Lord Grey, and will be found in our report
of the proceedings; nor do wd much envy the taste or
judgment of those recusants who shrunk from following
such examples. The observations of the petition were
ear. estly and ably exemplified by the noble mover. His
lordship well stated the injustice under which the noncon-
formistato the doctrines of the church of England laboured,
from the partial and tantalizing liberty possessed by
them, of pursuing their studies just to that point at
which the recompense, though but of an honorary
nature, is placed within the reach of other students,
when the dissenter is told that be alone has nothing
further to aspire to—that in this case there shall be toil,
but there shall not be harvest—that far him Virtue shall
be " her own reward ;" or is it that there pet vades his
mind an original taint—an intrinsic and indefeasible vile-
ness, which no intellec.o tl nor moral culture can eradicate,
which no benefit bestowed, no sympathy excited, no sense
of obligation nor capability of attachment can humanize
up to that ordinary level at which man becomes fitted
for equal rights to social advantages with his fellows ?
Can the intelligent and conscientious Dissenter fail to
be deeply wounded by treatment so humiliating as
this ? Is it giving fair play to our Universities to fill
the hearts of so many of the youth of England
with feelings of mortification and resentment wherewith
the refusal to them of honours which they have fairly
earned cannot but imbue them ? For be it recollected
all this wbi'e, that Dissenters may enter at Cambridge,
and, subjecting themselves to the strict discipline of that
university, may have all of mental labour but its fruits,
which, at the end of three years, however signal the
progress and eminent the superiority of the Noncon-
formist pupil to all his contemporaries, are of necessity
withheld from him. Lord Grey was followed by the
Duke of Wellington, in a speech which our desire to
behave towards that brave and barbarous theologian—
that infant philosopher, and obsolete statesman, with
respect, prevents us from particularly characterizing. His
Grace got no further, so far as we can judge from the
report, than by way of premise, that the university
" was a corporation," and therefore, as an inference,
that there was no virtue in an act of Parliament sufficient
to relieve a dissenter from an oath, or from articles which
his conscience forbade him to swear or subscribe to,
—and this fretn the lips of the very man who, when
minister, broke in upon the legal rights of all the corfora-
lions in England, by exempting nonconformists from the
tests which such bodies had hitherto imposed ! But per-
haps the most edifying passage in the speech of the gallant
Chancellor of the Ut.iversity of Oxford was that wherein
he alleged thst many of the dissenters Here athiests, and,
moreover, when he denominated the 39 articles as " Chris-
am articles," manifestly implying that they were the only
Christian articles—that they and Christianity were iden-
tified ; and that as nothing was Christian whit h was not
to be found in the articles, so he who refused to swallow
the whole of the articles had not a Christian swallow. For
our parts, we concluded nothing frcm his Grace's dictum
upon that tough morsel of controversial theology, but that
this illustrious Doctor of.the Cannon Law was about as
familiar with the Christian religion as he was with the
39 articles. His Grace's ambition throughout the evening
was plainly to prove his qualification for the recent dig-
nity conferred upon him ; but great indeed was the fall
of Lord Grenville's mantle when it lighted on a pair of
epauletted shoulders. We wonder how Sir Robert Peel,
who, we hear, was an auditor on this occas'on, relished
the sort of overtures made by the noble duke to the re-
spect and gratitude of the Dissenting body. We are much
mistaken if the shrewd member for Tamworth does not
feel considerably galled by the chains of his old political
alliance, now alike unprofitable and unpromising. What
would he not give to see the dissolution of partnership
.Gazetted? Lord Ellenborough took pains to show how
Gar he fell abort of his great commander in orthodoxy,
AGA contempt far the Dissenters. His lordship, in this
instance, spoke—we had almost said—" absolute sense."
The Doke bad literally jumped headlong down a precipice,
and big frightened subalterns refused to follow. On the
pungent answers of the Lord Chancellor to his Grace, we
iiave not time for more tban a single observation, which is
merely to recall that happy phrase where the learned
lord, in alluding to the want of all medical instruction at
the English Universities, although to them alone belonged
the right of conferring the degree of Doctor, said that
they " not only monopolized the privilege of making doc-
tors, but they monopolized also the incapacity to teach
them." Lord Durham terminated the debate with a series
of clear and striking observations upon the tetal incompa-
tibility of the existing resttaints with the wants, the will.
and the genius of society, as at present constituted, and
the impossibility of long maintaining a system at variance
with every principle of commonsense and justice.— Times.

The discussion which took place in the House of Lords
last night on the presentation of the petition from the
university of Cambridge, praying that the dissenters
might be admitted to take degreis in those learned bodies,
proves that all is not likely to be plain sailing with the
dissenters. There did, we believe, exist a very general
svish, both in and out of Parliament, that the dissenters
ahould be relieved from all the real and practical grievances
under which they laboured; but the coulee adopted by
vine of them in striking directly at the connexion of
Church and State, was calculated to embarrass their
~.,.armei! friends, and to alienate their timid supporters
Draw a cause which they considered just in itself. A por-
tion of the dissenters are, therefore, accountable to the
whole body for having by their rashness injured the
position of their cause at the very moment when
they were appealing—in the character of petitioners
,--to the Legislature ; and if the result should be
to cause the refusal of some of their most cherished
hopes, they should be the last persons themselves to ex-
press wonder at such an occurrence. We hope, however,
,that the liberality of the I,gislature will interpose on
behalf of that large majority of the petitioners who did
not join in deprecating the establishment, and that jos.
Lice will be done without regard to exaggerated fears
or unmerited indignation. Let it never be forgotten, in
discussions of this nature, that the power of injury is
itself diminished by depriving men of just causes of
complaint. The University of Cambridge, or those
members of the university who signed the petition, have
done themselves great credit as the representatives of a
learned body. Now, as the dissenters are not only ad-
mitted into the learned professions, but into the legis-
ft laiitetiriself; there is a gro,s inconsistency, as well as a
- palpable ;toy tice, in refusine. them the education whiel,
sisourteialit them for such a station. It niay appear
a yery.tnvsa j. ng to the Duke of Wel ington to rNilite
a test,from disgenters, which he has no objection to sub.
tale iitutelP but the fact iyr that the cii,leuta who

1~~ ,~i} ~

regards the test in a different light cannot conscientiously
subscribe, and hence it has operated as a sentence of
exclusion in this case, which he has a just right tocomplain
of. It is a remarkable, and, we fear, an ominous circum-
stance, that no bishop delivered his sentiments on the
subject. We hope that, when the prayer of the petition
shall come before their Lordships embodied in a bill, the
cogent reasoning of Lord Grey and the Lord Chancellor
will not be forgotten. If there be any danger threatening
either church or state at the present moment, those who
helieve that danger to originate in wrong opinions should
open the door to knowledge, in consistency with their
own views, as well as in respect to the rights and privi-
leges of others.—Morning Herald.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HO USE.

HORRIBLE SHIPWRECK.-Yesterday two seamen, of
very decant appearance, and extremely respectful in their
address to ►he Chief Magistrate, presented his lordship
with the following paper, which, they said, would put his
lordship-in possession of their dreadful case:—
Affidavit—On the 15th day of February, 1834, per-
sonally appeared before his Britanic Majesty's Consul at
Antwerp, in the Town Hospital of said city, Mr. Edward
Mathews,second mate, and Christian Temmereek, seaman,
both lately belonging to the English brig the Dalusia, of
Padstow, commanded by Air. Robert Moon, on her voyage
from St. John's, in New Brunswick, towards Padstow,
loaded with a cargo of timber, and made oath that they
sailed from the port of St. John's on the 19th of Decem-
ber, 1833, and, after having sustained a very boisterous
passage until the 31st of Dec. following, and being that
+l+y in longitude 41 deg. 30 min. north, longitude 49 deg.
80 min. west, the ship was by the storm suddenly blown
down on her beam ends, at 5 a.m., through which un-
fortunate accident the master, Robert Moon, and Ames
Fry, an apprentice, were drowned. The appearers and
the seven other men got on the brig's broadside, where
they remained in that situation for about two hours, when
the fore-mast, maintop-mast, and bowsprit gave way,
which caused the vessel to right,n herself on her bottom,
and thereby presented them the 'Means of getting on deck
again, where they found every thing washed away, and
the ship full of water up to the decks, whereby they found
themselves deprived of all provisions, and of fresh water.
They remained in that horrid situation for eleven days,
during which time they bad nothing but a cat, a rat, and
half a dozen candles to feed themselves on, and as there
fell a little rain by intervals, which wetting the square
main- sail that was still attached to the mainmast, fur-
nished them the means of sucking the said sail, to calm
their thirst.

On the 9th day of January, 1834, at sunset, they saw
a barque at a great distance for about ten minutes. They
immediately hoisced an empty bed for a signal, but in
vain, for they instantly lost their sight of her, their signal
not being attended to. On the llth following, forced to
the last extremity by famine and thirst, they consulted to
draw lots to know who should fall the victim to sustain
the lives of the remainder. They, however, declined to
fulfil this horrid act, and again began to pray the Almighty
to relieve them from their cruel sufferings. The same day
at nine, p.m., Robert Bray, the cook, being exhausted
by fatigue and wane, was carried away by a heavy sea
from the deck, without their being able to give him the
least assistance, the sea breaking continually the wreck
to pieces in all parts. From the 10th of January
until the 16th, they bad no food whatever, and their
unfortunate shipmates died, the one after the other, in
the most horrid fits; Richard Dockton, an apprentice,
having died the last on the 15th of January. The ap-
pearers the next day, being exhausted with fatigue and
famine, were forced to open the dead body of the unfor-
tunate lad, to suck the blood to calm their thirst, and
also made use of the heart, liver, &c. to keep up their
frightful existence ; but the sea breaking continually over
them, filled the corpse with salt water in such a manner
that they could no longer subsist by it ; they lost the
greater part of their sight through weakness and suffer.
ings, and were nearly in a dying state on the 18th follow-
ing, which day they are assured would have been their
last, had not the Almighty God, hearing their prayers,
saved them at two p.m. by the American brig William
Thatcher, Elisha Wood, commander, which vessel they
had not seen approach them, although the weather was
clear, and in fact the only fine day they had seen since
their departure from St. John's Harbour, but the weak-
ness of their eyes almost prevented them from seeing their
benefactors.

They also declare that Captain Elisha Wood, of the
above mentioned American brig, as well as the whole
slip's company, employed all their utmost endeavours to
restore them to life and to recover their strength, and
gave them their own clothing to cover them (the appear-
ers' clothes having been all torn to pieces on the wreck).
They also gave them their bedding to lie on. The said
appearera further declare that they cannot find words to
express their thanks towards Captain Wood and the whole
ship's company, through whose exertions and generous
behaviour they have been so miraculously saved, and will
feel for ever indebted for their lives.

In witness whereof, the deponents have signed this in
my presence, to which I have also put my band and seal
of office.

(Signed) EDWARD MATTHEWS.
CHRISTIAN TEMMERECK, his ;01 math.
Sworn before me, at Antwerp, the 15th day of Fe-
bruary, 1834.

(Signed) DE HOCHEPIED LARPENT.

His Britannic Majesty's Consul for the Port of Ant-
werp, and its dependencies, hereby certifies that the fore-
going is a faithful copy of the original affidavit deposited
in the Consul's office.

DE HOCHEPIED LARPENT, Consul.

Antwerp, the 18th March, 1834.
The seamen stated to the Lord Mayor that they had
been sent ever to England by the Consul, in the expecta-
tion that when they should gain sufficient strength they
might be taken into the service of some commander, who
would compassionate their awful sufferings.
The LORD MAYOR said lie was convinced that such an
appeal would not be made in vain, especially w, upon all
occasions of the kind, the Press was sure to act as a warm
benefactor. His Lordship then gave to the poor fellows a
supply of money, and desired them to call upon him on
Monday for their certificate ; and observed that, in all
probability, he should by that time have some proposition
to make to them.
MARY LEB ONE.

REVOLTING CASE OF CRUELTY TO A DOG.-On Thurs-
day evening Inspector Jones cf the S division waited upon
the presiding magistrate, Mr. GEEGORIE, for the purpose
of making him acquainted with the following atrocious
and unparalleled instance of cruelty to a large dog of the
Newfoundland breed :

A man named Schofield, who for some time past had
carried on business as an oil and colourman, at No. 43,
Ernest_street, Regent's-park, having had a misunderstand-
ing with his landlord, left the premises in question about
ten weeks since, having previously carried away his stock
in trade. Being desirous of keeping his landlord out of
possession, he had recourse to the barbarous expedient of
chainiog the poor animal in question (which had been
used to draw a truck) to the bannisters of the empty
house, where it was kept totally without water or food.
After it had been kept in this situation some time the
neighbours were greatly annoyed and disturbed night and
clay by the piteous howlings of the famishing animal, which
induced some of them to look in through a broken win-
dow at the buck of the house, when they observed the
poor creature crouching down in the passage, being
fastened to the bannisters by a strong iron chain.
The neighbours from time to time supplied the
poor animal with pieces of broken victuals, introduced
through the aperture, which the dog greedily devoured,
together with the paper in which it was wrapped. At
length, so much excitement prevailed in the neighbour-
hood in consequence of the cruelty practised towards the
animal, that on Thursday last a formidable mob assembled
Naomi the house, who expressed their determination to
creak in and release the poor creature from his horrid
situation. They accordingly did so, when a most revolting
spectacle was presented to their view--they found the dog
still alive, but, from starvation, reduced to nothing but
bone and skin. On examining the animal more minutely
it was discovered that such had been his sufferings from
the pang, of hunger, that he had actually torn off and
devoured the whole of the right hind leg up to the knee,
leaving the bare stump exposed. The poor dog rose to lick
the hands of the persons who came towards him, when a
part of the mangled paw which he had been lying on was
discovered.

Mr. GRECORIE-What motive could have induced
Schofield to place the dog in the house? Inspector
He was induced to do so from an absurd notion that no
person dared to t Ike possession of the premises while a
living creature remained there.
Mr. GREGORIE regretted extremely that the law did
not tmpower him to punish such a case of horrid cruelty
as it deserved. He, however, had no jurisdiction in the

ease.
The Inspector then left the office.

We understand that in consequence of a
pr!rdgr.,ph rtspecting the loss of a little boy from the vici-
nity of Bell-yard, nu Monday evening, the missing child
has been discovered and brought home.

IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS—THIRTY MILES
ROUND LONDON.
Nox ready for delivery,

VROGGETT'S ENVIRONS OF LON-
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and is the only one published on the scale of one inch to
the mile.

Likewise FROGGETF'S MAP, only Fifteen Miles,
on the same scale.

These Maps contain every Town and Village, Turnpike
and Cross•road, the Thames, Canals, Parks, and Seats.
Published by W. New, No. 11, Strand ; and sold by
Messrs. Norie and Co, 157, Leadenh,ll street; and Mr.
Harris, St. Paul's Churchyard. The Thirty Miles Map
in sheets 245., in case 30s. ; the Fifteen Miles on a sheet
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