The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-05 00:00:00

family. They have had a nation to deal
with, at once the most numerous, powerful,
and brave portion of their subjects a nation
which took its position on European soil by its
valour, prior to our Norman Conquest—and which
has never lost its character—and this noble country
these Imperial savages have dealt with as a subor-
dinate appanage of their really contemptible Ger-
man Archduchy, and endeavoured to Germanise
its constitution, its administration, its divisions, its
laws, and even its language ! All this it has at-
tempted in defiance of solemn engagements, by that
peculiar combination of Jesuit cunning and cruelty
for which this family—the pest of that part of
Europe—has been conspicuous throughout the
greater part of its history. What curses have been,
what curses at this moment are, two Royal families
to several fine nations! When will Naples, Spain,
and the states of Austria throw off the incubus of
the BOURBONS and HAPSBURGS ?

Sir G. C. LEWIS appears to have been betrayed
into a scheme which we hope he will have the
manliness to repudiate, now that he has been ap-
prised of its real object and of its objectionable
character. We refer to the abuse of the Census,

by converting it into an inquisition into every per-
son's religious creed. It is gravely proposed to ask
every English man, woman, and child too, for
aught we know;what is their faith! At the last
census a perfectly unobjectionable and interest-
ing return was obtained of the number of
worshippers in each place of worship in
the kingdom. The managers, by whatever name
designated, of each place, were courteously asked
to count their congregations on the same Sunday,
and but few indeed were churlish enough to refuse
compliance. An authentic account was thus ob-
tained of the number of worshippers, and of the
extent of accommodation belonging to each deno-
mination. Statesmen, philanthropists, and reli-
gionists all found the information useful, and all
would like to have the same in formation for 1861.
What influence, then, induced the Home Secre-
tary to change the form and plan of a census
return, thus interfering, so materially, too, with its
most important use—the comparison of one Decen-
nium with another ? What could have persuaded
him to exchange the return which could be un-
pleasant to no individual, for one which tens of
thousands would resent ? To know what is being
done for the religious instruction of the nation is
an object of native interest ; to know what each
man thinks, or will say he thinks, about religion
is no one's concern. Sure we are that we should
be disposed to return no very civil answer to the
person who put to us the question, What is your
religion ? And if he referred to the authority of
Parliament and the Home Secretary, we should
tell him that it was no more their business than his.
Yet this question is to be answered, under a penalty !
Wliaj, we wonder, would be the penalty if we
placed in the inquisition column, Mahommedan or
Buddhist ?

We regret to be compelled to affiliate this un-
worthy scheme to some pragmatical Churchmen.
The draught plan betrays its parentage. It
divides all the numerous denominations of England
into but two, Churchmen and Dissenters. We have
not a shadow of doubt that the history of this dirty
business is, therefore, as follows :—The Bishop of
OXFORD and sundry others likeminded, were
touched to the quick to find, in 1851, that the
State-paid Church was in a minority of worship-
pers. They wriggled and writhed all ways to slip
out of the undeniable fact. They have had no
peace whenever they have thought or heard of it
ever since. It occurred to them, therefore, that if
they could put the Government off inquiring a
second time— What is each denomination doing for
the national object of instructing thepeople? and could
get itZto make the inquiry—Are you a Churchman
or a Dissenter ? they might cut a very different
figure. And we have no doubt they would. They
well knew that nearly all the paupers receiving
parish relief, or the proceeds of charity, all the in-
mates in gaols, all the soldiers and sailors, would
call themselves Churchmen. The 'Wesleyans, they
knew, have been taught carefully by their leaders
not to think themselves Dissenters, although none
can be so more truly. But dissent is liberty—the
lethodi6t Conference is an oligarchy of despots ;
and they teach, therefore, their innocent subj cts
to look with horror on the license, as they term it,

of dissent. Hence, the vast Methodist body, which
in the last census properly increased the numbers
of Dissenting worshippers, would be, on the pro.
posed plan, enumerated with Churchmen.

Then, again, the vast host of nothingarians—the
masses who attend no place of worship, would all
call themselves Churchmen. Having no kind of
interest in religion, yet not liking to say so, they
would describe themselves as being of that religion
which bells din into their ears, steeples display to
their eyes, and church rates, parish proceedings,
and tithes, and so many things connected with State
privileges, compel them to know of through their
pockets. There can be little doubt that from all
these causes, and others which might be mentioned,
the Churchmen would obtain by such a return a
vast majority of professors of their creed. But
what would be its real value ? It would not even
show how much religious profession there is, for the
man can hardly be said to be of any particular pro-
fession who worships nowhere. It would not
show how much religious instruction there was,
and whether it had increased in proportion to the
population since 1851. It would not even tell us
the extent of that degree of interest in religion
which takes a person to public worship.
The scheme has one sole object—that of magnify-
ing the Church of England by showing the large
majority which would profess to belong to it. With
intelligent persons, much more with really religious
persons, such a display would go for nothing. As
well might a European army in India enumerate
the camp-followers, which outnumber it by far,
amongst its efficient force. But it would serve the
purpose of Exeter and Oxford vanity, and would
be unscrupulously used to those who could not see
through it. We trust, however, that such a shabby
trick cannot survive exposure. Let us have again
the old and useful schedules of 1851.

The Six-feet Volunteer Guards (32d Middlesex)
will muster at head-quarters next Wednesday, at five p.m.,
to march to Walham-green, Viscount Ranelagh, Colonel..
Commandant of the South Middlesex Rifles, having in-
vited them to drill with his regiment previously to the
field-day, on the 18th inst., of the metropolitan volunteer
corps in Hyde-park.

MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.—O❑ Thursday night
Mr. Straight, clerk of arraigns at the Central Criminal
Court, committed suicide by hanging himself in his bed-
room. The deceased gentleman had held the responsible
office referred to only a short time, having succeeded Mr.
Clark, who died suddenly from diphtheria in July, 1858.
lle was widely known and universally respected.

According to the annual circular of Messrs.
Schlusser and Co., of St. Petersburg, just issued by Mr.
Horny Willis, it appears that the total quantity of tallow
available for shipment this year will be about 133,000 casks,
in consequence of the largeness of the quantity kept back
last :autumn by the Moscow speculators. Of hemp the
quantity will be about 27,000 tons ; of flax, 11,000 tons,
being much less than last year. The supply of oats was
expected to be about 600,000 quarters, from which is to be
deducted the consumption of the city, which is about 50,000
quarters per month. The ice on the Neva, in consequence
of a most violent storm, had broken up, but it was still fast
at Cronstadt, although expected to move every hour.
SENTENCE OF DEATH COMMtYTED.—A communi-
cation was received on Wednesday at Dundee, from the
Home Secretary, commuting the sentence against Bridget
Kiernan, presently lying under condemnation, to penal per-
vitude for life.—Edinburgh, Deily Coltrane.