The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-07 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—A few days ago I addressed you a letter on
the subject of autumnal sessions, showing, as I then
did, that for the last thirty years, ever since the
accession of her present Majesty, we had had au-
tumnal sessions every ten years, whenever the
year has ended with the figure 7. I now proceed,
following the same chain of chronology, to
show you that for the last 100 years, whenever
the year has ended with the number 7, some re-
markable historical fact or date has occurred. I
happen to be a seventh child, and an old lady, who
was in the habit of studying the apocalypse when 1
came into the world, diligently told my poor dear
mother that seven was a mystical number, and that
something remarkably would happen to me.
Trusting you will pardon this egotistical little family
allusion, I will just take a brief historical summary
of the decennial events during the last 100 years.
Just this time in the last century, in November,
1767, was born Edward Duke of Kent, the ancestor
of the present line of succession to the British
Throne. 1777, popularly termed the three
sevens, was the most disastrous year of
that dreadful error and delusion (so at this
distance of time we see it to have been)
the American war, being shortly before France
joined America against England. 1787 was re-
markable as having been about the most peaceful
and prosperous periud of the long reign of George
111., as we were then in a state of profound peace
with the whole world. 1797, the suspension of
bank payments took place, the issuing of £1 bank-
notes, and the first mutiny at the Nore. This was
about the most disastrous period of the old French
war.

There was the abolition of the slave trade in 1807,
and there was Geolgo lll.'s celebrated speech in the
same year against Roman Catholic Emancipation,
wherein he said—" I have courage to relinquish my
crown and end my days in a cottage, and if needs
be I will do so ; nay, more, I have courage to forfeit
my life and lay my head upon the block, and if it
should be necessary I will do so, but I have not
courage to violate the coronation oath which I made
to my God."
1807 was remarkable for the treaty of Tilsit,
whereby Russia joined Napoleon against Great
Britain, and England was at war with the whole
Continent of Europe. Also, in the same year, took
place the celebrated No-Popery Election, conse-
quent upon the downfall of what was popularly
called " The Broad-Bottomed Government," " All
the Talents," which was something after the same
fashion as Lord Aberdeen's Government, by which
we were governed by (or rather misgoverned)
this time fourteen years ago, just prior to the out-
break of the Crimean war. I must here just step
out of the way to observe that it is not a little
singular that twice iu the course of the present
century, while we have been engaged in two
gigantic struggles, we should have been governed—
or rather misgoverned—by such imbecile Govern-
ments as was the Government of Lord Grenville in
1800 and 1807, and the Government of Lord Aber-
deen in 1853 and 1854. Returning, however, to
the thread of my argument, in narration to my
historical dates and facts, I proceed to show how in
1817, just this time half a century ago, all England
was thrown and plunged into heartfelt sorrow by
the death in one day of two generations of princes
to the English throne—the Princess Charlotte and
her infant—a thing without precedent in the
history of the country. In 1827 another
heir presumptive to the British throne died,
in the person of Frederic Duke of York,
the then reigning King's next brother. This
event took place at the very beginning of the year.
Later in the same year came to an end the old Eldon
and Liverpool Tory Government, which had reigned
supreme for the long period of 15 years. The im-
mortal George Canning succeeded as Prime Minis-
ter, and closed his brilliant earthly career only a
few short months afterwards, and was succeeded as
Premier by the late Earl of Ripon, then Lord
Goderich.

My historical summary of the memorable year
1827 would, however, be wholly incomplete without
mentioning " the untoward event" which took place
at the close of the year, viz., the battle of Navarino,
when England joined Russia in fighting the Turks,
just as twenty-eight years, one solar cycle, later she
joined Turkey against Russia. And considering the
disgraceful peace we made with Russia nearlytwelve
years ago, at the beginning of 1856, the Russian
war of 1855 might well be called " an untoward
event," no less so than the Turkish war of 1827.
The next decade brings us to the period of the
accession of Queen Victoria, and the commencement
of a new dynasty to the English Throne. 1847 was
remarkable for the most awful commercial panic
that England, or even the world, had ever seen. It
was also remarkable as having witnessed the termi-
nation of the first six years' Parliament since the
days of the Georgian era. The great Dan O'Connell

died, moreover, in the last-named year. 1857 was
remarkablefor the passing of the new Divorce Courts,
whereby the ancient ecclesiastical courts may virtu-
ally be said to have been completely done away with.
It was also memorable for a rather excited general
election, which gave the Administration of the late
Lord Palmerston a large majority, one of the very few
large majorities any so-called Liberal Administra-
tion has ever gained since the old Ministry of the late
Earl Grey thirty-five years ago. At the close of
1857 there was also a slight commercial panic ; and
last, not least, comes in to crown the century of
decades, 1867, the most triumphant septimus of all
the Sevens, for this gentleman has carried a more
memorable Reform Bill than even the Bill, the
whole Bill, and the nothing but the Bill of
1832 ; and, moreover, it has been carried by the
very individual who, as I have often in the-
course of my correspondence with you this now ex-
piring year, remarked to you took a most effective
part in carrying the great measure of the ever-
memorable year 1832. I have now given you an
historical narrative of the dates and events of every
decade during the last 100 years. What will take
place during the decades of the next 100 years is a
problem which we can none of us solve, as it lies
hidden in the reserved and silent but ever-
fruitful womb of old Grandmother Time. Nous
Ferrous is all I can add in conclusion, et Q. E. D.—
I remain, sir, your faithful servant,

A LOVER AND OBSERVER OF HISTORICAL
DATES AND FACTS.
November 4, 1867.