The Sun.
London, England, 1835-10-12 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

We publish in to-day's Chronicle an account of an
entertainment honoured with the magniloquent name
of " South Cheshire Grand Conservative Celebra-
tion." We have done so chiefly in order to enlighten
our readers by the perusal of the choice dissertation of
that good Tory and capital pluralist, the Rev. Mr.
King. In order to show what sort of persons your
Church Militants are, we have given the Rev. Gen-.
tleman's speech at greater length than it would itself
deserve. It will be seen that Mr. King did us the
surpassing honour to notice "a Government paper called
the Morning Chronicle," which had preferred certain
charges against him. We are soon let into the reason
of these charges. Our Reverend Conservative ac-
knowledges, " True, he held two Church livings ;" one
we are told, was his " patrimonial property," " the
other being the reward of merit, or good fortune, call it
what you will, having been presented to him by his
College." This acknowledged pluralist next proceeds
to express a hope, which we doubt not was perfectly
sincere, that no inquiry would be instituted into a state
of things so satisfactory to himself ; but that if the
system of spoliation was to go on—that is to say, if it
were to become law that the interests of the flock should
be taken into account as well as those of the pastor,
and that pay and duty should be usually linked toge-
ther, instead of being alternate or opposite terms of
Church equations—that in that case the leading mem-
bers of the Government, among whom he is pleased to
number " Master Daniel O'Connell," " would them-
selves in person come down to eject him and take pos-
session." Our readers will see that our reverend plu-
ralist is not disposed to underrate his self-importance.
Whatever his light may be, he is not inclined to con-
ceal it under a bushel. He tells us that he acquired
his second living "by burning for years the midnight
lamp," which procured him the honour of being elected
" by open fellowship at Brazennose" (query Brazen-
face ?). But the following burst of clerical eloquence
is too good to be lost
Let the Whig revolutionists (says Mr. King), who, un-
fortunately, for the best interests of the country, are now at
its helm, do away with all distinctions—let them, in compliance
with the clamour of their mob-masters and Papistical rulers,
abolish all pluralities--[lt way be worthy of remark that Sir
Robert Peel declared that he would not support pluralities in
the Churchl—all places of honour and distinction in the
Church, and bring it down to one degraded level—[the de-
graded level—meaning that the Ministers of Christ should be
fairly and somewhat equally rewarded for their religious la-
bours]—and the Church would then soon become an easy prey
to het inveterate enemies, and sound piety and religion, as in
France, be banished from the land. What would then induce
men of the most splendid talents and exalted attainments and
genuine piety to enter our Church if the great prizes were all
taken away—and from whence but faom those learned abodes
of leisure which some of the dignities of our Church afford,
have issued those ponderous works of erudition which have
from time to time silenced the infidel, reproved the gainsayer,
and established upon a firm and impregnable basis the great
truths of Christianity ?"
This harangue, which was doubtless taken as Gos-
pel language by his after-dinner auditors, shows how
completely and entirely the sentiments of Church plu-
ralists are at variance with the recorded sentiments of
those apostles of Christianity, of whom they profess
to be the successors, and of that Divine Master, whose
revealed truths it should be their peculiar mission and
their duty to promul2-ate. Where do we hear the
inspired volume which records the doctrine and the
labours of the Divine founder, and first teachers and
disciples of Christianity; declamations about " great
prizes in the Church ?" about the necessary union of
pier and erudition ? about the advantages of learned
leisure and ponderous works of erudition which
are to be lauded as triumphant weapons of Chris-
tian warfare? which are to silence the powers of
darkness, and to fight the battle "of Christ
against "the -gainsayer and the infidel ?" This is
not .the language of Scripture in the days of pure
Christianity. How different, how opposite, is the
whole tenor of the sacred volume ! The fathers of
the Church went forth armed in 'the strength. of their
faith and divine convictions—they opposed benevo-
lence to ignorant hostility, and simple truth to Pagan
and Pharisaidal priesteraft—no ponderous volumes of
erudition were necessary to confirm the beautiful pre-
cepts of a benevolent creed—no worldly priz.es were
necessary to stimulate the zeal which looked for higher
rewards than earth can bestow—in the plainness of
simple Christianity they•went on and conquered, and
the Pagan and the Infidel were awed into conviction
by the majesty of truths which appealed to the under-
standing, by correcting the heart. How easy would it
be, by quotations from a volume which Churchmen
profess to revere, to show their notions of " prizes
and learning,, to be entirely discordant with the doc-
trines are t'bid to teach ; these things are the

worldly corruptions of a heavenly religion—they are
human inventions engrafted upon an apostolic creed
—they may be essential to the Church of England,
but they have no part in the Church of Christ. So
much for the clerical ravings of this reverend Tory plu-
ralist. His remaining harangue, "de omnibus rebus
et quibusdam aliis, ' reqUires little comment, and ap-
pears to have been impatiently heard by even a friendly
and congenial auditory. We can tell the Church and
its friends, as the Tory faction call themselves, this
much, that if the Church of England is to preserve its
station in the country, it must be by setting its house
in order, and proving its Christian usefulness and cha-
racter, and not by laboured displays of Tory politics
and priestly bigots, like the " post prandium" oratory
of this pious pluralist, the Rev. Mi. King.—Morning
Chronicle.

The Revenue returns, which will be found in to-
day's paper, present a gratifying increase upon the
quarter's income, as compared with the corresponding
quarter of last year, of 344,2221. The increase in
the various departments of Customs, Excise, Stamps,
Post-office, and miscellaneous revenue is 519,0741.,
from which is to be deducted 174,8521., 153,5941. of
which arises from a decrease on the receipts of the
Assessed Taxes. The year's account show an appa-
rent increase of upwards of two millions, under the
head of Customs, and of a corresponding decrease
under that of Excise. This arises from the transfer of
the tea duties from the latter to the former department.
On comparing the Returns for the years ending Octo-
ber 10, 1835, and October 10, 1834, respectively,
there will be found to be a decrease on the whole of
1,084,6001. But the repeal of the House-tax and
other duties would satisfactorily account for a larger
diminution than this, and the actual state of the re-
venue must be considered as bearing conclusive testi-
mony to the continued and progressive increase of the
national wealth.—Morning Chronicle.
The usual returns of the Revenue for the quarter
ended on Saturday were received last night, and will be
found in detail in another column. From these tables
it will be seen that upon a comparison of the present
financial year with the last, there is a deficiency of in-
come to the amount of 1,084,600/. against the former,
whilst by collating the two quarters, ending respectively
the 10th of October, 1834 and 1835, there"will appear
an increase of receipt in favour of the latter of 344,2221.
The dissimilarity of produce of the two years appears
to be occasioned altogether by the falling-off in that of
the assessed taxes, under which head alone, from the
reductions made and continuing, there is apparent a
defalcation of 992,1981. upon the year, and 153,5941.
upon the quarter, making together 1,145,7921., which
exceeds by a large fraction the deficiencies upon the
whole of the present year. In other respects the ac-
counts of the two years and quarters tally pretty nearly.
From the circumstance of one large class of duties
having been transferred from the Excise to the Cus-
toms, and vice versa, there is an apparent disparity ;
but the productiveness of one nearly makes amends
for the deficiencies of the other. Thus, the account
Customs shows an increase upon the year of 2,182,951/.
and upon the quarter of 402,4871., whilst the Excise,
•n the other hand, presents a decrease upon the year
of 2,265,1511. ; but an increase upon the quarter of
80,5901., which turns the balance in its favour. The
revenue arising from stamps has decreased upon the
year by 96,6601., but increased upon the quarter to the
amount of 12,196/. The Post-office has been steadily
more productive upon the year and quarter than on the
corresponding periods last year. On the year the in-
crease is 34,000/. ; on the quarter 6,0001. The same
may be said of the miscellaneous taxes, which have in-
creased upon the year 31,219/. ; and on the quarter
14,0811. The returns of imprest moneys and repay-
44rt*Rmaams advanced for public works, present no
ittlior4hiquerease upon the quarter just equals

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