The Sun.
London, England, 1835-01-29 00:00:00

decided concurrence. To multiply the means of reli-
gious itistrtictiOh, is a task worthy of Christian pastors :
but in so doing, care must be taken that the public
pocket be not further drained thereby; for the Establish-
ment is quite rich enough to effect all she proposes,
by her own unassisted means. Above all, if new
Churches be built—and we doubt much the policy of
this scheme, for those already • in existence are not
half filled—dissenters must be exempted from contri-
buting to the fund for their erection and maintenance;
otherwise we shall have religious animosities raging,
like a fire-brand, throughout the country.

A few weeks ago, the Church of England was the
most perfect institution on the face of the earth. No
age or country could ever boast of a Church so well
adapted to the purpose for which it was intended—so
admirably calculated for communicating to the people
the greatest of all blessings—the blessing of religious
instruction. It was not only perfect as a whole, but
each particular portion was an epitome of perfection.
All the subordinate parts of the sacred edifice were
contrived with the greatest wisdom, and adjusted to
each other with the most consummate skill. Defect
or redundancy there was none—not so much as a
rose or a mullion too many or too few—every thing
was right, and in its right place. And as to time, so
far from producing decay, as in other things, time
had only conferred additional strength and beauty on
the master-piece of human ingenuity— if human
such ingenuity could without impiety be called.
Woe to the unfortunate wight who dared to
" hint a fault or hesitate dislike," who had
the audacity to remark that any of the parts were out
of proportion—that some of the 'pillars, for instance, were
of far too large a girth for their length, while others were
too slender for the weight they had to support ; that the
stained glass in the windows prevented the entrance of
a sufficient quantity of light ; or even that it would be
desirable to scrape off a little of the venerable (lift and
moss which neglect had allowed to accumulate ;—he
was instantly assailed with every epithet of abuse that
could be found in a vocabulary superlatively rich in
vituperative terms. both I Vandal ! Destructive'
Infidel I Atheist I and similar flowers of speech were
showered in clusters on his devoted head.
But, lo ! it is discovered all at once, that the so
much vaunted structure is lamentably deficient both
in beauty and utility—that the style is out of date—
that the " frame work must be enlarged," and the
whole internal plan re-modelled and adapted to the al-
tered circumstances of the occupants.
In former times, so sudden a revolution of opi-
nion would have 'been regarded as little less than mi-
raculous, but this is the age of instantaneous conver-
sions, and that which a little while ago would have
made men stand aghast, excites, at present, no
surprise.

It is not our intention to speculate on the causes of
this highly interesting phenomenon, but we cannot help
remarking that we think there is some virtue in a ge-
neral election.

- The confession of the necessity of radically changing
that which has hitherto been declared absolutely un-
changeable—of entirely re-constructing that which
even to touch has been denounced as sacrilege—is a
point gained, and, in our opinion, one of no slight
importance ; as it disarms the enemies of Church
Reform, whether knaves or bigots, of a weapon which
they have used both with skill and effect. Whether
the changes proposed are such as ought to satisfy the
people of England is the question we have now to
consider.

The plan of Church Reform which has been sub-
mitted to the public, through one of the daily organs
of the Ministry, comprises-
1. The abolition of pluralities and non-residence.

2. The equalization of livings, in so far at least as
to render the emolument received as nearly as possible
commensurate with the duty performed, necessarily in-
volving, as it appears to us, the division of large and
the consolidation of small parishes.
3. A similar equalization of the revenues and duties
of the Bishops, and consequently a more equal divi-
sion of the dioceses.

This, it will readily be acknowledged, is but a
meagre outline of Church Reform ; but we are sorry
to say it is all that we can find in the Ministerial plan,
to which the term Reform can be applied. The im-
provements included under these three heads are good
as far as they go, and they have our entire approba-
tion, not the less cordially conceded, certainly, because
they formed a part of the measure which the late
Ministry were prepared to submit to Parliament.

There is a fourth branch of the Ministerial plan,
whicli we doubt not will find more favour in the sight
of the Church-and-King men than all the rest put
together, or, we should rather say, which will help
to reconcile them to the other parts. It is rather
darkly shadowed forth, than confidently brought for-
ward ; but we are in no alarm as to its adoption. When
we find it stated, in one place, that the object of the
scheme is " the providing of a resident, accessible, and
efficient religious teacher, for every family in England
and 'Wales," and in another, " that the revenue pro-
vided for the Church of 4,000,000 or 5,000,000, may
prove inadequate to the Church of 15,000,000, we
can be at no loss to understand what is meant.
The rule of proportion tells us, that if 5,000,000
require a certain number of religious instructors,
15,000,000 will require exactly three times as many.
But as this part of the plan—this " enlargement of the
frame-work "—is not intended to be carried into effect,
until the other parts shall be in complete operation ;
and as that cannot take place before the present ge-
ueration have been gathered to their fathers, we may
safely leave the subject to be discussed by our
successors.

We had some remarks to make on the omissions in
the clerical plan of Church Reform, but we must post-
pone them till to-morrow.

Towards the close of a long and amusing article in
one of the Government prints, we stumble upon the
following exquisite piece of logic :---

" Either the late Administration was tried, or it
was not. If it was tried—then all the complaints of
the dismissal of an untried Administration, are false
and hypocritical. If it was not tried—the public can
have lost nothing in the privation of its services, and
complaint upon the subject is an impertinent intrusion
upon the personal judgment of the KING, and a
seditious attempt to usurp upon his Majesty's pre-
rogative" I

There is not much to be gainsaid as to the false-
hood and hypocrisy of the complaint of the late
Administration being untried if it were tried ; so
that we will leave that point uncontended. But
taking the other horn of the dilemma between
which the writer has voluntarily placed hintelf,
that if it was not tried the public can, 'there-

fore, have lest nothing in the p--it:...a!_"n_n of 44 services,
it may be doubted if ever a gfa.tdi blunder in reasoning
could be -committed. It may suit the convenience of
the Government Journalist, to be sure, to jump at this
negative conclusion, but he must not expect that the
public, whom he aspires to move by his eloquence,
will accept the deduction with the same easy complai-
sance. What would the Tories have said had any Reformer
been rash enough to advance a parallel proposition in
matters theological instead of political ? If Protestant
Missionaries are not sent forth to promulgate the
Christian Gospel, then the Heathen will have lost
nothing in the privation of their services f If good
men are not chosen, then the bad can have lost nothing
in the privation of their example I Could any asser-
tion have been deemed by them more essentially " de-
structive" than such a one ?—more false hi logic, or
wicked in intent ?—more foolish or more ridiculous ?
Such defenders do more injury to the cause they
would serve than the hotness of their zeal allows them
to conjecture, The KING called to his Councils the
MELBOURNE Administration, not to use it as a

child's bauble to be toyed with for a time, and then to
be cast aside as caprice or personal satiety moved him;
but to try it, and test its fitness by the judgment of
the peoples' representatives in Parliament assembled.
This has not been done. It was taken up and put
down without trial ; and, so far from the " com-
plaint" being an impertinent intrusion upon the per-
sonal judgment of the KING, and a seditious attempt to
usurp his Majesty's prerogative, it amounts in truth and
in fact to a doubt, whether the Royal judgment has
not actually exceeded Constitutional limits ; for, admit
that a British Sovereign possesses the prerogative of
calling together a body of persons, whom it shall be
his pleasure to designate as his Government, to dis-
miss them without a practical trial, to summon others
and to remove them again, as caprice or " judgment"
might from time to time prompt, and all without trial
—at once behold the elements of absolute despotism 1
the people would be without a Parliament so long
as it should remain the Sovereign will to interdict
its being holden—and what becomes of the Con-
stitution ?

If the Tory supporters are so unwise as to force
observations of this kind on the public mind, by such
an adventurous and indiscreet advocacy of Royal pre-
rogatives, they must not complain if truth is looked
upon in its unveiled nakedness.

The MELBOURNE Administration was tried neither
by the KING nor the people, and its capacity or in-
capacity could be by neither constitutionally inferred
nor denied. The exercise of the Royal judgment has
raised a difficulty which the present Government—if
it receives the trial denied to its immediate predecessor
—will not easily surmount. These early deprecations
of inquiry by the Tories, may be regarded as prelimi-
nary to the awkward explanations which are to be
attempted on an approaching occasion. It seems
hoped that, by a little bounce and high-sounding
bluster about " impertinent and seditious intrusions
upon the personal judgment of the KING," the true
lovers of the Monarchical Constitution of the land
may be cowed into submissive silence : but the people
are not to be so duped, nor will they allow their SO-
VEREIGN to be insulted by the unconstitutional adula-
tion of his miscalled friends, who, to save themselves
from perishing, scruple not to endanger his just rights
and privileges, and the brightest jewel in his crown—
the affections of the people

The spirit of anarchy and rebellion, which, since
;he death of FERDINAND VII., devastated and depo-,
nilated the northern provinces of Spain, has, within

he last few days, exhibited itself in its most frightful

form in Madrid. Rebellion is at all times, and under
all circumstances, one of the greatest evils that can
beset a Government ; but when it discovers itself in
the army, it behoves the Constitutional authorities to

take every precaution in order to prevent the most fatal
consequences. The great danger is from its becoming
contagious, which it rarely fails to do, when its abettors
are successful in the first instance.

It appears from the Madrid Papers of the 18th and

19th instant, which have been received, that rumours
of an insurrection in that capital had prevailed for se-
veral days previous to its actual occurrence. The
facts are thus stated :—On the evening of the 17th,
General LL A UDER, Minister of War, ordered the
2nd Regiment of Light Infantry, Volunteers of Ar-
ragon, to perambulate the streets during the night, to
preserve order. This regiment was particularly se-
lected to preserve the peace of the city, in consequence
of the high estimation in which Government held
the loyalty of both officers • and men. In the
course of the night, the General's Aide-de-Camps, in
making their usual rounds, were greatly astonished to
find that no patrol was visible in any part of the city.
They, however, learned that the regiment to whom
that duty was assigned had assembled to the number
of about 500 men, some of these Journals state, with,
and others without officers, and after silently over-
powering the Guard, had taken possession of the Post-
office. An alarm was instantly given to the proper
authorities, but all remained tranquil till about
seven o'clock in the mornings when General CAN-
TERAC, lately appointed Captain-General of the pro-
vince, went to treat with the insurgents. The officer

to whom he addressed himself was a Lieutenant CAR-
DEtto, whom he upbraided with treason, and threa-

tened with death, unless the rebels laid down their arms
and surrendered themselves prisoners. The Lieutenant
refused, upon which CANTERAC, who was a man
of violent temper, made use of some expres-
sions which so irritated the rebels, that they
fired upon him, and killed him on the spot.
This was the signal for commencing open hos-
tilities. The Minister of War, with a large body of
troops, was almost instantly on the spot, when shots
were exchanged, and a brisk fire kept up on both sides
for about an hour. At length LLAUDER, being ap-
prehensive that the spirit of revolt might extend itself
to the Urban Militia, who, during the engagement,
showed symptoms of discontent, offered a free pardon
to the rebels, with the exception of the actual murderers
of General CANTERAC. This offer was rejected by CAR-
DER°, on the ground that the five soldiers whose balls

pierced the body of the General could not be ascertained,
and even if they could the General deserved the death to
which his own rashness had doomed him. LLA uDER
then consented to grant a free pardon to all, on condi-
tion that the whole of the rebels should instantly march
out of the city to Alcovendas, and proceed from thence
to join the army in the North. This being agreed to,
the Regiment slowly marched out with military honors)
receiving the usual salute from the very regiment com-
manded by the General himself. The number of the
killed and wounded is inconsiderable,- as the site was
ill chosen for military operations: The various state-
milts in the papers agree in reprQsenting the killed a§