The Sun.
London, England, 1835-05-06 00:00:00

in such a case to have lost his appetite, or his taste for
the good things of a Corporation dinner, or having
shown a disposition to curtail their number, would be
ground sufficient for exclusion ; but as the administra-
tion of justice devolves upon such persons, and is an
object which, it is to be hoped, will be always held in
higher estimation than the gastronomic qualities al-
luded to, it is highly essential that those to whose
hands such high functions are to be committed should
be required to show by some adequate test their fit-
ness for their duties, and be at the same time placed
above the sort of influence which, as long as human na-
ture is human nature, cannot fail to neutralize, if not to
destroy, their usefulness. Were it not that we have no
wish to see the influence of the Crown, or, in other
words, that of the Minister for the time being increased
so largely (as it would be by such an extensive source
of patronage), we should prefer seeing all judicial offi-
cers, the Recorders at least, appointed by the Crown,
under that responsibility for their fitness, which is now
the case with the Judges in Westminster Hall. But,
at all events, popular election is not the method through
which such appointments should take place; still less is
it desirable that any one having judicial duties to per-.
form should be subject to periodical election, and his
independence continually biassed by the apprehension
of losing the momentary good opinion of those over
whose actions it is most of all important, perhaps, that
he should exercise an unbiassed judgment. That corporate
reform, and that on an extensive scale, is strongly called
for, it is impossible to deny. According to Sir Francis
Palgrave, to be sure, the evils and abuses have been
much exaggerated. But whether this be the case or
not, sufficient remains palpable and undeniable to de-
mand the correction which, we trust, awaits these and
all other known and proved abuses. But in this, as in
every case, we trust to see Reform applied with a
steady, cautious, undestructive hand ; and that, among
other things, we shall not see the judicial office put up
to auction to be knocked down to the noiseist dema-
gogue, and the most obsequious cringer to the sweet
voices of many of those whose interest it may be to
see the sword of justice blunted and inert.---. Morning
Herald.
The election for South Devon will appear, to the
majority of mankind, to have been decided on Monday,
by the result of the first day's poll, which we pub-
lished yesterday in a second edition. At that time the
majority for Mr. Parker was 634, and, we have no
doubt, will have been considerably increased by the
polling on the following day (yesterday) the particulars
of which we confidently expect to lay before our readers
this day in a second edition, if not in the whole of our
impression. Upon the issue of this contest we con-
gratulate the British nation. It affords a striking proof
that those political principles upon which the safety
and welfare of the country depend have made a rapid
progress during the last few years. Mr. Parker has
polled a greater number of votes on the first day of the
present election than the Conservative candidate polled
during the whole continuance of the contest in the year
1832. Our congratulations are especially due to the
southern division of the county of Devon, which has
rescued itself from the opprobrium of being represented
by one who has shown how much he prefers personal
and party objects to the interests of the country ; and
of whom it may be said, with the utmost truth; that he
is redeemed from utter insignificance only by the mis-
chievous and virulent spirit of faction which has
always been visible in his conduct. It was confidently
reported yeserilay vlimit town that Lord John Russell,
convinced by the result of the first day's poll t!-lat 112
had no chance of success, had determined to resign.
This statement, ascribing as it does to Lord John
Russell a line of conduct which, in the circumstances
in which he is placed, would be creditable to him, is
probably incorrect. The poll, we incline to think, will
be kept open, hopeless as it is, to the last moment, and
the victory of the Conservative party become more deci-
sive than even it is at present. Some of the voters of South
Devon, who hesitated as to which of the two candi-
dates was the most worthy of their support, addressed,
a few days ago, as we understand, a letter to the
Marquis of Londonderry, inquiring of his Lordship
whether there was any or what degree of truth in
a statement which had appeared in the London jour-
nals, to the effect that, upon the subject of the Rus-
sian embassy, Lord J. Russell had said one thing to
the Noble Marquis in private, and another entirely
different thing in the House of Commons. The neu-
tral electors were naturally anxious to be satisfied upon
a point, involving as it appeared to them, the personal
character and honour of one of the candidates for their
suffrages. We are not enabled to state precisely the
language of the reply sent by the Noble Marquis to
the above inquiry. But it may very safely be inferred
from the effect it seems to have produced. The answer
of the Noble Marquis (as we are informed) reached
Exeter on Monday, and the inquirers, neutral up to
that time, were neutral no longer. Their votes and
interest were given without further hesitation to Mr.
Parker. What will now become of Lord Jo! Russell ?
Will he also be made a Peer ? Shall we have it
distinctly confessed that, for the first time in the mo-
dern history of England, not one of his Majesty's three
principal Secretaries of State can procure a seat in
the House of Commons ? The Foreign Secretary has
no seat in Parliament. The Colonial Secretary was
last night Gazetted as a Peer of the realm, his single
claim to that honour being, that no constituency in
Great Britain or Ireland were likely to elect him for
their Representative. And now the Secretary for the
Hoene Department is rejected by the county which he
has misrepresented for several years. What, we again
ask, is to become of Lord John Russell ? His Lord-
ship might, perhaps, be returned for one of the
pocket boroughs which his own Bill of pure and
honest Reform left at the disposal of his father.
But, unfortunately, his Lordship has repeatedly
declared, in private and in public, that he will
never sit for a borough, and is determined to
be a Member of the House of Commons, if at all,
as the representative of a large constituency. This
pledge is remembered, and from this a report has
sprung up, that the Noble Lord will start for the
county of Middlesex, Mr. Byng having previously
been withdrawn from the Lower House by the gift of
a peerage. This tampering with the peerage, discre-
ditable in any circumstances, would in the present be
nugatory. It is all but certain that the next election
for the county of Middlesex, occur when it may, will
be decidedly in favour of Mr. Wood. Lord John
seems, therefore, to have no choice beyond Tavistock
and the House of Lords. Which of the two he will
adopt is yet undecided. But, whatever may be the
determination of the Noble Lord, it is gratifying to
expect that he will now become a less loquacious,
troublesome, and mischievous member of the Legisla-
ture, whether he elect to sit as a peer of the realm or
as the member for independent Tavistock.--Morning
Post.

The appointment of Lord Heytesbury has been
cancelled. When Lord William Bentinck took his de-
parture from India, Sir Charles Metcalf, whose ability
and experience are universally admitted, was left at the
head of affairs. 'We b '",ave the country will view with
great satisfaction this r Df Lord Melbourne's Admi-

nistration. If Ministers are to be really responsible for
the exercise of the powers of Government, they ought
at all events to have the choice of the men in whom trust
is reposed. The government of a hundred millions of
human beings ought not to be bestowed on any man in
whom they cannot repose the utmost confidence. Sir
Robert Peel and the Duke of Wellington may have
had the best reasons for appointing Lord Hey-
tesbury ; and we may suppose that they made
choice of him because his principles accorded with
their own ; but as Lord Melbourne has not adopted
Sir Robert Peel's principles, there is no reason why he
should adopt his appointments. We look upon this
act of his Lordship as an earnest of his determination
to consider the period of the Tory Government only as
a suspension of his Administration, and not as one of
which the acts are entitled to be considered as any
thing more than of a provisional character. Nothing,
indeed, could have been more foolish than to em-
ploy, in that or any other case, a Tory instrument
to mar, rather than to carry into effecit, liberal mea-
sures of administration. Lord Heytesbury's cha-
racter, however individually respectable, was con-
clusive against his being continued in office by a Libe-
ral Government. It is generally admitted that Lord
Amherst will also be removed, for the same reasons
which have induced Lord Melbourne to cancel the