The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-30 00:00:00

.11.1 E;- SUN;7',7I.4ONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 20, 1859

to regard his superb and, many of them inimitable,
essays, as the noblest contribution of this rare
intellect to the treasures of our national literature.

When a man has done his duty to the best of his
ability—be that man a private individual or a
public character, he may well feel his conscience at
case. Not but he occasionally reflects that many
short-comings might have been better achieved did
time and opportunity permit. Ia fact no man is
ever satisfied with himself on the success of his
labours be they ever so well accomplished while
his ambition regrets that he has not done more.
Such is the penalty of having done much and of hav-
ing obtained the applause, not only of his fellow-
men, but even of his country at large. But even
in this regret there is a noble patriotism which
stimulates others to like exertions, and so con-
duces to national benefit, while it serves to indi-
vidual excellence by the success of envied en-
terprise. Now this principle has been carried
out to its full development by Sir Jonx PAK-
INGTON—Iate First Lord of the Admiralty,
and previously Secretary for the Colonies during
the two Administrations of the Earl of DERBY. In
his latter position he was eminently instrumental
in conferring a new constitution on New Zealand,
to the grateful appreciation of the Colonists, and
would have extended the same liberal spirit to the
other Colonies did time permit, but he remained
only some ten months in office, and found his re-
ward in the thanksgivings of New Zealand after he
had resigned power.

Then, as to his Administration of the Navy, the
whole country—nay, even his successors, arc loud
in his praise. To be applauded by one's friends
for having done well is very grateful to the heart ;
but to extort commendation from one's rivals is the
very charm of political popularity. Now, all
these have been accorded to Sir JOIIN PAKINGTON,
and he may well be proud of them.
On his assuming the office of First Lord of the
Admiralty he found that the surest bulwark
of our national safety had been wofully neglected.
From what cause it were now idle to inquire. But
the fact, that that office had been filled for some
years by SIR CIIARLES WOOD may partly explain
it. Sir JOHN PAKINGTON actually found that the
number of our line-of-battle ships had been allowed
to dwindle down below those of the French !
while our frigates and other smaller vessels were
infinitely less. On the other hand he found that
we had gunboats far outnumbering those of the
French, but to his surprise and mortification
scarcely one of them would float ! No ;
they were all neatly pigeoned up in rows
on sundry dry slips, and to mend the
matter, not one would come down again !
These were the indomitable Boats that were to
destroy the Russians in the shallow waters of the
Baltic, but, like all our other inscrutable manage-
ment of the Navy, the Boats were only built after
the war was nearly over, and so they came for-
ward just in time to be too late. This was 117119
management. It is possible they were never in-
tended to be in time to hurt the Russians.

Then again our line-of-battle ships were mostly
sailing vessels—mere logs on the water as opposed
to screw line-of-battle ships. And what did Sir
JOHN PAKINGTON do ? Why he not only ordered
a fleet of screw vessels both of the line and frigates
to be laid down and pushed forward with the
utmost alacrity, but he als.z set about converting
the sailing ships into screws, thereby work-
ing double tides to restore the British Navy
to its old preponderance over every other. And
for this patriot spirit, so wisely and so firmly carried
out—aye ! carried out in the face and almost in
spite of his own Cabinet, has Sir JOHN PANINGTON
obtained the applause of his QUEEN and admiring
countrymen.

But Sir lOU did not work for applause—no !
he exerted himself as a true patriot—anxious to
protect his native land against any emergency—be
it ever so accidental. And now his mantle has
fallen, we hope and trust, on other worthy shoulders
who will endeavour to give more efficiency to our
ships, and more satisfaction to those who man
them.

The City and County of Worcester have done
themselves much honour by their appreciation of
their fcllow•to;;nsmen (for Sir JOHN is of 'Wor-
cester), in presenting him on Wednesday last with
a magnificent shield in token of their esteem.

And Sir JOHN, in returning thanks in a modest
but honest spirit of pride, made, among other ob-
servations, the following excellent remarks which,
we cordially hope, may make a duo and fitting
impression on thosa who thought that the worthy
baronet was only fit to be a chairman of Quarter
Sessions—a post which he had so well filled for
many years :--

" I cannot refrain from an expression of my wish that this
day, so memorable and so gratifying to me—so memorable
to those dear to me—should, if possible, be of benefit to
others. lam one of those who believe that we may always
draw a moral lesson' from such proceedings as these.
There are not a' few of those who are here this evening,
and there are still mere who will read what has passed
here to-day, whose course of life is still before them. I
hope you will not think that I am guilty of presumption
or egotism if I venture to touch for a moment on those
principles of action to which I mainly attribute the honour
which on this occasion it leas been ray fortune to receive.
Have I attained those honours through the exercise of any
great or transcendent talent ? Certainly not. Have I
gained them as the reward of extensive and varied acquire..
ments ? Certainly not ; but if it has been my good fortune
to merit in any degree that favour which I have received
from my most gracious Sovereign ; if I have deserved any
portion of that kindness which I have received in this my
native county ; if 1 have been able to ndminist r those
various departments of the State which hove been en-
trusted to me, and which my noble friend in the chair
has alluded to in such flattering terms ; if I have been
able to administer them without disadvantage to the
public service, and without discredit to myself, I firmly be •
Hove that I am indebted to the exercise of qualities and the
adoption of rules which are equally in the power and com-
pass of thone who hear me, and of any man who is desirous
to take part in the public affairs of the country. lam in-
debted for whatever measure of success I have attained in
my public life to a combination of moderate abilities with
honesty of intention, firmness of purpose, and steadiness
of conduct. If I were to offer advice to any 'young
man anxious to make himself useful in public life, I
would sum up the resuPs of my experience in three
short rules—rules so simple that any man may under-
stand them, and so easy that any man may act upon them
My first rule would be—Leave to others to judge of what
duties you are capable, and to what position you are fitted,
but never refuse to give your services in whatever capacity
it may be the opinion of others who aro competent to judge
that you may benefit your neighbours or your country. My
second rule is—When you agree to undertake public duties
concentrate every energy and faculty in your possession,
with the determination to discharge those duties to the best
of your ability. Lastly, I would counsel you that, in de-
ciding on the line which yon will take in public affairs,
you should be guided in your decision by that which, after
mature deliberation, you believe to be right, and not by that
which, in the passing hour, may happen to be fashionable
or popular. Fashion has its uses, and is all very well when
applied to the light and trivial things to which it relates;
but fashion in public affairs is out of place. Popularity, in
the lowest and most common sense, is not worth the having.
Do your duty to the best of your power—win the approba-
tion of your own conscience, and popularity in its best
and highest sense is sure to follow. I would not ex-
change the recollection of this day for all the acclama-
tions that ever greeted the most popular man in England."

These arc the sentiments of a man who may as
well be proud of himself as he is worthy of
,his
country. But it is the consciousness of the honest
performance c,f his duty that is uppermost in Sir
Jurts PAKINGTON'9 mind. He be ek3 'no vain-
glory for himself, but is anxious that others
should profit by his experience, and therefore he
unfolds his heart to his hearers with an earnestness

worthy of all commendation. To him, like the
patriot of old—
" Ono hour of self-applause, whole years outweighs,
Of stupid starers, and 3f loud huzzas ;
And more true joy Mcrcellus exiled feels
Than Ca?sar with a S3nate at his heels I"

Honour ! long and lasting honour be to Sir
SOHN PAKINGTON Ps the Regenerator of the
British Navy, and may all his successors follow so
good and so patriotic an example !

A very interesting public meeting was held on
Tuesday last, in the city of Dublin, for the purpose
of prsenting an address to Captain MC CLINTOCK,
R.N. Few public testimonials have been more
richly merited, than this recognition of the emi-
nent services rendered by the gallant captain in the
cause of Arctic discovery. Gratifying as such a
ceremony must always be to the recipient of the
honour, it is doubly so when those who present the
address are fellow citizens, who acknowledge the
distinction reflected upon them, and regard his
triumph in some sort as their own. The claims
which Captain I\PCLINTocK possesses upon the
gratitude of his country are succinctly stated in a
paragraph of the address --" lire deem it a duty to
recognise your last Arctic expedition as the fourth
in which you have engaged—the three preceding
having been in the service of the Crown--to call to
mind that you have passed six winters in the Polar
sea—that during that time you have travelled be-
tween 5,000 and 6,000 miles on foot within the
Arctic circle, the laborious employment of 416
days, of which more than 2,000 miles have been in
the geographical exploration of coast line—that
you organised and improved sledge travelling to
such a degree as to extend your journey from
500 miles on your first expedition, to 1,500 miles
on your third." Captain INICLINTocx might well
say in his answer to the address, that the motto of
the executive office should be, " Deeds, not words."
He has proved his right to such a motto by a long
course of arduous and perilous services, happily
crowned at last by the discovery of the last sad
relics of the hapless crews of the Erebus and Terror.
It gives, however, additional poignancy to our sor-
row for the untimely fate of those brave men, when
we reflect that had the plans of Dr. KING, which
we have so often strenuously advocated, been
adopted Jay the Admiralty, very probably many of
the survivors of the expedition might have
been restored to their country. It is another
proof of the evils of official obstinacy and routine ;
but it is paying a dear price for the lesson, to reflect
that we have lost the chance of rescuing any of
those sufferers whom we have despatched so many
expeditions to relieve.

The tone of Captain ITCLINTocies reply to the
address was all that could be expected from an
officer of his high character and genuine merit.
After acknowledging the compliment paid him
by the citizens of Dublin—an honour they
rarely accord to public men—he briefly re-
ferred to the motives which had actuated
him in his undertaking, and ended by pass-
ing a warm eulogium on the heroic perseve-
rance of the noble lady who projected the expedi-
tion on her own responsibility. The praise awarded
to him individually he shared with his companions
in toil and danger, and expressed his sentiments
that the success of his efforts fully repaid him for
his years :of painful search. We are glad to find
the citizens of Dublin have taken this early oppor-
tunity of expressing their admiration of the heroic
qualities of a countryman of whom they may well
be justly proud.

LATE►S NEWS.

The following telegrams have been received al
Nir. Reuter's office :

ROME, DEC. 29.
To day, Cardinal Antenelli had a long interview
with the Due de Grammont.

The French Ambassodor has received by a
courier, who left Paris on the 24th inst., some
explanations destined to re-assure the Holy See on
the object and bearing of the pamphlet, " Le Pape
et le Congres."

PARIS, FRIDAY.

The Council of Ministers has resolved upon not
giving any official denial to tilt, pamphlet " The
Pope and the Congress." As the Moniteter, the only
official organ of the French Government, has not
mentioned the pamphlet, its publication is to be
considered as a home affair (affaire intorieurc),
which the foreign Powers could not notice in their
diplomatic intercourse with France.

PARIS, DEC. 29.

The Pays of this evening contains an article
signed by M. Granier de Cassagnac on the
pamphlet " The Pope and the Congress," which,
the art iele:states," has been wrongly interpreted by
the newspapers." The pamphlet does not propose
to deprive the Pope of the Legations, but advises

's Holiness to submit to the present state of

things, and proclaims the necessity of maintaining
the temporal power of the Pope. M. do Granicr
adds, the pamphlet confines itself to pronouncing
an opinion ; the Congress alone will decide, and
even after that the Church will remain full and
entire.

131-g BEN.-XEARS v. DENI SON.

SHERIFFS' COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

This was originally an action brought by Mr. Mears, the
eminent bell-founder, of Whitechapel, against Mr. Edmund
Birkett Denison, Q.C., to recover damages for a libel. The
plaintiff was the founder of the present bell which hangs
in the tower in Palace-yard, but which has, for some time
past, ceased to be of use in consequence of its being cracked,
and Mr. Denisbn was one of the gentlemen appointed to
judge of and decide upon the merits of the bell before it was
hung.
In order to make the matter clear, it may be stated that,
on Saturday, the Ist of October last, the boil sounded for
the last time, and that while in the act of striking, Big Ben
became dumb for ever. It was soon afterwards- discovered
that it was undeniably cracked. On the sth of October
Mr. Denison wrote a letter to the Times, which appeared
in that journal on the 7th of October last, and this letter
constitutes the alleged libel. In the course of the letter
Mr. Denison said that a week previously Se should have
joined with the editor in praising Mr. Mears' bell, and then
went on to say—" It certainly suited to my pattern, and
the weight, size, and tone were exactly what had been re-
quired, and everybody believed it to bo a magnificent cast-
ing, everybody, that is, except certain persons at White-
chapel, who knew a very different secret. Last week, how-
ever, Mr. Dent's men found out, and I was immediately in-
formed, and sent the representation to the Board of Works,
that this magnificent casting was, like many other things, a
magnificent imposture, for that there is a place in the boll, on
the soundbow, but far from where either clapper or
hammer ever struck (and this is probably not by accident)
full of holes, some a quarter of an inch wide and more,
and others smaller, of depths not certain yet, but some
probed down nearly half an inch; and, in short, every ex-
ternal indication of a perfectly unsound casting, and that
from two or three holes cracks were visible nearly a foot
long, and of depth unknown yet, but with some in-
dications of still wider holes within them. But how
did Mr. Taylor and I come to certify such. a
bell as sound ? And how did such unsoundness
as 'this elude the observation of the indefatigable clerk of
works (Mr. Quern), who examines all the castings that
come to the Palace, and of Sir.C. Biirry's engineer(Mr, Jabez
James), and of the hundreds of people of all classes who
I came to see and hear the bell? For a very good reason,
because the holes were all as carefully stuffed as a bad tooth
by a dentist with some mineral sueeedaneum,' of which a
piece has been sent to me, and which can be shown to you
at Mr. Dent's, or on the bell itself ; and to make all still
safer, the bell was washed over with some Colouring stuff
which the atmosphere has now removed. Some persons
noticed this colouring as suspicious at the time, but
still, with the suspicion to help
.them, nobody could
find anything wrong. It is certainly strange that
the unsoundness should not have betrayed itself in
the tone of the bell to many better ears than mine, which
carefully listened to it, and that the bell should have been
considered by so many good judges as you say, ',the finest
ever cast in England?, But so it is, and the disease was
not less mortal, and not less congenital because nobody
at Westminster found it out until it was at the point of
death. . . The contract was given to one of our eminent
bell founders, who has passed his life and made a fortune
in the manufacture of bells, and he was told what was
wanted, and was made responsible for its beineforthcoming.
We see what has come forth for all that ; how far his re-
sponsibility may extend is a matter for other people to
settle with him and not for me to discuss here."

'Ma consequence of the publication of this letter, of which
the above are the more salient portions, Mr. Mears com•
menced an action for libel against Mr. Denison. The cause
was entered for trial for the sittings after Michaelmas Term
in London, and would have been tried by Lord Chief Justice
Cockburn and a special jury. Mr. Denison had pleaded a
justification to the libel with which he was charged. Be-
fore the time for hearing, however, the cause was with-
drawn, Mr. Deniion having abandoned his defence. The
plaintiff took, therefore, a judgment by default, and the only
matter remaining to be determined was the amount of da-
mages which had, according to the usual course, to be as-
sessed in the Sheriffs' Court. •

The proceedings commenced this morning, and for the
convenience of all parties, were held in the Court of Com-
mox Pleas, before Mr. Secondary Potter: and a jury of
merchants and gentlemen specially empanelled.
Mr. Bovill, Q.C., and Mr. Coleridge appeared for the
plaintiff; and Mr. Knowles, Q.C., Mr. Grove, Q.C., and
Mr. Garth appeared for the defendant, Mr. Denison, Q.C.,
who occupied a seat with his legal representatives.
Mr. Bovill, in opening the proceedings, said the jury was
summoned to inquire into damages sustained by Mr.
Mears by a libel upon him which Mr. Denison, the defen-
dant, had published against him. The learned gentleman
having explained to the jury the agreement of both parties,
that an assessor, not a Queen's counsel, should be selected
to act as judge, at great, length detailed the whole of the
facts relating to the contract for, the quality of metal, tilt
casting, &c., of the bell. He then proceeded to notice th
libel as published by Mr. Denison on the plaintiff, whiq
had done him immense mischief, as he had denounced hie
as unskilful in his trade, and of having sent down the grqt
bell unsound, well knowing it to be so. The correspondene,
with which the public is very familiar, having been notic,j
the learned gentleman said that the last letter of Mr. Dili_

`AL
son, which 'he (Mr. Bovill) called a half-and-half apolty,
had been published by the defendant wholly and solel:for
the purpose of reducing the amount of &Images, andliot

for removing the stigma he had cast upon the characcei
Mr. Mears. The learned gentleman having read anclere_
mented on the letter written by Mr. Denison and publshed
in the Tidies on the 7th of October, which containq the
alleged libel, said under all the circumstances Mr.Aieere
had no alternative but to come to a jury for damagot.

Mr. Knowles, Q.C., suggested that no special age
had been sustained. Mr. Denison admitted his listehe,
and as Mr. Mears did not, require money, he tholht the
case might be stopped by mutual consent.

This suggestion was after a consultation agreeito,
Denison retracting all lie had said in divaragemet of Mr.
Mears and paying the costs.

P 01, TCE LYTELLIGENCE---(TIUSDA 7.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AT MEssus.
ORNT-STREET.--JOhll Brooks, a rupectable-lol.ag.
man, in'the employ of Messrs. H. G. and D. Ift young
icol, mer-
chant:tailors:of Regent-street and Warwick-strfet, as cutter
and clerk, was charged -with stealing Beverq lengths of
cloth of the value of £5, the property of his evoi,ers.
It world appear that, though the amount
the present charge is only £5, that at r)g property in
• ksent Messrs.
Nicol are' unable to ascertain the amount ofiheir
it is believed to be several hundred pounds. loss, but

Inspector Charles Webb, of the C Divis?
ph, said, from
information he received, and inquiries w,-slteet, yesterday
afternoon, had made,
ho went to Messrs. Nicols', of l"
Rege
afternoon, and saw the prisoner, who, h 0 had boon pre-
viously informed, was in the employ of the4rra as clerk and
cutter-out. He told him he was charged ',lith stealing seve-
ral rzinnants of cloth belonging to hi,i elh
qployer. Ile re-
plied, "Remnants ? I don't understkd
prisoner
Mr.
Henry Nicol then said, "lengths," and th '
o prisoner said,
"I've taken lengths Those lengths hape been made up
into garments and disposed of by me." tv
4te asked the pri-
soner if it was not the rule of the house to
have entered the
goods in a book, and ho said, " It IN
; true that he had
not entered the lengths." Mr. N"`7 lvan in court, and
could tell them that they were not ente,,,tu,,and that the pri-
soner had no right to take the property4m,a.
Mr. Bingham asked Mr. Webb vil ethethe knew the
amount of Messrs. Nicols' loss.

Inspector Webb said he did not, but
he believed it was to
a large extent. He found in the plisonees
possession a
gold watch and chain. There were also a second gold watch
and the duplicate of a third, several
,a 14,
ear-rings, and a
quantity of jewellery, altogether of t value value of at least 450,
some of it being given up by a fainslt lie was paying his ad-
dresses to.

The prisoner, who said nothing
'4 answer to the charge,
was remanded for a week.

EXECUTION OF Tilt CovENTR
.111 WOE%

(BY ELECTRIC TkxGßApll.)
gai,VARWICK, FRIDAY.
Yesterday the workmen be- their preparations for the
erection of the sedffold for the
qecution of John Kington,
for the murder of his NVife, at Coventry, on the 12th of
November last.

Since his trial ho had fully
tetigned himself to his awful
fate. Yesterday ho had an
interview with his father, and
the Rev. S.- H. Widdringt4,
vicar of St. Michael's,
Coventry, also visited
the condemned criminal, and
prayed with him. After elpressing his conviction that
God would forgive him for the crime, Kington said that
after ho was gone he hoped justice would be done
to some parts of his clo,
vactor, and his spiritual ad-
viser left him under the r
41apression that he had mur-
dered his wife from the combined feelings of love and jeal-
ousy. She would not live
Vith him, and the unhappy man
says,
as ho could not enjoy
glad her himself he put her out of
the way. lie was
ale
had done it and should die happy
now he knew she was gotlo.
Shortly before twelve
this morning the bells began to
toll, and the mournful
Procession then proceeded to the
gallows. Thousual PreiNh'inaries having been gone through,
the unfortunate mail w,„
launched into eternity.
The executioner as
veo,- Smith, the hangman for the
co uw •• nty of Stafford, LI
performed his odious office upon
Palmer.
Kington was forme/.
IY in the Ist Regiment of the War-
wickshire Militia, aN 1,,
was in Portsmouth with it. He
afterwards voluntoer
eg into the 10th Hussars, and was dis-
charged through hie being _.ng
afflicted with fits.

A further slim
or 60,000 in bar gold was taken
from e Bank 4
.Cadiz.. About £3s' erday for exportation : £30,000 is for
00 orthe gold recovered from the 'Loyal
Charter was also 0°
at the Bank, unsold, for abroad. There i 3 still some amount