The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 1835.

devote his particular attention to:them. It is not
possible that every Member returned to Parlia-
ment can understand even one-half of the foreign and
domestic relations of this vast and powerful empire.
An entire life devoted to the subject would not
suffice for the acquirement of so much varied infor-
mation ; and were it otherwise, the perpetual changes,
fluctuations, and catastrophes to which all sublunary
objects are liable, would render a constant recurrence
to the testimony of others absolutely necessary. 'We
do not wish to speak disrespectfully of any member of
the House of Commons ; but we submit that hardly
a day passes during an entire Session, in which
we do not find gentlemen lauding institutions,
or denouncing them-,--making motions or opposing
them—moving bills or voting against them—and

the most active in these various labours, who are noto-
riously known to be totally unacquainted with the
laws, motions, and institutions then under the considera-
tion of the House. The ambition of many Mem-
bers to be everything prevents them from being any-
thing. They must regulate our commerce ; legislate
for our colonies ; re-model our fleets ; improve our mo-
netary system ; discharge or increase our debt; and
pass acts for compelling agriculturists to ride in their
own carriages ; and the consequence of all this is, that
they waste their time in a number of useless projects,
and their greatest exertions only tend to retard

the business of the State. The evil results of
this course do not end here. The early part
of the Session being whiled away in long, dull,
prosy speeches, which are published in the news-
papers to be forgotten by all but the orators, twenty-
four hours after they are delivered, the close of it is taken
up in passing a number of bills on most important
subjects, to which no attention whatever had been di-
rected. In the beginning of a Session one bill is dis-
cussed for weeks together ; at the close of it, twenty
more important ones are passed in a single night, with-
out so much as a passing remark on their provisions
or general tendency
Surely the House of Commons possesses in it-
self the means of correcting these abuses in its
proceedings, without calling for the interferenee of the
public press ; which, if once it be fairly directed
against them, will not assuredly refrain from the ex-
posure of those Members who sanction them by their
example. The indulgence of personal pique, the
gratification of personal vanity, and the fostering of
divisions among parties, are not reckoned amid the de-

legated duties entailed on a seat in the House of Com-
mons. No, no—the country wants good and equitable
laws, not long and sarcastic speeches ; well digested
measures of Reform, not crude and contradictory
motions, ending in smoke ; wine and oil to heal the
wounds inflicted during the long night of Toryistn,
not gall and vinegar to incurably inflame them.

The Paris papers of Sunday have all been received,
but they are barren of all interesting intelligence. As
Marshal SouLT was not expected to arrive in Paris
before a late hour yesterday, of course nothing further
could be ascertained respecting the new Ministerial
arrangements. The defeat of the English Ministry
occasioned very little stir in Paris, although it may be
expected to have a considerable effect on the future
councils of LOUIS PHILIPPE.

Intelligence from Bayonne to the 25th ult. has been
received, which states that hostilities have partially
ceased between the Royalist and Usurping armies.
A Royal courier, the bearer of despatches to the
British Government, from his Britannic MAJESTY'S
Consul at Bilboa, was, on the 4th ult., stopped near
Bergara by a party of Carlists, and conveyed a pri-
soner to the head-quarters of the Prince. The
Usurper is reported to have ordered his instant release,
and that a mule should be provided for him, if he • re-
quired one, to expedite his journey ; but be this as it
may, the courier has not since made his appearance.

Cape of Good Hope Journals to the 31st of De-
cember have been received, which bring intelligence
that the Caffres have recently wade several diabolical
attempts to destroy Graham's-Town, and carry away
the property of the colonists in that neighbour-
hood. In the latter they succeeded to a consi-
derable extent, having driven some thousand heads
of cattle among the mountains. The greatest
alarm prevailed among the Colonists for several days ;
the military were called out, and the local authorities
took every precaution to defend the lives and property
of the inhabitants. Notwithstanding these exertions,
several lives were lost ; the Caffres waylaying and
butchering the farmers wherever they could find them.
After three days spent in repelling the repeated
attacks of the Caffre hordes, Lieutenant Colonel
Somerset and a detachment of the 75th Regi-
ment, succeeded in driving - them into their native
fastnesses, but not before nearly an hundred of them
had been killed in skirmishes with the troops. Mean-
while, the local authorities are actin e in preparing for
the defence of the Colony. Military stores of all
kinds were to have been sent to Graham's Town from
Cape Town on the Ist of January ; and on the same
day, the Hon. Colonel SMITH was to proceed with all
expedition to join the troops in pursuit of the Caffres.

The Ceylon Government Gazette of the 13th of
August, contains a proclamation issued by his Excel-
lency Sir R. WILMOT HORTON to the inhabitants of
the island, relative to a conspiracy against the British
Government, which originated with certain Kandyan
Chiefs and Priests, for the purpose of overthrowing
British supremacy in the Island. One of the means
chosen by the conspirators for effecting their treason-
able purpose was to represent to the natives that it was
intended by the British Government to destroy the reli-
gion of Buddhoo, and to revive the system of compulsory
service under which they had formerly groaned. This
the Governor denies in the Proclamation, quoting the
orders in Council for the protection of the believers in
the mysteries of Bhuddhisin in their religious wor-
ship. The Proclamation further offers a free pardon
to all but the principal conspirators, on divulging
the secrets of the plot intrusted to them; and calls upon
every loyal subject of the British Crown to co-operate
with the British authorities in the punishment of the
leading conspirators then in custody. It is further
stated that every means had been taken to preserve
the public peace, and that the local government was
prepared to afford to the well disposed part of the com-
munity the fullest protection.

LITERATURE.

Vat. I.

BOSWELL'S LIFE OF JOHNSON.
Murray, London, 1835.
If this work be completed in the same careful, in-
dustrious, searching spirit in which it has been com-
menced, it will be the most perfect thing of the sort
ever published. Not only are the Johnsoniana of
Boswell recorded, but those also of the majority of his
cotemporaries—Hawkins, Piozzi, Murphy, Reynolds,
Stephens, and others. In addition to this, the Doc-
tor's " Diary of his Tour into Wales," and his well-
known " Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides," are pro-
posed to be incorporated. Even in its present state,
" Boswell's Life" is one of the most attractive books
in existence—what, then, will it be, when thus am-
plified and illustrated?—when not an anecdote is left
uugleancd, nor a single scrap of criticism or reflection
left unnoticed ? We shall here have Johnson exhi-
bited in his best and truest colours. Great as he
was- in his writings, it is allowed by Burke and
others, that he was still greater in his conver-
sation, and. if a doubt vet exist on this point,
the work before us will at once set it at rest. In every
respect, we look on Mr. Murtay's edition of Boswell
as mole important than any that has issued from the
Press for many years. It does not merely give us a
passing glimpse of the state of literature during the
last century, but lets us into the very interior—into the
sanctum sanctorum of the august temple.r We sit
familiarly with Johnson, and Burke, and GartiOcat the
tea-table by the fire-side in 80lt-court, or its more
formal state with them at the Literary Club. We be-.
come acquainted too—and this, by the bye, is not the
least of the delights we owe to Boswell--with dear
Goldsmith and his " peach-coloured" coat ; we listen
to, and laugh at, his naive confessions of jealousy ;
have the door in Bolt-court opened to us by " Barber,
the black servant ;" and in the dusk of evening see
gruff Sam stealing round the corner, to buy oysters for
his cat, Hodge. Where is the book in existence that
supplies us with such delightful reminiscences as these ?
Where is the bibgrapl►er who so disinterestedly sacrifices
himself to his idol, as Jemmy Boswell ? Honoured
be his name ! He has made a fool of himself for the
benefit of posterity, which will not be ungrateful for such
heroic martyrdom. While Johnson's broad seventy-
four continues to sail down the stream of time, Bos-
well's little cock-boat shall accompany it, towed along
in its wake, and attracting a due share of admiration.
The present volume is got up in the most chaste and
elegant style ; is illustrated with three clever embellish-
ments, one of which, sketching the visitors to Tun-
bridge 'Wells, among whom is Dr. Johnson, in the
year 1748, is alone worth the price of the whole vo-
lume ; is printed in neat type, and bound handsomely
in cloth.

COLB URN'S MODERN NOVELISTS, Vol. 111.

COLBURN. London, 1835.

We are here furnished with a re-publication of Lady
'lorgan's O'Donnell—perhaps the best, because the
most national and truest to life, of any she has ever
written—which is ushered in with a preface, penned in
a more unassuming style than is usually the case with
her versatile Ladyship. The tale is comprised in one
handsome volume, and brings agreeably to our recol-
lection our prime favourites, Mac Rory, and Lady
Llanberris.

ARBORETUM BRITANNICUM.
Longman: London, 1835.
Another of Mr. Loudon's publications, containing
a history and geography of the trees in the British
Islands, together with a variety of carefully-engraved
wood- cuts.