The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-07 00:00:00

the magistrate, has been levying contributions on
the charitable for. some years—has prevented his
obtaining more than a small portion of the moneys
sent to the offices for his use and benefit. But
we must confess our surprise that, on the full
detection of his imposture, Frazer was merely
ordered by the magistrate to withdraw. He ought
certainly to have been ordered into custody, and com-
mitted as a rogue
_and vagabond, if not prosecuted
as a cheat, who had obtained money under false
pretences. While • distress abounds, as it does, in
this vast metropolis, it is gratifying to find that where
a case of well-authenticated suffering is brought be-
fore the public, subcriptions are usually forwarded
from different parts of town and country for its relief.
It, however, becomes the duty of those who consent to
receive and apply 'such subscriptions to investigate
the cases, in order to test their truth. Such fellows
as Frazer arrest the current of benevolence, by excit-
ing doubts respecting the reality of accounts of genuine
distress. Of all itnpostors, those who impose on the
benevolent feelings of the charitably disposed, by tales
of pretended suffering, are, when detected, the most
deserving of punishment. We still hope that the
heartless vagabond.whose case we have alluded to will
not escape.
STANDARD.--As we anticipated, the promotion
of Mr. Erie to the bench is made the subject of com-
plaint with that part—we rejoice to say a contempti-
bly small part—of :,the Conservative party who, by
their own confession, have taken their side in.politics
principally with a view to make profit of their politi-
cal profession. " The Government," says the worthy
organ of this respectable band of mercenaries, " began
in Ireland with a certain Mr. Rowley, who was pro-
moted for no reason that any one could find out, ex-
cept that he was a IVhig. The same thing may be said
of the appointment of Mr. Erle to the bench, for,
although he is very unlike Mr. Rowley in re-
spect to the public recognition of his fitness for pro-
mot'on in a processional sense, yet, with all deference
to him, there are several raga of Conservative politics
at the bar, equally Competent with him to discharge
the offica otla judge."- The Government " began in
Ireland" with Mr. Sergeant Howley, and the Go-
Vernmsnt could not make a wiser, O more auspi-
cious beginning. Mr. Rowley may be a Whig
for any ting vos, know to the contrary, or he may
is,we know, certainly a
however, he is a Whig,
tbheea
Roman
lCvohcni
gsaetrhso'aGl
itciov.vee:7 alinflent neglected for eleven
years the claims of a gentleman whose pro •
motion would be an honour to any party, and that
was a kind of honour of which the Whig Govern-
ment stopd very much in need; we are, therefore,
inclined to suspect that Mr. Howley is not a Whig.
Be that, however, as it may, Mr. Howley's claims
upon the gratitude of the Queen's Government, whe-
ther Whig or Conservative, were the very highest
that could be offered.by any man. He was for many
years the most hard-worked provincial judge
in Ireland, presiding at the sessions of the
most turbulent county in the island, Tipperary.
_,To the faithful discharge of his duty he sa-
crified a respectable and rapidly improving
practice at the bar, and not only did he work hard,
he did his work well, according to the unanimous
testimony of those Of all parties who were the wit-
nesses to his judicial conduct. Repeatedly have we
ourselves been called upon by Conservative gentle-
men of his county to give publicity to his sessional
charges, distinguished alike by their ability and their
tendency to promote peace and the love of order in
a lawless and half-savage population ; and this has oc-
curred at a time when, under a Whig Government,
such notices were more likely to obstruct than to
advance his promotion. Now we say, observing the
distinction that we have taken above,
_between the
gratitude. due by the • Queen's Government. gene-ss
rally,' and partisan Government of any kind, that it
mere a criminal neglect in any Government to over-
look such merits. • Something surely is to be allowed
for services to the Queen and the Country, though
these- services are.. not rendered through any
party?. But 'Mr. Ilowley is 'a Roman Catholic.
Was not this a most fortunate circumstance in the
case ? Was it not a happy contingency, that at
the very time when •Whigs and Repealers sought
to recruit their ranks by solemn assurances
that Roman Catholics, of all classes and
denominations and degrees of merit, were
to be proscribed and- persecuted, a Roman Catholic
gentleman was found with such claims from talent,
character, and services, that by promoting him the
Conservative Ministers were in a condition to give
the lie to their inceadiary calumniators? How se-
verely the blow was felt by both Whigs and Re-
peelers, is proved by the alacrity with which they
united with the mercenaries in raising a clamour
against Mr. Howley's appointment to the coif.
We pass by with contempt the insinuated sneer
against Mr. Howley's competency. That gentle-
man's learning and talent are universally acknow-
ledged by those best qualified to judge of both, and
to judge of his pretensions. • We come to Mr. Erle,
whose competency is admitted bemuse it would be
as useless to dispute it in this country, where he
is known, as to dispute Mr. Howley's compe-
tency in the country. that has witnessed the Learned
Sergeant's career. But, says the organ of the mer-
cenaries, though Mr; Erle is competent, there are
others as competent. Doubtless—but would these
others, Mr. Erie's _equals in competency and in
standing at the bar, take the office conferred upon
him ? Would Mr. Erle himself take it, supposing
him a Whig, were his friends in office, or likely to
come into office ? We think not. This calls for a
little explanation. According to . the rule adopted of
late years, and adopted, as we are persuaded, upon
good grounds, there is no promotion of puisne judges
to the chief seats. These are usually filled by the
Attorney or Solicitor-General, as vacancies occur. A
lawyer is therefore " shelfed," according to the phrase,
when promoted to a puisne judgeship. Nobody ever
dreamed of naming Sir William Follett, Sir
Frederick Thesiger, ' or their probable successors,
for the late vacancy, because every one knows
a first-rate lawyer, or one wino-
that a chiell:4 object of ambition with
`hanks himself such ;
and this object is attainable only in ordinal's— Wises by
passing through the' Office of Attorney or Solicitor-
General. It is upon this ground, we presume, that Mr.
Erie did not solicit a puisne judgeship from the Whigs,
who, absit invidi a, promoted some gentlemen of very in-
ferior pretensions to his ; and it is upon this ground we
say that Mr. Erle (supposing him a Whig) would
not now accept a puisne judgeship were his friends
in office, or likely to .be in office. But if none
of his equals in -professional competency and
standing would accept of the seat conferred upon
Mr. Erie, how was the Government to tut ? Was
it to descend to men of inferior profession com-
petency and standing, -rather than promote a poli-
tical opponent, though a very moderate politician ?
Would this be to do justice either to the country or
to the profession ? l'Ve believe that the public will
not say that it would: But the lawyers, we are told,
abstained from voting at the late London election,
from a consideration of the too great liberality of
the Government in dispensing its patronage. This is
a self-contradicted ;falsehood. At the late Lon-
don election the Conservative lawyers had nothing
to complain of on this-head—for nearly all the legal
Peel's accession to office, has been of Conservatives,
appointments, if not absolutely all, from Sir Robert
upon this good reason, that the majority of the bar are
Conservative ; and the late Government had provided
for all their best men who would take the offices
that happened to fall vacant. The imputation cast
upon the bar by our Contemporary is not only
false, it is libellous. The members of the bar are
not political mercenaries, as the organ of the mer-
cenaries would represent them. They are indepen-
dent gentlemen, and the reason why some of them
did not vote at the late London election was, that the
election occurred in the vacation, when they were
out of town ; many of them out of the kingdom. We
hope that we have said enough upon Mr. Erie's ap-.
pointment. The interests of the country are not served
by keeping alive controversy upon such subjects.

MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS.

CITY, TUESDAY EVENING.

TIMES.—The premium on gold at Paris is 11 per mile,
which, at the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 100. per
ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25
42A ; and the exchange at Paris on London at shoe t
being 25 55, it follows that gold. is 0.49 per ' &At:
dearer in London Paris.

By advices from Hamburgh the price of gold is 435
per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 1 old
per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 13 10 ;
and the exchange at Hamburgh on London at short
being 13 101 it follows that gold is 0.11 per cent. dearer
in London than in llamburgh.
The course of exchange at New York on London i 3
110 per cent., and the par of exchange between Eng •
land and America being 109 23-40 per cent., it follows
that the exchange is 0.43 per cent. in favour of England
But the quoted exchange at New York being for bills
at 60 days' sight, the interest must be added to the
above difference.
- .

The Great Britain steam-ship will make one or
two experimental trips down Channels awl
to London.
then proceed