The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-18 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR. ECONOMIC LIFE ASSURANCE
The Queen and Prince Albert, the members of the I SOCIETY.
,:mte, and the household, attended Divine servic.e The ordinary Annual Court of the Shareholders
:(1,?.3,, at Claremont. The Hon. and Rev. C. Leq.l: ofthis soc.e,y,
Quinquennial
'Courtenay officiated.
The Queen and Prince Albert walked in Claremont General-Cnurt were- held-at Radley's Hotel, Black-
Park on Saturday forenoon. In the afternoon, her Ma-
friars, on Saturday last. The Chair was taken, at two
jesty and his Royal Highness took an airing in the vi-
o clock, by the Right Hon. Thomas Frankland
cinity of Claremont, in a pony phaeton. The Hon. Col. Lewis.
Grey, Equerry in Waiting on her Majesty, attending on Secretary Mr. C. J. DOWNER, after reading the
horseback. notice calling the meeting, proceeded to present the
The Royal Family, accompanied by the Dowager statement of accounts. From this it appeared that
Lady Lyttelton, were taken an airing in Claremont Park the receipts for the year had been 150,7471. 7s. 3d.;
on Saturday. and that, after investing 81,2651., and discharging all
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent attended I claims, there was a balance on hand of 4,2041. 14s. 3d.
Divine service yesterday Morning in the chapel at Ken- The assets of the Society are detailed in the quin-
sington Palace. Lady Fanny Howard was in waiting
uennial Re qport.
on her Royal Highness.
The Duchess of Cambridge honoured the Italian The Auditors stated, in their report, that though
Opera with her presence on Saturday evening. The it was impossible for them to enter into the minute
Baroness Ahlafeldt, Baron Knesebeck, and Major Ste- calculations of the Actuary as to the assets and lia-
phens, were in waiting on her Royal Highness. bilities of the Society, they were satisfied •of the
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent took an air-- correctness of the principle on which those calcula-
ing in a carriage on Saturday. tions were based, and they considered that great
A Cabinet Council was held at three o'clock on Satur- praise was due to him for the zeal and attention which
day afternoon, at the Foreign-office. The Ministers he had manifested in discharging the duties of his
present were Sir Robert Peel, the Duke of Wellington, office.
Lord Wharncliffe, the Duke of Buccleuch, Earl of Aber- The CHAIRMAN moved that the statement and re-
deen, Lord Stanley, Sir James Graham, the Chancellor
ports be received and entered on the minutes. After
of the Exchequer, the Earl of Haddington, the Earl of
a short conversation, the motion was carried unani-
Ripon, the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, and Sir Henry
.Hardinge. mously.
The Lord Chancellor arrived at half-past three o'clock, The CHAIRMAN then moved, and it was carried
and joined his colleagues. unanimously, that 1401. be awarded to the auditors
The Council sat two hours and a half. for their services during the past year.
A deputation connected with the West Indies, induct The retiring auditors were re-elected by the
ing Mr. Cane, Mr. Colvile, Mr. Hankey, and Mr. Back- meeting.
ley, had an interview with Sir Robert Peel, on Saturday, The CHAIRMAN said, that having now disposed of
at his official residence in Downing-street. the ordinary business of the annual court, it would
Mr. Colquhoun, Resident for the Hanse Towns, trans- be their pleasing duty to proceed to what was in-
acted business at the Foreign-office on Saturday.
finitely more important. They had now arrived at
At the meeting of the Commissioners of Fine Arts
held en Friday, at Gwydyr House, at which Prince an exceedingly important period in the history of
Albert presided, several of the reduced drawings, exe- this Society.—(Hear, hear.) He would not antici-
cuted by the Messrs. Linnell, from the Prize Cartoons, pate what they were about to hear from the Actuary's
were submitted to the inspection of his Royal Highness report; he would only remind them, that this was
and the Commissioners. probably the most important meeting which had
Mr. Plumptre, Mr. Beckett, and a deputation con- ever taken place in connection with the affairs of that
sisting of twenty-five gentlemen, connected with banks Institution. Before the Actuary read the quinquen-
in country towns and districts, had an interview with nial Report, he begged topropose that the four retiring
Sir-Robert Peel on Saturday, in Downing-street. Directors. Lancelot Baugh Allen, Esq., Henry
. Dispatches for the Governors of the West India Barnet, Esq.,jArehibald. Haat* Esq., M.P., and John
Colonies were sent off from the Colonial-office on Su-
Mendham, Esq., should be re-eleed,
turday evening.
The motion was carried unanimously.
Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governor of Van Diemen's Land. The ACTUARY then read the quinquennial Report, of
The puke of Wellington attended the early service which the following is an abstract :—The Directors,
in the Chapel Royal, St. James's, yesterday. The Rev. after expressing the pleasure the, felt in being able
Dr. Wesley oflithatedr,nd preached the sermon. to present the fourth quinquennial Report, proceeded
ne Bishop of Durham preached yesterday at the to say that the assets had been valued 1 1 on the pr.notp,c
daily seryiee in the Chapel Royal, St. James's, The Rev. of making precautionary allowance for poisi-
J. V Povab mad the prayers, the Rev. C. Packman, the ble fluctuations in the prices of stock, and the
lessons, and the Bistitop of London officiated at the Com- value of the liabilities had been ascertained by
munion Service, assistedky the Rev. Dr. Sheath. The methods calculated to eTelade errors, and to afford
Marquises of Anglesey and Salisbury, Viscount and
full confidence in the result a, The value of tbiAgget..s?
Viscountess Palmerston, Lords Vivian, Wharncliffe, and . .
consisting of Government securities, interesta,
A. Paget were among the Nobility present.
mortgagee, assurance" preniitinaa, and interest due on
investments, with the balances at hanks and cash in
hand, amounted to 673,6314 17s, 4d. The total lia,
bilities, consisting of 70,0004 of the shareholders'
fund, with interest thereof, the value of polices and
bonuses thereon, the claims accrued but unpaid,
charges for commission agents, taxes, &c., amounted
to 3493204; leaving a Valance of 19418124 It ap-
peared from this statement that, after making provision
for every existing liability) and a prudent esth
mate of the assets, a clear auplua of 124,312/.
remained for distribution among the shareholdare,
and the assured; and this result was obtained with-
out, -in any way, anticipating profits to be hereafter
realised. It was provided in the 4eP4 of aettlellnent
that as scion as one-fourth of the profits realised should
equal the portion of the subscribed capital actually
paid up, the Shareholders should be paid off 50,000/.,
and 20,0001, had been added to that amount; so that
30,0001. was requiied to naakp op the 50,0001. to pay
off the Shareholders, which would be suffi-
cient to redeem - each share of 250/. at
5001. his one-fourth of the surplus was fully suffi-
cient to pay the gp.,00/. to •the Shareholders,
according to the provisions of the deed of settlement
they must be paid off. Although the Directors were
allowed three months for that purpose, yet they were
willing to eonamence the redemption of the shares
immediately, gwing *ow: tkr each share, with in-
terest thereon at the rate of four and a half per pent.
per annum, up to the date of _surrender. Interest
would pease on and after the Ist of July next on
such shares as should not be then surrendered. After
deducting 30,0001. for the Sharehelder§ from the gross-
surplus, the sum •of 94,312/. would remain as the
portion of the policy-holders ; but as nineteen shares
were held by the Society, the bonusses pertaining to
them 'fell into the asaurance fund, and increased its
amount by 2,8501., thereby making the surplus of the
assurance fund 97,1021, In dealing with the as-
surance fund, the Directors considered that it would
not be prudent to appropriate the entire surplus now
in hand ; for, although the reserved value of the policies
was adequate to the existing liabilities, they thought
it desirable to have a precautionary surplus, in order
that the chamfer and credit which had produced the
present prosperous results might he continued. They
therefore proposed to retain one-third of the surplus.
Two-thirds of the surplus of 97,162/., viz., 64,7,554,
would, at the average age of the participating mem-
bers, viz., ?orty-seven, securereversionary bonuses
to the amount of 109,2954, or thirty-three per cent.
on the premiums on which it is computed—that 15,
on five premiums from those whe participated in the
last diviahan, and from five to nine on those
who then participated for the first time. The
remaining third now reserved, would accumulate
at interest for the sole benefit of the assured till the
next period of division, and to prevent any loss upon
such policies as might become claims in the interim,
the Directors proposed a prospective contingent bonus
of 1/, per cent. per annum on all beneficial policies on
which claims sfiould accrue before the next division
of profits, when a re-adjustment would by Inatiet
The contingent and absolute bonuses, taken toge-
ther, were equivalent in value to an absolute
bonus of 46 per pent, on the amount of premiums
with which it was compared, In addition
to the three options given at the last division—that is,
of applying the bonus to increase the sum assured, or
to reduce the premiums either for the whole of life,
Pr fox Op years only—the Directors now offer a
fourth, in the form pf a ready money bonus. By pay-
ing off the Share4iolderSl the constitution of the So-
ciety would undergo an important change, and the
Economic would heeellic a Mutual assurance society,
under circumstances highly favourable to the assured;
for, independently of other advantages, the whole of the
proate, would henceforward be divided amongst those
assured, on the equal scale ofpremiums. As a Mutual
Assurance Society, the Rcontimip will present advan-
tages surpassed by no other; the premiums charged.
being hewer than those of any office which divided pro-
fits with the assured, apt} much lower than those of any
mutual assurance society. The rflodp pf applying
bonuses was strictly equitable, and was adaptOd tp
every variety of circumstance. The wither Of poll-
des lad ineretteed during the last five years from
4,308 to 6,001 ; the income from
The
had in-
ereased from 70,591/. to 90,500/. The average receipts
for premiums for the five years amounted to
85,1251. per annum. The claims amounted to
37,190/. per annum. and the bonuses added to such
claims 1,4501. per annum. The large number of
assurances now existing afforded a security against
such 4eviations as might result from a paucity
of numbera. eenelusion, the Directors recom-
mended the Society as one which was as much enti-
tled to public confidence for the equity of its prineir
pies, as it was to preference for the economy of its
management and the liberality of its practice,
The cgAjaviAac said the remarkable elearness and
accuracy of the Report, rendered it unnecessary for
him to make any addition to its statements. He
could not, however, refrain from congratulating them
on the state of their affairs. It was eertalnly re-
markable, that a Society started on the principle of
low premiums rather OAP large bonuses, should in
the twentieth year of its existence, have attained
such prosperity, as to be-able -to disencumber itself
Pf Me vyrjght arising from having Shareholders, and
to give a handsome bpnns to the parties whose in-
terests were concerned. The Director§ were deter-
mined to continue to watch over the interests of the
Society, Though there might be societies which bad
larger connexions, if any me would show him an
office which was conducted on more honourable prin,
ciples, he would not continue any longer to occupy
the chair.—(Cheers.)
In reply to a question from a Shareholder,
The CHAIRMAN said, that every Shareholder
would receive double the amount which he had in-
vested, With interest of 4f per cent. up to the Ist pf
July, and if any person wished to receive the money
immediately, he Might obtain it with interest, calcu-
lated up to the day of payment,
sjuney suggested the propriety of presenting
a gratuity to tile Actuary, as an acknowledgement of
the deep sense which they entertained of the value
and importance of his services ; but, at the request of
the Chairman, the matter was left in the hands of the
Directors, who, it was stated, had already taken the
subject into their consideration,
Mr. G. BARTLEY proposed a vote of thanks to the
Directors for the zeal and ability which they had dis-
played in managing the affairs of the Institution.
The motion having been seconded, the Chairman
and 1I F. Stephenson, Esq., the Deputy-Chairman
of the Board, returned thanks on behalf' of the Di-
rectors. The meeting then separated,

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

The Haymarket play-bill, of,Saturday, announced
;hat, on that evening would be revived, With ne,w
scenery, dresses, and decorations, Shakspere's comedy
of the Taming of the Shrew, from the original text,
as acted divers times at the Globe and Blackfriars
Playheleiee, 1606." The promise held forth in this
announcement was kept to the letter, and never,
during our memory, has there been so complete, and,
we may add, so successful a Sheltsperia.n revival as
this of the Taming of the Shrew at the Haytnerket.
After this glorious restoration of the original five-
act comedy of Stiaksrpre, Garrick's three-act farce of
Katherine and Petruchio wilt ne longer be tolerated.
Ail future representations of this 6onledy must be
from tiv original text, and to Mr. Webster is due the
honour of lae,ing restored this most amusing of
comedies to the gage. In the manner in which the
play has been put upon the stage, everything has
been done to convey us back to the days et' Shak-
spere ; and the visitor to the Haymarket, who sees
the Taming of the ShreiP, will have a more complete
idea of what a play really was in the days of Shak-
spere, of the state of the stage and of the drama in
Queen Bess, than be could
the glorious days of good
possibly acquire by reading all the deep dissertations,
or listening to all the Itiarn
ed lectures that have ever
been written or delivered on, the aubject.
" Segaies irritant animos demissa per anrinn,
Quern gum aunt oculis subjecta lidelibus, et Lime
Ipse sibi tradit spectator."
The play was preceeded by a Shakesperian over-
ture, composed by Sir Henry R. Bishop in the true
Shaksperian spirit, and the entre act and incidental
music was selected from the works of Festa Wili~y e,
and from popular melodies of the sixteenth century.
The whole of the musical arrangements reflect the
highest credit on the taste of Mr. T. German Reed,
to whose superintendence they were confided. Pre-
vious to the induction, a beautiful drop-scene from
the pencil of Mr, Charles Marshall was exhibited.
This scene is an illustration of London in the olden
time, 4.yl is taken from Holla's eelebra.t„ed print.
In the foreground we have the Bankside, with the
Globe, Rose, and Faris-garden Theatres, with the
Thames crossed by Old 'London-bridge, and in the
back ground, on the other side of the iiver? we have
Old St. Paurs, the far-famed may-pole of St. Andrew
Undershaft, kind Ow Tower, surrounded by the houses
of the ancient city. This scene, e faithful represen-
tation of the London of Shakesperds tiny, is beautiful,
considered as a work of art, and curious as an antiquarian_
illustration, and it§ exhibition is peculiarly appropriate
ap carrying us back to the Globe Theatre, Shakes?
peare's il'.2atre, in which, under Shakespeare's owl
superintendence, the Taming of the Shrew was origi.
nally represented, and a which original representa-
tion as near a fac-simile as posible was about to be
presented to an audience of the nineteenth century.
The scene rises ; we are introduced to Christopher
Sly; and the ludngtinty one of the most delicious
pieces of comedy that eYeT prwyded even from the
pen of Shakespeare, ennnen,c-e§? f3tlriChlAnd was
the Christopher Sly, and never did .01.4 4/43'
Shakesperian actor appear to greater Wyatt?
tage. He was the very Christopher Sly of
the Bard, and his bye-play during the acting of the
comedy, at which he sat as a spectator, was ad-
mirable. The players come in, and the ',ppm in the
Lord's house is fitted up to represent a theatre of the
sixteenth century—a framework is run across the
back of the stage, on each side of which is suspended
a deco et' arras. The centre is occupied by a mil.?
tam, thus forming the two wings and the centre door, in
modern parlance, through which the dramatis personae
"have their exits and entrances!' An attendant
fixes cet the curtain a label, bearing the inseription,
" A public Ow in Padua." Tranio and Lucentio
enter, and the comedy eotimpees. When the scene
changes to an interior, a curtain falls, and an atten-
dant again eaters, and fixes upon the curtain a labol;
stating that the scene is intended to represent " A
room in Baptista's house," yr " A room in Petruchio's
country house," as the case may be ; and this is all
the change of scenery that takes place throughout
the comedy, The success of this play, thus acted,
proves the truth of an opinion which we have long
1144, that, however neeeesau splendid scenery may
be to a id play, or to a good play badly acted, it is
worse than paelesz to a good play well represent ;d.
throughout. To a mere melodramatic actor, who
wishes to set up as an eracc4ey of the marvellous
creations of Shakspeare, A strict attention to the
min:laq? of local scenery and of local costume ik
absolutely neepgary. It distracts the attention from
the creations of the poet to those of the scene-painter
and the Wier, thus rendering the andience less attentive
to the short-comings of the mime, and proving that
although he may be no actor, he is at least a tolerable
antiquarian, and a most painfully accurate topogra?
pit er and costumier; but when a sterling play is acted
throughout, in tifeeterling manner in which the Taming
fif the Shrew was acted et the fiAimarket on Saturday,
wyym all engaged in its production stew themselves
artists in th,e, strictest sense of the word, by giving to
each part Its proror and just proportion, and seem to
vie with each other orityln doing justice to their author
-.?-not in rendering themselves' indiyidually the ob-
jects of fittentlone--whe.n a good play Is e!icepently
acted as a whole, then title prt.l.luncts. of splendid scenery
and gorgeous costumes,
tip impprlp.mint intrusions, and
the sooner they are relegated to the reNiorts of spec-
tacle, mejodrama, opera, and ballet, where, KO
where alone, they ere in their proper places, the
hetter will it be for the dminAtic art, and for dramatic
artists—authors as well as actors, irjrl.Nisbett was
the Katherine, which is stating, in a we'd, that
Katherine was represented to the life. Webster's
Petrncio is by far the best Once the days of Charles
Kenible• Bilekstone's Grumio, although scarcely the
Grumio of Shskspere, was very laughter:liming,
and seemed highly relished by the gods, while the
Tailor of Mr. Clarke was delicious, little bit of
genuine acting. In fact, all the characters were ex-
cellently represented; but we cannot OW this
notice without mentioning the Pedant of Mr. Sumter,
viritiFli was excellent. The ehange from the humble
pedant grateful to Tranio for big vouchsafed pro-
tection to the blgstering old man, bullying the real
ViAapptio out of his pei'e4llal identity,
;and calling on
those areitnel to lay hands on 41yillain as one who
means to cen somebody under his countenance, was
admirable, and PYPY:e§ ltlr, Santer to be an actor, in
the best sense of the word. At the fall of the curtain
there were loud calls for the Manager; and Webster
came forward, and amidst the most rapturens eiTere
ing announced the play for repitition every evening.
hip then led forward Up. Nisbett, who was received
with the 11411.31 honours. The Lotist; yyas crowded to
excess before the ing of the curtain.

!already distinguished artist la fi*P4 OF §a
AD. PE F4v4NTL—The first appearance of this
debyt - excites intense interest;for it is a novelty to find a
At tho meeting of the Glasgow and Greenock Rail-tinll4y next. Her I
A dividend of ss, per share on the 4/.
way held last week,
shares, and a div•ideryl of 29. 6d. on the 12/. 10s. shares, were 1 Young Fvlivyqtif4 Englishwoman departing for a fOreigii
declared, the net profits dl.*ittie fur the half-year, after de- I country, to se4: is ai4st frp which prejudiceS Might de-
ductingexpestoOr 4., being .9,1,68 b The 11417.1ber of passen- ! Prive her of here. Italy, 9 w,p;,;e4 14P4 "1)0114?Plig,Ccl "iP ;
gers carried on the Thlp during the last six mooch. -..qs her favour, and it remains for this country to conrrn tip
424,779. Thepirectors,ar,e expip4sing much ecOriotny to increa;se juidgment of the Neapolitan critics and amateurs, who were
the revenue of the company, and th,e idea of an extension of quite taken by surprl,se at the ex.traordinary compass of a I
tratlig ley stitana-boats appears to wet general concurrence. I beautifideorgan, combined with a fervour q style! that t.4a
.-Tunics. ---Italians bad never given English artists credit for.—Observer.

THE O'CONNELL BANQUET.
FROM TIIE PROVINCIAL JOURNALS.
The dinner to 1). O'Connell, Esq., on Tuesday even-
ing, at Covent-garden Theatre, was tbe,most extra-
ordinary manifestation of public feeling and sym-
pathy that has ever been exhibited in this country
Thousands upon thousands assembled; not to impart
laurels to the brow of the conqueror, fresh from the
toils of triumph and victory on the battle-field; not to
applaud the statesman who, with unselfish policy, had,
like a true patriot, succeeded in establishing measures
conducive to the welfare of the country ; but to hail,
with enthusiasm the man who, for his " constant and
consistent advocacy of the rights and privileges of Irish-
men," has been branded with the character and position
of a " convicted conspirator." Branded, did we say ?
Not so—the mel-administration of justice may have en-
deavoured to make him appear so ; and packed juries,
misdirected by prejudices and the charges of partial
judges, may return verdicts of guilty, but the voice of
the united nation is stronger than these, and made that
a mark of honour, which was intended to be a brand of
disgrace.—Dover Chronicle.
The great dinner to Mr. O'Connell, in Covent-garden
Theatre, on Wednesday last, respecting which the note
of preparation was sounded immediately after the con-
viction of that gentleman, is the most stirring local event
of the last fortnight. It was a great demonstration,
the company numbering upwards of 1,100. The Earl
of Shrewsbury, forgetting the feud between him and the
guest of the night, threw himself into the van, and
warmly expressed his admiration of, and his sympathy
for, the foremost man of his own religious faith. Both
Houses of Parliament were fairly represented at the
dinner—the Commons liberally so,— TV ifinter and qmith'.v
European Times.
The enthusiastic reception accorded to Mr. O'Connell
at tile grand banquet in Covent-gardent Theatre, on
Tuesday evening, must have been gall and Wormwood to
his persecutors. Never was " convicted conspirator," so
honoured before, His faults—his follies--Ais inflamma-
tory appeals to the passions of the Irish people—his
abuse of " the Saxon"—his coarse denunciation of the
Whigs—were all forgotten, or merged in admiration for
his unwearied and consistent advocacy of the rights and
privileges of his countrymen, HA was looked upon as a
political martyr—as the victim of a judge,made law—as
a powerful opponent whom Ministers sought to crush by
means abhorrent to English notions of justice and fair
play.—Lancaster Guardian.
Mr. O'Connell was entertained at a magnificent ban-
quet in Covent-garden Theatre, on Tuesday night, when
1,150 persons Sat 'clown to evince their sympathy with
the great Tither:4or, We learn from the prjyate letter of
a friend in London that—f` On the first utterance of Mr,
O'Connell's name by the Chairman, a siiignlar scene
took place, as if by magic. Each of the 1,150 persons
who dined was supplied with a napkin, and, as if by one
impulse, they were waived over the heads of the entire
MaSa• The tiara of bo"fe*, erarnnted with ladies in full
dress, took the ene, And the interior of the lingo Wild,
ing was one flutter of white. Ma, O'Connell told me
this morning that he had never seen anything to equal
it, and added, in his own peculiar heartfelt way, Oh,
wasn't it beautiful !' "—Carlisle Journal.
The dinner given to Daniel Q'Connell, Esq., M.P., to
show the sympathy pf Daniel
with 4:i hi and
the admiration entertained in this country for .the cop •
stela advocate of the rights and privileges of Irishmen
for more than forty years, took place at Covent-garden
Theatre on Tuesogy night, opiler to twconinsodate
the immense number pf gentlemen ti,h9 were desirous of
showing their respect to Afr. O'Connell, the Committee had
made arrangements for enlarging the area of the theatre
to its utmost possible extent, but the additional room thus
afforded was rourid to be insufficient, and many hundreds
were disappointed. The same thing eccurfod v,ith fegaial
to the bca and gallery tickets. They were all disposed of
some days since ; and we have heard of high premiums
being offered to, those Who were fortunate enough tp
possess one, to endeavour to induce them to dispOse of
it. The doors.liere opened at half-past five, anti the
theatre was filled in a very few minutes, but so admire,
blis were the arrangements, that thete Wa4 not the least
crowding or confasion, Every person admittecl had the
number 'of his.pMe marked for his ticket, and Was imme-
diately conducted to his place. About 1,080 persona sat
down to dinner, and there were 180 waiters to attend
upon them. At half-past five the band entered the
nrchpstra and commenced playing, and they continued
performing a series of popular airs until. six e'clock,
when a flourish of trumpets announced the approach of
Mr. O'Connell; the Chairman, and the other distin-
guished guests. All present rose, the ladies in the boxes
waived their hatulkerchitfs, and were most enthusiastic
in their greetings of the Liberator. The gentlemen
cheered most rapturously, and even the reception with
which Mr. O'Connell was greeted at the meeting of the
Anti-Corn-law League in; this theatre, three weeks
Mee? Was ksa warm than the reception with which he
was greeted this eyessing,=-Somerqi County Grqet(e.
(From the Weekly Chronicle.)
The Tory press has been driven frantic by the success of
the demonstration in honour of gr. O'Connell, which, though
pe
not attended so largely as it would have been, by public men,
hati a little more carp beeit ta4ll O. disconnect it from the
re al agitation,
Was certainly most remarkable both for the
talent displayed in its proceedings, and for the enthusiasm
and unanimity that prevailed.
Hence the bitterness with which it is assailed. The Times
calls it " a wretched mummery ;"—a display of " ill-conditioned
folly, and unblushing indecency;"-.-s a sympathy with sedi-
tion, worse than that of American Sympathisers, who, at
least, hare the excuse of belonging to a-ltostik rate," The
Standard talks of " a convict dinner," attended by a rabble
of the very lowest description"-tion",--the " Canaille of Great Bri-
tain;".-.-" men who would not,, be displeasetto see the whole
of society dragged down to their own level!" And it ends
this infamous calumny by as infamous a perversion of Holy
Writ, for # applies to itself, and its political friends, whose
rancoroiteVgotry has disturbed for fifty years the peacefill
relations between this country and Ireland, and made the
ture, which says," happy art thou,
stability of their future union doubtful, a passage of Scrip-
-0 Israel Who is like
unto thee, 0 people, saved by the Lord---the shield of thy help,
and who is the sword of thy excellency. And thine enemies
shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon the
High places."
We hate this desecration of the Bible—this impudent, and
profligate, attempt to debase that, which all must desire to
reverence, into an instrument of party, and personal, spite.
Why" If " Israel" mean the Government,—and "the People,"
the Conservative party,—as the Standard would imply,—it
is the Lord Chief Justice Pennefather, that has saved them
in their struggle with Repeal, not that higher Lord, to whom
they profanely appeal! He is their "sword !"—A packed
jury their " shield !"—And tko couple the success of such
trpckaecryrisyviiticeh
inconceivable to ordinary minds,
high, and holY,' things, requires a brazen
bybet no man &..leitse us of irreverence in speaking thns. The
thauthority
And a
r fore
blame, and the resperniibility, lie with these, who first invoice
Scripture as a cloak 'to their dirty designs, and then, upon
the strength of its sanction, calumniate the rest of mankind.
Does the Standard dare to assert that no manis a good
Christian, who thinks that Mr. O'Connell, in the recent pro,
ceedings ageing him, has not had fair play Is there
thetl e
thousands chicanery
in-
telligent, men, who, at Birmingham, and in Covent-garden,
have recorded their belief,—in the words of Lord John Rus-
sell,—that, of
honest,of Dir. T. it I
and sCcorsianctknrsalmi
sell,—that, with an English judge, and an English jury, upon
the same evidence, the verdict, in 'Mr. O'Connell's case
would probably have been reversed,—to be classed as rebels
Against the authority of Heaven, instead of as men denounc-
ing justly the infirmities of an earthly judge?
There was a time when cant was all-powerthl in this coun-
try, and that time the Standard would willingly bring back.
We have little fear of its succeeding; but still it behoves
men to keep their eyes open. Religious diseases are, of all
others, the most insidious. The snake may be scotched, not
killed. It is, certainly, not at Covent-garden, however, that
any symptoms of its resuscitation must be sought, for the
change that has taken place io the sentiments of the English
middle classes was never snore strikingly marked. Forty
years ago, nothing short of a miracle would have induced
elez en hundred men, few of whom are known as strong poli-
tical partisans, to meet together, to do honour to a Catholic,
and a conspirator, whom the law of the land is about to con-
sign to prison, and whom the religious prejudices of our an-
cestors declared unfit to participate in political rights.--Now,
the difficulty was to find admission for the numbers who
Wished to he present, and to restrain, within decent limits,
the warns sympathy which they expressed. Whence the
change? Is it folly? Is it wisdom? It is, at all events,
the most unmistakable proof, that men are beginning to
think, and act, for themselves
We only regret, as we began by stating, that from the
sweeping tones, in which the invitation to Mr. O'Connell
was worded, and the unqualified admiration which it ex-
pressed " of his political conduct for the last forty years"--all
of which a little care might have avoided—hundreds of
Liberal men, both English and Irish, who sympathise as truly
as any of those present at the dinner, both with his country
arid with him, were prevented from being present by the fear
of being supposed to have abandoned, or compromised, their
Own op nions Opon the question of Repeal,
But than& their concurrence might have given a less ex-
clusive character to the list of stewards, and filled the cross
tables with higher sounding political names, they could have
added very little to the gratification of those present, for
O
nothing could be better m' the way, In which the proceed
ins of night were conducted, or more catching than the
spirit infused into them from the chair. Mr, I)tincombe never
ported his very remarkable talents with happier effect.
Every speech told. There was AO almost startling novelty in
his mode of introducing even the most ordinary toasts ; and
both his eulogy of Mr. O'Connell, his dissection of the ma-
jority against Lord Nonnanby's motion in the House of
Lords, Lord Ellenborough sending his proxy from Gwalior,
Nord Tsveetidaie from lininhay, and Lord Sidniouth rising froin
his coffin, to record. a last vote against that Irelapd, which
lie had so deeply injured while in power, were all perfect in
their way,
Mr. OConnell's speech was, of course, time great attraction
of the night but there were others that deserve remark,
Lord Shrewsl;ury's broad and bold distinction between a /ego/
and a constitutional right, is one that all parties will do well
to bear in mind in the times that are at hand; and the en-
thusiasm with which Mr. Henry Berkeley's hint was re-
ceived, " that an extension of the franchise was the best
security for the maintenance of those rights, which the gen-
tlemen now in power—in virtue of their legitimate descent
from the Ministers who passed Gagging Bills and suspended
the Habeas' Corpus Act—would so gladly curtail," may help
to avert the dangers which he apprehends.
The Sun newspaper afforded a remarkable proof, on Tina•
day, of the rapidity with which the Press performs Its duties
upon great occasions. .before the Westing broke up a full re-
port of the speeches of Mr. Duncombe, 11Ir. O'Connell, and
i
Lord Shrewsbury was n everybody's hands. It seemed as
if the words must have impressed themselves on paper as
they quitted the speakers' lips, without any of those inter-
mediate processes to which we know that wo are indebted
for the perfection painfully attained.

t'iollttil3lhueeed from the press. We perceive
has just made its
01 Turft;
sute teurs e andful ,
,p varietyock et ofc 0 itsm .
Com-
panion" or:npßtei
ocaunprff? ;,:stoliios:Gt
dt4tietiicals(ei
elydpetl
tyo
that, Insides greatly enlarging the list of " look q
oppfsgs, colppfs of the Fi4cfsi! 940 giving the Oxturel of all
the principal meetings tol/44 and 1845, it holds put an
additional claim on the patronage of the racing community,
in the shape of a "catalogue raisonne" of the English jockevs,
§howincrt not only their resiO9ce,l Anti lowest 4,14i00 'weights,
but thgnamps afiti order of precedence .of their tasters: A
table 'of this hind has long been wanted, and' will be found
generally serviceable. In all other respects the " qpidq"
Merits the name and cannot NI t() eoptmand an extensive
.
Sale.
There is a report in military circles that it is in,
..
in-
tended to aispate a reinforcement of 3,503 men to ouTrAlly
In Inqia. S% do not, !luwey9r, guarantee its accuracy.—
°Piercer. - -
. ..