The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-10 00:00:00

Brougham, but against five-sixths of the judges
whose peculiar province it is to expound and decide
the most difficult questions of criminal law. What
reasonable title, we ask, had Lord Cottenham to
vote, which is not shared with him by Lord Wharn-
cliffe? Both are lords ; one knows something of
criminal proceedings, the other knows nothing at
all about them. But from a spurious delicacy,
which has not even precedent to recommend it, Lord
Wharncliffe is deterred from voting, whilst Lord
Cottenham's opinion, opposed as we have seen by
nearly all the learning and experience of the age, is
permitted to decide the question. This would be
anomalous enough under any circumstances, but
when we look at the remarkable coincidence of opi-
nion of the law-lords, so far as their determination to
reverse the judgment was concerned, and remember
that they were all appointed to office by a Ministry
which made common cause with Mr. O'Con-
nell, and whose members are ready to make com-
mon cause with him again, it cannot be denied
that that coincidence is significant enough, and
one which is well calculated to invite distrust.
The pretext that the lay lords might not have heard
the arguments in the case is absurd ; but suppose such
to have been the fact. It was because they might
not have understood the legal intricacies of those
arguments that the aid of the common-law judges
was invoked ; because, also, those judges were
believed to be free from party prejudice ;
and because none of them had identified
themselves with the principles of the persons
whose case they were called to consider ; that their
opinions were invited. Having recorded, after the
most mature deliberation, those opinions, and accom-
panied them by the most lucid explanations of the
grounds on which they were founded, all ordinary
practice was disregarded, and their judgment was set
at naught because that very luminous expositor of cri-
minal law, Lord Cottenham, appears to have con-
sidered his learning and experience superior to theirs.

HER MAJESTY'S PROGRESS
DOWN CHANNEL.

SHEERNESS, SEPT. 9.—The Royal squadron passed
down Sea Reach at twelve at mid-day. A royal salute
was fired from her Majesty's ship Ocean, bearing the flag
of Vice-Admiral Sir John Chambers White.

HARWICH, SEPT. 9.—The royal yacht was abreast of
the Gunuleet beacon at 2 30 P.M. At 3 off this port,
when a salute was fired from Languard Fort, and the
colours hoisted at the Town-hall and at the Trinity-
house station. The yacht beat all the other vessels
while viewed from the heights, and was in sight two
hours.

ALDBOROUGII, Sept. 9.—At 5 15 P.M., off port, the
Queen and her attendants. Calm, with an easterly swell.
Her Majesty's steamer made signals, but they were not
understood.—Shipping Gazette.

ELECTION FOR CHAMBERLAIN.—At three o'cicck
this day the numbers were :—Mr. Alderman Brown,
2,101 ; Mr. Heppe', 61.
TILE QUEEN DOWAGER.—We are happy to state
that her Majesty the Queen Dowager arrived safely at
Witley Court, Worcestershire, yesterday evening, be-
tween five and six o'clock, where she was warmly
greeted by all the most influential inhabitants of the
surrounding neighbourhood.