The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-09 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

WESTMINSTER REVIEW. No. LXXXIII.
Clarke, London, 1844.
The opening article in the present number of this
Review is devoted to a consideration of the character
of Lord Stanley in his public capacity as an orator
and statesman. The Reviewer appears to entertain no
very favourable opinion of his Lordship in either of
thee two capacities, and in reference to his political
tergiversation, observes :—" The spirit of his politics
has undergone little change during the twenty years
of his Parliamentary career, further than what might
have been expected to take place in the mind of a
proud young Whig Lord, by way of re-action against
the new powers evolved by the Reform agitation.
And on that point, in particular, which was the turn-
ing point of his secession from the political associates
of his youth, he may fairly challenge comparison
with the most doggedly consistent public man of the
age." The Reviewer then goes on to speak of the cha-
racter of Lord Stanley's Irislilegislation, and satis-
factorily shows that it was an arrant failure, remark-
able chiefly for the bitter animosity it exhibited towards
O'Connell. In the notice of the " Life and Corre-
spondence of Doctor Arnold" justice: is done to one of
the most manly, unaffected, patriotic spirits that
England has produced for many a year. Doctor
Arnold has the rare merit—rare, indeed, among pub-
lic men—of being thoroughly and heartily in earnest
in everything he wrote and did. Earnestness, indeed,
as the Reviewer justly remarks, was the predominant
characteristic of his merit, and ensured him the respect
and admiration all who knew him. He died too soon
fur his own fame, for, had his life been protracted but
ten years longer, there is no question that he would
have raised himself to the proud and enviable rank of the
first historian of his age. " Poems- by Miss Barrett"
is a just, but rather too cold criticism,.and the Re-
viewer passes without notice the most beautiful poem
she ever penned, " Bertha in the Lane," which no one
can peruse without being deeply affected by the
touching pathos that pervades every stanza. The
" Influence of Aristocracies" is an interesting and
important subject, wholly spoiled by the dry, heavy
business-like style in which it is treated. Of the few
remaining articles, the best is the notice of " Horace
Twiss's Life of Lord Eldon." We subjoin, from the
article on " Lord Stanley," a pungent sketch of his
Lordship's character :

" Of Lord Stanley's more especially personal qualities
of character, as.exhibited in his Parliamentary life, we
need say little. They may be summed up in a word—
sc tyrannicalcohmeom/ b
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highest idea
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life
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making telling speeches, and
triumphs over personal and party opponents. A showy,
unscrupulous rhetoric is his highest intellectual gift. ills
ideas are uniformly poor and mean, as his elocution is
vigorous and imposing. He has a fine talent for making
himself disagreeable. It is observable of him that he
never jokes, except ill naturedly ; all his humour is ill-
humour. Lord Stanley is a proud man, too ; but his
pride is without moral dignity. He throws about his
words with a recklessness incompatible with a high, true
self-respect. He parts from the political associates and
friends of his youth (June, 1834) with feelings of the
deepest regret,' with no feeling of unkindnes.-, or want
of affectionate regard ;' a month afterwards, he assails
those friends with a speech full of plunder,' spolia-
tion," flagrant dishonesty,' petty larceny,' highway
robbery,' shop-lifting," thicable-rigging,'—and all this,
' from no motives of hostility towards his right honour-
able and noble friends, his late colleagues'—and whom
he perseveres in honourable-friending fur years after-
wards, as if nothing bad happened. .His tastes in ho-
nourable friendship' are, certainly, none of the most de-
licate. At present, his chosen right honourable friend
and political chief is one whom he has insultingly porn-
plimented for the ingenuity and art with which he
knows so well how to dress up a statement for the House
—a description which no man who respected himself
would apply to the most insignificant of his friends.' He
has as little of the true pride of intellect, as of the pride
of character. He adopts the Peel policy, speaks the
Peel opinions, eats the Peel pledges, and wears the Peel
livery, as obediently (if not as patiently) as any of the
regular Treasury hacks. The ascendancy which the in-
genious and artful Premier seems to have acquired over
this fiery spirit, shows that, with all his impetuosity of
temper, his aristocratic hauteur, and his rhetorical dog-
matism, Lord Stanley is not at bottom a man of an inde-
pendent mind. Lord Stanley's success in public life has,
on the whole, been commensurate with his ambition. Ile 0
bas been nSecietairof'State in two cabinets, and a Par- ,

liamentary leader, formidable alike to friend and foe, in
the front ranks of two parties. Of his statesmanship,
history will, however, have little to record, except that
all the countries with whose affairs he has been allowed
to meddle—lreland, Canada, the West India Islands, and
New Zealand—have successively had reason to rue the
day that gave this uncommonly clever man power over
the rights and happiness of his fellow-creatures." " P."

®The inhabitants of Preston-street were startled on
Tuesday evening by a flock of stormy petrels alighting
on the:roofs of their houses, where they continued dui.ing
the night to utter their shrill and doleful cry, as though
in apprehension of some great calamity. The fisher-
men look upon this unusual circumstance, which has
not occurred in Brighton for many years, as a sign of
a severe winter.—Brighton Herald.
WILL OF THE EARL OF KINTORE.—The will of
Anthony Earl of Kintore, late of Keith Hall, North
Britain, has just been proved in Doctors' Commons, by
John Blackie, Esq., one of the executors, power of prov-
ing hereafter being reserved for the other executors.
The will in a very few words directs that his plate,
household furniture, carriages, horses, &c. &c., be offered,
for sale to his eldest son, and in case he declines pur-
chasing them, divided, with the whole of his estate
amongst his family. The will is extremely short, and
the amount aproperty under it which is proved in Lon-
don is only 300 L (a mere nominal sum), for the purpose of
obtaiaing an investment of that amount. The will, how-
ever, when proved in Scotland, will include the whole of
his estates there, which are very large.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Dec. 7.

RING V. BARSON.
Mr. Justice- Elms summed up very minutely. He
said that the plaintiff was entitled to a verdict in what
damages they. might think sufficient, for the arrest after
he had been put out of the defendant's house, as he hid
done nothing to justify that course. But as to what
had taken place within the house, they must con-
sider whether the conduct of the plaintiff in the par-
lour had been, as was alleged, so disorderly as, to
warrant the landlord in removing him. For that was
the defendant's plea, and not that the plaintiff was
ejected in consequence of the offence for which he had
suffered imprisonment. The Learned Judge agreed with
Mr. Sergeant Talfourd, that it would be hard if a man,
having atoned for his fault according to the laws of his
country, should be infamous for life,and be prevented from
returning to an honest course of life. But that question
did not arise, as the defendant had pleaded in justifica-
tion only the disorderly conduct of the plaintiff in the
house, and not his previous character, although the latter
had been referred to by counsel on both sides.
The jury retired to consider- their verdict, and after
deliberating about three hours, found for the plaintiff—
Damages, 205., on all oounts.