The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-26 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

THE FORESTER'S DAUGHTER. 3 Vols.
Newby, London, 1844.

This is a story of the Reformation, by the author
of a tale entitled the " Thirst for Gold," which we
remember reading a year or two since with no ordinary
interest. The same peculiarities which characterised
that entertaining fiction characterise the one before
us—namely, a skilful mode of conducting the plot,
great variety of incident—which, however, is not
always sufficiently probable—spirit, if not abso-
lute consistency, • of portraiture, and powers
of terse, vigorous description of no ordinary
merit. The "Forester's Daughter" refers to
that exoiting period in history, when the
doctrines of Luther had alarmed the Catholic Church,
and made it doubly severe in its punishments of all
open violations of its ordinances. One of the
most effective passages in the story is the account
of the attempt at escape of a nun who has
become a secret convert to the reformed doctrines,
from her convent on the banks of the Rhine, in com-
pany with a young military man, by name Herman.
The whole incident of this escape is very dexterously
and forcibly wrought up.

CYCLOPEDIA OF ENGLISH LITERATURE
Chambers, Edinburgh, 1844.
In the present part, which is the twenty-sixth, of
this cheap miscellany, we find brief biographical
sketches of some of the more distinguished poets who
have flourished during the last half century ; among
them are the names of Byron, Keates, Shelley,
Pollok, Clare, Hemans, and Herbert Knowles, the
notices of whom are penned in a candid and discri-
minating spirit. To the memoir of each poet the
editor has attached one or more extracts from his
works, and these, generally speaking, are well selected.
The part is embellished with numerous engravings ;
but the majority of the portraits are sad failures, as
regards likenesses, especially those of Leigh Hunt
and the late James Smith, which bear no closer
resemblance to the originals than a Stilton cheese
bears to a grasshopper.

PHILLIP VON ARTE VEL DE.
Moxon, London, 1844.
We have here a republication, in one half-crown
duodecimo volume, of Air. Taylor's drama of " Phillip
Von Artevelde," which was no sooner published, about
five years since, than it obtained instant popularity.
It is a noble play, full of poetic imagery, and sus-
tained, elevated thought, but adapted exclusively for
the closet, being wholly deficient in that bustling and
continuous action so necessary to ensure success on
the stage. We regret to see that the author has re-
tained in his preface all those passages which—as we
remarked at the time—bore with unjust severity on
Lord Byron, who, with all his faults of style and
sentiment, WAS a genuine poet, if ever man was.

LEIGH HUNT'S POEMS.
Mozon, London, 1844.
In this cheap and neat edition we have the whole
of Mr. Leigh Hunt's poetical works, carefully re-
vised, as he tells us in his preface, and weeded of
many of those quaint peculiarities of phrase, which
years ago subjected him to the ridicule of the caustic
wags of Blackwood. On running our eye hastily
over " Rimini"—Mr. Hunt's most elaborate, but by
no means his most successful work—we find that the
alterations are unusually numerous ' • and we do not
think that he has at all improved, by his emendations,
his opening description, which was deservedly ad-
mired at the time, of an Italian spring morning.

THE MILITARY ANNUAL FOR 1844. Culburn.
This work is intended to supply a deficiency in
our " annual" literature, which furnishes no work re-
cording the gallant deeds of the English army, both
in present and past times, though the materials for
such a book are both rich and abundant. This is the
first volume of what we presume is to be a series; it
has been compiled from an immense mass. of autho-
rities of all kinds and descriptions, and brings toge-
ther a great number of facts, which would otherwise
have to be sought in the voluminous contents of Par-
liamentary reports, returns, general orders, dis-
patches, and even the columns of newspapers. The
" Soldier's Almanac," which commences the volume,
is a valuable table of reference for the chronology of
military events, and it is followed by a paper on
" Arms and Armies," which is to be continued till
the subject has been treated historically from the
earliest ages till the present time. This first part
gives an account of the wars and weapons of the
Jews and Romans, and a sketch of the struggle that
was terminated by the destruction of Jerusalem and
the Temple, and with them of the nationality of the
Jewish people. The rest of the work is a compila-
tion from the sources we have named. The work is
embellished with fine steel engravings of the Duke of
Wellington and the late Lord Rill.

IRELAND.
THE STATE TRIALS.

DUBLIN, APRIL 24.—1 n accordance with the notice served
yesterday afternoon on the traversers and their agents, the
motion for a new trial, delayed from Monday last, on the-ap-
plication of the Attorney-General, will come on to-morrow
morning at the sitting of the Court of Queen's Bench. The
affidavits filed by the Crown, on which to ground their re-
sistance to that motion, are those of the clerks of the peace,
Messrs. Archer and Dickinson, George Magrath' their chief
clerk, William Kemmis, Crown solicitor, and also the affi-
davit of a person named Magrane, a clerk in the office of the
clerks of the peace. There is another affidavit, but upon an
immaterial point, from Mr. Hodges, the Government re-
porter. The notice of the Crown apprises the traversers that
"the notes of the Learned Judges will be used in opposing the
motion." The Crown will serve another notice this after-
noon, to the effect that the affidavit of Magrane, filed this
day, will also be relied upon.
Mr. Whiteside, Q.C., will open to-morrow morning, on
the part of Mr. O'Connell, and, it is understood, will occupy
the entire day. The .Monitor of this evening states that, it
is arranged that Mr. Hatchell, Q.C., will follow, on behalf
of Mr. Ray ; then Mr. Moore for the Rev. Mr. Tierney; Mr.
M'Donagh, Q.C., for Mr. Barrett ; Mr. Fitzgibbon, Q.C., for
Mr. John Gray; Mr. O'Hagan for Mr. Duffy; Sir Coleman
O'Logblen for Mr. J. O'Connell ; and Mr. Close for Mr. Steel.
The charge made by the traversers, of fraudulent sup-
pression of jurors, mostly Roman Catholics, has not been at
all answered by the affidavits filed for the Crown.
On the first day of the State trials the traversers put in a
challenge to the array. The Attorney-General demurred, and
thereby, in point of law, admitted the truth of the challenge,
which charged the fraud; but, by such demur, he avoided the
trial, in open Court, of the truth or falsehood of the charge by
triers selected by the Judges. Mr. Shaw, the Recorder, who
made the jury list, had been subpoenaed by the traversers, and
was sitting under the bench in Court. Mr. Magrath, the chief
clerk of the clerks of the peace, was also in attendance, with all
the necessary documents. Thus the Attorney-General then
avoided a trial, when all the witnesses could have been exa-
mined and cross-examinedjnj open Court. If the charge of
fraudulent suppression were false, the Crown would then
have had the verdict of the triers appointed by the Judges,
and the traversers would have been shut out from renewing
the same charge upon motion for a new trial. But now the
Crown comes forward to oppose that motion, with the affi-
davits of some of the persons in the office of the clerks of the
peace, who merely exculpate themselves, and attribute the
omission of jurors to accident, without being able to state
anything positive on the subject.
Each of the traversers is prepared to be heard by counsel
in support of the motion for a new trial. It is said that the
Crown will apply to the Court to limit them to two counsel,
and upon this point an argument may arise, when Mr. White-
side shall have concluded his address.

PROJECTED ALLIANCES.—The contemplated alli-
ance between Mr. Charles Beauclerk, son of the Rev. Lord
Frederick Beauclerk, and the accomplished daughter of a
gentleman of large fortune in the county of Sussex, is ex-
pected to be solemnised early in the ensuing month. A
marriage is said to be on the tapis between the daughter of
an lion. Baronet representing a division of one of the eastern
counties, and a gentleman holding an appointment, we be-
lieve, at Court. Lord Newport's marriage with Miss Forester
is expected to be solemnised on Tuesday next.
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE KING' OF
NarLEs.—We have received the following from acosnrries;
pondent at Naples, dated the 15th inst. : t_
the same
time
corpstthe th.
King received
en the birth of theivedthecongratulat congratulations Arl?nfetehsse3Cfaurirat
and
escape from assassination, under the following circumstances
—A d named
of the Royal Guard, Immaculata Clementina, he was also congratuiLteidistoainteelisis:
—A few days since a sergeant
_in
t,Barbieri, gothis brother,
tuhdeire,n,cveh
no fhtiiiihdse
iiii%.saige,
_on
t d his pretextotiicer, andof askingwuats oitlioei
sergeant
eanseverelythim
Himself,
iswhhince di.iiiladpshavenprhetisenndluesdtabeirloinths,erahNdvasp
King, with his usual kindness, told the
mplain clothes,
and say that he hoped some leniency
Barbieriel- retired, seemingly with reluc-
tance;re-entered the waiting-room than
mightan to
be shown.
ttsohh tanh3clnnc'
he begged the officer on guard to allow. him to return, as he
h:Oelosnooner
wished to reveal to the King a conspiracy that existed to
assassinate him. The officer thought he perceived the
handle of a pistol, which was partly hid by a handkerchief,
in the fellow's hat, and on seeing it the fellow tried to escape,
but was pursued and taken. The pistol was loaded, primed,
and even cocked ; and a second wasoamfsobetuo,ronugadtepagtrinhoni
gradeaa examination,Ppetitionifcooflnfirteoae
hirl
tnioimgi
mealdlfei
bs:lauenriho
ngeOlanstr story otmral lygea
him to
would not consent to the union unless-he were an officpearr,eantnitgdes
that if the King refused him now he intended to shoot him-
g
self in the King's presence ! his Majesty appears, under all
rtntelhor(liiwtsniehnpd
geoeciten,
an
circumstances, to have had a narrow escape."—Galignani.
AQUATICS AT OSTEND.—Yesterday being the day
appointed for the match between one London waterman
against five Flemish ones, to row from Ostend to Bruges, a
party of gentlemen embarked. at half-past five o'clock in the
morning in No. 10, Waterman's steam-boat, to proceed to
Ostend to witness the contest. This steamer is a new and
very fast boat, and it was wagered that she would make the
passage under canvass and steam within ten hours, and also
beat the well-known fast boat the Princess Alice, on her
voyage from Ostend to Dover. The match between the
boatmen was made by some English and Flemish gentlemen
for 1001. aside, and has created great interest. Robert
Newell, of Battle-bridge stairs, has been selected to row on
the side of the English in a wager boat, against four Flemish
men in a gig, with a coxswain. George Coombs, of Mill-
bank, was also at Ostend to take Newell's place in the event
of illness or unforseen misfortune. Great interest is felt at
Woolwich and Greenwich to hear how a little river boat like
the Waterman will carry herself over the bosom of the
" deep, deep, sea." It is expected she will bring the first
information of the result of the =toll. The Londoner is
11Eked at odds.

~-` . i~€
1;:' - .
~~~`/~~tr-- - -`

TAX ON THE TR • -
REAL PROP L T
' -
We bespeak the best attentiorkortNr--i
the following article, which is ins "nrscjwiht
lion, by a writer who signs "Justus." It eitildse
one of the grossest robberies ever committed upon ti.e
nation, even by our class legislators :
The Premier having succeeded in imposing an in-
come-tax, for the purpose of meeting the deficiency in
the revenue, and the acknowledged inequality of such
a tax being almost universal, while its inquisitorial
operation renders it odious to a large portion of the
public—the commercial and trading classes especially
—it can scarcely be necessary to offer an apology for
suggesting measures which, if adopted, would entirely
obviate the necessity for so objectionable an enact-
ment, and render its immediate repeal practicable.
In the year 1798, Mr. Pitt brought into Parlia-
ment two Bills, one for imposing a probate and-legacy
duty on personal property, the other for levying
similar duties on real proparty. The first-named Bill
passed into a law, and for forty-six years large sums
have been raised by its operation ; but the second Bill
was abandoned, and from that time the owners of real
property have been exempt from those contributions
to the exigencies of the State which their less for-
tunate fellow-subjects have been burdened with.
May it not be said with perfect truth, this is great
injustice? And may it not be fearlessly asserted
that now, when the deficiency in the revenue requires
extraordinary supplies, that such an enactment of
duty on real property ought at once to be resorted to ?
Let the amount, principal and interest, for forty-six
years, be calculated which such a duty would have
produced, and it will be found that a sum of three
hundred million pounds has been retained in the cof-
fers of the landed interest. Is it not, then, high time
that such a measure should be insisted on, and ought
not the country, loudly to proclaim its sense of the
injustio• of such partial taxation ?
Surely, on every principle of equity and good faith,
the Government is called upon to avail themselves of
this resource, which, it is clear, would furnish so large
a supply of revenue as to render an income-tax wholly
unnecessary.
Startling as these assertions may appear, a re-
ference to figures, it is believed, will satisfy
the most incredulous. The amount of the whole
property in England, or, rather, Great Bri-
tain, has been estimated at 3,600,000,0001.; now,
assuming the whole of it to pay duty once in
every thirty-three years, the annual amount deriv-
able therefrom would be 4,454,0001., and as the yearly
produce of the duty on personal property is about
1,869,0001., it follows that real property, which is
chiefly in the hands of the nobility and rich common-
ers, is exempted from an annual payment of about
2,585,0001., which in thirty-three years, would
amount to the enormous sum of 77,564,0001.
How long is such a state of things to exist? Within
a few weeks several of our most wealthy Peers hare
been removed by death, and ,their enormous landed
possessions and houses have passed to their families
without one shilling being levied on the transfer, for
the use of the country ; and yet who could complain
if such duties were levied ? Certainly not the dead, -
and surely not the survivors, with any semblance of
justice ; for to satisfy selfishness is no part of the duty
of society, or of governments.
The less fortunate holders of personal estate are
daily and hourly contributiug of their substance,
while those of them engaged in trade and commerce,
are, from dire necessity compelled to retain in per-
sonals the whole or greater part of their property,
or their operations in business would at once come to
an end ; but the landowner may add, year after year,
to his estate, and yet be exonerated from all charge
when that estate shall pass from him to his sur-
viving relatives. If our Legislators can be imbued
with these sentiments—if the British public speak
out, and demand, in firm and energetic language, the
adoption of a probate and legacy duty on real pro-
perty, then may England hope to be relieved from the
continuance of that most hateful and oppressive im-
post, the income-tax.
In calculating the real property of Great Britain, it
must not be forgotten to include all houses that are
not leasehold ; and also growing timber. The above
calculation was made about thirty years ago ; since
which period a great increase has taken place in the
value of real property, and if an estimate were now
taken, the amount would surprise all but those who
possess it.

Sir Robert Peel says, that neither William Pitt in
the plenitude of his power, nor any minister since,
has ever been able to tax real property with the
legacy and probate duty. The reason is obvious,
that both Whigs and Tories are equally interested in
opposing such a tax.
Mr. Pitt did carry two Bills through the Commons,
one for taxing real property, and the other personal
property ; the former was carried by one vote, viz.,
the Speaker's. However, it never passed into a law,
and it asserted that the landed proprietors went to
William Pitt, as was ascertained from his secretary,
and said, " If you pass this law, you will be no longer
Prime Minister."

P.S.—ln the year 1812, Mr. Colquhoun estimated
the property of Great Britain and Ireland, at 4,000
millions sterling.
In the year 1832 Mr. Macqueen estimated the
same at 6,186 millions sterling.
If, upon this amount of property, the duty was
properly levied to any amount, a person might pos-
sess, and not allowed to stop short at one million, as
is now the case,—it being well known that very
many of our Nobles, and some rich Commoners
who have lately died, and many now living, are in
possession of property from three to ten mil-
lions,—these amounts would bear a duty upon a
sliding scale upwards, namely, as the property in-
creased, the duties increase; and the Minister would
then have more than he wanted. This would give
him an tpportunity of relieving the country of the
taxes tbat oppress the poor, and, of course, the ex-
pense of the tax-gatherers, Custom-house officers,
preventive service men, and other officers now em-
ployed in collecting the taxes, too numerous to men-
tion. If a scale was enacted on all property, and not
on Sir Robert Peel's sliding favourite, it would then
produce from twelve to fifteen millions annually, and
only do justice between man and man; but it should
not begin too low, as it does now.—Liverpool Mer-
cury.

HINTS TO MAKE HOME HAPPY.
TO HUSBANDS.
Keep up the practice of reading the paper during the whole
of breakfast time ; of allowing yourself to be spoken to half-
a-dozen times before you answer, and then of asking your
wife what it was that she said. Upon her telling you, make
souse reply which is nothing to the purpose, as if you were
thinking of something else.
having been out over night at an evening party, which
your wife was prevented from going to by indisposition, en-
tertain her the next morning by a minute description of the
young lady you danced with, descanting on every point as
enthusiastically as possible.
Take frequent opportunities of praising features and per-
sonal peculiarities which are as different as possible from
your wife's. For instance, if she has blue eyes, say how you
like black ; if dark hair, how much you admire light; Wale
is tall, remark that you prefer a moderate height; and if
short, be constantly quoting Byron, to the effect that you
" hate a dumpy woman."
footstool.
this be the case with yours, always use it for your .
the stairs, Some wives are very particular about their fenders. Should
When fresh drugget has been laid down on
your
shoes.
that the room
parti-
cularly if it is a rainy day, invariably forget to scrape
Discover frequently, on a cold raw morning,i
height of the dog-days,
other hand, be as often, during the
oblige you to keep
affected with a chilliness, which shall
is close, and insist on having the windows open. On the
them shut.
Very often order
quarter to six. Occasionally, however,
sel-
dom cosine home till a
oveor.done, never smother
and, not finding thtready,
complain lnge
return at the appointed hour,
dinner punctually at five, and very
t
complain
or your vegetables, should h
happen
If your fish, your joint, d
like some people, but ex
accidentally
r disappointment , - press it as
e attendedror
.'')". • it can, and remain in an ill -humour markedly as 30
rest of the evening. Be never quite satisfied with what is
that you are
t
set before you, but, if possible, find some fault with every
dish; or it not, quarrel with the arrangements of the table.
If you can find nothing else to grumble at, think of thing that you would have liked better h
amie-
t an what has been
got for you, and say so.
Wives occasionally make pies and
puddings, with a view
to a little approbation. Never bestow this on any account ;
but always say you wished these things were left to the cook.
Knowing that there is nothing but cold meat in the house,
bring
home, every now and then, half- da- ozen men, unex-
pectedly, to take
bably sit at table flurried and uncomfortable, in which
case,
amuse them by joking at her expense.
Should you chance, after dinner, to be affected by a slight
drowsiness, never resist it because you wife wishes to chat
with you ; do not mind her, but go quietly to sleep.
When you have an evening party at your house, come
home to dress just as the company is beginning to arrive.
Should you find yourself at eleven o'clock at night among
a set of bachelor friends, and be offered a cigar, always stay
and smoke it, and another after it, if you like, and, if you
please, another after that ; in fact, as many as you find agree-
able, sever troubling yourself for an instant about keeping
your wife and the servants up.
In short, on all occasions consult studiously your own in-
clinations, and indulge, without the least restriction, your-
every whim and caprice ; but never regard your wife's feel-
ings at all ; still less make the slightest allowance for say
weakness or peculiarity of her character ; and your house
will assuredly be as happy as you deserve
that it should be.
—Punch.

The Melodists' Club gave their third dinner last
evening, when there was a numerous muster of members.
STAR CLUIL—The members of this dull have ap-
pointed Wednesday, May 8, for their annual white bait
dinner, at the Trafalgar Motel, Greenwich. In the evening
it is intended to have a ball, for which a great number of •
vitations have been issued.

MURDER AND SUICIDE AT BELPER.--The inquest
on the bodies of Yeomans and his wife was concluded yester-
day
when, actor the examination of several witnesses, the
Coroner said that probably sufficient evidence had been
adduced, and the jury then declared that the e-yidence of that
day corroborated their opinion of the day before, and re-
turned a verdict, " That -William Yeotnaus killed his wife
while labouring under a fit of temporary insanity, and after-
wards, during the continuance of the same fit of insanity,
destroyed himself by cutting his throat." The Coroner, on
receiving the verdict, said that his opinion remained -,un-
changed, that the verdict was the jury's, and not his, and
that he thought nothing like satisfactory proof of inanity
had been given. Thus terminated tlf;is painful isquiri.