The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-27 00:00:00

MONDAY EVENING,

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE

BRADFORD REFORM ASSOCIATION.

Sir,—The House re-assembled on Thursday the
23rd, at the usual hour. On the motion for going
into Committee of Supply, an Hon. Member stayed
proceedings by entering into the evils endured by the
public from the sale of roasted vegetable substitutes
for coffee, and debate for at least an hour and a half
ensued. _

As we haves coffee-grinding establishment in Brad-
ford, evincing by the extent of its concerns the goodness
of its products, the question is not altogether foreign to
our interests ; and that was the reason I put in an oar.
The dispute seems to lie, on the propriety of our
drinking chicory if we like it best. Now those who
buy of a coffee-grinding establishment, at a price per
pound not greater than that of coffee in the berry,
know as well as either you or I, that they are drink-
ing coffee mixed with some substance of less cost, but
which produces a compound which on the whole, in
the joint consideration of quality and price, they
prefer.
On the question of injury to the revenue, there is
no use in being wise beyond the Chancellor of the
Exchequer. If he encourages the facts, we may rest
assured he thinks he has in some way or other pre-
served his revenue. And on the other grand argu-
ment of the opponent, that it is a shocking thing for
chicory that costs twopence a pound to be sold as
coffee that costs sixpence, we may rest equally as-
sured that no such thing takes place. It might take
place if it was a solitary case ; but when it is open to
all the trade, it is as certain as that the trade cannot
sell coffee at double the present price, that the price
will be lowered in due proportion to the mixture.
These things begin to be better understood in the
House of Commons and everywhere than they used to
be, and they are of increased importance as bearing
upon greater questions. On the whole therefore
let us drink our coffee with a quiet mind, and if Mr.
Tordoff's in one way or other is the best in the three
kingdoms, (specimens sent, hermetically sealed, to
every part of the Empire at the most trifling addi-
tional expense), let us cherish it as a part of Bradford
trade, by causing as much of it to be drunk as we are
able.

On the same Committee a curious specimen was
given of the way in which things are done in the
House of Commons. In the Votes, 23.24 Mali, p.
406, will be found the following record of the pro-
ceedings had :
" 4. Motion Made, and question put, ' That a sum,
riot exceeding 175,6984 be granted to her Majesty,
to defray the charge of divers Miscellaneous Services
which will corns in course of payment during the
year ending the 31st day of March, 1851; also, for
divcrs Miscellaneous Services connected with the
Searching Expeditions under the command of Captain
Penny and Captain Austen :'__The Committee
divided; Ayes, 145; Noes, 20."
Now who would, or who could, imagine that the
twenty Noes were voting against the Borneo head-
money, and not against the Searching Expeditions
under the commandof Captain Penny and Captain
Austen ?
On Friday was the curious phenomenon of the
sfand guineas from
75 against 94 on
the Government
question
o f bung
cuttingi n a minorityo
uo
the grant for defraying
.the expense of the works at
the new Houses of Parliament. Asa sum, it is in-
significant ; important.
The a symptom,mportant.
The whole proceedings consequent on the destruc-
tion of the House of Commons by fire in October
1834, are most interesting to any writer on the natural
history of popular assemblies. On the 16th of the
month mentioned, the House of Commons was burnt
down. The Lords volunteered to give up their
plac body,
eofm
to holdtheir
meeting
gto th
the
Commons, and, as the
smaller meetings temporarily in
the Painted Chamber. There is no reason to doubt that
things might have been restored to the status quo ante,
for one, or at the most for two hundred thousand pounds.
Two hundred and fifty
.thousand was mentioned on
Friday as the sum to which the licentious imagination
of a first Reformed Parliament contrived to soar. But
then came the pompous denomination of "our Palace
at Westminster;" a phraseology
to which there ought
to have been strong objections, in addition to its
inevitable tendency to increase expense. If the old
site was on " our Palace at Westminster," it
would have been a good opportunity to chuse
a new one. And then followed the cry of " encou-
ragement to the fine arts ;" solving itself into the
own tastes out of the public purse. If Hon.
pleasurableness of lion. Gentlemen indulging their
Gentlemen wish to encourage the fine arts, they
should do it out of their own purses, and not the
public's. These causes sufficed to triple the sum de-
voted to expenditure, or raiseit from 250,000/. to
750,0001. But things did not stop here. Hon. Gen-
tlemen arrived at the discovery that the building to
be produced was bound to be " something superior to
anything existing in Europe ;" plans and proposals
were invited from architects and artists without
pretence or hint of limitation as to cost, being the
precise process by which Punch's cockney, Briggs,
makes a fool of himself by house-alterations; and so
charmingly pleasant was the process of spending
money from other people's pockets, that in the end the
Representatives were dipped to the amount of two
millions, which divided among 658 Members
makes three thousand pounds per man, being the
sum required to produce thirty sail of the line,
fully rigged and stored. Upon which the question
which occurs to me is this. Why have not I a right
to my three thousand pounds ? I have a crotchet as
well as another. Mine happens to be for organ
building; which if not a fine art is at least connected
with one. Three thousand pounds to spend on expe-
riments in this line, would set me up for ever.and for
ever; I should have nothing to learn or unlearn
for the rest of my life, and there would be no end
of the belles chose, that would be accomplished.
Why should there not be an organ "superior to
anything existing in Europe," to play an anthem
when the Queen meets the two Houses ? Could any-
thing be more reasonable and proper ? Why am I
i
not to have t ? Help me to get it, and yours organ-
builders at Bradford, in which you abound to an
extent the world perhaps is not aware of, shall be
employed to a man, to the amount of what I may be
able to effect.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
AN OLD REFORMER.
London, May 27, 1850.

COURT CIRCULAR.
OSBORNE, MAT 25.
The Queen and Prince, accompanied by his' Serene
Highness the Prince of Leiningen, walked this
morning in the park and grounds of Osborne.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and the
younger members of the Royal Family, rode and
walked in the grounds.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, and his
Serene Highness the Prince of Leiningen, attended
by the Baroness de Speth and Sir George Couper,
left Osborne at twelve o'clock this day, and crossed
to Gosport in the Fairy royal yacht, en route to Frog-
more House.
There was no addition yesterday to the royal dinner
party.

MAT 26.
The Queen and Prince took an early walk this
morning in the grounds of Osborne.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and
younger members of the Royal Family, walked and
rode as usual.
His Royal Highness and the Princess Royal, at-
tended by the ladies and gentlemen of the royal
household, attended Divine service at whippingham
Church. The Rev. J. Protheroe performed the ser-
vice' and preached the sermon.
There was no addition to the royal dinner party.
A serenade was performed on Friday (her Ma-
jesty's birth-day) at Osborne, by the band of the
Royal Marines, under the direction of Mr. Earl,
bandmaster. Among the pieces performed were—
Chorale ............................
Duet, " Quis est homo" (Stabat Mater) Rossini.

.......... .. Meyerbeer.
s the Duke and Duchess of
•• • ..... ............ ...... .......................
eLady Augusta Cadogan and
Waltz ............................
Polka, "Rosa"
Berkeley-square.
tess of Jersey with their company
on Saturday even-
ing,CMa Their
r m. Selection,
br id
Edmond ge ' o,
yLg"Le Prophets"
attended IHighnesses
idi
gtnhanybe,ys sh
llis Royal Highness Prince George has arrived in
town from Ireland.
at their residence in Berkeley.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge and the Princess Mary, attended Divine
service yesterday morning in Grosvenor Chapel.
Dispatches were received on Saturday at the Colo-
nial•od'ice from the Governors of South Australia,
Hong-Kong, Ceylon, the Mauritius, and Malta.
The Duke of Wellington attended the early service
yesterday, in the Chapel Royal, St. James's. The
sermon was preached by the Hon. and Rev. Mr.
Boyle. The prayers and the Communion Service
were read by the Rev. Dr. Wesley. At the daily
service the prayers were read by the Rev. T. Hel-
more, the lessons by the Rev. W.
Hall, and the Com-
munion Service by the Rev. Dr. Wesley. The
sermon was preached by the Hon. and Rev. Mr.
Boyle. The anthem, ~ I was in the spirit" (Blow),
was sung by Messrs. Bennett, Bradbury, and Francis.
I
Mr. Turle presided at the organ.

THE LATE CAPTAIN WIIITTINGHAM.—On Friday
morning the remains of Captain Whittingham, who was
unfortunately killed on Monday
last, were interred in
the burying-ground of St. James's, Bermondsey. The coffin
was borne thither by seamen volunteers from the ships he
had commanded in the service of the General Steam Navi-
gation Company, and followed by all the commanders of the
same company who were in London. The deceased, who
was ten years in the service of the late M. Roths-
child, and about twenty in different ships of the General
Steam Navigation Company, has left a wife and eight chil-
dren, four of whom are under nine years of age. Subscriptions
are being made for the family, who are quite destitute, and
contributions will be received at the banking houses of Smith
Payne, and Co., Masterman and Co., and also at the ,oilices of
bleuro. li9thgchild and "