The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-16 00:00:00

giving it to a few. But it is not fair, surely to those
who, in other parts of the United Kingdom, readily
make every sacrifice to ensure prudent and patriotic
gos ernment by submitting to a high rate of qualification,
to allow that, upon the plea of mere numbers, whom th y
hold in bondage, a few Irish priests should nominate
50 or 100 of our legislators. This would be an
anomaly and a nuisance worse than schedule A.
We need care little what the number of electors
may be, but we are deeply concerned that they are
intelligent and independent men. It may be that
Ireland is deficient in such men. So much the worse
for Ireland. But this does not alter the principles of
right and wrong. Be the number of intelligent and
independent men in the country 3,000, 30,000 or
300,000, the number of electors ought not to exceed it.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
V74fIN iHZ EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOBE.—An industrious compiler had the simpli-
eity to make a collection of what he called the Opinions
of Sir Robert Peel. We wish some one would collect
and publish the Plausibilities of Sir Robert Peel.
These are not to be dignified by the name of opiniOns,
but rather to be regarded as the inise en scene—the
drapery,or garnish of opinions. It is not what Sir K.
Peel thinks, but what he thinks Mrs. Grundy
will think, most frequently pre-occupies his mighty
mind on difficult and delicate occasions. The
result of his refined conjectures of the coarse
views of the vulgar is sometimes curious.
What . will Mrs. Grundy say ?" is always
taken into consideration ; but as there are
often solid and weighty considerations on the oppo-
site side, Sir Robert Peel see-saws, as, it were, be-
tween Grundy rigidly, and the moral laxity of his
party. Thus, the mere suspicion of election compro-
mises at one time roused all the Grundy in the Prime
Minister. At another time, the most positive proof
of delinquency could not move him to animadversion.
Thus the horror of a duel between two officers
nearly connected awakened all his indignant piety
against—the widow of the one who fell. While
not even the known opinion of Mrs. Grundy could
stir him to any notice of the flagrant act of a law
officer of the Crown interrupting by a challenge the
solemn task of a court of justice. Satisfaction might
well be demanded by Mrs. Grundy for this lapse from
plausibility; and satisfaction was naturally to be
afforded by doing the plausible doubly on the next
legal occasion. The next time any law officer of the
Crown was concerned, Mrs. Grundy expected
Sir Robert Peel would do his duty. And
has he not just done it ? May not the immo-
lation of a Fitzroy Kelly atone for Attorney-General
Smith ? Considering the determined refusal of po-
litical independence to their tenant constituencies by
the Jolterhead interest whitth so mainly seated Sir
Robert -Peel, it is really rather amusing to find the
admitted professional titles to Tory promotion set
aside, because the person beyond comparisen possess-
ing them, not being in a position to bully his way
into Parliament, was obliged to buy it. Intimidation
is a privilege rightfully belonging to landlords ; bribery
is a practice which has been used by mere moneyed
upstarts or professional aspirants, and which cannot,
therefore, be entitled to the same tolerance! Above
all, Mrs. Grundy has her eyes open to the latter trans-
gression ; and, as Mrs. Grundy does not wear the
brightest of spectacles, the former may es.
cape her gaze for some time longer. Besides, Mrs.
Grundy has a due sense of dignities ; and quite
acquiesces in the dictatorship of Dukes « with a great
stake in the country." Accordingly Mr. Thesiger is
to be Solicitor-General ; and Mr. Fitzroy Kelly to
be—scapegoat for the sins of the people. We subjoin
the following remarks of a correspondent on this ap-
pointment :—" The nomination of Mr. Thesiger to
the Solicitor-Generalship, with the prospect of, at no
distant day, succeedirbee to a still more more import-
ant station, is one that the Government can hardly
flatter itself will meet with much favour either in
Westminster Hall or in other less learned quarters.
However estimable that gentleman may be in
private life, and however popular from his
many amiable qualities (and in these respects
he is surpassed by no member of the bar), yet it
cannot be denied that he has never yet, up to this
time, displayed that amount of legal knowledge, that
various, extensive, and profound learning which has
been generally thought necessary for the proper dis-
charge of the duties of that important office, and
which should not be much, if at all, less thane that
which distinguishes the venerable sages of the bench,
with their experientici v ginti annorum, to
whose quietis ordinibus a Solicitor-General may
always expect an early ascription, if he is
not promoted above them. Mr. Thesiger
has gained his reputation far more as a clever, zea-
lous advocate than as a deep lawyer (nor even as
such is he quite at the head of his profession) ; his
talents are more showy than solid ; he shines more in
a case at Nisi Prius than in arguing a knotty point
before the Judges in Banco; and we cannot but
think, therefore, that if amount of legal attainments
was what should have guided the Government in select-
ing a successor to Sir W. Follett, Mr. Kelly would
have been found better fitted for the situation than
the more fortunate man to whom it has been given.
At any rate, we must again express our opinion,
which we believe will he that of the public in general,
that Mr. Thesiger has been rewarded above his
merits, and that, if he really was (as we must believe
him to be) the most eligible person that the Govern-
ment could find, then we must come to one of two
conclusions—either that the bar has sadly degene-
rated since the days when such men as Scott, and
Shepherd, and Gifford, and Copley, were Solicitors-
General ; or that, the amount of talent in the profes-
sion being still the same, the Government has not
the good fortune to number amongst its adherents
any of those eminent persons, respecting whose quali-
fications to fill this or any higher legal situation there
could be no difference of opinion."
STANDARD.—The Morning C7Lronivle, in an
article of this morning, upon Lord Eliot's Irish Re-
gistration Bill, charges the Noble Lord with the
purpose of disfranchising two-thirds of the 101. free-
holders. This charge is altogether groundless. Lord
Eiiot's Bill will disfranchise no one not already
disfranchised by the Reform Bill of 1832. On the
other hand, in the proposed enfranchisement of the
possessors of freeholds of inheritance of 51. annual
value, and in the 301. occupation tenants, it will make
a large addition to the bona fide constituency. What
our Contemporary means, however, by the exten-
sive disfranchisement of which it speaks, is the
exclusion of fraudulent votes. In defiance of
the express words of the law, and of the
decision of, we believe, ten out of the twelve
judges of Ireland—including in the majority Mr.
Justice Crampton, by whom the law under consi
deration was drawn up—in defiance of this clear de- -----
INFLUENCE OF LABOUR ON THE
monstration of what the law is, a great number of per-
sons have been placed upon the registry who ought MENTAL FACULTIES.
not to be placed upon it ; and though Lord Eliot's Bill, We have distinguished labour from action, though
with extraordinary indulgence, but perhaps ques- action is the genus of which labour is one of the spe-
tionable propriety, allows the intruder to remains to cies ; because, of those species, labour is so much the
the end of their term of registration, it declares most important. The muscular operations of the
that the law shall be observed for the future, body, by which men generally earn their bread, are
and that no man shall he registered as a county elec- the chief part of the particulars which we include
for without a beneficial interest in the tenement from under that term. The same distinction is useful here
which he registers. The effect of this declaration, as in the former case ; labour is apt to be injurious by
we believe, will he to augment the constituency in its quality and by its quantity. That the quality of
the end, without any consideration of the the labour in which a man is employed produces ef-
addition to be made by the two new classes fects favourable or unfavourable upon his mind, has
of electors to be introduced. It is a well known long been confessed. Dr. Smith made the important
fact that the late decline in the Irish registry remark, that the labour in which the great body of
has arisen altogether from the progress of agitation ; the people are employed, has a tendency to grow
nearly all but the poorest and most reckless, and at less and less favourable as civilisation and the arts
the same time the most enslaved class of tenants, proceed. The division and subdivision of labour
anxiously rejecting a political privilege, in the exer_ is the principal cause. This confines the atten-
cise of which they must expose themselves to tion of the labourer to so small a number of objects,
the tyranny of the priest-led rabble, and all the and so narrow a circle of ideas, that the mind receives
obloquy and ridicule which that rabble so e ell not that varied exercise, and that portion of aliment,
knows how to employ on the one side; or on the on which almost every degree of mental excellence
other disoblige their natural protectors and best depends. When the greater part of a man's life is
friends, by strengthening the enemies of the public employed in the performance of a few simple opera-
peace. Well-disposed and prudent men placed tions in one fixed invariable course, all exercise of
in such a painful alternative naturally, shrink ingenuity, all adaptation of means to ends, is wholly
from it by the only path they can—declining excluded, and the faculty lost, as far as disuse can
destroy the faculties of the mind. The minds, there-
the franchise. In some cases, though qualified,
they refuse to register their votes ; but this profe;- fore, of the great body of the people are in danger of
sedly neutral course demands, in the face of tyrants really degenerating, while the other elements of civili-
by whom even neutrality is treated as a crime, a de- nation are advancing, unless care is taken, by means
gree of boldness beyond the temper of the majority, of the other instruments of education, to counteract
and much the more common resource of the welt-
those effects which the simplification of the manual
disposed and prudent is to look for interests which processes has a tendency to produce.
do not carry the qualification. We have heard f The quantity of labour is another circumstance
of hundreds of eases in which the tenant has which deserves attention in estimating the agents
elicited to have his term reduced by one-half or a which concur in forming the mind. Labour may be
quarter of a year within the interest that confers a vote to such a degree severe, as to confine the attention
—we believe that the actual cases might be counted by almost wholly to the painful ideas which it brings,
tens of thousands. The removal of the fictitious votes and to operate upon the mind with nearly the
from the registry will, however, destroy the influence of same effects as an habitual deficiency of food. It
agitation, as far, at least, as elections are con- operates perhaps still more rapidly, obliterating sym-
cerned ; and it may be expected that when pathy, inspiring cruelty and intemperance, rendering
at liberty to exercise the franchise according to impossible the reception of ideas, and paralyzing the
his own judgment, and free from tyrannical control, organs of the mind. The attentiveexamination, there-
every qualified person in Ireland will, as in Eng- fore, of the facts of this case, is a matter of first rate
land, avail himself of the privileoee Is it then importance. Two things are absolutely certain; that
nnreasonable to suppose that the removal from without the bodily labour of the great bulk of man-
the registry of the illegal and fictitious votes that kind, the well-being of the species cannot be obtained ;
now encumber it, and that make the incendiary and that if the bodily labour of the great bulk of
priests the principals at every contested election, mankind is carried beyond a certain extent, neither
would alone greatly enlarge the constituent es intellect, virtue, nor happiness can flourish upon the
unquestionably, it must infinitely im'Orovey, I).' earth. What then is that precious middle point, at
And are we sanguine in anticipating. that the. which the greatest quantity of good is obtained with
effect of Lord Eliot's Bill, taken as a whole, the smallest quantity of evil, is in this part of the
must be to multiply the Irish constituency three subject the problem to be solved.
a
or four-fold in the course of very few 9 year' - The state of defective food and excessive labour is
With this conviction firmly rooted in our 'minds., the state in which, we find the great bulk of mankind;
we must, however, acknowledge that we think i the state in which they are either constantly exist-
a great deal too much importance is attached to the ' ing, or into which they are every moment threaten-
consideration of numbers in this matter. All who will ing to fall. These are two, therefore, in settling the
not 'o the whole length of universal suffrage" must rank among the circumstances which concur in ;le-
admit that the security for good government, not i termining the degree of intellect and morality capable
self-government, is the object of the representative of being exhibited in the societies of men, which
system. It is the sense and patriotism—not the ought to stand in a very eminent place. The mode
personal or local interest, or the passion of a nas of increasing to the utmost the quantity of intellect,
tion that is sought to be collected in its Legisla- morality, and happiness in human society, will be
tare. And hence it arises that, once returned very imperfectly understood, till they obtain a new
to Parliament, a Member is supposed to repre- degree of consideration.
sent not this county, or that city, or a borough, 'We named, besides these, among the physical cir-
but the whole United Kingdom. This Mr. Burke cumstances which contribute to give permanent cha-
has clearly pointed out in his distinction be- I ratters to the mind, air, temperature, action, and rest.
tween a representative and a delegate. But the But of these we must leave the illustration wholly to
sense and patriotism of the country can be other inquirers. It is mortifying to be obligedtore-
re-
collected only from the votes of the intelli- linquish a subject on which so much depends, and for
gent and independent—which never observes which so little has been done, with so very imperfect
the ratio of mere numbers. Whatever their nom- !an attempt at improvement. We shall, however,
bets, the very poor and very ignorant will never have performed a service of some utility to education,
think for themselves, if they ever think at all upon if what we have said has any tendency to lead men
public affairs.
becomeheir votes when they have to a juster estimate of the physical circumstances
them, therefore,which
glen who cheats, or
the property of a jug- concur in fashioning the human mind, and
industry and care in studying and
coerces. The attempt to place
a.= master who bribes or hence to greater
political power indis- 1 applying them.—Encyclopmdia Britannica, Seventh
criminately in the hand
3 of a multitude of poor Edition. Art, `Education;' by James Mill, Esq.,
and ignorant persons, 143 always Practically resulted in late of the India House.