The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-09 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL MORALITY.

Sir SAMUEL MORTON PETO is what Americans
call a representative man, for be fully and truth-
fully represents the Philistine element of the English
mane classes. Ilis examination in the Bank-
ruptcy Court must be in the highest degree satis-
factory to the mass—not of his Bristol, but of his
commercial constituents—we mean• the society he
redly does represent. lie has not been chosen by
them, but his qualities are those which in late years
have found such favour and been so generally
adopted by the mercantile community. In the
fullest sense, he is a " shent per shent " man ; he
is a " heads I win, tails you lose" man. We would
be sorry for those whose share of the spoils consisted
of what Sir MORTON left; he is not among persons
saying, who see any force in the s livec e
Company,
showeredand 1 et
live." The convict WlLKlNsoisri,wh '
h k
around him the money of the Joint Se:n o
at least benefited his associates. The Philistines
dined sumptuously at his table ; when he took an
Express train from Brighton to London, he could
give a friend or two a seat, and when he
" bust up " he went to gaol like a man.
But Sir MORTON seems to have financed
everything into thin air—the London, Chatham,
and Dover is ruined; the shareholders are ruined ;
and Sir MORTON himself is answering disagreeable
questions in a bankruptcy court. We recollect
when the great contractor made his tour of Ame-
rica. Everywhere he was received as the capitalist
who carried with him showers of blessings. In his
steps railroads sprang
; people bowed down as
he passed ; and we remember reading with astonish-
ment the comments of some audacious American
editor, who had the hardihood to criticise the great
man. The danger of the class of Philistines Sir
MORTON represents is that they are wolves iu
sheep's clothing. When a sharp Yankee trader
comes forward to do business, he tells you in his
manner, in his countenance, almost in words—
" Look out : you have a 'cute one to deal with."
With the keen eye of a north-country Briton on
you, you know that you must be up early to cope
with the Yorkshiremau ; but the man of ponderous
presence, whose thoughts, reasons, purse, all, have
the appearance of being weighty, every line of
whose countenance, every stitch of whose garments,
are all respectable ; who speaks solemnly, wisely,
and with liberality and correctness of sentiment ;
then, what chance has the outsider, who puts faith
in all he sees ? The name of such a man on a pros-
pectus is the guarantee of its truth ; the interest of
such a man in the concern is almost the guarantee
of its success ; because the honesty and fairness
with which it will be conducted is certified ; the
prudence which will characterise its transactions in-
sured, while one feels thatif it did not contain the ele-
ments of prosperity it would not have been proposed.
The years 1866-7-8 are remarkable for the overthrow
of domestic idols—the raids of the iconoclasts. If
England had a big god set up in a very high place,
that idol was the respectability of such men. The
word of her merchant princes was their bond.
Little traders might put sand in their sugar, or a
lump of suet under the scale, but they were of
another genus—with none of that high-toned mora-
lity which was the chief trait of the class to which
we allude. What a fearful disenchantment ! What
an illustration of BYRON'S saying that every man
has his pries, from kicks to halfpence. The Anglo-
Saxon goes in for halfpenc?, and with an increasing,
greed that no considerations can check, devour-
ing, if the opportunity offers, the substance of
widows and orphans. The growth of luxHry is the
real cause of all the disgrace, and woe brought upon
the land. Every one cannot fare sumptuously and
drive about iu purple and fine linen, however
much we desire to do so ; and too rawly, alas !
not only desire, but do so. Spurrei on by the
necessity of meeting the expenditure, men gradually
learn to stop at nothing. When it is known that
a merchant whose position is high has dune what
another would like to do, but in his heart feels to
he immoral, he is encouraged to do it, and his
example is followed by others. Thus, the standard
becomes lowered, and men drift into transactions
which ix' the We of the world, when diecoyered,

they attempt attempt to justify, declaring that they can see
no impropriety in their conduct. Some accept 3
bonus for the use of their names ; others an wino'
payment for business they neglect; many, if they
are to be believed, see no harm in deceiving the
public into an investment in the highest degree
speculative, though represented by them as wholly
free from risk. If the speculation turned out
profitable, the lion's share of the gain went to them
selves ; if the reverse, on the victims fell the
disaster. A vast portion of the nation knew
little or nothing of business. They desired to
get au amount of interest for money which
no old established country can return ; the
Joint Stock Act of 1832 opened to all classes the
gates of trade, and through that opening rushed
the ignorant crowd. They had one idea ; though
they did not themselves understand the nature of
the c mcern in which they had embarked. So and
So did, and he was a man of the highest honour, of
great business knowledge, and of large fortune.
This was their guarantee—and what it has come to
all England knows. his idol was a Philistine, who
cared nothing for anything but to enrich himself,
and to enjoy the fruits of his gains. If the igno-
rant mass, thinking him a god, pressed forward to
lay their offerings at his feet, was he to descend
from his pleasant niche, reject their gifts, and
show what a vile thing he in truth was ? Indeed
this was more than could be expected of human
nature, and the ignorant believers in the virtue of
mankind have learnt by a sad experience the value
of a name.—.4nglo-American Tinzes.

A FEW OBSERVATIONS ON THE " OLDEST

CHURCH IN LONDON."

The re-opening at St. Bartholomew the Great
on the 29th ult., after some restoration, however
incomplete, yet of what may have been strangely
little known, for at least two or three generations/
as the " oldest London" church, must be a far front
everyday occurrence.

Beyond this, however, it must be fairly sub-
mitted to antiquarians, whether this, reported to
have been begun in " 1103" and finished in ten
years, be not one of the very oldest now existing in
" England," and whether " half-a-dozen" at utmost
could be fairly pointed out as, beyond any frag-
mentary remains, certainly older.
The arches of the " chapel in the White Tower"
(London), with corresponding " apse," or the rude
ones at " St. Michael's, St. Albans," may come
nearest. Gloucester and Norwich Cathedrals, St.
John's, Chester, not to mention the most beautiful
English-Norman church, Steyning, are bolder.
These, however, at St. Bartholomew's are not ab-
solutely ugly, and must command interest from
their age. The blank mullioned arches above ore
symmetrical, and the upper " pointed" windowil
better. Over the middle aisle is a timber roof, said
to be the original—if so, showing a great age of
ligneous endurance ; while the stone groining of the
low aisles is almost graceful, or " classic." Some
of the " pointed" windows here, especially ,4 three
light" ones in the north, now much shorter thou
the south, are excellent.

The altar-tomb, with canopied roof, of Rahere,
is elegant, and calls attention to a doubly venerable
man, pious founder, according to his conscience, of
a priory and an " hospital for the sick poor." There
is, too, a very handsome table mural monument 10
the south aisle. •

What was the lower part of the " central tower'
is not unlike Chichester. Doubtless they had coin'
peteut advice now; but there certainly was an e'
pressed opinion some 25 years ago, probably of the
late Mr. Cottingham, that the northern side here+
which has a weak appearance, might hardly outls
" fifty years."
In the present brick tower, believed about 1590+
and between 80 and 90ft. high, are five small belle+
tenor, 10 cwt., but all old. ' One dedicated to the
patron saint, with Ora pro me, dated, "1423 ;" the
whole strongly asserted to have a great proportion
of "silver."

The reopening sermons at this " old" church were
most appropriately preached by the bishop and arch'
deacon of the diocese. The former's text fro►'
Jeremiah, alluding to " old paths," was admirably
" in keeping," though it was well understood that
he did not refer to " Mediavalisna" in doctrine, in
our " pure and reformed part" of the Christian
Church, to which the respected archdeacon has lie
more affinity.

The merit of this " restoration" is mainly due to
the long-esteemed rector, the Rev. J. Abbess, syll°
gave £l,OOO, and a lay supporter and treasurer,
&c., Mr. Boord, a neighbouring distiller, who con'
tributed the same sum, with a promise of £5OO
more if needed. The governors of St. Bartholo-
mew's Hospital also (though in the smaller parigi
of the same name) subscribed what they doubt'
less thought the proper maximum for their trust
funds, £5OO, in honour of their benevolent and
pious founder.

The announcement of the death of Judge David
Wilmot, of the Court of Claims, brings to mind the long
struggle—notyet ended, indeed—over the celebrated " W.ll-
mot proviso." When the proposition to introduce certain
territories west of the Upper Mississippi
.to the Union $5
States came before Congress Mr. Wilmot was a representative
from Pennsylvania. He drew up a "proviso" uncondi,"
tionally prohibiting slavery in those new territories;
was offered as an amendment to every " territorial" bill'
Against the " Wilmot proviso" Mr. Douglas pitted " P°
pular sovereignty," but this "proviso" has triumph'''.
Mr. Wilmot was really the founder of the Republican
party ; though, strangley enough, he was not an aboli-
tionist of that extreme faction of which Wendell Philips
and W. L. Garrison are leaders. Ho was a man of small
ability, one of the few who have greatness thrust 110/1
them.—Standard.

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y
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