The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-06 00:00:00

infirnialt c/1111

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 18-it

It is so often our misfortune to except to the mea•
sures of Sir ROBERT PEEL—to challenge their prin
ciple, or to deprecate their tendency—as, for e.xampl.
in reference to his currency-regulation scheme, el
his property and income-tax " screw"—that we fin
it quite agreeable to meet him upon other ground, o:
which we can approach him only with the tribute o-
our humble, but unqualified praise. The recom
mendation he has addressed to the Crown—of Mr
ERLE for the Judgeship in the Court of Queen':.
Bench, vacated by the lamented retirement of Mr
Justice ERSKINE, is a proceeding for which th,
Premier is entitled to the highest credit. The ap-
pointment, itself, is one of the most dignified, of thi
most responsible, and of not the least lucrative kine,
which it is in the power of the SOVEREIGN to be.
stow. In this country, beyond the example, perhaps,
of all others, the unbounded respect of the people—
voluntary, uncompelled, unbiassed, unpurchased—
attaches to the ermined dispensers and expounders o
the law a sort of confidence which it withholds fro::
almo.t every other constituted authority, except o;
full satisfaction, after much discussion and investign
tion—of their title to claim it. The mass of the
people, throughout all the varieties and conditions o
which it is composed, seem to go beyond tl
wealthier and movie dignified classes in renderin
their homage to the official position and persona
on,ideration of the Judges. So proud a distinctioi
as this among a proud and jealous people, cannot b;
lightly earned. Still less can it be maintained with
out the consistent manifestation, on the part of it
occupier, of those high qualities in the pra2tical dis
charge of the duties of the Bench, which the peopl.
take it for granted must have already constituted the
principle of his selection fur a post of so much marl
and distinction, by the authorities which have collet
him to it. It is easy to imagine how many, and hov
powerful appeals, must have been made to the Pre.
mier for this appointment, from quarters which no.
thing short of the plea of public duty, according t;
his own estimation of its claims, could seem to justit,.
him in refusing to satisfy. But Sir ROBERT ha,
exercised the grace or patronage of the Crown, it
this instance, in so worthy a manner, that we shout::
apprehend he must have propitiated the good opinion
of nine-tenths of the Bar. He has conferred it, no•
upon the most worthy of his political supporters-
but on the best qualified and most eligible mambei
of that powerful and learned body, for so exalted
distinction. Mr. ERLE was, as to his political
opinions, a member of the Whig party—and therefore
arrayed in the ranks 'of the Minister's political op-
ponents, rather than in those of his supporters. Bu;
Mr. ERLE was, in point of high professional attain-
ments, practice, character, and considera:ion, seconi
to none, and superior to most, of his contemporarief,
in the same branch of practice. His professional
emoluments were extensive in proportion to his ex-
traordinary reputation as a leader among the leadini.
counsel
and pleadehrs of his day. A career like hi,
at the Bar, illustrated by so large •
judgment,
afntarm:unt of
knowledge and sound
echnical rxperi
ence and skill, combined with theo loftierl .talent, tht
larger and more generalised views
accomplished
intel-
lectual discipline and reach of an'aacctho eizll and
successful advocate—terminates most honourably
himself, and mest advantageously, we will venture
for
to predict, for the public, by his elevation to uttri:
Bench.

Before it had been intimated, on adequate authority,

that Sir R. PEEL had thus gracefully and promptly
recognised the superior pretensions to this high ap-
pointment of a political opponent some of our
Contemporaries had already discussed the contending
claims of several other parties, either actually candi-
dates, or probable claimants for it. We have per-
ceived with regret, in one article more especially, now
before us—a very able one, undoubtedly—that the
writer, in advocating the right of Mr. ERLE to ex-
pect that he should be nominated, has thought it
necessary--(in bad taste, and injudiciously, we must
say)—to go out of his way to damage the pretensions
of others. We lament to see the name of one very
sound and estimable Criminal Judge—the Recorder of
London—brought forward in this way, on a mere
surmise that a Noble Earl had been warmly solicit-
ing this Judgeship for that Right Honourable person,
his Lordship's brother. This is neither a candid nor
a justifiable course. We should strongly question
the fact of the Recorder's having sanctioned, sug-
gested, or assented to any such solicitations. But, in
the absence of all positive knowledge on that point,
we will only remark that, if anything could enhance
the value which we attach to the proper and judicious
selection Sir R. PEEL has made, or to the merits of
Mr. ERLE in being the object of that selection, we
should find it in the sense of duty which has induced
the Premier to pass by the claims of political and
official connexions, and among them, an auxiliary of
such standing and efficiency in Parliament—and, on
the Bench, a Judge so much respected for the sound-
ness of his legal doctrine and the probity of his de-
cisions, as the Learned Recorder. We dismiss this
point, however, to indulge in the congratulations we
would offer to the Premier on the determination he
has exhibited to uphold the high character which the
Judicial Bench has so long acquired and justified, for
the soundness of the law which it administers, and
the unimpeachable professiinal purity of those by
whom that law is administered.

We had hoped that the M-Gunes and the O'Suf.,-
LIVANS, and the other rampant Protestant bigots who
about five or six years since rendered themselves so no-
torious by their virulent philippics agiinst Catholicism,
were nearly if not quite extinct ; but, unfortunatele,
we find that this is not the ease; the breed still
flourishes, as indeed ►night have been expected, for
what is so tenaciJus of life as fanaticism You
imagine it defunct, when, 10, at the very Moment you
are bugging yourself in the pleasing conviction that
it has received the coup de grace, you discover to your
confusion that the "snake is scotched not killed," and
that it is ready to start up again as brisk and mis •
chievous as ever ! These reflections occurred to us
as we glanced over a report of the " Great Protestant
Meeting"—as one of our morning Contemporaries
calls it—which took place on Monday at Exeter Hall..
At this meeting two parsons, rejoicing in the
names of THELWALL and STOWELL, vied with
each other in the fierce intolerance of their
declarations against Catholicism, and all who did
not hold that creed in the most unmitigated abhor-
rence. Parson THELWALL, who commenced the pro-
ceedings, talked the customary amount of nonsense
about the Gunpowder Plot, which, he said, proved that
" the principles of Popery involved disloyalty, rebel-
lion, and treason against a Protestant Sovereign and
Government," and added, in aspirit of the most ran-
corous bigotry, that " whatever professions Romanists
might make of love and friendship, the unchanged
and unchangeable principles of the Church of Rome
hound them to persecute and murder Protestants, when-
ever they had the opportunity." How dare the man
talk in this way of our Catholic fellow. countrymen !
How dare he charge them with being bound by the
articles of their faith to become wholesale persecutors
and murderers ! Never was there a more audacious
calumny yet uttered in a public assembly ! Parson
STOWELL, resolved not to be behind his brother par-
son in point of uncharitableness, inveighed in terms
of indignant contempt against "the crosses,
banners, and similar mummery," which he had
recently beheld in a Roman Catholic procession
at Manchester, and deepening in his tone as he
proceeded, went on to observe that " there were at
this very time combinations of Irishmen in London
ready to come forward, whenever occasion should
serve, against the constitution and liberties of Eng-
land." The speech of this remarkable parson was in
every respect an extraordinary one. The first half
it was in flat contradiction to the other half_ The
one neutralised the effect of the other. It began
with a Lamentation—it concluded with a Jubilate.
At its commencement the speaker was inex-
pressibly afflicted at the idea of the embarrassments
and impediments to which the Protestant Association
was subjected. Everything went wrong with this
amiable fraternity. It had lost many of its early
friends—it was discouraged by the Legislature—re-
garded with apathy by " many of the clergy "—and
had the mortification of hearing that the grant to
Maynouth was to be d. übled next session. But this
was not the worst. Rome was beginning to bestir
herself, and had recently caused to be erected, GOD
knows how many churches and chapels in
this insulted country ! When the dolorous
parson STOWELL had sufficiently afflicted hi.
hearers by this budget of grievances, he suddenly
changed his tone, and bade them be of good cheer,
tier, after all, things were by no means so bad as they
appeared to be. What, if numbers of their friends
had deserted them, the truest and soundest still re-
mained to comfort than by their presence, and spur
them on to fresh triumphs in the righteous cause of
Protestant bigotry ! What, if many of tiltalergy regarded them as a pack of fools,
this fact only proved that the " spirit which animated
CHRIST and his Apostles had descended to them
n its purity and integrity !" What, if their pro-
feedings were discountenanced by the Legislature;
Lord ASHLEY and Mr. PLITHYTHE were still their
'riends, and while these enlightened senators stuck
is tight as barnacles to their cause, what could pre-
vent that cause from achieving a glorious triumph ?
What, though Rome was building churches and
!hapels and school-houses in all directions, Pro-
,estantism was beating Popery in the number
of her new ecclesiastical edifices by at least
ten to one ! On the whole, therefore, Parson
STOWELL was of opinion that his hearers had much
more cause for hope than despair, and as he had com-
menced by afflicting their sensibilities, so he con-
duded by cheering them—just as if an apothecary
hould first give his patient a poisonous draught, and
then administer the stomach-pump by way ofcounter-
acting its noxious effects I 'We have seldom if ever read
.peeches with more ineffable disgust than those de-
livered by the two parsons rejoicing in the names of
l'untavaLn and STOWELL. They are as strong in
ntolerance as they are weak in argument, and supply
by noisy bluster what they want in calm, methodical
good sense.

The debate in the Spanish Chamber of Deputies
im the address commenced on the 28th ult., and was
expected to continue for some days. The discussion
On the first day appears to have been favourable to the
views of the Government. Previous to the opening
the debate some questions were put to NARVAEZ re-
pecting the attempt on his life, and the arrests at
Madrid and Barcelona. He stated generally that
-he enemies of the Government were getting up con-
4piracies both in foreign countries and in the interior,
igainst the peace of Spain ; but that the Government
was strong enough to resist, and if the enemies of the
CTovertiment depended upon the army, it would be
much disappointed. With regard to the attempt on
;-iis own life, he said the subject would come before
the tribunals. lie denounced Revolutionists, and
leclared that the Government wanted neither the means
nor the courage to put them do wn. In cnnclusion,
he added :—" The Government is in possession of all
heir plan, and the delinquents now in the hands of
justice will be speedily visited with the rigour of the
:aw. The cause (4. order is in no danger, for the Go-
vernment has both the wish and the power of main-
taining it. As for me, nothing can induce me to
- :verve from the path of duty, and from the (lc fence of

tie QUEEN and the liberty of my country. PROVE'.
Dt•NCE has hitherto protected me, because it knows
the rectitude of my intentions ; but if I am doomed to
t',ll by the bands of my enemies, I shall die contented,
ror my conscience will tell me that I have done every-
thing in my power to uphold the throne and the insti-
tutions of my country. The banner of the Govern-
ment is, the Law and the constitution.' Those who
are anxious fin- their preservation must rally round it.''
This speech produced considerable effect, for it was
cheered Corn the galleries as well as from the body
of the House, and General CONCHA, though opposed
to the Reform scheme, announced his intention of

supporting the Government against every attempt at
revolution.

Barcelona journals of the 29th ult. state that thirty
individuals had been arrested, and a Council of War
was immediately summoned to try the criminals.
Six of them had been ordered for execution.

On the Madrid Bourse (28th ult.) the Three per
Cents. were done at 271 at 60 days, and 27 1-16 for
cash; the Five per Cents. at 201 ; and the Floating
Debt at 631 at 60 days.

The Paris papers are chiefly filled with the report
of Marshal SOULT on the Polytechnic School, and
comments on the affairs of Spain. The report of the
Marshal in the Journal des Debats extends to five
columns, and appears to be drawn up with great care
and judgment. The remarks on the newly-disco-
vered plots at Madrid and Barcelona possess little
interest. Several of the Opposition journals, and
among others the National, assert that the affair has
been got up to answer present purposes. The Journal
des Debats pretends to believe in the conspiracy, yet
it is curious to see how the writer, in his narration of
events, now and then throws doubt on it by the
words—" If we can believe the intelligence." The
following is the account given by that journal of what
occurred at Madrid and Barcelona, and a very lame
account it is :

" The news received to-day from Spain is of great im-
portance. The conspiracy, the existence of which was
announced by infallible symptoms, has exploded and
failed. Our readers have not forgotten the manifesto of
Espartero, in which the Dictator seemed to place him-
self at the order of future revolutions. They have like-
wise not forgotten that at this signal a great number of
refugees belonging to the Anarchist party, among others
General Ametler, who was so prominent in the last
troubles of Catalonia left, secretly, the places of resi-
dence assigned them. Fortunately, the French police
watched closely the frontier, and the greater part were
arrested at the moment of their attempt to enter Spain.
The plot, nevertheless, went on—but it seems that the
Anarchist party felt itself how much influence St had
lost in Spain, by the progress of public opinion—for
this time it is not by insurrection or by pronuncia-
mentess it has been attempted to act, but by assassina-
tion—and if we can believe the intelligence that has
reached us, a plan of assassination, a kind of St. Bartho-
lomew, which should include Ministers, Captain-Gene•
rals, and principal functionaries of Government, was or-
ganised. It was at Barcelona that the first essay of this
new attempt at revolution took place, on the evening of
the 27th. The moment the Captain-General of the
province, Baron de Meer, left the theatre, two
wretches fell on him. The assassins failed in their
attempt, and they were instantly arrested. ' But as an
escort were taking them to the Mazanares, a mob of
500 persons came to their rescue, and succeeded in car-
rying them off. This mob were not there by chance,
and if the Baron de Meer fell, no doubt they would have
been prompted by the confusion which the death of the
General must have caused among the garrison and au-
thorities, to get possession of the city of Barcelona and
give it up to all the horrors of anarchy. Several of
these fellows were arrested. The movement was limited
to the acts of those 500 bandits, as the mass of the popu-
lation took no part, and the town of Barcelona remained
perfectly tranquil. At Madrid it was, on the evening of
the 29th ult., th easispirators were to act. The pro-
posed victim was General Narvaez. The General was
to dine that day at the French Embassy, and at the mo-
ment of the arrival of his carriage six men armed were
to start forth, stop the carriage, and while some were to
fire on the coachman and servants, others were to mas-
sacre the'General. Providence did not permit the ac-
complishment of this dreadful crime. Among the as-
sassins there was an officer, put on half-pay by General
Narvaez. This man, touched by remorse, and probably
affected by the extent of the crime he was about to com-
mit, or, according to another version, having changed his
mind on hearing the speech pronounced by Narvaez in
the Senate, persuaded his companions to postpone for
another day the execution of their plan. Other reports
say that the General was saved by a fortunate accident.
His watch was too fast, and when his carriage arrived
the assassins were not at their post. It appears that the
officer in question, on the same night, made the fullest
revelations, and on the following day, at the mo-
ment the assassins were waiting for their victim,
they were surprised by the police and two
seized with arms concealed under their cloaks. An
examination at once took place, and the inforrriations
given by the officer alluded to were confirmed. Among
the persons implicated was Colonel Prim, who, it will be
recollected, played a prominent part in the insurrection
against Espartero in Catalonia. Shut up in the town of
Reuss, he defended it with courage against the Espar-
terists, and the Government of the Queen complimented
him by making him General and Count de Reuss. Not-
withstanding these favours Prim was the soul and head
of this conspiracy. He was arrested, and the man who
furnished the arms found on the assassin, says, it was
with him he dealt. We give this news with the greatest
pain, and it is shocking to think that an officer distin-
guished by his courage, and elevated so high by the Go-
vernment of his country, could be so criminal as to take
part in a plan of assassination. It is further said that
the plot has many branches, particularly at Valencia,
under General Roncali; but what has taken place at
Madrid and Barcelona is sufficient to inspire all honest
men, with horror, and we trust that the divisions which
were about to break out among the Moderados will cease.
The discovery of these plots will make the position of
Government much stronger, and Spain, it is to be hoped,
will acquire sufficient strength to put down faction.
Madrid was tranquil when the last accounts came away."
At TORTONdeS, on Sunday, the French Three per
Cents. were quoted at 82f.