The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-06 00:00:00

Obetnina

t• 1 " SONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 6, 1850.

Another demonstration of the popular distaste for
the, cant and bigotry of the Sabbatarians was given,
it will he observed, last evening, in the Freemason&
Tavern, with the veteran reformer the Member for
lfchitrose as chairman. Any movement of this
character is certain to enlist our sympathies in its
behalf at all times, but more especially at the present
moment, when the Parliamentary session is rapidly
dra,wing to a close without the public being relieved
from the serious inconvenience to which it has re-
cently been subjected through the surprise contrived
'between the days of the Oaks and the Derby by cer-
tain .well-meaning, but ill-judging fanatics. Knowing,
as we do, the deplorable confusion, both social and
commercial, resulting from the cessation of all pbstal
communication throughout the United Kingdom, it
it impossible for u', es public journalists, to do
otherwise thou await a return to the previous
mode of arrangement with the utmost imaginable
degree of solicitude. This might reasonably be pre-
dicated of us by our readers ; and certainly our pre-
disposition to oppose the diffusion of these most per-
nicious principles of religious hypocrisy is only in-
creased by the irritation displayed against their more
rational and enervtic antagonists by the advocates
and apologists of superstition. According
to the logic of these latter wiseacres, we anti-
Sabbatarians are under the direct instiga-
tion of the Old Gentleman. And certainty to
judge from the petulant lucubrations of our contem-
porary the Morning Herald, our opponents, the
Sabbatarians, are under the immediate instigation of
the Old Lady. Whether this conjecture be correct
or erroneous, it !ufficiently undeniable that the
ague of the pia/ are for .iirtually

.i-+Vv'N

ignoring, in a social and commercial sense, the exist-
ence of fifty-two days in every twelvemonth, have
latterly assumed a tone of personality and vin-
dictiveness which seem to indicate a painful
consciousness of insecurity. To add somewhat more
to this anxiety on the part of our Sabbatarian antago-
nists, we would sententiously remind them of a truth
which they seem to have altogether overlooked,
namely, that the conduct of any department of the
administration is only to be influenced by the force of
public opinion, and not by the flourishings of a ging-
ham umbrella. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE, as well
as each of his Ministerial colleagues, may be convinced
by argument, his judgment may be affected by manly
remonstrance, but he will remain altogether un-
moved and unaffected by a paroxysm of literary
hysterics. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the
impression of a certain class cf quidnuncs, who are
consequently accustomed to indulge themselves at
periodical intervals, now in a fit of stormy w•eepings
and lamentations over the sinfulness and degene-
racy of the population, now in violent and
most vituperative personalities levelled at the
conscientious supporters of a different scheme of
regulations. One satisfactory deduction at any
rate may be drawn from this practice on the
part of one or two almost isolated contemporaries,
namely, that the cause of intolerance is only brought
more and more into disrepute in proportion to the
numerical accumulation of these evidences of ultra-
fanaticism.

Our difference of opinion with the Sabbatarians is
altogether so complete and diametrical, that we cannot
coincide with those Liberals in and out of the Rouse
of Commons, who are for allowing the Saints to "run
themselves out" to a state of exhaustion, and then to
be dexterously creeled in like a plethoric trout,
With this laudable but, to our thinking, very cul-
pably directed intention of circumventing the up-
holders of Sunday stagnation, some of the advocates
of anti- Sabbatarianistn are for giving their opponents
full fling, for 3 ielding in every respect to their re-
quirements, and for thereby demonstrating their de-
mands to be utterly impracticable. In this we can-
didly avow at once that we regard our associates as
being altogether mistaken. 'We have assuredly had
sufficient experience already of the lengths to which
our dear brothers the fanatics will go, if they are
only afforded opportunity. Besides which, enough
mischief has already resulted from their interference
to render us particularly anxious to prevent the con-
tinuance of this disastrous system of concession. As
a brilliant and conclusive argument in favour of this
prevention, we transcribe the following passage from
a masterly article in the current • number of the
Quarterly, in which the folly and unreasonableness of
this preposterous scheme of the Sabbatarians is thus
felicitously demonstrated:—
" Without referring to extraordinary political emer-
gencies, such as those which caused the battles of
Aboukir. Delhi, Viwiera, Ciudad Itodrigo, the Pyrenees,
Orthes, Toulouse, New Orleans, and Waterloo to be
fought on a Sunday, and without the slightest desire to
impute to any party extreme opinions, it is clearly evi-
dent that if no work whatever is to be done on she Sab-
bath; if on that day no cows are to be milke:l; no
horses, domestic animals, or poultry fed; if no sentinel
is to pace before public stores, or no policeman to watch
over the lives and properties of the Queen's subjects; if
no fire-engines are to be used; if no street-lamps are to
be lighted, no main water-pipes turned on, or no one be
permitted to guide off the sewerage of great Cities; and
lastly, if the public should creditably determine on no
accJunt whatever to ride, drive, or travel—it would then
be highly proper that mail-bags should everywhere be
stopped in their progress to join in the general system;
but inasmuch as it is undeniably more wicked for man-
kind to move and journey on Sunday than for the
opinions, Ste., they recorded, sealed up, and posted on
Saturday to do so, it certainly does appear that for the
attainment of their praiseworthy object the petitioners
might have made a more judicious selection. For in-
stance, have the 400,000 p'ersons who have petitioned
for a total stoppage of the transmission of the letter-
bugs of this country on Sunday, considered what con-
tribution they tbem,elves could offer to the holy object
they desire to attain ? Have they considered, or
tattier—discarding opinions fur figures—have they
calculated that, by ' a total stoppage' of ' all
manner of work' in their houses, it is in
their own power at once to relieve ' their men-servants
or their maid-servants' from the manual labour of mak-
ing on every Sabbath-day 400,000 beds, of dusting say
1,200,000 rooms, of lighting say 800,000 fires, of prepar-
ing 1,200,000 hot meals, of fetching, spreading, and re-
moving at least 8,500,000 cups, saucers, plates, dishes,
knives, fork 4, spoons, water-bottles, jugs, and mugs ?
In 'simply demanding that the metropolis should be the
model to be imitated in all postal matters in every town
and city throughout the kingdom,' have they reflected
that, although the quantum of labour required in the
London Post-office would render it impracticable as
well as highly improper to continue it on the Sabbath-
day, the time /lutes, ary fur sorting the letters (the
desecration of which they so strenuously compiain) does
not, in the majority of small post-towns, exceed that
which their own servants expend in making for each of
them on Sunday, say a plain batter pudding? And
yet, though they see no harm whatever in finishing
their dinner by se allowing the latter, they scrupulously
strain at the continuance of the former. In short they
grant indulgences to their own bodies which they deny
to the nation's mind I"

After tbis unanswerable epitome of the whole
question of Sunday delivery, it were supeifluous to
comment further at the present moment upon a sub-
ject of discussion already scrutinised more or less in
all its hearings by the vast bulk of the community.
Enough for us that the counter-movement has already
commenced in earnest, and that in the meeting of
yesterday the public had a foretaste of those subse-
quent demonstrations which are destined ultimately
to dissipate the day-dreams of the Sabbatarians—
nightmares to the rest of the multitude.

The discussion on the case of Baron ROTHSCHILD
has terminated fur the present. The House of Com-
mons, after rejecting the amendment brought forward
by the Hon. Gentleman the Member for Montrose
by a majority of 62, carried the two'resolutions pro-
posed by the Attorney-General—the first, which de-
clares that " the Baron DE ROTHSCHILD is not en-
titled to vote in the House, or to sit in the House
during any debate, until he shal tbke the oath of ab-
juration in the form appointed by law," by a majority
of 74 ; the second, pledging the House " ar the ear-
liest opportunity in the next session of Parlia-
ment to take into its serious consideration the
form of the oath of abjuration, with a
view to relieve her MA.ixsTl's subjects professing
the Jewish religion," by a majority cf 36. As we
predicted on Friday, the position of parties was alto-
gether changed on the two divisions, those who
strenuously opposed the former resolution being
strongly in favour of the latter, while the opponents
of civil and religious liberty, who hailed the recession
of the Liberal Ministry to their ranks, and re-
joiced to find that those who were borne to office by
the people chiefly because they had evinced an
anxiety to do away with all restrictions and to re-
move every vestige of intolerance from the national
statute book, had become sticklers for "forms," desi-
rous of straining the law beyond its purpose, and
looking to its letter rather than its spirit, most
energetically resisted the proposition which would
bind the House to provide a suitable remedy for the
admitted grievance on a future occasion. The " Mi-
nisterial hangers-on" and the " waiters on Provi•
dence," however, turned the scale on each occasion,
and the result is precisely what we anticipated.
Although, however, they have succeeded to a
certain extent, Ministers have but little cause for re-
joicing at their triumph; and their position might
iLpdaedvooptitoend
ithave been very different indeed had Baron DE
unfortunatell toa themore o
iu er decidedfai course.faire
Their
policy—their
anxiety to avoid every question of or doubt
difficulty,
induced them to violate their n
dis t.l t promises to carry
the Parliamentary Oaths throughßille the popular
branch of the Legislature at least
during the present
session, promises which induced the
representative
A great cause, and the influernial
and
enlightened
of
constituency by which he had been elected,
to
con-
sent to his prolonged exclusion from the rights
and
privileges of his position, and the partial disfranchise •
meat of the metropolis of the British empire. They
also materially damaged the question about which
they professed to feel a deep interest by their most
injudicious Frccrastination. Twice had the House of
Corrin:ons Tossed Bills for the removal of what was
supposed to be the Jewish disabilities, twice
bad these ju3t and salutary measures been
rejected in the Upper House. But, as the Honour-
able Gentleman the Member for Buckinghamshire
truly remarked, it was on the second occasion "dis-
cussed in a spirit of mitigated hostility, and was
rejected by a majority less than before." "An inci-
dent of a very significant character" then occurred.
The Honourable Gentleman, with a high-minded and
laudable anxiety to ascertain the feelings of his con-
stituency—to learn whether the hostility of the Home
of Lords to his claims had altered their favoirable
impressions, accepted the Chiltern Hundreds., and ap-

pealed de novo to their suffrages. The result was
truly gratifying, reflecting the highest !lemur on the
citizens of London, and showing them th be indeed
worthy of the elective franchise, the highest
privilege of freemen. On the former election
it might have been considered a personal
question between Baron DE ROTHSCHILD and the
other candidates, and it was a legitimate source of
pride that he occupied a higher position on the poll
than such men as Mr. JOHN MASTERMAN and Sir
GEORGE LARPENT ; but on the second the matter
assumed a totally different aspect. It was no longer
" the man", but " the cause" that was concerned, and
any worthy professor of the Jewish religion would
have received as many votes as Baron DE ROTHS-
CHILD. The question of civil and religious liberty
was involved in the issue, and the citizens cf London
bad ever occupied a prominent position in such cop-
tests, the post of honour had ever been
freely yielded to their pre-eminent claims on
all such occasions. The result did not
disappoint the general anticipations ; Baron DE
ROTHSCHILD—the champion of the Jewish claims—
was re-elected by an overwhelming and most trium-
phant majority—by almost as many hundreds as he
had units en the former occasion. A glorious illus-
tration was thus afforded of popular feeling, and it
might have been expected that the Lords after such
a demonstration would have abandoned their opposi-
tion to the voice of public opinion. It was a golden
opportunity, that should not have been neglected or
lost sight of, of which every possible advantage should
have been taken ; but, unfortunately, the " do-
nothing " propensities of the Cabinet interfered.
The matter was first postponed under specious
pretexts until a late period of the session, and then
quietly thrown over to another year, on the allega-
tion that there was not sufficient time to get through
the pressing business before Parliament. The Lords
were thus permitted to suppose that the Commons
had retired from the contest ; they certainly aban-
doned their ground, and left the victory in the hands
of their opponents. This vacillating and undignified
course, so unworthy of the chosen representatives of the
people, and of the sacred cause in which they were
engaged, would necessarily encourage their lordly ad-
versaries, and lead to additional obstructions being
interposed, not only on the question of the
Jewish disabilities, but on other topics of
absorbing interest, whenever they might arise. We
believe no impartial person, independent of Govern-
ment influence, can hesitate in saying that the entire
circumstances of the case are exceedingly discreditable
to Ministers, who deserve severe cenaure for their
conduct in the entire case—censure which their
tardy pledge to take the sul-ject into their serious
consideration at " the earliest opportunity" in the
next a ession of Parliament cannot entirely remove.
But, cui bono, for what object have they thus im-
plicated th emselves ? Was it the pressure of more
urgent business, or a want of time to pass the mea-
sure through its various stages ? What business, we
ask, could have been more urgent than the removal of
that last vestige of intolerance from the national statute-
book, that fouls blot from the national escutcheon ?
We believe, we are firmly convinced, that there was
no subject brought forward during the entire session
in which the feelings of the people were more deeply
interested, or in which a greater anxiety was enter-
tained for the performance of a simple act of justice.
If " want of time " was the pretext, how can they
justify the frequent " countings out," by which
many valuable hours were wasted, and which might
have been averted if ordinary precautions were taken ?
Again we may ask, did they really gain time by the
unwise and injudicious course they adopted ?
Would not a Bill, which had already been twice under
the consideration of the House, and which had been fully
and amply discussed in all its details, have been carried
through in less time than was expended in the debates
on the new points raised ? We believe that there can
be no second opinion on this point, and that it will be
universally admitted, by all but the prejudiced and
biassed opponents of all reform, that the Government
have most gratuitously, most unnecessarily, and most
uselessly exposed themselves to the unpleasant predi-
cament in which they are now placed.
It must also, we think, be admitted that Baron DE
ROTHSCHILD treated the Ministerial backsliding with
great leniency, and • cautiously avoided the course
that would have involved them in still greater diffi-
culty. We believe that his supportera within and
without the walls of Parliament would have been
better pleased had he acted more vigorously—if the
issue raised had been, whether he should be
at once admitted to take his seat and vote in the
House. The resolution brought forward by Mr.
Hume was merely to the effect that the question was
involved in dot.ibt, and that a declaratory Bill should
be introduced next session respecting the due ad-
ministration of that oath. Had the amendment been
carried the matter would still have remained unde-
cided, and we can easily understand that many per-
sons would, like Mr. DISRAELI, have objected to vote
for either the original motion or the amendment. We
are quite convinced that it was not a dread of per-
sonal consequences that induced the Hocourable
Gentleman to remain so far quiescent, but a desire to
spire the Government, of which his Noble Colleague
in the representation of the city ef London was the
head, the unpleasant consequences that might have
followed a more decided proceeding. As it is the
matter is now adjourned until next session, unless
some independent Member will, even at the eleventh
hour, bring forward a measure for the relief of his
Jewish fellow-subjects, and thus ascertain whether
Ministers will oppose a Bill of which they acknow-
ledge the propriety and justice.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The following have been appointed by tbe Minister
of the Interior members of the Committee of Censor-
ship of Theatres :—Examiners—M. Florent, M. Cari-
tan, M. Pelissier, M. de Meynard, and M. Neveu.
Inspectors—M. Plante and M. Louis Boyer. Secre-
tary —M. Victor Halla3 s. Before the revolution of
Fwbruary, MM. Florent, Plante, and Louis Boyer
held the same offices as those to which they have been
appointed, and M. Caritan was employed in tbe
former Committee of Examination.

M. KEBATRY has published a long letter in reply
to the one written by M. GUIZOT on the subject of
education. The letter of M. KERATRY is one long
laudation of the Jesuits, who, according to this gen-
tleman, are persecuted if they are prevented from per-
secuting others and for whom the liberty of persecut-
ing all Protestants is claimed accordingly. That they
are not indisposed to use, or more properly
speaking, to abuse this liberty of persecution, is evi-
dent from the conduct of the worthy Bishop of MON.
TALBAN, who has forbidden the Catholic Chaplain of
the College of Montauban from appearing at the
distribution of prizes at the College, or from taking
any part in the ceremony, commanding him to
tribute the prizes for religion in his own chapel, with-
out ceremony, and assigning as a reason the fact
that Protestant students are received at the College cf
Montauban, and that the worthy ecclesiastic might
become contaminated by the contact of a Protestant.
These are the first fruits of the enjoyment of power
by M. DB MONTALEMBBBT and the parti• pretre.
In the southern departments the Jesuits are in-
triguing with the municipal councils to procure the
suppression of the public schools and the surrender of
the school-houses to the bishop of the diocese, and
in Arles and Turrascon they have succeeded.

The Paris papers state that M. TRIER S is at Brus-
sels, where he has had several interviews with Prince
METTER?iICM. _

Accounts from Marseilles state that there has been
no renewal of the outbreak, but that the agitation
occasioned by the suppression of the sanitary com-
mittee still continued.

The Council of Arrondissement of Montpellier bas
adopted a resolution inviting the executive to reject
any proposition that may be made in favour of a re-
vision of the Constitution before the period legally
appointed for that purpose.
The same council has also adopted another resolu-
tion condemnatory of the tax on spirituous liquours,
which it pronounces " unjust and vexatious."
Madame MattLlANt, whose saloons have long been
filled by the most clistingui,hed personages of the
capital and of foreign countries, died in Paris on
Friday night.
PARIS 800 asp, AUGUST s.—Latest Prices.—Five
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Bank of France, 2,395 f.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
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Inßdioaunl,o7gsna—aLnd uxAemnblioetnirsg, 7,
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Northern of France. l4?—Orleans al d Bordeaux, 3A_
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