The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-25 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOBE.—Symptoms indicative of increasing discon-
tent among the supporters of Ministers are exhibited at
the Agricultural Protection meetings. The near ap-
proach of the Parliamentary Session seems to have been
selected for these manifestations of landed dissatis-
faction with the policy of Government—possibly with
the hope of awing Sir Robert Peel into obedience.
We scarcely know which is mcst the object of pity
to lookers on—a Minister whose policy is watched
with jealousy, and whose measures are the subjects of
incessant upbraiding and complaint by the party which
placed him in power as the protector of their interests,
or the party it-elf. " The agricultural interests," said
the Duke of Richmond in the /louse of Lords, " placed
the Minister where be. is, and it can deprive him of
the power it conferred, if he betrays the in-
terests to which he owes his elevation." Though
uttered by a Duke, the head of the Protec-
tion-to-Agriculture party, they were vain words. From
the day they were spoken, down to the present day,
the agriculturists have filled the country with their com-
plaints of the sad consequences of Sir Robert Peel's
" sliding-scale " and tariff, folioed, as they were, by his
Canada Corn Bill and other measures of minor influence,
but having the same tendency. Yet Sir R. Peel con-
; tinues to preside over the councils of the country. In-
different alike to the supplications and objurgations of
the agriculturists and the other protected interests,
whom he deceived by his cajolings when leader of
Opposition, he continues to alarm their apprehensions.
'They meet, as they have often met, to upbraid Sir
Robert Peel with his perfidy ; to deprecate any further
inroads upon their interests ; and to threaten him
with their vengeance if he venture to proceed another
step in the course of free trade, of which he has openly
expressed his admiration and approval "in the ab-
stract." Which, we repeat, is most to be pitied—the
betrayer, or the betrayed ; the Minister who acquired
power by deception ; or the interests which trusted to
his smiles, and put a desired interpretation on his
ambiguous phrases ? The agriculturists now confess
that they find themselves in a worse position than
they would have occupied had the Government they dis-
placed been allowed to pass the measure which excited
their alarms, and provoked the combined opposition by
which it was defeated. They are now the prey of dis-
content and anxiety. Perplexity as to the future in-
creases the burden of their dissatisfaction. They toil
without recompense, and have no hope of a beneficial
change. Such is the staple of the lugubrious speeches
which have been delivered at several Agricultural Protec-
tion meetings recently held in different parts of the country.
We have the proceedings of three of these meetings
held within the present week. At Gloucester, the at-
tendance at the anniversary meeting of the Farmers'
Club was extremely meagre ; and those who were pre-
sent were there rather to give utterance to complaints
against the Government and their landlords, than to
communicate anything satisfactory as to their present
or prospective condition. The report, though evi-
dently drawn up with caution, stated that "On the
subject of the tenure of land, it had been a point
that had excited much doubt, whether it ought
properly to be introduced for discussion in a
Society whose more immediate object was to promote
practical improvements in agriculture. It was, however,
held, that no very great advancement could be made in
farming unless some security was felt in the tenure by
which the farmer held his land, so as to secure him a
return for capital expended, and therefore the Committee
had sanctioned the introduction of the subject, which
would form one of the early questions for discussion."
This question gave rise to considerable disagreement.
Whether the landlord should not make the out'ay,
and charge a per tentage upon the rent, instead
of requiring the tenant to supply the means of improved
cultivation out of his diminished resources, was warmly,
debated. In the end, however, " a Committee was ap-
pointed to draw up a form of agreement between land-
lord and tenant, suitable to the wants of the Vale of
Gloucester." One tenant-farmer (a Mr. Watts) declared,
that the cause of the very thin attendance at the meet-
ing was " the disinclination of landlords to help their
tenants in these times of difficulty and distress." Another
declared, " these were not times for farmers to lay out
their money in improvements." The health of Earl
Ducie being given from the chair, was the signal for
considerable altercation ; some refusing to drink the
toast because of his Lordship's speech at a meet-
ing of the Anti-Corn-law League in Covent-garden
Theatre, in which he declared an opinion fa-
vourable to the abolition of the corn-laws ; others
calling upon the objectors to confute his Lordship's
arguments before they refused to drink his health on
account of them. Is not this a pretty state of things
at a Farmers' Protection dinner ? Verily the straw is
moving—and in the right direction too. At the North-
ampton Agricultural Protection meeting, on Wed-
nesday, the symptoms of dissatisfaction with the
measures of Ministers were yet more unequivocal.
Sir Charles Knightley, one of the county Members,
spoke out his mind in terms which would be
worthy of attention were they likely to be fol-
lowed up in Parliament by any movement indicative
of a settled purpose. As it is, they are mere empty com-
plahats ; expressive, however, of the deep regrets of the
party for having sold themselves to Peel, who leads
them captive at his will. Tho lion. Baronet, how-
ever, did his best to convince his auditory that he felt
and deplored the helpless condition in which they had
placed themselves. He begun at the beginning ; enu-
mtrated each of the measures relating to agriculture
which Sir Robert Peel has introduced, and showed
the evil effects of those measures on the interests of
agriculture. At the Sussex Agricultural Protection
Society meeting, held yesterday, the Duke of Richmond
in the chair, there was much of compliment to the Noble
Duke who presided—much of earnest exhortation to
union of opinion and action, in order to effectually stem
the torrent which was setting in against " protection ."
and a manifest wish on the part of the Duke to modify
and subdue the restlessness and discontent which existed
on account of the policy which her Majesty's Ministers
have adopted with respect to agricultural produce.
The Duke has had the mortifying and nauseous
task imposed on him of eating his own leek. His threat
of expelling Peel has failed. Tho agricultural
Members in the House of Commons have shown that
they lack the pluck for which his Grace of Richmond
rave them credit, when he lifted up his warning voice in
Parliament, and threatened the Minister with venfPes
ante. They have broken faith with their constituents,
as Sir Robert Peel has done with the agriculturists, and
other class interests. Their votes in the House of Com-
mons are in direct antagonism with their speeches at the
hustings. Sir Robert Peel knew of what kind of stuff
his majority was composed, and he acted accordingly.
Like the Duke of Newcastle, the Right Hon. Baronet
knew and still knows, he can do what he will with his
own." Ho has tried, and proved them as subservient to
his purpose as ho could wish. His future policy will be
shaped in accordance with the past.
STANDARD. —We insert elsewhere the opinion
given by the Queen's Advocate and Mr. Bethell against
the several measures proposed Se be offered to the Ox-
ford Convocation on the 13th proximo. We own that
this opinion surprises us, not only because it seems, upon
principle, very unduly to limit the power of the Uni-
versity, but also because we have reason to believe that
the board had not taken the course that it adopted
without the very best legal advice. However, if the
matter is to go off it is much better that it should go
off upon a legal quibble than in any other way.
The board has honourably vindicated itself before the
country by seriously attempting to do what is right—and
the country will " take the will for the deed," whatever
the event. This is the position in which we are placed by
the real tyrant of this nation—the grim despot whe
paralyses every legitimate authority—" Law Costs."
To proceed by legal process against Mr. Ward would
probably cost the University ten thousand pounds, and
every attempt to enforce the proposed statute, if adopted,
would probably cost as much. The bishops in the same
way are precluded from clearing the Church of un-
worthy or disgraceful ministers---" Vivat le.r," as Raggl•
makes his " Ignoramus " exclaim, and an " Ignoramus"
he must be, who can patiently contemplate the can.
tinuance of such a state of the law.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF QUEENS BENCH, Jan. 24.
The Court took the special paper this ',lay. Nothing
of importance or interest came bef(n'e their Lordship..

BAIL COURV, Jan. 24.
(Sittings in Banco.)
TME POOR-LAW COMMISSIONERS V. TRH GUARDIAN/

OP Till KINGSBRIDGB UNION.
Mr. Tommiisoil moved for a rule to show cause
why a mandamus should not issue, directed to the
guardians of the Kingsbridge union, commanding
them to appoint a chaplain to the workhouse there.
The affidavit on which he made the application
showed that the union was duly constituted by the
Poor-law Commissioners on the 28th of May, 1836.
On the 24th of March, 1841, the Poor-law Commis-
sioners issued an order directing that a chaplain should
time.
d isiineceaftriartwpearrdsiod w -
be appointed, and a gentleman was accordingly chosen
but on that
or delegaing :
eavnedr,msiennist tienrehidsfroersisgonmaetit
other had been appointed. On the tthfuorfthFeerbroulinrdaroonyealt
Commissionerstbhye its
ss
admitting
jseucetc,l
sort of discretionary power to the
regulationdolfoBu4b2t' l
se e , he oh whether
guardians as to the
fitting time for filling up the a
Commissioners) did not in fact J3Pointment, they (the
altogether
order of the 24th of March. To satisfy that doubt,
the Commissioners subsequently issued a peremptory
order, that a chaplain should be elected within two
months from that date. On.
receiving that order, the
guardians communicated
with the Commissioners, in-
closing a strings of resolutions which evinced clearly
that their object was procrastination, and that they
hoped to be able to secure the gratuitous services of
the
neighbouring clergyman. They craved a further
delay, which the Poor-law n l
Commiss ' era did
deem it expedient to grant, and thereforeo it not
that
he was instructed to move for that rule. was
Mr. Justice ou IVILLLuds— Y
maytake a rule to
show cause.
The other motions were of an unimportant cha.
meter.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Jan. 24,
(Sittings in Banco.)
The Court proceeded to-day with the new trial
paper.

ACRIMAN V. COOPER.

In this ease a rule had been obtained in Hilary
term, eating upon the defendant to show cause why
the verdict in his favour should not be set aside, and a
new trial had.
Mr KELLY, as Counsel for the defendant* -who
About to reply, when