The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-18 00:00:00

NATIONAL OPERA.

exception
Fin
reanit7hosotpervaly
igni,a(tiinoeen, itnit!.haecacdoPekirkiteliyll'iat(•lll:it of Europe cer-
pri.ttiaoilni,toitaisehio:utilledilazhear, forms a most singular
tainly.
Germany probably ranks i hiA•h, or higher even, in
that scale of -musical estimation than even far-famed
Boly—the land of song, and the supposed inventors,
*Aut. e dly the improvers, of this delightful species
of musical entertainment. If the latter abounds
in elegant and refined melody to a greater extent
than the more elaborate construction of the German
Opera, .ther recent union of the two schools has
furnished the admirers of opera in the present
era, with the most perfect effusions of dramatic music
.that has eYel teen listened to by the most fastidious
or enthusiastic amateur. '
Mozart stands preeminent for his inimitable talent
fOr blending the style and beautiful character of the
Italian melody, with the more severe, yet admirable
orateStral ilrutrations of his own country. This
established. fact _was long vehemently denied by the
jealous and vain Italians,. until their own countryman,
Rossini, stole a -march upon their vanity and their.
ignorant Prejudices. at once, by the popularity of his
brilliant opera of •II Barbiere di SiviLdia. The
orchestral accompaniment to which being full, even
to-repletion, with Germanic instrumentation !---pos-
sessing such an abundant store of established corn-
- position that is susceptible of facile adaptation, Ger-
man as WelniS Italian, it is scarcely reasonable to feel
surprise at the remarkable paucity of such
materiel in British Theatres, and it will be at
a very remote. period, we fear, from that we
now live in, .When British composers shall be
as highly esteemed by their countrymen in gene-
ral as are three of the nations we have alluded to.
We repeat that our apprehensions are not frivolous ;
especially when our reflections are directed to the

sources from whence at present British Opera
springs. It is a very remarkable truth, that the
English. nation, in the 19th century too, possess but
one solitary Opera! (that is, a Musical Drama, con-
structed upon the complete model of the almost 111-.
numerable productions, that grace both Italy, Ger-
many, and even. Prance,) and that, no doubt we are
proud of, for it is the entire production of our vene-‘
rated Countryman, Dr. Arne. Artaxerxcs contains so,
many original ideas, and numerous beauties in
musical illustration, that it has continued to be
admired by the natives of every country who
have any pretensions to a liberal knowledge and
perception of what is good in art, despite of
style. A fact so remarkable as this is, naturally
leads the mind to ponder upon the causes that
may be presumed to account for effects so strangely,
as well as most painfully anomalous, if not greatly
mortifying, to our national pride. It is quite true
that we have had many dramatic productions,
blended with songs, duets, trios, &c., nay even
finales. But, notwithstanding the super-eminent
beauties of many of the clever Dibdin's Melo-
dies, and the meritorious and more elaborate
compositions of our own Bishop,—not one of these
Dramas (ycleped Operas) are put together in that
form, which the more extensive knowledge and ex-
perience of our continental brethren, have long since
termed .Opera. The nearest apprOximations that
have been attempted of late, was by a splerided ef-
fort of the lamented Weber,--:-who was engaged ex-,
pressly by the proprietors of one of our national Thea-
tres to compose music for the Fairy Tale of ()kiwi;
and the production and adaptation of Rossini's
Opera of " Turco in Italia,' by Rophina Lacy,
for the Theatre •Royal, Drury-lane. But it would
be the heiglith of injustice and shocking ingratitude
were we to slight the even greater, more extended,
and spit ited exertions of the Proprietor of a Theatre,
limited to so brief a season by his licence
as to render those exertions still more re-
mailable, as well as highly deserving of that
kind of support, that can alone give him confidence
to persist in his laudable and strenuous endeavours
to obtain for himself a more liberal extension of his

licence, and for the musical portion of the corn:
triunity a bona fide ENGLISH OPERA, "a
devoutly to be wish'd." Let Mr. Arnold's
success be what it may—never was there a period
at which sonic amelioration of our national Opera
(we mean that which is miscalled Opera) was more
desiderated, or indispensible to our credit and taste
for .these, the most perfect of all musical exhibitions.
This opinion, is formed upon an attentive obserCa-
tion of all that has occurred Within the last c)iiarter
of a century, appertaining to the progreeS of music
in Britain, more especially of Opera. We cannot,
therefore, be insensible to the causes of its present •
deplorable humiliation--or, to the circumscribed,
yet nobler exertions of a small establishment, to.ios-
ter the love, and to disseminate a better taste for the
more perfect species of musical Drama. The suc-
cessful production at the El glish Opera House of
the "Oracle" of Winter—the" Frtyclintz" of Weber
—the " Freebooters" of Paer—the " Pirate if
Genoa," of Weigl--and " though last not least, in
our dear love," the " ('oci fan nue," of the inimita-
ble Mozart, has established beyond al) cavil, the rea-
sonable right its proprietor has to hope and to ex-
pect that such exertion shall at length receive its
ultimate and just reward. Au expectation and a
right made stronger still, by the singular and lament-
able contrast afforded by the . national—Theatres
at the present time. In each we see and hear a
powerful and well appointed Orchestra—conducted
too by protessors of music, standing high (and de-
servedly so) in the general respect, as well as tliat
of their brethren—Mid, what is their nightly occupa-
tion ? verily, to fiddle a few scraps of music in-a
most slovenly manner, to the intermezzo of the re-
gular drama, and to illustrate (occasionally), the
" sublime and beautiful" vulgarity-of a self-dubbed
composer. To be doomed to the mortifying slavery
of embodying ideas, which arc more adaptable to

the precincts of Saint Bartholomew's Fair than a
splendid national theatre, is not sufficiently degrad,
ing, however, to a clever musician—but, he oust
likewise undergo the extra judicial torture of
,f.
corednig nightly
thhreetetrittigimets (A
the most vtailigearwisay, msa c'itit(i
truly Bullish is the predilection.)—Our bre-
thren of the press too appear to be giving
way to this deluge of the Israelites—and that, at a
time when their valuable and powerful agency is
most required. This is much to be deptorea_m,
we think, that our honour 4.% a nation is 9,i mut,
identified by the attachment and love for one art,
as it is for that of another—music and painting may
surely rank together. It can never do so whilst
half a dozen of the Sons of Levi shall dictate, from
the upper circles of a British Theatre, which song
shall be applauded or encored three Cray, even four)
times ; which duet hisse;l„ No o
pretension will be t.cotid daring enough, or even sA
foolish, as tc, place his reputation at die mercy of
such tt vile and despicable system as thAt we.bave
described, and which is well-knoWi'. to exist at, the
composerr of rank or
present moment, in all its hittec.as and disgusting de- 1
fortuity,
say
nothing.Poefntsiolen,unta.e strange arta ttnex-
in one of our a4iatest national theatres,
Such events nitited to the
Plained c,t4ence of vocalist's such as 41. Philips,
c: •
.:-..apio, G. or Paton (to
three established t,ttd - rich vocalists), render the
establislarneet.of ) . a taeatre,
Prrht.keibeig4Zitlion of two or
to be appropriatodt to. the
e.chtsin production of British Opera; Wi.spcosibly
necessary, to the gratification 04 41:4 portion of a
British community, knovo. tct ti,,e attached to that
which is
valuable I.k;tite, art 1 and until this desirable
event be ncewpiii'sbed. by some such arrangemmt as
that w?, have felt it a paramount duty to alhule to,
ate alnirers of Opera must tlAs Wlltent to confine
their visits to the
,Ittilia.tt Theatre, already receiving
a more- than 1i.1,,,,4,54 share of British patronage ttud
supegti . (To an C0NT1.N.1,14,0,

SUICIDE FROM DISAPPOM4AIEXT..---.A finc.
looking )oung woman, a servint in the parish of Xirby
Over Carr, on discovqring that she had listmed with Al
too credulous ew to the faithless professio.v.,s of a deceiver,
wusso,o:iercome with the sting of disqpoiutment, that she.
Nought relief from her sufferings by suieide. She orocted:
her destructive purpose by a, dose of, poison, of which she
died on the early of last tveek.,-- VorIA cuurant•

SPIRIT OF THE LONDON JOURNALS.

He that would render a reason for all the ano-
malies in the Judicial system of this country, in
which the origin of so many things may be
traced to a state of:. society differing almost as
Much from that of - the present day_ as the social
state of the AmeriCan Indians differs from..that
of the ChineseJias-deterinifiedon a task -greatly
beyond the-range of our.ambition. A contem-
porary (the Morning Journal) alluded on
Tuesday last to the "Anonialy in the Adinini-
stration of our Criminal LaW, that thefe should
sfoexr tbl
theC oßf,eNeloiridl Middle-
sex be
before the judgment of the Court can
be executed upOn the unhappy wretches who are
ae:y % P
v hieauipicpsoelicinteo inv het
tried theto assign any
reprieve
doomed to die, when in every other county and
or
place, as the practice at every assize town will
show, no such ceremony is. necessary ; but the
lifewooloern thejdtltti)ge death,
whoedainc
tili;
of the condemned felon; 'is left to the judgment
of
good reason for the , origin of this anomaly:
It
Perhaps in early times the difficulty of guarding
men capitally convicted in the neighbourhood of
their connexions, and the obstacles in the was,
of communication between the county town and
the Court, might have suggested the necessity
of despatch in execution ; while in. the'capital
justice was more powerful,
.and' access to the
Sovereign more easy. Our contemporary, however,
observes further," It is true that applications for
pardon and remission of punishment are, in pro-
portion, as frequently made to the Home De-
partment, and to the Sovereign, for country de-
linquents, as for those in or near town ; but
why the formality of a report to the Sovereign,
and the delay and procrastination of the,punish-
mein (which, in the case of clear guilt, should
be immediate), necessarily attendant upon the
ceremony of the Privy-Comicil, should occur,
and be absolutely indispensible in the one case,
and not ui the Other, 'is a question to WhiCh vve
have never heard, and think, it 'impossible that
there should be A satisfactory, answer given."--
In our opinion,. it would be less difficult to shew

_ .
that in 'London there should always be. the
delay attendant on a revision, than that in the
country the execution should'in any case-What-
ever- imMediatelyfollow the Sentence. . In this
great capital, containingAkpopUlatioii.of.a million
and a half, constantly- fed: by emigration., from
all parts of the world, witnesses make theirap-
pearance in Court; .01'whoS#--livies and charac-
ters little is often known, and Many and many a
man has been unjustly condemned to die in Lon-
don on false-evidence. 'At this-'-tre'selt Moinent
two unfortunate IriSlilaN'}oe' een*Jp Ness ate.
for soMeimonths,"ajt'arliAikiitigiirfin,,unita-
tural offence, -OW the qtrie4e!ol*-I,Nollol.w..hieh,
under the circumstances, no man possessed oft.the
least knowledge of human natur-e,wottld.htive,lie-
lieved. We arebound in Charier fiPlielievellikt
the Jurors were -merely sttiPiif; I.itit''e.:iiii not
believe there is, one Man who read die .acconnt
of the trial who dOesnot•believe thesemen inno-
cent, though it would be a 'miracle if, onleav-
ing that hot-bed of-crime, -Nesigate,-theY 4re'nin
ready for the perpetration of crime. , Illelievirig
that many innocent men have be.eri capitaliyeon-
victed in London, that-innocent-lawn-901F ocea
sionally fall victims to false 'witnesses and the de-
fects of Juries (thuth:fewer from this last cause
now than foriberly), we :should be sorry to see
the convicts deprived even of that-substitute -for
a Court of Revision which they now possess in
the King in Council. That the• law, as- it is,
cannot be carried into execution, either in town
or country, is a proposition which no loan, we
-believe, will think. of disputing. " At one of
the recent Assizes at Lancaster (says the Liver-
pool iVerettry of Trittrtylasi), forty-seven per-
sons- were condernued"...by..the Judge, and only
three left .for: -Oißention.,"
~ Were -we- to attempt
to increase the executions throughout the eoun-
-try in the,: ratio- of-4-7 :to -3, the-conl/41ietwe
would be either that Jurors would not- (~',Davic-C,it
all (the most probable snpposition), or that they
would, bY.familiarity with bloodshed, relapse into
the ferocity by which-they were distinguished in-the
time of Chancellor Fortescue, Who tells ns.that
there Were more men hanged for robberrand,
manslaughter in England in one year,-‘thair in
France for such cause of crime in seven years.—
where/4114w cannotleexectited, it is no .law ;
and Englishmen -in the present day do not live
-tinder the :law; but •under • discretion:- It is
"the caprice of the Judge Which determines his
fut.; : .1( he be tried by a Judge who has a relish
for blood, he may. be executed for what :would
have led- to a slight punishment under another
Judge. Example is out of` the qiiestion, where
sletl:toinyl esgilidioaic'neveertdairfitlr;ioll:terinighi.wattl 4:PN:eil;iiijeciii:7:%l9toiliCT:Sitl:liiil37llllbPo3setilll,lfaiwot'lltirlOedettleilhltepd'edratie4tsill'eleaittl
tlebaedexmatentil
let.:
givend raiv etio-rotnieleomus.
Pol. conclusionsinstfierfedr,acab-eat-
horse stealer, under one Judge, is .oideied- lot.
....,.,.
. .
trAnsportation. A criminal ealculatifig lin this
punishment, when surprised bythe.aet of =carry-
mg
r.
mg away a horse, has it in his power to murder
the own-r, but -he prefers .the certainty of a
second.
But there happens at that assize to
be a number of cases of horse-stealing ; and the
y punishment to the chance of execution
liar
reflecting` one moment that the
the individuals tried remains pre-
gicliuusietiltry::fhweeaits4:l;(:ueft, whether there are one or twenty
cases have had no concern with the others)
leaves a c i he
of the convicts for execution.pecoolinsaieli(t,ieria,sed trading
con_
example, were it to operate in this last instance,
!'would be to induce men to add murder to horse-'
stealing, the punishment being the same, and the
descriptions of
crime
it
trading,
\:el diminishingigw,e:N.ee tnol
might
ept
scurf::: cause to be governed
felons
srnaerda I lil
arguing
lei
tsauce
way,law Judgess asot
are
iiiialigel eric: :lei
and
1 :
dtfflhii,gaisby
h3w..._
that
km
iritr,oih-tourttiboyn betweentthe
pre
theilot ogfroevieircieleadnbdytainieybpstunplrsolismede
c jlialittelo‘fvorprtichees
atirienefoblekinwge.d
byA
the supply which raises the *and highprices
capital
increase time
supply and lowers the price.
,Its
like manlier, the Judges this year haVe been
prices diminish
prevalence of the,
merciful to hone-stealer; because the cases are
few---tliswill
+4faling in horse-stealing
tempt to
.next year,
and
e'
iolytehre-
PlTethfrnoeruitiss:—"let us allow the Judges to
iiNne,,swti)ll,etaia.,llttiolerrtehfo,fireer
Ile,iiiiti.
be bad
gaitette h s uext Assize, and we shall have a
h afterwards. Really when one sees
from the disclosures iii the trial at Maidstone, in
the Chronicle. of yesterday, what sort Of people
thieves now are, and how much they study their
Pa
ris• siich forecast as we have supposed is trey
. , , ,
Lo. noprovame as might at first sight be though
themselves
ve l
No, the law is a dead letter; and it ought LAl-
questionably to be placed in accordance with the,
notions of the age, 13ut even then, when th 4

Judge was no longer the organ of his own.
passions, or prejudices, or caprice, but the strict
interpreter of the law, we would still have a
Court of Appeal both in town and country. It
is certainly not asking too much to demand equal
protection against the perjury of witnesses, the
weakness or wickedness of Juries,and the passions,
prejudices, and caprice ofJudges, where human life
is at stake, that is afforded where a paltry property
is at stake. Let there he a protection against
wickedness and error, but let there be no favour
or caprice in the allotment of punishment. We
regret to say that at present there is both in a
shocking degree. It seems to be thought out
of a certain number of capital convictions, there
should be something like a certain amount of exe-
cutions. Hence, when the due number of hard-
ened criminals is not to be found, the deficiency
is made up by slaughtering poor creatures, who,
at any other time, 'would have escaped with a
milder punishment. Thus to make up a respec-
table execution, we suppose, a poor creature was
on the last occasion hanged, for taking seven
pounds, under no aggravating circumstances.
He was poor and friendless, and he made up the
satisfactory quota, and therefore he was hanged.
Vidocq tells us in his instructive Memoirs (of
which a translation has just appeared), that tin-
der the auspices of Joseph Le Bon, at Aires,
during the activity of the Revolutionary tribunal,
Beaupre, tFe gaoler, when executions were ar-
ranged, though very scrupulous as to the
number, thought not of the quality ; and that
frequently, not seeing immediately, the number
of individuals pointed out, sent the first who
Lame to hand, that the service of the State might
suffer nothing from delay." It would seem as if
Joseph Le Bon's mantle had been caught by
so.he of our own Josephs. It is really dreadful
to think of taking away the life of a human be-
ing for seven pounds, in an age like this, when the
art of obtaining property without a legal title is so
well understood, and so constantly practised. Poor
creature ! he suffered not for his crime, but for
his want of intellect. We have often been
struck with the many subterfuges resorted to by
lawyers, to conceal the fact from the people that
the law was in fault. Thank God, the attempt
to deceive the people this way any longer is im-
practicable. "My Lords (said Mr. Wallace,
in the trial of the Duchess of Kingston) there
is a benignity in the laws of tills country (be-
nignity! this addressed to the House a Lords
.—what a measure
.he must have taken of their
Lordships' understandings!). to the frailties of
mankind ; the Judges are attentive awl zealous
that the civil justice of the country be strictly
administered, and will not suffer any contri-
vance, chicane, accident, or neglect to defeat it ;
hut in criminal prosecutions they are humane,
they make great allowances, and are not over
anxious to discover criminals. This obsersa,
tion is verified by daily practice. In a civil
cause, if the trial comes on before the plaintiff
expects it—if at ,witness be out of the way—if
the verdict be in favour of a defendant, contrary;
to the. evidence, .the verdict is set aside and a
new trial ordered, and justice done. But in a
criminal prosecution, if the verdict be in favour
of the delendant though it arises from the ab-
sence cif a witness, or from any other accident, or
it be given contrary to the clearest and most sa-
tisfactory proof of guilt, though not one pf the
Jury can show his face without a blush, yet
the verdict stands, and a new trial is never grant-
ed ; it was even denied in perjury comtatted
in the time of King William, where the de-,
feedants had the wickedness to corrupt the wit-
nesses for the prosecution to keep out of the
way ; for whenever, and by whatever means,
there is an acquittal in a criminal prosecution,
the scene is closed, and the curtain drops."—
Yes, the curtain drops ; but it drops when there
is a conviction as well as an acquittal, except in
so far as it is drawn aside ,by the Council ; the
appeal to which in all cases, as a better because
a patent tribunal,- ought not to be deemed mercy,
but justice—etrict justice. But why is the law
not over anxious to discover criminals ? Is so-
ciety anxious that the murderer, whose hands
ate reeking with innocent blood, should escape ?
No, never. It is because the,. English law was
written in blood that there was an anxiety not to
discover criminals. The severity of the lacy made
it in most cases a dead letter. The people were
arrayed against the law as a devouring monster,
and they hailed with satisfaction, in all ordinary
cases, every escape from its jaws ! Benignity
indeed ! The people must have been monsters
had they viewed with any other feeling than sa-
tisfaction the escape of a fellow-creature from the
hangman, whose only crime was stealing to the
value of a shilling. And yet, though during the
long Parliament, remonstrance after remonstrance
was urged against the cruelty of the law—though
Cromwell, who was a humane and merciful man,
dwelt again and again on this cruelty in his
speeches when Lord Protector, we here see an
eminent lawyer, in the year 1776, presuming so
far on the ignorance of the assembly he was ad-
dressing, as to ascribe that to the benignity of
was ,produced by
the law which its unrelenting
cruelty.—Morong Chronicle.
A general meeting of the electors of Canter-
bury, resident in London, has taken place, to
consider what they are to do during the deports_
tion of their representative, Mr. Ss Lushing-
The conduct of this person 18 very sin-
; he has been more than a year out as
error of Madras, and yet 'does not vacate his ,
,ituation as Member for the city of Canterbury
.11 tee British Parliament ! Of what use are
:",isiribers, it their duties can be thus neglected
or overlooLd ? The Duke of IsTellingtoe; we
ease sometimes drives a miliAry s•Jicer
ouL ru wiiu has conic home rather unex-
pectedly to attend to his concerns in England :
-aye laope his Grace will as suddenly recall a civil
,ifiicer from India, who has deserted his duties
ie England. The reciprocity is but fair.—

The rumours respecting additions to the Mi-
nistry and changes in its personnel, have died'
away like the foolish rumours about the state of
the King's health, with which the readers of a
certain morning journal were daily treated some
time ago ; and, to all appearance, the Duke of
Wellington intend,!! to °Pell the winter campaign
with the identical staff' which has immortalized
itself during the summer months, by ita paper
blockades. To what reagon this adherence to
corps of some of the principal members of which
his Grace is said not to entertain the most
exalted opinion, we have no means of knowing ;
but we have some reason to believe that his visit,.
and that of Mr. Peel, to Wootton, the seat of
the Marquis of Chandos, may have tb,e Pffeet of
adding to the numbers of the present adminiF.#.B7
tion. It is indeed whispered that his Grace of
Buickiughani is to have the Privy deal, on his
return to this country, and that the accession of
the Grenville family will speedily follow. The
resent Duke of Buckingham, when Lord
Temple, supported Mr. Pitt, and afterwards
Mr. Fax and it is not unreasonable, therefore,

to. infer that he will have no decided objection
to lend the aid of his powerful talents to the
Administration of the Duke of Wellington.
The politics of the Grenvilles are too well known
to require any historical illustration.—Aforning
Advertiser.

The invention by the Great Agitator of the
story respecting the Catholic Bill, now, as lie
said, in the hands of the Bishops, and embody-
ing the whimsical device of Mr. W. Horton,
together with a clause giving the Crown a qua-
lified veto in the nomination of Catholic Bishops,
was a capital and most opportune stratagem, in-
tended, no doubt, to withdraw the attention of
the followers and admirers of the Demagogue
from the signal disgrace and discomfiture which
had recently befallen him in the affair of the
mission—just as another and more harmless de-
scription of mountebank, when he has the mis-
fortune to make a slip, contrives immediately to
throw one of his best summersets, in order to
reinstate himself in the favour of his gaping
spectators. But in the speech delivered- by the
Great Agitator and Mock-Member of Parlia-
ment upon this occasion, there is something
more to be found than the mere amusement his
dexterity affords. He takes the opportunity to
inform the world how the Catholic Priests,
his constituents and masters, would receive
such propositions as that of admitting Catholics
to Parliament, and inflicting upon them politi-
cal mutilation when there, or that of a veto upon.
the appointment of Popish Bishops, however
qualified, supposing the Protestants should ever
become such drivellers as seriously to entertain
' them. In the first of these the RomaniSts would
readily enough acquiesce, according to Mr.
O'Connell, who may be considered an authori-
sed expounder of their views, although not of-
the Duke of Wellington's, and they would do
so upon the very intelligible principle, that this
provision for creating two different classes of
Members in each House Of Parliament is ridi-
culous and impracticable, and must of necessity
prove abortive. This notable scheme of Mr.
Wilmot Horton is fairly extinguished by the
contempt of the Catholic Member for the
county of Clare. The veto device is viewed by
this representative of the Catholic Priesthood of
Ireland with more respect and attention, and is so
far honoured indeed as to be declared worthy of
their uncompromising hostility. The Dema-
gogue jHstly kels tliQt here he is upon strong
ground. The Catholic Hierarchy will not sub-
mit to the Veto, and. without their concurrence
the law enacting it must become a dead letter.
The Protestant advocates of the Popish cause,
who attempt to delude their countrymen by the
notion of securities, know all this as well as Mr.
O'Connell, and knowing, strive to conceal it ; and
so far he is honester than they. It i; indeed
ap absurdity to suppose that any regulation of
the moile of appointing the authorities of the
Roman Church j Ireland, or of the mode in
which those authorities shall correspond with
the Court of Rome, can afford protection to the
British Church and Constitution, since it is evi-
dent that such regulation can never come into
operation without tliP porigurrence, of those they
are intended to controul ; and if acquiesced in
for their own purposes, for a brief season, might
be cast 4sWe whenever they thought fit. Do the
advocates of CA,
olic Emancipation, with such
securities as these, fmaging that an act of the Le-
gisiattpT providing these securities lyotild take
effect unless its observance were enforced by pes
naLties upon its vioiagpn ? Or do these Liberals
—the friends ,of civil n re4gious liberty—wish
to see Roman Catholic Priest 3 au,tl Bishops
in Ireland imprisoned, pilloried, transported,- or
banged, for the offence of I4eiug appointed, pr pf
maintainipg er co u rse with Rome, in a inanngr
contrary tp 4te
.4.44tte ? Scenes like these,
whatever the Lihvrais Kho talk so easily of
enacting securities without cogistAting the Ca-
tho4s upon the subject may think, 4r top p-
pugnant to the spirit of the age to be hazarded
by any Goverinskent ; and are but little calcu-
lated certainly to promote the tranquillity of Ire-
land. The Catholics, it is plain, ei,ln only be
rendered- hatanless to the Constitution sf
npg-
land by withholding from them, in a manner the
most s/irect, simple, and effectual, all participa-
tion in poliaical power.—Morniiig Post.

CURIOUS DISCOVERY.—The cunning of
the fox is proverbial ; and the rapacity of that animal is
also well known, During the past week two or three
gentlemen of this city ;,zing wishful to see the houndj
throw off at Askham Bogs, tgpaired there, and in the
course of a short perambulation nese gps of the fox holes,
which bad been previously blocked, they tout 4, most in-
geniously hid in the grass, at the foot of a tree, no less
than seven hens and a cock, which reynarsl had secured
during the night, and which not being able to deposit ita
his usual retreat, 14 had thus carefully hid till the obstruc-
tion should have been removed.--York Courant.

More herrings have been.eanght off Yarmouth
this year than have been known in any sei..2on during the
last twenty years. Last year the boats did not azerage
wore than 12 lasts. This season one boat caught 51 lasts,
several upwards of 40, others between SO and 40. The
Victory, Cape. Balls, caught 14 lasts (14:140,000 herrings)
in one night. Zt is singular that very few of these tiA
have yet made their app.:Vance on the Lincolnshire coast,
Boston Gazette.

ORIGINAL ANECDOTE
OF At ORIGINAL.
—The late D. ti,,,,—,-- was a very eccentric being, fond
of being made the lAitt of any one, and so attached was he
to the office of butt-general, that when Colonel R. of the
Northumberland Militia, wishing to put an end to the
I
jokes dz.i.ly passed upon him, intimated his intention to the
mess, and it was cheerfully seconded by the queers, the
doctor sat uneasy is his chair, gazing round him witia the
IPPearauee of one who 11:,ts committed some egregious
blunder without knowing bow to rectify it. In fact, the
doctor was the most miserable of miee,v4,ls. sinners. He
was no longer the whipping post of the mess. - Towards
tint close of the second day., his eyes filled with tears, a,;41
111 his Wand tune of voice, he u4nended if be had offended
any oi,e. The reply was, .. no, tiv no meats " The
gentlemen, but Indeed
1 slid it tt;49rentionally;
ill"; ~it down; but shortly rising again, hat said, " i a"'
s must have given you offence,
if any thing has happened, I am
toms:* the doctor. The scene now
willing to make coy concession." The officers reiterated
their kinidudfiecerloinrs in the extra, le, The doctor, with '
'Jeanne
pfficers. of the regiment, nay, even tke
nod sobbing
tears in hi, ers,
no,. ? powing how_ to
and the kitties,
proceed, were
Colonel himself;
eoftwulsed with laughter. 4t length the matter was
the poor doctor, At his
, go on as you 4
explained, and
he was in that way.
ofbebettntr,o ac-
customedvi7"'°ll',o4°,4o47l,r ce.5,1-ii°Jrns never
.tak,e. offence—do illag.-1.,1 at
me as before,") 17
was 4,jelutf4,4 in :as :old 0::
to the mess, and an admirable iti1,91.0
fie had upon his sign, when in
quaiteg, if
_the south, Dr.
S -„, snrgeon and man-midwife to th Pio+.t hignher
04
land
0,
Militia.—On 4.14 e day the doctor's wife was released
her troubles in this wryld, and scarce an hour afterwarda
teaptain S— passingiry, observed the doctor standing
at the Jr#4,o with his greyhounds, sal „?..sked after his wife.
" She's just hiNi.l," replied the doctor. The Captain,W"
moving on, expres«ir,i; his condolences. " Oh, ii-13,:,, go
;;et, Captain ; we'll have a ,`sere or two, and then a bit of
dintiei., and something aferwarda;' The Captain men-
tioned someth4g about his wife. " Never mind, Cap-
tain, she was as good vwife as the generality of ie,:c., and
a
I'll have another in a fortnight.'.' The doctor was as good
I as his word ; for a feW days afterwards he .e4Anle into the
house, szul
_desired his housekeeper to prepare things fox •
his wedding, an,l when the day arrived, she enquired who
was to be the bride? f, Why, I have been thinking some
time about that, and perhaps you will do as well as another,
therefore you may go to church with me:" And a merry
wedding they hail, though the bride was wooed; won, and
married in less than //n hour.—Chcster Courant.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.

Six eostermongers appeared before the LORD
MAYOR, to complain against the -salesmen for having
sold to them several bushe6 of sprats which were
not fit for use. 'I hey stated, that they bad paid the
great sum of 4s. a bushel for the sprats; but they
were not long in possession of the fish, when they
found them stinking, and quite " impossible to be
eat."

Mr. Goldham (the clerk of the market) said the
complainants had the fish to produce: and required
that the stock should he brought in.
The complainants exposed some to view, which
were not of inviting appearance certainly ; but they
were not offensive to the nose.
Mr. Goldham said, that he had watched the Ma-
naeuvres of the complainants, and had completely
detected them. The fact was, they had all pur-
chased of an early boat, at 4s. a bushel ; but they
had scarcely been supplied with the fish, when other
boats arrived, and sold at 3s. They then immedi-
ately began to knock about the fish they had pur-
chased, and to make it look stale; but he had brought
a dish of sprats which had been taken indiscrimi-
nately from the quantity boiled, and he had himself
never tasted better. This he had done in justice to
the salesmen, who were in this case much calum-
niated.

-The Lora) MAYOR, and others in the Justice.
room, tasted the sprats, which disappeared in five
minutes. The defendants were quite puzzled at
this mode of exposing their scheme for getting
sprats at a shilling a bushel less, and walked away,
after the useless loss of their time.

MARCH OF MORALS.—A boy named James Hand,
who appeared between and 14 years of age,
but said that he was " going upon" 15, was brought
before the LORD MAYOR; charged with having
tumbled about the streets, blind drunk, and broken
a shop-window.
A watchman stated that he saw the boy stagger-
ing about the streets in a state of intoxication. At
first witness thought him ill, as he could not suppose
that so mere a child could have taken such an excess
of liquor. The boy, however, soon exhibited une-
quivocal proofs of the state of his head by dashing it
up against a window. The witnes3 finding that it
was all up with the young fellow, took him up in his
hand and put him to sleep in the watch-house. (A
laugh.)
The whole office were astonished at this state-
ment ; and the LORD MAYOR, after having expressed
his surprise and regret at such an instance of youthful
debauchery, asked the watchman whether he had
ascertained what the boy had drunk ? The watch-
man said that the defendant had acknowledged that
he had drank gin, rum, and beer. •
_

The LORD MAYOR (to the defendant)—Pray what
did you drink that put you into so shameful a condi-
tion ? Boy—Drink ! Why I drinker! gin, and rum,
and Meux. (A laugh.)
The LORD MAYOR—What de you mean by Meux,
water ? Boy—Water ! God love you, no. Good
strong heavy wet. Every body knows what it is.
(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR—Do you know in what a
shocking state of drunkenness you were found ?
Boy--Och, I believe you; I was groggy, that's truth.
The Lomb MAYOR—Where did you get the
money to pay fdr the drink ? Boy—Eh, what's
that you say ?—(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR—WiIy, I suppose, you Oink
you are speaking to as drunken a fellow as yourself.
Don't you know that you are before the Lord
Mayor? Boy —Och, to be. sole I do. Well, I got
the money from Mr. Sedley. He's a brace-maker,
and I sells braces myself. I axed him for three bob,
and he gived it to me. I vas yell enough till I took
the heavy, and that made me lumpy.--(Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR—And what do you expect to
come to if you continue to lead this life ? Boy—l
'am sure I knows nothing about It. We none on us
knows nothing about it.—(Laughter.)
The boy, in reply to other questions which were
all answered in the same unmannerly strain, said, that
he was independent of Mr. Sedley, although he was.
in the same trade, and that he was carrying on busi-
ness for himself.

The LORD MAYOR observed, that although this
was the most deplorable instance of the increasing
immorality of youthful persons he bad ever beheld,
he lamented to state that the vice of drinking had
become more prevalent of late than he had ever
known it to be. His Lordship told the boy that he
should be severely punished if he was found ever
apin ill such a condition, and asked him whether
he was able to pay for the glass he had broken ?
Boy—." Why, no; I can't pay now, for I ha'nt
got a mag; but if the Charley comes wi' me, I'll gi'
him what you wants of me." (Laughter.)
The LORD MAYOR ordered that some inquiry
should bp made about the poor friendless boy.
Shocking as the picture was, so comical was the tone
in which the defendant spoke, 4114 so close was the
resemblance of his manner and language to the ex-
p,erenced blackguards of the town, that not to laugh
at the scene•was impossible.