The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-16 00:00:00

7/" - //2

THE FLIGHT OF THE EIGHTY-
EIGHT.
On some occasion in the Peninsular war ten thousand
Spaniards were ordered to attack a position on the brow of a
hill. They had scarcely caught a sight of the enemy when
they found the work too hot for them, and took to their heels,
exposed to a tremendous cross-fire of grape all the way down
the hill. Though their loss was dreadful, it was impossible not to
be amused at their precipitation ; and the Duke, who was look-
ing on, observed that he had never before seen a race run by ten
thousand men. The said Duke must feel a little of this
amusement at the sudden flight of the eighty-eight from the
position which a month since they were storming with such
gallantry. Of course lie thinks they could not do better, as
was, we believe, the case with the aforesaid Spaniards; and
it is equally evident that the eighty-eight, like the
ten thousand, have not conic off with their skins
entirely whole. Yet we doubt not that he and his
colleagues have enjoyed a little private amusement
at the expense of these unfortunates; and they are perfectly
justified in doing so. Each of these eighty-eight gentlemen
hopes to escape individual notice by being lost in the crowd.
They run in masse, and think in that way to give public opi-
nion the go-by. Nay. the subject is so excessively disagree-
able in some respectable quarters, that we don't expect they
will at present receive the due reward of their sins. But we
are not disposed to let them pass without having a fling or
two at them in transitu ; b ?sides laying by the black list for
future use, just as a judicious tradesman stores in his desk er
his memory the names of uncertiticated bankrupts and other
unsafe customers. In the first place, what do these gentle
men gain by doing the thing with a high hand, and trying to
brazen it out with numbers ? N
ot much. Eachin-
dividual will escape a distinct and separate exhibi-
tion in that pillory which a tender conscience can-
not fail to have suggested; but there is such a thing
as accumulated shame, the results of which are more serious
than any single exposure. It is impossible to reckon the
damage which has been done in the present instance. Here
is the name of Conservatism, such as it is, blackened for ever;
Parliament turned inside out for the amusement or disgust of
the populace; Lord Ashley made a joke of. All this, besides
other consequences of a more public character, which the
eighty-eight don't. appear to feel very acutely—such es the
loss of national credit, and the perpetuated hardships of the
poor women and young people. Not to be too indiscriminate,
there are, we will grant, degrees of delinquency in this busi-
ness. First and foremost comes that never-to-be-forgotten
trio, Messrs. Acland, Liddell, and Gaily Knight, who would
not be content to do the thing quietly, but must needs blunt
the edge of public shame by ostentatiously announcing that
they were going to act contrary to their consciences. They
remind one of the definition of " a shameless man" in the
Characters of Theophrastus :—" In the middle of the day he
takes his station before a tavern, and proclaims to the forum
that he is going to get drunk." Mr. Hume is the only
Member who has hitherto had the effrontery or the candour
to declare his vote to be contrary to his opinion, and he has
monopolised a certain sobriquet in consequence. The other
day he gave an amusing illustration of his practice. He had
made a point of at least one sessional attack on the folly of
having a Viceroy at Dublin, except when Lord Ebrington,
or somebody of the right sort, was there, and then, he said,
he had held his tongue. Well, in the vicissitudes of human
affairs, it is possible that we may before long have some-
body of Mr. Hume's right sort in Downing-street
again. Deplorable as such a change would be, we
shall find a consolation in the circumstance that the
above trio, and perhaps the eighty-eight, will vote as they
like. After the three come the fifteen who voted for ten hours
in April, and twelve hours in May. Their numbers and their
names will not be forgotten. Ten of these gentlemen are
zealous Conservatives, and either county Members or of that
stratum. Sir John Chetwode is a nominee of the Duke of
Buckingham, and indicates what we are to expect in the
Lords. Mr. Montagu Gore is an author, and has written
on the corn-laws. He is under a professional obligation to
defend his vote in writing. We expect another " Letter to
the Duke on the Present Crisis." Mr. A. Hope is more
than a Conservative—he boasts to be a " Tory," and is
a very promising ene, fresh from academic honours,
and full of academic spirit. Surely the early wreck
of such a man's character might have been spared
Next in honour are the eighty-eight, including the
above fifteen. The great majority of these are Con-
servatives. After them must be classed somewhere about a
hundred Members, still more prevailingly Conservative, who
did not feel strong enough on the question to vote before
Easter, but stood by the Premier on Monday. Some of their
names will suggest the rest—Messrs. Bagge, Bruges, Cart-
wright, Cripps, Escott, J. Round, - Sir J. T. Tyreil, Lord
Norrys—all patriotic men, and props of the agricultural in-
terest. Last come the original opponents of the ten hours'
clause. Of that body also Conservatism is the most prominent
feature—Conservatism in every form, pious, agricultural,
political, humble, ambitious. If any of our readers can
think of any recent election for county or borough
where heaven and earth were moved to return
some thoroughly sound, able, and conscientious Con,
servative—some particularly disagreeable, stingy, and ex..
elusive Conservative, perhaps, against some rather amiable
Whig—when the salvation of the country was declared to de-
pend on the result, and every tradesman was solemnly required
to offend half his customers, every doctor three quarters of his
patients, and every clergyman nine-tenths of his parishion-
ers, to return this most valuable man—then you will be sure
to find him in Sir Robert's majority. It is useless to single
out names in so large a list, but we will just mention six, be-
cause we find them in the Committee of the Agricultural
Protection Society, which professes to protect, not capital,
but industry. These are Messrs. Allix, Bell, and Buck ; -Lord
Ingestre, Sir; J. Trollope, Hon. T. Vesey, and Mr. Wode-
house ; of whom the four last, not having previously in-
terfered, gathered on Monday to the Premier's rescue.
Whom they pretend to protect, when they won't pro-
tect women and young persons from working thirteen
hours and a half a day including meals, is a mystery to re-
solve which we have in vain bestowed another half-hour on
the pamphlet they have recently given to the world. We
appeal to the understanding of every man of common honesty,
whatever his opinion may happen to be on the ten hours or
the twelve hours' question, whether so sudden and enormous
a change in the opinions, or rather votes, of the House, is not
a lamentable and a fearful event? It smacks of the successful
introduction of a new argument—the Ministerial argument.
" Whatever we bring forward, you must support us, or we
resign ; and then you are cast on the wide world again,
with a dissolution, or the Whigs in prospect." No
Minister would dare to use this language if he did not
feel himself backed by some superior power, which, in the
present instance at any rate, is not the power of the people.
So there is an end of the representative system, liberty of the
Parliamentary conscience, and of the House of Commons it-
self. It must only meet as the later Senate of Rome met, to
record the decrees of the Consul., who were of course the no-
minees of the Emperor. One now understands what the
Duke meant by saying, in the debate upon the Reform Bill,
that he did not see how the business of the nation could be
conducted with a Parliament so chosen, e e., with a strictly
representative Parliament. He has been agreeably surprised.
The House of Commons does the business of the nation ad-
mirably-. It is as au fait at its work as a well-regulated Go-
vernment office. Sir Robert is the head of the department,
and keeps the clerks in order. But will these three hundred
gentlemen, at least the half of them, who have openly given
their votes to the Minister, just look to the end, as a Gre-
cian sage advises all to do? Every act of any significance
is only one of a series, and helps to determine the character
of subsequent acts. Let them just ask the obvious question,
What next? They have voted away the protection of the
factory women and children this session, perhaps the con-
clusion of the series will be a vote in which their own pro-
tection is concerned. When that shall come—for come it
assuredly will, as no one knows better than the Premier—
who will pity the agriculturists? Who ever pitied those
who were incapable of pity for others 2—Times.

SHIPWRECKED FISHERMEN'S
AND MARINERS' SOCIETY.

The sixth anniversary festival of this institution was ce-
lebrated last night, at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street.
A few minutes after six o'clock, the Right Hon. the Earl of
Haddington took the chair, supported by ➢ir. Vivian, M.P. ;
Admiral Sykes, Lord James O'Brien, Admiral Skipsey, Ge-
neral Fair, Admiral Sir John Wood, Sir Edwin Stanhope, the
Rev. Dr. Burnett, and others.

Upwards of 250 gentlemen sat down to a very excellent en-
tertainment. The hall was tastefully decorated with flags,
and on the different tables, in addition to the other lights,
were miniature models of lighthouses already erected, and in
process of erection.

On the removal of the cloth, the usual loyal toasts were
given and duly disposed of; General Fair and Admiral
Skipsey returning thanks for the army and navy.
The Noble CHAIRMAN then proposed the health of the Vice-
patrons of the Institution, the Kinglof Prussia and his Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge. Of the latter it was un-
necessary to speak, while of the former he would only say
that he had, unsolicited, transmitted a handsome donation in
aid of the funds of the Society.
The toast having been disposed of,
The Noble CHAIRMAN then proposed the health of the
Rev. Dr. Burnett, and the Prelates, and others of the Clergy
who had lent their valuable assistance, by preaching charity
sermons in its behalf, and in other ways, to the Institution..

The Rev. Dr. Bunsorr returned thanks.
The Noble CIIAIRMAN, in proposing the }text toast, which
was the toast of the evening, made a most feeling appeal to
the company present, in behalf of an Institution which pre-
sented so many urgent claims to the charitable consideration
of a community so eminently commercial as was this. The Noble
Chairman adverted to the good which the Society had already,
during its brief existence, effected, as a cheering augury of
its future operations. Since its first establishment, 482
widows, 1,722 orphans, 315 aged parents, 5,891 shipwrecked
persons, and 502 distressed fishermen, had been relieved--
making a total of those who had experienced the benefits of
the Society of 8,512 persons in distress. During the course
of last year 82 widows, 246 orphans, 50 aged parents, 2,166
shipwrecked persons, and 60 distressed fahermen, hadlu
lche SocietyeaoT
htmed ,
which had
become
objects of its bounty. These things had only to be mentioned
to induce the charitably disposed to come forward and con-
itfripbroutpeeialn:, the
already
supported, most
effectedb etroal
accomplishsmuch manner
gtoo
std, and l
hoemf uunedsh, s
Noble Lord then proposed "iThe. Shipwrecked Fishermen's of
erin more.en 's and
Mariners' Benevolent Society, and the health of Sir George
Cockburn, its Founder."

Majorlo Ou
fair a. is
would returned d
he
helin thanks, and stated, that aitnoani
dthe
20ti f Juneof
the e
the funds of the Society.
The SECRETARY read the report of subscriptions for the
current year, and which included, amongst other subscrip-
tions, from the Earl of Haddington, in addition to former
donations, 20/. ' • Earl St. Germain's, 10/. ; Sir G. Cockburn,
in addition to former subscriptions, 51.; Admiral Sykes, 10
guineas; the Duke of Sutherland, 10/.; Admiral Stopford,
5/. ; Lieutenant Waghorn (who stated that his life had often
been saved by fishermen), 10/. ; Lord James O'Brien, 5
guineas, &c. ; the whole amount approaching to nearly 1,5001.
The musical arrangements, which were under the direction
of Mr. Hobbs, gave great satisfaction, and included Messrs.
Hawkins, Roe, and Chapman, Masters Stevens and Sullivan,
and Mr. Ellis Roberts, a Welsh harpist, whose performances
afforded much pleasure, and were encored.
It is satisfactory to notice, from the increasing number of
its supporters, that this valuable Institution is fast gaining in
public estimation.

SACRED iibmoNic SOCIETY. —The performance at
Exeter-hall on Friday evening will present unusual attrac-
tion. In addition to Miss Rainforth, Ilolby, Afanvers,
and Phillips, Staudigl makes his re-appearance; and the
part for which he is cast in Mr. Perry's oratorio, is one
peculiarly qualified for the display of his extraordinary
talents. Ile attended the rehearsal on Tuesday evening,
and completely electrified all present by his unrivalled
performance of the music allotted to him.
THE COLD WATER CURE.—The ordinary punish-
ment at the Boston House of Correction is a shower bath.
The offender is placed in a very narrow box, with a collar
round his neck, and three or four barrels of ice-cold water are
poured over him in succession ; it is said that it cows and
subdues the most refractory.
,nLieggh-ta,llesyh,orLtolyng-afactreer,
fireLo isbGri:iAeconuEt..
—at NLoa.st7
tenFOI'RcrOCkE I,Na
ozcupied by a number of persons. The flames were quickly
h w o e of
extinguished ; not, however, until the
the upper
part of the building, together
with the furniture contained
therein wax destroyed. The origin of the
fire could not be
ascertained. None of the parties were insured.