The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

We have to.announce, on the authority of private intel-
ligencp from Dover, the death of Lord Gifford, Master of
the Rolls. His Lordship had suffered severely.from inter-
nal inflammation, for two days before his death, which
took place at hishouse on the Marine: Parade, Dover,
shout six o'clock yesterday-morning. The decease of this
young Judge end Peer 'staves a lucrative olbee open to the
disposal of the same powerful patronage to which Lord
Gifford was indebtO for it. That there. is any thing' to
regret on public grounds in his Lordship's departure from
a scene on which he, attracted bat little notice to the de-
cent mediocrity with which his judicial functions were dis-
charged, we are not much prepared to asseverate. Lord
Gifford will be adduced as a remarkable instance of rapid
and lirilliant advaneement in life—an instance. doubly Ine-
nKenble, because there was nothing about the man at all
worthy of record but his fortuneti. We have heard it
said that Mr. Gifford was, within the period of fifteen
years, an attorney's clerk,
.and Solicitor-General of Eng-
land. What the qualities were which recommended .him
to Lord Eldon, we are. not !)ound to investigate : they
may:have been of that class of virtues which are bold, un-
bending, and intractable-,the reverse of all that is supple,
servile, or fitted for the anti-chamber of a. Court. That.
Lord .Gifford was at one time designated far the Wool-
sack, and had that species of security for his elevation
which monty4euders term a past obit, seems to have been
a generta understanding of the Bar.. How his Lordship
wasVfoily to execute the. duties of such a station is another
;premium It might have proved difficult for him to in-
crease the odium annexed to it, and to the system of which
it forms a distinguished part. But if the memory of a
tenant for life in a certain dignified office had any reason-
' able chance of eseaping with posterity, it would, perhaps,
have been by realising the scheme of succession which had
been projected for Lord Gifford. His Lordship, as a poli-
tician, was, of course; an enemy to the Catholics. In his
professional practice he was quick and alive to facts,-prin-
ciples he left where be found them. He was a sharp,
though vulgar, advocate—a feeble Attorney-General—an
assiduous Judge--a follower in all things--but in private
life, we have been gratified by hearing, he was of an
amiable and unexceptionable character.--Time:.

We have received the Eloile of Sunday, from which
we have extracted an article containing intelligence, as
new, we dare to say, to most of our readers, as it was to
ourselves. It seems there is at this time a Protestant

-Inquisition in Dublin, in which instruments of torture
are employed to constrain the Catholic prisoners to be-
come Protestants'. A blacksmith has been employed in
making a particular kind of instrument, to be fastened to
the heads of the unconvertible prisoners. Why the head
should have been selected as a subject on which the
blacksmith's horrid ingenuity was' to be exercised does
not appear. In Catholic Inquisitions, the anointing the
feet with oil, and bringing them ut contact with a
brazier, used to make as powerful an impression as
could he wished for. However, the heads of Irishmen,
are, perhaps, too strong to be affected in any other way
than by direct application. The instrument for the head,
wR suppose, effected its purpose by percussion—disturb-
ing the brain in its functions, and preventing that cool
exorcise of the mental powers, from which the Protestant
Inquisitors naturally enough anticipated the rejection of
their pestilent heresy. We would fain hope, that the in-
lulmanity which the person, who witnessed this terrible
Instilment, conceived even beyond what the human heart
was copable of, was not gratuitous, but had, at least, the
justification of being subservient to the process of conver-
sion. We have heard it observed, that skulls arc *occa-
sionally to be found in Ireland, proof against ordinary rea-
soning.; but we never knew before that it was necessary
to call in the blacksmiths, and to grapple with then.—
This, horrible: bnainess is stilted on an authority which
places its-truth beyond all question. In the iirst phase
appears. in urn, English Journal, bearing the title of The
Truth-feller, which title also is almost a guarantee for
the reality of the matter, Then an Irish Correspondent
of, 74 Truth-feller actually saw the Instrument of Tor-
tufq. ~,The Popish Plot was not better proved by the
violent death of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey. Then, the
Catholic :Archbishop of Dublin and a Committee of In-
quiry, and, a Barrister end Short-hand Writer, have ail
been. employed in discovering the atrocities of these Pro-
testant Inquisitors for some time past-r-and we, are soon, it
seems, to be favoured with the result of their labours.
No wonder that the Eioile should feel itself called on to
deplore, in a leading article, so pathetically the excesses
of, intolerance. Only think that such things should
have been , perpetrated in our enlightened country, and
that we should be indebted for, !the first disclosure, of
them to a French official journal 1---Morning Chronicle.
The new Parliament, as our readers might see by the
Proclamation, is to assemble on the 14th of November.—
The first business of importance that will occupy the at-
tention of Members, will, in all probability, be the late
°Meta in Council relative to the importation of grain.--
These apply only to certain kinds of grain, but it is .ex-
tremely-probable, now ,that Ministers have resolved to
open the ports on their own responsibility, that not only
oats, rye, &c., but also wheat will be admitted before the
meeting of Parliament. Ministers will thus break through
the Corn Laws, and, as may be expected, will meet With
renewed opposition from the landed interest. We trust
that Ministers will meet therwfairlyi and allow them every
opportunity of discussingthe question and of expressing
their sentiments on
thisimportant subject.. One advan-
tage will arise from this new measure. It will serve -as an
experiment, and by the time that Parliament meets, the
nation will be able to form an opinion as to the effects of
altering the Corn Laws. The tax agreed upon certainly
appears too km. This, however, will be better' seen
some months henee4 If a great fall in prices be the con-
sequence, the landed proprietors will strenuously oppose
the continuation of the measure. We shall most probabl,
have two or three hard debates on the subject, anilthen we
hope the question will be set at rest. It is proper that it
should be the case, in justice not only to the agricultural
interest, but to all those engaged in the Foreign corn trade.
Our opinion is, that the productions of all nations ought
to be admitted into this country,on paying a fair import
tax. We have gone on with the restrictive and prohibi-
toty system too long. Instead of: benefitting the country,
it has tended only to render our agriculturalist* and manu-
facturers, careless,. It has encouraged, smuggling, turned
our seamen into Cestom,house diem, filled our gaols
with simigglers, tilid thrown their wives and children on
the parish. Besides tlsew,s evils, it has. also turned other
nations against, us, and made. them resort to similar mea-
sures in self-defence. prohibited at . one time a.
variety
of French manufactures, end.the French in. re-
turn prohibited our cotton. and woollen .
The tax still on many of them is excessive, and it
probable that when Mr. Huskissun attempted toprevail on
M. Villele to allow our .cotton and woollen manufactures
to be admitted into Prance, the answer: was, first reduce
the excessive, import taxes on hrandy, wines, silks,ike. and
'wig 'British mannfeetures at
then we will speak Of adultt
you impose. a tax of 1,600. p
reasonable duties.
„„%,%altiiite4,,s4 crimmerce, how eittk•y4:
cent' all sortie of admit their cotters goods
merchants "Pr" will Huskisson,
at any thing moderate rates ?
probability, g
ive no answer. Itie,next subject after
Lb
s will :probably be the CatholiciiQuesti
the Corn ,
and the debates and Votes ottlithesoo:fcaisiooltiimvivoillileasoefert
the sentiments of the ne;iy ou
Without giving any opillion as to
long-agitated subject.
2. he Catholics all' their demat
litst They
gry4lltwin- y -tear to us to be going too
ids,. we eannot help
ask too unleh In private life arnatila more likely
-that they
t 6Pnice.
cl in ins requests by making only. (Jae at a time,
altogether. The Catholics at pre-
to succeed
k for the removal of one grievance and wait
than by making them:
sent do not as.
rtunity to get rid of the others, but
for a favourable l?
they ask for com°plete and unconditional emancipation,and
_sperieneArs and high demands, have roused
by their violent
yw. who but for these might have been
the opposition of many,
. subject. The Currency Question will