The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-11 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOUR:NAL.
' FLOSS THE EVENING PAPERS OF SATURDAI.
GLOBE.—The evening sittings 'of- the Central
Criminal Court have by no means tended to raise
the character of the Civic Judges. They are gene-
rally the scenes of indecorum, such as are witnesses
in no other court—nor in this, except after dinner.
The unseemly altercations between the counsel en-
gaged for the prosecution and the prisoner, the
pas Sages of wit between the Bench and the Bar
with occasional ebullitions of excited feelings front
the same quarters, have been often alluded is
and remarked upon by the press. They showed, but
too plainly, that the bottle had been freely circulated
at the festive board in the adjacent dining=room ;
and that the effects were unfavourable to the suit-
able performance of the duties in which they were
engaged. We need only mention the subject
to those who have witnessed the post-prandial
" sayings and doings" of the two Courts,
in the evening sittings, to recal attention to
scenes which fully sustain our remarks. It
was therefore with some satisfaction tnat Re
noticed a proposition made by Alderman Wood at a
Court of Aldermen held last week, the object of
which was to abolish the evening sittings of *the
Central Criminal Court, and to establish an addi-
tional Court, so as to dispatch the whole of the
business before dinner. We had hoped that a desire
in the Court of Aldermen to prevent the recurrence
of unseemly exhibitions in a court of justice, would
have prevailed over even aldermanic attachment
to the delicacies of the cuisine. The hope was de-
lusive. The proposition was scouted as one which
it would be derogatory from the dignity of the
Court of Aldermen to entertain. It did not even meet
with a seconder; but fell, still-born, to the ground.
One member of the Court—an ever-garrulous knight
—treated the suggestion with marked contumely. An-
other (Ald. Copeland) considered it as little less than
abominable ; and declared that, if carried, he would re-
sign his gown—the most expressive mode of showing hit
abhorrence of the innovation upon the vested rights and
privileges of Aldermen. The proposal was thus all
but hooted out of Court by the indignant gastro-
nomes. At the close of the discussion Alderman Wood
observed that, if the Court of Aldermen did not set
about reforming the evil, they perhaps would receive a
hint on the subject from a higher quarter. The worthy
Alderman did not imagine that his prediction would
be so speedily realised. Great commotion was caused
among the civic functionaries who were assembled on
Saturday last at the Old Bailey, for the purpose of
meeting the Judges to fix the days for commencing
the sittings of the Court in the ensuing mayoralty.
A letter from Sir James Graham, recommending the
Court of Aldermen to take the abolition of the evening
sittings of the Court into its seriou consideration, Tras:
produced. The letter of the Right Hon. Home Secretary
was alluded to yesterday at the Court of Aldermen,
and was treated rather cavalierly by the worshipful
assembly. " Alderman Wood wished that the letter
written by Sir J. Graham to the Lord Mayor, on the.
subject of doing away with the evening sittings at the
Central Criminal Court, should be entered on the
,minutes of the Court. lle submitted a motion on the
subject, and Alderman Humphery seconded the mo-
tion-. The Lord Mayor most decidedly objected to
the proposition, which at once fell to the ground."
The influence of public opinion, enforced by the
recommendation of the Government, communicated
through the medium of the Minister to whose de-
partment the duty of superintending the administra-
tion of the criminal justice of the country specially
pertains— even the decorous and satisfactory distri-
bution of justice in the Central Criminal Court by the
judges appointed by the Corporation—these are trifle s
compared with the privilege of faring sumptuously at
the City's charge. Though the intellect may be ob-
scured, and even the decorum of demeanour requisite
to maintain the dignity of the judgment-seat be
violated, through the indulgences of the table—the
evening sittings of the Court will be continued, unh SS
the Government do something more than "recom-
mend" their abolition..
STANDARD. The cause of federalism proceeds
as slowly as Mr. O'Connell can desire, and almost as
slowly as he expected it would proceed. Mr. Duffy,
of the Nation, on his own behalf and that of his
friends, denounces it as a cheat, and for once in his
life appears to have stumbled on a fact. Mr. Smith
O'Brien professes the deepest attachment to the ori-
ginal watchword; but is kindly " disposed to make
some concession of opinion, and try a federal constitu-
tion by way of experiment." One would think that
this pompous but empty declaimer had intended, to be
merry at the expense of his repeal associates, when
he enunciated the aphorism that the par area
for every evil under which Ireland is labour-
ing at the present moment is self-government ! This
is the great secret all the world over. No man is so
happy and free from disquiet of all kinds, as he who
possesses the important qualification of being able to
restrain a wild and erratic disposition. The axiom is
as old as the hills, and can never be ton often
repeated. It is one, moreover, the value of which
has been appreciated in all ages. There are,
however, no class of men in existence less qualified
to practice this humani4ng virtue than Irish
repealers ; it being the very last lesson that
their instructors ever dream of teaching them.
When such men as Mr. O'Connell and Mr. Smith
j O'Brien have learned the art of self-government
in their own persons, they will be better qualified
to recommend it to their countrymen. At pre-
sent they are but types of the mischief that would
ensue from permitting the national self-government
for which they clamour. The reason why self-
government, as a moral principle, is not more fre-
quently displayed, appears to us to be that every
man wishes to frame a system adapted to his
own wishes and circumstances. Thus, what
one man deems self-government, another considers
the wildest moral wilfulness; until parties are
even more at issue as to its meaning than Mr.
O'Connell, Mr. Duffy, and Mr. Smith O'Brien. Mr.
O'Connell being unable to put any rein upon his
avarice, and finding the repeal rent in a progress of
rapid decline, would fain start a new hare. Mr.
Duffy, of the Nation, who is well aware that the
comparative prosperity of his seditious newspaper
depends upon the amount of agitation that is kept
afloat, demands self-government in the amplest
sense of the term. We wonder he does not super-
add a proposal to revive the Irish monarchy. Mr.
Smith O'Brien's definition of the phrase varies from
Mr. Duffy's, inasmuch as he seems to consider it
somewhat squeezable. He asks high-minded men
bow he can serve Ireland ; how he can rescue its po-
pulation from the unnumbered evils they suffer; how
he can " uplift and uphold the honour of his country."
He answers his own inquiry by the simple and ex-
pressive phrase of self-government. His notion is, a
return to the "international arrangement of 1782 be-
tween Great Britain and Ireland, and the reconstruc-
tion of the Irish Parliament upon a reformed. prin-
ciple ;" in other words, the total and unconditional
repeal of the union. Unlike Mr. Duffy, however,
he will be content with any instalment of the
" debt" -he can obtain, and professes to be " disposed
to make some, concession to public opinion (we
thought the eight millions were all but unani-
mous on the subject), and to try a federal constitu-
tion. by way of experiment." To accomplish his great
object, or, indeed, any portion of it, he is kind
enough to assure us that all will be considered as
" fish that come to net ;" albeit, the convert should
bear " the ill-omened designation of Orangeman !"
" Let him (he adds) adopt the new and undefined de-
signation of federalism ; and if he labours to promote
the welfare of Ireland —if he cherishes its glory
as his own personal honour"—he will be eligible
for admission into the federal ranks ! But Mr.
Smith O'Brien seems to forget that it has been
pronounced by an an authority more potent and in-
fluential than his own, that Orangemen possess none
of these qualifications. It would be idle to repeat
the character which the arch mendicant apostle of,
repeal has assigned to them, and almost as unneces-
sary to express our belief that those Protestants 'who
promote his present mercenary speculation by joining
the ranks of either repeal or federalism, will be con-
sidered to have earned individually the character he
has given of their body.

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IMPORTANT TO RAILWAY SURVEYORS.-011 Mon-
day last Mr. Thomas Nichols, surveyor, was charged be-
fore the magistrates with trespassing upon some land of
J. G. Smythe, Esq., in the occupation of Mr. William
Bennett, at Agbrigg. Mr. Bennett stated that the de-
fendant had been in his field for three days, surveying
for a prognated line of railway from Oalcenshaw to
Wakefield ; on the third day he requested him to leave
the land, and on that day he was also requested to leave
by Mr. Scott, the bailiff of Mr. Smythe. He refused to
do so, and a summons had been taken out against him.
In defence it was stated that Mr. Nichols wasthe employed
by the Midland Railway Company to make survey,
' and if he was to ask leave of the owners of the property
before a survey could be made, it would be difficult to
get a survey of many of the projected lines. Mr. II( ids•
worth said it was only courteous to ask leave of the
owners of property before going upon the land ; only the
other day some persons surveying for some line or
other had come upon his (Mr. Holdsworth's) pleasure
.-round in the front of his house, and broken down the
Fences without even asking leave, this he (Mr. Holds-
, worth) said was very wrong. If any gentleman or
oc-
cupierof lafnodr rseofmuseedyetaorasllpoawst,a
is at
asked, he thought no magistrate would convict, .but in a
case like the present, when the defendant had gone upon
land without leave or without asking leave, it was a de-
cided trespass. The defendant was ordered to pay. 10s.
and Bs. expenses.— IVakefield Journal.
KNARESBOROUGII.—SIGNS OF RETURNING Paos-
PERITY.—We are happy in being enabled to state that
the linen trade of this town, which has suffered con-
siderablylength after
beginningleave
k
assume a more flourishing aspect. Numbers of mdi,
viduals who have been out of employment for a long
period have been able to resume their wonted occupai
firms, within the last week, and hopes are entertainer
of a still further improvement ; a circumstance whirl
I has been hailed with joy among the working classes
, many of whom have suffered great privation', owing to
1 'the weat of ep3ploymeat.—Bradfard Observer,