The Sun.
London, England, 1828-07-09 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF TI-11: PUBLIC JOURNALS.

The Report of the Committee on the Office of
Works and Public Buildings has been printed. This
Committee had a ticklish subject to deal with ;
punctilio, or courtesy, or what certain gentlemen have
the face to call "Constitutional propriety," obliging
the Committee to take good care that the curtain
should not be too rudely and disrespectfully drawn
aside. The Report, however, is by no means a
complimentary document to those whose proceed-
ings it is charged officially to examine. It appears:
that our great show works have been almost in-
variably undertaken without any competition being
raised among architects of character, in the supply-
either of estimates, or of models, so that there
has been no one to, correct or improve upon an
unsightly and ineligible plan. Three architects are
attached to the Board of Works, and of these no
two are ever called upon to scrutinize or report
upon a design of the remaining architect, no
matter how important the work to be begun. It
appears, again, that when an architect delivers
in an estimate of the probable charge fora meditated
building, the most abundant care is taken to exone-
rate him from all responsibility regarding the justice
or accuracy of such estimate, the contracts for prices
and measurement of the work being put into the
hands of other parties, in no degree answerable for
any correspondence between the actual and the esti-
mated cost. It appears that the ness and richly or-
namented building was begun without any fixed or
well considered plan, the consequence of which has
been that the whole elevation is too low ; that the
front of the edifice is not in a line with Whitehall,
/lor the flank of it with Downing-street ; and that to
give any thing like uniformity to this pile, two new
streets must be built to harmonize with its several
faces. The gorgeous hut pitiable palace of Bucking-
ham House forms a prom inent and very natural feature
among the complaints of the committee; but this
branch of the subject is too extensive for the brief
notice to which we must be confined, and we refer
our readers to the report itself for information. The
grand defect in the constitution of that department
under which, or in the name of which, sums of
money so enormous have been uselessly expended, is
the want of Parliamentary controul, before the pro-
jected works are carried into execution, and debts in-
curred on account of them. Whv thia division of
the public expenditure should nave 'been singled out
for exemption from all responsibility, and from all
security against fraud, it is for others to determine.
'The Committee recommends an alteration of system,
and we trust with better chance of success than has
befallen the suggestions of another contemporaneous
('cam mi ttee.—Tinics.

The Priests and agitators in the case of the Clare
Election, it is stated in the last accounts, are some-
what relaxing in their zeal, in consequence of an opi-
nion, which his numbers they imagine justify, that
O'Connell's return is now perfectly secure. It is,
however, added, that a flaw has been discovered in
the certificate of registers of the forty-shilling free-
holders, thlt will be fatal to a number of their titles.
This will, however, affect Mr. Fitzgerald's voters
as much as O'Connell's, for the greater number of
Ole loyal as well as the radical voters are neces-
sarily forty-shilling men. The immediate conse-
ginence has been, that the polling has proceeded much
snore slowly than before. It is understood to
he the resolution of to gentlemen of the county
to - poll the whole voters, if possible, in order
that the sound part of the tenantry may be dis-
tinguished from the unsound. We roniess we think
zhe one part is as unsound as the other, and that the
only way to restore any thing like peace and quiet-
ness to the country is; to lop off the gangrened
limb—the immedirabile vulnut —altogether. This
would be attacking the Association in its weak part.
To uttempr, by prosecution—which, in their unde-
lended ease, can only be denominated persecution--
to punish the poor miserable creatures whom super-
stitious fears, have turned from their path of duty and
interest, is extremely pitiful, and will not succeed.
The evil is too extensive to be cured in that way.
For the same reason, we cannot concur in the views
of some of our contemporaries, for whom we have
much respect, that any purpose is to be served for
pnlonging the contest. Mr. V, Fitzgerald has
airedy more than enough of voters to secure his
return, if Catholics cannot sit in Pat-hat-62M; and
if they can, no prolongation will give him a moio-
rity. The question of O'Connell's tight to sit in
the House of Commons is not to he determined by
:the length of the Association's purse, but by the law
A the land, a much weightier and less clianzeable
iatiter.—M u, Times.

The observations which felt from Mr. Peel last
night, in the conversation on preii.F.oting a petitiOn
from the Rev. Robert Taylor, are highly creditable
to him. He obierveJ that " there was no wish to
interfere on the part of Oovernmenf, not because
the impropriety of that person's conduct was not
felt, but because prosecutions on such subject::: in-
olved a very difficult and delicate question. Pro-
'eeutions ought to be seriously considered Lefore
they were instituted." It is one thing to appe&ye
of a man's conduct, and another to punish him for
tr. Without the most perfect liberty of discussing
all subjects, whether religious or political, we can
have no certainty that an unfair advantage. will not
tie taken of us. The fear of incurring public d:zap-
probation by advocating unpopular opinions, wiii
generally operate too powerfully rather than other-
wise in favour of received notions. It is well
(A)served in an admirable article, under the title
of Cannibalism, in the last number of the New
itiontgy Magazine, that " the honestest and
she boldest man must hide a good half of his
thoughts if he would not he interdicted ab alun
et igni ; for the sake of peace and quiet, h
must refrain from telling by implication every third
man he meets that he is a fool or a rascal, and
making him feel that, in his eagernes:: to defraud
others, he is the dupe of his own stratagems. There
are certain conventional bases upon which all clues,
tions of morals, politics, metaphysics, and religion
must be argued if you would escape stoning. No
matter how false, absurd, or inconsistent with each
other they may be, to dispute them is to resign All
chance of a hearing, all hope of a character for virtue
or common sense, to offer yourself as the butt for all
the malice of all who live and fatten on the popular
lie, and to be spurned and assaulted by the very
people for whose sake you have made the sacrifice.
He who has not the courage to encounter this mass
of evil, must pass through life with a bridle perpe-
tually on his tongue," We consider Alderman
Browne as an incorrigible bigot, to apply the mildest
otkrm to him, and therefore remonstrance would be
shown away on him ; but the advice of Mr. Peel
.may oot be without its influence on Magistrates moil'
.open to conviction.—Morning Chronicle.

THE REV. 110iYtAND HILL AND A 1111G1i-
wAvmAx.—In early lilt the ftev. ROWLAND HILL, tra-
velling in his carriage over frontislow-Leath, was stopped
by a highwayman, wko demanded hi# money.' The Rev.
Gentleman immediately assented ; but k41:11 his usual cell-
possession and good humour, entreated a few moments'
previous parley, which the highwayman granted. Air.
Hui. then requested to be informed if he was driven aw
this pursuit by necessity, or if he followed it as a regular
profession. The trembling culprit answered " dire ne-
resiity ;" " Then," replied the Rev. Gentleman, " per-
haps you would rather follow a more honourable pursuit?"
" Yes, most cheerfully," said the man. " Give me your
entire confidence," said Mr. HILL, telling the matt his
same, " and I will keep your secret." He did this—the
man was taken into Mr. HILL'S service as a domestic,
where, from a very humble station, he was gradually ad-
vanced to the highest post in the Rev. Gentleman's esta-
blishment. This man remained in Mr. limes house up.
wards of forty years. When be died Mr. Hat. preached
his funeral sermon, and then, for the first time, divulged
all the particulars of his servant's life, who had become a
very sincere Christian. As there are no highwaymen now,
we can repeat the anecdote without fear of tempting any of
our readers to choose their servants from the clerks of St.
Violas.

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

Lord Cllarnbeilain% Office, July 8, 18'28.

Orders for the Court's going into mourning on Thurs-
(l,y next, the 10th inst., for his late Royal Highness the
Grand Duke Charles of Saxe Weimar, viz.

The Ladies to wear black silk, fringed or plain linen,
white gloves, necklaces and ear-rings, blick or white shoes,
fans and tippets.
The Gentletuen to wear black, full trimmed, fringed or
plain linen, black swords and buckles.
The Court to change the mourning on Stmday next the
13th instant, viz.

The Ladies to wear black silk or velvet, coloured rih-
bons, liens and tippets, or plain white, or white and gold,
or white and silver stuffs, with black ribbons.

The Gentlemen to wear black coats, and black or plain
white, or white and gold, or white and silver stuff waist-
coats, full trimmed, coloured swords and buckles.
And on Thursday, the 17th instant, the Court to go
out of mourning..

War-Office, July 7.

4th Regiment of Dragoon Guards—Ensign George Wy-
nell Mayow, from the half-pay, to be Cornet, vice Lau-
rence Charles Bayntuin, who exchanges, receiving the
difference. Dated June 26.

32d Foot—Ensign and Adjutant George Oke, to have
the rank of Lieutenant ; John Dillon, Gent. to be Ensign,
by purchase, vice Slacke, promoted. June 26.
S4th Ditto—Thomas Bridge, Gent. to be Ensign, by
purchase, vice Hodgson, promoted. June 26.
Royal Staff Corps—Vwcond Lieutenant William George
Gold, to be First Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Foote,
deceased ; Gentleman Cadet Thomas Moody, from the
Royal :Military College, to be Second Lieutenant, vice
Gold. June 26.

UNATCACHED.-Cornet George Augustus Frederick
Ireathcote, from the Gtk Dragoon Guards, to be Lieutenant
of Infantry, by purchase. July 8.
111EMORANnum.-Lieutenant George Robson, upon
half-pay 52d Fuot, Las been allowed to dispose of his half-
pay. July 8.

Commis ion in the Mansfield Troop of Sherwood Rangers,
signed by the Lord-Lieutenant of the county of Not-
tingham.
Thomas Trebeck, Eqq. to be Captain. Dated 25th
Jane, IS2ti.