The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-01 00:00:00

TAI7'S MAGAZINE.

Our Radical friend Tait has no very sanguine
hopes for the present session, which he seems to think
will end, like so many of it's predecessors, in smoke.
" Save on Irish affairs," he . says, with a distrustful
shake of the head, " the present, it may readily be
inferred, is to be another do-nothing, or stave-off ses-
sion. This is apparent, not only from past experience,
and the the utter inanity of the Queen's speech, but
from the declarations of Sir Robert Peel, prompt and
explicit, for once, on the absorbing subject of the corn-
laws, and the equally significant hints, or indications,
of Lord John Russell on the same subject." Strife
and Peace" is a review, accompanied with numerous
entertaining extracts, of Frederika Bremer's last
Swedish novel. The "Flight for Freedom," sug-
gested by Miss Martineau's account of the flight of
slaves from the United States to Canada, contains
some vigorous lines, but, as a lyric, it wants conden-
sation. Mrs. Gore continues her story of "Blanks
and Prizes," but—a fault not usual with her—is a
little too long-winded in some of her dialogues, which
do not bear.sufficiently on the leading incidents of the
narrative but are introduced as if to fill up space.
"Australian Sketches" consist, this month, of a
memoir of a notorious bush-ianger, Jackey jackey,
who, a few years since, kept- the neighbourhood of
Sydney in a constant state of ferment. He was said
to be the most dexterous thief that had ever figured in
New South Wales—a most exalted eulogium, when we
remember how many first-rateconveyancers have taken
up their compulsory residence in that classic region of
more than Spartan integrity. In his facility of breaking
from prison, Jackey surpassed even our own Jack
Sheppard, so dear, to the susceptible souls of modern
novel-readers ; and once evaporated from Goulburn
gaol, under circumstances so extraordinary, that. we
cannot forbear from giving' his biographer's account
of the incident :
" He broke twice out of the Goall3urn gaol, then reck-
oned one • of the strongest fastnesses in New South
Wales. The second occasion, was, perhaps, the most
extraordinary case upon record. Two armed men slept,
one outside the door of the cell, and one inside; both
of whom affirmed to the day of their death, that they
never heard a stir or motion during the night; and when
daylight arrived they found him gone. The floor of the
cell was paved with .heavy stone flags; and Jackey
Jackey had, some time during the day, when the eye of
the gaoler was off his motions, loosened the cement and
mortar around one of these flags, and let himself down
to the cell underneath, which was tenanted by a felon.
They contrived to cut the iron. bars of the window; and
as it was only about ten feet from the ground, there was
no difficulty in reaching it in safety. Jackey Jackey
then reascended to his own eell, and awaited the dark-
ness of midnight, with a beating heart. The soldier who
was in the room had no idea that Jockey Jackey could
escape but by the door. His orders were imperative, on
no account to take his eye off the person of Jackey
Jackey; but, at times, sleep overcame the poor fellow,
and he leaned against the door upon his firelock, and
slept soundly. When Jackey. Jackey was certain that
he was asleep, he set to work, and, with as little noise as
possible, let himself down to the cell beneath. The two
worthies knocked out the irons', and descended. Jackey
Jackey caught the sight of a soldier approaching has-
tily- to see what the noise was, and sank flat on his face
on the ground. The other fellow had his feet just
touching the earth, when the report of the soldier's piece
was heard, and he fell, qUivering on the ground, within
a few paces of the spot where Jackey Jackey still lay.
Jackey Jackey now crept along the ground for a great
distance. There was a great noise about the spot where
his companion had fallen; lights began to stream about,
and the guard was called out. Jackey Jackey made one
bound forwards, and reached the forest. The. soldier

inside heard the noise; but his orders were not to leave
the spot; and he kept- watch, with commendable care,
over the camp-bed, where Jackey Jackey ought to have
been reclining. until the light of day showed him it
was empty. He then gave the alarm; for as the felon
had firmly secured his door inside, in case of surprise;
and as all was right, by the soldier's account, in the room
of Jackey Jackey, no person had suspected the fact that
Jackey had escaped them. The poor soldier was tried
by a court-martial, and sentenced to be shot. This
reached the ears of Jackey Jackey; and the night be-
for the day appointed for the execution, he broke into
the place of his confinement at Goulburn, with a picked.
company, and released him."
Jackey Jackey was, it seems, originally a gentleman
brought up in the fashionable society of the metro-
polis ; he was clever, witty, " a crack shot, and a
capital billiard-player;" but—great geniuses being
always eccentric—it came to pass one day that he
signed a friend's name to a bill of exchange, in con-
sequence of which he was introduced to the special
notice of twelve gentlemen and a judge, who hap-
pened to be sitting together in the Old Bailey, and
the latter of whoin inforined him, with true official
politeness, that he must be prepared to depart, at her
Alajesty's expense, to Botany Bay. Ile did so, and
the very first result of his arrival in that polished
colony was, that the Governor 'lost his watch and
seals, and that several respectable individuals found
themselves minus their purses and pocket-books. As
Jackey Jackey, however, is now dead, we trust that
Botany Bay will sleep in safety.

THE ANTI-CORN-LAW LEAGUE
The Anti-Corn-law League is not yet extinct. It stil
lives. Nor does it exhibit the slightest symptoms of any
diminution of its vitality. On the contrary, if there be any
difference, it is more vigorous now than it was four weeks ago,
when the Premier's declaration in favour of the present system
was supposed by the monopolists (the wish was father to the
thought) to be in effect the passing of sentence of death on
the League. The League is made of sterner stuff. It is not
to be thus easily annihilated. It' has not, it is true, the seeds
of immortality in it. When its work is done it will willingly
dissolve itself ; but, until it have accomplished the objects for
which it has been established, it will continue, not only to
live, but to flourish in more than its wonted vigour. There
have been dark intimations in some of the Ministerial prints,
and in the speeches of monopolists at county meetings, of an
intention on the part of Government to put down the League.
Let Government dare attempt to carry the menace into effect.
The League would rejoice to see the effort made. It invites col-
lision with Ministers. It has already defeated themonopolists
in argument ; it will triumph over Ministers should they ad-
venture on the bold step of endeavouring to put it down by
forcible means. Let them, if they can screw their courage to
the sticking place, attempt to deal with the League as they
have done with the Repeal agitation in Ireland ; let them,
if they have a mind, issue a Covent-garden " proclamation,"
in imitation of their Contarf " proclamation ;" let them do
this, and see what will be the result. One infallible conse-
quence of the collision that will ensue will be, that the Mi-
nistry and the corn monopoly will fall together. It will be
well if these be the only results. Providence be praised, the
Liberals of England are not yet reduced to that condition of
helplessness into which centuries of oppression have brought
the people of Ireland. Here we have a power, as well as the
disposition, to vindicate our rights, should they be unconstitu-
tionally assailed. Ministers know this, and will not there-
fore venture on the experiment. Straining the law, though
game at which Governments have too often played
with success in Ireland, is one at which Home
Secretaries and Colonial. Secretaries, despite their won-
drous valour, dare not attempt to carry too far in England.
'We have no fears for the League ;it has none for itself. It
will receive no molestation at the hands of Government. It
will quietly, but steadily, proceed in fulfilling its righteous
and merciful mission, until that mission has been fully worked
out. We know not whether it be worth while to advert to a
species of molestation of another kind, with which the
League is threatened from a different quarter. But for the
frequency of the allusions made last night to the new mono-
polist League, we should have passed it over in silent con-
tempt. The organization of that body is the desperate effort
of desperate men. It is a mere flash in the pan. It will end
in smoke. The money collected will be soon spent, and then
the whole affair will come to a close. What do these landed
Leaguers mean to be at? Is it not enough that they have the
Ministry and the Parliament—a Parliament of their own
selection—at their beck ? How will Sir Robert Peel relish
the kind of aid which they propose to afford him ? Will
he not resent this new agricultural organization as an insult
to himself? Will he not look on it as the embodyment of a
suspicion still lurking in all landed breasts, that he cannot be
depended upon, but must be goaded on to the performance of
his duties to the monopolists? What is the new League, in
reality, but ail instrument of torture, to be held in terrorem
over the head of the Premier, and to be applied without
- mercy to his back whenever he shall betray a disposition to
desert the landed oligarchy? There must be no more
tariffs ; no more modifications of the corn-laws--not even of
the slightest kind. The rod now placed in the hands of these
monopolist Leaguers, will keep him in check. The appre-
hension of its vigorous application will teach him the neces-
sity of not meddling in :future with " vested agricultural in-
terests." We are right glad to see the humiliating position
in which the Premier is placed. He has no claims on our pity.
He has not the manliness to resign himself to the impulses of
his own mind, and get rid for ever of the monopolist crew, by
pitching them' overboard. He had not the courage, though he
might have done it with the [greatest ease, to keep them in
due subordination. The result has been, that they have
mutinied against him. .They have now achieved the mastery
over him. He is allowed nominally to remain at the helm ;
but only so long as he steers in accordance with their wishes.
The Duke of Richmond is the only captain whose authority
the monopolists recognise, and whose commands they obey.
His Grace is in reality the Minister of this country. How
long will Sir Robert Peel submit to remain in this degrading
position? We can hardly believe it will be long. lie must
still have spirit enongh remaining to burst asunder the fet-
ters which hold him' in so ignoble a thraldom. A breach
between him and the imperious landlords must be at hand ;
and when it comes it will be irreparable. Sir Robert will
then, of necessity, throw himself into the arms of the free
traders. The monopolist. League cannot fail to contribute
materially to the acceleration of this event, and therefore we
rejoice in its organization and operations.--Advertisetr

ORTHOPEDIC INSTITUTION.—Wednesday the annual
meeting of the governors, donors, and subscribers to the
Orthopaedic Institution, for the cure of club foot and eon-
tractions of the body, was held at the institution, No. 6,
Bloomsbury-square. This iS the fifth annual general meeting
since the formation of the institute, which it is rather singu-
14r is the otity nue of the kind in the kingdom. At one
o'clock, the lion. G. licarlett took the chair, supported by
Vice-presidents Quarles, Harris, and F. Knish, Esqs., :Dr.
-little and other eminent men. The Report stated, that tiro'
ut-pati
dnring the year had been 620, the number of in--
0 en. 42
patients on the
XT141141,13 FAIWRE.--,Almost the only subject
Qf coniqr.s#4gFit Whange yesterday, was the -suspension
of paynnts bg r,epgtoiia?4 known in' Liverpool, and
conneztoki with .some ,Crt.4 40i f?.n!i!i this Place, who,.
after losing 4 tuost 4441144414,0 fgatiiig ReciffitiO in brp.s,
is still defteisnt, 4 is, 8047 1.9 14'atent oito,lpt),NA,
This' failure has proa4ced,'FP4 APllB4o€4l the Liverpool
.share marketrifiverp;Qi TiT. •
.