The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-26 00:00:00

PUBLIC OPINION.

The Chronicle, alluding to the Anti-Corn-law League
meeting last night, observes :—" The League professes
to be non-political ; free trade, they say, is of no party;
and the abolition of all monopolies by the Tories would
ho received with as much enthusiasm as if it were ac-
complished by the Whigs. Yet, when Mr. Bouverie,
last night, ran a parallel between Sir Robert Peel and
Mr. Alderman Gibbs, shouts of laughter burst from
every quarter •; which were repeated when Mr. Burnett
called him a " man of all work," and recommended the
free traders to make as much use of: him as they could.
How is this? We always UnderstUod that Sir R. Peel
was regarded, in the City, as an exceedingly respectable
man, and not to be named in conjunction with
su.:ll a functionary as Mr. Alderman Gibbs. Yet how
eagerly- was the Peel and Gibbs association caught up
by the free traders last night. There must. be a great
change for the worse passing over English society. The
middle classes of this country have been hitherto re-
garded as shrewd, intelligent, practical, and discerning ;
not to be imposed on for any length of time; and though
occasionally liable to be led astray by some sudden im-
pulse, always recovering their senses at last. Yet here
they are, blindly following the nefarious gang of " raga-
muffin" cotton-spinners, who are banded together in
order to destroy British agriculture, ruin the landed inte-
rest, beggar the tenant-farmer, and starve the comfortable
agricultural labourer ! For this purpose the commercial and
manufacturing community gave the League 50,0001. a
year ago, and are now engaged in rapidly doubling the
amount.

The: Times remarks, in an article on the subject of na-
tional oducation:—" The rejection of the Ministerial
Education Bill of last session appears to be de-
veloping into results more and more unlooked for
and uncounted upon. Few persons, we suppose,
anticipated that 111 the defeat of that measure
there would have originated, on the part of the
national Church an effort whose- vigour and suc-
cess has given proof of the existence in that body of
greater vitality, more real earnestness, and more power-
ful energy, than at any period of her history since the
rebellion of 1640. We have already noticed the pro-
gress of the educational movement, which was thus
commenced within the Church, and have expressed
our satisfaction at the testimony which it bears t
the general character of the cause of sound education
throughout the country. It has shown at least that zeal
for the cause of the poor—zeal for the great cause of
Christianity—the zeal of dispelling the darkness of
ignorance, and alleviating, by destroying it, the misery
of vice—is still to be found within the pale of the Church
of England, not in empty words, but in deeds of self-
denial and of mercy—not in the mere selfishness of
teaching order and civilisation for the sake of preserving
to their possessors those constituted privilege:: and en-
joyments whose very being depends upon peace and
tranquillity,—but for the poor's sake themselves, for the
sake of charity, and for the sake of truth. It is much,
we say, to have done this. No political movement could
have borne such witness as this.'
The Herald says i—"'We have been compelled occa-
sionally to dissent from the views and to object to the
practices of the Rev. Dr. Hook, the Vicar of Leeds ;
but, though our opinion of both is only confirmed by
reflection and experience, we cannot forbear joining
our Contemporaries in expressions of admiration at
.his proper conduct in. reference -to his . important
vicarage. The Rev. Doctor proposes to restore to
Leeds what its population and extent have long
substantially deprived it of, the parochial system
of the Church of England, at the sacrifice by him-
self of patronage. Dr. Hook's vicarage now •em-
braces an area of thirty-two -miles in circumference,
and contains 160,000 inhabitants; from it he receives the
ordinary ecclesiastical dues. In this enormous parish
there are twenty churches and chapels, ti nearly all of
which the Vicar presents. When Dr. Hook was in-
ducted into this living he found Dissent rampant there-
in, and the Church despised, disregarded, and forsaken:
by his own exertions, by the employment of five or six
curates, and by the able assistance of several of the
ministers of district churches, the influence and autho-
rity of the Church have been somewhat restored. This
restoration has taken place contemporaneously with Dr.
c(4k t-ltile the, c ,sta
at bl
oneish-
ment of that unanimity amongst the clergy desirable
in a largo town like 1-4,,eds, ay.ield
Hook's incumbency, and there can be little doubt that
taldleopinez NIT 'hook have, however, of late years,
criven I,y him. The Tractarian views
checked this movement, have
time, growing enthusiasm of its churchmen. Still it
would be exceedingly uncandid to detract one jot from
the merits of Dr. Hook." •
prevented]rave
oWe quote the following from the Advertiser :—" The
Ministers would no doubt be delighted to grant as a
boon to the Dublin Corporation that escape of the
traversers from amercement, which, if not given by
a 'verdict of the jury, must be enforced by the irresis-
tible tide of public opiejon. We trust that the tra-
versers will firmly abide by the position they have
taken, and spurn the proffer of, as they have already
done the application for, any such degrading clemency.
What ! I for an act of amnesty for Mr. O'Con-
nell, and the other gentlemen now on their trial f(,r
sedition and conspiracy's at the present cage of the law
presecuticns ? What ! before a verdict has been re-
turned ? Before the jilt)", constituted as that jury
is, has pronounced whether Mr. O'Connell and the
rest of the gentlemen before the bar, be .guilty or not
guilty ? Before it can be stated that they have com-
promised themselves in acts of sedition and conspiracy ?
Before Government itself dare to condemn them ? Be-
fore public opinion has ceased to -regard them in any
other light than, if convicted, as martyrs to the principle
of free discussion, the most wrongfully and unjustly dealt
with of men—if unconvicted, as triumphant witness of
the virtue of our Bill of Rights, and the reality of human
truth and liberty ? What ! Pray for an act of amnesty
to Mr. O'Connell and his brother compatriots at such a
moment, and this by the Dublin Corporation ? Why,
we confess, the world may well be mystified -and..e'cii-
founded by the proceeding. We may well be-'fergivon
for owning that we do not see through the enigmiL"
LAX, 'MD POLICE. '•.. • :
In the case of Lord William against the tarl' of Car-

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