The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-06 00:00:00

',V •

...,,,.

SUN, LONDON:WEDNESDAY 'MORNING, MARCH 6, 1A44,

are needed in this department of our naval adminis-
tration. The matter is one which, if the allegations
we have quoted be well grounded, admits not of
delay in providing a present remedy for past errors,,
and attempting to guard against the future peril to
our navy, which the practices complained of cannot
but have incurred.

respectableTeople !will, of course, be proud to follow
so beautiful an example of conscientiousness. Sir
ROBERT PEEL a martyr ! The idea is an ennobling
one, and the imagination dm ells on it with
fondiess and veneration, not:umningled with' sort of
pleasing terror. imagine Yhi% wit4:that imitutable
face of his, so smiling and innocent in its serenity,
bearing testimony-to _the Faith among the sheep-pens
of Smithfield, Stnek-bolf-uPright against a post; and
repeating the. Thitty-nite Articles, by ra'ay of a deli
Fate hint to, his persecutors, while the "devouring
element" Is Making More 'free than' weictiMe with' his
person ! Of course, as the Premier's will is laW with
his.Ministerial.colleafe.‘es, they could nOe,doTless than
follow the example set by their conscientious Chief;
and thus our Protestant eles might be gratified by
the e-heering-spretaele-of -a-- whole • Cabinet roasting
togetber' at. Stnithfield, in defence of •that
Establishment so dear to our Protestant hearts !
Possitlionr Contemporary himself,' in his zeal
for the true Faith, might not • object to make
one among = the :party ; .and if so, nothing
would he . wanting to render the exhibitienperfeCt;
and convince the POTE- how utterly hopeless would
be the attempt to convert- England to Catholicism.
But to he serious—if ikbe possible to be seribuS'on so
ludierous'a 'ROBERT PEEL has about as
little- of;--the martyr in. hia _composition As Any
Public man we • ever- remember, to have- read
of. Others may: ga stake-fors their religion,
or make vast personal sacrifices, in)order to promote
thefPolitical:welfare of their. country ;Ibut he is .not
one of these: disinterested few.-, A.' sense: of public
prinCiPle will never stand in the way of his ainbition.
A regard for. consistency will' never interpoSe be-
tween _ him and the sunshine of office..-- If—eX-
pediency require the surrender of this or
that -opinion, the surrender. will' be made -with-
out ; and though- he is' :now the
avowed" Minister of the Monopolist-5 , do not 'des-
pair of liVing to see the day when the Preinier will
be the avowed Minister of the party. It
is'only necessary that the League should squeeze him
a littloi.more vigorously than it has yet done, to
squeeze "otikof him a consent to all its demands:

We, some months ago, urged'upon the cOnsideration
of the Government the propriety,: uot, to say, the
duty--7of .toliening to public competition, the designs
for the new buildings to replace the old facade -and
quadrangle of the British Museum. With whet
signal success the latent genius of English art—un-:
trammelled by the conventional intrigues, and
favouritisms of incorporated
.associations-may
appealed to, when a worthy object of national emu-
lation is proposed for competition-Lwas singularly
evinced in .the recent collection of historical cartoon
drawings. The decoration of the halls and chambers
of the New Houses of Parliament, offered a. fine
scope to the talent of our native artists for design
in the highest branch of pictorial composition. The
result was most fortunate. It: may be eonsidered to
have called a new era of art into existence among us,,
and will always be remembered to the honour of
those who so worthily responded to the summons of the
Legislature.

':

If the British Museum appeals less. forcibly.to .that
enthusiasm which is based on historical associations,
and reminiscences, than the seat of our ancient Con-
stiutional Legislature, it has. claims at, least as
powerful on the affection, the solicitude, and the
respect of every British scholar and student; of the.
lovers of national science and philosophy ; and above
all, of the admirers of Greek sculpture, with all its
infinite varieties of idealized beauty, in form,
action, and expression. The British.
sewn is the proud ..depository. of • _some of
the most snblime conceptions of that genius which
has given to marble the, all but immortal embodiment
of heroic fable.—,the epic grandeur , of its divine
poetry. Surely the shrine, within which these pre-
.eious and costly relics of an . age of intellectual in,
spiratien that has not yet been mated by its
:parallel, are congregated and preserved, should be
itself an edifice in some degree of kindred beauty or
magnificence. But when it is considered that within
the circuit of the same walls,,which are thus destined,
to shield the honoured fragments that still
.attest,
the marvellous imagination and exquisite hand of a
Lxsirrus or a nun-us ; the glerious. productions of
English mind, in all its infinite development, whether
in manuscript or in printed records ; in every walk
of human learning, in every department of science,
philosophy, and poetry,. 'every sentiment of a
genuine nationality must' be interested in; the dig-
nity and character of the edifice which is to be their
hono*red domicile. - We —perceive with mortifica-
tion-:--and we participate, in, all the. astonishment
Which our Contemporaries are daily giving utterance
to, in this matter—that no suCh'relations are likely -to
be observed between the inestimable coutents of the
building and, the building itself. Exertions,, quite
unknown hitherto in the sleepy history of the repa-
rationS and additions that have been made, from time

By the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer.
Paella; 6aptain WiisoN, we' have accounts from
Lisbon to- the 29th of February, but they possess
no interest. The journals contain no authentic in-
telligence from the prOvinces, respecting the revolted
troops. A dispatch from Viscount FONTE NOVA was
:published in the Government paper, announcuig that
most of them had fled across the frontier into
Spain ; but as this was not confirmed by the' tele
graph, nor mentioned by the other Lisbon jobr-
_no credit was attached to the statement.
OLozaos.. has arrived ,in thgland: by the, steamer,
after having been shamefully treated by the Portu-;
geese Government. Agents, of the police broke into
his hotel, opened all his trunks, rifled his papers, stole
his money, and then sealed up his empty, boxes,' al7
leging that they had removed nothing. Be suc-
ceeded, however, in recovering his property,- and after
having obtained a passport With some difficulty, was
glad to escape from the country. The'Cortes, which
had, assembled merely to prolong the powers granted
to the Ministry for suppressing the insurrectiop, had
been adjourned till the 23d April, and it is not at all
improbable that by that time COSTA q.l-BltAlt and his
party may follow the .example of NARVAEZ and
pONZ,A.LES BRAVO, and suspend them to an indefinite
period.

to time, in and about Montague House,since it became
the British Museum,, have indeed teen put forth oflate.
The staff of workmen and artificers, largely increased
in numbers, seeing to have - been. incessantly and
actively occupied for some time . past, as if • the
selected architect o 1 the new works were
anxious to anticipate—(we,are almost tempted to say)
--the expression of any Parliamentary or public opi-
nion on the course of inviting public competition, to
which we have alluded:' So far as we have been able
to collect from the:aspects of the works in progress, or
to judge from the design, which we have seen, we
cannot believe that in this instance. the public will
find that they have to boast of --a fabric :abovp- the.
average of the more recent productions of the seine'
professor. As we predicted, some months ago, the.
new structure is likely to be Greek enough in every'
feature7-except adaptation "or fitness; graceful combi-
nation, and elegance of detail. A small=i4bscription
club-house front ; sober to Quakerism ; plain to po-
verty ; simple to frigidity;; inexpressive, Meaningless,
unenriched—these will probably' be found the true
features of the design, whatever public ex.pectatiOn
may haVe naturally looked for in their stead. Will
nobody in the Coinmittee for superintending the
building and adornment of Mr. BARRY'S ". Parlia-
!tient Houses," make the .necessary inquiries, from
his place in the House of Commons;. or' elsewhere,
to ascertain on whose responsibility the freehold, 'as
it were, of all designs and works for the British Mu-
seum has not only been given for so many years past,
—but seems destined to be continued during his life-
time,—to one and the same. architect ? And why
it is that, more particularly in relation to the build-
ing now in course of erection, the designs for eleva-
tions, plans, interior "arrangement; &c., &c., have not
been opened to public competition ?. _

The discussion in the French; Chamber of Depu-
ties, on the Paris fortifications, commenced. on Sa7
turday. The Opposition expected' great things from
this affair, but were again disappointed. The dis-
icussion caused no excitement,, and led to no result.
The prinelpal, charges against the Government were,
that it had exceeded the letter of the Act passed ,in
1841, and that these fortifications were intended to
put down the Parisians in case of a revolt, rather
than protect the capital against a foreign enemy.
-Marshal SOULT denied both, the assertions. The Act,
he said, had been strictly complied with, and: the
fPFtiecatic9a were constructed in such a manner that
they could not disturb. Patti.. Generallisi7culars
I took the same view ; and so little interest did the
,Chamber take in the subject, that even M. Ds LAMAIt-.
TINE, with all his eloquence, could not attract attention.
M.. A.a4ao and Al 4.L.Laan Who had drawn up a
report on the works, intended to speak, but, owing to
the lateness of the hour, the debate was adjourned for
a week. Louis Pnuairn is a most fortiinate man.
Theses bastiles. are generally attributed entirely to
him; they.have beenjustly Attacked by alarge por-
tion of the Liberal press ;. they have called for the nu-
merous petitions from the provinces as well as the
capita; and- while-aPei'filethlliTican.e is excited i 4 the
Chamber about some trifle, such.as.the:Vi.sitiof the
Legitimatist pilgrims to Lorisior!)o44oorelseitid
in the Pacific, works that are intended: 6 43ig.t4Pire , the
capital and, repress, liberty, scarcely even excite the
common, attention of the Memhers. , Commerce, ,
which has vigorously opposed the—hastiles, is
naturally much annoyed at this apathy, :and vents its
rage. on Marshal- Souvr, who now, - defends plans
which he formerly declared were of-no use for what
they were ostensibly
,formecl. In his remarks the
Marshal said no one could accuse him of having
neglected his duties. On this the, Commerce says,
I' Alas ! it was, therefore, a duty ambitiously to pursue
at Oporto the Crpwn of Portugal-? = 'lt was a duty to.
plunder Andalusia„ and by such robberies- to render
the French name odious there ? It was a duty to
persecute, in 1814, the EMPEROR'S .soldiers,, and to
place oneself again at theirhead in-1815 ?It was a
duty to call NAPOLEON a. traitor and tyrant in the
month Of Mardh, and to' proelairn him' a hero on the
Ist of the 'following month Oi•Tin*?-' :When ihonld
'we stop if we exhausted the catilOgue of Marshal
'SO-via:lo dutieir "
Theaffair of Otaheitallis ceased:to he: the topic of
conversation, and the Parisians are now looking out
for a new "passion. .
The funds continue very firm, At TOKTONei, on
Sunday,-the -Three per Cents: were quoted at s2f. 80c.
,The Madrid mail of the 26th had.not reached Paris-
at the hour of post.

We did the.GREAT NATIONAL ANTI-LEAGUE
,Ds-'
MONSTRATION, which held. its first 'meeting. at the
Great Hall of Freemasons' Tavern, gross injustice
our remarks of Monday. Or perhaps, more Correctly;
we ought to say that we did TOM TRUMB injustice,
when we opined that the National Anti-League
would resemble in clwarfishness of stature that illus-
trious General. For, at eVents, the little Ameri-
can stands straight and 'erect, whilst the Great Na-
tional Anti-League Demonstration could 'neither
, stand, sit, nor walk, but fell down on the ground at
its first GREAT attempt, amidst the jeers and laughter
of the assembled multitude. And yet, again, we are
wrong, for there was no multitude, at all ; for the
Great National Demonstration,. in the Great Hall of
Freemasons' Tavern, consisted of about,,a hundred'
anal forty men, three women in the gallery, and four
in the body of the Hall. • ,
And this was the great meeting. convened to, put
down the Anti-Corn-law League, to overthrow the i
fallacies of the free-traders, and to place
,Connzs and'
BRIGHT in the shade..,,,Allis;'. that such-doom should
have. been threatened; and: that such, an ir,npoteut
conclusion should ha've: resulted. • •Fatal presage for
the operations of the t onopolrsts ; most unlucky omen'
for their future succeSa. And yet,, what better could
they expect ? what better .did they deserve? To call, or
attempt to call, a meeting of people in this metropolis,
in support of the corn-laws, must have been the
scheme of madmen. Why, at atime when the prin-
ciples of free trade have taken such deep hold upon
the minds and feelings of all classeS—when the entire
people a England and Ireland are sick of that class
legislation which impoverishes,all for the sole benefit
of one—who could expect that Englishmen were such
fools as to support any demonstration such as the'
National Anti-League sought to make ? Nona but
Sir RICHARD JonDRELL- and ,Mr. N. DoaaW
MA.ILLARD. •

• 1 :

We learn that Lords Radnor, Kinnaird, and
Shriiwsbury, with several other peer's, h'avesignifieli
their approval; of the dinner to be given to Mr. ()'Con=
nell, next Tuesday ; and thai the feelings expressed,
13-7 th—e— promoters of this demonstration 'of Eitglish.
concern for Ireland, find many responses in the House'
of Lords. One of the toasts ,is " The Seventr:eight,
Peers—Who supported 'Lord Normanby's motion,"
which will be aCknowledged by: a.Noble T.,Ord. No
sentiment will be given at the dinner in which.every
friendto Ireland; be his politiCal 'deed What it niay,
may not join. Justice to Ireland; and full and com-,
pieta enjoyment .of equal rights and privileges will be
the . grand feature of the, evening: About thirty
-Members of the House of -Commons, including the
representatives Of sonie of the largest censtitpencies.in
England, will attend the meeting, and the display of
English and Irish. eloquence will afford a rich treat to'
the great numbers Who will attend. .Every seat in the
dress and first circles, is already engaged, and none
but ladies are admitted to the boxes.

The Herald, with its usual sagacity, has discovered
that Sir ROBERT PEEL is so enthusiastic and disin-,
,terested in his zeal fOr the Protestant Establish-'
ment, that he would infinitely rather. undergo the
ugly operation of martyrdom than that a single lock
of a Bishop's wig, should be injured:•• Were he even
called 9n, like St. LAWRENcE, to prove his devotion
to the priesthood by reclining full length on a grid-
iron, and being done to a turn over a slow fire; he
would consent to the broil without a moment's hesita-
tion. It is now some days, since our Contemporary
made this extraordinary discovery respecting the
:Premier's readiness to become. a martyr on an emer-
gency ; arid so enamoured is he of it, that he this
morning repeats it, and, , if. possible, • with increased
unction and emphasis :—" We :believe," quoth the
Herald, "that Sir ROBERT PEEL is a sincere Pro-
testant, and we see that he, adorni his religious
profession by an honourable and useful public
career, • and by a private life: of perfect purity .1
and of great. benevolence ; and seeing this; we
cannot doubt that he would perish ' at the stake
rather than assist in the injury of the Church to which'
he belongs." How thankful ought not Protestant
England to be that she possesses a Prime Minister
who is perfectly ready to be roasted at Smithfield
-elsewhere,:in'the augii.st causer of the-Establishmelitl
After this, what: need have we to fear the ut7.-
most efforts of the POPE and his 'agents teture.US
all into Roman Catholics ?• .The. Pontiff mayj-4f it so
pleases him—come. ever, -with, his whole, ecllege.,
cardinals and a select cargo of faggots,in afishing-smack
to Dover ; but he will "takenothinglpy his motion;"
to use a Parliamentary phrase ; riot a Single convert of
eminence will he make, for the Premier of Great
Britain will be the first to show his readiness to be-
come a martyr in defence of Protestantism, and all

13GYAL SURREY ZOOLOGICAL GAanzivs. —These'
gardens, which have so long been one of the niost
pleasing,sources ,of amusement to all persons in the
metropolis, changed owners on the Ist Of this month.
Mr.
,Cross; whose highly estimable character raised
these, gardens to public favour, has resigned the pro
prietorship to Mr. Tyler, who, from the very com-,
roenteinent of the gardens,- has laboured to make
them what they now are.., All the animals, and some
additional ones, will be exhibited as usual, whilst
many new objects to attract public attention will be
added. There will be every care taken to cater for
the public amusement, and a grand' spectacle is already
in preparation, which will eclipse even the glories of
Vesuvius and-Hecla, and put the Temples of Elora in
the shade. We 'are informed that there,is nova par*
ticle of truth
,the paragraph which appeared in a
portion of the public papers of yesterday, and which
emmanated from sheer envy, and fromtrties who had
laboured to prevent Nr. Tyler frcmul: Fs9lllg,,the re-
suit and arduous labours in ,the service of
itti9,pbli;;,.7iVo wish, him that suOeSs 'wl#oll he de-
' Sei'Veg; and must achieve, .1

During some litte excavations ati that:sworth, we
believe, two immense chests, filled with a collection of coins,
were brought to light. The collection is supposed to have
been made by the great-great-grandfather of the present
Duke, and is said to be worth 10,0004—Court Journa4