The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-06 00:00:00

T E'SIJ N, Li " UND ON,t.7r' MON DAY- MORNI M AZt 6, 1844:

7 SOUTHWARK LITERARY
INSTITUTION.
• (FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
Mr. T. S. Illackwell delivered his first lecture on
Mesmerism dee smerised, or an exhibition of the pre-
tended phenomeni of mesmerism, without the presence
el...aid-of mesmeric influence, on Thursday. His experi-
ments, illustrating the mesmeric phenomena of attr .c-
-tion and repulsion, catalepsy and clairvoyance, phreno-
mesmerism, with and without contact, elicited rapturous
applause, and exhibited results we have not seen pro-
duced at mesmeric exhibitions. He went through his
illustrations with so excellent a grace, and quite a la
Vernon, that left the audience delighted and amused,
many of his tricks being worthy of even the Wizard of
the North.
At the conclusion, the Lecturer was tackled by Messrs.
Donovan and Brookes, who contended that he had thrown
a slur upon the most talented men of -the age—(Hear,
hear)—and loaded the Lecturer with a profusion of
epithets, until called to order by the Chairman.
In. spite of the fruitless opposition of these gentlemen,
the following resolution was proposed, seconded, and
carried by a thumping majority :—" That the experi-
ments to-night, in clairvoyance, phreno-mesmerism, and
the supposed mesmeric phenomena, have been more
perfect, and, if we had not the key, would be more
astounding, than any we have witnessed in mesmeric
lectures."
The Lecturer was greeted by loud cheering, on leaving
the room.

RAILWAYS ~FOR THE MILLION."
Railway companies have discovered a way of being
liberal with profit to themselves; and their specula-
tive trading has secured a boon for the hard-working
population of the metropolis—one means of relieving
the Wen " by at least some temporary dispersion.
On Eastern Monday and the twofollowing days, what
are called " return-tickets " giving the purchaser the
right to conveyance out of and back again, were
issued by several railway companies at greatly reduced
fares. Shopkeepers, clerks, mechanics, and the
fifty varieties of the Londoner race, were enabled for
once to taste the delights of railway-travelling, and
to visit even the sea-coast ! The favourite resort was
Brighton—attractive from its associations with royalty,
fashion, and old repute for gaiety ; the extra receipts
on that railway amounted, in the three days, to 1,9431.
Traditions of Julius Csar, of the ancient Castle,
and Shakespeare's Cliff, also drew great numbers to
Dover, and the result of the reduced fares for the
three days was seen in extra receipts to the amount
of 7001.

Must these mutual benefits be confined to Easter
week ? If it has paid the Brighton Railway, Proprie-
tors to sell "return-tickets" at half-price for those
three days in April, would it not pay to do so on
every Saturday, Sunday, and Monday throughout
the summer and early autumn ? Without attempting
to rival an economical arithmetician who has lately
distinguished himself on cotton-mills, it may safely
be calculated that to sell " return-tickets" on
such a purely pleasure-line as that to Brighton, would
be as great a boon to the Proprietors as to the public.
The fixed capital invested in the formation of a rail-
way bears a much greater proportion to the cost of
working than the buildings and machinery of a cot-
ton-mill to the circulating capital.; and the railway
proprietor is, therefore, far more interested in in-
creasing the returns of his circulating capital by in-
creasing the rapidity of its circulation.
Railways have created a new class of travellers, a
great locomotive population 'that could alone people
some European states ; yet to a considerable :extent
'the masses" are debarred from the use of the rail-
way by the outlay. The rich man finds its cheapet
than the old method of post-chaises, or even stage-
coaches with the frequent inn-expenses ; but the poor
man can ill-muster the requisite amount of gold.
Cheapness would beget still newer and more nume-
rous classes; just as the cheap and accessible omnibus
has converted half the passengers in London streets
to riders. At present the Londoner is content to
steam up to Richmond, and eat eel pies, or down to
Gravesend, and dabble, like the eel, in half-salt-
water; but give the opportunity, and thousands might
pour out weekly to the very sea-coasts, to the im-
mense profit of the railways, of the sea-side trades-
people, and the incalculable benefit and delight of the
town-bred folks. To many there is no delight so
great as that of loitering on a sea-beach ; but to the
inlander it is a pleasure as rare as it is great; it might
be one for every week.—Spectator.

FALMOUTH, FRIDAY NIGHT.—:I he packet Pen-
guin, Lieutenant Leslie. arrived here this morning from
the Brazils. She left Rio de Janeiro March 13th. Pas •
sengers—Edward Porter, Esq., her Majesty's Consul at
Bahia; Mr. and Mrs. Dufrere and family; Mr. and Mrs.
Villeneuve and sons ; three Misses Samuel and servant;
Mr. Haak and servant, and five miners. Had on freight
about 20,0001. There is no political news by her;
the affair of the arrangements of the new Ministry are
in the same state as reported by the last packet, but
Considerable concessions had been made by the Finance
Minister for the removal of restrictions on shipping.
commercial transactions very heavy. The next packet,
the Swift following, had not arrived out at Rio. Her
Majesty's ships at Rio were—the Daphne, Pearl, and
Crescent. In the River Plate remained (by letter of Feb.
21st, from Monte Video), the Alfred, Curaccoa, Gorgon,
Ardent, and Racer. Affairs in the River Plate unchanged.
DOVER MAID..—The Post-office authorities have
given the usual notice to the South-Eastern Railway
Company to carry the night mail on and after the l lth
instant—the down at 30 minutes past 8, raw., arriving in
Dover at 30 minutes past 12 ; and the up at 1, A.M.,
arriving in London at 5, a.m. This is a step in the right
way; but, we regret to say, the day mail, which, of the
two, was the more required to be put on the railway,
will be taken by road, as usual. It was originally an-
nounced that the mail train would be a first class train
only; but this intention, from an objection urged by the
Postmaster-General, has been abandoned, and the train
will be one for the accommodation of first and second
class passengers.—Railway Record.
The sentence of death upon Mary Purley has been
commuted to imprisonment in the Penitentiary at Mill-
bank, we understand, for a brief period.
WILL OF THE LATE SIR HENRY HALFORD, BART.
—The will of the late Sir Henry Belford, Bart., of Wis-
ton Hall, Leicester, has just been proved in Doctors'
Commons, by his son and sole executor, Sir Henry
Halford, Bart., to whom he has bequeathed the whole
of his property. The personal property is sworn
under 9,000/.
THE LATE MATCH FROM LONDON TO WINDSOR.—
The parties to this match, after the performance of which
one of the horses engaged died of exhaustion, appeared on
Thursday, at the instance of Mr. Thomas, secretary to the So-
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, at the Town-
hall, Windsor. The charge of excessive cruelty was fully
substantiated against the driver and owner of the horse,
which subsequently died of his exertions, a Mr. William
Moseley, and he was convicted in the full penalty-40s. and
costs. A Mr. Henry Bond, a medical student, the rider of
the other horse, was then proceeded against, but as the
animal he rode was described as having been in no degree
distressed, the charge was dismissed. Mr. Thomas, in answer
to a question from one of the bystander's, replied, that the
law, however efficient against those vulgar criminals, would
not reach the parties to the recent steeple-chase, at which
three fine horses had perished.
SHUOGLING.—On Thursday Edward Carter; John
Davis, and James Johnson, the feaster and crew of a small
yacht called the Isis, of 10 tons, were brought before Mr.
Trail', at the Woolwich Police-court, charged with secreting
on board that vessel upwards of three thousand weight of
contraband tobacco. arnuer Charles Humphreysbold, In-
spector of the Coast-Guard Service, and W. C. Simpson, a
Custom-house officer, deposed that they boarded the Isis off
Purfleet, and demanded to know what the vessel contained.
The prisoners replied nothing. They proceeded to search
her, and found stowed away in different parts of the vessel
62 bales, containing between 3,0001b5. and 4,0001bs of leaf
tobacco, which had not paid duty, and which amounted to
nearly 5001. Mr. Traill said the case must be remanded till
Saturday, in order to have the attendance of the Solicitor
of the Customs to prosecute. One of the prisoners said
it was rhubarb leaf steeped in tobacco. They applied to be
bailed, but Mr. Train refused to take bail.
THE RENDEZVOUS WINE AND SUPPER ROOMS.—
On Thursday, at the Excise, Llewellyn Watkin Williams; of
ham and beef notoriety, keeper of the above rooms, in
Brydges-street, opposite Drury-lane Theatre, was charged
with selling foreign wines without a license. Two officers of
Excise proved being served with foreign wines at the above
premises, on the 6th and 14th of December last, which they
drank on the premises. The defendant pleaded his distressed
condition, with a family of eleven children, and the Court,
under the circumstances, mitigated the penalty to 15/.
BIRTHDAY OF THE MARQUIS OF WORCESTER.--
Great rejoicings will take place on the coming of age of the
es,
Marquis of Worcester, which will occur in February. Bad-
minton will be the scene of splendid festivities, and a mag-
nificent entertainment will be given in Monmouthshire. An
immense ox is to be roasted whole for the populace, in Agin-
court-square, Monmouth ; and a barrel of ale, which was
brewed at the christening of the Noble Maroais, will be
broached on the occasion.—Berrow's Worcester Journal.
Tun SEASON AND THE CROPS.—The present sea-
son has hitherto been one of the finest that we have had for
several years for promoting the growth of those crops which
are already sown, and enabling the farmers to prepare the
land for *OM which remain'to be sown. In all the counties
of England, between Liverpool and SouthamPton, as well as
its Normandy and the ether northern provinces of France,
in Belgium, in Rhenish Prussia, and in Germany, as far as
Frankfort, the wheat crops this year are most promising.
We do not remember to hare seen above half-a-dozen bad
fields of wheat in a journey of a thousand or twelve hun-
dred miles. In general the plant is very thick, the colour
good, and the promise of the crop excellent. The same ob-
servation applies to the oat, the rye, the clover, and rape
crops on the Continent, and to the grass crops in England,
In the limestone districts of Normandy and in Flanders, as
well as in the rich district between Mayence and Frankfort,
the clovers are unusually fine this year, and it is a remark-
able proof of what may be effected by rich cultivation, that
the Colza, a rape plant, was at least a yard high, and in full
bloom, in Easter week, between Wines and Antwerp, at a
time when it was even in laud in districts of France a couple
of degrees further south. Owing to the heavy rains of
March, and the general warmth of. the first fortnight in'
April, this and most other crops were as forward as they
were ever known to be at this season all the way from Havre
to the Rhine. In this neighbourhood, and throughout Eng-
landW. CHAPL
generally, they look as well as could be wished.. Nor.
them Star.
DEATH or THE BET. IN.—We have to
announce the decease of our venerable and universally
honoured friend, the Rev. W. Chaplin, of Bishop's
Stortford, for nearly half a century the pastor of the In-
dependent Church in that town, and one of the oldest
ministers in the denomination. Mr. Chaplin was for a
short time associated,
as co-pastor, with his aged prede-
cessor,the Rev. Mr. Angus;
so that it is, we believe, a
century since the pulpit', which they successively occu-
pied, was vacant. Mr. Chaplin Was, distinguished by the
soundness of his theological views, by his exemplary and
unaffected piety, and by the firmness and consistency of his
political opinions, united _to singular amenity of manners.
He retained to the last a 'lively concern in all the trans-
actions of the denomination to which he belonged, and in
all the public proceedings affecting the interests of evan-
gelical religion, or the principles of religious freedom._

Patriot. • ,
STocx,ExcaANGE.---We understand that the pro-
ject of establishing a stock exchange in this town has
lately received a good deal of consideration from the
shareholders of Leeds, whose numbers, as well as the
extent of 'transactions, have increased so greatly within
the last few days, as to render some such establishment
very desirable.—Leeds Times.
Cunions CIRCUMSTANCE.—An old teakettle having
been thrown away into the plantation belonging to Mis.
robin's
Somerset
Batten, of this town, was, last week, found to contain a
nest,
Countywith fire. healthy young birds in it.—
Gazette.
As Mr. 'Willson, of London,. on Thursday evening
last, between the hourg of nine and ten; was travelling
from Caine to Devizes, about midway, he was •met, by
three men who demande a his money ; he refusing to
comply, a dreadful conflict ensued, by which he was
very much cut and otherwise. bruised, and the villains
pilfered' him of all his money, which amounted only to
about ten pounds, he luckily having made a large remit-
tance the same . afterncion. The Superintendent and
others of the Devizes police started in search of the
robbers as soon as the 'news arrived ; and we hope and
trust they may be discovered, and made suffer the full
penalty of the law. Ile now ilea at the Castle Inn in a
very precarious state.,:. --

DISSENTERS CHAPELS BILL.
[The following is a ful!er Roport-of the proceedings on
this Bill, in'the House of LOrds, on Fri lay -night, than
we had space for in our Saturday's Morning Editioa
The LORD CHANCELLOR rose to move that
the House should resolve itself into. Committee on this

13ilL He expressed his surprise at the opposition which
had been shown towards the Bill. The petitions, how-
ever, against the Bill were-generally in the same hand-
writing, and be had no doubt emanated from the same
source, and therefore he did not feel much fear for the
Billll.:e_ltad iptroduced oa account of these petitions.

The Noble and Learned Lord went on to stateJ—lt must
be remembered, that there are ninnerous.petitions, also,

on the other side; but I-humbly presume to say they are
Widely different in character from those I have men-
tioned, and entitled to much greater attention. There are
petitions from members of the Established Church—peti-
tions from Presbyterians and various denominations of
Dissenters, not couched in general terms, but pointing
out specific • hardships and evils, and praying a remedy
for the complaints which they made. There is an oppo-
sition, however,- of a very different description which
this Bill is destined toencounter—l mean thatof a Bight
Reverend Friend of mine (thelßishop of London), formi-
dable not more for his talents than for his character and
position. I-do not apprehend, however, consideringthe
strength and justice of the case, even the effect of that
formidable opposition. I feel some surprise indeed at
the new association into which my Right Reverend Friend
has fallen; but great advantage must be derived -from -it
if, as I am persuaded he will, my Right Reverend Friend
uses his influence to temper their- zeal, and, if posaible,"
to put an end to the • differences which unfortunately
prevail amongst them. lam happy to say, that as to
one part of th Bill—l-mean the first section—no -differ-
ence of opinion exists as to the,ne,:essity of some change.
The Bishop of EXETER-, in a loud tone, "No, no,
no."—(A. laugh.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR—WeII, this is the only
quarter from which I have heard any objection.- I be-
lieve my Right Rev. Friend (the Bishop of London) sloes
not join.in the opinions entertained by the Right Rev.
Prelate. What is the object of this section, and the
state of the law which it is intended. by it-to correct ?
Some charities with :respect. to places of worship were
established at a period when by. law that species of wor-
ship was illegal. Subsequent Acts-of Parliament passed.
legalising the form Of- worship. Though the foundation
was illegal, those charities have since become legal ac-
cording to our present law. The more liberal character
and spirit of the present age have repealed the statutes
declaring they were contrary -to law. • Notwithstanding
this, as the foundation of those charities was illegal, it
has been considered, notwithstanding the alteration of
the law, that the defect was not completely remedied ;
and for. the purpose, therefore, of preventing the con-
sequences resulting froni those. charities- being vacated
by process of the courts of equity, I have introduced the
present clause into the I3ill. The object of this clause is
that those, charities- should be considered as if they were
founded subsequently to the Act which legalised.them,
What can .be more reasonable—what more just ? If
they. are legal, the foundation of the charity should be
declared so also. And what is. the object of their being
set aside and declared void ?. To' vest them in the
Crown, and thus devote' them to other. purposes than
those for which they were originally intended. Until I
hear some argument tirged.against the ,clause, I rest on
this statement and the position I have made out—l rest
on the support I expect to receive from my Right Rev,
Friends—on the decided opinion expressed everywhere
out of doors on the subject, and I shall not trouble your
Lordships further with any- observations respecting it.
Now as to the material point to which, opposition is di-
rected. I must state what the nature of the provision is.,
Nothing can be more simple: Places of worship are
established by deed.or will, for some benevolent purpose,
That place has been establiShed for one. hundred and
fifty or two hundred years ; but fora long period, say
thirty, forty, fifty, or seventy years, the congregation
meeting in that place have. entertained the same -religi-.
ous doctrines and opinions. No change whatever has
taken place during that period. It is a matter of
speculation what the opinion - of the original founder
was. He has not in his deed of. trust stated the
doctrines and opiniens which he is desirous should
be propounded and inculcated in that place of won
ship. Why not take the usage which has prevailed
for so long a period as evidence of the original inten-
tion of the donor ? If in a deed it be declared to be
the declared will „and intention of the donor that
particular doctrines should be preached and in-
culcated, to such a state of things this clause did not'
apply .; but when it was not laid down what parti-
eular doctrines should be preached, or what the precise
object of the foundation was, and yet that the parties
frequenting the chapel had uniformly, and for a long
period continued the same usage as to religious worship
and doctrines, I ask your Lordships why we may not
reasonably take the usage as evidence of the intention
of the donor, and 'not allow the title to the occupancy
of the chapel to be impeached in a court of justice ? My
Lords, a Noble and Learned Friend of mine stated, on a
former night, the principle on which this law was
founded. , It is a. principle well known to our law—that,
uniform possession for A long.series of years establishes
a title. That great principle of our law is embraced in
the law of every civilised country, and is adopted by our-.
selves from the wise jurisprudence of ancient Rome.
That principle we apply to our estates—to our civil
rights. Why not apply it to a case of this description ?.
Parties value their. Tights as connected with property of
this description more highly than those appertaining to
ordinary property., Those plaices of worship have been
frequented by.. their fathers and grandfathers.
The burial ground attachel contains the- names
of - their relatives and parents, and is it not,
therefore, .most., natural and important that the
principle applied to civil rights should be put in force as
to property of this mixed character ? With respect to
civil rights, if. a party obtains unlawfully possession of
land ' • if he acquires property by a fraudulent act, or one
of violence, stilL'if 'he is allowed to remain in uninter-
rupted possession fora long series of years (and indeed,
not a very long period according to modern law) his
title becomes indefeasible. The person kept out of pos-
session may say" lam wrongfully dispossessed. I have
distinct evidence of the fact ;". the answer is " an inde-
feasibleritle has been Acquired against you by lapse of -
time, and this has been built on a wise principle of the
law." Evidence is lost by lapse of tune ; witnesses
die, and their testimony is gone ; parties are no longer
Able by distinct evidence to establish what their rights
were. The lapse ottime effects all' this. It has also its
counteracting effects. It establishes continued-possession
as evidence of .the right of another, thus balancing and
replacing the title which was lost. This is an established
principle of the law. But it is material to consider how
it has been recognised and extended in modern times, for
the purpose of seeing what importance has been at-
tached to it. Everybody knows that the -rule I have
alluded todid not extend to cases where the. Crown was
concerned, .the Crown . being supposed to be so much.
engaged with publie affairs, that it had not an oppor-3
tunity actively to superintend its
reason
peculiar 'interests.
Perhaps there was another reason for .the exception.. It
was not thought right that the 'Weakness or supineness
of the immediate possessor shouldimpair the rights and
interests of the successor. This for a long period was
the law of the country; in modern acts it. was consi-
dered a false principle to establish this limitation-in the
case of the Crown, except so .far as to require 'posses-
sion for a longer period against it than in the case. of a
subject; and after long discussion the rule, excepting
the Crown from the operation of the principle I have
named, was abolished. In the case of the Church, too,
Lord Tenterden, in our own times, abolished the ex-
ception which said that no time.should run against the
Church. Why enter into this detail for the purpose of
impressing on your Lordships the importance of this
rule, and the universality of, its application? The cir-
cumstances which I am. about to detail, though not
coming within the scope of this Bill, will serve to
throw light on the species. of inquiry which must be
instituted if some such measure as the present be not
passed. I allude to Lady Hewley's charity. Give me
to say that is not a single case ; many such are now
pending, and many more threatened, The Noble
and Learned Lord then went on .to, give a his-
tory of this case, by which it appeared that the judges
and House
-f Lords voted in favour of the claimants.
Then arose the question to whom did the funds
belong. The Presbyterians said, " They are ours;" the
Independents said, "We are the parties intended." The
Master had to investigate those conflicting claims, and
report to .the Vice-Chancellor. The Tice-Chancellor
had a second time to sift the most conflicting- evidence,
and the result was not yet determined., One thing, how-
ever, was determined—the costs amounted to 30,0001.
and were to-be paid, as usual, out Of the charity.
He knew that there were at least two hundred snits in

, .
contemplation, for the purpose of ousting the. trustees of
several Of those charities, and he thought their Lord-
ships would agree with him, that he was perfectly jus-
tified in' calling for the interference of that Muse.—
(Cheers.) The.object of the Bill was to prevent liti-
gation, and he felt confident that he would meet with
the cordial support of their Lordships.
The Bishop of LONDON said, he should not venture
to oppose so distinguished an authority if he had not a
grave and weighty judgment on his side. He should
not say that he was about to 'imitate a great Roman
orator, and appeal from Philip in one condition to Philip
in another—(a laugh)—but he would. appeal from the
legislator, to the judge. .And here, he was reminded of
the truth of an axiom delivered by one who was the
ornament of the Woolsack and ,the Bench, that the
opinion of a judge was - more certain than that of .a
senator. He should describe the. Bill as one, to render
lawful that which was at present unlawful. It was, true
another object was to prevent litigation. Bat litigation
was a great though not unmixed good, when by it justice
was vindicated... • As- to ..Lady Bewley's charity, ,the
blame of the eXiiense inciirred rested on those who per
tinaciously resisted the claims of those justly entitled to
it. These .chapels were at first founded b, persons
obliged to subscribe to the doctrines of the hurch of
England. Before the Act of Toleration it was not allow-
able for any sect to worship according to any forms, save
'those of the true Church of England. At 'the time of
the Restoration, 2,000 ministers were displaced from
their benefices in consequence of theirrefusal to subSeribe
to the articles of the Church. .A great many dissenting
chapels were then built and .endowed by persons pro-
fessing andhelieiring in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
Dissenters were then permitted to build chapels . and
endow them under certain limitations. But there was
one remarkable exception. The benefit of the Act of
Toleration was not to extend to those who held views
denying the divinity' of Christ. About- 2,000
"Ape's
were built within twenty years from the year 1644, when
the Act of Toleration was passed ; and :every one of
these chapels, was., built by persons holding..Trinitti-
rian doctrines ; nay, more—not one of these eha- -
n ls
was occupied by a minister who would '
have thought it the height of to .promul-
gateblasphemy not
Unitarian. principles. The- dissenters' of these
days, then, subscribed to the doctrine of 'the Holy
H yTri-
nity. They had.no scruple in doing so Presbyferiins
and Dissenters, approved- of that, prov us' ion' of the -.kat- of