The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-17 00:00:00

by the redundancy of its own peccant humour ;
so that the present greatness of that kingdom is
not to be ascribed to the temper and dispositions
of the people, but - to the maxims of these two
great Cardinals, Ministers; and, above all, to
the vast prospect and genius of the present
Monarch. Such is the change which a century
has wrought. We have now the start of the
French and every other nation ; but it is the
misfortune of this soft of greatness to experience
occasional reverses. To do our neighbours
justice, they have a wonderful aptitude to be
duped by their own vanity ; and notwithstanding
their determination to have no monks, and no
more mutnmeries, and to retain their Church
poorer than we think compatible with Protestant
purity, they may be brought by their worship of
national honour and national glory to as high
and palmy a state as that in which this great
nation now is. They will obtain an aristocracy
and primogeniture, when they can.find places for
younger sons; and then they will have nothing
to envy us.—Morni►►g Chronicle.
Great abuses have for a long time existed
under the half-pay system in the Army. The
Duke of Wellington' is actively engaged in en-
deavouring to root them out. A list of ques-
tions, which we publish, have been sent round
to officers on the half-pay, which they are re-
quired to answer very particularly, and which
will elicit a good deal of useful information.
It is necessary to ascertain exactly the situation
in life of persons claiming half-pay, for many
reasons. Many sell their half-pay, which is not
unfrequently purchased by clerks in Government
offices ; and after the party originally entitled to
receive it has been otherwise amply provided
for, and, consequently, the expense of this
gratuity ought to be saved to the country,
the assignee, who has never performed any
service for it, -continues to-receive it. The
inquiry now on foot is likely to put an end
to, this mode of perpetuating a part of the
burdens of the public. We are far from grudging
to men who have served their country the provi-

sion, when unemployed, to which, by the regu
lations of the service, they are justly entitled:—
We have never recommended that sort of eco

noing which would supersede the. claitns of
justice and. gooafizith. But, while we uphold
the principle of allowing a respectable mainte-
nance to the defenders of their country as long
as they are otherwise unprovided for by the
public, we think it quite right that,. when they
obtain some other provision from the State
which exceeds th,:r half-pay, the latter should
be suspended during the enjoyment of the for-
mer. This principle, which is at once equitable
and economical, we understand the Duke of
Wellington intends rigidly to enforce. For in-
stance, let us suppose an Officer on half-pay,
of (we will say ) 1001. a-year, and he has
been fortunate enough to get a place under
Government,. in the Civil Service, of, perhaps,
3001. or 4001. a-year, and hitherto he has been
accustomed to take for his half-pay 100/. a-year,
and for his civil-service pay 3001. or 4001. a-year,
making together 4001. or 500/. a-year, the Duke
will enforce the regulation by which such officer
can only receive the pay of the civil department
as long as he remains in the civil service, making
it indispensable that during that time his half-
pay shall cease. The same rule applies to of-
ficers having any place or employment in the mi-
litary service beside his half-pay, and to officers
having place or employnient of profit under any
foreign Governmeht while on the half-pay of
the British service. We understand, too, that
the regulations relative to half-par officers enter-
ing into Holy Orders have been very negligently
acted upon ; but that the system now adopted will
prevent the possibility of imposition in this respect,
as well as with regard to the regulations which
we have already mentioned. Thus the " bully
and britte" Ministry of the Duke, as the Times
elegantly designated the members of his Ma-
jesty's present Government, is likely to prove at
least much more useful to the country than the
talking Administration of Mr. Canning, who was
fonder of making " brilliant speeches" than re-
forming any abuses. The Duke deserves the
thatiks of the country, not for making bombastic-
promises about future benefits to be conferred 01

the country, but for proceeding quietly, steadily,
and practically, in the work of retrenchment and
rybrmation.—Morning Herald.
It afforded us much pleasure to perceive,
that the Butchers of the Metropolis have at
length determined to follow the_example which
has been so successfully set to them in - other
trades, in promoting the cause of charity. For
no body of men had it become more necessary
to distinguish themselves in this respect, and
with none we hope will the attempt be more
successful. To judge frOm the first showing of
the " Butchers' Charitable Institution," we au-
gur well of the support which it will receive.
Its object is to relieve the poor in time of
sickness—to afford assistance to the aged, who
being past labour are destitute of support—
to aid the widow who has been left without
friends or means of support, and to protect
the orphan froaa falling a victim to idleness
and the corrupting influence of bad example. To
think of such benevolent objects does the high-
est honour to the trade ; and to carry them into
full and
co.nplete effect, will not only-free them
from the reproach of
being insensible to human
misery, but form a lasting monument of their
anxiety to relieve it. The subscriptions are al-
eady consideiable, and we doubt not that when
the public Meeting is held, of which notice has
heel given, they will be increased to an extent
almost 1e
pled. The respectable names al-
ready before the Public 'give assurance,• indeed,
; and we trust we
eiuvi
that such will be the result
need not add, that every
those aid shall be afforded on
our
rd the views ofwho 1 iave
spa
so
merrittotoriofou'z'a
given birth to the idea of such
an institution.—Morning Advertiser.

-- -
Early on Monday, a gabbert heavily laden, in
attempting to anchor in Bowling- Bay, foundered. There
is too much reason to suppose that the crew were drowned.
—No one has made any inquiry after the sloop, Or made
any attempt to ascertain the statu of the caw,— G 10590,0
Chronicle.

EXTRAORDINARY CASE.—We understand
(for, strange to say, we have no better authori►y than
public rumour,) that on last Saturday night, a man and a
woman, representing themselves as husband and wife, came
into a lodging-house in Weigh-house-lane, and obtained
lodging. Two or three hours after they went to bed a light
was observed in their room, and, and some persons of the
house went into it to know the cause. They found the
naan vomiting very severely, and the woman, his bedfellow,
partly dressed, attending him. It is said she several times
took the vessel in which he vomited down stairs, and care-
fully rinsed it. The man who was vomiting died about
six o'clock on Sunday morning, and the woman decamp-
ed with his property, and with several things which she
stole from the house. They proved not to have been
married, and his name turned out to be Muckle. An In-
quest was held on th.• body, but no statement of the evi-
dence bits been published ; nor have we heard of any Ma-
gisterial inquiry about the 'natter, or search made after the
female. There appears no doubt but she was a woman of
the town, and that the man was poisoned. 'We hope Mr.
Allen, as Coroner, used all due vigilance; but yet there
teems a strange mystery about the whole affair.--Nor-
thern Whig.