The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-14 00:00:00

Ottning

LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1844.

The House of Lords did not sit yesterday.
In the Commons, Mr. THORNELY presented peti-
titions from the carriers of Wolverhampton, Bilston.
and other places, against the monopoly of railways.
The SPEAKER informed the House that the agents
for the petition against the return of Mr. BRUGES for
Devizes, did not intend to prosecute it.

The second reading of the Arches' Court Bill was
postponed for a fortnight.
On the Order of the Day for the second reading of
the Commons Inclosure Act, Mr. S. CRAWFORD
moved that it be read that day six months. The Go-
vernment, he said, had no just defence for this at-
tempt to violate the rights of the future poor of the
country, nor fasten upon the country the expenses of
this violation.

Colonel Sin•rnoar seconded the amendment, be-
cause in the Bill of the Noble Lord he could see AO•
thing but a great wrong to the poor, a vast expense
for secretaries, clerks, attorneys, and 140 clauses
hich it was difficult to understand. He objected
also to the powers to be given to the lords of the
manor. He was a lord of the manor, but would scorn
to accept a bonus upon such terms. The speech of
the Gallant Colonel was brief, but it contained much
good sense, and expressed just sympathy for the poor,
who were entirely at the mercy of the rich.
Several Members said they would vote for the se •
cond reading, in order that they might know what
were the real objects ( f the Bill.

Mr. AGLIONBY said there was not a clause in this
Bill which did not give more protection to the poor
than any Inclosure Bill which had yet passed. So
that if every Inclosure Bill had robbed the poor
(which is near the truth), the great merit of this Bill
is, that it is not quite so bad as its predecessors.
Mr. llumE Avas decidedly opposed to the Bill. It
was a Bill to contract the recreations and enjoyments
of the poor.

Sir ROBERT PEEL concurred in many of the ob-
servations of Mr. liumE, and thought the House
' should look with great jealousy on such a project.
In fact, no one spoke seriously in favour of the Bill,
and on a division it was allowed to be read a second
time, rather to see what its nature was than to sanc-
tion its object. On a division there were for the se-
cond reading 70, and against it 23.
After some other business, of no importance, the
House adjourned at Nine o'clock.

The Morning Post is in transports of delight at the
idea of the Emperor NicHoLes—" Young Nick," as he
has been sometimes jocosely called, in contradistinction
to Old Nick," who is supposed to be not distantly con-
nected with him by the father's side—visiting this coun-
try in the month of May next. "It gives us sincere
p!easure to learn," quoth our extatic Contemporary,
" that confident hopes are entertained in the highest
quarters of a visit to England of his Imperial MAJESTY.
In this feeling of gratification we are sure that all our
countrymen will cordially join. A Sovereign of such un-
bounded sway—of such high personal qualities—ruling a
kingdom with which we have such important commercial
intcrcouse, inspires general interest ; while his habitual
magnificence, and his generous patronage of art and
science in all quarters of the globe, renders his name
highly popular. We are sure that Englishmen of ever
shade of political opinion will unite to give his Imperial'
Majesty a cordial reception. We have only further to
state that his visit is expected to take place next May,"
As our Contemporary is singularly well-informed on
all matters that transpire in " high quarters,"—for
not a single bottle of wine nor a crust of dry bread
can be given away at Windsor Castle to the
poor, nor a new •service of gold plate be placed on
an aristocratic table, without the Post giving the earliest
information of the "great fact"—we are willing to believe
that there is some truth in his present statement
respecting the visit of the CZAR. We cannot, however,
sympathise with him in his joy on the occasion, for we
are utterly in the dark as to the claims which the Emperor
of All the RusslAs has on the respect, and confidence, and
good-will of a free, despot-hating country, like England.
Perhaps our Contemporary will vouchsafe to enlighten
us on this point, for we honestly confess that our faculties
are in a state of grievous obnubilation. Is it for
his inhuman treatment of the Poles, expatriated
by -thousands to the wastes of Siberia, for no worse
crime than that of preferring constitutional free-
dom to unconstitutional tyranny ; is it for his per-
severing efforts to subject the brave Circassian moun-
taineers to his iron yoke, in defiance of all law, all jus-
tice, all reason ; is it for his restless and selfish spilt of
aggrandisement, which keeps Europe in a constant state
of uneasiness, and which threatens, at one time, the in-
tegrity of Persia, and, at another, the integrity of Turkey;
is it for his underhand intrigues at the Court of Tehran,
which led to the demonstrations against Herat, and
the subsequent disastrous disturbances in the north-
west of India ; is it for his inhuman persecu-
tion of the Jews, driven from house and home,
and compelled to take refuge, like their ances-
tors, in the wilderness, because it suited him to mis-
trust their allegiance without the slightest shadow of

a valid reason ;—is it for these things that Englishmen
are to receive the Emperor of RUSSIA. with cordiality ?
Are these the acts that are to recommend him to their
esteem, and secure him a hospitable reception ? But,
urges our: Contemporary, NICHOLAS is a Sovereign
of " unbounded sway ;" moreover, he is remark-
able for his " habitual magnificence, and patronage
of the arts and sciences ;" and therefore, forsooth,
he is to be received with open arms, and cheered by
enthusiastic crowds whenever he condescends to exhibit
his Royal person in public! We cannot admit the vali-
dity of this plea in behalf of the Russian despot; to our
plain thinking, it seems to be neither more nor less than
sheer cant; and cant, too, of the worst description, inas-
much as it keeps out of sight all considerations of
humanity. What! are we to be called on to give the CZAR
a friendly welcome, because he is a "Sovereign ofunbounded
sway;" to forget the oppressor of the Poles in the
" habitual magnificence" of the monarch; and the per-
secutor of the Jews in the "patron of the arts and
sciences?" Are we to be stone-blind to his evil quali-
ties, because he happens to possess some showy, super-
ficial ones? • Really this is very lax morality, and we
are surprised that the Post, which is usually so
precise and even prudish in its notions, could
venture to urge it. If NICHOLAS does take
it into his Royal head to visit this coun-
try, we hope that the joy exhibited on the occasion
will be confined to those who are of the same way of
thinking as himself—to the LONDONDERRYS, NORTH-
UMBER' ANDS, and that class of people, who can see
nothing in an absolute Sovereign but an embodi-
ment of all human perfection—a sort of golden image
before whom it is their duty to bow down in abject,
unqualified veneration. Of course our Contemporary
will illuminate in honour of the CZAR'S arrival; he cannot
well do otherwise; and we would recommend, by way of
appropriate device, a full-length figure of a Polish
patriot, loaded with chains, clad in rags, and exhibiting
the squalid aspect of despair and destitution.

The few sentences uttered by the Bishop of PETER-
BOROUGH, on Monday, relative to the control which
Bishops have over their clergy, afford a miserable picture
of the English Church. The advocates of the Episco-
pal system contend that a Church without a Bishop is
not entitled to the name ; that the Scotch Presbyterians
and the Swiss Calvinists, being out of the pale
of the apostolical succession, are little better than
heathens and infidels ; and that a dignitary with
lawn sleeves, and a mitre and a crosier for his crest, is
absolutely necessary to prevent dissensions in the
flock, and compel the shepherds to do their duty.
Bishops we have always regarded as the most useless
members of the Church visible, and as mere drones in
the ecclesiastical community, who live on the pub-
lic bounty, without rendering any service for their
vast incomes, and their still more vast patronage.
The present state of the * Church, including
the commotions caused by the Puseyites, and the
gross dereliction of duty by the inferior clergy, which
are of such frequent occurrence, and which these
ecelesiastical superintendents cannot counteract, is the
best proof of the fact. Immoralities of the most offen-
sive description cannot be seen by the Bishop, if they
are of two years standing, or if they have been com-
mitted out of his diocese. And, even if they have
been committed within that time, and in that locality,
an enormous expense must be incurred, and many years
of litigation intervene, before the culprit can be visited
with anything like condign punishment. The whole
system is a mockery of religion. The priests, who at
one time were all powerful, with the concurrence of
the lay Lords, equally interested in such abuses, made
laws only to screen their own class. They had a fellow-
feeling for one another, and the curate, and the rector,
and the archdeacon, and bishop, laid their heads
together, to get the greatest amount of public
money, and the least amount of public punish-
ment for offences against the laws of GOD and
man. Yet this is the Church that claims the privilege
of being the censor and teacher of the people, that
would set itself above the State, and be governed only by
laws which it impiously says are of divine authority.
Let us look at this wealthy Church in another point
of view. It was formed ostensibly for the pur-
pose of teaching the people. Tim Bishops call
themselves the successors of the Apostles, who
went about teaching and preaching, and work-
ing, too, for their daily bread. On what point
is there the slightest resemblance ? Instead of
teaching the people, the Episcopal Bench throw every
obstacle in the way of useful instruction ; and the
consequence is that our gaols are crowded with the
unfortunate victims of ignorance, and the calendars
of every assize exhibit long lists of men, women,
and children, under the benign influences of the
" Poor Man's Church," who cannot even read. Many of
them have never heard of the most sacred names in the
Scriptures, except when pronounced in blasphemous
oaths ; they know no distinctions between right and
wrong ; they are brought up and die as the beasts that
perish ; while the men, that should instruct them in the
ways of righteousness, are rioting in wealth, and using
that wealth to obstruct the purposes for which they
were appointed. " Out of their own mouths they are
condemned."

Madrid journals of the 6th have been received, and
are chiefly filled with the royal progresses of the two
Queens. On that day Queen ISAHRLLA, accompanied
by her sister, left Madrid for Aranjuez. NARNAEZ, at
the head of a division of troops, escorted her to the
Toledo gate, and then returned to take the command
of the cavalry regiment of Leon to meet the QUEEN-
MOTHER at Aranjuez. On their arrival at Madrid a
grand review was to take place.
At Barcelona the Queen CHRISTINA was received
with every demonstration of joy. The houses were
decorated with flags and tapestry, a Te Deum was per-
formed in the Cathedral, and a banquet was given in the
Town Hall, which was attended by the foreign Consuls
and the civil and military authorities.

On the 6th the Three per Cents. were done at 30i at
60 days, and the Fives at 22:g.

We have received the Paris papers of Mo.nday and
Tuesday, and it is singular enough that the important
announcement of the Chancellor of the Bxchequer
respecting the reduction of the Three-and-a-Half per
Cent. Stock, is very briefly alluded to, or entirely passed
over, by the Opposition papers ; for this measure will
affect Frenchmen as well as Englishmen. The war
journals, however, dislike the news, because it shows
the credit of the country is good and money is abundant.
The Government journals advert to it in rather favonr-
able terms. " The success of the project," says the
Journal des Debats, " must undeniably be a new pledge
for the stability of the PEEL Cabinet. It could only be
carried into execution under favour of the re-establishment
of the financial equillibrium, the abundance of capital,
the consolidation of general peace and public security.
This great work of restoration has been accomplished
in less than three years. The medal has, no doubt, its
reverse, and, as has been said, the House of Commons
medio de fonte leporum, surgit amari aliquid. This equil-
librium is re-established, it is true, but at the price of
a new tax, producing nearly 150,000,000 f. per annum.
Money is abundant in the market, but this is only be-
cause no sufficient employment for it can be found,
from the check upon industry and enterprise. Another
cause also has contributed to this abundance of capital
in England—the scandalous insolvency of the States of
the American Union, into which large sums had for a
long time been carried, but which now present no gua-
rantees."

The Globe, another Government paper, in adverting
to the important measure, draws a distinction between
England and France, as regards the reduction of interest,
for which we can see no ground whatever. " People,',
it says, " are much more moved by this proposition of,
reducing the interest on the English national debt in
Paris than in London. This comes from the fact that
the conversion of the rentes in England is a financial
operation, the principles and forms of which have
long since been determined, and which consequently
exciteverysprincipleno surprise.of ln France, on
hthe contrsary:
othfeopreirgahttingtothtelochasno,ge
iiss stdillisprauoterde,disapnudtedththe
than
nmothdes
right. Add that there it a considerable difference be-
tween the organisation of the public credit in France
and in England, and that that which may have no effectce
in London may be very injurious in Paris. It will from
this be seen, that what would be an event, and almost a
revolution in France, may be a regular, quiet, normal and
financial movement in England." After adverting to the
apathy, or rather satisfaction, with which the proposi-
tion has been received by the English public, the writer
adds, " It is probable that this would not be the case in
France. French stockholders are not familiarised with
these operations. The means and the principle are not
determined, as in England. Political circumstances and
habits, the constitution of credit, and several other
causes, would make in France a real revolution of a
measure which in England is the foreseen and regular
consequence of the financial organization of the coun-
try."

The French Five per Cents. are very heavy, having
closed on Tuesday at 121 f. 85c. The Threes were
quoted at 82f. 80c.
The following are extracts from the papers :

The report of St. Marc-Girardin on the Greek Loan,
was yesterday distributed to the Deputies. Last year, the
Chamber voted a credit of 527,244 f. towards the payment of
the first half-year's dividends for 1843 upon the loan guaran-
teed by France, England, and Russia. On the I4th Septem-