The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-10 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

IVFrTIFTN,CTF R F FIE TV. No. LXXXIII.
ke, Lo,,dun, 1844.
The opening article in the present number of this
Review is devoted to a consideration of the character
of Lord Stanley in his public capacity as an orator
and statesman. The Reviewer appears to entertain no
very favourable opinion of his Lordship in either of
these two capacities, and in reference to his political
tergiversation, observes :—" The spirit of his politics
has undergone little change during the twenty years
of his Parliamentary career, further than what might
have been expected to take place in the mind of a
proud young Whig Lord, by way of re-action against
the new powers evolved by the Reform agitation.
And on that point, in particular, which was the turn-
ing point of his secession from the political associates
of his youth, he may fairly challenge comparison
with the most doggedly consistent public man of the
age." The Reviewer then goes on to speak of the cha-
racter of Lord Stanley's Irish legislation, and satis-
factorily shows that it was an arrant failure, remark-
able chiefly for the bitter animosity it exhibited towards
O'Connell. In the notice of the " Life and Corre-
spondence of Doctor Arnold" justice is done to one of
the most manly, unaffected, patriotic spirits that
England has produced for many a year. Doctor
Arnold has the rare merit—rare, indeed, among pub-
lie men—of being thoroughly and heartily in earnest
in everything he wrote and did. Earnestness, indeed,
as the Reviewer justly remarks, was the predominant
characteristic of his merit, and ensured him the respect
and admiration all who knew him. He died too soon
for his own fame, for, had his life been protracted but
ten years longer, there is no question that he would
have raised himself to the proud and enviable rank of the
first historian of his age. " Poems by Miss Barrett"
is a just, but rather too cold criticism, and the Re-
viewer passes without notice the most beautiful poem
she ever penned, " Bertha in the Lane," which no one
can peruse without being deeply affected by the
touching pathos that pervades every stanza. The
" Influence of Aristocracies" is an interesting and
important subject, wholly spoiled by the dry, heavy
business-like style in which it is treated. Of the few
remaining articles, the best is the notice of " Horace
Twiss's Life of Lord Eldon." We subjoin, from the
article on " Lord Stanley," a pungent sketch of his
Lordship's character :
" Of Lord Stanley's more especially personal qualities
of character, as exhibited in his Parliamentary life, we
need say little. They may be summed up in a word—
scheolboyish. He is the clever, passionate, self-willed,
tyrannical schoolboy of that debating club, the House of
Commons. His highest idea of public life seems to be,
making telling speeches, and gaining parliamentary
triumphs over personal and party opponents. A showy,
unscrupulous rhetoric is his highest intellectual gift. His
ideas are uniformly poor and mean, as his elocution is
vigorous and imposing. He has a fine talent for making
himself disagreeable. It is observable of him that he
never jokes, except ill- naturedly ; all his humour is ill-
humour. Lord Stanley is a proud man, too ; but his
pride is without moral dignity. He throws about his
words with a recklessness incompatible with a high, true
self-respect. He parts from the political associates and
friends of his youth (June, 1834) with feelings of the
deepest regret,' with Ito feeling of unkindness .or want
of affectionate regard ;' a month afterwards, he assails
those friends with a speech full of plunder,' spolia-
tion," flagrant dishonesty,' petty larceny,' highway
robbery,' shop-lifting," thimble-rigging,'—and all this,
• from no motives of hostility towards his right honour-
able and noble friends, his late colleagues'—and whom
he perseveres in honourable-friending' for years after-
wards, as if nothing had happened. His tastes in 4 ho-
nourable friendship' are, certainly, none of the most de-
licate. At present, his chosen right honourable friend
and political chief is one whom he has insultingly com-
plimented for the ingenuity and art with which he
knows so well how to dress up a statement for the House'
—a description which no man who respected himself
would apply to the most insignificant of his friends.' He
has as little of the true pride of intellect, as of the pride
of character. He adopts the Peel policy, speaks the
Peel opinions, eats the Peel pledges, and wears the Peel
livery, as obediently (if not as patiently) as any of the
regular Treasury hacks. The ascendancy which the in-
genious and artful Premier seems to have acquired over
this fiery spirit, shows that, with all his impetuosity of
temper, his aristocratic hauteur, and his rhetorical dog-
matism, Lord Stanley is not at bottom a man of an inde-
pendent mind. Lord Stanley's success in public life has,
on the whole, been commensurate with his ambition. He
has been a Secretary of State in two cabinets, and a Par-
liamentary leader, formidable alike to friend and foe, in
the front ranks of two parties. Of his statesmanship,
history will, however, have little to record, except that
all the countries with whose affairs he has been allowed
to meddle—lreland, Canada, the West India Islands, and
New Zealand—have successively had reason to rue the
day that gave this uncommonly clever man power over
the rights and happiness of his fellow-creatures." " P."

ALMANACS.

THE FARMER'S ALMANAC AND CALEN-

DAR FOR 1845.

This annual, so well adapted for its purposes, is still
conducted by Mr. C. W. Johnson, editor of the Far-
mer's Encyclopadia, and Mr. Wm. Shaw, editor of
the Farmer's Magazine. The general monthly no-
tices will be found very useful, both to gardeners and
farmers. The descriptions of newly-invented or im-
proved agricultural instruments are this year copious,
and the wood-cuts, which are very numerous, are ge-
nerally well executed.

THE POSTAL MAGAZINE ALMANAC, AND
COURT AND PARLIAMENTARY REGIS-
TER FOR 1845.
This is the cheapest almanac published, the price
being only sixpence, while it extends to 96 octavo
pages, and contains all the general information
usually found in such publications. The lists of the
Members of both Houses of Parliament will be found
useful. They give the town residences of each, and
some particulars respecting the Bishops—such as
their age, date of consecration, number of livings in
their gift, and their yearly income.
•

The Bishop of Durham, with his wonted liberality
has given fifteen guineas towards the restoration and en-
largement of Norham Church.
CAPTAIN REID.—We are happy to state that Cap-
tain Launcelot Reid, master of the ship Sir Charles Na-
pier, who was so seriously stabbed, in various parts of the
body, by one of his crew, on the homeward voyage, is in
a fair way of recovery. Though he has not yet been
able to leave his room, it is hoped he will have sufficient
strength to appear before the grand jury and Court, at
the Special Commission, this week, to give evidence.
Since he was brought on shore he has been confined to
his bed at his mother's house, No. 38, Charters-street.
Liverpool Albion.
ALLOTMENTS OF LAND.—The effect of the late
very failing harvest begins to be severely felt in many
parishes in this county, among the agricultural labourers,
many of whom are without employment. Nothing,
therefore, could be more seasonable than the encourage-
ment so widely extending, in allotting to the labouring
poor small portions of land. Among other instances of
similar benevolent consideration, we are informed that
the Earl of Harrowby has lately allotted, at a moderate
rent, a large piece of land to fifty poor householders of
the parish of Bidford.—lVarwich Advertiser.
REPEAL OF THE DUTY ON COTTON WOOL.—We
are glad to announce that the agitation for the repeal of
the import duty on cotton wool is still progressing. In
Liverpool, Stockport, and other places, meetings have
been held, and memorials to the Lords of the Treasury
adopted, soliciting investigation into the effects of this
tax upon the staple manufacture of the country, with a
view to its immediate removal. We stated in our last
that Preston was about to send up a second memorial on
this important subject, and we have now the pleasure f
submitting that document to cur readers.—Presteon
Guardian.
PUBLIC SALE or GUANO.—Mr. Jarnieson's cargo
of guano, per Sportsman, was offered for sale on Friday
in the Corn Market. As we anticipated, the novelty, in
this quarter, of selling guano in this way drew together
a very large assemblage of our leading agriculturists and
citizens, among whom we observed Capt. Barclay, of
Ury, J. I. Boswell, Esq., of Kincausie; A. Gordon, Esq.,
of Peterculter ; Provost Blaikie ; A. Jopp, Esq.; A.
Muir, Esq. ,of Loirston; I. Nind, Esq. Grandhome House;
Dr. Ewing, Tartowie, &c. At first, the sale went on
rather briskly, and the first few lots, of one ton each,
were taken out at 61. 165., 61. 155., and 6L 13s. After-
wards, however, the prices did not range so high, and we
e
observed that Captain Barclay, the purchaser of twel
tons, in three different lots, paid for the first 6/. I ls.,
and 6/. Bs. for the lst two. About a dozen of lots, of
one, two, and threeatons, tons, were taken out at 6/. Bs. and
61. 9s. Aberdeen Herald.
Aaron Chorley, of Bradford, aged 10 years, was
summoned by William Collard Pyne, surgeon, re-
siding at Wellin.gton, for a malicious and wilful injury
to his horse on the 10th Sept. last. Mr. Davie appeared
on behalf of Mr. Pyne, and Mr. Bartlett defended Chor-
ley. From the evidence which was elicited from Mr.W.
C. Pyne, the son of the complainant, it appeared that he
had been in the habit, for some time previously to the
10th Sept., of visiting two patients at the house of the boy's
father. The boy had repeatedly taken the horse on these
occasions, and had led it about to prevent its catching cold,
and it was given in evidence for the defence, that Mr.
Pyne had several times taken the horse from the boy,
and had seen him riding it without snaking any com-
plaint, thereby sanctioning his so doing. On the day
in question Mr. Pyne had fastened his horse up to the
gate, where be again foun
returnd it
home he on his comi
discov ng
ered
out
of the house. On his
that the knees of the horse had been broken, and a
boy named Chorley soon after happening toaccuse come i
him
nto
the surgery for medicine, Mr, Pyne d
of letting the horse fall, and threatened that unless
he confessed at once he would send for a constable
and take him to g tol. This was the case for the pro-
secution, and the only evidence offered. For the
e the
statute, it must be shown that the injury done was
wilful, and although its was not strictly necessary
to prove any malice, till it was
.necessary that,
from the circumstances of the case, malice might be in-
ferred ; that under the statement made by Mr. Pyne
it was confidently asserted no malice or intent to injure
the animal bad been proved, and that consequently the
case must be dismissed, The Bench, after some conside-
ration, came to the conclusion, that as a warning to
other boys not to be guilty of riding & doctor's horse,
they would fine the child ten shillings, which was ireraa-
thately paid.--Somerset County Gazette.