The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-28 00:00:00

THE StTN, 14010iON, SATURDAY MOiiiiiiATG,

NO TEST IN THE UNIVERSITIES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SHIN,.
SIR,—If the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge
were schools merely for the education of young men
to serve as ministers in the Established Church, it
would be fit and proper that such parties should be
required to subscribe to the articles of the Reformed
Liturgy in the fullest intent and meaning of the Pro-
testant compilers ; but when we find that members of
the Universities can take degrees in law, physic, and
music, I can see no reason why in this age such
parties should be called upon to subscribe to a par-
ticular religious creed.
Let the candidate for ordination be put to as severe
a test as possible in order to prove his allegiance to
the Protestant faith, but there is no necessity that
this should be required until he desires to hold office
in the Ecclesiastical Establishment; and I would go
even further, and require that every minister should
be required once or oftener every year to renew his
protestation in his parish church in the face of the
whole congregation. We find that times and circum-
stances in the political world often alter the opinions
of Ministers of State—why, then, may we not expect
that times and circumstances may alter the opinions
as to doctrine of ministers of religion ? These parties
having most conscientiously subscribed to the Protes-
tant Articles of Religion at ordination, too often
remain outwardly members of a Church that inwardly
they repudiate, merely for the sake of its temporal
emoluments—hence the true necessity for an oc-
casional renewal of the test of adherence to the
articles of religion of the Church in which they are
ministers. This would sufficiently protect the Church
of England from all but the perjured.
From what I have read of "The Ideal of a Church,"
I feel bound to say, that I think the acknowledged
author, the Rev. IV. G. Ward, a jesuitical intruder
into our boasted Protestant Church ; but is that any
reason why he should be deprived of being a member
of the University of Oxford, or of enjoying any
honour therein that his ability or talents have won,
provided such honour might be held by a layman ?
I think not.
Test, or no test, has long been an agitated question.
" Now's the time, and now's the hour !"—let the
struggle be bold and undaunted, and victory will
soon be proclaimed.
The I ath of February will not take place until the
Thursday week after the first meeting of Parliament.
There will be plenty of time to debate the subject, in
order to make it a popular one, but not long enough
to settle the question ; still it will be preparing
matters so as to get the support intimately of those
whom the proposed test will shut out if adopted—and
if not adopted, on what ground is Mr. Ward to be
allowed to remain a member of the University of Ox-
ford, and to retain his honours and fellowship, and
professedly Roman Catholics and Protestant Non-
conformists excluded ?
I declare myself to be a staunch member of the
Protestant Church of England, and would strongly
oppose the introduction of anything Popish into our
churches which our Protestant forefathers have dis-
carded ; at the same time, I would give to Roman
Catholics equal civil privileges, and protect them in
the observance of all the rites and ceremonies of their
Church, so long as thq confine the performance of
them within the walls of their own fabrics.
Make the Universities schools for the education of
those intended as ministers of the Church of England
only, then put what Protestant test you please ; but
when it is a school for general pnrposes, I say,
abolish all tests,
This letter, of itself, will have no weight at all. I
merely address you in hopes to call your attention to
the subject, so that you may throw your best ener-
gies to aid a subject which you have on many pre-
vious occasions so ably advocated,
am, Sir, yours, &c.,
I Ilfracombe, Dec. 26, 1844.

R. W. D.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
COURSING.

T3TtouGH AND HORNBY MEETING.—The Eight. dog
Stakes were won tly Mr, Ma4well's Seymour. The
Brough Cup (8 dogs) was won by Mr. Mangle's Bellona;
and the Ilornby Cup by Mr. Mangle's Major.
BELb4Y CLoi MEgTm.—The Sweepstakes (16 dogs)
were won by Mr, Thompson's Cerberus ; Mr. Kirkly's
Co►herstone ran up.
MonPwrit CLun MITFORD MEETING, DEC. 23 AND
24.—The Borough Stakes of 3 guineas each (16 subs.)
were won by Mr. Jobling's Miner ; Mr. Braithwaite's
Miss Jane ran up.
HUNTING APPOINTMENTS.
Brighton burrs., Men., Patcham ; Wed., Race-course ;
Fri., Dyke.
Brookside harrs,, Mon., Newmarket-hill i Thurs., Tels-
combe Tye.
Mr. Roe's hds., Wed., Babland Gate ; Sat., Creycombe
Village,
Glynebourne harrs., Mon., Berwick Common ; Fri.,
Broyle.
South Wold hds., Mon., Haltham Wood ; Thurs., Hain.
ton ; Sat., Kennel.
Whitecross harrs., Tues., Marsworth; Sat., Little Kim-
ble-10.

Devon hds.,Mon.,Lindridge House; Thurs., Park House,
near Hovey; Sat., Culver House-11.
Athestone hds., Mon., Glascote ; Wed., Seale Wood ;
Thurs., Cadeby Toll-gate ; Sat., Lutterworth-104.
Warwickshire lids., Mon., Wellesbourne ; Tues., Mitford
Bridge ; Thurs., Shuckburgh Park ; Fri., Harwood's
House-10i.
Shropshire lads., Mon., Mountford Bridge; Wed., Acton
Reynald; Fri., Sundorne-10i.
Albrighton hds., Mon., Whiston Cross ; Thurs., Seigh-
ford; Fri., Atcham Bridge.
United Pack, Tues., Longville Hill; Sat., Chatwall-9.
Sir W. W. Wynn's hds., Mon., Bryn-y-pys; Wed., Plas
Teg; Fri., Churton; Sat., Whittington-10i.
Cheshire hds., Mon., Tabley; Wed., Tarporley; Thurs.,
Stamford Bridge; Sat., Darawall-101.
Mr. Candler's hds., Mon., Shrawley Wood; Wed., Boar's
Head ; Fri., Broad Heath-10i.
Mr. Meynell Ingram's hds., Mon., Catton; Thurs., Rad-
bourn; Sat., Rangendor-10f.
Donnington hds., Mon., Coleorton Hall ; Wed., Bunney
Park ; Sat., Hathern Turn-10.t.
Sherwood harrs., Tues., White Post ; Fri., Sherwood
Hall-11.
Monmouthshire hds., Mon., Tregear Church ; Fri.,
Hendre-104.
Herefordshire hds., Tues., Venn Wood ; Fri., Hare-
wood's End—lob.
Ross harrs., Mon., Lea-10i.
Tiverton hds., Mon., Sampford Peverell ; Thurs., Dul-
♦erton--10}.
Holderness hds.. Mon., Bessingby ; Tues., Everingham
Park; Thurs., Bainton New Inn; Fri., Meaux Abbey;
Sat., Kennels-104.
Lord Yarborough's hds., Mon., Swinhop House ; Wed.,
Croxton Village; Fri., Moorton House-11.
Eddlethorpe hds., Mon., Settrington Beacon; Wed., Stain-
ford Bridge; Fri., Mr. Hudson's Lodge, Oeton-10i.
Mr. Drax's hds., Mon., Aims hills ; Fri., Holnest

Kennel.
Essex Union hds., Wed., Tiptree Windmills ; Sat., Moor

Gardens.
Badsworth hds., Tues., Wentbridge ; Thurs., Robin
Hood's Well ; Sat., Ackworth Moor Top-10i.
Mr. Foljambe's hds., Mon., Blythe Law Hill ; Tues.,
North Carlton ; Thurs., Rossington Bridge ; Fri.,
Headon Clump-101.
Rufford hds., Mon., Kennels ; Wed., Ossington ; Sat.,
Langwith Bridge.
Quorn hds., Mon., Shearsby Inn ; Tues., Steward Hay ;
Thurs., Rolleston Hall ; Fri., Widmerpool Inn--104.
Pytchley hds., Mon., Buttock's Booth ; Wed., Kilworth
11311 ; Fri., Spratton Bridge ; Sat., Sulby Ilall-104.
Heytbrop lids., Mon., Chapel House ; Wed., Blenheim ;
Aadlestrop Gate ; Sat., Ditchley—lol.
'rhanet harrs., Mon., Hale; Wed., Manston Wood-10i.
East Kent lids., Mon., bellinge Lees; Wed., Black Mile;
Fri., Sweech Gate-101.
Somerset Subscription hds., Tues., Aisholt Wood; Sat.,
Stowly Wood-10f.
Bedale hds., Tues., llopswell Village; Thurs., Scorton ;
Sat., Busby Stoop-10i,
Hurwith hds., Tues., Enter Common ; Sat., Middleton
One Row-101.
Lieut.-Colonel Hildyard's harrs., Mon., Acklam Blue
Bell; Wed., Kennels; Fri., Trenholm Bar-101.
Durham County hds., Mon., Sunderland Bridge; Wed.,
Chester Lane; Fri., Thornley-101.
Whitehaven .harrs., Mon., Leys (Lamplugb) ; Wed.,
Distington—lo.

INDIGENT BLIND VISITING SOCIETY.—On Christ-
mas-day 100 of the most necessitous blind on the books
of this charity, together with their families, had tickets
for meat and bread, varying from 21b, to 41b. each, pro-
vided them at their own dwellings by the Society. We
are glad to learn this, as it shows the Committee oars fur
the bodies as well as the souls of their poor blind.
LAMBETH EXTENSION RAILWAY.—Several of the
inhabitants of Lambeth are about to call a public meet-
ing, to consider of the best meats of successfully op-
posing the proposed extension of the London Apd South-
Western Railway, at Nine Elms, to the bridges. The
dissentients to the proposed extension are, however, few
in number, the general feeling being in favour of the
scheme.
INHUMATION OF THE REMAINd WEDER.—The
final inhumation of the remains of Weber, the composer;
took place at Dresden on the night of the 14th inst., with
great solemnity, The body was brought from Magde-
burgh by the railroad, anti deposited in one of the
great rooms of the station. Them?, At eight o'clock,
it was carried across the Elbe in a bargo bwo& with
black, and ornamented with musical trophies. On
landing, it was received by a guard of honour,
composed of 1500 infantry, forming a semi-circle,
within which it was planed, and attended by all the
musicians of the Royal Chapel and the two theatres
of Dresden, with about 300 other artists and diJettatti,
each carrying a long wax taper and a crown of laurels.
Many came from Berlin, Leipsic, and Munich. About 400
instruments and voices executed a hymn written for the
occasion by Dr. Reissiger, and composed by M. Wagener.
This being finished, the procession moved to the Catholic
chapel attached to the grand cemetery, in which the im-
posing funeral service was performed, At the termination
of the service the remains w ere taken from the eatafalque,
and deposited in a grave prepared by the or of
the deceased's sun, When the grave was filled up, all
the mourners threw their wreaths of laurel upon it. The
whole of the procession and other pereinopies were per-
formed by the light of innumerable torches, and *e
windows of the houses in the streets through which the
cortege passed were illuminated. In the evening of the
15th, Freyschutz and the funeral hymn were performed
a 4 gnatre.

LORD 'ELLENBORO UGH.
(From the Morning Herald.)
In our remarks upon the disgraceful pail phlet
brought out to prejudice the defence of the late Go-
vernor-General of India, and upon the equally dis-
graceful use made of that pamphlet by the Times, we
said that it was neither our duty nor our wish to in-
culpate the Court of Directors. We have to-day the
gratifying opportunity to acquit these gentlemen of
all suspicion of any connexion with the author of that
pamphlet, or with his usher and auxiliary in the Times.
One and all the Directors disclaim a knowledge of the
author of the pamphlet or of the Times' writer. The
suspicion on the subject that in the minds of some
thoughtless persons for a moment attached to the
Honourable Court, has upon their indignant dis-
claimer, devolved upon Lord Auckland, we believe
unjustly. Lord Auckland, whatever his other quali-
fications for the high office that he lately held, is a
man of honour; and no man of honour could involve
himself in this dirty affair, 'a ere there not other insur-
mountable barriers between Lord Auckland and the
Times. There is no reason, indeed, to suppose that
the pamphleteer and his usher (if they are not the
same person) rank in station, as he or they certainly
do not rank in ability or honesty, above the common
class of mean and spiteful persons who constitute the
order of writers of "letters to the Times," and ".own
correspondents" of the Times. It is as easy to mag-
nify a dismissed and discontented footman into an
Indian Director or an ex•Governor-General, as to
multiply a raw chaplain into " three naval officers" of
experience. As in the case of the Indian Directors,
so in the case of Lord Auckland, we are unwilling to
identify the vindication of Lord Ellenborough with
the condemnation of another. The conduct of the
Noble Earl has substant.ve merits of its own quite
sufficient to support his claim to the honours which
his Sovereign has conferred upon him, and to the
gratitude which his country will render in full mea-
sure when the whole truth shall be known, without
borrowing aid from the errors of his predecessor in
office. Of those errors we should not say one word
on the present occasion were not a reference to their
effect rendered necessary by the impudent falsehood
asserted by the Times, that the Earl of Ellenhorough
iund a triumphant campaign prepared for him upon
his arrival in India. A few words, indeed, will
suffice to confirm the expectation of victory ! and
triumph ! ! which we have already given in the glow-
ing language of General Napier. A few words will
prove that if Lord Auckland was preparing for his
successor a triumphant campaign, he was preparing it
by an arrangement for an ignominious and a final re-
treat. On the 3d of December, 1841, Lord Auck-
land, anticipating the fall of Cabul, addressed a dis-
patch to Sir Jasper Nicolls, stating that, as after
Cabul had fallen, there would be no inducementto
retain the remainder of the country, I': Would become
the duty of the military an,l
political officers so to
shape their measure!, as would best promote the end
of retiring with the least possible discredit." What
a preparation for a triumphant campaign ! The fall
of Cabul followed; and on the 10th of February,
1842, Lord Auckland directed General Pollock to
confine himself to measures for withdrawing with
safety from Jellalabad (the walls of which, accord-
ing to the Times, were "impregnable") the garrison
in that place, to Peishwar, not very obscurely tender-
ing Jellalabad to the Sikh's Durbar as the price of
their co-operation, or, at least, neutrality. Again, on
the 15th of the same month, Lord Auckland ordered
General Pollock to direct all his efforts and measures
to the withdrawal of Sir Robert Sale's force from
Jellalabad with the least possible delay ; and, on the
24th, Lord Auckland distinctly suggested the neces-
sity of ransoming, by the payment of money, the
prisoners in the hands of Akbar Khan—a degrading
proposition, which it is now audaciously asserted was
first conceived by Lord Auckland's successor. Lord
Auckland, indeed, recommended economy in the bar-
gain, but still he proposed to ransom them with gold,
not, as the old Roman said, " with steel :" that was
left for Lord Ellenborough.
The fate of the armies insulated in western Aff-
ghanistan was manifestly regarded as desperate by
Lord Auckland, for not a single dispatch was in the
awful crisis addressed to Ghuznee, to Kelat-i-Ghilzie,
or Candahar—not one measure adopted for the relief
of the thousands of gallant men dispersed in these in-
sulated and remote positions—they were abandoned.
Compared with this the' oblivion of the treaty of
Lahore, of which Lord Auckland then gave proof,
was a slight testimony to his Lordship's utter despair.
This was the state of preparation for a triumphant
campaign, in which Lord Auckland left the British
arms in India, Our readers will not be displeased
with another extract from General Napier's work,
depicting the state in which Lord Ellenborough found
his new Government, military as well as civil:—
" Lord Ellenborough arrived too late to prevent,
but in time to remedy, the most dangerous evils
menacing India from is predecessor's impolicy, which
he denounced in a vigorous proclamation, designed as
a warning to future Governors. The beacon burned
bright, but the flame spread too wide, and scorched
many, whoa cries have never ceased, though few
' men, not personally interested, regard them. Previous
to his coming the ship was rocking in the shallows ;
but when his strong hand was felt she ceased to strike
the sands, and, answering to the helm, was steered
into deep water. Nevertheless, the very men whose
political iniquity had then brought India to the verge
of ruin, are now, with incredible effrontery, imputing
all their own crimes and absurdities to him, and most
especially in what relates to Sinde ; wherefore it is
fitting to state exactly his share of the subsequent
transactions in that country, and leave judgment to
;he common sense of mankind.

" He found the public mind confused with terror
by the Cabul catastrophe, the surrender of Ghuznee,
the blockade of Kandahar, and the seeming inability
of General, Pollock to relieve Jellalabad. Colonel
England was soon afterwards defeated by an inferior
force at Hykultzie, and fell back to Quettah, leaving
General Nott, as it was supposed, to certain destruction.
He found the finances embarrassed, the civil and poli-
tical services infested with men greedy of gain, gorged
with insolence, disdaining work, and intimately con-
nected with the infamous press of India, which they
supplied with official secrets, receiving in return
shameful and shameless support; for, thus combining,
they thought to control the Governor-General, and
turn the resources of the State to their sordid profit."
We will now give from the pamphlet of his Lord-
ship's accuser an account of Lord Ellenborough's
proceedings upon his arrival :
The earliest impressions and earliest declarations of
Lord Ellenborough were such as became a British
Governor-General. Soon after his arrival at Calcutta
he addressed the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Jasper
Nicolls, in language well suited to the circumstances
which surrounded him. Whatever course,' it is
observed, we may hereafter take, must rest solely
upon military considerations, and have in the first
instance regard to the safety of the detached bodies of
our troops in Jellalabad, at Ghuznee, at Khelat-i-
Ghilzie, and Candahar ; and, finally, to the re-esta-
blishment of our military reputation, by the infliction
of some signal and decisive blow upon the Affghans,
which may make it appear to them, to our subjects,
and to our allies, that we have the power of inflicting
punishment upon those who commit atrocities and
violate their faith, and that we withdraw ultimately
from Affghanistan, not from any deficiency of means
to maintain our position, but because we are satisfied
that the king we have set up has not, as we were er-
roneously led to imagine, the support of the nation
over which he has been pfaced: In a subsequent part
of the same letter his Lordship adds, We should con-
sider that the object of striking a decisive blow at the
Affghans—a blow which might establish our military
character beyond the Indus, and leave a deep impres-
sion of our power, and of the vigour with which it
would be applied to punish an atrocious enemy, would
be one for which risk might be justifiably incurred, all
due and possible precaution being taken to insure de-
cisive success.'
" We believe," adds the Times, " there is no Eng-
lishman who would not fully approve these sentiments
pf the new Governor-General ; although we must
confess that we should have liked them better had
they been accompanied with less general theory and
more of sound practical direction,"
A State manifesto is, however,:not "an order of the
day," and " practical directions" would be as much
out of piaci) in the one as mere theory would be in the
other ; and if we are to regard the address to the com-
mander-in-chief as an instruction, it is just such an
instruction as a wise man always issues to a subordi,
nate in whom he has the proper confidence : I tell
yen what you are to do as your end; it is for you to
arrange and direct the means. But waiving any pro-
test against the military criticism of the Mnes, the
question is, did the Earl of Ellenborough aceeniplish
all that he proposed to accomplish, and what it be-
came a British Governor to propose ? Did he accom-
pliab this Tcwl rfth.acle of recovery and restoration
honourably, effectually, aiui 4pz unnecessary
expenditure of blood, of money, or or time ? We
know that he effected it all in one—no, it were in-
) stiee to call it one—in several simultaneous cam-
paigns ; ail cippod the compass of a few months,
and all closed with unitoi:OF YFFP;7I:
we repeat, is the only question—was the lio•sernpre
success complete and prompt, and obtained with-
out any treachery to ally or enemy—without an
unnecessary eywosure of his soldiers—or a pro-
digal outVay of money ? If this rippliou be an-
swered, Ets it must be answered, Ip the alfirrea-
tive, we are not concerned to inquire 114 W hi§ 1,0rd7
ship achieved such glorious results. The infamous
press of India," as General Napier most truly calls it,
followed by an almost equally infamous part of
ilf&e§. of London, dogged all the Governor-
,
enerars meapres, 'lbur 0. tt
a° co,qs. in
.
every measure which heir imagined Pulriesi
knowledge and self-suppoSed profoundness of saga-
city c 0414 pot comprehend, in all its motives and its
purposes, and where they could nor, with all thO
help of ignorance and self-conceit, Arid a fiurt, tliry
invented one; but their blundering migapprebengoija

nd falsehoods make up the whole of the
articles of impeachment against Lord Ellen-
borough—the misapprehensions and the lies of
" the infamous press" of 1842 are treated as indis-
putable history by the infamous press of 1844. If
a general in one place was, from want of carriages,
disabled from advarcing—the Earl of Ellen-
borough vacillated. If the heat of an Indian summer
incapacited the army of another general for active
operations, again the Earl of Ellenborough " vacil-
lated." If a derangement of one branch of a com •
bined movement, which must be combined in order
to ensure success, caused a general pause, it was all
the vacillation of the Governor-General. Our readers
would be incompetent to comprehend a detail of all
the difficulties and chances of a complicated cam-
paign, if we were capible of offering such a detail ;
but this we certainly are not; but we can point to a
few of the incidents that are carefully suppressed by
those who ascribe every delay and every variation in
the military movements of 1842 to Lord Ellen.
hlrough's vacillation. Hear General Pollock on the
20th of April, after being some time delayed by the
want of carriages :
" I have maturely considered the question of our
advance by the road to Ca.bul, and I confess that I see
too many difficulties to warrant our ri-king such a
course. The forces I have the honour to command, if
well supplied, is ready to march anywhere, and if I
could have advanced by the route of Candahar, our
success would be certain."

Experience of the difficulties and risk of a rigid
plan of operations led the Governor-General on the
I*,t of June to address the following letter to General
Pollock :
" MB. MADDOCK TO MAJOR-GENERAL POLLOCK.

" Allahabad, June 1, 1842.
" I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of the 20th ultimo, and to express the extreme
regret of the Governor-General that your army should
he so deficient in carriage as you represent, and thus
unable to move.

" 2. The retirement of your army immediately
after the victory gained by Sir Robert Sale, the
forcing of the Khyber Pass, and the relief of Jellala-
had, would have had the appearance of a military ope-
ration successfully accomplished, and even trium-
phantly achieved.
" 3. Its retirement, after six months of inaction,
before a following army of Affghans, will have an
appearance of a different and less advantageous cha-
racter.

"4. It would be desirable, undoubtedly, that be-
fore quitting Affghanistan, you should have an oppor-
tuni:y of striking a blow at the enemy; and since
circumstances seem to compel you to remain there
till October, the Governor-General earnestly hopes
that you may be enabled to draw the enemy into a
position in which you may strike such a blow effec
tually. You have already full powers to do every-
thing you may deem necessary for the comfort of
your troops, and for their efficiency.

" 8. It will be for your consideration whether your
large army, one-half of which would beat, in open
field, everything that could be brought against it in
Affghanistan, should remain entirely inactive during
the period which must now apparently elapse before
it can finally retire. Although you may not have,
or soon be able to procure, the means of moving your
whole army, you may possibly be able to move a part
of it rapidly against some portion of the enemy's
force incautiously exposed, and of giving it a severe
blow."
In the same way the Governor-General writes to
General Nott . • .

" If you should be enabled by a coup-dc-main to get
possession of Ghuznee and Cabul, you will act as you
see fit, and leave decisive proofs of the power of the
British army, without impeaching its humanity. You
will bring away from the tomb of Mahmood of Ghuz-
nee his club, which hangs over it; and you will bring
away the gates of his tomb, which are the gates of
the Temple of Somnauth. These will be the just
trophies of your successful march."
But we will not suffer ourselves to be misled, or
mislead our readers into an investigation for which
we are both incompetent ; though as our inquiries
would be honest and modest, not quite so incompetent
as the " infamous press" by which Lord Ellenborough
has been assailed. We have already laid before the
readers of the Herald the opinion of General Napier
as to the military policy or Lord Ellenborough. We
will now refer them to a still higher authority—the
highest military authority in the world, or probably
that ever was in the world—the Duke of Wellington.
On the first night of the session of 1843 the Duke
of Wellington offered the following spontaneous testi-
mony to the services of Lord Ellenborough in India:—
" I have seen something of Governors-General, and
I know a little of military affairs, and I say I stand
here prepared, and shall be ready any day to justify,
every order or movement one way or other which the
Governor-General gave, from the moment he took
upon him the administration of the Government of
India up to the present moment. My Lords, lam
ready to do that, and let the Noble Lord come and
make any charges he please against my Noble Friend
the Governor-General—let him make them when he
pleases, and I shall be ready to reply to them. My
Lords, I say that the Governor-General, as soon as
he took the Government, did as much as he was able
to do according to the state of preparation which he
found there at the moment. He could do no

more than he did. Every order he gave, wheth9r to
halt or to march, was an order absolutely necessary
for the safety of the troops at the moment, and that
not occasioned by any act or omission of his, but by
acts done, or omitted to be done, previously to his ar-
rival. My Lords, lam at least obliged to say thus
much in defence of an absent servant of the Crown,
,41'ho I firmly believe has done his duty to the public."
With this testimonial in his hand, the Earl of El-
lenborough can well afford to smile at his anony-
mous pamphleteer accusers and at the military critics
of the Times.

DEATH FROM THE INCLEMENCY

OF THE WEATHER.

A sad instance of the vicissitudes to which the poor
are exposed, and of their many trials, happened last
week. A man named John Matthews, belonging
to the parish of Brinkworth, and who had been com-
mitted to the New Prison here, for two months, for
having left his wife and children chargeable to the
parish, was discharged on Wednesday, the l lth
his term of imprisonment having expired. The weather
was then, as our readers no doubt recollect, bitterly cold,
and he was most miserably clad, having exchanged
his warm woollen prison dress for his own clothes—
mere rags; the upper garments consisting of an old
waistcoat and a thin slop. He was also suffering
from a diseased heart, a complaint of long standing.
On leaving the prison he had a loaf of bread and four-
pence given him for his sustenance on the road home
—a distance of nearly twenty miles. He had pro-
ceeded only about three miles when he was driven by
the cold into a public- house—the Bell at St. Edith's
Marsh—where, in order to have the benefit of the
fire, he purchased a little beer and ate part of his loaf.
Soon after leaving this house he found himself unable
to proceed, and took shelter in a skilling near the
road, in which there happened to be some straw ;
here, according to his own account, he remained
from the Wednesday evening till the Monday morn 7
ing, during a most intense frost, and having nothing
to eat excepting the remaining portion of the loaf
which was given him on leaving the prison ! On the
Monday morning he left his shelter and crawled to
the Shoulder of Mutton public-house at Bromham,
where he was taken care of by the landlord, who is
overseer of the parish, and who, on the lednesday
afternoon, conveyed him in a comfortable covered cart
to the union-house at Alalmesbury, where he was im-
mediately taken in, placed in the sick ward, and
where every attention was paid him. On reaching
Malmesbury he appeared in pretty good spirits, but
was unable to walk, his feet bein4 so badly frost-
bitten that Mr. Jeston, the medical attendant, de-
clared he must lose them. On Saturday night he
expired. An inquest was held on Tuesday, when a
verdict was returned of " Died from the inclemency
of the weather."—Wills independent.

NEW AluactimiT SEAatEN's ACT. —On Wednesday
Merchantixt) .
fiveSeamen's Act will come into
oeratet e. the
There New
s
sections and several sche-
dules in the Statute. During the present month sea-
nf
men in the merchant service havo obtained tickets of
registration from the office; near the Tower. From the
ipt proximo no seaman can be taken to sea without the
requisite ticket, under a penalty of 101. The Act is "to
amend and consolidate the laws relating to merchant sea-
men, ar.d for keeping a register of seamen." By the
preamble it is declared that the prosperity, strength, and
Fafoty of the United Kingdom and her Majesty's domi-
nions depend greatly on a large, constant, and ready
supply of seamen, and that it is expedient to promote
the increase of the number of seamen, and to afford
them encouragement and protection ; and it is fur-
ther declared to be expedient to keep a register of
Akeeernoii.s 'cite 0 bp ;,p4,4e in v,?riting
between master and seamen, stating the situations,
wages, and length of service of the men. Parish
boys may be sent to sea, with their consent, or
boys soliciting alms. No seaman is to be discharged
FtbrQa.i4, por to be abandoned or left behind, without the
sanction Of the cons@ cif the P 4-14., as great'ini4lef bas
bezn caused by such proceedings, the poor men having
been reduced to great distress, and have, according to
the language of the Act, been tens to becon,le pirates.
BZ the frith section it is e 4 that it any'person
being a 4falay, Lascar, or native of the territories under
-the government of the East India Company, or if any
4Siafic op 4.fripTl seaman; Ilrvi,ng been brought to the
'United Kingdom on board any shfi), shall be found to be
in the United Kingdom in distress for want of food,
clothing, or other necessaries, the Commissioners of the
Admiralty may supply such assistance to every 'porsop
or seppan, toad to • I.XlOntain himuntil he shall he sent
licfardsotne ship to be taken back to the place from
iiihe'nee'he Was shipped: The assistance r'ende'red is to
beconae a debt; and may be recovered nit'cr master Of the abip'on board NA-16reor such person or
etinaliP'N4va boght`to the EraiterKingdOin from Asia
. brought
PT Erica,