The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-26 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY.'S THEATRE.)
SIGNOR RUBINL
The LAST NIGHT hut. FIVE of the APPEARANCE
f SIG. RUBINI, previous to his RETIREMEET trout the
isiTAGE.
On TIIURSDAY NEXT, July 28 (it being an extra t.ight
ran. included in the Subscription),, will be performed Rossini',
Opera (compressed into one act), PIETEO L'EREMITA.
Principal characters by Mad. Moltini, Mad. Ronconi, Sigs.
LablAe, G. Ronconi, and Rubini. The celebrated Preghiera
" Dal tuo Steliato Soglia," in which all the eminent Artistes
of the establishment have kindly consented to join the Chorus
(41 this occasion only.
After which will be presented the First Act of Bellini's
Opera, I PURITAN'. The principal characters by Mad. Per-
t.ani, Sigs. Latlache, Runconi, and Rubini.
To be Wlowed by the Second Act of Fioravariti's Opera
LE CA NTATRICP. VILLANE. By Mad. Persiani, Sigs.
F. Lableche, Stella. and Lablacite.
In the course of the evening the original Tarentella, by Mad.
City Stephan and M. Perrot; and Mesdlles. Cerito and Camille
dance the Polish Dance .‘ La Varsovienne."
o conclude with.the New Grand Ballet, in Four Tableaux,
by M. De,bayes, 4 t,tithd, ALMA; ou, LA FILLE DU FEU;
the 'music con posed expressly by M. C9sta. The principal
characters by .‘lad. Cerito, Mad. L. Fleury, and Mad. Guy
Stephan, M. Coulon, M. Go-selin, M. O'llryan Dee-
places, and M. Perrot. First scene—The Dance of Demons.
Second scene—False et Galop de Fascination (composed by
M. Perrot), by Met:dries. Cerito, Camille, Benard, Colby,
and M. Perrot. Third scene—Pas de Trois by Mesdlles.
Cerito, Camille, and M. Desplaces (composed by Cerito).
Ballahile—Pas de Trois, by Mesdlles, Guy Stephan, L. Fleury,
and 'M. Perrot (composed bi M. Perrot). Fourth Scene—
Pas de Feinnie,;.
Private Boxes Two, Three, and Four Guineas ; to be had at
the llox-tSce, Opera Colonnade.

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. TUE WEA THER.--N oox, JULY 26.
Pof AL O A LALERY OF SCIENCE, ADELAIDE-STREET
Tliermometer .... 66) Iligliest 66 j Lowest 52
itarometer 30.06.—Wind E.

H!t4H W kTEIt AT LONDON BRIDGE' THIS DAY.
(-ruing 5 minutes after 4 I Evening 29 minutes after 4

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CrOit iSbitiOn

SUN OFFICE Three o' Clack.

In the House of Commons last night, before going
into a Committee of Supply, Mr. THOMAS DUNCOMBE
brought forward the motion, of which he had given
notice, relative to the trial and incarceration of a
Chartist lecturer in Staffordshire, on a charge of at-

tending a seditious meeting. A report had gone abroad
that were a Chartist to make his appearance in the town
of Sedgeley, he would be committed to prison by order
of
.the Magistrates. A Mr. MASON, a Chartiat lec-
turer, did go there, and called a public meeting, at which
many of the working classes were present. The Magis•
trates were represented by a constable, whose loyalty
was offended by the lecturer telling the people that those
who worked the hardest were worst paid, and that they
were not fairly represented in the House of Commons.
Accordingly this worthy Dogberry interrupted the
lecturer, by telling him that he could not
stand that, and that being paid for exerting
his authority, his first exercise of it would be
to disperse the meeting, which he did by pulling
down the form upon which the lecturer stood. He was
then told that his proper course was to apply to a Magis-
trate, and to take a note of any objectionable words
spoken ; but he knew his ground too well to giVe him-
self any such unnecessary trouble. MASON obtained a
warrant against him, which was dismissed ; and a war-
rant was granted against MASON and seven others at
the instance of the constable, upon which they were
found guilty, and sentenced to various periods of im-
prisonment, ranging from two months to six. At the
trial the constable was the only witness examined, and
after conviction, the Chairman consulted the prosecuting
constable respecting the length of the imprisonment
which he would recommend in their respective cases,.
In fact, it appears, from the whole trial
.that it was a
stretch of politeness on the part of the constable to
have gone through the constitutional form of trying the:
priioners .As he. was virtually witness and judge
there. would have been.- no great innovation in assuming
the functions 'of jury, and committing the prisoners to
Stiffordshire gaol on his own authority.
Sir 'JAMES GRAHAM read the House Seine curious law
doctrine. He was, he said, of 'opinion that it. eonstible
might interrupt and dissolVe any Public meeting, at
which he heard language which in his opinion tended to
a breach of the peace. The Right HOn. Home Secre-
tary admitted that he was not profoundly skilled in the
law, and after the above exposition of his views we are
well inclined to believe him. But who is to inform
an ignorant, illiterate constable, or policeman what
language tends to endanger the peace ? Is he to judge
by the gestures of the orator, who - may be a man of
fervid eloquence and animated gesture ? Is he to pre-
sume to judge what doctrines are suitable or unfit for the
P" • •
public car Do the people. Of England enjoy only by
9
the sufferance of policemen and constables the right to
meet publicly to discuss their grievances, and suggest
remedies for them ? If constables are to decide what is
and what is not seditious language we may as
well abolish trial by jury at once. But we con-
tend that the doctrine laid down by the Home Secretary
is entirely erroneous, and that were any constable in the
eoanty of Middlesex to act upon it, a London Jury
would send him to the House of Correction for six
months. It is the duty of constables not to interfere
where no overt act has taken place violating, or decla-
rative of an intention to violate the peace. For the rest
they can only report the proceedings, and be guided
thereupon by the instructions of a Magistrate..
Sir JAMES GRAH AM and the ATTORNEY-GENERAL
complained of the irregularity of bringing before the
House of Commons all malversations in the Administra-
tion of Justice. With admirable presence of mind Lord
PALMERSTON reminded them of the doctrine laid down
by Judge PestsevaTurat the other day at the trial of the
Etlfast Vindicator, in which it is affirmed that, if
judges and juries act unjustly, the proper remedy is
an appeal to Parliament. The Noble Lord, who has had
as much official experience as the Knight of Netherby
denounced as most dangerous the doctrine that consta-
bles shosld be allowed to exercise their own discretion
with respect to the dispersion of meetings. Sir H. PEEL
i%tale to the assistunce of his colleague, and, in common
with the Law Officers of the CroWe, refused to accede to a
motion which would call in question the constitutional
infallibility of a Staffordshire constable. There is a
:.yalpathy between beadle:; and Cabinet Ministers to
which the House is rarely indifferent, and consequently
the vote was lost by a large majority. Had the
papers moved for been produced, Mr. Duscomnn might
base made them the basis of a legislative enactment fir
defining more clearly the duties of constables ; but Sir
GRATIA M deeming them men of enlarged mind,,,
:mud nut wishing to fetter them in the execution
~f aNy project to which they give the name of duty, has
n notion, of restricting them in the exercise of bound-
less authority. We can sue very clearly the reason, of
this. , The constables are the tools of the Magistrates,
and rarely it' ever outstep theelimits of their authority
without se,Tret instructions to that effect, and magisterin:
pledges of being held harmless. The constable is to bear
the blanse of acting by his own authority, and the Magis-
trate, as a seemingly disinterested person, is to screen
him from justice. Whenever the Magistrate has a feel-
ing of private revenge to gratify, he has only to whispQr
io the ear of the constable, and it is very soon effected.
In the event of a complaint against the constable, a
sham warrant is granted, a sham examination takes
I,l:tee, and the complaint is dismissed as frivolous. We
tr,, no strangers to what Justices' justice is in the agri-
cultural districts, or how much it would embarrass Magis-
trates were the Legislature to define exactly the duties of
enunuy constables, and punish severely all wanton viola-.
lions of them.

'Vita Government deserve every praise, not only for
feh'Aving up the plan of their predecessors as regards
the ~duration of the people, but also for proposing an
additicoul sum to the annual grant. Sir ROBERT PEEL
arinoumnd last night that the demands on the funds
were so numerous that the sum voted would not be
sufficient, and he would, therefore, propose that 10,0001.
should be added, thus making the grant this year,
40,0001. This is but a small sum for such an
important object, but we quarrel not with the
at wunt at present, when there is such evidence
of good intentions, and especially when the people them-
selves seem anxious to assist the Government, and press
on them the necessity of further aid. It is known
that no money is granted from this fund till the inhabi-
tants of the district where a school is wanted have raised
certain amount for the same purpose. It is gratifying
to find, therefore, that the sum subscribed this year
is. gteater than on former occasions, and that as far
as mut be ascertained, Churchmen and Dissenters vie
with each other in the good work.. Would the Church
only leave the people to follow the dictates of their
own minds, the public would be spared most of those
disgrsceful disputes that take place between different
..secti, and we notice, therefore, with regret the ominous
interference of the Bishop of LONDON last even-
inn on the . • subject. This pious Prelate was
:peed at the liberal sentiments delivered by Lord
uoicidur: on a former occasion, and inti-
. faun that they had. also alarmed others, or as he i ex-
tti
pi' himself, "had occasioned considerable sensation
thtou gii-:3- out the country." This sensation, if any such
has been produced, we believe is confined to a very few
:ORtixl Churchmen like himself; for a speech less likely
..foi(e offence to rational beings, than that pronounced,hy
;_t,jme President of the Council, could hardly be made. The