The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-25 00:00:00

dreds of those who have not 1501. a year to go
through the harassing process of establishing
their exemption in two places. Such a mass of
trouble and annoyance to gather a sum not equal
to the Malt tax or the Sugar duties, of the vexa-
tious collection of which nobody ever hears, was
never before inflicted on any people. Happily
for the public this will fall on the electors, and
if they tolerate it, they will have no persons to
blame but themselves.

The hardship of persons being called on in the
middle of October to make a second return, after
they have been obliged to make one in Sep-
tember, is so well put by the Post, whose ob-
servations we have transferred to our columns,
that it would be superfluous to add a word on
the subject. We will only say that, like the
Globe, we can confirm the statement of the Post,
and affirm that the strained interpretation of the
clause we have pointed out will reach a number
of persons who have not till now dreamed that
they would ever be subjected to such a pro-
digious annoyance.

The Marquis of LONDONDERRY, following up
the war lie waged so perseveringly, albeit equally
unsuccessfully, against the Mines and Collieries
Bill, has published a letter to Lord Asti'.Ey,
M.P., in which he renews his attacks. The
Noble Marquis has reproduced most of the de-
bates on the subject in the House of Lords, and
has garnished them with sundry observations
and documents, the latter of which have not
before been brought under the notice of the
public. Whatever may be thought of the lan-
guage used by the Noble Marquis, all impartial
men will admit that he makes out a strong case
against the Commissioners, Sub-Commis-
sioners, and the bulk of the persons anxious
to pass the Bill, from Lord ASHLEY down to
the lowest sub of the Commission. Haste, in-
temperance, and exaggeration are visible in all
their sayings and doings, combined with no small
degree of ignorance. For the first time in their
lives, most of the gentlemen became acquainted
with the interior of a mine or a colliery, and the
horror they experienced in consequence of their
ignorance they communicated to the public.
The deed, however, is now done, the law has
been passed, and there has been an insurrection
amongst the colliers, which will not be the last.
Lord ASHLEY'S Bill has applied the match to
the long-smouldering discontent of that burly,
sincere, but not very enlightened class of men.
Lord LONDONDERRY, towards the conclusion
of his pamphlet, gives the following summary of
the whole proceedings :
My Lord, I have again and again said this subject
has been handled with great indecency, from first to
last. It was born in caprice, and not in consequence
of the necessity of the case; it was carried on in a
manner that would not stand an hour in a Court of
Justice, inasmuch as the evidence was that of the
plaintiffs, the defendant being out of court, and not
out by choice, but out by force, by cunning, by con-
trivance. It was concocted, as its own pages record,
on testimony to be taken with reservation, the wit-
nesses not being trustworthy in many cases; it was
based in its principles, and carried out by men whose
fitness for the office they were charged-with is more
than doubtful. Taking, then, all these things to-
gether, I cannot resist saying that it is to me a sub.
ject of extreme sorrow and disgust, that so serious a
matter should have been thus unfairly dealt with; so
precipitately carried on, with such reprehensible—
indeed I may say such disgraceful blunders—blunders,
the number and quality of which astonish every
person in the slightest degree acquainted with these
proceedings.
It is not 'very often that we have the honour
to agree with a Tory Lord Lieutenant, who did
us the honour to quote some of our argu-
ments in the House 'of Lords, and our coin-
cidence on this occasion goes far to establish
the truth of our conjoint opinion. Whatever
motives may be imputed to the Noble Marquis,
we know that ours are free from every taint.

We have heard with much satisfaction that
the Liberals have taken it into consideration,
how they can best publicly express their ad-
miration of the noble conduct of Miss MAR-
TINEAU. Labouring under sickness, and not
being in affluence, this spirited lady, who has
by her writings done so much to enlighten her
countrymen, declined to receive one of those
pensions which other literary characters seek as
an honourable reward. She has acted well up
to the Liberal principles she has professed, and
' has redeemed them from the reproach and
scandal brought on them by others, who have
made them but a handle to their own advance-
ment. We have published her excellent letter,
the sentiments of which will be so generally read
and applauded, that any recommendation from
U 3 is entirely superfluous. That this lady has set
the almost unprecedented example of refusing
to touch the public money when it was offered
her, should excite deep gratitude in the
whole body of the tax payers. It will
make many others ashamed of being less con-
sistent, and less nobly independent, and will dry
up many a source of profligate expenditure.
We trust, therefore, that suitable means will be
devised to express, in the most honourable and
feeling manner, the public approbation of Miss
MARTINEAU'S conduct; and that the whole world,
and all posterity, may be taught that public
virtue amongst a virtuous people will assuredly
meet its appropriate reward. We will suggest
nothing further than to say that Miss MARTI-.
NEAU, who has evidently consulted only her own
upright heart, and not had the public approba-
tion in the distant prospect, ought not to expe-
rience the slightest pecuniary difficulty by her
patriotic self-denial.

With good taste, and with much public spirit,
the National Association yesterday evening
gave a tea party and festival at their Hall, in
honour of Mr. T. DUNCOMBE, the Member for
Finsbury, the firm friend of the liberties of the
people. Between three and four hundred per-
sons, including many ladies, were present, and
the Chair was occupied by Colonel THOMPSON.
After some spirited and just eulogies pronounced
by the Chairman and Dr. EPPS on ,Mr. DUN-
COMBE, that gentleman expressed his gratitude
for the kindness shown him in an able and elo-
quent speech. He proved in his own person, as
we hope will yet be proved in the case of Miss
MARTINEAU, that public virtue is rewarded by
public honour, and that when public men have
complained of the caprice and desertion of the
people, they have themselves, first of al
de-
serted the public cause.. Mr. BUNCOMBE made
a point of denouncing, as it deserves, the rabid
partisan oration of Lord ABINGER which he de-
livered from the judgment-seat, and which is so
little like what a charge to a Grand Jury
ought to be. Lord ABINGER, being both a le-
gislator and a Judge, must, or, at least,
ought to have known, Mr. DUNCOMBE
observed, that the people were plun;ed into the
deepest distress, and as a Judge he falsely repre-
sented their condition in order to conceal his-Rr-
rors and his faults as a lawmaker. His. chatage
might be very acceptable, Mr. DUNCOMBE Ob-
served, to the recreant Sir JAMES GRAHAM, but
it is a perversion of the functions of the Judge,
Which offends all upright men, and tends to bring
the administration of the law into contempt. If*
it have been correctly reported, of which there is
no doubt, it is impossible, Mr. DUNCOMBE said,
that the House of Commons should be assembled
many days without having that charge seriously
and solemnly brought under its notice. If .no:
other Member undertake the task Mr. Dux-
COMBE pledged himself to do it, and the an- •
nouncement, as well as every censure he applied
to the Judge, was followed by general and enthu-
siastic cheers. This was expected from Mr.
BUNCOMBE, and he will make good his pledge.
As long as the electors of Finsbury keep him in
the House of Commons, the people will not want
one honest and faithful servant, and we consider
the flattering reception he met with as a sure
augury of hiS Success in his undertaking. He
will be supported by public opinion.
We must conclude by saying that the festival
was conducted to the end by the veteran Chair-
man in a manner equally satisfitetory to the com-
pany and the gentleman they met to honour.

LORD GILT.IES.—We understand that Lord Dillieshas been seriously indiSposed at Cheltenham, where
he had gone for the benefit of his health. By the last
accounts, hoWever, we are glad to learn that this emi-
.
.nentludge was considerably better.—Scotsman.

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