The Sun.
London, England, 1827-02-12 00:00:00

the City, are worthy of a British Judge. ,As long as such
sentiments prefaitupon the Bench, the detestable system
of fraud, which, of late years, was carried, by evil example,
to an extent that thiziatened to extinguish all sense of
honourable dealings among men, will receive an im-
portant check in the purity of the judicial power. In a
commercial country, like this, there are, at all times,
a number of needy, prowling, desperate adventurers,
who, under the pretence of trade and enterprise, con-
trive those schemes called " Bubbles," for the purpose
of plundering society on a more extensive, and, as the
law now stands, in a less dangerous way than they could
by actual robbery in the streets and highways. But
never since the horrible era of the South-sea Scheme
had the villainy of such persons became so prevalent and
audacious, or made such frightful havoc of the principles
that constitute the very elements of national greatness, as
within the last few years, The " plague-spot" of this
corruption, extending itself from the vulgar and obscure
sharpers with whom it was first generated, infected with
its demoralising taint a portion of all ranks of society be-
neath the King, with the exception of the Judges of the
land. A portion of our Nobility—of our Legislature—
of our merchants—of our literary men—of the _Press
itself, became instrumental and auxiliary to the wicked
schemes that have brought more shame upon the character
of this country, and more misery upon its population, than
could have been the result of any other national visitation
whatsoever. It is consolatory at a time of such wide-
spread corruption, to know that not one of the Judges
lent his name in any way—whether in a prospectus or out
of it—to those nefarious schemes. This cannot be too
strongly impressed upon the recollection of the country,
because, when we find in a portion of the Press a per-
severing and consistent endeavour to depreciate the judi-
cial character, we feel it our duty, as just commentators
upon the manners of the age, to point out the example of
virtue and honourable sentiment which their conduct has
given to society in general. We wish we could say as
much for the dignity of office in every other department
of the State. We have never spared public abuses on
account of an idolatrous subserviency to any party. We
know no party but the public, and whether corruption
proceeds from what are called " Tories," or what are
called " Patriots," we are dull enough not to perceive any
distinction in the criminal purpose on that aecount, unless
it be that the latter, who pretend to more purity of prin-
ciple, are the more reprehensible, when they falsify, by
their conduct, the virtues which they assume. We are
among those who regret that the laws are not as effective
as they might be to repress the machinations of evil men,
but this is the fault not of the administrators of the law,
but of the Legislature. Too many of the members of that
body who create the laws had become participators in the
criminal schemes of the delinquents to whom we have
alluded, to allow the laws themselves to be so framed as
to meet with efficiency the mischief which England will
long have reason to deplore. Our criminal jurisprudence
is certainly severe enough against vulgar thieves and
pickpockets; but little can be said for its moral energy in
reference to those fraudulent speculations, which, to use
the language of Lord Chief Justice Best, " had lately in-
creased to such an abominable extent, that the honourable
purposes of commerce had been perverted, and the Royal
Exchange converted into an arena for gamblers." May
the moral indignation which his Lordship, on this occa-
sion expressed, always distinguish the Bench whenever
such confederacies of villains, as we have witnessed, at-
tempt to undermine the virtuous prosperity of the nation
—Morning Herald.

There are some things which deserve attention, merely
on account of the situation of the persons who utter them,
and the place where they are uttered. Of this kind is the
speech in which Lord Clifden eulogised the Catholic
Priests, and calumniated the Clergy of the established
church. His Lordship, with the usual self-flattery of a
would-be orator, lamented that there was not a full at-
tendance of Bishops to witness the zeal with which he
worships the darkness rather than the light. He ought
rather to have been grateful for an opportunity of pouring
out his spleen in the absence of those who, if present,
would have made him writhe under the punishment which
learning and genius can inflict upon petulent mediocrity.
The sentiments expressed by Lord Clifden contained no-
thing novel; and it is only for that reason that we advert
to them. If what his Lordship said had been merely the effu-
sion of his own head, we should have left him in the undis-

turbed enjoyment of his crudities. But, unfortunately, what
he presumed to utter in the House of Peers, was the echo
of what drops daily from the lips of the enemies of our
Established Church. We should have thought that the
atrocious, the unconstitutional, the tyrannical interference
of the gross and ignorant Catholic Priesthood of Ireland,
would have excited disgust in the mind of every lover of
tree man. hit to be endured that the population of a
country, in the exercise of political privileges, shall be
rendered the mere tools of an intolerant and despotic
Church ? Shall the ministers of that Church dare to raise
themselves in hostile array against the landed proprietors,
and tear asunder those bonds of social connexion which

the very basis of civil government ? It is a pity that
things should happen; but it is still more a pity, that
a vain love of a little flattery and consequence, a
should approve of such conduct, and " lick the hand
st raised to shed his blood." When we hear a member of
the British House of Peers tell us, "that the interference

of the priests in the elections in Ireland was perfectly justi-
fiable, that their conduct was in every respect exem-
plary, and was beyond all praise," we wonder at the infa-
tuation which can betray any man into such an absurdity;
but our wonder rises still higher, when we find that this
same Peer pours out unmeasured abuse on our clergy for
doing (as he falsely alleges they did) the very same things
which were done by the Irish Priests. " Our own
Clergy," says Lord Clifden, " acted in a similar manner
to the Catholic Priests ; and they disgraced themselves."
It is only an understanding of a very odd structure, which
can discover that conduct to be disgraceful in Protestants,
which is beyond all praise in Catholics. Even if a Pro-
testant and a Catholic Clergy exercised their influence in
a similar manner, we should say, that their interference

can be placed on the same footing, because they proceed
upon pnnciples, and avail themselves of influences, directly
opposite. The Catholic Priest is a master speaking to a
slave ; the Protestant Clergyman is, at the utmost, only a
friend pouring out the words of rational advice. But we
deny, that the Clergy of the Established Church have
ever acted ai the ignorant and corrupt prieesteraft of Ireland
lately did. The Protestant Clergy never presumed to
command their' flocks; or to array them in political hosti-
lity to their natural and civil superiors. The Catholic
Priesthood have said to their credulous victims, " Vote as
we bid you, or you shall encounter excommunication here,
and be doomed to everlasting punishment in the world to
come." The Protestant Clergy do not so much as claim
to possess the keys of Heaven and of hell; and, even 82
to the Iyt penalty of Church censure, it is not in their
power to inflict it.—Neu' Times.

. „
A NEAPOLITAN PRIEST.—It is hardly possible
to meet with a more agreeable, intelligent companion, than was
this Neapolitan Pric:.t.—Any occasional argument about the doc-
trines of the Roman Church, which he had doubts of answering
to our satisfaction, he got rid of most ingeniously, and always
with great good humour. For instance, " Why do you Catholics
emit the Second Commandment in your Catechisms?"—" Be-
cause it is contained in the firi.t."—" Why do you divide the
tenth ?"---" Because there is a great difference between the crime
of coveting a man's wife and coveting his ass." " But you have
no authority in Scripture for purgatory ?" " Nor have you any
against it, end if there is no such place, you English will find
something worse." The concluding sentence he repeated evi-
dently in jest, and laughed heartily. The following is the order
of the Commandments as given in the " Dottrina Christiana,"
published by order of Clement VIII., and now in daily use at
I. lam the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other
God before Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain.
3. Remember holidays os festivals ("este) to keep them
4. Honour thy father and mother—E. Thou shalt not
Thou shalt not commit fornication.-7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. 'T.bou shalt not bear false witness.-9. Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbouis wife...-10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's
foods."