The Sun.
London, England, 1829-02-23 00:00:00

beeniied In two bverwhelming Subject, that its rite&
hers cannot afford time to pay attention to any thing
tin; so that, if there be any tht.th in this, not only
our finances bnt ottr ftreign and colonial affairs must
all stand stit, and be neglected, that the Govern-
wrest may pay its undivided attention tp the Cat! o%
tic Association and its blessed reslits results which
unfortunately prove this one dangerous and fatal po-
sition, that any "'net of people have only to agitate,
tr tiftnibur, and overawe a Government, to obtain
'whatever they please. But to talk of the atten-

tion of the Government being so distracted§ and
the holders of office Ito Overwok*ed by this One
topic, is truly ricliculOut Why the labours
of the whole Administration (if we except the
Lord Chine Aler), in these " piping timea of peace',"
'AN ttire child's play, cornpiired to what the actual
labours of their gredere4itt'it were 20 or 30 years
WY. WhAt Wonid they think of their labours if
th'y In any degree resembled those of Mr. Pitt when

he bad to manage a war raging in every part of the
globe, a rebellion in Ireland, a mutiny at the Nore,
the Bank suspending payments, and a tribe of sedi,
tionists at home, seizing every opportunity Of fan,
ning into a flame every ember of insurrection ?
Thole were alio, indeed, when the Government
might haVe pleaded its existing labours as a reason
for not encountering new ones: But now, if the
Finance CoMmittee, or Mr, Hume, call for a few ac-
'coun'ts; the Coz'kers of the Treasury are all in arms
Itt, the enormous labour it imposes upon them, and
actually, we remember it was said, struck for an
increase of wages, on being callid 'Upon to be at
their de4s b.y tllc-'2lVe rnstead of one o'clock in the
dar. The Lord Chancellor has not suspended the
Sittings of his Court, or the labour of hearing ap-
peals in the House of Lords, on account of the time
required for concocting the Catholic Bill; nor have
the Attorney or Solicitor General, on whom the
main labour of the details falls, declined receiving
briefs or eases till this mighty labour is over. Neither
then can the reasons given for declining td reinstitute
the Pinance Committee be the genuine ones; but
they are rather to be found, we suspect, in the
trouble it oteasinns, in the unwelcome truths it
britip to light, and in the credit and popularity it
robs the Government of, by suggesting those re-
forms and retrenchments which, if they must come
at all, they would rattier should come from them.
selves. . . .

(FiloNi THE EXAMINER.)
tiitocEitralms AND DEMONSTRATIONS IN PARMA-
MENT.—The Catholic Association has been promotive of
Emancipation in more ways than are directly apparent.

While in operation, it acted as a powerful lever on Govern-

mew, and now that it is defunct, it affords Government

the opportunity of exhibiting its greatness' before its
grace, of parading its strength before it displays its justice,
add snowing that its concessions are the boon of a mighty
hand, armed to strike while open to grant. Slaying a
giant is obi•iously a handsorne ptelirdinary to surrender;
and happy it is that there was a giant ready dead wheteen
Administration might breathe its valour and exhaust its

Wows. " itchellio;'s dead," complacently observes Tom
Thumb, " and now I'll go to breakfast." In the same
self-satitled mood his 'Majesty's Ministers, after the de-
spatch of the Association., will go to legislation. The only
flaw ih the dignity of the matter is, that the Association,
contrary to the advice of Mr. O'Connell, did not choose to
wait to be killed, but spontaneously gave up the ghost, and
left Government the glory only of battling it doughtily

with their empty tame: Mini/tiers, however, say n ith the

Children in the Babes in the Wood, when alsured that the

ruffian is slain, " Kiil hint again, for such a villain can't
be too dead," and they proceed with all method, persever-
ance, and ardour, in the work of destroying the defunct.
Though this does not appear eminently wise, we yet esteem
it especially fortunate that there vas the opportunity for
the harmless expatiation of power, which is rendered
tractable by being permitted to feel its own force, as hot
steeds are tempered by the indulgence of a gallop. The
valiant bonnet-maker in Scott's last novel rendered himself

human company for the rest of the day by taking off the
edge of his sword on a Saracen in wood, which stood for
foetnan in his back yard. With a view to the great good
that lies beyond the deed of empty violence, we should not
waste many words on any excesses which our Sir John
FAlstaffs might commit in killing their Pereys; but ws
cannot withhold an observation on the criminatien of the
conduct and character of the departed body.' On the

, -
second reading of the Suppression Bill, the Duke of Wel-
lington urged, with a gravity perfectly wonderful,—" They
(the Association) have, besides, expended the rent in a
manner inconsistent with all law and order, and with the

Constitution of rise Empire. Part of the money was ap-
propriated to election purposes; and here I beg leave to
draw the attention of some of my Noble Friends, and par-
ticularly of my Noble Friend heretofore on the Woolsack,
to the fact established by the proceedings of this body, of
the existence in Parliament (of a Roman Catholic influence,
And even of the inflineice of the Association —(Hear.)-1
do not mean to discuss the subject further at preset,t, but
I beg Noble Lords not to forget that fact when they come
to the consideration of measures I shall propose here-
after, and when they are called upon to arrive at a de-
cision on those measures." Why, the application of cor-
poration funds to electioneering purposes has been de-
fended by the Lord now sitting on the Woolsack ; and we
suppose that the ahseace Of a charter (to abuse) will not
be said to constitute the difference between the two easel,
and no (Aber can be discerned which is not advantageous
to also Association. Further, the Duke observed, and
with the same wonderfully sustained gravity—" Resiles,
the money spent for the purpose of procuring voters at
elections, other sums were laid out in endeavours to con-
traul the administration of justice in Ireland. I fully ad-
mit the right, and not only the right, but the duty, of
every man to watch closely and vigilantly the administra-
tion of lily and justice; but that right and that duty can-
not be conveniently or adequately performed by a self-
elected, self-erected Association, having large sums at its
command, and employing those sums fur the purpose of
exciting litigation—for the purpose of defending some, of
prosecnting others—for the purpose of introducing agents
among Coroners' Juries, and influencing and corrupting
the first inquiries into criminal proceedings when informa-
tion is laid before Magistrate!. It is quite obvious that
proceedings of this description must tend to the tainting
of the very fountain of justice itself." To talk of tainting
the fountain of justice in Ireland is like talking of tainting
sloe common sewer in the city. Assuming only the noto-
ri,ms falsehood to be an undisputed fact, that the law is as
accessible to the poor as to the rich, there might be some
sense iu the Duke's strictures, lout wanting that founda-
tion, they are idle and unreasonable upbraiding,. If the
law were not an article to be bought, it were an error of
supererogation in any body of men to give the injured the
means of buying it ; but while it is an article of luxury
in price, justice must be procured for the depressed many
through the course of charity. Our great charter says,
that to none shall justice be denied or sold ; but experience,
speaking through attornies' bills, tells a somewhat different
story. The business of passing the Association Suppression
Act has given occasion to muck general skirmishiag, and af-
forded convenient opportunities for personal demonstrations.
It is with pleasure equally lively and sincere, that we
notice the Duke of Cumberland's contradiction of the
rumour of conversion, and his declaration of adherence to
the Anti-Catholic faction. In truth, we trembled when
we heard the report of his desertion from our enemies ; and
at the idea of his accession to our cause felt pretty much
the sensations of the passenger in the northern mail when
he saw Hare stepping into the coach. It irony he indeco-
volts in us to allude to the person of the Noble Duke of
Cumberland in the same sentence with mention of a mur •
derer, and the act of getting into a mail, but no offence is
meant by the illustration, which is only intended to convey
a notion of our own feelings. We d 'em this explanation
absolutely necessary, and having made it, we return to
our theme of congratulation, and say, with heartfelt joy
and pride—long may his Royal Highness grace with his
peculiar virtues, and character, the cause to which lie by
sympathy adheres. Lone may his practical piety be iden-
tified with that plotesee7l zeal for religion which so far
outruns the divine centiments of charity and good-will
among men ! When the funeral wine is tasted by the
blind Elspie. in the "Antiquary," mistaking the occasion,
she thrills th:e guests with horror, by wishing them " many
such merry meetings." With like ominous greeting we
would wish Intolerance many such Champions. But, troth
it were bard to find them. They are pi oductious of a rare
growth—sports of nature—And as one good turn deserves
another, they spurt with nature in return. The pillar of
Protestantism—stated the Catholic Question with this per-
fection of absurdity :—" Is England to Le a Protestant or
a Popish country?—(Loud cheers.)—For, my Lords, the
very moment we admit one Roman Catholic into this
House, or into the other House of Parliament, I maintain
that this becomes not a Protestant Parliament."--(Cheers.)
—By a parity of reasoning it might he proved, that the
one Tarquin in the State made the Rumens a nation of
ravishers.—" I have carefully and attentively viewed the
question every way in the world in which it has been con-
" We use this word in its vulgar sense, of any vast
power of mischief, without reference to application.