The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-07 00:00:00

RAILWAY BILLS.

A correspondent directs public attention to the fol-
lowing clause in the London, Iv orcester, and South
Staffordshire, and in the Oxford, Worcester, and Wol-
verhampton Railway Bills, introduced into Parliament
under the influence and in connexion with the London
and Birmingham and Great Western Railway Com-
panies :
" And with respect to small packages and single ar-
ticles of great weight, be it enacted, that notwithstand-
ing the rate of tolls prescribed by this Act, the Com-
pany may lawfully demand the tolls following—that is
to say, for the carriage of small parcels—that is to say,
parcels not exceeding 50011). each—the Company may
demand any sum which they may think fit."
Our correspondent thinks that this clause is intended
to give to these companies the monopoly of the carriage
of small parcels, to the exclusion of all other carriers
who have been hitherto in the habit of legally pack-
ing small parcels into one large parcel exceeding in
weight 5001 b., and so carrying small parcels in that
collective form over lines of railway at a tonnage
rate, and consequently at a profit to such a collec-
tors, and advantage to the public. If such a clause
as the above is allowed to be smuggled into any
Act of Parliament for the incorporation of a rail-
way company, its clear effect, he says, will be to
defeat the only species of competition available to the
public in the traffic upon railways. He also points at-
tention to the high rates of passenger and other tolls in-
troduced into the same Bills by the same Companies. In
the London and Birmingham scheme 4d. per mile may be
charged for an ox, and lid. per mile for a sheep, while for
a third-class passenger, by a separate Act of the last ses-
sion, they will be restricted to the rate of Id. per mile.
Our correspondent says he alludes to these more promi-
nent points that the public may be aware of what
he, as oue of them, considers of great importance to
their interest ; but he suggests that there are other
points in these, and most probably in many other of the
numerous Bills to be brought this session before Parlia-
ment, which ought not to receive legislative sanction
without the strictest scrutiny. It is but fair to state
that our correspondent signs himself " A Carrier "—one
of the class particularly interested—so that of course
there is ro( m for both sides of the question to be dis-
cussed.— Times.

SIR R. PEEL AND MR. FERRAND.
The following letter from Mr. W. B. Ferrand, addressed to
the Secretary of the Dublin Protestant Operative Associa-
tion, and read at the last meeting of that body, elicited
" tremendous cheering :"
" Harden-grange, April 3, 1345.

" Sir,—l have been from home toitwo—oi three days, and
on my return I find your letter informing me that you have
forwarded the petition of the Dublin Protestant Operatives,
praying for the impeachment of Sir R. Peel, to London.
" I shall not arrive there until Tuesday next, as I am de-
tained here on private business, but I think it would be better
to present the petition after Sir R. Peel has made a state-
ment of his plan.
I rejoice to say that a strong Protestant feeling is
spreading through the country against Sir R. Peel, who, in
my opinion, is the greatest traitor who has existed since
Judas Iscariot.

" I purpose presenting your petition on the second reading
of Peel's Popish Bill.—l am, yours very faithfully,
" .C. Espy, Esq., &c. "W. B. FERRAND."

REPRESENTATION OF GREENOCK.—The Scotch Re-.
fcrrners' Gazette of Saturday says that there are three can-
didates in the field for the representation of Greenock; Mr.
Baine, the late Provost, a Liberal ; Mr. Bruce, of Kennett, a
Tory, and a free Churchman ; and Mr. Alexander Dunlop,
also a free Churchman.
THE TRECASTLE MURDER.—It will be satisfac-
tory for the public to know that Thomas Thomas, the
wretched man who has been condemned to death for the
wilful murder of David Lewis at Trecastle, has at length
confessed his guilt, and has acknowledged that he has been
guilty of other crimes of a serious character. The execution
of the unfortunate but guilty man is definitely fixed to take
place in front of the Brecon County Gaol, on Thursday next,
the 10th instants— Welshman.

LITERATURE.

FREEMASON'S QUARTERLY REVIEW.

The leading article (for this periodical has itsre-
gular leader) intimates the possibility of the Free-
masons' " Quarterly " changing into a " Monthly,"
conditioning, however, that the necessary " supplies"
must be forthcoming for such purpose. The present
number, we perceive, is extended far beyond the
usual space—and, to make room for many papers, the
smaller type is invariably used. The articles are
various—most of them have the characteristic signi-
ficance of the craft, but there are many which will
interest the general reader. The library and mus€ um
of the Grand Lodge appears to be a failure, but the
editor seems to attribute this to a want of system,
and, we presume, he will show good cause why such
a necessary requisite should not be abandoned.
The masonic differences in Ireland have, at length,
terminated ; and his Grace of Leinster now rules
over a united body. The consecration of a new
lodge in the suburban district of London is interest-
ing. The violation of the principles of Freemasonry
in the Grand Lodge of Prussia, by the exclusion of
the Jewish Freemasons, appearkto have justly excited
universal surprise. A paper on "Masonic Auto-
cracy" to us has a startling effect, for we had always
looked on Freemasonry as being founded on equality;
it would seem, however, that the "cautery" is some-
times needed to restrain what surgery in the olden
time would. term "proud flesh." The " rejected
letters"—by a Roman Catholic Freemason are well
written—and must convince any sceptic that the
attack on the order by some of the Roman
Catholic Bishops is as impolitic as it is unjust.
" Gleanings from Masonry" is happily conceived,
and written in the pure spirit of morality. The
" Freemasons' Lexicon" centains precisely that in-
formation which it implies; and a popular " Lecture
on Freemasonry" is among the most interesting ar-
ticles we have read on the subject. Among the
" Masonic Anecdotes" there is one in which it ap-
pears that the ties of masonry were held sacred by a
pirate—for the honour of poor human nature, however
debased, we allude to this interesting fact as among
the soundest proofs of the value of the institution
itself. Among the articles of inteligence, that of
the initiation of Native Indian Gentlemen and the
laying the foundation Stone of a Penitentiary in
Jamaica, at which the Earl of Elgin attended, are
worthy cf attention ; and taking this number of the
Freemasons' Quarterly we may fairly observe that it
maintains its long-standing reputation.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND QUARTERLY RE-

VIEW. So. XXXIV.

The most interesting article in the present number
of this review is that on the controversy at present
raging in Frame between the University and the
Jesuits on the subject of education. We all know
the fearful doctrines which were taught by the
Jesuits of the olden time. We have all read the
admirable " Lettres Provinciales" of Blaise Pascal, a
pious Catholic and an honest man, and we believe
that it is the general opinion in this country that these
detestable doctrines taught by the Jesuits some cen-
turies since, and exposed by Pascal, have been, if not
publicly retracted, silently suffered to fall into de-
suetude. Such, however, is not the case. From the
statements of the reviewer, it would appear that even
at the present hour the commission of murder is
publicly taught by the Jesuits as a duty on certain
occasions.

"M. Bouvier, Es ague du Mans, writes in 1841, in
favour of pure absolution, and the authority of the
Church in all things over the State; and, whilst speaking
on the duty of subjects towards an usurper, thus ex-
presses himself:—' At the voice of the legitimate prince,
they ought to take arms against the usurper, to fight
against him, to overcome him, to drive him away. More
than this—they ought to assassinate him as a public
malefactor, if the legitimate prince so command. Imo
prioatim ilium tanquam publicum malefactoy em occidere,
si legitimus princeps id express? jubeat.' It is the latter
part of this opinion to which we would call attention;
and our readers may easily conceive that such a doctrine
is neither very convenient nor agreeable in France at the
present moment, where there are two pretenders to the
throne; one legitimately heir to it in exile; and he who
actually occupies it having no other claim than the voice
of the people. Such a dogma, in the hands of those who
reserve to themselves the right of deciding who is and
who is not an usurper, becomes a most dangerous
weapon; and it is not to be wondered at that the influ-
ence of the Jesuits is dreaded by every peaceful citizen,
as well as by every lover and maintainer of the truth
of God."

Under all the circumstances of the case, we are
not surprised that the French Government do their
best to prevent the associates of M. Bouvier from in-
terfering in the education of youth, indeed we think
that Louis Philippe has shown himself the most
moderate and tolerant of monarchs in not adopting
more stringent measures against the men who thus
openly preach a crusade not only against his throne,
but his life. De Ravignan, who has recently pub-
lished an apology for the Jesuits, remarks upon the
hardship of holding the society answerable for all
that its members publish, but as the reviewer justly
observes :

" He forgets, or wishes his readers to forget, that the
vow of obedience prevents any inferior member from
publishing a book which has not received a sanction; and
that thus the society is legitimately held accountable for
works which are all, directly or indirectly, published by
permission."
The article is admirably written, and deserves atten-
tive perusal. The present Number likewise contains
an article on Education in Ireland, which breathes a
tolerant and a liberal spirit. With regard to the
Maynooth grant, the writer admits that there is no
choice in the matter, and, admitting the necessity of
the grant, he contends that it should be a large and a
liberal one. With regard to the effect which a Par-
liamentary grant to Roman Catholics may produce
on the Church of England, the reviewer very pro-
perly says :
" We have no fears for the Church of England on such
grounds: if she cannot maintain her position in the face
of a Parliamentary grant to Rome, we say that she is
not deserving of support, and that she cannot be regarded
as a branch of the Church Catholic."

He also approves of Sirß. Peel's plan of establishing
colleges for secular instruction for those who cannot
conscientiously subscribe to the religious tests re-
quired by the existing universities. He thus lays
down the broad principle :
" But provided all the institutions of the Church are pre-
served in their integrity, we are not prepared to say that
the State, having granted toleration, should not supply
equal advantages in another way to those who cannot
avail themselves of the advantages of the two Univer-
sities." _ _

It is gratifying to find these advances in aright direc-
tion in a periodical which we believe accurately re-
presents the feelings and desires of the majority of
the clergy of the Established Church. There is also
an excellent paper on Mr. Ward and the University
of Oxford, written in a gentlemanly and charitable
spirit, completely answering the arguments of Mr.
Ward, without indulging in anything like personal
attack, and giving him full credit for being actuated
by worthy motives. It is a model for controversial
papers. In an article on Church and State the recent
vagaries of the Bishop of Exeter are justly animad-
verted on. The following is a very neat bit of quiet
satire

" On questions of history the Bishop of Exeter is one
of the last men in the world in whom we would place
any confidence: his learning is great—his piety un-
doubted—his fairness of intention unimpeached. We
subscribe to all this. He has all the virtues which be-
come the high office he fills, but he falls short of some
of the minor qualities. lie lacks memory, and he is
wanting in consistency. We do not say it to pain him,
or any of his friends, who may be disposed to cast the
deepest censure upon us for speaking of him as we sor-
rowingly do; but our duty compels us to say that, when