The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-04 00:00:00

Moran /itit3

LQNDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1845.

The late desperate efforts of the Bishops of LONDON
and EXZTER to force on the Protestant Church some
of the most obnoxious symbols and customs of Catho-
licism, and the haughty, imperious, and insulting lan-
guage in which they replied to the respectful remon-
strances of different ;parishes, cannot fail to give the
people ,of England 3 faithful anticipation of what the)
may exp.-et, if, for the curse of the country and the
Church, Puseyisrn should ever become triumphant
At. first these encroaching Prelates would listen nei •
ther to remonstrance, nor argument, nor humble pe-
tition—they were supreme judges of .what was right
the ignorant multitude (for as such they treated even
the most respectable inhabitants of their dioceses)
knew nothing of the rubric, and even if thei
did, it was not their duty to explain its meaning.
Their duty only was to obey, to render
homage to the heads of the Church; in imitation of
Catholic flocks, and leave the settlement of disputes
about the surplice and offertory, and the burning of
tapers on the altar, with other rites and ct remonies,
to the successors of the Apostles. So bigoted were
they in these slavish doctrines, and so conscious were
they of their own power and sacred character, that
they vowed not to yield to the clamours of the laity,
but adhere to their injunction, whatever might be the
consequence. They reckoned however without their
host. No party joined with them ; not even one
journal could justify their conduct;; the people were
unanimous, and the haughty Prelates were forced to suc-
cumb. Let not the people of England however imagine
that the battle is won, or that the Popish doctrines
openly taught by the Puseyites can be eradicated
from the Church, without yet a great and a con-
tinued struggle. A deep plot has been laid at Ox-
oed; it has ramifications in every part of the coun-

try. Its object is to obtain power, to put down free
inquiry, to enslave the human mind, and make the
authority of the clergy supreme, even at the risk of
restoring all the ignorance, immorality, and super-
stition of the middle ages. Happily there is not a
dissentient voice among the laity; but let us imagine
that these Puseyite Bishops had conducted their inno-
vations with more skill, that in addition to their hypo-
crisy, which is abundant, they had also assumed the
garb of humility—had, like Pusar and Nswmast, and
the other founders of the sect, devoted their
lives to :prayer and meditation, and deep inquiries
into the state of the Church, for the purpose of im-
posing upon the unwary, and then come forth with
all the fervour of Reformers. To a certainty they
would have had many followers—they would, like a
neighbouring C hurch, have led! astray silly women,
and excited divisions in every parish and hamlet, and
family. For the safety of the Reformed Religion the
cloven foot has appeared in time, their designs are
laid open, and even one of their own body, as en •
lightened Bishop, has not scrupled to declare to the
world, that "their sole object is to exalt the clergy
and destroy the principles of free inquiry so nobly
asserted at the period of the Reformation." On
this ground, chiefly, we have opposed the
new tenets, because, with a Church all-
powerful, with a Church that domineers over
the people, that interferes in all the relations of life,
whether domestic, social, or public, there can be no
useful education, no reform of abuses, no independence
of character, and no real liberty. 'Will the people of
England, then, who have gained so much by the
Reformation, who have made such noble struggles in
defence of liberty, who have by their own innate
energy established a Constitution which, whether as
regards freedom of thought, freedom of action, and
the development of the national resources, stands
unrivalled—will the people of England again submit
their neck to the yoke, and by yielding to the
despotism of the Church, renounce those inestimable
blessings for which their forefathers suffered exile,
imprisonment, and death ? The spirit now displayed
throughout the country happily leads to a different
conclusion, and verifies the words of the poet—
" Fortes creantur fortibus, et bonis."
Much, however, remains to be done. The canker
has taken deep root in the ecclesiastical body, and,
though concealed for a time, will sooner or later again
break forth. Let the people, therefore, be watchful.
They have Jesuits to deal with. If one scheme fails
another will be tried, in the hope that, by accustom-
ing the eyes and the ears to certain harmless innova-
tions, the real object may in time be attained. The
only security is in resisting every change.

One of the subjects which demand, and must re-
ceive the attention of Parliament early in the en-
suing session, is the law of settlement. The Bill
introduced by Sir JAMES GRAHAM at the close of

last session for the consolidation and amendment of

the laws relating to parochial settlements and to the
removal of the poor, will open the whole question,
and give rise to full discussion. But any discussion
as to the law of settlement will never settle this
matter, so long as there is any law of settlement to
discuss. There ought to be no particular settlement—
relief ought not to be attached to a locality, to a
parish, but to the nation—the poor man's home where
he may claim and receive relief, ought to be his resi-
dence when want and distress overtake him—and all
the waste which legal rapacity and class interests
now cause, ought to be avoided.

We have been led to these few remarks by a letter

addressed " To the Society of Clerks of the Unions
of the Northern Districts of England," by Mr.
HENRY COPPOCK, which appears in our columns this
day, and which deserves the closest attention. This
letter has received the approbation of the majority of
the practical men in the North, and does credit to
its author, who is well known as the able and in-
defatigable Town Clerk of Stockport. Its more
general circulation at the present time, may draw
public notice to this very important matter.

The Paris papers are chiefly occupied with com-
ments on the Budget of M. LACAVE LAPLAGNE, the
Minister of Finance, and the state of the Ministry.
The latter, however, is the subject of real interest.
The financial statement adds little to previous know-
ledge respecting the resources, trade, and credit of
the country. The loan all knew had been contracted
under much more favourable circumstances than
were anticipated; the imports, en the whole, had
improved ; the expenses of the war in Africa had been
a little increased by the expedition !.(-) Morocco ; and
taking these•points, ith a few others known to the
public, into account, the main features of the Minis-
ter's speech could present nothing new. Looking at
the vast outlay of money for erecting the Paris forti-
fications, maintaining an army of 400,000 men, a large
fleet, and carrying on expensive operations in Algeria,
and taking into account at the same time the small
amount of commercial transactions, it cannot be de-
nied that the present state of the finances shows, be-
yond all doubt, the vast internal resources of France.
The Journal des Debuts gives the following summary
of this document :—" The financial situation of France
is this year presented under a more favourable aspec.
than last. The budget of 1845 demanded for
the ordinary service credits to the amount
of 1,276,106,797 f., the receipts of the same year being
1,276,925,231 f., which gave a surplus of nearly a
million. The ordinary Budget of 1846 sets down the
receipts at 1,306,027,832 f., and the expenditure at
1,302,508,836 f. There is, therefore, a surplus of
3,512,446 f, These figures prove in an incontestable
manner the increasing prosperity of the country, and
the benefits arising from the policy of order which
the Cabinet has carried out in the midst of such diffi-
cult circumstances. Twenty days back we announced
with satisfaction the result of the loan just effected
ay the Minister of Finance with a success beyond
all anticpation. The explanations of M. LACAVE
LAPLAGNE prove that he conducted this delicate busi-
ness with as much prudence as tact. The extraordi-
nary Budget is not less satisfactory, and it is evident
that every day we are drawing close to budgets in equili-
brio. No obstacle is to be brought to the execution of
the railroads and other extraordinary works voted by
the Chambers. The credits opened by the Bill of 1
June, 1841, and which amounted to 450,000,000 f.,
are nearly expended. The Minister demands only
the sum of 36,000,000 f. from these credits.
,We per-
ceive that the Minister, in conformity with the deci-
sion of the Chamber last year, has joined to the
general Budget the special one of Algeria. The re-
ceipts of this colony for the year 1846 amount to
6,500,000 f. One of the principal savings set down in
the Budget of Algeria will be obtained by a new
organisation of the corps of Spahis ; it amounts to
2,000,000 f. The Minister's statement gives most
satisfactory intelligence respecting the increase of our
receipts, which loudly bear testimony to the intelli-
gent administratioo of pUblic affairs. The evaluation
(tf all the produce of the public revenues is calculated
with precision and moderation, and there is room to
hope, that the deficiencies which, since 1840, have so
much disturbed our Budgets, will be speedily and
completely effaced."

The Con.stitutionnel, of course takes a very dif-
ferent view of the affair. " The Budget," it says,
h's been presented, with an excess of receipts to
the amount of more than 3,000,000 f., which inti-
mates, in the language of finance, which has been
lately created, that the accounts will be cloaed with
an uncovered balance of 30,000,000 f. or 40,000,000 f.
The Chamber is perfectly well acquainted with the
phantasmagoria in which the provisions of the Budget
are annually enveloped. The reports on the Finance
Bill as well as those on the Account Bill prove this.
Yet the Chamber tolerates these irregularities, and
continues to vote credits, which are always exceeded.
As long as the country remains tranquil, as long as
commerce and manufactures find regular aliment, so
long will the perils of this mode of proceeding re-
main
unveiled. But should any crisis, and conflict
of any nature arise, then will all the vices of this im-
provident management be disclosed,
and then it will
be too late to prevent the consequences. The National,
however, is less
gloomy, it admits that the resources
of France are immense, but are terribly mismanaged
by her rulers.
The Opposition journals still reckon with certainty
on the speedy downfal of M. Guizo'r, but from all
accounts, should their prophecies turn out true, he
will die hard, and display in a light neither coMfort•
able to MOLE nor LitEßs the conduct of parties who
forgetting their own political antipathies and differ:
ences, have combined to oust the meat able French
Minister since CASIMER PERIEZ. The KING will
stand by him to the last ; and, according to the
Journal des Debais, took the opportunity of the