The Sun.
London, England, 1829-12-18 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

Mr. O'Connell has addressed a letter to the
Editor of the Dublin Pilot, in refutation of our
reply to his charge against us of venality : and'in
this letter he gravely attempts to substantiate the
charge of venality, by acknowledging that he is
not able to find it out or prove it ! He neither
knows where, nor how, nor by whom, nor at
shat rate : ergo it is true ! Yet this man makes
his way as a reasoner at the Irish bar ! and pants
to be in the English House of Commons !
Now, we are not angry with him, though he
thinks so, and we shall prove it by inserting his
letter. But we will calmly ask him, when he
made the charge, did he not in his heart know
that he was lying ? And did not he know every
Irishman of ordinary information knew also that
he was lying ? Would it not then have been
better, as the correspondent in the Globe of last
night says, « when he found that nobody be-
lieved it, to have allowed the affair to have
dropped quietly into oblivion ?" However, if
venality be only a wish or a readiness to sell our-
selves, perhaps we may have those propensities
dormant in our hearts: we can only say, then,
that no one has yet offered terms high enough
to excite them. He follows his letter. We
eaanot help exclaiming as we read it—Alas !
poor Irish Catholics ! to be gulled by such a
juggler :

" TO TILE EDITOR OF TILE PILOT.

" Merrion-square, Dee. 14.
" MY DEAR SlR,—The defence of the Times to
my charge of venality is quite insufficient. It
would not be received in any Court of competent
jurisdiction. It is what we lawyers call a departure
in pleading. It does not amount even to the ge-
neral issue. Indeed, there is something curious in
this—that the caitiff does not appear to deny ve-
nality by any positive or direct averment I !!
" Although the guilt is not directly denied,---it
would, indeed, have been too audacious to deny it
positively,—yet I am free to confess that the tle-
fence is in other respects pleasant and amusing. It
is comical, though not convincing. It is laughable,
but not satisfactory. It savours strongly of a lu-
dicrous irritability; but there is no logic, no argu-
ment, no proof.
"To set this matter in its true light, let me re-
peat my charge. As I am fond even of the
phraseology of that charge, I repeat, in my own
words, There is in London a newspaper called the
Times,' &c. The tawdry female, \vim, with
rouged cheeks, and in faded silks, takes the air in
the Strand, by gas-light, is not a more thorough
prostitute in person, in heart and soul, than the ta-
lented wide-circulating Times.'
" Such was my accusation. Now what is the
defence of the Times?
" First—lt abuses the language and imagery of
the charge ! Now the language was exceedingly
pretty language, and the imagery not only exquisite,
but exact, as I shall presently show !
" Secondly—The Times begins to call names,
Booby,' and 'Jack Pudding'—what a Saxon idea!
—and various other such parts of speech, showing,
beyond a doubt, that the culprit was in a perilous
passion.
" Thirdly—The Times comes to the pith and
marrow of its defence, arid it is this—that I could
not tell when, where, or how he was bribed.
" What a specimen of precious reasoning is here!
Mark the Anglo-Saxon scribe! Because I was
not present when he was bribed, ergo he was not
bribed.
" Case in point—l love a case in point.
said a Judge to a prisoner, what say you to this
charge ? Here is a witness who swears positively
that he saw you steal the sheep.' My Lord,' re-
plied the sheep-stealer, I will produce three wit-
nesses who will swear positively that they did not
see me steal the sheep.'
" The prisoner was not acquitted, neither can the
Times. Its venality can be proved circumstantially,
with as conclusive a force as by any direct testi-
mony. Why should it devote at least two, if not
three, leading articles—mind, leading articles--not
letters from a Correspondent, as it so characteristi-
cally insinuates—why should it devote three leading
articles to a foolish falsehood against so insignificant
an individual as myself, if it were not bribed so to
do? Or is this its defence—that it led, forsooth,
for nothing ? Is the Lady of the Strand,'—for
that, after all, is the proper denomination of the
Times, and shall be so in future—l bestow that cog-
nomen on the base instrument of venality-pia ' the.
Lady of the Strand' so desperately attached to
falsehood, that she invented the lie, told the lie, and
repeated the lie—and all for the pure and disinte-
rested love of lying ?
" Besides, who was it that furnished the Times
with the garbled extracts from my letters ?' Come,
tell us that, and if you do, I warrant it was a hand
that touched much money, public and private.
" The inference really is irresistible, fortified as it
is by the previous bad character of the ctilmit. It
has been long a matter of notoriety that tt;e Times
had neither honesty nor principle. Its ancient tricks
and modern dexterities are quite familiar, and I only
gave voice to the public and tsitiversal sentiment,
am anxious
as assailed
about.
is
by
when I declared that Paper tt's be venal to the very
hhi n I s
lowest pitch of venality.
.tetahceonly•
is
i'll•yßuliti,erasfrtyer all, 1
cha
the Times. It has traduced my powers of simili-
litude—abused my simile most unmercifully.
" Now, that simile was a very good simile—exact
in all its parts; and even the defence of the Times
proves its precision and exactness—for if one of the
vigilant guardians of the night, vulgarly called
• Charlies, were to arrest the career of the tawdry
female I described, how would she defend herself ?
Precisely, and to the letter, as her prototype, the
Times, does. She would fly into a passion, and
call names—' Booby,' and Jack Pudding,' and
every other' Timal' flower of eloquence would be
her first resource.

" Brought up the next day before the grave and
sapient Justice at Bow street, she would -pursue
precisely the same line of defence with tlle Times.
She would defy the Magistrate to pri-Jve that he
was present when she committed th Crime of pros-
titution. She would cry with the Trues---when--
where—how ? But in vain, Like the Times, her
previous bad character, and the intrinsic circum.
stances of the case, would condemn her, and she
would be sent to spend her lonely hours on the
tread-milk--a station which I trust will shortly be
adorned by some of the managers of that vi;:nal print.
" Lady of the Strand#,' for the present I have
done with you. You will, as becomes you, take up
all the vile calumnies of the vile Orange press of
Ireland, and give them; on% in new editions to your
English readers. Latly of the Strand,' I defy you.
Calumny does net injure those who have no other
object in view but to do good to their country and
their kind; and who, devoid of personal motives
ar personal interests, are quite regardless of the
frowns of men in power and of the daggers of lite,
vary assassins,

(' I am, my dear Sir, your's faithfully,
Thn eS • ) " DANIEL O'CONNELL."
Wo have received a letter from Ireland with
the word " private" attached to it ; but as it
relates only to the public subject. ;Of agriculture,
and is signed anonymously " An old Subscriber
and Admirer of the Times," we have published
it, What he says about the Church, of which
he is not a member, is liberal, and liberalityin
one who has suffered persecution is rare and
commendable, The mention of the Church
however, provokes in us an inc inaticit to coin-
,

• By the way, we tame state that this poor baffled
scribbler seems as ignottint of place, as he is of fact and
sense: the Tint.A is published in a much more obsenre
place thsA the Strand : it is published in Watendani,
Times,

.-::,
~~_

'

municate to the public the fact, that some im- disposed than Parliament as a body, or the
patent changes are meditated, and even deter- IClergy, it may be questioned whether, without
mined on, with respect to. the Church : we do a Reform, it is not better that the Clergy
not speak of the reform of the ecclesiastical law, I should be led by corruption. Be this, how'.
for which purpose a commission had been ap- ever, as it may, it is not very likely that the
pointed, was objected to, and we believe is now 1 Government will easily part with such an effec-
remodelling, but with respect to the revenues of tive command over the Church as that which
the Church. The Duke of Wellington, we , its present corrupt state gives them. Parliament
believe, sees no reason why some of the Bishops lassembles in February and separates toward§
should not submit to a distribution of their ithe end of June. Little is done for some time
property, as the Judges submitted at no long after the commencement ; there are various in-
distance of time ago to a reduction. The Arch- terruptions through holidays, and long befbre
bishop of Canterbury is said to have an income, the close nothing fresh is entered on. During
though there is probably exaggeration in the busy part of the Session, we have to attend
the statement, of 36,0001. a year ; but he to the Hindoo Widows, to the affairs • of the
has undoubtedly great patronage, not in the Canadas, the Cape of Good Hope, the treat-
Church only, but in those Courts near us, of ment of our black fellow-subjects in the various
which we hope to see the extinction ; and some sugar colonies, the lonian Islands, private Bills
of this patronage we believe to be by law veil. by which property to a large amount is often
dible ! The Bishop of London's income " has affected—and then the remaining time is divided
increased, is increasing, and—ought to be di- between the consideration of the business of ad-
minished," his Grace thinks ; or at least ought ministration, and overtures for the reform of
trot to be suffered to increase to the degree that abuses. One Member succeeds in obtaining a
will be the case, if no impediments are thrown in House, and
a discussion takes place. Another
the way. We do not hastily enter into projects is baulked by a manoeuvre in preventing a House
of reform, and particularly are fearful of changes being made. A Member is not ready with his
in the Church ; but we have conversed with no Motion on the day for which he gave notice,
one on this subject who is not ardent for the and it is some time before he can find an open
success of the project. We ourselves are most day, or some other business, which it was thought
particularly anxious that the proceedings of that would occupy little time, cuts deep into the
vile old Bishop of whom we spoke some time evening, and the Member will not bring it on at
ago, should be examined by a Commission ; so late an hour ; and then the Session advances ;
and the more so, as we learn from a come- a few things are touched on, nothing is defini-
a
spondent in " the Isle," (whose further corn- tively fixed ; the Session closes, and matters
munications we solicit), that he is exactly pur- are left for the next, which will resemble its
suing the same course of brokerage, jobbing, predecessor. It may be said, then how do
removals. and changes, for a second son, that he ran you account for the two great measures,
through for the first ! We suppose he will loose the Repeal of the Test and Corporation
his hold when he sees this. What we would Acts and the Catholic Relief Bill ? The
wish now to know is, whether a person named Test and Corporation Acts' Repeal touched
Parke, once a Fellow and, we believe, Tutor of no man's pocket ; and as the pride of the Dis-
Pembroke-hall, in Cambridge, be still living, senters had been roused by Mr. Canning, a re-
and
what are the present addresses of two Fel- jection of their application might have been felt
lows, one of St. John's College, and the other pecuniarily by many Members of the House.—
of
Jesus, who were removed from, or accepted The other measure was a great achievement ; j
their fellowships on condition of resignation, and when the nature of our political machine is
without marriage, death', or succeeding to college considered, we question whether the Duke of
livings. If there be any part of the patronage of Wellington had not greater merit in it than in
the Church pure, it is that by which young men any of his strategical operations. Yet, after all,
of merit obtain fellowships first, and then sue- the difficulty was rather in the persuasion that it
reed to livings, without subserviency or obligation would not be successful, than in the extent of
to any one. Would that prebendaries, deaneries, interests affected by the measure. It is when
and bishoprics, were obtained in the same way ! you touch the pocket that you find your diffi-
But yet we fear that even this sacred course has culties thicken around you as you advance.—
been violated by the transactions to which some Touch the Brewers, for instance, and you will
of our inquiries above allude, to the eternal dis- see how the voices of all the patriots will be
grace of the masters of those societies in which hushed. It used to be said of Mr. Pitt's mode
the occurrences took place, who should have of making war, that instead of striking a blow at
appealed to the Chancellor, to the Parliament, a vital part, which would have been felt in the
to the world at large, rather than suffered them ! utmost extremities, he wasted the resources of
The pamphlet, of which we took such a notice the nation in captures of sugar islands and paltry
a short time ago, on Church Reform, has ob- enterprises, which had no effect on general re-
tained the attention it deserves: we have re- sults. We fear the same thing may be said of
ceived a second edition of it. We learn from the Reformers. We are all labouring at dif-
common report that its author is a clergyman, ferent points, and nothing is effected. So
named Berens, in Berkshire. We believe also long as Parliament remains constituted as it is,
that the present Ministry approve generally of and each body of Reformers confine their efforts
those moderate changes in the Liturgy which to separate grievances, little way will be made.
are suggested by the pious author. No one, we The public mind is no doubt enlightened by
presume, will deny his being a friend to the repeated discussions, and this is an advantage,
Church.—Times. the importance of which we are by no means
disposed to question. But till corruption be
The great consolation of all those who profit
struck in her vital part, she will always be able
by abuses in this country is, that the very multi-
to defy attempts at partial reform. We have
tude of them distracts Reformers, and renders it seen what one man has done in Ireland ; for we
almost impossible to succeed in any one hene- presume there can be little doubt that but for
ficial undertaking. The abuses, too, are so in- Mr. O'Connell, the Catholics would yet have
terwoven,—lend such aid to each other, that been unrelieved. Who knows but Parliamentary
each reformer is chiefly anxious to effect that Reform may yet find in England a man capable
particular reform on which he has set his mind ; of rousing the great body of the people to a
all who prey on ae community rush to the point sense of the vital importance of the question ;
which happens to be a:tacked for the time, and a man possessed of commanding talents, great
by their combined efforts succeed in repelling the energy and enthusiasm, and a restless perse-
assailante.--Let any man go carefully over the verance, equal to that displayed by Mr. O'Con-
List of Abuses, and attend to their history, and nell ? There are many able men in England,
he will soon satisfy himself as to the difficulty of but it is rare to find intellect, ardent daring, and
any Reform. Let us consider a few of them. restless activity united; and more especially in a
Can there be a greater abomination than the man in circumstances which would enable him
Licensing System ? Can any one who has read to act with effect. Rich men are generally de-
the printed Report of the speech of Mr. Barber ficient in perseverance, and if their moral prin.
Beaumont, at the Crown and Anchor, in 1818, ciples are not thoroughly unsound, they are sel-
the Reports of the Police Committee, the Pam- dom so comprehensive as to lead them to sym-
phlet of Dr. Edwards, and a number of other pathise with the whole nation. But let us not
publications, which have never been answered, despair. Because England has never yet had a
have the slightest doubt that a more abominable great Reformer, it does not follow that she may
abuse does not exist in any country?—" But then, not have one. We live in times which teem
(said Mr. B. Beaumont,) it has been said to with strange events.—Morning Chronicle.
me, consider the phalanx of wealth and
We would call the attention of the public, and
Parliamentary influence of the Brewers. Do
especially of those who are said at this time to
you think they will consent to anything
be engaged
in plan for the reform of our
some
which would lessen their profits ? Con-
Ecclesiastical Courts, to the pantomimic scene
sitter, too, the myriads of Justices we have—
which took place in Camberwell Church on Sun-
all the M.P.'s are Justices. However, vehe-
day last, on the occasion of some person "doing
meetly men may declaim against arbitrary.power
enance, as it is called, for some scandal upon
in the hands of others, they like to retain it when I)
a female. That any legal punishment should
they have got it in their own. All these will op-1
amount
c
ntto a burlesque, and that the place se-
pose a giving up of the arbitrary power in licens-
meted far its performance should be one of
Woreld
ena. Consider further the influence of these
s
two parties with the Minister, and you will find Divine I , affords but a sorry proof of
that intellectual advancement of which we of the
your objects hopeless."
Suppose you were
resent age are so apt to boast. The truth,
to reform the Magistracy—all those who profit however, is, that the practice is nothing more nor
by the arbitrary powers confided to them will
less than a relic of Romish superstition, and of
oppose you. The Brewer does not, perhaps,
that osterous system of Church govern-
share in the hostilities of the Baronet or 'Squire prep
to the poacher ; but he knows that the arbitrary ment in civil affairs from which the Reforma-
power gives the Commission its attraction to the lion sat us free, and is now retained, with
some other similar absurdities, only to put fees
_M.P.'s, and that the M.P.'s and other great
into the pockets of Proctors and Civilians. It
landholders give to the Magistracy the influencel
is true that such exhibitions have, in our time,
which upholds licensing. You wish to strike at
become extremely rare, because they are now no
the root of all the evils—the defective represen-
longer allowed to be commuted for in money—a
lotion in Parliament. Here again you find the
practice ohich had arisen, even since the Re-
Brewers, wino are identified with the Licensing
formation, to such a 'height that, in the reign of
Magistrates, possessed of a preponderating in-
Queen Anne, it was put a stop to by the Con-
fluence in a number of Corporations, and Par-
vocation. That Ecclesiastical Courts and Au-
liamentary Reform would destroy one of the
thorities should retain their power over certain
chief means by which they can turn their influ-
eceleaiastical offences—such as a non-residence,
once to account. You wish to see the Law re-
improper eonduct, or neglect of duty in any of
formed. Almost every man who can open his
the clergy—there can be but little objection—
mouth in Parliament is either interested in the
continuance of fees, or awed by those who are in- none, probably, if there were the least prospect
The of seeing it vigilantly and impartially exercised ;
fluenced. You want to reform the Church.
but as to this absurd subject of penance, it is
tithes, for instance, are a burth en on'the agriculture
never ihfli cted but for a civil injury ; and for
of the country, and a grievous tax on the cons- i
every civilinjury there is, or ought to be, a
;flunky at large—a tax which increases with the
remedy provided in the Common Law Courts.
increased difficulty in obtaining food for the
Vs 'e trust, :therefore, that among the reforms
people—and you want a permanent eeettle-
ment with regard to them. There is hardly which are called to the notice of the Commis-
siooera, said to be just appointed for the purpose,
a man in Parliament who is not sensible of the
they will not neglectl the duty. of doing away
evil; but who will dare to provoke the enmity
of- the Church ? Besidos, one evil renders rt with this miseraole relict of priestcraft and sti-
difficult to dispense with another. The quail- peretition. Even were. there no. other objection.
zation of Bishoprics, and other reforms io the to it, tire conversion of a mine into a tragi-
interior of the Church, would deprive Ministers comedy, and the Church into. the theatre for its I
of the command of the Bench of Bishops; they perfo..r.mance, must b.e. s. officient to show both its j
i mouthy and its mischievous ondency.—Morn-
now possess. Bunt whoever attends to the his- i -
tory of this country..must see that to the rank ing Herald.
corruption in the Church we are indebted for The Brussels mail has brought us an account
what little support the Hanoverian Govern- of the sitting of the States-General of the Ne-
meot received from it ; and that had there been 1 therlends on the 1I th inst., and also a copy of
an equaliaatiun of Bishoprics, the Bishops the King's message to them, and a new project
as well as the Parish Clergy would have been ,of 'a law relative to the press. For some time
Jacobites,' and' we should, consequentl3, have past there has been no small dissension in the
had the whole influence of the Church in fa- I dominions of the King of the Netherlands re-
vour of the Stuarts. As the spirit of the ! specting the liberty of the press, and great
Church is generally bad, and the Committee of tyranny exercised towards individuals, who, in
parliament forming the Ministry is often better ii the opinion of the King and his Judges, had

offended against the law. The new project is
intended to do away with the alleged offence's
against the press; but appears to us to be con-
ceived in a spirit by no means likely to conci-
liate the opposition party in the Netherlands.
The provisions of the project are, in fact, utterly
at variance with constitutional liberty. The acts
of the Government, it says, may be discussed
with temper; but the King is not to be men-
tioned, nor any of the members of the Royal
Family, in an objurgative manlier, short of the
punishment of imprisonment for two or five
years. The heads of the Ministerial department,
and also the Members of the States General,
with a view to depreciate the existing loans, or
the authority of the Government," are to
be protected in a similar manner ; and the re-
petition of the offence is to be punished by in-
creasing the penalty one-half ! This sinister
project against the liberty of the press has ex-
cited a general outcry of disapprobation; and the
journals of the provinces are filled with remarks
upon it, which have as little of conciliation in
them as could well be imagined. There is ano-
ther matter also mentioned in the Brussels
Papers which, in conjunction with the preced-
ing, ought not to pass unnoticed. His Majesty
of the Netherlands, it appears, had no small
ground for dreading that the budget for the pre-
sent year would be rejected by the Chambers;
and he has accordingly found means to persuade
the people of the good city of Amsterdam to
advance him a loan of one hundred millions of
florins, in case the budget should be rejected.
From this measure the spirit of the King of the
Netherlands, and his love of constitutional free-
dom, may be fairly judged. A similar attempt
at getting rid of the power of Parliament cost
one Monarch his head in this country, and ano-
ther the expatriation of himself and family.—
Morning Advertiser.