The Sun.
London, England, 1827-02-20 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—May I request, through the medium of your valuable
Paper, to be informed by what Act of Parliament, a Jew, sitting
as a Juryman in a Civil cause, is sworn in the name of " Jehovah,"
instead of that. of " God ?"
I am, Sir, your Constant Reader,
Feb. 17th, 1827. • W.

Wzirtzt,o4o.. „
6.;\

LONDON,
TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 20, 1827.

We are extremely concerned to state that the Earl of
LIVERPOOL continues much the same to-day as yester-
day. Sir ASTLEY COOPER was in attendance upon
the Noble Earl two hours this morning before a con-
sultation took place. The Noble Earl was able to
articulate a little this morning, and passed a more quiet
night than the preceding one. After the consultation,
which was over at half-past one o'clock, the following
Bulletin was issued :

" Fife House, Feb. 20, 1827.
" Lord Liverpool passed the early part of last night comfortably.
His Lordship is much the same to-day as he was yesterday."

To our inquiries at half-past two o'clock this after-
noon the answer was—that no apparent alteration had
taken place.

The accounts from Brighton of Mr. CANNING
continue to be favourable.

We are happy to find that the statement which we
made in a Second Edition of our Paper last night, of
the Death of his Royal Highness the Duke of CUM-
BERLAND has not been fully confirmed. The intelli-
gence which we published had its origin in a letter re-
ceived yesterday at the Foreign Office, from a person
attached to the British Embassy at Berlin, dated the
6th inst., which said, " the king of PRUSSIA is re•
covering from the effects of his late accident, as is the
Duke of CUNIBERLAND, from his severe cold and in-
flammation of the chest ;" and the intelligence received
additional confirmation from Lord STRANGFORD
having stated that a Messenger, charged with the
despatches announcing this event, had mentioned it on
the road. There are therefore still serious apprehen-
sions entertained of the correctness of the informa-
tion, but we shall be happy to be able to contradict it
entirely.

It would be worse than useless to speculate upon
the Ministerial arrangements which are likely to be
made iu consequence of the loss to the country of the
valuable services of the Earl of LIVERPOOL. We
believe that nothing is finally settled: but as the health
of Mr. CANNING is gradually advancing towards
recovery, we may fairly calculate that the Right Hon.
Gentleman will himself be able to assume that direct-
ing influence over the Councils of his MAJESTY which
will lead to a speedy adjustment of the new arrange-
ments. In the mean time we shall only allude to a
rumour in general circulation to-clay, thar Mr. CAN-
NING is to be First Lord of the Treasury and Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, and that Mr. ROBINSON or
Mr. PEEL will be called up to the House of Peers.

The business of the two Houses of Parliainent pro-
ceeded last night, notwithstanding the absence of the
chief Members of his MAJESTY'S Government, and
we are glad to find that there is no intention to ad-
journ, as had been reported, but that an arrangement
has been made that none but ordinary business should
be for the present entered upon.
A feeble attempt was made to renew the opposition
to the additional grant to the Duke of CLARENCE.
The Marquis of TAVISTOCK opposed the grant,
but in doing so ridiculed the idea that 9,0001.
a-year would be felt by the country. Mi. HumE
made a violent harangue against the measure, which
was more calculated to exite the feelings of the lower
classes out of doors than to convince the judgment of
those to whom it was addressed ; but the Hon. Gen-
tleman was so ably answered by Mr. MAURICE FITZ-
GERALD, the Knight of Kerry, who characterized his
arguments as an attempt to delude the people, and to
excite their passions, that it was not necessary for his
Majesty's Ministers to say a word upon the subject.
The question was then carried ; and the Army Esti-

niates were voted in the Committee of Supply, without
any one item being considered by the House as ob-
jectionable.

By an extract of a private letter from Lisbon, we
have the following information :---" It has, I under-
stand, been decided that Lord BERESFORD is not to
have any command civil or military, in consequence of
an infatuated attachment which he has long had for the
female part of a Family here who are of the QUEEN'S
party, and who have influenced him in many matters,
which made him obnoxious to the people. He then-
fore goes home, and I believe General CLINTON iv to
have the command of the Portuguese Army."

We understand that reports have reached town,
.estComthpeaonbyjects of his that Captain
o accomplishedrt-
k throughAN K
LI over-
landthe expedition, and had fallen in with, and embarked
on board, his Majesty's ship Blossom, which had been
N had North-rest v,
sent for the purpose of meeting him in Behring's
Straits. It is added that some of the party who were
with him had retraced their steps by their original
route.

We were not a little astonished on perusing the speech
made by a Noble Viscount, on presenting a Petition from
the Catholics of Liverpool, on Friday night in the House
of Peers, to find a recommendation to Catholic Lords to
take the oaths at present established for Peers of Parlia-
ment, although they could not do so conscientiously, and
thus to take their seat in the House by means of Perjury!!
His Lordship, with more wit than sense, quotes the two
following lines of HUDIBRAS to justify this course :

" Tie he who makes the oath that breaks it ;
Not he that for convenience takes it ;"
and exclaimed, with what we would stile flippancy, •if we
might apply such a term to the language of any Noble.
Lord, " How astonished would some of their Lordships
be at the appearance in the House of those Noble persona."
The astonishment of their Lordships would indeed be
great, though perhaps not greater than that excited by
such a recommendation from a Nobleman of rank, and
while advocating the admission of Catholics to all privi-
leges enjoyed by others. Really the friends of a good
cause often injure it by the folly of their arguments; and
in no case has the truth of this adage been more com-
pletely verified than in respect to the Catholic Claims.
The violence and intemperence of some of the leading ad-
vocates of this question have excited fears in the minds of
many, who originally were not altogether unfriendly to
qualified concession; and the disregard to the sacred obli-
gation of an oath now recommended by Lord CLIFDEN
in his place in the House of Peers, is not calculated to re-
move the apprehensions of those who question the object*
and designs of some of the supporters of Catholic Eman-
cipation. We have advocated the admission of the present
Catholic Lords to the House of Peers, but not by means
which would be a violation of principle and decorum; and
we are convinced that no men will condemn the recommen-
dation of his Lordship as indecorous, more strongly than
those ancient and high minded Noblemen who have
adhered to the religion of their ancestors with conscien-
tious fidelity.

We have been prevented by the press of matter
from offering any remarks on the Debate of Thursday,
regarding Emigration—a Debate conducted with a
manifest desire on the part of the speakers to lessen the
sum of national misery, and not merely to promote the
influence of their respective parties. instead of ex,
erting ingenuity in the defence of abuses, as was too
common with placemen some years ago, we now find
official characters originating plans of improvement,
and thus depriving the Opposition of their popularity,
by leaving them little to find fault with. An Under-
Secretary, alive to the distresses of the lower classes.'
would, indeed, have been an extraordinary phenomenon
in any part of the last century. But on this occasion,
both sides of the House agreed in bestowing the
highest encomiums on the zeal and industry which
Mr. WILMOT HORTON has displayed in prosecuting .
this; important subject.

With regard to the plan itself, we may remark that
it at first strikes one as involving an expense of startling
amount, for one of its advocates talks of twenty mil-
lions as the probable expense of transporting to Ame-
rica a million of colonists. This is, indeed, a large.
sum to lay out, at least without some sufficient
guarantee against the speedy recurrence of the same.
evils, from a continuation of the system of small free-
holds in Ireland, and the acknowledged principle of po-
pulation to supply rapidly what has been suddenly sub-
tracted, independently of the probable effects of a free
trade in corn. We hate the character of dampers (or
desponding croakers), but although Mr. W. HORTON
has displayed great research and ingenuity, in meet
ing many of the probable difficulties of the case,
we cannot help fearing that he has still overlooked
some of them. Is it unreasonable to fear, since com-
pulsion is out of the question, that the perversity
of human nature, may prevent men from accepting
when offered to them, that which may be palpably for
their benefit, and which seemed highly desirable when
not within reach ? Besides, a sudden demand for
the necessary quantity of shipping would raise
freights in a manner sufficient to upset' calcula-
tions made at the existing rates. No doubt great
advantages would accrue to our Trans-Atlantic pos-
sessions from this scheme. Such an addition to
the population would be a tower of strength to
the Canadas, situated as they are in the immediate
vicinity of a powerful empire, fully aware of their im-
portance,—but still who can say that the unfortunate
issue of a war might not prove all this money to have
been thrown away ? Whereas, if twenty millions, or
half that sum, were laid out in public works at home,
in intersecting England with magnificent canals, worthy
of so rich a nation, and which would pay themselves,
(such as that projected between London and Ports-
mouth) no such risk would be incurred, and occu-
pation would be given to a vast multitude of our
starving population. What an incalculable benefit is.
the Caledonian Canal likely to confer on the northern
parts of Scotland. Sixty miles in length, joining the
East and West seas, and fit for the reception of fri-
gates,
it exhibits a proud monument of national en-
terprize, with every probability of soon paying interest
for the outlay by its rates, in addition to the indirect
tribute which it at present yields. Or the two schemes
might be adopted simultaneously, and might harmo-
nize admirably.
We cannot, however, quit this subject without quot-
ing from 111r.:W. HORTON'S speech, the case of the
Parish of Shipley, in Sussex, exemplifying the•possible
consequences of the apparently humane Poor Laws of