The Sun. — 1851-02-15 (London, England)

PLEA FOR BEARDS.  A correspondent of the Weekly News, calling himself MET'a.Po?,ri, and, writing upon the abomination of shaving, says :  " Why should men cut cuff what nature has given them for use, comfort, ornament, and as a distinguishing characteristic of their sex ? Is shaving a pleasing operation ? " If the choice lay between two evils, something might be urged in favour of the custom of shaving; but I do most strenuously contend that the beard is a, positive good. It is useful, for it affords naturally what we are forced to supply artificially—warmth and protection to the throat. If the fashion of wearing the beard were to come in, we should have no more sore throats. It is ornamental—if you doubt it, look at Cardinal Bembo's picture—at the portraits of Titian, Shakspere, Fletcher, Spans er, Chaucer, Alfred, Plato. I could name a great man who wore a beard, for every hair which I painfully shaved off this morning. It sets off the face as in a frame ; it gives dignity, and conveys the idea of strength, decision, manliness, depth of intellect, solidity—in short, everything may be said in its favour— nothing against it. 'What!' I hear a fair friend exclaim, would the wretch have our husbands, our brothers, our 80138, and our r ephews, wear nasty beards, and look like Frenchmen?' Certainly not, Madam; and one reason why we should not look like Frenchmen is, that our beards would not be nasty. If we ceased to shave, we should not cease to use soap and water, and I will venture to say that the English beard would be the cleanest, glossiest, handsomest thing in the world. Besides, the beard which I advocate is the beard given us by nature, in the form in which she has caused it to grow. I would not have it touched by the razor; let the scissors curtail and shape it when too exuberant : but my cry is, a Las the razor 1' You very seldom see a foreigner with the beard, the whole beard, and nothing but the beard. Ile shaves off his whiskers, or his moustache, or in some way or other manages to di figure himself. Now, what I want is, the whole or none. Once admit that the use of the razor may be advantageous to some extent, and I am as far off my end as ever. Dear Madam, you know not the pains of shaving, and the beauties of the beard. _  " This may be all very well for you,' observes a jurenis imberbis ; but supposing you are not blessed with a beard fit to be seen..' Supposing, my dear young friend, you are not blessed with a handsome nos% .vle that any reason why others should cut off their rot nasal promontories, whether they be well formed or honour, Surely no. I declare to you, sir, upon my word. of 'Measure if it were the fashion to wear no noses, I would wuit 'n that once submit to the pain of the operation of amp t sell against the butfl:asure feature, if I could by so doing Insure of the beard. misery attendant upon the daily amPutow' the smooth-faced The hairy Esau sold his birthright time would have the Jacob. The Jacobs of the ininociler seeosvate fortheir the sacrifice, so they offer not, as a bribe to,camp el Esaus of these days divest the sof beards, but much as a mess of  ....._ ---;---------__ _, . Right Hon. the • consented to preside at a meeting of Lord Mayor having . CommERCS.---lh.e TRIBUNALS (1)--.F nts and others to consider the above important subproprietors of the Hall of Commerce having large room fur the purpose, a meeting wilt lie held there on Wednesday, the 19th iust., jest, trreallid offeredtlie and the following Members of Parliament have joined the committee, of which Lord Wharncliffe is the president:— Sir James Duke, Bart., Joseph Hume, Esq., Robert S. Tennent, EFq , John McGregor, Esq., Arthur Anderson, Esq, John Williams, Fsq., William Scholfield, Esq., J. Lewis Ricardo, Esq., and Jacob Bell, Esq.  A soldier of the 92d Ilighlar&rs, named James Grandison, committed suicide, on Saturday last, at the barracks, Kilkenny, by shooting himself through the head with his own musket. It appears that the poor fellow had suddenly received an account of his father's death, and that his mother had been ill-treated at home by another son, and this affected his mind.