matter of form, to be used to their own advantage. Police, Sir his eye on his men-nine of them-four of whom were on one, and five on the other, side of the road-all the time; and an inspector took his oath that he had chosen the defendant because he was a "firm and determined" man-by which, he said, he meant only a man who would do his duty. The fact that neither the inspector nor the other constables saw the defendant commit the assault by no means proves him guiltless. That Miss Archer did not recognize the defendant on the first occasion must be attributable to anything but his innocence, seeing in how marked a manner she recognized him afterwards. The inspector's testimony is worth nothing, and the sergeant's worth less. And really it is too much to be told seriously, that a case of this kind is to be turned out of court, because a young girl under twenty does not know the precise name of the locality in which the assault took place. But apart from all this, it is certain that an assault was committed upon Miss Archer by a policeman. Neither the magistrate nor the defendant's solicitor for a moment questioned her statement in this respect. Surely, then, there can be no difficulty in getting at the man; and surely it is a mockery of Chief Com- justice for the Commissioners of Police to refer to the magismissioner of trate a charge against a particular individual, when it is in their power to assemble the men who were on duty at this part of Charing-cross, and get at the truth by placing them all on their defence. Miss Archer and her friends can wish for nothing more, supposing that she has been mistaken. And upon public grounds, independent altogether of what she has suffered, the commissioners are bound to get at the culprit. The mode they have chosen for the investigation of this matter conduces to the basest mode of shielding a comrade; and so long as it is adopted in similar cases, the administration of justice, where a constable is defendant, must be contemptible.-Morning Advertiser, 9th May, 1856. sistant Commissioners W. Harris, Esq., and Capt. Douglas W. P. Labalmon diere screen a police assassin. HOUSE OF COMMONS AND THE POLICE, 9TH MAY, 1856. THE RECENT POLICE OUTRAGE. In reply to a question from Mr. BOWYER, Sir GEORGE GREY stated, in respect to the case of Miss Archer, that he was aware a charge had been made against a constable ference of a public ser for an assault upon her, and he learned that on hearing the case Cool indifit was not proved against the constable, because it appeared the constable had not been identified. He had had no communica- vant at a dastardly tion with the magistrate; for, unless complaint were made in the act of a case, it was not necessary for him to have such. No complaint Policeman. having been made, he had no right to suppose that anything wrong had been done; but as a complaint had now been made, he had considered it his duty to inquire into the matter, and the result of his inquiries had been that he had no right to impugn the justice of the magistrate's decision. THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION OF 1688 CONDEMNED OXFORD'S "SPEM GREGIS," WE learn, with unfeigned regret, that symptoms unmistakeably dangerous have manifested themselves in the youth of Oxford's University. Will it be credited, that in the "University Debating Society" a notice is registered on the books for the next night's debate,-"That the Revolution of 1688 was bad in itself and pernicious in its results ?" (!) It is further announced, that the student who moves this most un-Protestant and most un-English proposition is a nephew of the Bishop of Oxford."-Downpatrick Protestant. The ne phew of the Oxford and Bishop of the revolu tion of 1688. HOUSE OF LORDS AND LEGALIZED MURDER. THE Bishop of Oxford moved for a select committee to inquire into the present mode of carrying into effect capital punishment. He contended that the present system had a demoralizing tendency, and that there should be no more publicity in the execution than would be necessary to satisfy the public that the penalty had been enforced.—Morning Advertiser, 9th May, 1856. The Inquisition modo desired by the Bishop, of murder of Oxford !! murder. The Bishops ention law. A SPEECH IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AGAINST Or all things that were started to hinder the success of the last Parliament, and is like to be so great a stumbling-Llock in the next, that of the bishops voting in the case of blood was, and will be, the chief. Now, they that deny that the bishops have right to vote in case of blood, do labour under two great difficulties; first, because this is a new thing-at least, it is very long since the like case has come into debate-and next, because they are put to prove a negative, which is a great disadvantage. But truth will appear from under all the false glosses and umbrages that men may draw over it, and I doubt not to make it evident that the bishops have no right to vote in case of blood at least, I hope I shall not be guilty of obstinacy if I do not alter my opinion till what I have to say be answered. It is strange the bishops are so jealous of their cause as not to Diez, the adventure it on their great Diana, the canon law, by which they are expressly forbidden to meddle in case of blood. Perhaps they would do by the canon law as it is said by the idolators in the Old Testament, that of part of the timber they made a God and fell down and worshipped it, the rest of it they either burnt in the fire or cast to the dunghill; for they tell you the canon law was abolished at the Reformation, and that none brt Papists yield obedience to it, and therefore now they are not tied up by the canon law, but may sit and vote in case of blood The Bishops if they please. I should be very glad if they were as averse to popery in everything else, and particularly that they would leave ceremonies indifferent, and not contend so highly for them, Pwork whereby they make the breach wider and heighten the differences steffe among Protestants, in the doing of which they do the pope's work most effectually. I wish they would consent to have a new book of canons; for those that are now extant are the old popish I like bishops very well; but I wish that bishops were of End reduced to their primitive institution; for I fear whilst there is in England a Lord Bishop, the Church will not stand very steadily. But I will leave this (though I need say no more) and proceed to other things that are very clear, as I conceive. of the United Kingdom do the inally. The Clerc, canons. sted Steady wile there is a Lord Bishop. My Lord Coke in the second part of his Institutes, the first chapter, treating of Magna Charta, when he reckons up the The obser vation of Lord Coke when he reckoned up the pri the Church. privileges of the Church, he tells us that clergymen shall not be elected or have to do in secular office; and therefore he tells us that they are discharged of such and such burdens that lay persons were subject to; and good reason it should be so, that they might with greater ease and security attend the business of yes of their function, that is, to govern and instruct the Church. But whether they had these immunities granted them that they might study the pleas of the Crown and law cases, or else that they might apply themselves to the work of the ministry, let any man judge; for saith he, Nemo militans Deo implicit se negotiis secularibus: (No one fighting for God may mix himself up with worldly affairs). And if to sit and judge in case of blood be not a secular matter, I have no more to say, and I hope my lord Coke's authority will be allowed. IMPROVIDENCE OF PUBLIC SERVANTS WITH THE ITS ABUSES, RESULTS, AND ONLY EFFECTIVE CURE. The g'o rious Revo lution of 1688. ofic toast. The Bri tish Consti TIME out of mind, or, if not quite so far back as that, ever since "the Glorious Revolution of 1688," Britons have been accustomed to consider themselves the greatest, the most powerful, the most civilized, the most intellectual, the most enterprising, and the most industrious of all people; their country as that most favoured by heaven with all the requisites for material prosperity; and their institutions, political, civil, religious, and moral, as the very perfection of human wisdom, liberty, and virtue. All this is implied, and more, in the good. The patriold standing toast which was wont to set so many tables "in a roar" of patriotic enthusiasm, though it has fallen into comparative desuctude of late. "The British constitution-the envy of surrounding nations, and the admiration of the world." Recent events have somewhat damped this spirit of national and individual glorification; but the feeling embodied in the toast was not merely that of festive meetings, or an idea vaguely floating in the minds of Britons, to be called into actual expression on such occasions only. Grave writers, in learned and statistical disquisitions, have seriously asserted this imaginary superiority, with all the earnestness of apparent conviction. Amongst these patriotic optimists stands 'or stood pre-eminent tution," berlayne's account of England. The patriot "Edward Chamberlayne, Doctor of Laws," who, in his "ANGLLE optimist Dr. Cham- NOTITIA or the Present State of England," of which a nineteenth edition, dedicated to King William III., was published in the year 1700, begins his labour of love and adulation, by describing England as "the better part of the best island in the whole world." (Part I. chap. i.) Coming to his description of the islanders, a little further on, we find them to be, in every respects, befitting such a fortunate locality. On them he descants as follows: Description of the natives of England. "The natives of England, by reason of the temperate climate, mild air, plenty of wholesome food, and the use of beer, rather than wine, are commonly tall and big of stature; if compared with Southern nations. They are fair, especially the women, whose beauties are lasting, shapes fine, mien agreeable, air sweet and charming. Both sexes are here well proportioned in body, and graceful in carriage; grave, well spoken, prudent, modest, free, sincere, pleasant, ingenious. The men are strong, courageous, warlike (bellicosissimi, saith Bodin, the French politician), resolute, enterprising, not knowing how to fly in battle; liberal to prodigality; open-hearted, hard to be provoked, yet when exasperated stomach-full till satisfaction be given, and then they are easy to be reconciled. They are sumptuous and splendid, great lovers of hospitality, magnanimous and beneficent, learned, sagacious, grateful. They are thought to be wanting in industry (excepting mechanics, wherein they are of all nations the greatest improvers ;) caution, suspicion, craft, obsequiousness, and, which is most of all to be deplored, contentedness; but these wants are supplied by many eminent qualifications, as dexterity, sagacity, eloquence, fidelity, friendship, public-spiritedness, &c. The daringness of the soldier, the profoundness of the scholar, the magnificence of the gentry, the robustness of the labourer, are not surpassed, if equalled, by any people of the world." Firing with his theme, the worthy Doctor of Laws cites what he terms "the transcendent eulogies" of ancient and modern writers, who called England "the granary of the Western World, the seat of Ceres," &c., with valleys like Eden, hills like Lebanon, springs like Pisgah, rivers like Jordan, a "paradise of pleasure, and the garden of God;" winding up with this rhapsodical apostrophe: "Oh happy and blessed Britain! above all countries in the world, nature hath enriched thee with all blessings of Heaven and earth! Nothing in thee is hurtful to man's life. Nothing |