LECTURE ON EDMUND BURKE.

Colonist, Issue 71, 25 June 1858, Page 3

LECTURE ON EDMUND BURKE.

The Rev. Isaac New, Baptist minister, delivered on Monday eveqing, May 31, in the Hall of the Mechanics Institution, Melbourne, the fifth of a series of lectures; The audience was a large oue, upwards of four or five hundred persous being present. '.._-.

The lecturer said that the subject of this evening's lecture was Edmund Burke,; as although it might be regarded as-arrogant in one" so humble, to become his eulogist, yet he thought he might stand before them without a blush. Burke Was one oft.be greatest Statesmen England ever produced. The thenie might occupy him for days without exhausting it, and it was With great difficulty that he was able to compress, his observations within a narrow sp.tcei Burko' was au Irishman, being born in Dublin, in 1780. His father waa a solicitor. When but a child j his health was delicate. At .school he was j diligent arid strenuous; but tint lofty intellect which subsequently shone forth was but little exhibited. He entered Trinity College, Dublin, at the age of 15, and bore away the usual honors of the college. Being destined for the English bar,, he .went to London to keep his term. Arising partly from his health, and, partly from the study, which was uncongenial to his tastes, he abandoned his legal pursuit, and next turned to write for the periodicals bf the day. The lecturer th§h referred to his literary effusions, till by his efforts in writing the sublime and beautiful, he lost his health. This it was that induced him to visit Bath, where he became acquainted with the inimitable Miss (Nugent, who was destined to become the

partner of his life. In 1758 was born his darling son, who awakened isi his father's bosoiri anticipations that were never realised. Fairly to estimate Burke, we should remember that the age-in which he lived also produced Grattan, Pitt, Flood, and many others, whose names adorn the pages of history. We soon find him in the Capacity of Secretary in Ireland. He was next brought into' coriuexiou wii.h American affairs during the Rockingham administration; In the constitutional history of England there are four sects who have always contended for power. The Tories have now almost passed away. Such as do exist are re-

;nark;ib'!e • for Yank grandiloquent expression^ about royalty and the -... Biitisb Constitution. They are generally the old jolly country gentlemen whom we may meet at. the neighbouring towns on market / days; on the bench, on the giand juries—looking-but for some good bertha for their children in either ariiiy or navy. They love good feeding, and, the only remedy they suggest for popular outcries is tke point of the sword. The Hadicu!s come ne,\t. They are ' distant from the Tories in principles as heaven is, from earth. The paraphernalia of royalty they would .sweep away as if it were an empty pageant. Their schemes are impracticable. This section includes the young, and such as are more clever in talking than profound in thinking. He wished his audience would not infer bis political sentiments from his observe tions on these parties. The Whig theory of Government is "■.founded on the Bill of Right?. They have, ever been distinguished f»r keeping in check tlie royal prerogative. They have sometimes uttered magnificent *promiies about public liberty when out of office, but when in, they are generally timid. With all their faults, they have done gaud service to the country. The Conservatives have' done l good service, but also any approaches trenching on (he constitution they look .upon as sacrilege; They attach great importance to public opinion, .before; whicli;|they always bow with dignified 1 submission. Sir-.Robert Peel belonged to this sect. They always;.nphol'd..the majesty of the law: this-.'political:.'i&iticm has reckoned some great statesmen amongst its members, of whom we may reckon Edm.unicl Burke; There wera three periods in Burke'siciareer:—The Aniericaii affairs; the Indian affaira, and the First RevO^ ludon.'.Tho Excheqiier of England at the first period was exhausted.' They looked to America to replenish their resources, but they were mistaken. These great people would not consent to 'the sacrifice of a great political principle, which, if they did so, their" influence ' would be for ever gone. Lord North's tax on imported tea, led to. one of the most inglorious and iniquitous wars that. England was ever eDgaged in. This subject brought out Burked lateat powers—this cost him his seat at Wendmer. But receiving an invitation to stand for Bristol, lie was triumphantly returned. This Jectmer having then alluded to the infatuated policy which scattered its seeds of disaffection amongst our colonists; and, finally, th« separation, notwithstanding the eloquent pleading of Burke in favor of reconciliatioi)/the lecturer next procaeded to give a brief sketch of India at this period. It was difficult to conceive a more disturbed, stats of things than existed thtre between the years 1740 and 1750. Clivo was sent out about that time to fill a subordinate position in a country, in which his achievements were to outshine those of the mythical heroes of ancient Romo. At the same time there was also growing up at Daylesford a modest youth, who, in 1750, embarked for Bengal as a clerk. This man, than whom no other, except Clive, did more towards consolidating British power in India, subsequently arose to be the GoveruorGeneralrcf India. He then gave a graplio description of the history of Hastings—his recal and his impeachment, the management of which was intrusted to Burke, who carried it, on for seven years with a brilliancy and grandeur of intellect that never flagged. The lecturer, after reading some long extracts from Mr. Macaulay's essay on the life of Warren Hastings, proceeded to give a shdrt sketch of the great French Revolution, and thd melancholy sacrifice of friendship .that -his opinions respecting that hideous outbreak of human violence led to, viz., the groat separation between himself and Fox. He next alluded to that masterpiece of pathetic composition—- • Burkes splendid Eulogium on the Queen of France; aqd quoted sevoiai passages from the speeches and writings of Erskine and Cumberland, shewing the high value set "on his produo-" tions. But the hour of darkness was now approaching; His only and affectionate son in whom the happiness of bdth parents seemtd to centre, was soun to be taken from him. ■ The father had long regarded him aa a companion and friend, and latterly began to prefer his Opinions to his o*n. He was 3G years old, anil was secretary to Lord FuzwiKiam, when consumption revealed iteelf as a confirmed disease ; the unswerving dart was how shot, and death . claimed its victim Tl c effect of this sad event was terrific'to'Burk'e; he abandoned himself to" all the agony of grief and wretchedness, and refused to be consoled. His powers were henceforth shattered. Yet such was I heir elasticity, that they some years afterwards rt<hvered, for a time, somewhat of their former" tone. The lecturer next gave a short sketch of the remaining years cf his life till his death; which took'place at Baconsfield. In the parish church of this little village, his remains wera deposited beside those of his brother, and his" only^and afteetionate son. Bill of Salb.—We clip the following from it ' late' number of the Sydney HeratJ of 21st April:— Court of Requests.—£3o Jurisdiction.—Tuesday 21st April.—Before the Commissioner and Messrs; Rowland and C. • Iludd, assessors. Symons v.,Perry;— This was an action, in which the plaintiff ■ ' sought td recover.£3o from the defendant a debt alleged to have, accrued- under the following circumstances :—ln January, 1857, the plaintiff obtained a bill of Sale for £>S0 over tho furniture of a person named Humphrey. Four months afterwards Humphrey became insolvent; and the defendant in this action, as official- assignee of the estate,seized and sold the goods.. It was to reefer tlie balance of the furniture thus sold that, tfye present action was brought. The evidence of the. plaintiff wctlf; to show that having received £30, • before the insolvency, he made llumphrey bailiff in regard to" his remainingl claim, that after the goods wt^'e seized he sent defendant a notice not to, sell v . A witness was called for the plaintiff who' proved that some time before the insolvency he took, an inventory of the goods by the instructions of plaintiff, and gave them in charge to John Humphrey. No evidence was called for the defence, but the defendant's attorney contended that thd,' law required that, to give the holder of a bill of sale.a superior claim to an insolvent estate, it must, be shown that there was an actual transfer of the goods, some other person beside the insolvent having possession before the insolvency. His Honor directed the assessors that they were, to decide whether or not there was a real resumption of the property by the plaintifF before the insolvency. If they Were to find that the resumption was real and not collusive, the plaintiff Would be entitled to a verdict. The court found for the defendant. Attprney .for the plantiff, Mr. Templeton; for the defendant, Mr. "Stephen. Thh Colonies and thb Patriotic Fund.— Up to the 31st of December last the amount contributed by the polonies of Givat Britian towards the Patriotic Fund was £315,389. Australia figures for, £140,118, Canada for £29,708, tbe Cape for £9,520, Ceylon for £-J,514, Guiana for £4,064, Hong Kong for £2,239, India for £3i;i56, \New Brunswick for £7,294, New Zeav land for £8,706, and Nova Scotia for £6,472. Twenty-two Russian gun's have been sent at trophies (20 to panada and two to Victoria.) A Swiss bishop is to be made a cardinal. For the last thi'ee centuries the mountains of Helvetiahad contributed largely to tbe army of- tho Pope, but no Son of the land of Tell had taken his seat in the saercd conclave*.