GOVERNOR THORNTON AND THE JERSEYMEN.
SOME recent proceedings of General THORNTON, Lieutenant-Governor of the island of Jersey, are well worthy the attention of Lord DUN- CANNON. The conduct of that person since lie was appointed to the Governorship has been such as to disgust the more respectable inhabi- tants of the island. Indeed he appears to be universally unpopular, and deservedly so. The gentry refuse to associate with him, and the ple- beians hiss and hoot him even in a court of justice. A fortnight ago, we inserted a paragraph abridged from one which ap- peared in the Times, relating to the suspension of Colonel LE BRETON from the command of the St. Hellier Battalion of the Militia of Jersey, a fine corps of six hundred effective men, by the order of Governor THORNTON. The pretence for this proceeding was an alleged disrespect on the part of the Colonel, contained in a paragraph of a letter addressed to Governor THORNTON, in which allusion was made to his irregular ap- pointments and promotions in the Militia. The charge was made the sub- ject of inquiry before the Royal Court, a civil tribunal converted for th.1, purpose into a military one ; and Colonel LE BRETON was put upon hits trial. Between the bringing and trial of the charge, however, the Gover- nor caused the order for suspending the Colonel to be read at the head of each division of the Militia, with a long string of apologetical reasons for what he had done. The trial came on on the 26th of last month ; and so perfectly frivolous and absurd was the charge, that the Governor's own advocate avowed it to be untenable, and advised the Court to dismiss it. Colonel LE BRETON made a temperate defence; the Governor was allowed to plead his own cause, which he did in an exceedingly humble strain ; and the Court gave in a decision commendatory of the Colonel's conduct, and by implication strongly censuring that of the Governor. They also ordered that their decree should be read at the head of each division of the Militia, by way of retaliation for the hasty proceeding of General THORNTON. But this will not be done at present, as that per- sonage has forbid any Militia muster. It was on the conclusion of this tri:11 that the Governor was hissed.
We have read accounts of the proceedings in three Jersey papers : they all agree in essential particulars ; and leave no room to doubt that the Governor is held in almost universal contempt and dislike. He seems to be an exceedingly indiscreet and petulant math; quite incom- petent to the proper performance of his duties. There can be no sound public reason why he should be continued in the Governorship ; it is a sufficient cause for his removal that he has lowered the dignity of his office by his recent conduct in the affair which we have briefly detailed, and that he is personally disagreeable to the influential and well-educated part of the Jerseyan population. Let Lord DUNCANNON inquire into the circumstances we have referred to, and judge for him- self what course is most politic and proper to pursue.
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