Star. — London, England, 1828-10-15 00:00:00

TO THE RIGHT HON. LORD HARRIS. Masted, Oct. 12, 1 828. MY LORD—In common with every friend to Catholic Emancipation, I am obliged to you for the letter you have sent to The Kentidt Gazette of last Friday ; as it is something tangible, and gives me a fair opportunity of advocating, as far as I am able, the just cause of civil and religious liberty. But I certainly regret, that a man of your high honour and principle, should view this momentous subject in the way you do; particularly as your opinion will have great weight with those who do not choose to think for themselves; and the greater part of the opponents of Emancipation are of this class. However, my Lord, you have sent an opinion forth into the world; and though it contains scarcely more argument than has hitherto been used, still, coming from you, it demands a reply. Hitherto there has been more noise and declamation than argument—" vox et pretered nihil;" and for this reason, such persons as Mr. Wells and Sir John Bridges have been left without a reply. Most unin• tentionally on their parts. They have been of the greatest service to the cause they wished to injure, for tt eir violence has awakened many indifferent people. and their ridiculous expressions and taunting threats my created disgust. But we know you, my Lord, to be as honourable a man as you are a good soldier, and that you would be the last person in the world to wish to 4s wade up to your knees . ' in the blood of your fellow Christians, or to stir up the worst passions of mankind, till it was followed by discord and civil war ; I have not the honour of knowing these two Gentlemen, who made themselves so unfortunately conspicuous at the Maidstone Meeting; but I cannot have so bad an opinion of their hearts, as to suppose they seriously wish for the evils their heads impelled them to You, my Lord, know full well what the horrors of war are in an enemy's country. GOD forbid you should ever, in your old age, see it in your own-; and in this wish, I AM sure, you will cordially join me; for, though we may differ as to the means, Jam convinced we have both the same object in view, namely—the safety, hap. piness, and welfare of our country. You say that "the great and universal question is, whether we are to be allowed our Protestant Church and Constitution, or whether we shall give them up again, and out ourselves under the See of Rome?" It it had really come to this point, my Lord, neither your efforts nor mine could prevent it—and for this plain reason—a majority of the Aristocracy of the country, and a vast majoiity of the people, must then be Ca tholic. I seriously ask you, is this likely to happen? Do you suppose that a minority in the nineteenth cen. Huy will be able to effect what they could not do when they were a majority in the sixteenth century? I am certain, my Lord, you must have too good an opinion of the two Houses of Parliament to suppose that the passing Catholic Emancipation, and admitting, say 15 P. ers and 50 Commoners, into Parliament, would have . the effect of converting a majority of the two Houses to the Catholic faith ; and as surely you must have too good an opinion of that reformed religion to suppose, for a moment, that any man of common sense, who had been educated si a real Protestant," would return back to the creed of our ancestors. Look, my Lord, at the conclusion which we must come to, if you conceive it possible that the emancipation of the Catholics can over throw the Conttitution? It requires, first, a majority is both Houses of Parliament; and secondly, a majority of the country. To obtain this majority, a large por tion of the most wealthy, learned, and influential people in the kingdom must become Catholic, and our Clergy must also have become either so supine, os so weak in argument and knowledge,that they are not able to oppose any baffler to the conversions daily taking place. All this must be, my Lord, to enable the Ca tholic population to supplant the Protestant, and if it was so, that is, if the majority was Catholic, I do not hesitate to say that they ought to supplant the Protes tant—for in all countries there can be no peace or security to the people, unless those who are the most wealthy, learned, and influential, obtain what they con :icier their just rights. But I feel quite confident that you do not fora moment suppose, either the arguments in favour.of the reformed religion, or the intellects of those whO follow it, so weak as to admit the possibi lity of this taking place. What then becomes of your assertion, and that of the opponents of emancipation, 4 4 that the Constitution is in danger from the prcpeised measurer it falis completely to the ground. But if eman cipation be longer withheld, danget of the most serious kind will inevitably result. This is no longer douhtful or problematical, and I could prove it to your satisfac tion, did the extent of my letter allow it; for you must be convinced that Ireland cannot remain as it now is, and that ore of two things must take place—either Emancipation or Esterniniation. The first is an easy remedy, and is surely worth the trial ; from the time when StrongboW.first landed in licland to the present day, the courrtiy . has only been held by military tenure. The Union has been any thing but effective. Coercive measures have too long been tried, and have' failed. Why then object to the experiment of conciliation, of mild remedies, instead of harsh, cruel, insulting ones? For argument sake, suppose these may not succeed—are we in a worse—can Ireland be in a worse state? And shisuld we not have the same means at our disposal, we now have, it force must be used, and could it not be done after as well as before emancipation ? But, my Lord, should it succeed, should it tranquillize Iceland, who is there, even among the most higotted, who would not sincerely rejsice at the consummation of an event so desirable? As to the second remedy, I trust there are few men whose hearts are so black as to wish it to be tried, but even if it were tried, could it be carried into effect? It is easier to t4lk about coming to blows, and wadtng up to one's' knees in blood, than to be actually concerned in such an unchristian warfare ; and if there really are people who think this is the only remedy, I am sure you will agree with a brother soldier, that they would be the first to sht ink from the ruin and devastation they had occasioned. You remark, my Lord, "that every Protestant must, if tie reflects, feel the horror of being deprived the li berty of serving his GOD as he has been taught, and as he teals it his duty to do." In this sentimentl cordially agree with you, and I only claim for the Catholic the freedom I love, and the liberty I enjoy. I would " do as I would be done by," and I never would consent to allow my religious opinions to deprive me of my civil rights. Would you, my Lord, or any one, even the most ultra of those who oppose Emancipation ? 1 can anticipate your answer, and I say, that as a good Ct.ristion and a Protestant, to grant emanci pation, if you wish to obey that most beautiful of all mot al precepts, or still further, to obey our SA ViOU tt's injunctions, who preached " on earth peace, good will to men." Your Lordship has afterwards un fortunately hazarded an assertion, which you cannot substantiate by proof; you say, " that the wish (nt the Catholics) And the very spirit of their religion, is to dictate to all others ;" that such is not the spirit of the Catholic religion, I du not hesitate to affirm, and I appeal to any one who has given himself the trouble to investigate it, if I sin not right; but I do not denj ' that it is the feeling of all Hielarchies, and I only wish the Protestant Hierarchy was free from this taint. Nei ther, my Lord, have you any ground for asserting that it is the " wish" of the great body of Catholics to " dic tate" to their Protestant fellow subjects. ONE alone knows the motives of the heart. But if man must judge of man from his actions, we can judge from the asser tions and statement, sent foal) by the most respectable amongst the Catholics, Me have no right to come to that conclusion. I have just said that the ALMIGHTY alone can judge our hearts. May all those be as pu'e who oppose emancipation as I know many f our Catholic brethren to be! I have known, my Lord, many Catho lics of all countries, and I can confidently say, I have met with many good, honourable, and uptight men; and are the whole body to be stigmatised as opplessise and dictatorial, because, in times long since gone by, the Catholic religion was made a pretest for bad men to carry on their designs? But we do not live in the days of Mary or James 11. and it is as impossible for us to recede to that point, or for the progress of knowledge and liberal feeling to be retarded, as for an infant to arrest the almost omnipotent power of seam. I now hasten to conclude this letter, which I fear has become too long; but though I despair cf con vincing all who are opposed to Catholic Emancipa tion, I still hope I may have done the cause some good, and, at auy rate, I f el confident my signature will prove to you the sincerity of my sentiments, and that I am proud in having the honour of your ac. quaintance. I remain, my Lord, Tour Lordship's obedient humble servant, JOHN MAXWELL TYLDEN. The following is the Address of Lord Harris alluded to in the above letter : " TO THE FREEHOLDERS OF THE COUNTY OF KENT. " Belmont, Oet. 7,1828. 14 FELLOW COUNTRYMEN AND MEN OF KENT—From my age, and the advice of the ficulty, I have of late years been deprived the pleasure of being much among you, and now having little expectation of being able to attend in person at the County Meeting summoned for the 24th inst. on Penenden I cannot refrain en • deavouring to state to you my sentiments in writing. With regard to the momentous question which will then come under consideration, I wish to make it clear that I do not feel myself interested in it for our county alone, but as that county forms a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and lie land, it is not our local politics or interests which should at the present moment exclusively agitate out thoughts, but rather the great and universal question, whether we are to be allowed our Protestant Church and Constitution, or whether we shall give them up. and again put ourselves under the dominion of the See of Rome? Our glorious ancestors delivered :us from this tyranny of priestcraft—from this influence of su perstition; and shall we, their descendants. tamely pt.r• mit those safeguards, which:tliey deemed essential to the preservation of the CO4titution, to be surrendered, because we are either too indolent or too timid to resist the encroachments of those whose sole object is I to subvert it ? " Every real Protestant must, if he reflects, feel the horror of being deprived the liberty of serving his GOD as he has been taught, and as he feels it his duty to do ; this privilege the ROMAO Catholics are as free to enjoy as ourselves, and GOD forbid they should not! But with this they are not content; their wish, and the very wish of their religion, is to dictate to all others, and it is to prevent so great a calamity as this that I call upon every true Protestant, before it be too late, to use his ut most exertions; to present himself at the approaching meting, and there calmly and deliberately to consider the subjects which will then be discussed, and having done so, firmly to unite in whatever may appear most advisable for the welfsre of the existing Constitution; this I consider to be a duty which every Protestant alike owes to bis conscience, his country, and his GOD. I am, fellow countrymen, your friend and obedient humble servant, " October Bth. " HARRIS." " P.S. Btotber Freemen. let order be your pass-word on Paten. den Heath, on the 24th instant. The amount of money received on account of the Yorkshire Musical' Festival, up to the present period, amounts to upwards of i 16,500. There has been a fair home business done in the home trade, at Manchester, during the last and pre sent weeks. A great number of buyers from London and the country have been in th.st town. Last night, as a watchman belonging to the Clink Liberty, South wai k, was .ttempting to sit down upon a basket, in the Borough Mar ket, the loaded pistol in his coat pocket hitching against the ba-ket, went off,. and. lodged the contents in his thigh. He was taken to St. Thomas's Hospital. Saturday, a genteelly dressed man went to the Three Cups Inn, Colchester. and inquired what time the market dinner would be ready, and having obtained admission, he contrived to carry away twelve silver table and two gravy spoons, and a fish slice, unnoticed. As there has been a fall in the price of wheat, it is hoped that there will be also a corresponding fall in the price of bread, and that the operators, in Mark-lane, will not lean too heavily on the ate of life. Some . few days ago ►Mr. Ledbetter, of Bramber, shot a landrail, and having killed the bird, was in no haste Ito bag it, but proceeded to re-load his gun, when a hawk convinced him of the danger of his delay, by dart ing down upon the dead game, and bearing it away in Ibis talons. Thursday evening, seven papers of silk ribbons, worth about 3001. were stolen out of the boot of the Emerald coach on its road to Birmingham. It is supposed the robbery took place bet wren Wood-street and the Peacock at Islington. Monday night, or early on Tuesday morning, the house of Mr. Robertson, silk warehouse, at the corner of Speldhurst•street,- Judd.street, was broken open by thieves, and propeny, consisting of sarsnets gros de Naples, shawls, handkerchiefs. ice. to the amount of upwards of 2001. carried off. The robbers effected their entrance by cutting through a door in Speldhurst-street, where the shutters of the shop windows are placed in the day time. Within a few days, says the Journal du Commerce, the imagination of politicians has been puzzled by a shipment made at Toulon for Dunkirk of 26 pieces of cannon, 36-pounders; three pieces, 24-pounders; and two mortars of 12 inches. A letter from Marseilles says. that the capture of the three merchant vessels by the Alegrines, mentioned in the French Papers, has created the greatest alarm among the mercantile interest, who intend to petition the Government to adopt rigorous measures to chastise these pirates, as they seem only to laugh at the present inefficient blockade. Though this blockade was adopted a long time ago, during the administration of M. de Ville►e, and negotiations tor peace have been carried on with the Dey ever since, no smolt bas yet been pro. d nced.—Poris Paper. NEWCASTLE, OCT. 14. Wednesday evening their Graces the Duke and Duchess of NORTRUMBLRLAND arrived in this town from Alnwick Castle, in a carriage and six, with 'everal outriders. On Thursday his Grace, as Lord Lieutenant of the County, inspected the Northumber land and Newcastle Volunteer Cavalry, commanded by Lieut. Colonel Bell, M.P. who were drawn out on the Town Moor for the purpose. After the inspection, his Grace, in a note to the Commander, expressed his gra tification at the soldier like appearance of the corps in 'he field. In the afternoon, the Duke presided at the dinner of the Recorder's Club at Mr. Dod.worth's, the Queen's Head Inn, where every thing in season deco- rated the table, and the wines were of the finest flavour. The same evening the Doke and Duchess honoured the Vaster of the Ceremonies Ball at the Assembly Rooms with their presence, which was well attended, consider ing the gloom that has been shed over several re• spectable families by the recent visitations of death. On Friday-motning their Graces set off in a carriage and four, on a visit to Lord and Lady Itavenswurth, at their Castle. Friday morning, the lifeless remains of a mariner named Nesbit, were found under a boat's bottom, at the Custom house Quay, North Shields. It is probable that during the night he had either fallen from the staits or gallery. He was a young nian of good cha racter, and maintained an aged mother in ease and comfort. • Sunday morning the body of Edward Anther, a cartman, belonging to Chirton, was found in a cut in tended for a common sewer in Linskill.street, Noah Shields. It seems he had left a public-house in that neighbourhood about nine o'clock, and fallen into this dangerous place, which terminated his existence. Sundsy morning it was discovered that the cabin of the ship Heart of Oak, in which the master slept, lying in Shields t harbour, had been entered during the night, and his clothes, watch, and three sovereigns, stolen. PARISH OF ST. PAUL, COVENT GARDEN. At ten o'clock yesterday morning, T. HALLS and G. Rosruson, Esqrs. Magistrates, held a Petty Sessions at Bow-street Police Office, for the purpose of hearing and determining several summonses, issued against certain inhabitants for non-payment of rates. The Magistrates assembled in the Public Office, and were attended by Mr. Roche, the late Vestry Clerk. Mr. Corder, the present Vestry Clerk, who had re. ceived information from some of the defendants that they had been summoned, accompanied by complaints nt what they termed the unfairness of the proceeding, was also in attendance. As soon as he was seen to enter the office, Mr. Roche whispered to the Magistrates, and they immediately retired to a private room, into which the pasties sum. mooed were called one by one. Mr. Corder entered with the first defendant, on which Mr. Roche said -4g Here is Mr. Corder r Mr. HALLS asked Mr. Corder if he was summoned? Mr. CORDER—No; but I am the Vestry Clei k of this parish, and in a matter of so much importance as the payment of its isms, I consider I have a right to be present to watch over the interests et the parishioners at large. I attend, besides, at the request of several of the parties summoned, who considered themselves ag• grieved by being summoned prematnrely, and others by being called on to pay the Churchwardens' rate, which Mr. Roche knows has been declared illegal. Mr. ROCHE—WeII, well.l'll abandon the church rate ; perhaps that will satisfy this person. And now, I submit, that he can have no business here any longer. Mr. ROBINSON asked Mt. Corder if he was a solicitor ? and being answered in the negative, the same Magistrate asked him if he could point out any law which directed the presence of the Vestry Clerk on such occasions ? Mr. Corder said he could not, and it was then intia.ated to him that he must retire. Mr. cORDER said he had obtained an important paint in the abandonment of the churchwarden's rate, and having no furtier wish to remain he should withdraw. He then left the room. SURREY SESSIONS. Yesterday, the General Quarter Sessions for the county of Surrey was held at Kingston, before Mr. BARNARD, the Chairman for the county, and a •ery lull Bench of Magistrates, there being nearly thirty present, including both the County Members. _ _ Alter the Grand Jul was sworn and charged by the CRAIRMAN, a report was read from the Rev. Mr. Mann, Chaplain of the county gaol, on the state of the poison, and the conduct of the persons in office connected with it. The report stated that the utmost attention was paid 'to all the prison regulations recommended by the Ma gi-trates ; bin expressed great regret that the progress of education did not appear to offer any effectual cluck to crime, as all the prisoners committed in the last year, under seventeen years of age, had been educated at some of the schools provided by public benevolence.— The report was received and agreed to. COAL MICTIIKS. The important business which occupied the Bench during the greater part of the day was a Report from the Committee under the Act of last Session of Parlia ment for regulating the Metage of Coals in the county of Surrey. The Report, which was a voluminous do cument, stated that, previous to the passing of the Acr of last Session, an organised system of fraud, to which some coal merchants and the coal meters were panic., existed in the county to a very great extent. The sub. coal meters appointed under that Act had scarcely entered on their office, when they were assailed by coal merchants and persons in their employment, by offers of bribes to betray their trust and ♦Mate their duty. The sub-meters, in consequence. gave information to their principals of the system of fraud that they found was established, and the offers that were made to them to become parties to it. The meters communicated this information to the Committee, and, after full consideration, they determined to advise the sub•meters to take the usual bribes from the coal mer chants, and pay them Into the Coal-meters Office, giving at the same time an account of the persons from whom they received the bribes, and the nature of the service that was required. The sub-meters had acted on these instructiens, and annexed to the Report was all the in formation they had given; from which it appeared that the system of fraud was carried on to an extent most injurious to the public. The coal merchants were in the habit of giving the sub-meter, who attended each wharf, a weekly payment, varying in amount from two to ten shillings, besides which they gave a bribe on each delivery of coals, varying from, two shillings and six pence, which was what was usually paid 'on a delivery of five chaldrons, to 12s. 6d. which, it had been stated, was paid on a delivery of twenty-five chat-' , drons. There were several slang phrases, in use among the coal merchants, and persons ru their employment, by which they expressed the frauds they practised.- 1" Working the oracle," was one of those phrases,l which meant removing coals that had beets mutated td the purchaser back again to the merchant's store: "Skimming a reonf' meant raking coals out of a barge after they had been measured to the purchaser. Each barge is divided into " rooms " containing five chal drons each, and Ent- allowing the rooms to be skimmed, the established bribe to the sub-meter was two shillings and sixpence a room, and in the operation about five sacks were taken from each room. It was .also a general practice with coal merchants and their clerks to measure and surd coals from the wharf before the meter came in the. morning, and after he was gone in the evening, and to sign the meter's nama to a certificate for the quantity so sent out. One of the clerks, on being asked whether he had signed a meter's name to a ticket which was produced to I , im? replied, " yes, to he sure, I have signed hundreds in the same way." One coal merchant measured chaldrons from a ship into a barge, to be delivered to a customer, to whom they were delivered out as 91 chaldrins ; when the fraud was discovered, the mer chant's wharf•cletk accounted for the increase by say ing, the barge had been under a night's rain, which swelled the coals, and made them measure so much more—(A laugh). On one occasion, when a coal-meter interfered to have a waggon load of coals properly filled, the wharf clerk observed, that he had no objec- tion, as they had a measurenient at the house they were going to before; but it they were going to a Nobleman or man of fortune, he should have no objection to give short measure, as they could afford to pay for ir. On many occasions coals of inferior quality were marked Walls'-end," for conniving at wnich the bribe to the meter was 2s. 6d. or 3s. according to the quantity. The Report concluded by stating, that the s)st.tm of fraud was so highly injurious to the public, as to call for a speedy and efficient remedy. After the Report was read, a letter was read from a coal meter, received alter the Report was drawn up, stating that having discovered a considerable defi ciency in a quantity of 15 chaldrons of coals which a merchant was sending out, and insisting that the defi ciency should be made good, the merchant offered him a bribe, at the same time saying—" Come, don't maks a bother about it; the coals will never be missed where they are going, as my customers ate all respectable people"—(A laugh). The Report and a number of the documents having been read, Mr. Damao); said, that the Court having heard the very extraordinary statement of facts contained in the Report. he thought it was wholly unnecessary to oc cupy their time with comment. One observation he could not help making was, that the enormous frauds that were now proved to have existed in the coal vat,* fully justified his honourable colleague and himself in bringing in tie Bill of last Session for the regulation of the trade, although it had received so much opposi lion in both Houses of Parliament. During its pro. gress they were told it was a job got up for the pur pose of giving patronage to Magistrates. The Report was the best answer to that charge, AS it clearly proved that it was in the highest degree necessary for the pre tection of the public. He moved that the Report be received and agreed tl ; and that it be referred back to the Commits e to report what measures should be adopted for the more effectual remedy of the limb proved by the Report to exist, and that the Report be printed. Perhaps it would be advisable to prosecute the coal merchants against whom frauds could be proved, but that was a proceeding which he thought no Magistrate would advise on his single re. sponsibility. Mr. DRUMMOND said the Court should recollect that they wire corning in collision with a very powerful body, aril if the c: , arges made against the coal met. chants could not be fully proved, they might be very ready to take advantage of any alt of indiscretion on the part of Magistrates. Mr. BRISCOE said he, for one, could never consent to the publication of a Report seriously inculpating . a number of individuals on ex parte evidence, to which they had no opportunity afforded them of making any reply. Mr. SUMNER said he was one of the Committee, and had heard the evidence given by the meters, and had repeatedly warned them all that they might be called on to prove the charges they made in a Court of Jas• tice, and they all declared they were ready to do so. He would not hesitate to advise prosecution, only the Committee had no funds to bear the expense ; but he thought it would be for the public benefit that the men who had practised the fiauds should be Showu up by publication. Mr. PALLMER thought k might be better to abstain from publishing the names of the parties at present. Mr.DeNtiroli amended his mo ion, omitting the pub, lication of the Report. The motion was then agreed to. Daring last week, fire-arms were feinnionly taken, at might, from two farmers, named Leaky, at Farthingville sad Ardagb, on the bounds of the county of Limerick. Three dairy. men were, at the lame time, Bogged at Milford. county Cork, by the marauders. Mist PATou yecterday concluded an engagemert the Lessees of Covent Garden Theatre, on her oor n terms. Great activity prevails at this momebt in the naval arsenal of Bayonne. Several vessels, including a ship of war (1800 tons but then, are upon the stocks. The Minister of the Intetior has recently sent silver medals to several physicians in provincial towns who have been active in propagating vaccination.—Frencii Paper. The death of the Qtteen Dowager of WILMISCRITI was conveyed by telegraph to Paris in the following manner :. " STUIGARD. OCT. 6.—Her Majesty the Queen Dowager of Wirtemberg, sister of the King of England, died this day at the Castle of Louisbourg, between one and two o'clock in the after noon, from the effects of dropsy." Pi.ymnurn, OCT. 12. Phis being the anniversary.. of the birthday of I)nn Prunus, the Ponuguese here observed it by alirand Festival in the Roman Catholit Chapel at Stonehouse, . where iligh Maas was celebrated by their Priests, one or whom ' preached a sermon in the Portuguese tongue. The Port Admiral, the Mayor, and most of the leading persons In the neighbourhood, were present. Vast crowds were attracted by the novelty of the occasion, and hundreds were disappointed candidates fee admission to the Chapel. Th e War.pite, 74, Captain Wat t . e l d 'A i s:;, en C m . & str i k e ordered here to be paid oil lo p r u r b ec i o ic re a n : :i o s n sion p i r n i g n . The first pet ii was in the year 1614., which was soon followed by many others, one of which was always in verse. At the present time there are no less than 80 works of a similar nature published either daily, weekly, monthly, or quar terly; and of these 70 are in the Danish language. CORN-EXCHANGE, MARK-LANE, Oct. 15. Owing to adverse winds, we bad no arrivals from Ireland; bit having large supplies of ►oth English and Foreign sit.ce Monday s with a considerable quantity of AU description, of Grain ritutiiilng over unsold front that day, and but kw buyers at market dds morn ing, no sake could be , effected, although offered cirhiderably lower ; therefore prices must be quoted nominally Zi ea Monday fur Wheat, Barley, and Oats. IMPORTATIONS SINCR MONDAY. English qrs. Irish Foreign Flout Wheat 11,000 lIIIMMIII 9,800 Barley 2,150 ........ 1 1,;00 sack/. Oats 14,400 iiIII 1)200 .