The National Register. — London, England, 1817-04-28 00:00:00

184 NATIONAL CIRCULATING LIBRARIES. TO TIII: EDITOR OF TII NATIO% ‘L nrcisTErt. Sin,—Through the inolium of your paper permit site to draw the attenti•nt of the public to a new and powerful machiae for the diffusion of useful mid reli gious knowledge throughout the community. It con sists in the application of those well-known establish ments, wtr ircreinting Libraries, to the use and ad vantage of the labouring ostlers. How is it, Sir, that our Religious Tract Societies have never alopted this cheap amt comprehensive method of disseminating their publications? A tract which is bought anti given away is never heard of again, and it is read perhaps only by a single individual; beat if it be lodged in a circulating library, it might be preserved till it was fairly worn lout, and thus it might be read by multitudes. But the excellence of - this discovery, as it r e l a t es t o the Established Church, consists in its offering a centre :of union, by firming one great national catalogue of . all such books and tracts as are tit to be placed in the hands of the common people. The National Society having led the way to the general education of the people, and being now in connexion with more than two thousand schools, it is proposed that this catalogue should he drawn up under its immediate patronage and inspection. The chief' difficulty in this work would he overcome lw their adoption of tl:e list of bttoks of the Christian I . Cnowledge Society, fin the religious de partment; and thus, also, all jealousy between these two Societies would be. completely taken away. Surely, Sir, this is a very noble and comprehensive scheme, deserving of the support of every member of the Church of England. Is is also, not less recommended by its econo:ny than its utility. It is like the im provement of machinery in labour. It accomplishes the same work at a touch smaller expense, by substi tuting the cheapness of knding for the extravagance of ...giving; and making the criterion of its usefulness de pend upon the rapidity of circulation, and not upon the number of books printed or re- . ..whited. • Consider, Mr. Editor, the amazing energy which is 'contained in the principle of these circulating libraries. How many hundreds can read the same identical copy! Of the most popular works there are not above five or six copies in the largest circulating library; and yet .these arc sufficient, in a short time, to go through the hands of countless individuals. • Apply this principle to the use of the poor, anal what a saving will be made in all our Tract Societies. A few tundra pounds would go a great way to supply even this vast metropolis with a great variety of such short publications us might amuse and instruct the bulk of the people. What a blessing would it be, if several of such libraries could be established in differ ent parts of London. I low much it would tend to soften the passions, and amuse the curiosty of the •people: But to accomplish this desirable purpose, it is requisite that a general catalogue should be Noma, under the direction of that Society, which is connected with every part of the kingdom. By means of its dis trict school committees these libntrips might he soon -formed in every populous town. The expense would be extremely trifling at first, for the books would be small and popular, and afterwards a small annual sub scription (say 2s. per annum) would pay all its expen ses, end provide for the wear and tear of the esta blishment. I have been given to understand that some persons lave pretended to object to this scheme, as if it were presuming to dictate to the people what they should read. Nay, one gentleman hinted to me that he thoftght it hare some resemblance to an Index Expnr galorias. Hut what resemblance is there between them? We offer books to those who hove none; we do .not forbid their getting others, but we put into their hands those which we think the best. Can uny Oily; be more absurd than to compare it to a tyrannical edict, forbidding you to real books which you already posses.:, ;and cutting and mangling publieeions to suit the taste .of an inquisitor? The National Society is called upon to do no more than what every public librarian does -for the subscribers to his library. Every catalogue most have its limits. After haviog educated more than two humlre 4 thousand children by mean:: of its schools, the public safe!) , demands that this Saiety should pro pose to them such works as may improve and instruct *hew when they have left school; but in the course tf . a fear year:, a large proportion of our population will lave parsed through their hands. Ts it, then, not ex pedicat Cfat ttul should draw up this national fiirec tory for the poor? When it is published, still every Jinn is tree to partake of its - benefits or not. If one fbetfk does not please him, perhaps another may ; if nil dkpleaiie him let him draw up another catalogue in ,opplsatton. Really, Mr. Miter, something must be done to em ploy those energies of the people which education has called into exercise. If you ;mild not encourage people to read, you should not give them this capaelty; but to suppose that the poor eon be contented with str!rely religious books, is to suppose that they are con stituted difli.rentiv from other men. It is neither table nor practicable to chain down the mind to o n y 4ingle topic. Furnish their also with moral tales, ~1 7 4 11 E NATIONAL REGISTER. lives, voyages, travels, books of trade and agriculture, &e. &v., mid you will soon teach them to look down with contempt on those obscene and blasphemous com positions which now too atoll at'sait their notice. If the Dissenters do not like the Society's catalogue, let them find new catalogues for themselves, but let every lamest man, of every party, combine to set for ward a scheme which the progress of national education has roil:red necessary; and which we cannot any longer neglect without the greatest dereliction of our duty to cod, oar country, and ourselves. I remain your humble servant. COMMON SENSE. POST OFFICE. The following Statement respecting the origin of the ret•ent disputes in this establishment is copied from a Sunday Paper:— M r .slater retiring from the fate me Department on account of ill health, Mr. The-iger succeeded him in regular rotation, nod had the controul of toe. Ake in the absence of Mr. Ste,u. The clerks under laic notes, in turn, had to attend on duty as early as five o'clock in the waning, to revel% e the mails.' On such occasions it was their en 1 , ,m to semi to a public house, close at hand, for a bison of tea milli toast. This practice of many years was, all at Mitt', ordered by Mr. The siger, to be discontim.t. , l, and the injunction to that etlect was catered in the regabstion hook. Iu detianee of this or , der, the following morning one Gf the young nom in attend.' once indulged himself in the office with hi. 11'411111 breakfast. Mu. T. enquired of him if he had not ItAti the order book, and if he w:.‘ not aware of the prohibition of tea and toast brow/Ott into the office into in future. The cloak ad.' nutted his knowledge of the order, bit: pleaded the necessity of his accustomed break fact to eatable nen to go through the falignit of five hours lanorions ditty. Mr. T. persisted in ex acting obedience to his or•ler ; and the young man as firaily resolved not to comply with it. Witaont further ceremony, Mr. T. gave orders fur the clerk's suspension from office. 'Flue latter denied his right to do so, until he had called a Board on his conduct, or had received orders to that vileet front superior anthority. Mr. T. considered he had now to tic al with open mutiny, and calling a messenger, who was also a constable, he gave the clerk into hi: custody. A fehow clerk, wishing to interfere its tat our of his colleague, remarked on the severity of air. T.'s conduct, upon which he also wa, mitered into custu•ly. Upon this the whole of the clerks of the Inland Office addressed a round raliln to Mr. Freeting, commenting, with ~r eat freedom, on the arbitrary eimduet Oi . Mr. Thesiger, contrasting the happy ti sses of Mr. Slater with those of his successor, and prtioning for the liberation of 'heir ii flow clerks, and for their i mm ediate return to their daft. 'llr. Freeling did not hesitate to comply with the request of the memorialist:, and to signify that Mr. Th-siger had es ceedeil his authority in suspending anal arresting the clerks without first calling a hoard on their conduct. The clerks having again resumed their duty, :end of mime also the 1..,n amid !wed', the sight was too much for Mr. Thesiger to bear ; he left the gentlemen at tea whilst lie thought proper to turn 07t. In fact, he absented entirely from the 'Ave, and addressed a letter of several sheets of paper to the Postmaster General, setting forth, in a high-flown strain, the great griev ances ht• had I:16°1mld under; painting in glowing colours the perils of insubordination; accusing a principal in the office with mismanagement of its affairs; charging Mr. Des- Insronelt with employing tile clerks of the office its Isis private CC:MC(I - 11i, as an agent for newspapers scot to the country; and titian,' representing the the whole office were under obligations to him, from alpha to °outgo. To give Mr. T an opportunity of proving his statements, a Hoard was allowed, and the Marquis or Salisbury and Lord Chichester boils at tended in their capacities as liontmaster General. Mr. The siger's volionisposs epistle was read over to him, and he was called upon, in the presence of all the persons implicated, to atabstattiaate his charges ; but, unfortunately fur the accuser, he was not ante to make good his case in any single instance to the satisfaction of the Postmaster General. It was admitted, on the part of Mr. Desboroit,gli, that clerks belonging to the Post Office were frequently employed by hint in the was noticed ; but, in all instances, it was out of the hours of on siness. With respect to the obligatioua alluded to, the Post asasler General observed, that from us mock as they could onderdauti of Mr.T.'s Gre , k, they supposed him to intim that every person connected with the Post Office, lions the highest to the lowest, was his eh btor, and that they (the Post master General) must, of course, be included ; lint on slant account they a ere at a loss to say. The result of the Board was, an order to Mr. Fretting, to communicate in writing In Mr. Thesiger, that, in future, Isis servic e 's at the post Office would he dispeused with. Mr. Thesiger, however, is so far froPIII being satisfied with the tea and turn-nal business, as he calls at, tisat he threatens, wider the auspices of a Noble .% tortoni, to brim; his complaints before the House of Com- SEDITIOUS MEETING BILL. Last week two Geo:kitten appeared by appointment her:ire the Nlagistrates of L•estuci, iii the Old Bailey, as Officers of 4 Deontillx Society, and pr oilseed the ho•4iss lit' ream's , list of irlersioers, ate. tOßt.flo.., tvilh a Pete, i. l'or a licence. The , liezt,trates were the Lora Mayor, N ith Uctertuen Mit J. Per i our, Sir tV. .iiit J. J. 'timer k'ctition pray• ed for a licence "}'or tilt inycati4.liims & dismission of philo sopltival, literary, histotical, and politival subjects, as heie :,.tore," at the rooms of the Society. Sank' question arising 'upon word political, the tule,wilig di , :ete••iirm took place : Lure 11.1 v ot--'.Vhat class of political questions fill MS the sitaj.l:lll u i your delta te4.?— Petitioners. Polities generally, lily Lord, smiler the testrietions spec itied iu the hook in caul lmrdship's liana'., soul stihjeet to the approval or tejection cif a mocti. W• 4 e ready to produce our hooks, and give any int••roistian that may be typified. Aide' Smith —This is too general : it would ad Ira ttrilinii:ed ion, nod Open a dour to deb'. tea oft Ire ni .mi me lope, teutleney. Iteleiellee to our List of :ilesulters an 1 prii.ted Rules will remove all fear of otiose. his ..uelety has esisted more than 19 years, with unuuqu atli e.l att. acter, d wl v ia , ijc,a,ed I)'. the ..c L is' rates of '..1 it to., Awrsleti, under toe former Act, with nu hesitate-u, and a .1!. sio,lo throat w:iether it came wiAtin the ps 0 vlf.laiis of 11.. St.ir,tc, • I%'l persons are eligibte bat Members of Ca. U 41. ~(I, i firb or tOiss of Court; and many of i Aleinners tern, and are, Mcmucts iikewice of the duos' of Lotoromis. L A tlayor-111',1101.4, it is is school of o..itory Pe ti. Vet, toy Lord. • Plicate sivitedtiuu was tuck to the NPR IL 28. I..tw (hikers •of the Crown for esemptien ; but wr were referred to the Sessions, as a matter of course. Your Wor. ships will observe, that a license will trot protect us from the eonmey elute of its alin-e. (har Met.ting will dill be ()poi to your visitation, the license etoeslib• et dkvretion, and our selve4 personally liable for any breach of (mkt, morality, or propriety iu our denntes. Alitormsn Sinitli-1 think smith a license would be highly objectionable. Lord Mayer-1 s^e no objection. Aide' titan Smith--! do. If a license be granted, shin is the use of the Act? Lord Mayor--The Society has complied with its provision., and satisfied its object, by furnishieg notice of its place of meeting, the names of its Members, aml its rides and roo l a a .. Lions. Before this application, we miglit be, and per natal were, i.moratit of its exist...nee altogether; bid now it is brmight immediately tinder the ecc and controul of the Ma. gistracy, %%Well is all that the Art intended. Alderman Smith—But this will allow debates upon the po. Mies of the day, Lord Mayor—And why not? To refuse a license to these Gentlemen, would lit depriving them of a privilrL , ,e rijoj et' by err ry tavern meeting or public dinner. It camiut lir that the Legislature means to prevent all political dismission, but merely to plareit under regulation. Sir J. Pening—Usidoubtedlv ; it never was intended to pnt down all poiitii al discussion. • I Mink the Society cutitlirl to a license, and am ri ail) , to sign. .1111er - ran Smitli—l. object roost strongly ; the purpose of the it is to put down all political debate whatever. Si, W. Dinnville concurred in this sentiment. Lerch Mayor—lmpossible! This is a very serious question, and we must act deliberately in tl^ face of the country. I think it my duty as a Magistrate to sign this !;reuse, and should be ashamed of myself if I refused it. I am ready to sign it. Alderman Smith.—l em not ashamed. I will never sire such a license. Will the Geotleilien concent to strike out the wurd . political? 7 l'rtioners. We cannot consent to that. Alderman Smith—Will y.in take it license on condition to furnish the Magistrates before hand with the questions fo: debate, subject to their approval? I have no objection to grout a license on those conditions.—Petitioners. We cannot take a license on such terms. The Society is open to your visitation and coats ;if the Magistrates doubt our discre tion, conduct, or piiiiciples, they may route in person, or .end an inspector. We shall refuse a license so shackled. Aitlerumu r Smith—That is quite enough fur ow. Do you horn that ? Lord Nlayor—l think we have no right to impose such ( • iludrt i (MS, NMI see no iteco.ion fur them. Aiderman Smith—Toe flippant answer of this Gentleman yiirtiqiei inc.—Petitioner. S-r, lam borry yon so mneli mistake .ny waning. We Caine a , Officers of the Society, nod have riailiority to compioinise its rules, or bind it to such it.. 11113 as toil have offered. Ala.% or —Certainh you are not authorised. I conceive it my duty to grant your application, and will sigit it name i.t• els . Sir J. Pecrinz concurred. Alikroteo f);:instlle and Smith Mrciiimicily er posed t but the Petitioner ekpnessutl themselves sati.tird, as the Act required the signatiii eof hlo 11r.gistretes uniy. Here, how - evei • rile Clerk interposed, on the groond that the act or two would he the act of the Seisions; and as there *sal. an I finality or soar,., the license collie' not pass.. Tate Glojee.iou finally pri•%aole,lover the contrary interpretation of the Petitioners. The license wait accordingly declared to Ire rclostql ; and the Petitioners departed, ductal ing they knew tishat worse to pursue. POLICE. 'BOW-STREET. EXTR itownt,r AR CASE.—Thnrsday a man tailing himself Henry Hiram Finlayson wad brought before Richard Birnie, Esq. the sitting 'Magistrate. by Thomas Taylor, a constable belonging to the parish of St. ticorge'• , , Bloomsbury, charged with tinder peculiar Si: Robert Dallas, one or the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas. Soon after the arrival of the poi:oilier at the office, Alt. Justice Dallas followed, and stated, that at 44011111. a past one o'clvc k on Thursday, he was walking thruatitii Greek sit eet, Soho, when the prisoner twilit. My Collie up to him, and addressing hint, ...aid, I lielicyr Sir, you :iri• 11w n tmeaiting the Pt ince Recent), to a Inch the Judge relined, by ilesiritig hi it to oo about his business. l'ke Iveivotter peured to attend to his admonition, an - I kept at a Greater distallet. behind biro , and the Judge did Not expect to he anuoyekt with him any more; however, when he got into %oho squi.ire, on looking beck he saw the prisoner close behind min anul fallowing him, the Judge then %dike-, a little slower, :1.1 prisoner advanced Hose to Wm, as tf for the purpose of airacking him ; when the Judge armed nimself with lbs umbrella, with whirl) he was walking, and said to the to isoner, " Yon scoundrel, if you advance nearer to me, I will knock you down.."rhis threat had the desired effect, he drew hack a few paces. 'bite Judge then proceeded Ott his way 11•111IC into Bedford ,llllllle ; and just as he enteral the stplare, he w is induced from curiosity to look back, when, to his gr...tt surprise, he agaiti saw the prisoner CiOMP behiod him, and fellov bug hint. The pri.,tier then hail in his hand elect: of woad, trench appeared to have a point to it, and the pointed tot was pte. spitted I;ivr was him. cotiduct, altogether, drummed the J - age to have hint secured as soon as 4i: upporttititty of fered. Ott his arrival at his own home in the sloare, the prisoner lead the no laeity to fold)* him into his passage. The Judge then seited him by the collar, and a rested Burn loin the tn•triumu lit with whit It he was atm , d, his Lord ship • roll need to the Mali rite; sext ants to thew .o.e.tet't assist.iitee, and prisoner wa s propery ....cored. The Judge then demanded to know of the prisoner for what porno. e he had followed liim. which interittga ory the prison .1 reptif•tl to Ilk 1 e,f()%iii.i. lii.ll he had Ire. . 4 4enily applied tor admittance to Cat Itt.ii had al. WAY. , been refused. rte worthy Judge nen as. el him it :w Ael ew 111110. He r plied , he 1.1. Ste Rouert Dailas th•m desired him to say if eke knew wait he etas, and the prisuier said lie was his fbli. r • He was detailte.l to custody by ilte s..ry is ill a constable was sent for to h. in bon tit the office. fhr acconlit the nave hints, o the Maeistrste ' that he wAs it embpoi . t hat htFrest , le, at ~ s 21, Clo street, Spituttit.cs, mete lie has lives for some !inc. WiJorvlay,llio Smugglers in co,tody, on a charge: of . roiacet ne.l kilt filii k ol et•e, heal the 1110 r and si% of for , of Ili.' thy e%,•,.1: of the Itlth iweant, on lilt coed of Verkihire, itudei wcut a tong riv Ate