The Sun. — London, England, 1819-06-18 00:00:00

SCHOOLS IN THE HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS OF SCOTLAND. The Annual Meeting of the Auxiliary Society for the support of Schools in the Highlands, watt to take place on Tuesday last at Greenock. We are indebted to The Greenock ddvertizer of the I Ilb inst. for the following Letter on this subject from Dr. SAMUEL JOHNSON. We have often seen imi (eclat's of the language of the celebrated Moralist, but none that bore any resemblance to the force • and dignity of his sentiments. The following Letter bears the indubitable stamp of originality, and we shall adopt the introduction of it from the Paper that revived this valuable document, on a subject highly interesting : • At such a period, it may not he irrelevant to quote the high authority of Dr. Jot-moat in sup port of a cause which our townemen may then be called upon to promote. The origin of this de claration of the Doctor's sentiments was as fol lows :—Some of the members of the Society itt Scotland for propagating Christian Knowledge, baying, in the year 1766, opposed the scheme of Translating the Holy Scriptures into the Erse or Gaelic language, from political considerations of the disadvantages of keeping up the distinction between the Highlanders and the other inhabit ants of North Britain ; Dr. JOHNSON beieg in formed of this, wrote as follows to Mr.iWteeteet Deutetenern, bookseller in Edinburgh, a Gentle man with whom Dr. J. was acquainted.' " TO MR. WILLIAM DRUMMOND. " SIR—I did not expect to hear that it could be, in an assembly convened for the propagation of Christian Knowledge, a question, whether any nation, unitistructed in Religion, should receive Instruction; or whether that instruction should be imported to them by a Translation of the Holy Books iota their own language. If obedience to the will of God be necessary to happiness, and knowledge of his will be necessary to obedience, I know not how he that withholds this knowledge, or delays it, can be said to love his neighbour as himself. He that voluntarily continues ignorant, is guilty of all the crimes that ignorance produces; as to hint that should extinguish the tapers of a Lighthouse, might justly be imputed the calami ties of shipwrecks. Christianity is the highest perfection of humanity; and as no man is good but as he wishes the good of others, no man can be good in the highest degree who wishes trot to others the largest measures of the greatest good. To omit for a year, or for a day, the most efficacious method of advancing Christianity, in compliance with any purposes that terminate on this side the grave, is a crime of which I-know not that the world has yet had an example, except in the practice of tire Planters of America, a race of mortals whom, I suppose, no other man wishes to resemble. " The Papists have, indeed, denied to the laity the use of the Bible ; but this prohibition, in few places now very rigorously enforced, is defended by arguments which have for their foundation, the cat eof souls. To obscure, upon motives merely political, the light of revelation, is a practice re served tor the reformed ; and surely the blackest midnight of popery is meridian sunshine to such a refermation. 1 ant not very willing that any language should be totally extinguished. The si militude and . derivation of languages afford the most indubitable proof of the traduct ion of nations, and the genealogy of mankind. They add often physical certainty to historical evidence ; and of ten supply the only evidence of ancient migra tions, and of the revolutions of ages which left no Written monuments behind them. " Every man's opinions, at least his desires, are a little influenced by his favourite studies. Aly zeal for languages may seem, perhaps, rather over bested, even to those by whom I desire to be well esteemed. 'fo those who have nothing in their thoughts but trade or policy, present power, or present money, 1 should not think it,necessary to defend my opinions ; but with men of letters I would trot unwillingly compound, by wishing the continuance of every language, however narrow in its extent, or however incommodious for corn moon purposes, till it is reposited in some version 4 . 1 a known book, that it may be always hereafter examined and compared with other languages, and then permitting its disuse. For this purpose the translation of the Bible is most to be desired. It is nut certain that the same method will preserve the Highland languages, for the purposes of learn lee, and abolish it from daily use. When the Highlanders read the Bible, they will naturally Wish to have its obscurities cleared, and to know the history collateral or appendant. Knowledge always desires increase : it is like fire, which must first be kindled by some external agent, but which will afterwards propagate itself. When they once desire to learn, they mill naturally have recourse to the nearest language by which that desire can be gratified ; and one will tell another, that if he would attain knowledge, be must learn Eoglish. " This speculation may, perhaps, be thought more subtle than the grossness of real life will easily admit. Let it, however, be remembered, that the efficacy of ignorance has long been tried, and has not produced the consequence expected. Let knowledge therefore take its turn ; and let the patrons of privation stand a while aside, and ad mit the operation of positive principles. Yost will be pleased, Sir, to assure the wor thy Mau tvino is employed in the new translation, that he lots my wishes for his success ; and it here or at Oxford I can be of anynse, that I shall think it more thee honour to promote his Undertaking. " am sorry that I delayed so long to write. " I am, Sir, " Your most tumble Servant, " SAM. JOHNSON. " Johnson's Court, Fleet-street, August 13, 1766." Dort —A mecling took place near Ballyahan non, io the county of Leitrim, on the morning of Friday the I Ith instant, bettseen C. J. Al liognam, Esq. and John O'Neill, Eq. ; the tor attemltd thin Ain CulrinAn, and the latter by Terence Conolly, Esq. After an exchange of Iwo shuts each, without injury to caller porty, a ttcuociliatiou tuuk place. FRENCH REGICIDES. We extract the following article from Galig stani's Messenger, the English Journal published in Paris, heartily agreeing with the writer, and not doubting that the miscreants who have al ready been suffered to return to France will even tually produce a new Revolution in that country, and the consequent disturbance throughout Europe :-- " Much disquisition has been excited in the French Journals on the delicate subject of the re cal of the Regicides ; and it is pleaded by the Ad. vacates for that measure, that his 51ajesty, having granted a solemn amnesty, and guarantee that all past political offences should be forgotten flow the moment of his re-establishment on the Throne, is not justified in thus making use of his regained power to punish men for crimes, over the com mission of which he had himself thrown a veil ; but to this it may be replied, that the amnesty in question was virtually a conditional one ; it did not say indeed in words, " 1 par don the past on the express condition that you never desert my standard for that of an enemy who may usurp my Throne," because the possibility of such an occurrence was not then recognized ; but surely any one, oust wilfully blind, must at once see that such a convention was implied in the very act of oblivion. Louis XVIII. returned in 1814 to tranquillize his dis tracted country ; he promised the people a Char ter which should insure them against the aggres sions of any possible future despotism ; and most religiously he fulfilled his word. He was received by those Regicides with all the hollow devotion of tilt -deep loyalty; they professed the bitterest remorse for their former crimes ; they swore— " Oh, ye Gods ! how they did swear I" the most unbounded attachment to himself, and he believed them. He even took some of them into his con fidence to be his Nlinisters and his Counsellors. " One little year—uo—not one year" had re volved, and Napoleon Buonaparte returned to France to set Europe once again into a ferment : well, what was the conduct of these same Mi nisters, " this Council's consis:oty; these se cond selves ?" Did they continue faithful? oh yes, they flocked in crowds to the steps of the Throne, to assure their Sovereign of their most unbound ed fidelity ; they imprecated the divine vengeance' on their heads, if they would not perish sooner than desert their venerable Monarch, their adored King. The Invader approached the capital. " Fear not, Sire," was the cry. " The Brigand, while we have life, shall never violate the Throne of your sacred self.'"—Buonaparie arrived.—'' But where was the constancy, never to yield, the loyalty never to fade ?" alas, " Ilene, Tekel, Uphursin," when " weighed in the balance, they were indeed found wattling." In one moment did these men desert that Mo narch whom a few hours before they had pledged themselves by every engagement, divine and hu man, to meet death for. On the second restora ' tion, it was esteemed advisable to weed the land of those viperous spirits, whom no generosity could hind, no tenderness attach ; and accordingly the Ordonnance of the 24th July, 1815, was is sued. Yet these are the men whom, by some strange inversion of argument, Louis is desired to bring back to his Councils, to his esteem. Far be it from us to break the reed already bent ; but neither must a morbid sentimentality induce us ...o shut our eyes to the danger arising from the adoption of such a measure as the recal of those Regicides. For those who have been ba nished from metres of only temporary expe diency, we feel no doubt but that the ready clemency of his Majesty will be extended to the least offending. What gives additional stability to this opinion is, the apparently well-founded rumour that Marshal Souk, Lieutenant-General Piri, General Pommereuil, Count Real, and Di rat, banished by the Ordonnance of July 1815, as well as Messrs. Faucher d'Aubigny, Eschasse riaux, Thabaud, and Lemailland, banished in Ja nuary 181 G, have received permission to return to France. But, reverting to the Regicides—what pledge can they give of their future fidelity? could one be found which they have not already broken ? even we ourselves should become their advocates ; but how dreadfully apposite to the case in point are the following lines from the " Master Spi rit"— K. Rich,—Say I will lore her everlastingly. Qu. how long shall that title ever last? K. Rich.—Sweetly in force until her sweet life end. Qu. Elir.—But how long fairly shall her sweet life last ? _ . K. Rich.—Now by my George, my Garter, and any Crown, I swear— Qu. Eliz.—By nothing, for this is no oath. Thv George profaned, bath lost his holy honour—. Thy Garter We:misled, pawn'd his knightly virtae—. Thy Crown usurp'd, disgrac i d his kingly glory. If thou wouldst swear to be believed, Swear then by something that thou bast not wroned. 4- • R * • i • What were I best to say?- * • • or shall I say, her uncle, Or lie Who slew her brothers, and her uncles ? Under what title shall I woo fur thee Rich. 111. Act. 4. 'We shall not weaken the force of this, by the addition of another line.** Ms LOST CHILD.—TIie following particulars, relative to Elizabeth Telford, though containing little new information, may be thought in some degree interesting, merely as connected with the circumstance of her wonderful preservation. The fortunate person, who found the infant, was Mr, Matthew Jackson, of Fell Dyke, whose steps seem to have been " Heaveu directed ;" for such was [ie situation of the reposing infant, that it appears little short of a miracle, that the discovery was made at that time. "The principal facts were de tailed last week.—The child is now cheerfully playing with its compitions, " with ruddy, rosy cheeks," apparently in good health. From her tender years, little information is to be expected. " She played sometimes, and sometimes slept ; sometimes awaked when it was dark, and then went again to sleep. Could nut find the way home, but thought her wammy would be coming for ?ter ; saw a man once and a red dog with him, hut hid herself, for fear he should Lill her."— Nothing further can be obtained from her, as to the long and desolate state of her accidental se clubiuu frout_society,—(Cumisrlitni Packet INSOLVENT DEBTORS; To the Honpurahle the COMMONS of Um UNITED KING. DOM of GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND, in PARMA. MENT assembled ; THE HUMBLE PETITION or Tne UNDERSIGNED PERSON. CONFINED FOR DEBT In his Majesty's Prison for Debtors for London and Middlesex : SHEWETH, That your Petitioners, having read the Bill, now in pro gress in your Honourable House, for the relief of Insolvent Debtors, observe, with much real concern, several clauses, which, they humbly submit, are of uncalled for severity, in flicting punishment un misfortune, and depriving an honest debtor of all fUture prospects of success in business, and of all hopes oNe:,ing able to retrieve his credit and maintain his family, by honest exertions and application to business. That it appears to your petitioners, that the number of fourteen days, mentioned in the third section of the printed bill, is too short a period, and may, insuany cases, operate as a considerable grievance, particularly to persons in extensive business, who, in that short space, may not be able to consult with their friends, or so to arrange their books and affairs, as to have it in their power to petition the Court : that it,there fore, appears to your petitioners that this period may, with out any hazard of injury to the creditors, be extended to thirty day:. That, by the seventh section of the intended bill, it is pro vided, that, after en application for his discharge shall he made to the Court by a person in custody, no legal measures whatever shall operate to his release, except by the order of the intended Court; and your petitioners submit, that, in many cases, where an arrangement and composition have been made with nearly the whole of his creditors, he will, by this clause, be prevented through the hostility, harshness, or litigious spirit of one small creditor, from availing himself of the liberality, kindness, or justice of the rest of his creditors ; and not only be incarcerated unnecessarily, but driven to take the benefit of the act, contrary to the wishes and interests of himself, his creditors and society at large: they also submit, that this clause abrogates the powers of the superior Courts, and innovates, in a very material degree, upon the established jurisprudential system of the Conotry. That your petitioners fear, that the construction of the fifteenth section of the intended bill may, if passed into a law, in its present firm, be destructive of the principles of public credit, by relieving securities in bona fide transac tions from all responsibility, merely because they had no valuable consideration for monies, or property advanced to others, on their security, which monies or property would not, without such securities, have been advanced. That nu creditor ought, in the humble opinion of your pe titioners, to be allowed to oppose the discharge of a debtor, unless he has previously given, at least, two days notice of such opposition, in order that the Insolvent may know whose objections he has to combat. That the incarceration of an honest man, after he has sur rendered the whole of his property for the benefit of his cre ditors, after having submitted to a full and minute investi gation of his conduct, and after he has been declared to have acted fairly, honestly, and without fraud, is punishment inflicted on misfortune, and not operating, or necessary to prevent, or punish fraud or dishonesty, which are guarded against by otter clauses of the said bill : and that the con tinuation of this imprisonment will, in many instances, ag gravate the distresses of suffering families, destroy the health, morals, and habits Of industry of prisoners, and rub society of the exertions of many of its useful members : and that imprisonment for debt, on means process, is nearly, if not wholly, unknown in all the other countries of Europe, and has engrossed the attention and met the reprobation of the most enlightened men in this and other nations. They therefore submit, that such a clause is unjust in its principle. severe and oppressive in its operation, and - destructive and ruinous in its tendency. That your petitioners apprehend that the intended enact ment against prisoners in the rules of prisons being entitled to apply for their discharge proceeds on a wrong principle of legislating, namely that of inflicting punishment on misfor tune, and will materially affect the health and morals of many prisoners, who are driven into the rules, to avoid the dissi pation, or dread of contagion, which are too often occasioned by an indiscriminate mixture of all classes of persons, as well as by the poverty, and the crowded state of the interior of a prison : and that, in the rules of prisons, many persons, whose industry is their sole dependance, may be enabled to obtain a subsistence for themselves and their fatuities, of which they would be deprived within the walls. That the hopes of release, held out by an application of at least three-fourths in number and value of the creditors of an insolvent, are delusive, as scarcely one prisoner in a thousand cart calculate on availing himself of its advantages ; the creditors of even an honest insolvent, after be has been driven to this measure for relief, being too often unneces sarily harsh and exasperated against him ; and your peti tioners submit, that au honest insolvent, after all his pro perty is surrendered to his creditors, ought to be entitled to his liberty, as a legal right, without depending for it upon the caprice of his creditors; and that the method of obtain ing the consent of creditors to a bankrupt's certificate h as beets strongly disapproved of by the highest authorities, and its oppression tuost heavily felt by those who have experienced that painful ordeal ; and, if this difficulty hasbe ‘ e v n ith f i o n u a nd pr s i o .. great to the bankrupt, who bas can a wretchedaslilsertyofpers insolventon,atidcan go about to influence his cre ditors, y our p eti tioners beg lheaa ve of fo beinga , w a h b a l t e possible prospect raplishit, immured son, and, perhaps, without the means of subsistence ? That the poster vested in assignees under the intended act, gives an inquisitorial authority not only to inspect the inci pient means of the insolvent, after his discharge, but a right to deprive him of every portion of property, which, on such scrutiny, may be discovered, and to apply the same to the dis charge of his former debts, under the judgment ordered to be entered up in one of the superior Courts; the insolvent being consequently deprived of the power of obtaining future credit, no provision being made by the said Bill to give his future Lena fide debts a preference of such judgment: that, there fore, no friend, who might he inclined to assist the insolvent its his future exertions in business, would venture to place property in his hands, which would be constantly liable to be swept away by such judgment; and it is also visiting the in dustrious Itisolvent with repeated punishment, as often as he begins to acquire, even a small portion of property, by in dustry or the assistance of friends, from which evil the exten sive bankrupt, who has been, perhaps, the original cause of his misfortunes, and whose failure is productive of far more extensive injury, is, by his certificate, totally exempt. That the publication in the Gazette of the names and last places of residence of Insolvents, liberated under the intend ed act, seems nut to answer any useful purpose, as, after all their creditors have been apprised,by advertisement or other wise, of their intention to take tire benefit of the Act, and after their conduct and affairs have been fully inquired into, the Public have no interest in the further exposure of their unfortunate situations ; and it seems only calculated to aggra vate the wounded-feelings of honest men, and to accumulate insult upon misfortune. That it be particularly an obiect of considerations for your Honourable House to snake the proposed Bill nit to be ope rative ex post facto, so far as regards persons arrested fur debt previously to the day ou which the present Insolvent Act is to expire. That the want of power in the intended Court to review its own adjudications, ever. although the same may have pro ceeded on false grounds, and been owint to misapprehension or mistake, seems pregnant with injustice ; and your peti tioners submit, that leaving a general discretion to the Court to review its own decisions, is in conformity to the acknowledged beueficial practice of the superior Courts, can be productive of none of the evils resulting from a contrary enactment, and will free the unfortunate Debtor from the ope rat too of mistake. Your Petitioners, therefore, most humbly pray your Ho nourable House, that the cause of honest distress and unavoidable misfortune may be taken under your espe cial care and protection, and be exempted from the punishrneut contemplated by the intended Bill ; while they are at the same time anxious, that persons in trade should be protected against the frauds which bare been so repeatedly practised, and of which they themselves have been too often the victims they, therefore, humbly pray that the said clauses may out, in their present shape, pass into a law, but that you will afford such relief as to your Huuourable kl ulAs e, its lour wisdom, shall'seem fit. sisad your Pctitiutiers will ever prah ice. LAW INTELLIGENCE• COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Jura If, f ;t the Judges and thrliin sv) g's Counsel down dressed in their birth-day suits. st tlemen behind the bar were, however, bouLt` usual. ( re t the air h of sv i i f i eicconietmli The Court, today. WRIGHT V. DOLBY• k i tO This was an actio n for libel.—The Pi a • ti formerly employed in connexion with the t o ness of Mr. Cobbett while in England ; "„°,,` „ l ion defendant is the publisher of a w eekly P"b"',, - b iels entitled " Cobbett's Political Register," t 9 `," or e , there some time since appeared an a rticle c°( 1 1 ing the plaintiff with various transactin°9o,,bile fraudulent nature towards Mr. Cobbett' b lics' connected with his b us i n ess, for which p ub tion the plaintiff brought his action in this C' ve • as for a false, scandalous, and malicious libel' ri j i r claration was served u p on the defendant io ° to trial ; but °t j ref Mr. CHITTY moved f o r a n allowance or) , months further time to pl e ad to the tleclarstl upon the ground of an a ffid av i t in justific 46 ,l l) ; o3 , which the defendant st a r e d, that he hear , - , 0 0 3 believed that the allegement stated to be I " s "„ ri tst libellous was true ; b u t th at th e o riginal ac e°- e end other documents to prove this fact, w gr oot the hands of Mr. Cobb e t t , now in Ameri ca ', e ti' ile had written out f o r them, properly surll-11 e tio 6 cated, and expected t o rece i ve t h e m in the of three months ; and that lie could n ot I r a. plead in answer to the declaration without 11 o . The Court, howev e r, d ec li ne d g ranting t he 0 ,0 t; on upon these grounds. The defendant tee bound to know th e t ru th o f t he sta t e ment i nqa br tiou, and to be prep a r e d to p rove t hat truil,ither tore be published it. B ut if a p r inter, o r 0 e - p a , person, do publi s h m a tt er i n j ur i ous to the r- t 'ifi• tation or interest of a n ot h er , an d u rges a .P ° 01( 1 cation . which he is not prepared to Pr" ce ' he the injured party bring his action tor redress, iog is not to be told that the defendant means t a b h r jast his proofs in justification from Americo. o r C- 8 141 or other remote region, and that he is t ° , l) , il aag lowed three or twelve mouths longer to n a .,s` i re • evidence for his defence, while the plaio ti "`,: l t lif potation is exposed the while to sustain fl" do g injury of an unrefuted slander.—The m otion °- therefore be refused. SECONDARIES' OFFICE, COLEMAN-STRES WILD, ESQ. V. WILLAN• g Mr. WILD said, thi s was a case to asse g " of (,i mages in an action brought by a Gentleman :er a, name, against the d e fe n d ant , a coach-pr°P r— ii ts• to answer for the co n d uc t o f one o f his serve in endangering the lives o f th e passengers "' Hogs driving. The acti o n was b roug ht in 4 ' l me* - 0 quence of the defend an t' s re f usa l to clefr/Y„ ( ba expences attending th e i n j ur y siistaioed "; s t. plaintiff. The presence of the surgeon w na , e so tended upon the oc ca si on was not t h o ugh' n" , i he e sary to establish a gro u nd f or act i on , as the pot eland was for the angui s h o f t h e i n j u ry, a n t i for the amount of the apothecary's bill. Oh' Mr. Dalton, a S o li c i tor , state d , t h at in 1815, he set off in the Exeter and Plymouth scriprion • coach. There were f our i ns ide 1)"°:" 01 . gers, a lady, a Mr. Clark, the plaintiff, 90d I'l o self. About two mil es b eyond l i agshot, t he c°' 4 ll6 was going at th e rate o f 10 miles an ho ur l e , coachman whipped on his horses at that iiiir of tuous rate, in consequence of the endeavour pg another Ex e t er coac h to pass by. The horses irve, at,this rat e f or two or three minutes, and 09 run 11 ning to th e wrong s id e of the road, apparel'lo for the purpose of preveting the other coach tr ° , o3 getting before him, the c oac h was upset °o great violence. The plaintiff's face was 0 111 10 cut, and a quantity-of blood flowed from it. about half an hour witness procured assistalle,o and the passengers went on in post-chaises 10 tP or next stage ; from whence they set off for Ez et ;s in another subscription coach, which they 1/1 , 0 empty. The coachman, immediately before I'd accident, appeared intoxicated, but the break i . o ", of his leg, which betel him, evidently sobered Witness never knew tie plaintiff before. He ft quently expressed great pain. 01 1 Cross•examined by Mr. C HITTY . -- Witne ss - ar e himself bruised ; did not hear the plaintiff O t , plain of broken bones ; but it was found 11°0 sary to have him blooded at Hind o n. A ci de nt , coachman had driven the coach R S f a r as Bagt" ) ;1; where the intoxicated coachman was su bstitut e Mr. Lambert, a wine -broker, of St. Mary - al e saw the plaintiff at Plymouth, 10 d a ys after t oo accident, with his bead tied up, and marks in„ face, which were even visible a f e w m o nths agv b ' s Cross-examined.—The plaintiff was one of i first merchants in Ltith. The m ar k s disfigure his face. 110 Mr. CHITTY, for the defendant, s aid, that r , client had an extensive bu s in ess a n d marl 6e o vants, and ought not to be sever e ly visited for 1 ,,, 0 accidental misconduct of a man who did not Lit for the home district. The reason a compri 4l o l , bad been refused on the part of the Proprie , o l was, that he was of o pinion th a t th e ac tion I ' o ' g not been instituted by the plaintiff. Th e accili g was, he said, slight, and 101. might be considereg as a fair estimate; 28/, had been demanded, bd refused, on the ground that it might not go il l ! () the plaintiff's pocket. It was then proved by a witness, th a t the f e' fendant had no contr o ul over the persons 611' ployed to drive th e c oac h a f ter t h e duty of d i° coachman who drove front London ceased. The Jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff 4)V. usages 501. MARRIED. ,tbr On Wednesday, the 16th June, at %Yak *" ut Church, "fl by the Reverend J. Hopkinson Rector of mai.l,,t o v erw:ii Rutland, John Mualoe Wiligheld, Esq. eldest son of P . , lj i; Wingfield, Esq. of Tichencoie House, in the County of I.`" t land, and ut Portland-place, Bath, to Catherine Alin Hard' E daughter (and only child) of Harry Lancelot Let, EA' Q t . Cuton Hall, in the County of Salop, and of Burlington•st" 4 Bath. DIED. On the evening of Sunday last, at his residence in CheP tenhatn, aged tiS years, after a severe and protracted illne ,if Mr. Thomas Hull, the original Proprietor of Vre irurceit /Jerald. A LONDON': Printed 4.1. B. CARSTAIRS, of No. 29, Ormond-street, Queen-square; and published by ,* SCRI PP , of No. 7, South Moiton-street, at 'Di& " a , 011ie., No. t PI, Strand ; where Advettisenants, LatAlf4, 4kcs, (post-;,,aisi) must be aitirsiscil. 7/ '•t , TN ‘t 13V' tick L,,, , ' • 1 1 44 ~~L• A (~ 4 0 11 cki nv Rift 1 1 1 Do: (4, 4 41 A tt ., ktt',t`