The Sun. — London, England, 1819-01-23 00:00:00

mEETING OF THE 40 . okSELLERS, 3Lt PUBLICATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. Yesterday evening a most respectable Meeting of the Publishers, Booksellers, Stationers, and other's interested io the sale of the Holy Scriptures, t , -siding in the metropolis, "teas held at the Gl►ihe Tavern, Fleet-Street; for"the purpose of taking into their emisideration the recent attack made upon the tr.de, relative to the sale of Bibles and Prayer-Books. • The - CoatasaAN (Air. "AMR, Bookseller,) re commended to the Gentlemen present, however moch they felt the pressure of •their grievances, to treat the subject in a firm, candid, and gentle manly manner. He begged leave to call the at teioion of the Meeting to the Report of a Com mittee of their own body, who had investigated their grievances, and whose knowledge of the facts about to be'thentioned was only equalled by the -patience with, which they bad laboured to bring them to light. - The Report was accordingly read. It express ed the opinion' of the Committee relative to the injunctions issued against persons who sold a few copies of the Sacred Scriptures. During the last year no less titan one hundred; and in the present 'rerm no less than eighty had 'been obtained. They were principally levelled against the retail dealers. The practice of detection was usually carried on by the Clerk of the Solicitor, or some friend of the clerk's• The Bibles printed in Edin burgh were one great source of profit to those per sons, as well as Bibles with Notes. This mode of proceeding was a disgraceful and vindiCtive tor ture. When a Bookseller Was served with an In junction he was alarMed ; he felt as a husband and a father ; and, influenced by the desire of avoiding the expense which might be incurred on such a suit, applied to the solicitor, who first coused the party to admit the fact, and then, un der promise of .prirdori, induaed thern'to make an affidavit, not_noly to avoid such sales in fu tUre,..but also promising' not to apply to the Court of Chancery to procure a dissolution of the Injunction. The form of an affidavit was' then read, pnr pnrting to_ be swnrn• by James Biggs, o f Parlia ment-Street. and written by - Foss and Son, Solici ttirS to the' Universities, &c. The reading of the Report was then continued. "The' Booksellers were aggrieved by a Patent, the, limits of which not- even legal knowledge could define. Lord Clare (the Lord Chancellor of Ireland), on the application of the King's, Printer for an injunction, expressed himself in words which ought' to be hung up in every Book s,eller's shop — s nm The. King, as Head of the Church, spay allow ,any man to print the Sacred Scrip tures, but I cannot conceive that he would pre vent any from selling them." To what state were the Booksellers new reduced ? Some time since, a man was, until lately, in Fleet -street, allowed to print a work of Diderot, and to sell it for four pence ; and also to print 'Paine's Age of Realm, yet he was not persecuted ; whilst enlightened and iipdustrinus Publishers were forced to incur severe' penalties for selling those books from which the, blessings at religion were drawn. The CHAIRMAN then requested the attention of the Assembly 'to a swement of facts, on which the opinions mentiotted in the Report were founded, before the first Resolution, which Was for, receiving the Report, was adopted. Mr. CiFsea then gave to the Meeting a eircwn stantial detail of the injunctions issued 'in the Cify.' The sufferers Were chiefly from among the retail class, who were all aggrieved seriously, from being obliged to pay penalties frequently ending in !heir ruin. Mr. Taylor, an eminent wholesale bookseller, told him, that be paid 5001. for different customers in the country, who were obliged by these cruel injunctions to pay money for performing what they almost considered a duty. Among the many instances, Mr. Walker, of the Strand, was cited, who having received an order tpr one of the Bibles edit e d by Ir. Gurney, which not suiting the purchaser, he, placed it in hisishop window out of respect to the Rector of the parish in which. be resided, tine Learned Editor ; some time after, the jammer came round, and purchased it, and an injunction 'was the consequence.— The practice of fining the country booksellers was carried on systematically. A man dressed like a Gentleman entered their shops, and asked for a Bible of a particular descriptioq. The reply was, " We have it not now, but we will send to London for it." "Do so," said the fellow, _ " and have it on such a day." Thus were the unfortunate n►en the dupes of . consu►nrnate knavery. if application was made to the solici tor, the horrid oath was tendered, and the costs were sometimes remitted when it was found im- Possible to obtain thew. No man would be sur prised at his feelings. Ms aged father was nearly deprived of life; as a husband, he had to tear the e loss of a beloved companion : and whence arose those evils ? From an injunction with which he was served foT having suld an old Bible. Mr. INIAwmAN recomtnended unanimity. Mr. SPOTTESWOOD respected the trade, and did not come this night as an agent for the Universi ties. He was well acqnainted with the business, and thought that the good l understauding of the matter would basic; prevented the present meeting. He could not authorize the selling of any parti cular description of Bibles, for the law alone Could authorize such sale. The King's Printer and the Universities were liberal and lenient, and by no ineans'desirous of injuring any. individuals. Mr. HONE considered the Meeting' under obli gations to the last speaker, as he attended to ex plain-the circumstances of the prosecutions. Some Gentlemen who might be desirous'of knowing the origin of the prosectitions, and whether they were lawful, would ask whether any of thenatifose from the King's printers . ?, Mr. SPOTTESWOOD could not answer decidedly ; Le, referred tp _the proceedings, as giving the mime of the perspns. He was•not sufficiently a lawyer to answer. Mr. MAIVM A INT did not think the Meeting assembled tot ,t he purpose of critninating any gentleman. Ft was assembled for the purpose of appointing a Committee, whose ldbours would soon rernove,the evils c.toplained ot. A person, whose nave tve could not learn, ex pressed the grievances of :he pawnbrokers, on in- Oividusis of which 'body,not less than 60 injunc tions had been served, and hoped that success would attend the'tinanitnous efforts of the Meeting. Mr. livlAwm,vg stated, thht he had particilarly requested the Syndicate of die University of Cain bridge to withdraw all proceedings, and he hoped that his application would be effectual. The first 'Resolution was then unanimously carried. A second Resolution was then proposed.. Mr. HONE did not think that the Gentlemen who proposed these Resolutihns wisi►ed to take the• Meeting by surprise.' It 1114ottiswood had answered the tiestiou he prppifsed, he was de sirous of making some observations on the diffe rence between the King's Printers and the Uni versities. He wished Mr. Mawman to explain, whether any , prosecution originated with the Universities-. Mr. MAxweLL stated, - that there was a Gentle man in the room, Mr. Darton, who could answer that question, for 4, when under a prosecution, went immediately to Conbridge, where he, met the Vice-Chancellor, whot a denied all knowledge of . such proceedings. • Mr. MilwruN explained the difference befqeen the rights of the ,Universities and the King's Printers. He wished that the •Gentlemen who were desirous of speaking would endeavour to understand the question. Mr. J. WILKES thought a remedy for their grievances should alone be considered, and not an application to any body of men. The rashness, the rapacity of the representations of the Univer sities and .King's Printers had brought the case before the Public. The Universities -did encou rage these proceedings ; they knew then], for how otherwise could the Solicitor-General be employ ed to bring one or tw•o hundred applications to the Court of Chancery He recommended to the Meeting to npph7 to the Legislature, who alone would afford efficient relief. The Resolutions to he passed ought to be two ; the applipment of a Committee, auda Subscription for the promo tion of the wished-for - object. - The Resolution was then withdrawn. Mr. WIJ.KES then proposed a Resolution, that twelve London Booksellers should be appointed, with power of regulating their proceedings for the general utility. NT. TAYLOR Seconded the motion. Patent rights . were established in the reign of Henry VIII. when Bibles, Alinanacks, and small-beer, were amoqg the principal. If a Resolution simi lar to that which was now proposed were not adopted, England would soon resemble Spain. Mr. ALLEN, a Solicitor, attended for Mr. Blan chard, of the City-road, who was served with an injunction to prevent him from selling certain Bibles. He thought the appointment ot a Comte. rnittee the best mode of obtaining redress. He could not think the IJui-versities culpable, for they .could sanction such - proceedings. He recommend ed an appliCation to rhe Universities, at least for the purpose of procuring relief for the untortti 'nate persons at present aggrieved by injunctions. An investigation ot, the patents would be requi it was not p ro b a bl e t h at site ; it it were good, the Legislature would abolish them. The Resolutions were agreed to, and a Com mittee being chosen, a. Subscription was hams. diately entered into.—(New Times ) NATIONAL 1% lONUM ENT. At the Anniversary Meeting of the Highland ..3ociety, which took place on' the 12th instiint, one of its Members stated, that, as the propo sal for obtaining a National Monument for the metropolis of Scotland, in commemoration of flie glorious naval and military achievements of the late war, had originated in that highly respectable and useful society,- and had re ceived from it every degree of support eon, sisdent with the nature Of the institution,- it might perhaps be gratifying .to its members to learn, that an'object 's6 much !desired and de served had not been abandone'd by the country, but is in a fair train of being accomplished) under the auspices of a Committee of Nobletnen and entkmen of the very first. rank and considera tion in the kingdom; and who are taking such Measures as are likely to give a most efficient im pulse to the movement that had already been so auspiciously made. That it was proposed that this intended memo rial (to be in point of splendour and magnifi cence worthy of Scotland, and of the occasion), should consist of a Monumental Church of orna mental architecture, so designed as to bespeak its triumphal purposes, and that it should he comme morative, and serve as an hallowed place of re cord of the whole naval and military achievements of the late eventful war, in which the Hewes of Scotia 's° eminently distinguished themselves in every quarter of the globe. That such a tribute, while justly due to the dead, - could not fail to conduce most essentially to _the religious, moral, and political interests of the living ; and must necessarily obtain the good wishes and support, not only of thitt- great national institution, but of every true and patriotic Scots man at home and abroad.—(Ecli,tburgh Courant, Jan. 14.) CttiLD STEALING.—On Thursday afternoon t?+e cliliqren of a man named Colville, %di° is in the employ of Mr. Pollard, butcher, of Tylvr street, Carnaby-market, the eldest a boy about ten years old, and the other between two and three,, went out to take a walk in the neighboor hood ; but before they had got many , yards from home, two female§ came up to the eldest, aid after asking him some questions, endeavoured to send him on an errand, but he' refused to leave the child with them on any consicteratiori. One of the women then beat him most dreadfully, took the child, and they both ran away front hint. The boy ran home crying to inform his parents ; his mother was at home, and he related 'all that had happened ; site appeared like one distracted, and instantly pursued t, e` woman, but On the way she fainted, and was borne back lifeless. The same evening the poor child was ., found -in a court in Nassau=street, Rear the FountiTing Hos pital, stripped of his clothes, and nearly perished. PROVINCIAL JOURNALS. ROJI4N CATHOLICS —PROTESTANT PETITION. Toolrt EDJTOR OF VIE BELFAST NEWS-LETTER. " In the honest conflict of opinion's truth is elicited." Lord CASTLEREAGH, July 3, 1818 I am sorry I cannot remove the feat's your Car tespondent has of a Catholic Pretender mounting the throne. By a confusion of terms, he mistook Protestant Petition for a Catholic Petition, and, as I humbly conceive, by a confusion of ideas, he infers the accession of the Pretender from a repeal of the penal laws. , The motes that swim before the intellectual eye are as littlesubstantial as those that affect the visual organ. The state of the matter is this. With a popu lation of the United Kingdoms, equal to 15 or 16 millions, of which the Protestants form 12 ; with the House of Commons Protestant, except ing, at the most, about a dozen Catholics ;• with the House of Lords Protestant ; with the King or Regent Protestant, and bound to the Communion of the Church of England by his coronation oath; with the Acts of Settlement and Succession limit ing the Crown to the Protestant Line; with the Acts of Union with Scotland, and with Ireland, bottomed on the Protestant Succession ; with the Catholics of Ireland sworn to the State, and the security of the Protestant Church Establishment, and to the present state of Protestant property, an oath universally taken, "which concludes both parties, the Catholic from resorting to the abkired doctrines, the Protestant from resorting to the abjured change; and, therefore, in imputing to the Catholics the principles hereby abjured, it is not the Catholic who breaks faith with us, but we break faith with the Catholic."--qGRATTAN.) Now, with all these fences, and bulwarks, and oaths, and securities,,successive Acts Parlia• ment, limitations of the Crown, oaths of the King, oaths of . the people, unequivocal majorities of both Houses, still the pOssibility of a•Catholic King is a pillow of doubt to your Correspondent ; still does this flea of a fear skip about and inter rupt his repose. It was the lineal progenitor of this self-same flea which tormented that Mammoth of Protestant Ascendancy, Dr. Daigenan, which used to awake him in the dead of night, swearing : that the Grand Inquisitor was applying red-hot pincers to his hip. I Again repeat, that the total repeal of the penal code has nothing .to do with the limit a ti ons of t h e CrOwn to the Protestant line, which must remain, as they now are, the law of the land, notwith standing such repeal-; and, as for the new infer ence your Correspondent makes, that the Admi nistration or Ministry should be wholly Protestant, as well as the head of Government, I candidly tell him, I do not see either its legal or constitutional necessity. Sully made a good Minister (though a Protestant), to. Henry IV. when a Catholic; as Necker,' also Ei Protestant, was not aless excellent financier to Louis XVI.—" Why not Catholic and Protestant an the same bench, in the same Couticil ? - -(PaecY.) If Presbyterian Scotland be, slaced on a level of political privileges with England, without apprel heosion of a Presbyterian becoming King ; why should not the same parity of princiFles be ex tended to :Catholic I re l an d, with as little fear of a Catholic mounting the throne ? The limitations of the Act of Succession and Settlement are alike bars both to 'lll'dtcm and Patrick, and if relied on as to time former, why , not as to the latter ? Restrictions,, accidental in origin, temporary in duration, ought not to last a day longer, when Dente, the howalg danger many d es years, ri ot. e h x a i v s e t .la A ps l e a t s l since h o the w manyobject iie cclays,t of ground of the. Protestant Petition. It has n view the penal code is over and gone. Henc only the infliction of penalties, the iroPa°siirtl°ot of political restraints andincapaeities , on account religious distinctions, anti, in short, that stupen donsanal exclusion from all places of profit an a l emo !worm,' illustrated in the Almanack , where, in above 1000 names, scarcely a Catholic appears, scarcely one of the great majority of the Irish's the object of the petition. That, with due respect to the security of the people ! This, then, established religion, and succession of the.,crown in the Protestant line, the laws should only have respect to the faith of the nation, and that the tenet of transubstantiation, or in the belief of seven sacraments, should not operate as a bar of incapacitation from the service 'of the State, or offices of trust under that State, more than a be lief in the creed of Arius, Athanasius, or Socinius Let not religious tenets be made the tests.ofeivi incapaCities. Let not three millions of our fellow -country men be kept from their civil rights, by the opera• lion of a proscriptive code, on the bare possitiity of its opening a way to a Catholic mounting the throne. Let us humbly say. to the Regent, who acts for his Protestant Father, himself a Prates cant---" RELIGION 15 OF GOD TO MAN. TUE CI VIL LAW IS OF YOU TO YOUR PEOPLE !" GREAT EQUESTRIAN UNDERTAKING.--The ' match to go 100 miles in twelve hours, with a horse under 15 hands, undertaken six weeks since by Mr. Isaac Underwood, of Tottenham, the animal to be bona fide his property, came on yes terday. The match was for 200 guineas, but the owner had backed the horse heavily. The start took place two miles from Ball's Pond Gate, yes terday, down the I - Inntingdon-road, and finished on the level bet ween that place and Cambridge, the agreement being to go over sixty miles of ground out. The following is the time :--the first thirty miles . occupied three haws, and the horse halted half an hour, and was fed. The next twenty miles, making half the distance, was done in two hours and 10 minutes, 20 minutes under half the time, when a fresh 7-stoup youth relieved the first rider. The 75 miles, after feeding a second time, was gone in eight hours and 35 minutes. The horse was kept steady at nine miles an hour the next two hours, s and after feeding . again, seven miles were left for the last hour, which was, done cleverly. SUDDEN WA - cu.—Thursday night an elderly Lady, named BENNETT, residing at No. 151, Drury-lane, after eating a hearty slipper, went to bed in apparent good health, and next morning was found speechless. Assistance was procured, but without effect—she died within an hour. OLD BAILEY SESSIONS, JAN. 21' d A DANCING THIEF.— William AP Lach‘a - r ti t v.P l indicted f or stea li ng a t i me - p iece, the pr?P e 7 e si‘ Tho Mas D av i s . H e was , a l so charged with 6 0 01 ing 40s. in money, which sum, h owe verOv as i t be in the indi c t ment .. Th e b r i e f c i rcu mstances . ° t ie case were these :-,The priSoner ita.d been In c 5 habit of g o i ng. to t h e prosecutor ' s house to eel b t e° his children to d ance , an d p ro p er ty had often otiet rt 3f,010 . missed, but suspiCi on did no t f a ll upon Ihe p until it was ascertain e d th a t b e sent Som e O t heri children to the top o f th e house, a"d ° ;or into different ap ar t ments , f ro m the cotill"co e f house, und er p re t ence o f s h ow i n g 'then troil with cards ; hi s 'l o d g i ngs • were in cons e tl ° , 4 ,ll searched, and in them were found Ws would open the prosecutor's con wing -10 1 , or also a dupli ca t e o f t h e t i me - p i ece . The P r o f ° o entered into a l ong d e f ence ; descriptive - par, j o i r ir h y v f e o p u e n r i s i o t li , s e distresses, and said he found the duplicate. oe good l g )r a is v o e ne h r im Gu a ilty. • g $ Clara Tinckner was found Guilty of stew and 0 silver watch, gold chain, three gold sests , :i l ett gold breast pin, from the person of Fletcher, his property, d for Isabella Seaton, alias Clark, was Indicn it iel character. stealing 465. in silver, the property of James, a soldier.—Guilty. h at) The trial of G e o rge P age ,. silk-mercu s- A bankrupt, up on a c h arge o f h av i ng defraud e " creditors, was put off till next Sessi on. ----- -----,----- A CORRECT AIETEOROL O GICAL JOURS AL ' I Theifmouleter. I w ea tllcr' ----------- I , _ • to -t.: ie: '-' • F 4 T, • ,-` 5 , ~.. ~.-. = -----"' 0 Jail. . C' ' Q Inches 0 4 16 .38 41 47 38 30.39 .05 Cloudy F a ir 17 ' 46 40 46 37 29,45 ,is Rain po , „ IR , 40 37 43. 34 .3 9 .02 P ° ' Clo t " 19 17 45 36 .BO Fair silo 20 36 37 40 3.5 .60 Cloud,' fair 21 37 38 41 36 .47 .19 Fair pia 22 38. '46 49 37 .55 / Cloudy hundredth, inch have in the we, of ari f alle4 BIRTHS. ; bero At Bridge-Town, Barhadoes, on th e 24t h of Nave° Lady Com hermere, of a son. • At Leyton, Essex, Mrs. John Gore, of a daughter* Beazley, Esq. of Whitehall, AfARRTED. , t ,014 0 ! On the 22d inst. at Saint Martin's-in-the-Fields, ""„osX Wethly, of Walmer, Kent. Jog lell ,d On Wednesday, the QOtti instant, at Saint Helen's, h tetw - , Flo"k, Esq. of London,- to Eliza Frances; second cla u g .- Adam Clarke ; LL.D. of Millbrook, Lancashire. -." _...--- ,1 Westminster, to Mrs. 5453--• DIED. 6 evg:i On Tuesday, the I2th inst. after a long and verY . e s affliction, which• she bore wall great ch;istian pat ie l t afi ci; fortitude, Mrs. Jenne Neill, of Sorrep•street, in th e 14‘r. • aged 63 year. On Friday s morning, at Islington, of a fit of apt l e • ~. William Mathew, formerly of Newgate-street. far On the list, in Gloucester-place, '. P or tman-squar e ' „• Maria, widow of the late G. F. Cherry, Esq. of Bea`-,004- Yesterday morning, in York-place, Portman-scrl 3re ' Kyd, the wife of General Kyd.' --. PROVINCIAL BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, AND D E 114;4 BIRTS. t On the 12th inst. at Aririatt, H the Lady of Lieu • "C°19 114 Foulkes, of a son. d On the 24th ult. at Conway, the Lady of J. Godao ' Collector of his Majesty's Customs, of a daughter. e bilet Lately, the wife of J. Scofi e ld, o f Winters, Dear Bridge, Northumberland, was brought to bed of thr e , - , children, who, with th e ir mo th er , are a ll doing we ll' e., woulan has nuwfi tif ce - children, all under two years " t; I 3.r..% nitr ED. % Lately, in Colleg e - green , D u bli n , J os h u a Fran 1 v.- to Mrs. Mills, relict o f th e l a t e R everen d Richard N- --- . the courtly of rmah. tOP Lately, at St A . Oswa g ld's, Chester, Mr. Dodd, of lit intilig to Miss Mar Griffit t. at hs, Ti0 ..10 On the 4 y th ul St. Oswald's Chester, Alr• . lAc'' Clarke, of Tiverton, to Miss Atm Nielson, of the sainefooess On the 12th inst. at Ruthin, Cheshire, Mr. Rub° t f 0 of Iluarthe, t o Harri e t, e ld es t d aug h ter o f Mr. JoIW' - d former place. t &At' On the 7th inst. at Coddington, Mr. Richard vv..- Littleton, to Miss Moore, of the Beachin, Cheshire. DIED. li On the 14th inst. M rs . Mary Semill ds" ; , Castle-street, C e On the 6th in s t. M r . Th omas Moorcroft, of the 131° Tavern, Chester. Roh er ! On the 12th inst. Mrs. Whitehead, wife of M r.- Whitehead, of Nestor), Cheshire. ' Prr! On the 9th inst. th e Rev. Ed wa rd Whitley, of Bars lincourt, near Wrexham. • On the 24th ult. at Maesnewydd, near AberYs e 11°4 Richard Morgan, Vicar of Llanfawr, Bala MerionettishYtoti At Edinburgh, on the 13th inst. Mrs. Charlotte " wife of Mr. Allim Grant, messenger at arms. f ti lde° Sunday week, at Throck!ey, Northumberland,, IV-r',Car Penman, formerly a farmer, who completed his 100th Christmas Day, and walked about until within two moo" his death. with, th, e, " LONDON: Printed by.). B. CARSTAIRS, of No. 99 ' Ormond-street, Queen-spare; awt published tn . Ser SCRIPPS, of No. 7, South Molton-street, at TH ri P o i t riP Office, No, 112, Strand ; where Advertisements) `f Letters, &c. (post-paid) must beaddressed. ~ 1 , G. t; ^l t,t . 4 % hi tlis 4, .'-- ---- ----------------- .„. , CC.JURSE OF EXCH JAS ANGE, Fnitmv, A ~.r, Amsterdamll 6 ' Ditto, at Sight ll 3 .CP Rotterdam Antwerp Ha 111 burgh 33 9 2 i CO Altona 1 0 0 1 /' . Paris, 3 Day's sight 93 o i. Ditto Bourdeaux, ditto - 93 80 X. 10,4 E apt Frankfort on the Main Madrid .6 11 tcti l .1 Cadiz . 404 ir Cti 0 - 1:o c Bilhoa 39 Seville Gibraltar Barcelona Leghorn . 511 Genoa... '• 474-Venice, Ital. Liv. 24 SO Malta... .50 Naples " Palermo 1303. per Lisbon' 5Q Oporto Rio Janeiro - 10 per Cent. - Agio of the Bank on Holland.... 2 per Cent. ' BULLION. OP Portugal Gold, in Coin .../...0 0 0 pef Foreign Geld, in Bars 4 3 0, ,0 COAL, MARKET, JANo.arty 42. Ships at Market. Ships sold. price' sg. 81 Newc:►stle...... .. 49 .325. sd. to -1 4, * gd -22 10 .325. 6d. to 425 ' 6 14. .1. Elgin Main Coal. ..... 325: O. to 1 Cinders ....... —s. Od. to