The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-11-29 00:00:00

•
had been petulant, or uneetemmodatlng on some points, it Vas
little wonder—the only sentiment which such a situation ought to
inspire in every feeling manly heart aas compassion—certainly not
anger or hostility. Whatever others might think of Mr. Chambers,
his opinion of that gentleman was still unchanged ; and had ano-
ther course been adopted, he felt satisfied that he would prove his
claim to the character of an honest and honourable man.
Mr. Gnoo)IE thought that the inference to be drawn from Mr.
Bicknell's remarks was, that the Committee did not do what
I they ought to have done, and that if they proceeded under the
deed, and sold the estates, the. creditors' affairs would have been
in a tretter•condition. Perham the remark might be correct ' • but
3lr. Chambers would nut permit the sale when it could have been
more advantageously effected, when the Three per Cents. were at
941, instead of 83, their present price. Mr. Chambers also showed
the same obstinacy in regard to the letting of the opera-house. In
fact, every one was astonished at his conduct. The Committee
sre far from saying that he is not. an honest and an honourable
man, but they must say, that to them he appeared in the character
either of a very obstinate or a very ill-advisad mon. The Commit..
tee was intrusted with certain powers ; and if they did not employ
those powers for the-benefit of the creditors, by whom they were
appointed, they Would nut have performed their duty. " L uk
you._gentlemsn." demanded Mr. C., " did you mean us to act as
an efficient body, or only as apiece of machinery, to bo regulated
by 3lr. Chambets's direction ?',
. .

Several voices—As the former. by all means.
Mr. (ilooNE—Then if we have obeyed you we are satisfied con.
seientiously with the steps we have taken. With respect to the ar.
rests of which Mr. Chamber's friends complain, I answer, we had
no means to prevent it; and, as to the release of his son, It did out
rest with us.

(Cries of " No, no; it could not be done without the sanction of
those creditors who had not aigned the decal.")
Mr. Gl'oollE—Certainly not: we could not venture to make
that absolute whit+, in fact, was only conditional.
Mr. Mxxxtw observed that the Committee were extremely
anxious to release young Mr. Chambers, and had consulted with
Mr. HASICWOOII and Mr. Richmond on the subject; but these
gentlemen considering the complicated state of the affairs of the
house, had given it as their opinion that it valid be most unsafe
to do so. They were also anxious that the business should go on
under the Deed of Management if possible, and when the commis-
sion issued, it was wholly unknown to them until they saw the
name in the Cantle. _ _ _

Some gentleman having expressed a wish that Mr. Chambers
might be called in, as he happened to be in attendance, Mr. Ha-
milton was instructed to say that the creditors would be glad to see
him if he thought proper.
Mr. CHASID eae soon after appeared, with his legal adviser, end
bowing to the Chairman, said, `• I am liera, sir."
Mr. TOOKE—The only question I believe, Sir, that this meet-
ing wishes to put to you is this—" Do you mean to resist the com-
mission of bankrupt issued against you ?"
Mr. Ctrameens—That is a question which, for the present, 1
must decline answering, not that I have any personal objection to
doing so, but because I ant in the hands of my legal advisers,
and I, of course, will do nothing without their concurrence. But,
as I am here before you, I should like to make one or two obser.
'cations with respect to some imputations. which I understand have
been cast on my conduct as regards the sale of Chattle. It has
been asserted that I threw obstacles in the way of its disposal—l
deny it. The fact was simply this—when I was spoken to on the
subject, I said that the sale would not be legal, because there was
a defect in the title deeds ; the estates were really not in a condition
to take into the market, and I therefore did certainly object to their
being sold, and for this necessary caution, my character has been
stigmatised and my conduct impugned. If any one has cause to
complain, have not I ample and most abundant cause ? %fluid
treatment have I received at the hands of the Committee? They
agreed to release my son—have they done so? rio but they de-
bar him of accepting a situation, and then tell him to procure a sub-
sistence how he ran. They could find means to allow my servant
601. per annum, but they had no means of paying my mother her
maintenance. They have traduced my character,, hut though I
may have been unfortunate, I have never been dishonourable. I
defy any one of them—l defy Mr. Groonie there, who wrote al
letter about me to alr. Smith, and drove him oil the Committee.
I defy him—l defy the world, to name any one act of dishonour
which I have committed in the whole course of my existence. But
what was the object of this persecution ?. They thought to drive
me to distress, and believed that I should then come to any terms.
Of the 700 J. a year which wee to have been allowed to my family,
two quarters have been kept back. The moiety of the Enfield
farm, which I was to receive on account of my brother, as Corn-
mittee under the Court of Chancery, he being a lunatic, was like-
wise refused. They say that the allowance of 7001. a year was
°enormous, but what were the terms imposed on me? I was never
to embark in any commercial speculation for five years, except for
the benefit of my creditors. I was always to live within five milee
of the metropolis, and to be at all times subservient to the Com-
mittee. The most fraudulent bankrupt that ever entered Guildhall
was never more restricted or tied down—none ever more condemn-
ed. They talk of my warmth—it arose from a conscious rectitude
of feeling—a feeling that I have preserved through life, and would
not barter for worlds.
Mr. DEVEW said he could bear testimony to the truth of these
charges on the Committee.
Mr. Tociez unequivocally denied them all.
Mr. Grtootue thought that Mr. Chambers had gone rather too
' far in the sweeping censure lie had passed upon the Committee.
When a man owed 300,0001., the least that he ought to have done
auto have assisted his creditors in the adjostment of tls
-ID that they might get back at least some portion of their property.
—(Hear, hear.) If the title deeds of the estates were defective, it
was his duty to remedy that defect; the Committee were not his
clerks. Such conduct and such language was only adding insult to
injury. If a banker breaks, it is well known it must be by mis-
management.
Mr. ToosE—And with dishonour.
Mr. Gnooatt said, that however anxious the Committee might
be to meet Mr. Chambers on amicable terms, he had, by his own
conduct, invariably frustrated their intentions.
After some further conversation relative to the appointment of
the assignees above-named, the Meeting broke up.
- - -
TRIAL OF THE CONSTF UTIONNEL.

The Etoile of Sunday gives at some length the speech of
M. Dupin, on the previous day, in defence of the Consti-
tationwl. The following are some of the most striking
passages of the address:—
" The Cottrtirtitiound," said he, " is reproached with not hay.
ing always given conect news. if we are to destroy a journal be-
muse it sometimes quotes fans ineorreesly, we must reduce every
journal to a Gazette of the tribunals which relates what has actually
come under the observation of its editors." Al. Dupin contended,
that the missionaries, far from preaching the religion of Christ,
preach only superstition. " They speak," said he, 'of recent ml.
racles. For instance, it is stated, in a lithographic work, that JesuS
Christ has appeared in a church at Lyons, and left the print of his
toot upon the altar. In another work, a letter from Christ is pub.
hailed, yet the licenses of these printers, who style themselves
print-re to the King, or to such and such a Bishopric, arc not
taken away. These writings of which I speak (continues M. Du.
pin) are at a premium of more than twice their nominal price. Is
this religion? Is it not a traffic in the ignorance of the people, and
a desire to perpetuate it ? la this putting in practice the precepts
of the Gospel ?" 111. Bonin here read a letter from a cure, who re
fused to admit a man as a sponsor to a child bemuse he played
upon the fiddle. He recalled to the recollection of the Jury the
refusal made at Poictiers to bury a President of the Royal Court.
He then mentioned, that an ecclesiastical print had characterised
as atheistical the cemetery of Pere la Chaise, in which for twenty.
five years have been deposited the remains of all that the mum-
polls has produced of what is moat commendable and most vir-
tuous. A cure' said M. Dupin, had declared that Louis XVIII
was damned because he had granted the Charter. Without the
liberty of the press, and without journals, the authorities dared not
have proceeded against this ecclesiastic. After having examined
in detail all the articles of the Coltstituaounel, M. Dupin went on
—" I have made a subtraction of all the obnoxious articles (a pro.
eess of tendency is almost a question of arithmetic), I hare struck
out, first, five articles, then fifteen, and so on, till upon thirty-four
articles the charge is reduced to zero." M. Dupla finished his
speech by declaring, that in this prosecution the State, and net the
I Church, was really concerned, and that the dispute was, in fact,
between those who desire a representative government, and those
who wish for the Andes Repute and the destruction of French
liberty. He willed upon the authorities to put a check to the in.
tolerance of the Ultra-montane party, and to declare that they sat
there to administer justice, and not favour,
At half-past three o'clock the Court remained in deliberation.

FAIRS OF CAMBERWELL AND PECKHAM.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRESS.

Sta,—l beg leave to point out an inaccuracy in that part
of your account of the proceedings relative to this subject,
wherein it is stated that the Vestry of Camberwell, being
determined not to suffer those nuisances, the Fairs of Cam-
berwell and Peckham, to continue unabated, had again
resolved to bring the rase under the jurisdiction of the Ma-
gistrates. The fact is, the measures now in progress did
not originate in the Vestry at all, but are entirely Owing to
the exertions of the highly-respected Vicar of the parish,
who convened a meeting at his own house, for the purpose
of taking this subject into consideration, and has since,
aided by the pecuniary co-operation of some of the inha-
bitants, commenced, and is now continuing, measures for
the suppression of these intolerable evils, which, it is not
going too far to assert, are disgraceful to a country that has
any pretension to civilization.
Whatever merit, thetefore, there may be in this under-
taking, is due to the Rev. Mr. Storie; and that there is
great merit in his endeavours, will be readily admitted he
many who have been long disturbed by those annual vi-
sitation' of profligacy, brutality, and disorder.
A PARISHIONER OF CAMBERWELL.

A Tradesman's and Mechanics' Inatitutionis about to be
founded in the city of Exeter. A meeting was held in the
Guildhall, on Wednesday lust, at which the Mayor de-
clined presiding, when a number of resolutions were
passed for establishing and supporting the intended insti-
tution.