The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-06-30 00:00:00

DREADFUL CATASTROPHE.

A few minutes before six o'clock, on Wednesday evening last, a
horrible accident occurred at the house of Michael Hoban, a re-
spectable carrier on the Kens road, 'shout half a mile from this city.
Early on that morning. two drays belonging to Ilaban, loaded with
goods, arrived from Dublin, on their way to ll'aterford. and were
laid down on the rood side, near his door. Among the other par-
cels there unfortunately happened to he a cask of gunpowd r t
through some accident that can never be known, the powder blew
tip at the hour above mentioned, with a tremendous report. which
shook the earth to a considerable distance around, and the report
was followed by a black dense column of smoke. CM visiting this
scene of calamity, nothing could present a more frightful appear-
ance. Two young men were blown to pieces, and their limbs
scattered in different directions through the surrounding fields.—
Two other voting men and a young woman were so dreadfully
inainied and blackened by the explosion, ss scarcely to retain the
appearance of human beings. These three were conveyed an
proinctly as possible to the County Infirmary. with scarcely a hope
of recovery. Three of the unforttmate sulkers were sons of Ho-,
ban, and the femile, who was abitit twenty years of age, was his
daughter. The fifth wan a neat door neighbour, of the name of
Dowling. Hoban and his wife were fortunately in she fields, at
sonic distance from the house, at the time of the accident, and a
young child, who was on the spot, escaped most providentially,
without the slightest injury. Two houses were blown dawn, and
quickly consumed to ashes. The drays, with their iron axles,
were shivered to pieces, and large bales of cloth, parcels of silk
stockings, quantities of tea, books, paper, deal planks, and wher
articles, that composed the loading of the care, were scattered in
fragments. and blazing in every direction, presenting an awful
appearance, heightened by the almost frantic wailing% of the ti-
-1
happy Iloban and his wife, who beheld the wreck of their family
and property thus accomplished in a few moments. Some of the
burnt fragments were driven so high, by the force of the explo-
sion, as to be carried nearly a mile from the spot. Mr. C. B.
Clarke was quickly on the spot, and showed every anxiety to nlle-
viate the distress of the unhappy survivor of this wretched family.
The Honourable Gentleman and his Lady, and the Marquis and
31archinness of Ormond, set on foot a subscription for the relief of
Michael Hoban, who is really a worthy man, to which they con-
tributed liberally. Several of the County Constabulary were also
in attendance in a moment, to render any assistance within their
Power. Soon after the accident happened, an inquest was held by
M tons. Colic,* and Keough, City Coroners, on the remains ttf
Mi ha, I Hoban. jun., and John fowling. Verdict —" Came by
the r death by the accidental explosion of a keg of gunpowder."
Th t other sufferer+ were. Patrick and Miry Hoban, who died soon
aft r being brought to the Infirmary, and Martin Ilithan, of whose
rev tvery Dr. Pack entertains some hope.—Lcia;tcr Journal.

fhe following ha just been banded to us as the state of
the poll at Galway, on Saturday, 4th day :—Daly, 3,5;0 ;
Lambert, '2,411 ; Martin, 1,740.

At the close of the Preston Election, Captain Barrie and
Mr. Cohbett addressed the electors, and in the course of
their speeches declared they would petition the House of
Commons against the return of Mr. Stanley and 31r.
Wood.

3917?

SOCIETY FOlt PROMOTING EDUCATION A%!l

INDILYTBY IN CANADA.

The next Annual Ileettnir of this f4rniety was held yesterday
at the City of London Tavern $ notwithstanding the early noted
given, the .3leeting was not so numernuxly attended as might have
been expected. rtom the eharitaideeharaeter of this Metropolis.

- - . -
At one o'clock, Sir Groan ft Rose took the chair• it. ml Ort-
meded to explain the objects of the Society. Although so few were
assembled at the first annual meeting, he afield not give way to
any feeling' of discouragement. Many of oar greatest and most
active associations had %risen from eimil er small beginnings, and
lie erookl be Inclined to mistrust the eventual prosperity of a society
which should commence under circumstances less comentaneotts tat
the ordinary caurse of affairs. The object of the Society was so
good, list it could not fail to obtaid patronage and /motion, as soon-
as it should acquire publicity. The Right Hun. Clotirnsen then
adverted to the peculiar mini At ion of the Canticles, which called for
the a'd of such a society. Those Colonies were originally military
settlements made by the French its the midst of savage nations.
The raiders gradually acquired the wilt) and unsettled habits of
the indigenous tribes; and abhough ionic portion of eivilintion
had been restored to the Canadas, after they were conquered by
the British, yet the stamp of wild ignotance and thought.
lesaness remained still deeply impressed on the colonial eha.
racier. It ought not to be raid, that because the Ca-
nadas w re French colonies originally, we ought not to con-
cern ounolves about their moral improvement. By our conquest
of the (*anodes all the moral obligations which subsisted be-
tween the Mother Country and those Colonies immediately de-
volved on us. It was as much our duty to promote the moral
and religious improvement of the Canadian., as it would be if the
brat settlers had emigrated from the British shores. Some affected
to make light of the obligation* of a Mother Country to her
Colonies, an seemed to think that her fostering care was in
general but ill 'requited; but he was wore that the promotion of re.
ligicus edt c 'thin in the Colonies could have no effect but that of
riveting fro bonds of affection; and that the moral superintendence
to which th tit Society aspired was the only interference which
could not give birth to diandisfaction.
The Rev. THOMAS 3101 T IME a, one of the secretaries of the
Society, tin n read the report, which stated that this Society corn.
menced in consequence of the efforts of Mr. Osgood. who visited
this country in 16U1, and had collected a sum of money, which Rai
placed in the hands of trustees in London. The greater part of that
fund had been since expended in promoting education and moral in-
struction in Canada, and it ass from the conviction that much good
had in that instance r. suited from slemler means. that British
Christians were again culled on to contribute to the stflae work of
benevolence. Mr. Oegood, the agent of the Society, had been
kindly received in different parts of the United Kingdom. He had
formed a numtor of auxiliaries, and had collected about 1,9091.
besides a number of books and publications, which will be aeknow.
!edged in the appendix to the forthcoming printed report.
l'he Rev. ‘VM. SMART, in moving that the report be received.
commenced by stating that the country for whose benefit and in •
struction the Society had been formed, was one of a very interesting
character; its population might be divided into three classes, alt
embraced within the operations of this institution :
The first were the Indians of Canada, who were still in a savage
state: they were the rightful owners of the soil, but had been
obliged to retire from the banks of their principal rivers and hunt.
' ing grounds, and thus to make way for the European settlers. We
Iced taken front them their lands. but had sot given them in ex.
chanAe the blessings of civilization. It was, he observed. a prevail-
ing opinion in Canada, that the state of these unfortunate men
was so wretched and so degnoled, as to render their civilize.
tion hopeless; and lie was afraid that such a sentiment was
too common, even in Britain. But facts speak for themselves, for
1 what is recorded on the page of history, as well as what is daily
transpiring, should convince us that the case of the Canadian sa-
vage is not a hopeless else ; for what, he would ask, were we as a
nation, when our forefathers worshipped the unknown God in the
groves of die Druids? Were we not as degraded and wretched as
the American Indiana? What bad wrought the mighty revolution
but instruction and perseverance in the means of civilization 2 It
was by these means we were raised to the comforts and the arts of
this life. anti by a divine revelation to the knowledge and the hopes
of a glorl ma immortality to come. The civilization of the Indians
in America, had not only been tried, he observed, but had suc-
ceeded ; and he would mention a singular fact. It was this: by
standing on the banks of the River St. Lawrence (the boundaty
line between the British province of Upper Canada and the S ate of
New fork,) and looking to the North-West, the Indian tribe,
might be seen there inn state of nature ; but by turning round and
casting the eve to the South, only to the distance of tour miles,
and to the South-East to a distance of thirty miles, von might see
the erdaavoors of the 31intionary Societies of New Vork and New
Enlean.l trwud with success, in evangelizing an'l civilizing the
India n tribee. Could you visit the villages of the Tuscaroras and
the a terangnit, you so 'd see them dwelling in comfortable
boos s and the praises of t e Redo mit sung by enlightened
Choi tan Indians ! And why would t tel Britons be so successful if
they were to pursue h • same plans of ot r American brethrt n ? The
fart's. said Mr. Sma t lio not knov o any rational scheme that
has ever been d Tted far the benefit of oar Indian population in
the Canadian Pr minces. Let tried and holy men be found, that
would submit to the oil and prisstions that areneteisary—let them
learn the Indian languages, institute school., instruct the youths
in the arts of civilized tile, cultivate their minds with the truths of
divine revelation, and then we may reasonably hope for success—
then these children of nature will not become extinct, but, by the
fostering care of Brining. and the tenderness of Christian bene-
volence, their tribes will not only remain, but will even be
raised in the scale of moral excellence. _ _ .

-...-.-.
The second class were the descerdtnts of the first settlers. Upper
cattails was a refuge for suffering loyalty, as this was the asylum
found by the adherents to the royal cause during the American re.,
volution, and on the termination of that contest many of them lett
on the tidd of blood their husbands and their sons, while others,
with shattered limbs and ruled fortunes, settled in this interesting
country, by accepting from the bounty of his Majesty a free gram
or lands, with implements of agriculture and provisions for two
years. The immense forests had given way to the labour of the
axe, and the people were now enjoying the ftuits of their industry.
Nor do they neglect the educe ion of their families ; and such is the
praiseworthy efforts in this respect, that a school-house is generally
the first public buildi,,g en cted. They seldom require to be urged
to promote plans for the education of the chi!dren ; in hundreds of
pieces, with their own efforts, trul with the assistance of from M. to
101. schools 'night be put into operation.
The third class int ) which the Canadian population might be di-
vided were, the emigrants from the various parts of the world. The
population was rapidly increasing from this mince. Ile made an
allusion to the Bathurst district, and appealed to his friend and fel-
low-labourer in Canada, the agent of the society, for the truth of
the pleasing fact. Not more than ten years ago, that part of the
country was the abode of savage,* and beasts of prey, but no/ you
might see comforable dwellings, flourishing villages, cultivated
fields, blooming orchard., and public buildings. such as churches,
court-houses, and echo 1-, in every direction. It was astonishing,
he observed, how ninny seteers b .d arrived within a few years from
Scotland. Ireland, end other tears; and he was sorry to say that
an importation of European emigration was not always an improve-
ment to the orig:nal settlers ; because although Canada was a re-
fuge for the destitute, it was al-o a receptacle for the discontensed
of every party, both in politics and religion. He would therefore
conclude these remarks by co' se viog the high importance of giving
to such a people the means of mutt 1 and mental improvement; and
he believed,—and his belief was not the result of a lusty considers-
tion, it was from an attentive obtetvation and residence in that
country for 1.5 yertrs,—that the strongest bond between the Mother
country and Canadian Colonies was the moral bond. The period,
he hoped, would be far, very far distant, that should separate Up-
per Canada from tire Parent State; but without that moral bond he
eonsidered the seraration as certain. He considered th t the In-
dians had a claim on this country on the score of benevolence, it
not ofjusrce, and that the cause of the Canadian settlers might be
pleaded from motives of Chilstian charity as well as enlightened
It was on these accouuts he did, with the greatest oda.
faction, move that the Report be received and printed under the
direction of the Committee.

THOS. PALLATT, Esq. rose to second the motion, and ob-
served, that although the meet kg wax not so large as the friends of
the Institutios might be led to expect, yet he remembered the pe-
riod When the British and Foreign Bible Society, and some others,
were nut so Large as the present assembly. He would not, there.

fore, be di-couraoed at this circuuistance, but trusted that the
friends of the British Colonies, and the wants of our fellow-subjects
there, would not be pleaded in Stan, but that tbis Society would tire
in importance.
The Rev. T. °scoots moved " That the thanks of the meeting
he given t.. the Auxiliaries. fur the kind manner In which they had
treated the agent of the Society, and the liberal assistance which
they had granted towards increasing the funds of the Institution."
Mr. Osgood observed, that it afforded him note' pleasure to
move this Itesoltaion, for the many tokens of kindness received
since he had been travelling on behalf of the Society, had tnade a
deep and lasting impression upon his nand. In Dublin, Edin.
burgh, and in 'eventl other places, the SI iiiisters of the Gospel, of
different de ,oininations, came forward and assisted, not only by
granting pecuniary ad and donations in useful boo's, but cheer-
fully lent their time in attending public meetings, and opened their
pulpits to the Society's agent, with periniasion for him t n appeal to
the benevolence of their congregations. One of the Bishops of
the English Church in Scotland, not only gave a donation, but
kindly offered to be an animal suliseriber. And the late benevolent
and much-resptcted bora Bishop of Durh:un• after giving to the
ag, nt a liberal donation, consented to allow his name to stand as
one of the Vice-Presidents of the Society, observing that he was
far advanced in life, and had not long to live in this world. and
wished to do all the gaud he could before he left it. Mr. Osgood
observed that he felt desin us, before he sat down, to state one or
two facts in relation to the future prospects of this Society—that
such an Institution was rely much nettled• on account of the great
expense which must atte the attemi tto supply that extensive
country with teachers from the parent country, when it had been
I.,und that some, who had gone from England to reside ix Canada
in the charricter of missionaries or teachers, had been greatly re-
tarded in their labour in consequence of bail health. It was there-
fore of vast importance to train up those young persons for teachers
who acre accustomed to the climate, and whose habits and feelings
were similar to those of the people among w:tom they laboured
and with respect to the prneticability of the attempt, there could
not he a doubt. for he had witnessed a similar effort mooned with
complete success among the Indians it l he American States,
J. REICNER, Esq. seconded this Pcsolution.
Janes Esq., moved that the thanks of the Meeting
be given to the Patron and I'iee-Prestrients of the Saziety• and
likewise that the former Committee be requested to serve fox Ike

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