The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-11-18 00:00:00

POLICE.

ANSI()N-11OUSI:.
Yesterday an Irish gentlemanited upon the Lord Mayor, for
the purpose of potting his I ip on his guard against the de-
vices of the Her. Mr. w o the other day applied ineffec-
tually fur the sanction and patronage of the Chief 3lagistrate to a
Society for discussing polemics.
The Loan Maya refirested to be informed of the grounds of
the charge against 31r. Taylor, and the occasion upon which it was
thought necessary to hold out a Cault,ll with respect to that gentle-
man.
The gentleman then proceeded to compliment his Lord.bir upon
the manner in which he haul handled the arguments of Mr. faylor
in favour of a form and system of discussion, calculated to throw dis-
credit upon the Christian religion, in this most religious country.
The refusal to countenance the project of Mt illogerous a speculator
was gratifying to all the believers in the doctriues of Christ ; and
it must be a source of adili•ional gratification to the Lord Mayor to
know that he had given that refusal to a man who was the most
decided enemy of Christianity, and who had enlisted into the ranks
of which he had teken the command, the most notorious infidels,
1 Mediu:inks of Voltaire and Paine. and the rest of those scutfers.who
had endeavoured to destroy the grand fabric of the( liristiant !hurt+.
Mr. I'. had, in making his application, carefully disguised his real
v iew., but his Lordship seertied to be aware that a fair discussion was
not likely to take place in such a society,anil tits t the interests at reli-
gion scold not be forwarded by the establishment of it. Now the
tact was, Mr. Taylor had of unwed, not only in this coon-
try but in 'reknit, that he was anti-Christian. In Publin he gave
vent to the peculiar notions he entertained, in such a manner. upon
ono occasion, that the gentlemen of Trinity College would positively
hared made what the Ileverend* Gentleman ealled a glorious
martyr" of him, if the police had not interfered to prevent blood-
shed. Upon that occasion Mr. Taylor was obliged to escape
thmugh a window from the vengeance of his insulted heaters. Hut
he was net corrected by this menace of Summary infliction. ['pun
coming over to Englnnd, of the church of which he represented
himself a member, he collected about him a mob of infuriated in-
fidels in a house in Holborn, and there began to work at his old
trade. Toshew the sincerity of his belief in the principles of the
church of which he professed to be the supporter, he made an
harangue, in which he applauded the Pythagorean philosophy as
the genuine source of taith—as a real in comparison with that
which believers considered the model of purity and truth. Ile also
denied that the deluge was universal in its operation, and thus de-
nied the written word of God.
After several other observations upon the subject of Mr. Taylor's
religions views, the gentleman requested that the Lord Maya
would be caatioue in giving credit, upon any future 'occasion, to a
man whose object was decidedly to do an injury to religion.
The LORD MATOU, who could not help smilinat the earnest
appeal. intimated that the gentleman who had taken such an in-
terest in the cause of Christianity need not be under any appre-
hensions that Mr. Taylor would impose upon him (the Lord
Mayor). To whatever extent Mr. Taylor went in his views of reli-
gion, he would probablyn see the propriety of discontinuing the
Society, which it was eMent could be but of short duration.
The gentleman said that Mr. Taylor bad publicly stated that the
Society was sanctioned by the Lord Mayor.
Thit Loan )lATOR said, he had seen no statement of the kind.
Ile had expressed his disapprobation of such a Society, but he hail
not prohibited it. Mr. Taylor knew that, and pledged himself not
to use the Chief Magistrate's name at all upon the occasion. If
anybody came fotward to prove that money had been taken at the
doors for admission on the nights of discussion, the complaint should
be entered into ; but as the matter stood at present, he (the Lord
Mayor) did not think it his duty to interfere. Ills Lordship, how-
ever, repeated his belief that such a Society as had been described
could not exist long.