The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-10 00:00:00

MR. BETHELL.

On Wednesday last a mee7rvaa held at the Sculcoates PuL
Hall, Hull, for the purpose of enabling Mr. Bethel! to return
thanks to his friends fur the support they have afforded him : from
two to three hundred persons were present. Mr. Millen made a
long and admirable speech, full of sound and liberal views on the
Corn Laws and the Catholic Question, and of open, manly declara-
tions, with regard to his own conduct during the late election. We
regret that we are only able to make the following extracts from his
address. The first relates to the Catholic Claims:—" It is of little
consequence that I should avow that I am firmly attached to the
established religion of my country. But I may appeal to a host of
giants in intellect, who have entertained the same opinions. Need
I mention the name of Pitt, the name of Fox—that of' Wilberforce,
to whom you are all known, and whom you all know and respect ?
Need I Mention the name of that illustrious man, Lord Grenville,
than whom. I know not a more honest man ? Are these men unable
to form an opinion upon the subjee, or have they been indifferent
to the established religion of the country? Do you not number them
amongst its warmest friends? 1 have heard much sald on the sub-
ject of historical evidences. But, Gentlemen, I think they are not
evidences applicable to the present tones—( Hear, hear)—and they
ara evidences on which no man can come at the present time to
an honest and conscientitras verdict. At that time, Gentlenten,
when this law was introduced, the throne of this kingdom was oc-
cupied by the most unprincipled, the most debauched, the moat
disgraceful hypocrite, that ever sat upon it—who condescended to
accept a pension from the enemies of his country. He was sur-
rounded by servants and Ministers as base as himself; anti their
object was not to establish religion (for that they never thought of),
it was to introduce a new despotism. Under these circumstances,
the good and wise statesmen of this country felt the necessity of in-
troducing that system a restrictions. Since then, Gentlemen, has
not the whole scene changed ? book at the progress knowledge
has made—universal knowledge among the great mass of the com-
munity. Look at the feelings of liberality which now prevail.
Consitler how we all feed and esteem that liberty under which this
country has advanced to the pitch of glory which it has now reached.
Look, Gentlemen, at the oaths which our Catholic subjects
do now willingly take—lank at the professions they most deli-
berately, put forth; and it is nothing but a scrupulous regard to
an oath which at present keeps them out of the Senate—from the
highest offices in the State. (Hear, hear.) I am old enough to re-
collect many arguments brought forward on this question, which I
believe are now only advanced among village politicians. But in so
r doubtful • case we shouhl refer to the conduct of the parties, and
see what the effect has been on that conduct which has been pro-
dsteed by the opinions they entertain and ; I think we must all ac-
knowledge that a more honourable race of men does not exist—men,
who more faithfully discharge all the social relative duties—men,
who came forward more zealously at the call of the country in the
hour of peril. (Wear.) Men, who feel more deeply the present
prospirity of the country--men„ who are more anxious to support
who are more interested in its being supported—men, more
conscious that you cannot take any one species of property without.
undermining and destroying the security of all. I avow, therefore,
that I, for one, am willing to trusethem."
The other extract we make refers to his own conduct, after retir-
ing from the contest :—" For the attempts which were afterwards
made to bring me forward, lam not answerable. I certainly must
feel a giwat degree of zealous attachment and of obligation to those
who evinced such zeal in my cause. I had no right to control pub-
lic opinion, but did all I eould to endeavour to convince them that
the attempt was useless--that it was wasting their strength, and,
most probably, compromising my character."

Pliblic

MACCLESPISLD, JULY T.—Very considerable alarm pre-
vailed here on Wednesday evening, from a report that a man named
Albison had murdered his wife : and as it was known that lie would
be examined at the Guildhall on Thursday, hundreds, of persons
pressed forward fur admission. The woman is not dead, but so
dangerous are the wounds she has received, that there is little like-
lihood of her recovery. It appeared that a quarrel arose at a pub-
lic house, where the prisoner, his brother, and wife were drinking,
and on their return home, having some reason to suspect his wife's
fidelity. as she had been scat with his brother under very suspi-
cious circumstances, he attacked her in the most savage manner,
jumped upon her repeatedly, and nearly beat her head to pieces
with a clog. A person having stated that the woman teas in very
edit danger, Albison was remanded for a day or two, to wait the
result. I have been this morning to see the poor woman. She was
quite insensible, and has been so dreadfully beaten about the head,
that not a sh.gle feature in her face can be discerned; her nose
and chin are absolutely level with her cheeks, and altogether she
presented a most horrifying spectacle, and her countenance is any-
thing but human.
0,1 IVetlnesday the city of Coventry was visited by a
most tremendous thunder-storm, accompanied with a deluging
shower of rain. it commenced about one o'clock, and, for upwards
of an hour, the vivid flashes of the lightning, and the deafening
peels of the thunder, were alarming beyond description. About a
pine! past two, the eltetrie floid descended against the house of a,
Mr. Careless, in Much Park-street, and struck the iron hinge of a
window shutter on the ;,,wittiid ti tor, on the east side of the build-
ing ; it entered the premises, dashing to splinsters the window and
window frame ; and taking a perpendicular direction, forced its
way through the ceiling into the chamber above, where part of the
tinnily were at rest • the window and frame here shared a similar
.fate with those below; several splinters being thrown on the bed of
the terrified inmates. The fluid proceeded across the chamber,
forcing large pieces of wood and brick from the wall, and entered
the shop above, which'cohtained several engine looms •filled with
silk. From the appearance of this plat-, the electric matter had
lost none of its power. In several plates titicks were torn from the
wall with tremendous violence, and considerable damage was done
to the looms. The destructive fluid afterwards made its egress
through a window on the west aide of the house, tearing out the
window frame. A young man, son of Mr. Careless, who slept in
the shop, terrified by the violence of 'the storm, rose for the pur-
pose of ernsing the window as the electric fluid entered. Ile was
immediately struck to the ground, but received no further personal
injury than being for a almet time stunned. lie describes the sen.
sation he experienced as simibir to that of a person whose head was
surrounded by a flame of fire.

THE BRITISH PRESS.

PORTSMOUTH, Jcs.y O.

On Sunday the Eden, 26, Captain John Lawrence, C.B. arrived
from the West India station, last from Malta, where she landed
Commissioner Ross and family. She left that island on the 13th
of Mae, and Gibraltar on the 13th of June. The surveying-ship
Maatiff, Captain Copeland, was the only chip in the May. The
inteffigence by her from Malta is not so recent as that contained in
our last Paper. From Spain there is no particular news. The
wid:: province of Andalusia was quiet ; the corn end vine crops
most abundant generally throughout the country. The Alge-
eines were particularly quiet ; they do not now molest the ships of
any nation whatever. The American squadron was in the Archi-
pelago The Eden has been four years in commission, and so
effectual hue been the system of Ilygienne recommended, and
scrupulously adopted, that only three »ten have died on board
her In that period. She sailed on Thursday for Deptford, to be
paid off.
Last night the Swinger, 111, Lieutenant G. W. Matson, arrived
from the coast of Africa, having been nearly four years on that
station, during which she lost three Commanders, by the fever of
that climate. She left Sierra Leone on the 28th of May, bringing
one of the Commissioners of Inspection and Inquiry, who went out
some months since. The rainy season hail just commenced, but
the ships were remarkably healthy. The 3laidsoine, Commodore
Millen, was at Sierra Iscone ; the Brazen and Esk, in the Bight of
Benin; the Redwing, on the Windward Coast; the Leven' Barra-
coma, and Conflict, surveying the Rio Grande shoals ; the
Dematch, on her passage to Ascension and England. The
Swinger brought despatches from Commodore Millen, and for the
Colonial-office.
On Tuesday his Majesty's brig Alacrity, Captain Geo. J. Hope
Johnstone, arrived from Naples. whence she sailed on the 22d of
May, bringing despatcks from Admiral Sir Harry Neale. who was
about to sail in the Revenge, fur Athens. The Sybille, 40, Sir Sa-
muel Pechell, Bart. had procceilid thither. She left the 31astiff at
Gibraltar ; Captain Copeland having completed the survey of both
sides of the Straits of Gibraltar, and Of the harbour of Ceuta. would
shortly sail for Malta, and, eventually, to the Archipelago Islands,
to survey them. The Alacrity sailed this afternoon to Woolwich,
to be paid off.
His Majesty's schooner Speedwell, Lieutenant Oxenham, an-
chored at Port Royal on the 5111th of April, having &tiled from Tri-
nidad de Cabs on the 20th, after seeing the convoy safe in. On the
21st, in Ist. 19. 30. N., and long. 79., she fell in with the French
brig Alcide, from Ctpe Lopes (coast of Africa), bound to Mar-
tinique, with 337 slaves on board, which Lieutenant Oxenham de-
tained, and brought into Port Royal.
On Thursday the Ksins transport, Lieut. Bardwood, arrived
from the 3faurftius, with the 2d divisi.m °idle Mit regiment on
board. She sailed in comrany with the Layton which arrived or.
the 16th oh. The troops have landed, and joinedl the Ist division,
at Fort Cumberland.
On Sunday the Lively, 46, Capt. Wm. Elliott, C. 13., arrived
from Plymouth, to take Major-General Sir Neill Campbell,
K.C.8., Commander in Chief on the coast of Africa, and suite, to
Sierra Leone. She is expected to sail in a few days. Remain—
the Glasgow (which went out of harbour yesterday), Blonde, Livily,
Talbot. and Swinger.
The Talbot, 28, Captain the lion. F. Spencer, is expected to sail
in a day or two for the Mediterranean.