The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-05-21 00:00:00

ROYAL UNION .4sSOCIATION.

Yesterday a public dinner of the friends and subscribers to the
above excellent Institution. took place at the Freemasons' 1 stern,
*rest Queen-stree., Lord Itlacnost•r.D in the Chair.
After the removal of the cloth the CHAIR/4A\ proposed the
following toasts :
" The King"—which was most enthusiastically drunk with
three times three.—" God save the Bing."
" The Duke of York, patron of the Royal Union Association"
,—" Hail star of Brunswick."

" The rest of the Royal Family."
" The Duke of %Wellington, patron of the llampshire General
Benefit Society."
The ettatnmsx proposed as the next toast—" Prosperity to
the Royal L'rion Association."
The Report was then read by the Secretary. It merely expressed
the success which attended the progress of the Society si:icc its in-
stitution,_

Capt. 0 GRADY proposed the health of the Chairman, which
was drunk with the usual honours—three times three. _ _

The CHAIRMAN returned thanks, and proposed the health, of
the Vice:Presidents.

T. P. Maciat: E E Esq. M.P. returned thanks. Ile thought the
Institution would prove beneficial to the community at large.
From the first moment he entered the Commons House of Parlia-
raent, the attention of the Legislature had been directed to the
Poor Laws, with a view, if possible, to do away with then, as
preying on the very vitals of the State, and oppressive to the rich
as well as the poor. Two modes of affecting that was proposed—
nest, to follow the recommendation of Malthus, and limit the
allowance of the poor rates; the other mode, more circuitous cm..
taialy, but far more humane, was the institution of Savings Haulm
The latter mode he thought liable to many objections, as an indi-
vidual in a moment of distress might be induced to withdraw front
a Savings Bank what he had for yeses been depositing in it.
Friendly Societies were also established, but unfortunately their
meetings were held at ale-houses, where the members spent more
than, if properly applied, would provide a fund for their support in
old age. From a calculation which had been made of the number
of persons subscribing to the Friendly Societies, and in the habit
of meeting at ale-houses, it could be proved, supposing the money
actually expended by each member to be only 3d. on every monthly
club night (and that was far to low a calculation), the money thus
expended would supply forty-Ore thousand persons constantly with
a pound of bread per day each. The Honourable Gentleman
mentioned some instances in which persons, who had been sub-
scribers to these institutions for many years, had been treated with
great cruelty by the Directors of them. After some further °beer-
aations, the Honourable Gentleman expressed his conviction, that
the most secure and beneficial mode of carrying into effect the ob-
;ems of benefit societies was, that a union of them should take
place, and that they should be conducted by Gentlemen of charac-
ter, education, and respectability, for the benefit of the poor.
With such a view wag the present Institution established.
Several other toasts were subsequently given, and the Chairman
retired at a late hour.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE ENLARGEMENT AND
BUILDING OP CidUECIIE3 AND CII•I'ELS.—We are per.
raided that this excellent Society has failed of receiving
that support which it justly deserves, owing to its being
confounded with the Royal Commission for the appropria-
tion of the Parliamentary Grants for the But: hog of
Churches. It is time, however, that sonic endeavour
should be made make its existence and its objects more
fully known: we are therefore happy in acquainting our
rra&rs, that a highly respectable meeting was yesterday
-held, at the Merchant Seamen's Office, in the Royal Ex-
change, which was attended by about forty of the principal
Merchants of the City of London, fur the purpose of form-
ing a Co.nroittee in aid of this Society, the funds of which
are nearly exhausted. The Bishop of Chester was called to
the Chair, and from the feeling which was displayed, we
anticipate the most powerful support to the funds of a
Society, which, during nine years, has distributed from
voluntary subscriptions ti 6,0001. to various parishes in the
kingdom. Sittings have been thus provided for 85,000 of
the poorer and 35,000 of the better classes, and the 85,0001.
thus bestowed, in aid of the exertions of parishes, has (as
is calculated) produced a total expenditure on this excel-
lent object of nearly 350,0001. The Annual Meeting of the
Society will be held at the Freemasons' Tavern, on IVed-
oesday next.
Pass AAAAA lON Tana fintrwaaca.—On the evening of
the Hub instant, a sloop appeared off Annaloug with a
signal flying, and every other indication of distress; it was
then blowing a gale of wind from E.S.E. with a heavy sea.
Mr. Murrow and his noble crew, animated with a praise-
_ _

_. of
spot.—

QUARANTINE LAWS.

REPORT OF OF THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS ON
THE PLAGUE, DATED 1818, WITH REMARKS.

1. " We are of opinion, although some epidemic diseases are
not propagated by contagion, that it is by no means preyed that the
plague Is riot contagious." That the negative of a proposition has
not been proved, is here regarded as sufficient proof of the affirma-
tive! But the negative has been demonstrated by proofs positive,
negative, analogical, circumstantial, and ad absurdum.
'2. " are persuaded, on the contrary, from the consideration
of the experience of all ages, and some of us from personatobserva-
don, that the disease is communicable from one individual to an.
whir." Here " experience" is evidently confounded with tradi-
tion. If the mere circumstance of contact be admitted to be evi-
dence of contagion, it will equally apply to gout, rheumatism, or
dropsy, as to plague.
3. " The additional proofs which would be required of the non-
existence of contagion, must be such proofs as would be sufficient
to counterbalance the general opinion of medical and philosophical
authors and historians from the times of Thucyclidea, Aristotle, and
Palen, to the present " Reason' for concluding that
the Doctrine of Pestilential Contagion was wholly unknown to the
Ancients," be. inithe 19th vol. of the London Medical Repository.
And, if it had been known to and believed by them, it would have
teen nothing to the purpose.
4. " So late as 18:3, the contagious nature of the plague was
fully ascertained by the British Medical Officers in the island of
Malta." In what manner, er upon what occasion, were these
contagious properties ascertained ? Was it inferred from the fact
of the disease not spreading among the soldiers, living gregariously
as they do in barracks, nearly so much as among the inhabitants,
who do not live so gtegariously ? or from the equally decisive fact,
that the orderlies who attended the sick soldiers were not, in any
instance, affected?
b. " The doctrine of contagion appears to be wholly unshaken
by any argument which Dr. Maclean has advanced." Literally
this is undoubtedly quite correct, whetLer applied to simple or to
perfitritha/ contagion ; for the very obvious reason, that no argu-
ments could have performed the miracle of shaking either what is
immovnble, or what has no existence.
6. " At the same time we think it probable that some of the
personal restrictions enforced in some of the establishments for qua-
' rantine might be modified. without risk to the public safety." But
can anything be more obvious, than that if these restrictions be ne-
cessary and efficient, they ought to be augmented in duration, in-
creased in rigour, and universally extended ? or, if useless or in-
jurious, that they ought to be universally abolished ? There is, in
this case,' in consistency, no middle course. The College were
bound to recommend either their universal exclusion, or total abo-
lition ; but could not be justified, upon any known hypothesis, in
recommending their modification.

QU.IItANTINr, REGULATIONS
AT FORTS IN TliE MEDITERRANEAN. EOM SHIPS COMING

. -
worthy seal and hope of rendering service to the distressed,
immediately launched his boat, and with considerable
• risk and much exertion succeeded in getting alongside
the vessel, which they found water-logged and in an un-
manageable state. They, however, pointed her head to-
wards the small harbour of Annalong, and made the en-
trance ; but, it being a falling tide, could not get her into
b the harour. She proved to be the Crawford, of Greenock,
John M'Fea, master, from Westport, with oats and pork,
tor Liverpool, sprung a leak off tho Skerries. The vessel
has received considerable injury : the cargo of oats lost—
the provision, it is supposed, will be saved. The vessel
and cargo, together with the lives of five persons, must
Lave been lost, but for the gallantry of the coast guard,
who, we trust, will be remunerated as they deserve for their
conduct.—Newry Paper.
On the 10th instant a serious accident occurred at the
Buttcrler Iron Foundry. As several of the workmen were hoisting
boiler intended for a steam-packet oa to a dr.l7, by means of a
east-iron crane, the Inter unexpectedly broke, and falling upon a
;Fair Irish labourer named ThOUMSCropwell, tore away the musclus
.s: one of b is legs, and otherwise injured him so severely as to occa-
sion his death, after very great suffixing, the neat day. There were
several others assisting, who providentially escaped injury. The
poor sufferer has left a wife and five 01 six children in Ireland. to
whom to was in the constant bablt of sending all he could save from
Ls small earnings, and whom he occasionally west to sec —And on
toe 12th innt. as one of the workmen employed in the works at
Codnor park, to the same concern, named Vi illiam Bradley, was
do:tending into an iron stone pit there, he accidentally fell out of
she box to teabottom of the pi:, and killed on the spot.—
Dirty bfweary.