The National Register.
London, England, 1821-01-22 00:00:00

23

METHODIST SCHIEM.—We regret to state that a
schism of considerable extent appears to have taken
place among the Methodists in the Notthero Counties
as well us the South, owing to the folly of some of their
preachers, in interfering with the pol Meal opinions of
the people. This began about the latter rod of last
year, when their Committee of privileges in London, in
concert with his Majesty's Government, issued circulars
to the different preachers in the connexion, in all parts
of the country, to discoutitenance amongst heir people,
all those who might be attached to political reform.—
I mated 'at ely the methodist pulpits every where refounded
with the murderous doctrines of passive obedience and
non-resisiatice, those doctrines, which in 1....ng1aw1,
brougin one tyrant to the block, and obliged smother to
abdicate toe throne. In consequence of which, added
to the tvi unity of their preachers, and their exorbitant
exactions from the people, few of whom are opulent,
great itumbeis have separated f• the body, and formed
a new conitintity, under the denomination of " Inde-
pendent Aletliodisa," maintaining the same discipline,
but Mitering in church government, as their preachers,
the primitive teat hers of Christianity, claim no pe-
cuniary reward fur their lauours. In ssieiJs, Newcastle,
and other places, tiley are rapidly increasing, and have
already fourteen chapel* and places of worship, which
ale supplied by twenty-one preachers. 'rite noble spirit
of intlepencletice rising dosing these people cannot be too
much admiral by every friend to civil and religious
liberty ; and ire hail this cretin as the forerunner of still
greater exeillollS in the cause of freedunt, which is
ultimately coottected with the present and eternal hap-
piness of die I kkkkk lati-raCe.
• Al u Kt:Ea.—Aaiun o'clock WS Wednesday night,
the 8.0, a set of villains alined with pistols, attacked a
boat laden with a cargo of differeat ineicitantlise, on the
Grand( :mai at Colgan's lkidge, near the town of Eden-
burn, in the Kitig's County, Ireland, proceeding on her •
passage from Dublin to Shuman Hat boor, and after
• shutting the hatchways on the crew, oue of whom they
• unmercifully beat about the head with the bin end of a
pistol, until part of the skull was completely discarnate, •
they sunk the boat by breaking a plank in her stern with •
au axe,. having plundered the most valuaide property.—
Seveial gentlemen residing near to the spot have rub- •
scribed a very liberal reward to any person who shall
cause the delimpients to be apprehended, and brought
to condign punishment; and the directors of the Grand
Canal Company have in a manlier highly commendable, -
offered tool. to the Saone purpose.
A severe conffict took place on Wednesday night last:
between a gait of five poachers and the keepers of-
Windsor Great Palk. The keepers were apprised of the
presence of the poachers by repeated reports of guns dis—
charged tri tile several plaistationS at tile pheasants on
the trees, as early as eleven o'clock, but it was not till
twelve o'clock that tile action convineneed, when the
poachers had taken a position on a bridge, four abreast,
with presented arms, aiteatening to fire if the keepers
advanced a step Midler. Tile keepers answered, "We
have arms, and ate determined to take you," advaticitig at
the same time. The poaciwes inimetilately fired, a close
action then commenced whit the bout-ends of their
pieces, which nimbi:acd in the surrender of three of
the poachers, ssmo are lodged iu Windsor gaol. Tne
four keepers and three u. their men received many severe
blows; one oh them, Page, lies so ill of tiaree wounds lit
his head, as not to be able to attend puidicly to give evi-
dence. Ills deposition was privately taken. Upon
examining the spot where the contest took place, lour
guns were found ; one of theta broken lit three pieces,
two of them loaded with powder and small shot, and
one that appeared to have been not long discharged.— -
Niue pheasants were found in a sack.
EILTRAOKDINAR Y ESCAPE.-011 TilESday morning .
some men belonging to Sheriff Hill coliiery, Northum-
bellow', were waiting of the gin horse to go into the
pit. Owing to the cleaning of the boiler, the regular
engine rope was not in a workable state at the moment,
but about 20 fathoms of it, with the chain, were hang-
ing into the shaft. One of the men, John Wilson,
having in tile dark gone incautiously too near the edge,
fell in. Repeated cries within the shaft at last roused
the attention of the oilier men, woo on repairing to the
spot Willi a light, were told by Min that he hall fallen
into the pit, and was then hanging by the rope. As
soon as the alarm would allow meni to take measures
I fur his ',McMahon, they proceeded to adjust the gin
rope, a work that occupied tot less than fiiticit 11111111,c,,
twin their having to discharge it it oue pulley and
place it upon another. After fixing uo a con one of
' mein visited to descend in it to•his assistance, but this
Wilson habittle them to do. 'l' he con' was flow Itt
show it gently till it came thither his feet—lie then freed
himself from the engine rope, and being seated in toe
curt, was drawn slowly to bank, in a state of indescrib-
able trepidation. He was, howet er able. woo the as-
sistance of atiother it to walk upwaidsof a nide to his
own house, which oil tattering he threw hiniseh au hu
knees, and poured out his hers chit thanks to God i'or his
deliverance. No sooner was Ma Julie, than, overpow-
ered by toe dreadful conflict of his feeliogs he tainted.
Some time elapsed before Lie recovered tolerable coin-
postite. ; one even still when the subject is recurred to,
Ms agitation is extreme. biting gmstioued minutely,
lie Bahl—" lie had gone to the brink of the shalt to
ascerta'n whether his comrades were ealliog upon hint
from otlow ; and being to:craved by a glimmering of light
the lnattice part' ion his foot slipped. lie was con-
scious at time !tunnel,' lie dropped in, but has no recul-
It:churl whatever or how or when he caught boil of the
cutout rope. The first thing Ile was sensible of was
the rope shiling on his breast, and MIL its stripping his
left hand, with which he held mainly on, and also wt Ii
nis legs and feet. lie hail itt his right hand a stick, of
which he kept Sp m possessiutt all the time, and brought
it op with Imo."
A transit of Mercury will take piece at 6-o'clock
in the morning of the Sd February, when thee
planet will appear like a runoff bltu:k spot oil the
'ace of the cuss.