The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-08 00:00:00

PUBLIC DINNER AT BATH•

On Tuesday evening a public dinner was given to Dir.
Hobbs, the individual who was discharged from his sitne*
tioe as foreman of the Bath Chronicle, on account of big
religious opinions, as stated in the letter of " liatbonien-
ifs," which appeared in The Sun of the 26th ultimo. UP'
wards of sixty gentlemen sat down to dinner, at the Glee-
cester Inn, among whom were Messrs. Jolly, Hessnn',,
PASSMOI 6, and 13drretter, members of the Town-Council,
Mr. James Keane, Editor of the Bath Journal, the Reg'
Mr. March, &c. &c. The entertainment was provided in
the s.me style which has rendered Edvrards's Hotel pro-
verbial for profusion and liberality in his entertainments'
The wines were of the first rate order, and elicited the
unanimous approval of the company.
Mr. JOLLY, Town Councillor for Walcot Ward, filled
the chair ; and Messrs. Higman and
,Passmom I.°7g
Councillors fur St. James's and Kingamead Wardrif
dated ass Vice-Presidents.

The dinner having been despatched,
The CIIAMMAN said, the circumstances in which tile
present meeting originated were of an unusual characters
and would be sufficient to account tor the departure
from the usual routine of toasts given on sucb occ4oo.
—( Hear.) While they adhered to the old-fashioom.
custom of giving toasts, they departed entirely from+ th°
substance which toasts usually contained.
mete Thy were !et
a political party assembled ; they were not to signally
the triumph of a monsent, or to exult over the defeat den
adversary. They were there to bear testimony to the
worth of an individual, who had been borne down by intoler-
ance and oppression ; and, whilst they expressed their
sympathy with the party who thus suffered, to declarre
the unworthiness and baseness of the manner 01
which he had been treated. The sentiment he
should propose was one of high and supreme import'
ance. It was the holiest which man could advocate.
" Freedom of opinion" was the sentiment he called UPl-
the Meeting to respond to ; and, in so doing, he won!'
say there was no right men ought more to value than the on'
limited right of giving expression to their thoughts. The
case, however, which had caused the present assemblage
arose not out of the interdiction of the expression of
opinion, but from an attempt to punish the very possession
of it. The attempt to suppress the expression of ecln.
viction was unworthy; but he that attempted the pre;
vention of the holding of opinion, was base beyone.
conception.—( Hear, hear.) It was pleasing to men,
tion the public services of individuals with aPP.c°.
bation; but in the present case it was doubly grater
lug to be able to bear testimony to the private worth of the
person they were met to sympathise with under Pertga.d
cution. [The Chairman here read a letter which he '!l%
received from a former employer of Mr. Hobbs, speaking_
of him in the highest terms, and expressing regret at al
circumstances under which he was about to leave Beth'
Mr. Hobbs's character, said the Chairman, stands nistii:
sullied; and though he moves rather in an burn'.7
than an exalted sphere, yet, when we find an.
dividual punished for holding conscientious opiegt
words are wanting to express contempt for the party no
is base enough thus to abuse the power they possess.,
conclusion, the Chairman proposed " Freedom of opionli'd
Mr. litemote next gave, " Moral courage," the eel°
which he strongly and forcibly impressed upon his beton
The Rev. J. MURCII said he responded to the call
the President, he was going to say gladly, but he felt t'.
word misapplied to the toast which he was about to oubtoblwe
Though he was surrounded by the signs of mirth,
could not forget the cause of the present racetierei
he could not but remember that they were cal
together by an act of bigotry, intolerance, and sot
persecution, unworthy of the present age. He lent,
therefore constrained to be grave—that it was a subject "nr
which he could not be glad—that it was a circumstance
a peculiar and aggravated nature. Were it a common n!",
of persecution or bigotry, the reason for their assernklinbec
would still remain, but the force of their proceedings 044
perhaps be lessened. But it was not so. In the pres,!"
case, a man who had fulfilled his duty with talent and &lel'
against whom the breath of slander had never yet been ral
was the first to be singled out as the victim of persecutW'
He had hardly been able to convince his mind of the fn_n
In the lith century, when Christianity was abroad,
her ministers boasted and contended of what they bad doni;
and what they should do, he could not imagine how all tb,o
had happened. " But, Sir," said Mr. Murch, turning.",
Mr. Hobbs, " I look to you, and I find that this in
dream, but a painful reality. I look round, and I seed
numerous company tie ho are come to testify their high estece
of you, and to bid you farewell. From circumstances 41/
which your persecutors had no control, you have not bfeo
so great a pecuniary sufferer, as might otherwise babe
the case; but atiil you hove to break through many str°,
and tender ties—to tear yourself from a city and a circle 11
friends to whom you are attached—and for what ? Sitni„ci
because Mr. Hobbs has thought for himself on a scui"ie
the most momentous, and on which no othoat reature as .
interfere between his Maker and hisifelloAmans° of
said the reverend speaker, let us not be sad, or etublio
the few remaining hours which we have to spend. with 0.0
friends. Let us turn the cause of our meeting to' nc-er
practical account ; and this I conceive may be done
inforcing three objects :—Firstly, by expressing our abbe'',
rence of the circumstances of the case ; secondly, to el,
courage the younger persons present to pursue a straig_db
forward and conscientious course ; and, thirdly, to eq.
our cordial sympathy with Mr. Hobbs, and to bid
" God speed," in his earthly journey. These seeertf
points were feelingly and eloquently urged by 1
Murch, who proposed in conclusion, the prosperity be
health of Mr. Hobbs, and the warmest wishes of t

Meeting for his future welfare.
The toast was drunk with the most enthusiastic cheerill,
Mr. Hones rose to return thanks. He was evidently lab° -
ing under great emotion, which was increased by the ,
continued plaudits with which be was received. he
that though he had been somewhat under a cloud, •
sympathy which had been so cordially expressed had &o f:
some light upon his path. His situation was, as had !Ili
remarked, somewhat humble, and. he, therefore, 'ea
he more embarrassed at the very kind mane 1<
in which he had been treated. That he did tbsse
the meeting sincerely for their generous explessions,
begged them to be assured; and if he failed to express be
feelings adequately, the fault must be attributed rather go
his inability than to his inclination. He felt that the Psis
of conviction, even though it terminated in beggary, 'l,-4
the only safe one. And on this ground he inferred tu;
the numbers he saw around him were drawn there bf,f•
higher and a nobler motive than a mere expression of t..s!-
sympathy with him. It showed that they recognized thePlij
ciple that opinion should be unshackled—that no man shout,
be coerced without the opinions he held were proved to 7,
injurious to society. For himself he could safely say the
none of the doctrines which he held could be proved to Pi',
a pernicious tendency ; and therefore he thought that
ought not to be made the victim for entertaining such
v:ctions. -But he had been so persecuted ; and in bear'
the reproach he carried with him a feeling that would Or;
port hiai under a far heavier affliction. After a few otliff
observations Mr. Hobbs returned thanks to the printers
Bath, to the members of the Mechanics Institute, and to sod
the company who had supported him under his trial; 1/1.•
concluded by drinking the healths of all present.
Hobbs sat down amid loud cheers.
7 he PaEsiDENT then gave " The Freedom of the Pre',:,
coupling with the health the name of Mr. James Kee he
the Editor of' the Bath Journal, and the Presidents '
Bath Mechanics' Institute.
after
Mr. JAMES KEENE made a very appropriate reply--3
which, ho
Mr. JEFFERY proposed " The Printers of Bath, °-
proposed the resolution relating to Hobbs." f the
Mr. AUSTIN briefly returned hanksth on behalf 0-
Printers.
h.
The CHAIRMAN next read a letter of sympathy which Ado
had received from 73 friends of Mr. Hobbs, at Trowbr"oo
Mr. BARRETTI gave, " The education of the people bc
the most enlightened principles," introducing the toast
very apposite observations.
Dr. Mortitzer, proposed " Success to the Bath oictio.
nic's Institute," accompanied by a high and eloquent eiv"
glum on the utility of such Associations.
The healths of the President ( Mr. Jolly) and the 'Oro
Presidents (Messrs. Passmore and Higman) were tb
.
given and acknowledged by those gentlemen.
The health of the Rev. J. Murch was next drunk, 6114
acknowledged by that gentleman in very feeling terms. rti
Mr. MARTIN then gave Civil and Religious Libe_its
all over the world ;" and Mr. KEENE proposed the 10'0,
of Mr. Edward=, the landlord, accompanied by a wee,
deserved compliment to that ardent and practical Reforlit,,
The last toast was proposed by Mr. MOORS--"
pathy with the persecuted of all denominations."
Several songs were sung in the course of the eve°l-tel
and the company separated, highly gratified by the ill
lectual treat they had experienced

GOLD SIGNET RINGS.—A great VarietY,o°.!
hese Useful and Fashionable RINGS, are kept for Slitol
Lion, with Cornelian, Amethyst, Topaz, and other be
Stones, suitable for engraving. Armorial bearings 1101 so
referred to, or found, gratis, and can be engraved bAOI,I-
Artist of great talent, at T. COX SAVORY'S, !";dOO
smith, Silversmith, and Watchmaker, 47, Cornhill,
(Seven Doors from Gracechurch-street).

BIRTHS.
On the 2d inst., the lady of the Rev. Sir George Robin°
of a daughter.
On the 18th ult., at Birmingham, Mrs. Henry Rae late
Miss Louisa Jarman), of a son.
On the 3d inst., at Rochester, Mrs. Ternan, of the Thelire
Royal,
the Drury-lane, of a daughter. eet,
On 2d inst., the lady of John Guy, Esq., Robert-sir
Adelphi, surgeon, of a son.
On the sth inst., in Upper Norton-street, Portland-Pliee'
Mrs. George Cock, of a son.
the
On the sth inst., at Htupur-street, Queen-square,
of John Shaw, Esq., of a daughter.

MARRIED.
On the sth inst., at Kingston Church, Hants, Henry 11-a!fr
i,
Esq., only son of the late William Hase, Esq., of Lti:;enbati_To,
to Mary Jacintha, youngest daughter of Major Weston V"
late 2dDragoon Guards.
On the 3d ult., at St. Pancras New Church, l'l24,rain
James White Holt, of Chatham-place, Illackfriars, tO %oil-
third daughter of Mrs. Hitchings, of Bernard-street, Ru"
square, relict of the late George Hitchings, of Bath. tQ
On the 2d inst., at Paddington, G. A. Harrison,
Julia, only daughter of Ralph Cordner, Esq., of Slough,: nie-rick
On the sth inst., at All Saints, Sluthampton, rre or, of
' Bayard klton, Esq. of the:Madras Civil Service, younge6l4hire,
the late T. Elton, Esq., of Stapleton-house, liloucestel
rad-
to Diary Elizabeth, daughter of E. A. Elton. Esq., and gourtt
daughter of Sir Abraham Elton, Bart., of Clevedon-c
Somersetsbire.