The Sun.
London, England, 1830-09-03 00:00:00

CATHOLIC OBSERVANCES.

The following letter exhibits a curious proof ,of
the admatage of releasing men from penalties: even
the most reasonable will refuse to abandon an error,
if they are contumeliously treated Ott account of
their opinions:—

BATH, AUG. 30.
I yesterday attended at the celebration of mass
in the Roman Catholic chapel of this city, and was
not a little surprised at hearing from the pulpit a
written address, which exhibits (in reference to the
subject-matter) the most remarkable sign of the
times that has occurred within my memory ; and of
which I therefore beg leave to communicate to you
the substance. The address began with stating that
the number of holydays appointed by the Roman
Catholic church was much less than that of the days
set apart for religious observances amongst the an.-
dent Jews and Pagans ; that, notwithstanding, the
Roman Catholics of modern times were less diligent
'a observing the lesser number of their festivals than
the ancient Jews and Pagans had been in celebrat-
ing their more numerous holydays, and that the sub-
ject had been considered worthy of being submitted
to a meeting of the English Vicars-Apostolicel, who
assembled in London during the month of No-
vember, in the last year. The result of the des
liberatmus of this right reverend assembly was a
supplication to the Pope upon the point above
stated, as Well as upon some other parts of disci-
pline; and his Holiness, upon the supplication of the
Vic.as-Apostolical, was pleased to issue a decree, of
which the general effect was to abolish various holy-
days altogether, to modify the observance of some
others, and to annul the prohibition of eating flesh
meat on Saturday, excepting only such Saturdays as
have been appointed fast-days by competent autho-
rity. As causes justifying this extensive awd volun-
tary demolition of a discipline so long established,
and hitherto so pertinaciously maintained, the ad-
dress enumerated, in addition to the one indicated
above, the greater difficulty, which the poorer classes
are obliged in this generation to encounter in pro-
curing a subsistence, and the consequent necessity
to which they are reduced of devoting a larger num-
ber of days in the whole year to that purpose, toge.
ther with the improvement which had taken place
in the state of the laws regarding the civil eights of
the Roman Catholics of this country, which
provement had induced in the minds of the heads of
the Roman Catholic Church a desire to remove as
much as possible the religious differences that ex-
isted between them and their Protestant fellow-
christians. The ordinance introducing these conci-
liatory and reasonable alterations into the Roman
Catholic discipline is to take effect in this district
from about the end of this month. It was dated
from Prior-park, and signed by Dr. Haines, the
VicarsApostolical of the district. I shell not pre-
sume to trouble you with any observations upon
this document. That such measures would follow
the emancipation of the Roman Catholics was, I
think, often stated in the leading articles of the
'Ames; that such consequences would one day or
other spring out of a Relief Bill, l in common with
other Roman Catholics had anticipated. lint 1
confess that the rapidity of the operation has as
much surprised me, as I believe the communication
will surprise many of my fellow-religionists. It may
very soon appear that Dr. Doyle's hint* of the pos-
sibility of conning to an accommodation upon the
subject of clerical celibacy, was not very premature.
* In his letter proposing a union of the Protestant and
Roman Catholic churches in this country, and addressed
to - Robertson, Esq., M.P.

The Inverness-shire election is now over, and
has added one more triumph to the cause of civil and reli-
gious liberty, in returning the Hight Hon. CHARLIS
GRANT as the representative of the people to the House of
CORIIIIO[IB. ID England, the native land of freedom,
the event would have passed without particular notice ;
but in Scotland, the " Goshen" of Me Ministry, ry
Me powers that be, such a result must be hailed as
the harbinger of better feelings; and proud indeed may
the freeholders of Inverness-shire feel upon having led
the van, as it may be hoped, of independence, in a
country hitherto devoted to the most abject submission to
his Majesty's Ministers, be those Ministers Whoever they
may lrippen to be. On this occasion Mr. GRANT 111$
triumphed over the whole weight of ministerial influence
within doors, backed by the old, and every where else ex-
ploded, "No Popery" cry without. slay this be the last
expiring struggle of bigotry ! this victory be the
prelude only to the general diffusion of liberal awl inde-
pendent feelings in Scotland
THE NEW POLICE.—it is understood thit,

in consequence of the jealousies and biekerings -existing be-
tween the constables attached to the several police-ottices,
and the new police, that the former will be placed upou a
similar footing with the latter, having regard to the seve-
ral ranks they now hold.

A deriorable event has occurred within a few
days at Nantwich, whereby a respectable female lost her
life, and other individuals are sulfuring from the same
cause. On Thursday last Mrs. SHAW, wife ofT. Saaw,
draper, boiled a kg of mutton, for the dinner of her fa-
tally, in a saucepan which had some few days previous
been used to boil arsenic, for the purpose of destroying
vermin. As the saucepan had been well cleaned, and
water had been boiled in it several times, it was supposed
to be perfectly free from the poison, and that ne danger
wet to be apprehended. When the dinner was prepared, ,
Mrs. SHAW sent part of the broth to a young man who
WAS unwell in the neighbourhood, and partook of some
herself. The Rev. JOHN Maass, Wesleyan Minister,
having called in, was invited to dinner ; he and Mts.
SHAW sat down, and were in the act of eating sonic of
the broth, when Mrs. SHAW was taken suddenly ill, soil,
SS the use previously made of the saucepan in whioh the
broth was prepared returned to her mind, she desired
them to eat no more. A me.eenger was instantly de.
spatehed fur medical assistaem but considerable time
elapsed before any eould be procured, and the unfortunate
sufferer lingered in great pain until Sunday evening, when
she expired. At the time the deadly nature of the broth
Wee discovered, a person was sent to the young ntan to
whom part of it lead been sent,
Jut.,
iblitu:lif:rst;uncautneslylhueenhtaidy
iii,ciivered its poisonous .quality, and threw it Irma his
t oinach, as did also the i
they are out of danger, but Mr. SHAW still continues
very ill.