The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-24 00:00:00

The Duke of Argyll on Slavery and the Bible.

The Duke of Argyll spoke on Tuesday at a meeting of
the National Bible Society of Scotland. Remarking on the
principles wh, h guided that society, the issue of the Bible
without note or comment, believing that in the Bible there
is a voice addressing, not any organisation of men in churches
merely, but the individual heart and the individual con-
science, he was led to speak of a case in which a body of
clergymen had lately been patting a peculiar interpretation
on the Bible. lie alluded to the recent meeting of bishops
of tho Episcopal Church in the Confederate States.

This great assembly of an important Church goes on to I
declare, not that negro slavery is an evil of which it is
difficult to get rid--for in that I could heartily sympathise
with them—but that negro slavery is a system on which
they are to plant their national life. Nor is that all. They
go on to declare that the opinion which seeks for an ultimate
abolition of slavery is not only a hateful opinion, but an
infidel opinion. Now, that is the deliberate verdict of a
great Christian Church, with all the advantages of know-
ledge and of light derived from the Bible, and of what we
should call a liberal organisation, upon that which is a
llgreat crime, the great curse of their country and of their
time, and the efficient cause of all the calamities which
are now afflicting it. (Applause.) I really believe that it
would be very difficult indeed to exaggerate the evil and
the mischief of such enunciations of opinion as this
coming from any Christian Church. We must remember
that the light of Christianity has spread beyond itself.
There are thousands of men in the United States who have
a keen sense of the moral iniquity of the slave system, and
whose opinions and views on what they call humanity and
natural justice are views which are really founded, although
they know it not, on the principles which Christianity has
laid down, on the precepts which Christianity has made
known, and on the spirit which Christianity has spread even
over the world that lies beyond it. What opinion are those
men likely to have of the Bible, unless they go to it for
their own instruction, when they see its appointed guardians
announcing that to doubt the divine institution of negro
slavery, with all its social injustice and iniquity, is an in-
fidel opinion in the view of a great Christian Church ? We
hear a great deal just now of discussion in this country—
discussions involving the application of some rules of arith-
metic to the numbers and the figures in the Pentateuch—
and there is great alarm felt by some as to the effect which
these speculations will have on the cause of Christianity.
1 venture to say that the evil effects of such opinions as
these to which I have referred, as coming from a Christian
Church, is infinitely greater than any evil that could pos-
sibly arise, although Dr. Colenso was to publish a similar
book to that he has lately published every year of his life,
and though he were to live to the age of Methuselah.
(Cheers and laughter.) I am afraid it is calculated to spread
a doubt as to the efficiency of the Bible itself, in respect to
the light it holds up to the eyes of men, and in respect to
such questions of social and political economy. But all I
can say is that the answer of this society is—Spread the
Bible; let it speak for itself. (Hear, hear.) That is our
answer. We will not enter into any controversy with men
in that frame of mind. We say we are confident of what
the principles of the Bible are. It is our desire to spread it,
and to let it speak for itself. We cannot doubt that when
the light of the Gospel has been fully spread—when its pre-
cepts have been thoroughly understood—that an under-
standing of its bearings on those questions will follow also.
People are very apt to forget that the Bible is not a mere
code of laws—thou shalt do this, and thou shalt not do
the other—but it is a great system of spiritual truths
and of moral principles underlying every possibility of
the individual, political, and social improvement. It is
"the old, old story." It is " the light shining in the
dark place, and the darkness comprehending it not."
(Cheers.)

RECENT WILLS AND BEQUESTS.

(From the the Illustrated London 21rews.)

The will of General Sir James Watson, K.C.8,, of Wen-
dover-house, Encks, was administered to in the London
Court by his sons, James Watson, Esq , and John Wat-
son, Esq., who are two of the residuary legatees, the exe-
cutors having all died in the lifetime of the General, who
attained the great age of 90. Many of the legatees are also
dead, the will having been executed so far back as 1837.
The gallant General directs that all his effects shall be sold,
except the presentation-plate given to him by the officers of
the Saugor Field Force, at Java, and those of the 14th Foot,
of which regiment he was Colonel. There is a legacy of
£2,500 to a granddaughter of the testator. The remainder
of the property will be divided amongst the surviving resi-
duary legatees.
The will of the late James Howard, Esq., of Park-hill,
near Staleybridge, which was proved at Chester, contains
the following charitable bequests, payable on the demise of
the testator's relict :—To the British and Foreign Bible
Society, £1,000; London Missionary Society, £1,000;
Church Missionary Society, £1,000; Religious Tract So-
ciety, £5OO ; Home and Schools for the Sons of Missions
ries, £5OO ; Manchester Royal Infirmary, £l,OOO ; Infir-
mary at Ashton-under-Lyne, £l,OOO ; Deaf and Dumb
Asylum at Old Traff)rd, £1,000; Manchester City Mission,
£l,coo ; Methodist New Connexion Missions, £l,OOO ;
Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society (Foreign Mission),
£,lOOO. The trustees under the will are the testator's
widow, together with Mr. W. Vaudrez, Mr. Aaron An-
drew, and Mr. Frank Andrew.
The will of John Garnet Tyrie, Esq., of Kensington
Garden-terrace, Hyde-park, was proVed in London under
£70,000 personalty. The testator, who died in December
last, at Bath, executed his will in 1.855, which is very brief,
disposing in one clause of the whole of his estate and effects,
whatsoever and wheresoever, to his relict absolutely, ap•
pointing her also sole executrix.
By the will, just proved, of a wealthy gentleman lately
deceased, 'William Taylor, Esq., of Dorset-square, the fol-
lowing charities will be benefitted free of legacy duty, viz. :
--The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, £I,OOC
Ragged School Union, Royal Free Hospital, 3t. Mary'
Hospital, Orthopaedic Hospital, Samaritan Hospital,
Asylum for Idiots, Society for Teaching the Blind, and th
Clergy Orphan Schools, each £5OO. With the exception c
a few other legacies to personal friends, the remainder of the
property falls to a near relative of the testator ; Hilary
Nicholas Nissen, Esq., who is appointed residuary legatee.

COMPLETION OF THE FLEET SEWER.—The new
sewer from the point of rupture to a spot in Victoria-
street s few yards south of St. Peter's Church is quite

finished, and the roadway of this thoroughfare, which was
partially excavated for the construction of the new work,
has been filled in, The open trench, through which the
muddy waters of the fleet have passed for the last few
months, has been filled in with earth, and the mounds of
soil lying on the west side of the street have been levelled.
All the footways of this thoroughfare are being cleared and
the road itself prepared for the passage of carriages and
other vehicles, while foot passengers are now allowed to
pass freely through the whole length of Victoria-street,
which has been closed for several months.

In reference to Earl Russell's proposal to afford
the Pope a sure asylum at Malta the Opinion Na-
tionale affirms it to' be of ancient date, and brings forward
proofs of the assertion. On the 10th June, 1704, it de-
clares, Cardinal de Bernis wrote as follows to Mgr. de
Conzie, Bishop of Arras, then a refugee at London :
His Holiness was much affected at the sentiments which
your Grace has conveyed to him and for which he is exceed •
ingly grateful. The Pope requests you to mention to Mr.
Pitt all his requirements." Cardinal Bernetti relates in a
detailed and positive manner that the plan of taking the
Holy Father either to Sicily or to Malta had been arranged
.ce
n
by the agents of Pius VII. in concert with
tt ohe
it.
Prince
Regent, Regent, and that his Holiness had consented
Buesell's idea therefore, the Opinion 11 ationale declares,
would seem to have been borrowed from a preceding
period.
STEAM SHIPBUILDING ON THE CLYDE.—The
Clyde builders of steam shipping continue well em-
ployed. Messrs. Henderson, Coulborn, and Co.—to notice a
few recent launches—have completed the Alexandra, a
screw of 50C tons, now being fitted with a pair of diagonal
oscillating cylinders of 80-horse power, and intended for the
Australian coasting trade. Messrs. Blackwood and tior-
don, of Port Glasgow, have launched a screw of 270 tons,
which is now receiving her machinery. Messrs. W. Denny
and Brothers, of Dumbarton, have launched a screw of 700
tons, which has received the name of the Virginian, and
which has been fitted this week with engines of 200 horse-
; power. Messrs. Denny have on hand two fine iron-screw
steamers for the Spanish Royal Mail Company ; each of
these vessels will be 1,900 tons' burden. Several smaller
vessels are also in progress in Messrs. Denny's yard.
Messrs. Henderson, Coulborn, and Co. have three steamers
on the stocks of tonnages ranging from 500 to 700 tons.
Messrs. Blackwood and Gordon are building a paddle of
410 tons, and a screw of 515 tons for the Clyde Shipping
Company, a screw of 720 tons for the Limerick Steam
The
m Na-
vigation Company, another vessel for Australia,
operations of other Clyde builders will Bbtreadealt with in
future paragraphs.
COTTON YARNS AND PIECE GOODS..—The exports
of cotton yarns were
6l 9 1,500,0001h5.
178,000,0001b5. in in 1862 , against
and 197,000,0001b5. in 1860. The
declared value
will
ls
be
b fo6o,ooion,oloBo6oin.
TlBh6e2s, e againstfigr s
£9,300,000 in 1861, and £a 1 00, about
00
show, as regards Tian, tities a per centage decrease of 49
per cent. on 1861, and of 51 per cent. upon 1860 ; and, as
regards value, a per centage decrease of 351 per cent. upon
1861, and of 40 per cent. upon 1860. The quantities of cot-
ton piece goods exported in 1862 will amount to about 1,665
million yards, against 2,560 million yards in 1861, and 2,776
million yards in 18CO. The declared value will be about
£28,100,N0 in 1862, against £36,090,000 in 1861, and
140,346,000 in 1860. These figures will show, as regards
quantities, a per centage decrease of 35 per cent. upon 1861,
and of 40 per cent. upon 1860 ; and, as regards value, of 23
per cent, upon 1861, and of 30 per cent. upon 1860.
REDUCTION OF OMNIBUS FARES AND ALTERA-
TION IN THE ROUTE.—Yesterday morning the pro-
prietors of the omnibuses running between Paddington and
the City, reduced the fares of passengers proceeding to or
returning from the City from 4d. to 3d. and from 3d to 2d.,
according to distance ; and on the arrival of trains at the
Farringdon-street terminus, omnibuses rim to the Bank at
id. each passenger, and to London-bridge terminus 2d, each
passenger.