The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-10 00:00:00

[BRITISH PRESS.]

We. have uniformly expressed our conviction
that Mr. Canning could never approve or look
indifferently on while the Peninsula should be
invaded by French troops under the' banners of
the Holy Alliance and the monarchical principle..
Mr. Canning's Note to the Portuguese Minister,
which we published yesterday, and which, being
uncontradicted, now bears the stamp of the
Foreign Office, fully confirms our most favourable
anticipations, and explicitly avows that Great
Britain " will not look on with indifference,",

but 44 will afford the protection to be expected
from an Ally" in case of an invasion. This is
very satisfactory, and every way worthy of an
English Minister.

[MORNING POST.]
The language of the French Papers continues
to be pacific, and it is evident that the successes
of Mina and the Constitutionalists have produced
a favourable effect in Paris, as well as in Spain.
In the latter they have put down insurrec-
tion and restored order, if not unanimity, in
the country. In the former they have over-
awed the real authors of that insurrection,
and induced them to shrink from the com-
pletion of their plans. The appearance of a
triumphant Spanish army on the French frontier
has produced this unexpected change, by show-
ing the Ultras that the moment Spain was in-
vaded in any one quarter, France would be entered
in another. They have felt that the experiment
would be dangerous, and that a Spanish army in
France, marching under the tri-colour flag, and
proclaiming a name which still retains its power
on the minds of the multitude, would have a much
greater chance of being joined by the people,
and reaching the French capital, than their own
legions would have of penetrating to Madrid,
headed by the Cross of the Inquisition, and the
banner of Despotism. They have 'therefore he-
sitated in urging the last step which might, and
we are convinced would, involve them and the
Bourbon dynasty in one common ruin.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
The Allied Sovereigns, it is well known, left
Vienna ostensibly with the most pacific inten-
tions whatever, at that time, might be the secret
views of the Emperor Alexander. The same
sentiments apparently prevailed at Verona, and
the most marked attentions were paid to the Bri-
tish Envoy up to the 19th, when a most material
change became perceptible,and it was evident that
a particular intimacy had been cemented between
the Emperor of Russia and M. de Montmorency.
The chief agent of this change, and indeed the
most active personage in the whole Congress,
was M. Pozzo di Forgo, whose zealous exertions
were lavished in favour of the French Re-
presentative, and in support of his schemes.
These negotiations displayed the peculiarity
of the two French Envoys to the Congress
being divided in their opinions, M. Chateau-
briand expressing himself inclined to peace,
not so much from any predilection for those prin-
ciples, against which his own party were so
anxious to make war, as a conviction of the dan-
gers to which a rupture might lead; and the un-
certainty, if hostilities were once commenced,
where they might end. M. Montmorency, it
will be remembered, arrived at Verona after the
Congress had assembled, and from the moment
of his arrival, every engine was set to work in
order to counteract the pacific intentions with
which he found the Members actuated ; and it
may easily be imagined that the Emperor of
Russia lent a willing ear to the war party, as
any rupture among the Continental Powers
could not fail materially to promote the success
of his own machinations on the side of Turkey.

SINCLAIR, the vocalist, is .doing wonders in
Italy, and will next year return to England, where
his talents will be in great request.
At the last meeting of the Sheffield Public So-
ciety, the following interesting facts were
mentioned :—UIBBON, who in his celebrated
history of the Decline and Fall of the Ro-
man Empire, has left an imperishable memorial
of his enmity to the Gospel, resided many years
in Switzerland, where, with the profits of his
works, he purchased a considerable estate. This
property has descended to a gentleman, who, out
of its rents, expends a large sum annually in the
promulgation of that very Gospel which his pre-
decessor insidiously endeavoured to undermine,
not having had courage openly to assail it. Vol-
taire boasted that with one hand he would over-
throw that edifice of Christianity, which required
the hands of twelve Apostles to build up. At
this ddy, the press which he employed at Ferny
to print his blasphemies, is actually employed at
Geneva in printing the Holy Scriptures: Thus
the self-same engine, which he set to work to de-
stroy the credit of. the Bible, is engaged in dis-
seminating its truths. It is a remarkable circum-
stance, also, that the first provisional meeting for
the re-formation of an Auxiliary Bible Society
at Edinburgh, was held in the very room in which
Hume died.

Between twelve and one this morning, a fire
broke 'out in the premises of the University
Printing-Office, Villafield, which had at first an
alarming appearance, but was happily subdued
before doing material damage. It had its origin
in the furnace of a steam boiler by Which the
house is heated, and from which the flames had
somehow communicated to the shed under which
it is erected. By the prompt and vigorous ex.
ertions of the people in the neighbourhood col-
lected on the first alarm, and ultimately the ar-
rival of the fire engines and a butt of water, the
flames were prevented from communicating to the
buildings on either side. The shed was com-
pletely consumed, but no other injury was done
than what arose from the hasty removal of part of
the printed paper. No water could be obtained
from the city pipes, and had any part of the main
body of the buildings caught fire, the probability
is that the greater part of the range must have
been consumed. The premises are insured in the
Caledonian and North British Fire Offices. Ow-
ing to the badness of the road in Dobbie's Loan,
two of the water carts were .broken, and the
engines and carts were with much difficulty
brought to the spot.--(Glasgow Courier, Dec. 5.)
SUlClDE.—Saturday night a Coroner's Inquest
was held at the Gold Chain Tavern, in the Tower, before Mr.
k Moars, a Special Coroner, on the body of Eliz. Deighton, a
poor girl, aged 15 years. Six or seven witnesses were ex-
amined, and all their testimony went to the same effect, that
the irritable disposition of .the step-mother 'of the deceased
had driven her into a fit of despondency, in which she drown-
ed herself. Verdict—" Insanity." •
VORAOITY OF II yiENAs..—ln the Menagerie at
Paris was an old hyaena, which broke it, leg by
accident.' One night, before the bone was united,
the creature bit off his own leg, and it was disco-
vered in the morning that he had eaten it up' bone
and all ! ! .

FORMATION OF A NEW SOCIETY
FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE WATERMEN AND
OTHERS OF THE LAMM:MING CLASSES ENGAGED ON
THE RIVER THAMES.

Yerterday a very numerous and respectable Meeting was
held in the Great Room of the City of London Tavern, for the
purpose of considering what were the best means of improving
the spiritual and temporal condition of the Watermen, Lighter-
men, Bargemen, Firemen, and others engaged on the River
Thames. The room was completely filled, and the platform was
crowded with persons connected with the Shipping interests
in the River, and a number of Firemen were also conspicuous.
Sheriff and Alderman Thompson, M.P. was unanimously
called to the Chair, and he, in a neat speech, stated the object
of the Meeting, which was to afford those facilities for the pro-
motion 'of Christian Knowledge amongst a most numerous
class, namely, those through whose labours the great commerce
of the River had been carried on, that had been given to other
classes whose claims could not be placed in competition with
those of the labourers on the River, whose deplorable igno-
rance and irreligion was only equalled by their temporal dis-
tress, which might be said to be the necessary consequence of
their state of darkness. The worthy Alderman spoke of the
usefulness of the class, and gave it as his opinion, that the
surest means of promoting their temporal welfare, would be
by giving their children clothing and education, by dissemi-
nating the scriptures and religious works amongst the adults,
and by promoting their attendance on public worship, and
make them sober as well as industrious.
An Address to the Meeting was read by a Gentleman ; and
the Rev. Mr. SMITH, of Penzance, addressed the Meeting at
great length in behalf of the class. The body of men in whose
behalf the appeal to the sympathy of the Meeting was made,
amounted to upwards of 9000, mostly with large families, and
it was greatly to be lamented that no direct means had been em-
ployed to moralize a set of men, many of whom exhibited de-
pravity deep and wide spreading as the river they navigated,
and who would continue to live and die in wretchedness and
ignorance of the Being who created them, unless they were res-
cued by an effort of benevolence. With the view of advanc-
ing their interests, and bettering their condition in general,
it was proposed to form an institution, called the Thames
Rivermen Society, the objects of which would be to pro-
mote religion and morality amongst them, and to advance
their temporal interests by endeavouring to remove the obsta-
cles which prevent that class from enjoying the advantages they
are justly entitled to, and which would in some instances re-
quire legislative aid. It was proposed to establish a free school
for the clothing and education of their children, and, where
practicable, to establish an asylum for those of the watermen
who were past labour. In particular; it would be an object of
the Society to procure the abolition of the practice of letting
boats on hire without watermen to accompany them, to young
men, whose lives were frequently lost by their ignorance of the,
management. If this object were effected, much of that shame-
ful and systematic violation of the Sabbath on the River would
be abolished.

A string of Resolutions for the formation of a Society, and
the nomination of a Committee, were agreed to, after many
entertaining appeals had been made to the Meeting, by speakers
chiefly connected with the commerce of the. River, and by ma-
ritime men. A liberal subscription was made, and about half-
past 9 o'clock the Meeting separated highly gratified.

OLD BAILEY.