The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-21 00:00:00

tze every reason to believe that the same liberal and satis-
factory arrangement, as it respects the appointment of the
clergymen, will be effected in every port to which it may be ne-

• _ _
cessary to extend the provision.
" The Committee are authorized also to state, that the cha-
pels will be granted by Government to gentlemen or societies
.appointed on behalf of particular 'ports to present the applica-
tion ; and it is proposed that they shall severally be placed under
,he direction of a local committee, which is to charge itself
with the responsibility of the superintendence, the provision of
the clergyman's salary, and whatever may be essential to the

promotion of the general design.
" An object intimately connected with the religious improve-
ment of seamen is the care and instruction of apprentices ; and
the same provision which afforded the advantages of a chapel
to the one, would supply the accommodation of a school' to the
other. In seminaries so intimately connected with the profes-
sion, the juvenile part of its members might b 2 collected from
those senes of depravity and vicious example where they are
ordinarily scattered during the continuance of their vessels in
port, and introdficed to such an acquaintance with the principles
of the Christian religion, and the elements'of practical misiga-
tion, as should constitute the foundation of a moral worth and
nautical superiority, honourable to the individuals, and benefi-
cial to the country.
" A lending library, and depository for the Scriptures, prayer
books, homilies, and judiciously selected tracts, might also be
annexed to each chapel, and placed under the irection of the
clergyman, who must in every case be appointed with the ap-
probation of the bishop of the diocese.
"An undertaking so comprehensive in its scope.,—so Chris-
tian in its object—and so peculiarly national in it claims—must
commend itself to the approbation and generous support of as
many as would desire to combine the promotion of true reli-
gion among a very important class of the community with the
prosperity of every interest and relation, whether foreign or
domestic, which is affected by the character of the maritime
profession."
Lord BEXLEY rose to submit the first resolution. After
.• lvertin„,, to the great exertions and most invaluable achiev-
ments of British Seamen in the naval and commercial service,
his Lordship observed, that every •thing had been done .to se-
cure the temporal comfort of those brave men, but that hi-
therto little public attention had been paid to that which con-
cerned their eternal welfare. Now, however, that the subject
had been thus publicly taken up, he hoped it would meet
that general encouragement which a subject of such vast im-
pedance deserved. That every means of religious instruction I
should be afforded to our seamen, would not be denied ; and it
would also, he thought, be admitted that such instruction
should he carried on under the care of the national church, and
that these men should not .be suffered to wander from one
teacher to another. Hitherto .clergymen of any sect might
preach in the places appointed for the religious instruction of
seamen. This was attended with the inconvenience that each
change in the instructor might produce's new mode of instruc-
tion. It would therefore be well to have one uniform and regu-
lar course of instruction under the care of the Established
Church. Difficulties had hitherto stood in the way of such an
andertaking, but they were now, for the most part, got over,
and those that remained might be easily obviated. The prac-
ticability and utility of the plan had been already proved, by
the floating chapel established inithe port of Dublin, under the
sanction of the Archbishop of Dublin, and by that in Liverpool
under the sanction of the Bishop of Chester. It was not in-
tended that the instruction in the' proposed chapels should be
by Chaplains in the Navy, for in the first place they
were not sufficiently numerous, and in the next, it
would be attended with greater advantages to throw the
instruction open to the wider range of the Established Church,
in which were men more zealous and better qualified for such
instruction than the naval chaplains, however respectable.
The Noble Lord, after observing that the Government would
bear the expences of the chapels, and in certain cases of the
clergymen' but in others the providing for salaries of the clergy
would be left to the society, who would in all cases have the
appointment of the clergyman, subject to the sanction of the
Bishop of the diocess in which he might Officiate, concluded by
moving the first resolution, as expressive of the duty of a
Christian community to provide for the religious instruction of
so large and useful a body of its members as were the seamen
of this country. •
Mr. Sheriff'BnowNE seconded this resolution, and amongst
other remarks on the subject, observed that the doctrine and
discipline-taught by the clergymen in the prOPtised chapels
would be those of the Church of England, and none other ; and
that, rather than depart from that regulation, the plan would
be given up. •
The resolution was then put, and carried.
Lord CsvrnonoE, previously to moving the second reso-
lution, dwelt with much force and warmth on the necessity
and-great importance of giving to every individual the means
of instruction in that which concerned his eternal salvation ;
and of all classes of the community, none had greater claims
such instruction than our seamen. His Lordship thenadverted
to, the establishments of this kind which had been set afloat
by the Dissenters, whose zeal and diligent perseverance he
praised, and whose excellent example in this respect he was
glad to see the Church of England imitating. However, with-
out in any degree objecting to those chapels already establish.
ed, he would wish, preferring as he did the doctrines and
discipline of the thurch of England, to see chapels established
for the instruction of seamen according to those doctrines. His
Lordship concluded by moving, that experience having shown
the disinclination of seamen to frequent our churches on shore,
the establishment of floating chapels, in conjunction with the
Church of England, would be one of the most effectual modes
of giving them religious instruction.
The resolution was then carried.
Admiral Sir R. KEATS, K.C.IL, bore testimony to the ex-
cellent conduct of the seamen, in those ships in, which a strict
attention to religious duties was observed. Ile moved the next
resolution, declaring the necessity of forming such a society as
the present, on the principles and discipline of the Church of
England. •
This was seconded by the Hon. Captain WALDEGUAVE,
R.N., and carried.
Mr. Z. MACAULAY expressed his approbation of the So-
ciety, and hoped that great care and caution would be observed
in the appointment of 'the clergymen who were to officiate in
the proposed chapels. He moved the next resolution, appoint-
ing the printipal officers of the Society. -
Lock Ens, Esq., seconded this resolution, which was
carried. - •
Lord CALTHORPE, as one of the Vice-Presidents, return-
ed thanks for his appointment, and expressed his readiness
to act.
Mr. J. POYNDER moved that the Society do immediately
enter upon its functions, by the establishment of Floating
Chapels, &c. This was seconded by the Rev. Mr. EVANSON,
and carried.
Lord CLAnENDON, in moving thanks to Lord Melville for
the readiness with which he obtained, the sanction of Govern-
ment to the undertaking, warmly eulogized the object of the
Society, which he confidently hoped would be productive of the
most salutary results.
Mr. MONEY seconded this resolution, which was carried.
Lord CALTHOnPE moved the thanks of the meeting to the
Lord Mayor, which his Lordship acknowledged, and the meet-
ing broke up at nearly five o'clock. •

WATCH AND CLOCK MAKERS' BENIiVOLENT
INSTITUTION.

This valuable Society held its Eleventh Annual
Dinner yesterday at thi London Tavern, the LORD MAYOR
in the chair. At six o'clock, his Lordship, in company with
Mr. Alderman Thompson, Doctor Herdman; and other gentle-
men of distinction, entered the room. After the usual toasts,
The LORD sl.s,toit rose. The toast he was about to pro.
pose was one which must have been already anticipated. He
alluded to Success and prosperity to the Institution.' ro dwell
on the benefits Whieh, in so short a time, hail been insured to so-
ciety in general, and more particularly to the Society of Watch-
makers, would be useless. All must he convinced that the aged,
whose incapability prevented them from working any longer,
and the widows of those who were unfortunately cut off without
leaving any provision for them, were the objects most fitted and,
most worthy of their support. He should no longer occupy their
time, but again propose the toast—( Drank enthusiastically.)
" The health of Mr. Alderman Thompson" was proposed
by the Lord Mayor. The excellent qualifications, high talents,
and unremitting exertions, as a Magistrate and a Member
of Parliament, of that Gentleman, were too well known to all
who were acquainted with his 'name, to require an elaborate
disquisition.
The worthy Alderman returned thanks • lie feared that any
services he might have at any time rendered the City, either as
an Alderman or a Member of the House of Commons, were too
insignificant to merit the high praise bestowed on him by his
Lordship. He would, however, pledge himself, that if it should
be the pleasure of his fellow-citizens again to return him as their
Ilepresentative, any deficiency of talent under which lie might
labour, should be compensated by zeal, :activity, anti atten-
tion.
• The health of the remaining Officers were then drank, and
the Company separated, individually expressing their satin.
faction at the excellence of the dinner, wines, and attendance,
which, under the guidance of Mr. Bleaden, they had enjoyed.

The celebrated Harriette Wilson, last week,
had an interview with Stockdale, at Calais.—
(Morning Paper.)