The Sun.
London, England, 1822-02-13 00:00:00

PORT OF LONDON SOCIETY.

Yesterday the annual meeting of the Port of London So-
city, for diffusing religious instruction among seamen, was
held at the Freemasons' Tavern—JAMES STZPHEN, Esq. in
the Chair.
The Report of the Committee was read, and gave a very
gratifying account of the extension of religious knowledge
among mariners in almost all quarters of the world; but it was
also stated that the Society was considerably in debt, and with..
oat the liberal aid of the public its exertions must necessarily be
more limited.

The Earl of ROCKSAVAGE, in proposing the first resolution,
addressed the Meeting, but in so low a tone as to be nearly in-
sudible, 'except to those very near him. We could only bear
that his Lordship spoke in terms of eulogy of the institution,
and strongly urged the necessity of increased exertions in
furtherance of the important objects which it had in view.
The Rev. Dr: .THORPE maintained at some length that no
society could have a stronger claim to. the patronage and en.:
couragement of the British public than-this.
The Rev. G. BURDER said, that when he had been on board
the Floating Chapel, he had been struck with the orderly con-
'dact and pious demeanour of the seamen ; and he protested he
had never seen,' in any church or chapel on shore, a more devout
and attentive congregation. -'
Mr, MARTEN, the Secretary, here introduced to the notice
Of the Chairman and the Meeting, the two Owyhee,Chiefs,. who
Some months ago appeared before the Lord Mayor in a state of
the most deplorable misery, but who now (Mr. Marten observ-
ed), thanks to the humanity which always distinguished the
Ei!glish nation, were placed in comparative prosperity.
These two-individuals were most respectably attired, and, be-
fore they took their seats, they bowed to the . company with a
degree of modest ease that excited considerable surprise with
those who recollected their rude And uncultivated appearance a
short time ago.
The Rev. G. Masox.said, the supporters of this establish-
ment, if there were no other cause of gratifiCation, had suffi-
cient to make them rejoice, in the good which, in a moral point
of view, it had effects& with regard to the two interesting in-
dividuals now before the meeting; they having been instructed
in religious knowledge by the Society.
The Hon. G. NrztLlEliS, in addressiag the company, gave a
short narrative of the history of the Chiefs, and added, that
with the liberal subscription which had been made for them,
they had received a reasonable portion of instruction. They
had been taught some of the primary arts of civilized society,
they had been instructed, as much as possible, in the worship
of the true God, and they were now, he was happy to say, im-
pressed with a sense of religion, and filled with gratitude . to the
generous persons who had so liberally stepped forward to suc-
cour them.

•
Mr. BENNING, from St. Petersburgh, who was introduced
by the Chairman as a Gentle Man-who had the honour of being
the friend (as far as monarch and iubject could be on terms of
intimacy) of the. Emperor Alexander, next addressed the
M eeting.
The Itev..Mr. BROWN said, that, without meaning at all to
reflect upon the Government under which he enjoyed so many
blessings, he could not help making an observation or two on•
the manner in which the eternal interests of the. British seamen
had been neglected- He sailed in the Navy in the earlier pe-
riod of his life, and he had seen a crew of from 300 to 000
men, without a Chaplain to instruct them, or to call their '1
attention to religious •matters—without a friend to read to
them the holy volume— without a single person to check
them in their blasphemies, or to bring ,to their recollection
that there was such a thing as eternity. He 'had retired
to his hammock when pining in the. yellow fever; and
when he expected never to quit. it again, he had no person near
to prepare his soul for immortality. Dozens, he believed, were
hurled from the gangway into the ocean, or taken from the
hospital to their graves, who had died in total ignorance.of the
blessings of religion, and without any of those consolations
which attend the death-bed of the 'informed Christian. With •
such appalling facts befi4re their eyes, the meeting could not
but perceive the necessity there was for upholding the Port of
London Society,
Other gentlemen addressed the Meeting, an,d several resolu.
Lions, in furtherance of its objects, were.passed.
Thanks were voted to the Chairman, Mr. Marten, the founder
of the Society, the Secretaries, and other officers ; and the
meeting. at a collection being made at the doors.

WESTMINSTER MEETING.--This morning the
neighbourhood of Covent-garden was iii a state of
uproaK, in consequence of it having been an-
nounced that a meeting was to be held, to take
into consideration the 'propriety of presenting
a Petition to the. House of Commons for Re-
form. Sir F. BURDETT and Mr. HOBHOUSE
appeared on the hustings precisely, at 1 o'clock, to-
gether with Sir R. WILSON Mr: HUME &C. when
the High Bailiff opened the,Meeting,'upon which
Mr. Sroacti, in a short address, proposed the
Resolutions, the . effect of which was to pro-
duce.the already worn out topic of Parliamentary
Reform. This Gentleman concluded by mov-
ing a series of Resolutions, the ground of which
was, that 'unless a Parliamentary Reform was
accomplished, the country must be inevita-.
bly lost. A Petition upon these Resolutions
was then adopted.-:-Mr. GARDINER, the SeCre-•
tory to the " 6 Rump," read, the Petition, the sub-
stance , •of which was, as might be expected,
in the Resolutions. 'An immense number of
people assembled,.and as usual . the light fingered
gentry were by no means the least gainers by this
,reforming mode of collecting the sense of .a mob .
of queer fellowS.

THE LONDON ORPHAN SOCIETY is one of the
benevolent Institutions which do honour to the
Country; and to which, therefore, the 'liberal
Press of .the Country should-give its warmsupport.
.We have no interest in the subject, but that of
mere benevolence. IVIAJon- has graciously
condescended to become its Patron, and every
loyal and charitable -subject ought to folloW so
illustrious an example. ThiS Charity is not so
well known as it ought to be, and therefore we.
feel it to be our duty to recommendit-to public
attention. The benevolent:Board of this humane'

Institution indulge the gratifying hope that they
shall be able to receive three hundred destitute
Children of eacii.sex, who have lost both of their.
parents, and who have no friends who can support
them, or who have lost'theii-ftither: and.whOse
mother is totally incapable of providing for them;
and even. to accomplish the erection of a perina-
neat Edifice fOr their accommodation: Bitt these
laudable objects -cannot be-effected without a li-
beral Contribution on The part of those who feel
for the interests of humanity, and, for the honour
of our Country, it may be said that we were never
in want of such characters. • - -

Yesterday his Royal 'Highness the -Duke of
Yonx had a very full Levee, asiCornmander in
Chief,
.at his Office in the Horse Guatds. The
following General Officers were, present, besides'
about forty others:— , , •
General Sir B. Tarleton, General Sir George Nugent, Gene-
ral Gaseoigne, GeneMl Balfonr, Lieut.-General Sir Thomas
Hislop, Lieut.-General Maitland, Lieut.-General Sir Miles
Nightingale, Major-General Sir H. .Lowe, Major-General Sir
James Lyon, Major-General Sir Thomas Bradford, Major.
General Browne, Major-General Brooke, Major-General Hus-
kisson, Major-General
,Carey, Major-General Foley, Major-
General Buller, Sir George Gunning.

There is not the slightest foundation for the
statement in several of the Papers, that Commis-
sioner SEARLE, late Chairman of the Victualling
Board, has refused the retirement of a Flag
Officer, and intends to submit his case to Parlia-
ment.—(Morning Post.)-