The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-08 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Ma) 3—" Inv. of the Cross,

ORE' ACS.

nat Bishops are a..icairers tf Papacy there can
be no doubt, and it ought not to excite "especial wonder,"
or great amazement, that they should be so, or that they
should have a hearty (though secret) desire to return to
that communion from which their predecessors, some three
centuries ago, professed to dissent; and against the vain
ceremonies and ordinances of which Church their prede-
cessors protested, and against which they, the Bishops,
now profess to protest, although it is self-evident to all
reflecting and unprejudiced minds, that they have a hearty
and sincere, though secret, longing after that which their
predecessors protested against. If these things be not so,
how is it that certain amongst them have sent forth, or
caused to be sent forth, a feeler, in shape of the Oxford
Tracts ?

You have done much to weaken the vain, absurd, ridi-
culous trick ; of which timely interference and check, you
will, at no very distant period, see the fruits.

. -
It would be well at this time to set before the people at
large, in its true colours, the cause of the original rupture
between Mother Church of the Continent, and her
daughter-in-law of England ; but it is not my purpose
to enter more fully now into this subject, I merely wish on
the present occasion to ask these natural men (1 Cor.
chap. ii. vtr. 14), the admirers of Papacy—Puseyitea—
sticklers for the traditions, alias the inventions of men,
when, where, in what age of the world, under what cir.
cumstanees, and for what purpose, did Mother Church of
Italy hold the first Feast of " the Invention of the Cross ?"
and for the celebration of which this day (May 3) is sane-
tified e., set apart, in the present year? The Pusey-
ites are very learned in this legendary lore,", and can, no
doubt, give us a full, true, and particular account of this
wonderous invention ; to which I would most earnestly call
the attention of the people, as there is more hidden under
this " Invention of the Cross," than the admirers of Papacy
ever dreamt of in their vain philosophy, and which shall
be made apparent when the proper time arrives. 1 Cor.
chap. 13 ver. 10, 11. BEN MELEE.
Lyons-holt, Devon, May 3, 1841.
i` Church Histery ; or, the History of the Church.

ROYAL AS YLUM FOR DESTITUTE
FEMALES, MANOR HOUSE, CHELSEA.

The first public anniversary of this admirable restitution
was celebrated at the London Coffee-house, on Wednes-
day, the Marquis of Normanby in the chair. The objects
of the Society are the reception and reformation of young
females who stand exposed to the fearful consequences of
vice and ignorance, and who may be enumerated under
the following heeds —The3 young offender who has been
convicted and imprisoned for her first offence ; thoeo dis-
charged from service for dishonesty, but not prosecuted;
the ignorant and destitute, who, although not guilty of
crime, are incapable of obtaining their livelihood. The
Institution thus aims at assisting immense numbers of poor
creatures whose cases are not recognised in the regulations
of other establishments. Upwards of seventy gentlemen
sat down to dinner on the occasion.
After the formal public toasts were drank,
The Noble CHAIRMAN rose to propose success to the
Institution, which was he said a most promising specimen
on a small scale of what might be done hereafter upon
.a
most extensive plan. He had felt great satisfaction is
visiting the asylum, and he viewed it as an institution
connected in no small degree with the subject of secondary
punishments, which engaged the attentive consideration
of the Remit:ye at the present moment.—(hear, hear.)
That subject he begged to say was one on which the
public opinion seemed to be less fixed than upon any other
relating to the morel advantages of the community. It
was one upon which, under the circumstances in which he
was placed as a member of her Majesty's Gear( rnment, it
would not become him to speak particularly. Whatever steps,
however, it might be deemed necessary to take as to secon-
dary punishments, a great deal must depend upon the ,means
taken to effect the subsequent reformation of offenders,
and the Royal Asylum appeared to him to supply the
means, by the salutary control and example which its sys-
tem exhibited, in rescuing females of tender age from
those who originated the crimes which made them the ob-
jects of the charity.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Yruotens, M.P., proposed the health of the Noble
Chairman, who had, by countenancing it in his public ca-
pacity, rendered great service to the Institutior. which
was a entrain means of alleviating a vast sum of human
misery. The toast was drank enthusiastically.
The CHAIRMAN in returning ilenika regti tted that he
had been prevented by very weighty engagements from
taking the chair last year, for be had heard touch is praise
of the Institution front a lady, whose virtues were well
known to the world. He meant Mrs. Fry_( Loud
cheers)—while he was the Governor of the sister country,
that excellent woman hod rendered great assistance in ea-
tablishing the female part of a large institution for the re-
formation of offenders, and when ho was appointed to the
situation which he had now the honour to fil', he was led by
her representations to visit the asylum, and he recommendel
it to the patrol:age of her Majesty.-_( Cheery.)
Mr. HILL, the Queen's Counsel, proposed—" The
Lord Mayor and Corporation of tire City of London."
That great body had, he said, not only extended its patronage,
but its munificent bounty to the Society by a vote of 200
guineas. It happened that befcro he sat down to
enjoy the present party, be had occupied himself in reading
an account of the City of London, in which it ens add that
the Corporation in former days thought the only mode of
diminishing crime was to exercise punishment, and th,t no
more than a century ago that body called for the infliction
of more revere punishments then were then in use. The
experiment was tried, and the company be addressed were
now near the spot where the alteration was tested with
the most unrelenting sever ity.—( Lard cries of " Hear.")
He would instance in pal-fouler one crime—that of forgery.
No one could say that the experiments to abate that
offence were not abundent, and what was the result ? That
forgeries increased as the punishments increased. At
last a Let•cr feeling came forth. The penalty was
mitigated, and the crime decreased. That was a
powerful argument in favour of merc:ful infliction.
While capital punishment awaited conviction, all
the Crown could do was to inflict that punisinteat
after conviction; but how many escaped in consequence of
the awful severity of the sentence pronounced upon the de-
linquent? Witnesscr, prosecutors, and juries, all shrank
from the thought of a verdict which consigned a aictim to
death, and would net do their duty even when impelled to
do it by the sanctity of an oath.—( Cheers.) It was now
known that death could not be inflicted except in cases of
the very deepest criminality, and secondary punishment,
therefore, was become a subject of great importance. So
much being dependant upon a system of reformation, he
wished to see asylums like that which the company were
celebrating multiplied over the country, in aid of the plan
of secondary punishments in progress. He had visited
the Royal Asylum and seen the operation of the admirable
system of kindness united with firmness, which dis;in-
guished the management.—(Cheers.) He had found
that numbers of those who were snatched from destruc-
tion by its means had become moat useful members of
society. By kindness, firmness, and perseverance, every
thing was capable of being accomplished upon the minds
of young persona. He wished that all who still were in
favour of severe punishments, were aware of the feeling 3
of a judge in assing sentence upon a youthful and ig-
norant fellow-creature, brought up perhaps ucdar these
who derived a profit from the vices in which they in-
structed him. He wished that they could feel as the
Judge felt, who knew that the only chalice
for the poor boy was that he should be
brought to the bar again and again, until condign punish.
ment finished his career.—( Cheers.) What their could
be more noble than the institution, the benefits of which
they assembled to perpetuate? The Learned Gentlemart
concluded an admirable speech, of which the above is but
a faint sketch, by propeeiag "the Lotd Mayor and Cor-
poration ofthe City of London."

Alderman JOHN JOHNSON returned thanks. He b4a
known the Institution for twenty years, and he had rece ally
visited it with Miss Neave, its excellent founder.—( ;;rest
cheering,) The operations were admirably carrier. on by
a Committee of ladies, who would, he was convinced, with
the assistance of the Queen arid the Noble Marquis, taost
largely extend its utility. He begged leave to recerainenni
to the same patronage another institution of r, similar
nature, wLich had been established for boys. He meant
the House of Correction in St. George's
The CHAIRMAN then more particularly alluded to Miss
Neave and the other ladies under whoa,, constant superin..
tendance the Royal Asylum was coir:P.teted, and by whose
exertions it was likely to become un institution cf vast
public utility.—(Loud cheers.) These ladle; had visited
the gaols of the metropolis, and had come to the direction
of the Asylum with all the advantages of their philanthro-
pic experience. He considered it tecessrry to stare, that
whatever steps might be taken with regard to secondary
punishments, the imprisonment, of criminals should never be
perpetual, therefore all therm wk,ose lives should be spared
by the clemency of the Snverelgn or the law, would be open
to the benevolent exertions, of individuals who, like theses
ladies, criginated and eir,,mted insttutions to reform the
guEty.—( Cheers.) Hiv, Lordship liegged to state that
the ladies were assisted in their great work of charity by
several gentlemen whorn he saw around him ; he shc,iild
therefore propose the health of Mr. Charles Pearson and
the Committee of Mane gement.—( Cheers.)
Mr. Citarcus PEArsoN returned thanks !n a speech ad..
mirably adapted to 1:no occasion, and stated that he was
particularly instrucf,ed by the ladies to impress upon the
company the necessity of obtaining a large amount of annual
subscriptions.
The healtti of the Ladies' Committee was then drank
with great enthusiasm, and
Mr. Par returned thank!.
A list of subscriptions was then read. They amounted to
3001.

Sevc.al other toasts were drunk, and the evening's en-
tertair..ment was much enhanced by the comic effusions of
the celebrated Tom Hudson, and the very fine singing of
Messrs. Ransford, Robinson, &e.
The company did not separate till twelve o'clock.

LONGEVITY.--.Died on 'sunday morning last,
at the patriarchal age of at least lot years, Mr. Francis
Wilding, of the Sheppen Fields Farm in this county
(Salop). He was born at Betcheott, on the estate of
the Honourable H. W. Powis, of Berwick House,
near Shrewsbury, and was from his teens to manhood in
the service of the Fowls family; after which, about 80
years agcy, ha became the tenant of the Sheppen Fields
Farm. near the place of his birth, and alio belonging to
the Pee is estate, and continued tenant of it down to his
death. He was christened at Smethcott, the parish in
wbicb, Betchentt is situate, on Christmas-day, 1740, but
boa! old he thin was his friends have. not the means of
Inioving. He was no disciple of the Cornaro school, but
on, the contrary, all his life indulged in good but not lux-
-I,ll'd ant living, and on fes.tivo occasions always took his
111.'41 share of Shropshire ale, and was a declared oppor.ent
of fasting and teetotal notions—his last cup of ale having
b een taken so late as the 14th ult. He has long been,
f corn his great age, and the good-natured qualitics of his
%ilia, an object of veneration and respect; and down to
about three years age, took his daily wtlh on his farm,
and was in possession of his mental faculties to the last,
It is believed by his surviving relations that his real age
was 103; some say that he was 106. —Salopian Journal.