The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-12 00:00:00

(From the Edinburgh Courant.)
A public meeting of those who disapprove of the re-
solution of the West Kirk Session, prohibiting the
interment of the dead on the Lord's day,:n as held in the
Rev. Dr. Peddie's Church, Bristo-street, on Tuesday
night. Sir John Graham Dalyell in the chair. The
Church was quite crowded.
The Chairman having explained the object of the
meeting,
Councillor M'AuLav rose to move the fist resolu-
tion. He rose, he said, with feelings of deed regret,
mingled with feelings of very great pleasure. He re-
gretted that men of learning—men who moved in high
circles—men who stood in high places, should be guilty
of an encroachment on the liberties of the best portion
of mankind—the labouring classes. He rejoiced, how-
ever, to think that those classes not only knew, but
had enough of courage and independence amongst them
to maintain their rights.—(Hear, hear.) The resolu-
tion which he had to propose was this :—" That this
meeting has learnt with regret the late determina-
tion of the West Kirk Session, whereby funerals
on the Sabbath day are prohibited ; and they
consider such a resolution as altogether uncalled
for, as no substantial reason can be assigned why the
inhabitants of St. Cuthbert's should be deprived of this
ancient privilege."—(Cheers.) The Kirk-Session of
St. Cuthbert's were the only parties in Edinburgh who
thought it necessary that there should be any such
restriction. It was quite true that an attempt was
made to get the Town Council to shut the Greyfriars'
Church-yard on the Sunday ; but he was happy to say
that the attempt had been repelled with success. He
was sure that every one who heard him would agree
with him in thinking that the matter should be left en-
tirely to the good sense and good feeling of those whose
relatives are dead. Two instances had lately come un-
der his knowledge—and he was ready to give the names
of the parties, if necessary—where, for want of suffi-
cient companies to attend the funerals, carts had been
hired to carry the corpses—thus treating the poor rather

like dead horses than Christians. He had said the
rich could bury their dead when they pleased, but what
was it the rich were not allowed to do ?—(Hear.) The
rich could travel on Sunday—the poor could not. The
rich could cook on Sunday—the poor dare not. The
poor man was not even allowed to be buried on the
Sunday.—(Loud cheers.) Mr. M'Aulay concluded by
moving the first resolution, which was seconded by Mr
Mackintosh.
Mr. J. DENHAM moved the second resolution—
" That this meeting is of opinion that the burial of the
dead on the Sabbath is not a desecration of that day
but rather calculated to solemnise and prepare the mind
for the performance of its sacred duties ;" which motion
was seconded by Mr. Cotton, tobacconist, Potterrow.
Bailie THOMSON said that some time ago, when the
subject was agitated in the Town Council, he took some
little interest in the matter, and had various meet-
ings on the subject with the Kirk• Sessions and
others ; but he must say that the arguments used at
these meetings in favour of abolishing funerals on the
Sabbath, not only failed to convince him of the pro-
priety of supportinc, such a resolution, but satisfied his
mind more strongly than ever, that it would be very
improper. With the assistance of other members of
Council, he was then enabled to resist the attempt with
reference to the Greyfriars' Churchyard, and he hoped
they would be equally successful on this occasion.—
(Cheers.) He moved, " That the abolition of funerals
on the Sabbath day is, in the opinion of this meeting,
not only an encroachment upon that liberty which all
are entitled to, namely, to judge for themselves as to
the most suitable time for burying their dead, but
presses with peculiar hardship on the working classes
who find its operation not only oppressive, but in many
instances seriously inconvenient." This resolution was
seconded by Mr. Miller.
Mr. THOMAS IRELAND then moved that a commit-.
tee (whom he named) be appointed to communicate
the resolution to the West Kirk Session, and, if need-
ful, hold a conference with them, and endeavour to
prevail upon them to rescind their obnoxious resolu-
tion, and to report to another meeting, to be held not
later than three weeks.

Mr. ADIE, journeyman mason, here rose and said,
that as no operative had yet. spoken, he begged leave
to say a few words on the subject, which was one in
which the rights of workmen were deeply involved.
The resolutions which had hitherto been proposed
merely remonstrated with the West Kirk Session
against their recent regulation. He thought they
should do more than this ; they should be prepared
with an alternative such as had been suggested ;
and with this view he begged to propose—" That
should the West Kirk Session disregard the pre-
sent expression of public opinion, this meeting autho-
rise the Committee to take measures to form a joint-
stock company in small shares, for procuring burying-
ground, and thus afford the means of interment
to all at a moderate rate, and at any time they think
proper." A resolution of this kind was the more ne-
cessary, as even though the Kirk-Session were to yield
to the present request and rescind their regulation, who
could tell but they would re-enact it immediately ;here-
after ?—(Hear, hear.) They were quite an irrespon-
sible body, and the only way to get rid of their withering,
pestiferous influence was to break up the connexion at
once.—(Great applause.) The Kirk Session did not
seem to have any idea of the manner in which their re-
gulation affected working men. They had no notion of
the difficulty which an operative had in attending a
funeral on a week day. He had first to leave his work
and go home to dress—then go to the funeral—then
return and undress—then go back to his work ; all of
which could not occupy less than between three or four
hours ; and on Saturday, from obvious causes, many
tradesmen could not go at all, whereas the gentleman of
the West Kirk Session could get away at any time
without being any the poorer for it.—(Hear, bear.)
Mr. Adie hoped the meeting would adopt his resolution.
Baillie THOMPSON thought the resolution rather pre-
mature.—(Cries, of " No, no.")
Mr. DA Vins oN, stationer, Nicholson-street, begged to
second Mr. Adie's resolution.

Zhe CHAIRMAN thought the motion quite i❑ order,
and that the supporters of it had shown good reason for
its adoption. There was a strong disposition in certain
quarters to trample on the rights of the poor, and to ar-
rogate an authority which never belonged to any set of
men. He had ransacked the whole repositories both of
law and history, and he could not find one instance of
any such prohibition as this in question, in either of them.
—(Hear.) He considered this a solemn and a pious
duty. To deprive the working-classes of this day for a
purpose at once so solemn and so indispensable, was, in
his opinion, an act of extraordinary tyranny and oppres-
sion.—(Cheers.)
The resolution of Mr. Adie was then carried without
a division, as were all the others which preceded it.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and to
Dr. Peddie for the use of the church ; after which, the
meeting, which was one of the most crowded and enthu-
siastic we have seen for a long time, quietly dispersed.

INVENTIONS FOR PROPELLING

STEAM VESSELS.

On Wednesday last, the Lord Mayor, accompanied
by Mr. Benjamin Smith, M.P., Mr. Travers, Mr.
Blaxland, Mr. Hoard, the Chairman of the Navigation
Committee, and other gentlemen, and attended by Cap-
tain Fisher, the Senior Harbour-master, made an ex-
cursion on the river to witness the effect of Mr, Taylor's
invention for propelling steam vessels. 'lle little
steamer Jane, in which his Lordship embarked, is the,
property of Mr. George Blaxland, late engineer to the
Commercial Steam Packet Company, and has been an
object of admiration on account of her diroinr.iive size,
being only a common whaling boat, to whiclL Mr. Blax-
land some months back applied paddle wheels, and in
which he fixed a steam engine of miller less than one-
horse power. These paddle-wheels, with their cum-
brous and unsightly appendages, the paddle-boxes, have
been removed, so that the little boat is restored to her
original form, excepting the addition of a figure-head
and a counter-stern. The propeller, which has in-
creased the speed one-third, the power remaining the
same, has been introduced ; but the steam-engine has
not been moved from its original position—a. fact that
proved to the experimentors the entire applicability of
the method to every steam vessel.

His Lordship took water precisely at two o'clock
from Southwark-bridge pier, ar.d proceeded some way
up the river against the tide, ; after which he returned,
and proceeded as far •Blackwall, calling in his way
at Greenwich Hospit-,.1. He then returned against the
tide, which was I.i:honing strong all the time ; and, on
landing at llye';'s Hall Whart at half-past five o'clock,
expressed the strongest approbation of the genius of the
Invention. Throughout the whole of the trip the Jane
performer; admirably ; she was under the most perfect
control, and appeared to be steered much more easily
than when encumbered with the paddle-wheels : she
moved as if by magic, creating no swell in the water,
and was not affected by the hubbub occasioned by the
rapid transit of the large steamers.

-
The negotiations entered into between Cerito and
the Grand Opera of Paris have failed. It is the manager
of the Sc'ila Theatre who has secured the services of
Taglioni's young rival, by tendering her terms much su-
perior to those which the Academie Royale was disposed
to give her. Cerito has entered into an engagement at
Milan, extending from the 28th ult. to the 30th' March,
1842, but stipulating that she will be at liberty to appear
at her Majesty's Theatre next spring.