The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-08 00:00:00

BURGH

TII.AiNKSGIVLsG DA ,a" 1:1' 14 Dife

We understand that at a general meeting of the Central
Board of Dissenters, held on Wednesday, the conduct of
the Presbytery of Edinburgh, in setting apart a thanksgiv-
ing day, in which it was expected that business of every
kind would be wholly suspended, without consulting the
Dissenters, wise), as appears from the report of the
Church Commissioners, form one-half of the population of
the city, was justly reprobated. It was strongly urged,
and with great truth, that as the Dissenting congrega-
tions consist to a much greater extent than those of the
Establishment of the poor and working classes, and as the
Established clergy proposed to deprive each of them
of one day's wages, it would be a much greater injury
0 Dissenters than to Churchmen, and, being an unwar-
rantable interference with their rights, should be strenu-
ously resisted. It was calculated that, in a great propor-
tion of the Dissenting churches, there would be at least
51)0 persons deprived of a day's wages, which, at the
overate rate of 2s. per day, would amount to a fine of 501.,
inflicted on each congregation of Dissenters, by the au-
thority of the Established clergy, not one of whom would
be deprived of a single farthing of their incomes by the
proposed cessation of labour. It was calculated that if
one-fourth part of the population of the county, or 65,000
persons bdonging to the working classes, were each de-
prived of one day's wages, at the average rate of 2s. per
day, the fine inflicted by the Established clergy on the
poor, by this act, would amount to the enormous sum
of 6,5001. The meeting, we understand, resolved to to-
present to the different Dissenting Presbyteries and minis-
ters the propriety of meeting on an early day to consider
the matter ; and the Board suggested that a recommenda-
tion should be issued by the Dissenting Presbyteries and
ministers to the effect, that those congregations of Dissen-
ters who have not already had a thanksgiving meeting for
the abundant harvest, should set apart the evening of the
day fixed on by the Established clergy for that purpose, or
some other evening which might be found more convenient,
and that intimation should be made that the different con-
gregations were recommended and expected to meet in
the evening' for this purpose, but that they were not re-
quested or expected to abstain from labour during the
other parts of the day. The Dissenters deserve credit for
having acted with so much spirit, after the contemptuous
indifference with which they have been treated by the
Church clergy, and it is highly probable the great body of
the Dissenting clergy and their people will follow the ad-
vice which has been given by the Central Board.—Scots.
man, Dec. 5.

The steps taken by th' Edinburgh Association for pro
moting Voluntary Church Principles, show a still more de.
tided opposition to the rescript of the Edinburgh clergy

—" At a meeting of the Committee of the Edinburgh
Association for promoting Voluntary Church Principles,
held on the 4th instant, the following resolution
was unanimously adopted :—That: while this Com-
mittee entertain sentiments of most sincere gratitude
to God for his kindness in the late abundant harvest,
and are willing at all times to co-operate with Christians
of every denomination for the promotion of this or any
other good object, they cannot agree with the dictum
of the Established Church Presbytery of Edinburgh in
appointing the whole of the 15th instant to be observed
as a day of thanksgiving, on the following grounds :
Because several Dissenting congregations have already
given thanks on a Sabbath appointed by them !'or that
purpose, whice, to God, who " laves mercy rather than
sacrifice," must be equally acceptable. Because the
Established Church might have followed the example of
their Dissenting brethren, and thus spared the industrious
classes a sacrifice which they are little able to make in
the present depressed state of trade and high price of pro-
visions—and because the members of the Established
Church, forming but a minority of the church-going popu-
lation of the city, have no right exclusively to pass any
ecclesiastical enactment affecting the whole of the inha-
bitants, and therefore the Committee can regard the adop-
tion, at their late meeting, of the following resolution, as
reported in the Newspapers, as nothing less than an insult
to Dissenters :—"That the whole of the 15th December
should be set apart as a day of thanksgiving for the late
abundant harvest, and that the different religious bodies in
Edinburgh and the authorities should be invited to juin
with them on this occasion—and that the invitation should
be given by a public intimation of the fact, without com-
municating personally with any of the Dissenting bodies.'
The Committee, therefore, earnestly recommend their
Dissenting brethren to follow their usual employment on
the day referred to, without payi,►g any attention to the fiat
of the State Church."—Edinburgh, Dec. 4, 1840.

MAP OF CHINA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR—Please to send two copies of " The China
Sun," having the Map. The chart of Canton River,
as surveyed by the late Captain Huddart, of the Hon.
Co.'s Service and afterwards of the Trinity House,
would form a most desirable companion to your Map of
China.

The writer of this, when many years ago in Canton,
in conversation with a Chinese merchant, was told by
him that, as a mark of their subjugation by the Tartars,
who were horsemen, they were obliged to have the cuffs
of their exterior garment cut in the form of a horse's
hoof ; and to confirm his assertion, he pulled down one
of his cuffs, put his clpsed hand on the table, and,
standing up, showed it really was so.
With this feeling of degradation, bad the Chinese a
knowledge of the British Constitution, they would no
doubt be glad of an opportunity to throw of the Tartar
dynasty.
Edinburgh, Dec. 4, 1840. V.