The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-17 00:00:00

TURKEY.

A Pere corresponlent of the Ost Deutsche Post
gives seine interesting details relative to the conspiracy
recently discovered at Constantinople. By a singular
chance the Sultan him;aelf found certain suspicious
documents io the room of one of his adjutants, the
Biwbasehi Mustapha Effendi, who was arrested with
twslve o:her persons of high standing in the seraglio.
The conspiracy was directed against the Sultan and
Ps,-schid Pasha's Cabinet. Abdul Assis, the Sultan's
brother, if not actually a sharer in the conspiracy, cer-
tainly connived at the revolutionary movements which
have so fortunately been brought to light. The Sal.
tars's physician, an Austrian, was sent for by his ImpP-
rial master, who, utter-dismissing his first chamberlain,
conversed With the doctor for a whole hour. The
s Ilia. evening the latter left Constantinople for Trieste
with his wite anti, family. The disciple of (E3cula-
.
pin', wh(?se monthly salary was 9,000 piastres, was in
the habit of receiving very costly presents from his
muni3oent employer. His house in Constantinople,
which is now for sale, was a present of the Empress
Mother's ;• it is valued at 8,0001. In an Aleppo letter
o:' tie 9 n November, mention is made of the defeat of
the rehe's. by Kerlin Pacha. On a subsequent day,
the insurgents having been reinforced again appeared
before the city, and were again routed, leaving 100
priSoners and 3,000 sheep behind them. The garrison
of Aleiiip) is now So.etrong that nothing more is to be
feared,..

THE REV. DR. M'NEILE AND THE

ROMISFI CONFESSIONAL.
Sir,—On Sunday last, the Bth instant, the Rev. Dr.
11I•Neile, Canon of Chester. and incumbent of St. Paul's,
Liverpool, preached a sermon on the difference betwe( n
the " judgment of God and the judgment of man." In
the progress of this discourse the Reverend Gentleman
referred to the " c^ntessional" as an organ used for
" man's judgment of his fellow-man." Ile described
in g!oMiog and impassioned terms its whole catalogue
of abominations, and then demanded in the name of jus-
tice and religion, the punishment of all priests who
wielded so fearful an organ of spiritual tyranny. There
might ba many modes of punishment suggested, but the
only one ifE ctual for the purpose was death. " Many
good and tender-hearted men," continued the Reverend
Gentleman, " felt a prejudice against capital punish-
ment; but let them remember that banishment would
only be to spread to our colonies and to other climes the
pestilential influence." This sentiment caused a marked
sensation, and was much canvassed after the service. It
is said that one gentleman wrote a letter immediately on
reaching his house to demand a recantation of the senti-
ment. In the evening the Rev. Doctor did not preach,
but after reading the belief he left his pew, and ascend-
ing the reading desk, between the curate and the Rev.
Mr. Minton, he thus addressed the congregation My
Christian Friend,—l generally address you from another
place, but must make an exception on this occasion. I
desire to withdraw the atrocious sentiment which I ut-
ttred in the morning. I have withdrawn it before God
and now withdraw it before you. Those who heard me
in the morning will understand my meaning; those who i
were not hero will please not to trouble themselves
about it."

I do not record all this, Sir, to find fault with Dr.
M.Neile, his handsome apology disarms any severity of
my critici.,m. But I mention it to show that extempore
preaching i.s very dangerous, since it leads so good a
man to ty,er so fearful a sentiment ; and I also mention
it to cau'ion our No-Popery friends to temper their
z al with discretion, since the Rev. Gentleman who has
thus tripped fills no ordinary situation in men's minds.
He is a canon of the church, and a member of the coun-
cil who, under the presidency of Lord Ashley, have
assumed the responsibility of reforming the church and
promoting the (in their minds) purest worship of Gcd.
I remain, S r, your obedient servant,
Liverpool, Dec. 12. G.

The following are the more important parts of the
article in the Liverpool Mercury above referred to.
After adverting, in general terms, to the occurrence in
question, our contemporary proceeds :
" When the circumstance was first told to us we could
nct, and would not, believe it; but as it afterwards came
to us in substantially the same form from several quar-
ters, we thought it best to make inquiries on the sub-
ject; so that, if the story should prove to be unfounded,
its circulation might be stopped; and, if not, that the
facts might be put forth in as unexaggerated shape.
" The result of our inquiries has been that we have
obtained from a highly respectable source as accurate a
version of the words used by Dr. 11'Neile as the memory
of our informant enabled him to furnish, and of their
substantial accuracy he has no doubt whatever. The ex-
traordinary declaration of sentiment was uttered by the
Rev. Gentleman on Sunday morning last, in the'course of
his sermon, and is stated to have been to the following
effect:—' I would make it a capital offence to administer
the confession in this country. Transportation would
not satisfy roe, for that would merely transfer the evil
from one part of the world to the other. Capital punish-
ment alone would satisfy me. Death alone would pre-
vent the evil. This is my solemn conviction.' . . .
we have been told, heard the words
The congregation,
with mingled sorrow and dread; and at the close of the
service a representation on the subject was
made to Dr.
M•Neile in the vestry. The Rev. Gentleman declared, we
believe, that he had no consciousness of having made
use of such language; but, being assured that he had
indoubtedly done so, he expressed his regret in most
forcible terms.

In the coarse of the evening service the Doctor
went into the reading-desk, and, as we are informed,
thus addressed his congregation:—' In the excitement of
en extemporaneous discourse delivered by me this morn-
ing, I used, I believe, a most atrocious expression. That
expression I have already withdrawn in the sight of God;
I have, I trust, made my peace with Him; and I now
beg to withdraw that expression in the sight of this
c,mgregati, n, and to make my peace with you. I will
net repeat the expres.ion which I have referred to, for
those who heard it will sufficiently well remember it,
whist I a ill not grieve (or itifl.ct pain upon) those who
did not hear it by posting it.'
‘• Dr. Nl.Neile, tberef re bitterly repents- of the grave
and !amer,t ible error into which he unwittingly fell; but,
if inn of firm mind, of great ability and learning, of long
prauti,e reaching and public speakitig, permit so un-
to') a spirit to enter even for a moment into their souls,
and fashion itself in words, how great must be the

charity with which we ought to regard the failings of
those who are destitute of such advantages'
Even this most painful incident may be productive of
good t) England; if, in this sad time of religious fer-
ment, it teach men the necessity of caution and prudence
in public speaking, seeing how easy it is for even a mi-
nister of the Gospel of Peace to be carried away by reli-
gious fervour into the enunciation of sentiments as atro-
cious as the worst that were ever attributed to or con-
demned in others."

DINNER TO THE AMERICAN AM
BASSADOR IN LIVERPOOL.

LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY NIGHT.—This evening
the American Ambassador, the Hon. Abbott Law-
rence, was sumptuously entertained at a public
banquet at the Adelphi Hotel, in this town, by the
members of the Liverpool American Chamber of
Commerce.

Mr. Joseph Malcomson, the president of the
Chamber, presided, supported on his right by his
Excellency the Hon. Abbott Lawrence, the guest of
the evening ; Mr. Alexarder Henry, M.P.; Mr.
Thomas Thomley, M.P., &c., &c.; and on his left,
by the Earl of Sefton, Colonel Cotterden, the United
States Consul at Liverpool, Mr. H. C. Chapman, &c.,
&c. The Vice-Chairman's table was filled by Mr.
William Brown, M.P. for Seuth jaancashire, sup-
ported on his right by the Worshipffil the Mayor of
Liverpool, &c.; and on his left by the Venerable
Archdeacon Brooks, Mr. Edward Rushton, stipen-
diary magistrate, &c., &c. There were also present,
in different parts of the room, Mr. Elias Arnaud,
collector of customs at Liverpool, Mr. C. B. Ban-
ning, post-master, several officers of the garrison at
present stationed here, and about fifty of the leading
merchants of Liverpool.
The cloth having been drawn, and the usual loyal
toasts drunk,
The CHAIRMAN proposed the health of the Presi-
dent of the United States, alluding in complimentary
terms to that country, and to the intimate relations
subsisting between this country and America.
The Hon. ABBOTT LAWRENCE, in acknowledging
the toast, assured the meeting of the anxious wish, on
the part of the President of the United States, to cul-
tivate a friendly feeling between the two nations, to
promote the harmony which at present existed be-
tween them, and to strengthen the bonds of unity.
He thought he knew the feelings of the majority of
the people of this country. He knew that he was
acquainted with the feelings of the people of America,
and he confidently stated that at no time had there
exi, ted a better feeling towards this country than
existed at the present moment. " Sir," said the am-
bassador, "we are a commercial people as well as
you; we know our interests, and we believe that
those interests are identical with your cia n, and to
that end, so far as I know my own duties and posi-
tion, it is our desire to extend them."—(Cheers.)
In acknowledging the toast of " Ttie Bishop and
Clergy of the diocese," the Venerable Archdeacon
Baooxs paid a high compliment to the energy and
enterprise of the people of the United States.
The CHAIRMAN then rose, and said he had now to
propose to them, cn behalf of the Liverpool American
Chamber of Commerce, the health of their distin-
guished guest, his Excellency the Ambassador from
the United States, with cordial thanks to him for
affirding them an opportunity of giving him a wed
come amongst them. He was an able and fitting re
presentative of his energetic and enterprisieg country-
men.--(Hear, hear.)
The Hon. ABBOTT TA LIVRENCE acknowledged the
compliment. After alluding to the peculiar relations
which existed between the United States and Liver-
pool, the speaker referred to the common interests
existing between the two countries. Let them all
remember that both countries belonged to the Anglo-
Saxon race.—(Hear, hear.) They had relations in a
commercial point of view, but they had still stronger
relations by the ties of blood.—(Cheers.) After an
exceedingly eloquent address the distinguished gtie.st
of the evening resumed his seat amidst loud cheering.
Several other toasts were proposed and acknow-
ledged, and the company separated about eleven
o'clock.

DEVONPORT AND SOUTHAMP
TON AS STEAM-PORTS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY NEWS.

Sir,—The difference of convenience with regard to
c,mveying merchandise, &e., respectively to Southamp-
t)n or Devonport, cannot be put in comparison with the
divanee by sca between Southampton and the Land',
End, and that of Devonport and t%e Land's End; there
is not a more objectionable part of the Channel in which
to enc.muter the westerly gales; from Devonport a
steam-packet would be clear even of the dangerous
Scilly Islands before one from Southampton had reached
Devonport.
The " extraordinary facilities of access and egrets"
to and from the Southampton waters by no means un-
freeptpntly consists in a dense fug, so that the steamer
finds it impossib!e to attempt the narrow passage of the
Needles; until which fog clears away aho is paddling
about for hours, expending coal, and keeping passengers
And mails on board, with great inconsenience to all par-
ties concerned, when all this might have been obviated
by landing at Devonport 14 to 16 hours earlier.

I- The rapid commuriimion of a message by the electrlc
telegraph renders it I,f no import whether it is conveyed
from one port or the other.
Rai. hampton is called a "deep steam port" by
"X. Y. Z ," So it is to some extent, but not sufficiently
so to enable it to eompete with Devonport as a steam-
packet harbour. I landed a few:weeks ago from a trans- 1
atlantic mail steamer. The vessel could not get within
a mile and a half of the pier for want of water ; the
mails and passengers were detained on board at least
two hours after the vessel had anchored, and before
till arrival of a stnall steamer sent from the docks to
bring everything on shore. Certainly the passengers
might have landed in boats, had they been disposed to
abandon their luggage to the considerate mercy of some
one or other on board, but the mandate of a Custom-
house (fficer denied even a writing-case to be taken
from the steamer otherwise than through the Custom-
house • from the time of first anchoring till the passen-
gers, luggage, and mails were fairly in the small steamer,
certainly three hours had elapsed, and then all were
happily landed in the docks.
Now, Mr. Editor, I have no interest to serve in South-
ampton, none in Devonport, and none in steam-ships of
any kind; but the following statement will be found very
near the truth, and put the question of the harbour in a
fair light. The distance from the Lizard to Devonport
by sea is about 45 miles, and the steamer coming from
sea is in sheltered water after passing the Liaard; to
run for Devonport, supposing a westerly gale to blow,
the run would be about four hours. The distance from
the Lizard to the Needles is about 150 miles, to which
may be added about 40 more from the latter point to
Southampton; supposing fair wind and weather to pre-
vail, this distance would occupy about 14 hours.
The mails would consequently be landed at Devonport
in fiat weather, at the very least, ten hours before they
could possibly reach Southampton, and would be in
London by the railroad about tour hours earlier than
they would from the last-named port.
In the event of an easterly gale, or, what so fre-
quently occurs about the Isla of Wight, and otherwise
lovely waters of the Solent, a dense fog,•the mails would
be delayed, of course, a much longer period; and if it is
at all necessary, I shall adduce instances in which the
royal mail steamers have actually been kept at sea by
the fog nearly twenty-tour hours; and in one case, one
off them had to anchor off Calschet Castle, on account of
the tog, from whence the mails groped their way up to
Southampton in a boat, and the passengers remained on
board nearly a day, abusing the port of Southampton
with great zeal. The best thing X. Y. Z. can do is to
say nothing about Southampton as a steam port, for its
disadvantages are too heavy in the scale.—l am, Sir,
your obedient servant, _ _

A SAILOR.

Adam-street, Adelphi, Dec. 14.