The Sun.
London, England, 1844-03-11 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Yesterday,'att;elveo;c7loci, a sYpecial meeting of the Irish
General Assembly was held in the Presbyterian Meeting-
house, May-street, Belfast. The Moderator, the Rev. Dr.
Stewart, took the chair.
The Moderator stated that the previous special meeting of
Assembly had been adjourned till the present time, in order
that they might know the decision of the Lords in the mar-
riage case. It appeared that three of the great law Lords had
declared in favour of them (the Presbyterians), and three
against them. In this state of affairs, the Presbyterians were
virtually defeated-4hey might consider the verdict against
them. lie stated that he had sent forward, to Lord Lynd-
hur.it, the reselutions agreed to at the former special meeting
of Assembly ; and he read his Lordship's answer, acknow-
ledging the receipt of the same.
A Committee was then appointed to prepare resolutions,
and the Assembly adjourned till seven in the evening.
The Assembly resumed at seven o'clock, when the clerk
read the following resolutions :
" 1, That, it being the duty and privilege of the Church,
inall time of peril and perplexity, to take counsel of God,
this Assembly, in consequence of the attempt Which is being
mode to denude her ministers of the privileges they have
hitherto enjoyed, in the solemnization of marriage, thereby
denying their pastoral character, appoint the last Wednes-
day in March instant a day -of special religious exercise, in
all her-congregations, when our ministers are recommended
to preach sermons suitable to the occasion.
" 2. That, inasmuch as it has been declared, by judges and
eminent lawyers, that marriages solemnized between Ppiseo-
palians mid Presbyterians, by Presbyterian ministers, are
invalid. in consequence of Presbyterian ministers not being
prelatically ordained=-an adjudication which conveys a stigma
upon the Presbyterian bodY, constituting one-half of the
Protestants of the world, and which deprives the Presbyte-
rians of Ireland of a privilege enjoyed upwards of two hun-
dred years—this Assembly petition the Legislature for an Act
removing this stigma, and securing to the ministers Of this
Church the privileges which they have hitherto exercised in
the solemnisation of marriage.
"3. That public meetings be held in all the towns of Ire.
land, where it is practicable ; to which Protestants, of all de-
nominations, shall be invited, and from which petitions shall
be forwarded to both Houses of Parliament.

"4. That a similar petition be sent from all our congre-
gations.
5. That a Committee be appointed too pen a correspond-
ence with Evangelical Dissenters throughout the empire ;
and, more especially, with the Free Church of Scotland, soli-
citing their sympathy and support, in a cause which involves,
not only the rights of the Church, but the interests generally
of Christian truth and freedom ; and that this Committee
hold its first meeting to-morrow.
"6. That a deputation, consisting of the Moderator,
Doctor Browne, Doctor Cooke, Doctor Henry, Messrs. H. J.
Dobbin, with Counsellor Gibson, John Boyd, M.P., George
Matthews, and A. J. 11facrory, Esqrs., be appointed to proceed
to London, to wait upon the leading Members of the (Jovern-
ment and the Legislature."
The resolutions having been read, the Moderator called
upon

Dr. BnowNE,- who delivered a powerful and eloquent dis-
course, in the course of•which lie stated that the time for
speech-making was over, and the time for action had ar-
rived. After a lengthened speech, during which he expressed
his opinions very clearly and forcibly of the stigma cast upon
the ministers of the Presbyterian Church, he called upon his
brethren to come forward, to join in the struggle that was
now going on, and adopt, as their motto, the cry raised in
the city of Derry, on a certain memorable occasion—" No
surrender."

Dr. DILL, of Dublin, followed. Ile stated that they (the
Presbyterians) had shown what they could suffer; but lie
(Dr. bill) cautioned those who were now opposed to them,
not to reckon too largely, on their capabilities of endurance.
He said, that. were the Presbyterians of the north to combine
with the Catholics of the south, the Government of the
country could not long resist a demand that had been lately
made upon it, by which it was sought to separate the two
countries. He brought this forward merely as an instance
why the Legislature should not look lightly on so important
a body as the Presbyterians.
Mr. Molyneux, Mr: Johnson, and Dr. Stewart next ad-
dressed the meeting, the last of whom, at the conclusion of
his speech, submitted a draft of a petition to the house, which
he had drawn up in the course of the day, for presentation to
the House of Commons. It was unanimously adopted.—The
Assembly then adjourned till the following day (Thursday).
..____

SUFFERINGS OF BLEACHERS.
(From the Glasgow Saturday Evening Post and Renfrewslilre
Reformer, of Saturday.)
It is understood • that Mr. Wallace's motion, to have the
bleaching works Scotland brought within the Factory
Bill, now in progress through the House of Commons, will
be brought forward by him on Monday next, and that k
will have the support of Lord Ashley. Mr. P. M. Stewart,
who had promised his aid to the operatives, is now in cor-
respondence with the master bleachers, and will support a
petition to be presented by them, praying that, before le-
gislation,- a Government Commissioner may be appointed to
inquire into the system of labour in the bleaching works
The masters postponed their opposition until they saw
that, through the exertions of Mr. "Wallace, the operatives
were about to gain their object, and the demand at the
eleventh hour for inquiry, is considered by the operatives as
altogether a sham, and used merely for the purpose of delay,
and thereby preventing them from obtaining an immediate
redress of theirgrievance,s. The operatives made the same
allegations of cruelty and oppression in their petitions to Par-
liament last session, and prayed for inquiry by Government,
but the masters were then silent—they acquiesced in, or
at least never contradicted, these allegations, and certainly
they did not then invite inquiry; and it is only when
the operatives are seemingly about to attain their object
that their employers interfere, and, on pretence that the
operatives' petitions contain somewhat exaggerated state-
ments of their wrongs, and that inquiry ought there.
fore to be made into them before legislation, pray that the
operatives' claims to legislative protection may be postponed.
The delay and, the inquiry sought for by the masters will
however be useful to the operatives, and we trust they will
snake out such a case as will not only secure for them public
sympathy, but also a full measure of justice from the Legisla-
ture. We have no wish at present to enter into any detail of
the evils of the system of labour in the bleaching works, but
we cannot refrain from stating what has just been communi-
cated to us, that in a bleaching work not a great many miles
from this city, and conducted by a gentleman as respectable as
any in the trade, the workers were.employed for three days sue-
cessively last week, from 6 in the morning till 12 at night, in
dryinghouses heated to 120 degrees of Fahrenheit; the ave-
rage hours for the whole week being sixteen per day—a
length of hours and severity of labour, more than sufficient
to exhaust their strength, and seriously to affect their health.
This is not a solitary example of the system, and its effect
upon the physical and moral condition of the workers ; and yet
the masters require farther inquiry before it be interfered
with. We have been amused to hear of the salutary
effects produced in certain bleaching works by our
public advocacy of the right of the operatives to
protection from the Legislature. There has been an
active setting of the works in order, preparatory, no doubt,
to the visit of the Government Commissioner. Bells have been
hung up to ring at meal hours—clocks set up to regulate the
hours of labour—the wearing of watches by the men is not,
prohibited—and, except in cases of urgency, the hours of la-
bour have been limited to 13, hours per day; while the kind-
est expressions of sympathy have been used towards the
workers. This is all very well, and as it should be; and we
trust that, now the reformation has begun, it will go on, and that
before the "Bleachers' Protection Bill" shall have come into
operation, the masters will have brought the entire system
into accordance with the principles of humanity and justice.

THE RACER.,---A new sporting work has just made
its appearance under this title. It seems to contain all im-
portant matter connected with the Turf on great events
about to come off; as well as those that have already done so ;
it is a sort of book that has long been wanted as a safe and
convenient reference, and is worthy of support on that account
alone, independent of the original remarks on racing in gene-
ral. The Proprietor of this little work dedicates it to the " Pa-
trons of the Turf" in these words :—" This little work is in-
scribed to you. There are other publications which supply
the same information as the present; but there is none in
which that information is conveyed in so compact and useful
a form, for constant and ready reference. It may be slipped
into the waistcoat pocket, or carried in a pocket-book. It is
a mere nutshell, not feather weight ; a tnultum in parro; a
bijou—in plain English a gem, and may it prove one of the
first water ! Measure not its utility by its miniature size ;
great matters often lie in a small compass, like a pearl in an
Oyster. Your patronage of this attempt to consult your con-
venience will proportionately stimulate the zeal of its pro-
prietor to make it still more worthy of your acceptance.
Should it fail to deserve your support, let it be consigned to
its merited fate—oblivion. Some of the readers of this may
recognize the hand that pens it; those who do-nbt will per-
haps recollect the name of LIONEL 13F,N.1A311N
DARING ROBBERY ATWTilllliartl3-BAtrNeKset,—CiOtyll,
I‘T.ahsu
ps y nyg,
as
in ogne enytl man
from
thel(irnegceivers of the Drawing-office, at the
Bank of England, some daring thief contrived to abstract his
pocket-book from the counter, and which contained a Bank
of England note. for 50/., one for 101., one for 5/. ; in gold,
2/.10:3. and in silver, 10s. 6d., with which the scoundrel got.
clear off:

_
SivOri is expected in town almost immediaWy.
Since he left England he has been engaged in a professional
tour in Holland, where he has met with great success. M.
Ernst is also expected to visit London,early in the season.
THE SIEGE OF JELLALARAD.—SiIver medals are
at present being struck off at the Mint, for the purpose of
being presented to those who were present at the siege of
Jellalabad.

HEROIC CONDUCT OF LIEUTENANTS CATWELL AND
VAxsrrr.trtz, R.N.—On Wednesday, the 13th of December,
as the men of her lifajesty's ship Agincourt were exercising
aloft, one of them, unfortunately, lost his hold, and fell from
the maift-yard-arm, and striking against the rigging,
bounded with frightful force from the spare-topsail-yard,
and fell insensible into the sea. Lieutenants Catwell and
Vansittart instantly dashed overboard after him ; the former
officer was, however,.from his poSition, unable to
him make way
against the tide and reach the sinking man ; Mr. Vansittart
was nearer to him, and with almost superhuman exertions
(being burdened with the whole of his uniform), saved the,
poor fellow's life, supporting h • a considerable time until
boat could be lowered.—Hong-Ing Gazette.
It is an interesting fact that the 39th Regiment,
foremost in the late glorious victory under Sir Hugh Gough,
was the first British regiment that landed in India; and
that, among the mans' distinctions which, it bears upon its
colours, is Primus in
• We undexstand, that Ilia "land Highness Prince Al.
bert is going, during the Easter recess, to make a short ex•
cursion to the Continent, in order to visit his gilded relit.
tions at Cobourg.—Times,