The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-16 00:00:00

TURKEY.

A Fera correspondent of the Ost Deutsche Post
gives some interesting details relative to the conspiracy
recently discovered at Constantinople. By a singular
chance the Sultan himself found certain suspicious
documents in the room of one of his adjutants, the
Bimbaschi Mustapha Effendi, who was arrested with
twelve other persons of high standing in the seraglio.
The conspiracy was directed against the Sultan and
Reschid 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 f )rtunately been brought to light. The Sul-
tan's physician, an Austrian, was sent for by his Impe-
rial master, who, after dismissing his first chamberlain,
conversed with the doctor for a whole hour. The
same evening the latter left Constantinople for Trieste
with his wife and family. The disciple of es cula-
plus, whose monthly salary was 9,000 piastres, was in
the habit of receiving very costly presents from his
munificent employer. His house in Constantinople,
which is now for sale, was a present of the Empress
Mother's ; it is valued at 8,060/. In an Aleppo letter
of the MI November, mention is made of the defeat of
the rebe's by Kerim 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 Aleppo is now so strong that nothing more is to be
fearcd.

TIIE REV. DR. 31-NEILE AND THE

ROMISII CONFESSIONAL.

Sir,—On Sunday hut, the Bth instant, the Rev. Dr.
M'N'eile, Canon of Chester, and incumbent of St. Paul's,
Liverpool, preached a sermon on the difference between
the judgment of God and the judgment of man." In
the progress of this discourse the Reverend Gentlema❑
referred to the " cmfessional" as an organ used for
man's judgment of his fellow-man." Ile described
in glowing and impassioned terms its whole catalogue
of abominations, and then demanded i❑ the name of jus-
tice and religion, the punishment cf all priests who
wielded so fearful an organ of spiritual tyranny. There
might be many modes of punishment suggested, but the
only one effectual 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, ho thus addressed the congregation:--' My
Christian Friends,—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-
tered 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
were not here will please not to trouble themselves
about it."

I do not record all this, Sir, to find fault with Dr.
llti*Neile, his handsome apology disarms any severity of
my criticism. But I mention it to show that extempore
preaching is very dangerous, since it leads so gocd a
man to utter so fearful a sentiment ; and I also mention
it to caution 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
assuirivl the responsibility of reforming the church and
promoting the (in their minds) purest worship of Gcd.
I remain, S r, your obedient servant,
G.
Liverpool, Dec. 12.

The following are the more important parts of the
article in the Liverpool Mercury above referred to.
After adverting, in general terms, to the occurre.lce in
question, our contemporary proceeds :
" When the circumstance was first told to us we could
not, and would not, believe it; but as it afterwards came
to us in substantially the same form from several quar-
t( rs, 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 an unexaggerated shape.
" The result of our inquiries has been that we have
obtained from a hieily respectable source as accurate a
version of the words used by Dr. M‘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
R 4 V. Gentleman on Sunday morning last, in tho'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 me, 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.' . . .
The congregation, we have been told, heard the words
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
undoubtedly done so, he expressed his regret in most
forcible terms.
"In the course of the evening service the Doctor
went into the reading-desk, and, as we are informed,
thus addressed his congregation:—' In the excitement of
an 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
congregaticn, and to make my peace with you. I will
net repeat the expression which I have referred to, for
those who heard it will sufficiently well remember it,
whilst I will not grieve (or inflict pain upon) those who
did not hear it by repeating it.'
" Dr. M'Neile, therefore bitterly repents of the grave
and lamentable error into which he unwittingly fell; but
if men of firm mind, of great ability and learning. of long
practice in preaching and public speaking, permit so un-
holy a spirit to enter even for a moment into their souls,
and to fashion itself in words, how great must be the
charity with which we oukbt to regard the failings of
those who are destitute of such advlntagesl
Even this most painful incident may be productive of
good to 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. Alexander Henry, M.P.; Mr.
Thomas Thornley, M.P. &c., &c.; and on his left,
by the Earl of Sefton, Colonel Cotterden, the United
States Consul at Liverpool, Mr. 11. C. Chapman, &c.,
&c. The Vice-Chairman's table was filled by Mr.
William Brown, M.P. for South Lancashire, sup-
ported on his right by the Worshipful 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
exited 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 own, 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 " The Bishop and
Clergy of the diocese," the Venerable Archdeacon
BROOKS 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, on 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
affording them an opportunity of giving him a wel-
come amongst them. He was an able and fitting re-
presentative of his energetic and enterprising country-
men.—(Hear, hear.)
The Hon. ABBOTT LAWRENCE 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 elcquent address the distinguished guest
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-FOR rs.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY NEWS.

Sir,—The difference of convenience with regard to
conveying merchandise, &c., respectively to Southamp-
ton or Devonport, cannot be put in comparison with the
distance by sea between Southampton and the Land's
End, and that of Devonport and the Land's End; there
is not a more objectionable part of the Channel in which
to encounter 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 egress"
to and from the Southampton waters by no means un-
f requeutly consists in a dense fog, so that the steamer
finds it impossible to attempt the narrow passage of the
Needles; until which fog clears away she is paddling
about for hours, expending coal, and keeping passengers
and mails on board, with great inconvenience to all par-
ties concerned, when all this might have been obviated
by landing at Devonport 14 to 16 hours earlier.
The rapid communication of a message by the electric
telegraph renders it of no import whether it is conveyed
from one port or the other.
Southampton is called a " deep steam port" by
" X. Y. Z.," So it is to some extent, but not sufficiently
so to enable it to compete with Devonport as a steam-
packet harbour. I landed a few:weeks ago from a trans-
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
the arrival of a small 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 officer 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 Lizard; 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 fine 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 Isle 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-four hours; and in one case, one
off them had to anchor off Calschot Castle, on account of
the fog, 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.

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH TO HOLYHEAD.—The
following memorial to the Dock Committee has been
lying on the desk of the Exchange Newsroom, and re-
ceived numerous signatures : " To the chairman and mem-
bers of the Dock Committee. Gentlemen, we the under-
signed merchants, shipowners, brokers, and others,
having observed that a proposal has been made to eub-
stitu'e, in communicating between Holyhead and Liver-
pool, the electric telegraph for the present antiquated
and uncertain method, respectfully urge upon your con-
sideration the propriety of the change, which, if carried
out, cannot fail to benefit this commercial community,
pi
and the trade of the port in general."—Liverpool Amen.
INTELLIGENCE FROM AMERICA. The North
American royal mail steam-ship Niagara, Captain Stone,
from New York, is now nearly twelve days out, consequently
we may look for her arrival in the Mersey every hour. She
will bring advices from that city to the 4th instant, which
will be more than usually interesting from the fact that they
will contain copies of the
annual message delivered by the
Members gress
,
t.—
President of the United States to
ers of Con
on their assembling at Washington, on the 2d instan
Liverpool Albion,

THE SUN,