The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-20 00:00:00

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trade and commerce of the country urgently require
the abolition of the injurious tax on cotton wool, and
a prayer that there Lordships would promote its
repeal. _ _

Mr. R. STUAIIT moved the third resolution, nonii-
nating the Mayor, Messrs. Robert Gardner, R. H.
Greg, George Clarke, and Henry Ashworth, a depu-
tation on behalf of the meeting, in conjunction with
the Directors of the Chamber of Commerce, to wait
upon the Lords of the Treasury, for the purpose of
urging the repeal, of this tax.
This resolution passed unanimously, as did the
next, for the publication of the proceedings, moved
by Mr. T. CooKE and seconded by Mr. BARTON.
Mr. Cooke was then called to the vacated chair, and
-Mr. L. WILLIAMS moved a vote of thanks to the
Mayor for his valuable services in presiding, and for
the prompt manner in which he had complied with
the requisition to call the meeting.
The motion was seconded by Mr. Nicitous, and
passed with applause, and the proceedings then termi-
nated.

ME ETING AT EXETER-HALL FOR
THE PURPoSE OF RELIEVING FATHER
MATIIEW. FROM HIS PECUNIARY DIF-
FICULTIES.

A public meeting, convened by advertisement for
the above purpose, was held yesterday evening in
Exeter Hall.

The large room was well filled, and on the plat-
form were many gentlemen distinguished, some for
their zealous philanthropy, and others for their literary
attainments.

At a quarter after six the Right Hon. Lord John
Russell took the chair, amid the most hearty applause.
The Secretary to the National Temperance Society,
Mr. Theodore Compton, read letters from the Mar-
quis of Lansdowne, the Bishop of Norwich, Dr.
Bovvring, M.P., Joseph Hume, M.P. and other no-
blemen and gentlemen, expressing their hearty con-
currence with the objects of the meeting, but ex-
cusing their absence in consequence of other engage-
ments.

The CHAIRMAN then rose and said—Ladies and
Gentlemen, I now appear before you for the purpose
of opening the business of the evening. I have felt
so deeply the merits of the Rev. Mr. Mathew, and the
value of his exertions in the cause of tampermatee.guit
I was most anxious to be able to attend this meeting.
I need not assure you that this cause in which we are
at present engaged is connected with no political party,
and no sect in religion.—(Great cheering.) It is the
common and universal cause of all religion and of all
morality.—(Continued cheering.) 'Whatever may be
the sin, and the guilt, and the folly, of intemperance
among all orders of society, there is no class which is
so much exposed to temptation, and at the same time
suffers so severely from its consequences, as the
Ipoor-
est class of the community.—(Hear, hear.)say,
no class is so much exposed to temptation, because, in
the midst of misery and the hardships of poverty, to
be enabled to steep the senses in forgetfulness for the
time, might well be a temptation to the great majority
of mankind.—(Hear, hear.) At the same time, no
class suffers so severely from its consequence, because
the comforts of the poor man's family depend, not
so much upon his industry as upon his sobriety.—
(Cheers.) It is a curse of intemperance to be obliged
to leave his wife and children without the comforts
of life, and without that clothing which a reform
in this particular might enable him to procure them.
—(Hear, hear.) It is a consequence, too, that he is
obliged to fall into evil company, and is led to take a
share in those broils and fights which accompany in-
temperance wherever it exists.—(Hear, hear.) It
renders his children strangers to him, and makes his
neighbour his enemy. If such, therefore, are some

of its consequences,' it requires no ordinary effort to
produce a great impression on a whole nation—to

bring them at once from habits in which they had
ever indulged—to bring them to the practice of those
virtues by which their domestic happiness is in-
creased, and their moral and religious conduct im-
proved.—(Cheers.) I say, no ordinary inducement,
no common exertion, suffices for this object; but we
all know that the extraordinary labours, the untiring
energy, the disinterested forgetfulness of all self, did
enable the Rev. Mr. Mathew to accomplish this moral
miracle.—(lmmense cheering.) That change in Ire-
land, effected by his exertions, surprised an admiring
world.—(Continued cheering.) But, gentlemen,
although Mr. Mathew was endowed with that zeal and
that energy, and although he felt his great reward to be
the very producing of that great change in the conduct
of his countrymen, yet unhappily it was, that thus,
while pursuing his course with hand and with heart,
and with a zeal which persons less interested in the
cause could not possibly follow, that he got into diffi-
culties, and let me assure you, that from all inquiries
which I have made, the stories which have been cir-
culated of the wealth being acquired by Mr.
Mathew, or those belonging to him, are entirely with-
out foundation.—(Hear, hear.) In numbers of cases
—in a hundred thousand instances—the very medals
which were obtained by those who took the pledge of
temperance, were given gratuitously.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Mathew had to pay the expenses of journeys, the
expenses of printing, and all other expenses of a simi-
lar kind, nor, while engaged in this career, did his
zeal and enthusiasm allow him to perceive that he was
not following the rule of worldly prudence. What,
then, ought to be the conduct, both of that country to
which he belongs, and of this country, with which I
trust it will always be closely and perpetually united
—(Cheers)—what should be their and our conduct,
I say ? If we have not the merit ourselves of
effecting that reformation, if we ourselves hare not
undergone the fatigue, if we have not achieved the
moral victory which Mr. Mathew has obtained, at
least we may have the satisfaction of contributing
something to that success by relieving him from his
present difficulties—(Cheers)—and enabling him to
start afresh in that most glorious career.—(Great
cheering.) I feel, I think that you all will feel, that
this change so sudden—a change from habits long-
rooted—a change so extensive that no less than
_ _

4,000,000 of persons accepted the pledge from his
hands—that this change, so sudden, so extensive, re-
quires great watchfulness to insure its continuance.
Is it not evident that if his efforts are to be entirely
relaxed, many will fall again into that evil from which
they had formerly abstained—(Hear, hear)—and if
that watchfulness and that care be so necessary, who
so likely to have a great and beneficial impression on
them, and to bring them again, if fallen, into the
practice of that moral cause which they had
once before professed, as he, the Apostle of
their conversion ? (Loud and continued cheering.)
Ile who brought them formerly from the paths of sin,
to better courses, was now oppressed with pecuniary
difficulties, and he could not now continue his labours

with the same disregard of worldly concerns as be-
fore, if not relieved by the generosity of the people of
Ireland and their countrymen of England.—(Cheers.)
Let us, therefore, embrace this opportunity of contri•
buting, both in this and 'in the sister country—
(Cheers)—to promote the cause of temperance, and
then at least we shall have the satisfaction of thinking
that our small gratuity will benefit a good man, and,
through him, our fellow-men.--(His Lordship sat
down amidst loud cheering.)
The Rev. JABEZ BURNS read the Address of the
Committee of the National Temperance Society to
the British public on behalf of Father Mathew.

Sir E. CODRINGTON moved the first resolution,
that the address then read be circulated under the
direction of the Committee. The Gallant Admiral
then proceeded to speak of the effects of intemperance
in the navy. It was the cause of almost all the acci-
dents by fire or falling over shipboard that occurred
in the service, attd the man who had been so emi-
nently serviceable in reducing the evil, he hoped
would soon again be enabled to resume his career of
usefulness.

J. S. BUCKING HAM, Esq., seconded the resolution,
and, in a lengthened speech, detailed the rise and
progress of the temperance cause ; and, at the con-
clusion of his speech, real the list of subscriptions,
headed by the Noble Chairman, whose name was
down for 25/. The total sum was 342/. 2s. 2d.

JAMES POWNELL, Esq., of Upper Clapton, briefly
addressed the meeting, and was followed by —Ewart,
Esq., M.P., S. C. Hall, Esq., the Rev. Mr. Sherman,
of Surrey Chapel ; L. Heyworth, Esq., of Liverpool ;
and Mr. Henry Vincent, who was observed upon the
platform, and was loudly called for. The latter gen-
tleman delivered a most eloquent and effective speech,
in which, with great good taste, he forbore any allu-
sion to party politics.
Mr. Tuomas, of Bristol moved, and Mr. POTTER se-
conded, a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was
carried amid degeiiipg applause.
Lord J. RUSSELL felt that he was greatly honoured
in being permitted.to attend that meeting, for the pur-
pose of promoting, 411.arnbly,-.l.Nt sincerely, the great
cause of whick./44Y.11athe*-twas the apostle. He
said again that ilia* was no party and no sectarian
question, and he was convinced there was nothing so
likely to elevate the people of this country, whether as
regarded religion, political opinions, literary or moral
qualifications, as this great question of temperance.
He returned them his thanks for the honour they had
done him.
The meeting then broke up.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
TATTERSALL'S.—YESTERDAY.
A very thin attendance, and only the following bets
laid :

CHESTER CUP (NAME OR NOT NAME).
500 to 10 agst Pagan ; 1,000 to 20 agst Comma ;
1,000 to 20 ngst Rowena ; and 1,000 to 20 agst Aristides.
Offers to take 40 to 1 about Winesour.