The Sun.
London, England, 1826-01-11 00:00:00

LONDON SOCIETY,

IN AID OF THU HIBERNIAN SOCIETY ANA TU

IRISH I.VANGELICIL SOCII: T.

The Annual Meeting of this Society was held yesterday even.
ing in the Theatre of the Mechanics' Institution, Southern!).
ton-buildings, Chancery.lane.—.loSEPU litlTTEuw °turn,
Esq. M.P., in the Chair.
The CHAIAMAN opened the business by stating theobjects:
of the Society, which were, to receive subscriptions in aid of
the Societies mentioned—the one for the promotion of educa-
tion among alr denominations of Irish poor, and the other for
teaching and circulating the Holy Scriptures among the same
class of indittuals in that country. The Chairman, stated
that he himself had had ocular demonstration of the degraded
state of the lower classes of persons for whom these benefits
were intended, and he hail the pleasure of knowing that this
Society was doing much for the alleviation of the moral degra.
dation under which these people laboured, and that funds alone
were wanting for the still further extension of the benefits
which the Societies in question were affording to the peasantry
of Ireland. He would not go further into particulars, which
would fall more within the province of those who would a&
dress the meeting in the course of the discussion, and who,
from their connection with the Societies in question, were so
much more comretent to give the desired information.
Mr. WHEELER, the Secretary, then read the Report of the.
Committee, by which it appeared that there were 1,147 schools
founded by the Society, and that the number of children and
adults educated therein amounted to 1141,000, that the Evan-
gelical Society had supplied 79 teachers, or readers of the
Scriptures, and had distributed 1,789 Bibles and 22,509 Testa-
ments, making an increase on the distribution of the former
year of 7,41011, the Society having circulated, since their estali.
lishment, in 111111, 133,200 copies of the Holy Scriptures.

. ,
The Rev. T. WEBSTER (S. cretary of the London Hiber-
nian Society) then addressed the meeting, and said, that he
had to move that the Report now read be approved, and as,
sued the meeting that the - Association in question had
been the moans of affording to a large portion of • the .ptior
of Ireland that information anti moral instruction, which
alone could raise them from the degraded state in which they
had so long remained. lie said every one must have felt the
importance of- giving education to the.rising generation. The
object of the Society was to extend the principles of moral edu.
cation, not to any particular sect or denomination, but to persons
of every belief whatever. He (Mr. Webster) then stated that
the number of persens taught in these schools were 94.260, of
which 12,000 were adults, and called upan the Meeting for
their assistance to make this number still greater. The ex-
pence of a year's tuition, he said, was only 45., and each child
or adult was taught to repeat, by heart, four chapters every
quarter. The Rev. Gentlemen concluded with moving, that
the report be received. .

Mr. W. GI LBARD next .addressed the Meeting at some
length, and entered into a strong invective against the Church of
Rome. lle said it was true that the Pope had not the power
now that he formerly had, but that the general character of the
Roman Catholics was still the same. They still had their su.
perstitious relics, and their miracles performed in the person
of Prince llohenloe. He called upon the meeting for their as-
sistance and co-operation to enable the Society to send preachers
into Ireland, for that he contended was the only way in which
they could hope for success. The Gentleman asked what had
become of Jerusalem—of Rome— of Constantinople—atd
where were the cities of Egypt and Northern Africa? lie was
for carrying the war, like Sevin, into the enemy's camp, and
that could only be done by sending preachers to shorn to the
people the errors and fallacies of the priests. Be ( Mr. Gilbard) •
then adverted to the conduct of a priest which had been lately
brought before the public, and concluded with seconding the
motion that the Report he received.
Mr. M'Doaroutan wished at this moment to address the
meeting, but it was objected on the ground that he was not a
subscriber, and therefore could not be heard in this stage.
The Cu NM Nuot said that there were two other Resolutions
to put, and when that was done. he. should have no objection
whatever to hear the Gentleman, but as the Report and the
Resolutions were for the decision of the subscribers only, that '
business must he gone through before lie could hear any person
not in that capacity.
At this moment a gentleman paid his subscription in order to
be entitled to answer the charge which had been brought against
the Catholics generally by Mr. J. W. Gilbard. After some con-
versation the two Resolutions were moved and seconded by the
Rev. Mr. Evanson, Mr. Barber, the Rev. Daniel Stewart? of
Dublin, and the Rev.Thos.Gillaird,who in their turns took avtew
of the objects of these Societiea,when Mr. ill`Donough entreated
again to be heard, and was at length allowed to proceed, which
be did amidst much noise and confusion. lie reprobated in
strong terms the speech of Mr. J. W. Gilbprd, and found fault
particularly with a statement in the report, which described a
Catholic Priest as saying, that he did nut know more of the
Testament than that part of it which was necessary to do the
offices of his Cure, and wished, as this was said to be an ex-
tract of a letter containing the conversation, that the name of
the individual should be given.
The Rev. Mr. Wa:nsTE a said, that in his office of secretary
be ,received :seventy letters from the teachers every month, and
that lie could not recollect at that moment from which of them
it came, but he pledged himself to give the information at a fu-
ture period, should any gentleman require it.
The CHAIRMAN said that during the speech of Mr. J. W.
Gilbard he had heard these words used, " that is false." Now,
as he could not allow their proceedings to go forth to the world
with such an observation unexplained, he trusted that the gen-
tleman who had used them would avow them, in order that an
explanation might take place.
1%! r. IlSuaruY said that he was the person who had done so,
and he pledged himself that in a few days a complete exposure
of the foul calumny against the Catholic Priests would be made,
than which a more base and malicious falsehood had never been
promulgated.

The Cuarnat.tx mid, that he now understood the charge in
question had .appmred in a letter in- the Courier newspaper,
but of which himself he knew nothing.
Mr. Mu it Pit Y said he did he did not apply the term false to
Mr. Gilbard personally, but to the letter which contained the
statement.

The CHAIRMAN said certainly he must say that he differed
very much from Al t. ar I, and he had spoken to the gentleman
near him as to the prof rl •ty of interrupting him ; he hoped,
however, that the meeting would make some allowance for the
temporary indiscretion which had been engendered in the heat
of the moment, particularly when it was considered that their
object was the good of their fellow-creatures, whatever the
creed Might be that they professed.
Mutual explanations took place between Mr. Evanson, Mr.
Webster, and Mr. Steuart, and it is due to these gentlemen
to say that their conduct was marked by a liberalty, frank-
ness and benevolence, which did them much credit.—At
this moment a--labouring Irishman, of respectable appear-
sum, endeavoured to address the meeting, and, after
sortie preliminaries, • was at length accommodated in
form, by being handed upon the stage, where he ex.
cited no small degree of merriment among the audience. With
a strong brogue, but artless manner, he stated his case. He said
he was from the county of Leitrim, and that he had suffered
from the conduct of a priest who had
iftleitreisiceic));)rrstieeitssl
ttleitdion iiillablvetek,atetierrpeerlllitge.
=At a
with excommunication
exc'Testament.ommsurthl
iecati
describedon
this Testament after his demand to have It delivered up to him
—as well as his sister, who also possesaed one, and that the
priest at length committed personal violence upon him in con-
sequence of his refusal to part with it, and that he went to his
employer and got him discharged from his work.
Mr. Al` DONOCIII put several questions to the poor fellow as
to the name of his employer, the name of the priest, &c. which
he answered with RO nsuch readiness and point us to draw down
the overwhelming applause of his auditory.
The Cuautatast said the facts of the case were fully borne
out by the statement of Captain Dtickworth, the Secretary of
the Bible Society at Leitrim, as well as by the Magistrate before
whom the complaint had been lodged when the assault was corn-
mated. The Chairman said that Capt. Duckworth bad writ-
ten to him, begging that he would obtain employment for the
poor fellow in London, but that he, fearing he might sot be
enabled to do so, had written to that effect to Capt. Duckworth.
In the mean time, however, the Irishman found his way over to
England, and he (Mr. Butterworth). was happy to say he had
been enabled to obtain employment for him, and thathe bore a
most excellent character witk his present employers.
Mr. WEBSTER moved the thanks of the 'Meeting to the
Chairman, amidst great applause,
and the Meeting broke up
at ten o'clock.

It was a custom among the Romans, every
new year, to advise those who had been unsue.
cessful to visit the Temple of Fortune, is hope
of a change'; and those who had been successful,
to do us they ply ased. In giving the same advice
this new yeur, 'pt. it be remembered it is for the
last time, as Lotteries are doomed to die by Act
of Parliament, and there will then be no more
(fTwporit,uoluditiidels, to
tg a irrn
wae
i'vEew ehtituyn TrheOr
anti ifr:irf
ty
Pounds for a few Shiliiivis
, as in the present
Scheme, containing Six Prizes of Twenty Thou-
sand Pounds, &Lc. &c. all to be decided iu One
Day', Ist of MARcu,