The Sun.
London, England, 1817-03-12 00:00:00

HA:NIPSIII.R.E MEETING.

~On Tuesday a Meeting of the County of Hants
took place at IVinchester, pursuant to a Requisi-
tion to the High Sheriff, signed by 45 Freeholders
of the highest rank and respectability ;. among
whom were the Marquises of IVinchest et. and
Buckingham ; Lords Portsmouth, Malmesbnry,
Rodney, Northesk, Bolton,. Fitzharris, and Pal-
merston ; Sir Thomas Baring, Sir Charles Ogle,
Sir James Whalley Smythe Gardiner, the Right
G. Rose, Right Hon. William Sturges_
Bourne; IV. Chute, T. F. Heat hcote, &qrs., the
Members for the County, Sm. &c., to agree to an
Address to the Pat NCB RaGRNT on the- late atro-
cious and traitorous outrage upon the person of
his Royal Highness, on his return from opening
the Session. cf • Parliament. The Address was
moved by Sir 'Charles Ogle. Bart., and seconded
by Assheton Smythe; Fe4l.-11r. Cohliett, with
his asNoc,i,ste., Hunt, attempted to carry an amend-
ment, embodying subJectS totally irrelevant to
the object- for which the Meeting was convened,
and embracing their old hackuied topics ; but in
this they were completely toiled,' as there were at
least three to one in favour of the Address, *Mob
was ascert;sitled, not in the usual manner of a show
of hands, but by the two' parties separatittg.
Lord Cochrane was present, and also addressed
the Meeting ; but his Lordship did not appear to
identity himself with tlie Cohbeteparty.
Thus huts Mr. Cobbett been completely defeated
in this County, which we venture to predict is
only the precursor of future disasters to the de-
magogne. There were about 3000 persons pre-
sent. The Meeting commenced at twelve, and
terminated at five, by an unanimous Vote of
Th As to the Sheriff for his upright and. impar-
t ill conduct on the-occasion.

DEAL, MARCH 11.-,—Wind S. W. Came clown
from the River the Royal Sovereign yacht.
According to a List reeeked at Lloyd's, 106
ships were at Liverpool•on Monday detained by
contrary ,rinds.
•PORTaMOUTH, MARCH 11.--Arried the Mar-
quis Wellington, Minerva, ilerefortkhire, and
tiridgewater, from the Downs for India.

We regret to. find that Mr. ADDINGTON con-
tin 9e.4. to he too much indisposed. to attend•it4 his
official duties.

This niorning the Grand Duke NlcucmAs left
own at niac ,►'cluck, for Claremont, to take

leave, of .their Royal and Serene Highnesses, the
Princess CHARLOTTE anti Prince LeopoLD ; thence
his:Higliness will proceed to, Windsor to meet the
PRINCR URGENT, Rll4l to dine with the QUERN,
after which he will take leave of her MaJEsry
and the NtinpEsses. On Thursday the Grand
Duke will dine with their Royal Highnesses the
Duke and Duchess of CUMBERLAND, and on Fri-
day, morning his Imperial Highness and suite will
leave town for Doer,, where they will embark
for the Continent. His Highness will take the,
route of Flanders, and stop at Maubeuge, where
he will review fifteen thousand Russian troops,
cantoned in that town, anti its environs ; after
which his Highness !will proceed direct fur Berf
lin, without going to, Paris. •
it is said that the Infant of Spain Don FRANCIS,
ht other of his Catholic Majesty, has arrived in-
cognito at Paris, under the title of Count de Mo.

RATKLIA.
The Marquis of LarTmAN opposes the Mirrqo4
of TwesoAr.s; for the vacancy in the representa-
tion of the Scotch Peerage. Yesterday all the
&Weir ;Peers, who are in town, took the` oaths
ar Lilkcldn's Inn, to enable. them to scud their
prriiries to Edinburgh.
KING'S THEATRE.-r-PAISIELLO'S Opera of La
-Mu/i4ara was.repeated last night for the second
time, anti it appeals already to have gained inure
on pubiie tavonr than anv comic opera which has
.been brought out for stuneyeara.
Cortst-ExctrANors,' Mmtort 12.--Oar Market
...kits well ,tippheti this morning With all kinds of
Grain, and.fine-Wheat sold at Atoulloy's prices,
but ordinary was very dull; in short, the trade in
ge•titr;ral was very heavy, and little business done,
vi'c,coasitier at the last quotetiptices!

CONS':CR 'MON rf the PENITENTIARY

CLIAIT,L, and AIMIAG GROUND.

. •
Bishop of Lopping,
,assisted by twit Civi-
• iial.7, tuid 6cverdl Cletymen, !/esterdity perfornaed
the
,saeied duty of consecrating the chaper and
Burial-,;;round of this excellent Institution., His
Lordship .arrived at the Penitentiary Soon alter
eleven o'clock.. and . the Stil?..Mil ceremony, cOnt-
inencell immedialrly. afterwards, The Bishop,
preceded by the silver mace (the top of:which re-
Presente(l a mitre, emblematic of his sacred oilier),
and foilowed by. the assistant Clergymen, made
a:tout of the. Chapel, repeating a part of the
Ptalin which con-oneticeS r" Lilt up your heads,
ye everlasting gates, that the King' of' glory
mat! conic in." The, Bishop took his station
at die Commtinion-table, Wild his brethren
arranged themselves near hint.. The Solemn
eousecrationol- the Chapel to tbe purposes of
divine worship, " as far as the Bishop, by his
ordinary and ecclesiastical authority, and conform-
ably with the laws of this realm, mayor can con-
secrate -it," then took .place, by solemn and ap-
propriate prayer
.The ordinary Church Set vice
was next performed. The men. and women con-
victs assisted in singing the psalms—and, as there
is not an organ in the Chapel, were accompanied,
in this part .of their devotion by the clarionet.
Tile sermon was preached by the, Rev. Mr. Ben-
nett, the Chaplain Of. the Penitentiary, from the
Gib chapter of the Second of Chronicles,
verses 19 and 20 :

" Marge respect, therefore,, to the prayer of thy
servant, and to his supplication, 0 Lord my God,
to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy
servant prayest before thee : .
," That.thine eyes may be open upon this house,
(lay and night, and upon the place where(if thou
bast said thou wtmldest put thy name there; to
hearken onto the prayer which thy servant pray-
ed( toward this place."
From this text the Learned Gentleman pro-
nounced a most impressive discourse ; in which
he pointed out very forcibly-Ist, the obligation
(tinier %vide!, we are placed to worship God—and,
2d, The best mode of discharging that obligation.
In the course of his sermon, he took occasion to
notice the wisdom and humanity which induced
the Legislature to erect the Penitentiary—an asy-
lum where the wicked would have an opportunity
of repenting of the evil of their waysatid con-
cluded by a pathetic ::ppeal to the coovicts,to whom
be pointed out the advantages which the establish-
ment afforded them; where no means were neglected
to encourage public and private devotion, and to
fit them, by a
.change of morals and habits-, for an
intercourse, at some future day, with that society
from which their %ices had rendered a temporary
banishment necessary. it gave him, he observed,
great satisfaction to observe, that, several of. them
had evinced the deepest contrition for their offen-
ces—and had behaved in the most exemplary
manner, since they had 4en placed in the ti,mi-
tentiary.*

The Bis Lop of London their proceeded to the
burial-groonil, where a miovee was erected fur
his
.accommodat ion. The usual consceratmy
prayers were here acres' up ; and thus the cure-
monies of tl.e day ended.

The Chaptl is a, very pretty building. The in-
terior: is fitted up in a tasteful and convenient
style. There ate galleries and pews for the
eommodat ion of strangers and of the officers of the
prison. it is divided in the centre-by an iron-
railing, betting; w hich the convicts are placed—toe
males and females being separated. There ap-
peared to be
,ftbout thirty oven and boys (several of
the latter are mere children) and horn 50 to 60 wo-
men and girls. The dress of the former consists of
a jacket and a pair of loose trowsers—one side of
each article being formed of yellow, the other of
brown cloth. The women bad two sorts of livery.
A small number were habited in gowns of ;mown
and given istuff—the remainder wore dresses of
brown and yellow • staff. The former dress is
am to distinguish, from their companions, those
convicts who have conducted themselves with re-
markable propriety.
The company who • assembled on this occasion
were numerous and elegant. Many of the'Go.
vernors were preSeill mongst others we observ-
ed the Right lion, C. Long anti Mr. IVilbratiam
Bowie.

* This occasion Was altogether so solemn and
affecting, that we made a note of part of Mr.
BENNETT'S excellent Address, and cannot refuse
onr Readers the gratification of perusing it. it
Inflows :

The solemn occasion of our meeting together this day must
impress the mind of every one who feels for the eternal wel-
fare of fell. x-creature. 'Ts lend a helping hand towards
the advancement. of the Religion of our Divine Alaster. mid
the Reformation .of these who have gone astray from the path
of Tectitude,• are at all times, with the good antl serious, the
most important work in which they cart he engaged. What
satisfaction, then,•mast it afford us to witness the Medic ition
of this Edihce•tor the service of that -:llmighty Benefactor!
whose ears are ever 'open to the prayers" of the humble
• penitent.
I am now, then, naturally led to Address
,myself to these
over whom I have an immediate pastoral charge.
• You, my unfortunate friends, hare notch cause to he
grateful for the various opportunities afforded you of
Iteli-
gioos Instructiont amll feel persuadiA that many among vou
e ready to adopt the ,langusge sir the rypenting Prodigal^
" Father, I hare sinned against Beam,. antt Itefore-thee."—
In this sacred place, then, you wilt a,seinble to offer up your
prayers and pritisasto 0:0 God, whom a short time since you
perhaps scarcely thought of, mid whose laws you too often
transgressed. 4 do not say this that I might wound Our
feelings. Very far from it—l would rather address myself to
voit as your Ali:lister and friend. Rut how- different is yoar
'situation to?what it was a few-months ago, when you were,
many of you, wandering in the streets without God,.-without
friend---nail some, shucking to say, without tt howe.
Herr you are withdrawn from the scenes avid haunts of
vice--here', 418 I have beliire 'observed, you arc taught the duty
which you owe to Gud, your fellow-creatures, your country,
and yoorselves—here pm have an opportunity of reduciing
upon .your past cowling, mid of forming a stedfast resuintion,
thromth the blessing of Divine Proviiivrice, of leading in fu-
ture, Pottiest, virtuous, and religi,ms ties.

It nfionla me pecull:ir satisfaction. th.:,t many of you have ex-
pressed the greateA coat riti,in for yt.n r otionces, dud Inset; ci,n_
ducted yourselves in a most becoming manner. Aild you will,
hope, from what I have already eXperience4l, du nii in your
inmpr, when you return iottt'society, It) adictiitte the grief,
the distress' those parents whose grey hairs you were, when
pursuing your sad career, bringiug with sorrow to the gt.tve.
You
will nut only endeavour If/ them ample amends for
the distress your unguarded conduct brought upon them, but
upon the reflection that some of )ou yourselves are pareli;4,
you will gladly reiniee, should your litt:s sparch, at being
enabled to look forwArd to the do when you. may train your.
own children in the way they should 1,,'0 and teach them to
reniembei their Creator in the day.t of their youth.
Persevere, then, in the resolution which ynu have (happily
for you) lately formedi—and may .that Almighty Clod,
has not cut you off soddenly, but who, being full of love and
kiodoeSs, has chastised you as a father, look down nuts ).ou
with pity, owpm:ion, mud forgiveness.