The Sun.
London, England, 1821-05-28 00:00:00

rAsnioNAiLE PARTIES.

BRITISH INDIA SOCIETY.

'"Yesterday their- Ilighnessda Prince and Princess Esterhit4
entertained Prince Sapieha, the Duke of Dorset, Lord Mount-
charles, Lord Francis Conyngham, Sir Thomas and Lady Lid-
dell, the Misses Liddell, Count Caraman, Mr. Seymour, &c.
with a sumptuous entertainment, at their. residence, Chandos
House.
The Marchioness of Londonderry entertained a large party
of fashionables on Saturday, after the Opera, at her house in
St.-James's-square.
. The Earl of Lonsdale had a select party to dinner yesterday
at his house in Charles-street, Berkeley-square; in the evening
her Ladyship entertained a large party of distinguished fa-
shionables. •
• Lady Farquhar, entertained a large party of fashionables yes-
terday evening, at her house in St.,James s-street.
The Earl and Countess of Roseberry entertained a large party
at dinner yesterday, at their house in Piccadilly.
The Dowager Marchioness of Lansdowne entertained a dis-
tinguished party yesterday, at her house in Albemarle-street.
Henry Bander, Esq., M.P. entertained yesterday the Lord
Chancellor, the Duke of Wellington, Viscount and Viscountess
Falmouth, and a large party, at his house in Old Palace-yard.
A RRIVALS.—The Marquis and Marchioness ,of Sligo and
family, at Miller's Hotel, Jermyn-street, from Ireland; the
Dukes of Rutland and Grafton, from Newmarket; Hon. Ge-
neral Grosvenor, M.P., at Kiritharn's Hotel, Lower Brook-
street,-from StOckin Hall, Lincolnshire; John Lyons, Esq., at
ditto, from Paris ; _Bev. Mr. and Mrs. Burrows, at ditto,- from
Hefts; Hon. Henry Brooke, at Fenton's' Hotel, St. James's-
street, from Lancashire ; Henry Beaufoj, Esq., at ditto, from
France. • . • •
DErAnTuRES.—Lord and Lady George Lennox,.from Mil.
ler's Hotel, Jermyn-strect, -for Lssex ; Sir Charles and Lady
Grey and suite, from Kirklunn's Hotel, Lower Brook-street,
for Madras ; Dr. Jones, from ditto, for Oxford ; William Bur-
rows, Esq., from ditto, for. the Continent. - • •
EDINBURGII, MAY 2.4.—Arrived at the Royal Hotel, the
Right Hon. the Earl .Kinnoul ; the Right Hon. Lord A. Ha-
milton, M.P., the Hon. J.,Aberoromby, M.P., Sir K. Jackson,
Bart., M. S. Nicolson, Esq..,•Ste*art Marinribanks, Esq. M.P.,
Henry Monteith', Esq.,, M.P., A. Garden, Esq., Dtin-
"More, Esq,, Robert Baird, Esq., and Mrs. Wauchope.
Departed ; the Right Hon.-the Dal of Kinuoul ; Dun..
mere,' Esq. •

awful responsibility to lift this people from their
vices..--L(llear, hear !)—After the darkness of .a-
night of ages, the sun was now shining upon
them ; and,
.under British. beneVolence, he hoped
it would set in glory.—(Hear !)—The Rev. Gen-
tleman then instanced the avidity'ol the 'natives
to obtain edUcatien to be such, that the Brahmins
offered their temples as school-houses, and them-
selves as teachers." Re had no doubtnf complete
success from the establishment of this ScicietYY -
yr. WILBERFORCE next rose to second Sir
James MackintoSh's Resolution, and' referred to
the speech of The Rev. Mr. Ward, aS'Strikingly
showing the .neces.-iity of this' Societjr and the
facility with 'which its benevolent intentions
might be realized. To ignorance the drea.dful
'superstition of the natives Might be traced rana
when that was once removed, the evils -Which
flowed from it might cease as a natural Conse-
quence. The Hon. Gentleman made an affecting
appeal to the meeting upon the dreadful influence
of that superstition which tore from the liiirnan
breasq not only those general principles of-inoral
feeling which reigned so universally, but those
very ties of kindred which nature indelibly Marked
upon. the female character for the preservation of
her own comfort and that of society.--(hear.)Dreadfill indeed must be that superstition which
eradicated from a mother all affection for her id-
fant child.—(Hear!) To reforM such a state a
things was their first duty ; and the only way its
which it could be done was liy the introdUction
among them of these habits Which tended to Int-
•manize society. It often happened, that i.i pro-
moting measures of general utility, a statesman
had to admit others which were of a mixed cha-
racter—that,' with the good to the
,many, he had
to see some evil.inflicted upon the few. But here
was no such drawback from the general joy ;
here was nothing but what conduced, in the
most harmonizing manner, to the inevitable good
of the whole. - The path was smooth and delight-
ful, from beginning to end, and the hand. of Pro-
vidence pointed it out as the duty which was
prescribed to England, by the over-ruling power
who had committed so many millions of hunian
beings to her charge.—(Hear, hear, heart)—lle
concluded by seconding the motion, which; as
well as the succeeding ones, were carried una-
nimously.
nononsly

On Saturday one of the most' numerous and re
spectable meetings Which we have 'for a long
time seen, was held at the great room of the
Thatched House Tavern, for'lthe 'purpose of •con-
sidering the propriety of founding " A Society for
the. Moral and Intellectual Improvement of the
Native Inhabitants of 'British India." At twelve
o'clock the Right Hon. J. C. VILLIERS, M. P.
took the Chair. On-his right sat the Earl of Clare,
Lord Teignmouth, LOrd Dandily, Lord Gam
bier, Sir James Mackintosh, M. P. Sir Wm. Buy-
roughs, and several Gentlemen who filled official
situations in India. On his left sat the Lord
Bishop of -Gloucester, Lord Gosford, -Mr. Wil-
berforce, the Right Hon. J. Sullivan, Admiral
Sir J. Saumarez, Mr. Fowell Buxton, M. P. and
several Directors of the East India Company.
The Room was crowded to excess. Several
Ladies graced the Meeting by their presence.
The Right Hon. J. C. VILLIERS, on taking the
Chair, opened to the Meeting the great object
for the promotion of which they were: now con-
vened. 'He adverted to the great necessity
which existed for their directing the public at-
tention to India, in the hope of ultimately este-
.
,bltshing moral principlesiamong' the Ilindoos who
were intrusted to the British. charge.
Mr. HARRISON, in an able speech, strongly
pointed out the necessity of establishingan Iu-
stitution upon this basis. It could, of course,
only be promoted by the force of reason and the
• gradual removal of the native prejudices.
Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH then proposed, in a
-luminous speech, the first Resolution for esta-
blishing this Soviety'. He. said -that the relative
connection of the native' nations in India with the
British Government was the most remarkable
which had ever existed between the conquering
and the conquered. Hitherto the Indian people
had only known the greatness of England by the
formidable and oVerwhelming appearance of her
fleets and armies for their controul and govern-
ment. England had now to teach them a diffe-
rent lesson, one which must produce a great moral
operation, namely, the dispensation of her great
resources for their education and benefit, flowing
from channels they never saw, and from bene-
factors who could never witness their gratitude,—
(Applause.)---This great act would practically
teach them to believe in the existence otexalted
virtues, from the knowledge of which they were
previously debarred" lly the corruption of their
morals and foree of the despotism under' which
they were reared. In the existing state of society
-in India, it was impossible to commence the
great work of reformation by a course of religious
education. The prejudices and habits of the
natives forbade the course;;' but'the great work
of education, tending to civilization. and moral
habits, might still go on, and the eventual re-
sult of the dekrnction of superstition be *equally
Certain. The change in the Hindoo character
could only be accomplished by the force of reason
and persuasion, and must therefore be the work
of time. Nothing could aid more the progress of
such a work than the introduction among them of
those arts and sciences whiCh tend to the utility
and embelliShment of civilized life. Some impu-
lotions had .been cast upon what was represented
to be the imprudent zeal of missionaries. Now, he
must say, from his own experience in India, he
had seen nothing. to countenance these imputa-.
tions. : lie believed their labours to be well di-
rected, and that the state of native society af-
forded them a wide field to move in. In his
judicial situation in India he had had many op-
portunities of witnessing the want of moral effect
in the superstition, miscalled religion, of the na-
tive inhabitants. -He had with pain observed the
*total want of truth in their evidence. Indeed,
.to such a degree was this immorality carried, that
Sir W. Jones, notwithstandiog his generous par-
tiality towards the people, among whom his pur-
suits were so well calculated to inspire him with
_regard, had himself been compelled judiciously
to admit its existence to a great degree-=--to a
degree, indeed, which made .it difficult . for a
Judge :to say, after .he had decided a cause
among them, whether that decision were founded
upon the unalterable basis of truth.--(Hear !)
It was this disregard of truth among the HindooS
which made him declare that system of opinion,
called religion, among the natives of India had
no moral use at all.-(llear.)--So far from being an
aid, it was rather an obstacle to the magistrate : .
it enforced no duty in life, nor promoted any act
of moral intelligence. (Hear, hear.).--A system
of education had, however, sprung up in India,
which, with the-concurrence of the' natives, was
well calculated to promote the greatest eventual
benefits. In Bombay (from a•letter he had seen)
the education of the native children was going on
so prosperously, that it was hoped all the chil-
Neither Mr. LISTON nor Mr: R. JONE.:*-.are
.dren of a population not fewer than 2 or 300,090
in amount, would engaged at the Haymarket NeW Theatre, soon possess the rudiments of been stated.
necessary knowledge. - Sir -James Mackinto`sh
' d
concluded an eloquent speech by moving a reso.. Amongst the old acquaintanse of the Lan On
lution for forming' the sOciety; Stage who are about to be restored to the.:yn..
-
dience, is DE CAMP, who is engaged by
Mr. WILBERFORCE rose to second the resolu-
MORRIS for the Haymarket Theatre.
tion , but the '
generil
MISS KELLY, who is now SU
Dublin -Theatre, has. in successfully
.
Rev. Mr. WARD was.firSt called' upon to state forming at the
from his residence' in India, the situation of the been supposed to be the sister of Miss Kelly, of
Drury-lane. This is not the fact ; the former.is
native population. He described. the state of
- ,
native society in the district of Bengal. , He par-
a descendant of the family of Buckfield of: the
ticularly spoke of the state of ignorance. 'in which county of Roscommon.—(Herald.)
•
the females were kept in India, and enforced the ' The Westniinster School Anniversary Dinner
bad effect it must have upon the rearing of their took place on Saturday at 'Willis's. Dr. GOOD.
families. Ile also spoke of the revolting practice ENOUGH was in the Chair, supported on his right
of widows immolating themselves upon the by the Archbishop of York, and, on his left by
funeral piles of their dead husbands, leaving be- -General Grosvenor. The Marquis of Lans-
hind them, utterly regardless, infants of 1,2, and down, the Earl of Chichester, the Earl of 13e1.
3 years-.of age, and sometitnes even suckling grave, Lord Amherst, Sir W. W, Wynu, Sir -T.
ones, which were, in open outrage to the com-
punctions of natnre, torn by the mother frOm her Farquhar, &c-. were among the company. 'Mete
were upwards of 130 persons present.
bosom, . while she flung herself to expire in the
flames. In this state of. moral depravity were Tuesday- morning the body of a stout, dark
fifty millions of females under British dominion. haired woman; with a child apparently 12 motitfis
old, were found drowned in the Canal, near Port could they then be moral, when the very D
gods of their idolatry' were personificatory of undas. • The cause of this melancholy spectacle
remains unaccounted for. They were obgerved
vice ?—when their very priests were leaders in by the .Watchtnan, about 11 o'clock the pteviino
crime ?—when the very .scenes of their temples evening, on the banks of the Canal.--(Edinburgh
could not be mentioned, a Christian Commu-
'Courant.).
oily ?=—{Hear!)—Had notoProvidence, he would
The Ist Regiment of Royal Dragoons non
ask, consigned-the population of 100 millions tocupy the Radipole Barracks,- near Weytn-outh,
Great Britaio, that She might redeem them 'from and their-fine band are to play every •evening' on
this immoral vassalage ?. England was' under an, the Esplanade during 'the Season.. • •

The Bishop of GLOUCESTER, in proposing the
resolution for constituting the society; took alio
a feeling review of the state of society in bairn,
and the bound-en duty prescribed•to England 'of
extending "to that vast empire the moral bless-Tho
she herself enjoyed.
Lord TEI9NMOUTH, in seconding the motion,
described the state of moral depravity in wbich
he had found the natives of India. More than
50 years ago, when he first went out to 4dip.,
he remembered a request made by a native -41 his
service, that he should write to a friend of his in
another part of the country, to send him alar-
Ocular stone, out of which he wanted to make.a
God !---(Hear, hear !)—He was glad to hetti=of
the recent relaxation in the prejudices of:the
natives, and the aid they were now likely; to-give
for the purposes of-education.
•

. .
Sir WILLf.4.m BURROUGHS alluded to his expe-
rience for many years while Supreme Judge 'of
the' Court at Calcntta. He did not remnber a
single native, case of importance in which the
perjury at both sides was not shockin •to.the
feelings. He corroborated the statement 'that
the natives were relaxing in their prejudices.
Mr. BENJAMIN SHAW spoke warmly of du) ne-
cessity of disseminating civilized habits
East. He had heard that in a part of Surnavra
they fattened their children, to prepare then:i'for
sale as human food.

Mr. John Thornhill, an. East India Director,
.he Earl of Clare, Sir James SaumarezilThe
Right lion. JohoSullivan, and several other-On.
lemen, successively proposed resolutions, which
hey merely accompanied by a concurring tefiiii:k.

•
MELANCHOLY SUICIDE.--On Sunday last (Z4tli
instant.) a Jury was empanelled at Sheerness, before Jt42hert
Ilinde, Esq., one of the ;Coroners for this Countyi:im
view of the body of Jane Cooper, daughter of tliOate
John- Cooper, of Milton, shoemaker. It appearedSiltit
the deceased had been asked in church, and exPecia to
be married to a • stone-mason employed in the new mirks
carrying on at 'Sheerness ; but that, in cOnStanence of taunts
and declarations from the • man, that he was only playing .the
joke upon •her, the girl's mind became so depressed thitt,..she
committed the rash act of self deStruction, by taking;, on
the night of the 14th inst., a quantity of arsenic WhiCh shkpro-
cured from an apothecary under the pretence of destroying
'She soon after vomited the poison, but the injury was and she lingered in agony until 6 o'clockon Saturday
morning, the 19th inst., when death terminated her sufferings.
The jury, after an investigation of three hours, returned a ver-
dict of Lunacy. - The worthy coroner animadverted, with:Be-
coming severity, on the conduct of the man, and said though
the case of his criminality did not come within the:cognisance of
the law, yet sooner or later his conscience would not suffer Ail
toga unpunished.--(Kentish 'Gazette.)

THE LONDON JOURNALS.

AILY EXTRACTS FROM THE MORNING PAFEItS
May 28.

• [BRITISI! PRESS.]
, The conferences at Laybach are at length dis-
solved; .and the Emperor Alexander has retired
to, his own capital. lie left Laybach on the
1;th; and was expected to reach St. Petersburgh
on the 27th, which was yesterday. Disengaged
from the concerns of Italy and Spain, the Empe-
, ror will have
.time to turn his thoughts to the
events now passing in the neighbouring provinces
i 2 of Turkey. There he will find.a noble theatre
.on which his restless ambition may expatiate.
The disturbed state of the Christian principa-
fities offer, an admirable excuse for his taking
them under his imperial protection. The agi-
tated state of Poland was . the excuse offered to
the world for its unprincipled partition, and the
same pretence; aided by power, will be sufficient
for seizing the principalities of Wallachia and
Moldavia. The Monarch who lately declared that
all Poland wak necessary to the security of his do-
minions as a barrier to his frontier, will easily
persuade himself that the Danube is the natural
boundary of his empire, and they-who were de-
terred by his power from opposing his military
appropriation of Poland, will not.feel disposed- to
coarrel with" him for the less important acquisi-
tion of these two provinces. In the mean time
the Porte seems to be collecting an army to attack
the insurgents, but the miserable imbecility of
the Turkish Government is proved by the fu-
rious excesses. that are daily perpetrated unc!er
the eyes of the Sultan within his capital. The
Turkish troops, as they arrive in Constantinople,
,display their religious and patriotic enthusiasm
by. an indiscriminate persecution of the Greeks
who inhabit the capital- These unfortunate per-
Fons are exposed to
_every species of violence that
can be inflicted by as tumultuous and undisci-
plined soldiery. From these excesses one advan-,
tage may arise : the Greeks, driven to despera-
tkon, may rise universally against their brutal
oppressors, and take fearful vengeance upon them
for cc nturies of insults and injuries.

[MORNING POST.]
Our Columns
.of this day furnish a proud dis-
-piiy at once of the high respectability and gra-
tifyitig.prosperity of the Constitutional Associa-
tion---an institution the object of which being to
check the progress of sedition, has na.tuyally
.enough provoked-the fiercest hostility of those
who for factious and mischievous purposes wil-
fully confound the Liberty-of the Press with its
basest, licentiousness. 'This laudable Society, it
will be seen, consists of the most distinguished
and dignified characters in the country ; and our
present publication may perhaps save Mr. Hob=
house the trouble of carrying into. execution his
angry threat of placarding the list of subscrip-
tions at Charing Cross, and other parts of the
Metropolis. The terror which this patriotic As-
s,ociation has already inspired among the disaf-
fected is perhaps the best evidence that can be
adduced of the immense good which its exertions
are calculated to render society. The genuine
liberty of the Press we venerate and hold .
most sacred ; but its base licentiousnesS we
detest and abhor. It is true, that this li-
berty cannot be honestly and beneVially exer-
cised without occasionarexcesses, which it is
wisdom to overlook ; but systematic licentious-
z-iess, a regular trade in sedition and blasphemy,
an open traffic. in every thing that is disgusting
aLd disloyal, are refinements in profligacy; which
-the law must either put down, or be by them put
down itself. The Constitutional Society, in fine,
is..not only strictly legal, but is supported by the.
example of.,- many other institutions for similar
laudable purposes ; and can therefore have no-
enemies in any class of the community which. feels
an interest in the necessary preservation of law
and -order in the land. The parties whom it has
to encounter live by corrupting the public mind,,
anti have obviously 'become bold from their num-
bers, and (we trust) a false feeling of their
strength. A few examples. among them, we con-
fidently hope, will put down a nuisance which it
is impossible 'any one can approve who has a
proper feeling for religion, for morals, and the de-
corum of civilized life.—lt is with honest exul-
tation we refer our readers to the proud and
gratifying -list of Patriots who have come forward
with their Subscriptions in furtherance of the
great moral object of this most praiseworthy As-
sociation.

[Tilt TIMF.S.],.
It is very clear that the combination (The
Constitutional Association) is of a political na-
ture exclusively; for if the object:sought were
of a moral kind, there is already the Society for
.0:2 Suppression of Vice, formed for the express
purpose of punishing blasphemy and obscenity.
There are also the Attorney and SOlicitor-Ge-
neral—at whose conduct this new institution
casts reproaches, to put down, at the public 'ex-
pence, all attempts to disturb the public peace,
by d:sserninating sedition. If these are not sufft-
dent safeguards of the morals and constitution of
the country, the Government must be in a very
declining, state. We know of no,other state in
giirope"whicli is obliged to support itself by the"
aidof such combinations. But that which strikes
its most forcibly is the unfairness, the injustice,
the oppression of attacking any individual for Opi-
rtiOns, be they what they may, by a joint stock
pqrse. It is asserted that the only object of the
c6Mbination is to bring certain publications to the
test of the law ; butif this representation were true,
0e society,. we maintain, ought to pay the ex,
pfnces.on both sides ; or, at least, whenever they
fail Of, obtaining a verdict of conviction, they
&gilt to indemnify the defendant for his ex-
.ppnces, for his loss of time, and, if possible, for
hia anxiety of mind. For be it observed, that it
is no great matter to the society to fail in a pro-
secution, but, such is the ordinary amount of law
expences, that the defendant is almost to a cer-
tainty 'ruined, whether convicted or acquitted ;
and is it fair, we ask, in any body of men, hold-
ing. no office in either Church or State, thus to
raise a common fund, and employ it in a manner
that must inevitably be ruinous to their fellow
subjects, whether innocent or guilty ? If they

meant to deal impartially, as it is pretended,
between the man and the laws, they ought, as
we have just stated, to pay the eipences on both
sides.

[MORNING CHRONICLE.]
That great enemy to the licentiousness of the
Press, who thoughtt John Bull had done much
good, cites, in justification of the object of the
Constitutional Association, the subscriptions
which were entered into for the 'prosecution of
the Manchester Yeomanry, the apprehension of
Franklin, &c. But is there any analogy between
subscribing money-for the prosecution or defence
of a particular case, when it has been made ap-
parent that the circumstances of such particular
case rendered that aid necessary to the ends of
justice, and the 'subscribing of money for the
carrying on a general warfare against the Press
If any of the promoters of this Society had stated
to the public, that it appeared. to them a parti-
cular writer had been guilty of a gross libel, that
from negligence or design, no steps had been
taken against him by the Attorney-General, and
that in
,all probability, without a generalsub-
scription, the ends of justice would not be an-
swered ; this would have been a very different
thing from soliciting from the public the dispoia) of
large sums of money, to be applied by them in pro-
secutions against all and sundry at their discretion.
It is in vain to talk of the Liberty of the Press,
if this Society be not put down. The Liberty
of the Press, like almost ,all our other liberties,
as Mr. Burke well observed, exists only by suf-
ferance; for the object of the Law has generally
been.to protect power and to repress individual
liberty. Every one knows that the Law of Libel
(particularly as laid down by this pretended
Constitutional Society) is altogether incompa-
tible with free discussion. We all know, too,
what is meant by packing of Juries, ,and the
chance which a defendant has of obtaining a fair
and impartial trial. Under these circumstances it
behoves every honest and independent man to exert
himself to the utmost-to avert -the danger, which
impends over the Press at the present rn(6ent.
There are but too many among us who will stop
at no means for reducing it to a state of complete
subserviency, and who will never forgi'Ye the
efforts which it has lately made in the cause of
justice and independence, and
__in the exposition
of profligacy. The friends of liberty must rally
round that without which there can be no liberty.
The Constitutional Association have shewn that
they are ready to go'all lengths in the way of
oppression. They have shewn that they are
ready to resort to the most disreputable means
when they can be adopted under covert of law.—
Efficacious means must be adopted towards them
in return. Let it be remembered that the Society
'consists of the individual Subscribers. Every
Subscriber should be considered as an enemy to
the liberties of his Country, and the hostility of
the public (as far as the law allows) should be
directed against him. There is yet enough of
virtuous energy, we hope, in this Country, to
bring them to themselves.