The Sun.
London, England, 1819-02-25 00:00:00

MENDICITY SOCIETY.

Yesterday a numerous and respectable meeting
took place at the London Tavern, for the purpose
of receiving the Report on the Committee ap-
pointed to enquire into the state of Mendicity in
the Metropolis. It was the first Annual Meeting,
and the greatest interest was excited. TI e Doke
of NORTHUMBERLAND took the U'irtir at halt-past
twelve o'clock. His Grace stated the object of the
Mee!ing.
The Report mentioned, that the Society had
been, in consequence of the desperate distress
observable in the streets, at the commencement
of ISIS, instituted in older to remove the shock-
ing objects that presented thernselv,s, by relief,
and, where imposture should he detected, by
punishment. Since the opening of the Office, on
the 25th of March, 2676 cases had been referred
to the Society, during the investigation of which
the Society had afforded food to the applicants,
as .well as to 677 children attached to theme,-
(Applause )
In evidence of the advantages arising from this
admirable establishment, two cases were cited
from the multitude; the one of imposture, the
other of real distress. A woman, named Eliza-
beth Dixon, was met by one of the Society ; she
appeared to be in the last stage of misery ; she
obtained relief. Her case was investigated, and
it %vas believed by the Board that she had the
strongest claims that could be, for she had und,r-
gone wretchedness as a wife and mother. tier
husband had died out of his mind. She had been
confined with an ulcerated leg, and takru as a
beggar to prison, where she was associated with
the vilest. The Board gave her relief,• pa;d her
coach-hire to Chester, and thought they had sent
home a worthy woman to her children. The
next day she was found begging, and 1/. ss. were
in her pocket. She was prosecuted and convict-
ed.—(Applause.)—The other case was that of a
man, able to work, but having none. The So-
ciety supplied hint for some time; a turn took
place in his fortune, and the first thing he did
was to repay the Society.--(Great applause.)

After several observations from Sir T. Bell,
Mr. Williams, Ecc. cc. some alterations were or-
dered ro be made in the Regulations.

Thanks were then Toted to the Duke of
Northumberland. His Grace, in returning thanks,
applauded the zeal of the Society, and declared
that he should be a steady supporter of so admir-
able an Institution.

ROBBERY OF LORD FoLaY.—This morning, at
the Old Bailey, Hy= Alexander and Isaac Philips,
two Jews, were convicted of picking the pocket
of Lord For.Ey, whilst his Lordship was standing
in front of the Hustings in Covent-garden, on the
16th inst., of a valuable gold watch, three gold
seals, and a pocket-book, containing 161. in Bank
of England notes,
Miss SJMF.RVILLR is engaged to perform three
characters at the Portsmouth Theatre, opening in
the part of Bianca, in the Tragedy of Fazio.
Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the
East India House, when Captain HAMILTON was
sworn into the command of the ship Matilda, con-
signed to China direct,

FOR TI-1E SUN,

CORONATION OATH.

MR. Eptroa,—l beg to acknowledge your
early and polite attention to my request, and
at the same time to proceed with my proposed
discussion. In my two former communications,
I noticed the futility and inconsistency, of the
pleas and complaints of the Papists with respect to
theirpresent disabilities, and also the glaring absur-
dity, in point of law, sound policy, justice, and
religion, of acceding to their wishes, by repeal-
ing the Act. I shall now, Mr. Editor, by way
of climax, endeavour to show, that it exceeds
the functions, powers, and prerogatives of Par-
liament, legally to repeal the Act. I anticipate
your surprize at the boldness of this remark, ye;
indulge me with your i a'iet►ce for a few mome• tai
and I hope to substantiate it both in point of law
and fact.

Prior to the repeal of the Act, must not his
Majesty be absolved born his coronation oath ?
This, I presume, is deducible from the spirit and
tenour of the oath itself.

Can his Majesty be so absolved without his own
full dnd free assent, and that assent resulting
from the convictions of his own conscience as to
its propriety with regard to law, religion, and
sound policy 2 I conceive not.
Is his 'Majesty in a capacity to jmlge of Lhe
propriety or impropriety of giving or withholding
such assent 2 No.

Cannot his Royal Highness the Prince, as
acting for and on the behalf of his Majesty, by
virtue of the functions, powers, and prerogatives
with tvl►icl► he is invested by the Regency Act,
do this for his Majesty ? I conceive not. Since,
although his Royal Highness the Prince Regent
can, by virtue of the powers, &c. so vested in
hin►, give full efficiency and effect to any instru-
ment, law, or edict, yet this being purely a case
of conscience, none but his Majesty's own word
and signature, and his own conscience, es -ilk-

tating such word and directing such signature,
can, 1 with all slue deference conceive, re the

necessary, the legal assent.

Is it not a well-known fact, that his Majesty
formerly asserted, that the Act should never be
repealed during his reign : and did he not forbid
those who proposed the question to him, ever
to mention it again ? Most certainly lie did.
Would not, then, the repealing of the Act be
knowingly, wilfully, and unfaithfully, if not trai-
torously, acting against his Majesty's will, con-
science, and positive command ? No one, I
think, can doubt it for a moment.

LVl►eretore-1 ask every Honourable, and Right
Honourable Member of the Lower and Upper
Houses of Parliament, every Right Honourable
Member of the Privy Council, nay even the
Twelve Judges themselves, whether, so long as
hi. Majesty's present malady shall continue, to
absolve him from his Coronation Oath, to repeal
the Act, and set his seal to it, would not in the
eye of the law, and accor►ling to its
,spirit an►l
tenour, amount to a conspiracy against his Ma-
jesty's Person and Throne ? And, whether the
bringing in of a Bill for tl►is purpose would not
be, as to the same spirit and tenour, such con-

spiracy in incept° ?
I have, Mr. Editor, placed the question in
this strong light, as most anxiously, most sin-
cerely hoping that when it shall occupy the at-
tention of Paiiiament, every Right Reverend and
Right Honourable Lord of the Upper and every
norlourahle Member of the Lower House, will
avail himself of the wide field for argument, with
which these grounds will amply furnish him ; re-
collecting on that eventful day, '' England ex-
pects every man to do his dot y :" bis duty to
himself and his posterity, his duty to his Country
and his King, his duty to his conscience and hi*
God.

While, Mr. Editor, as they enjoy not only the
light of the Sun by day, but also the light of Tn
SUN by night, should they ntis9 their way by
neglecting such duty, I presume it is their o+vil
fault.

Begging, Mr. Editor, duly to apologize for the
length of this communication, and relying ea
your usual indulgence for its early insertion, I
beg to subscribe myself, with great respect,

A BRITON.

P. S. My numerous and nnavoidable engage.
tents leaving me only the lneubrations of the
midnight hour, and my health having, for a long
time, been in a very dargeroos state, prevent
me from being so regular as 1 could wish, yet so
long as 1 am capable of holding my pen, you
may, Mr. Editor, rely on my feeble efforts in the
good cause which you have so zealously, so lau.
dably espoused.

A SECOND AMERICAN STEAM FRIGATE.—The
Americans are now constructing another steam
frigate ul►on a large scale ; it will have ►wo
water wheels,' with barricadnes on the outside of
them, five t<•er in thickness, to defend them from
the shot of the enemy. The engine and ma-
chinery tor this vessel are already is cousiderable
forwardness.

~ •

.iircess.

FOR I SUN.

OLD BAILEY.

- • •
ABUSES EXENTPLIFTED IN THE PRACTICE Or
AGENTS. OF THE INSOLVENT COURT.

c. Mellor est justilia vere' pretteniens vuarn severe pu.
?tens."

I\Ir.tDITOR ,—The very liberal manner in which
you have heretofore encourag"ed my communica-
tions upon the general AtiUSES of PRAcTrc-a in
the LAW, encourages me to offer some additional
instances in proof of my general ()amnions, Which
remain Int contnidicted.'
The current of Abuses is so rapid in succession,
and betrays such an extensive system of Corrup;
tion, Extortion, Perjury, and Deception, that it
becomes a paramount duty in every one to exert
. .
hiS utmost tor dereciion and exprisUre, 'in the

hope tl:3t prerenlire means may be resorted. to

, •
On Thursday last, a pet-still of the name of
•
---, of ---, offered himself as bail be-
fore one of the Judges, for a person who was
about to take Ms trial for perjury. lie swore.that
the house in which be lived was his own freehold,
for whiA be had paid ; that be was a tradesman,
and worked for private fatuities ; and that be had
large sums due to him on bonds and book debts.
Having sworn in so positive a manner, the Learn-
ed Judge ordered him to pass as bail; and he had
withdrawn for that purpose.—Th'e Deputy Filater
of the Court, however, was present at the exa-
mityition, and assured the Learned judge that
HE had no objection to swear, viva voce, as to his
having known the man for about four years; as
sort of messenger to the different prisoners con-
fined in the King's Bendi PrisOn, and requested
the 'fipstaves of the Court to be called to confirm
the Filazer's statement ; when the Tipstaves de-
clared, that they hail known him in that charac-
ter for some considerable time, and that lie bad
occasionally acted as an Attorney. On his being
recalled, the Learned Judge examined him as to
his freehold property,
.which turned out be a mere
fabrication. He then pegged for mercy, and of-
feted. to assist in detectiirg others, but the Learned
Jude said, " it rvE3s his ditty to commit him to
Newt:we," and his commitment was made out
accordingly.
The following is also another initanee.rif de-
pravity. Last week a person of the name of--
who, I understand, acts as one of the Agents of
the Insolvent Court, called at the Chamhers.of
one of the Judges of the king's Bench, far the
purpose of swearing to the service of a' notice •
upon a detaining Credit& of-one of the Insolvent's
al Agent ;"the clerk of the Judge, knowing ,some-
thing of the individual, refused adrninisteriulq the
oath, unless he would go before die Judge for the
purpose of being questioned as to the con-tents of
his Aldtivit, when it resulted, from his examina-

tiori tat he had undertaken to serve the notice in
cuesiion at Watford, in Hertfordshire, brink
closely inierrot!ated as to the road he took, his
answer ro the !pained Judge was, that he went

t o v rds the west, being; then asked it he wen! tc►

wards Whiterhaptl or by Tyburn Turnpike, his
answer was the latter ; he also stated, that he
went liming!! Knightsbridge and Hammersmith,
and over Hounslow Heath ; upon his nAming the
latter place, the Judge interposed and observed,
" it that is the road you went you never got to
Watford," and therefore I shall not allow you to
sg ear to this affidavit, which, as, LISTON says,
in the Farce, he would have done had he been Pei-
rn;ited. •

There ire frequent instances of, intention to
c^rnn►;r wiljul perjury, for.the purposes ordeeep.-
t:,:n and injury ►o Creditors, and although it may
he said that.►lie taw has provided remedies against

such practices, its power is inadequitte to the at-
tainment of those ends, for, amongst the vast
wimber of persons who pursue practices,
diminution of the evils by solitary instances of

prosecution cannot sufficiently meet the pnbtic
wish. I must take leave to add my tribute of re-
tipect and gratitude to the chief Officer of one of

the Llw Courts for the cases mentioned, and to

10:011i I consider the public also. indebted for the
kind frankness (if his colonnnication.
,
It/ illy jud,izment nothing short of a total prom-
bition will elect that object. If none but persons
duly admi,tted and properly responsible, were al-
lowed to practice in any Court, the Public might
'ook (vit h Slt.iStNC69ll to that responsibility which
attaches to the legal 'profession, and which has no

tie or check upon the conduct of illegitimate
Agvrit.! and daring Adventurers.. I shall continue

obt such information as may tend to con
nrin these conchtions, and am,

Your's, as usual,
SCRUTATOR.

. • : lIORSE .STEALING.,
Yesterday Jaws Dwan, a young man of very dandy-like
appearance, was capitally indicted fur stealing a mare, value
bOl., and a bridirand saddle, the property of George Gwynne.
The prisoner said he wanted to purchase the horse. The
prosecutor sent his groom with the lt,orse• to a place where
the prisoner was lint to be found ; 'bat while waiting there
the prisoner came up, took away the horse, and did aot re-,
turn with it.

The Jury, without much hesitation, pronounced the pri-
soner f.;uilty—Death. • • .

Dui lug this trial, the names of some well-known "Vbaunters
of Horses," as they are technically called, were introduced,
Who made sure-that the law would not reaclrthetu. At.length,
however, they will perceive that the law, although moving
%lowly, will he sufficiently effective to crush their peculative.
pursuits.

MELANCHOLY SUDDEN DRATII.----Yesterder
morning PARKER, a respectable
draper, near Somerset House, Strand, fell down
is the street, and almost instantly expired, with-1
out tittering a single word, All possible atten-!
tioh w4B.pitid to him, but in vain, and be wasi
c,rrie4 home to his afflicted family a lifeleiv
it.torpse.

FOR VIE SUN.

'ROMAN CATTIOLICg.

EDITOR,—So candid and judicious a letter
as appeared in your Paper, signed BRITANNICUS,
deserves to be reprinted in its first page. 1 ap-
prehend be has read my history of the same sub-
ject in your former Numbers, because his striking
feature is a fact I touched upon respecting the
Protestant Dissenters, who fell off from the Esta-
blished Church for little or no reason whatever—
a fact that.gives birth to their torpid silence, and
pethaps secret acquiescence, over the claims of
these people, who are deluded with the hopes of
Succeeding in the end. Most certainl/ these Dis-
senters must be dead to the truth, that Roman
Catholics, so far from tolerating any scismatic
Sect, absOltitely despise it ; holding the union of
their Church to be inviolate, and that none other

shall be dispensed with. Undoubtedly their altar
is the original, from PETER, its Bishop, first of
Antioch, then of Rome, and the immediate suc-
cessor Of CHRIST; and in all the dark ages of
Christendom it was universal, until the spell was
broken by LutnEii on the Continent, and a King
in th.e realm of Old England. Their tyranny over
body and soul, and their attemps to engross all
the fat of the land, were then defeated. The,

gross inconsistency therefore of the Protest Ant
Dissenters' silence, is mattifeNt to all ; as they
innst know that friends as they are to toleration,
and the liberty of conscience, the Roman Ca-

tholics to a man are rancorous enemies to both,
and were they in ascendancy would deny it in
toto to Protestants of all denominations, This calls
upon them to oppose the insidious claim of their

deceivers, who, should they prevaii, the time
might not be distant when our present happy
Establishment would be turned into Papal, and
,the slavery of body and soul be the dismal coo-
seytence ; when the Dissenters would sink in mi-
sery, and the Protestants of the Church charge
them with forwarding, by their silence and ac-
quiescence, the wishes of the Papists to so in-
-glorious an encl!
The Corporation and Test Acts were passed as
:bulwarks, forming a strong tort againSt them in
particular ; but if they obtained power, these
statuteswould be a dead letter in our law books;
the lines of circumvallation would be brokeO, the
,walls of the salient angle be scaled, and every
Protestant be put to the sword, unless he prefer
.to be fettered in conscience by the chains of
'Popery !
But the Roman Catholics say no ! we will be
your kind brethren ! Yes ! say the Protestants,

as kind as the whining tears of a crocodile, until
it obtains its prey, or the atdent lover, nwil his
Passion is gratified ;- and so will be the Roman
Catholics, until their baneful pip pose is answered,
when the yielding Protestants will be treated

,
-just like conunon w-s,
First be enjoy'd, and then Icick'd ont of doors.
TERR..E FILIUS.

FOR THE SUN.