Star.
London, England, 1823-09-18 00:00:00

THE BETHEL UNION.

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`This Society last night held its Fourth Anniversary,
in the Great Room at the Oity of London Tavern,wher
an unusually. numerous meeting took place. Long pre-1
vious to the Noble Chairman.taking the chair, the rbom
with the excepiiOn of the platform, which was reserved
for the Committee and their friends, was crowded to
efcess ; there could not le fewer than 2000 persons pre-
sent, amongst whom were a number of elegantly dressed
females; and hundreds, as we understand, surrounded
the doors and thronged the staircase, striving, in vain,
to obtain admission.
Soon aker six o'clock LOrddAlifElSß entered the room
and took The chair. He was accompanied by General
NEVILLE and several Clergymen.
As soon as the Noble Chairman had taken the chair,
the Rev. Mr. Smirrn gave out an appropriate' hymn, in
which the greater part of the assembly joined. This
concluded—

The Rev. Mr. DAVIES delivered an extempore prayer
for the prosperity of the work in which the Committee
were engaged.
The Noble Chairman then shortly addressed the meet-
ing. Adverting to the object of the meeting, namely,
to hold their Fourth Anniversary, he congratulated him-
self and the meeting on the numerous assemblage he
saw before him; and expressed the satisfaction he felt
at being able to state that the efforts of the Society had
been most successful during the past year. lie would
not longer detain them, but propose that the Secretary
should read the Report.
The Rev. Mr. Sarah, of Penzance, addi es,e..l the
Meeting. lie had not expected to meet so numerous
an assembly as he had now, before lrim, and thanked
GOD that he had been spared to advocate a cause which
lay nearest his heart, and to which he had given his
consideration, when even on the brink of eternity. As
a sailor and a sailoi's friend, he could not but be a well
wisher to the Bethel Union ; and when he looked at a
spacious building not far distant, and recollected that
it contained the ashes of two Noble Admirals, a Nel-
son And a Collingwood, he could not but think of the
mercy of GoD, in having spared and protected his Noble
Admiral and Commander (their present President) to
be the Patron of the present Soclety—(Applause). The
Rev. S,:eaker then proceeded to detail instances of the
good effects which the exertions of the Bethel Union
bad produced in the Navy, and amongst seamen in
general, and to compliment the Noble Chairman as the
origin of the Society. He had no doubt but years af-
ter his Lordship should be no more, thousands of the
Navy would acknowledge that to his Lordship's ex-
ample and precept they owed the first knowledge of
religion. The SoCiety had this night heardfr by the
reading of the Report, of the munificent donation of a
Lady to the Clifton Society. He should never forget
the manner in which that excellent Lady made that
donation ;—" My husband (said she) was a merchant,
he made his wealth by sailors, and little merit, indeed,
is due to me in thus directing a small portion of that
wealth to promote the eternal happiness and wel-
fare of those by whose labours it was acquired."—
Happy was he to see that, by the exertions of the Be-
thel Union, and by the influence of its flag, thousands
of whalers had been brought to a sense of religion in
the Sandwich Islands. The improvement of the sailors
must be an object of great interest to the Officers of
the Navy. He knew that this was a general feeling
amongst them. He had reason to know that the most ac-
tiveexertions were making to renderour Navy respected,
by putting an end to the vicious courses so prevalent
among sailors, and introducing marriage among them,
The object of this Society was, to open to the minis of
seamen, that he who died in sin, whether he died in
battle or not, could not be saved. This object, if ob-
tained, would be productive of invaluable good ; and
in no way could this object be better obtained than by
the establishment of a Seaman's Library. He was happy
to say that this object had been taken up by the females
of Britain. Her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort had'
commenced a Library in the Isle of Wight, and he had
heard some illustrious females declare their opinion,
that in this way alone could they serve the seamen of
Britain. He wished to see such a Library established on
Tower-hill. He was desirous also to see a Sea-boys'
School established. Another object which he should
rejoice to see established, would be a register for the
character of seamen. If this was effected, and seamen
were taught to know that a good character for morality,
was necessary to insure them a good ship, every sailor
would feel it not only his interest hereafter, but his in-
terest here, to deserve a good character. After some
further arguments in favour of the views and objects of
the Society, lie concluded by moving a Resolution, ex-
pressive of the necessity there was for persevering in the
cause for which the Bethel Union was established.
The Report, which was of considerable length, was
read accordingly. From the circumstances disclosed
by it, we collect that the object of the Society is to be-
nefit the seaman by giving him religious instruction,
and to impress upon him the advantage of studious ha-
bits; for the effect of the former was triumphantly stated
in several individual instances ; and the latter was fre-
quently noticed by suggestions for the formation of a
Sailors Library in the Metropolis. The Society pro-
posed
also the erection of a Floating Chapel in the River'
Thames, in order, as their Report stated, " to evange-
lize the River," and were determined not to relax their
exertions until every port in England had a Floating
Chapel. Their labours in all parts of the globe were
then detailed with great minuteness ; and the United
States generally, and the County of Nantucket particu-
larly, the West Indies, Newfoundland, the Friendly,
Sandwich, and Society Islands, were all referred to as
having witnessed the hoisting of " the Bethel Flag."
The Rev. Mr. EDWARDS seconded the Resolution.
General NeviLse proposed, and the Rev. Mr. HILL,'
YARD, of Bedfordshire, seconded, a Resolution expres-
sive of the gratitude of this Meeting for the growing
moral improvement of our sailors, and for their increas-
ing desire to be instructed in the truth, as it is in CUlllai
Jesus. The gallant General said, that being anxious
to shew what were the colours under which he fought,
be had great plealure in proposing this Resolution.
Another Resolution, approvinf the measures of the
Bethel Union, was proposed by Captain BASILGATE, of.
the Royal Navy, and seconded by the Rev. W. hum:.
~The Rev. Dr. COLLIER submitted a Resolution re-
cOMmending the adoption of the three projects proposed
by the Rev. Mr. Ssitrit forthwith.
This was seconded by the Rev. Mr. Ileum
Mr. Alderman KING then moved a Resolution, no-
minating the Officers, Secretary, Sec. for the ensuing,
year, and was seconded by the Rev. Mr. Glum'''.
Alt these Resolutions were carried unanimously.

Thanks were dien voted to Lord GANBIZR, &C. jtc;
and at ten O'clock at night the Meeting dispersed,