Star.
London, England, 1825-02-07 00:00:00

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PUBLIC MEETING AT coLyrotv.
A Public Meeting orrhe owners and occupiers of
Land and Houses, in Colyton (Devon), and its vicinity,
was held on Friday last, at the Justice Room, atathe
Dolphin Inn, in that town; to take into consideration
the proposed Ship Canal.
The number of persons %slier attended. was at the
least a him ired; a great proportion of whom were evi-
dently persons of the first respectability and consequence
n that part of the country.
TRYON Snot, of Bovey House, Esq. having been
called on to take the Chair said, the only possible re-
commendation he could have to the honour of presiding
at so respectable a Meeting, was that his property would
be in no degree, that he was aware of, affected by the
measure, to consider of which she Meeting had assem-
bled. Destitute of any motive to partiality, he had con-.
Dented to the proposition, and it would now be for any
Gentleman to propose or Yecommend any matter he
might think fit to the consideration of the Meeting.
JAMES KINGD N, Esq. said—l trust I shall not be
considered as obtruding myself in submitting to your
consideration a 'Resolution which I hold in my hand.
The object for which we are assembled is so well
known to you all that it requires little from me in she
way of explanation. A measure is in contemplation
which deeply affects us, and there can be rio impro-
priety in our freely discussing its merits. Entertaining
as I do a very strong opinion on the subject of that
great undertaking which is about to commence in our
neighbourhood, it is not surprising that I should take
part in the proceedings of the day. My personal cos.
venience might be best consulted, if the attempt to
make a Ship Canal were to be defeated ; but when II
calculate upon the immense public benefits which it
promises to my country, and in particular to this part of
it—when 1 recollect instances have known of misery
and degradation which have been the obvious effects of
that illicit traffic carried on by the inhabitants of Bees
and Seaton, for the want of some legal and proper
means of procuring for themselves and their families a
livelihood, and which illicit trade and all its evil conse-
quences will, in my opinion, be put an end to for eve?,
by the formation of a Barbour at Beer,—when to this 1
add the reflection that thousands of brave men have
found a watery grave, in consequence of the want of
such a Harbour, and such a communication between
the two Channels, as that which it is now proposed to
firm, I cannot but wish that I might hold up both
hands instead of one, in favour of so important and no-
ble a measure as the one proposed. It is therefore with
great confidence that I submit to the Meeting the Re-
solution I will now read.
JOSEPII CARSLAKE, of Montfield-house, Esq. se-
conded this Resolution.
HatirarCoaaae, Esq. said—That Sir,which is chiefly
wanting in this part of the country is some means of
profitable o:cupation. Smuggling is not matter of
choice to these people, but of hard and perilous neces-
ei y, and when I have asked them why they pursue it?
the answer is ready,—sbew us some other, means of
getting support. We and our children must live
Knowing as I do, then, the great occasion for that very
work which is about to be taken in hand, how could I
fail to take an interest in such a proceeding ? and since
it occurred to us, that our address to the Parliament of
our country in favour of this noble undertaking might
not be without its use, I have contemplated such a mew
sure with delight, and have been anxious to bear a Dart
in a proceeding so honourable to the understandings and
feelings of the Gentlemen who surround me.' The vety
luminous and able reports of Mr. Telford and Captain I
Nicholls were sent to me by Sir William Pole, I have
read them, as we have all, with the deepest attention.
Can there be now, Sir, any difference of opinion on
this subject—does not every one of us see prospects
most cheering, and benefits most certain in the proposed
measure, not only to the poor inhabitants of these parts,
but to that great country to which we have the honour
and the happiness to belong ? Surely, then, we must be
all ready to join in the expression of that opinion which
I have endeavoured to express in the resolution I hold
in ray hand, and which I will now, Sir, with your per-
mission, read.
This Resolution was seconded by a Gentleman whose
name we did not learn.
CORDON, Esq. asked if Sir William Pole had ap-
proved of ti:ts Meeting, or if he had authorized any
person to sign a petition on his behalf ?
Mr. PAYNS said that he had received a letter from
Sir W. Pole, which was as follows:
lITRACT 07 • LETTER FROM AIR WILLIAM TOLE TO WILLIAM
PAYNT.
" Ilfracombe, near Barnstaple, Jan. 26, 1825.
" Dlt MAL Sta—By this time I conclude that you have read
the Resolutions passed at Axminster, relative to the Ship Canal,
and now the scheme will so.in reach a crisis—to be, or not to be, is
now the question. I am decidedly for theCanal,and so is Lord Rolle."
A letter was also read to the Meeting from Sir W.
Po e, addressed to Mr. Corbyn, requesting that Gentle-
man to assure the Meeting that he had given his con-
sent to the proposed measure, and that no circumstance
on earth should induce him to join in the oppositioa to it.
Mr. KINGDON said—Sir, abundantly satisfactory as
are t' e letters a suring us of Sir W. Pole's approval of
this object, I have yet to learn that even if Sir William
Pole had differed from us in opinion on this subject,
that circumstance should have precluded us from peti-
tioning the Houses of Parliament, or expressing any
Resolution on which we could agree. We live, Sir, in
a free country, and are, I hope, free men. After some
cicarltory conversation as to the reading or publishing
tl e letters of Sir W. Pole, in which Mr. King don and
Mr. Gordon took part, the first _proposed and the latter
seconded the third Resolution.
Mr. Corbyn proposed the fourth Resolution, which
was seconded by Samuel Sampson, Esq.
The Petition which Mr. Payne presented, having
been read by the Chairman,
W. PAYNE, of Colyton House, Esq.s poke as follows:
—lt may be expected, by some Gentlemen present, that
I should assign a reason for the part I have taken in
the business before us, which, with your permission, I
will endeavour to do in a few words. I beg, then, to
s4}•, to the Canal, separately (by the term separately,
I mean unconnected with the Harbour at Beer), I am
t,o friend, wid for two reasons; first, because it is are
invasion as well as the destruction of my own property;
aced, sezondly, from an apprehension I entertain
c
wat obstacles may wise in the progress of the work
will prevent its completion. My apprehension,
forever, -1
reaaby acknowledge, may be traced, and
perhaps justly, to my entire ignorance in matters of the
hke nature ; , but, Sir, for the sake of argument, if you
please,
I will admit the practicability of the measure to
's promised extent; even then, I will say to the ad-
venturers En this vast and splendid project (for vast and
:Illendid it most assuredly is)-, if you calculate upro
drawing one guinea of remuneration from your capital
and labour, you will reckon without your host; that

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