Star.
London, England, 1823-08-29 00:00:00

MERCHANT AND FACTOR.

MASONIC INTELLIGENCE.

VIRTUES OF FREEMASONRY.
Feria aninsipreferre, viten altisendere Vero. -

The forms and ceremonies of Freemasonry, in themselves, are
little more than visionary delusions: they are the 'bedew, not
the substance. Yet they are necessary; and, from their effects,
are sometimes important. When they impress awe and reve-
rence on the mind, and attract the attention to solemn rites, they
become peculiarly interesting; still they are of no value, except
In so far as they produce a regard to the spirit or principle of
the institution itself. We only use them, therefore, as being the
handmaids to our feeling—the power of the moral and beneficial
Influence of the art. We strive to make our science subservient
to the purpose of strengthening in our hearts benevolence and
liberal dispositions, which have for their immediate object a re-
verence for the Goo of the Uwe's'', and sincere and hearty
tood-will to all mankind.
In our respective sphere, as men and Masons, we ought to be
the friends of everything that is beneficial to society, to culti-
vate each moral and social virtue, and snake our fundamental
principle live, by exhibiting in our lives and actions an unfeigned
brotherly love to each other, and to all mankind; a cheerful
communication of relief to istreased brethren and fellow-crea-
tures, and an invariable adherence to truth and sincerity in all
we ray and do. We ought by our exemplary conduct to con-
vince the world that, by being Masons we are better men; re-
membering, that a bad man, though within the pale of our insti-
tution, is not a Mason--or rather it may be said that an impious
'and dissolute Mason is a disgrace to human nature, by having
Ibroken his initiating vows, both as a Christian and a brother.—
'To support Masonry, therefore, in the exalted station it merits,
none ought to be admitted to a participation in its advantages,
but such as will reflect credit upon the institution.
Masonry is so general, that it unites, in one fraternal circle, all
nations, all languages, and all religions; and is a combination of
all the social virtues which concern mankind, and which can
bind man to man, and cannot be injured by the taunts or malice
of the ttninitiated : it is a divine science, founded on the strictest
principles of universal charity—it is a divine light, which shines
in darkness—it is a small still voice understood by all people,.
nations, and languages—it is a mystevious chart, which.guides
the wandering foot of man through tempestuous life, and teaches
him to avoid its rocks and sands—it is a heavenly pilot which
steera the shattered bark of affliction into.the harbour of eternal
peace. In it the shipwrecked seaman finds a friendly home in
every distant clime, even among his most deadly national ene-
mies; and the destroying sword of the conquering foe has often
been turned aside by the mystic sign of a defeated brother sol-
-slier, and his life been preserved, even on the plains of Waterloo.

BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR or POPE

PIUS VII.

GRIBOORY BARNAII CIUARAMONTI, the late Pon-
tiff; was born at Cesena, in the Romagna, on the 14th
of August, 1742, and elected POPE, at Venice, on
the 14th of March, 1800; he was therefore at the
time of his decease, in the 82d year of his age, and in
the 24th of his Pontificate.
This venerable personage was Bishop of Imola in
1796, when Bonaparte entered that town with his
army; and the reception which the French expe-
rienced from the Prelate was so charitable and mild
as to secure to the latter the favour of the Republican
General, whose influence was supposed to have been
afterwards employed in promoting him to the Car-
dinal's purple, and finally to the Pontificate. Pius VI.
died in captivity at Valence, in 1798, at the advanced
age of eighty-two ; but it was not till March
1800, that it was found possible to proceed to the
election of his successor, when Cardinal Chiaramonti
being chosen, assumed the name of Pius VU. He
did not take possession of Rome itself till November,
1801, when a medal was struck there, with the in-
scription, Sol refulget. His occupation of the throne
was marked by an act of liberality, in remitting to
the distressed inhabitants of Pesaro their taxes. He
also made many promotions, particularly conferring
the honour of knighthood on the celebrated Canova.
In the years 1800 and 1801, he caused no less than
ten vacancies in the College of Cardinals to be filled
up, amoog which was the nomination of his private
Secretary, Hercules Consalvi, whom be also appointed
Secretary of State. In February, 1802, he received
at Rome, with great pomp, the body of his venerable
predecessor, which Bonaparte caused to be trans-
ported thither, wishing to conciliate the good. opi-
nion of the Catholics. Steps indeed had already
been taken by the First Consul to reconcile France
to the Church of Rome, and with this view a Con-
cordat was signed on the 25th of July, 1801, and
Pius VII. in September following, sent Cardinal Ca-
prara as his Legate a Latere to Paris; together with
the Bull of Ratification of the Concordat. A new
circumscription of Dioceses was agreed upon, and
the Legate was authorised to institute the new
Archbishops and Bishops. On the 24th of May,
1802, his Holiness delivered a remarkable allocu-
tion on this subject in' a secret Consistory.
When Bonaparte assumed the Imperial title, he per-
suaded Pius VII. to come to Paris to crown him.
The latter delivered an allocution on this subject on
the 29th of October, 1804 ; left Rome on the 2d of
November, and reached Fontainebleau, where Bona-
parte received him in great state, on the 25th of that
month. On the 2d of December the Coronation took
place, and from this time Bonaparte, having obtained
all that he wanted of the Pope, began to prepare for
depriving him of all his power. "At one time,"
says he to Mr. O'Meara, " I had it in contemplation
to take away all his temporal power, and make him
my Almoner." In the third volume of Las Cases'
Journal, Bonaparte is described as speaking in most
contemptuous terms of the discussions which took
place on the part of the Pope with him at this period.
On the 16th of May, 1805, the Pope reached Rome
on his return, and was received with great joy by his
subjects. In the course of 1807, Bonaparte having
made many demands on Pius VII. with a threat of
occupying his capital on non-compliance, the latter,
on the 2d of February, 1808, published a solemn pro-
test against such occupation. This was answered on
the 2d of April following by a Decree, in which Bo-
naparte said, " considering that the Pope had con-
stantly refused to make war on the English, the pro-
vinces of Ancona, Urbino, and Macerata should be
annexed to the kingdom of Italy." His Holiness sent
a deputation to pray that the rigour of this Decree
might be softened, but Bonaparte replied to them,—
"Your Bishop is the Spiritual Chief of the Church,
but I am its Emperor :" and on the 17th of May,
1809, he issued a Decree, annexing the Pontifical
States to the French Empire. Pius VII. opposed to
all these violences nothing but the purest Christian
humility, but he combined with it the most unbend-
ing firmness. He never would anathematise the Eng-
lish nation—he never would make war on them—he
never would declare that they were the enemies of
the Church. Bonaparte caused him to be seized by
night, and dragged, at nearly 70 years of age, from
Rome to Fontainebleau, where be was kept as a State
prisoner until his downfal in 1814, when he was im-
mediately restored to his dominions, and proceeded
to revisit them without delay, His Proclamation at
Cesena, on the 24th of May, on his return, is highly
interesting, and exhibits a mind of great strength at
so late a period of life. The same day he once more
re-entered Rome, in the midst of a population enthu-
siastically delighted at his restoration. He imme-
diately employed himself in re-organising all the
public institutions, and has ever since devoted himself
unceasingly to the affairs of the Church, leaving the
direction of civil and :emporal affairs almost wholly
to his Minister, Cardinal Consalvi.
Pius VII. was admitted by Bonaparte himself to
be'mild and amiable; he abounded in real Christian
charity ; and, though so long subiected to the most
unjust persecutions, never evinced the least symptom
of a vindictive spirit towards his enemies; whilst to
his friends or benefactors, and particularly to the Eng-
lish Nation and Government, he always testified the
warmest gratitude.

Lord MACDONALD having arrived at Armadale
Castle, from England, has generously transmitted to the Trea-
surer of the Northern Infirmary, a donation of 401. and to the
Treasurer of the Education Society, a donation of SOL -
Thursday se'nnight, an Inquest was held at Dews-
bury, before Mr. BROOK, Coroner, on the body of
John Jones, aged three years (son to the Rev. Mr.
Jones, of that place), who fell into a tub of boiling-
hot liquor, and was scalded to death. Verdict—Ac-
cidental Death.

Within the space of eight months have died, in the
small parish ,of Hank Hucknall, near Chesterfield,
eight persons, whose united ages amount to upwards
of years.--(Total of the parish, 605 persons). '

•
Between the years 1811 and 1821, the population
of the West Riding of Yorkshire increased 21 per cent.
that of the East Riding IS per cent. and that of the
North Riding ten per cent. The population of Lan-
cashire. within the same period, increased 25 per cent.
of Durham 15 per cent. of Lincolnshire 17 pee. cent. oil
Derbyshire IS.per cent, of Westawiland 10 per. cwt.
of Middle:es 19.

•
Yesterday a Meeting was held at the City of Lon-
don Tavern, to receive the Report of the Committee,
which had been appointed at the first General Meet-
ing, which was convened on the Ist of May, to con-
sider the state of the law as it regards the relative
situations of Merchant add Factor. The Meeting was
by no means numerous.
At one o'clock, on the motion of T. WILSON, Esq.
M.P. J. SMITH, Esq. M.P. was voted into the Chair.
He said he hoped they would allow him to make a
few remarks on the subject. A Committee of Par-
liament had been appointed to inquire into the evils
of the law of Merchant and Factor, which were not
well known before. The Committee displayed great
zeal and ability, and a Bill was brought in by an
unanimous vote of the Committee, which, in his
judgment, applied remedies for all the evils; but they
found themselves severely opposed by some legal
persons in the House of Commons, who looked only
to the legal notion of the great benefit arising from
the 'Dower of allowing Factors to pledge goods. He
could state that Mr. Wallace and Mr. Huskisson were
in favour of their measure. Notwithstanding the op-
position which they met with, they brought forward
their measure ; but the opposition they met with,
caused them to take an inadequate remedy, but
which was better than none, inasmuch as the ques-
tion had been brought before the Public and the
House of Commons, and was now better understood
than before. Their Bill was now reduced to two
clauses. It consisted of a clause, giving a Consignee
the same lien on goods, whether they are the pro-
perty of the Consignor or not ; and the second clause
gave the Consignee a lien on goods on which he had
advanced money, whether they were the property of
the Consignor or not. _ There was, however, no re-
, medy under the Bill, unless the goods were accom-
panied by bills of lading. This was not at all an
adequate remedy ; and he therefore recommended
union among the commercial world, and suggested
the propriety of having a permanent Board, to watch
over their interests—(Applause). The Report would
now be read, which he begged to recommend to their
particular attention ; doubting not but that they
would recommend to them to pursue the objects in
which they had failed with all the ardeur and zeal
in their power.
Mr: HALL (the Hanoverian Consul), then read the
Report of the Committee. The principle of the re-
commendation made by it to the House of Commons
was, that the property in goods consigned should be
held to be in the possessor of them. It concluded by
expressing a confident expectation, that in a future
Session the whole measure would be carried.
Mr. MILLS shortly shoved, that the Report should
be agreed to, and adopted by the Meeting.
Alderman THOMPSON seconded the motion ; which
was carried unanimously.
Mr. Straw expressed his gratification at the mea-
sures pursued, and the result produced, considering
that they commenced their exertions at so late a pe-
riod of the Session. They now stood on the ground
so lately occupied by their opponents. He could not
help regretting, that they had not a Representative
Body of the Mercantile Interest, which, to use a gram-
matical expression, was a disjunctive conjunction.—
He trusted that no long time would be suffered to
elapse before they had a Meeting, to consider the
best means of establishing a Chamber of Commerce.
He was sure that Government would, applaud the
measure; as such bodies had been established in.
Manchester and Liverpool, at the recommendation of
Government itself. He then moved a Resolution,
expressing their satisfaction at what had been done
in Parliament ; but pledging them to pursue their ob-
ject to its final completion.—Carried unanimously.
Mr. Buczt:e moved the thanks of the Meeting to
the Committee ; and expressed his conviction, that the
interests of commerce could not be left in abler hands.

Mr. WOOL ASTON suggested, that the Committee
be requested to consider the expediency of establish-
ing a Chamber of Commerce, which had been found
so advantageous at Glasgow and Dublin. Had there
been a Chamber of Commerte in London, the Mer-
chants would not have been in ignorance of the law,
in which they had long continued. He had formerly
nearly succeeded in establishing such a Board, and
he knew that the Government was favourable to such
a measure.

The CHAIRMAN thought it better to allow the Re-
solutions to go on in the regular course, and then pro-
pose a 'Resolution for the purpose proposed.
T. WILSON, Esq. M.P. moved the thanks of the
Meeting to the Hon. Chairman, to whose exertions in
this matter, as well as imthe amendment of the Bank-
rupt Laws, they were so deeply indebted.
Alderman Mumma seconded the motion. He had
no doubt the measure would be completed in the next
Session, as his Majesty's Government were, one and
all, favourable to
Mr. SMITH assured them, that the greatest point of
his ambition, was to deserve the good opinion of his
fellow-citizens. He assured them of his unwearied
exertions in behalf of their common object.
Mr. Fazasa moved the thanks of the Meeting to
T. WiLsoN, Esq.- and the other Members of Parlia-
ment, who supported this measure. He was delighted
to find that there was every prospect of speedily pos-
sessing a Chamber of Commerce, as there was scarcely
a mercantile place in die country that had not a
body of this description. When they knew that the
trade of London was running away from them, would
they not have a rallying point to bring it back to, or
to prevent it from going farther ? He had been in
the North, where he had been tauntingly told, that
the trade of London was gone, because their Mer-
chants were all Lords, and had left the City far the
West-end of the town.---Carried unanimously.
T. WILSON, Esq. returned thaaks.
-A. LoucinsAn, Esq. moved, that copies of the Re-
rbe sent to Lord Liverpool, Mr. Wallace, Mr.
skisson, &e.
Mr.- HALL moved the thanks of the Meeting to
Mr. Freshfield, their Solicitor, fit the unwearied zeal
and ability with which he had conitucted their affairs.
Mr. WOOLASTON seconded the motion ; for a more
able Report had never been published than that which
Mr. Freshfield had drawn up. The lawyers must
be obliged to hi.n, as he had opened their eyes.
Mr.%IALL said the lawyers were not at all in-
debted to Mr. Freshfield, for all his exertions had
gone to lessen the processes of law—(4 kik). •
Mr. Fassunsix returned thanks. The Metchants g

of London had at all times a Tien to command
best services.
Mr. WOOLASTON then moved, that the Committet
be requested to inquire into the expediency of form.
ing a Chamber of Commerce in the City of Londm,
and to report thereon at a future Meeting ; bnt
consented to adopt a more comprehensive motion, ta.
the same effect, drawn up by Mr. Hall, which wai
unanimously adopted. The Meeting then dispersed.

Among the respectable persons present were
J. Smith, Esq. M.P. T. Wilson, Esq. M P. B. Shaer, Pst,
M.P. J. Martin,'Esq. M.P. Alderman Thompson, M.P. Akien.
man Bridges, M.P. R. Farranr, Esq. M.P. J. Magerntan,
Loughnan, J. W. Buckle, J. arinbridge, J. Hall, C. Alßio
&qrs. &c. &c.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.