Star.
London, England, 1818-11-20 00:00:00

occasionally be made nse of as a place of religions
worship, or for any such useful purpose. In the con-
tract, which was afterwards signed, the word " occa-
sionally" was omitted ; and soon after the completion
of the building, some of the Committee became de •
sirous of engrafting a regular Dissenting Conven-
ticle on the School Establishment. For this purpose
a dissenting teacher, named William Marshall, was
employed to give extempore lectures, which he con-
Itinued to do for some time, but was at length dis-
missed, on account of his representations being dis-
covered to be false. Immediately on his dismissal,
another teacher, named Robert Stephen Maclrall, was
invited to take the part of Chaplain, at a salary of
£1.14) per annum, which was afterwards increased to
' £l7O, and paid by quarterly collections. This last
preacher was brother-in-Taw of the superintendant,
John Whittaker. Thus by the influence of the super
intendant and of the greater part of the Committee,
' the order of the trust was subverted, and the doc-
trines of Dissenters from the Church of England
were disseminated; and instead of the doctrines of
the established religion, the doctrines founded on the
broad basis of universal philanthropy were inculca-
ted.. The room thus altered into a Conventicle, was
ornamented with a gallery, and a new organ was
about to be placed in it.
Mr. Baron GARROW inquired, if the person who
of as preacher was regularly ordained?
Mr. DAUNCEY replied, that he understood he was
not in orders, but that he had graduated in Edin-
burgh. For his part he was unacquainted with the
different systems of religious belief followed, by the
parties in question, butie contended that this School:
could not lawfully be converted into a dissenting
conventicle, where adults of every age were to as-,
semble at stated hours on Sunday, and thus subvert
the original intent, which was that the poor children
should be there instructed. He was aware that there
were voluminous affidavits, on the other side, which
among other things would state, that the two 'peti-
tioners were influenced thus to bring the whole es-
tablishment for investigation into a Court of Justice,
because two itinerant preachers or a favourite system
were not permitted to descant upon their doctrines
in the conventicle: The subversion of the original
purpose was solely of consequence in his opinion, and,
it would be obvious when it was known that the
Clergymen belonging to the Established- Church,
who reside in the town, no longer frequented the
place of instruction. Ile was prepared with affidavits
to substantiate the truth of the assertions which he
had made.

The affidavits of the petitioners were then read by
the officer of Court, which tended to substantiatethe
facts as already related.
Mr. SPENCE followed on the same side, and read
extracts from the Book of Resolutions and Reports
of the Institution since its foundation, to prove that
the School was intended for the instruction of the
'Children in religious knowledge, according to the es-
t iblished doctrines.
Mr. MARTIN, on behalf of -the opponents, stated
he was Counsel for nineteen of the Committee, who
were thus openly assailed by two of their own body,
of whose motives' for such an attack he would not
now speak. The case was of importance not only to the
inhabitants of Macclesfield, but to the public, for it
embraced a wide scope, that of liberty of instruct-
ing their children in their religious duties. The pre-
sent application arose from an idea that the object
of the charity had been-rubverted, but that this was
impossible would be clear to reflecting persons, who
knew there were at present more than 2200 children
belonging to that populous district, who received the
benefits of education and religious instruction each
Sunday at the school. The present Lord Chancellor
afforded to the parties in question an advice, which
was certainly salutary. In the case of "the Attorney
General,. Fowler," which was one similar to the
present, instituted by one party of dissenters 'against
another, Lord Eldon told the parties that they ought
'to settle their differences before application was made
to him, for his intervention not unfrequently was
productive of no other result than a total dissolution
of the charity. Though it was his hope that this
result would not follow the present application, he
regretted that the recommendation of the Lord Chan-
cellor was not adopted, for it would at least prevent
the present discussion, which must be unpleasant to
both parties. The charity, the foundation of which
was this day investigated, was established by a be-
nevolent individual, more than twenty years since,
who seeing in this populous town. and its vicinity
many children who could never expect, from the
nature of their employments, to receive the advan-
tages of education or of religious instruction; except
on the day appointed for the- worship of the Deity,
resolved to exert himself to procure this happiness
for these helpless infants, who being sent at the early
age of five years to laborious employments, could
scarce hope for the attainment of this invaluable bles-
sing. For this purpose he caused to be distributed
among the inhabitants, printed papers, expressive of
his wishes and explaining the meins of carrying them
into execution. The clergy of the town, and among
them one in particular, Mr. Simpson, a truly worthy
man, encouraged the generous undertaking, and fos-
tered it, with all his care. Although his friend, Mr.
Dauncey, had sareastically spoken of the broad
basis of universal philanthrophy, the object of this
institution would insure from every true lover of the
country, the tribute of his heartfelt approbation.--
The school was originally intended t 3 be established
on the system introduced by Joseph Lancaster, and
as such continued for years to scatter among many
the great blessings of education. None but malevo-
lence itself could quarrel with an institution, thus
formed to lessen the sum of human wretchedness ;
and the Court would, he trusted, support instead of
ruining such a noble undertaking. Notwithstanding
the insidious remarks of its object being to extend
the ramifications of a particular sect, it would be
admitted that no doctrines destructive of morality
were there inculcated. 'Benevolence still influenced
its founder, who yet lived to see the happy 'results of
his philanthropy, asd the present as well as the for-
mer instructors of the children derived no other emo-
lument from their labour than the gratification of
having performed the noblest of human duties. With
respect to the contributions, the individuals who gave
their money to the support of a preacher, whose per-
son therloved, and whose doctrines they revered,
well knew to what purpose the :money was dedicat-
ed ; and in the same manner they who gave motley

"iliiiii3S.ftirthering the instruction of the children,
could know how their money was expended, for re-
gular accounts were kept of the receipts and expen-
diture of the school. Admitting even that this school
was founded by dissenters, the laws of the country
would afford thersi protection. They procured the
house in which instruction was given, and the laws
would protect them in the enjoyment of their property.
Mr. Baron GARROW asked, how they obtained
possession of the ground on which the building was
erected ?

Mr. RTIN stated, that they had obtained a lease
for 999 years ; find then proceeded to read various
extracts from the Reports of the School, illustrative
of the general philanthropy which guided the persons
who estahlished and conducted it, without any parti-
cular reference to doctrinal creeds.

Mr. Baron GARRoW inquired if the children still
continued to frequent the Church on Sunday, as in
the commencement?

, Mr. MARTINI replied in the affirmative ; all the
children could not be present at Divine Service at
the same time for want of room, but they went re-
gularly in turn. To the objections published by the
Clergyman of the Established Church, satisfactory
replies could be given. With respect to the objection
arising from the practice of writing not being dis-
used, it would not be beneficial to relinquish insuuct-
ing the children in an art which is always extremely
useful; and with regard to the objection arising from
the not preventing the children from joining in
prayer with any lay visitors, the practice was intro-
' laced prior to I qtl, and was followed, because the
'children not having room in the chnrch,they would
otherwise be turned out into the lanes and fields.—
The doctrines of the Church of England were tau ht
in the school, and her catechism was taught. Mr.
Whittaker, the Founder of the School, was assisted
in the beginning of it by Mr. Simpson, who always
exhorted exteinporaneously the children as well as
adults, for the latter also were permitted to receive
religious instruction. The objection therefore against
adults was of no avail. But wl.o were they who
petitioned against the continuance of the present
modes? Two persons, Who at the time, when the
Clergyman of the Established Church separated
from the Committee, exerted themselves most ; one
of them, Mr. Roberts, made some very severe reflec-
tions. The jurisdiction of. the Court did not extend
to the voluntary contributions of individuals, for
they were at liberty to give to whom they chose.—
The money collected could not therefore be the sub-
ject of decision. In relation to the deed,. on which
the application of the room to the purposes of a con-
venticle, as it was sarcastically called, was founded,
no prohibition existed in it, why it should not be so
employed. The present application was against the
whole body of the Proprietors of the School-house,
against the whole Committee, two persons only ex-
cepted, against three thousand respectable
duals, who frequented this place of worship. The
Court would require stronger proofs than those al-
ready given, before they would disturb the peaceful
worship of so numerous a congregation, .an‘hefore
they would deprive two thousand two hundred help-
less children of the benefits of instruction and religion.
The LORD CHIEF Bsaoi postponed the further
bearing of the case ; and at the same time particu-
larly recommended to the parties to promote peace
and harmony among themselves as much as possible.
•

DISTURBERS OF THE Da AD.—Before the -openin g
of the Office at Union Hall, yesterday morning) an
immense crowd had collected at the doors, and, upon
their being thrown open, the multitude so Occupied
the different parts of the Office that business was for
a considerable time suspended. At about one o'clock,
however, the Rev. Dr. Harper, the Minister of the
Meeting-house in the London-road, leading from the
Obelisk to Newington, came to Union Hall, for the
purpose of developing to the Magistrates the offences
long practised in the burial-grottnd that adjoins
According to the statement he voluntarily made, the
burial-ground was the property of a Mr. Crawford,
who had for 83 years used it as Fith, till it had be-
come so crammed that the bodies there interred
were scarcely, if at all covered with earth, heaps of
human bones being seen in every part of the inclo-
sure. He .had seen persons in the offensive act of
hewing the .mortal frame to pieces, while he himself
was performing the last service for the dead. Per-
sons had supposed that the burial-ground was con-
nected with the building in which he continued to
preach, but the supposition was unfounded. He de-
scribed the character and condition of Mr. Craw.
ford's burial-ground in the most abhorrent but ap•
propriate terros.—Heion, the night constable of St.
George's, in the Borough, not only felt it proper to
corroborate what the Rev. Dr. Harper had stated at
large, but intimated his belief that the sexton's assis•.
taut was privy to the depredations which had been
-committed in the burial-ground near Dr. II:1.13es
Chapel. He was assured by persons who inhabited
the houses on the skirts of the ground, that deal-
boards had been placed so as to prevent their seeing
from their windows the enormities still committed in-
it. Sunday last, about six o'clock in the morning,
the assistant sexton was observed to uprise a body
from a new-made grave, and wheel it away in a
barrow.—The Sitting Magistrate said, he regretted
that the persons who had been seen removing the
bodies were not before him ; as, in that case, his
course would be perfectly clear.

•
CIIILD STOLEN.—Yesterday an immense crowd
was attracted to Bow-street Office, on the report that
Mr. Horsley's child was discovered. It tur:1,.:,1 out,
however, that the -infant in question was the child
stolen by Mary Ann Gregory, as mentioned vester-
day, from No. 45, Kent-street, in the Boi.ough, and
is only ten rnonths old—Hedgway is the name of its
parents.—William Nesbett, beloupin47, to St. Cle-
ment Danes, stated, that about two o clock, yester-
day afternoon, he discovered the child among' a
crowd of people, near St. Clement's-Line, stripped.
and crying, and perishing, with cold, in the passage
of ahouse belonging to a poor woman, who wrapped
it in a blanket and laid it before the fire, aad in a
short time it began to recover, when she ic.ok it into
her lap, and shortly after a woman entered her house
claiming the child as her's ; however •she was ,deter-
mined not to part with it till she had described it
properly, which she accordingly did, and the infant
on heal ing hor voice raised hiinsalf and knew his mo-
ther, who had bees distracted since Tueiday after-
noon at the loss of him. The natural feelings at
meeting with her lost infant it is impossible to de-