Star.
London, England, 1829-11-02 00:00:00

TURN OUT AT OLDHAM.

For Rom' weeks a misunderstanding has existed be-
twixt Messrs. Gould and Cooper of this town, and their spinners,
iii consequence of which the latter gave notice to leave off work ;
and, at the expiration of that time (Monday last) they turned out.
Mears Could and Cooper wished to pay by the Manchester rates,
which are se much fot the score of hanks, whilst at Oldham they
pay by the dozen. The former would, In fact, amount to a deduc-
tion from their workmen's wages, they therefore resisted it, and
left their work in a body. Thus the Manchester " turn-out" is
still operating, and. it is probable that one of the consequences
will be a series of struggles throughout the whole of this district.

IRISH PRIESTS.

From the Monthly Magazine.

Considering the industrious operations of the Priest-
hood, it Is not strange that the Irish peasantry should be servile
and demised. They really have no intelligence beyond that natural
acuteness and mother-wit with which Nature has gifted them, and
which even priesteraft cannot eradicate. But the temptations by
which they they are surrounded render that acuteness a dangerous
quality; and afford them opportunities of turning it to the worst
account; and they will avail themselves liberally of the accident.
Not alone must we condemn the Priests for what they do, but
what they do not do. When we contrast the cleanliness, decency,
and good habits of the English, with the sloth, grossness, and bad
habits of the Irish, we cannot omit observing that the fault lies
with the Priests, who are, or ought to be, the moral pdice of the
country. The Irish funeral is a scene of uproar, drunkenness, and
riot : an English funeral is a scene of decorum, decency, and quiet
piety. Who is to blame tot this ? The Priest who mingles in the
unholy revel, and chooses that moment of unnatural exultation
for the collection of his eleemosynary tribute money. Why does
not the Priest reform these savage and disgraceful customs? Be-
cause his interest is bound op in their continuance; because he sub-
sists by the utter depredation of his species ; and because he has
not enough of virtue to sacrifice his own views to the good of his
fellow-creatures.

NEW SIGNS of the TIMES. PARISH ASSESS-
MENT by a PRIEST es a PROTESTANT.

" Taxation no Tyranny" was le of one of Dr. Johnson's
political pamphlets. Had the Doctor lived in our days he might
have learned that the State is no monopolist of taxation—that there
is another power which assumes and employs a right of tax—and
that taxation and tyranny may be very closely and cordially
united. In illustration of the remark just made, it has been com-
municated to us—and upon authority which is not to be suspected,
—that, about a fortnight since, an application was made to a re-
spectable person holding a fum in the parish of Mahoony, in the
county of Limerick, by the usual and regular collector for the
Priest of the parish, requiring him to pay his subscription for the
building of the chapel. The gentleman alluded to excused himself,
in a written reply, to the collector's demand, that he was not a re-
sident in the parish—that the farm which he held in it was but a
short time in his possession—that be considered it sufficient to pay
for the chapel in the parish of which he was a resident—and that it
was unreasonable to require hint to contribute to any other. To
this reply there was a written reiolades, in thkbandwriting of the
collector already alluded to, of whkh our inforMant, who is as re-
spectable a gentleman as any in the roomy, jiwoured us with
the following extract, omitting that •.part of it, which was pecu-
liarly remarkable for, asperity :
" I was not explicit enough in the letter which I transmitted to
you—A regular assessment was made on the parish, which, at Bd.
per acre, will not be ssi&nt to complete the edifice without the
aid of the charitable and well•disposed gentlemen. residents and
non-residents, who possess land in the parish. The Rev. Dr.
desires I would apply to you for your moiety thereof, which is:—
The amount of WO acres of at ed. per acre, A% th. ed."
The gentleman to whom we are indebted fur this extract is per-
fectly well acquainted with the handwriting of the Priest's tax-
collector, with the parties and the circumstances ' • and, therefore,
the authenticity of what has been stated is unquestionable. From
what has been said, it might be supposed that this arrogant pre-
tension was attempted to be exercised over Roman Catholics; but
what will be our readers' surprise when we assure them that the
gentleman to whom we allude is a Protestant—that the Priest of a
parish presumed to tax a Protestant in his property at an acreable
rate—out of his authority. and by virtue of his own special com-
mend.—Cork Constitution.