The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-12-04 00:00:00

to as proving his innocence. Mr. Phillips says Courvoi-
sier confessed to him on the Friday that he was the mur-
derer of Lord William Russell. On the Saturday Mr.
Phillips twice solemnly declared that " the omniscient God
alone knew who did the crime." Mr. Phillips knew of
Courvoisier's guilt, and yet he stigmatised the police who
apprehended the wretch and gave evidence against him, as
"villains," "miscreants," and "conspirators." Although
when he addressed the jury on the Saturday he was aware
of the undoubted guilt of Courvoisier, he tried to terrify,
the jury by telling them that "the memory of their ver-
dict would never die within them. It would accompany
them in their walks, it would follow them in their solitary
retirerfents like a shadow, it would haunt them in theirsleep
and hover round their bed ; it would take the shape of an
accusing spirit, and confront and condemn them before
the judgment seat of their God. So let them beware how
they acted." Other evidence is brought forth by the
Examiner.

CLERICAL INTELLIGENCE

The ease of Gorham v. the Bishop of Exeter, is fixed
to be heard on the 11th Dec.

The large estates of the late Mr. Goring, M.P., will be
inherited by his brother, the Rev. John Goring, of Wiston.
The Mastership of the Charter-house at Hull is vacant
by the death of the Rev. George Moore Carrick. The
value of the living is in the gift of the Corporation.
At the court of the Haberdashers' Company, on Satur-
day, the Rev. Henry Melville was chosen to the Golden
Lectureship, vacant by the resignation of the Rev. Thos.
Dale.

The Tractarians have had a correspondence with Dr.
Hinds, Bishop elect of Norwich, in which his lordship
repudiates the inferences drawn from his writings, and
considers the erroneous doctrines those inferences involve
as false and wrong. The tractarians are satisfied.
The Rev. Dr. Warneford, in addition to a donation of
£5OO to the Diocesan Training Schools, which was an-
nounced some few weeks since, has sent to the Lord Bp.
of Gloucester and Bristol a like munificent donation of
£5OO (making altogether £1000), in aid of this great
scheme, for promoting the education of the children of
the poor on the principes of the Church of England.
BISHOP OF RUPERT LAND.—A subscription is now
going on for the purpose of raising a fundto erect and main-
tain a college in one of the villages of this interesting dio-
cese, where there are about 300 Indian converts. Among
the subscribers are the Hudson's Bay Company for £lOO,
the Earl of Selkirk £lOO, Benj. Harrison £lOO, Earl of
Harrowby £2O, T. D. Anderson, Liverpool, £2O, Adam
Hodgson £5. Mafly of the bishops of this country are also
contributors.

MUNIFICENT GIFT.—On the thanksgiving day, an in-
dividual at Worcester, who is not solicitous for his name
to be known, gave £2500 for such enlargement of his
church (St. Nicholas) as might be determined on. With-
out imposing positive stipulations, he has expressed the
following wishes, viz. :-1. That as many free sittings as
practicable shall be made on the ground floor. 2. That if
any pews are erected in any nea part of the church, they
may, by faculty from the Lord Bishop of the diocese, be
made over as rentable property to the rector of the parish
for the time being.
CURIOUS RUMOUR.—It is state

t one of the dis-

tinguished occupants of the judicial bench seriously con-
templates resigning his high office, and devoting the re-
mainder of his life to active exertions in the service of the
church,—not, of course, as a minister at her altar, for that
would be out of all question impracticable, but as a lay.
member, who has learning, and experience, and wealth,
combined with a deep sense of his responsibilities as hav-
ing so many talents committed to him, and who feels con-
strained to do his utmost to extend the blessings of the
church to his less fortunate countrymen.— Oxford Herald.

REV. JOHN HAMILTON FORSYTH, M.A.*

(From the Church and state Gazette.)

John Hamilton Forsyth was born at Anfield, near Li-
verpool, A.D. 1816. His father was an honest English
merchant—his mother a pious English lady. At the feet
of both, young Forsyth, with his brothers and sisters,
learned their duty to man and their duty to God : so
pleasing was the study of the latter to him that, from his
earliest years, Forsyth looked upon himself as consecrated
to the office of stewardship of the mysteries of God.

After a preparatory course of study under the Rev. C.
Prince, at Liverpool, young Forsyth proceeded in 1828,
and in company with his brother William, to King's
School, Sherborne, Dorset, then governed by the Rev.
Dr. Lyon. It was here that he had first to practise the
duty of self-government. Humble as he was in spirit,
there was a fire in his blood which often led him to the
commission of disobedience. The meek young scholar
was given to fighting his fellows, and it was not till after
vain reproof, on the third repetition of the offence, that
Dr. Lyon chastised the youthful offender and dismissed
him with a look. " Dr. Lyon's look (said Forsyth in re-
counting this circumstance) was so sorrowful as if disap-
pointed ; and 1 felt so completely the justice of the punish-
ment that I went down the school inwardly resolving that
I never more would incur that punishment or give cause
for that look"—and he kept his word. During the re-
mainder of the period of his sojourn, up to 1831, he
never incurred or merited reproach : be was the true re-
presentative of a bright Christian boy—full of spirits,
vigour, and good nature—and of such reputation that
parents asked as a favour to have their sons to share their
bed-room with young Forsyth. _ _ _

After a tarrying of two years by the paternal hearth,
Forsyth went in 1833 to Cambridge : he had previously
lost the mother that he loved. His estimation of her is
seen in his wcrds, that he considered himself as a monu-
ment of the value of her prayers. He studied hard—
learned heavenly wisdom from Simeon—and put it into
practice with young men of sentiments like his own. His
first year at Trinity would have been a happy year but for
the home sorrows which overshadowed it. Two of his
sisters descended into the grave : the young disciple com-
forted the sorrowing father ; and the son, in terms of
ripened wisdom, taught the parent how best to endure the
chastening of the Lord.
But his own griefs, or the sorrows of those dear to him,
never made him fail in his duty to others—still less could
trial make him selfish. He could, amid hard study, find
time to regulate the studies of young relatives at home,
and was ever looking around him to see where and to
whom he might be spiritually useful. Like Andrew, he
had found Christ ; and, like him too, he was not satisfied
until he had brought his brother to know the Messiah
also. His religious bearing was of so cheerful a character
that it brought him many followers whom austerity would
have driven back into sin ; but he had a smiling welcome
for all, and they who came as visitors tarried long with
him as sojourners.
His first object, in the way of college honours and pro-
fits, was a Trinity scholarship. He went up and failed ;
the result was perfectly natural, and carries with it a
warning. He had overstrained his faculties—the bow had
never been unbent—he had read, and read, and read, un-
til he obscured his own powers. Rest, and a healthier
system of study, restored health to him. His vigour came
all the sooner for not being too energetically aimed at ;
and, in 1838, he appeared in the list of honours as junior
optitne in mathematics and a first clansman in the classi-
cal tripos—a degree of which it is said that it was suffici-
ently creditable of itself, and indicating that he both
might and would have been much higher but for interrup-
tions to his course of study in the time between his leav-
ing Sherborne and his repairing to Cambridge—early,
important, and not easily retrievable years.
He resided in college, took pupils, and now laboured
more indefatigably than ever. From his labours, how-
ever, he sought occasional relaxation ; and the long vaca-
tion of the last-named year was spent by him in congenial
companionship at Inverary. If his heart was warmed and
made strong by the beauties and the air of the north, it
was soon sorely stricken by the intelligence of the death
of another sister. The inevitable angel had often crossed
the threshhold of his home, and the gentle spirit of death
had now beckoned away six out of the twelve that had
formed the circle at his father's hearth.

In 1839, he was ordained : he accepted the office im-
posed on him with fear, hope, joy, trembling, distrust,
confidence : fear, at his own presumed unworthiness ; joy,
at the thought that God was with him; hope, in the pro-
mise that his " Father" would abide with him ; trembling,
lest he should miss the path which he sought by prayer;
distrust, of his claim to exercise the great stewardship of
the vast mysteries of the Lord ; and a confidence above
all these that he who had buckled on the armour of faith
would not be left to fight the good fight unsupported.
His departure from Cambridge was accompanied by an
universal regret at his loss and an universal hope that he
would reap the rich reward to which alone he aspired.
He had been—as all men of similar character must be—
invaluable to the college where he had so long resided in
love and in honour; and when he left it, his own imme-
diate circle felt as though it had suddenly lost the sunshine.
His destination was Weston-super-Mare—his office,
curate to the Rev. Edward Wilson. His recommendation
came from Mr. Carus. " I have sent you (said that gen-
tleman to the incumbent of Weston)—l have sent you the
best B.A. in Cambridge." He did honour to the recom-
mendation: when he entered the pulpit to preach his first
sermon the auditory looked with mingled curiosity, anxiety
and favour, at the fair, youthful face of him who was
about to deliver to them the message of Christ. At the
close of his discourse he had knit to him the hearts of his
hearers : they recognized a truly-missioned ambassador
from God, and to honour him was as much a privilege as
a duty.
He was now in blooming health and buoyant spirits ;
and yet the rustle of the pinions of the Angel of Death
might already be heard in fancy upon the air. His labours
and the unreserved surrendering of himself to their per-
formance soon affected his vigour though they could not
bend his will. He sought, and temporarily recovered,
the blessing of health in a tour to Germany, Switzerland,
Italy and France ; and we have a strong impression that
we descended the Danube with him and his brother from
Linz to Vienna. However this may be, from the tour the
valetudinarian returned only to shatter his health in strug-
gles:with increased labours, increased because of the retire-
ment of Mr. Wilson from the rectory and the illness of
Archdeacon Law, throwing the entire management of a
very important parish in the bands of two youthful curates.
An entire stranger offered him a living in Warwickshire
of about two hundred per annum. The temptation
would have been irresistible to many men, for it offered
competence, retirement, learned leisure, and many other
advantages. It was avoided by Forsyth without a sigh.
His duties at Weston were numberless, and the love of
the people for him was without bounds. Whither God had
first sent him, there he would for the present remain ;
"Nolo episcopari" was pronounced without .hesitation.
His duties, as we have said, were numberless : they
were also admirably performed. He found them where
many would not have thought of looking for them,
and his eloquent letters show that he never wrote to a
friend without finding for himself a duty and acccmplish-
ing it. In them we discern much modesty and practical

*Sermons by the late Rev. John Hamilton Foroth, ALA.,
Curate of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset ; and afterwards
Minister of Dowry Chapel, Clifton. Hatchard and Son.