The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-01-20 00:00:00

WESLEYAN MISSIONAR
Y MEETING,

last evening, at seven o'clock, a highly numerous and
Te.pectable Meeting of the Wesleyan Missionary Society,
wok place at the Chapel. Great Queen•stieet, Lincoln's
Inn•6elds, for the purpose of receiving the Annual Report
a the proceedings of the Home Branch of the Society.
lhe Reverend Dr. Clarke in the Chair, who enforced the
enmity of a co•operation,in order to promulgate the doe.
trines of Christianity throughout the Universe; remark•
inf, is the memorable words of the great Commander—
., Ragland expects every man to do his duty," in this great

rano.
The Secretary then real the annual Report of the
proceedings of the Home Branch of the Society, which
presented very gratifying results from the unceasing
eNertions of the Mission tries, in propagating the Scrip•
tees; and it appeared that in this branch of the Society,
164 missions bad been established, and 175 schools for the
religious instruction of shout 11,564 scholars. The
funds of the Society had increased considerably, and
a balance was left in hand, but the Report recommended
very forcibly the necessity of a larger supply, in order
the more extensively to carry on the great undertaking.
JOSEPH BUTTERWORTH, Eiq., M. P., in an eloquent
speech, recommended its adoption by the Meeting; which
was accordingly done, after some observations on the
opposition experienced by the Missionaries is the West
Indies.
The Rev. Mr. Ramos proposed, " That this Meeting
do recognise the solemn obligation of evangelising the
whole world."
The CHAIRMAN, in putting this Resolution to the Meet-
ing, recommended, every person to consider well before he
acquiesced in the adoption of the Resolution, as he did
not wish to bind persons to any thing which be did not
consider well. He fervently hoped that Jerusalem, that
land, which was once the seat of Christianity, would be
again rescued from the Infidels, and restored to the rank it
once held in the universe; he was the more anxious on this
point, as it was the land where the Apostles first moved
their mighty efforts to promulgate religion, and the Reve'
lations of Almighty God.—(Cheers.)—He then alluded
forcibly to the great struggle of Greece for its liberty
against the basest oppression that ever disgraced the
annals of Christianity, The Greeks he hoped would soon
shake off the trammels of the Infidel tyranny, and he soon
enabled to receive the suhlimeconsolations of the Christian
Religion, through the assistance of the Missions of this
Society.
'l'he subject of the Izte insurrection io the Colonies was
notentered into at this Meeting.

Dir. CHARLES PIERCE, OF BRISTOL.
(PROP TB! TB! BRISTOL SISRCURT OP YESTERDAY.

We regret to state, that down to a late hour last evening
nothing had transpired which can tend to relieve the
minds of his friends from the serious apprehensions enter.
tuned as to his fate. On the night in question, cries and
groans were hear.' (io the direction of that sink of iniqui-
ty, hewin's Mead) by a woman and her niece, who reside
on Bridewell Bridge ; but the closest investigation of this
circumstance, has been hitherto in vain. Smith, a Bow
Street Officer, has been re during the past week, assisting
the local authorities. The event has plunged the unfortu
mate Gentleman's immediate relatives into the deepest
silence.

The snhjoined letter resperting Mr. Pierce, was ad-
dressed to the Editor of the Morning Chronicle :

TO TUC SUITOR.
SIR— We have to request that you *al.'s early as possible,
correct a statement which appeared in your Paper of this
morning relative to the mysterious disappearance of Mr.
Pierre, of Bristol ; that statement being not only entirely
unfounded, het being in every respect calculated to wound
be feelings of the relatives and friends of that (len tleman.
It certainly is true that a man who clean-d the boots of a
Gentleman, a new lodger, at Ne. IS, Buckingha►n street,
Strand, called at our offi•e a few days ago, conceiving that
that Gentleman answered to the description of Mr. Pierce.
We, of course, immediatdy called in Buckingham street to
make such inquiries as were suggested by the commonica'
lion. We found, however, that the Bentleman alluded to
wax not Mr. Pierce, but a lientlensan. of Bristol, who is
perfectly well known to many persons in town. In cons.
sequence of the above injurious report having obtained cit.
colation, it may perhaps be n c •scary for us to 'observe•
that o information has ever reached us or our correspond•
set, Mr. Palmer, of Bristol, which can possibly le+•rl to the
conclusion that Mr. Pierce has left Bristol under the very
painful circumstances which the fact of his being in town
would suggest ; but that, on the contrary, it is the decided
opinion of those who are engaged in endeavouring to throw
light on this mysterious affair (though no direct evidence
has as yet appeared), that that Oentlernan has unliap.
become the victim of some cruel and heartless tour•
titter.

We are, Sir, yoor very o).ed!ent servants,
CRANKS, RICHARD/, and Mamma.
190, Chancery Lane.—Manday morning.

HUNT, &cc.

We are informed by a very respectable profer.
sional gentleman who saw the confession •f Hunt,
(which he had written in expectation of being executed at
the same time with Thurtell,) in which he positively states
that six living persons were doomed to destruction by him
and his infamous associates in crime. The names of four
gentlemen who have escaped the murderous fury of the
abominable assassins are, Mr. Barber Beaumont, Mr. Ald.
Springfield, Mr. Holding, and Mr. Woods; there were also
broodier,. One of their plans was to shoot their victim
with U air gun, and th•n place a pistol, (previously fired
oft) in his hands to induce a belief that he had committed
suicide.—Almost every word in Hunt's confession was mis-
melt, and in every instance he wrote i for I.— (Bads
Herald.)
The following letter from Probert appeared in the Time,
of this morning
TO Till ZOITOR.
814—Since my liberation from the county gaol at Hert-
ford, yoo, as well as many ober., have not failed to int'
peach me with every crime which you think will tend to
destroy my character or peace of mind ; but let me tell
Too, that the day is at hand when that just Almighty who
h,as mercifullysaved an Innocent man from an ignominious
oath, will show my actions in a very different light: but
lobe brief, I have only to add, that if you defame my city
racier after this notice, legal means will be the redress
*hid I shall consider myself justified in taking.
Your's respectfully,
9, Gravel Was. PROBURT.
Lane, Southwark.

ALARMING FIRE —This morning soon after 7 o'clock the
family of Mr. Warwick, the seal engraver, opposite Cathe•
/Me Street, In the Strand, were thrown into a state of the
greatest alarm, by their house being in many places dis•
eted in flames. Prompt assistance being afforded by the
nretsan, it was found, that in consequence of
the ignition of some of the combustible materi•
in the warernouis, the floor had caught fire, and
ambrannicated to the other parts of the building. By very
gtestexertion, however, the 6re was confined, and finally
t'oed, having only destroyed part of the back premises,
aPPY to say, wasandd done consideinsured.rable mischief. Mr. Warwick, we are
Il
!, :14 mortality is still very great at Trowbridge, amongst
witen, from the small pox.—There were not less than 14
Ito. refs on Sunday last; and on Tuesday five, three of
rialdre , from one house.