The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-12-26 00:00:00

I,

STATE OF IRELAND.

fON.

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14211 V Auro
MANTA
The Annual Oeneral Meeting of the Satheetibots to
the Hereford Permanent Library, took place on Toes-
day last, December 16, when " Burden's Materials for
Thinking;' two vols. (fifth edit.), and the Apocryphal
New Testament, published by Hone, were, by a large
majority, condensued to Me Ames duld,immediatelj
burnt to ashes ! ! •
The celebrated' works of 'kyle, 'Ritter, and Gibbon
were also ordered to be apstroyed, as containing see-
timents of an irreligious and immoral tendency. These
valuable ornaments of every public andriliate library
in the civilised world, would inevitably have shared
the same fate, had nat the Honorary Librarian of ills
Institution (a gentleman of acknowledged talent and
liberality.) signified his intention of instantly resign-
ing his official situation. This notification, and the
spirited observati3ns of a few individuals present,
(who felt justly indignant at such a disgraceful act of
Gothic barbarism and bigotted intolerance,) saved the
devoted books from immediate destruction ; but the
order on the library minutes still remains unrescindel ,
and will, in all probability, be carried into effect at
the first convenient opportunity.
Several of the subscribers openly avowed to the
meetirg, their wishes that the shelves of the library
should be thoroughly purged from every book in which
the established religion, or religion generally, was
called in question, and hailed the proceedings of the
day as a triumphant beginning of a glorious work ! !
For the literary credit of the city of Hereford, it
should be noticed, that the most active agents in these
enlightened deeds, were strangers to the place, and
only lately become residents there. .•
In this age of intellect and extended knowledge,
it is really painful to remark that the Clergy shnuld
have lent their powerful aid to such proceedings; but,
oniserabile dictu, in the occurrences of the day, they
were most conspicuous actors, and zealously supported
this work of destruction.
Surely they cannot think that bursting a book is '
the most efficacious mode of refitting its contents, anl
answering its arguments, or that the destruction of a
single ropy will prevent the circulation of the authOr's
opinions. If those opinions are founded on the basis
of truth, spite of every opposition they will staid
their ground ; if they cannot bear examination, and are
founded in error, they ought to, and will eventually

fall.
One circumstance connected with the proceedings
at the Hereford Library, deserves especial notice :
that the first work presented to the Institution by its ,
deceased and respected founder, was the very copy of
Bayle's Philosophical Dictionary, (a fine set in five ,
,volumes, folio,) now condemned to destruction
Piton PUDO9.
Such was the anxiety displayed by some of these cham-
pions of toleration, these guardians of literature, th
st
even the services of the ladies were put in requisition on
this memorable occasion, and nearly a dozen votes by
proxy were delivered in, from ladies, who confess:: ily
had never read the works their votes condemned.
At the next Meeting of the Committee, it is ex-
pected that a regular " Censor Librorung" will be ap-
pointed ; and an extensive " index expurgatorius" is
in a very forward state of preparation.

A nGUMFArTI'M an trostinzsr.—James Ferguson, the
in wenious mechanic and astronomer, was travelling
once in a stage coach in which there happened to be
only another passenger, who was a Sectarian. The
man being brim foil of zeal, kept the discourse con-
tinually on the subject nearest his heart, and pointed'
out passages of scripture incessantly, exclaiming, as
he uttered every text or disjointed passage, "is not
that scripture ?"—Ferguson at last grew quite imps-
tient, and told his fellow traveller, that upon his prin-
ciples he would undertake to prove the lawfulness of
suicide. " How so ?" vociferated the seripturist.
" Why," returned the mathematition, Judas went and
hanged himself." Is not that scripture? " (.10 thou
and do likewise."—Is not that scripture ? This
put an end to the conversation and the parties went
on to the end of the stage in silence.
During the night of Monday last (17th inst.) the .
weather was extremely tempestuous; and again on
Tuesday forenoon, the lightning was extremely vivid,
attended with tremendous claps of thunder and a very
heavy fall of hail. We have heard of an elderly per-
son who was so much slarmed as to bring on apoplexy,
which terminated in death the next day ; we have also
been told of another person who was struck hlind by
the lightning whilst passingin the street. The storm
extended a good way into Hampshire --(Reeding
Journal.)
Last week, as some labourers were delivering sugars
from the warehouse belonging to Messrs. Hartley, in
Whitehaven, owing to the breaking of a hook, a hogs-
head fell from the third story, a height of about forty
feet, and broke the cart and shafts in atoms, without
doing the least injurpto the horse, or any one in the •
street.—(Westosorlaxri Gazette.)
The storm on Thursday night last was most severely
felt at Appledore and the surrounding coast. A French(
vessel pat in, wind-bound ; the Thomas and Eliza,
Barrett, is sunk to Ilfracombe ; and the
The strm was
accompanied with tremendous thunder and

COURSE OF BICH ANGll.—Mbstesx.
Amsterdant, 12 12 C. F. Bilboa, $0( .BlretiOall, $5l•
Ditto, at sight, 12 9 Neville, SR 'Gibraltar, 3U .
Rotterdam, 12 IS Neville,
47 Genoa, 4St
Antwerp, 12 7 • Malta, 48 Venie*,27 Se
Hambu-gh. S 7 0 . , Naples, 40 . Lisbon, 49
Altona, 37 7 Oporto, SO Rio Jattolt‘3ll
Paris, 1 skit 01, 15 60 Poloallb4ll9—Boltle§ SO .!
Ditto, 51.09
_, . Dobllllo4/ per coot. . • . •
Bordep. 25 10 ~ I Cork, ll pqr coot. [pit or.
FraotfOrt on the Milne, 13r For. gbldlttbats.3l.l7S.l9lif
Peterebereh, 9'o U. . , .1. Nsla Doubloons, . .
Visage. 10 18 Et Flo. :—,1.1 %elf 091t1s) letblet '
Trieste. 10 18 Et. Flo. 'Sliver LK re; rd,
Madrid, 30i tadii, 35 • ,1• 4t:l fit. oli.. .
. ,

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52:4T111:1ms NI
rli CENTURY,