The Statesman.
London, England, 1821-11-23 00:00:00

THE sTLy.r

• TO THE Entroa OF THE STATESMAN.
Sla—As an old Coffee-house Keeper in the metro-
polis, I cannot refrain from expressing my indignation
at one of the most contemptible impositions that per-
haps has ever been attempted upon any body of men.
The deception you have already denounced ; and the pub-
lic and the army, or Royal Marines, must have learnt
with surprise and disgust, that the man who had the chief
concern in it was holding the very respectable rank of
a Lieutenant-Colonel. Lieut.-Col. Torrens, with a view
to reanimate' the languishing circulation of his news-
paper, has projected what he chooses to call " A Be-
nevolent Society. of Hotel, Tavern, Coffee-house and
Inn-keepers." Taking in his paper consti•ures a
Member of the Society. At the end of three years
after the formation of the Society, certain advan-
tages are promised to the Members, viz.—the sub-
scribers to his paper during the whole of that period,—
upon one clearly implied condition, viz.—that when
the stated period arrives, the proprietor of the paper,
the said gallant Lieutenant-Colonel, shall deem it his
interest to fulfill such promites.—So far, all is well:
is merely heads I win and tails you lose, a game
which it requires only impudence to propose. and folly
to embrace. If the scheme had presented no other lea-
tare, it would have been a subject merely for laughter
it becomes much too serious for jest, however, as we
examiae it further. Amongst the rules and orders of
the Society, framed by nobody knows whom, except
by the Lieutenant-Colonel, and a certain Mr. Gardner,
also connected with the Colonel's paper, is the follow-
ing:—
ART. 26. " That as the sum of 3000/. has been
raised for the purpose of establishing in the metro-
polis a Day School, in which in example may be
set of the application of the methods of Dr. Bell, Mr.
Lsncaater, and others to the higher branches of edaca-
doe, and offered to the Society in aid of its school es-
tablishment, on condition that the Society contribute
10001. to complete the same.—lt has Gees agreed
b That one moiety of the income of the Society shall
be appropriated for the purpose." Ito.
Now, mark, Sir, I boldly and without hesitation
inert, that there is no such fund in existence,
or that if there is, it cannot without fraud,
appropriated in the manner here contem-
plated. Let the character of Colonel Toreros,
as well as the merit of his scheme, be tried by this
test. I deny that such a fund exists. Let him prove
its existence, by procuring a public acknowledgment
of the possession of the 'money or securities. from the
trustees to whom it is said to have been confide:L—
I challenge him to do this. Nothing short of this ran
rescue him from the imputation of fratd. He bas
publicly mentioned Mr, Place, of Charing-Cross, as hav-
ing something to do with this, I believe imaginary
fund, and as being a party to this arrangement. Mr.
Place is a well known, and a highly table cha-
racter and It is incumbent upon himrgel;cly to con-
tradict the imputation. If there be such &fund, who
can believe that the original subscribers to it ever con-
templated its application to the purpose of propping
up a declining newspaper? It is perverted from its
original design, even if a school should be founded
_ _ _
for . classes of
society,
flue
hp-