It may have been perceive...
The Times, 1824-03-12T00:00:00

It may have been Tperceivetl from other quarters, that another meeting of thje Mendicity Society took place on Monday last, of which we gave no account. The truth is, that a part of the present agpncy of that Society is such, that though we had the ustial tickets sent us, we declined attending. The reports, however, of the proceedings, pub- hiahed by other papers, are so singular, and present such incredible circumstances, that after having wvaited a few days in the hopes of seeing them contradicted or corrected, we now feel ourselves obliged topuhlish them, requesting most strongly public attention to the whole. The following is the accounit of the Mornirng Chronicle. It was at the close of the evening that the Chairtmnan, who is the LORD CHtEr Jusrica of theCourt of King'sBench, gave 6; The health of tbe Honorary Secretary, - Bodkin, Esq., whose conduct he had always found to be deserving of public con. fidence.' " 31r. BODKIN-, in returning thanks, adverted to the anonymous attack upon him and the Society in The Timne* paper, and said that so powerful an inmtyumnint was scarcely to be combatted hb a private individual; but he thanked God there were laws to whicl he could appeal, to wvhich even that power was subservient. le:con. cluded by thanking the numerous meeting for its attentionto so humble an individual." The next is the account copied from the Ledger " The Chairman gave ' The health of the Honorary Sscretary.'_ In his communications with him he had found him every thing that was correct, honourable, and intelligent. Ha must say, that the attack on the Society, which had found its way into the news- papers, came from one of those who had been detected by the bee- ging letter department of the Society. " Thc toast was drank with great applase. i' 1r. BODKIN returned thanks. He should say nothing of the calumnies with which he had been assailed, as they would becomt matterof inquiry in anotherplace. He could not cast a guess stc who was the author of these calumnies, but it was evident tbathc wielded a bnost terrific and powerful engine; and wvhich, if not counteracted by the kindness and good sense of the public, threat. ened, he feared, the peace and good order of the country. It appears, then, from these reports, that the Loam Cuizz JUSTICe presided at a tveyn dinrmr,e, and that he gave .the. ealth of iMr. BoDwIN, a persou whose conduot in that So. ciety is to become the subject of legil investigation-that his Lordship eulogized' that person, and that he further. gave an opinion upon the very subject matter of the legal inquiry now pending, supposing or asserting it to haye beei fabricated, and furnished to this journal, by some wretch. engaged in the practice of sending beggingdletters, and de- tected by the activity of the Society. Mr. BornuN, in returning tbanks for the honour done him, indicates that he is not so well informedLas the LoaD ',CHIEF JUST1Cc respecting the person who. sent us. the sstatement. " He (BODXINT) could not even cast a gcuess "as to who was the author of the calumnies :" but, " that fihe wielded a powerful engine, &c." Now, having copied these 'reports, all that we shall say respecting them is, merely to ask whether what is therein statedl to have passed is right and proper ? And having-so asked, wre ave that matter in its present -pOSitio1.- But upon the subject of forgng and faricating Setters, a knavery (such is our care) by which we.are not often deceived, wve possess in our handls proofs, that a person con- nected with tfiat Society is deeply versedi in the art; -.as we can easily prove, to the conviction of any impartial person.