The libel was contained in a letter written by him to the electors of Westminster, from Kirby Hall, his seat in Leicestershire, immediately on his receiving the newspaper-account of the transactions at Manchester on the 16th of August; and it was published in all the public prints. The honourable Bart. pleaded his own cause with his usual talent, but with more moderation than the inflammatory style of his letter had led us to expect. But neither on the part of the judge nor of the jury did there appear to exist a moment's doubt or hesitation as to the character of the alleged libel, or as to the verdict which ought to be returned upon it.

A trial, however, of still deeper interest is shortly to take place.-We briefly alluded in our last Number to the discovery of the conspiracy which aimed to assassinate at one blow the whole of his majesty's cabinet ministers, as they were assembled to dinner at Lord Harrowby's. The plan appears to have been well laid; and the probability is, that but for the information respecting it, which was providentially conveyed to Lord Harrowby, on the very forenoon of the day fixed for the perpetration of the crime, it would have completely succeeded. Thirty or forty men, armed with hand-grenades, carbines, pistols, swords, and daggers, rushing unexpectedly into an apartment where twelve or fifteen unarmed individuals were seated at dinner, might have executed their deadly purpose, without the apparent possibility of the escape of a single victim. The person by whom the discovery was made is unknown to the public; but it appears to have been no one belonging to the police, or employed by it in the capacity of a spy. So far therefore from serving to prove, as some allege, the expediency of the system of espionage-which, though approved by inany respectable persons, we for our parts must continue, on principle, to reprobate, as immoral and unnecessary-it rather serves to shew its uselessness. Spies availed us nothing on this occasion. Had not information been given from another source, the projected blow would in all

human probability have been struck and might by this time be producing consequences of the most disastrous kind. The trial of the conspirators for high treason and murder, will take place early in next month. We shall then perhaps learn more distinctly the probable extent, and ramifications of their plot, and what were their ulterior designs and hopes, after the first act in their tragedy had been successfully closed. But whatever may be the truth of the case in these respects, we can hardly doubt that the meditated assassination originated in those wicked and diabolical efforts which have been making for some time past, through the medium of the periodical press, and more particularly by means of Sunday newspapers, to poison the public mind; to undermine the principles of reverence towards God, and loyalty to the king; and to generate a contempt for all those moral restraints, for all those social charities, and for all those compunctious visitings of nature which are calculated to arrest the hand of cold and premeditated murder; and which have hitherto, at least in this happy land, surrounded life and property with a guard more powerful than even the sword of justice, or the array of military force.

We trust that government will be on the watch to prevent the continued diffusion of this subtle pestilence, and that early measures will be taken to suppress those worst vehicles of it, the Sunday newspapers. We trust, however, that their paternal vigilance will not be confined to the suppression of what is flagrantlywrong, but will be extended to the radical cure and prevention of it; and that they will take an early review of our domestic institutions-the state of educationthe poor laws-our code of criminal justice-our prison discipline — the evils of our commercial system, and those of our internal police-applying to each their proper remedy. Our sentiments on these various points continue unchanged, and we shall therefore content ourselves, for the present, with referring our readers to what we have already said upon them, in our View of Public Affairs, in the four concluding Numbers of our last volume.

OBITUARY.

they were then assembled. After the Society was established, his promptness in attending to its concerns, bis efforts to induce other Societies to attach themselves as auxiliaries to it, and his anxiety to be present at its meetings, evinced the interest which he felt in its great object. Nothing short of an absolute necessity caused his absence from its meetings; and even on the last anniversary, which was only a few days before his death, it was with difficulty his friends and his physician prevailed with him not to attempt the journey to New York, the place of the Society's meeting, though he was then so feeble as to be scarcely able to walk.

Such is a sketch of the character of this eminent Christiau; so deeply was his heart engaged in the great and glorious work of sending the Word of Life to those who are perishing for lack of knowledge. May every one who knew, and every one who shall read of his pious zeal in the service of God, be inspired by the Giver of all grace, with a spirit to" go and do likewise! G.

Burlington, New Jersey, 1819.

COLONEL TROTTER. On the 11th of June at Courtallam, died Colonel CHARLES TROTTER, commanding Palamcottah and the district of Tinnerelley, aged 54 years;-a British officer not more eminently distinguished for his professional character, than for his pious life and happy death.

He had enjoyed an almost uninterrupted state of good health for nearly forty years, the period of his services in that country. The disease that terminated in his death commenced with bilious symptoms; but being accustomed to slight attacks of bile in the hot season, he thought this to be nothing more, and hoped it would go off, as usual, of itself. Unbappily he was deceived, until his complaint had made such an alarming progress as to resist the efforts of medicine.

He was interred, at his own particular desire, without the military honours nsually paid to his rank: but such a man was not to be committed in privacy to the grave. His dying request was indeed literally observed: but such honours were paid him as few receive; for every inhabitant of the place, whether

European or Native, high or low, rich or poor, lamented his death, both as a private and a public loss; and his corpse was followed by crowds to the tomb.

In addition to this public testimony to his worth, it is stated also by Mr. Hough, the clergyman who attended him during his last illness, that, "he was beloved by all that knew him: and the poor natives of every caste and rank were supplicating their respective gods for his recovery many months before his death. This speaks more than the loudest encomium for the just and lenient manner in which he exercised his power over them. The native troops under his command revered him as a father, and looked up to him with the confidence of children; while every European at this station esteemed him as the brightest ornament of our society. No wonder, then, that his death is bewailed as a common calamity, and that his funeral train was composed of weeping crowds. Surely it is some consolation to have been intimate with, or related to, so estimable a man.”

In an after part of his letter Mr. Hough remarks" The last and most substantial ground of consolation is, the state of his mind at the approach of death. He had not lived to God in vain! He was fully aware how his sickness would terminate, some weeks before his death, and therefore he set his temporal affairs in order: but with his soul he had little then to do. Long had he trusted in the covenant mercies of his Saviour; and nearly the last words that he said to me were, that he found the promises of the Lord fulfilled in rich abundauce to his soul. His religion was always without display, and it preserved this character to the last; but it then proved to have been well digested, and he reaped its peaceable fruits. His reasoning facul ties never forsook him, so that during the intervals of strength with which he was occasionally favoured, I was enabled to remind him of the unspeakable love of Jehovah in Christ Jesus, in providing a ransom for his soul from endless misery. And when he could not utter what he felt, his sparkling eye, and placid countenance bespoke the inward joy he derived from the heavenly theme: and in this manner he resigned his soul into the hands of his heavenly Father.”

Y.

216

ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS.

Rev James Campbell, Church and Parish of Farquair, county of Peebles.

Rev. Henry Morgan, of Miskin Glamorganshire, Brinsop WearV. Hereford. Rev. George Moore, late of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, to the Perpetual Curacies of St. Peter and St. Margaret, Lincoln.

Rev. C. Alfree, a Minor Canon of Rochester Cathedral.

Rev. T. G. Tyudale, M. A (formerly of Trinity College, Oxford, V. Woburn Bucks, and Tadlow, Cambridgeshire,) Hotton R. Oxfordshire.

Rev. J. Thompson, M.A. (Vicar of Meopham) Lullingston R. Kent.

Rev. W. F. Mansell, B. A. (of Trinity College, Cambridge, Vicar of Sandhurst, Gloucestershire,) Ashelworth V. adjoin

ing.

Rev. J. Harris, Llanthette R. Brecon. Rev. H. Craven Ord, Stratfield Mortimer V. Berks.

Rev. John Hallward, M. A. of Worcester College, Oxford, Stanton-in-the Wolds R. Notts, on his own petition.

Rev. Jeremiah Burroughes, B.A. Reetory of Burlingham St. Andrew,with Burlingham St Edmund annexed, Norfolk,

Rev. H. Blunt, B. A. Clare V. Suffolk. Rev John Williams Butt, B.A. Lakenheath V. Suffolk.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

CLERICUS LANCASTRIENSIS; W. W. O. W.; AN OBSERVER; A CONSTANT READER; S. N.; C. L.; G. W.; R. R; P.; A WYKEHAMIST; A PROTESTANT CLERGYMAN; J. H.; J. M.; EPSILON; A CHRISTIAN MARINER; Miss L., and S. P. have been received, and are under consideration.

We are desired to state, that the one half of a 1001. bank note, No. 10,356, has been received by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

EPSILON's difficulty arises merely from a grammatical misconception. The word "both" in the second collect for the evening service, is not an adjective but a conjunction; not ambo, but et, corresponding with the words " and also.” We agree with B. A. B. in several of his remarks relative to the paper of Quærens, on " Extra services;" but if we were never to admit any communications from correspondents but such as fully coincide with our own views, there would be an end to all useful discussion. BA. B. will perceive that a reply anticipating most of his arguments had reached us before his own came to hand. The following passage from B. A. B.'s communication furnishes a topic not touched upon by Respondens:-" It appears to me," observes our correspondent, "most singular that any churchman should, even in the case specified, of extra or gratuitous service,' desire any abridgment of the Erening devotions of our church. Had your correspondent made some similar remarks with regard to the Morning Service, I should not have been much surprised— although my sentiments with regard to the lawfulness or expediency of curtailment, would have been the same as in the present instance. But really that a man should complain of joining in the prayers of his church for half an hour, when there remains, according to the usual length of the services he speaks of, nearly an hour for his favourite exposition, appears to me to manifest a desire of change, unaccountable and injudicious. Besides all this, I think a congregation are as profitably occupied in prayer and hearing the Scriptures read, as they can be in listening almost exclusively, to protracted expositions or sermons." "I cannot imagine a better way of conducting the extra services to which your correspondent refers, than by going through the usual prayers, and explaining one of the lessons, &c. Perhaps clergymen would employ themselves more profitably in occasionally commenting on some of those taken from the Old Testament, than in continually dwelling on a few doctrinal points, and discoursing on them with the same sort of illustration, in nearly the same words. It cannot be doubted, that many passages of, and many circumstances connected with, the Old Testament, demand much more attention than they meet with, in the way of explaining them to our congregations, in order to their properly understanding them, when read from the desk."

S. E. R. thinks us "a little precipitate" in stating, that no change has been made in the wording of curates' licences, in consequence of the clause respecting which so much has been said; and supposes that we had seen "the form used in one diocese only." So far from it, we had seen the forms used in several, and have since inquired respecting more, and have still no reason to suppose that any change has been made. If there has been, it may easily be proved, and we will readily correct our error.

Several articles of Literary Intelligence were sent us too late for the present Number.

THE

CHRISTIAN OBSERVER.

APRIL, 1820. [No. 4. Vol. XIX.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS.