Mr. Rosson said, that as the business of this Meeting was already disposed of, it would lessen the dignity of so important a measure, which, if introduced sooner, would have been a very proper subject for adoption. Mr. Kelly spoke to the same effect. Mr. Blount said, that he hoped it would not go forth that the gentleman's proposition was got rid of by a side wind or in any indirect manner. Mr. Lima said, no doubt but every one must be satisfied with the reasons given; he was not, at the moment, aware that this Meeting was dissolved. THE DUKE OF YORK AND THE BIBLES. On the 18th ult. an order was issued by his Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, prohibiting military Officers from circulating Bibles among the soldiers of their respective regiments; and this circumstance, as may naturally be supposed, has created a terrible ferment among the Saints, who want to inundate the whole world with books, the true meaning of which not one man in ten thousand throughout the world is capable of comprehending. The leading members of the Naval and Military Bible Society are said to have remonstrated with his Royal Highness respecting the order in question; and that, consequently, the order has been qualified in such a way as to leave the distribution of Bibles to the discretion of the Colonels of regiments, after holding communication with the Society. On this subject we feel no sort of delicacy in giving a direct opinion at once. Soldiers and sailors have long had stated days assigned them for attending Divine Service. They have heard the Word of God delivered to them soberly and calmly by ministers of the established Church; and that we conceive to have been quite sufficient for every purpose of religious instruction. This is a class of men who, of all others, can least attend, and ought to have the least to do with reading Bibles, on which, if read at all hy them, they may put interpretations subversive of all the rational purposes of Christianity. The Duke of York has done many good things in his time; he has contributed more to improvement of the Army than all the other military commanders that ever went before him. But, in our opinion, there is not one of his acts for which he is more entitled to the thanks of his countrymen than that to which we now allude; because, without some such exercise of authority-without some energetic step towards guarding the military against the ever-restless spirit of sectarian enthusiasm, that is, trying to force its way through all parts of the world, the constitution of British Soldiery and Marine may undergo a fatal change. The Biblespreading mania is an innovation entirely of modern growth; its propagators belong almost exclusively to those classes of religionists who come under the general denomination of Puritans, whether they happen to be the disciples of Calvin, of John Knox, of Wesley, or Whitfield; and although the tenets of all these are different from, and in some respects hostile to those of the Established Church, they have contrived to draw many of our beneficed and even dignified Clergy into their vortex. It is well known that their exists in this country a numerous body, called "The Naval and Military Bible Society,"-that this Society comprises many individuals of high rank, of wealth, and character; and that their object is to collect large sums of money to be laid out in the purchase of Bibles, and of distributing those Bibles indiscrimately among the common Sailors of the Fleet, and the common Soldiers of the Army. It is equally well known, that the active leading members of this Society who will never be satisfied, unless they see their proselytes kneeling down in conventicles; turning up their eyes; whining in melancholy accents; and brawling out a set of unmeaning rhymes, in a tone of beastliness, with which the Deity, to whom they are addressed, and whose very essence breathes the spirit of harmony, can feel no other sensation than that of disgust. Our readers would scarcely believe it, if the fact were not contiuually recorded in the daily journals, that the meetings of this "Naval and Military Bible Society," are attended not only by Senators, but by Naval and Military Officers of high rank; and that those individuals of rank and fortune, in conjunction with a host of canting sour-faced fellows, calling themselves Reverend Ministers of the Gospel, are in the habit of preaching long sermons with a view of inducing females and other timid persons to give away large sums of money, in order that Bibles may be distributed in cart-lords throughout our fleets and armies; or, in other words, that our Sailors and Soldiers may be converted into theologians; and that such of them as have the faculty of thinking, may make any extravagant comments of their own upon the sacred writings, which can only be explained by learned divines competent to such a task. The fact is no less lamentable than true, that, not content with wasting thousands and thousands of pounds every year, in order to inundate the world with those mysterious volumes, the sanctified militants have been labouring incessantly to change the character of our warriors, from that of gallant, bold, cheerful, open-hearted fellows, and to convert them into a horde of indolent, whining, and gloomy fanatics. With these sentiments we must again express our warm approbation of the resolution lately taken by the Duke of York to prevent his soldiers from becoming readers and interpreters of Scripture: and we only hope, that a similar resolution will be adopted to check the progress of the infection among our Sailors. GERMANY. A proclamation has appeared in the bulletin of the Hannovarian laws, dated Carlton-house, May 20th, 1824. It relates to a bull received from his Holiness, relative to the endowments and boundaries of the bishopricks of Helderhem and Osnaburg. The following extract from this proclamation will be read with pleasure. "His Majesty having carefully examined this bull, and convinced himself that it perfectly agrees with all the arrangements and negotiations with the See of Rome upon this subject, gives his Royal assent to the bull, (beginning with the words "Impensa Romanum Pontificium Solicitudo") declares it to be binding on the Catholic Church in the kingdom of Hanover; and orders a copy of it in the German and Latin languages, to be annexed to the proclamation, and printed in the Royal Bulletin of the Laws." A new edition of an evangelical Book of Common Prayer has been published by order of the king of Prussia. It appears quite a new work, in consequence of the omission of much which occurred in all former editions, and by the admission of various portions of the bible, different forms of prayer, &c. In fact, it is so changed, that a royal ordinance has been necessary to enforce its general adoption. The Elector of Hesse has also taken upou himself to regulate the religious concerns of a great portion of his subjects. He has abrogated all the laws relating to the Jews, and has published a new code, in which he fixes their manner and time of religious worship; giving rules for the conduct of their High Priest, of themselves, and of their children. Some of these, indeed, appear rather fanciful; how they will be relished by the Jews themselves, we have yet to learn. Wiesbaden, June 19th.-The Vicariate of Lembourg had granted a dispensation in favour of two young persons of the parish of the Dean Mohr de Horsheim, who nevertheless delayed to bestow upon them the nuptial benediction, as he considered the dispensation invalid: but wrote privately to the Pope's nuncio, at Munich, and requested the proper dispensation from him. This coming to the knowledge of the government of the Dutchy of Nassau, the affair was examined, and Mr. Mohr was dismissed from his emplyyments; and he would have been confined to a fortress for what the government pleased to term disobedience to the Church and State, had he not died just at the time. A relation of his, who acted upon the nuncio's dispensation, although he had no hand in procuring it, was punished by having a considerable fine imposed upon him; and the government has signified to all the Catholic Clergy in the Dutchy, that any similar transgression will be punished with dismissal from any official situation the party may hold. FRANCE. Sunday, June 27th, being a remarkably fine day, the religious processions from the principal churches of Paris, were particularly numerously attended At ten o'clock, the bells from the different churches announced the commencement of the ceremony. The principal streets through which the processions passed, were lined with spectators; and chapels of repose were erected at stated distances, which were very tastefully ornamented. The processions from the churches of St. Germain, St. Rogue, St. Eustace, and Notre Dame, were the most remarkable. A company of the national guard, with a band of music, preceded; next fol. lowed a number of youths with bouquets in their hands; then a very numerous assemblage of women, dressed in white, and wearing long veils; a considerable number of infants, from five to seven years of age, wearing chaplets of flowers, walked by their sides: then came the clergy, and afterward a magnificent canopy, under which was carried the sacred Host. Several baskets of flowers carried in the front, were spread in the way; flowers were also thrown from the windows, which were lined with well dressed females. The air was really embalmed with ten thousand times ten thousand roses. The general deportment of the people was extremely edifying, and the devout christian was gratified by hearing the praises of the Lord sang in pious canticles, by numerous groups of young females, who had, on that day, made their first communion. The processions which took place on the same day in the principal towns in France, were every where well attended, and generally conducted with more splendor than on preceding years; in some places, where they had long been discontinued, they were re-commenced, to the great edification of the inhabitants, except a few English, who have thought proper to vent their displeasure in some of the English newspapers. ITALY,-29th June,-On Thursday the 27th of May, his Holiness caused the general Jubilee for 1825, to be proclaimed in the Portico of Saint Peters Church, and by notices posted up in various parts of the city. It will commence on Christmas Eve this year, and continue 12 months. This event is of every 25 years occurrence; but political circumstances prevented its taking place in the year 1800. MARRIED,-On the 27th Instant, at the Catholic chapel at Bungay, in Suffolk, by Rev. M.Fairclough; afterwards at the Church of St. Mary, by the Rev. Mr. Sword; Mr. Thomas Cuddon, to Susanna second daughter of Rich. Smith Esq. of the above place. BIRTH,--On the 16th of July, at Brentwood, the Lady of the Hon. C. Petre of a son. DEATH,-On Tuesday the 13th of July, at Manchester in her 23 year, Miss Susannah Conway. On Wednesday the 14th of July, Mr. Thomas Wetherell, late of High Street, Bloomsbury, aged 64 years. On the 19th of the same month, at Bridge Hill-house near Canterbury, in consequence of an attack of appoplexy, aged 74 years, Charles Louis de Secondat; Baron de Mowtesquiou, born at Bourdeaux in France. On the 23rd of June, aged 29 years, Mr. Patrick W. Moor, late of Gray's Inn Lane. On Sunday the 24th of July, Mr. James Fitzsimmons in his 66 year, at Bethnal Green. Requiescant in Pace. Cuddon, Printer, Carthusian-street, Charter-house Square. THE Catholic Miscellany ; AND MONTHLY REPOSITORY OF INFORMATION, FOR AUGUST, 1824. BIOGRAPHY. JAMES RATCLIFFE, EARL OF DERWENTWATER. This lamented and accomplished, but unfortunate young nobleman, was born on the 28th of June, 1689. Descended from a long line of noble ancestry, and in possession of a princely fortune, he had married a young, beautiful and virtuous lady, and their union had been blessed by the birth of an infant son; he was almost adored by his numerous tenantry, and was respected and beloved by all around, for all had partaken of his general hospitality, or had received some benefit at his hands. Yet his enthusiastic attachment to the house of Stuart, blasted his fair prospects, caused him to suffer at the block, encreased the odium under which the Catholics of this kingdom unjustly laboured, and finally, brought ruin upon his own family. His father was Edward second Earl of Derwentwater, and his mother was Lady Mary Tudor, youngest natural daughter of Charles the second. He succeeded to the family titles and estates in the year 1705, and married Anna Maria, eldest daughter of Sir John Webb, Bart. of Cauford, Dorsetshire. In the year 1714, when insurrectionary movements were made in various parts of the north, in favour of the young pretender, his principles and attachment to the deprived family being well known to the ministry, messengers were dispatched to Dilston,' the place of his residence, with orders to apprehend him; but having timely notice he retired from his mansion, and on the 6th of October, joined, with some of his friends and servants mounted on his coach horses, Mr. Foster, who was assembling an armed force upon the summit of a hill called the WaterFalls. When this band was put in motion, it sometimes amounted to considerable numbers, at other times these were greatly diminished, according as the rout of march happened either to please or displease its followers. After much indecision, and some good fortune, it reached Lancaster on the 9th of November, from whence it went to Preston. But when the lea der, Mr. Foster, gave orders on the 12th to march for Manchester, he received information that general Willis, with four regiments, was in sight, he therefore immediately prepared for defence; a blunder was however committed in not securing a narrow and difficult pass, which gave the king's troops a decided advantage; they were nevertheless repulsed with great slaughter; but on the following morning news was brought that General Carpenter had arrived with three regiments of dragoons; this decided the fate of Foster's little corps. Colonel Oxburg was consequently sent with a trumpet, offering to surrender as prisoners of war. This offer General Willis would not listen to, and would only receive them upon an unconditional surrender, which was at length agreed to, and the Earl of Bridgewater with Brigadier Mackintosh, were delivered as hostages. The whole body was next morning taken prisoners, amounting to 463 English, among whom were 75 noblemen and gentlemen, mostly Northumbrians, and 1005 Scots, among whom were 143 noblemen and gentlemen. The half pay officers among the prisoners were immediately shot; but Earl Derwentwater, Lord Weddrington, General Foster, and the other prisoners of consequence, were sent to London, and conveyed to their respective prisons in the most insulting manner. The Parliament met on the 9th of January, and the Commons immediately began business by expelling Mr. Foster, who was member for Northumberland, and impeaching the Earl of Derwentwater. On the 20th the Earl was brought from the Tower to the bar of the house of Peers, when he delivered a written answer to the articles of impeachment; and on the 9th of February, he received sentence from the Lord Chan |