THE HALIFAX DECEMBER 24, 1842. No. XVII. Price One Penny. And now the time in special is, by privilege, to write and speak what may help to the further discussing of matters in agitation. The Temple of Janus, with his two controversal faces, might now not 1insignificantly be set open: and though all the winds of doctrine were let hose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously, by licensing and prohibiting, to misdoubt her strength. Let her and falsehood grapple. Who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter, Her. confuting is the best and surest suppressing.— MILTON'S ABEOPAGITICA. EXERCISES*, REVIEWS, AND ACTION. No. XIII.— SCHOOL FOR GROWN- UP GENTLEMEN. The desirability of such an institution is suggested by the perusal of one of the standard Reviews, of the month of December, wherein it is written :— " We are satisfied that no man of the present age more fully understands the subject of commercial policy than Colonel Thompson ; and if the principle of compulsory education, of which the Tories are so fond, could be admitted for a special occasion, we could wish that Sir Robert Peel could be compelled to go to school every day, with his satchel on his shoulder, to the Colonel, to learn the lessons of free trade, with only his half holydays allowed him twice a week for Downing Street, to solve the enigmas of his Income- tax hill and to correct the blunders of his Tariff." The idea is certainly very excellent, and there is a very numerous body who require to take lessons. The author of the Exercises points to some of these great unlearned more than once. " An aristocracy who are but grown children in respect of serious knowledge and useful experience. Hating forthe most part anything that implies industry or labour as ill bred boys hate the schoolmaster and the school, the aristocracies on all sides are all agog for opportunities of displaying Iheir malicious activity and their ruinous spirit of adventure. Totally devoid of experience as to the trouble of building houses or raising any other useful construction, they are always ready to make a conflagration for the enjoyment of the struggle. A more dangerous element of society, laborious and honest men could not be in conjunc- tion with ; but it is what they every where encounter, and therefore they have nothing to do but to try to improve the means of keeping it in check."— Vof. V. p. 316, 26 Nov. 1840. " But what is to be dene in a country whose des- tinies are ruled by a feeble aristocracv, who never knew more of the struggles of life than the difficulty of swallowing what was put into their mouths with a spoon ?"— Vol. V. p. 133, 16 Sept 1840. " What made them fit for the charge ; was it their education, their knowledge, their talents ? They learned, it maybe, to steal geese at Eton, and the rest, it is likely, is as might be expected."— Vol. V. p. 77, 29 July, 1840. " And then for commercial safety. What do the authors of the present mischief know aboutcominerce? Fancy one of them or of their agents, viewing the map of the country he intended to make the seat of war. Do you think he ever said ? ' Here there are figs, which are exchanged for British cottons ; and here the natives would shave their heads with Sheffield razors if they were only allowed to pay in their wheat." The question is not whether he thought of this and nothing else ; but whether he thought of it at all. He probably would as soon have thought of turning razor- grinder himself. If he had been interrogated on these subjects, the likelihood is he would have answered like the king in the ballad, Cow- hides . cow- hides, what things be they I marvel what they be I Nobles think not of figs; and come no nearer to razors then through their valets. A fair guardianship for honest commerce '."— Vol. V. p. 266, 12 Nov. 1840. The author of the Exercises also shows the sort of masters of which the tall loobies and great loobies stand in awe. " What ministers and apprentices fear, is constant looking after, daily investigation, n master that is about their path and about their bed, and whose warnings descend in the shape of motions or a strap on the first deviation from the path of right. No use in threatening Black Monday, every body will laugh at it on Tuesday morning. The neighbours all would know that such a master was not in earnest, nor ever contemplated things going as they ought."— Vol. V. p. 278. 11 Nov. 1840. And he has given us pretty good evidence that he possesses the qualities which they dread. The ex- periment then should be tried. The pupils would find him strict but not severe. He might occasion- * This title is founded on the name which Col. Thonmson ^ as given to his works, recently published, namely, " Exer- cises, Political and others, Six vols, London, Effingham Wilson, 1842." ally make use of tiie fools- cap, as he has done on many occasions, to mark the stupidity or wilfulness of some one who was very inattentive to his duties, or made great blunders; but wg don't think he would approve of corporal punishment, or only under very particular circumstances ; moreover, he would allow the pupils some time for amusement. lie knows they like play, that they pby at Crockford's, and with opera dancers, that they play at partridge shooting, pigeon shooting, duck hunting, and fox hunting; and he imposes no fine or penalty on these when out of school hours, only he would restrict them from playing at setting houses on fire. " Set about it to- morrow. Lay aside distinctions of parties for a few hours, and give the ministers to understand they may play at any thing they like except war.— Vol. V. p. 177, 15 Oct. 1840. He knows they have a great " itching" for this sport. " It is possible to imagine the junior branches en- joying what the communications we are favoured with by ministerial gazettes denominate 1 the fun ;' but there would be few cases in private life, where the wiser elders were not of sufficient vigour to cause the boys to be whipt and sent to oed, if no less sum- mary process was capable of reducing them to quiet. Houses are not built for children to play at defending them, however delightful the occupation, in com- parison with the duller operations of the school room or the counting- house."— Vol. V. p. 316. 26 Nov. 1840. The Houses of Parliament will make excellent school rooms, or as the term school might grate on the ears of those who attend, and the term " scholar" is, it must be acknowledged, very inappropriate to the majority, it may be the University and St. Stephen's College. The members may be graduates, and the tutor Professor Thompson. If Peel is desirous of taking a degree; he is very well entitled to that of Master of Arts. Wranglers might be found in abundance, and if there are but few junior or senior optimes, there is certainly no lack of both junior ar. d senior pessimes. A certain degree of proficiency might intitle a graduate to take the degree of Doctor. For instance, Dr. Bowring. But Peel and his com- panions should understand that there are to be no quack- dcctors. " Roll into one all the quacks that ever sounded brass before them ; and what an infant quackery do they make, in comparison of that nest of well- dressed gentlemen, who first kept everybody but themselves out of the House of Commons and then told the working classes the diminution of bread was fatness." — Vol. V. p. 85, 5 Aug. 1840. The d ivision into two houses is very suitable for the upper class and the lower class, and we are quite sure that both Professor Thompson and the country will become thorough converts to " Class legislation," and that those only shall legislate who shall manifest their fitness to be elected or selected to the upper class. Almost all the necessary material and ootfit exist in abundance. For instance it will not be necessary to procure an usher, nor purchase a rod, because there is the'Usher of the Black Rod already attached to St. Stephen's College. At the sime time, as Professor Thompson is not favourable to corporal punishment, the application of tbe r. d should be restricted to a weekly administration of it to those who express them- selves favourable to flogging in tbe Army, no one being required to give an opinion until he should first have read an Essay on Impressment and Flogging, in Vol. III. p. 93. A press gang too should visit the College weekly, to engage the assistance of two of the gentlemen to serve her Majesty on the high seas, nolens volens, it being understood that none should be eligible but those who approve cf the principle. As to school books, it will not be necessary to lay in a stock of Enfield's or Mavor's Speakers, because there are abundance of Speakers besides the Speaker par excellence, and as to Books of Exercises, when the gentlemen are thoroughly versed in the six volumes of Thompson's Exercises, they will be com- petent to a course of self- exercise, ard there will te no lack of problems to solve. For instance here is a problem which some of the gentlemen in black might solve, whilst they are playing or in the lawn. Perhaps it may be worked Algebraically.— It is requir- ed to obtain the smallest possible amount of religious knowledge for the people, at the greatest possible expense. We really believe there are students in the upper class in St. Stephen's College, who would exemplify this better than the sf udents in any university in or out of Christendom. Here is a problem too for the lower class. Let £ 70,000 be appropriated to the erection of stables for the horses of her Majesty's husband, and £ 30,000 for the education of her Majesty's subjects; required the relative superiority of a horse to a subject. This would not require an Algebraic equation, it might be worked by the Rule of Three. The three in which rule being Queen, Lords, and Commons, and all three beingreally only one— the Aristocracy. The ele- mentary rules of arithmetic, numeration and substrac- tion, might be taught by Joseph Hume. Addition could be proved by the national debt and new taxes Multiplication might be exemplified by the royal family, and the contrary by the new poor law. Division might be shown in the church and the cabinet, as well as at the close of the debates. Re- duction by the 3J per cent, stock, and by the falling off in Peel's majorities. Practice the pupils should not be allowed to commence until they thoroughly understood- the principles on which it should be founded. It is scarcely to be expected that the gentlemen would give their minds to anything so vulgar as vulgar fractions, but they must learn decimals, in order to apportion the Tithes.— They may then proceed to mensuration, and the mensuration of superficies will surely be found to their taste, for many of them are exceedingly super- ficial ; besides land- surveying and plotting is a branch of it, and this they are not altogether unacquainted with, only there is a deficiency in some of the links of the chain both in their titles and their reasoning, and in using mathematical instruments, instead of using Gunter's scale, they have substituted the slidingscale, and they have either lost their compass or neglected to keep within compass. They may learn grammar and_ composition from the Exercises, and since " if" is so very important an item as to their continuance in office, they had better read " Use of the subjunctive mood in Eng- lish."— Vol. III. p. 89. The term is expected to commence on the 2nd of February. It may then be depended on that the system of compulsory education will be carried into execution, and that though Peel may be a Master of Arts, he will have to submit to Professor Thompson as his Master, and must eitheir learn his lesson well or be rusticated. AN ADJUTANT. THE PUSEYITES. To the Editors of the Free Press. GENTLEMEN,— While we are very often hearing a great deal said about the I'useyites, and the Popish dogmas exhibited in their acknowledged publications called " Tracts for the Times," I imagine there are many of your readers who are but little acquainted with the real character of the mischievous and un- scriptural doctrines inculcated by the new sect. I therefore transmit you a brief, yet clear and com- prehensive, summary of them, as given at a recent 1 THE HALIFAX FREE PRESS. meeting at Newcastle, in the speech of a Her. James Pringle. That gentleman said that the times demand- ed the strenuous and combined efforts of the friends o f civil and religious liberty. It was urged, in reply to the claims of Dissenters, that they were permitted to worship Gcd according to the dictates of their conscience. This was true; the Nonconformists of the present day, thanks to their forefathers and to public opinion, were tolerated in the exercise of public worship ; but were they to rest satisfied with " tolera- tion ?" The existence of a State Church— a favoured sect— was a standing tyranny, and ought not to be suffered. The privileged sect, instead of becoming more liberal, with the age, was asserting claims utterly irreconcileable with Christian freedom. Some of the worst dogmas of the dark ages were now put forth, with a bold and imposing front, as forming the leading articles of the Oxford creed in modern times. The publications in which they had found a wide circula- tion, and a cordial welcome among very influential persons in high places, both in Church and State, were entitled Tracts for the Times. In No. 1 of the series it was laid down, among other things, that " no ministers were ordained, unless they had been so by prelates." " The episcopal authority," said No. 52, " was the bond which united Christians to Christ." " Those who were married could not be happy without the Church's blessing," was asserted in No. 40. That " the Scriptures did not contain the whole rule of our duty," was the doctrine of Nos. 45, 51, 60, and 78. The Apocrypha was approved, and the book of Tobit declared to be inspired, in 38 and 82. That Christians should be guided by the traditions of the Church, was recommended in 34, 44, 45, and 54. That Christians should not be guided by their oion judgment, as to the meaning of Scripture, but by the Church, was taught in 60, 73, and 77. " Holy oil should be used in baptism," was an in- struction of No. 86. " When you go in and out, you should make the sign of the cross on your forehead, and in prayer turn to the East," was inculcated in 34. That the Lord's Supper should be administered to infants, and to those dying and insensible ; and that the Sacraments, not faith, were the instrument of justification, was maintained in the preface to the second volume. That the " body and blood of Christ" were " really and substantially present " in the Sacrament, and that " the Sacrament was offered to God as an unbloody sacrifice," was taught in 27, 34, 36, 38, 42, 74, and 81. Fasting on Friday, keeping Lent, hard lodging, uneasy garments, laborious postures in prayer, journeys on foot, sufferance of cold, and abstinence from snuff, were recommended in 18, 21, and 66". The duty and advantage of " praying for the dead," were prominently put forward in 72 and 77. The Rev. H. Froude, a Fellow of Oxford, " thought people were injudicious to talk against Roman Catholics for worshipping saints and honouring the Virgin and images." The Roman Missal, and the Canon of the Mass, were highly praised, and the Roman Breviary recommended for use in private devotion, in 63 and 75. In 38 the Reformers were declared inconsistent; and Mr. Froude declared that " really he hated the Reformation more and more." The Protestant spirit was entitled arrogant in 41 ; and that the English Church, as such, was not Protestant— only politically. That this was no novel doctrine, said No, 71, was plain, from the emphatic omission of the word Protestant in all the services of the Church. As to the clergy who, at the time of the Reforma- tion, turned back to the Romish Church, " rather," said 81, " should one abstain from rudely blaming those who vacillated, and even for a while or altogether returned to Rome." In 77, the Church of Rome was spoken of as the " sister" of the English Church ; and in another as' " her mother, through whom her sons were born to Christ." The Rev. D. Aitchison, Episcopal minister of Glas- gow, in a pamphlet published in 1841, spoke of the great Protestant Reformer, John Knox, as a " nationaj scourge for the sins of the clergy and people," aud one who " made desolate a smiling land." " When," ex- claimed Mr. Aitchison, " will men's minds be awake to the Reformation delusion ? Alas ! we know not how many a wretched soul, now drinking the cup of eternal death, owes his agonies and torments to that Refor- mation 1" These selections from the Tractarians ( continued Mr. Pringle) spoke for themselves. They exhibited what manner of spirit the Puseyites were of— the men who claimed to be recognized as the successors of the Apostles, and who asserted their title to be received as the only authorized religious teachers of the people. Their proud pretensions would be beaten do vn by the Protestant spirit of the age : the world was too far advanced to bow down in homage to the monks of Oxford. He had no fear for the cause of religious liberty— no apprehensions of danger from the profes- sors of Puseyism. It was not from without, but from within, that the cause of Christian freedom was threatened. Its greatest foes were lukewarm Dissen- ters and nominal Nonconformists. It was one of the most painful signs of the times, that men who were bound by their position to protest against a State religion, were either silent upon the subject, or openly arrayed on the side of the Church Establish- ment. Such men were not ashamed to persecute their more manly brethren, and tyrannize, so far as they could, over those who dared to lift up their voices against wrong and oppression. I will not protract this letter to an unreasonable length, by any observations of my own ; but will con- clude by quoting from the writings of the great Chil- lingworth, that passage which used to be regarded, by churchmen, as containing the fundamental posi- tion upon which they grounded that secession from the Romish Church which is usually known as " the Protestant Reformation." His words are,— " By the religion of Protestants I do not understand the doctrine of Luther, or Calvin, or Melancthon ; nor the confession of Augusta or Geneva; nor the Catechism of Heidelberg ; nor the articles of the Church of England ; but the Bible;— the Bible, I say, the Bible only is the religion of Protestants. What- soever else they may believe as matter of faith and religion, they cannot do it with cohetence to their own grounds, nor require the belief of it of others, without most high and most schismatical presump- tion. I, for my part,— after a long, and ( as I verily believe and hope) impartial search of the true way to eternal happiness,— do profess plainly that I can- not find any rest for the soles of my feet, but upon this rock only. I see plainly, and with my own eyes, councils against councils, some fathers against others, the same fathers against themselves, a consent of fathers of another age, and the church of one age against the church of another age. Traditive inter- pretations of scripture are pretended ; but few or none to be found. No tradition but only of scripture, can derive itself from the fountain. In a word, there is no sufficient certainty, but of scripture only, for any considering man to build upon. This, therefore, and this only, I have reason to believe. This will I profess. According to this will I live ; and for this, if there be occasion, I will not only willingly, but gladly, lose my life ; though I should be sorry that christians should take it from me." To these explicit, decisive, and emphatic declara- tions of this eminent episcopalian divine, I cordially subscribe; although I am, with reference to the state- church of this country, A NONCONFORMIST. Halifax, Dec. 8, 1842. STATISTICS OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. ( Concluded from our last number.) AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS. The most gratifying progress has been made in agricultural operations. In 1839, there were only about 400 acres under crop— in 1840, about 2,800 ; and in 1841, upwards of 8,000 ; of which 4,700 were in wheat, and upwards of 1,000 in barley. Various specimens of the grain raised in 1840 and 1841, have been received in England, and pronounced by high authorities at Mark Lane, to be equal in quality to the best English or continental supplies, and are esti- mated at the highest market value. Of the. vigorous efforts which have been made by the colonists to extend the cultivation of the soil, some idea may be formed from the following extract from the South Australian Almanac for 1842,—" It is calculated that 38,000 acres are fenced in, for cultivation." If even then, the one- half of this ex- tent of land be sown, and as favourable a harvest enjoj- ed this season, as in former seasons, the colon ists will be amply supplied with corn, for food and seed, and provender for all their horses, cattle, etc from their own fields. The mineral wealth of South Australia is beginning also to be discovered, and is, seemingly, very various A lead mine has been opened in the immediate neigh bourhood of Adelaide, from which a specimen of upwards of half a ton of ore was sent to England, which was found to be very rich .- but the colonists of South Australia have other things to attend to, more profitable, and more urgent than working mines. Coal has not yet been found, but there can hardly be a doubt that it will. SUPPLY OF WATER. The city of Adelaide is abundantly supplied with wholesome, fresh water, at all seasons of the year— partly from the river Torrens, which runs through the city, and partly from private wells, which have been dug in all parts of the city, and in which water has been found at depths varying from thirty to seventy feet. A rain guage has been kept for two or three years iu Adelaide, and the results regularly published in the South Australian Almanac; from which it has been ascertained, that during the year from 31st October, 1839, to 31st October, 1840, there were 109 days on which rain fell; and the entire quantity, was 23,881 inches. During the year ending 31st October, 1841, there were 87 days on which rain fell, and the quantity 19,875 inches. Thus, on the average of these two years, there were ninety- eight days per annum on which rain fell, being at the rate of nearly two days in each week, and twenty- two inches average quantity during a year. Throughout the whole of that period there was not one calendar month without rain. It may not be generally known, that the average quantity of rain which fell in London during the years 1840 and 1841, was very nearly the same as that in Adelaide. During the j'ear 1810, the entire quantity in London, as ascertained by the rain- guage kept at Chiswick, was 18,184 inches— during the year 1841, there were 27,372 inches ; the average quantity having thus been between 22 and 23 inches ; while that in Adelaide was nearly 22 inches, as above mentioned. TEMPERATURE. \ Tables have also been published in the South Australian Almanac, showing the temperature of the atmosphere, the direction of the winds throughout the day, and the stale of the weather at Adelaide. The following is the summary of the temperature for the year ending 31st October, 1841:— The mean temperature in the shade, throughout the year, at nine o'clock A. M. was 64— at three P. M. 73— and at nine P. M. 63. The extreme heat was 102°, which the thermomi eter reached only on one day, 17th Dec.; the number of days onwhich it reached 100 was five. The number of days on which the extreme heat ranged from 90 to 100 was 35 days. 80 to 90 „ 67 „ 70 to 80 „ 105 „ 60 to 70 „ 119 „ The number of days on which the highest range of the thermometer did not reach 60" was thirty- eight j and the coldest day of the year was the 5th August, when the thermometer stood at 45° morning, 51° three o'clock P. M , and 43° evening. During this present season, the thermometer has risen occasionally in London, to 85° and upwards in the shade. All accounts concur in representing the climate of South Australia as one of the finest in the world ; and these tables, carefully compiled on the spot, certainly establish this point beyond a doubt. INCREASE OF STOCK. South Australia combines, in a remarkable degree, advantages for grazing, with those for agriculture- The following table shows the rapid increase of stock;— Sheep .. Cattle .. IIorse3 .. Besides pigs, goats, & c. which thrive amazingly. As the principal source of the wealth of South Australia must be sheep- farming, the following table is annexed, as a proof of the increase of that trade in New South Wales, while it is gratifying to know, that there is no danger of the import of wool into this country being overdone :— Return of Wool Exported from the Colony of New South Wales from 1822 to 1840. Value as entered in the returns 1838. 1839. 41. 28,000 108,700 200,160 242,055 2,500 480 7,600 800 15,100 1,060 16,696 1,252 Year. Quan. Year. Quan. of Exports. Value as entered in the returns of Exports. lb. £ lb. £ 1822 172,880 Not known. 1832 1,515,156 73,559 1823 108,240 it 1833 J, 734,203 103,692 1824 175,560 „ 1834 2,246,933 213,628 1835 411,600 ,, 1835 3,893,927 299,587 1826 552,960 48,384 1836 3,693,241 369,324 1827 407,116 24,306 1837 4,448,796 332,166 1828 834,343 40,851 1838 5,749,376 405,977 1829 1,005,333 63,555 1839 7,213,584 442,504 1830 899.750 34,907 1840 8,610,775 566,112 1831 1,401,284 75,979 From the above table, it will be seen that the quantity of wool exported f r om New South Wales, in the year 1827, being the thirty ninth year after its establishment as a B r i t i s h colony, was 407,116 l b s ,; THE HALIFAX FREE PRESS. 3 while the quantity from South Australia, this season, being her fifth year, amounts to about 600,000 lbs. ABORIGINES. From an interesting report, published by the Sta- tistical Society at Adelaide, in January last, the following very brief statements have been extracted:—• The number of the natives is few. In an area of 2,800 square miles, including Adelaide, there are but 650 natives— 280 males— 182 females— and 188 children. The fewness of their number is attributed to perpetual quarrels, polygamy, infanticide, and other causes. The number is on the decrease. Various measures have been adopted for their im- provement. An officer appointed by the Colonial Government, under the title of the Protector of the Aborigines, and four missionaries from the Mission- ary Society at Dresden, devote their efforts to this object. A location for the Aborigines was formed in 1837, in the immediate neighbourhood of Adelaide— they have been assisted in erecting six cottages there. By January, 1842, they had a plot of ground of three acres, cultivated by themselves, in which potatoes, carrots, maize, and melons were then growing. On the 23rd December, 1839, a school for the native children was opened. In June, 1841, the average attendance was 19 ; the progress made was such as to show that there is no deficiency in mental capacity. The girls have received instruction in sewing from a number of ladies, chiefly Wesieyan Methodists ; and the progress made by the girls, has been satisfactory and encouraging. The adults are much more inattentive to religious instruction than the children, and can scarcely be induced to attend on the Sabbath. A few have been occasionally em- ployed, during the whaling season, at Encounter Bay, in pulling the whale boats, but no dependence can be placed on them. The natives in the settled districts of the South Australian territory, are quiet, inoffensive creatures- afraid of being out after sun- set; and even those on the banks of the Murray, at the eastern extremity of the colony, between whom and some parties bringing sheep and cattle over - land from New South Wales, there have been several conflicts, appear to conduct themselves in a friendly manner, when treated kindly. Mr Eyre, a most enterprising Australian explorer, has given this account in a late official report, ad- dressed by him to the Governor of South Australia. THE TRUSTEES' MEETINGS AND THE REPORTS OF THE " GUARDIAN." To the Editors of the Free Press. GENTLEMEN,— The various reports of the meetings of the Trustees acting under the Halifax Improvement Act, and the editorial remarks, which have from time to time appeared in the " Halifax Guardian," have frequently been the subject of animadversion among a large number of the Trustees; and as frequently has it been a matter of regret that the professed " Guardian " of our town,— a man pretending to be one of the favoured of God, and who stands in the pulpit professing to teach his hearers the golden rule of doing unto others as they would have others do to them ; and at the same time is prostituting himself to a faction for the sake of wordly gain ;— in order to suit the vicious purposes of that faction, is continually maligning a great portion of his fellow- townsmen, 9tid thus misleading another portion, who have no other means of forming correct opinions upon the subject, than the gross misrepresentations and false statements which so frequently appear in that journal. I am induced to address you at this time, partly on account of the letter of " Fair Play " which appeared in the " Free Press" of last week, and partly on account of the leading articles upon the two last Trustees'meetings, which appeared in the " Guardians" of last week and last week but one ; and to add my testimony, as aTrustee then present, to the incorrect- ness of the statement of the " Guardian," that at the meeting held on the 5th inst., " insulting expressions were bandied about;" and also to show that the articles in question are, as " Fair Play" justly observes, but " a repetition of usual unfairness." In thefirstarticle above alluded to, the " Guardian " editor observes, " It would seem that the special and adjourned meetings of the Trustees have come once or tu- ice too often lately, and roused the latent passions of those choice spirits who have been wont to figure in the debates if the ' Bach Lane Parliament. Certainly the quarrelsome meeting, on Monday last, was a near approximation to former scenes which we had hoped would never again disgrace a meeting composed of Halifax gentlemen." After stating the specific purpose for which the meeting was called, namely, hearing the report of the committee appointed for the purpose of defining the duties of the clerk, fixing the salary, and other important matters, & c, the editor makes the following curious admission :— " It will be seen by a reference to the report in another page, that there was a fair sprinkling of highly respectable and wealthy trustees present, but who nevertheless, we are sorry to add, seldom think it worth their while to mix themselves up in these meetings." How appropriate the remark of " Fair Play, when he says, " that truly those who deal in fiction, ought to have retentive memories ;" for, ad- mitting it to be the fact, as the " Guardian" states, that the meeting of Monday was a " near approxima- tion to former scenes which he had hoped would never again disgrace a meeting of Halifax gentlemen," and if it be also true that " there was a fair sprinkling of highly respectable and wealthy trustees present, but who seldom think it worth their while to mix in these meetings," the inference is that the meetings latterly, with which these " highly respectable and wealthy trustees" were not mixed up, were con- ducted orderly and peaceably ; and that it was only when " there was a fair sprinkling of respectable and wealthy trustees present," that the meetings ap- proximated their previous quarrelsome nature ! Well may those '• respectable and wealthy Trustees" exclaim—" If such be our friends, Lord deliver us from our enemies !" After a great deal of twaddle of the same character as that already quoted, respecting the " uncourteous and unjustifiable conduct of the majority," who, he says, " reduced the meeting to a mere dumb show, a vehicle only to pass a report without discussion or explanation ;" he then goes on to say,—" Wc deplore this manifestation of a quarrelous and . disputant spirit; and the more so, because it may hare a tendency to prevent many influential and respectable Trustees from attending sveh meetings in future; the effect of which will be that the management of the town's affairs will again fall into the hands of that party which has succeeded in plunging the town into debt, involving it in difficulties, and rendering such sweeping reforms netessary as those now upon the eve of being carried into execution." How the Editor of the " Guardian" can, in one and the same breath, charge a majority of the Trustees present with being " querulous and disputant," and at the same time with " reducing the meeting to a mere dumb show," appears somewhat paradoxical; for surely there could be nothing " querulous and disputant" in being desirous of adopting a report, which had been so well digested by the committee, that after three hours of useless discussion, wasadop> ted, without the least alteration being made ; although frequently attempted, by the " respectable and wealthy Trustees," whose conduct is so much eulo- gised by the " Guardian." Surelv it cannot be said with truth, to be either " uncourteous or ungentle- manly" in those Trustees who regularly attend the meetings, to protest against their proceedings being obstructed, and their time wasted, for three or four hours together, by the multifarious questions and objections raised by a minority of Trustees, however " respectableand wealthy" they may be, " who seldom think it worth their while to mix up in these meet- ings," except on occasions like the two last, when there is some salary to fix, some patronage to dispose of, or some personal favourite to serve. The Editor of the " Guardian" " deplores" the spirit manifested at the late meeting, lest it should prevent influential and respectable Trustees from attending in future ; " the effect of which," he says, " will be that the management of the Town's affairs will again fall into the hands of that party which has succeeded in plung- ing the town into debt, and involving it in difficulties." Now. Gentlemen, permit me to ask this scrupulous Editor a few questions, answers to which, I will leave him, and such of his readers to furnish, who will take the trouble of making the necessary inquiry. Who were the men who, in the first place, were the cause of an act of Parliament being obtained, that now re- quires the adoption of so many " stringent bye laws" to secure its being put into efficient operation ; and who, when that Act was obtained, were the readiest to qualify under its provisions ? Then I would ask, what party it was that expended large sums of money in making useless new streets, instead of applying the public money to the improvement of the old ones; and how many of that party whose property was en- hanced ten fold by those new streets, now attend the regular meetings of the Trustees. What party was it that invariably attended the snug meetings of the Trustees, at that time unmolested and undisturbed, on the principle of " serve me and I will serve thee and how many of them now " seldom think it worth their while to mix themselves up with these meetings ?'' Who were the Trustees that, during the time this ex- travagant and partial expenditure of the public money was going on, invariably maintained the necessity of the rates being laid at the highest possible amount allowed by the Act of Parliament, namely from 2s 6d to 4s. in the pound ? The Editor of the " Guardian" may, perhaps, say, " all this was before my time; at any rate it was before I changed my principles, to become Editor of a Tory paper ; and I cannot answer these questions." He can, however, tell us, if he likes, who supported the proposition for an improvement in Haugh Shaw Lane, estimated to cost £ 3000 ; at a time, too, when the debt was greater than at present by nearly £ 1000, And he can also tell who successfully opposed that unjust proposition. I dare say, if he taxes his me- mory, he can inform his readers, what party advocated giring the exorbitant sum of £ 10 10s. a yard for ground in Crown Street, to be added to the street when it was proved to be the interest of the person about to build, to give the ground for a frontage to his new buildings ; and, if he be inclined, I have no doubt but he can recollect who successfully opposed it. And he can also tell us who it was that, at the time the ratepayers were up in arms against the Trustees, on account of the insufficient supply of water during the long drought, this last autumn, came to the meeting ready charged and primed with the assurances of the clerk, that all the praiseworthy exertions of the committee, in endeavouring to obtain an increased supply, were injudicious, and impolitic, in so much as they were illegal. He will also recol- lect, the exposfe which was made, when the ground of illegality! was discussed, of those " respectable and wealthy Trustees" who supported the outlay in Haugh Shaw Lane when the debt was £ 1000 more than it was now, and who then came forward to throw impediments in the way of continuing the search for water at High Road Well ! On the other hand, I would ask him, to what party we are solely indebted for the reduction of our debt, by the amount above stated;— for the reduction, also, of our rates from 2s. 6d. to 2s. in the pound ;— for the introduction of the new arrangement of hold- ing our meetings quarterly, instead of every fort- night,— of entrusting the executive part of the business to a committee elected annually, instead of leaving it to the general body of Trustees;— and lastly to whom are we mainly indebted for the strin- gent bve- laws passed at a late meeting, which the Editor of the " Guardian" speaks of in such high terms of commendation ? These are only a few of the numerous questions which might be put to the Editor of the " Guardian j" true answers to which would show to his readers the unprincipled manner in which he treats the more useful members of the body of Trustees: but as I fear you will think I have already trespassed too much upon your space, some others which I have in store, shall, with your permission, bejbrought forward, if need be, on some future occasion. Before I conclude, I wiil just say a word about the " ill will" and " party feeling" which run through the whole of his reports ; and add my testimony to that of " Fair Play," as to the mean, paltry, garbled manner in which he represents anything and every- thing that is said by any person who is not fortunate enough to be classed by him among the " respectable and wealthy ;" while, on the other hand, those who are more fortunate,— who, like schoolboys, come with their lessons off by heart, ready cut and dried ( to speak to the " Guardian" and not to the Trustees,) and, as schoolboys often do, unfortunately break, down :— their speeches are sure to be fully reported, as if nothing of the kind had occurred. Thanking you for your kindness, I remain, Gentle- men, yours & c., A TRUSTEE.. Dec, 20th,; 1842.