of pain, punishment, or death, to espouse truth and oppose oppression, and to glory in being the victim of imposition, sooner than to suffer injustice and hypocrisy to trample on innocence, ignorance, virtue, and freedom?

TEUCER.

DORCHESTER GAOL.

THERE has been a sort of exposure of the conduct of the Magistrates who manage this place, in the case of the boys who were committed to the tread-mill for robbing the garden of the Rev. Mr. Chamberlaine, of Wyke Regis. In defence of the Magistrates, the Dorset County Chronicle, a paper that has not exhibited a spark of independence under the management of the present Editor, says: In Dorchester Gaol, a schoolmaster, who is paid by the county, teaches juvenile delinquents to read during the hours they are not employed on the tread-mill, and we understand he pays particular care to the improvement of the children. Of the excellent management and discipline of the Prison in other respects it is unnecessary here to speak."

This statement is a gross and wilful falsehood, with reference to the Gaol from November, 1819, to November, 1825, the six years during which I was there confined. It was my daily complaint to the Authorities of the Gaol that there was no schoolmaster there. My proposition was uniformly scouted, and it was more than once admitted, that the major part of the Magistrates were no advocates for the education of the labouring part of the people. The only kind of schoolmasters that I ever saw there were prisoners. Some prisoner that could read was selected to teach the boys to read, and it has often occurred that there have been boys and no prisoner to teach them to read. The disposition of the Magistrates and Gaoler is coercion and terror, and not instruction. During the chaplainship of the excellent Rev. George Wood, some pains were taken with the boys; but Mr. Wood's duty and habits led him to think more of the nonsense of creeds and religious catechisms than of useful knowledge, than of writing and arithmetic. What the conduct of the Reverend Mr. Clementson is to the boys I had scarcely an opportunity of ascertaining through my short stay after his appointment; but I do not doubt of his attention to them; and if any thing now exists under the description of the Editor of the Dorset County Chronicle, I may flatter myself that I have worked something like good disposition into the Magistrates and Gaoler. A more base and contemptible set than I found them never managed a Gaol in the country. The Gaoler, among the inhabitants of Dorchester is proverbially a ruffian. Where he puts on civility, it is a constrained cant that is more offensive to the keen observer than his ruffianism.

RICHARD CARLILE.

MR. JEFFERSON.

We understand that Mr. Jefferson has left behind him a memoir of a part of his own life and times; he commenced its composi tion in the 77th year of his age, in 1820, and finished it in 1821. It goes back to the time of his grandfather, traces the progress of his own education, touches upon the causes and events of the American revolution, gives a particular account of the declaration of independence, presents many interesting sketches of the condition and celebrated characters of France while he was minister in that country, and terminates with his acceptance of the office of Secretary of State. He has also left behind him, for publication, three volumes of Anas, comprising various conversations and transactions in which he was concerned while he was. Secretary of State. Besides these, he has prepared for the press twelve or thirteen volumes of correspondence, labelled with the years in which they were written. In these MS. volumes, not bound, but stitched, he has carefully laid away copies of all his interesting letters, as taken by 'the polygraph. It is unnecessary to state that these letters are full of interest; they are addressed to various persons, and on various subjects, and when published, will more fully display the felicity of style and grandeur of principles for which their author was so eminently distinguished. Some of these letters were prior to the Revolution, and the last of the series is his celebrated reply to Mr. Weightman, written ten days before his death. This is laid the very last in the volume for 1826. Some of these letters are very long; they discuss a variety of the most interesting topics; among the rest, we have heard, an elaborate letter of his to Colonel Monroe, immediately after the capture of Washington, spoken of in the highest terms. He has also left many other manuscripts, amongst his papers; with these some compositions labelled "Juvenilities." All his papers are put up with a neatness and regularity which uniformly distinguished Mr. Jefferson. It is remarkable that he had put away, as among his select papers, his own will, a copy of the first draught and alterations of the Declaration of Inde pendence, and some affectionate memorials of family feeling. These three were arranged together in the same compartment. As soon as the proper arrangements can be made, this memoir, these Anas, and most of this correspondence will be laid before his country. Few men's papers can be so rich in valuable materials as those of Mr. Jefferson. His style and his sentiments contribute to lend an inestimable attraction to every subject which he handled. Teticit nihil quod non ornavit. There has been no opportunity yet of recording Mr. Jefferson's will. It was written in March last: condensed, expressive, simple, and elegant. He has left all his books to the University, of which it has not already copies. He has left to his illustrious friend, James Madison, his beautiful cane of animal horn, as a memorial of his long and

uninterrupted friendship for one with whom he has been combined in his exertions for the good of mankind. He has left a few slaves free, making provisión for their future support, and praying of the Legislature, as a last favour, (in addition to so many which he has received at their hands), that these emancipated slaves might be permitted to remain within the Commonwealth.-Rich mond Inquirer.

BARTHOLOMEW FAIR.

This scene of weakness and depravity has been again suffered to disgrace the metropolis and to concentrate its vices to a focus; from which irremediable misery to individuals arises. Old age, women and children, and even pregnant women flock to this foul spectacle to seek food for the mirth that gladdens not, that yields no lasting pleasure, and that destroys that sense of dignified modesty which should be felt by all mankind. Many even of our popular and liberty advocating writers have reprobated the attempt to put down fairs, as an encroachment upon popular privileges and: amusements. What privilege and amusement can that be that debases or preserves the debasement of mankind? What philosopher can behold the scenes of the fair in Smithfield and call it a privilege or rational amuse-; ment? And what are other fairs but the minor scenes of Smithfield?

One of the evils of fairs and spectacles is, that individuals are taught buffoonery as the best attraction to weak and ignorant minds. A showman may be supposed to have a full insight into the weak parts of man, and to thrive upon the indulgence of that weakness. The more nonsense can exhibit, the greater are his profits. Even the seller of

and drollery he his gilt figures, plays to the same tune upon the mind

gingerbread, with of children, whether their growth be large or small. The punch of the puppet show, the clown of the pantomime, and the gingerbread figure of the confectioner are each an instrument wherewith to operate upon the weak-' ness of the human animál.

The alehouse affords enchantment for other appetites, and, I must confess, the more depraved appetites. See a house full of human animals with pots of intoxicating liquor before them, and pipes in their mouths: and what are they? Why do they drink? Why do they barn tobacco and make their mouths the chimneys for its passage to the atmosphere? Are the sensations pleasing which the irritation or excitement produces? See what wretches they are, who follow this to excess: See them waste their time and their means; see their haggard countenances, filthy persons, and

the

dats. See their consequent, their deserved slavery. See the tot absence of respect which the more moral part of the community is obitged to obser and them. A labouring man cannot put his foot in abit, near his home, without degrading himself, and ng a degradation in the ratio of his expenditure. Some men are weak enough to think that it is manly to be able to sit and drink and smoke by the hour or day; but I trust that real manliness is to be found in the abstinence from such acts.

The youth wastes that time in the alehouse which should be devoted to the preservation of his health and the cultivation of his mind, and the times and places called fairs are to him moments of excitement, at which he feels a sort of necessary custom imposed upon him, that he is to make himself peculiarly offensive, and as opposite as possible to whatever is essential to his well being. Christianity may suffer such scenes by its encouragement; but philosophical atheism will soon reform it when it has the power.

Printed and Published by R. Carlile, 62, Fleet Street.

No. 10. VOL. 14.] LONDON, Friday, Sept. 15, 1826. [Price 6d.

SQUABBLES AND TRICKS OF THE BIBLE SOCIETY EXPOSED BY ITS OWN MEMBERS.

TO HENRY DRUMMOND, Esq., High Sheriff for the County of Surrey, and Subscriber to the Bible Society.

SIR,

I ONCE told Mr. George Garland, a worthy High Sheriff for the county of Dorset, that " public men were public marks for little men to shoot at." With this view, I call your attention to the few remarks I have to make upon the apparent decay of the Bible Society with the decay of respect for the Bible. Every part of your public character but that of the theologian, as far as I know it, carries with it the command of esteem; so here, I have no intention to express a knowledge of you beyond the newspaper report of your Bible Speech at Guildford, as published in the "Morning Herald" of Saturday last. I cannot give that speech alone to my readers, it must be accompanied with the report of the other speeches upon the same subject, and with other public notices of the proceedings of the Bible Society.

The Bible Society is clearly an association to do that for "God" and the word of God," which "God" cannot do for himself. It will bear no other correct description. If a powerful being had written for the instruction of mankind, he ought to have extended that instruction to the extent of his power. This I do, and this every public teacher does. Had there been such a God as you describe, and such a word of that God as you describe, the Bible Society would not only have been a great presumption, but a most blasphemous institution. It would have expressed an attempt to add to the power of omnipotence, to assist a power that could need no assistance. With these prefatory observations, I proceed to copy the Report of the Guildford Bible Society Meeting:

Printed and Published by R. Carlile, 62, Fleet-street.

"APOCRYPHA CONTROVERSY. "

"Report of a Meeting, held in the Town Hall of Guildford, on the 29th August, 1826, of the Surrey Bible Society.

"The High Sheriff, Henry Drummond, Esq., having declined taking the Chair, in consequence of the charges alleged against the parent society,

"C. N. Pallmer, Esq. M.P. consented to occupy his place.

"The Report having been read by the Secretary to the Guildford Society, it was moved and seconded that it should be adopted and printed.

"The Chairman was about to put this motion, when

"The High Sheriff rose and spoke to the following effect:He said that he considered every talent a man possessed, even the temporary rank he might hold, as a trust committed to him by Gob, for which he was bound to account; and he felt it due to the Meeting to state the reasons which prevented him from accepting the honourable situation of their Chairman. But before doing so he would beg to assure them that he intended no personal disrespect to the Committee in Earl-street. So far as he was acquainted with any of the individuals who composed that body, he was willing to offer them not only the tribute of his respect, but, if they would receive it, of his affectionate regard. Still, however, looking at the conduct of that Committee as a public body, he was compelled to say it had lost his confidence, and, he believed, the confidence of a large proportion of the religious public. While it was gratifying to know how many Bibles had been circulated through their means, it was equally melancholy to know that thousands and tens of thousands of pounds had been spent in adulterating the Scriptures, by circulating the lies and fables of the Apocrypha along with the words of eternal life. In this respect the conduct of the London Committee had been such, that, if he might be pardoned, virtually, they had been collecting money under false pretences: for, however the members of the Committee might be startled by such an assertion, such was the conduct of men who professed to inculcate the Word of God, without note or comment, and yet proceeded to employ the money, committed to them for this purpose in adding

and not only adding, but intermingling the fables of Tobit and his Fish with the inspired history of Moses, the true prophecies of Daniel with the stories of Bel and the Dragon and Susanna and the Elders. Had the members of the Society been candidly informed of what was going forward, less blame would have attached to them. But, in addition to the evil of circulating di