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THOUGH not yet quit of the carpenter and painter, I bave gotten this place into something like order for business. A compact printing office has been made and the house embraces all the conveniences for which I can express a wish. The shop is handsome and commodious. A statue of Paine is raised at the back of it, with an elegantly formed female figure, as an emblem of truth, holding a light to him.

The property of the Joint Stock Book Company is arranged in its department and may be seen by any subscriber or any respectable person. The company is fairly established in a small way and we may now boldly call upon those to join it who have made promises, or who have silently thought of doing it.

My engagement to visit country friends must be suspended. Whether I shall be able to do it in October, I cannot yet say; but I trust that there is not one of them, who would wish me to cripple this new establishment by leav-” ing it at such a moment. I have now a valuable property in it; and though that property is in part encumbered with a mortgage, and though I may in reducing that mortgage feel some pecuniary difficulties, for a year or more to come, I have not a doubt of ultimate success, Fair dealing is the maxim upon which I have opened the establishment, and all I want is time to turn every thing to advantage. The coming in and fitting up will exhaust the sum of twelvehundred pounds. This to me was a large sum. I have met with all necessary assistance so far, and trust that I shall still be able to find friends who will assist me by relieving each other. Interest of five per cent for all monies lent has been and will be paid until the principal be paid. What I particularly wish, is subscribers to the Joint Stock Book Company, to keep the printing office in rapid motion.

R. C.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The letter to Mr. Peel by Philalethes would, probably, answer every legal purpose that it could answer in print, if the MS. were sent to Mr. Peel. Any expression in justification of the offence is intolerable with relation to the social claim of females, and morally imprudent with relation to better disposed males. A change of the law is essential to a diminution of the offence. It has been so practically proved in Holland. If it please Philalethes, the MS. shall be forwarded to Mr. Peel's office.

Freret's Letter from Thrasybulus to Leucippe is on sale at 3s. The Aphorisms of Paine will be ready in another fortnight. We are proceeding also with a pocket edition of Palmer's Principles of Nature, and with an octavo edition of Volney's Ruins.

A friend writes thus from a village in Sussex

"The times are changed. In this very village, where Tom Paine used to be burnt in effigy, we have infidel carpenters, atheistical farmers, unbelieving day-labourers and some common husbandmen, who would dumbfound the stoutest parson that ever filled the pulpit. My friend, Shelley, the atheist, used to say, that when men ceased to believe in a god of vengeance, they would not hang and guillotine one another for stealing forty shillings.'

Yes," the times are changed, and changed for the better." In London, we have the press free, we have a shop, in a first-rate thoroughfare, filled with deistical and atheistical books, unmolested and we have some of the finest specimens of oratory at the Founder's Hall Chapel, in the Sunday moral and deistical discourses of the Reverend Robert Taylor.

R. C.

Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 62, Fleet Street.-All Correspondences for "The Republican," to be left at the place of publication.

No. 12. VOL. 14.] LONDON, Friday, Sept. 29, 1826. [Price 6d.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM VENABLES, LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF LONDON.

MY LORD MAYOR,

62, Fleet Street, Sept. 28, 1826. I HAVE a joke to crack with your Lordship's Magisterial Worship, on the subject of the fracas at the last meeting of the Christian Evidence Society. To me, it is ever a matter of pleasure, to see men in office saying something about infidelity to Christianity, &c. 1 could wish to see them rational on the subject; but I had rather have nonsense than silence from them. They may call us, Infidels, "mad," if they please; but our madness is not of the kind that excites their real pity. They fear us, not with a fear of bodily harm, but with a fear of mental contrast. They bow to the superiority of our honesty and ability, whenever the subject comes before them; and, like the ostrich, that hides its head in a hole to defend its body from the pursuer, they cloak their dignity in an affected pity that is pitiable in its turn, and in an affected contempt that betrays fear and consciousness of inferiority, rather than a dignified sense of superiority and a confidence of wisdom in magisterial precept. "Mad," as we are called, the magisterial authorities dread discussion with us. Before I proceed further, I will copy a report of proceedings before you, as I have found it in different newspapers, and shew the unfairness of the proceedings, or the report, by a statement of facts.

MANSION HOUSE.

CHRISTIAN EVIDENCE SOCIETY.-Yesterday, the Justice Room, and the avenues to it, were crowded in consequence of the interest excited by a complaint, which Mr. Cope, the City Marshal, had to make against some of the members of the Christian Evidence Society, which meets at Founders' Hall Chapel, in Lothbury, to discuss the subject matter of the New Testament. This Society has been established by a Mr. Taylor, who cuts a very extraordinary figure in the streets of London, being seen constantly parading the most public places, with a reverend hat and a glass suspended from his neck by a broad blue riband. He has had meetings in various parts of the town, but the proprietors of the houses where the Society used to assemble had very few trials of its respectability, before they made the most determined efforts to get rid of it altogether. At last Mr. Taylor got hold of the present spot for its meetings, to the great terror and annoyance of the inhabitants of Lothbury The Lord Mayor has received a

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

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great many communications from his fellow-citizens, complaining of the disgraceful conduct of those who attended the Society on the nights of meeting, and requesting his interference to put a stop to the proceedings. His Lordship however, for obvious reasons, refused to attend to this request; but he directed that the Police should keep an eye upon the Society, in order to prevent breaches of the peace, to commit which some of the members were extremely well inclined.

Two young men, named Freeman and Godwin, disciples of Mr. Taylor, and who regularly claps a "Reverend" before his name, were brought before his Lordship; the first charged with having assaulted Mr. Cope in the execution of his duty, and the second with having endeavoured to rescue his assailant.

Mr. Cope stated, that on the previous evening a great riot took place at the Chapel, and he attended for the purpose of restoring peace. The Rev. Mr. Taylor was speaking, and there were several other persons at the same sort of employment. The greatest confusion imaginable arose, in consequence of what fell from the speakers, and there were upwards of a dozen at a time fighting about the platform where the principal speakers were assembled. Witness immediately went in amongst them, and said he was an officer; that such conduct could not be allowed, and that they must desist. He observed Freeman particularly active; took hold of him, and said he must come away. Freeman, however, instantly collared him-a scuffle ensued, and witness fell under the seat, where he was repeatedly struck. He lost his hat, and the clothes were almost torn from his back. About twenty people got round him the moment he took hold of Freeman, and Godwin was amongst those who rescued that person from his custody. By the assistance of an officer, however, the two were apprehended. The scene was one of very great violence.

George Goodge, a city patrol, confirmed this account. He succeeded in getting hold of Freeman after the rescue, and he held him fast.

Cowton, the officer, stated, that he was in the room while the disturbance was going forward. He saw a sword drawn from a stick by a short man, with red hair, who had been speaking on the subject of the Resurrec tion. He saw Mr. Cope in the midst of the disturbers, and upon running to his assistance he found the man with the sword was gone. There seemed to be a great deal of activity in a person, who was running up every now and then to the Chairman, who stood in the pulpit, with written communications. This person seemed to be doing all he could to secure the person who had the drawn sword in his hand.

A Solicitor, the master of Godwin, told the Lord Mayor, that he believed the identity of his clerk was doubted.

Mr. Cope-Not in the least; I have a perfect recollection of him. Freeman My Lord, the fact is this—yesterday evening I attended the Christian Evidence Society, and, my Lord, there were two sitting in the same box (pew) hissing as hard as they could. I told them if they were dissatisfied, they would have an opportunity of answering, but to be quiet. One of them was a gentleman that sent a letter to the Editor of "The Republican" against Ministers and Christianity, and he got up at the Meeting to attack Mr. Taylor, which was the worst sort of hypocrisy. I said he was a hypocrite to attempt to defend what he had written against in "The Republican" for Mr. Carlile; and he said, I deserved to be knocked over head. I didn't like to be bullied, and I told him to do it-when he drew his sword, saying that he had a sword to defend himself. There was then some scuffle. I did all I could to get the sword out of the hand of the person who drew it upon me, but I declare most positively I never struck the Marshal, nor any body else.

The Lord Mayor.-I suppose the arguments caused a great deal of clamour.

Freeman. There was a great deal of approbation and disapprobation. The Lord Mayor.-I suppose, Sir, that you are a Deist?

Freeman. I don't pretend to be any thing at all, my Lord-don't pretend to understand any thing about the subject.

Godwin.-I went in to hear what was going on in company with my cousin and I saw the man draw the sword; I did not get into the row, for I said I'd indict him under Lord Ellenborough's Act.-(a laugh.) The Lord Mayor.-Aye, that was because you are a lawyer!

Freeman-We acted only in defence. The sword cane was brandished over our heads.

Mr. Cope I had no chance with such a multitude. When they got me down, some of them were knocking me about the head, while others were pulling me by the legs.

Godwin-We merely attended to see what was going on. We had no idea of a row, until we heard the shrieks of the women, and saw the Gentleman with the sword, who is an opponent of Mr. Taylor; he professes Christianity, and he carries a sword to show it.

The Lord Mayor (to Godwin's master)-Is this the way in which you complete the education of your clerk, by allowing him to go to places of this description?

Solicitor-No; I deprecate meetings of the kind as most infamous, and I knew nothing of his going there.

The Lord Mayor (to the defendants). Are you of the Committee? Freeman-No, my Lord; I only went in for the third time. I am certainly acquainted with the Rev. Mr. Taylor.

The Lord Mayor-I have had repeated applications made to me to put a stop to the proceedings of this Society, upon the ground that they were always opposed to Christianity, but I have always refused from the belief that contempt would bring all attempts of the kind to their proper level. I have no doubt of the insanity of Taylor, but madmen of his description will always find crack-brained followers; I only regret that the youthful may be mis ed by such a description of persons. Christianity has nothing to fear from such objects. It has triumphed amidst the most desperate opposition, and under the most disheartening circumstances, and can suffer nothing in the hands of such men as are now ranged at the bar-a laugh. (To the defendants.) You must find bail however for the assault and rescue..

The sister to one of the defendants-Nobody, my Lord, can say, that my brother was clamorous. He applauded Mr. Taylor, but the question was one that was as immaterial to him as to me.

The Lord Mayor-Oh, then, you consider the question of no importance to you. Are there any of the Society here who would wish to say anything?

John Henderson, a baker of Deptford-I was present, my Lord Mayor, when the uproar was going forward; and when Mr. Taylor exposed the argumentation of the individual, and censured the letter which the individual wrote to the Editor of The Republican," he drew a sword. I leaped up to get at the sword; that was the cause of the disturbance, and we all did what we could to put an end to it.

The Lord Mayor-It never occurred to you that this individual withi the drawn sword was one of the Dramatis Persona. Without opposition, the performance would have been nothing. Oh, you are just what I expected you were—a sad set altogether.

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