Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. I SHALL be obliged to any of your correspondents to inform me, whether a person building and endowing a church, and procuring episcopal consecration for it, may appoint his own minister, or present to it, or vest the patronage in trustees. By the late church-building acts, provision is made with respect to the patronage of churches built by the commissioners; but I am not aware of any such provision by those acts, or any other law in existence, in the case of churches built by individuals. The above query on the subject of new churches brings to my mind another point, which is worth consideration at a time when so many new churches are about to be opened: Is it lawful and consistent for Protestant Christians to "dedicate" their churches to St. George, or any other saint imaginary or real? There is certainly no objection against calling a church "St. George's;" but I think no Christians who deny the invocation of saints, should dedicate their churches to them. I would suggest that the more Protestant-like way would be to dedicate their churches to the Most High God, by the name of St. George's. Ω. ON THE FEAR OF DEATH. Say, whence the dread that can alike engage Start from the grave, and tremble at the view. The blood stain'd pirate, who, in neighbouring climes, Might fear lest justice should o'ertake his crimes, But can the mariner, who sail'd in vain His strength exhausted, and his viands lost, haven near. The love of life, it yet must be confessed, Years undeceiv'd us, and affliction taught, 'Tis but to quit what hourly we despise, A fretful dream, that tortures as it flies. Thus darkly colour'd by this gloomy hand; Minds deeply wounded, or with spleen oppress'd, When friendship sooths each care, and love im parts Its mutual raptures to congenial hearts, Connubial love, and friendship's pleasing power, Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. And death now tells him they are his no more. THE following is a copy of unpublished verses, on the fear of death, from the pen of the late Mr. Hayley. I think that they cannot Bless'd in each name of Husband, Father, Friend, Must those strong ties, those dear connexious end? It is presumed Mr. Hayley could have meant only comparatively, as respects the grosser viola. tions of God's law. Must he thus leave, to all the woes of life. 'Tis thine alone from dark despair to save, To sooth the woes of life, and terrors of the grave. And oh when time shall bid thee yield thy And take thy passage through the gates of death, REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Statement of certain immoral Prac- Two circumstances have contributed to retard our notice of the subject to which the work placed at the head of this article refers. In the first place, the subject itself is of a nature so truly offensive and even repelling to every pure mind, and so unfit for general discussion, that it is not a little painful to exhibit it on the pages of a periodical publication. And, in the next place, any animadversions on the evils to which the pamphlet adverts, must appear to involve a very strong censure of the authorities in whom alone resides the power to check them-a species of censure which we are at all times unwilling to cast, and more especially in those cases where the parties censured have not been called upon to state what endeavours have been made to remedy the evil complained of, or by what peculiar difficulties these endeavours may have been embarrassed. The evil in question, how ever, is so tremendous in itself, and is pregnant with such awful consequences, that we at length feel it essential to speak out, and, if possible, to enlist the public sympathies on the side of decency and religion. It will be our anxious endeavour, in the brief discussion of this subject which we now offer to our readers, to utter no superfluous words, to inflict no needless wounds on the most delicate mind, and to lay no unnecessary burden on those administrators of the institutions of our country who are the constituted guardians of the national interests and welfare. The evil to which we refer is thus briefly stated in the work before us: "It has become an established practice in the British Navy to admit, and even to invite, on board ships of war, immediately on their arrival in port, as many guilty and abandoned women, as the men, and, in many cases, the officers, may choose to entertain,-to the number, in the larger ships of war, of several hundred; all of whom remain on board, domesticated with they again put to sea. the ship's company, men and boys, until this practice is to render a ship, while in The tendency' of port, a continual scene of riot and disorder, of obscenity and blasphemy, of drunkenness, and lewdness, and debauchery." Statement, p. 1. It is impossible that we should pollute our pages with the disgusting details on this subject which are of necessity added in the pamphlet before us. But, can farther statements be necessary to draw the public attention to this evil, and to rouse their efforts to suppress it? Indeed, when contemplating the subject, we are at a loss in what way to explain the apathy of the multitudes who must be conversant with facts such as these. It must ultimately, how ever, be referred to the too generally low conceptions of the malignity of sin. Surely juster notions on this point could not fail to kindle the strongest indignation in the mind of the bystanders. So public an affront to the Majesty of heaven and the purity of God, could not continue to be offered without an attempt to restrain it, if we judged according to the rules of Scripture, and estimated vice as it will be estimated at the Great Day. The statement which is now before us has evidently been drawn up by a writer or writers of much intelligence and strong Christian feeling; and we honour those we may have to thank for it, for the manly exposure of a mischief of such deadly influence on the best interests of the community. The correctness of the delineation contained in this pamphlet is confirmed by the testimony of many naval officers of the first respectability. It moreover appears, that some appeal on this subject has already been made to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, who seem to be justly considered as possessing ample powers to repress the evil; and that, had any hope of redress been held out by them, this Statement would not have been published. Under such circumstances, we will own that our own view corresponds very much with that of the authors. Entertaining no doubt whatever of the strict accuracy of the statement which they have presented to the public, we have no hesitation as to the course to be pursued. This moral pestilence ought no longer to be neglected. Government ought to be aided in the discharge of their duty by the strong expression of general feeling. The wound must be examined, and the knife, to the extent in which it is necessary, be applied without delay. Having produced to our readers such a guarded and limited statement of the facts of the case as appeared to us best suited to a work designed for general circulation, we shall now beg their attention to a very few observations upon these facts. In the first place, it is necessary to observe, that the laws of the land, and the proclamations of the throne are most explicit and decisive in calling for the prohibition of such evils. It is the fashion, we know, with some persons to club all reformers together, and, whether a man is raving in the language of Spenceism, for the abolition of all distinctions and all property, or calmly contending for an enforcement even of the common decencies of life, to consider in either case as equally subjects for a straight waistcoat, as rash innovators on established usages, and open enemies to the state. But let it be noticed, that, in this case, the protectors of vicious and immoral practices are the real innovators on ancient usages, and the resisters of royal authority; for the proof of which position we have only to look at the language of authority on this subject. "In the Book of Regulations for the Naval Service, printed in 1790, at page 200, is contained an order which stands numbered the Eleventh Article of the Additional Instructions, and which is to of his Majesty's ships and vessels are the following effect:- All commanders strictly required to cause the following rules to be punctually complied with :' among others, that no women be ever permitted to be on board but such as are really the wives of the men they come to visit; and the ship not to be too much pestered even with them. But this indulgence is only tolerated while the ship is in port, and not under sailing orders.' In 1808, a new edition of the Book of Regulations was published, which contains the following orders. "The lieutenants are to see that the men of their divisions keep themselves as clean as the duty of the ship will admit of; to prevent swearing, drunkenness, and every other immorality;' 'they are to report to the captain whatever men they find ignorant, idle, dirty, or profligate, that they may be instructed, exercised, or punished, as circumstances may require.' "The captain is to the utmost of his power, to prevent all profane cursing and swearing; all drunkenness, gaming, rioting, and quarrelling; and, in general, every thing which may tend to the disparagement of religion, or to the promoting of vice and immorality.' The Act of Parliament, which is at this very moment the basis of the discipline and government of his Majesty's ships, contains the following clause : "All flag officers, and all persons in or belonging to his Majesty's ships or vessels of war, being guilty of profane oaths, cursing, execrations, drunkenness, uncleanness, or other scandalous actions, in derogation of God's honour, and corruption of good manners, shall incur such punishment as a court martial shall think fit to impose, and as the nature and degree of their offence shall deserve.' "The proclamation issued from Carlton House on the 12th day of February, 1820, pronounces it to be an indispensable duty' of his Majesty to be careful, above all other things, to preserve and advance the honour and service of Almighty God, and to discourage and suppress all vice, profaneness, debauchery, and immorality, which are so highly displeasing to God, so great a reproach to our religion and government, and by means of the frequent ill examples of the practices thereof, have so fatal a tendency to the corruption of many of our loving subjects, otherwise religiously and virtuously disposed, and which, if not timely remedied, may justly draw down the Divine vengeance on us and our kingdom.' per "And in order to effect these objects, his Majesty not only calls on all magistrates, and clergymen, as well as all sons of influence, whether in public or private stations, to labour to prevent and restrain such evils;' but he adds, that to the end that all vice and debauchery may be prevented, and religion and virtue practised by all officers, private soldiers, mariners, and others, who are employed in our service by sea and land, we do hereby strictly charge and command all our commanders and officers whatsoever, that they do take care to avoid all profaneness, debauchery, and other immoralities; and that by their own good and virtuous lives and conversations, they do set good examples to all such as are under their care and authority, and likewise take care of, and inspect the behaviour of, all such as are under them, and punish all those who shall be guilty of any of the offences aforesaid, as they will be answerable for the ill consequences of their neglect herein.' p. 11, &c. Having placed these extracts before our readers, are we wrong in proceeding to maintain that they contain provisions in the highest degree wise and salutary; provisions which are ornaments to our statute books, adapted to a government at once Christian and paternal, and attentive to the best interests of the subject, and to the highest glory of the nation? Unless, therefore, any man is prepared to stigmatize them as officious or mischievous interferences, or as mere acts of political Pharisaism-acts meant not for use but for display-we must regard it as the duty of every loyal subject to concur with the authors of this Statement in their endeavour to bring the practice of the navy to correspond with the regulations of the state. In the second place, we feel no hesitation in maintaining, that these requisitions of the law and commands of the sovereign may be reduced to practice, and this without the risk of exciting any of those acts of disturbance and desertion which have been predicted by the abettors of things as they are. On this point, the authors of the Statement are able to speak with the utmost confidence, having for the basis of their judgment the sure ground of experiment. It appears that the Regulations, for the enforcement of which they plead, have been carried, in certain instances, into execution, not only without any detriment, bat with decided advantage, to the naval service. It is stated, that not a few officers, feeling the guilt and degradation of presiding over such scenes of infamy and pollution, and resolving to discharge at once their duty to God, to their king, and to the men under their command, have utterly excluded these wretched inmates from their ships; and that they have, in every case, done this without producing any disorder. "In three recent instances, the evil was put an end to, without exciting a single murmur, or causing a single desertion; while, in other vessels, where the licence was freely permitted, the men were deserting daily, and one of these ships sailed with a deficiency of nearly fifty in her complement." (p. 21.) It is obvious to remark on this experiment, that, if it has been practicable for a few conscientious commanders to abolish the shameful practice without evil consequences, while the seamen were witnesses of its continuance by others around them, and might thus have conceived themselves to be aggrieved by the caprice of their own officers; much more easy would it be to enforce the restriction, if it were universally imposed, and all the ships of the navy were equally well regu lated. "Groundless, indeed," it is well said, "are the fears of those who anticipate disaffection rather from the suppression, than from the continuance and encouragement, of vice and profligacy. If those who have the power desire to secure the loyalty and attachment of our brave seamen, let them cease to act on any such debasing principle, let them remove such a foul blot from the character of seamen as that they are to be attached only by vicious indulgences to the service of their country. Let them be treated by their superiors as men and as Christians, and let regulations be established, which may be enforced, not merely by the application of corporal punishment, but by an appeal to their consciences-regulations which shall restrain the disorderly, encourage the virtuous, and protect the young from temptation, or at least prevent them from being forced into vice. Our seamen would then be persuaded (to use the words of an The present state of things can have only one result—the deterioration and dishonour of the navy. What is the tendency of such a system but to stamp the most criminal habits of the seafaring body with the seeming approbation of their commanders; to pour into their very births a horde of harpies to pillage them of their hard-earned gains, and taint them with loathsome disease; to destroy all disposition to form or to maintain domestic connexions; and thus to throw them loose from all those attachments which give to man a country and a home, and then to form them into a homeless, houseless, reckless body, ready to make war upon all the best interests and joys of the country of their birth? If such a line of pro- ceeding is continued, let not the public eye be insulted, and the national pocket be drained, by the appointment of naval chaplains, schoolmasters, &c. Virtue cannot thrive in such a soil; and no deeper injury can be inflicted on its interests than to combine with the lessons of truth the habits most hostile to it. Assuming it then as in some measure proved, that the prohibition of these enormities is both legal in its object and possible in execution, let us consider next the suggestions of policy and benevolence on the subject. seek to protect; and is it an adIs it the character of the navy we mitted fact that the best security we can take for the bold and skilful defence of the country is the moral |