labourers, in such a season of distress, could pay a halfpenny a day, without denying their children or themselves some of the necessaries of life, or being indebted for them to the bounty of others?

The commissioners of police, and the managers of the water companies, know how difficult it is, nay, that it is impossible, in hundreds of instances, to obtain payment of their assessments and rates, though as low as twenty pence a year, even from persons not as poor as Irish labourers, but from persons whose yearly rent amounts to 5l., and who are therefore in a more respectable situation than those who cannot afford to have houses of their own, but are huddled together in crowds in hired apartments, as is the case with multitudes of Irish labourers. To such persons a halfpenny a day, or thirteen shillings a year, must have been a grievous burden. Persons wallowing in wealth will not understand this; but the poor themselves, and those who have had the charge of supplying the poor, will understand it.

Mr. Jeffrey, it will be seen, in the short sketch of his speech that is given at the end of the Report, enlarged on the monstrous statement of The Protestant, of nearly 20,000l. having been levied from the poor people, when it turned out in evidence that the sum so levied was under 6000l. So far as recollection serves, this was the most argumentative part of his speech, and he made as much, I believe, as human ingenuity could make of the discrepancy between the statement and the arithmetical fact, as it appeared in the evidence. I shall reply to this when he, or Mr. Scott, shall have accounted for the 12,000l. that remains unaccounted for, according to Mr. Scott's own showing, by the mouth of Mr. Cockburn. The remarks of The Protestant, in his seventysecond number, proceeded upon the general report and belief, that two such buildings as the chapel and the manse must have cost nearly 20,000%, and that they were built chiefly at the expense of the labouring poor of his congregation. Mr. Scott, by his counsel, admits the fact, that the buildings cost as much as The Protestant said, but he accounts for only one-third of the money raised for these buildings. His subscription books, therefore, do not give a full statement of the sums levied for the chapel. There must have been other sources of supply which are kept out of view, else there remains a debt upon the property of more than it is worth, which was not pleaded or pretended in the process.

I am willing, however, to admit the existence of some debt upon the property, because Bishop Cameron speaks of Mr. Scott's having proposed to let his fine house, and go to a smaller one, that the rent of the large one might go towards the payment of the debt. But this would be a most absurd idea, if the debt were 12,000l.; for the rent of the house, together with the total contributions of all the people, since March, 1817, would not pay the interest of the debt; so they would find themselves like a lame man pursuing a hare, the longer he ran he would be the farther from his object. If the debt in March, 1817, was 12,000, it must have been at the end of 1820 at least 14,000l., and all the money collected for the liquidation of it, down to that period, was only 6871. 18s. 3d., according to Mr. Scott's own productions. Now, I say, this is altogether incredible. It is improbable, I may say impossible, that the property can bear such a burden; and, therefore, there is every reason to believe he must have raised among his people much more money than that which appears in his subscription books; and whatever was

so raised, ought to be added to the sixpence a fortnight already proved to have been the average rate of contribution from his subscribers.

Here I am arguing from a public statement made by Mr. Scott's counsel, and public documents exhibited by himself in open court. The sum of the matter is this:-his chapel and manse cost 17,500l.; all that he collected for it from his people and others was about 6000l., leaving about 12,000l. unaccounted for. He ought to have accounted for this one way or other; and if he had received large subscriptions from his brethren at a distance, he would have had no reasonable objection to show them, because they could have shown the interest which these brethren took in his great undertaking; but as nothing of the kind was shown, it is reasonable to presume nothing of the kind could be

shown.

We must have a more particular inquiry into this 6871. 18s. 3d., which has come so often in our way. This was all that Mr. Scott was able to collect from his people from March, 1817, to December, 1820, that is, forty-five months. The contributors were, as is stated, page 61 of the Report, 2696. Of these 1625 paid under 5s., which, taken at half-a-crown as formerly, would make 2031. 2s. 6d. ; 608 were above 5s., but under 10s., and taken as formerly at 7s. 6d., the sum is 2281. These two sums 4311. 2s. 6d., taken from 6877. 18s. 3d., leave 256l, 15s. 9d. Deduct 1625+6082233, from 2696, and we have 463 persons, who paid 256. 15s. 9d., in forty-five months, making eleven shillings and one penny each, for the whole period; that is, about threepence a month. This comes nearer Mr. Cockburn's halfpenny a week result; and it appears to have been the amount of the voluntary contribution, not of the thousands of poor, but of the four hundred and sixty-three rich, after The Protestant had opened their eyes, and shut their purses. The reader is again requested to observe, that I am arguing from Mr. Scott's own statements; and if I am wrong in any of my inferences, he may set me right if he pleases.

Thus, though Mr. Scott failed to prove that he had sustained any injury in his person or property, he does show that this Protestant has done immense mischief to the cause of popery in this city and neighbourhood. But surely this will never be considered a crime by Protestants. It could not be for this that a Protestant jury ordained me to pay a hundred pounds of damages. The thing has been the effect of a fair literary warfare. Popery has ever been considered an enemy by consistent Protestants; and it has always been reckoned fair to cut off the supplies of an enemy when it can be done. I never intended injury to the person or property of Mr. Scott or any other Papist; and it is gratifying to know that no such injury has been sustained by any man by what I have written; for it is doing Papists themselves no injury, but rather a benefit, to check the progress of their superstition, and to prevent their extending the reign of idolatry among us. That such a check has been given to popery here, is fully proved by these statements of Mr. Scott, especially when taken in connexion with the deposition of Bishop Cameron, who says, p. 46, that the house was built for the accommodation of two pricsts at least, because two are absolutely necessary, if they could be supported there; and in the same page he says, that Mr. Scott had applied to be removed to a smaller house, and to have the large one let, that the rent might go towards the payment of

the debt. Thus, what I stated more than three years ago, is proved to be true, by the bishop upon oath, that it was intended to have a college of priests in Glasgow, for whom this house was then building, see Chap. VIII. p. 99, of Vol. I.; and now it is further proved that the congregation cannot afford to support even one priest in the great house, with becoming splendour, but that he wishes to go to a small one. The design of having two priests at least, though declared absolutely neces sary, has been abandoned in consequence of the drying up of their resources. Thus popery has got a check here; and I would never have suspected that it was so much owing to my writings, if Mr. Scott had not shown it.-When the design was formed the congregation were contributing in small sums, at the rate of 54871. in 43 months, or 1277. a month; but lately they have contributed only 6871. 18s. 3d, in 45 months, or 157. a month. Seeing they have been so powerfully affected by my writings in one way, I most earnestly entreat them to be affected in another way:-let them embrace the truth, renounce their errors, and abandon the pope and popery for ever. This will be infinitely more beneficial to them than the mere saving of their money, and I shall esteem it a much more glorious victory.

The achievement, such as it is, has been highly appreciated in the south, as appears by a late letter in the True Briton, London newspaper, signed ICONO-ČALSTES, that is image-breaker, of which the following is an extract :- "It will scarcely be credited that the inhabitants of Glasgow had so much forgotten the principles of their forefathers, that they flocked in crowds to this temple of the Christian Diana, and contributed liberally to the practice and encouragement of idolatry amongst them. Such latitudinarian indifference excited much regret among the sound part of the city and at last, a respectable merchant, named McGavin, inserted a few letters in one of the Glasgow papers, under the signature of THE PROTESTANT. (It was A Protestant.) These were answered by Amicus Veritatis, Pax, &c.; and the controversy continuing, Mr. McGavin was induced to publish a weekly number of eight pages, on the errors and absurdities of popery. The effect has been beneficial beyond all hope. This recall to reflection has awakened in the inhabitants of that city a proper sense of their vacillating conduct on so important a subject; and their desertion of the Clyde street chapel has had a similar effect to that of the preaching of the apostle at Ephesus:-one of the priests, giving up all attempts of vindicating the worship of his imagery by the pen, determined to try what assistance the quirks and quibbles of the law would lend him." Then follow some remarks which must not appear in my pages.

People dwelling upon the spot will probably be of opinion that this writer overrates the good which my labours have done. I would think so myself, if Mr. Scott had not shown that his supplies are so completely eut off, that instead of enlarging the establishment, and increasing the number of priests in order to propagate popery among us, he is obliged to reduce the establishment,-to propose letting his dwelling-house, and going to a smaller one. Mr. Jeffrey drew a most melancholy picture of a highly meritorious individual living alone in the corner of a great house, upon fifty pounds a year, which, if it did not draw tears from the eyes of the judges and jury, was meant to draw money from my pocket. Though it had been for the sake of this passage alone, I wish

the speech had been preserved; not merely because it was a piece of most pathetic eloquence, but because it showed how deeply he was affected by the magnitude of the mischief which I had done; which mischief, after all, is only the triumph of truth over error, of common sense over absurdity and imposition.

CHAPTER CLXXVIII

CONTINUATION OF THE REVIEW. COMBINATION OF GLASGOW PAPISTS TO DEFAME THE AUTHOR OF THE PROTESTANT.

SATURDAY, December 8th, 1821.

It is a general belief among Protestants that miracles ceased with the apostolic age, or soon after it, Papists, on the other hand, maintain, that the church has had the power of working miracles in all ages; and Dr. Milner, in his "End of Religious Controversy," relates several that have lately been performed at the holy well of St. Wenefride, and one by the application of the hand of a dead saint to a diseased person in Lancashire. I was by no means convinced by the doctor's statements; and I might have continued all my days to disbelieve in popish miracles, had not Mr. Scott proved that he has performed one, to match which, he may boldly challenge all the saints in the calendar, and the holy well into the bargain.

This is no less than keeping a series of accounts of many thousand pounds, collected in small sums from thousands of persons during a period of seven years, without having a date to ascertain when any particular sum was received; and keeping these accounts so correctly as to satisfy his bishop, who passed and docketed them, thus pledging his episcopal authority for their accuracy. I have passed most of my life among books of accounts, and have been familiar with all sorts of bookkeeping; and I am sure nothing less than a miracle would have kept my accounts right, if I had not been as particular in marking the dates of receiving and paying money, as in entering the money itself. But Mr. Scott has proved the fact as above stated, by his own oath, and that of Bishop Cameron, so that no one can lawfully doubt it; and I candidly confess, I never saw a popish miracle so well attested.

This is a thing of so much importance, and so singularly miraculous, that I hope the reader will thank me for a more particular account of it. I shall introduce it with an extract from Mr. Cockburn's speech: "Under the forms of pleading in this court, as I am sure will be shown to you from the proper quarter at the proper time, when a defender says he will prove his defence, he is bound to mention his statements as speci fically as if he, in reference to these statements, were the pursuer. The court, therefore, called on Mr. McGavin to say what were the facts he meant to prove. He gave in a very thick and formidable paper. A great number of statements, extended to a long period of time, which When he was might have embraced half the town with the evidence.

required to state a little more specifically what he meant, so specifically as to be intelligible, and to give names, times, circumstances, he attempted to do so during a year; but the whole fabric crumbled from him inch

VOL. II.-60

by inch, till at last the charges resolved into the four last cases men. tioned in the issues before you." Page 30. This is not quite correct, for he offered evidence on Widow Hanlin's case specifically, which was the third issue; but he was not allowed to enter into it. By the by, I am much obliged to Mr. Cockburn for the statement here given, because it lets the public see that I had no want of materials for my defence, had the forms and rules of court allowed me to make use of them. Indeed nothing could exceed the zeal and industry of Mr. Blair, my agent in Glasgow, who procured and arranged such a mass of materials, as must have surprised Mr. Scott himself; and he would have been still more surprised had I been allowed to examine all my witnesses. But to use Mr. Cockburn's expression, p. 32, I was "put to the wall by the court," by their requiring not merely the names of persons, but also the "times” and "circumstances" of incidents which had taken place years before. It was not enough that I offered to prove the refusal of ordinances to John or James, because they were behind in their contributions; but I was required to condescend upon the date and circumstances of each particular case. Now this was impossible with regard to most of the cases, from the long time that had elapsed; from the removal of some persons, and the death of others; and Mr. Scott had taken care not to institute his action till he knew that I would have these difficulties to contend with.

There seemed to be only one way by which I could ascertain the dates of particular incidents; that was, by access to Mr. Scott's subscription books, by which, I supposed, it would appear when such and such persons paid up their arrears, and were admitted to their privileges. Application, wa was therefore made for a diligence to recover these books, which was opposed by Mr. Scott, and refused by the court, see Report of the Trial, p. 135, till after the issues were fixed. Then, indeed, the diligence was granted, and the books recovered. They were delivered in three parcels, with their respective inventories. No. I. contained 48 books; No. II. 38; No. III. I forget how many, but they were about 100 in all. Along with my agent and Mr. Sym, I set first to the examination of No. I., and on turning over the 48 books of this inventory, we found that not one of them had a date, either at the beginning, middle, or end. They might all have been a hundred years old for any thing that appeared by them; except, indeed, the book kept by Mr. Scott himself, which proves itself to belong to the present century, not by any date, but by containing the names of several of my Protestant friends whom I know to be alive, and who were liberal subscribers to the chapel. Inventory No. II. were also without dates, except the first book, which had upon the corner of the cover, Sept. 12th, 1819, perhaps by accident. Those in the third inventory seemed to be duplicates. The whole were given up under oath in the fol lowing terms, see the Trial, p. 123. "At Glasgow, the 4th of June, 1821, appeared the pursuer, Andrew Scott, who, being solemnly sworn, ut supra, and interrogated and called upon to exhibit the lists of contributors, or accounts of contributions, towards the Roman Catholic chapel, lately erected in Glasgow, depones and exhibits the whole of the documents of the description called for, in his possession, as per inven. tories, Nos. I., II., III., marked by the deponent and commissioner, as relative hereto. Farther, depones, that the exhibits now made, as contained in three separate parcels, contain the lists and accounts of the