1l0

THE BRITISH AMERICAN.

9.0.14

wards of 400 members and friends of the Man- chester Tem erance Society in the Exchange buildings, w iere the partook” of a beverage of tea instead of alcoholic drinks. The several speeches are given, but we pass them all, for the present, to give the following, which Will be found highly instructive, as well as graphic and amusing.

Robert. Rimmer, a jaurneyman dyer in Sal- ford, then addressed the company to the fol. lowing efl'ect: Mr. Cheerman. and ladies and gentlemen—I have been as drunken a fellow as was ever known in Manchester or Salford. Before] knew of the temperance societies 1 was without employment—l could get no work, and I was like a poor lost sheep wandering aboutin the streets, this day twelvemonths : and had it not been for temperance societies I should have been like a vagabond in the streets yet. There was a master silk dyer who hard started in the country. I went and axed the master for asituation- Then he went to inquire into my character. and when he had gonel thought to mysel my job‘s done (Laughton) He soon came back and said, “ We don’t want any.” I then went up to a man who had gone with me there and said, “I meet as well be a thief as a drunk— ard, I have found that out.” This man said he had been at a temperance meeting in Campfield, and had heard some very good discourse from a gentleman from Eccles. I said “ what’s the meaning of these temperance meetings?" and he told me that they were meetings of men who had refrained from ardent spirits. I said to him, “ When is there another meeting?” and he said he could not tell me. But as we were going up Salford he saw a bill on the wall, and he read it for me, for 1 could not read mysel. But nowlcan read a bit. (Ap-

lause.) The bill said that the meeting was in

roughton road on Tuesday met. I went to it and liked it very well. I attended the next meeting in Gravel-lane, and I liked that better; and the next meeting was in Bloom-street, and I liked that better still. The next meeting was in Canal-street, Oldfield-road, on the first of August last. and there [was convinced that it was agood thing, and [signed the pledge, and prayed to God to keep me to it. (Cheers.) I thank God I did so. An old master of mine was the theerman that met, and he said to me, “Rimmer,ifyou had taken my advice three ears ago, thou would now have been worth one undred pounds ;” and Ihave since found his words were true. New l can draw my wages comfortably, and when I get the money 1 throw it in my wife’s lap, because I know that she will la it out to the best advantage. (Ap- lause. For twenty-six or twenty-seven years before I joined temperance society, she was plagued with a drunken husband, and she has not had one moment’s comfort only since I joined. Before Ijoined I had neither tables nor cheers, nor any potsin the house, but now I have plenty ofcheers and tables, and a good fat pig in the cote. (Laughter and applasue. l have left of drinking altogether, except a gil of beer to my meals, which 1 send for to the Tom and Jerry shops.—Tbose Tom and Jerry shops, sir, are a big nuisance: men are rolling about from them on Sabbath mornings, and they are worse places, sir, you may depend upon, than the gin-shops. (Laughter.) lthank God that Temperance Societies were raised in Manchester. I thank God I have joined. I have now agood coat on my back, and I have the honor to say it is paid for. (Cheers and Ian hter.) Every thinglhave in the house is pal for, and 1 am never without a shilling in my pocket. (Renewed cheering.) My Mis us says and declares she never knew comfort in the house until I joined the Temperance So.

ciety, and she tells the neighbours she is sure she has got a new husband. (Laughter.) I pressed on her to come to the tea-party: but she said she could not come, but she said, I shall be quite comfortable when thou‘rt out, for I shall know where thou art, and that thou wilt come home sober. (Cheers.) 1 will say this of her, there is not abetter wife in the land. (Cheers and laughter.) I have served in the army for many years, but I would not take 10,000 pounds to part from the Tempe- rance regiment. When my wife used to travel on the baggage-cart, the other woman would say, -‘ come, Mrs. Rimmer, and take a glass of gin.” And my wife would never (air it, but she said, it always starved her; and it does starve people, sir. you may depend on it (Loud laughter.) 1 thin that the happiestneet of my life that lsigned the pledge in Oldfield road. I lost one ofmy lads about a month ago; he was drowned at Broughton brid e. When I was a drunkard he used to get 0 to bed before I got home, for fear of me; but when l became a sober man, he never would go to bed till his father came home, he loved me so. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) 1 have another son, about 18 years of age, and aman who! Works with me, said to me one day, “What benefit hast thou, Rim- mer, in the Temperance Society?” I said to him, “Ax our Charley, what benefit there is." He said, “ Well, Charley, is there any benefit in these Temperance Societies?” And Charle ' said, “ Ay, Iget more bread and cheese now. ’ (Laughter.) I thinks to myset very often what can [do to make my wife amends for my ill- usage to her. She has had the sours, and now she shall have the sweets. She now often says, “I never spent such a year since I was tied to thee.” I now read in the spelling-book, and when she has done her work she gives me a lesson. I have found it easier to engage a dou'nrref drink- er than an moderate one. I am raising re- cruits. Ihave formed a section ; and soon h0pe to get a division and even a compan, There’samany folks have said that Rimmer often gets drunk now, and that they have seen me come rolling out ofJerry’s shop; but 1 don’t mind them, for they think they are doing Tem- perance Societies harm, but what they say is doing them good. The speaker, after a few more remarks, retired from the platform amidst thunders of applause.

How to prepare Jlfm for the State Prison—- Govenor Lincoln of Massachusetts in one his messages says of the State Prison at Charles- town: “A most instuctive result is also pro- duced by the curious and critical investigations of the Chaplain, into the characters and lives of these miserable men. of 250 convicts, whom his inquiries repected, he ascertained that 156 were led by intemperance to the com- mission of the offences for which they suffer; that 182 of the first mentioned number had lived in the habitual neglect and violation of the Sabbath; 82 were permitted to grow up from infancy, without any regular employment; 68 had been (man/s to their parents while in their minority; 6lcould not write, and many were wholly unable to read. The intimate connexion and association ofignorance with vice, ofdisso- luteness with outrages upon the laws, are here distinctly traced, and furnish an impressive lesson upon the importance of knowledge and temperance to individual welfare and social order, which should give a thrilling excitement to the advancement of these objects, in the heart of every virtuous and patriotic Citizen and Magistrate.” ~

THE BRITISH AMERICAN,

NOVEMBllb3, 1832.

~~

OUR European advices via United States, London dates to the [6th ult.-—they are. however, un. important. The reports at Paris on the 12th ult. wsi that the Duches de Berri had been captured, but were not credited. The Western districts of France exhibit symptoms oi fermentation. Charles X. has obtained passports from the British Government, being about to depart for the Austrian Dominions.

Portugal.—-Advices from Oporto are to the 5th Sep- tember. which is now described as impregnahle, with a garrison of 12,000 men.—-'I‘he Miguelites are very near with a force of 20,000. Some skirmishiug had taken place, and both parties claim the advantage.-- Tue accounts represent Don Pedro’s position much improved. An Edinburgh Journal of the 12th says ; “ It grieves us deeply to state that not many hours can elapse before the great author of Waverly will be no more."

Contention and civil broil seem to pre- vail to no ordinary degree in Canada, be- tween the Upper and Lower Provinces.— The grievances between them are many and various; and among other disputes, the subject of annexing the Island of Montreal to Upper Canada, is agitated by the public Journalists with great warmth, as the fol- lowing extracts will show.

bring:

Shipping fintelltgeuct. ENTERED.

Schrs. Susan, Creed,Alichat; Margaret Simpson, Campbell, Fox Island ; Venus. Burke. Newfoundland; Christy Ann, Fraser, Miramichi; Melony, Thomas. Halifax: Bold Jack, Rign'tut. Halifax; Rambler, Tcrrio. Miramiciii ; Mary, Rochfort. Mirumichi; For- titude,Cummings.Pictou; Eagle, Rude, Halifax and Fox Island; Ailuwell, M‘Leod, Kenneth, Bathurst.

CLEARED.

Brigs Bollina, Heay, Bideford : Snow Seaflower, Wilson. Gloucester; schrs Susan, Creed, Halifax; Catherine, Harvey. Pictou; Venus, Burke, Halifax; Cliristy Ann. Fraser. .Miramichi; Melony, Thomas, Halifax; .Mary, Blanchard, Miramichi; Juventa, Hugh, Halifax; Jemima. Jallota, Halifax; Active, Rix, Halifax: sloop George William, Wood, Mira- michi; schrs Royal William, Hubbard. St. John's Newfoundland ; Nancy Allan, MDougald, Miramichi Priscilla. Warren. Halifax: Mary Jane, Pill. Ply; mouth, England; Mary, Rocbfort, Miramichi; Betse ' Wood, Halifax; Aimwell, M'Leod, erslnicni. y,

The schooner Mary Ann, from Pictou, experienced very heavy weather on her passage. and was compell‘ ed to put back after having reached the West Cape.— She saws schooner oto pieces on the Merigomish bar—two boats put 0 from the shore. but they were pnahle tq render the! cregl any assistance, and they un- ortunste y peris e . he was so sed to be fro

ydney.-Glsaner. pm In

COLONIJQL. Miramichi, .N' B. Oct. 23.

The Crops,—lt is with much pleasure we learn, that the Crops in this and the neighbouring Counties of Kent and Gloucester, are much more abundant than was anticipated from the unfavorable season we have experienced. Hay was an average crop ; and wheat is mo=t abundant, and of superior quality. There will be a deficiency in potatoes, owing to the long preva-

lence of cold and rainy weather in the early part of the J

season, which destroyed the seed: Oats and Barley promise fair. We last week saw three potatoes. ta- ken out of one bill, which weighed three pounds, lack- ing an ounce : they were raised in a field in the vicini- ty ofChsthsm. in the possession of Mr. Robert Keil‘ lor.-—Glmsr.

E'MB

.— as ---s Haw-s a but. :f—'-"