London, Tuesday, July 20,...
. A sbort time ago we stated in this journal, that a certai.. p otib of fihe Magistracy of -Hampshlre were meditatibg ;asehemre, the object',of which ias to withdrawV the county dilverdsemenis from the Hanpshire Te1egrapJu, and t6 give thern to sorie other paper. We think it now but right to add, that tbe plan has been carried ilito execution on Sa- turday laet, at the Midsummer sessions for that county, ivhen INIF. GRaEi, moved tlih Bench of Juistices, that cer- tain advertisements should be inserted *in the Hamps/dzre Telehaph, which paper has been proved on oath to circulate tWceais- mainy copies as anyother of the county newspapers. The motioll was peremptorily opposed by the' Rev. E. POULTER, on what he called (but wbat we trust are not) "genei'al" principles; by the Rtev. Mr. ORDE; ?C on the ground of economy;" by the Chairman, the Rev. G. HEtBtLT, on the same ground; anid by. the Rev. *Dr. NsWBoir.a; becauso it would create confusion I All this is passing strange. It was' proposedl by a gentlemail to make the best bargahif possible for the co'untyr-to turni the public money to the best advantage, by advertising in that newspaper which had the greatest number of readers; and lo! a band of Reverend Gentle- nmen get up to resist the proposition, chiefly for tbe sake of ~! economy !" Now, with inuch respect, we ask these ve- nerable persons whether that is the species of economy which they would prac;ise in a base of their own ? Is not such arrant folly, instead of thrifty prudence, manifest on the face of that man's conduct, who narrows of his owvn accord the circulation of intelligence, which he at the same time professes a desire te make notorious, that we are in- stantly set upon suspecting him to be actuated by some se- cret motive for the inconsistency, so discreditable that he weuld blush to acknowledge it? But what can be the motive in the present instance ? It gives, we confess, no small alarn. to reflecting men, when they see clergymen packed together in bodies, and on occasions which do not affect the intetests or concerns of religion. If mere politics be at the bottom of such a confederacy, we may conclude, in general, that there is some bad passion at the bottom of it. But how can the Hampshire TclegraphA be supposed to have roused any evil passion in 'the clerical Magistrates of that county? It is quite incredible that such reverend persons should have borne malice against the editor for his exertions on behalf of a late illustrious and persecuted lady. The Durham distemper has not reached the soutlh. In Hampshire they have teo much charity to retain unitil now-if they ever at any period felt-such malice. We know well enough, indeed, another instance in which a paltry spirit of revenge defeated its own pur- pose by a similar experiment to this. The Ministerial offices .not many years ago withdrew their advertisements from this journal, possessing the widest circulation in Lon- don; and what did they effect by it? They sacrificed the public interest-they threw away the public money-and they relieved the party which tlley sought to distress frotn a set of troublesome and unprofitable customers. We trust, however, that the Hampshire Magistracy will revise their vote. LoNflJ i R ,. JUL 1824.