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(In addition to the above notice, we are happy in being able to submit the following letter from Mr. Leslie himself. It is addressed to the Rev. Dr. Cooke. The memorial to which it refers will, no doubt, be presented at the meeting of the Synod in Cookstown.]

FALMOUTH, May 4th, 1835.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I YESTERDAY reached this port, after a rather tedious, though most agreeable passage of nearly seven weeks. I had resolved, so soon as I should have been settled in the island, to devote my first spare time to the giving you a statement of any thing of interest that should have come under my observation; but I find the packet sails on Tuesday, and, therefore, I am anxious to avail myself of the very first opportunity of transmitting to you the prefixed memorial, which I should have prepared and left with you in Belfast. I hope, however, it will be in good time for presentation at the approaching meeting of Synod. I have just met some of our missionaries, with a few of the most influential persons in this town and neighbourhood, who heard of my arrival. By all we have been received with the greatest joy and thankfulness. A revolution in public opinion seems to have taken place since the first of August, great beyond conception. The planters are at length alive to the necessity of adopting a moral instead of a physical system of controul, and the result has been a resolution to support missionaries in the instruction of the population. To-day I have been rather fortunate in arriving just at the time when a great public meeting of the proprietors, attornies, and planters of the parish of Trelawny, is being held. I have been introduced to a great many of them; and though much wedded to their old systems, they all agree that their only hope now of retaining any interest in the island, depends on the instruction of the apprentices. Four-fifths of the planters are Presbyterian, and desirous of encouraging Presbyterian missionaries. No less than five stations, each with a population of at least two thousand, are now open for us. At present I must go to Lucea, the station of Mr. Watson, one of our missionaries, who has just left the island in consequence of Mrs. W.'s ill health, other. wise I should not know where to settle, the encourage.

ments are so great in many other places. Oh that the Synod would send out even one missionary here what a field for labour, and all apparently ripe! God, in his pro vidence, seems here to be making the very wrath of man to praise him, and why should not the Synod of Ulster take her part in the glorious work. I regret that want of space reminds me that I must wait for another letter to tell you much about this country, both in its physical and moral capabilities, which even my short acquaintance with it demonstrates to be very great. I go to Lucea in a few days. My family are and have been all quite well. I was the only one who suffered from sea-sickness. Give my kindest regards to Mrs. Cooke. Favour me with a letter at your earliest convenience. You know how re. freshing it would be to me here to hear how all matters are going on at home and believe me, yours in Christian love, 197 THOMAS LESLIE.

:

HISTORY OF SEVENTEEN HOUSES, COMPOSING ONE SIDE OF A STREET, IN A VILLAGE IN COUNTY DOWN, IRELAND. From the Tracts of the British and Foreign Temperance Association,

JU.

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"SUPPOSE that an immense body of evidence, altogether independent of Temperance Societies, should establish be yond contradiction that distilled spirits are not only useless to men in health, but positively injurious; and that the first medical authorities in the world should declare, in opposition to, their own interests, that nothing would tend so much to the improvement of the health of the com munity as an entire disuse of ardent spirits, which they consider as the most productive cause of diseases, and consequent poverty and wretchedness, among the working classes; suppose that such truth as this were brought properly to bear upon the public mind, could we harbour the thought for a moment, that men would be so dead to their own interests, so utterly reckless of consequences,— as to persist in giving their support and encouragement to the use of a pernicious drug, which is filling our land with drunkards and with widows and orphans,-filling our asy. lums with lunatics, our streets with prostitutes, our jails

with felons, our hospitals with the wounded and diseased, and our grave-yards with the dead!

"Let any friend of his country turn to the publications of Temperance Societies, and say whether or not all this has been fully verified.

"It is not, however, my intention to enter at present on a discussion of any of the arguments urged by Temperance Societies. My conviction is, that there would be, compa. ratively, little need for them in addressing conscientious men, unaffected with the love of distilled spirits, were their eyes fully opened to the extent of the atrocity each day perpetrated by distilled spirits throughout the land.

"Such general statements as are already before the public respecting the tremendous proportion of pauperism, crime, disease, and premature death, to be ascribed to distilled spirits, certainly fill the mind with horror; yet still there is a possibility of escaping from the proper conclusion to be drawn from such statements, by attributing all the evil to the mere abuse of a substance in its own nature good. I'now, therefore, furnish to the British public specimens (pledging my character to their correctness,) of the indiscriminate havoc which distilled spirits are producing in neighbourhoods and families, at the same time declaring that the particulars specified are only a part, and, in some cases, a very small part, of what could readily have been produced.

"My first illustration is taken from a small country town in one of the most civilized districts of Ulster; and this town is selected, not because it is more infamous for drunkenness than others (on the contrary, its magistrates have always been strict in preventing the multiplication of spirit licences,) but simply, because I happen to have had good opportunities of knowing the circumstances of its inhabitants. The town contains twenty-four spirit-shops, all of which, with perhaps three exceptions, have become poor in the trade. I furnish a short history, and only for a few years, of one side of a street, consisting of seventeen houses.

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No 1, was inhabited some years since by a tradesman with a large family. He was occasionally a deep drinker. He and his neighbour, both intoxicated, fought, and he received a kick, of which he died in a few days. The house then fell into the possession of a boisterous man, determined at all hazards to make money;-he kept a noisy

public-house-had much sale, drank deeply for some years, during which he was almost constantly under the care of doctors, and died a desperate drunkard in the latter part of 1829. His son and successor was an active man, made a hypocritical profession of religion, read, prayed, and exhorted, was accounted a prodigy of religious exhibition; yet he became a notorious drunkard, failed, involved many, and was cast into prison.

"No. 2.-The last tenant had saved at one time about 30007., but became a drunkard, and died pennyless many miles off, returning from a tedious imprisonment.

"No. 3, has had a succession of inhabitants, their term of residence always short, the cause of removal in every case strong drink. Here has been riot of all grades, drinking even to madness, &c. &c. The present tenant had once saved money, but, having at length obtained a spirit licence, he is now poor. One of his little daughters became, last winter, so confirmed a drunkard, that the most decided means of reformation were resorted to, I know not with what success.

"No. 4.-The late occupant was accounted a very respectable man, and carried on business extensively. About thirty years ago, he told a friend in confidence that he possessed property to the amount of 22,000l. One branch of his business was the sale of distilled spirits. He was considered a most correct man, and despised from his inmost soul any one who drank before dinner; yet I suspect that none of his friends would be hardy enough to assert that, for a number of years, he ever went to bed sober. His losses by trade were few; yet, unaccountable as it may seem, (for every thing he did was on the saving plan,) he was borne to the grave a short time since, a man who died poor.

"No. 5, was inhabited by a man of most retired habits, seldom seen even by his nearest neighbours. Report said that two quarts of whiskey per day was not too much for his consumption, and that one was considered by him a miserable allowance. His life was cut short. His son became a few years since his sole heir, got married, drank, broke his wife's heart, failed in business, and now wanders the world in search of drink and employment.

"No. 6, has had a succession of inhabitants. One of these, who died, some years back, was a drink-seller, rather reputable in his line. On his death-bed he seemed to be

most confident of heaven. On being asked the ground of his assurance, he said, 'If any man had too much drink already, I did not give him more; my house was quiet and regular, and, unlike my neighbours, I did not burn candles to sell drink after night.' On this being reported to one of his acquaintances, he admitted the truth of the general statement, but added that he did not wonder at the sobriety of his friend's house, for, it took a great deal of his drink to make any body drunk.'

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"No. 7.-Present inhabitants civil people, rather indus trious, once sold spirits. Inquiring lately of a near relative of theirs what their mode of life is, Why,' said he, 'since ever I knew them, they drank just all they could get.'

"No. 8.-Present inhabitant a kind-hearted man, who has sold spirits for twenty years, is not regularly drunk, -only occasionally, has got many sore beatings from his customers. Every single article of his property was auctioned last winter, by a sheriff's sale.

"No. 9.-Another drink-shop,-the fate of its inhabi tants very tragical. The first proprietor a notorious drunkard. His end was death in a moment by apoplexy. His daughter, who inherited his house and business, married a great sturdy drunken scoundrel, from whose daily drunken brutality she led a wretched life. On a wight memorable for rain and storm, the ruffian shut her outside the house. Not wishing to expose his shame by going into any neighbour's house, she sat all night (and an awful night it was,) beside the door. Next day she was seized with a putrid sore throat, which soon carried her to the grave. She was as majestic a figure as ever graced female attire. You ask what became of her husband. His servant maid, a picture of every thing vile and ugly, said he had married her. He denied it. They lived together, or rather quarrelled together, till poverty drove them both out of the country.

"No. 10.-A spirit store. The proprietor a genteel, friendly man. Even his enemies accused him but of one fault -drunkenness. For a number of years did his poor emaciated frame suffer under it. He trembled, and coughed, and staggered about, took medicine to cure this disease, and drank to aggravate it, till at length reason gave way, and a gradual decline and death followed.

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"No. 11, belonged to a substantial, sturdy little tradesman, who never sold drink, but bought much. He used to say that he could make money if it was above ground. When drunk, and