The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-02-05 00:00:00

Vic Eibtrpoot ittanbarti. TUESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 5, 1833. WEST INDIA SLAVERY.—Comments have beeri made upon the case of Lord Crawford's:estate, in Antigua, by different parties, according to their different inclinations. An article of singular incapacity on the subject appears in the Liverpool Albion. The writer speaks of " the crime of slavery ;" and, at the same time, says, that immediate emancipation does not mean—immediate emancipation. A certain period is to intervene before this immediate emancipation is even to commence ! But as he does not know the mean ing of " immediate," so neither does he know the mean ing of " crime." If it be a crime to hold men in slavery, why does not St. Paul desire the masters to whom he writes, to liberate their slaves ?—(Eph. vi. 9., Col. iv. 1.) No consideration whatever, be it what it may, can justify the continuance in known sin for one moment, as any national school-boy would tell the editor of the Albion. In fact; if it be a crime, then he is a criminal, as well as a blunderer, for nullifying the meaning of his own term— " immediate" emancipation. But if, on the other hand, the case of slavery be parallel to that of war,—if it be a tiling always indicating evil in its origin—always caus ing misfortune in its course; it may also be, like war, a thing which cannot be at once gcit rid of—and in this case, we must make the fitness of the slave the ground of emancipation: The West Indians, we believe, are not ignorant enough of their own plantations, to deny that the slave would gladly accept freedom if it were of fered him, though the writer in the Albion may be ig norant enough to suppose it of them: • But can that writer gravely urge, as he seems in his concluding sen tences to intimate, that the desire . for freedom on the part of the negro constitutes in itself a reason why he should be liberated ? If it does, let us open our gaols, and let out the felons, for how many of those confined are there who have not "burning in their breast" an "eager desire" to be enlarged ? Unhappy question to be thus discussed ! and unhappy negroes I if such are your advoc ates,. what must your enemies be THERE may be some in this town who still remember Mr. William Ewart as the son of a tory=as the brother of tories—as himself a tory. It may assist them in esti mating his present position, to know that he voted on Tuesday last in the minority of thirty-one against the re election of the late speaker, in company with Messrs. Cobbett, Hume, Roebuck, Warburton, Williams, and the Irish iepealers. Mr. Grote, of London, and Mr. Faith ful of Brighton, both, as might have' been conceived, sufficiently radical in their sentiments, with many others of .a similar•Qtamp, notwithstanding, voted for the late tried and approved Speaker, against an untried and un approved -gentleman ; but Mr. EWart, it seems, could not ! He does all he can, to repair to the Radicals of this town, tlie losg occasioned by the defeat of Mr. Thornely. But we lament to see him, professing to be a scholar and a gentleman,. thus gradually identifying himself with a faction, openly banded together for the *Overthrow of all the institutions of the country. As, however, he has chosen 'to occupy this position it should be known and understood. RELtwous AND MORAL EFFECTS OF CHOLERA.—AS the subject of a day of thanksgiving for the cessation of cholera has been lately brought before the public of this town, we think the season is a fitting one to offer one or two very brief remarks upon it, and to call the attention of our readers to some circumstances connected with itg devastations in that part of England, where it was found most fatal. It cannot be said, that such remarks are out of place, because the disease has ceased amongst us. That very cessation calls upon us• for our grateful reflections as regards the past : nor are they less desirable as regards the future, inasmuch as they may tend to the putting away of those " accursed things " from among us, which draw down judgment upon us. Otherwise, the same causes which brought it once; may bring it again. The disease may return: . and how much matter for anxiety is there involved in this painful contingency. Alt visitations are instruments of power, and are sent with a purpose. Nor do they ever return from their errand, wholly void. They are 'lever inefficient : for if ineffective of good, they are necessarily effective of evil. Him whom they do not soften, they harden. Partaking of the • nature of strong medicines, when they fail of reaching the evil they are meant to remedy, they exer cise a consuming power upon the general functions of the Constitution. It is very gratifying to know from authentic sources, that in one district at least, where its ravages were of the most conspicuous kind, it produced religious and moral effects of the most unequivocal and the most pleasing character. We allude to the south of Stafford mining district. The name of. Bilston is already, we doubt not, painfully familiar to our readers : it is a town in that district—in which there was nearly one case, on the average, in every family. We,can now. lay before them some facts, which will at least mitigate the regrets asso ciated With its'name. A little work, which we would recommend to the notice. of the public, has been published by the Rev. Mr. Gir dlestone; Vicar of Sedgley in that district, entitled " Seven Sermons preached during the prevalence of cholera, in the parish of Sedgley." .Prefixed is an ac count of the results on the spiritual and moral condition of the population, and detailing not so much feelings and impressions, which might be feigned or temporary, as 130/salve proofs of amelioration in conduCt.since the dis tressing period. The diStriet in question had been characterised by great intemperance. It had thirty-one clekymen, and no less than thirteen hundred publicaps, to. a population of, 165,000 ! "In my own parish "* (says Mr. Girdlestone, p. xv.) " I have not se en for some months, what used to be no rare sight even in open day, a drunken man. Nor have I been applied to—it used to be a frequent -application— to intercede with a drunkard husband, that he would allot THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. some small portion of his wages to his famishing wife and children. Several of the retailers of beer have here given up their trade for want of custom." Again, p..xvi.: "The Chief-constable of this parish reports, that he had received only three assault warrants to serve during the last quarter, having been used to serve at least twenty within the like period." " From Bilston I learn that the commitments to Stafford Castle, during the quarter between Midsummer and Mi chaelmas, were not one half, in the present year, of what they were during the same period in the years preceding." p. xvii. Again: "bull-baiting has fallen off: shops are closed which used to be kept open on the Sunday : the churches are more largely,. punctually, and devoutly attended: at Sedgley, a congregation is collected for a winter lecture on Thursdays, at three -in the afternoon: baptisms have been far more numerous : the marriages from Aug. Ist, to Nov. 30th, in 1831 only thirty-nine, were in 1832, no less than sixty-two. The number of communicants'has increased greatly." "If we could count the hearts, which have been truly turned from sin to serve the living God,—if we could have heard the prayers that have been put up in secret,—if the tears which have been shed in penitence, and the pur poses which haVe been formed in faith, would admit of being observed by any human sense, or measured by any earthly arithmetic, I doubt not but that there might have been laid before my Christian readers, an amount of holiness and love, such as would fill us, under the pres sure of our affliction, with joy and thankfulness." p. xix. The following passages are extremely gratifying : " In many instances that we heard of„ and doubtless in many more which are unknown, the poor had little collections among themselves, denying themselves the necessaries of life, that they might provide some of its comforts for their sick neighbours." . p. xxi. And again, relating to a donation of Testaments, Prayer-books, and Tracts :• " The eagerness with which these books have been sought for by the poor, has been at least as great as any which has been shown for a share in the relief afforded to their temporal necessities." ibid. May such results prove permanent and become univer sal ! And in this town in particular, which suffered almost as severely, on the whole, 'as the mining district, may the pestilence be found to have produced as salutary effects in checking those tendencies to intoxication, which are our national disgrace and reproach, as well as in quickening the general sentiment of religion. *This parish contaius upwards of 20,000 souls. THE FACTORY. SYSTEM.—We were glad to observe, that this question was taken up by the Albion newspaper, in its number of last week : but we cannot help re marking the pettifogging spirit from which, while a long detail of the merits of the case is given, all allusion is omitted to the mode in which, and the man by whose no ble but almost single exertions, the mySteries of this system have been laid open to the public, and general attention is directed to it. Why cannot our contempo rary adopt a more gracious course ? Why is party-spirit permitted to interfere in a question, which, up to this point, has been dealt with as one of humanity alone ? But even if room cannot be found in the ample pages of the Albion for so brief an announcement, other sources will be found in abundance, from which the public will learn and know, that the man, the one man, who opened the factory question, was Mr. Sadler, the nominee of a borough-proprietor,—and that borough-proprietor, the Duke of Newcastle ! In reference to the remarks which we made last Tuesday, with respect to.the disorganizing doctrines of the pre sent day-,' we may observe that Society always has acted upon the principle of union 'and co-operation, and cannot possibly exist without it. It has been well argued in the Working Man's Companion, that " it is the union of forces, whether in a single manufactory—in a manufac ttiring town viewed in connection with that manufactory —in an agricultural district viewed in connection with the manufacturing town—and in a kingdom viewed in connection with all its parts—it is this union of forces which connects the poorest with the richest in the pro duction of mutual good." The division of labour in the work of production is only perfected by the co-operation of wealth. Labour without capital is quite powerless,— as small capital without large capital would be circum scribed in its operations, and crippled in its power. • What is it that has increased the foreign and domestic commerce of Liverpool so enormously of late but the spi rit and enterprise of the large capitalists ? To whom have the shopkeepers of Liverpool been indebted for the influx of strangers that pour into the town every sum mer, and distribute a portion of their superfluous wealth to all classes of tradesmen, but to the enterprise and wealth of those great capitalists who have multiplied steam-boats and established the Railroad ? To whom is it clue that Liverpool is the head-quarters of communica tion between England and Ireland, both for pleasure and business, hut to the wealthy merchant ? and with whom, therefore, ought the shopkeeper to think it more his duty and interest to cultivate a community of sentiment and unity of action ? And yet they are taught by newspaper agitatm'and republican politicians to live in a state of incessant warfare, and the security of property is weak ened,. and the free use of capital contracted, by the stu dious excitement of perpetual irritation between them.— " What," says Lord Grenville, " is the immediate cause of our present embarrassments ? What but the diminu tion of commerce and the cessation of employment ? And what will tend more effectually to their continuation than dui disordered state of the labouring population ?-- 7 It is the nature of commerce to flourish only under the shelter of peaCe: its blossoms ivill not expand themselves, much less will it mature its fruits, except in serene and undisturbed - tranquillity. — It shrinks from the rude blast of power; it is. withered by the hurricanes of popular commotion. Never can it maintain itself under the law less dominion of tumultuary assemblies ; never can it en dure the rapacious despotism. of conflicting demagogues." The general interests of this great and thriving cow-. munity are not to be promoted by a malignant separation of its different classes for the sordid and selfish purposes of party ambition and private aggrandizement. All must cling together for the mutual happiness of all; the head and the foot must work together ; the rich areas neces sary to the poor - as the poor are to the rich ; and that man who endeavours to set them at enmity with each other, whatever pretensions he may have to philosophical phi lanthropy or christian charity, is, in effect and practice, the enemy of God and man. THE AHDRESS.—We are enabled to acquaint our readers, on authority worthy of confidence, that the address is appointed to be moved this day by Lord Ormelie, and seconded by Mr. Mar shall of Leeds. The former deserves all consideration at the hands of govern ment. Almost every gentleman and landowner in Perthshire was opposed to him, including even the Whig gentry of that county. Yet he beat Sir George Murray, a man of whom Lord Althorp said, that he ought on no account to be excluded from parliament. But Sir George Murray was a poor man, com paratively, and Lord Ormelie is believed to have spent £30,000. There was yet another electioneering instrument adopted—in cendiarism was practised, in a variety of instances, against the supporters of Sir George. As for Mr. Marshall, he was elected for Leeds, on tho prin ciple of opposition to Mr. Sadler's factory bill. THE CHURCH: We have it further to announce to our read ers, that the serious apprehensions entertained by the friends of the Church as to the 'forthcoming plan of Church Reform, will, in all probability, be anything rather than allayed by its ap pearance. We understand, on authority which we would fain disbelieve, that all persons dissenting from the • Established Communion will be relieved by the ministerial plan from all contributions to its worship and the support of its functionaries—if it should pass. Yes, if it should pass! But we have• still a House of Lords, which will not again be courteous overmuch,—we have a sovereign who, as we trust, will not again be entrapped into pledges odious to his nature and fatal to his throne. The amount of money paid by Dissenters to the Clergy, in the shape of Church Rate, is extremely small, as has been shown in this paper. That amount is not worth disputing about, either one way or the other. But it is the principle of this plan against which we protest—the insidious, the disorganising, the enve nomed principle, embodied in any such measure. We protest against it in the name of our social order, and in the name of our country's renown, happiness, and peace. For that principle involves within its limits, not only the de struction of an establishment, as an establishment—though that were enough—but the utter dissolution of the fabric of society. Not only does it put a premium on dissent, by encouraging men to adopt the cheapest religion as the best—not only does it put a premium on utter godlessness, because no religion at all is evidently the cheapest plan of any—but it goes, we again as sert, to the utter dissolution of society. Admit that it is painful to the Dissenter to pay a rate in be half of a Church to which he does not belong, and yet few in deed and far between are the cases in which those scruples of conscience exist towards the Church, which alone inspire them with any other than a mercenary pain. Yet we allege, that this is -a necessary condition of social union, in order to the ex istence, of which it is absolutely essential, that the whole should be taxable for all those purposes which the laws determine to be national, though it may include persons individually hostile to them. We shall put another case. We believe the Dutch war, now as ingloriously suspended as it was before recklessly commenced, was not only a blunder, but a crime,—a moral crime in his Ma jesty's ministers ; committed, even we are bound to assume, not from intentions deliberately evil, but from prejudice or de lusion, or both. But we now argue upon the nature of the act, not the motive. We believe that act—execrable,—execrable and murderous, before God and man. Upon that act we charge the blood that has been shed, as well as ,the strokes of bereave ment which have descended upon widows and orphans. It is true, the radical journalists say, the citadel of Antwerp was taken at little or no cost of life. It is true that, perhaps, not more than six or eight hundred were slain. This, man deems little, until he has learnt that there is no arithmetic which can estimate aright the value of au immortal 'soul. Those souls, those immortal souls, have been swept into a dark, perhaps an horrible eternity, upon what was, at best, a freak or a whim, or a trick. To aid and abet in the perpetration of this act, we; who hold it accursed, were taxed. Is this n►o hardship, abstract edly considered May - we not feel, that there is a God, who maketh inquisition for blood ? Is it not a grievance that our money should go to purposes we abhor ? . Is the liturgy of the English church, or is the cross in bap tism, or the bow at the name of Jesus, or are the abuses, esti mate them how you will, of the English church,—the plurali ties, were they ten times as many,—the indolence of chapters, were they ten times as torpid, are these, we say, more difficult to tolerate than that unnecessary, and, therefore, ungodly bloodshed to which we have referred ? Yet we must pay—how much we know not, nor does the quantity determine or affect the question. We must pay—and we do not complain. Nor is our non-complainance matter of merit : but matter of duty—matter of course. We pay the mo ney in compliance with the demand of the powers that be: and the regular command of the constituted organs of society is held sufficient, even in such a case, to discharge us from our individual responsibilities for the use of our money. On the same principle as to a national war, contributions to anything else that is national are demanded—and among the rest to a national church. Let every ease be given that the nature of the case admits; but, for the sake of the very exist ence of society, let the principle be maintained. If to this it be answered, that unity of action is essential in matters of war and peace, and that therefore they must be nationally undertaken, but that religion is matter of individual concern only, and de mands no public adoption : our answer is,—that we deem a national faith and establishment wholly essential to our exist ence as a Christian people—that we do form no conception of a §tate apart from that of a church—that we do not desire a state, if we cannot have a church—and that national religion is therefore as important in our eyes, as national belligerence in those of our opponents. Is there not, then, between the two cases, a sufficient and indisputable parallelism? JAMAICA.-With grief and pain we direct the attention of our readers to the advices by; the Jamaica packet, as given in our last publication. Impartiality compels us to confess, that when Lord Malgrave was first sent out to Jamaica, the House of Assembly, in its address to him, assumed very high ground indeed, amounting to a claim of entire independence of °the British Parliament. Without pretending thoroughly to understand this painful question, it is impossible not to lament the degree of irritation which prevails in the minds of the whites of the island, or to maintain that it is jtistifiedby the very exasperating procedures of persons in this country, however natural and ordinary may! have beeit the :process by which those procedures have contri buted to produce it. But having given this candid opinion on circumstances which took place some months back, we must now intreat the like candour and consideration on the part of our readers, while we call their attention to the new, and, we fear, very seriolg ture which has just taken place. 'As if determined not to be behind his employers in this: try, Lord Mulgrave has dissolved the H o u se o f A sse mbly . a constitutional question. The council s e nt an d propel' the lower house a bill, authorising vestfie s t o t a k e prob deeds, as well as magistrates. Th e measure i n it se lf is,. lieve, considered unimportant ; but th e l ower h ouse de right of the council to the initiative pow e r, which was assumed, and from which, as is well known, o u r own il Lords is precluded in reference to all money bills, tho oa .. . as regards others. The ground on which the l ower h the exclusive right to the initiative, we will s t a t e i n the of a print not friendly to the West Indians, the London of Friday, Feb. I.—"No instance" (of its exercise by t vernor's council) "is said to have occurred since 1761, 'I I an interval of 130 years, though the abstract right was 0 1 in 1753." That paper also admits, that the council is DO t independent body, like a House of Peers, as the menab a the council are elected by the crown, and most of their r e ' able at its pleasure." Now, if the lower house can aun i so clear a case in point of constitational law as this, it is clear that Lord Mulgrave has acted most unwisely in dissa them upon his own suspicions of their general intracts and his conduct has tended to increase the embarrassuld which we are involved. Most serious apprehensions of a revolt were entertained throughout the island. But what ) be expected from such a man? - We are credibly infot that on the very night which preceded this decisive ste chose, in order to secure the solemnity and calmness of la liberations, to give a splendid fancy ball ! Do our 0 I know the qualifications by which he earned the gove of Jamaica ? Was it skill or experience, or attention ness, or general talent, or knowledge of the West I benevolence, or piety which took him there ? We kn He enjoyed much reputation in this country; firstly, spectable writer of fashionable novels; and secondly, mirable performer in private theatricals! Such was chosen to meet the complicated questions arising out of and to soothe the exasperated spirits of Jamaica. Wha a surer presage of ruin, of certain, wide, and desolatih than insanity? And what could be more truly insa :, such a choice, at such a time, for such a purpose ? . ~ LONDON LATEST NEWS. Saturday Evening, Ha-past Seven 0:1 The West India interests here have been in a state treme agitation during the week. First, in consequen being generally understood that a plan for immediate e pation was about to be brought forward by the Governor at least that it was decided that in three or five years the of the slaves should be emancipated. We believe that,. doubt, such a scheme had been resolved on by the MI but that, like other of their measures, it has been aba after having been used to torture those at whose interests aimed. The second cause of alarm to the West Indian was, the receipt of intelligence of the dissolution of the House of Assembly by Earl Mulgrave, the Whig govern appears his lordship, under a conciliatory commencemeel contrived to conceal, for a brief term, au air of superioriT a.despotic mode of government, which, it was thouolit, l probably force down the measures with which it was gel', thought he was charged. This Mask of frank kindness ON has early thrown aside, and, as soon as he was discove his native colours, the House of Assembly began, as reP tatives of the rest of the planters, to be extremely jealous proceedings. One great effort to render permanent his t was to attempt the ori g inating of bills at the Board of ( to be sent down to the House of Assembly, instead of t ing originated with the House. if the Board ever did the right of thus originating bills, it has lain in disuse fer than a century and: a half; but the House denied it ev the right, and declared its determination not to receiv bills from the Board. The latter body, who are put 10 the governor as his scape-goat, wax exceeding wroth 0, 1 and declare they will not transact any further business we' House, until an apology is made. At this stage of the the real personage joins in the dispute, and in a speech ceeding length dissolves the Assembly. Every one here, ing anything of Jamaica, avers that the same members e l returned to the next Assembly, and that the governor has e„ nothing, by his arbitrary mode of, procedure, but add' dislike. We learn by the latest accounts from Launceston, Val 3 man's Land,.that the quarterly return of imports to th ,1, 1 for the quarter ending the sth July were £23,.L83 gs. Great Britain, and £6689 Ils. 3d. from New South WaLe g ' from the Mauritius £127 18s. Ild., making a total of lair, £30,700 9s. 6d. The exports were to Great Britain £19,9 and £5407 Bs. to New South Wales. Of the exports to Britain four-fifths were wool, and the greater part of New South Wales were wheat. By the various accounts we have from the East, it wool', pear that the dissolution of the Turkish empire is near at . P A The latest accounts from Semlin mention, that in conseqr of the outrages of the Albanians in the pay of the 1 10 : 1 1 whom murders, violations, and pillage were uaily practi people of Nissa, Alexinatz, Nazzasani, and Parakiu, tos l , tuated in the principal route to Constantinople, as well the towns and villages in the vicinity, were in open insurtlf, against the government. The inhabitants of the prod l Castamounti had also addressed a memorial to the Egypt, in which, after stating the tyranny of the Turkiio! sellems and their violation of the laws of God and o f the phet, they announce that they had taken up arms, anti P , the direction of El Hadi Moustapha, had driven thew l4 .l the confines of the province. They. solicit to be piacca' the protection of the Viceroy. We have had no very important alteration in the value! public securities to-day. '1 he ciosing quotation fur the 0". was 881 .%. India Bonds closed at 3436, and Excheqael j at 47 48 • In the Foreign Market Mexican Bonds have been as h,g 30 1 - 2 closing at 312. Columbian left oil at 133 14, auu , at 17%. The Northern Bonds generally have been inclining itP` s : Belgian Stock left off at 794 %; Dutch at 45% Y ; DO: 72% 73, and Russian at 103% 4. The Portuguese Bona' Scrip are both tolerably firm, at 502 fur the Stock, and the Scrip. Spanish Bonds have been tolerably steady at Biazilian Bonds cloSed at 501514, and Greek. at 28 to 30. 'CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY.-At the conclusion of the 4 ination for St. John's College, on Tuesday . last, the first of the third year was arranged in the following order:— * Bullock, Rolfe, Hey, Low, Bryer, White, * Giles, Coates, J. Wood, Nevin. * Bullock and Giles studied with the Rev. T. S. Bowstal this town, and both are natives of the county. Sylvesil second, and Bateson the fifth, in the first class of the id year, are both of Liverpool. TO CORRESPONDENTS. 4 T. CONSERIATOR came to hand too late for this &et • „ WARERoUSE BUILDING.—S. D. is under consideration. 1 A DOUGLAS MAN is quite right in supposing _the rumour atm. to be " a weak invention of the enemy. ' A TORY inquires —"Pray who is DICKY SAM, a corre e in the Liverpool Journal?" All we can state in reply, it' Rg . i at this moment his name is not familiar to us; but, whate xuh pretensions may be, as a writer he is certainly not " Witty' low A LOVER OF MUSIC is informed that private concerts • 'err ready arranged in this town, - and that the system on whic° e are to be regulated is one Which may with confidence be ,•! 01 1 mended to other families, who desire rational enjoyment a n° cultivation of one of the- greatest personal accomplishments tip day. ant CusTos will be obliged if Mr. James Cropper, or any oft ide dividuals who suuscribed to the undertaking, will infur° whether there has been, any late letter from Mr. Bucking; ~ being rather unaciT about the fate of his £100! We rea 4 get whether Mr. Egerton Smith, of the 'Mercury, pot th ' e . and puPd Mr. Buckingham ornot ; bitt'a reference tot ; .at the Mercury-ojice, would - easily solve the mystery. • , s,, • LIVERPOOL;—Printed on Tuesdays and Fridays,. in Union Bu° John Street, and Published at . No. 7, High.:street,. SAMUEL FRANCTLys, Stationer, of No. 7, Anion-street. • Or , j, Advertisements are also received in Londonbk Mcssrs. "." 1 & Co., ycanvick-square, Neivzate . -streek•, and Mr. 13 . 47. 1 ' Fleet-street. tk: • 's. to