The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-17 00:00:00

1'14t4,T8 , 0% 1 0.1. tlYgAntiiit Tlul I-413 but Ono of the ioason, And of No Tho,t4' being open under the Present Management. • Third Week of Mr. W. J. HAMMOND. FOR THE BENEFIT OP MADAME SIMON AND MR. LLOYDS. THIS present FRIDAY EVENING, the lith instant, will be performed the highly-popular Comedy of PAUL PRY. Mr. W. J. Hammond. Colonel Hardy.. Mr. Baker ; Harry Stanley.. Mr. H. HOW Paul Pry Pbcebe Mrs. Subtle. Mrs. Clarke. Miss E. Honner. Mr. W. J. Hammond will Sing his original Song called TIIE BATCH OF BALLADS. To be followed by the favourite Farce of THE IRISH TUTOR Doctor O'Toole After which, Mr. T. Lee. The whole to conclude with, for the first time here, the Bur lesque Burletta, entitled the LOVES OF LORD BATEMAN & THE FAIR SOPHIA. Lord Bateman Mr. W. J. Hammond. Miss E. Honner. Sophia THEATRE ROYAL, LIVERPOOL THE CLOSING NIGHT OF THE SEASON, iknd the last Nifllit of the Theatre being open under the present Management. Mr..CLARKE, TN finally retiring from the Lesseeship and Management of the Theatre, most respectfully. announces, that his FAREWELL BENEFIT n MONDAY next, the 20th instant, when d Mrs. lnchbald's Comedy, (not acted here for many years,) called EVERY ONE HAS HIS FAULT Mr. Placid.. Mr. W. J. Hammond Ir. Solus will be perfc Mr. Baker. I Captain Irvin.... Mr. Stuart Sir Robert Ramble Mr. H. Holl. mor Irwin Miss Cleaver. Mrs. Placid.. Mrs. Clarke. Mrs. Baker. Miss Spinster, Madime Simon In the course of the Evening, MR. CLARKE WILL HAVE THE: HONOUR OF ADDRESSING THE . AUDIENCE." - After which, the _new and popular Drama of THE BOARDING SCHOOL. - Major Marsden.. Mr. Chaplin. Capt. Harcourt. „Mr. Holl rs Mr. W. J. Hammond Mrs. Gros de Nap.. Mrs. Clarke. Miss Mary Mite, Miss E. Honner Irish Comic Song, Biggs, Miss Cleaver " THE WAKE or BARNEY BRALLAGAN,"—Mr. T. Lee . To conclude with the favourite Burletta, by Chas. Selby. Esq., called FREDERIC,K OF PRUSSIA; Or, the King and the Comedian In which Mr." Tilbury will, on this occasion, personate the character of Frederick, and Mr. W. J. Hammond the character of Stolbach, the Comedian, as originally performed )y them in London 'Tickets may be had of Mr. CLARKE, 1, Houghton-street, Williamson-square ; and of Mr. Minster, at the Box-office, of whom places may be taken from ten until three. ROYAL AM PH ITH EATRE FOR THE En'EFIT OF MR. H. BEVERLY, STAGE MANAGER 'THIS present FRIDAY EVENING, the 17th instant, I on which occasion Mr. J. SLOAN, the celebrated Irish Comedian, and Mr. E. R. HARPER, the popular American Comedian, will appear, the Performances will commence with an entirely new Equestrian Drama, called THE HEBREW MAIDEN; OR, TFIR LOST DIAMOND. Mr. Howard, Rebecca Mrs. Nunn. . favourite Pas Seal, by Miss Gilbert. Comic Song, " The New Police," by Mr. M`Gregor. ,„To which will he added, THE VIRGINIAN MUMMY! Ginger Blue Mr. E. R. Harper, Who will sing the popular songs.of "Jim along Josey," and " Sich a gittin up stairs." Mrs. Barrowdiffe. Susan.. Mrs. F. Carman. SCENES IN TILE ARENA. To which will be added, ' THE SIAMESE TWINS! Dennis O'Glib Mr. J. Sloan: Simon Slow Mr. H. Beverly. The whole to conclude with a brilliant display of FIREWORKS, In honour of the PRINCE of WALES. Black Ivan NE TV Mr. EGEaTON begs leave most respectfully to intimate to the Nobility and Gentry of Liverpool that he has entered into an arrangement with ' Mr. DUCROW for a limited number of representations by the whole of his splendid and talented establishment being their last provincial tour. The Amphitheatre will be closed after Monday Even= ing next, for the purpose of preparing for the Christmas Holydays a series of those gorgeous Equestrian Spectacles in the production and representation of which Mr. DUCROW and his ARTISTES are so justly celebrated. Tickets to be had of Mr. H. BEVERLY, 25, Hunter-street. Centre Dress Boxes, 3s. ; Side Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, Is. 6d. ; Gallery, 6d. Second Price at Nine o'clock. Centre Dress Boxes, 2s. ; Side Boxes, Is. 6d. ; Pit, ls. No second price to the Gallery. TO CORRESPONDENTS We have made some inquiries relative to the remarks of a correspondent, in our last, about the organ at Trinity Church, and find that the person who officiates at that instrument is remunerated entirely by private subscription, a considerable portion of which comes out of the pocket of the minister; and the remainder is supplied by the con gregation ; but the whole amount is not adequate to obtain the services of an efficient organist, and hence arises the grievances of which our correspondent complains. Does " A Sufferer" contribute liberally towards the fund ? The Rev. Mr. Nolan begs thankfully to acknowledge the receipt of £2 from " A Wellwisher," towards the en largement of St. Barnabas' Church, and wishes also to expre,s his grateful sense of the kind and Christian spirit that breathes through the letter which conveyed them.—Mr. Nolan's name was, through a stupid blunder, printed Urlaw" in our last. Ebt libtrpool ,ttanbarZt. FRIDAY MO RNING,. DE CEMBER 1 . 7; 1841 l'he Procureur-General of France, in the opening of his speech upon the trial, before the Court of Peet* of Quenisset and his'accomplices—(who, it will be re membered, are the parties implicated in a late murder .ttack made upon the sons of Louis Philippe, whilst entering Paris at the head of the' troops re- . turned from the African campaigns)—remarked that " in all similar criminal aggressions which during the last ten years had called for the interference of justice, one and the same principle predoMinated—one and the same object was constantly revealed. The motives which inspired all these impotent attempts could not possibly be mistaken. It was no other than the over throw of the political and social order of the country and the downfal of the constitutional monarchy." There can be no doubt of the perfect correctness of this remark. There can be no doubt in the mind of any man who has paid ,ordinary attention to the deve lopement of popular opinion in France, and especially in Paris, during the last ten years, that a strong under current of revolutionary feeling of the basest and most bloodthirsty description- 7 unmingled with one particle of generous enthusiasm—not elevated by one virtuous and ennobling aspiration—L-runs deep below the en forced and deceitful calm which is spread over the sur face of society in that kingdom.. The heart of France is black with suppressed passion•, throbbing with wild longings for blood and outrage. Her feelings are those of the dragon chained down until the venom with which it is surcharged threatens to shoot forth from its glaring eyes, whilst its scaly form swells in vain and agonizing efforts to break asunder the iron links which bind it to the earth. The struggling ele ments of a volcano are within her breast; and the oc currence of a clay or an hour may enable them to burst forth in a torrent of headlong crime and slaughter, and once more to strike a blow for the mastery over the devastated and prostrate kingdoms of Europe. And to what must we attribute the existence of this monster passion which animates the great mass of French society ? From whence this " wild unrest"-'--- this feverish longing- of a nation to rush into that blood-stained path whose horrors in time past drew down upon her the execrations of the whole world, and entailed upon her own children so fearful a weight of retribution ? The spirits which of old goaded -her into action—the warriors who held up before her eyes the trophies of her countless battle fields, which dazzled and intoxicated her with the vision of her uni versal supremacy—the theorists who deluded her with the dark whisperings of their false philosophy—all these, or nearly all, Time has hurried from the scene of their Mingled infamy and glory. A few old men are all which remain of her scarred veterans and of her younger heroes. 'The record of its disastrous eclipse i s a ll which remains of the glory of " the empire ;" and the charity which allowed him a grave within the bosom of the land which he once lorded over is the last memory entwined with the name, of the Chief whose genius alone conferred a transient splendour upon that revel of blood from which he awoke the ensanguined myriads of France to turn their frantic energies against the thrones of Europe• What can there be in the its crimes, its glories, or its humilia- past, per se--- —to excite the spirit which is smouldering in the breasts of this, a new generation ? Nothin lutely nothing It is no longer the fever of those fearful and ma d_ dening.days which is burning beneath the surface of French society. A quarter of a century has glided away, and the past is now history—a dream. We look, therefore, to other and less tangible causes as the source Of the present " unrest " of thisexcita ble people. And to what does the authority which we have above quoted point ? " With all," remarks the Procureur-General, " that is calculated to ensure the happiness of a great people, France has in her bosom torturing sores ; and as long as they *to Ike can . never. rely . upon a coritinuan,ce of .public. two for P 44 4iti; tTiri 1:-f , wl.gt Lira these 4544 044 evito. ,, tbtau `corroding and torturing sore." which taint to foul, ness the heart of society in France ? Why, tha exist ence of secret societies and of a corrupt anti-social and anti-monarchical press ! The toleration of these by the government of Louis Philippe is the cause of the oft-recurring outbreaks and the sour , e of the danger ous feeling which they develope ! Can blindness, we ask, be more blind, ignorance be more ignorant, than that of the man who can deliberately propound such an absurdity ?- Why, these two" 'corroding sores " these secret societies and this traitrous press are but themselves the outward excrescences thrown up by the rank disease within. They are but the blotches of the fever—the smoke and ashes emitted by the labour ing volcano. At the root is a thing more deadly far — an evil which has once before plunged France into anarchy and blood, and which is destined, we fear, to do so again, and within'a brief period. France possesses amongst her people no vital reli gion I The minds of her people are either sunk in in fidelity, open and avowed, or in practical infidelity glossed over with false philosophy or hid behind the folds of Popish superstition. She cast from her, in the reign of her arrogant philosophy, amid the splen dours of her Revolution, all that was solid and practi cal along with the external adornments of the religion which she possessed, and she has received nothing to supply its plaCe. She threw from her that religion and its teachers not because of their errors, but because she prided herself in being able to stand alone by the unaided lights of reason and vain philosophy ; and now a generation has grown up to maturity upon the soil which was thus prepared, has been nurtured in merely secular knowledge, has been fed with philosophy, has drunk only from the fountain of reason, and has never been led to that spring from which alone can be im bibed the vivifyirig waters of the living truth. Yes, France in her present condition, teeming with the elements of social disorganization, outrage, and re volution, is a living example of the effects of mingled " Liberalism " in politics, Voluntaryism in Religion, and of S . III,AR EDCUATION ! The existing gene ration of Frenchmen is- the _natural fruit of the com bined working 'of these -- baneful principles ; and the present insecurity of the social institutions, the peace, and the monarchy of France, is the effect produced. And yet it is to the adoption of such a system, based upon such principles, and which must produce such a state, of society, that the Whig and Radical faction would most gladly hurry the government and the people of this country ! There is a reciprocal action between the political and the religious influences of the Romish church, and they assist each other most essentially. The religion creates a political party ; the political party, feeling its dependence on the religion, is very grateful, and gives its aid to the religion in return. This is one of the main pillars of the Popedom. The political influence acting this'kind part, is not confined within the pale of the church; it goes far beyond it. Thus you find Protestant Dissenters who have gone to the antipodes of Popery, religiOuift, throwing a shield over its doc trinal errors, and deprecating an exposure of its inhe rent vices, merely because, in a political way, they find a convenience in its support, and a support in its alli ance. Its political support is at least valuable enough to neutralise the odium theoloyium of Dissenters of this class, and if they cannot defend its theology, they will not allow , others, so far as they can prevent, to attack it. Some, indeed, will even go farther, and would grant away money for engrafting its errors on the youthful mind, or for endowing colleges, or remune rating priests for teaching it. Ask these men, do they approve themselves of the lessons which they would so'generously have others taught ? and they reply at once that they do not; that their conduct does not imply anything. of the sort; that on this point they suspend-all judgment; and all that should be inferred from their acts is, that they desire to live on good terms with their neighbours, and gratify their wishes to the utmost extent irk their power, without entering into any nice inquiry as to the nature or character of those wishes, or the results likely to fellow from their gratification:. Thus it is that political Popery enlists so many Protestant Dissenters on its side, and that un happy Romanists who groan beneath the thraldom of their church, and long to cast it from them, can enter tain no hope of being encouraged in such a step, or protected iii't4e performance of it, by politically-bound serviles of this order. Such vassals of the Popedom, though calling themselves Protestants, would be very sorry to involve ,themselves in a quarrel with Roman Catholic priests, or influential laymen of their party, by showing favour to deserters from their camp. The tyes of temporal interest are stronger with them than those of futurity,,and converts to the true faith must expect - no patrOnage at their hands. With those who are actual members of the Romish communion; the political affiliation must necessarily be still more influential; Protestant confederates would not dare to countenance converts from Popish error, but Romanists, would persecute them, and think they were " doing God service." Truly the state of men in whose minds some rays of the light of truth have penetrated, but who are still kept outwardly in bondage—we speak chiefly of the humbler classes of Roman Catholics—is sufficiently deplorable. We have been led into these reflections by a special service which was held at St. Jude's Church on Wed nesday last, for the purpose of receiving into the com munion of the Church of England some converts from the Church of Rome. ,A crowded congregation as sembled to witness the interesting ceremony, and the Rev. Mr. M'lsleile preached, as he usually does, a highly impressive discourse on the occasion. He ad verted to the topic at which we have been glancing, and spoke more expressly of the hardships and perse cutions to which converts are exposed, even in this town, on making an open abjuration of the creed of Pope Pius IV. He mentioned also the fact, that of eight persons who expressed their anxiety to be re ceeived on that day, into the ancient Catholic Church as by law established, and of whose sincerity and in telligence he had been satisfied by careful exami nation, three had been wrought upon by some means since a late hour on the preceding even ing, arid had failed to witness that good confes sion which, up to so recent a period, they had appeared both well prepared and anxious to do. The reverend gentleman did not allude to this circumstance, cer tainly, as a proof of the extraordinary power or acti vity of the persecuting influence ; but it strikes us very strongly as being corroborative testimony to this effect. It is scarcely credible that these defaulters acted upo'n the dictates of their own unbiassed judgment, when, after having previously gone such lengths, they were found at last wanting at the solemn moment when they were called upon to appear. We have no hesita tion in expressing our own conviction, that they were either terrified or tampered with by some of the many scouts which Romanism keeps perpetually on duty to prevent such desertions from its ranks. Such a " spi riting away" of individuals is quite an ordinary prac tice in the Pope's Church, when their perfect freedom of action would be likely to cast upon her the intole rable stigma of abandonment; and it is therefore, in our mind, a strong and incontestable proof of the great amount of undue influence which a convert from Ro manism must overcome before he asserts his freedom of action, and makes a public recantation of his erro neous opinions, even in such a locality as Liverpool. Is there no remedy, then, for this evil ? Can no help ing hand be given to persons thus struggling with conscience, and endeavouring to emancipate themselves from the yoke of error, and the tyranny of their fellow men ? We say, Yes ; we say, that as it is party com bination which gives so much baneful efficiency to the persecuting spirit, so it is a party combination of the generous and good, which can mar its power, and defeat its machinations. It would be the greatest possible blessing to Ireland (and to England also), if many of her people could be delivered from the merciless slavery in which they are hound by the fetters of priestcraft ; but, highly as we esteem the religious, and what we would call the intel lectual, means put in operation for this purpose, we do not think, in all fairness, and with due regard for Allman weakness, that they are enough. Popery is a louble system, and must be encountered with a two .dged sword. We say, then, strengthen Conserva ; let us extend and consolidate not only our reli gions, but our • political, Protestantism and party, in orie n'ty itf3 tiforw Ihvito ri-mni2ts tp 'join Fankc t ct c 1 yroteo, thim gfrocifia! when they do. I ? ilJeralizioi, we may perc.pive, is nc , friend to real freedom : it ip a poor, canting, cringing, hypocritical professor—eaten up with selfishness, in the midst of much hollow pretension; it would not move a finger to rescue a fellow-creature from destruc tion, if the effort would occasion the slightest risk to itself. It is a poor bending willow ; Conservatism, on the contrary, is near akin to your true Old English oak, and may be relied upon as a support under all difficulties. The Irish government has instituted a prosecution against a man, named Connor, for the use of seditious language—and the fact is taken as ominous of impend ing damage to the rebel party. It is a symptom of vigour on the part of the executive which we hail with the greatest pleasure ; and we sincerely hope the blow will be followed up, till gentlemen In red cloaks and cocked hats are duly impressed with the conviction that the game of treason is one which .they cannot by any means play at with impunity under - a Conservative administration. It has been seen that Repeal of the Union is but another name for a declaration of inde pendence, and that the foul deformity of treason is but flimsily covered by the pretence of seeking the rescind ment only of a legislative enactment. The act of union was, it is true, but an act of parliament ; but it was, at the same time, one which gave a new settlement to the constitution of the kingdom—a great charter of incorporation which can never be cancelled without tearing the kingdom to pieces. It has been suggested that a supplemental act ought to be passed, making it a misdemeanour for any one to propound such a ques tion for debate as the repeal of the great statute ; but we are not disposed to such an infringement upon the liberty of the subject. The question might be dis cussed innocently, and yet in such a way as to offend against the letter of the law; and it is not liberty of thought, or of speech in the abstract, or in the detail, which we wish to abridge, but the base designs and practices of a disloyal faction, These intents may be discovered through the veil of an ostensibly-legitimate purpose; and an honest jury would unquestionably feel itself bound to convict that man of treason, whose ac tions (whatever might be . his words), they saw clearly tended to shake the allegiance of his fellow-subjects, and inspire them with a hope of throwing off the au thority of their Sovereign. On these grounds we should hope that the existing laws against treason would be found sufficiently strong to take some of the more obnoxious of the repealers within their meshes— and that no other will be required. The necessity for a wholesome exertion of au thority on this subject has been made particularly. evident by the extraordinary, and, we must say, presumptuous and most offensive " sympathy " exhi bited by certain Americans towards the Irish sedition ists. The Times has noticed this matter in a very powerful article, and speaks of the remonstrance which it is incumbent on our Minister to make with the American Government on the intermeddling of its people with the affairs of other countries, and the direct encouragement both by money and promises— not to speak merely of sympathy—which they give to the disaffected within them. But from such a remon strance we expect far less than we do from the activity of the law-officers of the crown on the immediate scene of action. Has it been demonstrated to the Americans that we - do really hold this repeal agitation in Ireland in that decidedly criminal light in which it is now de sired to represent it to them ? Certainly the \V higs gave them no reason to think that we were much in earnest. on the subject; on thp..contrary, their close and intimate alliance with the arch4aitor might have led them to quite an opposite conclusion. We must, therefore, commence the work of amendment at home. After a few of the domestic seditionists have been gagged, our remonstrances will tell with far better effect on the mind of the republican sympathisers. LOCAL NEWS CAPTURE OF AN OLD OFFENDER.—At the Borough Ses sions held in the month of March last, two men, Lloyd and Williams, were convicted of having stolen two bales of cot ton, the property of Messrs. Zwilchenbart, from one of Harbord's warehouses. It - was proved that they had sold the cotton to John Beckett, a marine store-dealer, of C►►m berland-street. BeCkett, however, decamped, and was not heard of till last week, when he was captured in Dublin. He was brought before Mr. Rushton on Saturday, and, the evidence having been heard, committed for trial at the next Borough Sessions, TESTIMONIAL OF RESPECT.—A splendid testimonial was presented by the congregation of St. Thomas's Church, Sea forth, near this town, on Friday last, to their minister, the Rev. Wm. Rawson, M.A., as an expression " of heartfelt respect, and of the high sense they entertain of the ability, faithfulness, and zeal, with which, for twenty-six years, he has fulfilled among them the duties of his sacred calling." The testimonial consists of a portrait of Mr. Rawson, by hhillips; a portrait of Mrs. Rawson, by Richmond; a large waiter and two bandwaiters, a bread-basket, a tea-kettle, and a cruet-stand, all of silver; an arm-chair, from the offer ings of the labouring classes; and a beautiful patchwork quilt, from the children of the village school. The whole is exhibited this week, at the parsonage, to the members of the congregation ; and affords a delightful proof, that Chris tian devotedness on the part of a minister is appreciated by the grateful liberality of an affectionate people.—Seaforth Church is one of thefour edifices raised to the glory of God by our highly-venerated• townsman, John Gladstone, Esq., whose age is cheered, and whose Christian benevolence is encouraged and rewarded, by the blessing which this noble expenditure of a portion of his wealth has been the means of communicating to hundreds of his fellow-creatures. We can only hope that such examples may be more generally followed ; and would say to each of our readers, in their respective spheres, " Go and do thou likewise." COMMITTAL OF THREE OF THE ST. HELEN'S "LONG COMPANY." — The three men, members of the lawless gang known by the above name, who were apprehended by Super intendent Storey, for a robbery and outrage committed on the afternoon of the day of the late dreadful murder, have all been committed for trial after an investigation before the magistrates. Their names are Peter Woods, brother of the man now in custody at St. Helen's, Thomas Lucas and Joseph Lucas. The circumstances of the robbery display in strong colours the characters of the gang. William Arnold, the object of their attack, was struck down on the road not far from Knowsley, and to his cries for mercy the ruffians replied only by throwing him into a ditch, where the unfor t'mate man would undoubtedly have perished had he not been found and rescued from his perilous situation. The robbers took from him a half sovereign and 7s. 6d. in silver, all he had. Mr. Storey, the active superintendent, had only a few hours before met and searched these suspicious cha racters, but found nothing on them, and when Woods was again within his grasp, on being asked how he accounted for the possession of two half crowns, which were found upon him, made the very probable excuse, that the money had been hidden in his shoes or clogs. The committal of these members of the desperate gang has given great satisfaction in the neighbourhood. The excitement on the subject of the late murder, the investigation of which is still pending, has in no degree subsided, and is enhanced, in fact, by the diffi culties which have hitherto been in the way of the police in procuring stringent evidence against the accused. The town is placarded with bills announcing the offer of £5O reward on the part of the authorities for the detection of the murderer, in addition to the £5O promised by the friends of the de ceased. It has been stated that a person answering to the description of Jacques, one of the accused, was heard by some persons in a beer-shop to let fall expressions which tend to fix the murder upon the parties in custody. IMPORTANT TO BENEFIT SOCIETIES. Mr. Patrick M' Nulty appeared before Mr. Rushton, on Wednesday, for the purpose of sustaining a claim against the St. Michael's Tontine Society, for the recovery of a certain sum of money which he conceived to be legally owing to him, by virtue of his right of membership. The plaintiff deposed that he had been a member of the St. Michael's Tontine Society for a period of eight years. He belonged to the latter at present, and had been obliged, in the month of January last, to claim sick-money from both, having been ill at that time fora period of six weeks. The Odd Fellows' Society paid the amount of his claim without any hesitation, but the St.'Michael's re fused to refund him any, part of what he demanded. When he requested it, the answer he received was. that according to the first rule of the society he was not entitled to any be nefit. The purport of a note on the subject, which he re ceived from the secretary, was to the effect that l►e was not entitled to any benefit, he being at the time a member of ano ther society, and such second membership being contrary to the express stipulations of the first rule of the St. Michael's Society. He had answered the questions required of him when admitted into membership with the St. Michael's Society, the officers of which received contributions from him since he became a member of the Odd Fellows' Society, and were aware at the time that he had become a member of the latter society. On cross-examination, it was attempted to be shewn that the plaintiff was a mere honorary member of the society, and was only initiated for the purpose of having the meetings of the society held at his public-house, and r►ot for the purpose of entitling himself to sick -money. But Mr. Rushton, admitting the hardship of the ease against the so ciety, decided that the man was legally entitled to his claim, as the society regularly received his money, and had no power and no rule to receive honorary members, or to prevent a man becoming a member of any other society. AN UNNATURAL FATIIER.—An elderly man, named Myers, appeared before Mr. Rushton, on Wednesday, to prosecnte his son, for having, as he alleged, attempted to break open the door of his house with an adze, about twelve o'clock on that day. Mr. Owen, who appeared for defend ant, stated the facts of the case as follows :—A deed of se paration had been made between the complainant and his wife, eighteen years ago, according to the terms of which, eighteen shillings per week was to be regularly paid her for the maintenance of herself and son, the lad at the bar. Upon the demise of the trustee, for there was only one to the deed, the allowance was wholly withdrawn, and then the unfortu nate woman was compelled to resort to the parish office for relief. The sum of .£l7 was now owing by the complainant, which he refused to pay, and the only remedy left the wife was an appeal to the Court of Equity. She had tried every means to get at the husband , to see if he would settle with her, and in a fit of desperation , the lad at the bar had that morning gone with the adze to avenge the wron gs o f hi s de solate mother. Mr. Owen concluded by observing that the complainant was living in a house with a couple of females, and that his conduct to his wife and child had been extremely disgraceful. 'f he complainant said he had offered a weekly payment of 2s. 2d., which Mr. Rushton characterised as a fraud on the trustee, but that the lad was not to redress his mother's wrongs in the way in which he had gone to work. Her rights should be asserted in another form. The prisoner having promised not to annoy the complainant any more was discharged. Witi-k OP/ re04:43: tt%4l t WiU 10. , e1 Plooft_ " the - last night of the Stuart is enpged at tlik. Haymarket THE CPOR.—TheClipshire plea to-rna!rov (Saturday() the 18th. at Hurleston Village ;. - Monday, the 20th, at.Oulton ; Tuesday, Ihe 21st, at Marbitry, near North , wich ; Thursday. the 23d, at Manor House ; Friday, the 24th, at Kelsall Toll par, at half-past ten o'clock.—Sir W. Massey Stanley's finjpas will meet to-morrow, (Saturday,) the 18th, at Trafford Village, at eleven o'clock. '4liiierstiiia Mr A MUNIFICENT LIVERPOOLIAN OF THE OLD SCIIOOL.— In a recent number of the Bristol Gazette, we were gratified to see a notice of one who was well known to the old school of merchants in this town. We allude to Captain Keaquick, of whom honourable mention is made, as the donor of no less a sum than £2OO to the poor of the parish in which he now resides. The following is a copy of the paragraph alluded to .—" Our cotemporaries of the last week having noticed a munificent donation by Captain Keaquick, of Up per Easton, of £2OO, Three per cent. Consols, to-the Rev. S. E. Day, the Vicar, and to the present Churchwardens of the parish of St. Philip and Jacob, in Trust for the Poor of the said parish, and a correspondent of ours having desired us to inquire and state to the public what those Trusts are, we have much pleasure of responding to the call upon us, by saying that the express provisions of the Gift are—that the income and dividends of the said stock are to be laid out in I3read, and to be distributed to the Pooi of the parish in the month of February in every year for ever in the chnrch after Divine Service." We are happy to have this respected individual brought under notice by a trait so creditable. Captain Keaquick was born within a few miles of Liverpool, and he first sailed from this port eighty years ago. He has resided for some years in Bristol, and has now attained the patriarchal age of ninety-two. This respectable gentleman, whose years have numbered nearly a century, still occa sionally pays a visit to Liverpool. His recollections of in- Cidents connected with the history of Liverpool in times gone by, are curious and -entertaining. As his memory is strong, and his observation has always been acute, he pos sesses a store of facts and anecdotes highly interesting. COMMITMENT.—Yesterday, at the Police -court, William Jones, a young man, was charged with stealing a half firkin of butter. Police-officer Guy said that on Monday last, about half-past two o'clock, lie met the prisoner and' another youth in Edgar-street, the latter carrying the keg. He asked him where he had got it, and he replied " a man gave it to me in Scotland-road to carry to Vauxhall-road." He took him into custody, and the owner of the butter was af terwards found. Thomas Hanna said he belonged to St. Helens, and on Monday, about one o'clock, got six half firkins of butter from the Clarence Dock. He engaged -a carter named Shee to take them. They were sent to Lon don-road, and it was t}fterwards found that one was missing ;---that now prodUced, which he identified by his mark upon it. It contained 381bs. of butter, which was worth I . old. per lb. The prisoner, who said nothing in his defence, was committed for trial. ALLEGED ASSAULT ON BOARD OF A VESSEL.—At the Police-court, yesterday, --- Hiselden, the mate of the ship Hermes, appeared to answer a complaint of assault on one of the crew of the vessel, which had recently arrived from New York. The complainant (Fenn) said he was a carpenter on board, and that -on the day of the vessel's arrival in the Mersey, the defendant, just a, he (witness) alighted on deck from helping to hand the top Sails, came up to him,. and after saying " Now, we are in. Liverpool, and down you must go-!" immediately struck him. and knocked him down. He had given him no provocation whatever. The defendant, he added, had knocked him down three times in New York, but he had forgiven him for that. One of the seamen deposed to the assault as stated by the complainant. The defendant denied the' charge, adding that lie had accidentally fallen upon the .. complainant by being in the confusion of coming into p6rt; tripped by the chain cable. He called the pilot, who *as on deck all the time, and who stated that he heard no disturbance on deck whatever, which he thought would have occurred had any one been maltreated. Had lie him self been so, struck, he should certainly have called out for help. Mr. Rushton said that he and his brother magistrate were of opinion that the mates' account of the affair was, the most probable, and the complaint was accordingly dismissed. TRACTARIANISM V. PROT E STANTISM.-Mr. W. Palmer, M.A., Fellow and Tutor of St. M try Magdalene College, 'Oxford, and deacon in the Church of England, in address ing the Rev. C. I'. Golightly, thus expressed himself, but a few days ago :—" I tell you plainly, that for myself I utterly reject and anathematise the principle of Protestant ism as a heresy, with all its forms, sects, or denominations. And if the church of England should ever unhappily profess herself to be a form of Protestantism (which may God of his infinite mercy forbid!) then I . would reject and anathe matise the church of England, and would separate myself from her immediately as from a human sect, without giving• Protestants any unnecessary trouble to procure my expul sion: In conclusion, I once more publicly profess myself a Catholic, and a member of a Catholic church, and say ana thema to the principle of Protestantism. (which I. regard as identical.,with the principle bf disent,) and to all its forms, sects, and dominations, especially to those of the Lutherans, Calvaniits, and British and American dissenters," [Will Mr. Palmer explain how the word " Protestant" comes to be the recognised distinction of the religion of England, in the act of succession, and many other acts of parliament.] TILE REFORMERS.—The body who call themselves re formers, par excellence, held a most melancholy meeting on Wednesday, at Eastwood's Royal Hotel, Dale-street, for the purpose of attempting to raise themselves from their beaten and pounded position by forming :a registration committee. Just the usual clique attended, namely, Mr. William Rath bane, Colonel Williams, Mr. James Mulleneux, Mr. Wm. Earle, and one or two newspaper editors in the, liberal inter est. Altogether there mustered from seventeen to twenty individuals. The principal burden of the proceedings con sisted of condolences with each other upon the wretched prospects before them of becoming extinct as a party. A committee was appointed to look after the registration and to manage matters, so that the world may be deluded into a notion that the party is yet of some importance in Liyerpool. We are sorry to hear that subscriptions have come in so very like Angel visits, that the celebrated Reform Commit tee-room in tlayton-square, the theatre of many an eloquent harangue, has been absolutely abandoned, and converted into a" Temperance Hotel." EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS.-Our friends have now only a short time to avail themselves of a visit to the inter esting rooms in Postoffice Place, as the exhibition closes to. morrow. The children belonging to the. Deaf and Dumb School have been invited several times to the rooms, and have signified their high gratification 'with what they have witnessed. One of them (Richard Williams), has reduced his feelings to writing, and we purpose in our next' giving some extracts from his composition as it was penned, without the slightest dictation or previous suggestion, and is, to say the least of it, very creditable to his head and heart. The reflections occasioned by the various paintings are most affecting, and would do hononr to the most gifted individual. Such fruits are produced by the moral culture and persever iagindustry of Mr. Rhind, the master of the institution. DOCK COMMITTEE, YESTERDAY.—Members present Messrs. Sands, Middleton, Smith, Molyneux, Nicol, Sand bach, Bully, Martin, Ripley, Moon, Evans, Holmes, Tobin, Chapman, Aikin. The sub committee of works reported that no part of the land on the west side of the Brunswick Graving Dock, which was applied for last week by Todd, Naylor and Co., could be spared. The land was wanted for the purpose of sampling and testing copper-ore; but Mr. Tobin remarked that if there was any land on the estate to spare, the ship-builders ought to have it in preference.to all others. It had been said that there was no use for `ship building here ; that they could build them cheaper elsewhere ; but how were they to repair vessels, or make use of their graving docks if they had not good carpenters, and these could only be had by building ships here.—A shed was ordered to be erected at the Clarence graving dock for the convenience of parties working there. —On the recommendation, of the marine surveyors committee, Thomas Hughes, one of the dis charged keepers of the Rock Light-house, was appointed to the telegraph station in Chapel-street, at a salary of £6O per year, in the room of the present keeper, who was promoted. Mr. Tobin, in the absence of the chairman of the sub-com mittee, remarked that they were all satisfied that the great blame of the misconduct at the Rock Light-house rested with the head man, but none of them would tell of each other ; and, the character Hughes had received, the sub-committee were unanimous in recommending him. The sub-committee reported that the damage done to the bell buoy, by the Im porter, whs occasioned purely by accident and not by negli gence, and the claim for compensation was ordered not to be nressed.—Two cranes, for the discharging of mahogany, were ordered to be erected on the north side of the new south boundary dock.— A letter from Messrs. M'Arthur and Co. requesting that the west side of George's dock might be ap propriated for coasting vessels was referred to the harbour master's sub-committee.—The usual charge of 6d. per ton for the use of the crane on George's dock pier was ordered to be discontinued in future.—A letter from the Lords Com missioners of the Treasury, approving of the sale of land by the Corporation to the dock estate, for the purposes stated in the Act of Parliament was read.—The Chairman repeated that he and the other members of the deputation had an inter view on Wednesday with tha Revenue Commissioners, who received them in a very satisfactory and gracious manner. They had shown them the new plans, answered a great num ber of questions, and to-morrow, (this day,) they were going to look over the docks. CASE OF BIGAMY.—Robert Highann, a decent-looking man, apparently about 38, was placed before Mr. Rushton on Wednesday, charged with having married a second time, his first wife being still alive. It was proved in evidence that the prisoner was married on the 13th May, 1824, to Elizabeth Dawber, at the parish church of Wigan, and after they had lived together for five or six years the prisoner left her. Her father appeared in court, and proved that she was still living. On the 21st September, 1840, the prisoner married Helen Leatherbarrow, at St. Peter's Church, in this town ; and the brother of this female only discovered the previous marriage of the prisoner last Friday, and on the following day he caused him to be apprehended. He was committed for trial. The sum of £76 was found on his person when he was ar rested, £3O of which was given to his second wife, as it appeared she brought the prisoner that sum on their mar riage, and a mrtion of the rem a i n i ng £l6 i s t o b e app li e d to the prisoner's defence. It appeared that the prisoner had had three children by his first wife, two of whom arc living, and one by his second. The second wife appeared in court. She carried the child in her arms, and is a good-looking woman of about 21 years of age. THREATENING LANGUAGE.—Four able-bodied ill-look ing fellows were charged before Mr. Rushton on Wednesday. with using threatening language towards Mr. Councillor As pinall, chairman of the board of guardians, and with being riotous and disorderly. It appeared from Mr. Aspinall's statement, that the fellow against whom he principally ap peared, had just come out of Chester gaol—that he had been relieved upon four different occasions at the Parish-office— that he was offered bread, and refused to take anything ex. cept money—that he was the ringleader of the other fellows, whose conduct on Saturday night was of so violent a cha racter that Mr. Gray, of the Parish-office, had to be pro tected home by the police—that it took four men to convey him to bridewell, on Tuesday, •and that he threatened him (Mr. Aspinall), and said he would be the death of him some day or other, and that he would rip up his guts ! It was farther proved that the same fellow belonged to London— that he was nearly naked on coming to Liverpool—that he had been clothed at the workhouse—that money had been given him to take him to his own parish, and that he had spent the money. Mr. Rushton ordered them to find sureties for their good behaviour, and regretted that the law did not allow of him doing more, CIVIC ENTERTAINMENT.—On Tuesday evening last, his Worship the Mayor, John Shaw Leigh, Esq., entertained a distinguished party of nobility, gentry, clergy, members of the bar, &c., with a sumptuous• dinner at the Town-hall. The repast, and all the "appliances and means to boot," were of the most choice and costly description. Amongst the guests were the Earl of Sefton, Lord Grenville Somer set, the Hon. Col. Sir Edward Cust, the Hon. It. B. Wil braham, the Hon. Bingham Baring, the Hon. R. Denman, Sir Wtn. P. De Bathe, Bart., Sir Thomas Brancker, Rev. J. Brooks, Rev. A. Campbell, Rev. T. G. Leigh, Rev. T. Moss, Rev. Mr. Feilden; of Bebbington, J. W. Patten, Esq., M.P., —. Pringle Esq., M.P.,T. B. Crosse, Esq., M.P.. P. Green. all, Esq., M.P., J. I. lackburne, Esq., M.P., James Clark, Esq., Recorder of Liverpool, Cornet H. B. Leigh, H. Law. rence, Esq., Jas. Aspinall, Esq., R. B. B. H. Blundell, Esq., John Moss, Esq., J. P. Heywoo d, Esq., J. H. Leigh, E sq ., of Belmont, Cheshire, J. Harper, Esq., of Davenham, Wm. Earle, Esq., Hugh Hornby, Esq., Thos. Case, Esq.. G. C. Arbuthnot, Esq., Thos. Sands, Esq., Isaac 0. Bold, Esq., &c. Several distinguished personages were invited, but were unable• to attend; amongst whom were the following : the Right Hon. Lord Stanley, M.P., Lord Francis Egerton, M,P.,— Sir Philip Egerto n , M.P., —. Tollemache, Esq., M.P. for the Southern Division of Cheshire. INTIRESTriti Mzerqq_6l RR PrAV711",,M . 51 IC On Tuesday evening, the General Monthly fvfeeting of this excellent society was .held at the Royal Institution, and was attended by a very numerous and highly respectable company. including many :of the. literary and scientific, and several of the nautical gentlemen of the town—considerable interest . being excited by subject matter on the occasion having re ference to the navigation of the port, and by the announce ment' that the President, Mr. Grantham, would deliver his closing address for the year. The President occupied the chair, and was supported by Mr. Salt, the Secretary. Several large and very beautiful models of -vessels, - -regularly built by Mr. E. Melling, jun., and also an ingenious plan for a new landing-vier by the same gentleman, were exhibited, and attracted much attention. • Descriptions of these were read and some introductory remarks made by J. S. Walker, fol lowed by explanations by their author in the course of dis cussion; of which the following is an analysis:— PLAN OP A PERMANENT PIER Mr. WAtiER, in scbmitting a plan for the purpose of Obviating the present inconvenience in embarking and landing at the Pier Heads, Said, that in the opinion Of•several nautical men and others, it promised, though simple in itself, to realize all the requisite advantages, at a comparatively light cost, and without the introduCtion of complicated machinery, which was often found to:be liableto damage or darangement. The proposition was simply a permanent pier, applicable, more particularly, in the first instance, to George's Pier. It consisted of an isolated oblong stone pier—to be erected immediately opposite the Public Baths, of •the full length of that building, or about - 300 feet, parallel with the sea wall, at a distance from it of from 60 to 70 feet, and of a breadth sufficient to secure at its outer side, at low water of spring tides, a depth of 12 feet or thereabouts. This pier was pro,. posed to be of the same hight, or top level, as the present pier, and to communicate with it by a swing bridge, similar to those now used in crossing the guts of the respective clacks. It was to be rounded at both ends, so that vessels accidently coming against either end might swing with the tide to either side of it, and, get clear without damage. Separate sets of steps are to be rorrned for the respec tive ferry-boats, and two tunnels, on inclined planes, for carriages, cattle, &c. The plan appeared to meet with the general approval of those present, no objection to it being finally made. MODELS OF VESSELS.-SUGGESTED VALUABLE IMPROVE MENT IN OUR MERCANTILE MARINE. - Mr. WALKER, after some remarks on the benefits to the country of navigation and commerce, introduced to the no tice of the meeting a series of beautiful models, built by Mr. Melling. The first was a model of a merchant ship of 400 tons,, in the ribbons, the - proposed dimensions of whi c h Were— Length aloft Beam for breadth 2B feet six inches. bepth of hold If with a poop, and top-gallant forecastle, 1 ft. less of depth. This, said Mr. Walker, is an improvement on the ordinary construction of merchant vessels, which, with few excep tions, it was Mr. Melling's opinion, had the besetting sin of being too narrow and too deep, causing them to be crank, and so impatient of sail as to be liable, under even a mode rate pressure of canvas, to lie down on their beam ends. In some of them it was necessary to put ballast to keep them on their legs, before they could discharge the whole of their cargo. There were some cotton ships too of that construc tion, that most constantly carry from 100 to 200 tons of ballast ; and this ballast—gravel, sand, and mud, which paid no freight—getting wet, ground away, and tended to rot the planks and timbers. These ships had also great lee wardness, and it was requisite sometimes to put them before the wind. ere they could be pumped out—tightness being an uncommon quality of such laboursome craft. The William Sharpies, of this port, of about 918 tons bur den, built by Mr. Melling, on the construction of the model, carried a large cargo of pine timber without an ounce of ballast being required, and she sailed like a frigate. She made the run from Quebec to Liverpool in sixteen days—the quickest passage on record, the shoriest previously being nineteen days. She came up with one of the New York dramatic line ships,—all of which were fast vessels—off Cape Clear, and after a tussel up the Channel, beat her by a tide. Both ves sels started on the same day, the one from New York, and the other from Quebec. The William Sharpies had a full and dead cargo—consequently deep ; the other a light and general one, and in fine trim. The William Sharpies, which was built as a monument to the memory of the deceased gen tlemen whose name she bears, had also made astonishingly quick passages to and from Bombay, where she was hailed as " The Liverpool frigate." She had been knoWn to go eleven knots an hour for a fortnight together. The proportions of merchant vessels of this class, which Mr. Melling proposed, were :—The length, from stem to stern-post aloft, of ships of 400 tons and upwards, to be four times the beam. (In smaller vessels, considerably more beam is required in proportion.) The depth for a flush decked vessel not to exceed two-thirds of the beam. If the vessel have a quarter-deck and top-gallant forecastle,—one foot shallower. The next model exhibitsd was that of a piratical or fast sailing schooner,' also scientifically built, and in a more finished state than the former. In the parlance of brother Jonathan, " She looked' so slipperish and so elipperiBh that sho would outsail, outwalk, outrun, or °Will any of the sail ing, walking, running; or flying tribe." It was remarkable that there was a similarity in the shape of every one of her tim bers, which had been observed as far as possible throughout, forming, nevertheless, a whole combining admirable propor tion- for a veritable " clipper." The model, which is of polished mahogany, was much admired. - Next was shewn a model of a corvette, of 700 tons bur then, arid calculated to carry 20 long-eighteen pounders, and 2 long twenty-four pounders, as stern-chasers. She is built, framed; and timbered from the keel upwards precisely and scientifically as the others, and planked and masted ready for rigging. The dead-eyes are all welded on links, and she is in every respect . superbly finished as a real ship, with masts and yards correct in proportion. There is no paint on this or the other aodels, the whole of which are of fine worid, varnished to show the workmanship. h.' A model of a New York pleasure-boat, " Miss Nancy," of peculiar construction, was then exhibited, similar to one which he saw in America, and which sailed with astonish ing quickness.. She is of great breadth for her length, and calculated for smoothish water. A keel of iron lowers in the middle, to give her a good hold of the water; it works in a water-tight well or case, rising a little above water mark, and may be easily taken in, .in shallow water. If she touches the ground it goes up of itself without damage. The general length is 24 feet of keel, the breadth about 12 feet, and the height of the mast is very great, being 41 times the beam. These boats have but two sails,—and. the bottom of the mainsail is lashed to the main boom, so that it will sit very close to the wind. They draw 2 feet aft, and about 2 feet forward. The last model was that of a Bombay droger, a vessel of antique and curious construction, the long projecting bow of which forms her landing stage. This kind of vessel has been in use for some-thousands of years amongst the easterns, and excited much curiosity, ,A discussion then took place, in which several gentlemen took part, on the proposed improvement of merchant ves sels, shown by the first model, and also, in practice, by the success of the William Sharpies. The question of the com parative cost (ships being generally built at so much per ton old measurement), and the apparent diminution of profit by the plan under review, being mooted, Mr. MELLING explained, that according to the present mode of contracts for building, the merchant endeavoured to get a ship of large stowage for her tonnage; and sacrificed all her good sailing qualities to the solitary one of carrying, which he considared injudicious and unprofitable in the end. The length and breadth only were taken into account by the old measurement, and a ship measured by it no more with ten, feet of hold than if she had twenty. The measurement could, certainly, be nearly ascertained by it, while the ship was laid down, or on the stocks, which could not be done till the hull was finished by the new mode of measurement, which required the breadth and depth to be taken into account in several diVisions and subdivisions pointed out by law. Coasti4vessels only were benefitted by it, owing to their comparative shallow ness, and were as a c l ass superior to our sea-going- ships, for whiCh the new measure ment, though it permitted some improvement, did not supply an altogether adequate remedy. Until the law was altered the only way to obviate this disadvantage, without i n j ury t o the builder, and with advantage to the ' hip as regards her sea-worthiness, was, for the merchant, before he entered into a contract for building, to ascertain the dimensions he wanted, as dictated by experience of good ships, and con tract for the work not by the ton, but for a lump sum. By this means both parties would be satisfied, and we should have a generally finer class of vessels. From the peculiar construction of the William Sharpies, she registered 918 tons old measurement, and (contrary to the general run of vessels) only 760 by the new. At the former she was not so very profitable as ships on the old plan, but by the new she carried as much as most ships of equal tonnage, and was navigated as cheaply and much more safely. The cost, he said, would be but triflingly increased by giving ships a little More beam; deducting it in tonnage from the depth. The builder would only have to lengthen the floorings and beam a little, and add a few more deck planks, which was but a small consideration in building a large ship, and would cost very little more in labour. The PRESIDENT corroborated Mr. Melling's opinion, that the present tonnage laws required amendment, as they operated detrimentally on the naval architecture of the country. A GENTLEMAN remarked that ships of the present con struction carried more than those built on that proposed, and he should like to know how the ledger would stand with regard to the latter at the end of the year? Mr. WALKER remarked, that as it had been shown beyond dispute that the present deep wall-sided cotton ships and others had to take a large quantity of ballast, he could not see what credits could be placed in the ledger, for the carriage of a quantity of gravel and mud, which cost a considerable sum to load and discharge, and paid no freight. (A laugh.) Finally ,a general impression appeared to pervade the room, that Mr: Melling's model for a merchantman was ex ceedingly judicious and desirable. PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT OF SHIPS' RUDDERS. Mr. J. S. WALKER submitted a small model showing a proposed improvement in rudders. It consisted simply of a long plate of spring metal, six to ten feet in length, according to the size of the vessel, attached to the keel, countersunk into it, and secured forward only by bolts. These plates are to extend a little beyond the usual rudder at its bottom. When the helm is amidships both lie flat against it, and have then, of course, no effect on the steerage. When the helm, which need not be so broad as usual, is put to port or star board, the plate on that side is raised, and forms a curve like a fish's tail when turning, the other remaiuing flat with the keel; and this, it is supposed, will greatly facilitate the steerage, without forming so strong a stopwater as the pre sent rudder. The plates arc fixed higher than the keel, so that they would not be carried away, even if the vessel's heel took the ground. . A model of a windlass, by Mr. G. P. Payne, was also ex hibited. The PRESIDENT then rose, and delivered an eloquent address, which was listened to with marked attention throughout. Mr: ROSSON passed an animated and eloquent encomium on the ability and zeal of the retiring president ; he also pourtrayed in lively colours the rapid progress and utility of this society, and concluded by moving—" That the thanks of this meeting be given to our worthy president, for his able conduct in the chair, and his zeal in promoting the welfare of this society ; and also for the admirable address which he has just delivered, and that he be requested to allow the same to be published with the Annual Transactions of this society." The motion was seconded by Mr. C. F. SALT, and carried with acclamations. Of the thirty-four Irish local crown solicitors appointed by the late Government only two were Protestant. PATENT HATGLIARD.—Professor Espy, in his theory of storms, shows that the tendency of the currents of air is ge nerally upwards ; this is the reason, we presume, why the hats and caps worn by mortal man have a tendency to quit the head, and, after traversing the regions of air, to perform certain ungraceful evolutions against the mud. Most per sons must have experienced the inconvenience of walking in exposed situations in stormy weather. Either one hand must be occupied in holding on the hat, or away it will assuredly go, and he must be a clever mathematician who can calculate where it is likely to stop. As we are now in the midst of the season of storms, our readers will probably be obliged to us if we not only name the inconvenience, bat point out a re medy. This is well provided in an ingenious contrivance which has been recently presented under the denomination of Biggs' Patent Elastic Hatguard, This hand may be worn with the greatest ease and comfort, and while it holds the hat moderately tight to the head, all inconvenient pressure is avoided. We recommend a trial of this useful invention. • CERESIONY,-PLIBLIt IireANTA, THE ERRORS OP TIIQ RONIIBI-1 It cannot but be gratifying to the friends of pure and un. defiled religion, at a time when .the Protestant churgh of these realms has to contend with the bitter hostility of open enemies no less than against the tergiversations of false friends, to observe the increasing affection of the poor for that church. Numbers are perpetually waiting upon her ministrations who, without her watchful care, would be in cluded in the ranks of infidelity ; and in the proportion that her ministers are zealous, laborious, devoted, and affection ate, is she gaining converts from those who, whilst professing to hold the same faith, deteriorate that faith by idolatrous worship and unscriptural ceremonies. This latter proposition received a very remarkable exem plification on Wednesday, in St. Jude's Church, when five persons, all of mature years, in the presence . of an overflow ing congregation, publicly recanted and abjured the errors of the Church of Rome, in which they had been nurtured. In the first instance, three other Roman Catholics [making sight in the whole] intended thus openly to enter into the communion of the Church of England, but between the pe riod when they intimated their desire and the celebration of the service, some concealed influence so worked upon their fears that they did not make their appearance at the appoint ed time. We have great pleasure, however, in saying that conversions from Popery are rapidly increasing, and that the service which we are about to describe, is likely to be repeated in other chuiches besides St. Jude's. The. Church of England has no preScribed form of recanta tion of error; and, therefore, the Rev. Hugh M'Neile, the incumbent of the church, prepared one from Archbishops Tennison and Magee, which he has printed for circulation. The preface to this tract is . sorneWhat curious, and we insert it as eiving a clear expositlon of the mind of the reverend compiler when he undertook the office :- I ' 4 ` n the early part ortliFiast Century, considerable exer tions were made for tic6'-iiiiiigirit:VVer from the Rome to our communion such persons aS were found disL satisfied 'with..the tenets of that faith. From the 35 t h o f Elizabeth down to that, period, very Mile ,appears to have been done in the way of 'directing the clergy of the Church of England-by what ceremony - ,theY should proceed in such cases, it being left to r,he discretion of the diocesan and his ordinaries within their seimiljurisclictions ; for the statute law, although it provided a public and open form of submisson and declaration to be made in church, of conformity TO THE QUEEN'S LAWS AND STATUTES,'. as a security to the civil go vernment, had yet failed to prescribe a form of recantation of error. Numerous formularies were to be met with; Bishop. Kennett says that he had seen more than a hundred, and several of them were. printed ; an inconvenience which at length be came. so great, as a part of the public discipline of the church, that Queen Anne, in a letter of instruction to the House of Convocation in 1710; as to the briiiness whereon they were to proceed, enjoins them; among ocher offices, to draw up a " form for receiving converts from the Church of Rome ;" and, in a similar letter of instruction, in March, 1714, her Majesty was pleased to repeat this injunction.—Slonestreet. _ . "A form was accordingly prepared by Archbishop Tenison, but, owing probably to the death of the Queen the same year, it was never ratified by royal authority. " I❑ 1827, the Rev. G. S.,G. Stonestreet, chaplain to his Royal Highness the Duke of York, published a reprint of this form. In an introduction to it he says But although the form'isthns.deficient, as a positive part of the Liturgy ; yet, whether from the great. authority of the prelate who composed.it, or f1)111 the,ittentiOn paid to it in convocation, it has continued in use,to _this. day. ,There is a manuscript copy of it among the papers of Jr. Chandler, Bishop of Durham, (additional MSS,_British Museum. No. 6484, vol. XXV. 3.,) with.several.erasures and slight alterations in the bishop's handwriting. It. is stated, upon the best authority, that Bishop Porteus always read this form in the diocese of Chester, and after his translation ; and it is the only one now known in the diocese of London.' " " The form here printed differs from that of Archbishop Tenison only by the introduction of a few questions, used and recommended by his grace the late Archbishop of Dublin." " The editor can adopt the language of Mr. Stonestreet He has felt the want of such a form, and thought that a republication at such a moment might be found of peculiar nse, and save the trouble of privaite persons composing new and arbitrary forms, and prevent danger of running into too great a variety of them.' It would ill become him to dwell upon the caution with which such a form should be used, although he believes the advice given by several of the pre lates to the parochial clergy, about the time it was composed, to be as much as ever necessary, namely, to be well satisfied of the willingness and sincerity of a convert, especially when a stranger, before receiving him, and to give the ceremony all the solemnity belonging to it, without unnecessary osten tation, or too great notoriety.' " The service „ commenced at two o'clock in the afternoon. The Rev. Hugh Wlsleile, the officiating minister, took his place at the communion table, and the five persons to be re conciled stood without the rails. The various exhortations, collects and psalms being read,and the several eonverts having each separately for himself renounced all the errors and su perstitions of the Rornish Church, the officiating minister standing up, said . ' " Almighty God, who hath given you a sense of your errors, and a will to do all these things, grant you also strength And power to perform the same, that he may ac complish his work which he hath begun in you, through Jesus Christ our LohI.—AMEN." Then the minister took each convert by the right hand, and said to him, . _ " 1, Hugh Wistede, minister of this church, do, upon this thy solemn profession and earnest request, receive 'thee into the holy communion of the Church of England, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the'Holy Ghost." To this all the people responded Amen. After this followed a prayer of thanksgiving to the Al mighty for his greatmercy and goodness in bringing these people into the communion of the church, and beseeching him to give them stability and perseveralice in the faith'; and the service terminated by the rev. 'gentleman pronouncing the customary benediction. . A hymn was then sung, and Mr. M'Neile ascended the pulpit for the purpose of addressing the congregation. The text selected by the rev. gentleman was the 16th verse of the 6th Chapter of. the Prophecies of Jeremiah—" Thus saith the Lord, stand vein the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for yOur souls." My brethren, proceeded the preacher, I need not offer any preliminary observations for the purpose' of winning your attention, and exciting your interest, to the circumstances under which we are now assembled. The controversy which we have been carrying on so long in words has come upon us in facts. It liaS come upon our country in facts upon both sides. Membersof our church have joined th e c h urc h of Rome, and me m b ers of the church of Rome have joined us. The controVersy is becoming practical, and more and more so daily, .1 feel it'a duty which I owe to myself, to the members of my own congregation here present, to the strangers who. may be 'here assembled upon this occasion, and to those who ha've noW confessed their earnest desire to he enrolled in . the communion of our- church, and solemnly abjured the fearful enormities of the papal:system, both in its political usurpati ons andin , its false theology. An histo rical statement will be upon the whole the most explanatory and the most satisfactory. In offering an historical state ment, a distinction must be borne in mind from the very outset, to the want of which, as appears to me, much con fusion hangs upon, the supposed history of this great ques tion. The distinctionl refer - to is between the history of the public authoritative documents of the church, and the history of individuals teathing in the church. I invite your attention first to a very brief sketch of the history . of the public authoritative documents of the church. This will throw light upon the question of antiquity which is so much discussed. The basis of all Christian faith we believe to be the holy scriptures; but I must advance from that at once in the present instance, to consider the authorised documents of the primitive church. These are in number, three; they are brief, they are explicit—the Apostle's creed, the Nicene creed, and the Athanasian creed. The date of the apostle's creed is not known ; it is found to have existed from a very early period. The date of the Nicene creed is from the council.pf Nice, in the year 321 ; and until then there does not appear to have been any public authoritative Catholic document except the apostle's creed. The date of the Athanasian creed is nearly the same as that of the Ni cene creed. These three compose the faith, the saving faith, of the Christian church ; they contain the " tri nity in unity, the unity in trinity, neither confounding the person nor dividing the substance ; " they contain the incarnation, the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ the person and agency in the prophets, as well as in the Christian church, of the Holy Ghost ; the existence of a body distinguishable from all bodies, and called by the name of the church ; the com munion existing among the members of that church ; the fact of forgiveness of sins in that church ; the belief of the resur rection of the flesh ; and the anticipation of eternal life after death. ThiS was the Catholic faith. Observe, lam not now speaking of the opinion that individuals held. The distinc tion I made at the outset keeps, or is intended to keep, that out of sight for the present. I speak of the public authori tative Catholic documents of the church —they were these three, and none other. These three were received by public assemblies of the church as containing the faith. The second general council was held at Constantinople in the year 381 ; and these three creeds, or rather the Nicene creed, as it is comprehensive and sufficient, were received by that council as the faith of the church. The third general council was held at Ephesus in the year 431. In this council the deci sion of the church as an aggregate body went still further. It not only recommended the Nicene creed as the faith of the Christian church, but it rejected all attempts at substi tuting anything else, or adding anything to it. The decree of the council of Nice concerning the faith of the church at that time is most important. It is transcribed in this, and I will read it. Having read it, he continued—Mark the deter mination of this holy synod, that if any person should pro pose, should offer, should compose or propose any other form of creed than that which was agreed upon by the council of Nice, the persons 'so doing, if they were clergy, should be degraded, and if they were laymen, should be anathematised. So stood the faith of the Christian church to the year 431 ; the Nicene creed, and 'the Nicene creed alone, was the re cognised symbol of the, Catholic faith. A decree of this coun cil seemed to set the matter at rest for many centuries. No-- - attempt was made for centuries to interfere with, to add to, or diminish from, the Nicene creed. When the council of Trent met in the 16th century, they, too, recognised the Nicene creed as the faith of the church. During all their sittings, whatever matters they may have discussed, they recognised the Nicene creed as the Catholic faith. It was not till the conclusion of the sittings of that council that any other form of faith was proposed ; no one had dared to do it; the decree of the council of Ephesus was against it ; and until the close of the sittings of the council of Trent, no one presu. med to do it. Who, then, was it that had first presumed to do it ? Who was it that first propounded another form of faith, to be received as Catholic faith without which no one should be saved ? It was not a layman, it was not a common clergyman, it was not merely a bishop, nor even a' cardinal only—it was a Pope himself ! Pope Pius IV., who was the reigning pontiff at the time the Council of Trent closed their sittings, com manded, and they yielded, to add, as the Catholic faith, a new, a totally new, creed, consisting of twelve articles which, whatever individuals may have said about them, had never till that hour been propounded as the Catholic faith. Till that time the Nicene creed, with its companions the Apotles' creed and the Athanasian creed; were the only authenticated Catholic documents of the church. Now my brethren, with this brief sketch of history as regards the public documents of the church, look at our present position. For the last 300 years there has been the old creed and the new creed. The old one originating with the Apostles, confirmed at Nice, guarded at Ephesus, continued for centuries till Trent —and continued till now. We hold the old creed still—open your prayer-bookstand there you have it—the Apostles' creed, the Nicene creed, the Athanasian creed—and we utterly reject, in compliance with the decree of the Council of Ephesus, any attempt to propound a new creed different from that which was approved by the Council of Nice. Along with this for the last 300 years, there is a new creed, the creed of Pope Pius IV. Our creed was 1500 years old before his creed was propounded. The members of the Roinish church adhere to his creed, and they are contending for a creed which is but 300 years old as a public document. We protested against its an inno va ti on upon the ancient' aposto li cal creed, and we have stood in an attitude of 'protesting for the last 300 years—protesting against novelties, protesting against innova tions that never had been heard of until the reign of Pope Pius IV. Now as regards the public documents of the church, the authorized, the authoritative, Catholic documents, this sketch of history is undeniable ; and see where it places us now ; see where it places our friends who have just renounced it. It will be a consolation to them if they understand it; it will be a consolation to them to know that they are not for saking Catholic antiquity, to know that they are not giving up the old faith, that they are in no wise giving up the old creeds. When they take the Church of England prayer-book ill OA? 1143, iY.51q1.6.1:41 tt. tros Catbotto Mai VI I ai► in du APo.gl?'°,l3Tt.m.; d'thAiN4 rosy wilt /Ind also the church ruled as her faith for fifteen hundred years. They will not find the creed of Pope Pius IV. there : they will not find that. What is it, then, that they are leaving be hind them ? They are leaving behind them the noyelties of the sixteenth century, and they are cleaving afresh to the antiquities of apostolic truth. lam persuaded that this will be a satisfaction to thei- hearts, and 1 hope it will throw light upon the subject, in this general view of it, to all your minds. With regard to this view I must say to them in the , language of Jeremiah of old—" Stand ye in the waYs walk see, and ask for the old paths where is the good way and a therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." The rev. gentleman having addressed some appropriate ex hortations to the converts, in most affectionate lang9age, then entered upon the consideration of the history of indi vidual teaching in church, from which he had before distin guished the history of its public authoritative Catholic will ments. Of this part of his discourse a short summ o n' best suit the state of our columns. The first teachers 0f the Christian church had themselves been either Jews or pupils in some school of heathen philosophy : they had been either Jews or Platonists or Pythagoreans. When these men were, converted, they were not inspired as the apostles were, and therefore it was but fair to look upon and judge them accord ing to the common principles of human nature. The prejudice: of education are stron g ; they cleave to men's minds ; and . was difficult for even a converted man, honestly so, to shake off the early prejudices of his education. • We could under stand very well how these early teachers in the Christ ian church might be orthodox in sentiment, and that when sh and calm they sat down to construct a creed, they owd construct an orthodox creed—as that of Nice ; but we could also understand very well that the same men, when warm ed in their subject in teaching, a n d excites in their studies with the pen in their hand, and writing at large, or still more ex cited in their pulpits when speaking to the people, upon the stores of their early education : nay, we could net Understand how they could avoid it. It was miraculous how the apostles themselves avoided Judaising; indeed, it was a. proof of their inspiration ; for they were educated as Jews , yet, from the moment the Holy Ghost descended upon then?; there was no Judaising in their teachings. Not so wed u. with the men who were uninspired engrafted the eects of early erM".. cation broke out in them ; and they the remnants of Platonism and Pythagorism and Judaism uon the doctrinesi of the gospel of Christ.. Hence, the worshippilig of a, ° g o % —which Paul cautioned the Colossians against, or dern.', 4 —which made part of the Platonic philosophy. So wit° gard to the Phythagorean philosophy. An important featuow in Pythagorism was celibacy, another was abstinence froth certain meats, another keeping the secrets of their profeele —the arcane—from the public, and practising reserve M ew . communication of their sacred knowledge. We satt b ,: w as ments of Papery in the Pythagorean philosophy . P e i; the the commencement of th e i n di v id ua l f a l se te a ching '"g e gt church : but for 1500 years they did not go so far as M s ".he the public authoritative documents which were to hind I n church catholic. These errors were found among so me ": dividuals : other individuals opposed them : there were ecti troversies going on. Many of these errors were orbiter and preached by the celebrated men whom we called the the thers of the church, to whom we were now referred for ! e. , I true view of Christianity, and invited to receive all that t?_?.. said. Now how should we distinguish between what they said after Christ, and what they said after Pyther )rss i ( t ) ,h Plato ? How should we determine but by comparing !tl i - A. Christ and the apostles ? But it was said though no in 7 4 dual father claimed our def erence , y e t th e ir universal c ong a , did. Their consent was pleaded as a grou nd of defe ren why it was our duty t o receive what they wrote. Well : UP' the only points wherein they did universally consent, ive receive them : they had an uni versa l c o nsent upon o the r thNl cene creed, and we received th e Ni cene creed. UP"I points they differed with one ano th er , and,t e h u e ee ni f : e r r Ta t eon 9; was no universal consent a t a ll. S o , th en , th sent of individuals was given to th e authoritative documen for ts, of the church—and that was g i ven t o th e Nicene creed- blseonOoye otherars . universal There wasno consent. othe rThere document, w er were much t h e r e could many individuals went astray, and there was versy ; but no universal consent—no catholic document,, Now, when that new creed of Pope Pius IV. was put it was so constructed that the teachers of these philosoplu falsehoods could adhere to it. It was natural to the corn heart of man in many of its parts, and the old creed la d l e d simplicity was not natural, and, therefore, it was reel)", a mnfeby ceornrtop;: to by hundreds—it was the thing that the false teachers ' 1 !, 1 long looked forward to, and now they had got it. B u t stm t God did not leave himself without a witness : he did no leave himself without hearts that slave to the prirnitive clocu: went, hearts that slave to the original creeds, and tongr that protested against the innovating falsehood. The mar; rite that took to the falsehood formed the Romish churcii and the minority that slave to the primitive documents formed what we call the protestant church. In conclusion, the rev. gentleman adverted to the ImP the tance of circulating sound scriptural instruction working classes, eulogised, as a means of so doing, the testant Associations, and proposed that a collection show': Protestant be made at the doors in aid of the funds of the Operative Association. We understand that the collection amounted to £22. attiong_ • LWe strongly recommend the form for receiving converts from the Ch urc h of Rome into the communion of the Churc!l of England, compiled and published by the Rev. liggu M'Neile, to the attentive perusal both of sound and waveriq Protestants. It is a most instructive and improving compi lation, full of the fervour and simplicity which are the cha racteristics of our noble liturgy. We believe that the con!' pilation has the sanction of several vene rable p relates. It is published in a form adapted for general circulation, and we trust it will have an extensive sale.] ipene c FORTHCOMING MEASURES OF SIR R. PEEL'S GOVERNMENT , ee t a And what are these ?—the reader will exclaim , as he g l= at the heading of the few remarks which we are now about W place before him. Has the cautious baronet drawn aside the veil which hides the features of his purposed policy ? H es he allowed any eaves-dropper—any peeping, prying scribe -- to hang about the closed doors of his cabinet, and filch (N al k it ni e o y cn l ormw l e mi t o oh r nii from wi si t h chin faithfulk co t or h ll e dl e aagtulea substance srg?e—Nt of te h an i t s e : a l n sl i o arees:stir a i loving world—completely at fault w ith resp ect to .We the for all v and the matter of Si r R o b ert ' s measure and Yet' this, we can discern sufficient to afford foundation for eo n " gratulation upon the prospects and hope for the coming storation to contentment and solid prosperity abused and distracted country. We can see su ffi cient to as sure us that the troubled sky is clearing, and that We are at length about beginning, beneath th e s t e ady light of day, and by the aid of practical experience and wisdom, to repa ir the dilapidations which, during the last ten years of gla"' of this late and unsettled principles in legislation, have been perm itted to spread themselves through every existing interest of the country, and to root up the rank errors which choke, the growth of its greatness and its happiness. The details of the' measures which Sir Robert Peel will propound to parliament, during the approaching session. are not known ; but it is sheer folly to declare that the character of those measures is hidden from any man who chooses to make use of his eyes and his understanding. It is clear, in the first instance, that the right hon. baronet conteraplatel no speculative legislation —no measures subversive of the existing balance of the •constitution—norbi n g to imp ede or materially to alter it s p resent working. We shall have no abstract pri nc ipl es to di scuss; no a ll-important th eories to weigh and decid e u p on . O n t h e co ntrary, every indication 'around us proves that the attention of parliament will at length be called to practical and remedial measures in every department of our commerce and finance, as well as in our social system ; and we have also a confident assurance that those measures will not be entered upon without the ministry being in possession of full information to enable it to legislate upon them with advantage to the interests of the community- The most important measures of this character are those which affect the productiveness of the revenue, and the pressure of taxation upon the various interests of the country and to these questions it is obviously the intention of Sir Robert Peel to devote himself. The inquiries which are a t the present moment going on in our own port, are s ufficient proof, if even we had none else, of the intention to legislate in this direction. From other manifestations, however, de- rived from information upon which we can confidently rely. we are satisfied that not any mere alteration of the mode of collecting the revenue of the country is in the contemplati on of the government, but that an entire re-modification 4f our import duties themselves—not founded upon the one-side d report of the late Whig committee, but upon unbiassed evi dence, collected by personal investigation, and based upon the opinions and experience of unimpeachable witnesses -- will form a leading measure for discussion at an early period of the session. We have direct assurance, too, of the introduction of other practical measures, of vast importance to our manufacturing and commercial interests. There can be no question, for instance, with respect to the adoption of a measure to afford greater encouragement to the improvement of the higher branches of our manufactures, and to arrest our downward progress in the scale of excellence and taste, as compared with die manufacturers.of other countries, by the extension Of the period of copyright of designs in calico printing, wed /a ; ing, &c. We have little doubt either of the introduction of a bill for the regulation of factories. We look also to con siderable benefits to be derived from a well devised measure for the regulation of emigration to our colonies ; not as our. whig contemporaries are anxious to represent it, a m easure to enable the government to draw off our industrial population to those colonies—uot to stimulate emigration, but to direct it, and to protect those whom circumstances induce to q uit our shores from the frauds to which they are exposed previous to their departure, as well as to aid them in the deportation of their industry to those new countries where it may be most profitably employed. We anticipate besides many important. legal reforms ; vast practical improvements of the machinery of measures which whig legislation has left imperfect; and the permanent and satisfactory settlement of many questions which have been purposely left open for agitation to catch at and whig charlatanrie to hang professions upon. But the question of all questions—the corn law—what of that? Why, reader, simply this much we know of it:—that it will be taken up by Sir Robert Peel with the unanimous support of his cabinet, and that it will be settled, without stooping to the demands of agitation on the one hand, or, on the other, disregarding the just demands of the industry of the nation. We have no fears with regard to the settlement of this much mooted question. We rely with confidence upon the integrity of intention, united with the experience and sound views of the majority of the cabinet ; and we do this the more readily because we are assured that they will ap proach its consideration in a practical spirit and with a firm determination to legistate, apart from faction, for the welfare of the ageregate people. There is no real difficulty about the question e xcept that with which faction and misrepresentation have surrounded it; and we venture to predict that the measure which, we expect, Sir Robert Peel will bring forward will be received with gratitude and satisfaction by nine-tenths of the community. The present long-continued rains have, very naturally , resulted in the overflowing o f th e principal rivers of Engird; an d considerable inconvenience, with no little destruction , has been the consequence. The Thames, the Trent, the visted the i n h a bit an t s o f the various neighbour hoods9 Medway, the Tame, the Avon , &c. , &c ., have s S e e v v e e r r a n i y i th with an overflow, in some instances such as has not been experienced for years. ANNu PRI and naal les s We as depi ( both wE. catio n fit tie the," r Me! ree e i v of wh and it 'Peet , ehoo few w and t Ile re prize s sies a the va Th BAN: MI Th ther NY,a, H AR givei th e his i roost Dub' quiti of th were and affor had hibi degi broi tnis whi to 1 w/ be th an