The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-01-14 00:00:00

loinglog tip its moifil4ftt. 6f fia _CUP* d ~t~~~~r~ ~~s~`R their ancestors took every pains to legislat popery—then it was better to give up the contest at once, and place the Roman Catholic religion in the ascendancy. (Hear, hear.) He contended that it was for the advantage of the whole community that there should be an established church ; and whenever he heard such a sentiment as had just escaped the lips of Mr. Mellor—namely, that it was for the good of the town for no religion to be taught in a public in stitution, he would invariably rise up and protest agaist such a fallacy, because he had quite a different opinion. k Hear, hear.) He concluded by moving that the standing order be suspended. _ Mr. HENRY LAWRENCE said he wished not to draw any distinction between the two institutions in question. The cases were, he believed, different. In the one instance there had been a giving of some land, and in the other there was an application for some money. He believed the Finance Committee were of , opinion that they had not any money to dispose of ; but he had no hesitation in saying, that if the memorial were referred to them he should feel it his duty to oppose the grant. Although the Collegiate Institution was highly to be approved of, yet ,it was almost ridiculous—in deed, it was a farce—to refer it to the committee. _ ._ ._ ..... __..........._ Mr. ASPINALL said be had asked a question of the town clerk some time before, and that he had not as yet received an answer. The TOWN-CLERK said the old council had agreed to give the lease of land for £2,000, and that the present concil made an unconditional grant of the land, and also granted the re- This was what he had stated before It was a It up- :umed t keep d that trtin's 341. wider t as a beg to r' scat, users with tether t. it led up nation f Mr. pay- enter- ; and Slater is seat ds not harity Duke- f this he in sity of r they fine. B, the )aniel Thos. er the :cad cation I the reaent ; that ; and (dated iitable could rable, 4:1 was ssed a other years. ectors istitu ngs in aid be of the Dne of 'at its I sub norial other to de- Mr. irpose s not There would ibsts. to be after, prin- s had ew of o the ed in :o the ssen ucted first, d the :stion ever s, he serial stitu. id he He wined the thich tarot T the con de to ether con. ct by I, he rnent uncil id by nself en tly id by otice ,ruck PPli !sent uncil lene- No, r the they The that Is of Lear, reli itant No, e to ling the the he r the that I re- Is of version grant of a debt owing - tothecorW;tion:(Aear, hear.} All he knew of the mortage was this :—lt was stated by the applicants that it was desirable they should have a power of of mortage, and then the power was given enabling them to to mortage their property. Whether the amount of fine was 14s. and the value 21s. per square yard, he could not recol lect. Mr. ASPINALL said he recollected it well, and repeated that it had been sold for 14s. although it had been valued at 21s. Mr. AKIN said the simple question for the council to decide WAS whether the memorial should be referred. The TOWNXLERKsaid it couid not be referred to the Fi nance Committee in defiance of the standing order. Mr. AIKIN hoped that as a sneer had been thrown out against the Mecanics' Institution, the interests of which he had at heart, he would be permitted to reply. Mr. GLo.DSTONE said that if Mr. AIKIN were permitted to proceed he should have something to say in reply. (Hear.) The MAYOR thought that if the councii would permit Mr. Gladstone to withdraw his motion for the present, much unnecessay discussion might be avoided. The TOWN -CLERK said he had risen to reply to it more than once, but had been prevented by the several members who had risen up to speak. He understood the transaction as to the Mechanics' Institution to be this :—The institution had petitioned for the grant of a piece of land for seventy five years, which petition was in the time of the former coun cil, and the former council granted the prayer of it on the condition that £2,000 should be paid for the land. In this state of things the present council had come into power, and it was then determined that that fine should be given up, that a reversion of the property should be granted, and that the grant should be carried into effect by a clause in the local improvement act, which was then under notice in parliament. With regard to the order of proceeding in the present case there were many difficulties in the way of the motion for re ferring the memorial to the Finance Committee. In the first place the standing ord er he had read would have to be dis posed of; and he thought that that standing order amounted to such a resolution of principle that it required a notice, in the first instance, of the intention to rescind. •The course, therefore, would be, to give a notice for the next council, to mention the memorial proposed to be referred to the Finance Committee in it ; and, with regard to this object, to move the suspensio n o f the standing order. Independently of this, however, there was another objection to the proceeding at present, namely, that it was only by the sufferance of the council that the memorial had been read, the council being an adjourned one. Mr. GLADSTONE said he had given notice at the last council that he had a memorial to present. The TOWN-CLERK observed that the other grc unds of ob jection were fatal against its reception under present circumstances. Mr. ASPINALL said he wished to know Mr. BOLTON interrupted. He thought that the town clerk had already answered Mr. Aspinall's question. Mr. ASPINALL begged that he might not be interrupted by Mr. Bolton a second •time. He knew how to put his questions without the interference of others. (Hear, hear.) He wished to know whether the ground which was worth 21s had not been virtually sold for 14s. per square yard? He remembered the circumstance well. It had occurred during his mayoralty. It had been sold by the old corporation, and a contract had been made between the parties. If he was correct as to what took place subsequently, the grant, he maintained, was one of money, and not of land. (Hear, hear.) The TnwN-CLERK said he thought itiwould have clearly appeared from his previous observations that the grant had been one of money. (Hear, hear.) Mr. ASPINALL was thankful for the explanation, because he wanted the council to u-Aderstand distinctly that the grant to the Mechanics' Institution had been a grant of money and not of land. (Hear, hear.) Mr.GLADSTONE here begged leave to withdraw his motion. Mr. AIKIN repeated his request. He trusted that, inas much as certain sneers had been thrown out calculated to injure a public institution in the estimation of his fellow-citi zens, he might make a few observations. The MAYOR said the council were not then in a position to discuss the merits of either one institution or the other. Mr. EARLE hoped the mayor would allow an explantion to be made. Surely the mayor would not let a statement of the kind go foward to the world and not allow an explanation. Cries of "order.") Oh !yes, he understood the meaning of the cry of "Order, order.', (A laugh.) Mr. EVANS thought it advisable to discuss the question off-hand, as it was before the public. Mr. HENRY LAWRENCE thought a discussion of the question unnecessary, as nothing had been said to the pre judice of the Mechanics' Institution. The MAYOR repeated, that the discussion was not in order. Mr. AIKIN was willing to bow with deference to the chair; but he hoped, that as a reflection had been cast on an insti. tution, and as a remedy could be brought to bear on the evil, the opportunity of replying on the present occasion might be afforded him. The MAYOR said, he did not believe that such a degree of reflection had been cast upon it as the gentleman seemed to think. Mr. Atairr reminded the Mayor of the observations which had been made about its not affording a religious education, and about the filling of the gaols if such a system pervaded the country. The MA:you. said, he recollected the observation. Mr. AticiN wished to reply to such an unauthorised and absurd statement, because it had been expressed with the !enom which genera ll y attac h e d t o th e gen tl ema n who uttered it. (Uproar.) Mr. HARBORD rose to order. AMIN said, his reply would only consist of a few sentences. fromhe MAY OR . again interfered, and prevented Mr. Aikin proceedi ng . The subject then dropped. POWNALL-SQUARE MARKET. A memori a l from the inhabitants of St. Paul's Ward, pre sented by Mr. Edwards, praying that Pownall-square Mar ket might be covered, was referred to the Markets Com mittee. EARLY CLOSING OF THE MARKETS, &C. The MAYOR presented two memorials, one from the tradesmen and shopkeepers of Liverpool, and another from their assistants, praying that all the markets in the town should he closed at eight o'clock on Saturday evenings, and of six o'clock every other evening. Mr. BRIGHT, before, the second memorial was read, moved that both do lie upon the table. Mr. COOPER hoped that Mr. Bright would consent to them being first read. th M s . eer PROCTOR thought it would be very unhandsome if .„„ memorials were disposed of without being read. r. Alderman EARLE hoped that the very just remark of Mr Proctor would be borne in mind on all occasions. The MAyort then read the second memorial, and Mr. JOHN SMITH observed that it was quite impossible to close the markets at six o'clock, as requested. Mr. BRIGHT said an arrangement between the masters and their assistants were all very well ; but when he found a body of the assistant shopmen and a few of the masters join ing in a petition to the extent of those just read, he must pro test against their'reception. In what situation would be the Poor, w h o, perhaps, did not receive their wages until after that hour, if the markets were closed at six. They might want provisions, and they could not get them that evening, and the following morning they had to go to work before the markets were opened. He should move that the petitions lie on the table. Mr. JOHN SMITH moved that they be referred to the Market Committee, who, he said, would make short work of them. Mr. JORDAN seconded Mr. Smith's motion, and it was carried. EMIGRATION FROM TELLS PORT. The MAYOR presented to the council the annual return transmitted by Lieutenant Henry of emigrants from this port. The total number of emigrants from this port in 1840 was 40,259, in 1841, 48,829—Incraase, 8,570. THE CORPORATION SCHOOLS. The MAYOR read the following memorial in reference to the school question, which he had received from Mr. Robt. Roskell, the chairman of a meeting of the Roman Catholics held on the 10th instant. TO THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF LIVERPOOL. The Memorial of the Catholics of Liverpool, agreed to at a Meeting held on the 10th day of January, one thousand eight hundred and forty-two. The catholics of Liverpool beg most respectfully to solicit the attention of the mayor and corporation to the following memorial, respecting a resolution recently passed by them in council, by virtue of which the Catholic authorised version of the sacred scriptures has been discarded from the corpo ration schools, and Catholic children (should any of them hereafter attend) will be required to use the Protestant Bible, and to join the other children in a Protestant form of prayer. Previous to the passing of the above-mentioned resolution, the opinion of the Catholic clergy of the town respecting the then contemplated changes was laid before the council ; and, these changes having since been adopted by the coun cil, they considered it their duty publicly to announce, last Sunday, to their respective congregations, that Catholic parents can not, consistently with thir religious principles, send their children to the corporation schools so long as the new arrangements are adhered to. The CatholiWol&tO;n, both clergy and laity, now beg most respectfully to submit to the council the following con siderations : Under the present existing circumstances, the great mass of the poor children of their communion must necessarily be excluded from the corporation schools. The number of poor Catholic children, requiring a gratui tous education, exceeds, by a very gre a t ma j or ity, th e p oor children of any other religious denomination. Hitherto the Catholic children attending the corporation schools have sur passed in number the children of all other denominations. After the withdrawal of the Catholic children from the corporation schools, on the before -mentioned grounds, these schools can, 'consequently, no longer be considered public schools, but schools provided for th e e d ucat i on of c h il d ren who either are not catholics, or whose parents, being Catho lics, can be induced, by the bribe of secu l ar e d ucat i on, to withdraw them s elves from the direction of their clergy in religious matters. It is a principle of government, sanctioned by the highest names in philosophy, that those who govern should extend their care to th e w h o l e body of the community, an d not con tine it to one particular part. " Qui Reipublicte pratfuturi aunt, duo Platonis prtecepta teneant. Lnurn ut utilitatem civiu m s i c tuen;.dr ut qutecunque agunt ad cum r e f erant . Alterum, ut totem cor p us Reipublico curent, ne, d arn p ar _ tem aliquain tuentur, reliquas deserant" (Cicero de officiis) ; and, furthermore, that those who (in governing) consult the interests of one part of the citizens, whilst they neglect ano ther pa r t, i ntro d uce i nto a c i ty the most pernicious of evils, sedition and discord. " Qui autem parti civium consulunt, Partein negligunt,rem perniciosissimum in civitatem inducunt, seditionem at que di scor di am ." (Ci cero d e officiis.) In accordance with this principle, the legislature of this country, in the act w hi c h it p asse d f or th e regu lation of mu nicipal corporations in England and Wales, and by virtue of which the present corporation if Liverpool exists, has pro vided that " in case the borough fund shall be more than sufficient for the purposes aforesaid, the surplus thereof shall be applied, under the direction of the council, for the public benefit of the inhabitants, and improvement of the borough.' , ft era I, &r elate by applyl t unroug4 h o w_ . _ t... torgiet at the '4r- to 1110 guonn't. , of ,gair p&rti4(t rwv 11310 of 14404 t,, wilt by violeting bPtl; the reeognt:eri r good goverment and the legal enactment of the legislature The memorialists beg further to submit to the council that a plan of public gratuitous education for Ireland, somewhat similar to the plan now adopted by them for Liverpool, has already been abandoned by the government of this country, in consequence of its acknowledged impracticability ; that, so far as the question of public gratuitous education is con sidered, the state of Liverpool is analogous to that of Ireland, and that therefore it would be highly injudicious to persist in pursuing the adopted plan, which past experience has shown to be impracticable. • The memorialists conceive that the arguments and reasons herein by them alleged, afford the council sufficient grounds for a reconsideration of their decision. They earnestly pray that such reconsideration may take place, and they fervently hope that it will lead the council to rescind the resolution which has been passed, and to adopt some plan of a more liberal and efficient character, which, whilst it will afford the means of obtaining a literary education to all, will interfere with the religious principles of none. Should the council refuse to entertain this petition, in that case the memorialists cannot but consider that their just and legal rights have been violated. And your memorialists, &c. Signed on behalf of the said meeting, • Rover. ROSKELL. Chairman • Mr. EARLE thought it would be well if the Education Committee retired for a few Minutes, and gave the council a translation of the Latin contained in the memorial. (A laugh.) Mr. GLADSTONE said he had no objection to the proposi tion, provided Mr. Earle accompanied them. (Great laugh ter.) Mr. BIRRETT said, that although it was the bounden duty of the council to receive every petition that was respectfully worded, there was a circumstance connected with the present one which would justify them in refusing it altogether; and that was, because the parties came before the council under an assumed name. (Hear, hear.) He would not call it a false name, least it might• be offensive. It purported to have emanated from the Catholics, and it called the clergy of the Romish Church " the Catholic clergy." He considered that himself and those who were members of the established church of the land were Catholics, and that the Catholic clergy consisted of the Rev. Rector Brooks, the Rev. Rector Campbell, and the other learned and pious ministers of the Church of England. (Hear.) He considered those to be the 0 ,, 1y Catholic clergy of the town, and the other parties to be clergymen or priests of a foreign dominant power. (Hear.) Mr. EARLE.—Oh ! Mr. BIRKETV contended that this was the strictly legal interpretation of their name. They had as much right to come forward and call themselves the Earl of Derby, or the Earl of Stamford and Warrington, as to call themselves the " Catholic " clergy of Liverpool. (Hear.) Mr. SHAND agreed in opiniun with Mr. Birkett, and thought they had assumed an incorrect name. He thought they should have come forward as the Roman Catholic clergy and inhabitants of Liverpool, particularly in a town where the Anglican Catholic church existed. They ought properly to have come under their proper denomination. Mr. Jo FIN SMITII.—It is understood! Mr. SHAND thought it but just and right that the denomi nation of the parties should be correctly stated. Mr. EVANS thought the two gentlemen who had spoken last knew very little of the etiquette of the world. At Dub lin Castle the catholic bishops were received as bishops. If the premier of England were addressing any one of them by letter, would he not designate them as clergymen? One gentleman was constantly getting up and giving lectures, or rather sermons, and at length he would occupy the place of chaplain to the council—(a laugh)—but, in his mind, he be longed to a remote period when they were legislating against witches and wizards. (Continued laughter.) Mr. EARLE believed the gentlemen were 'not aware that the catholic clergy could go into the church of England without undergoing any ceremony or ordination. Mr. AIKIN rose for the purpose of saying that the term " catholic " did not appear to be understood. The catholics believing theirs to be the true church, had as much right to use it as had the protestants ; but was there any valid reason in all this for refusing the petition ? He trusted the time of the council would not be occupied in discussing the merits of the protestant religion, or of an established religion in the land, and that they would not denounce institutions which were calculated to do so much good as the Mechanics' Insti tution. He thought the tradesmen of the town, after their hard day's labour, should be encouraged to go to an institu tion where they could learn mechanical drawing and the liv ing languages, which were of such inestimable value to the tradesmen •f England. The last time he was in France, he met a Liverpool man conducting a steam-boat on the Seine, who was unable to speak a word of French. The MAYon. said that Mr. Aikin was going back to a sub ject already disposed of. Mr. SANDS said, he deeply regretted that the Roman Ca tholic clergy had taken the step they had on Sunday last, in counselling the people, from the pulpits of chapels, not to send their children to the corporation schools. (Hear.) It ap peared extraordinary to him that they should allow the chil dren of Catholic parents to go to other schools in the town where the Scriptures were taught. He had already stated in the council, that in one school one-third of the children belonged to Roman Catholic parents. Mr. MELLoa.—What school is that ? Mr. SANDS said, he would be happy to tell the gentleman if he asked him the question privately. (" Oh, oh 1" from the radicals.) He would dive his reason for not answering it publicly. (Hear, hear. ) He feared that if he were to do so the Roman Catholic clergy would adopt the same means of depriving the children of the benefits of the education they now enjoyed that they had been doing on Sunday last in reference to the corporation schools. He would, however, give the name in private; but he could not sit down without saying again that he deeply deplored the interference of the Roman Catholic priesthood. Mr. EARLE thought it rather curious to hear gentlemen talking of the influence of the pulpit, when they must be aware that the pulpit had been used on a former occasion to prevent the Protestant children from frequenting the schools. In support of this assertion, Mr. Earle referred to a conver sation he had had with a female, in which she told him that a sermon preached by the minister of the church in Glou cester-street consisted of a denunciation of the schools. Mr. H ARBORD said it was necessary to put the council in possession of certain facts which came under his notice on Monday last, which would bear on the present memorial, and show the impropriety there would be in receiving it. (Hear.) He had admitted several children between the hours of nine and ten o'clock on that morning. Two twins were brought in by their mother, a widow, who trusted that the children would be admitted; and before he could assure her that they would, she said she herself was a catholic, or connected with catholics, and that she would suffer to be turned into the street by her friends rather than keep the children away. She said her husband when living was a protestant, that he would have brought the children up in his own faith, and that she would be as faithful to him in death as she had been during his life. She added that she had received many threats, but that, in despite of all, she begged the children might be brought up as protestants. They were received. (Hear, hear.) Another instance of a similar nature had also occurred. When three of the committee were leaving the school they met a Roman catholic woman crying outside the door. One of the gentlemen asked her what was the matter? She said two of her children had been at school during the day, bul she was afraid that they would be turned out. She was then told that the children would be quite safe, and that a circular was about to be printed contradicting the false statements which were afloat as to the intentions of the com mittee, and encouraging the children of all classes to come to the schools. After being again assured that her children would never be turned out, she said she would as soon they were brought up protestants as catholics. (Hear.) It ap peared, however, that in the course of the afternoon the Ro man catholic priests absolutely wentinto schooland threatened the children in various ways, and so frightened them that twenty or thirty never returned. It further appeared that the said priests had taken other liberties, for which, if he had been present, he would have given them in charge of the police. (Hear.) He believed the chairman of the committee would put the council in possession of certain facts which would show that the Roman catholic priests had taken other unwarrantable liberties in the schools at an early hour of the day. (Hear.) Mr. BRIGHT felt surprised at the squeamishness some of the gentlemen present had evinced. They betrayed a fear there was something superior in popery which would endan ger the faith of the Protestant children, if they were allowed to mix together in the same building. As a member of the Church of England, he protested against such a fear. He believed that the Protestant faith was based on sounder principles. He had often heard it argued, both in the coun cil and elsewhere, that the ground on which the Romish religion was maintained was the ignorance in which the priest hood kept the people, and that the former were opposed to all education among the laity ; but, good God ! was it not most extraordinary that the gentlemen on the opposite side should be so much alarmed at any attempt that was made to educate the Catholics. _ The MAYOR said that the speaker seemed to have misun derstood Mr. Harbord altogether. Mr. BRIGHT said he was not alluding to Mr. Harbord in particular; but to others of the gentlemen opposite. It struck him as extraordinary that there should be any fear or alarm evinced that, by the educating of the Catholics, idola try would be disseminated. If there were any error in the Romish church, the best plan that could be adopted, would be to enlighten the minds of the children, in order that they might see what that error was ; but if they kept them in darkness, they would undoubtedly remain ignorant of it for ever. Mr. JORDAN said he had been connected with St. Patrick's School for many years, and that there was no religion what ever taught the children in that instiitution. They had therefore no differences ; they simply told the parents, in the first instance, to take the children to whatever places of worship they frequented themselves. There had never been any differences of religion between the children so as to create discord. A register of crime was kept, and since the formation of the school only six of the pupils had been pub licly punished at the Police-office, although there were be tween 300 and 400 children in the establishment. Mr. HARBORD asked whether the school in question had not become bankrupt? Mr. JORDAN did not reply. Mr. YATES said that a; a most violent and unwarrantable attack had been made upon the catholic clergy, he hoped he should be permitted to make some observations in reply to it. One gentleman said he would commit the catholic cler gymen to the charge of the police ; but in his (Mr. Yates's) opinion, those clergymen, in acting the part they had acted, had done nothing but their duty. He thought they had done well to come forward without a moment's delay, because there had beer, no delay, but on the contrary, a breathless haste, upon the part of the Education Committee, in carry ing into effect the resolutions of the former council. The council had met on Wednesday, and upon the Friday follow ing the committee assembled and passed orders which had led to the ejectment of 900 catholic children. (" No, no," from the conservatives.) On the same day they dismissed two of the masters; and he begged of the council to observe that upon the same day Mr. Hodgson declared he had re spectable testimonials in his possession from Mr. Cloud and Mr. Jones, whom he recommended as the successors to those masters. Was not this breathless haste ? On the next day they met again, and dismissed more of the masters and mis tresses. There was no occasion to have been in so great a hurry to destroy a system which had produced incalculable advantages, and in whieli the spirit of Christ appeared in its loveliest form. He would, if he thought there was any chance, entreat the council to reconsider the opinion given upon the former occasion. Mr. MOLYNEUX said he was very unwilling to rise, either on the present occasion, or on any other ; but it was abso lately necessary that the committee should have met as soon as possible to carry out the determinations of the former council. The schools were to open on Monday, and on the day after the meeting of the council it was necessary that the notices should be issued for the meeting of the committee, because a number of rules had to be printed in the interim, for distribution among the children and their parents. Ac cordingly the committee met on Friday, and proceeded to frame the rules to be given to the parents. After this had been done they called in the two masters, and, so far from dismissing them, he was not aware that they had eve❑ been summoned to attend : they were there, however, and the in structions were given to them. They were told that, from the alterations made in the principle of the management of the schools, it would be necessary for them to alter the sys tem. The master of the North School said he could not carry the intentions of the committee into effect ; therefore he declined doing so : the master of the South School also declined. They both decided that they could not, and would not, read a prayer in the schools. The master of the North School scarcely read a prayer in the school; but he occa sionally got one of the monitors to read the Lord's prayer. That was one grand objection that they made ; and as to the reading of the Bible, they declined it altogether. They each tititc4da4 .thet thtv rtAt eery if: rev-Auden; eft dm pitir ro‘ignstionso at mgt. IC teas requested that tikay would gis the Cnllawing day, and in tha meantime it. given to Mr. to get the rules printed_ might re-consider their resignations, and, if they had chosen, they might have altered their opinions. So far for the " great haste" in dismissing these masters, which was the principal point he had risen to answer. The following day the entire committee assembled to receive these resignations in writing; and as these masters bad resigned, the committee thought it necessary to summon all the other masters and mistresses, to ascertain if they were willing to carry out the views of the council. They were asked the question individually ; they were each asked whether they had read the rules, and whe ther they would carry them out. Those who said they would not, of course resigned, and those who would, were retained. But there had not been, to this day, a single person turned off, neither master nor mistress; nor had a single apprentice been spoken to whether they would stay or not ; _ nor a single child, except by the Roman Catholic priests. Greatly did he regret to have to mention them, for he never interfered with them nor their religion ; but the circumstances he was about to state ought to be mentioned. He had not, however, any formal report of them at present, and had derived his infor mation from hearsay. It had been told to him yesterday, by the mistress of the North School, that the Roman Catholic priest had been there, and attacked the mistress of the infant school very fiercely, and required her to turn out all the Roman Catholic children ; and he (Mr. Molyneux) was much pleased with the very proper manner in which she replied to him. She declined doing so. After that they went into the girls' room, and there the priest became quite excited. He required the mistress to muster immediately the nomad Catholic children, dismiss them, and turn them out of the school at once. This demand she declined. He then ad dressed the children very fiercely, and called out those who were Roman Catholics; and next he demanded from the mistress the names of all the children of Roman Catholic parents, and where they resided. This she refused to give to anybody, as it was not her duty, and he had behaved in a very rude and improper manner. He (Mr. Molyneux) was sorry to mention these circumstances ; hut he was called upon to do so by the remarks which had been made. The education committee had never turned off either master, mis tress, apprentice, or scholar; in fact, they had done every thing they could to keep the children by kind feeling, and by circulating a little address among their parents, that they might know how anxious they were to have their children in the corporation schools. From what he bad heard, there would haVe been a great many Roman Catholics in the schools even now, if it had not been for the decided interfer ence of the Roman Catholic priests, not only from the altar but in the schools. D that the Mr. EARLE moved that the petition be referred to the Education Committee for their consideration and report. Mr. BOLTON eeoonded the proposition. Mr. ISAAC HOLMES said that he had been in the first in stance anxious for the adoption of some measure which would have the effect of keeping the Roman catholics in the schools ; but if any circumstances could have convinced him that he was in error, the memorial which had been presented, coupled with the placard on the walls and the sermon delivered in one of the chapels on Sunday last, were more than sufficient for the purpose. Nothing would satisfy the priests but the teaching of the Roman catholic catechism in the schools. He believed that the resolutions to which the council had come upon the former day in relation to the schools were the best they could have adopted. (Hear, hear.) He moved as an amendment that the memorial do lie on the table. After a few observations from Mr. Priestley and Mr. Par ker, the latter of whom seconded the amendment, The council divided, when there appeared,— For the amendment Against it Majority for the amendment .. —4 The following gentlemen voted in the division : For the Amendment—Messrs. Shaw, Shand, 1. Holmes, R. Houghton, Copeland, Edwards, Blundell, Sands, Aspinall, Toulmin, James Lawrence, Robinson, Cooper, Wood, Bir kett, Gladstone, Kilshaw, Parker, A. Smith, jun., Harbord, Houghton, Griffith, Clinton, Bramley-Moore, Molyneux, and the Mayor. Against it—Messrs. Thornhill, Preston, H. Holmes, Mel lor, J. Holmes, Bolton, Aikin, Bright, Priestley, Yates, H. Lawrence, Procter, Jordan. Platt, Mather, Holt, Bulley, Evans, Barclay, Earle, and Turner. Mr. AIKIN here called upon Mr. Harbord to withdraw certain expressions he was reported to have used upon the last day in reference to Mrs. Rathbone, when speaking of the books in the schools. Mr. H ARBORD made the amende in very handsome terms, and the subject dropped. THE DIVISIONS Mr. BOLTON, in pursuance of notice to that effect, sub mitted the following motion :—" That the election of mayor and members of committees, together with the appointments to offices, and all other matters submitted to the council for consideration, shall be determined and decided upon by a numerical majority of the whole of the members present when such appointment or matter is put to the vote ; and if, on any question, there shall be more than two persons or matters put to the vote, the voting on such question shall not be final until a majority of the whole of the members present shall decide thereon." Mr. HENRY HolmEs seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. PAVING AND SEWERAGE COMMISSIONERS Mr. EARLE, in pursuance of notice, submitted the follow ing motion :—" That it be an instruction to the Finance Committee to obtain the insertion of a clause in the proposed paving and sewerage bill for enabling the majority of the commissioners to transfer the powers of the commissioners to the council, if at any time hereafter it shall be deemed by such majority expedient ; or that it be ascertained by the committee that the law as now existing gives such power to the majority of the commissioners." Mr. F.v.:Ns seconded the motion. Mr. John Holmes, Mr. Aspinall, Mr. Birkett, and Mr. Gladstone opposed it; after which Mr. EARLE briefly replied. The council divided, when there appeared— For the motion l5 Against it The motion was consequently lost. The following gentle men voted in the division : For the motion— Messrs. Thornhill, Preston, Mellor, Aikin, Bright, Priestley, Yates, Jordan, Platt, Mather, Holt, Bulley, Evans, Barclay, and Earle. Against it—Messrs. Shaw, Shand, I. Holmes, Copeland, Edwards, H. Holmes, J. Holmes, Bolton, Aspinall, J. Law rence, Robinson, Cooper, H. Lawrence, Wood, Birkett, Gladstone, Procter, Rigby, Kilshaw, Parker, J. Smith, Harbord, Griffith, Chilton, Bramley-Moore, Molyneux, and the Mayor. This having disposed of all the business on the paper, the council separated. MEETING OF THE DOCK COMMITTEE The Dock Committee held their weekly meeting yesterday. The following members were present,—Messrs. Sands, Holmes, Middleton, Molyneux, Sandbach, Nicol, Aikin, Mellor, Bulley, Evans, Chapman, Ripley, Tobin, Holt, Smith, Shand, Barclay, Chilton, Martin, and Moon. Mr. Sands, the chairman of the committee, presided. SHIPBUILDERS' ACCOMMODATION In reference to Mr. Chapman's motion last week, [That the land at the north-west corner of the South Boundary Dock, adjacent to Messrs. Grantham and Page's tronfoundry, be appropriated for the purpose of, shipbuilding, and that the same be let on the usual terms to the shipwrights who have been obliged to quit their premises in Trentham-street, on account of the land hitherto occupied by them being required for the new dock] which was referred to the sub-committee of works, to report whether any land could be granted for that purpose, on the site therein named, the sub-committee reported that no part of the ground could, at present, be spared without injury to the works of the intended new docks. Mr. ToBIN said that at the last meeting he and Mr. Hors fall particularly asked what was the measurement of the whole ground. He would wish to know whether that in formation bad been furnished. The SECRETARY replied that it was 7500 square yards. Mr. TOBIN inquired by whose measurement? The SECRETARY, in reply, said by the Surveyor's. Mr. MIDDLETON observed that the space wanted for Mr. Clarke's purposes would take up one-fourth of the whole. Mr. TOBIN said that however anxious he might be that Mr. Clarke should be accommodated, there was no doubt. after the report of the sub-committee of works, that he could not have the accommodation he desired. It was, therefore, unnecessary to say more upon it. It would never do to atop the works of the new dock in order to accommodate one master carpenter, however anxious the committee might be to do so, or however hard it might be upon him from not being able to get any other place belonging to the dock estate. Mr. CHAPMAN was anxious to offer a few observations upon this case. It struck him that the sub-committee of works had made this an open question. They had given in as their report what the surveyor had said before, that he required the whole of this land to put his timber and stone upon ; but still in his opinion it was a question, the decision of which lay, more immediately, in the general committee. He had long observed the steady encroachments of the dock yard upon the public property, and he confessed he viewed it with a great deal of jealousy, because, if the committee affirmed that principle to-day, by adopting the report of the sub-committee, it would be tantamount to a declaration, that the public service and the public wants were to be subser vient to the increasing wants of the dock establishment. He would go back to a period of seventeen years ago, when the present surveyor came into office; he then succeeded to a dock-yard establishment on a much smaller scale than the one at present, but it had gone on increasing to a great extent from time to time. It had now been removed for the purpose of convenience with respect to the new works; the committee had given him a much larger one than he had before—one capable of doing all the work of the port ; but if the committee allowed the valuable land, that they had reclaimed as it were, to be lying idle in order to put old timber and stones upon it, at a time when they could spare the dock surveyor quay-room for that purpose, (because the whole of the west side of Brunswick Dock could be spared for six, eight, or ten months, without detriment to the timber trade,) they would be acting very wrong. If they would apply the west side of Brunswick Dock, as they easily might to the surveyor's wants, then they might spare Mr. Clarke the small spot of land that he wanted. He was sure that that might be done, and that there would be no stoppage of the new works in consequence. If the committee went on, and the dockyard establishment and the dock surveyor were allowed to come into collision with the public wants, they might depend upon it that the public would not suffer it—that the town-council would not permit these encroach ments, and they would find that, before the intended new works were finished, a great part of the dockyard would be quashed, and the surveyor ejected. The dockyard at present was an encroachment upon the public service; and he was satisfied that the committee would commit a great error if they did not appropriate this land to the purposes for which his motion had been made. He was of opinion that more might be made of it, and the revenue obtained from it would enable the committee to hire the land elsewhere which the surveyor required. As already observed, he might put all his timber upon the west side of Brunswick Dock. He (Mr. Chapman) was not for stopping the works, but at the same time he did not see why they could not go on as he suggested, for he need not say that the shipwrights were identified with the shipowner, and the shipowner with the merchant, so that the blow which was given to one affected all. He, therefore, hoped that the committee would take these circumstances into consideration, and give way for the public accom modation. The CHAIRMAN asked Mr. Chapman whether he meant that the matter should be referred back to the sub-committee? Mr. CHAPMAN said he did not, but that he was desirous of having it decided at once. Mr. Amt..' inquired, what did Mr. Chapman then move j Mr. CHAPMAN said he would move that Mr. Clarke be granted sixty feet of land, which was all that he required. Mr. ToBIN said, that the last general meeting agreed to refer this question to the Sub-Committee of Works, to re port thereon. They had reported that the land could not be granted, and he did not feel comfortable in opposing what they had proposed. Ile could not think of going against their opinion, and thereby stop the whole works. Mr. ArKIN suggested that a motion and amendment should be proposed, in order that the question might be regularly discussed. Mr. Hour proposed, and Mr. RIPLEY seconded a resolu tion, that the report of the Sub-committee of Works be adopted. Mr. CHAP:AAN moved, as an amendment, that Mr. Clarke's application for 60 feet of land be granted. Mr. SHAND seconded the amendment. Mr. EvANS declared be could not comprehend how any person could imagine the public to be concentrated in Mr. eloke, eul mkt t!Ack.rtint 4116 a ttrivstt pargon motif I lila intereAt lie would mil.: the gOklwittee Whitt ct !Vail it out Om gretktpetina oonatructiog all the' docks ? The fact was, if anything was for the benefit of the public it was the dock-yard, and what was there now sat against it? Au individual person, who wanted to have a yard for his own private purposes ; and this one individual was to be exalted into the public, and actually to displace the real public voice of the town Anything more strange than this he had never heard of. They had been told of collision; that the public would not bear to be opposed ; but it all re solved into one carpenter's yard, into one individual who wanted to get a space of ground over which the committee bad complete control, and for which the surveyor had the most important use. He could not conceive that the com mittee would hesitate to confirm the report of the Sub-com mittee of Works. Mr. HOLMES enquired whether the sub-committee were unanimous in agreeing to the report Mr. EVANS was under,tood to say they were. CH A PMA N, after enquiring who were present at the meeting of the sub-committee at which this report was agreed to, said it appeared to have been agreed to, not by the whole body, but by four members only. Mr. MIDDLETON said the sub-committee were not unani mous. Mr. EVANS said it was not only old timber, but all sorts of materials that would he deposited on this land. There would be stone and many other articles that could not be removed without considerable expense and inconvenience, and a great deal of injury to the streets. He contended that the Dock Committee should not consent to endure all this for the sake of one shipwright's yard. Mr. SMITE! could not see how sixty feet only being appro priated to a ship-yard should prevent the works going on. The CHAIRMAN enquired whether any other place could be found for the materials ? Mr. CHAPMAN said he had suggested the west side of Brunswick Dock. Mr. AIKIN said that a wall was about being constructed to the westward of the new dock, and there might be a place there to put these materials when that was finished, but in the mean time there was none. Any individual looking at the map might see that there was no space upon the side of the river affording the accommodation which was necessary. Twenty yards, or sixty feet, were wanted ; but the question was, could a private individual be benetitted by granting that land without any injury to their public trust? After repeated enquiries, it had been found it would be injurious to the trust, and of no benefit whatever except to the individual. He granted that it was desirable to have ship-yards as near as possible to the docks; but unfortunately the docks were so placed that they were obliged to go up and down the river, and this gentleman would be obliged to do so likewise. The simple question after all was, could the dock trust, with reference to the works going on, let off any of this land ? After repeated enquiries, the Sub-committee of Works found that they could not. Mr. CHAPMAN said that Mr. Evans had asserted that the dock yard represented the public. The Surveyor then re presented the dock-yard, and therefore, according to Mr. Evans' showing this committee was nothing, but everything was to be subservient to the dock-yard and the Surveyor. He repeated that the report of the sub-committee was not agreed to unanimously. Mr. RIPLEY thou j ght the committee were placing too little confidence in the Surveyor. The Surveyor told them he wanted room, and Mr. Middleton had said there was no want of room. He should like to know upon what data Mr. Middleton formed his opinion ? Mr. MIDDLETON said from the large space of ground. Mr. RIPLEY remarked that it must be recollected that the new works were the largest the committee had ever had be fore ; and he did not see that Mr. Clarke had more right to favour than any body else. _ Mr. MIDDLETON'said he did not agree that the land should be let to Mr. Clarke, so much as with the general principle. Mr. RIPLEY had every confidence in the Surveyor; he was the only man capable of judging what would be wanted, and he (Mr. Ripley) should be sorry to give an opinion against his. If Mr. Clarke had this accommodation granted to him, other shipbuilders would make similar claims, and the committee would be bound to give them the same consi deration as they had to Mr. Clarke. Mr. BULLET should have felt glad if there had been room for Mr. Clarke or any one else, but he could not vote to let him have the land against the opinions of a majority of the sub-committee of works and of the Surveyor. Mr. HOLMES said it was his intention to vote for Mr. Clarke's application being granted, and he had come to that intention after seeing the land ' • but after what had been said he was obliged to alter his mind and vote for the confirma tion of the report. Mr. Ch APMAN said Mr. Clarke's case was a peculiar one, inasmuch as he had been dispossessed. Mr. TOBIN thought the committee were bound to confirm the report, but at the same time it should he recollected that Mr. Clarke had been dispossessed. He had been there for 45 years, and had now nowhere to go. Mr. Hour said the dock committee had not dispossessed him : he was not a tenant of the dock committee, but of the corporation. _ _ _ Mr. EVANS said that during the whole of that 45 years, Mr. Clarke had held the land he had, at a very low rate, because he might he put out of it any year. Mr. TOBIN explained that Mr. Clarke had not himself held the I.nd for 45 years; he had had it only for ten years, but he had been brought up upon it. Mr. SHAND said he had seconded Mr. Chapman's amend ment, merely with the view of ascertaining the opinion of the committee. He had now ascertained that opinion, and he should decline seconding the amendment. Mr. CHAPMAN would leave the matter in the hands of the committee. If he stood alone, he desired that it might be so recorded. Mr. CHILTON said be would second the amendment. A division was then taken. The numbers were— For the amendment Against it .. Majority against it The original motion was therefore carried. Messrs. Chap man, Chilton, and Middleton were the only members who voted for the amendment. Mr. SANDBACII observed that the time would come when the ground would not be wanted, and then Mr. Clarke might be accommodated. Several MEMBERS.—Certainly. Mr. SANDBACH was happy to find that such was the general feeling of the committee. Mr. EvANs said the committee did not trldervalue any more than Mr. Chapman did the importance of having car penters' yards near the docks, but they valued the working of the docks immeasurably more than one additional yard in the neighbourhood of the new works. NAME OF THE NEW SOUTH DOCK The Sub• Committee of Works recommended that this dock he called Sefton Dock, but after some debate the christening was postponed till nest Thursday. MIACELLANEOUS. "The CHAIRMAN announced that Mr. Walker and Mr. Cubitt, the engineers, had again come down to Liverpool, and that they would meet the sub-committee of works after the termination of the general business. The tenders of Messrs. Davenport and Grindrod, to erect cranes, &c. on the north quay of the new south dock, were accepted. The salary of Mr. Wm. Jones, assistant to the Marine Surveyor, was raised, on the recommendation of the sub committee of that department, from £l5O to £2OO per annum ; but it is to he understood for the future, that all appli cations for increased salaries are to be made in the first in stance to the general committee. The CHAIRMAN said he had just received a letter from Mr. John North, enclosing a resolution passed at a meeting of several of the deputations lately appointed by the mercan tile associations upon the subject of the respective dock plans. The Chairman then read the resolution, which appeared to have been passed on the 11th instant, at a meeting over which it. G. Henderson Esq. presided. It requested the Dock Committee would inform the Chairman of the Deputations whether upon the recent reference of the several plans now under discussion, to Mr. Walker and Mr. Cubitt for their consideration, the instructions to those gentlemen were limited to the parliamentary site under the late act, and if so, that the Dock Committee would favour the deputations with the definition of such site. Mr. EN-A - Ns believed there had not been any doubt before of the instructions to the engineers; that the dock committee requested their opinion and advice in general. The CHAIRMAN.—And their report has not yet been re ceived. Mr. AIKIN.—And in reply to the second question, Mr. North, being a professional gentleman, must know that the definition of the parliamentary site is in the act of parlia ment. The committee then proceeded to the transaction of some financial business, and shortly afterwards separated. The Scottish Patriot, the Chartist paper in Glasgow, has ceased to 'exist. ON DITS.—" You'll split my sides," as the oak tree said to the flash of lightning.—" I'll stick to you," as the treacle said to the fly.—" I'm dreadfully cut up." as the crimped cod said to the fishmonger.—" Why don't you hit one of your own size," as the tenpenny nail said to the sledge ham mer.—" You're too hard upon me," as the corn said to the tight boot.-•-" Come in, out of the wet," as the shark said when he swallowed the nigger boy. On Monday a portion of the ransom paid by the Chinese for the evacuation of Canton arrived in London, and was transferred to the Royal Mint, in which establishment it was deposited at two o'clock. The procession attracted much notice in the streets through which it passed. The value of the treasure is 550,0001. sterling, and consists of small bars and lumps of sycee silver, the whole of which is to be melted down and refined previous to its being converted into the current coin of the realm. The remaining portion of the ransom paid by the Chinese for the release of Canton will be distributed as prize -money among the brave soldiers, sailors, and marines, engaged in the war. SUDDEN DEATII.—On Tuesday morning week, the Rev. Richard Ratcliffe, 0.5. D., the respected:chaplain of Sir E. J. Smythe, Bart., of Acton Burnell, died awfully sudden. The rev. gentleman left Acton Burnell at aim early hour that morning, for the purpose of administering the sacrament to a sick communicant at Wenlock ; and when passing through the villiage of Harley, he was observed by two cottagers to stagger suddenly, and immediately afterwards fall to the ground. The cottagers hastened to his assistance, and lifted him up ; but he almost instantly expired, having been seized with apoplexy. The body was removed to Acton Burnell the same day. The deceased was in his 70th year, and was the last descendant of the Derwentwater family, which suffered so ranch for espousing the cause of the Stuarts. EUROPEAN CAPTIVE AT BORNEO.—The mention by Cap tain Page that some of the Lascars of the Sultana who had found their way to Maludu (northern extremity of Borneo) had there seen an European female, led to some inquiry on the subject by the local authorities, and the following is a copy of the deposition of one of the Sultana's crew taken here in the course of the investigation :—Hajee Hassan, a Lascar, of the late ship Sultana, states—l was one of the party in the cutter which landed at Maludu, I cannot say how long I remained at that place, but I had been at Bruni ten days when the steamer arrived. When at Malhdu I lived at the house of a Syed, and was treated very well. About three days after leaving Maludu for Bruni we touched at a place called Amboon for water, where there is a good harbour. There were about forty houses on the beach. I had pre viously heard, when on board the boat, from the mew, that there was a European female residing at Amboon. The house was pointed out to me, which induced me to enter ; it was raised on poles about six feet high, and situated in the centre of the village. On entering, I saw seated on the mat a European female ; she was dressed in the Malay costume. There was a Malay woman seated near her, and five or six children playing about the house. I did not see any man in the house. 1 remained about a minute. The European female did not attempt to leave, nor did she say a word. She looked at me for a moment, and then hung down her head. I am most positive she was a European female, and about forty years of age, fair, with blue eyes :twilight hair. We remained at Amboon two days, but I did not see the female, save on the occasion just stated. I heard that about 15 years since the female alluded to had been taken to Amboon, but whether a vessel had been wrecked or captured about that time, 1 did not learn. Tarn Passook is inland of Amboon. This is all the testimony that h a s Been e li c i te d ; b ut there seems no reason to question its truth, for what could have prompted the Lascar to invent any story of the kind ? There is also, to countenance his statement, the fact of missionaries and others who have of late years visited Borneo having often heard mention made of a European female being still in that neighbourhood. When our government adopts means, as it no doubt will, to effect the release of the twelve Lascars of the Sultana, who are still detained at Maludu, some clue map be discovered as to the identity of the female in question, any measures taken to release her. DEATfI OP MASTER HUGH M‘NETLE, It is with feelir s of the deepest regret that we have this day to announce the demise of Master Hugh M'Neile, third son of the esteemed pastor of St. Jude's. In the common parlance of the world, this distressing oc currence is attributable to an accidental circumstance ; but in the mind of those who walk as " seeing Him tha t is invisible," and who believe that even " a sparrow can not fall to the ground" without His permission, there is no event connected either with death or with life that may truly be called a casualty. It is among the duties enjoined upon every member of the Christian family to " weep with them that weep ;" and in the present instance we can safely say, it is a duty discharged by many with the most profound How felicitously has a Christian and unaffected concert: poet expressed for us the sentiment which we would utter on this occasion, in these well known but beautiful lines— " Thou art gone to the grave! but 't were wrong to dep!ore thee, For God was thy ransom, thy guardian and guide. He gave thee, He took thee, and He will restore thee ; And death has no sting, since the Saviour has died." Our sympathy is now with the living, and it is unreservedly offered. 'We shall not say more lest we should seem to in termeddle obstrusively with private sorrow. A branch which looked fair and flourishing has been severed from the vine ; to mortal eye this may seem to be an injury and a loss, or at best perhaps an unnecessary excision ; but Faith traces the hand of a divine operator—the heavenly Vine-dresser—in the process ; and reposes in the assurance that it is done with a judgment that cannot err, for a wise and benevolent pur pose, and that the end will be—yet more fruit. TIIE INQUEST The inquest on the mortal remains of the deceased youth took place yesterday, iu the magistrates' room, in the Ses sions -house, before P. F. Curry, Esq., the borough coroner, and a highly respectable jury of gentlemen. The greatest sympathy with the gifted and highly esteemed father and the amiable mother of the deceased was evinced by numbers of geatlemen of all parties who attended the investigation, or crowded the passage to the court—anxious to obtain the par ticulars of the melancholy event, and the result of the inves tigation. The following is a list of the jury : Adam Hodgson, Esquire (foreman), Charles Groves, Tho mas Booth, Thomas Forsyth, Charles J. Parker, Charles Inman, J. A. Tinne, Bushby, Nathan Cairns, William Jones, R. W. Preston, and John Eden, Esquires. Master John Ashton, a respectable and good-looking youth of about 14 years of age, in whose hand the fatal weapon was at the time of the melancholy occurrence, and who stood in the position of defendant in the case, was deeply affected —even to tears—throughout the whole of the investigation, and gave his evidence in a manner so clear and feeling as, with the corroborating testimony, left no doubt in the minds of those present b u t th a t the infliction of the wound was solely the result of accident, arising from juvenile imprudence in the use of a species of fire-arms dangerous even in the hands of the experienced. The sorrow expressed by him, from the first, for the fatality that resulted, and his anxious desire to obtain the forgiveness of his new associate, form traits in his character second only, in developing a generous and feeling disposition, to the instant—the noble—the mag nanimous award of that earnest request by the bleeding youth, who (from his first impression at the moment) appeared to entertain a presentiment of the rapid close of his mortal career—bright as were, doubtless, his previous hopes, in the flush of health and boyhood. We should pain our readers as well as ourselves by dwelling on a subject sufficiently calcu lated in itself to excite the most poignant commiseration in the bosoms of all who have felt the tender symyathies of pa rents or relatives ; and proceed, therefore, to supply the evidence, which was as follows : Edward Askew Sothern being sworn, said—l am the son of John Sothern, and we live in Toxteth-park. I was ac quainted with the deceased, whose name was Hugh M`Neile. He was near 13 years old. The deceased, in the begining of last week, was on a visit. to Mr. Edwards, who resides at the Park. About ten o'clock on the morning of Thursday last, I called upon thu deceased at Mr. Edwards', for the purpose of going to town together. We started with that intent, and stopped a short time on the road. Another boy, of the name of John Ashton, and who is about 14 years old, went with me to call upon the deceased, and he had a pistol with him— the one now produced to the jury. We all then went to a piece of vacant ground in the Park. Whilst we were passing along the road to the piece of vacant ground, John Ashton fired the pistol at a bird in the hedge on the road side. I cannot tell whether there was a ball in the pistol then or not. I believe the deceased loaded the pistol after that, and I saw him afterwards fire it at a bird, but I cannot tell whether the pistol was loaded with ball or shot. That took place on the Park road. I fired the pistol once in the Park-road, but there was only powder and paper in it. There was no firing after we left the road. I think the pistol was the last time loaded by John Ashton, but I cannot say where he loaded it. Whilst we were on the piece of vacant ground near Mr. Nolan's, I was talking to the deceased, when he said some thing that made John Ashton laugh. At this time John Ashton had the pistol in his right hand pointing downwards, with the thumb of his right hand resting on his pocket. Just at the moment I heard a report, and on looking round I saw the deceased standing with one leg partly raised from the ground, and having his hands to his side. He did not look in pain, but as if he was astonished, and called out " Murder." I asked the deceased if he was hurt, and he called out Murder" again. John Ashton appeared bewildered, and ran off about fifteen yards, and then came back again, and I went to Mr. Nolan's door, and knocked for assistance. Mr. Nolan came out immediately, and caught hold of the deceased in his arms. The deceased was taken first to some surgeon in the neighbourhood, but he not being in, he was removed to a druggist, and then to Mr. Bickersteth, the surgeon, in Rodney-street. John Ashton followed us there. Mr. Bick ersteth was not at home, but his assistant saw the deceased, and Mr. Bickersteth was afterwards brought to him. Soon afterwards the deceased was taken home in Mr. Bickersteth's carriage. I never saw the deceased afterwards. The de ceased never knew John Ashton before that morning. They became acquainted through me. They both appeared to be on a friendly footing that day, and had not any quarrel, nor did any . angry words pass between them. We were all like three friends together. I was aware that John Ashton had the pistol before we called upon the deceased, but he did not tell me what use he was going to make of it. When Mr. Nolan was carrying the deceased to the druggist's shop, John Ashton kept asking him on the way to forgive him, and the deceased said he would forgive him heartily. Rev. Thomas Nolan said, I am incumbent of St. Barnabas' Church, in the Park, and reside in Mill-street. On Thurs day last the daughter of Mr. Edwards, with their governess, called at my house to see Mrs. Nolan, and 1 was informed by the governess that the deceased and two other boys pre ferred remaining out. The moment I heard the deceased was there. I left the room for the purpose of asking him and his comrades into the house, and just at that instant a loud knock came at the door. I opened the door myself, and found a boy there, who, I believe, was the last witness. He evidently was in great alarm, and I think he said that Hugh M'Neile was shot. I looked round and saw the deceased leaning against the rails of a gentleman's house close by. I immediately went to him, without my hat, just as I was, and observed blood streaming down one of his legs into his shoe. Whilst I was in the act of lifting the deceased up, he said that, whilst they were coining along, he had warned or cau tioned Ashton not to be pointing at him, or words to that effect. I took the deceased to Mr. Harbord, the surgeon, who lives opposite, but he was not in. Between the time of my raising the deceased up, and arriving at Mr. Harbord's, John Ashton came up to the deceased and shook bands with him, and asked him frequently, with tears in his eyes, to for give him ; and the deceased more than once replied, and with marked emphasis, " From my heart I forgive you." The deceased was afterwards. conveyed in a coach to Mr. Bicker steth's house, in Rodney-street, where Mr. Bickersteth saw him, and he was then taken home in Mr. Bickersteth's carriage. Mr. Robert Bickersteth, surgeon, sworn.—On Thursday last, between eleven and twelve o'clock, I was sent for home to see the deceased, who had been brought there in a coach. I found him lying on a sofa, and blood flowing from his right side, from a wound about an inch above the right groin. On probing the wound, I found its direction downwards into the thigh. I made efforts to trace its progress, and to extract the ball—having been informed that it was a pistol that caused the injury. I then dressed the wound and conveyed him home. The boys, Ashton and Southern were both pre sent, and expressed the greatest anxiety and regret. The deceased repeatedly expressed his hearty forgiveness to Ash ton who had caused the injury. For two days no alarming symptoms made tbeir appearance. On Sunday he began to have delerium and fever. On Monday morning ervsipilas attacked the left hip. This was relieved by the remedies ap plied. On the same night the fever increased. On Tuesday erysipelas attacked the right hip, with appearances of morti fication in the centre. On Wednesday morning about four o'clock he died. On the same evening I examined the body, and traced the ball from the wound it had originally made to where it was found in the head of the thigh bone. The in juries the deceased had received by the bullet was the cause of death. John MI Donald Ashton being sworn, said,—l am the son of Mrs. Ashton, widow, who resides in Church-street, Egremont. I was not acquainted with the deceased before Thursday last. On Thursday morning last. I said to my brother, while at breakfast, that I thought I would go and see Edward Sothern, who was an old school-fellow of mine. I took with me the pistol now produced to me, and which had been lent to me the evening before by a friend. He gave me the case with the pistol in, and he informed me there were eight bullets in the case. I took the bullets and the flask of powder with me. My object in taking tha pistol with me was, that as Edward Sothern was near the shore, I thought we would amuse ourselves by firing bullets at the water. When I got to Edward Sothern's, he said to me— " You have come on an unfortunate morning, as I am going into town." He told me he had a new companion, and I asked him who it was, and he said it was the Rev. Hugh M'Neile's son. I asked what sort of a boy he was. He said he was a very nice kind of a boy, and if I liked we would call on him. He said he was stopping at Mr. Edwards's. lie went to Mr. Edwards's, and I then saw the deceased for the first time. At first he said he would not go to town, as he had been the day before, but we afterwards persuaded him to do so. We all three set out together. As soon as I was introduced to the deceased I told him I had a pistol, and chewed it to him. On the road into the town, I asked him if he would like to fire it, and he said" Yes, but you fire it first." I fired the pistol at a robin in a tree. The deceased wanted to load the pistol for himself, but I told him he had better let me do it, as he would be putting too much in it. I then put in as much powder as I did for myself, and asked the deceased if he would have shot or a ball. He said lie would have shot. I loaded it accordingly, and he thought I had put too much in, and asked me to fire it off, and he would do so afterwards. I did so, and afterwards loaded it for him. The deceased afterwards loaded the pistol for himself, and fired it two or three times. I had previously given him nearly all the shot I had. After we had fired some time, the governess at Mr. Ed wards's, who, with the Miss Edwardses, had joined us, in the Park-road, said we had better not fire any more now, and asked me if I had better not. I said " Yes," and put the pistol in my pocket. When we got near to the town I put my hand in my pocket for my glove, and could not resist the temptation of looking at the pistol, and I loaded it again with ball only, and did not put the powder in until we arrived at Mr. Nolan's, when the ladies went in. and we all three remained outside. My reason for loading the pistol with hall was, that I intended to fire it on my return home in the packet. Whilst we were waiting on the piece of vacant ground near Mr. Nolan's, I pulled the hammer of the pistol up, for the purpose of putting a cap on the nipple. The cap was too little, and I was going to knock it down, when the deceased said something, and I went close to him to hear what he said. I bad the pistol in my right hand, with my thumb resting on the mouth of it, the hammer of the pistol being still up, when the deceased made me laugh, and I bent down sideways and backwards, and on standing up again the pistol went off. I am quite sure I had not my finger on the trigger, but with the motion of my body the trigger caught hold of my pantaloons, and caused it to go off. The trigger is a spring one, and stands up on cocking the pistol, and has no guard to it. The minute the pistol went off the deceased cried out something. I flung the pistol down and ran away a little, thinking I could see a druggist's shop. I was so be wildered I did not know what to do, and ran back again, and found Mr. Nolan and Edward Sothern lifting the deceased up. I went immediately to the deceased, and said, " I did not intend it, Hugh dear ; forgive me !" I shall be fourteen years old in March next. The evidence being thus concluded, the Coroner briefly and forcibly addressed the jury, explaining this several points of law hearing on the ease. . They had firat to decide as to he cause of the death of the deceased;----of which, he con.( eived, they could entertain no doubt after hearing the evi deuce of Mr. Bickersteth, and the admission of the youth Ashton himself. He explained the four several grades of ) homicide, addressing himself almost exclusively to the two minor designations of the act—chance-medley and misad venture—which alone, he conceived, applied in this case. He read an authenticated case in point, and showed that if gross disregard of human life did not exist when fatality ensued, the finding should not involve "penal result." He was of opinion that a verdict of misadventure alone would meet the merits of this case. He next stated that the jury might pro perly impose a forfeiture of, or a deodand on, the pistol—the instrument moving towards the di.atli of the deceased—and strongly suggested such a presentation, as being circulated far and wide, would tend to preve n t th e use o f tire-arms by the young and inexperienced, by conveying a caution to pa rents and others in regard to those under their charge. On the suggestion of the coroner, all the parties present then retired, with the exception of the jury, —who forth with proceeded to consider their verdict. In about ten minutes the parties who had retired were re-admitted, and the jury returned a verdict to the following effect :—That ' the deceased came to his death by cause of a wound from a loaded pistol, fired by misadventure, by John Ashton ; and that they adjudged that the weapon moving to the death of the deceased, should be forfeited to the crown. The following presentment was also appended to the ver dict :—" The jury cannot separate without expressing their earnest hope, that this melancholy event, will operate as an impressive warning to parents, guardians, and others, against entrusting fire-arms to persons too young to use them with safety, either to themselves or to the public." We learn that on the post mortem examination it was found that the ball had lodged in the upper joint of the right thigh bone, a position from which it could not be extracted without imminent danger to the patient, a wound which is usually fatal. The pistol, we may add, is a pocket or small holster one, with a barrel of about V I inches in length, and the round but, hound or inlaid with silver. The bore would admit a ball of probably a little under half an ounce weight. That so small an instrument should be so destructive in its effect presents a strong proof of the caution with which fire arms ought to used for the purposes of amusement, and of the propriety of the recommendation of the jury. The. Coroner, at the conclusion of the investigation, ad dressed Master Ashton, who appeared to be in great distress of mind—stating, thnt there was no imputation whatever , upon his character ari s i ng out of the investigation,—the gentlemen of the jury, as well as himself, being of opinion that the unfortunate event was entirely accidental. During the sitting of the highly respectable jury on the above case, a report reached them that a child bad died from burning, in Banastre-street, and that the parents were in great distress and destitution. They immediately raised. a subscription in behalf of the poor family. THE LIVERPOOL ANTI-MONOPOLISTS A conviction of the entire harmlP.ssness which now happily attends every tortuous wriggle of the slimy and contemptible thing whiggery, has prevented us from sooner noticing the recent fantastic movements of a knot of wiseacres, who con stitute the local vertebra;—the pitiful Liverpool tail—of its wellnigh defunct corpus. We must be thankful, however, for mercies, however small; and as we have no " great de monstrations " stirring, we must content ourselves with more humble sights. As we have no " ocean in a rage " to feast our eyes upon, we must be satisfied with watching " a puddle in a storm"; and, being deprived for a time of the entertainment afforded by the Cobdens and Russells of the House of Commons, we must put up with the puny efforts of the Thornelys, Heyworths, Hollands, and Joneses of the " Liverpool Anti-Monopoly Association." We have waded through a report of the doings and sayings of these " small deer," at their " first public meeting" (which we durst almost prophecy will be their last); and we are only happy that we were not condemned to be present at the exhibition itself. It is painful enough to have to read the wretched imbecilities which faction and frenzied disap pointment occasionally impel men, in their station respecta ble, to utter; but to have been compelled to watch the mouthings and the swingings of the arms, and to listen to the stolid stutterings of these propounders of absurdity and would-be hatchers of mischief, would have very far exceeded our powers of endurance. Well indeed can we believe that the better portion of the whig party have signified their dis inclination to be dragged into a participation with this new " anti-monopoly" movement! The aristocracy of whiggery —men who are not bent upon a total submersion in the mire of faction—may very reasonably have refused to " march throulili Coventry " with so ludicrous an assortment of noo dles and nobodies, philosophers-run-mad, and tatterdemal lions. The truly modest views of these gentlemen may be de scribed briefly as comprehending the following objects--viz.: Ist, the ruin of the agricultural interest ; 2ndly, the with drawal of all restrictions, in the shape of import duties, upon commerce and a transfer of the taxation, thus taken away from the commercial body, to the backs of the prostrated agricultural body ; 3rdly, the sacrifice of the whole of our colonial possessions ; and -Wily—bear this in mind, ye work ing men of Liverpool! —THE: WITHDRAWAL OF ALL PRO TECTION FROM NATIVE INDUSTRY!! "We must be per mitted to buy everything where we can buv them cheapest," exclaim the philosophers, one and all. " I can import salt beef for the working man at 2d. a 1b., " exclaims Mr. Chas. Holland. " I can supply the m w ith coffee at 7(1. a 1b.," cries Mr. Richard Shell. " But we will not buy from these junk-fed working men our boots, our hats, our stockings, our tables, or any other production of their industry," ex claim the philosophers in a breath, " if we can buy them cheaper from the foreign artizan ; and if the revenue should suffer from our scheme—if the national creditor, the army, or the navy, be left unprovided for—let a whig chancellor of the exchequer put his hand into the pockets of the land owner, and extract thence, if he can find them, the necessary funds !" Such is, in real substance, the proposition of the " Liver pool Anti-Monopoly Association " ; and it is really hard to determine whether a number of educated men, calling them selves merchants and gentlemen, who can deliberately set about the agitation of a scheme so fraudulent, so unprinci pled, and so absurd, are more worthy of our ridicule or our detestation. Our own opinion inclines to the former mode of treatment, or to an apartment in Bedlam ; for, although well enough disposed to become political firebrands, we firmly believe that the intellectual seals of the whole bunch of them, rubbed together, would not produce as much scin tillation as would light a working man's pipe. Poor, mise rable radicals ! we pity you heartily ; but do not fear that you will be able to create any explosion, greater than an explosion of laughter at your stilted, puff .rd-up, abortive silliness. THE LIVERPOOL JOURNAL ON AFRICAN IM- MIGRATION TO THE WEST INDIES. The Liverpool Journal of Saturday last contains an article, upon the subject of African Immigration to our West Indian Colonies, which is certainly the most singular production which has lately come under our observation. Nearly three fourths of the article in question are devoted to a notice of, and extracts from, a pamphlet, recently published by a fel low-townsman, (entitled " A Letter to the Right Hon. Lord Stanley," &c.,) in which the importance, and indeed neces sity, of a large measure of immigration to these islands, is ably and forcibly advocated ; and, so far as the reviewing portion is concerned, we must confess that our contemporary does full justice to the writer, and scarcely questions at all the soundness of his views, much less ventures to impugn one of his statements. Having performed this part of his task, however, the candid reviewer lays aside his pen, and the free-trade journalist mounts his stool,—not, however, to contravene anything which the writer so lately under his notice has said, but to " add a word or two by way of com ment." We should really have no objection to our contemporary's playing two parts in the same piece, or blowing hot and cold upon any give❑ subject in the same article, provided he gives both performances with the same fairness which he has done on the present occasion ; for it is gratifying to us, who coin cide in a great measure in the opinions under critical judg ment, to observe that the reviewer has the better of the edi tor. We presume that the twain are one individual; and indeed we rather suspect that the cruel constraint of party politics alone impelled him of the editorial stool to differ from his critical double. " Thus far"—we can imagine him ejaculating—" we have coincided in the views which we have perused and quoted ; but we must now give ourselves a gen tle backhanded blow, and have a flourish for the glorious principles of free trade, and the superior cheapness of slave made sugar !" - „ - - " The practical application of the principle of immigra tion and free labour in the island of Puerto Rico has been proved by the pamphleteer before us," it is true. The same pamphleteer " stews very lucidly the advan tages to he derived by directing a stream of African immigration to Jamaica, British Guiana, and Trinidad:" —remarks the reviewer still. But we cannot admit any thing of this, retorts the reviewer's double. We cannot get equality of the sexes in our importations from Africa ; and, if we could, " all experience stews that it is next to impossible to induce the savage, of any race, to work without coercion." In short, as free-traders, and therefore bitter enemies of our West Indian and all other colonies, which we term " monopolies," we do not think it worth while trying the experiment whether these colonies can or cannot, by a supply of free labour, be enabled to compete with Cuba, the Brazils, and other slave-holding and slave-trading countries; for that experiment will cost us some fraction of a farthing per pound more for our sugar—a circumstance which, to sweet-toothed liberalism, is one of primary consideration. We care nothing about " free-labour sugar " now, although some few years ago we used to ticket that delectable material in our shop-windows, and the bait was rayther a profitable one. But now " our business is to buy in the market of the world ; " we want only free-trade sugar; and we can just take our gruel as well with the treacle, for the production of which an African village has been depopulated, and the hor rors of the middle passage, the brand and the lash, have been endured, as if it was distilled from the lips of angels or dropt from heaven—provided it is the fractional part of a farthing cheaper ! Amiable, philanthropic, disinterested free-trade quacks We do not, by the bye, impute these sentiments to the editor of the Journal, for we can sec that the advocacy of the policy to which they lead sits ill upon him. But can it be, are ask, that our contemporary, believing, as he asserts and we believe, that " the slave trade will only be abolished with the abolition of slavery," and that such a consumma tion will not be accomplished until a " civil war" has spread itself over the slave states of the world—in short, until the white race in Cuba, the Brazils, the United States, N.c. shall have been immolated by an outburst of the hoarded ven geance of their enslaved labourers? Is it, as the Journal intimates, that to the example of Haiti the African must look for freedom ; and, for that, not until " two or three centuries hence, and after many severe struggles"—many bloody massacres—from which they may emerge from sla very to freedom full as easily and rapidly as did the ances tors of many of the proudest nations of Europe?" Is it to such a consummation that " liberalism" now looks for that freedom for the enslaved African which has formed the sub ' ject of so many empassioned appeals to the humanity of a British public ? Oh ! shame ! shame ! Oh,—if it be so, — withdraw every British cruizer from the shores of Africa. Let the "meteor flag" of England no longer be desecrated by the pursuit of an admitted mockery ! In mercy to the deported African himself, release him from the horrors of the middle passage—from the pestiferous hold of the Spanish or American slaver! Let the slave-trade go on unchecked and thus mitigated by half its horrors ! Fill Cuba and Bra zil with the African blood and sinews from which they ex tract their produce ; and let "liberalism"—humane, en lightened, philosophic liberalism—smear its visage plentifully with the sweets wrung from slavery, until the coming of that day ashen the infamy will be wiped out by the horrors, and slaughter, and " civil war"—save the mark I—which it so placidly contemplates ! Thank Heaven, we say, that a party which can deliberately propagate such views—can tolerate so composedly the con tinuance of the slave trade and slavery for " two or three centuries," and which then only contemplates its termina tion by wide-spread bloodshed and massacre—is removed, we trust for ever, from the councils of Great Britain! DEANERY OF ST. PATRICK'S. — We are glad to have it . in our power to state, on the best authority possible, that toe Rev. R. Daly has not the most remot e idea of abandoning his suit. The decision lately pronoun ced does not affect the real and final question at all ; extending only so far as to re quire that the compromisers or tellers who acted at the election, should answer questions. The next decision of court may (as we have every reason to think will) declare tlif! act of the compromisers good. and the election valid in which case Mr. Daly will at once e nter into poseessiot ; .— TMblin Slatestna#4. CORRESPONDENCE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD. Mr. _EDITOR,—I have a large family, and often give away children's old clothes to casual beggars at the door, and who are too often impostors, as I have had occasion to prove. As there is much distress prevailing among the poorer classes, it seems to me that the following would be a good means to ob tain donations of old clothes, cast-off shoes, old flannels, old carpets, hats, handkerchiefs, stockings. socks, tkc., &c., and if each mist r e ss o f a h ouse were to send only one single article, conceive what an abundance of clothes would be provided in this large town. There would be no necessity in any case—unless they wished it—that the donors should be known. PLAN.—To have a depot in each ward for the reception of the above clothes, &c.—the school- room t o w it— or any ot h er suitable room — where benevolent ladies, who visit districts, might take it in turns to receive the donations, selecting and distributing the same to the best advantage, and giving a re ceipt to prevent frauds by the messengers. How much better would be such a disposal of cast-off things than the disposal of them to pampered nurses, which is too much a general practice here. Your insertion of this may perhaps aid your charitable views at this severe season, and will much oblige, yours, respectfully, A CONSTANT READER. Liverpool, January, 12, 18-42, THE CORPORATION SCHOOLS TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD SIR,—I have read, with much attention, the copious, and, I doubt not, correct report, which annears in your paper of to day, of the proceedings in council, upon the important question of the future management of the Corporation Schools; and I must confess, that, much as I rejoice at the decision which has been come to, as tending to secure for the children of the poor a religious education, without which all other is worth less, I have risen from the perusal with feelings of the most painful nature. That men, avowed infidels, or scoffers at religion in any shape, as the mere mask of priestcraft, should be indifferent as to whether the rising generation should be taught their duty to their creator as well as their fellow worms, is not surprising : but, that professing Protestant Christians, men of education, who would feel themselves in sulted if any one were to doubt their regard for religion, or their deep reverence for the revealed Word of God, should openly maintain that they deem it of no consequence whether the children of the poor are instructed in the knowledge and fear of God, not merely as that which is the most momentous consideration for all both for time and eternity, but as the bond which of all others is the strongest that holds society together, is to me most wonderful. Education, without re ligion, has been held, by the wise and godd of all times and nations, as more hurtfultharf beneficial to society, and pity it is to see modern liberality uphold the converse of the pro position. Leaving those, however, who come under this category to their own reflections, let us review the remarks of some of those who admit the necessity of a religious educa tion, but cannot agree as to the nature of that which should be taught. The report of the Education Committee recom mends a course of proceeding which one would have thought could not, in a Protestant country, have been objected to. Prayer and praise at the opening and closing of the school would seem to be particularly calculated to teach the little ones to " remember their Creator in the days of their youth," and the daily reading of the Word of God seems only to be obeying the injunction of our Saviour—" Search the Scrip tures." But here begins the controversy. Roman Catho lics are not allowed by their priesthood to search the Scrip tures. They declare that which our blessed Redeemer has commanded, to be dangerous : the priests alone may search, and the people must see with their eyes and hear with their ears. And, in order to spare the feelings of the people hold ing doctrines which all Protestants believe to be dangerous errors, at variance with the truths of revelation, and particu larly inconsistent with civil liberty, the children of Protestant parents are to be deprived of religious instruction, in schools reared and maintained by the funds contributed almost ex clusively by Protestants. Where was the feeling for Pro testants when the Irish Extracts were forced upon the schools, to the exclusion of the Protestant Bible? Did any liberal alderman or councillor protest against the measure as calcu lated to drive the children of poor Protestants from the schools? No, not one. Even the humble proposal of Mr. John Cropper, that a trial should be made of the authorisied version of the Bible, for a few months, was scouted, because the Irish priests would not allow Catholic children to attend schools where that was read. And I blush to record it, the Common Council of Liverpool—Protestant Liverpool— truckled to the dictation of the Irish priests, and the children of the Protestant poor would have been left to perish in de plorable ignorance, had not the good feeling of the community been roused by the glaring injustice, and, with a prom titude and spirit beyond all praise, raised in an incredibly short space of time a sum amply sufficient to build and endow schools, where they might receive that instruction of which they had been so unjustly deprived by a council of liberals ! I am curious to know what precise meaning Mr. Alderman Tur ner attaches to the scriptural maxim, ' Train up a child in the way he should go." Is it by secular education without religious instruction? If not, how can he by any half mea sures get out of the dilemma—how amalgamate oil and vinegar, tire and water? If the Bible, without note or com ment, is to be admitted into the schools, he knows that the Romish priests wilt not allow the children of their commu nion to attend—and would he debar children of Protestant parents from acquiring in their youth a knowledge of the way of salvation—of the truth as it is in Jesus, by withholding the revealed word of God, out of deference forsooth, to the tender consciences of those who, if they had the power, would now, as they have h ere t o f ore done, compel acquiescence in their dogmas by the sword and by the firebrand ? Away with such trimming and time serving. This coun try, God be praised, is Protestant—the crown, the con stitution, the church, arc by law established, are all Protestant, and • Protestant laws and principles must and will he upheld. Dissenters from that church have that which is granted in no other country possessing the blessing of a national church—perfect liberty of con science to worship their Maker, and to educate their children as may seem to them best—but to call upon a Protestant community to expend their funds in fostering and inculca ting those doctrines and principles which our ancestors fought and bled, and many laid down their lives, to suppress, is really " too bad." The exhibition—arguments would be a misnomer—made by Mr. Alderman Earle, in seconding Mr. Turner's amendment, if correctly reported, is most pi tiable—for him to talk of " proceedings which outrage de cency" is good—rich—decency ! indeed—to insult those whom, in spite of his levelling declarations, he evidently considers his inferiors in every respect—to traduce the ab sent—and to have the manliness to call a clergyman a coward —are, no doubt, proofs of decency, according to liberal no menclature. How he must have felt the cool, quiet remark of Mr. Moore, about the difference between a blue coat and a black !—it must have incarnadined his cheek, " albeit unused to the blushing mood." Mr. Bushell's observations, it may be hoped, have put a wet blanket, if not an extin guisher, upon him ; and, if in future he should play the wasp, the sting will be innocuous. Mr. Bushell's. whole speech is full of sound reasoning and good sense, and, what can be affirmed of few on the occasion, was to the purpose ; he stripped the question of its sophistry, and manfully met it as it should be met. Mr. Alderman Moore also gave an earnest of what may be expected from him—the warm and judicious supporter of our glorious constitution in church and state. Happily he can bring in aid of arguments his own experience, which is confirmatory of all history, that wherever Romish supremacy exists there prevails a greater degree of ignorance, immorality, and crime, that in those countries where Protestant principles have the ascendancy. The speeches of Mr. Aikin and Mr. Evans were, as usual, full of common-place declamation, wide of the mark, a n d in tended merely to mislead from th e real merits of the ques tion. By the by, I should like to know in what part of Scot land the former gentleman was educated ; he is reported to have stated, that he never saw the Bible introduced ! I much question if there be another Scotchman in Liverpool who could safely affirm the same : at all events Mr. Moore's sar casm will probably make him (Mr. A.) a little more guarded in future. Those who are not instructed in the Bible when children, very rarely acquire much acquaintance with, or reverence for, it afterwards. The question being now decided, and the course of pro ceeding determined upon, I trust it will be carried into effect with zeal and discretion. The clergy will be able to resume those labours of love towards the offspring of their indigent brethren which they have been shut out from for the last six years ; and I trust and believe, with Mr. Sands, that many of the Boman Catholics are not so bigoted as persons are dis posed to represent them ; and that very many of their children will he permitted to avail themselves of that measure of educa tion which the schools will afford—reading the Bible without being compelled to acquire any peculiar doctrines—and re ceiving at home or from their own clergy such religions in struction as their parents deem proper and necessary. I fear I have already trespassed too much' ipon your space,. 1 will, therefore, only add my hearty congratulation on the success of that cause which you have so long, so consistently, and so ably advocated, along with that unflinching and uncompro tnising champion, " The Lion of St. Jude's.'—Yours, faithfully, PRESBYTER. January Bth, 1841. PAPISTS ARE NOT CATHOLICS To Mcsars. I3IRKETT and SHAND, Town Councillors. GENTLEMEN,—As a member of the Established Church, permit me to thank you publicly, through the press, for the distinguished stand you made in council on the sth instant, against the arrogant assumption of the Romanists, who con tinue to persist in styling themselves Catholics, though nei-, ther history nor revelation affords them any claim to be so designated. 'Were it merely a matter of courtesy, that could be conceded without injury to the Christian church and the eternal interests of the poor deluded adherents of the Papacy, I for one would feel pleasure in doing so, as no Christian would willingly wound the feelings of any one ; but, alas ! gentlemen, this cannot be done, for many reasons, one o f which, from your elevated position in society, you may not be aware of; permit me, therefore, to bring it under your notice. It is this—the use made by the priests, on the minds of their ignorant followers, of the words " Holy Catholic Church "in the Apostles' Creed. Examine any of the lowelr orders, however ignorant, and you will soon find wl“'t ti :', n l impregnable barrier it presents to the reception of truth. •." Sure yer honor believes in the ' Holy eof Church,' and are not we that same ? " is the substanc . h to consi der reasoning ; and, brought up from their youth to i _ riion der the argument unanswerable, they only look wtn" of the on those who would attempt to convince theo this, may be con trary. And how well aware the priests me of , 0, the Ho , presumed from the perusal of one of the work triumphant CChargolic manist Bishop Milner, wherein he a dduces ehurch, that if a End of argument of the universality l i i t e i t w h o e u k ld in bge stranger came into London, o o f r t a l ;Y - o - i dom, and asked for a Catholic place instantly directed to a mass-house. te . then, adhere strictly to Controversy.") Let Protestants , This only can overcome the truth, and call Popery PoPer o Y u ' s assumption of Popish the pertinacious and miscbiev ofr,t7ireiosri‘rsitheiliwipine,r,s ~ priests. Trusting to my motive for pardon for the liber taken in addressing g y e e n nh ewen , your obedient servant I remain, PIIILO-JUSTI'IIA i c r,.—On Sunday last, as a number °":ssrelmbled on the 'Mill Pool, Birmingham, of} . )e c r c s i o n nr w T 'e s r e of ,kaiting, the ice suddenly broke, and five for the purpos t e un r ately were precipitated into the water, when un „ tb s - got out alive. The other four never again onlyrm of theomne pea rrd. On t he same afternoon, anot h er young man w;is on an adjoining pool; and on the f o ll ow i ng d ay a youth, c dust had completed hi s apprent i ceship, was drowned, % lo h s o t skaiting_o A on the reservoir in th e same ne i g hb our h oo d . 1-1 I N FAMOUS Ax.-- letter appeared in the Morning Post of Monday, announcing a dreadful accident at Combe Down, near Bath. It was stated that a whole village, with its beautiful new church, school-honse, &c., were buried in the earth, owing to the workmen, in a quarry beneath, not having undermined with sufficient care. The village was visited by nu merous spectators ; but the miscreant who for warded the letter has not been discovered. A name was at tached to it, which turns out to be a forgery. Tits Ists•—At Cobberley, near Cheltenham, is a atroam called the Seven Springs, said to be the highest source of the river Thames ; near this spot is generally to be met an old woman ready to point out to the curious the supposed source. Whilst the old lady was attending a party she was asked if it were clear that the stream had any connexion with the Isis? " Ices !" exclaimed the dame, " nothing to do with that ; the water never freezes, and I will tell you for why—you may put a snowball or a piece of ice in the water, aid it always melts directly 4"