The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-13 00:00:00

• C ONTINUATION OF REV. MR M`GHEE'S SPEECH FROM FRIDAY'S " STANDARD." _'.Before I enter upon this subject, I think it will be ad mitted that I have proved the first part of the resolution. (Year, hear.) I think every one must admit that I have de mOnstrated, as far as documentary evidence, and inability on the part of the speaker can go, that the popish bishops, in direct violation of their oaths, have set up these laws in Ire land. I think that must be admitted. (Hear, hear.) The second part of the resolution is this— ," That it th ere f ore appears to t hi s mee ti ng , th a t it i s tne bounden duty bf the Protestants of this empire to unite together firmly, to deliver themselves and their Roman Ca tholic fellow-subjects, from this anti-christian yoke, to Petition the parliament." A PLEDGE FOR CIVLL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY FOR ALL ROMAN CATHOLIC 'ELECTORS, AND'ALL PERSONS OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION 'ELECTED Olt APPOINTED TO (NT OFFICE IN THE BRITISH EM .PIEE. Whereas by a c er t a i n d ocumen t of the Chur c h of R ome , p ro f ess ing t o be „ and commonly received and known as the third canon of a certain eien eral Council, held in the year of our Lord /215, called the Fourth L a.!!!ti Council, it is among other things enacted as follows :-- , - wC excommunicate and anathematize every. heresy which ex i7fil itself against this holy, orthodox, and Catholic faith, which we have set forth above ; condemning all heretics, by whatsoever names they nay be reckoned : who have indeed divers faces, but their tails are hound together, for they make agreement in the same folly. Let such persons. when condemned, be left to the secular powers who flay be present, or to their officers, to be punished in a fitting dsinner, those who are of the clergy being first degraded from their or allso.7 that the goods of such condemned p erso n s , being laymen, be confiscated; but iu the case of clerks, be applied to the churches "-' 4l which they received their stipends. • , 7 " But let those who are only marked with suspicion, be smitten with ! word of auathema, and shunned by all men until they make pro 1' _ s atisfaction, unless, according to the grounds of suspicion and the Quality of the person, they shall have demonstrated their innocence by Ina Proportionate purgation. So that if any shall persevere in excom he7e,_Fation for a twelvemonth, thenceforth they shall be condemned as be 'tea- And let the secular powers, what eve r offices they may hold, 'Winced and admonished, and, if need be, compelled by ecclesiastical thP ls tire, that as they desire to be accounted faithful, they should, for e defence of the faith, publicly set forth au oath, that to the utmost tb e i • thefr , Power they will strive to exterminate from the lands under so Jurisdiction all heretics who shall be denounced by the Church ; .n.at when soever any person i s a d vance d , e i t h er to sp i r it u al or tem. pu ra l Power he be bound to confirm this decree with an oath. Ch But if any temporal lord, being required and admonished . by the hi n 7en, shall neglect to cleanse his country of this heretical filth, let titan be bound with the chain of excommunication, by the metropo. m ak : and the other co-provincial bishops. And if he shall scorn to v et Lsatisfaction within a year, let this be signified to the supreme fr o m that, thenceforth, he may declare his vassals to be absolved ire e n `ualr fidelity to him, and may expose his land to at occupied by treditolies, who, having exterminated the heretics, y, without ?m -ot' t h e e ? . ? 1 , possess it, and preserve it in purity of faith : saving the right tie hi n u,,l_cf lord, so long as he himself presents no difficulty and offers seed „,.."tance in this matter : the same law, nevertheles, being ob. B u is'ncerning those who have not lords in chief. the reee . w e decree also, to subject to excommunication, the believers, Ivers, the defenders, the abettors of the heretics; firmly deter tbs.'wg that if any one, after he has been marked with excommunica th„cte Shall refuse to make satisfaction within a twelvemonth, he be enceforth of right in very deed infamous, and be not admitted to pub .' offices or councils, nor to elect for any thing of the sort, nor to give ,eviden ce . Let him also be intestable, so as neither to have power to "'Meath, nor to succeed to any inheritance. let " Moreover, let no man be obliged to answer him in any matter, but him be compelled to answer others. If, haply, he be a judge, let his "`ntence have no force, nor let any causes be brought to his hearing. If he be an advocate, let not his pleading be admitted. If a notary, let t he instruments drawn up by him be invalid, and be condemned with their damned author. And we charge that the same be observed in 'indlar cases. But if he be a clerk, let him be deposed from every t '„ i lice and benefice , that where there is the greatest fault, the greatest ven geance may be exercised. We add, moreover, that every archbishop or bishop shall either by " L 'uself or his archdeacon, or other honest and suitable persons, twice, s e!' at lt once every year, go round his own diocese, in which there m ore e t a report that heretics inhabit—and there shall compel three or re men of credible testimony, or if it shall seem expedient, the whole 4.!ighbourhood to swear, that if they shall know any heretics there, or • holding secret conventicles, or differing from the ordinary convex.• °' life, and morals of the faithful, they shall endeavour to give in . ',nation of it to the bishop ; but the bishop himself shall cite the per t?al'el' accused into his presence, who, unless they shall have cleared eives from the crime alleged against them, or if, after having b e sred themselves they shall relapse into their former perfidy, let them ebrinished according to the canons. But if any of them, with damn ,wjelistieuecy, rejecting the religion of an oath, shall, perhaps,- be un nig to swear, let them on that very ground be considered as heretics. We will, therefore, and command, anti in virtue of obedience blrly enjoin, that for the diligent performance of these things, the „!rPs shall diligently unite throughout their dioceses, if they wish to canonical vengeance for, if any bishop shall have been negli p• t, or remiss in purifying his diocese from the leaven of heretical b e VtY. when this shall be made to appear, by certain proofs, he shall tut...be deposed from his Episcopal office, and another shall be substi. e , in his place who shall be both willing aud able to confound Areemi pravity.'. lo rw t d Whereas i the seventh session of the Council of Trent, the fol -“g canon wa n s enacted " If : " FOURTEENTH CANON OF BAPTISM. an are lobe y Man shall say that baptized ch ldreu, when they grow up, Pro mt ; d osked whether they are willing to ratify what their sponsors we e in their name when . they were baptized, and when they sh 11 r that they are not willing, that they are to be left to their oovalsmeb, and not to be compelled to a Christian life by any other punish- Unless that they may be debarred from the reception of the 41.. , Fist and other sacrameuts, till they repeut, let bine be anathem!a. p ri , l ll, whereas in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, the following whocalPie is laid down on the 9th article of the Creed, speaking of those ...re excluded from the Church: — see• reties and schismatics (are excluded), because they have re 4froln the Church, nor do they more belong to the Church than de belong to the army from which they have run away. Never s, it is not to be denied that they are in the power of the Church, as d e .-"ns who can be called into judgment by her, punished, and con wined by anathema:. • ehrend, whereas in the aforesaid canons an authority is claimed by . the tioe n of Rome over all baptized persons to submit to her domma refe' a nd to inflict on them pains, penalties, and persecutions if they the refu se to do so. Now o n ly. do solemnly, in the presence of God, renounce and abjure th e _as qforesaid so far as they have now been recited. I believe G : t a_te to be immoral, antisocial, oftintoleran, repugnant to the taus of ei t ,._ L t. the statutes and constitution this realm, and fatal a n to . Gi e „f . religious liberty. I declare that I believe the Popes . and " 4 Councils who enacted these canons aforesaid were, in _ • not only fallible but totally in error, and that they have not d ee , ence n ot to have any power, weight, or authority over my con dulec, w- hose names are hereunto subscribed, electors of any man for ourselve s cor di a lly adopt this pledge. We consider that .a_ or 1 0 7 an who refuses to do so is not fit to hold any office of civil powe r, pi z e t u e fo r any man to fill any office in the state ; and we do hereby he 74. p I VeS. tO call on auy man who solicits our votes as alU xer : tie r . e _ !,',rnanient to subscribe it himself, and to use his utmost admitted to szrarliament that it shall be made a test for every man k e a niber rlt British Legislature, or to vote at any electiou eitherfor P arliament or for any Aber office in the British empire. you• - mark. Insist up on y o ur representatives suppor tin g r petitions, nearly useless. for without that the petitions of many are " That no man h vote for a member sofall be admitted into Parli ament, or to tress trust or t . Parliament , nor into any office of poli the sed' !until he shall have explicitly reno unced pa,, a I ° ll s p ower, intolerant, and persecuting canons of th e CY, and all pretended powers in the church of Rome to give them any infallible authority or obligation over the con /ence of man, according to the test following." 4 ,NOW the question of the repeal of the emancipation bill prac 'ically considered brings us to this. It is this. Let parlia ment restore the test by which Roman atholics were excluded from parliament before the year 1829. That is a te Peal of the emancipation bill ; that is a direct repeal of the t7 s ueition bill. (Hear hear.) Now I )certainlycal attention t " the onsideration of this. That test was effec tual in this way—that it effectually excluded Roman Catho ,,es from parliament ? not as Mr. O'Connell and others i'ltend, because they had a conscientious regard for an oath. a q ' e ar, hear.) We have seen what scrupulous conscientious hess they have had, since the bill of 1829. No ; it was e ca use they could not have taken that test, and entered into parliamentr;: without a complete denunciation of the papal ta;:a l , °ll . (Cheers.) They must have stood, upon their ad de-slun to parliament, as having renounced the fundamental p o iet,slines of their church. (Hear, hear.) That was the p". Now the test was effectual upon that ground, but I %ill v enture to express my humble opinion upon it, and say tit n otwithstanding that it was an unwise test, an inefficient e and an injurious test. to the cause of the poor Roman yallhtholics, and to their salvation. (Hear, hear.) I will give 5 0 ,." 1 3' reasons. It was unwise because it left the whole id c Ti,siuns of the papal apostacy totally untouched, except sed ; a „"lr. Her perjury, her persecutions, her treachery, her er e all her base subjugation to an anti-christian tyrant, k iiv e all completely severed from this test. It was really the p ? „ 1-social, the . immoral, the persecuting principles of the p e ll fY that rendered them totally unfit to be trusted with butdeal Power , and this test was adopted as an effectual test, it p e excl p uded Roman Catholics for no other reasons than bare rinciple of idolatry itself. The principles of the ti n Ds e9 were indeed subject to incidental discussion and con thetled discussion in the House disc Lords and Commons, but p4 e st was not a subject of ussion in either house of s ah l a, 'tent The test by which they were excluded was not t hat test., of discussion, but principles totally irrelevant to th a " t est. , Now I say that the test by which these men ex e l l ,! . ,d be excluded from political power, if they are to be th e u ued, should be a test specifying the crimes through which a° are unfit to be entrusted with it, and obliging them to re ea,tinee those crimes. that if those crimes are proved to be aa -u „ e eted with the dogmas of their faith, then they must re be'llee the crime and faith together, or they are not to admitted to legislate for this country. Hear, hear.) Rom an test was unwise for another reason—it united the 41 a n Catholic hierarchy and laity in one indissoluble bond. of stead of appealing, as we ought to do, to the laity ; instead ee,, ll PPealing, as we ought to do, to tbe understandings and I e e ' s eiences of men ; instead of opening to them the base of slavery and subjection, spiritual and temporal, n,. wi nch they are kept by their priesthood ; that test per -Itted e x ,, the priests to tell the people—" Oh, we are altogether ~,,',oded, in one common bond of persecution, because we esZere to the faith of our church—because we adore the sa• 1 mi ll:le nts, and bedause we worship the Virgin Mary." Now hi,7•Y a test to exclude Roman Catholics ought to sever the h:arehy from the laity, it ought to shew the laity that it is use they ;choose to submit themselves to the base de ,"lal? slavery of the papacy, that, therefore, they are not stand and legislate with freemen. (Loud cheers.) And ti er shall any good be done for England, for this empire, p a ' whatever means you take to deliver yourselves from the e,Pal tyranny, you embody with those means faithful honest u, a tistian efforts to deliver the Rowan Catholic laity from 1 „"e s abominable bondage of the papacy. (Continued cheer jr.) Just consider. You were accustomed to consider po pery in a very false point of view. Popery, as popery, means the united priests and people. Now there is a great :ad essential difference between the Roman Catholic hierarchy d laity. (Hear, hear.) What is popery ? Popery is all ... sli '"elesiastical system—a system of ecclesiastical tyranny, in "eated by Satan, by which men united together , in ecclesias 4eal bonds are to enslave, to subsidize, and destroy the whole 1,- ttil lati race, The hierarchy, from the Pope to the curate, the members constituting this tyranny, the - Roman Ca irhe laity are its victims and its slaves. (Hear.) True 4 aY are corrupted by it, true they are united to it, true they ire madetools for carrying that wickedness into effect ; but V. they are the victims, and not the authors of the crime. bat the poor Roman Catholic laity of Ireland ever know that t o ele g theology was the standard by which their priests were 40.direet their consciences ? I. believe in my heart there is CO man of them in Ireland that knew it. Did the Roman '"ulic laity in Ireland ever see these provincial statutes for Wl ° th ei _Ps which they were to set up as the standard to govern a a,: consciences? I believe not. (Hear.) There was not ti t ;; : 1 11 in Ireland that ever saw the book in which Dr. Murray - .Led his provincial statutes. He would not allow his kse Iler to dispose of a single copy. As soon as it was o ti led it was sent to him, and he with his own hands clis l'uted the copies to the bishops and priests ; and had ,it A n..L b een - for the providence of God, we should have known OfT i lla of it. The poor Roman Catholic laity are ignorant fr o Z They are suffering under the effects of this system-- thZ the effects of those tremendous stimulants applied to hei - L,?Y men that ought to be the physicians of their souls, 70 lead them to ruin. (Hear.) But the men who are tie, u e secret medical college, they prescribe in their own th e ll own characters—the bishops we will call the physicians. who Priests the apothecaries, and the poor people the patients the ta ke their doses • thus they suffer under the stimulus of de e - Potions prepared ' for them, without being aware of the alt! ) an d damnable nature of the poison that is administered. iih 7a r-) Now, I say, let us boldly and faithfully testify Loi ti ln i at the primes of the hierarchy ; let us bring these crimes den;l e and fiiithfully before the laity, ar,d make them either (14: 1 'Y themselves with them, or, like men, renounce them. uaw.7 l% ) There was another ground upon which the test was dee I se . It furnished popery with a means to blind and to do the the nation. The crimes of the papacy were not men- Iv, a z , - ,.‘ 4 in the test. They were excluded from Parliament it her ' r ue, but it was merely for an article of conscientious for t lef • hthe test, .therefore, . enabled them to send deh ab r at most specious plea—it enabled popery, the . most Il esp at 4 temporal tyranny, and the most debasing spiritual * ard . 1841 , that ever degraded the human race, to stand for eivii In the unnatural position of advocating the cause of wb t a ,r!(l religious liberty. (Hear.) There was another cause /to " Is Was an unwise test resulting from this. It enabled manti Catholic demagogues to form a most unnatural coali lie"arWith the Protestant dissenters of England. (Cheers.) Year 1 the B 6 address of Mr. O'Connell to the dissenters in the OtOu e contend for precisely similar objects. We, like you, prOf C t'e free from all restrictions, if we could consent to ao l 3 i4ions which we do not believe. Our sincerity, like yours, would be rewarded with the concession of all civil rights, and if we were base enough to despise or undervalue the sacred obligation of an oath, we could set persecution at defiance, and obtain, at once, total emancipation." This is Mr. O'Connell's appeal to the dissenters, and they were deceived. Here, then, were the sentiments of this man addressed to the Protestant dissenters, and what was the consequence ? The consequence was that it produced, I must say again, a most unnatural alliance between them. For Pro testant dissenters and churchmen, even in the utmost ex tremes of difference of opinion upon any other subject, have on this but one common cause and one common interest in standing together against the common enemy and oppres sor of conscience, of civil and religious liberty, the dethroner of the Bible from the education of the fellow-men, and the persecutress of liberty of conscience throughout the whole world. (Hear.) Therefore, I say this test permitted popery to escape from all her crimes, and to come out now as she professed to come out, as the advocate of civil and religious liberty, to pretend that she was deprived of her political free dom merely for a conscientious article of her creed. (Hear.) Now I believe that this system of imposture by which Roman , Catholics carried their point has so effectually blinded the 'nation, that I do not think that that test ever could be set up in England again. That is my opinion upon the subject ,which I take the liberty of faithfully and plainly expressing. Allow me now just to read the statement and the sentiments of that most distinguished statesman, Sir Robert Peel, upon this subject expressed this year. (Hear.) This is quoted — I believe the speech of the right hon. baronet was delivered in the House of Commons upon the question of a vote of censure against ministers—by Mr. Eneas Macdonnell, in a ,letter to the Times— " If it were no longer possible to maintain disabilities in 4829, surely to dream of imposing them now is among the wildest visions that ever disturbed the imagination. Repeal the Emancipation Bill! and what next? Will you leave to the Roman Catholics the privileges which they held before the Relief Bill, and independently of it ? But those privi leges (the elective franchise in particular), and the substan tial power which they conferred, were the main instruments by which the Relief Bill was carried. If you are prepared to withhold those privileges, (and withhold them you must), the measure you advise is not the mere repeal of the Emancipa tion Act, but the retracing all the steps of gradual concession for a century back, till you remount to penal laws and abso lute servitude." High as is my opinion of this distinguished statesman, I can not possibly coincide with the last sentiment here expressed, as to the imposition of penal laws—if you mean by that the penalties that were inflicted upon Roman Catholics for con scientious adherence to their religion. The penal laws of persecution I hold in utter abhorrence. (Hear.) But it is a very different question to say whether protective laws for British liberty, and Protestant freedom, are to be maintained or established in this country. It is a very different ques tion, whether I am to protect myself from the invasion of men who will periecute and enslave me, or whether I shall persecute and enslave them. The one I hold to be a Chris tian duty ; the other I hold to be an anti-Christian curse. (Cheers.) Hear again what the right hon. baronet said : " I have observed, as the law has decreed a civil equality to all classes in Ireland, without reference to religious dis tinctions, the crown ought not, by the interposition of its pre rogative, to create practically a difference which the law does not recognise. I think the crown ought to act on the prin ciple of the law, and not make the religious opinions enter tained by any man the ground of disqualification for the ex ercise of civil functions." Mark how the right hon. baronet himself is caught by the delusion that Popery has been practising upon the nation, that she is excluded from political power for a mere religious opinion. (Hear, hear.) We shall, however, consider this fact in a few moments. Now, I believe there is a mode free from all these objections to this test, by whieh the Protes tants of this empire could effectually deliver themselves from the power of the papacy, and from which they could go a step further—the only step under God's providence—and shield their Roman Catholic fellow-subjects from the bon dage of Popery too. (Hear.) But to do this you must act very differently from the manner in which the Protestants of this empire have acted. It is universally a part of the policy of Popery for ever to attack. It is a trick of the Jesuits al ways to attack their opponents, to throw them upon their defence, and thereby prevent them from making an attack in return. If an individual comes forward to attack them, they do not meet his arguments or proofs, but, by every species of calumny and falsehood, they blacken his character, and so they force him away from the object in dispute to defend himself. (Hear.) So it was with Jezebel M'Neile and for gery M`Ghee. (Hear.) This is what they have done throughout the whole history of this country ; this is what they are doing at this moment. Show me one single point on which concession to the Papacy has produced an instant of peace to this empire. I defy you to do it. What is the fact? As you have conceded one demand, another and a fresh one has come forward with greater violence and atrocity. (Cheers.) Who were the men most insulted and abused by those per sons to whom emancipation was granted? (Hear.) There have not been two men in the empire more insulted or so much abused, through the malignity of popery, as the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel, the very men who granted emancipation. After emancipation had been conceded then came the cry for " Justice to Ireland." Next came the de mand for municipal corporations. Municipal corporations were granted—aye, basely conceded to the Roman Catholics of Ireland, and then comes out " the repeal of the Union !" So they go on from one thing to another, till now they are in an attitude of open hostility, and they are seektng to dismem ber the British empire. (Hear.) What is to be done then? I do not believe you can restore the old test ; but I believe you can put a new test upon them that will go into the very heart of the papacy. (Cheers.) That is what you must do. (Hear.) You must now turn and carry the war into the very heart of Rome ; you must carry it into her politics, her mo rals, and her religion ; and so instruct your representatives ; you must show and prove that the system and priesthood are identified together in guilt and crime and apostacy from God. (Cheers.) When I say you must so carry on the war, let me remember, and do you remember, that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal—it is not by carnal weapons that we must conquer, but by the weapons of honest Christian fidelity, of bold, determined, Christian truth, with the bible in one hand and the laws of the country (to be founded upon that bible and to be measured by that bible) M the other. (Great cheering.) In therefore venturing to propose a new teat to you, and to call upon you for the adoption of this test, I beg to assure you I do not do so, nor should I presume to do so, upon my own judgment. I have long deeply considered it. I have consulted with those who are best informed upon the subject of the principles of popery; and I know theat there is not one man in the British dominions who will not think that the test will be effectual if the Protestants of this city will take it up, either to deliver themselves from the papal tyranny, or from what is ten thousand times more desirable, to deliver their poor Roman Catholic fel low-subjects from the tyranny of Rome, and that we may be permitted to meet together with the bible in our hands, and to come-together to the feet of our Lord and Saviour. (Hear.) Then, I say, you must take the crimes of the pa pacy, and you must identify them with the faith of the papacy. You must call upon men to take a test which, when men read, their consciences must tell them that they can have no possible right to refuse it. "It seems to me," says Festus, " unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the errors laid against him." Now I will send the accusations with which I charge popery to the British parlia ment. The paper contains the test I propose ; it commences thus : _ _ " Whereas by a certain document of the Church of Rome, professing to be and commonly received and known as the third canon of a certain General Council, held in the year of our Lord 1215, called the Fourth Lateran Council, it is among other things enacted as follows." Then is recited the third canon of the Fourth Lateran Council, which, as it is long, and will be printed for your perusal, I will not now read, but recommend these two facts concerning it. First, that you have it on Dr. Doyle's evidence that it would upturn, if in force, the very foundations of society and drench our streets and our fields in blood. Secondly, that you have it proved that it is now set up in Ireland by the papist prelates as the law for exterminating heretics out of their dioceses. (Hear, hear.) Now I receite this iniquitous canon. Then after this is recited, the following canon of the Council of Trent : " And whereas in the seventh session of the Council of Trent, the following canon was enacted : 4 4 FOURTEENTH CANON OF BAPTISM. " If any man shall say that baptised children, when they grow up, are to be asked whether they are willing to ratify what their sponsors promised in their name when they were baptised, and when they shall answer that they are not will ing, that they are to be left to their own will, and not to be compelled to a Christian life by any other punishment, unless that they may be debarred from the reception of the Eucharist and other sacraments, till they repent, let him be anathema.' " Here I dare say you will ask, why recite this canoe ? we see no great evil in this. The reason is, because it contains one of the deepest, deadliest principles of papal persecution ; and this canon is stated in the second volume of Dens, is the standard authority for compelling all men, by corporal pu nishment, whenever the pope has the power, to return to the faith of the church. (Hear.) It says, " Unbelievers who have been betrayed." Now, young and old, remember this prin ciple : there is not one among you not interested in it. This is one fundamental principle of the Church of Rome, that every man upon earth that is baptised in the Christian church is made thereby a subject of the Church of Rome ' • and if he does not submit to the Church of Rome and acknowledge her authority, the Church of Rome has aright, whenever she has the power, to compel him to do so by corporal punish ment. This is one of her fundamental principles. Now listen to this— " That unbelievers have been baptised, as heretics and apostates generally, and also baptised schismatics, can be compelled by corporal punishments to return to the catholic faith and the unity of the church. " The reason is, that they by baptism are made subjects of the church, and therefore the church has jurisdiction over them, and the power of compelling them, by the ordained means, to obedience, and to fulfil the obligations contracted in their baptism. " This also, obtains in the case of those who have been baptised in their infancy, or who, compelled by fear or any necessity, have received baptism ; as the council of Trent teaches, session 7, canon 14 ; and the 4th council of Toledo, canon 55." Here you see the canon of Trent is quoted as the infallible authority for this atrocious persecution. I take this out of a proved standard of the church of Rome by which the Roman catholic population are to be drilled. I take the canons which they themselves have quoted as their authority for compelling protestants to submit to the dominion of the p"- paty, so that there is reason for taking that canon. There is recited in the text the same principle taken from their funda mental standard, the catechism of the council of Trent, thus : And whereas in the catechism of the council of Trent, the following principle is laid down on the ninth article of the creed, speaking of those who are excluded from the church : " Heretics and schismatics (are excluded), because they have revolted from the church, nor do they more belong to the church than deserters belong to the army from which they have run away. Nevertheless, it is not to be denied that they are in the power of the church, as persons who can be called into judgment by her, punished and condemned by anathema." Here are their proved canons—their demonstrated principles from their fundamental standards first recited, then the test itself is as follows : And whereas in the aforesaid canons an authority is claimed by the church of Rome over all baptised persons to submit to her domination, and to inflict on them pains, penalties, and persecutions if they refuse to do so. Now " I A. B. do solemnly, in the presence of God, renounce and abjure the canons aforesaid so far as they have now been recited. I believe the same to be immoral, antisocial, into lerant, repugnant to the laws of God and to the statutes and constitution of this realm, and fatal to civil and religious liberty. I declare that I believe the popes and general coun cils who enacted these canons aforesaid were, in so doing, not only fallible but totally in error, and that they have not and ought not have any power, weight, or authority over mil conscience," Here is the test, and now let me ask, is there a single man, is there a single protestant in this empire that would not gladly take that test? (Cheers.) I believe not one. We believe these canons to be such as I have described. We hold that the popes and the councils that enacted them were not only fallible but totally in error. " Oh," but some Roman Catholic will say, " that is coming to a dogma of my faith, you point to my conscience, and I cannot admit that." " What, then," I reply, " you do not deny this canon." (Cheers.) Then you hold these persecuting principles; you bold that y9t have a right to compel us by corporeal punish.. ment to returp,to the church of Rome. Then I tell you in the face of day that you have no such right, and shull have no such right if I can help, it to dictate to me, to rule over my consci ence or over the conscience of any one in this empire ? (Cheers.) You want an equality of civil and religious privi leges. Very well. Let us stand upon an equality. Is it not an equality, that I come to legislate for you when I claim no i authority over your conscience ? What right do protestants claim over the consciences of Roman Catholics ? Do we say they are accountable to us ? No. We say, and we de clare, and proclaim, and we call upon them to know thut they are accountable, but accountable alone to the Lord God of Heaven and earth. That is the ground upon which we legislate for them. But when they come to legislate for us they say, "Aye, but then you are baptised, and brought up in the church, therefore you are accountable to him who is the vicar of Christ on earth, our Lord God the pope ; (cheers)—he has a right to you, you must submit to him, and if you do not he has a right to compel you by corporeal punishment to submit to his authority and to the authority of the church of Rome." I call this not equality but slavery— installing a foreigner into the right of persecuting me as a slave, and if the protestants of England will do their duty they will stand up as one man against it. (Cheers.) Now I will go back for a moment to the speech of the right hon. bart. Sir Robert Peel. He says he calls these religious opinions. He means by this the test which was proposed and enacted by the British parliament to exclude Roman Catholics from power. He calls this a religious opinion. But I would ask the right hon. bart. whether he calls the traitorous laws of Lateran religious opinions ? Will he call the canons of the council of Trent which authorizes popery to invade the rights and liberty of the protestants of this empire as religious opi nions ? (Hear.) Will he say that power is to be given to men who are to use that power against their sovereign and against their fellow-subjects by laws which they themselves acknowledge would have torn the very foundations of society asunder, and drenched our streets and fields with blood ? (Hear.) No man in the British empire would be further from calling these religious opinions than the right hon. hart. But then comes the question,—" How do you prove this ? " (Hear.) Now we can reply—" Go to your universities." (Hear.) I have petitioned to be called to the bar of the house of commons, and lay these laws before them, and let Mr. O'Connell deny them if he can. (Hear, hear.) My petition has been shelved. I will never petition again, but I say— Let those who doubt go to onr universities,--let them go to the learning and talent of Oxford and Cambridge and in stitute a comparison of this test with the principles of the pa pacy. I would say to the hon. bart. you have heard the evi idence of these men. You have heard them renounce these persecuting tenets, you have heard their oaths, their decla rations you have them recorded in the proceedings of parlia ment. Now go to your universities. (Hear.) Mr. Pitt sent to foreign universities to enquire into their principles, but you need not go so far. Go now to Oxford or Cambridge, there you shall find their doctrines, their standards, and have their laws, their notes of the Bible by which they instruct the poor. Compare them with their oaths and ask them— " Do you mean to stand up and tell the British nation these are the religious principles of the church of Rome ? " (Hear.) Now I dare say if the Roman catholic hierarchy had to choose between this test and the test which has been repealed by the bill of 1829, they would ask for that test ten thousand times over. Here is the secret of Dr. Murray's letter. I did not propose this test in Exeter Hall as I pro posed it to you, but I read it at Exeter Hall. (Hear, hear, and loud cheers.) Dr. Murray and Mr. Daniel O'Connell know the tremendous power of that engine, if it was taken up by the Protestants of this country, and brought forward in parliament, upon the subject of the papacy ; therefore the letter was written directly from Dr. Murray, and out it came, denying this bull and these canons. Let him have the benefit of his denial, now we have proved it, when and where he pleases. But I call upon you this day, as you value all that is dear to man, to stand forward your selves and take this test. Insist upon the men who repre sent you in parliament, that they shall stand with that test, or your petitions upon it, in their hands—present those peti tions, and support those petitions which you may prepare. (Hear.) If the Protestant Association of Liverpool does but maintain its own bold fidelity, such as I doubt not it will ; if you do but take it up, it will go through the length and breadth of the British empire, and a Protestant blow will be struck at the very heart of the papal superstition. It will, I trust in God, open the eyes of the Roman Catbolic laity, and make them come out and deliver themselves from such dark, degrading, damnable slavery as this is. (Great cheer ing.) I cannot conclude the subject without again express ing, that so far from feeling a sentiment of hostility to my poor countrymen, before my God my heart grieves for their subjugation. I say they should take that test. Oh ! that they might take it! (Hear.) Oh! if the Roman Catholic laity would take that test, and if they would but take it at once, Rome is gone for ever in this empire. (Cheers.) Let them renounce the canons of their creed and the fundamen tal articles of their church, by which those canons are brought to bear upon their consciences and their souls, the infallibi lity of popes and councils, and the authority of the popish hierarchy is blasted for ever in the consciences of the Roman Catholic population. (Hear.) I commit the cause to God, and under God I commit it this day to the fidelity, to the Christian boldness, to the Christian principle, let me say to the Christian love of Protestant liberty and freedom, let me add to the love of the Bible, and let me say to the honest Christian fidelity and love of the souls of our Roman Catho lic countrymen,—l commit it, I say, to these, in the pre sence of the Protestants of England. (The rev. gentleman, whose admirable address occupied two hours and twenty minutes, then resumed his seat, amidst thunders of applause from all parts of the house.) ARRIVAL OF THE STEAM-SHIP " ORIENTAL." This deservedly favourite vessel arrived in the Mersey, on Saturday morning, on her return voyage from Alexandria, after the finest run out and home yet on record, exceeding in speed, indeed, even the sanguine expectations of those most deeply interested in her success. She accomplished the passage— From Alexandria to Malta in. Malta to Gibraltar in Gibraltar to Falmouth in Falmouth to Liverpool in 351 hours. The time within which she would be considered due by the government at the three first ports respectively, is 120; 115, and I'2o hours ; so that she performed the distance from Alexandria to Falmouth in 321 hours less than was thus an ticipated. She brought 26 passengers, some of whom, no doubt, were desirous of landing at Falmouth ' • but as there is no Lazarette at that port, the whole necessarily came round with the vessel to the Mersey. The vessel, on her arrival, fired a salute from the large guns which she carries, and proceeded to the quarantine ground, where she still lies at anchor. There being no sickness on board, no time was lost in making the u'sual application to the proper authorities in London for her release from " durance vile" under the yellow flag ; and it is fully expected that to-morrow's post will bring down the official order for the "emancipation" of those on board, who will thereupon disembark with their luggage. Meantime, they appear to have made up their minds to enjoy the good things of this life on board, some fresh supplies of which have been daily sent by the quarantine boats.* Our reporter went alongside yesterday afternoon, and was kindly favoured by Captain Soy with several Malta papers, the latest to the 25th ult. Their contents are anticipated. One of a later date, announcing the arrival of the Oriental at Malta, with some news from the East, would also have been handed to him, but had by some means got mislaid in the saloon. Captain Soy also favoured us with the following particulars of vessels he had spoken on the passage :- Ist Oct.—Passed the barque Florence, of London. Spoke the schooner Agnes, of London, lat. 38 50 , long. 10 54. sth Oct.—At 9 A.M., spoke the Great Liverpool, lat. 40 19, long. 90 19—about 45 miles north of Oporto. (The sister ships, it need scarcely be said, exchanged three hearty cheers on parting.) As is usual, the newspapers, together with some letters to be put into the post-office, given to ou r reporter, were all taken on board the quarantine-officer's vessel, and fumigated before they could be brought on shore. The Oriental had generally tine weather going out to Alex andria, and light airs and a smooth sea throughout in coming home. The ship and the engines worked to admiration, and the passengers express the utmost satisfaction with the splen did accommodations, and the attention and urbanity of the captain and officers. She has on board 45 tons of coals.' The only paragraph of interest which we find in the papers before us, relates to the British naval force now in the Me diterranean, which has probably since that date been con siderably increased. It is from Il Mediterraneo, Gazetta di Malta, of the 23d ultimo :—" The British naval force in the Mediterranean now consists of 12 line of battle ships, six frigates, two post corvettes, one sloop, four brigs, two steam frigates, four large war steamers, five steam-packets, one steam tender, two surveying vessels, one receiving ship, and one coal depot, forming iu all 41 pendants of the burthen of 45,600 tons, mounting about 1300 guns, and carrying 11,800 officers, men, and boys, of which 2,600 are marines and marine artillery. The combined power of the 12 steamers is that of about 2,420 horses. Nearly the whole of this large force is concentrated off Beyrout. Many other vessels are fitting out in England, of which no less than five line of battle ships are for this station." So soon as the " Oriental" is released from quarantine she will be towed down by one of the government boats to the Sloyne. She will not dock, we understand, until Saturday, the deepening of the Coburg Dock not being yet so far com pleted as to allow of the gate being closed. ABDICATION OF THE KING OF HOLLAND. King William is now in his 68th year. He was born on the 24th August, 1772 ; married on the Ist October, 1791, a Princess of Prussia; in 1793 took the command of the Dutch army upon the occasion of the declaration of war by the French Directory against the Stadtholder of the United Provinces. He took Lanerecies in 1794, retired into Hol land with his troops after the battle of Fleurus, embarked with his family for England in 1785, and took possession in 1802 of the small German principalities which bad been ceded to his father in exchange for his rights in Holland, and which his father in turn had ceded to him. In 1806 he inherited the sovereignty of Nassau ' • commanded the right wing of the Prussians at the battle of Jena; was taken pri soner, and lost his estates after that battle ; afterwards took service under the Austrian government, and assisted, in 1809, at the battle of Wagram • was recalled into Holland at the moment when the entire Of Germany marched against France ' • took the reins of government of the Low Countries on the 6th December, 1813 ; received on the 30th March, 1814, the oath of allegiance as a sovereign prince ; on the 16th of March, 1815, took the title of King ; promulgated the " fundamental law" on the 24th August, 1815 ; was crowned on the 21st September, 1815; summoned all Hol land to arms on the sth October, 1830, after the success of the Belgian insurrection ; and declared on the 20th October in the same year, that he would confine himself to the go vernment of the northern provinces. He lost his royal consort in the month of October, 1837 •, accepted the " twenty-four articles" on the 14th of March, 1838 ; on the 26th May, 1839, signed the ratification of the treaty of the 19th of April ; and on the 4th of September, in the present year, promulgated the changes introduced by him into the fundamental law. The Prince of Orange is 48 years old, having been born on the 6th December, 1792. The news of the King's abdi cation produced an immense sensation, both at the Hague and at Amsterdam. In the latter city, the funds imme diately fell one per cent, and a still further depression was anticipated. A letter from the Hague of th e I s t O cto b er s tates, that "persons living in the prince royal's intimacy have already suffered some words to escape them as to the line of conduct which the prince intended to pursue imme diately after his accession:: He proposes to c o m mence b y two great measures, the obje ct of which is to restore royalty to that popularity, which, in the last conflict with the cham ber and with public opinion, it would seem to have irrev oca • bly lost. The first of these measu res consists in taki ng it on himself to guarantee the paym ent of the interest on all the loans contracted for (such as the construction of the railway to Arnheim.) It had been a question whether this guarantee should fall on the king himself, or on the heir apparent. The new king, by taking this guarantee on him self, would solve the question in a mode the most satisfactory to the holders of these securities. The second measure, which is much more important still, is the immediate nomi nation of a state commission, charged with the duty of renewing the fundamental law, and proposing, within the shortest possible period, certain changes which would be forthwith submitted to the chamber. In choosing the mem bers of this commission, it is understood that the new sove reign will be influenced by public opinion. The Belgian papers . state, that the King of Holland's principal motive for retiring into private life is, that he may, without dispute, fulfil the sacred promise which he has given, ana marry the Countess d'Oultremont. As there is no longer any obstacle to oppose this union, it is supposed that it will speedily take place. MUNICIPAL REVISION. TUESDAY. The business of the court commenced at 9 o'clock, and the mayor and assessors resumed the revision of the list for Scot land Ward. Thos. Murphy, of Back Portland-street, was objected to by the conservatives. He stated, that he had lived in Arley street, whence he removed in September, 1839. He had lived there seven years, and had regularly paid his rates. On examination by Mr. Wilkins, it appeared that the rates had until recently been paid by 11Irs. Winifred Murphy. Mr. WlLenes.—Who is Winifred Murphy ? Witness.—My mother. Mr. JAMES.—Oh, I suppose she's dead. When did your mother die ? Witness.—She never died at all—(laughter)—she's alive yet. Mr. WILKINS. — WeII, sir, you may go ; you'll not have a vote yet. The name was struck off. Martin Murphy, Woodstock -street, and Martin Murphy, Carlton-street, were objected to by the conservatives. They stated that they had paid their rates, but the money was bor rowed from the Protector Society. The money was paid by themselves, and no person accompanied either of them. The votes were allowed. Several similar cases occurred, the votes being allowed where the parties proved the payment of the rates in propria persona, without the intervention of another party. A very large majority of the individuals called did not answer, and these were allowed to stand over to appear when the lists are again gone over, the proofs of service of notice being given so as to save time in future. Many cases were heard, in which the claims were immediately allowed on both sides, and others in which the names were struck out. The majority of these, however, were destitute of any point or circumstance either of interest or importance. Such cases as seemed to excite most amusement and interest in the court, we shall record briefly ; the others would only occupy space, without affording either gratification or instruction. Robert Naylor, Collingwood-street, was objected to by the reformers, but did not appear. The person who served the notice of objection was called upon to prove the service. An individual, evidently an Irishman, started up and exclaimed, Robert Naylor, is it ? Och, 1 noticed him ! (Laughter.) Mr. JAMES.—You noticed him ! What do you mean, did you look at him ? Witness.—Oh, I did ! Mr. WILKINS.—Did you serve him, sir ? Witness.—l did ! I served him out. The notice server was rebuked by the court, and proceeded to prove the notice regularly. The case stood over. Peter Nelson, Burlington-street, was objected to by the reformers. A friend appeared for him, who proved that he had resided in the house for which he claimed his qualification four or five years, and it was shown that his rates had been regularly paid. Mr. JAMES.—What is Mr. Nelson ? Witness.—He is a dealer in Irish provisions. Mr. JAMES.—Is he not a foreigner ? • Witness.—l should think he was an Irishman, and they are aliens in the opinion of some people, sir. The vote was allowed. Richard "Williams, Green-street, was objected to by the reformers. Mr. Williams appeared for her husband. In reply to the questions put to her, she stated that she paid three years' taxes at once. She did not borrow the money any where, but received it from her husband, and her husband worked hard for it. Vote allowed. James Waring, Rose-place, objected to by the reformers, stated, that he had paid two years rates at once. He paid them himself on the 31st August, at the parish-office, in Fen wick-street. He paid them with his own money, and did not get any money from any one for the purpose. Vote allowed. William Winstanley, voting for a house and warehouse in Regent-road, was objected to by the reformers. It appeared that he had resided on the premises, for which he claimeu, twenty-one years, and had paid his rates regularly. The MAyou. said he thought a case of this sort certainly showed the necessity for some arrangement for getting rid of frivolous objections. Mr. 'WILKINS said he was sure that he had no objection to such an arrangement. Mr. JAMES said he had no authority to enter into such an arrangement. The list for Scotland Ward having beets entirely called over, the court requested that those residing in that ward, who happened to be in court, would step forward. Several cases were thus disposed of. Many cases were disposed of, involving points similar to those already given. Much discussion took place occasion ally respecting the rules that had already been laid down. At length Mr. HARVEY stood up, and produced a written paper, in which, he said, he had laid down the principles on which he thought they ought to act, drawn from the decisions given. Mr. HARVEY read the first paragraph of his rules, to which Mr. WRIGHT responded, " I dissent from that ; I won't be bound by those rules." This was followed by loud applause from the body of the court. Mr. H ARVEY said he had then no more to say. Mr. WRIGHT said there had not been proper courtesy , shown to him. If the paper had been read to him first, per haps that would not have happened. They had tried before to get rid of him by a side wind; but they should not get rid of him, he promised them. He would sit there and decide. (Loud applause.) The MAYOR said he must have misunderstood the words uttered by Mr. Wright. Mr. WRIGHT said " they had en deavoured to get rid of him by a side wind." Did Mr. Wright mean to imply that he (the Mayor) had been a party to any such attempt ? Mr. WRIGHT said he did not mean the words to apply to the Mayor at all. Here the conversation was continued between Mr. Wright and Mr. Harvey, and Mr. Wright, in a low tone, and shortly after the business was resumed. Mr. John Coglan, one of the Protector Society, was brought under examination, and, as in the course of his testimony, he displayed some knowledge of that body. Mr. HARVEY, as he was leaving the witness-box, said he should like, as much as had arisen about this society, to know something more about it. The witness was therefore, recalled, and in reply to Mr. Harvey stated, that the members paid weekly sums of money as they could afford. It was like a benefit society. It was founded about twelve months ago. If the poor people who belonged to it were short of money, they could borrow it from this society. It was just the same as a benefit society. Mr. PINNINGTON.—IS it for the relief of the sick? Mr. WILKINS said he should like, if the int:se - 'on were to gain information, to ask a great many question:, of this wit ness. Mr. HARVEY said, he should certainly wish it himself. The court permitted Mr. Wilkins to examine. The wit ness said, the society had no printed rules. He could not say whether it was enrolled according to law. It was under the management of different secretaries. Its objects were to enable poor men to pay their rates, and become burgesses. He (witness) had taken out about for different people. He had himself paid in about £2 75., out of his own pocket. He had no vouchers for his money, but the books would show his payments. There was a fund belonging to the society. He had known his neighbours to pay small dona tions to it. He did not know of any gentleman having con tributed to it. Had seen Mr. Ronson at the meeting, and believed he was A barrister. Mr. WlLKlNS.—Suppose I, as a tory, were to subscribe, would the society allow me, as a tory, to draw money to pay my rates, if I could not pay them myself? Witness.—l won't answer any more questions. Here ensued a great uproar of cheering, hissing, and cla mour. The mayor had done his utmost to suppress their demonstrations, having absolutely forbidden them as unbe coming ; having also requested the counsel on both sides not to say anything likely to excite party feeling, and the consta bles to put out of court any one who should be seen infring ing the rule which he bad laid down. His worship now ordered a person to be put out who had uttered a loud cry upon hearing the reply above recorded. Mr. Coglan was about to retire, when Mr. JAMES requested that he might be allowed to ask him a few questions. He elicited nothing material, except that the parties who " bor rowed money" front the society undertook to repay it, and that when they had money advanced to them they were required to become members. Mr. BRITHERTON said, if Mr. Wilkins wished to put any questions relative to the Protector Society, he knew all about that association, and was ready to answer. Mr. WILKINS said, he would rather continue his examina tion of that witness. This was acceded to, and the witness was told that lie must answer the learned gentleman's question. He believed a poor man would not be admitted to the society if lie were a conservative. He did not know what the funds of the so ciety were. The payments were made either weekly or monthly. He did not kn ow of any collect i ons b e i n g ma d e on Sundays, "at present." He had known them to be made. Not at the Catholic Chapel, but at the neighbours' houses. He did not know that Mr. O'Connell subscribed. By Mr. Harvey—The society was not confined to Irish men. but it was confined to reformers. Mr. BrtemenToss repeated his offer. Mr. WRIGHT said they had nothing to do with the sub ject of the Protector Society. Mr. WluKiss said he should wish very much to get what information he could from Mr. Bretherton, but he should take a great deal of time if he did so. The MAYOR thought it would be best if Mr. Wilkins wished to question Mr. Bretherton, to go on then with the regular business, and take that after eight o'clock. Mr. WILKINS.—No? upon my word I will not. Here the subject dropped. Subsequently a Mr. Pickering was called to speak to the nature of some premises, in respect to which, a person claimed a qualification. Mr. JAMES—In the cross-examination of this person, who is a publican in Vauxhall-road, elicited from him, that he had furnished Robert Jackson, a tenant of his, with money to pay his rates. Much applause and uproar followed this an nouncement, upon which the Mayor declared, that he would dismiss every officer in the court upon the spot, if they did not do their duty, and remove those who were guilty of such unseemly demonstrations in a court of deliberation. Mr. Superintendent Tyrrell went to a person whom he had seen clapping his hands, and wished to remove him. Some alter cation ensued, and the Mayor, on hearing that the superin tendent had seen the gentlemen clap his hands, requested that the latter might be removed. The gentleman denied that he had acted as stated, but he immediately withdrew. Mr. James continued his examination of Mr. Pickering, who, on being pressed with some severity, became much heated. Mr. Wilkins interposed, on what he presumed were severe araignments of the veracity of the witness, and some warm words passed between the learned gentlemen, which, as is usual in such cases, appeared to be forgotten as soon as ut tered. We have not space for the whole of Mr. Pickering's cross-examination, but the facts elicited were, in substance, as follows : Witness had gone round the town and collected money to pay the taxes of poor men. He gave the money to his wife. He did not give any of it to any one else. He did not know what had become of it. He could not say she had it now. He inferred that it had been used for the payment of rates, for he had seen that the rates of persons were paid who could not pay them for themselves. Mr. JAMES.—WIIO did you collect it from ? Witness.—From different people. Mr. JAMES.—How much did you collect ? Witness.—l won't tell you. Here there was another hubbub, which however quickly subsided. Mr. JAMES said he would have an answer, and the witness protested that lie would not tell, saying, "y ou won ' t get i t out of me if you question me from this time till to-morrow night. This Mr. James deemed impertinent which the wit ness took in high dudgeon. In reply to another question, Mr. Pickering said he got the money from different gentle men. Mr. James wished to know their names, to which the witness replied flatly, " I won't tell you!" Mr. WILKINS said, after this he should ask from any wit ness whatever questions he pleased ; and instead of the list being concluded in fourteen days, it would not be finished in twice fourteen days. The court adjourned at eight o'clock to nine this morning. The MAYOR said, he hoped some arrangement would be conic to by the opposing parties for abbreviating the business, otherwise they were merely losing labour, for the whole list would be disfranchised. WEDNESDAY. AN OBSTINATE PRECURSOR. James M'Amley, housekeeper, Chisenhate-street, was ob jected to by the conservatives. The voter was a labourer subject to the payment of rates. Borrowed the money to pay his rates from a person named M'lntee, who lived in Rich mond-row. Did not know IVl`lntee ; got the money from him on the 31st August ; could not tell what IVl'lntee did ; went along with a neighbour ; paid some of the money last night to the man who gave it to him on the 31st August. Mr. WILKINS.—Upon your oath did you pay the money to Mr. M'lntee? Witness.--I paid it on the same table I got it from. Mr. HARVEY.—YOB must be aware that in former cases when the same line of conduct was pursued, the votes were ejected. Mr. WILKINS.—I again put the question. Did you bor row the money from the Protector Society ? Witness.—l don't know. If you did'nt know that Mr. M'lntee got it from the Pro tector Society, why did you pay it to the Protector Society ? I had as good a right to pay it there as any other place. Did you suppose Mr. M'lntee came from the Protector Society ? Yes. How much money did you get ? Fourteen shillings and fourpence. Where did you get the receipt? In my own house. Mr. HARVEY (to Mr. Wilkins).—What object do you in tend to show by this examination? Mr. WILKINS.—To show that this man is not to be be lieved. Mr. HARVEY.—If you want to prove that this man has prevaricated in his evidence there is no occasion. Mr. WILKINS.—I don't want to make comparisons. My duty is to endeavour to strike off as many objectionable voters as possible. Mr. JAMES contended that as the rates had been paid the vote stood good. lie admitted that the voter had contra dicted himself in some points ; but he held that the assessors were to receive what evidence had been of a satisfactory na ture, and not to reject the evidence altogether. Mr. WILKINS spoke at great length, and defied his learned friend to point out any part in which the voter had spoken the truth. What was the motive that induced this man to prevaricate to-day ? To get his name on the register. The same motive would prompt him to say that his name was James M'Amley • and it had not been proved that he was the James Nl`Amley whose name was on the rate-book. He submitted it for the consideration of the bench whether the motive that actuated the man to tell a lie in the one case would not induce him to tell it in the other? Mr. HARVEY said he was so disgusted with several cases which had been brought before them by both parties, that he felt it would be necessary to come to some arrangement. Mr. WRIGHT thought the arguments which had been adduced were applicable to this case. Mr. WILKINS would feel obliged if Mr. Wright would give his opinion. His only object was to save time. Mr. HARVEY said it was no use blinking the question. The public were aware of the political opinions of Mr. Wright and himself, and they were under the impression that the assessors were biassed by party motives. - For himself he sat there in the capacity of a lawyer, and he thought the vote was good. . . Mr. WiiIGHT would reject the vote ; but he was not to have his opinion called forth ad captandlon at the desire of any man. The MAYOR said he had taken the best advice on this case, and he was of opinion that the vote ought to be al lowed. A LEARNED RADICAL. Patrick M'Cabe was objected to by the conservatives. The voter was a labourer, and occupied a house in Banastre street, for which he paid rates. Got the money from the Protector Society ; had occupied the same house for the last three years. Mr. WILKINS.—How do you know that ?—Can you tell me the name of the next month? Witness.—l don't know. I am no scholar; I never re saved any laming. What is the first month in the year. I disremember. (Laughter.) How many months are there in the year ? Faith an' I'm not sure ; I think there's twelve. Do you count four weeks to the month ? I takes 'ens as they come. (Laughter.) How do you know that you have been three years in that house ? Sure and the riot tells me. The AI AY OR.—llow do you pay your rent? Witness.—Once a-week only. Mr. JAM as.—Do you remember when you went to the house you now occupy. Witness.—l'm not sartain ; it might be a week before Christmas. How many Christmas days have passed since you went to that house ? Faix, nearly a couple of 'em. (Roars of laughter.) Mr. WRIGHT was proceeding to remark upon the nature of the evidence, when Mr. JAMES (with some warmth) interrupted him.—Let me first conclude, and then you may comment. Mr. WRIG llT.—l'll make an observation when I think proper. Mr. JAMES.—I am not asleep. Mr. Wnienr.—Nor I. Mr. Shaw, overseer, then examined the parish books, when it was found that in 1838 M`Cabe was rated for a different house to that on which he now claimed. Mr. JAMES.—I must abandon this case. Vote disallowed. The court adjourned at.five o'clock. THURSDAY. The mayor, attended by the assessors, opened the court at the time appointed. With the exception of some frivolous cases of objections by both parties, which were eithe r with drawn or speedily gone through, the time of the court was taken up in attending to objections by the conservatives against members of the Protector Society, or by radicals against parties who had been put on the list by the conserva tives, and contained nothing materially different from those already before the public. FRIDAY. The mayor and the assessors took their seats at 9 o'clock. VAUXHALL WARD. The remaining objections to voters in this ward were gone through, without anything of interest occurring. ST. PAUL'S WARD. Mr. WILKINS, on this ward being called on, said he was instructed to move for the postponement of the hearing of cases in this ward on the ground of the abduction of a notice server. Two affidavits were handed in, and read by the clerk of the court. The first affidavit was the depositon of a female named Alice Jackson, residing in Henry-street, and was to the effect that a person named Thomas Turtle, who had been lodging at her house, and who had been employed to serve notices of objections upon the conservative interest, for St. Paul's Ward, was at two o'clock on the morning of the 30th August, when in liquor, taken away by two persons from her house, and that she had not since heard of him. The second affida vit was that of James Richardson, another notice server, and was to the effect that a Mr. Wm. Jones, attorney-at-law had called upon deponent, and in the course of a conversa tion asked him if lie had seen Thomas Turtle, to which de ponent answered he had not; and Jones replied, " he's right enough ; " and offered deponent money and a situation if lie would leave Liverpool and go to reside in Dublin. The affi davits further stated that dilligent search had been made for Turtle, and that he could not be found. Mr. Wilkins said it appeared to him that the affidavits spoke so, strongly for themselves, that he should content himself ; witle merely moving that the court would not now take St. • Paul's Ward, but proceed to Exchange Ward, in order that time might be afforded to produce Turtle. Mr. Harvey observed that there was one point which he had not gathered from the affidavits : it was stated on the face of the affidavits that Turtle had been taken .away, but there was nothing to show that he had been traced. Mr. Wilkins replied that they only traced him so far as this ; that it was shown that he had been taken out of his lodgings at two o'clock in the morning, and the parties so taking him had been heard to state their intentions to place him upon the packet; a diligent inquiry was shown to have been made for him; and he (Mr. W.) then asked th e court to infer that he had been taken out of the town. Mr. Harvey said if the court saw displayed a prima: facie case to defeat the ends of justice, they should be disposed to consider it, not only a gross contempt of court, but a most unjustifiable attempt to defeat legitimate inquiry. :':le, for his own part, thought sufficient had been shown from which to infer that there had been an attempt to tamper with a man whose evidence lay at the very root of the inquiry. Mr. James objected to the application of Mr. Wilkins being complied with, on the ground that it had not been made at the proper time ; the affidavits were sworn on the 7th inst. and he ought to have been furnished with copies. They (the reformers) were not prepared to proceed with other wards. Mr. Harvey suggested that when an objection made by 'aurae was come to, it should stand over. Mr. JAMES said this would naturally lead him into the merits of the case. The learned gentleman went on t o con tend that, to substantiate grounds for the application, it must be shown that every individual connected with the ward, who was brought into court, was implicated in, or connived at, the abduction of Turtle ; because no individual ought to be injured, because another party had chosen to interfere to take away a notice server. Mr. James, in allusion to copies of the affidavits not having been furnished, denounced it as a ° " trick" to serve a party purpose, and take him by surprise, not being in a situation to proceed with tne cases in other wards. Mr. WILKINS, in his reply, in remarking upon copies of • the affidavits not having been furnished, observed that these was no recognised party upon whom to serve them. After an exceedingly protracted discussion, in which much warmth of feeling was displayed, not only by the learned . barristers, but also by the members of the court, it was ar ranged that those cases in which objections had been served by Turtle should stand over until the other cases in the ward were gone through, and that Mr. Wilkins should then be heard, if he had any further reasons to offer for a further postponement. Copies of the depositions were ordered to be ' made and furnished to Mr. James as soon as completed. John Agnew's name was then called upon as one of the parties upon whom Turtle had served a notice of objection. Mr. Wilkins called Richard William Windle, with a view to prove that he accompanied Turtle to see him deliver the objections, and to prove that in this particular instance the objection paper had been delivered, in his presence, to the party objected to. The witness, in his examination in chi e f, produced a small memorandum book, in which were entered the names of the different parties upon whom objections, in his presence, had been served, and amongst which the name of John Agnew. Witness stated that he wrote the names and memorandums appended to each with a pencil, whilst standing in the street, and afterwards " traced" the pencil marks with a pen. Mr. James requested witness to write a similar memoran dum to the one appended to the name of John Agnew, to do so whilst standing, in a similar manner in which he entered , the original memorandum, and afterwards to trace it with a pen. Witness did so. Mr. James then exhibited the books to the court, and con tended first, that what the witness termed tracing," was, in fact, a recopying, inasmuch as the pencil marks were in no means followed ; and that, therefore, supposing the book containing the names of parties objected to to have been similarly written, the witness could not refresh his memory from that book, as it was not the original memorandum. The Court here interfered, by observing that the point raised by Mr. James was not of importance, as they (the court), were decidedly of opinion that no pencil marks had ever been written in the book produced by Windle ; there fore, they rejected his evidence. Mr' WILKINS then supported his application to the court for a postponement on another ground. He produced du plicates of about 180 objection papers, which he proved, by the evidence of Mr. Marrow and Mr. Lysaght, to be endorsed and signed in the handwriting of Turtle. Mr. JAMES then contended, at great length, that this was not sufficient evidence of a single notice having been served by Turtle. Turtle, it had been shown, was a drunken fellow ; and, with respect to the endorsements, it was quite possible and probable that he had neglected his duty, had never delivered a single notice, and had endorsed the dupli cates to blind his employers, and then taken himself off. The court had no right, he contended, to assume that his (Mr- James's) party had been accessary to his removal. For aught he knew, he might at this moment be indulging his Bachanalian propensities in some cellar in the town. The Court finally decided that, although the duplicate ncs tices produced did not prove the due service of any objee , tions by Turtle, yet they furnished prima facie evidence , which determin e d th em t o p os tpone the hearing of the cas es involved until th e o th er o bj ec ti o ns in the ward were disposed of, when Mr. Wilkins would again be heard (should Air. Turtle then not be forthcoming) in support of further se set ponement. If, in the meantime, Mr. James should 51 toes cause, there would be an end of the case. The discussion of this case occupied upwards of three hce lrs. A notice the service of a belonging to mined as to no notice o h e te o r b e j f eC r t rn i o n p i r s , a o ; Y t h w : s c t ( ) : u x LI : cil for the party. WILKINS, i n cross-examination , asked the witi less what was th e na t ur e of his employment , and whether la :gu larly employed by the Reform Association?—No. Wa s he not employed by the Protector Society?—No. Have you not paid rates for several persons ?—I have paid some. il .ave you not paid many ?--I cannot really recollect how ms tny. Will you swear you have not paid twenty ?—Yes. TA el ve ? —Yes. Six ?—I wil not swear I have not paid six. Who was the person you paid for ?—I do not know him by name. Where does he live ?—ln Westmoreland-street, in a court on the right from Vauxhall-road. Did you go to him, ordid he come to yon?—l went to his house. Do you know the name of the court ?—I do not. Nor the number of the house? — No ; could find it if I went there. How did you come to find him out ?—I inquired. How often did you inquire, a dozen times ?—I do not think I did. Did you inquire six times ? I may have done so. How long was this ago?—lt was two or three weeks ago. I cannot say it was a month ago. I will not swear it was five weeks ago. I did not go directly to his house. Can't tell the name of any one from whom I inquired where he lived. I did not know the man by name. 1 will not swear that I have not, paid six rates. I cannot swear that I have not paid five or six rates. I, got the money from the Protector Society. I stated to Mr. Murphy, who gave me the money, for whom and for whatpurpose I wanted it. I went to Back Castle-street for the money. I paid the rates at the Parish-office. Ido not know to whom. I think to Mr. Peachy. I cannot say how much. Not £lO nor £8 altogether in rates. I will not swear I have paid £7. At this time Mr. ROSSON, who sat with Mr. Harvey, made some remark to him in a whisper. - - Mr. HARVEY rose and said, that he thought the cross examination of Mr. Wilkins had been conducted more harshly than the conduct of the witness justified. In this opinion the mayor concurred. 'Here Mr. WILKINS stated , that he would not allow any interference upon the part of Mr. Rosson. Mr. ROSSON instantly rose and said, he merely made a sug gestion to Mr. Harvey as amicav eurice. Mr. WILKINS replied,—" You an maxims curia t Why, you don't know the meaning of the words, sir." A scene of great confusion here ensued, which the mayor in vain endeavoured to check ; but, in the course of which, Mr. ROSSON, addressing Mr. Wilkins said, do you dare to tell me, sir, that I do not know thelneaning of the words (miens curia' I Mr. WILKENS.-1 do. Mr. RossON.—Then, sir, I tell you, you are an ignorant bully. • ' The confusion hereupon became considerably greater. The mayor interposed, but was unable to suppress the tumult. Mr. 'WRIGHT, who had risen during the proceedings, evi dently under strong excitement, .instantly said, with vehe mence, " Mr. Mayor, I call upon you to call an officer to take Mr. Rosson out of court; in which request Mr. Wil kins joined." The MAYOR stated that he did not choose to be dictated to by any third party, that he had risen the moment the al tercation began, for the purpose of checkingit, and that, .as Mr. ROsson had apologised to the court for the indiscretion of which . he had guilty, he did consider the matter might now be suffered to drop. Mr. WRIGHTstiII persisted in his request; - upon which Mr. Rosson rose, and bowing left the court. It was then stated that any party who bad received notice of objection from Turtle, and who chose to answer to that objection, if he came forward should be heard. Several cases were disposed of, but they partook of no particular interest. The court adjourned at five o'clock. MONDAY. The court commenced this morning with the investigation of the claims made in several wards. Most of the claims were made by members of the Protector Society, but we are glad to: say that the*conservatives were tolerably successful in striking them off. Nothing of the slightest interest occurred during the whole day. MEETING OF CASTLE-STREET ARD. A meeting of the radicals in this ward took place on Fri day last, at the Clarendon Rooms. When au actor distrust ful of his own powers, wishes to make what is termed in theatrical parlance " a good bill," he enlists into his ser vice " a star" as an attraction—such was the case with the promoters of this meeting. Well knowing that Mr. James Aikin would not alone prove a good card to insure a strong muster, a gentleman, whom the silly people of Wolver hampton permit to write M.P. after his name, was induced to become chairman on the occasion. Even with this " ap pliance to boot"—with the aid of Mr. Thomas Thornely—the meeting was decidedly a downright cold affair, if not a failure. The room was not crowded, even when Mr. Aikin was speak ing, twenty minutes after the meeting commenced, for at that time even numbers were " tailing out," apparently quite satis fied ; and had it not been for two fat gentlemen, with luxuri ant corporations, standing on each side of the door, thus preventing the egress of those wishful to leave, the room would have been half empty at a much earlier period than it really was. Mr. AIKIN, in the course of his address, alluded to the schools, and made some observations respecting " old women," but whether in re f erenc e to the radical membrs of the coun cil or not, we did not exactly comprehend. He stated, that the children educated in the corporation schools would for ever bless their fate in securing a liberal education. Mr. Aikin also alluded to the establishment of a sailors' home, and gave expression to several clap-traps respecting the " blue jackets ; ' but small applause followed the orator, and the points fell unnoticed. One remarkable fact was stated by the speaker, that he had been a reformer from the time that hie father rave him birth ! No wonder that such brilliant ta lents should adorn Mr. Aikin, since he, Minerva-like, issued from his father's brain ! ! On the conclusion of Mr. Aikin's speech, somebody said something, but in so low a voice that it seemed only " a sound between that and silence." Indeed, so faint was the voice, that several persons inquired the reason the meeting was not proceeding. Mr. TINDAL ATKINSON arose with all the dignity with which he is so eminently endowed. The uplift ing of his voice was perfectly electrical. His well known tone, sonorous as a bell, acted like one, for it proved to be a ringing out, one-half of the auditors withdrawing during the speaker's progress. Mr. Atkinson hammered away at railroad speed, in his usual vulgar style, and if we are to be lieve his assertions, we cannot but fancy we must have been attached for many years to a most base and unpatriotical party, as the meeting was assured that the tories were at all times desirous to ride roughshod over the poor, and give the country a taste of the " oppressor's wrong." Vituperation Mr. Atkinson did not confine himself to ;—he made a joke. which set " a few (literally) barren spectators on to laugh ;" but whether at him or with him, was not exactly evident. The most brilliant jest gave the speaker an opportunity to exhibit his zoological knowledge—acquired, doubtless, amongst the animals with whom he is in the habit of associating. He compared the conservative party to a rhinoceros, which was vulnerable only in the belly. How exceedingly droll ! Mr. Atkinson sprinkled a little salt of abuse on Mr. Wilkins, and informed his auditors that the annoyance of " objections " commenced with the conservative party ! Mr. Tindal Atkinson must surely be troubled with a short memory. He was at times highly poetical, indulging in a high flight about " Hope telling a flattering tale," and that the radicals would succeed in nine wards, if not ten, out of the sixteen ! The meeting was in formed that the old register would be put in operation. Mr. Atkinson was particularly happy and profuse in his laudation of Mr. Aikin and his other employers, while all who differed from him and them were denounced and vilified in good set phrase. When Mr. Atkinson had concluded, Mr. HOLLAND was called upon to address the meeting, which he did, but evidently with either a prepaied speech or an opacity of vision, as he affirmed that he was delighted to see the crowded state of the room, and the enthusiasm which was exhibited. Now the room at that time was more than half empty, three deep standing only round the table, the rest of the room being unoccupied except by three persons sitting on a table in the corner, and a mangy-backed white terrier, who appeared to listen with a most doggedly con temptuous expression of countenance to the proceedings. Mr. TAYLOR, the candidate for Great George Ward, also addressed the meeting. Both Mr. Holland and Mr. Taylor seemed highly anxious to terminate the meeting, as both attempted to propose a vote of thanks to the chairmain, in which, however, they were unsuccessful, and sat down amidst much tittering and many significant looks. In the course of the meeting several gentlemen were called upon to propose and second motions, and also to address the meeting; but, like spirits, they " would not come." With the exception of a hearty cheer for Mr. Thornely, the meet ing was most " stale, flat, and unprofitable," presenting a vivid contrast to the enthusiasm shewn at all the conserva tive meetings. The radic a l s o f C as tl e - s t ree t are e i t h er apa thetic or in deep despair. IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPRIGGING. Partiality for old customs and appliances was, for some time, an obstacle to the employment of chain for bobstays, bowsprit snrouds, topsail ties, sheets, &c. It was, by the more prejudiced, considered a monstrous deviation from all known practice and example in the art of shiprigging to sub stitute iron for hemp. But by degrees this prejudice has been removed, and at this moment it would be as difficult to find a ship wholly rigged with hempen rope, as it would have been before to meet with an application of iron. The chain has been found to answer, but iron in an improved form (wire rope) has been introduced as a substitute for chain. Many naval officers and master mariners who have tried it as standing rigging, declare that they approve of its use. The wire rope is recommended for its lighter weight and greater strength and durability than hempen rope. Its com pact form makes it preferable to chain. A piece of it is at present on trial on the Blackwall railway. This work will put its pliability and toughness to a severe test but it is ex pected the result will . prove that its properties as a running rope are also of a superior order. hi this case, its employ ment for all marine purposes will be speedy and general. The Oriental steam-ship, 1700 tons, has been fitted with it, as have also several yachts and steamers. The following are the dimensions of the Oriental's rigging: Fore rigging Forestays 6 „ Main rigging Mainstay 44 ~ Mizen rigging Minn stay Funnel shrouds The Oriental made a very quick passage out against head winds, to which the lightness of the rigging no doubt, con tributed in a considerable degree. 'TUE LORD-LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND.—Lord Ebrington arrived on Friday morning from Dublin, in the Admiralty steamer Merlin, Captain Townley, and proceeded immediately by railway to London. His excellency was accompanied by his sons, Messrs. John and Dudley Fortescue, and Mr., Mrs., .and the Misses Matthew Fortescue. ' • THE LATE DR. STEWART.—The funeral of this much Ilamented gentleman took place yesterday. The mournful ;procession left the residence of the respected minister about ten o'clock, and proceeded along Russel-street, Seymour 'street, and St. Anne-street, to the Cemetery, Low-hill. Si x mourning coaches and one private carriage, followed by about MO gentlemen, attired in black, accompanied the hearse, which was preceded by Dr. Raffles, in his private carriage. CO'N'SUMPTION OF THE SMOKE OF STEAM-ENGINE FUR 7NACES.—In this age of steam, there is not a more important desideratum, as affecting the convenience and health of the ; public, than the combustion of the smoke in the furnaces of ,both marine and land engines. Various plans have, from year to year, been devised ; but while some have proved abor- live in practice, others have bee n marked by but paitialasurce: e t as. We therefore hail with the greater gratification eget invention, which is practically found to attain f the object r which in wiew to an extent hitherto unachieved, a pant has consequently been taken out. This new a a applica tion is the more valuable, inasmuch as it combines the almost en ti r e consumption of smoke, with a very of fuel, and at the same time supplies the considerable saving boilers with a regu lar 4legree of heat, rendering them less subject to corrosion. Its practical effects are abundantly demonstrated in two of the Woodside ferry-boats, now Cleveland and Ellenborou h,tlie Plying on the ricer,—the g great satisfaction of passengers, emitfarnaces of which, to the scarcely any perceptible quantity of smoke. The invention, which is simple in detail, is equally applicabl e t o lan engines, and, if generally adopted, would remove m th a ede_nse and murky clouds of smoke that nu hang over ourmanufacturing towns, and by permi tting the access of pure air, con d uce to the health and comfort of the inhabitants. Mr. Joseph Williams. manufacturing chemist, Bedford-street, ToxtetliP ark, in this town, is, we le arn, the agent of the pa t entee, for the disposal of this valua ble inven tion. It h as been recently noticed in the London papers that several applications have been made to the Lord Mayor, recommending the a d o pti on o f some means of p reventin g the nuisance of the volumes of smoke from engines in that crowded metropolis, as well as from steamers on the Thames ; and his lordship intimated, that notice of a motion on the subject had been given for the consideration of the Court of Cominon Council. That court would do well to avail them selves of the advantages held forth by the new and success ful " patent furnace." LITERARY NOTICE. Parliamentary Speeches, dnring the Session 1840. London : William Edward Painter, Strand. Royal Bvo., 358 pages. This is an admirable co ll ec ti on o f a ll th e speec h es wor th y of preservation, delivered by the most distinguished and honourable men, peers and commoners, during the last session of parliament,—and with the advantage of greater accuracy than is generally to be found i n necessar il y h asty newspapers, i many of them, (as s announced in the title-page of the book), being "corrected by the spea k ers " themselves. They em brace the most important subjects affecting the interest of this great country,—amongst which are, " Want of confidence in Ministers,"—" Progress of Socialism,"—" Provisional Grant to Prince Albert,"—" The Corn Laws,"—" The Irish Registration,"—" The War in China,"—" Church Rates," —" Ecclesiastical Dutiesand Revenues," &c.—When we add that they comprise the principal addresses of many of the highest dignitaries of the Church,—of Lord Stanley, Sir R. Peel, Sir James Graham, and Sir R. Inglis, and others who, though great conversatives, alike refused to place confidence in the Melbourne administration on all great political ques tions,—it were almost superfluous to seek for a further re commendation of the work. But the utility and cheapness of the work are such that we shall stand excused in offering some brief explanations of its plan and purposes. " Its ob ject," as stated in the introduction, is to preserve the sum and substance of each great question—not by the hackneyed repetition of a long debate, but by presenting, in a united whole, the speeches of the great conservative leaders—un mixed with baser matter." The work was published in num bers and parts of series, so printed that each speech could be procured separately, for the small sum of threepence, and the sale has already been great. The whole now form in one volume a complete record of the great debates, and as the compiler anticipated on the outset " deserves a place in the library, not as a matter of temporary interest only, but as serving to the political history of the period." Of the highly, talented, and truly oratorical speeches in the volume, deli vered by Lord Stanley, Sir Robert Peel, and the other great leaders before named, we need say nothing here. Their powers as speakers, and their worth as conservators of all that would enoble our country, and relieve her from the trammels which the vicious policy of the whigs has imposed, are too widely acknowledged by the honest and enlightened to require any eulogy from us. Nor could we do justice to the sentiments they have uttered by submitted extracts from their corrected and eloquent addresses as here supplied. The whole must be perused with care, as we feel assured they will be with pleasure by the conservative reader. We cannot, however, take leave of the work without adverting to the ad mirably penned essay which forms the " introduction" to the work, in which the author has in a masterly manner enume rated the various delinquencies of the present whig adminis tration, and their utter unworthiness of the confidence of the country. We regret that we have but room for the follow ing introductory paragraph to this portion of his subject : The confidence of the Commons in the Melboure Ministry has been distinctly tested on six occasions during the early portion of the present session, that is, between Christmas and Easter of the current year—a House of Commons, - be it observed, of their own, and far in the third year of its exist- ence—and with what result? They have had two majorities, one of nine and the other of sixteen. On the other hand, they have sustained four defeats, and the conservative ma jorities have amounted severally to 10, 16, 28, and 1051 Yet the Melbourne Ministry maintains its place ! The mere statement of these facts is surprising ; and when accompa nied by the eloquent speeches which this work will contain, must completely settle the question of confidence or no con fidence. It is remarkable that, even as regards parliamentary eloquence, in the present House of Commons—to say nothing of the undisputed superiority of the conservative peers, it is all on the side on which argument predominates, and the whigs are alike poor in both. The counterpart of such a work as this is impossible. When a series of heads of con servative statesmen were published, a series of portraits of reformers followed. Will the speeches of the Palmerstons, the Russells, the Morpeths, the O'Connells, the Bulwers, the Humes, and the Wakleys, appear in sequence of those of Lyndhurst, Wellington. Peel, Stanley, Graham, Goulbourn, Herries, Gladstone, Follett, Sugden, Pollock, Thesiger, D'lsracli, Inglis, and other eloquent conservatives? We believe not. NEWFOUNDLAND & BRITISH NORTH AME RICA SOCIETY FOR EDUCATING THE POOR. We shall not be wrong in surmising that not many of the inhabitants of Liverpool are acquainted with even the exist ence, and still fewer with the utility and efficiency of this valuable society. An auxiliary society for this town and neighbourhood has been formed, and at a meeting of several of the clergy and laity held here towards the close of last month, for the purpose of hearing the statements of Samuel Codner, Esq., one of the vice-presidents, relative to the re• ligious state of British North America, the following inte resting but lamentable particulars were elicited. 1. That Newfoundland had been a possession attached to the crown of Great Britain, since its discovery, A.D. 1497. That there exists in that island an extent of coast of not less than 1400 miles, peopled by inhabitants of British de scent. That so late as the year 1822, (the year before that in which the society was formed) the entire number of cler gymen of the Church of England officiating in that island, amounted to no more than seven. That there was also at that date, in existence, only one free daily school, which was at St. John's, the capital, in which school was one Bible, from which no less than FOR. Tv female children read in turn. The zeneral ignorance of the population is thus pointedly stated by Chief Justice Forbes,—" Not one in twenty can read or write, and how can you govern such people ? 2. There is manifested a great desire among the people to receive instruction—their situation is most painfully felt by themselves, and the more so because almost all their mercantile transactions are carried on by barter. They are therefore most anxious for the establishment of schools amongst them, for the instruction of their children, so much so, that many have come forward to aid the society's opera tions, by bringing timber from the woods to build school houses; and on a recent visit of the superintendent of the schools to this country, no less OAR . 4 exen petitions from different places were presented by him to the committee, praying for the extension of the means of education to their own neighbourhood. Mr. Codner's statements related fur ther to the constitution of the society, and the rules of its procedure. Its object is to supply reigious instruction, as well as secular education. The masters and mistresses, to whom the management of the schools is committed, are ex clusively members of the united church of England and Ire land. The committee holds them responsible to the local episcopal authorities. The Bible is read as a reg u l ar sc h oo l book at all the schools. In places where churches are wanting, divine service is celebrated in the school-houses, on the Lord's day, under the sanction of the Bishop, and the children are afterwards instructed in the formularies of the church of England. Children, however, of such parents as dissent from the church of England, are allowed to attend their own places of worship. It was stated also by Mr. Codner, that much substantial benefit had already resulted from the society's efforts, in proof of which he quoted the testimony of the late Governor Sir J. Cochran, and of Judge Des Barres, as well as of the Bishop of Montreal ; and let ters were read from the Bishop of Newfoundland, and from the Rev. T. Bridge, Rector of St. John's, and Chaplain to the Bishop of Newfoundland. Various inquiries were then made, by some of the clergy, with the view of obtaining dis tinct information with respect to particulars; after which, it was resolved unanimously,—That it appears from the au thenticated statements of S. Codner, Esq , that the inhabit ants of Newfoundland and British North America, have a strong claim on the sympathy and active benevolence of the Christian public in general, and of the town and neighbour hood of Liverpool in particular. The secretaries of the Liverpool Auxiliary are the In cumbent and Curate of Christ Church, by either of whom subscriptions will be gratefully received, for the purpose of carrying out the laudable object of the society. THE PERSECUTED JEWS IN THE EAST. COMMUNICATION FROM SIR MOSES MONTZFIORE TO THE LORD MAYOR. The Lord Mayor has just received the following letter from Sir Moses Montefiore, on the subtject of the hon. and highly respected Knight's mission to Damascus : " Alexandria, Sept. 9, 1840. " My dear Lord Mayor,—The deep interest your lordship has taken in the cause of my persecuted and suffering bre thren at Damascus, and the readiness with which your lord ship kindly granted the use of the Egyptian-hall for the merchants on the subject, induce me to trouble your lordship with this letter, to inform your lordship, that amidst much opposition, many discouragements and fears, we have suc ceeded in obtaining from his highness the viceroy— " A tirman fur the unconditional discharge of the nine unhappy persons confined at Damascus, on the accusation of being parties to the murder of Father Thomaso. " Permission for such of the Jews as had fled to return to their homes unmolested. " A general declaration that the Jews should have the same protection as all other subjects. " It will, I am certain, impart to your lordship much sa tisfaction to learn, that so far our mission has not been in vain. More was anticipated when we left home, but the turn political affairs have taken, the agitation that prevails here, the disturbed state of Syria, and the opposition of the French authorities, have hitherto prevented our proceeding to Da mascus, or obtaining a new trial, and thus daring our ac cusers to bring proof that my co-religionists were in any way implicated in the murder. " The rise, progress, and end of the Rhodes affair afford an useful lesson to persecutors, and demonstrate that where cupidity is united to religions fanaticism, truth is altogether shut out, guilt escapes, and innocence alone is sure to suffer. " Notwithstanding our difficulties, it is not our intention to quit the East without visiting Damascus, unless compelled by actual hostilities. 1 have the honour to be, my dear Lord Mayor, Yours most truly, " MOSES MONTEFIORE. ‘• To the Right }lon. the Lord Mayor," &c. DARING ROBBERY:A most daring robbery was commit ted, on. Friday evening last, about eight o'clock, by some villain at present unknown. He thrust his hand through a pane of glass in the window of Messrs. Medder and Syred, pawnbrokers, Oldhall-street, and, grasping a small lot of American gold coins, amounting in value to about £l2, im mediately decamped out of sight. A very great outrage, particularly at such an hour, in a great thoroughfare, when the moon and the gas rendered the street as light almost as day. ST. SIMON'S BRANCH OF THE LIVERPOOL OPERATIVE PROTESTANT ASSOCI ATION.—Last evening a very numerous meeting of the members and friends of St. Simon's Branch of the Operative Protestant Association was held in the School-room, Moorfields. The meeting was one of a monthly series, which are producing great and extensive good. The Reverend J. R. Connor presided, and he delivered an interesting speech, showing the grounds of the Protestant cause, and the reasons why it was necessary for the people of England to combine for its defence. A num ber resolutions were afterwards moved an d seconded, of appropriate and ca rried unanimously, and the meeting sepa rated about ten o'clock. DEATH OF Ala. MARSHALL.—The attack upon Mr. Mar shall of the county of Donegal, on the 9th ult. haseventuated in death. The ruffian who aimed the deadly blow at the de ceased was admitted to bail, but we take for granted that the magistrate who took the recognizancea for his appearance will feel it his duty to resort to means of preventing his es cape, as death has ensued. The deceased, we understand, made a most satisfactory deposition of the circumstances of the attack, and of the identity of his assailant. The magis trate who took the deposition should issue a warrant against the person charged with the crime of murder.—Dublin Even ing Post. METEOR.—Between two and three o'clock on Friday after noon, while a gentleman was proceeding to Granton Pier, and passing by Golden Acre he observed a brilliant meteor shot from a hazy cloud, which floated at no great height in the atmosphere, in the direction of Newhaven. The course of the meteor was vertically down •, the length of it, as it ap peared to the eye, was about a yard, of a pear shape, and the colour of the light that of burnished brass. Its meteor form distinguished it at once from a thunder bolt ; besides, no audible report accompanied the phenomenon. The sun shone brilliantly at the time, and the clouds generally consisted of isolated masses, with considerable spaces between them ; and that from which the meteor darted seemed to occupy a lower stratam of the atmosphere, and was of a less dense and more hazy appearance.--Scottish Standard. tk *2 - : 6 .. Y • 4 ;0 X 1, ••.; • '1 (ti " *. •l a 1 0 j . sir lig