The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-11-23 00:00:00

AURICULAR CONFESSION.

Tins subject will be prominently brought before the
public of Liverpool this day (Tuesday), at the Amphi-
theatre ; and as everything which can afford any informa-
tion upon it will be valuable at the present juncture, we
publish the following report of a sermon, by the Very
Rev, the DEAN of EXETER, which was preached a few
days since in the Cathedral of that diocese.

"RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST : WHOSE SOEVER SINS
YE REMIT, THEY ARE REMITTED UNTO THEM ; AND
WHOSE SOEVER SINS YE RETAIN, THEY ARE RE-
TAINED."—John xx., 22, 23.
This is one of the principal texts on the authority of
which the Church of Rome maintains that Sacerdotal
Absolution is necessary to the salvation of every baptised
person who has fallen into mortal sin ; and that Auricular
Confession is the divinely-appo nted means of obtaining
that absolution. The same doctrine is now maintained
by certain persons in our Church, who openly claim this
power for themselves, and are endeavouring to revive
among us the practice of Auricular Confession ; and as
their proceedings in this direction have lately caused no
small stir, especially in this diocese, I shall endeavour, on
the present occasion, to show you that—
There is really no ground in Scripture for this doc-

trine ;
That it leads in practice to the grossest abuses ;
And that our Reformed Church does not sanction it.
In the first place, however, we must inquire what it is
that the Church of Rome and its apish imitators mean by
Auricular Confession, and on what ground they maintain
it is of Divine institution, and that without it we cannot
obtain the pardon of our sins from God ?
By Auricular Confession, the Church of Rome means a
full and unreserved confession of all the sins which we
have committed, by thought, word, or deed, made secretly
in the ear of a priest, in order that we may receive from
him the benefit of absolution, and thereby be restored to
peace with God. This confession is imposed on all per-
sons of competent age, at stated periods, and is especially
enjoined as au indispensable preparation for receiving the
Holy Communion; and without priestly absolution, which
is not granted, except after such confession, it is held that
there can be no forgiveness of sins. It is obvious how
wonderfully this doctrine tends to exalt the person and
office of the priest, who thus stands to the penitent in the
place of God, and to bring into subjection to him the
minds and consciences of those who believe him to possess
this superhuman power; but the question is—what autho-
rity is there in Scripture for affirming it? It is nothing
to the purpose to adduce a hundred passages from the
Fathers, if so many could be found in which it is asserted
or implied ; for we know that the love of power, which is
inherent in our nature, soon led the Bishops and Presby-
ters of the Church to lord it over the laity, and to assume
to themselves the office of mediators between God and
man, and that this mystery of iniquity began to work even
in the lifetime of St. Paul. On any matters, therefore,
of which it is the manifest tendency to exalt the priestly
office, we ought to lay no stress on their opinions, unless
they are confirmed by the plain and unequivocal testimony
of God's Written Word. And this I say, not by way of
evacuating the force of their testimony to this particular
doctrine, for amonz all the passages which the ingenuity
and learning of Cardinal Bellarmine—the most astute
defender of the Church of Rome—have been able to col-
lect from their writings. during the first twelve centuries,
there is not one in favour of the Popish doctrine of
Auricular Confession ; and, as to Scripture, the passages
on which Bellarmine claims Divine authority for this
practice, and arrogates to the priesthood the judicial power
of plenary absolution, however plausible they may seem,
according to the letter, do, when rightly interpreted, as
completely fail him, as our Lord's words, " This is my
body," fail to prove the Popish doctrine of Transub-
stantiation.
The Council of Trent declares (Sess. xiv. c. 5, and Can.
6,7, and 8) that confession of all mortal sins is, by the law
of God, necessary to those who have fallen into sins after
Baptism, and anathematises those who presume to deny
it. Bellarmine, therefore, in defending this proposition,
begins with this unquestionable truth, that " those who
have fallen into mortal sin are, by God's law, bound to
repent, and to seek reconciliation with God. But (he
argues) the necessary mean of reconciliation after baptism
is confession of all sins, made to a priest ' • and, therefore,
IRELAND. by God's law, those who have committed mortal sin after
baptism are bound to confess all their sins to a priest."
FIRE IN CORK.—The flour mills of Messes. Lawe, at He then affirms that " Christ has appointed His priests
Cork, in which about 1000 bags of flour were stored, were to be judges upon earth, with such power that, without
destroyed by fire on Friday morning. their sentence, no person who has fallen into sin after
THE COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH has released Mr. baptism can be reconciled to God. But the priests can-
Lynch from prison and the penalty arising out of alleged not pronounce a right sentence, unless they are cognizant
bribery at the Athlone election. The affair is to come of the sins ; therefore, those who have fallen into sin after
before parliament. baptism are bound, by God's law, to open their sins to
the priests ; and, consequently, confession of sins is the
TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION.—LocaI arrangements necessary mean of reconciliation to those who have fallen
have been made in Belfast for the speedy erection of the into sin after baptism. If then (he proceeds) I prove from
magnetic telegraph on the line of railway between the the Gospel, that the Apostles and their successors, were
capital of Ulster and the Irbil metropolis. appointed by the Lord to be judges in the Church in the
DEATH OF P. APKEOGH, ESQ.—The death of P. causes of penitents, I shall prove, at the same time, that
M`Keogh, Esq., Crown solicitor for the counties of Ros- a special confession of sins is required, by God's law, to
common, Sligo, and Leitrim, is announced. The patron- be made before a priest." 1
age of the office is with the Attorney General. He then appeals to three principal texts, from which
THE FLOODS.—On Friday the river at Balbriggan this absolving power of the priesthood may be demon-
burst the flood-gates of a mill, and the water, in its rush strated. The first is in the sixteenth chapter of St.
towards the sea, destroyed two houses on the bank. A Matthew, " I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom
woman was drowned in a cellar of another house. Several of heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall
head of black cattle and sheep were carried away. be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven." The next is in the
MR. SHARMAN CRAWFORD has written a letter to Jno. eighteenth chapter of the same Evangelist, " Whatsoever
Bates, Esq., of Belfast, the solicitor for the plaintiffs in ve shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven • and
the several actions for libel commenced against Mr. Craw- - hatsoever ye shall loose on
ford, for the statements contained in his letter of the 26th w earth shall be loosed in
hea-
of July last, in which he withdraws his charges against yen." The last is that which I have chosen for my text,
ye remit,
the Irish landlords, and the plaintiffs have agreed not " Whose soever sins they are remitted unto
proceed further with these actions. them ; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are re-
totained."—Bellarns de Pcenit. iii., c. 2.
PRIESTLY INTERFERENCE WITH THE POST-OFFICE.— All these passages, like " This is my body," sound as
We are informed that in some of the country post-offices if they were directly in favour of the Popish doctrine ;
tracts addressed to Romanist readers have been detained, but it is nothing but sound. The first was a promise made
and never allowed to reach the individuals for whom they perlonally to St. Peter, and to him alone ; and, what-
were intended. In one instance, we understand, a post- ever its meaning may be, cannot be extended to the other
master has acknowledged that this was done by direction Apostles, and, consequently, cannot be derived, through
of a priest ; but postmasters ought to be aware that priests them, to the present ministers of the church.
have no authority over her Majesty's mails.—Cork Con- The declaration in the second passage, " Whatsover ye
stitution. shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and what-
THE EXODUS.—The Limerick Reporter says, " The soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven,"
tide of emigration continues to flow well nigh as strongly was made with reference, not to any judgments which the
as ever, and to carry with it many who in their own land Apostles might pronounce, but to the judgments cf the as-
enjoyed the respect, the esteem, and regard of the ex- srmbled synagogue : and it is impossible to prove from it,
tensive circles in which they moved. Yesterday the by any legitimate course of argument, that Christ gave to
members of two highly respectable and affluent families, His Apostles, and now gives to their successors in the
natives of and residents in Limerick, where they enjoyed ministry, a judicial power to absolve men from the future
every possible advantage, as well as the affectionate at- penalties of sin.
tachment of ' troops of friends' and relatives, left by the In the third passage, where our Lord says to His Apes-
afternoon train en route to Liverpool, to take shipping in ties, " Receive ye the Holy Ghost : whose soever sins ye
the Africa for Melbourne, Australia." remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whose soever sins
THE IRISH CHURCH.—The report of the Ecclesiastical ye retain, they are retained ." by the gift of the Holy
Commissioners for Ireland for the year ended the Ist Ghost, and by the power of remitting and retaining sins,
of August last has been printed. The commissioners had it is simply meant that He gave them His Divine autho-
been enabled to appropriate a larger sum for the rebuilding rity to act as presbyters and rulers in His Church ; and in
and repairing of churches than for some years past, as this sense, the Apostles, being Jews, must have under-
also for other purposes connected with the church in stood His words. For we read in the eleventh chapter
Ireland. With the balance at the commencement of the of Numbers, that the Spirit of God rested on the seventy
year of £11,016 155., the receipts were £122,372. After presbyters, who received their commission under Moses
various disbursements the balance at the end of the year in the wilderness ; and it was the universal belief of the
was £12,074, 13s. 10d. Besides the sums mentioned, Jews that the same spiritual gift was imparted to all who
there were funds at the disposal of the commissioners succeeded them in their office, and were legitimate ly or-
from property left by Primate Boulter and Primate dained by the imposition of hands. In these Jewish or-
Robinson, amounting to £6,807 ls. 9d., of which £1,250 dinations, which were slightly varied, according to the
3s. 3d. was appropriated in stipends in augmentation of different offices to which they were applied, and the differ-
small benefices. ant powers which they were intended to convey, authority

PERSONELLE OF ABD-EL-KADER.—The Emir is of a
moderate height, his figure being cast in the most per-
fect symmetry. Slight, lithe, and muscular, strength and
grace are united in every limb, displayed in every move-
ment. His face, of a pure oval, is pale ; his nose straight
as that of a Greek statue ; his eyes, which are not black,
but of a deep blue, have a mingled expression of pride, of
gentleness, of melancholy, and of latent ardour, that
renders them really indescribable. His face is encadre'e
by a glossy black beard and whiskers. Abd-el-Kader's
dress is remarkably simple ; no ornaments nor brilliant
colours interfere with its perfect plainness; while his
white burnous and haick are only conspicuous from the
natural grace with which they are worn. His manners are
calm, dignified, and gentle, and an air of patient ab-
straction is remarkable in all his demeanour. Much of
his time is employed at his devotions. At the grand
opera, recently, he was calm, silent. and impassable,
displaying neither interest ner ennui. A good deal of
amusement was excited by the entrance into his box of
M. -, the celebrated marine painter, who insisted on
bestowing on the Emir, for the benefit of the audience,
a most demonstrative accolade, an operation to which he
submitted with a resignation worthy a better cause.

to bind and to loose was usually given ; that is, to declare
what was lawful, and what was unlawful; as teachers of
the people, to exhort and to rebuke with all "authority :
or as judges in spiritual matters, if need were, to inflict,
or to remove ecclesiastical censures. In thus laying the
foundation of His Church, which was framed on the
model of the Jewish synagogue, our Lord gave to His
Apostles the same ordinary powers in spiritual things as
those which the Jewish presbyters possessed ; and as it
never was pretended that the Jewish presbyters, by their
authority to bind and to loose, were enabled to absolve
men from the future penalties of sin, there was no danger
that the Apostles should imagine that, as presbyters of
the Christian Church, they were invested with such an
unheard-of power. And if these words, " Whose soever
sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whose
soever sins ye retain, they are retained," were not de-
signed to confer—and, in fact, did not confer—this power
on them, still less do they confer it on their successors in
the ministry.
But suppose that this power had been conferred on the
Apostles. They, be it remembered, in all things pertain-
ing to Christian doctrine and practice, were under the
infallible guidance of the Holy Spirit •, and unless the
present ministers of Christ were under the same guidance
—which, most undoubtedly, they are not—it could not
be inferred, even with the lowest degree of probability,
that they possess the same power. But suppose they had
it. The defenders of the Popish doctrine would still have
to prove from Scripture, that, without priestly absolution,
no person who has fallen into mortal sin after baptism can
be reconciled to God. Unless this can be fully proved—
and proved, I repeat it, from Scripture—the Popish as-
sumption that, by God's law, those who have committed
mortal sin after baptism are bound to confess all their sins
to a priest, has absolutely nothing to rest on. It falls to
the ground. If it be in God's law, let the passage be pro-
duced in which Auricular Confession to a priest is required,
in order to our obtaining from God the pardon of our sins.
'Till some such passage be produced—which it never can
be, while the world lasts—instead of having recourse to
any other mediator than Christ, let us be content with the
humble and penitent confession of our sins to Almighty
God, our most merciful Father through Hill; for lie
alone can know the sincerity of our repentance, and He
alone has power to " forgive us our trespasses." If we
do this faithfully, then let us be sure that, if all the priests
on earth were to refuse us absolution, we should be none
the worse for it ; and that we should be none the better for
it were they all to join in pronouncing our absolution, if
we did not truly repent us of our sins, and look to God,
through Christ, for the pardon of them.
And here we might safely leave the question ; for " Holy
Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation ; so
that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved
thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should
be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requi-
site or necessary to salvation." This great Article of
Religion is the basis of all Protestantism. To this all
Protestants—whatever other differences there may be
b,tween them, on points of discipline or doctrine—give
their unanimous assent and adherence. It is the great
keystone which binds us all together, as the Papists are
bound together by their adherence to the Pope, as the
He'd of their Church and the Vicar of Christ on earth.

of God he was called upon to perform, ever kept in vieto
the principle that the path of duty was the true wal, his
vi
glory, and who, honestly applying the full powers of ~
great mind to the performance of that work which Pro.
dence placed in his way, directed his career with unerrint
success, and provided for himself, on the field, t,im.,5,5
mighty achievements, the reward of which was a nat,'°"o,
honours and a world's admiration. (Loud cheers.) I'4°
I think if all this can be made out by a reference to the_
career of Wellington—and all England and even Earotre
acknowledges it—it is a feeling something more than „
m:re worship of genius or greatness that has made
land present to the world within the last few weeks 1,.°:
ful homage to the memory
spectacle of paying, in so munificent a manner, her grated
her sons. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) There is no
worship here. It is the acknowledgment of the utnrl
moral use made of high powers conferred, and of the gre:,
moral principle that he, who honestlyturns himself to chil
of one of the greate't 0
work given him to perform, shall find that there is a
ing providence to direct his steps upwards, and lead 1307
on to honour and fame. (Loud cheers.) It was nes
either that he merely turned himself to the perforrnabe
of dty, because he saw it was the high
looked neitherh to far°, to
he duid it for the sake of dut itself. He e
the right hand nor to the left, but simply finding th!tht.
Glory for himself (which he really achieved)
had certain work to do, he did it with all his hat
he aimed at, but the service of his country alone. W,hmithe
was told of the remark made upon his despatches °Yr 0
French critics that the word " duty" occurred so vitet;
and " glory" seldom, his reply was, " It is strmgethe
me that they cannot see that, if I want to attains oarr„ch
way to it is by duty." But to the critics of the rre"ht
school of that day it was a most out-of-the-waY .thlary,
that a man should observe duty in order to obtain g s
for duty to them was nothing more than a meteor,
the
physical sense, that would take a man far away from
real path of duty. Duty and glory, alike to filen), c°,./
sisted of doing that which should attract the attention v;
men and nations by some brilliant, nay, desperate t,efa,
but moral rectitude, or the moral consequences of t;
acts, never, entered into their calculations. BY th? ctho
trast you Wellington's notions of glory- To himiec,.
path of duty was the path to glory. (Cheers.) The 4
was not woo
turer, in continuation, said he would now take a brief /0
general review of this hero of many brilliant deeds fri,t.id
service of his country, by which the foundation was ,ias
manifold aicthfieovremgeran
for that unequalled amount of greatness which the ils`lirs
now enjoyed. He must take for granted that thlow
acquainted with the main facts connected with Nle time
ton's
therefore,
atstedantdhavticttohreiyes.vra;
would not permit him even to detail a few of them. farm•
liar with his wonderful achievements in of
they there saw him even anticipating the orv!-5 lf
the Governor-General, and undertaking for nse9t)
an enterprise (when no time whatever was to ue,„ of
which would have fallen to his lot in the due nmi—f:of
time—that how, as he marched through different lor-05.
the country, his penetrating eye and keen perception e
bled him to see almost instantly the most favourable irto,
Lions for attack and defence, and that, after his great home
ries were won there, they had seen him returning for
again to receive the first thanks of the British people rig
his brilliant services in the east. He would only rola,
upon this part of his career that it was almost uneAT: at
plod that the great man should have gone out to I,w—foci
the age of 23, and that he should have returned, in l Hero

We reject, therefore, the doctrine which requires us
believe, " as an article of faith requisite or necessary to
salvation," that, by God's law, all who fall into mortal
sin after baptism are bound to confess all their sins to a
priest ; and that, without such confession, they cannot
obtain pardon of their sins from God. But even if there
were in Scripture some specious ground for Auricular
Confession—if St. James, for example, instead of saying
" Confess your sins one to anNther," had said, " Confess
your sins to the presbyters of the Church,"—we should
still reject Auricular Confession, as it is taught and prac-
tised in the Church of Rome, on account of the enor
evils and abuses which are inseparable from it, ai
manifest tendency to invest the priesthood with an autho-
rity which belongs to God only, and to give them an
unbounded power over the mind and conscience of their
Penitents.

years afterwards in the prime of life, the successtaLi-c-30,
of so many engagements fought under the most din at
tageous circumstances, especially his decisive trite " er'
Assaye, being the first battle he ever commanded in rod
son, and to which it might be almost said that ['f'f •b,
wasindebted fur those immense Indian possessions °time.'
she now enjoyed. Ten years more, and our hero
pleted—successfully completed—the Peninsular war' or
ten years be finished his unparalleled military oPesco
is on the continent, and then, having secured tile Pic 40,
Europe, he withdrew from the scene, and for near of
'3 of the decline of life he had the satistactionrrea
ess to see the blessings he had confra is
There was a great deal for reflectida edgt
• years were fruitful of mighty, ofWellington achieved the wor', sca
both mentallY

living in quie
on his countr;

r -
On the practical evils of the system, I dare not venturf
to enlarge, Neither would you bear to have the screen o
the confessional thrown open, that you might listen to the
disgusting details of the minute questionings to which the
priestly confessor subjects his unhappy penitents ; thus
suggesting to their minds thoughts of evil which otherwise
would never have been hlrboured there, and making them
familiar with images of pollution which continue to haunt
their imaginations and to corrupt their hearts, and too
often lead them on to the commission of open acts of im-
purity and sin. When you bear in mind that every
member of the Church of Rome is strictly enjoined, on
peril of his salvation, to confess all his most secret sins,
and thoughts of sin to a priest, before he can be admitted
to the Holy Communion, and that the first Communion
is commonly received with them at a far earlier age than

,flear, hear.) ver active
„ he applied himseE lf, in spite of repeated (I.c big
nts at home, to the unceasing performancel'oot
,sion, and by promptitude, energy, and an 'Ai,iefea
,perhuman amount of discernment and foresight
Allot many others could not have brought about in
Unoccupied time the duke had none. It was alvrav% the
him either seed time for the future harvest, or it ro; the
harvest time itself. The lecturer went on to s"%iting-
wonderful genius and gigantic mental powers of IN e
ton, by his various engagements in the Peninsular. ne of
astonishing powers and elasticity of his mind was eelea
the most marked features in his character. It
of
him to look in the face dangers and difficulties or f,emiggt
every kind, and successfully to overcome them• u were
'oresight, vigour, and indomitable perseverance out
00,V,
so finely blended, that it was difficult to Pe',l" that
which predominated. They might perhaps fie; oish'
Napoleon was more brilliant, and undertook more as° ea
ing:and more openly daring featsi than Wellingt°e..erieS
did, but neither Napoleon nor any of his conterePe'torel•
could be compared with Wellington in his varied, "flitand acquired capabilities. There was only one Pelwe'
which it could not be said that Welington was keel
nor to other generals. He (the lecturer) did not /01
whether he would have borne a total defeat worsie_ hod
his antagonists ; and for the best of all reasons, e. Nee
never the opportunity of trying it. (Laughter.) of 0
poleon might be superior to him in making the b,e9d the
chancesastel'
ofa ndproav retreat,proving
ilis bguetneNrValeslhliinpg Wellington
tnheisveroliteicoutliiaert:
(Renewed laughter and cheers.) Amongst h's ale°
wonderful achievements in the Peninsula, might he there
his passage of the Douro. He did not believe' that Its
was anything equal to it in the history of the work" little
the face of the Emperor's greatest marshal, witbder tll6
more than one half the number of men to those ea colt'
command of the French generals, Wellington
crossed the Douro, and put his enemies to the routeibeell
sat down that evening to the very dinner which ha. sea,
prepared for Marshal Soult. The battle of Talavet:i:st
the campaign by which it was succeeded, off the e'irseeP
Lisbon, was also one of the most extraordinary sPg log
of generalship which was recorded in history. B;pef
ton's conduct after the battle of Talavera, when 'e,:oe°l9l,,s;
that he could no longer depend upon the Spanish g—of
it might truly be said, amounted to the dignitYct
sublime. With 80,000 of the French troops agaillieri ;5;
in addition to about 40,000 in reserve, command in
Massena, one of Napoleon's best generals, an .91 0.4
threatened to march upon Wellington, off the ce: the
Lisbon—with his army then numbering little meth; yen
50,000 men, his supplies being scanty, and at .1 opt!:
moment when the outcry in England against hg eon
ments was great, and therefore, discouraging—stiLH grell•
all these circumstances, and notwithstanding tik-0 fits"
odds against him, the manner in which Welling° 000:
defended his position, and ultimately routed the e th;
with its immense body of troops, was, perhapspeo?,?l arn
finest illustrations of manoeuvring and skill w.,;;;-te of
to be found in the annals of military warfare. ".eleaso
traordinary foresight he formed lines of fortificatioweere s
Torres Vedras, on the banks of the Tagus, which. to
e
ingeniously arranged as to carry destruction 'to fe,i
enemy's camp ; and he ultimately put Masseeatieeotep
1f
route, and achieved one of his greatest eee eC
triumphs, with the loss of very few of his men• oot
lington had been unsuccessful in the engage,t% 04
Torres Vedras, he knew that he would have had
a storm of opposition and complaint at hit. "e 03'21
those antagonistic to the carrying on of was ,"
paign, whilst a weak and poor defence " In;
fessed
prospectsto be;
hhei s friends
seemed ;
to
but b
be
he
scarcely
that he expected to receive from those w"„ sac.,
aware. 10, oit,,e4
existence, and prosecuted this great work wt oesb'io
was
undaunted
skill and energies which his vast mental powers 00 g,
him to exercise. The glorious victory at Salon" nowerei
also another proof of Wellington's transcendant in t,
and displayed his coolness and deliberation eel' otello
heat of an engagement ; for whilst writing his desPjed
ar.d whilst engaged in matters of finance as regelesie On;
troops, he was at the same moment, with his ea Olio
watching the movements of his opponents, atenek.
rulaunted 71 the :0
advantage of their position at every step they these 'di
would make one more allusion to the series of
cropeoe,
paralleled victories in the Peninsula, which wer,essreterille
as all the world knew, by the master-stroke at .res. ted
and then pass on to the other portion of his rem'. etelem
scarcely knew how to speak of the dreadful sceoe'njost
at San Sebastian. A great and final victory ag oust
,e/
Emperor's troops was there effected but, cariov
admitted, at a frightful sacrifice. Plan& r,t_ilt otted,
rapine, were its attendants. Oh! the horrors lof gPtbo
on war ! It was the dark stain on the shield nver,,;
Better, perhaps, that the veil should be draw;ebestiTee
fearful scenes which attended the action at St. thellithe
and yet, perhaps, it was well that we should haTeeeieteneet
called to our minds, in order the better to aPPr,soe ode
blessings which we in England enjoyed. We at Woo,
nothing of the sacking of towns- of the pie" cot( „.eso
shed, and desolation which was so often the fat:e eolwid
quered city. It was, therefore, well to lay t eellqvcle
before us. No one was more deeply sensible of Itleo. the
of internal strife, bloodshed, and civil wart ego 1100
lington, as his celebrated statement mane' Year '.,e of 'Ollll
House of Lords proved :—" My lords, I alm,.e„ war too;
who have probably passed more of my lile In frar .00
• 611' cri
most men, and principally, I may say, le oy
and I must say this, that if I could avoid, hy aeounifir tf,
whatever, even one month of civil war in the in oeileod
which I am attached, I would sacrifice my I'l_Booo 0.5
do it." He now came to Wellington as a stn
_aro 01,0
as a man of peace, as they had seen him for uPlest• tee
years. No doubt his military life was the geeeent 0500
earlier career of Wellington brought out the gtrwelliafeefr
mind of the man. Still, in reviewing the life he
owe 00
as a statesman, he (the lecturer) did it with t frbereeeell
ings of admiration as for his military career-
self to eot,
here displayed the same power of adapting hg's veerjoeredf
thing which Providence gave him to do. wi r de;
as in military life, might in some instances eveoeicit
but no one would impute to Wellington tilred 6,0 .1
parted. as a statesman, from what he consl ~i/beeder
line of duty for the benefit of his countrY, 00,
wn or of
might be at the sacrifice of some of his etiort e elf
opinions. No one supposed that the reflecto °di
curred to Wellington—" What shall gaL„e.) Freke
doing this or by doing that ?" (Hear, "`n stailiotej
contrary, Wellington's whole conduct, as,/ /gore , ee,
would justify the inscription on his tomb the pu
man of whom all know that he served After °ore ,iy
never thought to serve himself." (Cheersa.)
etaiest
at some length upon his character as of his..eitcee:
lecturer proceeded to show that the whol%iiv a rid,/
military career proved that he was essen:_s
closFrps
maker, and that all his Peninsular canopetble"
c lcei"rj cleoePil
monstrated this position. In conclusiollll_ life so 5044
an eloquent tribute to his meinory. It 01 11
of Wellington was to every marl a warao. tlierlB erb°Prff
the nation faithfully whilst living, bnd
soe',Pcir e° of
weeling over his grave; and though vertu to 0004
t
the sound of his praises might die away uol everf tea'
his name was engravers upon the heaf!tsionls woola„,//

physic-all

it is with us, you will at once perceive how inevitable is
the tendency of such a system as this to extinguish, in the
yet unpolluted mind, that feeling of ingenuous shame
which recoils from all ideas of impurity, and to sear the
conscience, as it were, with a hot iron.

It is chiefly the inordinate love of spiritual power, the
desire of being regarded an venerated as God's represen-
tatives on earth, and as th ppointed mediators, without
whose intervention we cannot approach His Mercy Seat,
that prompts the advocates of this abominable system in
their attempts to bring us back to the practice of Auricular
Confession. But I trust that we have not so learned
Christ ; that we are not so ignorant of the relation in
which, through Him, we stand to God. If we know the
truth, as it is in Him, we know that through Him our
Great High Priest in Heaven, and not through the media-
tion of any priest on earth, we have access with confidence
to the Father. If, indeed, the mind of any Christian
should be so burdened with the consciousness of his past
offences as to make him lose sight of this blessed truth,
and to fill him with the alarming apprehension that his
iniquities are too great to be pardoned, and that his sinful
life has closed the gates of mercy against him,—and such
an apprehension as this sufficiently proves that the root of
faith still remains in him—then it is the office of Christ's
faithful ministers to intreat him to open his grief, and, in
Christ's name and by his authority, to declare to him that
the riches of God's mercies in Christ are inexhaustible;
that if we confess our sins and turn to him, as the repen-
tant prodigal returned to his father, He will forgive us our
sins for the sake of His Blessed Son, by virtue of Whose
all-sufficient mediation and atonement all his past offences
will be no more held in remembrance against him. Thus
to make known the Gospel of the grace of God, to com-
fort and support the feeble minded, to pour oil into the
bruised and wounded conscience, "to bind up the broken-
hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the open-
ing of the prison to them that are bound," was the especial
office to which Christ himself was anointed by the Spirit
of the Lord. The same office is now committed to His
ministers on earth, and His blessing is on those who do
this office faithfully, looking always to Him who came to
seek and to save them that are lost, and who is able to
save to the uttermost them that come to God by Him.
But for the ministers of Christ to place themselves in His
stead, to arrogate to themselves, not a declaratory, but a
judicial power of remitting or retaining the sins of men,
and to proclaim, as from God, that God .will not pardon
those who have not first received the benefit of their
absolution : this is, in effect, to frustrate His grace, by
making it dependent on the will of man, and to deny that
Christ is our only Judge and Mediator.

LIVERPOOL CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN-
STITUTION.-" WELLINGTO N, THE
WARRIOR, STATESMAN, AND PEACE
MAKER."

The first lecture for the season, in connexion with the
Liverpool Church of England Institution, WAS delivered
in the Concert Hall, on Friday evening last, by the Rev.
G. R. Moncrieff, rector of Tattenhall, Cheshire, the sub-
ject being the very appropriate one of " Wellington, the
Warrior, Statesman, and Peace Maker."
The proceedings (as is usual) having been opened with
prayer,
The Rev. G. R. MONCRIEFF addressed the assembly
as follows :—Ladies and Gentlemen,—l have great plea-
sure in being of any service to an institution of this kind,
and 1 cannot but feel it an honour, as well as a pleasure.
in being allowed to address you on such a subject, and
yet at the same time I feel it must be a very difficult one
to undertake. I feel it must be a very arduous under-
taking to touch upon a theme upon which every eye has
been now for some weeks engaged, and by which every
heart has been affected. The name of Wellington has
just filled every Englishman's bosom with affectionate
gratitude, and the columns of every newspaper have pro-
claimed the homage which the entire nation has paid to
the great man who, by the providence of God, was sent to
be England's defender in times of danger. 1 must in-
deed, therefore, feel it difficult to add anything to the uni-
versal feeling which has been manifested. And yet I
think that, for a time, it is well that our minds and feel-
ings should continue to be turned to the contemplation of
our great defender. It is well that our hearts shenlit
again be warmed by dwelling upon his memory, and that
our voices should again and again swell in sounding his
praises, until every corner of the earth shall be made to
feel that, at a time of great national difficulty and danger,
providence raised to us a hero in the hour of our greatest
need. It is well that we should remember it—that we
who received from our fathers the traditions of those dark
days, whose clouds were first dispelled by the bright
beams of Wellington's genius and bravery —it is
well, I say, that we should hand down to our chil-
dren, by the striking ceremony of yesterday, that the
name of him who was yesterday laid in the tomb, England
should never forget so long as she recognises and acknow-
ledges the good providence of Him from whom all our
blessings flow.—(Cheers.) And here it is that I think
the character of him of whom I have to speak unites
itself so closely with our nation's history. There may
have been men before Wellington to whom nations
bowed down, or to whom they looked up as their de-
fenders, and eulogized for their deeds ; but no hero's
deeds of past or present times will, in my opinion, com-
pare with those of Wellington. There have been men
who were, perhaps, great and mighty in their victories—
who commanded the admiration of the world—and whose
greatness and whose glories we may look upon with won-
der. There may have been an Alexander and a Napoleon,
whose genius and victories we may regard with an amaze-
ment and an admiration which we cannot refuse to ac-
knowledge, but of whom we must needs say that it would
have been well for the world if they had never been born—
well for our children, and all those who may have to study
their career, to discover that genius and greatness, unre-
strained by moral obligations, is a bane to society. (Hear,
hear.) There have been great men, again, of whose deeds
we must needs be proud, but to whom we cannot turn as
examples. There have, again, been men, like the Duke
of Marlborough, whose military genius seemed involun-
tarily to display itself under the accidental circumstances
in which it was placed, and which stood as it were alone,
unconnected with any great principle of duty. But such
ke a

a man as

him whom we mourn now neitl:

great beacon to be avoided, nor the agent of so
ciple of inspiration which we may not attempt to foiloNN
t was not with Wellington as with
that his successes were achieved by
any labour of his own ; but, in looking at Wellir
see him in his deeds as among the noblest and
of our heroes, to whom we can turn as an exampl
cause all he did was closely connected with a high moral
principle, which directed his entire career from its begin-
ning to its end. We can, therefore, turn to this great
man, and say he was great because he was good—a man
who, in discharging those offices which in the providence

many ott

Dn, we
ghtest

sive genera

f our
_,en that he was the greatest 0. _,J,
of whom England never need be ashow
He could not conclude in more roe
-6e
.than in the words of our laureate---ti,',„ they
rious words that laureate ever wrote, becs.u"
the words of affectionate homage and truth lot
to
" -honour, honour, honour, honour
Eternal honour to his name !" t
The lecturer sat down amidst loud and velaeraerl

heroes
hpar.)

LOCAL NEWS.

MESSRS. PARR, LYON, AND CO., of Warrington, pur-
pose establishing a branch bank in Runcorn, to be opened
every Friday.

THE WEATHER.—During the week the weather has
been very mournful, thick fogs with almost a continuous
fall of rain.
MR. HERDMAN intends delivering a lecture, to-morrow
(Wednesday), at the Royal Institution, upon " Vision
and Perspective."
Civic HosPrrAurv.—We understand that the Mayor,
Samuel Holme, Esq., will give his first civic entertain-
bent to-morrow (Wednesday).
FLoon.—The road leading from Smithdown-lane to
Allerton, a little on this side of the lane leading to Waver-
tree, has been completely flooded with water.

•
DEPTITY-LIEUTENANTS.—Thomas Bazley, Richard
Smethurst, and Richard Bryan Smith, Esqrs., have been
appointed Deputy-Lieutenants for Lancashire.
-

-• . -
THE LATE DUKE.—Funeral Sermons were preached
on Sunday in most of the ^hurches of Liverpool and the
neighbourhood, on the late Duke of Wellington.
THE NEW RAMSEY STEAM-BOAT COMPANY are in
treaty with Mr. Laird, of Birkenhead, for the building of
a new boat, under the superintendence of Captain Gill.

ARCHIEOLOGY.—The fortnightly meeting of the Archi-
tectural and Archaeological Society was held on Wed-
nesday, at the Royal Institution , Mr. Verelst in the chair.
ON TUESDAY NIGHT, about seven o'clock, the house
of Mr. Sanderson, of 76, Gildart-street, was entered by
thieves, who carried off a lady's workbox and other articles.
MR. WILLIAM ROOCROFT, lately pupil to Dr. Charles
of Liverpool. having undergone examination at the
Apothecaries' Hall, has been admitted a member of the

Company.
THE MAntm.—The proceeds of Mr. White's lecture,
at the Lord Nelson-street Concert-ball, after paying all
expenses, amounting to about £l2, has been handed to a
local ragged school.
•

THE LATE DUKE.—Those who have not yet seen the
vnaznificent picture by Sir Edwin Landseer, entitled " A
dialogue at Waterloo," should lose no time in paying a
visit to Mr. Grundy's gallery in Church-street.
TESTIMONIAL.—Last week. a number of the young
persons recently confirmed at St. John's Church, Black_
urn, presented the Rev. H. J. Marlen with a handsome
Pocket communion-service, as a token of their regard.

CHILD BURNT.—On Wednesday, at Ormskirk, a little
boy, named William Cropper, was left by his mother in
the house alone : when she returned she found him encir-
cled in flames. Little hope is entertained of his recovery.
DUTCH RHENISH RAILWAY.—it will be seen by our
advertising columns that this company are desirous of a
loan of £200.000, bearing a guaranteed interest of 4i per
cent, In the present abundance of spare capital this
should be a good investment.
SPEED.—The Cork Steamship Company's vessel the
Alinerva, Captain Lyell, arrived at the quay of Cork, last
week, having performed the voyage from the dock at
Liverpool to the quay at Cork in twenty-two hours, being
the shortest passage on record.
• -

• -
THE WELLINGTON TESTIMONIAL.—The amount of
subscriptions which have been received in aid of the fund
for a monument in Liverpool to the late Duke of
Wellington already exceeds £4OOO. Subscriptions are
being received at all the hanks, newspaper-offices, &c.
ACCIDENT.--On Tuesday, whilst the Liverpool trader
'Gypsy was being towed down the Clyde, she was run
over a buoy opposite Port-Gasgow, which took the rud-
der, causing the tiller to strike the steersman, named
Jamieson, on one side, depriving him instantly of life.

•
BLAcictuuN.—We understand that a petition ngainst
the return of W. Eccles, Esq., one of the present repre-
tentatives of Blackburn, on the ground of bribery and
corruption, is now in London, and will be shortly pre-
sented to the House of Commons.—Blackburn Standard.
THn INTREPID, a large emigrant ship. which sailed
from Liverpool same time since, for New York, has been
driven into Cork harbour, in consequence of the severity
of the weather which .prevailed during last week. The
Intrepid has over 300 emigrants on board.—Cork Exa.

LIVERPOOL ACADEMY.—The collection of paintings
exhibited by this institution at the present time is far
superior to any that has been seen in Liverpool for many
rears. Our readers should bear in mind that the season
is now far advanced, and that the 'exhibition is open in
the evening.

- • -----
INDIA MAEL.—The Peninsula and Oriental Company's
Steam-ship Ripon, with the heavy portion of the Indian
and China mails, and £9,000 in specie, arrived at South-
ampton on'Saturday morning. The African Steam Navi-
gation Company's iron mail steamer Forerunner left
Gibraltar for Plymouth on the 'l4th instant.
CONCERTS.—The second of the shilling concer
Place on Tuesday, at the Royal Assemhly.rooms
George-street. The vocalists were Miss Jessie qammo
Miss Hammond, Mr. W. B. Wray, and Mr. Greenwo
--Misa Beer's first concert took place on Wednesday
the Concert-hall, Lord Nelson-street, which was very
fully attended.
THE AMERICAN MAILS.—At the last sitting of the
New York Chamber of Commerce. a letter was read from
!Ir. Hornby, president of the Liverpool Chamber of
Commerce. respecting the delay in the transmission of
the American mails to theinland towns of England, and
ouggesting a system of sorting, by which their delivery
Would be facilitated.

s took
Great

THE QUEEN V. THE LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE
ItAlLwAy.—ln the case of this company, the parties had
abanzloned the whole undertaking, and since the ,argu-
tnent upon the case an act of parliament had been passed,
relieving them froth the obligation of executing the line.
Nevertheless, the Court of Queen's Bench decided on
awarding a peremptory mandamus.
THE ISLE OF MAN STEAM• MAT KING ORRY,'Capt.
Greer, which sailed from Douglas on Wednesday last,
encountered a severe storm. The figure head and cot-
eater of the King Orry wtre carried away, and the
Steamer did not reach'Liverpool till half-past eight o'clock
en Thursday morning, being 16i hours on her passage—
more than double the usual time

kTLANTIC

ay the
)ck, co m -

—On Wednc
ltic. Cor

New Tory

all n full complement o

Pasgengers, cargo, and_the u

nal mails. On Saturday.
3 20, p.m., the tritish and North American Royal Mai
steam.shipEuropa took her departure from the`.:
for New York, with '7O passengers and a good cargo,
besides the usual mails on board.
WEST DERBY GUARDIANS.—At the weekly meeting,
• _V'

un Wednesday, the clerk reac several
ent Unions, relative to the prohibitory order ; and during
conversation which followed, the chairman elicited the
feelings of the board On the subject, which appeared to he
that the order should be carried out as far as practicable ;
their objection was to article 5. The other business was
unimportant.
- -•

THE GREAT BRITAIN.—The St. Helena Advertiser
of the 30th of -September, says that, when the Great
Britain sailed, on the 29th of September, at Irilf-past
four, p.m., she bad on board for fuel from the Wand 85
tons of coat and 228 tons of wood, and from her Majesty's
n..:

taiowas spoken on the 9th of
bour of the Cape of-Good Hop,

ASSOCIATION.—The

LICENSED VICTI.

,n of Licensed Victuallers

strenuous cxertic

s to raise

e asylum and schools

_ They have received
mounting in the whole to

in our

nearlp X 2,000, particulars of which will be four
advertising eelumnsl -but more is needed before the
Work wi:l be complete.

APPEAL

--In the Court of Common Pleas, on Friday,
the case of " Willoughby and os. v. Horridge and os:" was
Chard. This was an appeal from a decision of the Judge of
"le County Court of Liverpool, relative to a fatal injury
received by a horse crossing in the ferry-steamer. The
Parties had been unable to agree upon a case, and it had,
accord; - been settled 'by the judge. The court con-

---aglY,
rifled the previous judgment with
SERIOUS ACCIDENT.—On Tuesday, as a boy, named
Edward Kenyon. servant of Mr. Meatons, Searisbrick,
l'es engaged in making bands for straw, he left his work
It" Went to a thrashing-machine close by. Whilst rest-
,,,ng on the machine his hand slipped and became entan-
gled in it. The machine, continuing to work, literally
'ore his arm from his body. He was soon afterwards
conveyed to the Northern Hospital, in this town, where
e lies in a dangerous condition.

t. THE SHIP iAIRPTELD.-By the Cape news we have
16ings of the wreck of the shipTairfield, Capt. Hornell,
bound for this port from Calcutta, which took place on
I,e south coast of Natal, during a storm on the 7tb Sept.
1('- vessel was driven upon the shore by the violence of
ther gale. The number of men on board at the time she
:lent ashore was 24 ; of these, 17, including the captain
tl4'both mates, were quickly swept off by the waves, and
drowned, leaving but seven, who escaped with their lives
PA hi

to A RAILWAY BRIDGE.—On Wednesday after-
. (In a bridge over the Bolton and Blackburn section of
L
lue Lancashire and Yorkshire lines of railway fell in. The
"ods.train was approaching from Blackburn, and was
but 300 or 400 yards distant. The Oaks Railway station-
kse was between it and the bridge, and the clerk in
b"tge hearing and seeing the bridge fall, put on the sig.
t„it,, and the train-was stopped 50 or 60 yards short of the
"Inaon which it must have been otherwise.dashed to pieces.

g DOMAN EXHIBITION.—Mr. Deane, the assistant.
eereta rY, arrived in Liverpool on Saturday, and had an
interviewde with the mayor, who expressed his anxious
Qstre to forward this important undertaking. Mr.
otrnthatn, the honorary secretary of the local committee
813
4eLive erpool,
ellwil supply the necessary forms applying for
receiving
and th et of December will be the last day for
tiletving applications. Mr. Deane proposes to visit
With the
again in a few days, after he has communicated
the manufacturers of Sheffield.
44, QUEEN V. THE YORK AND NORTH-MIDLAND
Aare
COMPANY.—The Court of Queen's Bench
e judgment in this case on Tuesday. It was a man.
ti,lls to the company, commanding them to complete
\O Portion of their line which lay between Market
be;,ghton and Cherryburton. The case had been argued
Ju°2l3 Lord Campbell, Mr. Justice Crompton, and Mr.
fa'r,:ice Erie ; and the court now gave judgment, the two
Ther in favour oft he applicants, and the latter against.
The Peremptory mandamus was, therefore, awarded.
GILFILLAN'S LECTURE.—On Thursday, the Rev
urae Gilfillan, of Dune,— ""

3111 °I, gra p
efl

author of some
ketches, delivered —c-
" the characteristics and

Concert-hall, on

Mr. tlitfillan appeared to predi

thPetable attenclanc— -•-• • • •
g :1 near approach of a religious revolution, t
thP„Ler Christian unity. Our creeds, ho saic

minating in

'e
—our ecclesiastical or,

'e
—even our pulpits, area
the ministry, honoured a

ritouchc

mperisilablc

be infi

and the Divine

IMPORTANT TO SIIIPOWNERS.—In the care of Leve-
roni v. Drury, in the Court of Exchequer, on Wednesday,
it was decided that a shipowner was held liable for da-
mage done to a cargo of cheese by rats, although the
defendant kept cats on board his vessel. The court pro-
nounced its opinion that the damage in question was not
one of the exceptions enumerated by the laws of England
as dangers of the seas, roads, rivers, and navigation, and
the King's enemies. Nay, more, the master was respon-
sible for damage done to goods even where a leak was
caused by rats.
SELECT VESTRY.—The Vestry held their usual meeting
on Tuesday. It was agreed to remove the old boundary-
wall in Mount-pleasant, and to rebuild it in a more uni-
form style, at an estimated cost. of £l7O. The cost of the
children at the Kirkdale Schools during the last week, for
provisions and other necessaries, is stated to have been, on
an average number of 945, Is. llid. per head. The cost
of the inmates in the Workhouse had been. on an average
of 2,171, Is. lOld. per head per wzek. Mr. Shaw was
elected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr.
Wylie ; and Mr. Jones, who had lost his seat from con-
tinued absence, was re-elected.

EFFECTS OF A SQUALL AT SEA.—The Tiber (s.s.) Capt.
Reid, which arrived here on Tuesday night, after a very
fine run from Marseilles, brings accounts of a disaster
which happened to the African Mail Company's steamer
Forerunner, while on her first return voyage to England.
The Forerunner, when off Lisbon, while getting in the
boats, was struck by a heavy squall, which carried her
masts and funnel overboard. Her commander rigged
jury-masts, and, with a couple of wooden barrels, placed
one over another in place of a funnel, steered his course
hack to Gibraltar, which he reached on the 8;h instant.
Her mails and passengers were brought to England by
the Tiber, which called at Gibraltar on her way home.

MUTINY AT SEA.—The barque Cleopatra, of Liverpool,
which left here on the 21st of August last for the West
Coast of Africa, put into Barbadoes on the 22d ult.;
twelve of the crew, including the second mate, having
mutinied, seized the captain, and put him in irons on a
charge of having caused the death of a seaman named
White, who was washed out of the stern boat of the vessel
in a squall. The mutineers then directed the chief mate
to navigate the ship to Bardadoes, although at the time
only 150 miles from Sierra Leone, and the captain was
kept in confinement during the whole of the voyage. The
magistrates of Barbadoes, on hearing these particulars,
sent on board the Cleopatra, arrested all the mutineers,
and lodged them in the gaol, where they will await their
trial.

COMMITTAL FOR PERJURY.—In the County Court, on
Friday. a man, named William Summons, appeared as the
defendant in an action for 2s. 3d., alleged to be due for a
week's rent to John Roberts, with whom the defendant
lodged. Two witnesses swore that the defendant, on giv-
ing up the key of his room on a Thursday night, promised
to pay a week's rent on the Monday following. As his
Honour was proceeding to give judgment, he was inter-
rupted by Summons, who said that on the occasion when
he gave up the key he did not say anything about paying
rent, either as regarded the week in question, or any other
period. His Honour stopped and directed his clerk to
take this evidence down in writing; after which he gave a
verdict for the plaintiff, and, turning to the defendant,
said, I commit you to take your trial at the next assizes
for perjury. Subsequmely the man was released on bail.

THE DONKEY CART NUISANCE.—A police report has
been made on the subject of the obstructions caused in
the neighbourhood of St. John's Market by donkey carts.
It appears that the number is daily increasing, and that
most of them are unfit for the conveyance of goods of any
description, and have neither names nor numbers
attached. The owners have been repeatedly fined, but
they invariably neglect to pay the fines, and in conse-
quence are lodged in gaol, the carts being all the time
under the management of other parties, so that the own-
ers' imprisonment does not in the least degree abate the
nuisance. The report recommends that, instead of " body
warrants," warrants against the goods should be issued,
so that some remedy may be effected by the seizure of
the carts. It seems, from the report, that the majority of
the offenders live in Lace-street, and that the donkeys
are sheltered beneath the same roofs as their masters.

Screw St

STEAM TO AUSTRALIA.—A meeting of the General
,aro Navigation Company was held on Friday,
to consider the measures necessary for opening a line of

steam communication with The chairman,
Mr. Ellis, explained the contemplated plan, namely, the
despatch of a vessel every alternate month by the route of
the Cape of Good Hope, Co Victoria. Port Philip, and
New South Wales. It was contemplated to put on a
moderate-sized vessel at first, but, if the result should
prove encouraging, to carry out the service with ships of
2500 tons. The directors were prepared to proceed with
this branch of enterprise without the aid of a government
subsidy, believing that the traffic between Australia and
England would be found sufficiently remunerative. /t

was not proposed to interfere with the line at present in
operation, the route of which is by King George's Sound

and Adelaide, and thence to Port Philip and Sydney, but
to strictly confine their intercourse to the two latter

kSSIMILATION OF COMMERCIAL LAWS.—The Earl of
-'by had an interview with Lord Derby, on Wed
nesday, to represent to his lordship the views of the.;

ference whic
the nropricti

th was held on tl
v of the assimilation of the commercial

of En

Deputations from
ncluding Mr. Chas. Turner,
Holland, from the Liverpool

and, Ireland, and Scotland
various towns were present,
M.P., Mr. Heath, and M

hamber of Comme

in attendance

His lordship stated that the subject was
unquestionably of great importance, and the attendance
of such a number of persons from all parts of the three

~ cies showed the interest that the commercial classes
ook in it; that he would certainly submit the matter to
_agues, and give it full consideration ; and that he
did not, for his own part, see any insuperable difficulty in
the way of such a commission, but it was a question upon
which, without consulting his colleagues, it would•be im-
possible to give a decisive opinion.
SERIOUS GIG ACCIDENT.—On Monday, Mr. Newman,
belonging to the Bank of England at Liverpool, and Mr.
Roberts, a •commercial traveller from Liverpool, were
travelling from Mold to Within in a gig •, when they had
reached the part known as the Bwlch, on the descent
ITOMV aniritpti animal_

his coil

and went at•the top of his speed -down the hill for-about a
mile and a half. Notwithstanding the efforts to check his

O slip himself out from

behind, thereby receiving some severe injuries. Mr.
Newman stuck to the reins, hut the sharp turnings on the
road were •too much for him, and he was jerked out,
falling to the ground with great force, thereby receiving
a concussion of the brain, dislocation of the lower jaw,
and several ,other bruises. Dr. Jones rendered every
assistance, and, having had them removed to the
Lion, Rutliin, both are doing well. Mr. Robert

W hite

ceeded on his journey,and Mr. Newman has so favourably
progressed as to be pronounced out of danger.

IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING THE DOCKS.—OR Wed-
nesday, at the weekly meeting of the Dock Committee,

Mr. John Grantham, of this town, submitted a plan to
give greater facilities than at present exist for working
the docks. He proposes that a high level railway should
be carried along the docks, and says
will be elevated about fourteen fi

upon cast-iron columns and wrong'
over like the d--'

of a ship

The main line

;t: from the ground

ron girders, planked

There will be two main

all the sheds and timber depots there will be sidings for
the trucks to stand while loading and discharging. The
railway would occupy the line of the present sheds, and
the roofs would be raised so as to form a shelter for the

terfere with the space under the sheds, while the trucks
would be in a most convenient position for being loaded.

directly ft
I-es t

he ship, or

he ground

Over bran,— yards, warehouses, &c., he proposes to
carry the streets on •arches. He also proposes that the
carriages on the line shall, in the first instance, be drawn
by horses. at a speed of 2-1 miles an hour; and he would
place a simple hydraulic crane every fifty feet, which will
load or discharge the ship, and deposit the goods on the
railway or in the shed beneath. The plan has been re-
ferred to the dock surveyors to report upon. Mr. Grantham
by Mr. Isaacs, which gives

a better idea of the proposed improvements than can be
conveyed by any letterpress description.

THE EMIGRANT S

AFRIC A

—On Wednesday

number of ladies and gentlemen were entertained most
sumptuously on board the Australian emigrant ship
Africa, ono of the " Fox' line (now lying in the Salt-
house Dock), which is announced to sad from this port
in a few days. The Africa, which belongs to Messrs.

Livingstone and Magee, and has been chartered by Mr.
Henry Fox, the founder of the Australian emigration
trade from Liverpool, is certainly one of the finest vessels
which ever sailed from this port. She is 202 feet long,
39 feet broad, carries a tonnage of 2500 tons, and c.n
with ease accommodate 500 passengers, though, for the
sake of increased accommodation., the enterprising owners
have agreed to carry only 450. The steerage passengers
are placed between decks, where there is a height of nine
feet, and abundance of light and ventilation. Ten feet of
space are allowed to each emigrant. The second cabin,
which is on deck, is exceedingly commodious and com-
fortable ; it contains nineteen berths, and is 45 feet in
length, with a table running down the-centre. The saloon
is a splendid apartment, 73 feet long, and containing 24
berths. The apartment is ornamented with costly mir-
rors. It also contains several sofas and a piano-forte,
and is fitted up with a handsome fire-place, with a marble
top. The deck promenade is 200 feet in length, and pos-
sesses every necessary convenience which the passengers
may require. At the banquet, on Wednesday, the chair
was occupied by Mr. Magee. Mr. Mozley, Mr. Coun-
cillor Hodson, and other gentlemen addressed the com-
pany, and the proceedings were enlivened by some capital
songs.

DOCK COMMITTEE.— The meeting of the committee
was held on Wednesday, Mr. Shand, the deputy-
chairman, presiding.—An offer of Messrs. Jones and
Jump was accepted for the construction of a dep.& for the
Customs at the south side of Coburg Dock. A tracing
was laid before the committee of a rew fire-police station,
proposed to be erected in place of the present temporary
one in Lightbody-street ; referred to the Harbour-
master's Committee.—lt was intimated that the work at
the Stanley Dock Warehouses was temporarily suspended
in consequence of the weather.—A communication was
read from J. M. Taylor, Rear-Admiral, C. 8., on the
subject of a shipwreck asylum, to be moored at the outer
bar, in order to render assistance to vessels in distress,
&c. The opinion of the committee generally seemed
unfavourable to the proposal. Mr. Lockett stated that
the wrecks near Liverpool generally took place on the
banks, in which case such a vessel would be of little use.

—Mr. Rowland, secretary to the Pilots' Committee,
informed the Dock Committee, by letter, that there were
stones or rocks at the entl

vessel was damaged to the extent of £l,OOO, in conse-
quence of these stones. Mr. Hartley, jun., remarked that
they had been driven there by the tide,: The letter was
—A. communication was read

referred to the
from Messrs. Bit

survey()

rid other steamt

,oat owners, urging
e recent resolution

the com►r

rl load

doors, ar

to the