The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-01-24 00:00:00

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT WOODSIDE.

We lament to have to state that two elegant stone man-
sions, belonging to Mr. It. W. Prichard, of the firm of
Messrs. Lodge, Prichard, & Co. merchants, of No. 1, India-
buildings, Water-street, were Wally destroyed by fire on
Tuesday last. One of the houses was occupied, by Mr.
Prichard himself, and the other by Mr. John Smith, of the
firm of Messrs. John and Charles Smith. They had been
inhabited only about a month, but so great is the devastation
caused by the raging element, that it is, at present, expected
they will have to be almost entirely rebuilt.
It will be seen from an account in another column, that on
Tuesday a Alden's wind prevailed from the west. The houses,
being new, some of the, rooms were not perfectly dry, and
conseqyently a fire was kept in the attic or servants sleeping
room in Mr. Smith's house. Whether any ashes escaped
from.this, fire, or whether the flames were extended by some
other means, it is impoisible to say, but the probability is,
that the high winds had blown in some pane of the window,
and scattered the live ashes over the floor. . About three
o'clock an alarm was given that the bath room underneath
was on fire. So 'rapid were the flames that a lady who hap-
pened to observe them from a house at some distance, de-
scribed them, fanned as they were by the prevailing wind, as
resembling a flash of lightninK, rather than a waving but
compact body of fire. Indeed their progress in destruction
confirms this impression, for the -fire instantly extended to
Mr. Prichard's house, and- Mrs. Prichard had but just time
to place the children in a neighbour's house, and to save the
plate in immediate use, before the whole house was filled
with fire and smoke. She had not even an opportunity of
saving any portion of her wearing apparel, beyond that which
happened-to be on her person. The work of destruction was,
as may be expected, equally rapid in
Mr. Smith's house.
The Woodside engine was sent for immediately on the
alarm being given, but owing to the high wind, and to a de-
ficiency of water, it was of comparatively little service in
arresting the flames. Indeed, from the inquiries we have
made, it would appear that no engine, however powerful,
could have accomplished that object. In the mean time, as
much of the furniture as it -was possible to get at, was re-
moved from both houses, but it amounted to a very small
portion. The roof fell in about an hour after the arrival of
the engine, with a tremendous crash, and in its fall carried
with it nearly all the floors ; those which remained were soon
afterwards destroyed by the fire, as were the window frames
and the fixtures in the different apartments. It is but just
to state that the constable of Woodside, and the men work-
ing the engine, exerted themselves to the utmost in suppress-
ing the flames. After the lapse of a few hours, the entire
building, as may be seen by any one one who pays a visit to
the place, was reduced to a complete shell, nothing but the
bare walls remaining.
We understand that Mr. Prichard is fully insured, both as
to building and furniture, in the York and London and Scot-
tish Union Offices. The loss must be very considerable, as
nearly the whole of the furniture was destroyed, and none of
the plate was saved except that in daily use. Mr. Smith,
we understand, was also insured. Much of his furniture was
removed before the fire could reach it, as well as some por-
tion of, the plate. Some was entirely lost ; but we were told
yesterday that several silver spoons and forks, supposed to
have been destroyed, were found among the ruins, in such a
state as to render them useless.
Both Mr. Prichard and Mr. Smith's families found a ready
shelter for the night in the Rev. E. Obin's house, adjoining,
who, together with many other kind friends, were most anxi-
ously solicitous to bear sonic part in administering to their
immediate necessities.

We should also add that J. D. Case, Esq., one of the ma-
gistrates for Cheshire, exerted himself very actively during
the fire, and that his services were of the greatest utility in
preventing depredations, which, we ate sorry to say, were
considerable, notwithstanding the danger, particularly in the
cellar. Some of the offenders, we hear, are in custody.

PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.--111AYNOOTH

GRANT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
Sza,—The question has at times been asked, What does the
Protestant Association do ?

A practical answer can now be given by stating, that it
calls upon every Protestant in Liverpool, at this time, either
to record his protest against the grant of £9,000 per annum
to support the iniquitous College of Maynooth, or deserve
no longer to be called by that name.
It calls upon every Churchman, who values and loves the
pure and undefiled doctrines of his own church, to exert him-
self to the utmost in discountenancing the blasphemous errors
of the Church of Rome ; therefore he—will sign the petition.
It calls upon the Wesleyan Methodists to lend their power-
ful aid in washing out this disgrace to a Protestant land, and
to aclbere strictly to the doctrines of their founder, by one
and all—signing the petition.
It calls upon members of the Church of Scotland, as they
love the truth, to enter their solemn protest against the ini-
quity of Maynooth, by—signing the petition. .
It calls upon members of the Society of Friends, (who
hesitate not in protesting against church-rates, or any grants
to support the Church of England,) to shew their consist-
ency in protesting against the support of that church, the
doctrines of which must clash terribly with a sound consci-
ence ; by—signing the petition.
It calls upon Dissenters of every Sect, who delight in the
voluntary system ; by the very arguments upon which they
profess to dissent, to avail of this opportunity of carrying out
their principle, and shewing to the world that they arc de-
serving of the name of Protestant Dissenters. This they will
do by—signing the petition.
It calls upon every Jew, who abominates idolatry, to give
vent to that righteous hatred, by protesting against the idola-
trous Church of Rome. This he can do by—signing the
petition.
It calls, and calls most solemnly; upon all who would dis-
entangle our most gracious and beloved Sovereign from the
charge of allowing er government to give encouragement to
that church, against which, she as head, and they as mem-
bers, are pledged to protest.
These, then, are the practical answers to the question, and
I would urge upon every one who glories in the name of Pro-
testant, to consider whether he has hitherto gloried in the
name only, whether he does actually protest against the
damnable doctrines of the Church of Rome ? If not, let him
now enter his solemn protest by—signing the petition.—
Your obedient servant, PROTEST.
Liverpool, 22d .7 lanuary, 1840.

THE CORN LAWS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Stn,---My attention has just been called to the following
paragraPh in the Liverpool Mail of this day :
" It is rumoured and generally believed, that the Mayor
has received an official letter from London, intimating that
it is not the intention of ministers to introduce any measure
for the alteration of the corn-laws in the present session of
parliament."

I deem it due to myself, and to the public, to state that
:here is not the slightest foundation for such a statement.—
If am, respectfully, your obedient servant,

JOSHUA: WALMSLE Y.
Town Hall, January 23, 1840.

ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.—Every night the Amphitheatre
is crowded, to see the " Tournament;'-' and we believe that
every one who goes is convinced that nothing has ever been
produced equal to it out of London. We strongly recom-
mend our friends to lose no time in seeing it.
The Prince, contract mail-packet steamer, from Kings-
town to Liverpool, was honoured with an illustrious company
of passengers on her last voyage to this port. She brought
on Wednesday 52 cabin passengers, including Lord Clements,
Lord Lismore, Lord C. Hamilton, Lord Hawarden, Lord
Brabazou, Hon. O'Callaghan, Sergeant Jackson, Sergeant
Curry, Sir M. Chapman, Sir D. Roche, Sir J. Norreys, Sir
P. Ross, Sir R. Batesou, Sir W. Somerville, Col. Connelly,
Col. Percival, Col. Vernor, Major Humphreys, Major Cros-
daile, Mr. H. Grattan, Dr. Stock.

THE PACKET SHIP SYLVANUS JENKINS.-It appears that
the packet-ship Sylvanus JerAins, which sailed from Liver-
pool on the sth of October, after having been driven about
at sea for seven weeks, was compelled to take refuge in the
Danish island of St. Thomas, many of the passengers being
in a state of utter destitution. We copy from the Morning
Courier the following statement, dated St. Thomas, Nov.
28, 1839 :—The ship Sylvanus Jenkins arrived in this port
on the 22d inst. from Liverpool, with 270 passengers on
board, bound to New York. Owing to bad weather, the
provisions of said passengers were damaged; consequently,
a fresh supply was necessary. Among the number of 270
souls on board, there were one hundred and eighty absolutely
pennyless and in a state of starvation. The moment these
said passengers were landed, hunger obliged them to ask as-
sistance, and the public in general contributed to their relief.
They were amply supplied in their immediate wants. Inde-
pendent of which, a committee, by permission and consent
of Governor Oxholm, consisting of three respectable mer-
chants, volunteered their services to realise a sum necessary,
by subscription, towards the purchase of provisions for the
sea store of these passengers, to continue their voyage to
New York, which was largely done. A sum of three hundred
and forty-one dollars was subscribed, and the amount em-
ployed in provisions for the distressed passengers without
interest.

" THE HINDRANCES WHICH CIVIL ESTABLISHMENTS
OF CHRISTIANITY PRESENT TO THE PROGRESS OF GE-
NUINE RELIGION."—This is the title or subject of a public
lecture, delivered on behalf of the " Liverpool Young Men's
Voluntary Church Society," in the Rev. C. M. Birrell's
chapel, Pembroke-place, on Tuesday evening, by the Rev.
John Kelly, a preacher of the Independent denomination.
An outline of the doctrines laid down might not be unin-
teresting, as skewing the members and friends of the Esta-
blished Church how their opponents, whilst professing the
greatest liberality and candour, can stoop to distort her
principles and cavil at her practice. After singing and
prayer, Mr. Kelly commenced reading his lecture from a
rather bulky manuscript, from which we infer that it is in-
tended to be published. A copy of the Holy, Scriptures lay
open before him, but, contrary to our expectation (founded
on the fact that the usual form of worship had been previ-
ously followed), he did not avail himself of them for a text.
The subject, he said, had been chosen advisedly : he had
considered the effects of civil establishments of Christianity
upon religion as a practical man, and his settled conviction
was expressed in the title of the present lecture. After de-
fining the term " genuine religion," to the accuracy of which
we offer no exception, Mr. Kelly advanced the following
propositions :—That civil establishments of Christianity
hinder the progress of vital religion, by the encouragement
they give to an unconverted and inefficient ministry ; that
all civil establishments of religion are so constructed as to
render it impossible for the apostolic regulation to be ob-
served in the selection of men for the ministerial office ; that
the theory of a civil establishment of religion is destructive
of church organization upon New Testament principles ;
that the emoluments and status in society which an esta-
blishment confers, constitute a feature operating in the same
direction ; that another feature of the same tendency is the
way in which the appointment of a Christian minister to
a particular field of labour takes place ; that another objec-
tion is the character of the tenure upon which these emolu-
ments are secured—namely, by, law—without any reference
to the manner in which the duties of the clerical office are
discharged. These propositions constituted the first division
of the lecture. In the second division he undertook to es-
tablish the fact, that civil establishments of Christianity
hindered the progress of religion by exerting an injurious
influence upon Christian character and duty. First, he ar-
gued that secular establishments of religion rendered the
formation of Christian churches impossible ; next, that they,
in effect, relieved the Christian mind from the necessity of
attending to a most important Christian duty incumbent
upon it, and by so doing they tended to repress the grace
which the performance of that duty gave—the duty of pro-
pagating the Bible ; and, in the next place, he asserted that
civil establishments prevented, nay destroyed, the grace of
Christian liberality. In the third and last division, Mr.
Kelly advanced the proposition that civil establishments of
Christianity are essentially sinful and schismatical. The
arguments and illustrations by which these propositions were
enforced, will for the most part be found most ably answered
in the Rev. John Baylee's sermon recently published, and
in a spirit which, we are inclined to think, Mr. Kelly would
do well to endeavour to imitate. All the evils which he
contended attach to establishments, he fixed upon the Church
of England; whilst he sedulously abstained from any expli.
cit acknowledgment of the benefits she has accomplished.
Such arts as these niay lead some of those who have not the
means or the industry to investigate for themselves into a
belief that the Church of England answers Mr. Kelly's re-
presentation of her, but they cannot deceive those who have
knowledge and experience. The lecture, which occupied
nearly two hours, was but thinly attended, although large
placards inviting the public had for a week or ten days pre-
viously been extensively posted on the walls of the town.