The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-07-09 00:00:00

We inserted in our last a very handsome compliment '
paid to Liverpool, by the London Times, for the gal-
lant style in which it returned its present members at
the late election, and, did our space admit, we should
to-day feel much pleasure in inserting the apology of
our local contemporary of that name, for Liverpool
having committed what he deems so great a faux pas.
There were three classes of offenders, he says, chiefly
concerned in it—the clerical monopolists, the commer-
cial monopolists, and an " exceedingly numerous class
of voters"—the old freemen, or the old freemen's sons.
Now, if these three classes had only behaved themselves
properly, or kept out of the way, there is nothing more
certain than that Sir Joshua and the Foreign Secretary
would have won ;—that is to say, they would have
won because they would have had no enemy to cope
withal ! Here our Liverpool contemporary has it hol-
low, and proves himself an excellent philosopher.
With regard to the commercial " monopolists"—
that's the new cant word, as Lord Stanley observes—
or the old freemen, we shall not speak at present, and

will only say just a word or two as to the clerical mo-
nopolists. The Liverpool limes says a great deal
about them. It says " they have been labouring for
years to procure the expulsion of Catholics from par-
liament." " What they are aiming at is the revival of
the old days of Orange ascendancy." " The feeling
which has been roused in this town is precisely the
same as that which has animated persecutors in every
age. It is a feeling compounded of pride and intoler-
ance, one which has filled the world with confusion,
and one which, if it could have its free course, would
tear in pieces the British empire." And again, " What
man is there of intelligence, belonging to any party,
who does not regard the efforts of these clerical agita-
tors with disgust, and the object at which they are
aiming, that is, the disfranchisement of the Irish peo-
ple, with abhorrence ?—with more to the same purpose.
But all this, we may remark, is merely conjectural.
We must judge the tree by its fruits ;—and what are
the fruits ? Why, simply the return of Lord Sandon
and Mr. Cresswell for the borough ! That is all, in a
political way, that our contemporary can point to as
the result of all those mighty and severe labours of the
clerical monopolists for years. And this is something
equivalent to " pride, intolerance, persecution, tearing the
empire to pieces, and filling the world with confusion !"
Now, we beg to ask, is Lord Sandon a persecutor, an
exterminator, or anything at all like what our contem-
porary would insinuate the clergy would choose if
they were of the temper and mind he represents? But
we will not dwell upon the point. Our contemporary
must be dealt leniently with, as a man labouring under
much disappointment and vexation of spirit; for our
part, we willingly and readily excuse him. But with
regard to those of the clergy who •have been instru-
mental in preparing the people, to give their prompt
and cordial support to Conservative Candidates, we
differ so much from the Liverpool Times that we think
every town owes them a large debt of gratitude, and
should by all means encourage them to go on and
prosper. We wish the clergy of, other places would
profit by their example.