The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-01-01 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE DOCK COMMITTEE

The Dock Committee held their weekly meeting yesterday.
There were present Messrs. Benn, Barclay, Middleton, J.
Holmes, Hornby, Booth, Horsfall, Mellor, Moon, G. Holt,
Evans, Aikin, and Tobin. In the absence of Mr. Leathom,
the deputy-chairman—Mr. Benn, presided.
The British and North American Association presented a
memorial urging upon the committee the necessity of forth-
with completing the shed round Brunswick dock basin, and
of repairing some of the approaches thereto. The memorial
also represented that ship-owners were sustaining great in-
convenience from the want of graving-dock accommodation,
and strongly recommended that a fire engine should be ap-
propriated to each graving-dock in the port. The memorial
was referred to the Board of Works.

The South Harbour Master and the Head Constable re.
ported the fire which took place in the ship England, the
circumstances of which were narrated in the last number of
the STANDARD.
A letter was read from Mr. Sands, inclosing a memorial
from John Edgar. It appeared that the memorialist had
been a gateman at the Brunswick dock, and whilst in the
discharge of his duty a rope caught his leg and fractured it.
He was taken to the Infirmary, where the limb was ampu-
tated. When he recovered he received an allowance from
the charity fund, and Mr. Hartley appointed him a watch-
man during the completion of the Coburg dock : when that
was done he was discharged, and being without employment
he now solicited some assistance from the committee, in
whose service he had been eight years.—Referred to the sub-
committee of finance.

Another memorial was presented from the British and
North American Association requesting the committee to
furnish a return of all the ships entered in all the docks, the
cargo and tonnage of each, and the amount of dues paid for
each, from the 30th June to the 31st December: and also
the expences of maintaining each dock in the port during the
same period.
HORSFALL said it would not be fair to make the re-
turn for the last six months in the year. Let it be for a year.

The CHAIRMAN said no accounts were kept of a kind to
enable the committee to make such a return.

Mr. AIKIN agreed with Mr. Horsfall that it would be quite
unfair to make the return for six months only.

The CHAIRMAN observed that if it commenced with Janu-
ary, that difficuty would be obviated.
Mr. MELLOR stated that the sub-committee of finance had
that morning agreed to a resolution which be thought would
meet the wishes of the memorialists.

The SECRETARY read the resolution. It was to the effect
that a record be kept of every ship in each dock, the place
from whence each had sailed, and the time each remained in
dock.

Mr. EVANS asked Mr. Middleton [a member of the asso-
ciation, who had been requested to move for the return,]
what was the object of the memorialists in desiring to have
this information ? He supposed the memorial would not have.
been sent if there had not been some reason for it, and cer-
tainly the Dock Committee had a right to know what that
reason was.

Mr. MIDDLETON said he was not at the meeting at which
the memorial was agreed to.
Mr. EvANs said then the memorial was a mere barren, un-
supported enquiry.
Mr. BOOTH said it might be necessary to mention, that
when the Sub-committee of Finance passed the resolution
just read, they had no knowledge whatever of the memorial.
EvANs.—This looks like the old leaven of the ware-
' house interest.
1328604 1016510 1414726 Mr. MIDDLETON.—Nothing of the kind.

Mr. AIKIN made some observations concerning the dock
rate-payers who paid less rates than £lO per annum, and the
desirableness as we understood of registering them, so as to
ascertain who had and who had not the right of voting.
Mr. EvANs said that, by this memorial, there was an at-
tempt to distinguish between the different trades of the port.
They had all one common interest, yet they all hated each
other, and were jealous of each other's increase. If the me-
morialists thought the committee would legislate in a hostile
or rival way between different trades, they were altogether
mistaken.

The CHAIRMAN thought, as to the receipts, it would be
much better to render the amount paid upon each article, in-
stead of distinguishing the receipts of one dock from another.
The coasting vessels in Salthouse Dock for instance paid
nothing, whilst the expense of maintaining that dock was as
great as the maintainance of any other dock.

Mr. MIDDLEToN said there had formerly been legislation
upon the subject; and all that the British and North Ameri-
can Association now wanted was to ascertain to what extent
of accommodation they were entitled.

•
Mr. EVANS replied that, however failing they might be in
other branches of commerce, greater accommodation was
given to ships here than in any other port in the kingdom,
Some further discussion followed, at the end of which, the
memorial was referred to the Sub-committee of Finance.
Mr. AIKIN suggested that, as an accumulation of vessels
i a George's Dock might soon be expected, the dredging
m chine be worked in it by night as well as day.

A MEMBER expressed a doubt whether the machine could
be worked by night, as lights were strictly prohibited from
being in any of the docks by the act of parliament.

Tile SECRETARY referred to the act, and it was found that
the committee had power to order lights to be used for the
purpose of repairing or cleansing in the night.
A resolution was therefore passed, directing the work to
be forthwith commenced, under the superintendence of Mr.
Hartley.

Mr..HORSFALL was sorry that Mr. Chapman was not pre-
sent to-day, in consequence of what he had said a few weeks
ago with regard to this estate. On that occasion Mr. Chap-
man thought it right to bring forward his own views, and he
thought proper to bring certain charges against the surveyor.
He (Mr. Horsfall) hoped that all the members of that com-
mittee went there with the intention of doing their duty. not
only with regard to finding fault with their officers, if there
was occasion for it, but as to the best. and most economical
management of the estate. If they did not go there with
that motive, they had no business there at all. No doubt
Mr. Chapman had brought forward his views and charges
from the best of motives, but he (Mr. Horsfall) wished he
had done so with more consideration. The charges he had
made stood so very broad and . distinct against Mr. Hartley,
that he (Mr. Horsfall) could not go into company without
the subject being mentioned, and others alleged which af-
fected his reputation as an engineer. Mr. Chapman's alle-
gations went strongly against Mr. Hartley's character, and
he (Mr. Horsfall) was very sorry Mr. Chapman was not pre-
sent to hear the remarks he intended to make. Mr. Chap-
man had charged Mr. Hartley with incapacity in the
management of-the estate, and -with an extravagance which
amounted to something like_ a misapplication of half its
funds. Such an impression had been made upon the minds
of the public. Now, in so charging the surveyor of the es-
tate, he also charged to some extent, the committee itself ;
and he (Mr. Horsfall) having been a member of the com-
mittee ever since the change which introduced. Mr. Hartley,
now about sixteen years, if Mr. Hartley been wrong, he
(Mr. Horsfall) was a participator in that wrong. A very
able sub-committee, however, had been appointed to inves-
tigate the charges made by Mr. Chapman : he (Mr. Horsfail)
hoped they would go through the whole of them carefully,
and then he should be satisfied. With regard to Mr. Hart-
ley he felt bound to say, that he had never known a more in-
dustrious man : it had been his lot to see him at his occupa-
tion very early in the morning; upon some occasions he
knew he had been engaged between four and five o'clock in
the morning, and very commonly at six. A more industri-
ous man, indeed, could not be found. Upon the question of
his capacity there might be differences of opinion ; but if we
looked at the works, north and south, which he had com-
pleted,they would be found to bear comparison with any
works in the kingdom. They certainly would with any that
he (Mr. Horsfall) had hitherto seen. The quality of his
masonry was unquestionable, and his iron work was as good, at
the least, as any he had ever seen. Mr. Hartley, like other
men, was not infallible, and he might have been mistaken ;
but how far that warrranted such charges as Mr. Chapman
had brought against him, was very questionable. Having
known Mr. Hartley for the last sixteen years, and that a
more industrious servant the Dock-estate could not have, he
(Mr. Horsfall) had thought it right to make these observa-
tions. The sub-committee which had been appointed had a
very arduous duty to perform, and he hoped—he was
sure—they would do it well. The great difficulty which
he (Mr. Horsfall) saw in their way would be that of .
making comparisons between work which Mr. Hartley had
done for the estate and that which might have been done by
contract. In entering into this comparison it might, per-
haps, be said that Mr. Hartley had been lavish in his expen-
diture; but at the same time it ought to be remembered that
the work had been done for the use of posterity, and must,
therefore, necessarily be expensive. On all accounts, he had
to request that the sub-committee would lose no time in mak-
ing their report, for until then injustice was donejto Mr.
Hartley, from Mr. Chapman's charges hanging ovr him.
With regard to the suggestion for the appointment of a con-
sulting superior engineer, Mr. Hartley could not object to
that. Whenever the committee went before parliament that
was always the case, but he (Mr. Horsfall) did not recollect
that the engineer was consulted as to design ; it was only, he
believed, as to the mode of execution.

Mr. EVANS thought that the only instance of Mr. Hartley
suffering in reputation was from the misapprehension by the
public of the word sill in speaking of the Queen's Graving
Dock.

Mr. HORSFALL admitted that as far as the sill of the
graving dock was concerned, Mr. Chapman had substantiated
his charge against Mr. Hartley. But as to the perpendicu-
larity of the walls it was a choice of evils, whether to make
them as they now stood or to lessen the quay room. t
Mr. MELLOR, in Mr. Chapman's absence, would state on
his behalf that his objections applied to the system more
than to the individual. Mr. Chapman was convinced, from
the great variety of trades carried on by Mr. Hartley, that
it was impossible for one man effectually to superintend
them ; and he conceived it would be better for the different
kinds of work to be executed by contract.

Mr. HORSFALL had always been of the same opinion;
nevertheless, that was a subject for the investigation of the
committee. Mr. Hartley certainly could not efficiently super-
intend all the different trades which were carried on, and that
was the great objection he (Mr. Horafall), had to his manage-
ment.

Mr. ToBIN objected to the system of contracts, especially
for small articles, on the ground that durability and superior
quality could not be secured.

After a few words from Mr. AIKIN and Mr. EVANS, the
conversation dropped, and the committee separated.

An old soldier, who had fought in the famous battle of
Fontenoy, died near Perigueux, a few days since, aged 117.
His wife, who survives him, is 98.

A man named Evan Jones, who is supposed to have rob-
bed several churches in Wales, has been committed for trial
at the Flint assizes, on the charge of having committed sa-
crilege in the church of Halkin.

NANTWICH.—The notorious housebreaker, Joseph Banks,
late of Over, who made his escape from Knutsford, last Oc-
tober sessions, was re-taken at Nantwich, on Saturday night,
and lodged safely in the lock-ups.

We hear that Sheridan Knowles is again at work for Ellen
Tree, in London. He has already produced one new tragedy
this season, and it is reported that he is busily engaged upon
a comedy.

WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.—The next meeting of the
Conference will be held in Manchester next July, and it is
generally expected that the Rev. James Dixon will be elected
to the office of president. This gentleman is well known to
the public as the eloquent and powerful advocate of consti-
tutional and protestant principles, and his election will do
infinite credit to that loyal and respectable sect of religionists.

E. S. CAYLEY, EsQ., M.P.—We had the satisfaction of
stating in our paper a fortnight ago, that the worthy member
for the North Riding had so far recovered that he would be
able to attend the opening of parliament. Although this is
the case, the state of Mr, Cayley's health will prevent him
from taking that active part in public business which he was
accustomed to take ; but the honourable member will be able
to watch over the interests of his constituents with the same
fidelity he has ever evinced.—Yorkshireman.
THE WILL OF THE LATE EARL OF DUCIE.—The will of
the Right Hon. Thomas, Earl of Ducie, Baron Ducie, late of
'rortworth, in the county of Gloucester, has just been proved
in the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury,
in Doctors' Commons, by the Right Hon. Henry George
Francis, Earl of Ducie, the son, and James Houghton Lang-
ton, Esq., the executors. The personal property of the de-
ceased earl is sworn under £70,000. The late earl was born
on the 31st August, 1776 ; succeeded his father, the late lord,
the 20th August, 1808 ; married, the sth Dec. 1797, Frances,
only daughter of Henry, first Earl of Carnarvon, and was
advanced to the dignities of Earl Ducie and Baron Moreton,
by patent, the 28th ofJanuary, 1837. The Earl of Denbigh,
Master of the Horse to her majesty the queen dowager, is a
son-in-law of the late earl, and has a legacy under the
e Britannia.

CATHOLIC & POPISH FORMS OF ABSOLUTION

LETTER 111

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

SIII.,—The public are much indebted to your contemporary
the Mercury for having, in the first place, mooted the sub-
ject of " Priestly Absolution," and, in the second place, for
connecting the name and authority of Dr. Philpotts with
the same. And, although I am inclined to be of opinion
that the writer of the article, when engaged in discharging
this important service, was, to all intents and purposes, un-
conscious of what the result might be ; yet, now that he has
rendered such essential good to the cause of truth generally,
as well as to our much libelled church specially, I would,
therefore, respectfully invite him and others who may think
with him to approach the examination of the matter under
consideration in honest candour, not permitting for a single
moment the intrusion of pre .conceived fancies to prejudice
or warp the judgment. Let this be but done in the way now
recommended, and I cannot help hoping hilt that a " leader"
in the Mercury will ere long ingenuously admit that there is
indeed a wide—a very wide, difference between the con-
strained confession and judicial absolution of modern Rome
as exhibited in her formularies, and the voluntary confession
and declarative absolution cited from the office of the Visi-
tation of the Sick" as set forth by the Church of England in
her Book of Common Prayer. lam thankful to the Editor
[I suppose I am correct] of the Mercury for having, in his
" Notice to Correspondents," expressed so favourable an
opinion of the spirit in which I write. I have no quarrel with
the Mercury. There are, in my humble opinion, few pro-
vincial papers in the kingdom can lay better claim to talent
when treating upon mere secular matters. From its politics
I deem it no trivial privilege to dissent, and upon many oc-
casions I have noticed with pain and regret its perverted
views of Theology ; but still I would fain hope that its
columns are not dead to conviction, nor its " wound altogether
incurable."

Having said thus much, I shall now introduce to your read-
ers Dr. Philpotts, and leave him to defend himself, after I
have said something in the way of information as to the occa-
sion upon which he recorded the sentiments which I am
now about to transcribe.

Mr. Southey, the poet laureate, published a work called
" The Book of the Church." The late truly amiable, and in
many respects deeply read, Mr. Charles Butler, a Roman
Catholic barrister, replied to this book, in a work which he
called the " Book of the Roman Catholic Church." This
work elicited from Dr. Henry Philpotts, then rector of Stan-
hope, and now, by Divine permission, Bishop of Exeter, a
series of letters, which letters were published by Murray,
Albemarle-street, 1825.

The opening of the first letter to Mr. Butler is well worth
transcribing ;—" Sir,—l have read your Book of the Ro-
man Catholic Church,' and in common, I conceive, with all
your readers, have been much gratified with the tone and
tamper in which it is written. If, in one or two instances,
your zeal has made you, for a while, forget your charity, yet
your politeness is always unimpaired, and you never appear
to. be more in your natural character than in smoothing the
asperities of controversy, and deprecating violence. It has,
indeed, been suggested by some of your critics, that you
have no objection to see your cause supported by others in
language which you would yourself be ashamed to use, and
they appeal, for the justice of this suspicion, to your strong
recommendation of a work from which every moderate per-
son of every party turns with disgust ; I mean Strictures
on the Poet Laureat's Book,' written, as you tell us, by Dr.
Milner."

This extract will answer as a specimen of the respect with
which Dr. Philpotts regarded his opponent, as well also as
of the spirit with which he approached the controversy. I
did not at first intend transcribing other than the matter of
absolution; but intimately connected as absolution and con-
fession are in the Romish Church, it is necessary to a fair
" hearing of both sides," that I should begin with Dr. Phil-
potts on auricular coßfessian in the Church of Rome.
" We are now" (writes Dr. Philpotts, at page 196) " come
to a part of our subject on which I feel it difficult to write
without expressing more warmth of indignation against the
doctrine of your church than it would, perhaps, in address-
ing you, become me to exhibit. I abstain, therefore, and
shall content myself with simply stating, in the first instance,
what that doctrine is. But in order to do this satisfactorily,
it is necessary that I should say something, for the informa-
tion of my Protestant readers, of the supposed sacrament to
which CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION belong.

" It is, then, the doctrine of the Church of Rome, that mor-
tal sins, committed after baptism, are remitted only in the
sacrament of penance; and of this sacrament the form, that
which constitutes it a sacrament, is the speech of the priest,
ego to absolvo, 6rc., ; that the matter of it, or rather, as
the Council of Trent (sess. xiv.) expresses it, quasi matter,
are the acts of the penitent himself, namely contrition, con-
fession to the priest, and satisfaction, Of these acts, con-
trition is ' the inward grief and detestation on account of sin
committed, with a purpose of not sinning in future.' It is
sometimes made perfect with love, and reconciles the sinner
to God before recourse has actually been bad to the sacra-
ment of penance ; but then the reconciliation is not to be
ascribed to contrition, without the wish and purpose (sine
sacramenti voto, sess. xiv.) of having recourse to the sacra-
ment, which wish and purpose are included in that perfect
contrition. But imperfect contrition, or attrition, as it is
called, since it commonly arises either from a consideration
of the baseness of sin, or from the fear of hell and punish-
ment, if it exclude the present will of sinning, and be accom-
panied with the hope of pardon, is an impulse of the Holy
Spirit; and, therefore, though by itself without the sacra-
ment of penance, it will not lead the sinner to justification,
yet it disposes him to obtain the grace of God in that sacra-
ment. In short, the Council of Trent bas settled (and so it
is stated by Bellarmine, De Ponit. lib. ii. c. 18, ad finem,
and admitted, I believe, universally) that attrition, though
by itself it will not do, yet with AIWOLUTION it is sufficient.

" It will be observed, that the council has not declared, whe-
ther Attrition includes the love of God in any measure or
degree. The absence of any express affirmation would, in
this case, seem to imply the negative. Yet the scandal aris-
ing from such a doctrine, and the arguments raised against it
by protestant writers, have induced many of your divines to
maintain that some degree of the love of God, an initial love
of is necessary. But this doctrine is opposed by other
and higher authorities, in particularly one, which is instar
omnium, Clement XI. pronouncing ex cathedrfi in the well
known bull Unigenitus,' a bull admitted, I believe, after
whatever difficulties, by all your churches in Continental
Europe. [Yes, and in Ireland also. P.] He. has therein
condemned the following positions : 47. ' The obedience of
the law ought to flow from its source, that is, love ; when
thg Ipve of God is its_prineiple_within, and the glory of Ged
its end, then the outer. act is pure; without it, it is nothing
but hypocrisy, or false righteousness.' 49. As there is no
sin without self- love, so there is no good work without the
loie of God.' These propositions, I say, are condemned ;
and thus authority is given to the Jesuits, in whose especial
favour that bull issued, for maintaining that—' Men are not
obliged to love God in order to be reconciled to Him in the
sacrament of penance, nor to refer all their actions to Him ;
that it is sufficient to serve Him through the fear of hell ;
and those sinners who hare no better disposition than a strong
.fear of being damned, who repent of their crimes only on this
motive, and who would, by consequence, in the bottom of
their heart, wish that there was no such thing as religion,
are nevertheless in a state to receive absolution, and that they

Unigenitus, avec des remarques des notes, p. 20.
" Such, sir, is the doctrine for which the Church of Rome is
it flows from the urinciule laid down by the

answerable

Council of Trent, and has been virtually set forth (through
condemnation of better principles) by the highest authority

of your church

"The next particular is Confession, which, I need scarcely
add, is not merely, as with us, a humble acknowledgment of
our guilt before God, and a private or open acknowledgment
of our offences against our neighbour (according as the duty
of compensating the injury done to him shall require); but
it is a secret, indeed, but a full and unreserved, disclosure
of every mortal sin, with all the circumstances which may
change the nature of it, to the priest. Of venial sins it is
not necessary, though right and useful, to make a similar
confession : but as for mortal sins, the penitent must explore
every hidden thought, and all the darkest recesses of his
conscience, in order that he may make the confession as full
and complete as possible. Con. Trid., Sess. XIV., c. 5.
" This is enjoined by the great Council of Lateran, to be
done by every one, arrived at the years of discretion, at least
once in every year, at Easter ( Con. Labb., tom. xi. p. 174);

arm annougn that provision is ,
Council of Trent hath decreed that sacramental confession
is absolutely necessary to salvation : an anathema is pro-
nounced against all who presume to say the contrary. Con.
Trid., Sess. XIV., can. 6.

indispensal

Such is the doctrine of your church on this particular.
On the practical mischiefs to which it leads, the opposite
extremes of extreme scrupulosity and callous indifference,—
still more, on its glaring tendency to rob the tender, un-
hacknied, unseared conscience of youth of that which is at
once its best protection and its most appropriate grace, the
delicacy of ingenuous shame ; on its telling those into whose
young bosoms the first ideas of impurity never perhaps in-
truded, without exciting a thrill of terror, that they must
dwell on the thought from which their better minds recoil;
that they are to register it faithfully in their memory, and
in due time give utterance to it in the presence of one whose
sex ought to inspire them with dread, even if his character
be as holy as his office,—on these, and consequences scarcely
less mischievous than these, I forbear to enlarge. Let me
only say, that they are not imaginary. I have looked into a
tract, which you inform us is the most popular of all your
books of devotion, ' The Garden of the Soul.' I have read
there (I acknowledge it with pleasure) sentiments of piety as
warm and as just, as the expression often is beautiful; but I
have also read one page—prescribing a course of self-exami-
nation previous to confession—to which I cannot even allude
without disgust. Nothing, 1 verily believe, more loathsome
or polluting, could be found in the journal of a brothel.
Tell us not that the young penitent is not obliged to confess
these things, such of them at least as fall short of mortal sin:
the Catechism of Trent requires that not only deeds and
words, but even thoughts, be recollected and confessed : the
Council itself recommends the confession even of venial
sins; and if it did not, would you begin thus early to corrupt
and harden their conscience by setting it to work on these
nice distinctions?

" But I turn to the remaining act of the penitent,
" SATISFACTION. Satisfaction in general is defined by
the Catechism of the Council of Trent, perfect payment of
a debt ; and in the present case, the word is used to express
the compensation made when a man pays to God something
in full on account of sins committed. Cat. Rom. p. 2. Sa-
cramental satisfaction is the discharging such penances as
shall be enjoined by the priest after confession. But it is
not necessary to his obtaining the end and benefit of the
sacrament, reconciliation with God, that he should complete
this satisfaction. He may, if he choose, neglect all the pe-
nances enjoined him ; and yet the grace of the sacrament,
add the consequent right and title to admission into Heaven,
will remain unimpaired, so long as he does not fall again into
mortal sin. Meanwhile, the unfulfilled satisfaction (if also
unremitted) will stand in account against him, and will re-
main to be discharged in Purgatory ; unless some of the
various expedients for his release, of which we have already
seen and heard enough, be happily adopted. On this article,
therefore, I shall not dwell ; but shall proceed to absolu-
tion."

Seeing, sir, that I have already carried out this letter to
an extent farther than may be convenient to your space, I
shall here leave off, and, as proposed above, in my next
" proceed to absolution."
I am, sir, yours faithfully
St. Helens, 30th Dec., 1840

PACIANUS

HER MAJESTY AND THE PRINCESS ROYAL.—The care
and attention bestowed upon the infant Princess Royal by its
nurse and various attendants are only to be equalled by the
great anxiety manifested by its royal parents, her Majesty
and Prince Albert, for its health and welfare. Immediately
her Majesty has risen in the morning, and entered the break-
fast-room, intelligence of the state of health of the infant
Princess is communicated to the Queen by the Baroness
Lehzen ; and as soon as breakfast is concluded, her Majesty
(who is generally accompanied by Prince Albert) proceeds
_

or about

In consequence of the extreme severity of the weather
since the arrival of the Court at Windsor, the royal infant
(who is in most excellent health, not having experienced the
•• • • ••• •.• . _

•
slightest indisposition since she. has been at the Castle) has
not been taken beyond the nursery and the other rooms con-
nected with that department of the royal household appropri-
ated to the use of her Royal Highness and her several at-
tendants. It is the invariable cnstom of her Majesty, upon
leaving the drawing-room at night, and previously to retiring
to rest, to visit the nursery for the purpose of ascertaining
the state of health, and taking leave, of the infant Princess.

• The Barcelona papers mention that a few weeks since a
young French actress of great beauty, named Augustine Joly,
who had not long been on the boards of the theatre in that
capital, committed suicide by stifling herself with charcoal.