The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-11-22 00:00:00

v

F9ucile the glaring inconsistencies which mark their ge-
neral conduct. One reason given why we should sup-
port this system was that it would tend to allay religious
Imejutlices and afford greater facilities for the progress of;
914..(jr05pe1.. Many denounced the errors of the Church
9f. RRne; and supported, this system from a Wish to dis•
setninate
,Scriptural knowledge amongst the peasantry,
to convince them of their error and lead them to a know 7
ledge of the truth. But mark the result. No. sooner
does a tnam. becoMe convinced of his error, and evince a
diiPosition to abandon his former superstitions, than he
asirailed-by the liberal press as a " renegade," as an
"apostate," and every epithet that bigotry and calumny
Mt invent are freely bestowed upon him. The conduct
"f our lib§ral -Town, Council has at length roused the
24RJ-of-the Protestant cntuniunity; and they are now
buckling ort their armour. We entertain no. fear for the re •
"ltt "The foul" may say "in his heart there is no-God,"
- and the.Solon-s'of our-Council may array themselves in
t!PPos3itiouto the spread of the Gospel and dare the'ven-
geance of Heaven, butt truth will proceed to their dis-
acrnfiture and disgrace.. To our Protestant countrymen
we "Y,let your zeal be as ardent, your allegiance as
faithful, yonr loyalty as' devoted, and yOUr defence as
resolute; as that which distinguished your illustrious
forefathers. • ...

CORRESPQNDEIyCIS'.

'd THE MEMBERS 'OF THE LIVERPOOL

TOWN 'COUNCIL.

GENTLEMEN.—A printed letter has been addressed to you by
.one of your own body, with avowed reference to the subject of
the schools, which is to come under your consideration next
Wednesday.
The writer, Mr. Rathbone, has condescended to strengthen
his appeal to you, by a reference to me by name. I feel con-,
fident that this circumstance will exculpate me from the cha'rge

of intrusion, in thus addressing you : for if Mr. 11 athhonehas
felt my opiniora AnPritatements of sufficient Consequence to call
for direct reference on. his part, it will readily be admitted that
nuiv
without. impropriety on my pat t, feel them of suffici:::t
SeTtence to be entitlecljo accuracy of representation. fir.
,94)51::e says
- - - •

. . . •
eth ,"„Ijitl. it been in this_ town • only that they had made, efforts'
a
.73,tirt4t the schools' We'iniglit suppose that they merely seized upon
usll4llltn, as a useful handle. aka inst-us ; yet, even here the Rev. -Air.'
AVlsreileltas publicly retracted" his reiterated assertion'that we had
'UN enfludeti the Aihlet:be hi.l,ltowcyrT, to ina;.ntrin his-consistency,
vh”,tnade.an assertion eqindly without foundatici --•:1-.3t the reading of.
Ifrtlt+ttli,Al4 .13 ibte ituitt• inipositiOn to the Irish Totco- of • edutest ten. On
vt3l4lleso..ntrqy, it is one of its declared objects to prorpote the read...
"TlYf the whi)fe-Bibte."-
~~e het late here two statements to which, I beg liave to call y our
,
'4l4(tteOtion---

. .
I. That I have retracted my reiterated assertion that.yon
have excluded the bible from your schools. And
2. That I have asserted that the readint, of the whole bible
is in opposition to the Irish* plan of education, While on the,
contrary, Mr. Rithbone asserts that one of the declared ob--
jects of that plan is to promote thereading Of 'the whole bible.
1: In making the first; 'Mr. RathbOrie refers, I
-bon elude, to the speech which I delivered at the late anniversary
ttneetingof the Liverpool Protestant Association. That you may
judge fairly of the accuracy of his representation, I take the li-
berty of transcribing what I said on that occasion. I quote from
the corrected report printed.under the sanction of the committee.
"'['his system of education is an unnerminer of protestantism.
It was imported into Liverpool as a feeler, and it has been felt.
(Much applause.) Was it imported into Liverpool ? The
resolutions passed in the council of the corporation of Liverpool
last July, were—l. That the schools shall open at nine o'clock
each morning, and commence by the children singing a hymn
'from the selections of the commissioners of national education
in Ireland, and by the masters reading a portion of the scriptures
from the same selections.-2. That one hour of each day be
devoted to the religious instruction of those children whose
parents do not object; and that such hour be in the afternoon,
after the school. has closed. That the school shall be considered
as closed at three o'clock. in the winter, and at four o'clock in
summer. That instruction be given on Thursday afternoon as on
other days, and Saturday afternoon be considered a holy-
day.-3. That the clergy of the different denominations be
- solicited to attend for these purposes, and that every practical
aCcornmodation be afforded thew.-6. 'That the books of the
.ormissioners in. Ireland be adopted, and that they have a fair
trial previous to the introduction of any other.' You recollect
that the Irish system was. constructed in order to get rid of the
Vital defect in the Kildare-place system, which was the reading
•.of the ScriptUres in school hours. The Irish system, therefore,
excluded the reading of the scriptures, otherwise the defect was

not rid of. (Cheers.) Did the new Irish system exclude

stl; 40.13ib1e-? . Assuredly it did. Did the Liverpool corporation
rti ,o,dov,theoliew system? Assuredly it did. Did the Liver-
Pool Corporatiou exclude the Bible ? Assuredly it did. Yet I
have here three gentlemen who say no.' I read from one of
our esteemed contemporaries.' (A laugh.) THE BIBLE IN
THE CORPORATION SCHOOLS.--,A public meeting was held yes-

terdag enening, at the Vine Tavern, Pitt-street, at which Mr.
av; Raillbene and several others of the Corporation School Committee
,rtt,tr4torcl4ll,for.the,parpose of answering any questions relative to the
oti,4oVla.;qe.r, which asserts that the Bible is ercladrd from these
trekoofs. itatill?C•ine Said, lira merely were ,elections from the
5 In43tViihole Bible was used. Mr. Blackbarn said
lghitaiirvi,its'ifittri,-fead:iit those schools. That it Was not was but
`V, dXertit*Aiiid!need be only. met by a dfrect negative. Mr.
IluOVAlllislerj,“!lni:was.loudly called for, said that. the - Bible,
pclrt of the, routine of the. schools.
4-iakilicrse!AitiztArFruises and see the conclusion. 'l'he Bible
I,bttia excluded from_ the Irish system ; the
,Irish. system is
ar1.91-I.ed itilEilieipoOl—er:yo, the Bible is not excluded from
the Livei sabots. (Loud cheers.) - Two affirmative
I)retuiies',Wiiticit* in a negative conclusion!. • (Loud cheers.)
Here my assertion ' that you have excluded
113'tht Bible from your schools is reiterated, not retracted; and

reiterattollion the authority of your own resolution; which
• exmoLianA mperuptorily confines you to the books used
• in the 10,430 p-stein. But I said further :—" I cannot con-
elude wthout congratulating this meeting, and the whole
1_ town upon the gratiying fact that the resolution of our Town
CouneiT,-adopting the Irish system of education in their
sehools,r-ittid' thereby excluding the Bible, has been pm-
• titally tescinded: If .11 be not rescinded, the Bible is still
e,t',43,Bo.celtscieti•; but, upon the combined and unanswerable testi-

. . „
lO ettrgy pa.thhone,. Mr. Blackburn, and Mr. Walnisley, I
hataProOstain thesbeering intelligence that the Bible is not exclud-
consequently, the resolution of July is practically; re-
liCinded !"
Mt. Ilathbone 'hails this statement as an acknowledg-
Meta .on niy.,part that the Bible is not excluded from your
SiAtools. Is he prepared to deal fairly with the whole passage--
to,. adopt the alternative therein stated, and, to avow that, the
resolution of the council, iu July, is practically rescinded ? If
this be so, and you be disposed to agree with him, pet unit me
reseetr,illy to suggest that it would" be more becoming the
dignity of a' publie'tody. openly to repeal the resolution in
'Connter resolution, that your mrbrds'and actions
Lialq'twittlinisoni titan to proceed.practicallY: to Violate Tour
ZOincSivu.sepor:44plfAge,,l3l4Lif t4ohhoite to
cair1,1,:,1T44(i3 17)Algk ply4Fpgq„ aug.,,nolnot avow that the
leseution of July is 'practicallx iesCindecl, tlien I have ontrto
I.4crirect your attention to the alferhattWstitted in my speech-
- 1P41141/P Utirelatirdisrel!: We 4 tpti ftlige ceselitiltd." And, in,

41.4 either case; it bit- uperative-utioi tae to iny that the,statetuent
contained in Nit.. liattbftwerllettoi is nut hurtle out toy anything
1 hty:..tyir.i.said of writtons.:;,

2. I did and do assert that the reading of the whole
it, ;Bible isiin opposition to the Irish,plan of education; and I make
ihiri assertion on the authority of. Lord Stanley's letter to the Duke
of Leitister. Concerning the, Kildare_ Place Society, then
carrying on scriptural education; his Lordihip writes
While they' (the government) du full justice to the liberal viewsf)
t ;r arith which he sensible filhatons:co7l?-s
lwerdionrgigillleLilnesstiwtuastecda,ltchulecdantondtefe;
defeat
‘,' LtswiaVo.ifedgbjects., asyx.perien.ce Cm! subsequently prgofv_eedrethaa.tni!
'. ilia hhoelv estelrpmtumrstiownittLeuntfonroc(f.er(n,raeollmtkineeirozcwhoaosLh undoubtedly
di
"
R tirucwwilitibtlmteorrlyeasntdntteiraves, welthellfronwiasnli(ittacr
vcie,..taomeoerrneet
notre-
Itg run the risk of:wounding literary
peculiar feelip:4s of any sect by cate-
,A, ehetical instruction, or comments which might tend to subjects of
polemical controversy. But it seems to have been overlooked that
;:b
nh the
for nfetrha;t *logiro,
diffusion
Catholicthrou o.ohuur lire(to a ind, tchhe,
balk of
, riziellizatnnedcrat necessarily r,47.4,;.)mwienzetroet2gaot
fvfrei,ft,noel
ve with this
1)5:,
..withont note or comment, by children, must -be peculiarly oh-.
0 el, utrecrhprwefhaitcf,h)n doef the n esaveerner
vaoilltuunitse, twbieoll• i I:l:stpoeQinto-
ittil :111,e articles of religious belief. Shortly aftfr its institution, althoughf
caree s°ei
;PlfeTieeirstiadt andur legislature tehrrnitiaeiddiet,lecol:eruaatni operations
beunnfolteircelleanTittelrie
Roman Catholic clergy began to exert themselves with energy and
Tgh l4tlccess against a system to which they were an principle opposed,
nagovvullicbt,toh
suchfreotiTeifll
were
leeraed proselytism,
cionn7eszepaltarlftesdtobyts
promoters.eve n
eWamheent
manifesthis olittiotnhLa‘rossyesiefomunc(oleuldonnostu;ehcogrmoeunodnse, ito f soontaohneal
,!ivr, .. education."
ha The vital defect of the Kildare-place system was the reading
f the Bible in the school hours.
The present Irish system was instituted for the express purpose
of remedying this defect. Was this purpose answered, and this
tietect remedied, or not? To say it was not, is to stultify the
-'-whole proceeding, and to charge the Government of which Lord
t4l
.Stanley was then the organ, with wilful deception. They hold
nut that the Kildare Place system has a vital defect, to wit,—
itiT: the reading of the Bible,—and could not therefore become na-
tional. They withdraw their grant of public money from it on
that account. They institute another system, which is to be na-
Val, voting it a much larger grant, and behold ! it contains
' ' the aforesaid vital defect: nay, Mr. Rathbone says, that one of its

"60arecl objects is to promote the vital defect. Lord Stanley
361 Ofseribes the true and leading object of the present Irish sys-
tem to be, to etu:dd what was fatal in the former sytems, ihat
is• the rpading of the whole Bible. Mr. Itatht.one declares
_4l, that otie or the objects of the present Irish system is to inrrtote
the renting of the whole Bible. I take the liberty.of agreeing