The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-02-28 00:00:00

REFORMATION SOC/ETY.

Protestants and Fellow-townsmen,—kmeetiog convened
by the Mayor for day (Friday), will he adjourned to the
Amphitheatre. Foil not to attend at the Amphitheatre at
twelve o'clock, and show by your numberrand your voices
that you will not permit her Majesty's government to unpro.
testantize and unchristianize this nation.

At the hour of meeting, it was easily perceptible that
the circular sent out. by the Radical party had'been effec-
tive in its object, and that a majority or those in the
Sessions-house were adverse to the purpose for-which the
meeting had been called. The placard had aiso•been at-
tended to by those to• whom it was addressed,• as the
Amphitheatre was completely filled, considers* to the
neglect of the place in which the meeting was-originally
convened.

At twelve o'clock his worship the Mayor, attended by
the Town-clerk, entered- the meeting and took the 'chair,
and was received with applause.
Amongst the gentlemen? present we observed—l'ilessrs.
Wiffiam Rathbone, William Earle, Thomas Bolters} P. F.
Curry, Walter Macgregor, Mr. Rattles, barrister :: David
Hodgson, Charles Robertson, Chris. Bushell, J. R..0•-treryi
Alderman Bold, Charles HOrsfall, Charles Turner, -George
Maxwell, Heyworth, jinni,. H. J. Webster, E. T. Hall,
Rev. W. Pollock, Rev. Dr.-Micelle, J. B. Aspinall; bar..
rister,. Jas. Tyrer, Josias Booker, John Yates, Jun., Aim
Hodgson; R. Sheit, James Atkin, Mr. Bradley, Alderman
Parker,„ Mr. Toulmin, &c., &e.
The Matron requested the- Town-clerk to read the re.-
quisition; which he accordingly did, and stated that two
hundred' names were appended to it.
The MAYOR said he considered that when a requisKera
was presented to the Mayor, by a respectable portion? of
the 'inhabitants, it was his duty to call a meeting of the-
inhabitants -if he thought it was not that which might bia-
considered detrimental to the-interests of the town; audit
upon that-ground, to take the- chair, simply for the pus.,
pose of keeping order in the meeting, and to use his hest'
endeavour-that all those who wished to address it might'
,receive andlave a hearing fairly and impartially. It was'
not the Mayor's duty to take part in the discussion, Mix!
simply to, preside over, and to,request or enforce orders:
(Hear, hear).. Therefore, the same course which he had!
pursued on• receiving a requisititai to call a meeting cm
the subject of decimal coinage, and in calling the towns-
meeting- OR • juvenile delinquency, had actuated him in
calling the present meeting, the 'requisition on behalf cf
which was ,more numerously signed than for either of the
other two, After these observations, of course, it woukL
be for those who had arranged to take part in the discus-
sion to at once proceed with the, business for which they!
had!been-called together.

Mr. Busuxia, said he .was ./Not going to take any
part in ,the proceedings by way of making a speech : but
he wished to suggest to the mayor, that that was not the
meeting 'a:ntended to be held by those who signed the re-,
quisitiou. Those who promotathe meeting were not of
opinion: that the riliblic feeling which existed on this,
questimt could be represented in, a building like that, and
were aware that, on former occasions, an adjournment
had taken place to the Amphitheatre, the building ordi:k
narily used on those occasions, and which was at that mod.
ment vite full of people, supposing that an adjournment
wouldtake place, and that the meeting there had only,
been summoned formally. Therefore he suggested that
the •mayor should kindly adjourn that meeting, which didt
not represent in any degree the feeling on the questiouL=•
(Cries of "No, no," and " Yes) yes.")
Mr: W. RATHBONE pretested against that. (Bean,.
hear.). The Sessions-house was esteemed as the Mayorls
room, The meeting had been called there, and he treated,
thatmo mayor of Liverpool•would condescend to bedk-
tate& to by a Protestant Association. (Laughter- and
ILPPlivuo. in.
4-)
Mr. Lk .uonosoN rowan& attempted to speak.
Mr. RATIIBOICE continued. He would just say that
the•plaeard summoning-themeeting to the Amphitheatre-
was in the name of the- iotestant Association, and not
ot* the mayor.

Mr. D. ilonusox trusted. the mayor would not be die.
Wed to—(uproar)—in, the, exercise of his discretienand
sound judgement. He: was perfectly sure he, would
take care that the meeting. which he called shotaltr-igive.
large expression to the opinions of the town of Liverpool.
They knew the gentleman who had risen up opposite—
they knew his zeal—they knew his party spirit. (voice,
" Where's yours ?") He, did not deny that he was,not em-
bued with Mr. Rathbone!s spirit—he was a Conservatiee in
his principles. (Cries " Question.") He should anove, if
necessary, an adjoarment, but he considered that that was
the mayor's sole privilege, and that nobody bad:a right
to do more than offer an opinion.
Mr. W. EARLE • who was received with applause and
laughter, said,--Gentlemen, is this a meeting of the in-
habitants of Liverpool, or of the Protestant,Aeaociation
The fact is, sir, the, foxes have been outwitted on this
occasion. (Lcaidllaughter.) This is nothing-but a party
movement, andzthe Amphitheatre is packed, I dare say,
with eloquent men, and there they are al. cooked," and
I hope you will let them remain. (Loudllaughter..)
Mr. A. HODGSON hoped that, as had beenexpressed by
the gentleman near him, the mayor wculd not be dictated
to by any party. (Hear, hear). He for one mould not have
been a party, to ask the mayor to call any meeting to
carry any certain measure whatever, The, question was
the repealof certain oaths. There never had been in his
time any statesman (cries of " Question, question ;" " Vote,
vote"). Mr. Hodgson said he was. speaking strictly to the
question.(uproar).
TheMaxoa.—Allow Mr. A. ilodgFen, and when he is
done I' will say a word as to what I think the proper
course.. _ _ _

Mr. ilonGaox said he had meant to, say that the meet-
ing:was called for discussion ; and when they were for ap-
plyitig•to. the legislature on a point open for discussion, it
was.right that a great town like Liverpool should meet
nob in• an angry spirit (a voice." Meet where? the meeting
to:packed"); but meet for calm and rational discussion,.
(Uproar.)
The MAYOR said, he felt that he was blameable for
allowing the discussion that had taken place. He must
now call upon some gentleman to bring a substantive
motion before the meeting, which there was not yet.
When that was sec,onded, he• thought a discussion might
take place solely on what that motion might be ; and he
must ask gentlemen to confine themselves to it. (Applause).
If Mr. Bushell should move that the meeting be adkpurned,
and some one would second it, he should then be• in a po-
sition to keep gentlemen to the motions before them. It
had always been the practice that an adjournment had
taken place upon a motion carried by the meeting.
Mr. Busuw. said he had hesitated to move the ad-
journment of the meeting, because he did not in the least
wish to interfere with the mayor's functions. He had
hoped that the mere statement that those who desired to
attend that meeting on both sides believed the building
was totally incompetent in size to hold the numbers that
would attend, and who had naturally and rationally gone
to the building used on such occasions. He (Mr. Bushell)
had thought it would not be necessary to put such a
motion. _ _ _

The MAYOR asked the town-clerk what had taken place
on former occasions.
The TOWN-CLERIC said that the last occasion on which
there was an adjournment was in Sir John Bent's
mayoralty. A motion was put and carried, and an ad-
journment took place accordingly.
Mr. G. MAXWELL said,—l want to ask you, Mr. Mayor,
one question, that is, whether, in the course of the discus-
sion that has arisen between you and the requisitionists,
you, as the chief magistrate of the town of Liverpool, had
made provision for the inadequacy of this hall ; and whe-
ther the Amphitheatre had been engaged by you in that
capacity ?
The MA.YOE.—I distinctly answer Mr. Maxwell's ques-
tion, and state that my mind was a perfect blank as to the
adjournment before I came to this meeting.
Mr. Asrixe.L.L.—That is not an answer to the question.
The MAYOR.--Mr. Maxwell asked me whether I had
engaged the Amphitheatre. I have not engaged the
Amphitheatre, and will take care that the Corporation
money does not pay for it. (Loud applause.)
Mr. EARLS.--The gentlemen behind me are in a quan-
dary—(laughter)---but I can tell you all the secret worth
knowing. (Laughter, applause, and hisses.) The Amphi-
theatre was engaged at noon, yesterday, conditionally.
(Hear, hear, and cries of " Vote vote," and "Adjourn.")
The MAYOR again rose, and said—l tell you, it is my
duty to you, gentlemen, and myself, whose time is as pre-
cious as your own, to ask that a motion should be pro-
posed, or else I will not permit any of these discussions to
take plat,
Mr, BusnELL then moved the adjournment of the
meeting. If they had been foxes, as they had been ac-
cuned vi Wings they wag redly Iwo Ago ow buiAlii3g,