The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-01-22 00:00:00

must, therefore, have been void, and it remained to be seen on
what authority the present claimant wa; acting.
Mr. Justice Matteson..—Suppose four vacancies had occur-
red in the number of aldermen between the choice and the elec-
tion of mayor.

" Sir W. Follett.2--That would have been, held sufficient, and
the new body would have proceeded to fill up the vacancies
But here the whole intermediate grade was wanting, there be-
ing, in fact, no aldermen chosen, as the two could not be suf-
ficient to meet the terms of the act. Had sixteen councillors
o*ly been chosen, the informality must have been alike fatal.
This point has not yet been discussed, although the same acci-
dent and difficulty had arisen in two other boroughs. Rochester
and Newport, but in these instances the councillors had not pro-
ceeded to the election of mayor.

"Mr. Justice Matteson wished to mention the matter to his
learned colleagues before giving a decision ; but at present his
impression was, that the rule ought to be granted.
" Sir W. Follett said there was another point at issue, which
arose under the old charter, by virtue of which the Constable
of Carnarvon Castle was by right'of his office mayor of the bo-
rough, and always took the oaths as such officer. Under the.
36th section of the new act it was directed, without any excep-
tion, that the election of the new corporate body should be held
under the presidency of the existing mayor. This had been
omitted in the case now before the-Court, the election having
been held before a perlon exercising the office of deputy-mayor,
under the appointment of Lord Anglesey, the present consta-
ble of the castle, and late mayor, but the right to appoint such
deputy having ❑o existence in the terms of the old charter. The
wr►t of quo warranto was, therefore, asked on two distinct
grounds—first, that the whole of the proceedings were informal
and void, there having been no proper. presiding officer; and
secondly, that the, appointment of aldermen must precede the
election of a mayor-

" Mr. Justice Matteson again observed, that as the act had
given rise to several motions, and probably would to more, he
should like to mention it to the other judges."

These are its fruits, and this is the act of parliament
which the King has been thanked for passing by the cor,
poration of Liverpool—the compilation of blunders with-
out which we could not possibly exist for another year,
and fcr which every principle of right and justice recog-
nised by the constitution has been violated.
The 'proceedings that have already taken place, cou-
pled with those which are to follow, will, as they must be
originated in the Cdurt of King's Bench, at least have
the good effect of preventing the doors of that court from
being closed for the want of business. Strange as it may
appear, the husband of the Baroness Stratheden, Sir Sohn
Campbell, Knight, has only been employed in one of
these corporation suits.

It is truly remarkable how men's actions give the lie
to their professions. Nothing is more common than to
see how the most furious zeal and most boiling patriotism
settle down into quietude when men become invested
with the robes of office, or get plunged into the honey-
comb of a good place.
We would not judge too harshly of our new council-
tors. They are yet but " prentice hands," and will make
hundreds of blunders before-they become judicious men
of business, if, indeed, many of them ever become men
of business at.all. But when any thing like principle is
concerned, we do expect to see those who have been
loudest in profession at least stand firm, and when they
see those principles assaulted be foremost in their de-
fence. Mr. SHIEL, the other day, in reply to the cutting
observations, of Mr. SANDARS, seemed to be indignant at
the idea that Scriptural education should form any part
of the education of the present day. Now, it did strike
us as truly marvellous that Mr. STRINGENT BLACKBURN
could pass by this remark of Mr. SHIEL so quietly, when
we recollected the great zeal Mr. BLACKBURN has always
shown towards Missionary and Bible Societies in his ca-
pacity of deacon or something of that sort at the Scrip-
ture-spreading Bethesda. We are afraid Mr. BLACK-
BURN did not think this " of the utmost importance" or
we are sure the talkative gentleman who is so fond of
"Spinning long yarns" would have stood up stoutly in
defence of that book, which, if widely circulated and read
as it ought to ,be, would do more to scatter popery to the
winds than all the legislation in the world ever will do.
Let Mr. SAMUEL HOPE, too, not forget the thousand.
and-one speeches he has made in defence of Scriptural
education and Bible Societies; and now that he has an
opportunity of meeting men face to face who would smo-
ther the Sacred Records or warp them to their—own self-
ish -purposes, let him spew that he was sincere in his
former professions„ and dare to be honest, though he
should be singular in his honesty. We may have much
to say to this gentleman if we see him shrink from his of-
ten-avowed duty ; but it is really lamentable to behold
men of private excellence tacitly acknowledging their
belief that creeds have no connexion with politics, and thus
we see the papist,- "the independent, and the unitarian.
all joining in the same cry of "Down with the church !"
and merging all minor differences for the accomplish-
ment of that one grand object.

But some radical or other may say that religion has no
business in the Council Chamber. We add, NOR POLITICS
EITHER—but the public will see by and by that it is not
a desire of furthering the local interests of the town that
actuates the great body of our councillors, but a desire of
furthering the movement, and strutting their little hour
upon the stage, where nearly all appear for the first and
probably many of them for the last time.

Mr. DANIEL O'CONNELL has graciously been pleased
to signify his acceptance of the invitation sent him by
the Clarendon-room patriots, humbly requesting the ho-
nour of his company at a public dinner to be given to
him in this place. Now, we should like much to know
whether DANIEL has been honestly and fairly treated in
this business; whether he has been told of the serious
dissensions which arose in the Clarendon cabinet on this
very important measure—dissensions which have already
occasioned more than one resignation, and will be fol-
lowed by many others—and, we should like also to know
whether Mr. Honorary Secretary SUIEL and the Liver-
pool correspondent of the Morning Chronicle compared
before they sent off their respective despatches. How-
ever, that is their business, not ours ; and if, like the
Chronicle, O'CoNsEnn'has been gtossly deceived as to
the " unanimity" of his friends, be is really very much
to.be pitied.

The Corn Exchange committee met yesterday, and
passed a resolution, granting the use of that building to
the O'CONNELL dinner committee on Wednesday next,
when the entertainment will be given.
• We subjoin a letter which has just reached us, con-
taining some fine sketches of the English character from
the masterly pencil of Mr. O'CONNELL, which at this
particular time will, no doubt, be read with much inter
• rest :