The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-23 00:00:00

paragraph of their petition stands thus :

" That as the law now exists it is obvious that the people
of Ireland have not a sufficiently extensive right of voting at
elections, and that it is dangerous as well as unjust to with-
hold from the Irish people rights which they ought to enjoy
in common with ourselves. We know no good reason why
the representation of Ireland should not be as extensive in
all respects as our own."

There is a jumble in this paragraph which would very
much remind us of an " Irish stew," but that the stew
ies a good dish, and we cannot say so much for this li-
terary composition. We are told that it is unjust to
withhold from the Irish—". rights which they ought to

enjoy in common with ourselves ;" but as we have no
£5 household franchise, how can it be unjust to with-
hold from the Irish rights that we do not possess our-
selves ? 'ls it not rather unjust to ask us to concede to
them rights that we do not claim—rights that we are
satisfied to dispenie with on our own part ? But
worse again, it is sought to dragoon us into this con-
cession. It is " dangerous" as well as unjust—say
these petitioners, to refuse the boon enveloped in Lord
Morpeth's bill. Now we will leave it to any jury com-
posed equally of English and Irish, and a proportion
of Scotchmen—if this be I not what is vulgarly called
bullying ? But let the gentlemen of Clayton-square
compose themselves. Their sense of the "dangerous',
-we cannot agree to adopt exactly as ours ; and sure
we are, that neither will the people of England allow
it currency as theirs. In a word, we venture to assure
them that if they have nothing better than bullying to
rely upon, it won't do.
But again, we are told in this most ridiculous hash-
up petition, and in this very identical most curiously
peppered and mixed of all paragraphs, that the people
of Ireland have not " a sufficiently extensive right of
voting at elections." Sufficiently extensive—for what
purpose ?we should be glad to know. If they mean
not sufficiently extensive to overbear us altogether—
not sufficiently extensive to satisfy the Popish priest-
hood—we grant it may be so ; but for every other pur-
pose we say that it is quite sufficiently extensive, and
perhaps with the latitude allowed for polling dead men,
and other trifling advantages enjoyed under the exist-
ing registration system, a little too much so.

But we come at length to a close with this gem of
petition,—a splinter, we doubt not, in some way from
the first "gem of the sea" itself—and this nonpareil
of paragraphs :—" We know no good reason," say the
Irishmen, "why the representation of Ireland should not
be extensive in all respects as our own." And being
thus ignorant, they certainly come forward with consi-
derable advantage to petition stoutly in favour of Lord
Morpeth's bill.

It is quite manifest that the petition is the concoc-
tion of Papists; the last sentence we have quoted,
clearly proves it; but we end as we began by once

more expressing our sense of shame and grief at Eng-
lish Protestants attaching their signatures to such an

instrument, and forwarding the designs of a party who

avow that the dismemberment of the empire is their
•

ultimate object, and who, in the meantime, threaten us

with a rebellion ifney are not PlieeknOt on a:ldoting
of equality with, but of decided superiority over their

Protestant fellow-subjects

The Radicals had a turn-out yesterday in Clayton-
square, and so shy an affair we have not seen attempted
for some time in Liverpool. What need they had to
expose their delicate persons to the cold air in this still
wintry season—(and many of these poor Radicals are
pthisicky fellows, with most weak hams, and church-
yard coughs)—what need they had, we say, of the
square, when a small tavern room could have easily
accommodated the whole company, we really cannot
imagine, unless they wished to give further proof to
the whole world, (what for our part we should have
freely granted without), that in Liverpool they compose
but a very small and select few. There might have
been in the nook where the assembled audience looked
up at the orators on the balcony—somewhere about
300 persons—not more than we have often seen col-
lected to witness the amusing performances of Punch
and Judy; but of these we venture to say, that not
even one-half were Radicals, but good Conservatives
who came to laugh at old Williams and Rathbone
squeaking, and screaming like a frog with a quinsey,_
and view the contortions, generally, of all the talents'
in the shape of Radicalism that Liverpool can boast of.
The failure yesterday was altogether pitiable. The
square gave back the hoarse voices of the orators with
a hollow sound, (for it was almost empty), that must
have appalled them. The very cheers were dolorous.
But worst of all was the oratory. Each man stood up
to speak of the bill ; but 10, and behold, of nothing
could he think or speak but the Rev. Hugh NPNeile
Alas, alas, the spear of Ithuriel seemed to have passed
through and through every one of them, and to have .
so wounded them in some vital part, that instead of

oratoriaing to excite and animate the mind of their- fel
lowa, they did nothing but howl and abuse to ease the

pangs 'of their own

And be these our giants—the "giants of Clayton-
square ?" Henceforth rather let us call them pigmies,
denizens of Lilliput, anthropuhagi, or any thing at all
but "giants"—to which they have forfeited all right
and title whatsoever.

There is no man who knows better how to estimate

the contemptible slanders, the spleen, spite, and slaver
of the Dc fly's and others of the square than the Rev.
Hugh M`Neile, and therefore we do not feel the slight-
est apprehension that such despicable means will turn
him from his course, or deprive our cause of his ines-
timable services. Such unanimity in yelping is a
proof of
,the power that has produced it—and for the
rest, the censure of some men, all the world allows, is
the highest praise. But we gladly avail ourselves of
this opportunity to declare that all that is respectable,
intelligent, and truly estimable in Liverpool, are proud
of the gifted, the eloquent, the pious, and the fearlessly
zealous Minister of St. Jude's, and regard the day as
fortunate in which he was induced to become a. resi-
dent.

The attacks of such orators and such politicians
as we have heard yesterday in the balcony corner, will
Pass by Mr. M‘Neile as the idle wind. The storm
that rives the lesser trees of the forest, but consolidates
and roots more firmly the noble oak. This we know ;
but at the same time we would not have others think
so lightly of the matter. To be thus used—is in fact
to be prosecuted, and to suffer in a good cause ; and
the more vilely a good man is thus treated, the more
he is entitled to the sympathies, and the more he should
be endeared to the feelings and affections of all the
good. The Conservatives of Liverpool will make it
appear, we trust, that the foul tongues of the quadrate
Radicals have produced. no effect upon their mind, ex-
cept to make thern estimate and appreciate mare
highly than ever the uncompromising character, and
the admirable services rendered to the cause of truth,
both religious and political, and of genuine Christian
benevolence by the Rev. Hugh M`Neile.