The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-08-21 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS

INVENTION FOR TIIE EASY CONVERSION OF ORDINARY
BOATS INTO LIFE-BOATS.—Owing to a press of assize
and other intelligence, we are reluctantly compelled to
postpone until Tuesday a notice of this and other ingenious
inventions by Capt. George Smith, R.N.

Ely Zthrrpool (ttanbarb.

FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 21, 1840

Our readers may remember that in the autumn of
last year a bazaar was held at the Adelphi Hotel, as the
advertisement told us, " for the relief of the poor du-
ring the inclement season," which realized about
£1,200. This bazaar was got up by the Roman Ca-
tholics, but was supported by a very great number of
Protestants. The word Roman Catholic was studiously
concealed in the advertisement, and omitted altogether
in the placards, which latter merely invited the public
to " come to the bazaar for the poor at the Adelphi."
We are now bringing this matter forward to show our
Protestant readers how they have been (as usual) duped
by the " speaking lies in hypocrisy" of Popery. If
our information be correct, the proceeds of this bazaar
have been applied to the payment of the taxes and
rates of the Popish mob of this town, 'and from the
funds raised at this bazaar it is that the registra-
tion has been well nigh swamped, and that the repre-
sentation of Liverpool is nearly in the hands of the
Romish priesthood. One of their priests (whose name
we know) at a vestry meeting, in Seel-street Chapel,
told his hearers that " he thought the poor would
be best relieved by having their rates paid, to enable
them to vote at the next election for the candidate who
would support religious liberty ; and therefore the funds
obtained at the bazaar would be applied to that pur-
pose." We would ask that priest how, in the name of
common honesty, he could recommend such a thing?
Did he not remember under what colour that money
was obtained ? Was there not one present who had
the boldness which a good cause inspires to remind his
conscience keeper of this ? Not one ! It was for the
good of their church, and " the end sanctified the
means." If this is not obtaining money under false
pretences, we never heard of a case of it. A more
flagrant act of public rascality we really believe was
never recorded. The Protestants, in the honesty of
their hearts, were led, from purely philanthropic mo-
tives, to support a dimity which they believed was to
relieve the physical wants of their poor brethren ; but
(we trust it will be a warning to them) they were feed-
ing a viper that seeks to destroy them. The Papists
may now thank the Protestants of Liverpool for the
faggot votes placed on the register. Well might Sir
Joshua '\Valmsley send them a " liberal" donation.
We trust that after this we shall not again hear of Pro-
testants supporting Popish halls, Popish bazaars, or
" musical entertainments" at Popish chapels for " cha-
ritable" purposes. We now know the Popish inter-
pretation of the word " charitable." Protestants, when
will ye be wise ?

The desecration of the Sabbath has always been one
of the grand means by which Popery has obtained its
ascendancy over the minds of the people. Corrupt as
man is by nature, and ever prone as he is to choose the
evil instead of the good, we need not feel any surprise
that a system which extends its indulgence towards
those infractions of the Divine law which are so accord-
ant to the innate depravity of the heart should obtain
the meed of popularity. We see, on the continent, at
least in all those countries which are under the dominion
of Popery, the subtle influence of this system. There
the theatres are permitted to be opened on the Sab-
bath, and other public amusements, calculated to charm
the senses, are lavishly provided for the mass of the
people. The priests take good care that their denun-
ciations shall not interrupt an order of things which,
while it leaves the people slaves to their own vicious
passions, secures their attachment to a form of reli-
gion, which not only connives at, but even sanctions
the open violation of that commandment which en-
joins us to " keep holy the Sabbath-day." It must
also occur to the observant reader that in this country
—in favoured England—in proportion as the nation
has approximated to Popery, so has the observance of
the Sabbath been neglected, and its desecration encou-
raged. We find the strongest evidence. of this fact in
the publication of the celebrated " Book of Sports,"
in the time of King James. The wily priests of Rome
knew well that nothing was more likely to pave the
Way for the ascendancy of the Papacy than the indul-
gence which was then extended to practices so conso-
atant to the nature of fallen man.

In fact, the whole history of Popery, in every age
and in every clime, is fraught with evidence of the
same system of indulgence. It is this system which
has induced the missionaries of the Romish Church to
assimilate their religious observances as much as pos-
sible with the idolatrous practices of heathen countries.
We have been led to make these remarks from ob-
serving, in the Dublin papers of the present week, a
notification that the teetotallers are to have a regular
field day next Sunday, under the patronage of a priest,
the Rev. Dr. Doyle.. A public dinner is to take place
in one of the national schools, after which a dessert,
a la Francais, is to be served, with tea and coffee.
After thew festivities, dancing is to commence. This
is the way in which the Popish priests of Ireland in-
gratiate themselves with the people. Need we wonder,
therefore, that all the vicious and dissipated portion of
the populace--in all countries comprising an over-
whelming majority—should eagerly flock to the stan-
dard of Popery ?

The trick of Alderman Evans has succeeded. Five
gentlemen have been selected as members of the Dock
Committee who are favourable to the proposed scheme
for erecting warehouses on the dock quays. Against
these gentlemen, indAdually, it would be wrong in us
to write a single syllable. No one can say anything in
disparagement of their personal character or public
conduct. They are all men of the highest standing in
town. Their political principles are in perfect unison
with those which we have 'always advocated. They
have, however, committed a fatal error of judgment in
permitting themselves to be made the instruments of
Alderman Evans and his clique. We feel more strongly
perSuaded than ever that they have, unconsciously, and
therefore innocently, thrown the weight of their cha-
racter and influence into the scale against the party to
which they belong. We feel convinced that they will
hereafter acknowledge their error, but we fear they
will not discover the false position in which they have
been placed until it becomes too late to retrieve the
mischief which they will have effected.

The chief parties who have been agitating the question
of dock warehouses, during the last two years, have
all along had ulterior objects in view, to which the
proposed scheme was to be rendered subservient.
Alderman Evans and his tail have been actuated by
political motives while seeking to carry out their plans.
What care therabout the accommodations of the port?
Their professions of solicitude for the convenience of
the shipping interests are clearly all moonshine. Their
object has been the creation of an overwhelming amount
of patronage, so as to secure to the faction which has
now the ascendancy in the Town Council the entire
controul of the representation of Liverpool, both parlia-
mentary and municipal. This is the true secret of the
zeal and pertinacity with which the warehouse scheme
has been prosecuted,
We have repeatedly stated that there can be no
rational objection to having warehouses built on the
dock quays. No one denies that they. would be an
acquisition to the port of Liverpool. The warehouse-
owners themselves have acknowledged the utility of the
plan. But in securing so important a boon, let there
be care taken that no injustice is done. A public con-
venience would be dearly purchased At so costly an ex-
pense as that of the ruin of hundreds of families. If we
are to have warehouses, let the public have the benefit
of competition in the matter. Let not the Dock Com-
mittee have the monopoly of these warehouses in their
hands, with all the patronage to which it would neces-
sarily give rise. Here is the rub. The Whig-radical
action cannot long maintain their ascendancy without
multiplying their patronage. "No penny, no pater-
noster," is their maxim. If they are to be deprived of
the gigantic amount of patronage which will be associ-
ated with the expensive brick. and mortar scheme on
which they have lately lavished so much money, they
will not care one fig for dock warehouses. The mer-
chants of Liverpool may whistle for " increased facili-
ties," unless accompanied by increased patronage.
We do not, however, wish it to be taken for granted
that the Corporation will succeed in carrying their
monopolising dock bill through Parliament. Far from
it. The result of the recent . investigation into the
merits of the bill, before a committee of .the House of
Commons, ought to convince them that the difficulties
in their way are almost insuperable. They have already
expended some twenty thousands of the public money
in their Quixotic attempt, and are, after all, just as near
the goal to which they aspired as when they first
started.

The opposition which they provoked by their iniqui-
tous plan has, hitherto, proved too powerful for them.
Their withdrawal of the bill was an evidence of a weak

cause.

The agitation of the dock warehouse question is, in-
deed, likely to be attended with far different results
from those which were calculated upon by Alderman
Evans and his tail. Instead of consolidating and in-
creasing the power of the Corporation—the ultima
ratio of the faction by whom the dock warehouse pro-
ject was set on foot—it is probable that the constitution
of the dock Committee will be radically changed—that
the ratepayers will have a larger share of controul over
the appointment of its members—that the monopoly of
the Mersey will be effectually broken up—that Man-
chester will have other docks than those of Liverpool—
and that competition will eventually be the order of the
day, not only in reference to warehouse accommoda-
tion, but also as regards dock room. The proprietors
of the Herculaneum and Harrington Docks have al-
ready acted as pioneers in the work of reform. Their
example will not be lost upon the powerful body of
landowners in Cheshire. Let the Corporation " see
to it."

Daily occurrences serve to convince us more and
more of the healthy tone of feeling which predominates
among the Protestant democracy of this great empire.
We confess that it is to this source that we look with
any degree of confidence for a salutary change in the
administration of public affairs. Among the great and
rich—among peers as well as commoners of high station
—there is so much latitudinarianism of principle—so
much deference paid to the law of expediency—so
much indifference to those truths upon the reception of
which the prosperity of nations depends—that we
cannot expect any beneficial movement to originate
among the upper ranks of society. No ! It is to the
great class of the operatives, together with the inter-
mediate grades of tradesmen, that we are to look for
the salvation of the country from the dangers by which
it is surrounded, and from the ruin which is impending
over it. Among these classes do we find the most
untiring zeal in the defence of our national institutions,
the most pure and disinterested patriotism, and the
richest display of public and domestic virtues. We
have long watched with satisfaction the growth of
sound religious principles among these classes. We
have also witnessed with unaffected pleasure their un-
flinching adherence to those Protestant truths which
are so intimately blended with the very existence of tie
British constitution. .

Among the healthy and inspiriting indications of the
state of feeling which prevails among the industrious
classes of this country, we have seldom witnessed any-
thing which has encouraged us to entertain brighter
hopes respecting the fate of the nation than the great
meeting which took place on Wednesday evening at
the Amphitheatre, to listen to an exposition of Protes-
tant truth from the lips of one of the most eminent and
successful champions of our national faith. The whole
of the immense building was filled. There could not
have been less than five thousand individuals present—
most of whom were working men. The greatest en-
thusiasm prevailed throughout the evening, and a ready,
spontaneous, and unequivocal sanction was given by
the vast assembly to the truths which Mr. Gregg so ',
clearly and forcibly elucidated.
Of Mr. Gregg's address on Wednesday evening it
is scarcely necessary for us to say much. The report
of it, which appears in our columns this day, will speak
for itself. The position which this eloquent and de-
voted champion of Protestantism has taken, is one
from which no subtlety of reasoning can move him.
He takes his stand upon the " Rock of Ages," and
may, therefore, defy the opposition of all the confede-
rate " powers of darkness." He appears before the
Protestant operatives of Liverpool with the Bible in
his hand, and he points to that sacred volume as the
foundation on which the fabric of our glorious consti-
tution has been reared. In that book he finds the ex-
emplars for all the most important of our legislative
enactments, and from it he would derive those lessons
of political wisdom which can alone render us virtuous,
happy, and prosperous as a nation.

The whole of Mr. Gregg's address was a practical
commentary on that emphatical text—" Righteousness
exalteth a nation." •He exemplified the truth of this
saying of the " wisest of men " by an, appeal to the
history of this country—an appeal which, we trust, will
have a salutary effect upon the public mind.
The truths so prominently set forth by Mr. Gregg
cannot be too frequently or too forcibly impressed upon
the minds of the Protestants of Great Britain. Instruc-
tion in these truths is highly necessary at the present
crisis, when so many efforts are being made to alienate
the affections of the people from that church which is
the safeguard of our national proSperity, and the palla-
dium of our civil liberties. Let us only be true to our
national faith—true to our national privileges—true to
those immutable principles upon which our laws and
our constitution are based—and then we may bid de-
fiance to all our enemies, external and internal. They
may rage and threaten ; but their efforts will.be as
potent as the lashing of the surge against the founda-
tions of the " eternal hills."