The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-05-07 00:00:00

bill altogether." It then became a consideration whether
they should allow the Queen-square Company to defeat this
measure. They had only four hours to spare ; if they had
allowed it to remain until Monday it would have been too

late. They got up a petition, obtained a few signatures to it,
and sent it by post. Another petition was got up on Monday.
in case of the failure of the first. It was perfectly evident
that the intention of the Queen-square Company was to de-
feat the object they bad in view, namely, to get cheap gas ;
for it was certain that if the Dale-street bill was fairly carried
out, they should in two or three year, have gas down to bs.
Therefore, it was for their consideration whether they would
allow that opposition to go on—whether they would allow
the Queen-square Company to defeat them in their just ex-
pectations? (Cheers.)
Mr. BRIGHT said it appeared to him that the interest of
the consumer was not considered by either of the companies ;

and that the Guardian Society sliotild go on to the attainment

of its object without regard to one company or the other.
(Cheers.)
Mr. .l EFFERY said, a few minutes before be entered that
room a resolution had been put into his hands ; he was sure,
befOre he read it to them, that every gas consumer would
enter most cordially into the Merits of the resolution, and at
once agree to it. It was :—" That it is the opinion of the

meeting that the Liverpool Gas Bill, as amended by the
House of Commons, and now before the House of Lords,
will be beneficial to the consumer of gas, and this meeting
pledges itself to support it." It would require very little
from him to make every gentleman present believe that it
was beneficial—the solicitor's report was sufficient to con-
vince them of that. Mr. Jeffery then very ably enlarged
upon the facts that were contained in the report, and
in the course of his remarks, said that the new company

commenced comparatively without capital, the consumers
were liberal enough to relieve them from a state of almost
bankruptcy, and now that they had got all they asked from
the gas consumers, they wanted to put their hands into their
breeches' pockets. (Hear, and laughter.) Mr. Banner, when
one of the deputation from the Queen-square company, said
that they (the gas consumers) wished to make one company
and ruin the other. This was not the case. Their object
was not to support either one company or the other, but to
obtain cheap gas. Thus, as the old company were not pre-
vented dividing any amount of profit, while the new com-
pany were prevented dividing above 10 per cent., if the bill
did mot pass into law, he should support the new company ;
and if it did, he should support the old company. Mr. Ban-
ner endeavoured r o treat the matter sympathetically ; he was
told it could not be entertained with sympathy, but that they
met there as men of business, to obtain cheap gas. (Hear.)
They would effect much by the bill, if it passed in its present
shape. In the forwarding of this they had acted in concert
with the Queen-square company—their counsel had acted
together; and for his own part be was puzzled at the time
to account for their conduct. They wanted to go hand in
hand with the gas consumers, to prevent the Dale-street
company getting a bill at all ; but they were advised by their
counsel to stop where they were, and be satisfied. As con-
tributors to the fund, he asked them whether they had acted
wisely or unwisely in taking their stand when they had got
as much as they could? (Approval.) If the bill were passed
as it was, it would be a boon to the gas consumers •, and if
thrown out, all the expense they had been at would be lost:
thus, to allow the proceedings of the new company to go on
unmolested would be an act of injustice to the contributors.
(Hear.) In the course of five years they would have gas
at 4s. 6d., if this bill passed into law. (Hear, and cheers.)
Mr. Jeffery informed the meeting that there were sufficient
funds in hand not only to defray the by-gone expenses, but
those which would he incurred—(hear) ; made compli-
mentary allusions to Messrs. Radle) , Woollright, and John-
son, (who formed the deputation to London); and concluded
by saying that after these gentlemen had given so much of
their valuable time,—to be diddled out of their bill would be
a thing at which he should feel much aggrieved. (Cheers.)
Mr. SUMNERS would merely state that when mention was
made of the consumption of gas, in the Guardian Society, it
was his ardent desire, and he stated it in committee, to steer
entirely apart from both companies. (Hear.) They had
started, not as partisans of the one company or the other,
but as tradesmen, for the purpose of obtaining cheap gas.
He wished to say a word or two on what had fallen from Mr.
Jeffery, from which it might be presumed, they had acted in
concert with the Queen-square company. They had cer-
tainly acted indirectly in concert with them ; for the
Queen-square company were obliged to act in concert
with their deputation in order to obtain a hearing at
all ; but they now acted in opposition to the Queen-square
company, in order to maintain the benefit obtained in the
House of Commons, since the Queen-square company,
to secure their own interest, would throw the bill out of the
Lords if they possibly could, the consequence of which would
be to bring about the old position, with a loss of all their time
and expenses, and a complete extinguisher by the Queen-
square company. He concluded by saying that he thought
the interests of the Queen-square company would have been
better served if they had acted more in concert with them.
Mr. HENSHAW came to tell a plain unvarnished tale. He
detailed the disadvantages under which the new company
laboured until they obtained power from Parliament to make
their gas of the same materials as the old company; and
stated that the demands made upon them by the consumers
were of so extraordinary a nature that they could not accede
to them. They only wanted a clear stage and fair play.
The consumers were their customers, and they did not want
to run counter to their wishes. The price of gas must be
the same, and it was for them to judge of its quality, and
the politeness of the company. Only allow them fair play,
and that was all they wished.
Mr. TURNER said if the bill were thrown out of the House
of Lords they must bestir themselves and have a company of
their own : he thought they should bring them to their senses
then. He must say he was rather grieved at the means
made use of by one of the companies in getting signatures to
the petition to throw the bill out of the House of Lords. If
he was not mistaken, the two persons who went round were
shareholders, if not directors. (Mr. HENSHAW : I was not
one.—Laughter.) If their bill were thrown out, they would
take the hint of the shopkeepers' assistants, and close their
shops at seven o'clock. (Hear, and laughter.)
Mr. WOOLLRIGHT had misgivings of the ultimate object
of the Queen-square company when they first joined them ;
and they only permitted their counsel to act second to theirs
in order that,, In fairness, he might be heard. They soon
found that the objects of the two gas companies and of the
gas consumers were totally different, and objected to go on
any further together ; but it was only in that room that they
got at their ultimate object, when Mr. Banner admitted that
their object from the first was to get them to withdraw
the bill. This would drive the other company into collision
with them • and it was their (the gas consumers') object not
to suffer the clauses of the bill to bring the companies into
collision • they would never get a reduction in the price of
gas by this means. He thought they had done as much as
possible for the furtherance of their wishes. He was sorry
he could not accompany Messrs. Radley and Johnson, who,
however, would be ably assisted by Mr. Ferguson.
Mr. COOPER and Mr. JEFFERY having addressed the
meeting, the resolution was carried unanimously.
A vote of thanks having been passed to the chairman, the
meeting separated.

THE LIVERPOOL CLERGY AND THE " TRACTS
FOR THE TIMES.

TO THE HON. AND RIGHT REV. RICHARD, LORD BISHOP

OF OXFORD

May it please your Lordship,
We, the undersigned clergymen of the Church of England,
resident in Liverpool and its vicinity, venture most respect-
fully to address your lordship on a subject which we hum-
bly conceive to affect most materially the interests of that
church, to the doctrines and discipline of which we are sin-
cerely and conscientiously attached.
We have now for a considerable period regarded with the
most lively and anxious feelings of alarm the continued pub.
lication of certain tracts, entitled " Tracts for the Times,"
written by " Members of the University of Oxford," in
your lordship's diocese.
Whilst we are willing to allow that, in consequence of the
imperfection of the human understanding, a certain degree
of diversity of opinion must ever be expected to exist among
so large a body of men as the clergy of the Church of Eng-
land, not only respecting questions of doctrine generally,
but also respecting the meaning of some particular expres-
sions in the formularies of our church, which, not being
inconsistent with ecclesiastical unity, may not be thought
justly deserving of censure, we are at the same time of opinion
that many of the statements contained in these " Tracts
do not fall within the limits of any reasonable latitude of

interpretation.
We, therefore, cordially rejoice to see, from the charge
delivered by your lordship three years ago, that those state-
ments had attracted your special attention ; at the same
time we have regretted to observe that the characteristic
mildness of your lordship's language, instead of producing
the effect wVch might have been so justly anticipated from
it, appears to have emboldened the authors of them to
assume that they were not, in your lordship's judgment,
held guilty of any departure from the doctrines of the
church. Publications have therefore been continued, the
general spirit and tendency of which have been so opposed,
in our judgment, to the received faith of the church, as
seriously to perplex the minds of many of its lay members,
and not only so, but also to turn aside several of our younger
brethren in the ministry from the old path" of that scrip-
tural course which, by their ordination vow, they solemnly
engaged to pursue.
We learn however, with unfeigned satisfaction, that No.
90 in the said series of Tracts, lately published, and entitled
" Remarks on certain Passages in the Thirty-nine Articles,"
has been deemed by your lordship so calculated to disturb
the peace of the church, that your episcopal influence has
been exerted for the suppression of the evil. And it is not
in any officious spirit that we take the liberty of presenting
our respectful thanks to your lordship, but because, being
alive to the deep concern which it must have occasioned to
your lordship's paternal feelings to be obliged to issue such
an admonition to any of your clergy, we desire to assure
your lordship, that in the discharge of this painful but
necessary duty you have the sincere sympathy and fervent
prayers of many attached clergymen who are personally
unknown to your lordship; and because we are penetrated
with a sense of the duty which we ourselves owe to the
church, thus publicly to avow our conviction of the unscrip-
tural and schismatical character of the publications in
question, and the consequent necessity for authoritative
interference if anything deserving the name of euclesiastical
uniformity is to be maintained in the realm.
We have the honour to be, my lord,
With unfeigned respect,
Your lordship's most obedient and faithful servants,
T. Tattershall, D.D., Minister of St. Augustine's, and late
Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge.
Thomas Byrth, D.D., Rector of Wallasey.
Fielding Ould, 8.A., incumbent of Christ Church.
Wm. Withers Ewbank, 8.A., Minister of St. George's,
Everton.
Hugh MsNeile, M.A., Incumbent of St. Jude's.
David James, Minister of St. Mary's, Kirkdale.
Henry Carpenter, A. 8., Minister of St. Michael's.
Frederick Barker, M.A., Incumbent of St. Mary's, Edge-
hill.
George Mansfield, B.A. Curate of Christ Church.
Thomas S. Coles, M.A., Curate of St. Mary's, Edge-hill.
Robert Davies, M.A., Minister of the Welsh Church of St.
David.
A. M'Conkey, M.A., Minister of All Saints.
William Rawson, M.A., Minister of St. Thomas's, Seaforth.
Edmund Bobler Chalmer, A. 8., Incumbent of Great Crosby.
J. Ellison Bates, 1V1.A., Minister of Christ Church, Crosby.
Charles W. Lawrence, M.A., Chaplain of St. Luke's.
Jno. Leighton Figgins, 8.A., Curate of St. Matthew's.
Joseph Baylee, A. 8., Incumbent of Holy Trinity Church,
Woodside.
Andrew Knox, A. 8., Incumbent of St. Mary's Church,
Birkenhead. •
John Newton Peill, A.M., Curate of St. Paul's, Liverpool,
and Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge.
William Falloon, A. 8., Curate of St. Jude's.
Charles James Hamilton, A. 8., Curate of Birkenhead.
P. Browne, 8.A., Curate of Christ Church District.
A. E. Obias, M.A., Birkenhead.
George Stolas, Minister of St. Saviour's.
Thomas Dwyer, M.A. Chaplain of the West Derby Union.
Prince Crawford, Minister of St. Saviour's.
B. L. With;, 8.A., Curate of St. George's, Everton.
B. A. Marshall, 8.A., Curate of St. Mark's.
Alexander Orme, B.A.' Curate of All Saints.
Jno. Connor, A.M., Minister of St. Simon's.
J. Picton, A.M., Incumbent of St. Stephen's.
G. R. Monerieff, 8.A., Curate of Wallasey.
James S. Dodd, 8.A., Curate of St. Augustine's.
Charles Maginniss, 13. A., Curate of Holy Trinity Church,
Woodside.
R. P. Jones, B.A. Curate of St. David's.,
James Brierley, 8., A., Incumbent of St. Anne's, Rainbill.
Wm. J. Pardon, A.M., Incumbent of St. Anne s, Aigburtb.
Jeffrey Davies, Welsh Curate of St. Paul's Church, Liver-
pool.