The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-05-25 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE,

IMPORTANT DECISION.—CHILTON V. THE LONDON
AND CROYDEN RAILWAY COMPANY..—At the Court of
Exchequer, on Saturday, this case, which is an extremely
interesting one to all railway travellers, came on for hear-
ing, before the Chief Baron. The plaintiff is the emi-
nent Queen's counsel, who thereby sought to recover
compensation from the defendants for trespass and false
imprisonment. The defendants have justified their Con-
duct under a plea which was demurred to, and held bad
by the court in Banco on argument, the case now came
before the jury on the plea of " Not guilty." On the
part of the plaintiff it was'shown that he had travelled
on a certain day as a first-class passenger from Sydenham
to London, and that having lost his ticket on his journey
he had, on the arrival of the train in London,. been
taken to a station-house by a servant of the elidmepadhim
his refusing to comply with .a demand then b—
by the superintendent for the full fare from Croyuen, y
virtue of an alleged by-law to that effect. After having
suffered duresse for a few minutes the plaintiff paid the
full fare and brought this action. At the close of the
plaintiff's case, Mr. Kennedy, for the defendants, ad-
dressed the jury, admitting that the verdict must go
against his clients, though the jury had not yet bees
placed in possession of the full facts of the case. At the
suggestion of the Chief Baron the gentleman was about
to make an apology, but was checked by his client, who
objected on the part of the company to his compliance
with the course proposed. The jury, not being able to
agree, retired from court to consider their verdict, and,
after an absence of nearly two hours, returned with a ver-
dict for the plaintiff for £5OO damages.

THE ANTI-STATE CHURCH LEAGUE.-WHAT
ARE ITS OBJECTS ?

(From the Birmingham Advertiser )
At the recent sittings of the Anti-State-Church Con-
ference, in London, certain resolutions are reported to
have been carried, which, when divested of their verbiage
and reduced to simple propositions, are calculated to ex-
cite astonishment, if not alarm, in the mind of every one
that values religious peace and national tranquility. Let
these resolutions be translated into prac'ice, and there
will forthwith spring into being an agitation as direful in
its effects upon personal excellence, as it must prove in-
jurious to the cause cf truth and piety. It is admitting•
great deal, but candour requires it, when we own our in-
dividual belief, that of all conflicts waged among man-
kind, those are the most blter and most relentli si which
affect religion, and the particular mode of its dissemina-
tion and support. Thera is something in the rights of
conscience which every candid man will endeavour to
respect; but there are things attempted under the cloak
of this principle that would make an angel weep. We
admit the right of individuals to select which phase of
truth appears most lovely to the heart and i itellect, but if
truth be embraced on its own account, without ulterior
motives and sinister de:igns, the man embracing it Will
never seek to destroy the substance, or to enthrone the
semblance in its stead. So much as an exposition of our
views upon the great questions of faith and government?
which have split the religious family into such innumer-
able segments, when if truth were rightly apprehended,
and its influence properly ft It and yalied to, the great
circle of religious unity would be restored and perfected.
It would seem, however, there is something in the
genius of Dissent that disdains the peaceful principles of
religious truth. There is not sufficient of excitement, in
its quiet but onward progress, to satisfy the restless
activity and mental inflation of its votaries, and hence the
model of their future proceedings has been selected from
the condemned and rejected armoury of the Anti-Cora
Law League. A fund of £50,000 is forthwith to be
raised, although the charitable institutions of their cow'
le I munity shoul, suffer-

...I consequence ; lecturers are form-
_
with to be despatched throughout the length and breadth
of England ; and the sword is never to be sheathed ago°
till the nrinoinla ne

from the permissive code of Britain, and the Church o'
of England be for ever separated from the State, of which
it has so long been the beauty and support ; for a god:'
less nation is a nation without hope, and the nation this
would treat religion as a matter too trivial or too union'
portant for its rulers to protect, is beyond all remedy.
But our present purpose is rather to elicit truth than
provoke hostility. We really cannot think that the
object implied by the language we have read, has faithful)/
presented the intention of the various speakers' minlcq;
If it be so, then, indeed, it is time that Churchmen bestl
themselves, or their altars will be overthrown, the vole'
rated fabrics of our established religion will be usurpedlllo
unworthy occupants, and religious anarchy, donies`..,'
strife, and rampant infidelity, will overspread our land.
We would, therefore, simply ask the Dissenting leader:l
who have recently conferred together, what are their re
intentions and purposes ? Are we truly to underso„llj
that the Church is to be bereft of her endowments I'd
property I Is it to be inferred that, because a portion ,e
her temporalities are traceable to a date anterior to
reformation, that her possessions are to be defeas,
What is the object of this religious league ? Is it I,
tended to divert the funds of the Church 'from the
poses to which they are now applied ? Is it thought
bet-
the fabrics of the Church will be better used and
ter filled when she is no longer able to supper.,ol
ministry ? Is it presumed that, because the Church .110al
not be loved, or her tenets entertained by every indivl or,
in the State, the legislature will overturn the pious P to
poses of the benevolent and holy men who from claler
day, since the period of the reformation, have been, or-
pending their funds in promoting her efficiency anctt,
of
tending her endowments ? What would be thougloo
Churchmen if they carried out this principle with e of
that differed from them ? What would then ben eiv
their meeting-houses and their various connexio,_ the,
dowments ? But we cannot think it possible than 01
views we entertain can be an accurate represent oc!.-051
the motives of this league. With these doubts.
__lvs'iosS
for information ; we entreat the Dissenters to tell u 3
they purpose. It is essential for the peace of Trio oi
dom, and the co-operation of religious men in wu
the °if'
charity and benevolence, that we know at once. the re-
pose of this movement. If the object be a reh,r..",,stio':
volution, and, if under the mask of extended r '
re .o.:
the Dissenters are about to do, unwittingly,
that
truth Wil!
Papists and Infidels, they may rest assured . e
be compromised, religion dishonoured, and th
rent asunder by a commotion more violent than anY "
our chequered annals perpetuate and record.