The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-04-27 00:00:00

FOREIGN AID SOCIETY.

Yesterday, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, a public meet-
ing was held in the Music-hall, Bold-street, for the purpose
of the designs of the Foreign Aid Society, for promoting the
objects of the European Societes Evangeliques being laid
before the public of Liverpool, and an auxiliary society form-
ed. There were present the Rev. J. H. Stewart, the Rev.
H. M`Neile, the Rev. W. W. Ewbank, the Rev. R. Bur-
gess, rector of Upper Chelsea, who, with Captain Layard,
was a deputation from London, M. Edwards, Esq., C. Bout-
flower, Esq., —. Sherlock, Esq., &c., &c. On the motion
of the Rev. H. M'NEILE, the Rev. James Haldane Stewart
was called to the chair.

The Divine blessing having been supplicated by the Rev
H. WNEILE,

The CHAIRMAN said the object for which the meeting had
been assembled was of a peculiarly interesting character. It
was to form an association in aid of a society which had lately
been commenced in London, called the Foreign Aid Society.
That society did what it was the delight of every Christian
should be done, in its measure attempting to accomplish the
prayer of our Lord, when he said, " That-they all may be
one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee ; that the world
may believe that thou bast sent me." The Foreign Aid So-
ciety was formed of two other societies—the Continental So-
ciety, which had lately adopted the name of the European
Missionary Society, and the Societes Evangeliques for France
and Switzerland. The objects of these societies being the
same, it was thought they eould better carry on their plans
by union, union giving strength. In the month of November
last, therefore, there was a meeting of both societies, when
it was agreed they should be united into one. The Conti-
nental Society had for years carried on their objects upon the
continent by themselves, employing missionaries ; and the
Societes Evangeliques were societies formed for aiding the
French and Swiss Missionary Societies. The Foreign Aid
Society adopted the latter mode in order to remove every
jealousy that might be upon the minds of Frenchmen against
it. We might conceive that if a body of French gentlemen,
with whom we were totally unacquainted, were to send per-
sons into our parishes to instruct our people, we should not
feel the same confidence in them that we should if the per-
son who came to teach us was one not only of our own coun-
trymen, but one who was sent by those whom we personally
knew. It was, therefore, the object of this society just to be
the Foreign Aid Society ; and as we bad lately done, by the
goodness of our Lord, the Pastoral Aid Society, in which we
were collecting funds, which were to be sent up to that so-
ciety,aed distributed to aid the different clergymen in pro-
viding instruction—so now the funds collected by this so-
ciety would be sent out either to Paris or Geneva, or to dif-
ferent parts of the continent where aid was needed, in send-
ing forth ministers to preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. His dear friend and brother, Mr. Burgess, who had
been for a time chaplain in Geneva, and then in Rome, was
the honorary secretary to the society. He yesterday had
done him (the chairman) the favour to preach from his
pulpit, and he had given a very pleasing idea of its na-
ture in mentioning that our Lord had directed his dis-
ciples, when they needed power from on high, to be
his witnesses in Jerusalem, then in Judea, and then in Sa-
maria and the uttermost parts of the earth; thus pointing out
the order in which our blessed Saviour directed his gospel to
be preached. First it was to be preached at Jerusalem ;
as often as we heard this, love to our Saviour burned in our
hearts, and it would kindle in us a holy flame. Oh, those
three words could never be repeated without bearing it in
mind, that " the chief of sinners" was then in the mind of
our blessed Redeemer ! After they had gone into Jerusalem
they were to go through the country of Judea ; and then
into Samaria, before they went to the uttermost parts of the
earth—to that country which was in the neighbourhood of
Judea, and which was a constant rival to the Jews. He (the
chairman) need not speak of the beautiful application of
this to ourselves, when it was borne in mind that France was
our neighbouring country, and at the same time for a season
our great rival. Be was now reminded of a very delightful
circumstance that occurred in one of the meetings of the
British and Foreign Bible Society, in London, at which he
had the pleasure of being present. The French admiral,
who had gone forth in battle against the British admiral,
Lord Gambier, was there, and one was sitting on one side
the chair, and the other upon the other ; and instead of
meeting as they had formerly. done, to destroy each other's
life, they were then in brotherly love, shaking hands together,
animated with a mutual desire to send out into all parts the
word of God, that every creature might hear of his wonder-
ful works in his own tongue. (Hear, bear.) This, then,
was the delightful object in which this society was engaged.
Here were 34 millions of Frenchmen divided from us only
by a narrow sea, out of which 34 millions there were only
1,200,000 nominal Protestants. (Hear, hear.) All the rest
were sunk, either in papal superstition, or in modern
infidelity (hear, hear) ; and it was the desire of the
committee of this society to be instrumental in sending to
those who were thus in darkness the light of truth.
That appeared to be an object which was more peculiarly our
duty at the present time; for we must bear in mind the
words which were spoken, "Come out of her my people and
be be not partakers of her sins." This gave us encourage-
ment to believe that there were in the Church of Rome many
of the Lord's people ; that as in the city of Corinth Paul was
directed " be not afraid for I have much people in this city"
—although that city was at that time a city of gross idolatry
and wickedness—so we were encouraged to hope that the
Lord might have many of his people now sunk in popish su-
perstition, and we knew not how soon that period might ar-
rive when the voice shall say, " Babylon is fallen, is fallen."
In this intermediate space, therefore, we were to use every
means in our power for saving the souls of our fellow-
sinners.—After a few more observations, the rev. and vene-
rable chairman said he should have the pleasure of introducing
to the meeting the Rev. R. Burgess, who attended with
Captain Layard as a deputation ; but previous to that the
first resolution would be moved by the Rev. Mr. Ewbank.
The Rev. W. W. EWBANK, incumbent of St. George's,
Everton, rose to move the first resolution, which was to the
effect that " From the increased facilities which it had pleased
the great head of the church, to afford for diffusing upon the
continent of Europe, and particularly in France, the religious
principles of the reformation, the meeting earnestly looked
forward under the divine blessing to an adequate increase of
means to be supplied for this duty for carrying forward the
great duty of evangelization among the European nations,
and hailed with satisfaction the union lately effected between
the European Missionary Society and the Central
Committee of the Societes Evangeliques, under the
name of the Foreign Aid Society, whose object is to
promote the religious principles of the reformation upon the
continent of Europe." This resolution spoke particularly
of two things. It spoke to the general object, which as
Christians ought ever to be dear to our hearts—to promote
the evangelization of the world, by spreading over it the
knowledge of tke glorious gospel of our blessed Saviour
Jesus Christ; and it spoke also particularly to the means by
which he now recommended them to use that power, and in-
fluence, and money, which God in his mercy might have put
it in their power to use, in consequence of the union of those
two societies which were formerly used for bringing about this
great and holy object. Now, he must confess, that there
was always something which at first seemed rather discou-
raging in addressing a meeting upon this subject. It was,
they saw, a Missionary Society; but it was also a society for
the purpose of reviving Christianity, which had become
either lost altogether in ignorance, or deadened by the in-
fluence of false and erroneous doctrines. There was some-
thing, upon the contrary very inspiriting, when we spoke
with regard to the general diffusion of the light of Christi-
anity over those regions of the world
which had never yet re-
ceived it, which had always lain in darkness and in the
shadow of death. He knew that there we had no prejudice
of this nature to encounter, we knew that the parties to
whom we preached the grace of God had been brought up
from their infancy in a false and idolatrous religion, and we
pictured to ourselves with something of delight and encourage-
ment, what a pleasing revulsion of feeling must ensue, as
we humbly hoped and trusted, when the knowledge of this
only way of salvation should be made known to them for
the first time—when, in short, the sun of righteousness
should rise at once with all his glory upon them and with
healing in his wings. But here our object was altogether
different. We had to go among a professedly Christian
people ; we had to argue the matter among those who pro-
fessed to have examined it already for themselves, and who
were content with what they professed to believe the way of
salvation. Nevertheless, we ought not to allow any feeling
of discouragement to operate on our minds so as to prevent
us from entering with heart and soul upon such a high and
holy work. (Hear, hear.) We knew that as it was the
office of the blessed spirit of God to apply the gospel in the
very first instance to the heathen who had never been blessed
with the knowledge of the Bible, so we knew it was the office
of the same blessed spirit to, counteract all those prejudices
which the power and the corruptions of man have raised
against the purity and the simplicity of God's holy word. This
therefore, was the object in which that meeting was called
upon and invited to assist. It was not to send the gospel to
the heathen, but it was to send it in its purity, in its reality,
in its effectiveness, and in its simplicity, to those who had
already corrupted it, and were walking in darkness which
they themselves had created. Oh, what a blessed thing it
was to speak upon such a subject as this with regard to our
neighbour France, because having English spirits within us
we had been constantly accustomed to look upon Frenchmen
as enemies, because in reading history we found this had
constantly been the case ! (Hear.) We bad been rivals ; we
had had opposing interests, and, therefore, instead of meeting
each other with the cordiality which ought to exist between
such near neighbours, our neighbourhood had only increased
our hate. (Hear.) We hailed, therefore, such societies as
this as a blessed commentary upon the text " And there
shall be one in Christ, but neither Jew nor Greek ;" we
hailed it as the anticipation of that glorious period when all
those distinctions shall be completely done away, and we
should meet every one in brotherly love as subjects of the
same divine king even Jesus Christ—influenced by the same
spirit of holiness, urging us to manifest that great sign by
which our blessed Saviour has told us to know we are Chris-
tians—" that we love one another." (Applause.) :What
then had this society to perform? It had to fight two bat-
tles. It had to argue upon the one side against men who
would believe every thing, and it had to argue upon the other
against men who would believe almost nothing ; in short, it
had to tight against popery on the one hand, and against
Soci▪
nianism upon the other. (Cheers.) How was it to
effect the glorious change which we trusted it would in some
degree be able to effect, and which we knew it had already
effected—that was these two societies working hitherto hand
in hand, though not actually joined ? He had just been in-
formed by his friend Captain Layard that in consequence of
the operations of such societies as this, where some years
ago there were only ten ministers who might be truly called
ministers of the gospel—who preached to their congregations
Jesus Christ and him crucified—there were now as many as'
two hundred preaching the gospel of our Lord and Saviour.
This ought to be an encouragement to us. It might appear to-
day to be a small thing,but we must remember that God does not
despise even the feeblest anticipations of his future glory.
(Hear, hear.) The second portion of the resolution spoke
not only generally with regard to our duty, and what the
societies together had to perform, but it spoke of the union
of the two societies. " We hailed," the resolution said,
" with satisfaction the union lately effected between the
European Missionary Saciety and the Central Committee of
the Societes Evangeliques under the name of ' The Foreign
Aid Society,' whose object is to spread the religious princi-
ples of the Reformation upon the Continent of Europe."
He had therefore to set before the meeting the claims of the
Foreign Aid Society.. We knew that, abstractedly, union
was a good and a desirable thing, because union itself was
strength ; but nevertheless, we were not always anxious to
see societies united together, because it could not always be
done without a compromise of essential principles. For in-
stance, we had two societies in England professedly for one
object : we had the Pastoral Aid Soeiety and the Additional
Curates Society. In as much as there always would be
shades of difference between men, we were not sorry to find
that there were two societies working professedly for one ob-
ject. All we had to do was to attach ourselves to that society
which we might think, in the presence of God, likely to be
best calculated to effect the greatest amount of good for the
object in view. Here was an union, between two societies
having the same object in view ; therefore we enquired whe-
ther or not this union had been formed upon those principles
whi▪
ch we approved. He thought there was an answer to that question in the resolution ;—(hear)—they were united to-
gether because their object was to promote the reli▪
gious
principles of the Reformation upon the Continent of Europe.
(Hear, hear.) If, therefore, it could be shewn that thei▪ r ob-
ject was to promote something which might especially
be called the characteristic principle of the Reforma-
tion, then we could see no reason why they should not
act harmoniously together, and therefore gain strength
by the union. (Hear.) But what was " the religious prin-
ciple of the reformation? It was not for instance, episco-
pacy, though we ourselves had retained episcopacy, because
we believed it to be the most perfect form of church govern-
ment ; yet we should
be wrong in saying this was the prin-
ciple of the reformation, by which God had sent his renew-
ing light through the European world. (Hear.) The real

principles of the reformation was this—justification by faith
in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Hear, hear.) This was what
Luther called the article of a falling or a standing church.
(Hear, hear.) Whatever errors the church might have held
still, as long as she held this great and fundamental doctrine,
there always seemed to be within her something which even-
tually would bring her right—in short, it ought to be said
that if the church would hold this doctrine, she would always
have so much of Christ's cross within her, that she could
never sink. (Applause.) This then was the principle of
these two societies therefore they had a principle of union.
The more we considered this great and important subject,
the more it seemed that this blessed doctrine was the only
armour by which we could hope effectually to subdue the
powers of darkness, and all the arts of false religionists.
It was right we should use arms of every lawful nature ; it was
right that in opposing Roman Catholicism, we should speak
of the absurdity of transubstantiation ; of the utterly unte-
nable nature of the Pope's sovereignty, and so on with regard
to all the false doctrines which popery had introduced
into the church of Christ ; but he believed that nothing could
be really and effectually done until we set forth, openly and
clearly, to those who had been deluded by those doctrines,
the unsearchable riches of Christ, as contained in this grand
article of our religion. (Applause.) We knew we were ap-
pealing to men's consciences when we did this ; we knew
man had something within him which made him look earn-
estly for something that would appease his conscience ;
therefore, by preaching that doctrine, we gave him some-
thing that had real power over him. If false religion had
obtained power over the affections of men, it was because it
professed to them that peace which the world could neither
give nor take away, and it must fail in the performance ;
therefore we shewed that that was what the bible promised,
and that it could only perform it. The great object of these
united societies then was to go forward in the simple strength
of God, and wielding that arm—even the plain and unvar-
nished gospel—which was to the natural heart foolishness—
and which might be despised as too deep and recondite by the
Socinian, upon the one hand, who believed nothing but
what he thought agreeable to his reason, and which might
be despised, upon the other hand, as too simple, and as
not having in it sufficient to recommend it to the notice of
him who attempted to work for his own salvation. It was,
therefore, with the greatest satisfaction that he was now de-
sirous of recommending this society, upon these two several
accounts—first, because it was not only to send out the gos-
pel to those who had never received it, but also to attempt
to awaken those who had fallen into a state of spiritual dark-
ness and next, especially because it was most agreeable
and satisfactory to see that two societies, at any rate, in the
world, had found they were acting so entirely upon the same
great and leading principles, that without the slightest com-
promise of religious principle, they were able to go hand in
hand to preach the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. (Ap-
plause.) He had great pleasure in moving the first resolution.
The Rev. R. BURGESS, Incumbent of Upper Chelsea.
and one of the deputation from the London Society, second-
ed the resolution. After a few appropriate introductory ob-
servations, the rev. gentleman said it was very remarkable
that the history of the French Protestant church should have
occupied so little of the attention of christians in this coun-
try. Lately, however, the subject had been taken up, and
several excellent histories of the reformation in France had
been published, and he held in his hand a little book which
contained some interesting documents upon its suppression,
many of which had never before been published. The sub-
ject, therefore, was beginning to engage the attention of the
christian public in this country, and he felt persuaded that
when the object of this society, and the state of the French
Protestant church, were known, it would have many sup-
porters. He would begin by calling attention to a few dates.
In 1559 the first Protestant synod was held in France, and
the Protestants continued to enjoy a kind of precarious tole-
ration from that time till the year 1598; during that time,
however, they were subject to many vexations, till at length
they obtained in their favour the celebrated edict of Nantes.
They enjoyed toleration under that edict from 1598 to 1605,
when it was revoked, and they were then left without any
protection in France. He did not think that the people of
England had any idea of the sufferings which the Protestants
of France endured after that ; .few people were aware of the
extent to which persecution was carried on in that country.
There was the very high authority of Jonathan Edwards,
who had taken exceedingly great pains to ascertain the facts,
that 'during thirty years of persecution which followed the
revocation of that edict, there were murdered of Protestants
39 princes, 148 counts, 234 barons, 147,518 gentlemen,
and 760,000 of the common people. (Hear.) In 30 years
the church of Rome succeeded in accomplishing this immense
slaughter ! Fifty thousand Protestant emigrants, who were
banished from their country by persecution in 1605, found
refuge upon our shores, and it was for the descendants of
those 50,000 Protestants that ten churches were about to be
built in Bethnal Green. (Hear, hear.) He did not bring
forward this persecution to excite indignation against popery,
but rather to excite the sympathy of Protestants. The rev.
gentleman then read from one of the documents collected by
Mr. Dundas Scott, an account given by an eye witness of
the atrocities committed during this persecution in Berne,
and ,urged that as the descendants of those men were now
raising the standard of truth and calling upon us for assist-
ance, they were entitled to our support. The expiring re-
mains of Protestantism were almost put out by the first re-
volution ; and in 1814 it came out either in the shape of a
cold neology, or in the shape of Socinianism. In 1814, or
rather in 1815, a species of toleration was granted to Pro-
testants, by the charte con.stitutionelle, but it was toleration
merely in name •in fact, it was persecution. It was written
by the charter that all religions were to be equally tolerated,
but when a few Protestants in a town or village desired to
have a meeting, they must apply to the mayor for permis-
sion ; and the mayor knowing it would be acceptable to the
government of Charles the Tenth refused his permission,
therefore the toleration which was called liberty amounted to
nothing. During the time from 1815 to the last revolution in
1830, the religious state of the continent attracted attention
here, and a society was formed so early as 1818, called the
Continental Society—concerning which his friend Mr.
M'Neile could tell the meeting more than he could,
for he had dedicated his vast powers to it for a con-
siderable time. After a time that society finished its work ;
it could go no further, as it could not send agents
out, as they were not received. Then it changed to another
society, called the European Missionary Society; and now,
the Continental Society, the European Society, and the So-
cietes Evangeliques were gathered together and condensed
into the Foreign Aid Society, which he had the honour to bring
before the meeting. As there had been but little toleration
till 1830, he might date the epoch of true 'Protestantism in
France from that period. He had made these preliminary
observations in order to enable the meeting to understand the
objects of the ForeignlAid Society. In 1830 the charte con-
stitutionelle was renewed, under the protection and guarantee
of which the Protestant Church of France was tolerated.
One article of that charter was, that all religions should be
equally tolerated and equally supported. A member of the
Chamber of Deputies proposed to insert an article in the
charter that the Roman Catholic religion should continue to
be the established religion of France, but that was overruled,
and the established religion of France now named in the
charter was the religion of the majority. Suppose, for in-
stance, the majority of the French should become Mahome-
tans, or Jews, or Heathens, any of those would become the
established religion, thus showing the absurdity of a govern-
ment attempting to have no fixed state religion,—(hear)—
and the inconsistencies into which they fell when they de-
parted from true principles, and shrunk from erecting the
standard of the gospel. (Cheers.) Under this extraordinary
article of the charter Protestantism had its share of liberty ;
and whenever there was a sufficient number of Protestants
in a place; suppose 400 or 500, and they appealed to the go-
vernment, they could have a pastor of their own selection,
confirmed by the minister of public instruction, and paid by
the state a salary equal to that of a Roman catholic priest.
There was an appearance of fairness in this, but how did it
operate? It happened that Protestantism in France was
thinly scattered ; in many of the rural districts there were
only two or three, perhaps in the adjoining village there
might be only half a dozen ; in the whole province altogether
you might perhaps collect 200 or 300, but as these were
not sufficient to satisfy the provisions of the charter, they
were left without any spiritual provision. This article con-
sequently operated to the entire extinction of Protestantism
everywhere except in the great towns. This society, then,
was intended to supply those Protestants who were not in
sufficient numbers to receive the government aid, with the
means of spiritual instruction. It was in that way that the
descendants of the Protestant martyrs were brought together,
churches were formed, and the word of God was mightily
prevailing in forty-one departments of the French territory.
(Hear, hear.) The mode in which this work had been ac-
complished was worthy of consideration. The reverend
gentleman then entered into an explanation of very great
length of the system of employing colporteurs adopted by
the Socials Evang6liques of Geneva and Paris, the princi-
ples of which he elaborately detailed. He also mentioned
several instances of the " sly opposition" of the church of
Rome." He next entered into some interesting statements
respecting Belgium and Portugal, which we deeply regret
we cannot find room for, as they referred to the conversion
of several Roman catholic priests, their ordination by the
Bishop of London about a fortnight ago, and their return to
Portugal to preach the pospel. He next described the
progress of Protestantism in some of the Italian states
as most gratifying. The reverend gentleman concluded a
speech of surpassing interest as follows :—These are great
encouragements ; and although there be opposition, yet I
trust we are not so weak in faith as to think or suppose that
He who is for us is not more than all who are against us.
(Cheers.) I have passed a considerable portion of my life
upon the continent of Europe. I was for ten winters chap-
lain to the English congregation at Rome, and therefore I
have some little acquaintance with his holiness the Pope.
(Laughter.) I was also the chaplain in the summer season
—for there is no congregation at Rome then—at Geneva for
a succession of years, and that may account to the meeting
why I come to take so prominent a part in promoting the
objects of this society. lam resolved, if the Lord give me
strength, at least for one year to dedicate as much time as I
can spare from the labours of a large metropolitan parish, to
call the attention of the Christian people of this country to
this most important society. (Cheers.) Having lived upon
the continent of Europe, and seen that the working of the re-
ligious system there is fatal to all liberty, both civil and reli-
gious, I may be excused if I say that my experience of the
continental nations perhaps exceeds that of any one now
present. (Hear, hear.) It is like a heaving volcano, in
which there appears something ready to burst forth, but it
cannot find vent; in fact, I have come to this resolution, in
looking over the present state of Europe, and in considering
the history of its nations, that there exists there two things
which are totally incompatible, and that they never can go
on—that is, constitutional liberty well understood, and the
establishment of the Popish religion. (Cheers.) You have
only to look at the present state of Europe to prove this
thesis. if you look into Italy, there Popery reigns tri-
umphant ; and what is the measure of liberty there ?
It is literally nothing. (Hear.) Every country in it is
despotic ; the press has no freedom ; if a man attempt to
speak a word, or to think for himself, any thing against the
Church of Rome, there is the prison for him ; he is put
away and you hear no more about him. At Rome it is not
possible for a Roman, if he is a Protestant, to say anything ;
but if he is a Roman Catholic he is bound to show a certifi-
cate from the priest, once a year, that he has been at con-
fession. He must either give a satisfactory reason, such as
absence, or else he must answer for his conduct to the tribu-
nal at the Inquisition, which is a large ugly building, that I
have often seen, near the Vatican. If you look at the Penin-
sula you now see something of toleration ; but whatis the rea-
son ? It is because the Scriptures are beginning to find their
way there ; and it is a remarkable fact, thatjustin proportion
as the lights of divine truth is proclaimed in those countries
in the same degree have civil and religious liberty risen up.
(Cheers.) Put out the one and you will not have the other.
(Hear, hear.) if you look at Germany you see the same
thing; wherever you elevate the gospel and the scriptures
there you have liberty. (Cheers.) I appeal to Prussia ;
what has taken place there ? That is a remarkable instance
of a German power having propagated the scriptures and
reformed faith : and it is almost the only country in Ger-
many which has constitutional liberty. The king has already
given them liberty ; they are ready for it and know how to
use it; and thus you see how civil liberty keeps pace with
knowledge of the scriptures, or what we designate in one
word, and that is the very good word Protestantism. (Loud
cheers.) If you look in France there is liberty ; there is the
charte constitutionelle. There they cry for liberty. They have
it, but where is the Roman Catholic religion. It is now no
longer the religion of Prance, for it is the religion of the ma-
jority—and in proportion as you saw the power of the Roman
Catholic religion fall, in proportion you saw constitutional
liberty rise. So it is in all other countries; and so it is
wherever you open the page of histoty. (Cheers.) We may
apply these facts and these arguments to a certain island
which I not long ago visited, and they will solve the problem
—you must there have either constitutional liberty abridged
or the power of the priesthood abridged. (Hear, hear.) Mr.
Burgess concluded by an appeal to the meeting in support of
the society.

The resolution was then carried unanimously.
Captain LAYARD, the other member of the deputation
from the Parent Society, rose to move the next resolution.
It was, in substance, that an auxiliary society be now formed
in Liverpool, for the purpose of collecting funds towards
carrying forward the object in view. The gallant officer en-
tered into a variety of details connected with the union of
the two societies, and mentioned that auxiliaries had just
been formed in Bath, Brighton, Greenock, Edinburgh,
Hereford, Chester, and Shrewsbury, and were in vigorous
operation. He described the feeling upon the continent as
decidedly favourable to the objects of the society, and gave
several instances of the funds of the Paris committee having
been increased in consequence. He concluded by moving
the resolution.

I The Rev. HUGH M`NEILE rose amidst loud cheers to
second the resolution. He did not think, he said, it would
be necessary for him to urge this matter by any argument,
for, if he apprehended rightly from what the meeting had
already heard, the society which had been called a " Foreign
Aid Society," a " Pastoral Aid Society," and a " Reforma-
tion Society," might as well be called a " Protestant Asso-
ciation." (Loud cheers.) There were some persons who did
not like Protestant Associations, though they had no ob-
jection to join other societies which were doing as well as
they could the Protestant work. (Hear, hear.) In this
country, he was free to confess his own strong conviction,
that but for the movements occasioned seven or eight years
ago by Protestant Associations, some of the very useful soci-
eties now at work would never have been called into exist-
ence. There was nit the readiness in the public mind to
meet the proposals to form them, until the people were
taught the position in which they were placed relatively
with the Church of Rome. (Hear, hear.) He had thought
with regard to a period to which Mr. Burgess had alluded,
for some years that the best movement of Protestant asso-
ciations would be a continental movement, and he had then
done what he could in support of a continental society, for
he was always friendly to Protestaut associations. (Cheers.)
But since the year 1829 the matter had been brought very
near home ; and he felt that the Protestants in Ireland de-
manded our sympathy quite as much as the Protestants in
France—that they were exposed to what Mr. Burgess had
very properly called the sly persecution of the Papacy. (Hear,
hear.) Since '29 a new feature had appeared in our own
country ; and it was in vain to say we were to carry on this
work without reference to politics. Christianity had never
been carried on without reference to politics. (Hear, hear.)
Christianity had upset the government of pagan Rome ;
Christianity had upset the dogmatism of papal Rome; and
Christianity would upset the neology of the nineteenth cen-
tury also. (Cheers.) How was it to perform this great work
but by grappling with the spirit of the age, whatever that
spirit might be ? It was not by shrinking back timidly and
very amiably certainly—it was not by shrinking back gently
and moderately, or with as much gentleness as could be af-
forded from the touch of secular contact; it was not so that
Christianity was to triumph ; it was not by fearing to grapple
with the mischiefs of the day, whatever those mischiefs might
be, that Christianity could triumph. (Hear.) He knew
that the still small voice of Christianity to the inner man was
a delightful and a blessed thing which had no immediate
connection with politics ; it survived the pressure of politi-
cal opposition, and sung the praises of God in the inner
person—in the stocks—as sweetly as in the cathedral,
in the quire. (Immense applause.) But God worked by
means; and with regard to the outworks of the Christian
church, we should soon have the road cleared of the men
who neglected the outward testimony of God's truth. Ex-
cept the shell be preserved the kernel would not be spared.
In proportion as Christianity as an outwork grappled with
the world, and maintained its position in the world, and drove
back the opposition of the world, in the same proportion
there would be behind and within the enclosures so defended,
a multitude of tender and delicate, and sweet, and peaceable
enjoyments of that Christianity in the hearts of them that
loved God. But who should defend the citadel if all were to
be in the interior of the tabernacle? Were all to be ever-
more dwelling before the mercy seat, then who should defend
the encampment? Who should keep secure the encampment
from the incursions of the Philistines, if all Israel were in the
tabernacle? (Hear.) Nay, then, this would not do. It
was an easy thing to talk and to say, what a sweet thing was
Christianity, and how unhallowed it was to mix up politics
with it. No, it was the absence of politics which had ruined
us, or would have ruined us ; it was this sort of shrinking
from the contact of the world which had made men of the
world fancy that Christianity could not grapple with them.
(Hear, hear.) He said Christianity could grapple with them
—that Christianity could overthrow the rationalism of the
age, or the infidelity of the continent, and of our own country,
as easily as it had the tyranny of pagan Rome, and the su-
perstitions of papal Rome, only let it have fair play. (Hear.)
Let it take the truth which it found in all the systems of
error, for there was some truth in every system of error, but
it was overladen with mischief; there was some truth in the
great movement of the age we lived in—the march of mind—
was christianity to shrink from it ? Were christians to lift
up their eyes and hands in astonishment at the world, instead
of grappling with it? If they saw what a fearful thing it
was that religion should not be supported by the govern-
ments, were they not to assail that government which would
not maintain the church? No. (Cheers.) He begged to
say that christianity, as an outward system, was capable to
meet the activity of the world, and that it was not such a
simple, soft, tender thing as a statesman might drive into a
corner at any moment he pleased to suit his own conveni-
ence. (Hear, hear.) The statesmen of England were
beginning to find that the Church of England would main-
tain herself in spite of them—that she would do for our
overgrown population what they had refused to do by a vote
of the House of Commons—that the government would
find there was a via inertice in the church ; a power about
christianity which they wondered at, and they were astonished
to see what the church was doing. The government of
France was finding out the same thing. There was a " sly
opposition" going on there. (Hear, hear.) He was very
much struck with an article which he had read in Black-
wood's Magazine, describing what was going on there, and
the manner in which the government were attempting to
persecute the protestaros against the existing laws. Mr.
Burgess had referred to the charter. The fifth section of
that charter said, " Every individual is free to profess his
religion with equal liberty, and will obtain for his worship
an equal protection." The Protestants imagined that this
covered them in the free exercise of their worship, and
accordingly, " a little more than a year ago, two indi-
viduals, by name Doine and Lemair, were charged at
Montargis, with having held a religious meeting, con-
sisting of more than twenty persons. The authorities of
that town insisted that this act was contrary to law, and the
accused were condemned to several months' imprisonment."
Here was an interpretation of the law of the charter ! The
charter said that every individual was free to profess his re-
ligion with equal liberty, and would obtain for his worship
equal protection. Two Protestants in a provincial town had
a religious meeting, consisting of more than twenty persons ;
the authorities of the town declared it contrary to law, and
they were condemned to imprisonment !
" They appealed, however, against this sentence to the
Cour Royal of Orleans, which reversed the judgment, and
pronounced a verdict of acquittal. Against this acquittal
another appeal was made, at the instigation of the Ministre
des Guiles, to the Court of Cassation, when, on special
grounds, the latter sentence was confirmed, whilst the legal
view of the case, taken by the Montargis tribunal, was de-
clared to be the right one. This view is, that French reli-
gionists disconnected with the state, or not having the per-
mission of the civil authorities, have no right to assemble
more than twenty persons, and that they violate positive
laws in so doing."
This matter was referred to the Court of Cassation, and M.
Dupin laid down a strange position. Referring to the char-
ter which gave equal protection, lie said that
" The equal liberty promised to all religions is a restricted
liberty ; hence he argued that the restrictions which are ac-
cepted by any specific body of religionists must apply to
them all!" _ _ _

As some bodies of religionists in France had entered into a
compact with the government, they were under restrictions
voluntarily incurred. M. Dupin argued that others, who had
never entered into any compact, would, nevertheless, be
brought under similar restrictions, enforced against their will.
Upon this interpretation of the charter, he pronounced
that the Protestants of France were not at liberty
to have any religious meeing containing more than
twenty persons ! The Protestants of France he (Mr.
M`Neile) hoped were not going to give up their religious
meetings upon that account. There, however, we were safe ;
and very respectable Protestant in England were going to
send them money to encourage them ; thus doing in France
what some of them felt a repugnance to do in England ! He
was glad they were doing so. He considered this Foreign
Aid Society a great acknowledgment of the rectitude of our
Protestant Associations. (Applause.) Only that he knew
how Mr. Burgess was situated, and his engagements, he
would have proposed an adjournment of the meeting till
seven or eight o'clock to-night, in order that he might have
an opportunity of repeating his interesting statements to the
assembled operatives. (Hear, hear.) Those were the men
for pushing true religionthrough the world now, and he
could tell the meeting how they felt the power of the gospel
without being under the trammels of the etiquette of society.
(Hear, hear.) We had gentlemen who felt also the power
of the gospel ; but then there was such a thing as losing
caste; and they did not like to lose caste for prudence, and
judgment, and discretion ; therefore, although he believed
many of them wished us heartily God speed in the agitation
of the public for Protestant purposes, yet they would not
come and join us. But those honest Operatives came by
thousands in all the large towns in the kingdom. (Hear.)
And if they wanted help for the Foreign Aid Society, it must
come from the Operatives of England, (cheers,) who were
inoculatedwith true Protestantism.—After some eloquent
observations, strongly enforcing the objects of the society,
and calling upon the ladies to exert themselves in its favour,
the rev. gentleman concluded by seconding the resolution.
The doxology was then sang, and the meeting separated
about two o'clock.

OUR HEAD AND EARS IN DEBT.—A hatter in New York
gives a definition of the common phrase, " over head and
ears in debt." He says in his advertisement, it means a
man who " hasn't paid for his hat."
TILE PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION.—It will be seen from
an advertisement, that the claims which this association has
upon the support of the Protestant public will he laid before
them to-morrow evening, at Christ Church. At no period
have these claims been more pressing than the present, and
we fervently hope the statements of the reverend gentleman
will be attentively listened to, and his urgent appeals for their
pecuniary assistance liberally seconded.
EARLY GOOSEBERRIES.—As a proof of the great mild-
ness of the season, and the forward state of garden produce,
it may be stated that Mr. Matthew Dalby, of Linton, near'
Wetherby, yesterday week, gathered in his garden some
" crown bob " gooseberries, of such a size as were never
before plucked at this early period of the year in this neigh-
bourhood. Seven years ago Mr. Dalby had gooseberries
similar to the above on the 21st of April.
CHURCH RATES.--"A summons for a church-rate having
been lately dismissed at our Public-office, on the ground that
the churchwarden had not made personal application for the
rate, we having been requested to give publicity to the law
on this point, by copying the opinion of Dr. Phillimore, an
eminent civilian, on a case laid before him last year by a
gentleman residing
in a neighbouring parish.—Opinion :
" I am of opinion that the churchwarden is not bound to re-
ceive the rate in person, and that any parishioner who may
be satisfied that the person demanding the rate has compe-
tent authority to receive it, cannot he legally justified in
withholding the payment of the sum for which he may have
been duly
assessed. JOSEPH I:III.LLIMORE.—Doctors' Com-
mons, 21st March, 18-10.—Bermmgham Advertiser.
On last Saturday,
private Robert. Shaw, of the 20th regi-
ment, came by
his death in the following manner :—On ac-
count of the disturbed state of the Silvermines and its local-
ity, a party of the regiment was detached from Nenagh to the
village who was one of the party, in company
named. Shaw,
with another soldiernarned Russell, went to view the machi-
nery and other work; of the mine, whence the village takes
its name. An nse water wheel. attracted Shaw's atten-
tion, and as he had been for some time employed in machi •
he explained some of its powers and
eery at Manchester,
properties to his coprade. He then mounted the wheel and
performed on it twi:e
evolution which
this he attemptedch is vulgarly called
''turning the wild (at. Not satisfied with
the exploit a thin,and, fatally for himself, a last time.
While entangled in the wheel, it, from the impulse of his
weight, suddenly igan to move, at the same time dragging
him with it in its (Dangei, wnward course. Conscious of the immi-
nence of his
he made a plunge at one of the arms of
d
the wheel, and then
made a bound at one of the embankments,
but the poor fellow missed his footing, and was immediately'
precipitated between the wheel and its guard wall, where he
became so entanghtl that his neck and one of his arms were
literally crushed t( mummy. His last words were, "Oh !
" I'm done for !" The Lord have mercy on me ! Morning
Herald.

SKETCHES IN PARLIAMENT.—No. 3.

(FOR THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.)

DEBATE UPON THE COMPENSATION CLAUSE
OF THE COURT OF EXCHEQUER BILL-DE-
FEAT OF MINISTERS. APRIL 23D.

It is not always a great debate which furnishes the most
interesting study for a spectator in the House of Commons.
On set occasions it is too much the custom, even with some
of the leading members, to come down to the house with
speeches ready conned and got by heart, like school-boy ex-
hibitions ; and the natural result, which cannot but strike a
stranger, is a lamentable want of energy' and earnestness in
the manner of the speakers. In the casual conflicts of party
it is that genuine parliamentary talent is elicited ; in the epi-
sodes, as it were, of the great legislative drama, we can best
arrive at a just estimate of the real merits of the actors.

Such an episode occurred on Friday evening, during the
committee upon the bill of the Attorney-General for abolish-
ing the present Court of Exchequer and creating in its stead
two new Courts of Equity.

The clause in the bill upon which the debate arose, was
one providing, as usual in similar cases, compensation for
deprivation of emolument to the judges and officers of the
court. This clause the Chancellor of the Exchequer—and
why this public functionary, who will perhaps find enough to
do with his BUDGET in a few days, should step so far out of
his department as to interfere with the details of a legal mea-
sure, is best understood by himself—proposed to omit ; and
to substitute for it one enacting that compensation should be
made to every officer of the court with the exception of a
single marked individual—the son of the Lord Chief Baron,
Lord Abinger. The pretext, upon which this invidious
proposition was made, was that the honourable Mr. Scarlet
—the gentleman in question—received his appointment from
the Chief Baron subsequent to the introduction, last session,
of a bill similar to the present.

The position of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as the
mover of this shabby proposition—for shabby it was, as well
as unjust, when stripped of its covering of plausibility—was
not one calculated for the display of any great talent ; but I
could scarcely have imagined it possible that so important a
functionary as the Chancellor of the Exchequer could have
exhibited so mistrable a spectacle upon any occasion. He
hem'd and stammered—advanced to the table and then went
back again—shuffled with his feet—made dog's ears in a copy
of the statutes, from which he had selected a case in point,
(which was not to the point after all) ; and finally sat down
amidst the ominous silence of his party, leaving only the im-
pression behind him that, unless he had submitted on the
occasion to be made the catspaw of the ministry, some paltry
petty spite could alone have induced him to embark in a cru-
sade against an individual, in justification of which he had
not been able to produce one precedent or one valid argu-
ment.

It is scarcely possible to describe the strong contrast of
manner and person presented between this gentleman and
the honourable member who replied to him—Sir William
Follett. The member for Exeter is possessed of a noble
person, a manner full of dignity and ease combined, and,—
what is of essential value to a speaker—a fine manly voice.
In the compass of about a dozen sentences, Sir William de-
molished utterly the flimsy sophistries of the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, upset his law, overturned his case of prece-
dent, and—unkindest cut of all—threw back upon the
shoulders of the ministry a clear case of attempted fraud.
Sir William showed that the vacancy which the Lord Chief
Baron had filled up, was occasioned by the death of its for-
mer occupant. Ergo : there could be no imputation of col-
lusion, no shuffling of offices, no changing of nests, such as
had occurred on some other occasions to create vacancies,
for the purpose of creating claims for compensation. The
office, which was a judicial one, could not remain vacant
without the entire business of the court being suspended;
and with respect to filling it up, the Chief Baron had no
choice. The act of parliament rendered it imperative upon
him to name a successor, who must be a barrister of ten
years' standing at the bar ; and Sir William clearly showed,
that after having drawn such a man from the exercise of his
profession, for the purpose of holding a judicial situation, it
was only a bare measure of justice to grant compensation.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer attempted a reply to Sir
William, and evidently not in the sweetest temper possible.
At this period of the debate the honourable member for
Tamworth, in that " forcible quiet" way which he occa-
sionally assumes, proposed a very simple question to the
puzzled Chancellor of the Exchequer, which a little in-
creased his bewilderment. " The honourable gentleman,"
remarked Sir Robert, " has informed the house that certain
individuals, who have purchased offices in the Court of Ex-
chequer since the bill was introduced last session, are never-
theless to receive compensation ; upon what principle does
the right honourable gentleman propose to grant compensa-
tion in these cases, and refuse it in the case before the
house ?" The explosion of a ten-pound rocket could scarcely
have created a more astounding effect upon the Chancellor
than this simple query.
By this time affairs were beginning to look rather ominous
Two or three of the ministerial party had announced their
intention of voting against the Chancellor of the Exchequer's
proposition; and a diversion was therefore found advisable
to be effected on the part of the baffled ministry. Accord-
ingly, a remark of the member for Ripon—Mr. Pemberton—
that " although a bill had been introduced, it was not con-
clusive that it would be passed—that many bills introduced
by ministers were abandoned, or were perhaps rejected in the
house," was forthwith seized upon by Lord John Russell,
and the allusion in it to the possibility of the House of Lords
rejecting a bill which bad passed the commons was at once
tortured into a ground for a tirade from his Lordship against
the powers and privileges of that house. "Is the House of
Commons," exclaimed his Lordship, with all the dignity of
which so small a man is capable, to be told that it dare
not pass any measure of compensation—any money question
—without the House of Lords dictating the terms ? Are we
to resign into the hands of that house our power of dealing
exclusively with money questions, and become the mere re-
gistrars of the imperious will of that house ?" whereupon
sundry raw statesmen cried " Hear ! hear !" with great fer-
vour, whilst the " older hands" indulged in a smile.. The
" ruse" was too transparent. The attempt of the pigmy lord
to fan himself into a democratic passion was too evidently a
mere part of the " tactique ;" and it was unsuccessful ac-
cordingly, and like other similar dishonesties, when detected,
damaged rather than advanced the cause it was meant to

Sir Edward Sugden succeeded to his lordship, and admi-
nistered a pretty severe rebuke to the demagogue lord, whom
he shewed to have not only perverted most grossly the mean-
ing of the honourable member for Ripon, but to have even
misrepresented circumstances connected with it. The con-
cluding portion of the debate contained nothing very striking.
Attention was called to the fact, that Mr. Scarlett actually
resigned two important offices (one as counsel to the mint)
upon his appointment in the Court of Exchequer ; and Mr.
Cresswell reminded the house that, viewing the question as
one of patronage merely, the salary of Lord Chief Baron, to
whom that patronage of right belonged, had been restricted
at the time of his appointment expressly upon the condition
of its existence ; and that no compensation was to be made
to, or sought for by, him upon its deprivation. After a few
attempts by the ministerialists to prolong the debate, whilst
effort was made to " whip up" their supporters, the house
divided, and the ministerial trick was defeated by a majority
of 3—the numbers being, respectively, 73 and 70.
It was impossible to avoid remarking during this debate—
in fact, during the whole of the preceding debate as well—
that the great bulk of the legal talent in the house, at any
rate, is to be found upon the opposition benches. With the
exception of the Attorney and Solicitor-General, not another
man of any great or rising talent, at the English tar, can be
found amongst the ministerialists, whilst a whole host of
talent crowds the ranks of their opponents—amongst whom
not the least are such men as Mr. Cresswell, Mr. Thesiger,
Sir William Follett, Sir Frederick Pollock, Mr. Pemberton,
Sir Edward Sugden, &c.—men whose talents are calculated
to adorn any station, or to honour any cause. It may be
said, indeed, that legal talent is not what the people want in
that house ; but how preposterous is the objection ! Can
such men as these, who from their avocations necessarily be-
come acquainted with the most minute details of the com-
mercial and social relations of the community, by any possi-
bility fail in carrying some portion of their acquirements into
that house, to be exercised for the benefit of their various
constituencies, and of the community at large ?