The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-03-20 00:00:00

that the penalty for defrauding the officiating priest of his
allotted portion was, that the offender should be cut off
from among his people ; and by reference to the 31st chap-
ter of Exodus, and the 15th of the Book of Numbers, he
showed that the " being cut off from among his people" was
identified with the " being surely put to death," and that
the death thus signified was not any interposition. of the
power of Providence, but a public execution by the band
of man. Was there no coercion here ? And yet Mr. Bun-
cett, a dissenting preacher, had asked, with honest,•but, he
must say, ignorant zeal, in a speech which had been pro-
fusely circulated by means of the new post-office arrange-
ments, " Where is the law that authorises the enforcement
Of these offerings?" It he (Mr. M'Neile) had now proved
that there was such a law, it might—he hoped it would—
have some effect with candid disputants. But it might be
said that if this doctrine were to be followed out, all idola-
ters. Sabbath-breakers, heretics, and refusers of church-
rates, must be consigned to the executioner. This,argumeot
sounded plausible, but was it conclusive ? Was there no
difference between adopting a principle as a general rule and
guide, and adhering to all the details which might have been.
applicable to other times and to circumstances different from
our own ? Might not the principle of coercion by penalty
stand, and yet the nature of the penalty be altered? This
might be illustrated by instances with which we were all fa-
miliar, for every one knew that measures intended for Ire-
land were often agreed to on the second reading, the princi-
ple adopted in corresponding measures for England being
thereby affirmed, but afterwards underwent such modifica-
tions in committee as fitted them for the country to which
they were to apply. A Christian government should adopt
the precedent of a national establishment for national wor-
ship, because of the command, "'Baptise all nations ;"
and it should enforce the measures for supporting that
establishment by compulsion, it compulsion should be
necessary. Let the nature of the penalty be open to
wise and judicious modification, so as not to touch the
consciences or persons of men, but only their property.
He would not compel a uniformity of worship, or a confor-
mity to doctrine, but only a pecuniary contribution for the
outward means. The first and highest duty of a Christian
government was to provide the means of specific Christian
instruction, and, with that view, to locate and support Chris-
tian ministers of the church, for the active population over
which they were providentially placed. If the scruples of
the subject were to interfere with the government, there
could be no government. If we were to give up the support
of the church because some were conscientiously opposed to
it, we must equally resign the army and navy, because some
conscientiously thought war unlawful. If it was wrong, if it
was a coercion of conscience—a shameful tyranny, to compel
1000 or 10,000 dissenters to pay taxes, a part of which was
devoted to the maintenance of the national church, it was
more wrong—it was a greater coercion of conscience—a more
shameful tyranny, because it was directed against a weaker
and more defenceless body, to compel one helpless Quaker
to pay taxes, a portion of which was to be devoted to the
maintenance and enlargement of the national army. (Loud
applause.) But he said there was no forcing of the conscience,
even when there was a forcing of payment. Let him even
suppose our Sovereign to occupy the place of a Pagan Ro-
man Emperor, our clergy to be as the priests of Jupiter,
our tax-collectors Cresar's publicans, and our dissenting
countrymen to be clothed with all the simplicity and purity
of inevitable voluntaryism—what then ? Why then he would
remind them of the authorities,—" Tribute to whom tribute
is due." " Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's."
A large portion of the tribute exacted from the Jews was
squandered in idolatrous worship. And yet the apostles,
instead of enjoining them to resist the Pagan church-rate,
or indulging in lamentations forviolated consciences, calmly
and unostentatiously inculcated submission to the powers
that be, and commanded those primitive Christians to pay
the rate. Supposing our church to be as great an
abomination in the sight of the Lord as the temple
of Jupiter, still if the ministers of the dissenting body
emulated the example of the apostles, they would say
" Tribute to whom tribute is due." But they complained
of being compelled to support a religion of which they dis-
approved. He denied that any such compulsion was placed
upon the dissenters. Those who received taxes might with
them support the outward means and instrumentality of the
church, but that was the act of the civil ruler, and not of
the man who paid the tax. It would be monstrous to say
that every man who paid a tax was responsible for every
act of the Government. (Loud applause.) The subject was
responsible to God for the duty of paying the tribute, and
the Government was responsible to God for the duty
of appropriating it. The pocket of the man who paid
it was assailed but not his conscience. It', indeed, the
dissenters were compelled to join our worship, then,
indeed, his conscience would be assailed, and this was
an important distinction to us all. He felt himself as much
involved in it as any dissenter. He paid taxes, but he was
not implicated in the anti-English, anti-Christian, sui-
cidal guilt of supporting such a place as Maynooth college.
(Loud applause.) Nor were the dissenters implicated in
what they called the oppressive guilt—even if there were
really any guilt in it—of maintaining the church of England.
Even putting it on a par with Maynooth college—and he
could go no lower—he had proved that it wits the duty of the
dissenters to pay the tribute. But how much more im-
perative was that duty, when the church possessed such
ciairns.to national respect and gratitude ? Although the dis-
senter was bound to pay tribute; if he believed that the es-
tablishment was unchristian, it was his duty to use all con-
stitutional means to obtain an alteration of the law, but he
hoped that the judgment of the dissenters would, in the
course of that effort be convinced, and their impressions
altered with respect to the scriptural character of the church,
and their duty to obtain an alteration in the law. In the
mean time, until the law should be, altered, lie claimed from
them that Christian forbearance which declines to take the
law into its own hands. (Loud applause.) After some fur-
ther remarks upon the merits of the established church, and
its claims for national support, the rev. gentleman concluded
by expressing his conviction that he should not appeal in vain
to an assembly of British gentlemen on behalf of millions of
British subjects.

. WOOLLiTOCK ELECTION.—The election will take place on
Friday next. Mr. Thesiger has nearly finished his canvass,
which has been a most successful one, he scarcely having met
with a single refusal. There is not the slighest show of op-.
positicin,,,arford .Herald.

•
Antniim DisTuicT OF Buitons.—LWe understand that
Major-Anderson, of Essex, who has announced himself as a
candidate for these burghs at the next election, has just coin
pleted a most encouraging and satisfactory personal canvass
in the district, the result of which leaves no room for doubt-
ing his eventual success. We are sure this information'must
be very gratifying to all friends of the Church and the con-
stitution in this ynarter, where Mr.-Gillon's extreme opin-
ions and inconsistent conduct have rendered hith quite oh-
nosious.—Glasow Constitutional.

PENNY POSTAGE.—ADHESIVE STAMPS,—We have much
pleasure in informing our readers that Mr. Wise, of Rush
Mills, near this town, has obtained the order for the supply
of the penny adhesive stamps. We have seen a sheet of the
paper adopted by the government. It is divided into three
compartments, each containing 240 small water-mark crowns ;
under each of these there will be a medallion of the Queen's
head, and the price of the stamp. Although each sheet will
contain 720 stamps, and when printed be equal in value to
£3., still sufficient room is left that each penny stamp may
be cut out.—Northampton Herald.
At Goldsmiths' Hall, Prince Albert, after having received
the freedom and clothing of the Company, walked up to
derman Copeland, and. shaking him by the hand very cordi-
ally, said, Ah, Mr. Copeland, I remember having seen
you at the Mansion House when you were Lord Mayor."
Your Royal Highness does me very great honour by the
recognition," said Alderman Copeland, who, it is believed,
did not exactly recollect the occasion of the Prince's visit.
" Oh," added Prince Albert, " you may remember a little
fellow who accompanied the Princess Victoria and the Duc-
hess of Kent after the Royal visit to St. Paul's. I was that
person."

JUVENILE ROBINSON CBUSOES.—On Monday, the al
instant, three little boys (the eldest only 12 years of age),
sons of respectable parents residing in Louth, who had been
reading the entertaining romance of Robinson Crusoe, left
their homes in company, in search of an uninhabited island,
where they might enjoy the sweets described by the author
of that work. The young Crusoes were armed with a. blun-
derbuss, pistols, swords, &c., and provided with sundry ne-
cessaries, such as needles, thread, twine, &c. They wended
their way to the tel-shore of Saltfleet, in search of a ship to
bear them to an island whereon they might build a hut, dig
a cave, breed goats, and feast on grapes : there they were
overtaken by a brother, and deprived of their arms. They
then changed their route, and were finally overtaken by Mr.
Heath, who had been sent in search of them by their un-
happy parents, near Horncastle, and were conducted safely
to their homes.—Lincoln Mercury.
THE ARMY.—A considerable increase of our military force
is said to be in contemplation. We have not been able to
trace the rumour to any authentic source, for in these days
an augmentation of either branch of the service is the sub-
ject of long previous deliberation ; but we have strong rea-
sons for believing that more augmentation of the army is
intended. The number has been stated to us at 10,000 ; but
it has, in all probability, yet to be decided on. We have
heard that neither the 11th nor 15th regiments will return
from Canada this summer, although the corps destined to
relieve them are already on their route. That a further in-
crease must soon take place in the navy, is self-evident to
every one who will direct his attention for one moment to
the very critical position of England at the present juncture.
The speck which is hereafter to grow into a storm, is already
to be seen in the East. Our firm impression is, that when
even this country shall be driven in self-defence to assume a
warlike attitude, it will stand indebted for the necessity to
the foreign policy of Lord Palmerston. Whatever way we
look, the aspect of affairs is threatening.—United Service
Gazette.

ELOPEMENT.—On Tuesday, as the young ladies of Miss
Pocock's school, at Somersham, were taking their afternoon
walk, a gentleman drove up in a gig, and, with the assistance
of another man, lifted Miss Ellis, a young lady aged seventeen,
into his gig, and drove off at a rapid pace to St. Ives and
Huntingdon. After the first surprise had subsided, Miss
Pocock caused an immediate pursuit of the fugitives, and sent
information of the occurrence to the parents of her charge.
Miss Ellis, who some say was not an unwilling party to the
transaction, is the daughtei of a gentleman at Peterborough,
and will he possessed of a considerable fortune on her coming
of age. The gentleman who took her away is Mr. Barratt,
a music master at Stamford, from whose importunities and
attentions Mr. Ellis had sent his daughter to Miss Pocock's
school. Mr. Barratt has been for some days at the George
Inn, Somersham, riding out daily with the ostler, whom he
had induced to assist him by telling him that he came to re-
move the young lady to London, as a witness. in a cause be-
fore one of the courts. The fugitives continued their course
to Huntingdon in the gig, where they changedit for a post-
chaise, intending to travel to the railway station at Weedon,
and thence by the train for London ; but, it happening to be
the assizes, some friends of Mr. Ellis saw his daughter trip-
ping into the chaise, and took upon themselves the office of
detaining her, and informing her brother, who is a surgeon,
'practising in the town, of the fact. He politely thanked Mr.
Barratt for his attention to his sister, and took her home.
The family intend to make Miss Ellis a ward in Chancery.—
Lincoln Chronicle.

INVERNESS COUNTY ELECTION.—We call upon the
electors of this county to consider well ere they fix their
choice upon a successor to their late member in parliament.
There may be gentlemen proposed on this occasion, who,
advocating liberal sentiments in politics, are the determined
enemies of the independence of our church, and who consider
it chargeable with rebellion in its recent exertions. We ask
our electors, will they choose a representative from this class
of politicians in the present momentous crisis? The Mel-
bourne administration never can do anything for the emanci-
pation of our church. They are bound hand and foot, and
chained in the fetters of subjection to a.pro-popish party
who desire the destruction of our establishments. Let the
electors of the county of Inverness solemnly calculate the
consequences of assisting and strengthening this party, and
thereby breaking down 1; their votes, the munitions of our
church and constitution. Much will depend upon their
conduct at present. And we would earnestly exhort them as
a body to enlist themselves on this occasion under the stan-
dard of constitutional conservatism, as the strongest bulwark
of the city and the state. The county of Inverness is de-
cidedly and most thoroughly conservative, and we trust it
will not be misrepresented. We hear that Mr. Grant of
Glenmorriston, or Mr. Grant, younger of Ballindalloch is to
stand on the liberal interest, and we beg it to be recollected
that both of these gentlemen recently presided as chairmen
of meetings held for the purpose of condemning the recent
proceedings of the church—the one at Forres, and the other
at Inverness. We are authorised to state, that a conserva-
tive will appear in a few days, who will give ample satisfac-
tion to the friends of the church, in the present Critical
eonjuncture.—lnvernear Herald.