The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-08 00:00:00

Solons have displayed ? Who is there that is not
struck with astonishment at the easy self-complacency
with which these gentlemen have undertaken to white-
wash themselves ? They have been sitting in judgment
upon their own actions and proceedings—they have
gravely and deliberately examined the heavy charges
brought against them—they have magnanimously come
to the conclusion that they are the most pure, virtuous,
just, conscientious, impartial, truth-loving, honest, and,
in short, immaculate batch of magistrates that the ma-
gic wand of Lord John Russell ever called into exist-
ence—and they have solemnly resolved that their nota-
ble self-exculpatory verdict in their own favour shall
be " published once in each of the Liverpool news-
papers." If this be not the very climax of impudence
and absurdity, we do not know what can be so called.
We certainly do accord our meed of praise to these ra-
dical dispensers of " even-handed jastice" for resolving
that the public of Liverpool should not be deprived of
an opportunity of laughing at them and their preposte-
rous proceedings. It would, indeed, have been a
grievous disappointment if the resolutions which we
this day publish had been consigned to oblivion. We
are glad that they have been exhibited to the public
gaze. They will henceforth be referred to as a lasting
memento of radical folly and infatuation.
Mr. David Hodgson has done honour to himself by
publicly recording his dissent from the ridiculous reso-
lutions of the borough magistrates. His dissent is tan-
tamount to a significant hint that Mr. Alexander Smith
would have been right in charging the magistrates
with " prostituting their authority by granting licenses
to the detriment of the publican, for nothing else than

to uphold the political power of the Town Council."
It is quite clear that Mr. David Hodgson, himself a
magistrate, and cognisant of all the proceedings of the
magisterial clique, does not believe that his radical co-
adjutors have cleared themselves from the serious
charges brought against them. As a man of high ho-
nour and strict rectitude of principle he could not con-
scientiously come to the resolution that the charge of
Mr. Smith was "false and calumnious." We feel jus-
tified, therefore, in avowing our belief that Mr. Hodg-
son's dissent must be construed into a tacit acknow-
ledgment that Mr. Smith had spoken the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, respecting the
electioneering tricks of the radical justices. For this
manly and straightforward course Mr. Hodgson de-
serves the thanks of the innkeepers and licensed vic-
tuallers of Liverpool, whose interests have been so
flagrantly disregarded by those who ought to have pro-
tected them.

We may here ask why the radical magistrates have
pounced upon the speech of Mr. Alexander Smith for
the purpose of repudiating the charges against them ?
Why did they not take notice of that speech prior to
the election for North Toxteth ward ? There was am-
ple time for them to do so, and it would have had a
much better appearance if they had taken up the matter
somewhat more promptly. Is it possible that a certain
disappointed individual has had anything to do with
this commotion among them ? Has this stir originated
in mere spleen and revenge ? We challenge an answer
to these questions.

It is a matter of notoriety that Mr. Smith, presuming
that he uttered the language imputed to him, only re-
peated a charge which has, over and over again, "gone
the round" of nearly all the papers in Liverpool. It is
perfectly well known that after the municipal reform
act was passed, and the radicals obtained the ascend-
ancy in the Town Council, the Angel clique nominated
a large batch of borough magistrates, and that Lord
John Russell most complaisantly confirmed the nomi-
nation. It is a matter of notoriety that the radical
magistrates thus nominated have played divers and
sundry pranks which have not redounded very much
to their credit. It is well known that a vast number

of new licenses have been granted annually ever since
these gentlemen came into office, to the serious detri-
ment of the licensed victuallers of the town, many of
whom had paid extravagantly large sums for the good-
will of their premises, on the faith of previously existing
regulations. It is well known that these licenses have
been, in almost every instance, given to the political
partisans of the " tyrant majority" in the Town Coun-
cil. It is also notorious that, at the last election in

particuar, innumerable promises were held forth that
licenses would be granted to those electors who felt
disposed to throw away their votes upon the radical
candidates. So lavishly, indeed, were these promises
dispensed, that it would be next to impossible that
they should be made good, even under a radical cor-

poration, during the next ten years. These are facts
of which nineteen out of twenty of the electors of Li-
verpool, we feel assured, are perfectly cognisant. We
do not say that the magistrates are implicated in these
matters

It is not, however, difficult to trace the
source whence such serious in juries to the licensed vic-
tuallers have sprung. Our readers will be at no loss

n attributing them to sordid, selfish, political motives

As we have no wish to have ;any correspondence with
Messrs. Ellis and Shuttleworth, we, of course, feel

bound to say that we do not attribute such despicable
motives to our pure and imi naculate borough magi-
strates. Whilst, however, we disclaim any intention
of insulting these most magnanimous personages, we
shall never flinch from stating what we know and feel

to be the truth. We defy any one to disprove the
facts which we have recalled to the minds of our

readers

One word, in conclusion, to the innkeepers and li-
censed victuallers of Liverpool. You need scarcely be
told that under the old Tory system your interests were
adequately protected. New licenses were then very
rarely granted, and then only in new parts of the town,
as they successively sprung up. Your property then
improved from year to year. Since the radicals came
into power the case has been vastly altered. Licenses
have since become as plentiful as blackberries. Your
property has, consequently, deteriorated in value, until
it has become a complete drug in the market. Will

nu allow this state of things to continue ? Rouse

yourselves from your apathy, and show that you will no
longer submit to be plundered with impunity. You
will have an opportunity, on the Ist of November next,
of contributing to the expulsion from office of the ty-
rannical faction by whom you have been robbed and
insulted. Act like men in this matt(n., and let your
rallying cry be, `• DOWN WITH THE RADICALS !"

Since the above remarks were written, we have
received a letter (which will be found in: another co-
lumn), in which Mr. Smith entirely disclaims having
used the remarks quoted in the resolutim ls of the ma-
gistrates. It will be perceived that we have merely
referred to them hypothetically.

A meeting of the Chester Diocesan Board cf Edu-
cation was held at Newton on Thursday last, which
was attended by many of the clergy and by a Lew of
the influential laity of the diocese, when much inte-
resting matter was brought forward, and several _im-
portant measures were discussed and decided upo.n.
A report was received from the building committee
conveying the welcome intelligence that the difficulties
which have so repeatedly arisen in procuring a site for
the erection of the Training College at Chester have
at length been happily overcome through the liberality
of the Dean and Chapter, who have munificently of-
fered to the hoard an acre of land, in an eligible situa-
tion, as a free gift, together with a lease of five adjoin-
ing acres, upon favourable terms. This offer having
been at once thankfully accepted by the committee, the
_ _

foundation has been dug, and there is every prospect
that the Training Institution, which, it will be reml-
lected, is at present in operation in hired premises, will
at no distant day be transferred to a commodious
building, capable of containing the requisite number
of pupils, and affording every facility for their classi,i-
cation and instruction.

The Rev. John Slatter, who has been licensed by
the bishop to visit schools as inspector to the board,.
next proceeded to read a report of his first tour of in-
spection. This document, which contained much new

and highly interesting matter, tended to convince the
board more strongly than ever of the manifold and
grievous defects which exist in our present systems of
education, as regards the middle and lower classes, and
of the almost total impossibility of any great improve-
ment being made in the absence of an adequate supply
of competent teachers, and of other facilities for the
purpose ; thus placing the necessity and utility of our
Diocesan Board in the clearest point of view. Inti-
mation being made that school-rooms and funds were
offered to the board at Preston and Warrington for the
establishment of model schools, it was further deter-
mined that the offers should -be accepted, and that steps