The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-03-06 00:00:00

iall be s
Bishop has cited th,

quite an uproar

LORD ASHLEY'S MOTION FOR THE CHURCH.—Lord
Ashley, on Thursday, immensely increased our debt of
gratitude, by effecting the commencement of a work be-
yond all others needed for the safety and practical effici-
ency of the church. To outward appearance all was
smooth and triumphant; but we happen to know some-

thing of the difficulties

hip cou

rd have achieved ih

through all Thursday it was doubtful whether the ques-
tion would really come on. The Dissenters threatened
a vehement opposition,—the government desired to have
the evening for the Irish poor law discussion ; and between
the one and the other there was every reason to fear that
the motion might be a third time postponed, by which,
for all practical purposes, the present session would have

uccii ivay. vi ',nu utauu.tuii, wnen IL am at last begin,
it is enough to say, that Lord Ashley's motion was sup-
-orted by Lord John Russell, Mr. Sidney Herbert, Sir
d Buxton, Mr. Horsman, Mr. W. Page Wood, and
and opposed by Mr. Hume and Mr. Bright !
ned gentleman_ repeated half a chapter of Mr.

Mr. Heald

Baptist Noel's book, including a great bundle Of dissent-
ing statistics! After which,—our readers will not be
surprised to hear,—that the house adopted the motion by
a majority of 111 to 18, or about six to one!
WHAT THE CHRRCH CAN Do. Lord Ashley con-
cluded his eloquent speech in the House of Commons on
Thursday, as follows :—The whole number of parishes in
EnglarW,with a nooulati not exceeding 4,000 each, was
279. Calcul m
ating, then, that an addition of 500 clergy-
men would be equal to the meeting of all the exigencies
of the present occasion and the present --
country—and supposing s ^ X"

position of the

e sum of .‘,..)uu. a year allott,_
each, that would amount to only £150,000. per annum—
(hear), and surely that was not a very large sum to ask
from the patriotism, the piety, and the wealth of the
Church of England. (Hear.) The only way in which
the proposed subdivision of parishes could be effected,
unless they had some general plan for it established by
law, would be by separate local acts, which would cost
much trouble in passing. Just as they had a general in-
closure bill, it might be necessary to have a general sub-
division act, He confessed he could not understand on
what ground any opposition could be offered to his pro-
position. All they asked was that an opportunity might
be afforded to the Church of England for developing and
increasing her resources—of showing her capability as
well as her will of discharging all her high and important
duties. (Hear.) They found the church assailed every-
where by those who differed from her, because, while pro-
fessing to be the church of the poor. man, she yet left
whole districts without any spiritual aid or a single house
of worship. Such was the charge which was continually
made, and it was that charge which it was now proposed
to meet, by showing that the church had both the'ability
and the will to exercise those high functions which rightly
belong to her. (Hear.) If, however, after the Church
of England should have had that opportunity of develop-
inz all her resources, and calling forth all her energies,—
if after that she should be found wanting, and her efforts
unsuccessful, then, and only then, it would be time to
say " cut her down, why cumbereth she the ground."
(Hear.) Before they proceeded to condemn the church
for what she had not done, they ought to allow the church
an opportunity of proving what she was able and willing
to do. (Hear.) His own firm belief was, that if they
would but untie her bands—enable her to expand her
wings, and permit her to show all she desired to do, she
would fully, amply, conscientiously, and beneficially dis-
charge all those high and solemn duties for which, under
God's blessing, she was originally founded by the piety,
wisdom, and love of her forefathers.