The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-08-09 00:00:00

AUGUST 9, 186.

Let him dismiss all such notions. The corporation funds
are public funds ; and Mr. Rathbone only happens to
be a steward for the public for the moment, because a
corrupt ministry, under pretence of reform, caused the
Passing of an act of parliament expressly constructed so
as to take from one party to give to another party, to
which Mr. Rathbone happens to belong, on the principle
that birds of a feather flock together. Let him ever bear
in mind these facts, and do remember, also, that although
the first municipal election took the turn it did, there is
i❑ Liverpool an immense majority of persons on the side
opposed to the corporation; for the truth of which we
refer him to the Amphitheatre Meeting and its results;
aye, and to other indications which lie is beginning to
comprehend, for he complains that the children going to
the corporation schools are brickbatted, and that he, the
veritable Rathbone, is exposed to insult when seen prowl-
ing in the same direction.

But let us return to the speech in council. Having
charged Messrs. Gladwin and Wray with indecency for
the conscientious discharge of an imperative duty, he
proceeded to say—" When he saw the Rev. Charles
Lawrence preaching against these schools." Here he
was set right by Mr. Counciller Henry Lawrence, who
stated that Mr. Lawrence did not preach against the
schools; and it turned out that Mr. Rathbone had not
seen any thing of the kind; that he had not been pre-
sent; that he had no proof of his assertion ; that he had
not a tittle of evidence of any kind; but he believed, he
said, that the Rev. Charles Lawrence did, one evening,
by INUENDO, allude to those schools, and preach against
them ? We have long been accustomed to trace the
wrigglings of partisan whigs and radicals, but in the
whole course of our experience we never met with any
thing more truly " indecent" than this. We should have
arrived at a pretty pass indeed were Ministers of the
Church of England in a situation to be made pecuniarily
or otherwise responsible for what Mr. Rathbone might
be pleased to believe of them, when it is well-known that
he is as ready to believe of them any cock-and-bull story
as to inflict his petty vengeance. The fact is, that, as
Ministers of the Gospel, Messrs. Gladwin, Wray, and
Lawrence, and all other Ministers of the same Gospel,
are bound to stand up for the cause of scripture truth,
Which truth depends upon the Bible, and especially with
reference to the training of the rising generation, for here-
upon the hope of national well-being is grounded, not to
mention the far more important consideration, the salva-
tion of immortal souls. We will say, broadly, that the
clergyman who does not do all that in him lies to prevent
youth from becoming such characters as Mr. Rath-
bone unhappily is grossly compromises his duty to God
and his fellow-men.

The Mayor, however, recalled Mr. Rathbone to his
senses, and warned him of the extreme danger of his
new course—namely, that of professed and preme-
ditated illiberality and injustice on the avowed principle
of revenge for fancied wrong. His worship said that
there were persons on both sides of the agitated question
of very pure intentions; he did not add that he included
Mr. Rathbone within that circle. The " Dissenter,"
nevertheless, stood abashed, indirectly apologised for his
Warmth, and found it necessary to "vindicate" himself;
which vindication took the odd shape of an allegation
that "the people threw brick-bats at the children who
went to these schools when they were playing at mar-
bles;" and, (oh shocking atrocity !) "he himself "
Ur. Councillor Rathbone—the popular Mr. William
Rathbone—"had been constantly subjected to abuse."
The abuse, however, he said, "he did not care that for
(suiting the action to the word by elegantly snapping his
fingers); but the children--alO the children !—think
of the children!—but the bric.-bats might kill the chil-
dren." The very thought was too much for the bene-
volent Mr. Councillor Rathbone to bear—and he wept,
or seemed to weep. "He thought that after this ex•
planation the Council would not say that he had done
wrong." The Council said nothing; but scouted his mo-
tion for very shame. Really, we almost begin to pity the
unfortunate Mr..Councillor Rathbone, and we conjure
the burgesses to spare him these sad exposures and se-
vere mortifications by placing him on the municipal shelf,
With the other lumber of the concern, when his time comes.
But hard as it may appear, we must pluck the crow a
little further.

Mr. Rathbone, in his first speech—that is, before he
was brought to his senses and apologised—was pleased
to say that he must "take this opportunity of contradict-
ing a falsehood which was circulated regarding those
schools, that the Bible was excluded. He had himself
read the Bible to the children in the North Schools, and
he had no doubt that it was also read in the South Schools.
If after that contradiction it was so reported again, he
must say that it was a most daring falsehood." Poor Mr.
Councillor Rathbone ! He is, without exception, the
most luckless of the luckless. Will nobody believe him?
Is he always to be at the pains of twenty times repeating
the same thing and still gaining no credence? We ask
for information, because if a man can't be credited by
anybody when he solemnly asseverates, the game is up,
and he might as well give over his attempts to do the
Public man. It is really a distressing predicament to be
Placed in, and we don't wonder that the, Councillor is
"warm," or that he snaps his fingers.
Oh, no, the Bible is not excluded—Mr.-Rathbone takes
one to the North School in his pocket, and who shall say
that it is excluded? Oh, no, the Bible is not excluded,'
though substituted by something better, in the estimation
of the Unitarian and Papist Council, for Mr. Rathbone
hath actually gone to the North School and read it, that
he might be enabled to go to Council and proclaim that
factl Hefter this it is again reported that the Bible is ex-
chided, Mr. Rathbone will say that it is a most daring
falsehood-

Behold the Councillor's own portrait, as drawn by his
ovvn hand. It would be an insult to the reader to ex-
Pose the juggle—we shall only say "THAT for it!
Now for the moral of all this soreness and irritability
434 the part of Mr. Councillor Rathbone; and he very
faithfully reflects the feelings of his colleagues in the
work of the invasion of the schools. .The right, in this
ease, has put down fancied might. The would-be pros-
trators are themselves on their backs. The appeal to the
Public on the part of our clergy has shewn what the pub-
lic sentiment is; and the Corporation schools may here-
after be left, without much fear, to the teachings of Mr.
Rathbone and Mr. Hope, for there will be no children
to pervert from that way in which our rising population
Should be trained, if we wish them to become good
Christians and nseful members of society. This, we say,
is the moral of the stupidities of Mr. Rathbone.
And the worthy Mayor, too, does not seem to enjoy
his Wonted ease. He may talk of the Council's self-
astisfaction, and of not turning to the right hand nor the
left; but we would respectfully whisper in his ear that
the sooner he turns the more he will consult his own
respectability.

Our readers will not consider any apology necessary for our
alluding once more to the meeting at the Amphitheatre, which
has been attended with such important results to the nation at
large' Judging from the rebound, the blow then and there
struck was heavy, and it has been sorely felt, if we may judge
of its effects by the labour of the radical press in this town to
decry its important objects and results.
The object of that splendid meeting was to combat, on the
threshold, the introduction of any helps to popery in this laud—
tn•display the uncompromising spirit of real protestantism in
defence of our religion—to show up the hollow pretensions of
the quack system of education—to preserve unmutilated that
holy book which is the charter of protestantism—the code of
real liberty—to oppose the insidious designs of the papist and
the utilitarian—to reject the hollow speciousness of a base ex-
Pediency, and take a firm stand upon principle alone—to un-
Mask the men who, upon specious pretexts of liberality, were
ready to open the floodgates to infidelity—and to plant the sacred'
standard of truth, pure and adulterated and unmutilated, upon
the schools of our national church. The effects of that meeting
will not be of a transient nature—and if any testimony be want•
ng to its importance, it is to be found in the burning desire of
the radical press to burlesque its proceedings and to fritteraway
its arguments. A subscription of £lO,OOO, raised in a few days,
i 8 a most convincing answer to those who deny its effects; and
a proof, that although the latent spirit of protestantism, such as
animated our forefathers in bygonedays, has been lying dormant
for some time, yet its strength is inexhaustible.
Schools for educating 2000 children, according to the doctrines
of the, church of England, will in a very few weeks be erected,
find, from the appearance of the subscription lists, it seems pro-
bable that accommodation fur another thousand will not be long