The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-11-12 00:00:00

CORPORATION SCHOOLS

TO THE CONRERVATIVE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN
COUNCIL OF LIVERPOOL.
GENTLETsIEN,—Permit me to congratulate you on the
proud position which you now occupy in the municipal
government of this great commercial town, and to express
the high sense which I entertain of the true British feeling,
moral courage, and patriotic spirit displayed by your respec-
tive constituencies at the late elections, in order to place you
in a majority in the Council Chamber. That object has
been secured by a success which has outstripped our most
sanguine expectations, and for which the thanks of all who
feel interested in the triumph of constitutional principles,
and the preservation of the Protestant Church, are justly

due.
It fell to my lot three years ago—though following in the
wake of other and abler men—to take a prominent part iv
exposing the heretical character and destructive tendencl
of the new system of education in the corporation schools
That system was introduced by the radical majority of the
Town *Council, and forced upon the town, amid loud and
general remonstrance—a remonstrance which was felt so
galling as to induce the patrons and abettors of the plan to
modify some of its worst features, but which proved ineffec-
tual for the expulsion of the plan itself. The obnoxious
system is therefore still in the schools. But the time is now
come for the subject to be re-considered, with the prospect
of far more auspicious results. And if I can assist in re-
opening the discussion, which I candidly admit is the direct
object of my letter, I shall have attained my end.
But in doing this, I must beg leave most respectfully to
state some of the reasons, which, in my opinion, will fully
justify you as magistrates and members of the corporation,
in removing at once from the schools the objectionable system
in question, and replacing it by one more scriptural and less
heterogeneous.
1. Consider the responsibility attached to the exercise of
civil power and authority. It is written in the pages of the
inspired volume, that " there is no power but of God : the
powers that be are ordained of God." No matter what
form that power may assume in human governments, or how
numerous the intermediate steps by which it descends to
man, God is the true source from whence it is derived, and
his glory the end for which it is to be wielded. He is the
supreme Head and moral Governor of the universe ; but He
has thought fit in divine compassion to mankind, and for
the more convenient administration of their national affairs,
to delegate his authority to men, and to constitute such es
his subordinate agents in the government of the world. All
officials therefore invested with power,—say in our own-
beloved country, from the sovereign down to the policeman
and constable, are amenable to Almighty God for the use of
that power, and their responsibility varies only with tle
extent Of their power. '`The God of Israel said, Hethatt
ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God."
2 Sam. xsiii. 3.
You, as borough magistrates, and members of the cor-
poration of this large and wealthy town, are invested with
no small degree of power, but hold a cons.picuous place
among the rulers of the land. The influence of your exam-
ple in the discharge of your magisterial and corporate duties
will extend far beyond the limits of the borough ; and th,
character of your public measures will attract attentioa
throughout the length and breadth of the empire.
The duties of lightins, paving, and improving the town,
and affording to all its inhabitants full protection of life and
property may be efficiently discharged without entailing IV"