The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-11-24 00:00:00

BRITISH REFORMATION SOCIETY.

Two lectures on Popery were delivered on the evenings
of Tuesday and Friday last, in the Concert-hall, Lord
Nelson street, by the Rev. Ur. Cumming of London, an
eminent minister of the Established Church of Scotland,
whose able advocacy of the truths of Protestantism are
well known in the metropolis and elsewhere. The Rev.
Hugh M`Neile presided on both occasions; and the plat-
form was filled by a most respectable assemblage of cleigy,
merchants, and others.
In his first lecture, Dr. CUMMING introduced a short
review of the conduct of the Roman Catholic Bishop,
Wareing, whose explanations in the M orris perversion have
been the theme for strong animadversion by the indepen-
dent press. Dr. Wareing, be observed, had acted a most
consistent part. If be had acted otherwise, he would not
have been doing his duty to his church. The principles
of his church and the practice of the Bishop were, in this
matter, in happy harmony; for Rome held that when her
people were asked concerning their faith, they might either
conceal or confess it—that it was lawful to conceal their
faith, if a greater good could be accomplished thereby,
than by acknowledging it. And, therefore, if Dr. Ware-
ing had given young Morris a dispensation to conceal his
faith from his parents, he acted only upon the precedents
set by St. Signori, who laid it down that it was lawful to
use equivocation when equivocation was necessary for the
interests of the church. Approaching the more immedi-
ate subject of the lecture, Dr. Cumming remarked that
he neither desired nor designed to cast any new light
upon it. Popery seemed to him a grand perversion of all
the distinguishing truths of the gospel ; and here was
" the mystery of iniquity." Infidelity was Satan acting
at least a honest part : Popery was Satan acting the part
of an angel of light. One system denied all truth ; the
other admitted all truth, but only to crucify, to vitiate,
and annihilate. The one, therefore, was properly called
tie " mystery of iniquity", for it made God's truth the
caterer of men's lies, God's word the pioneer to man's
superstitions; it embraced the truth, not for the sake of
truth, but for the sake of establishing under its guise
those deadly superstitions which ruined souls and dis-
honoured God. lie asked the audience to refer to any
one doctrine in the word of God, and then observe how
pery perverted and cHricatured it. Take the Bible; it
imed the exclusive monopoly of the circulation of that
ssed book. It made baplim a mysterious exorcism;

pop
chi
ble
the

..-
Lord's Supper, not the Impressive and beautiful so- l after coming from Scotland hearing a clergyman who
lemnity of Sion, but an idol before which the people Prayed that prayer : he was not satisfied with reading, be
must prostrate themselves and give worship ;it made prayed it. (Hear.) I-7e ( Dr. Cummings) shut his eyes
prayer—the privilege of Protestants—a Penance to Roman and enjoyed it as thoroughly as though the supplication
Catholics ; it made the minister of God, not the preacher had been extemporaneous; and he should never forget
of " Glad tidings," but a s icrificine priest ; it denuded those words. The Te Deum was meet praise for saints to
God of his robes of beauty and of glory as a reconciled offer—meet praise for God to hear. But could the
Father in Christ, and arrayed him with the robes of meeting conceive how horrified he was when he read it,
vengeance, telling the weir sinner, though he suffered, as amended by a distinguished saint and cardinal of the
and underwent sacrifices. that he had penances yet to en- Romish church ? "We praise thee, 0 Mary, as the mo-
dure after Christ had suffered that a guilty world might be ther of God : all the earth doth worship thee, spouse of
finally redeemed ; it regarded our blessed Lord as an im- the Eternal. To thee all angels cry aloud, Holy, Holy,
perfect mediator, requiring tee intercession of the virgin art thou, 0 Mary, mother of God : heaven and earth are
and saints to eke out his mediation ; it regarded the Holy full of thy glory ! And so it went on to the close. (Hear.)
Spirit as inadequate to sanctify and make us fit for Then in the Litany it was said, "Be merciful to us
heaven, and told us of a purgatory where souls are purified and spare us, 0 Lady !" " From all evil and mischief,
which the spirit of God could not purify on earth. In deliver us, 0 Mary." "In all time of tribulation, in
short, Popery, pretending to be exclusively apostolical, the hour f death, in the day of judgment, and from the
was emphatically the great predicted apoatacy of the New torments of the damned, good Mary deliver us." (Hear,
Testament. The system was extremely well calculated to hear.) If it were replied to him that he proved these
make progress. It was fitted for fallen humanity. It in- perversions from old documents which were extremely
sisted upon absolute, unquestioning outward obedience, scarce, he replied ,hat. the Church was infallible; that if
whilst it allowed bounds that covered the most congenial this doctrine were blasphemy in the thirteenth century, it
internal licence ; it enacted a ceremonial most stringent could not but be blasphemy now ; that the Church must
to give an appearance of great unity; it made the lace- be consistent. But he was not left to prove these corrup-
ration of the outward man to take the t lace of the mor- tions from any old books, for they were regularly pub-
tification of the lusts of the soul and the evil affections lished in the Catholic Psalter by Marini, the Pope's
eovferfayllmenan,s natuidreio.syneterwacay.
was so
fcoynosutrwucetreedmtoetoaapshytsoicmale, meet
The Doctor, having concluded his narration of his contest bookseller at Rome, one of which he held in his hand.
had subtle and skilful disputes left unsolved, upon which with the Catholic barrister, proceeded to say that in his
you could exercise your acumen ; if you had practical du-
agreat m
philosopher usic the
hoad
various engagements he had been met with strong ebjec-
ties to be performed, such as pilgimages and penances, if Lions to the course that was being pursued. It had been
ceaypet,ivpaoteintrgy
to to
rivet charm m
you were a man of taste, it had paintings to gratify the alleged by some eminent persons, distinguished members
of the Protestant Church, that such a course was evil and
mischievous; and he had himself heard Roman Catholic
et the ic ear—and the
imagination,
said, "if you make captive man's five senses, in tine priests say that nothing delighted them so much as meet-
cases out of ten you nay calculate upon making captive ings like the present, for the result was an acre-sion to their
all the rest of the man ?'' if you were rich, your wealth numbers. That statement had invariably been made by the
was made to h, Ip yeu on the way to Heaven; if you were priests of the Church of Rome. If the priests found that
poor, she would u,cet your taste in poverty; if you would these meetings were converting their people, was it likely
whip yourself to heaven, she would make the whip, me_ they would say so ? W uld they not conceal the fact ?
secrete it, put it into your hands, and teach you to use it Tne very circumstance of their boasting demonstrated to
sell. Popery was admirably adapted to human nature; him, that these meetings, instead of making converts to
in short, no evi knee was needed beyond the religion of Rome, were converting Roman Catholics to Protestan-
Rome to show the false spirit of man's adversary. Satan tism. (Hear.) He had heard it said that Roman Catho-
found that the persecutions of the first three centuries lics were most conscientious in their creed ; and that,
were a mistake, a gross blunder; and when he found that therefore, we had no right to pronounce it to be wrong.
" the blood of the saints" became the " seed of the He believed the Roman Catholic laity were most consci-
church," that the death of the martyrs was only the sig- entious : they had perilled their everlasting all upon the
nal for thousands of Christians to spring up, he laid aside truth of their creed. But this did not prove that the
the attitude of an open foe and assumed the position of a creed itself was right. A man might be conscientiously
conceded enemy—undermining Christianity under pro- wrong as well as conscientiously right. When we wished
fes,ions of friendly attachment. And if you looked at to know what was truth and what error, we did not apple'.
Popery in the social aspect, the same awful talent was to man's conscience, but "to the law and to the testi-
displayed. It was most versatile ; a perfect Proteus. If mony" ; and if one text in the Bible pronounced it wrong,
republicanism was in the ascendant, it was, first and fore- that text would be true, and all men's consciences wrong.
most, in preaching democracy; if despotism was the order It had been urged that there were many good men in the
of the day, it would cast its instruments before the despot's Church of Rome. He believed there were—many good
throne, and put a scourge into the tyrant's hand with men. The Bible led him to believe it to be so, for it
which to lash. the people. In short, it was a system fitted said, " Come out of her, my people, lest ye partake of
for all emergencies; adapted to all circumstances; and the her sins. This text clearly taught him that God
more he thought of what Romanism was, the less was he had a people in that church. But did it prove that
surprised at so many becoming Romanists• He was, in.. church was tight ? Quite the reverse. It had been
aa.a, ..,.., sstooishsa ot so fa. .7 not h...,„; ri g Romanist.. urged—even in the House of Commons last year—that in
Like the proud vulture that hovered over the field of bat- attacking Romanism we were attacking Christianity it-
tie, Popery preyed upon the " dead ;" it dared n t, and self. This objection proceeded from a total ignorance of
might not, touch " the living." (Cheers.) And from its the distinction between the two. Should we be defacing a
consonancy to human nature Popery was likely to spread beautiful tree by removing the catterpillars that preyed
still more. The eloquent lecturer here quoted some sta. upon its walls ? Should we be destroying the gigantic oak
tistics from the Tablet, a Roman Catholic newspaper, by removing the parasite plant that clung to its trunk and
shewing the increase which is said to be making to the branches? The very reverse. The removal of the Plant.
numbers professing the Popish faith ; and he also referred that fed upon its juices would strengthen the integrity of
to Dr. Wiseman's account, as given at Nottingham, of the the oak. So it was with Christianity ; remove impel,:
additions making to their chapels and cathedrals. During from it and you removed an incubus that pressed upon and
the last six years many convents and nunneries for sisters encumbered it—you would allow it to expand free and un-
of mercy and sisters of charity had been opened. All shackled in all its beauty and glory, until, by the blessing
these cases of increase be attributed to the modes in which of God, it had accomplished its predicted and destined
Popery operated upon the fallen nature of man. Parting results. (Cheers.) Then it had been urged that the
from this topic, the reverend gentleman said he should Roman Catholics were a great majority of the Christian
next endeavour to obviate some of the pretences of world ; and it had been asked if it were right that a hand-
Roman Catholicism, and in the next lecture he would ful of men upon a little island in the midst of the ocean
give some account of the practical conflicts and con- should presume to say they were right and the rest of the
troversies he had been engaged in during the last world totally wrong ? Truth was not contingent upon
few years. (Hear.) It was frequently urged by Roman majorities or minorities. (pear.) Our appeal was "to
Catholics that they hold every truth which Protestants the law and the testimony ;
' and if we found our religion
hold—the Nicene creed for example—and that all the dif- sustained by scripture, that religion was true, though its
ference was that they only held a little more. They held advocates should be cortfieed in dungeuns or burned at the
the Nicene creed with the additions of the articles added stake ; and if popery were found to be condemned by the
to it by Pope Pius IV. (Hear.) The reverend lecturer scriptures, that religion was false, and it must be opposed
..
adverted to these additional articles in some detail, and though the gold of the universe were piled on her altars.
answered the several pretences of the Church of Rome It was not the rules of numbers or the doctrines of
founded upon them. Then, continued the lecturer, some proportion that determined what was the truth ; but it
of the Roman Catholics were continually saying, "look was this—" What say the scriptures? " (H, ar, heir.) It
around this great land, and behold its magnificent cathe• had also been alleged by the champions of Romanism that
drals : we, the Roman Catholics, built them, and if we she had produced many distinguished men and illustrious
built them. how can our creed be what you represent it to literati ; and it could not. be supposed to he so corrupt a
be?" Perhaps, on examination, it might be found that system, otherwise such accomplished men as the Arch-
some of the magnificent cathedrals in this country had not' hishou of Cambray would not have belonged to it. He
been built by Roman Catholics. (Hear.) But suppos- 1 (Dr. Cumming) replied that Greece and Rome, with the
ing Popery had erected them all—and he admired them I most wretched theology, had the most accomplished scho-
beyond measure, and to hear the Gospel preached in a i lars. Infidelity itself enrolled among its ranks Voltaire,
cathedral was a treat to him he could not find language to I Diderot, Gibbon, Hume, and many other men of distin-
describe—did not Herod and the Jews build temples that guished scholarship. This taught us, and a most import-
were the admiration of the world ? It was possible for ant lesson it was, that knowledge might be, as Bacon pro-
these splendid structures to be mausolea and sepul- claimed it to be—power ; but that sanctified knowledge
chres instead of temples for living saints wherein to wor- alone was peace anti holiness and happiness, as well as
ship the living God. But he would refer to instances. power. (Hear.) It was perfectly possible to obtain great
Canterbury Cathedral was built in 1073, York in 1173, knowledge in science, literature, a d art, yet with that
Winchester in 1079, and Lincoln in 1118. In other words, knowledge to have the most unsanctified and unholy
our most beautiful cathedrals, or most of them, were heart : it was possible to be the first among all the encye
raised between the eleventh and the thirteenth centuries. clot mdeists of the universe, and yet have less knowledge
Let any Roman Catholic history be opened, and it would of God than a Sabbath-school child. (Cheers. Some had
be found that the whole of these cathedrals were raised alleged they did not like controversy, and therefore the!
in all their grandeur when Hildebrand was treading on the disapproved of these meetings. If by controve ray was
necks of princes, making emperors and kings do penance, understood the calling of hard nines, he utterly repudie
and kindling the fire of war over the length and breadth ated it ; but by cone raversy he meant contending for the
of Europe. During the periods when those cathedrals truth in opposition to error, not in the spirit of bigotry.
were built there was all the fanaticism of the Crusades ; but in the spirit of love and of sound mind. The real
and the Waldenses were obliged to hide in the caves and question about controversy was—was it scriptural? St-
dark places of the earth. It was possible, therefore, to Paul went into the synagogues and proved out of the
build these splendid churches and yet crucify afresh and scriptures that Jesus was the Chri-t ; St. Jude told us to
put to open shame Him who was the light and life and contend for "the faith once delivered to the saints.
Lord of the Church. Yet Mr. Pugin, according to his The next question was—was controversy calculated to do
own testimony, was converted by the belief that the good ? His answer was. How were our missions in every
Roman Catholics had built all these beautiful cathedrals. part of the globe carried on at this moment ? Be cootie,:
Catholicism had been grateful to that gentleman. But he versial discussion. All our precious things had been P.n.r_
at. the
could take the meeting to a cathedral more beautiful even chased at this price, and they must he maintained'me '
nu
than St. Peter's when filled with all the pomp and splen- i same price. The crown of cur Queen and our g
dour of unrestricted Romanism—even on the day when constitution were sustained only by ceaseless conflict ;
on its roof there were lit ten thousand lamps, making it and the integrity of the scripture, the safety of our com;
almost like a sun blazing in the midst of the hills. He munion, access to God's word and the social of
could shew them a cathedral grander, nobler, more last- Protestantism, could only be maintained by controversial.
ing and more glorious than York, Canterbury, Antwerp, conflict. Marty sentimental persons exclaimed, " Let us
or St. Peter's. He could take them to the spot near have peace at any sacrifice." Peace cannot be purchased at
which he had spent his earliest years—to the turf-covered too high a price. Better truth withou' peace, than peace
cottage in any parish in Scotland. There he could intro- without truth. (Hear.) Again, he asked what had made
duce them at eventime, and shew them the grey-haired England what she was, and elevated her to her rank
man opening the big Ha' Bible and reverently reading it among the nations? How came it to pass that in Swit-
to his family. He loved to listen to the reading of the zerland you could tell that one canton was Roman Ca-
, good old man ; and then be would bid them kneel and tholic because the people were dirty and idle, and in an
join in prayers so truly beautiful that even our own nag- sense prosperous; and that another canton was Prates-
, nificent liturgy could not approach to them. That turf- tent, because you saw the people industrious, prosperous.
covered cottage was the temple of the living God. (Cheers.) clean, and happy ? Why was it that Scotland presented
The rev. lecturer, in closing this branch of his subject, re- so complete a contrast to Ireland ? How was it that
minded the audience that upon our religion in time rested Scotland, with all her faults, was able, with but a few re-
ourdcstiny in eternity. The lectute itself was terminated by giments, and a very few police, to keep order? Because
some general observations of a most striking character upon it was a land of Bibles, of pure and Protestant Christi-
the necessity of sustaining our national protestantism. The anity. How was it that Ireland was in so unhappy a
protestantism of England was England's glory. Whilst state ? He admitted that there might be political and
that lived, she lived ; when that died, she would die. social faults in that country, but i,s great governing evil
Without being either a prophet or a prophet's son, be was its prevailing Popery. If it were not so, how was it
ventured to predict that England's greatness and England's that Ulster, which was Protestant, presented so marked s
protestantism must be gathered to a common grave, or be contrast to the other three provinces of Connaught, Man-
raised to a common throne. What had raised England to ster, and Leinster, which were Catholic. One was pet-
what she was—the land of asylums for the poor, of schools fectly quiet and peaceful ; the others the scene of constant.
for the ignorant, of churches for the people? what had emeutes. The one was Protestant, and Popery prevailed
made this a land that a slave did not tread upon its shores in the others. He was indeed persuaded that the secret
but the manacles fell from his hands and the fetters burst spring of all our prosperity as Britons was just our Pro-
from his feet ? What made this a land in which, in many testant and Bible Christianity. The secret of the stabilitf
parishes, at least, our doors might be almost without of that diadem which girds the Queen of England's brow
bolts—and the days were not long since they were so ? was the existence of the Protestant Church in the midst
What had made this land a land of liberty and of bibles? of England's government. He believed, therefore, that
It was its Protestant Christianity—its scriptural, pure, if that assembly loved their country as patriots, the!
and holy religion. (Cheers.) He therefore called upon would identify themselves with this cause; and if the!
all of every denomination to hold to their ancient pro- desired to glorify God and to win souls to Christ, they
testantism—to embrace it with ardent sympathy, with would throw all their energies into this important and
holy hearts, and with enduring affection. (Cheers.) holy cause. (Loud Cheers.)
TIIE SECOND LECTURE At the close of each lecture, Dr. Cumming received the
commenced by a remark that the reverend lecturer scarcely warmest thanks for his eloquent and truly Christian es-
knew which set of apologies was most injurious to the Position ; and the proceedings terminated by the Chair.
truth—the apologies made by Rome for itself, or the man pronouncing a solemn benediction.

Nov. 24, 1846.

coral anb Vrobintiat grtvs.

In a few days the streets of Southport will be lighted
with oil naphtha lamps.
In compliance with a requisition, the Mayor of Man-
chester has convened a town's meeting to consider " the
oppressive and injurious tendency of the Salt Tax and
Monopoly in India."
Last Monday, Elizabeth Smith,an old woman aged about
77, living in Lionel-street, died in the Northern Hospital.
A few days before, her clothes caught fire accidentally,
and she was severely injured.
At the Manchester Borough Court, on Tuesday last,
several cotton spinners, dyers, &c., were fined 40s. and
costs for nuisances arising from the unconsumed smoke
from their works.
Four hundred pounds have been subscribed on behalf of
the testimonial to Mr. Trafford, on his retirement from
the chairmanship of the quarter sessions for the county of
Chester.

The churchwardens of St. Augustine's Church have
appointed the Rev. J. H. Brown, Vice- Principal of the
Collegiate Institution, to take charge of the public ser-
vices of that church, and to be solely responsible for
them, until a new incumbent be appointed.
On Friday forenoon, a boy, carrying a tin cash-box,
near Liver Chambers, Tithebarn-street, was knocked
down and his box was stolen. Several persons seeing the
assailant running with the box gave chase, and the fellow
threw it down along with a bludgeon which he carried.
Be eff.cted his escape.
RAPID STEAMING':—The steamer Clementina, of whose
trial trip to Dublin we gave an account in our last, steamed
"to Folkestone from this port in thirty-five hours, against
a heavy sea and adverse winds—a rate of sailing rarely, if
ever attained, by our best packets. The Princess Cle-
rnentina is destined to ply between Folkestone and Bou-
logne, in connection with the railway communication
from London to Paris.
NEW HOLYHEAD PACKETS.—The Admiralty have
contracted for four new steam-packets for the Holyhead
station. One to be built by Messrs. Ditchburn & Mare,
it is understood, on the lines of the Surveyor of the Navy
—engines by Messrs. Seaward and Co. ; one of wood, on
the lines of Mr. 0. W. Lang, with Penn's engine; one,
engines and vessel by Messrs. Miller and Co. •, and one
vessel by J. Laird—the engines by Forester, of Liverpool.
They ate to be called the Caradoc, the Llewellyn, the
Kathleen, and the Banshee.
J UVENI E THIEF.—A lad named James Dodd, who
made his debut at- thc----Polico-oottrtr
brought before Mr. Rushton, on Thursday.—Police con-
stable, 109, stated that he took the boy in Crosshall-
street, about five o'clock on the previous evening. Wit-
ness conceived he was lurking about with a felonious de-
sign ; and when he was apprehended, a large nail, such as
are used by tyros in the profession for removing small
panes of glass from the shop windows, was found on him.
—He was committed to prison for three months.
MANCHESTER PARKS.—The actual amount of pur-
chase money paid for each park, and the probable total
cost for each park, laid out and ready for the public; the
latter in round numbers, are as follows :
Purchase Money. Total Cost.
£7262 8 2.....E11,000
7743 3 8.... 12,000
8169 16 1.... 13,000

Queen's Park
Philip's Park.
Peel Park ...

Total .... £23.175 711 £36,000
EVILS ov loNoaANcE.—On Thursday, two young lads,
named William Bell and Matthew Bell, were brought up
on a charge of stealing two pairs of slippers from James
M'Cann. The principal witnesses were two boys, from
ten to twelve years old, who, on being questioned, said
they had never been at school, and did nut comprehend
the nature of an oath, or the conseqoences of telling a
lalsehood. Mr. Rushton said there c ,uld be little doubt
of the facts of the case, but it was shocking to thitik that
children such as those in the witness box had never been
et school, and were prevented from giving evidence in
consequence of their ignorance. He directed the pri-
soners to be discharged.
RIVER NIGER.—A paragraph in a London paper, co-
pied by some of our contemporaries in Liverpool, repre-
sents that the experimental trial from this port by Mr.
Jamieson and others to open commercial i,tercnurse with
central Africa " has failed a second time." This is not
correct; there has not been a failure. The Ethiope
steamer ascended and traded on the Niger last year as
high as Rabbah, five hundred miles from the coast, that
being the purpose of her mission to Africa, and she
would have done the same this year but for her boilers
giving way—an accident to which all steamers are liable,
and which may, of course, be remedied in England, but
not in the Bight of Biafra.
SMUGGLING.—On Thursday, John Ansley was charged
with having 2671b5. of smuggled tobacco in his rssession
The prisoner engaged a carter, named George Coventry,
to convey a cask from Clare-court, Creston-street, Tox-
teth-park, to the Manchester carriers, 130 e-street. Dur-
ing the transit, the cart was stepped by the police, and
the cask was found to contain tobacco, and about 1' lbs.
more was found concealed on the premises of the pris-
oner. He was remanded urt'l To, sday.—On Friday,
David Coulter, steward of the ship Sophia, St. John's,
was charged with having concealed Bhs. of cavendish
tobacco, in the pantry of the ship. The prisoner was
fined £lOO. _ .

DETERMINED SUICIDE.—On Thursday, an investiga-
tion took place at the Aigburth Hotel, before John Heyes,
Esq., Coroner, touching the death of Thomas Matthews,
a farm servant, who had hung himself. The deceased had
been in the employ of Mr. John Wcrrall, farmer, Ail,-
burth, as carter, but in consequence of his dissipated habits,
he was discharged on Friday week. Since that tim4 he
bad been frequently seen about the hon,e and outhouses
of his late employer, altioutah he had heen_roore than
once forbidden to come near the place. On Sunday morn-
ing week, about church time, when a boy belonging to
the farm went into the hay-loft be found the deceased

hanging.
DARING AND IMPUDENT ROBBERY.—On Saturday
evening last, about six o'clock, whilst the men in the em-
ploy of Messrs. Kennedy and Renner, 15, Goree Piazzas,
the window of which looks into the Back Goree, were
being paid their wages, some villain suddenly dashed either
his hand or an instrument adapted for the purpose (hut
which, could not, from the rapidity of the act, be discerned),
through one of the squares of glass, and snatched away from
the desk placed against the window, a hag, containing about
£l5 in silver, and although some of the men from the
offize immediately ran round to the Back Goree, the fel-
low had decamped with his booty, and we regret to add
that no traces whatever could, or have, as yet, been found
of the delinquent.
WATER FOR MANCHESTER.—There are no fewer than
four schemes contending for the honour and profit of sup-
plying the borough of Manchester with an abundant supply
of pure and wholesome water. They are the f, Bowleg :
First, The Manchester and Salford Water Works Com-
pany, who propose to derive the water from Lyme Park
and the neighbourhood. Secondly, The Corporation of
Manchester, who propose to bring the water from the
Etherow district. Thirdly, The Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire Railway Company, who propose to ob-
tain the supply chiefly from the Peak Forest and the
Macclesfield Canals ; and, fourthly, the Lancashire
Water Works Company, who propose to derive the supply
from the Turton and Entwisle reservoirs, and the neigh-
bourhood.
DEATH FROM A NARCOTIC.—On Tuesday, an inquest
was held before the borough coroner, on view of the body
of Michael Monaghan, a child nine weeks old, who lived
with his parents in Henry Edward-street. It appeared,
that when he was about three weeks old he was seized
wile a fit of screeching, and that his mother got a penny-
worth of Godfrey's Cordial, and gave him a teaspoonful
of it. Ever since that time she had been in the habit of
giving him a pennyworth every week, but never gave him
more than about a teaspoonful at a time. Last week she''
gave the deceased a teaspoonful, and from that time until
five o'clock the next evening the child never awoke out of
sleep. When he did awake at last, he appeared quite
drowsy, and on Sunday evening he died. Mr. Patrick
Kelly, surgeon, was of opinion that he died from the
effects of some narcotic. A teaspoonful of Godfrey's
Cordial would contain a drop and a half of laudanum
lie considered that a most injudicious quantity to have
been given. The jury returned a verdict of " Chance-
medley," thus reducing the t ffekee below manslaughter.
DISTURBING A CONCERT.—On Tuesday, Mr. Vin-
ning, father of the " Infant Sept tin," appeared before
Mr. Rushton, to prefer a compkint against Edward Wor-
rall, who was in custody, for creating a disturbance on
Monday evening, behind the scenes of the Liver Thea-
tre. Mr. Vinning stated that, stub was the increasing
popularity of his daughter, he had hired the Liver Thea-
tre, for a week. at a cost of £2O, and £2 for gas, when.
in conjunction with the Tyler family, a series of concerts
were to be given • but on Monday evening, he said, a
conspiracy " had evidently been formed to destroy the
respectability of the entertainment. The prisoner had
come, it t ixicated, behind the scenes, having drink with
him, and created great disturbance. Alr. Vinning told
him if he would apologise and go away he would excuse
him, but his answer was that he would see him d—d
first. Five or six gentlemen from the pit leered on to the
stage, to put an end to the annoyance, and he was given
into custody. The prisoner, in his defence, said be was a
stranger in town, having only arrived the day previous.
He was sent from the Theatre Royal to the Brunswick
Hotel for some drink, and had quite mistaken the thea-
tre. Mr. Rushton :—" You will not get out till you find
bail, or be imprisoned for a month."
HIGHWAY BOARD, THURSDAY.—Mr. Duncan re-
Ported that the tower at the new works in Green-lane
Was now up to within 23 feet of the entire height; that
the roofing of the boiler•house was still incomplete, but
that it would be out of the hands of the blacksmith in the
course of the week ; tbat the engine-fitters were engaged
11l Putting down the pump-work in the well, arid that the
steam and other pipes connected with the engine and
boiler were nearly all fitted up. Mr. Duncan also re-
Ported that the cooling ponds were in active pre press,
Seventy men being employed upon them, and that 1“o bad
arranged with Messrs. Jones and I t ousely te perlo m the
Work in four weeks. With regard to the pipe 01, it
pas reported that the sluieitig cocks for st• At'd'ew"
Street had been received, arid in the em.rse ot being
laid down. The Board coniefeitied of the delay In the
tiorks, and the Town-clerk was, do tiled to write to Mr.
4Ohnson to say the Board .er, dissatisfied with the
progress, and that the penalty of £59 a-week would be
,enforced. Mr. Walthew said, that as this was the close
ar_ their official year, he begged to propose that a return
or the attendance of the commissioners during the past
!ir, at the weekly sittings of the Board and at the Com-
b,ntees, be submitted at the next meeting. The to-'inn
allying been seconded, several members expiesseti them-
-IPlves as opposed to the issuing of the return, as the du-
;l_e::ut of doors were itovery many cases of more impor-
tance than that of attending the weekly meetings; and as
tae return would not show what was done out of doors,
ho•nst
estimate could•befortned of the attention paid by
cOe
gentleman to his pilaw duties. No division was
to on the suhjeot, ihut it was understood the return
'would be furnished.

FIRE.—On Sunday morning, about ten o'clock, a fire
broke out in the toy-shop of Mr. Ahlborn, situated at the
corner of Richmond-street and Whitechapel. Messrs.
Dowling, Maxwell, awl Hewitt were immediately on the
spot, and the fire burned rapidly for a long time. Four
rooms on the second and third stories, together with all
their contents, consisting of a vast variety of children's
toys and small wares, were destroyed. The damage is esti.
mated at about £4OO.

THE AURORA BOREALIS.—Tire appearance of those
beautiful phenomena, the northern lights, was most bril-
liant and interesting to the spectator, from the Mersey. at
Liverpool, on Tuesday evening. A little before 6 o'clock.
the appearance was that of immense clear rays of a soft
clear light flashing with various degrees of intensity from
the northern portion of the horizon, and losing hen selves
high up in the clear-studded sky. In a snort time the
rays assumed the shape of an extended arch across the
lower part of the sky ; at first the arch was a Si.
but afterwards it became more quickly curved

CCM yr,

It is said

that the aurora is a sign of fine dry cold weather.
HIGHWAY ROBBi•;RY.—On Tuesday night, shout half-
past ten, a gentleman was proceeding homeward along the
Old Chester-road. When near the 'rranmere Castle
Hotel he perceived two men in company with a female.
and the latter shortly afterwards accosted him, and asked
him to accompany her, to which he replied by ordering
her off She, however, renewed her solicitations, and
threw her arms round him; at the same time, with the
quickness of a professio:tal adept, she succeeded in ab-
stracting his purse, containing upwards of £2O, with
which she immediately made off, and joined her male
companions, who had kept at a short distance behind.
The police nave obiained a clue which may lead to the
detection of the robbers.
DEATH FROM DROWNING.—An inquest was held be-
fore Mr. Curry, the borough coroner, on Thursday, on
the body of a man, name unknown, which was found in
the Waterloo Dock on the preceding Tuesday. Police-
constable Marrow deposed to hearing a cry of alarm as
he was on duty at the dock, on Monday night; he ran
round to the side whence the scream proceeded, but could
discover nothing to confirm him in the impression that a
person was drowning. In consequence of his information,
however, a boatman, of the name of Stockton, belonging
to the flat Edward, then lying in the Waterloo Dock,
made a search of ihe dock on the following morning,
which led to the discovery of the body. Deceased was
dressed in a barragao suit, and bad the appearance of a
labourer. Verdict, found drowned.

ATTEMPTED HIGLWAY ROBBERY.—On Saturday three
-ante-teuirie-o &Huy., vircli
their names John Williams, Richard Smith, and William
Jones, were brought before Mr. Rushton on a charge of
having attempted to rob persons in Vauxhall-road. It
appeared that between the hours of one and two o'clock
in the morning of that day, a man named John Edward
Brown was returning home along Vauxhall-road, when
the prisoners, and two others who bad escaped, suddenly
spran.; upon him, knocked him down, and turned his
pockets inside out. Fortunately he had no money about
him, or, doubtless, he would have been robbed of every
farthing. He was quite sober at the time, and they were
utter s'rangers to him. A sailor and his wife attended in
court for the purpose of deposing, that about the same
time, they were attacked by five fellows in Vauxhall-road.
They tore open the woman's cloak, and endeavoured to
rifle the sailor's pockets. They were each committed to
gaol for a period of three months.
ATROCIOUS OUTRAGE AND ATTEMPT AT ROBBERY.
—A most barefaced and daring attempt at robbery and
murder took place on Tuesday evening, at Broughton,
near Preston, at the house of W. Miller, E,c; , surveyor.
At about six o'clock on Tuesdey evening a knock was
heard at the front door, and immediately, on Miss Miller
opening the doer, six armed men with pistols rushed into
the house, and, presenting a pistol at Mr. Miller, de-
manded his money. Miss Miller, in terror, was endea-
vouring to make her escape, when she was shot at by one
of the men and wounded, slightly only we are glad to say,
on the head. Mr. Miller told the men he had not got
any money, when they replied they knew he had, when he
called to his servant, whom the intruders had shut up in
an adjoining room, to " ring the bell." It appears that
this bell is an alarm bell placed at the house, and that a
rope in the room where the servant was placed communi-
cates with it. At Mr. Miller's call, the servant rang the
bell, on which the men, after looking at each other with
astonishment for a few moments, suddenly d-camped,
before any of the neighbours arrived. In a few minutes,
however, a considerable number of persons, ati rained by
the bell, were on the spot, and an alarm wa- given to the
police. Five men were next day taken into custody,
charted with being concerned in the outrage; and we un-
derstand that three of them have been identified by Mr.
and Miss Miller. They are remanded for the present.
THE LATE DR. TATTERS HALL.—Dr. Booth's sermon
contains a happy reference to the scientific attainments of
the venerated deceased. " He was," says the learned
preacher, " a man, the bright benevolence of whose cha-
racter was only equalled by his learning and his talents,
as were these latter by the Christian graces with which he
was adorned. To dilate before you, his friends, bis con-
gregation, on the kindness of his disposition, his sympa-
thies with the affiscted, his almsgiving to the needy, and
his universal charity towards all men, would be in me su-
fluous. As a scholar, his learning was accurate and ex-
tensive ; as a mathematician, his attainments were of a
high order; and as a divine, his knowledge of theology
was profound. lie. is one more added to the list of illus.
frious men wbo have adorned, by their learning and their
lives, that Church of which he was so bight an ornament.
And he, too, afrads another striking example (were any
such needed) in refutation of a most erroneous opinion—
that the study of the exact sciences, or the pursuit of
physical investigation, indisposes the mind to the recep-
tion of religious truth; an allegation sometimes advanced
by those who are often remarkable more for their zeal
than their discretion; and which is not more opposed to
sound reason than it is to acknowledged facts. It is op-
posed to sound reason, because such an assertion involves
the tacit assumption that there may be found some dis-
crepancy between the works of God as manifested in tin
creation, and his will as announced to us in revelation—a
supposition utterly inadmissible, unless we ate prepared
to deny that most indubitable attribute of the Godhead,
His unity, His oneness, His unchaneableness of purpose.
Such objectors unwittingly betray the very cause which
they proles to defend."

IRISH PAUFERS —DEATH IN THE BRIDEWELL.—An
inquest has been held on Friday, before our borough co-
roner, upon the body of an Irish pauper, named Patrick
Nl`Coy, aged 50, who, with four children, was taken to
the main Bridewell, at about five o'clock on Thursday af-
ternoon, for being found begging in the streets. He was
put into one of the cells, and the children were sent to
lodgings for the night. In the course of the evening, two
boys and a drunken man were placed in the cell with
M'Coy, the drunken man, in consequence of his violence
being chained to a ring in the wall. The Brideweil ,urn-
key entered the cell at various times, anti at two o'cit ck
on Friday morning, the drunken prisoner, having beci.me
quiet and orderly, bad the handcuffs removed, and he
went and laid himself down on the bench A, three
o'clock, an alarm was given by one of the lads, 'hat !here
was a dead man lying upon the floor of the c. h ; and the
turnkey, upon entering, found that it wa- M C,y, who
had either been pushed, or had fallen off the beurr, noon
which he had been lying during the earl) part of the night.
He was quite dead. A surgeon was sent for. wi o, atter
the expiration of some time, made a post-mortem exami-
nation, in consequence of one of the lads having stated that
he saw the drunken man, after he was liberated, knock
M'Coy off the bench, and kick him in the chest after he
was down. There appeare, to be no truth in this state
ment, as there were no external marks of violence what-
ever; and the surgeon was of opinion that death was the
natural result of pulmonary disease. This poor man, who,
with his wife and children, was before Mr. Rushton On
Friday week for begging, and was only liberated upon
consenting to be passed back to Dublin (though he said
he might as well die of starvation here as in Ireland), ap.
pears to have contrived to evade the parish authorities un-
til Friday, when he was again apprehended. In all pro.
bability, his death had been hastened by the privat ons he
has undergone ; but it is clear the poor fellow did not ac
tually die of starvation, as he had five shillings in his
pocket, the proceeds of his day's or week's begging. Tire
great and steady influx of Irish paupers from Dublin, is
indeed becoming a matter of grave consideratio.i among
the authorities here ; as it is utterly impossible for the pa-
rish to be burthened with them and it is a serious expense
to have to pass so many families back to Ireland every
week, which must either be done, or they must be sup-
ported in our borough gaol. They arrive here daily, lite-
rally by fifties and hundreds, clothed in rags, and without
a penny piece in the possession of any one of them. They
then pester the parish-office for relief, and finding that of
no avail, go about begging, until brought to the police-of-
fice. An inquiry is, we understand, about to beinsrituted
.6 1. b.. wen,- Iriatt pacrpre-inansgC try grit- t.hcil- v...
sage across the channel, it beina shrewdly suspected that
the parish or some other authorities in Dublin are actually
paying their passage money in order to get rid of them,
utterly careless as to the result.

- •
WRECKED Goons.—The recent devastations on the
coast have filled many of our drapers' shops with wrecked
Manchester goods. Mr. Briscoe, of Oldhall-street, who
has been an extensive.purchaser, is selling them at prices
almost incredible.

THE GREATEST LADY. All who have seen Tom
Thumb, (and who has not ?) would do well to proceed to
the Assembly-rooms, Bold-street, and enjoy the force of
contrast,—for there Mrs. Armitage, in one sense, the
greatest lady that the country can boast, hrlds a daily
levee. She is of the extraordinary weight of 32 stone, and
is 4 feet 8 inches in height. Der countenance is hand-
some and expressive; her feet and hands of the ordinary
size, but her obesity extreme. As we heard a Rag re-
mark, she needs no " hustle." She is wonderfully viva-
cious and communicative ; although her step is far from
sylph-like, her bulk considered, she is withal graceful in
her carriage. The greatest difficulty is felt in travelling.
A camel could as easily go through the eye of a needle, as
Yrs. Armitage enter the door of a cab or railway cart iage.
She is obliged to be content with the accommodation a
horse-box affords. A visit will be found to gratify.
EARLY'S BALTIMORE HAMS —We last week briefly
noticed the importation of a quantity of. Baltimore hams,
and conceiving them to be, in the present high state of the
markets, a boon to the working population, we have
taken an opportunity of testing them, and must at once
pronounce them not only equal to, but surpassing in rich-
ness, delicacy, and flavour, the finest produce of this or
our Sister Isle ; and we have the authority of a leading
medical professor, to say, that "these barns bre quite
as nutritious as our own curing, 'Nile they are
lighter and more easy of digestion." Unlike previous
importations of preserved provisions, there is in them an
almost total absence of salt; and though highly dried,
when cut, they present that ruddy freshness that invaria-
bly indicates the superiority of quality. Those who have
not yet tried them, should do so at once, as they will fully
bear out all that can be said in their praise. An adver-
tisement in our paper of to day. contains a list of the
leading grocers by whom they are sold; and, as the price
is extremely low, (Amu. 5d per 1b..) there tan be little
doubt that the market wilt boon be cleared of them..

HIGHWAY ROBBERY.—Last week, as the servant man
of Mr. Wm. Forshaw, of Tarleton•hall, Scarisbrick, was
returning ►rom Liverpool market, where he had ben with
a cart load of potatoes. he was met, about a mile from
Aintree race course, on the Ormskirk road, by two fel.
lows, who, after demanding his money, seized hold of
him, and succeeded in taking from him six sovereigns,
with which they made off towards Liverpool. After a
few minutes' deliberation, he determined to follow them,
and tying his horse to the nearest gate, pursued and
nearly came up with them at the canal bridge, about half
a mile from the place where he was robbed, but he still
kept at a distance, unperceived by the robbers. When
they arrived at Walton, to the young man's great satis-
faction, he met with two policemen in the street. He
exclaimed, " these two rwri have robbed me of six sove-
reigns," when they were immediately taken into custody,
and both confessed their crime, and gave up the money,
which they had divided. On the following day they were
fully committed for trial. It is said that a subscription
will be got up in the neighbourhood, to reward the young
man for his perseverance and success iu capturing the
robbers.

WEST DERBY BOARD OF GUARDIANS —At the
weekly meeting, on Tuesday, it was reported by the me-
dical officer of the• fever-house, that, of the twenty pati-
ents left in the house the week before, eight had been dis-
charged cured, two had died, and that five new cases had
been admitte.l, leaving fifteen in the house. A letter
from the'Poor Law Commissioners apprised the Board
that the Commissioners are now prepared to carry into
practice the enactment of the last session of parliament,
for the augmentation, out of the national treasury, of the
salaries of union medical officers, schoolmasters, and
schoolmistresses, and fur the entire payment therefrom
of the salaries of district auditors. Another letter sanc-
tioned the proposed division of the township of West
Derby into two districts, for the purpose of affording me-
dical relief. It recommended the continuance of Mr.
Greatrix, for the municipal division, and the appointmPrit
of another officer for the rural division. The commis.
sioners also assented to a proposed addition of £2O to the
last quarter's salary of Mr. Greatrex, in consideration of
his extra labours and expenses through that period. The
Board then proceeded to the election of four medical offi•
cers, at the salary of £BO a year each, for the four dis-
tricts into which the township of Toxieth-park has re-
cently been divided. After some discussion and divisions,
the choice fell upon the following gentlemen :—For the
first district—Mr. H. G. Harbord, by the casting vote of
the chairman ( Mr. Sheppard); second district—Mr. Gil-
- 'Hutu-, apintit-C-ctry cv-tae-Ltverpuol -Tro/HTM-IMF; third
district—Mr. Ewing Whittle, of the Northern Hospital;
fourth district—Mr. G. S. Deane, of the Northern
Hospital.

DOCK COMMITTEE, THURSDAY.—A report of the
working of fixed berths was submitted, but as it was con-
sidered in some respects not complete, it was referred
back to the Harbour-master's sub-committee, to be made
up for six months only. A specimen of lanterns proposed
to be used in slims for the general docks was submitted
and approved of. The Chairman said he wished it to be
again under-tood that he had no responsibility in granting
the use of these lights. Mr. Tobin : I wish it to be un-
dersi ood I disapprove of them altogether. The Chairman :
I will be much surprised if you do not find ships turned
into workshops.—A bye-law was proposed for the regula-
tion of master-porters in discharging ships, to the effect,
that no master. porter acting in pursuance of the Dock
Act, should undertake the receiving, weighing, and un-
loading of any vessel using the docks, &c., unless nomi-
nated by the owner or consignee entitled to the largest
proportion. That in case no such application be made
within 48 hours from the reporting of any vessel, it shall
be lawful for the application to be made by the owners or
consignees of such vessel. After a short discussion, it
was proposed by Mr. Bold, seconded by Mr. Rankin, that
the time should be limited to 24 hours. Upon a division,
the original proposition was carried : Messrs. Bold, Ken-
dal, Locket, Saunders, and Rankin being the pat ties who
voted against it.—A letter from the master tradesmen in
the block and pump making business, complaining that
Mr. Drury, clerk in the Dock Office, was a partner with
Mr. Catterall—that when booking vessels for the Graving
Docks be was in the habit of presenting his card of busi-
ness to the captains of vessels, and that the memorialists
suffered materially in business therefrom —The Chairman
sail it was a very serious charge, and must be inquired
into by the sub-committee, to whom the letter was refer-
red.—A letter from the Rev. E. Hull, complaining that
Thomas Howard, a workman at the north docks, had
taken hold of his arm and pushed him out of the new dock
works, was referred to the Committee of Works. Mr.
Hartley said the man had only done his duty. A strong,
rough fellow was placed at the gate in question, in order
to keep patties out. It was a private entrance, and no
person had a right to go through it. If Mr. Hull had
gone to the right gate, he would have been received with
courtesy, but if he or any other person had gained admis_
sion through that gate, the man would have been dis-
charged. _ . _

SELECT VESTRY.—At the meeting, on Tuesday, the
chairman (Rector Campbell) expressed his belief that it
would be unnecessary to read the letters which had passed
between the board and the Poor-law commissioners, rela-
tive to the new parish-offices. It would be sufficient to
say, that they (the commissioners) had communicated
with the Building Committee, that the thing was now in
a fair train, and that the new offices would be immediately
commenced. The resolution passed by the magistrates at
their meeting held on Monday week, and inserted in our
last, having be, n read, Mr. Thornely, in moving that it
be record, don the minutes, made a long address. He
said that many unpleasant things had arisen dur-
ing the contro%e, -v , he was persuaded it would end in
good—that each party would see their proper position,
and thet such an event was not likely to occur again.
Theregras a great deal, as Mr. Rushton had said, of paro-
chial business to be administered in Liverpool. It was in
every way desirable, therefore, that the board should have
the co-operation of the magistrates in the transaction of
that business; and now that they had come to a fair un-
derstanding with regard to their relative positions, he
hoped, from this time forward, that they would have a
good understanding, and have the co-operation of the ma-
gistrates in all parochial business, whether it came from
the W, rkhouse or from the Select Vestry. Mr. Fergu-
son seconded the motion, and begged to say one word on
the suij ct. The statement he made, and which he
thought it his duty to make, at the last meeting, as to the
cilcurnstances which had induced the Workhouse Com-
mittee to adopt the resolution relative to the police cases,
he made with very great care. He avoided everything of
a se% ere nature. He might have said a deal more than he
did, but he avoided giving offence to any one. Subse-
quently, however, owing to some remark made by a gen-
tleman at the board, he was induced, on the spur of the
moment, to say something which might have been as well
avoided ; for though he should speak the truth, it was not
always prudent to speak it. He had never said anything
derogatory to the magistrates of the borough ; and now,
he trusted, things would go on more peaceably, and more
in accordance with the duties of the board than had
hitherto been the case. He seconded the motion. The
motion was unanimously agreed to. Mr. Hand deried
the truth of a paragraph which appeared in the _Mercury,
and which charged him with having taken Mr. Horn, re-
gi•trar of births, to vote in Ahercromby Ward, and the
Mercury has since made an abject apology for the shame-
tul charge, more shameful because the charge was reiter-
ated after a previous similar insinuation had been denied.

CORRESPONDENCE.

ON THE SANITARY CONDITION OF SOME

PARTS OF LIVERPOOL.

To THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,