The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-29 00:00:00

THE WEAVER CHURCH BILL.

(From the Choler Courant.)
One of the errors into Aich.Mr. E. J. Stanley, and
other opponents of this bill, have fallen, is this :—they
argue as if the county-rate was to be taxed for the
building a churches for the use of persons in whom
the county has no interest; whereas the fact is, that
this navigation, employing a large body of men, brings
a very considerable revenue to the county, and it is
proposed to set apart a moderate sum out of that reve-
nue for the instruction of men who, by the " sweat of
their brow," assist in obtaining it. This makes all the
difference, and this, in the course of the debate, Mr.
Gaily Knight pointed out in a clear and forcible man-
. ner ; that hon. member very justly remarking, that.
every ratepayer who shared in the advantage of being
eased from county-rates by the profits derived from
the navigation, was bound to provide for the moral
and religious instruction of the people. The hon.
member concluded his sensible address by significantly
observing, that " the opponents of the bill had more
the fear of the ratepayers before their eyes, than the
fear of God."

As to Mr. Jervis's oft-refuted argument that there
was already ample church accommodation, it is not
worthy of a serious reply: We do not doubt there are
plenty of dissenting chapels to he found on the line ;
hut we deny that there- is accommodation in the
churches for fiatmen, and that the resident clergy can
devote the necessary time to their instruction. The
fact is, the hon. member, like many other opponents
of the bill, has derived all his information upon the
matter from the enemies of the Church of England,
who oppose the meakire upon dissenting principles.
As to the insinuation thrown out about the rejection
of Sir Philip Egerton and Mr. Tollemache,.at a future
election, on account of acting honestly and uprightly
towards the flatmen of the Weaver, we have no fears
on that point. The freeholders of the county of Ches-
ter are not the mercenary body some imagine them to
be : they can and will distinguish between empty de-
claimers and true patriots.
A reference has been made to the presentation of
two petitions from Macclesfield, one signed by three
thousand persons against the bill, and the other in fa-
vour of it by four hundred ; but nothing was said of
the fact, that the amount of assessment was placed op-
posite the signatures of the latter, and omitted, for very
obvious reasons, in the former. The definition of cha-
racters, creeds, &c., of these three thousand petitioners,
would, forsooth, furnish a notable and very curious
document. It will be recollected, too, that the larger
for signature at Weston Point, and was
petition lay
signed by tiatinen, &c, trading from Northwich, and
other places, to Liverpool; Weston Point being at the
entrance of the Mersey—the precise point where the
rivers Weaver and Mersey join. To this petition also,
it will be borne in mind, the signatures of a:great num-
ber of children were appended.
There is one point to which we would request par-
ticular attention;--it is asSerted that Sir Philip Egerton
intimated, that.the Clergy did not consider the Flatmen
their parishioners, and, therefore neglected them. This
absurd declaration it is hardly necessary to refute. Sir
Philip thinks, and thinks rightly, that the clergy on the
line, being occupied by other pressing duties,
conse-
quent on the increase of population, cannot pay that
attention to this class, which is necessary, and which,
did circumstances admit, they would feel it. their duty
to do.

We deprecate strongly the virulence with which some
of the opponents of the Weaver Church Bill attack the
measure and its supporters; but violence of language
and strength of argument are two widely different
things. We regret that so much malicious sort of
feeling should exist in some quarters, although we do
not accuse all who Oppose the bill as liable to such a
charge. _ _

In one place it is suggested that room should he ob-
tained in a church. for the Batmen,' by turning out the
National School children, thus cutting off the rising
generation from public worship, so important to be at-
tended by persons at all periods of life ; but especially
as relates to the young, in these days when socialism
and chartism, and a variety of other isms are so rife.
We would just remark that in the report of the de-
bate upon -this bill, given in the Chester Chronicle, four
cyphers, instead of three, are placed after the figure 7,
which might perhaps lead some to the supposition that
£70,000 instead of e7OOO was proposed for the build-
ing of the proposed churches. We do not, however,
wish to insinuate that this is an intentional mistake,—
our friend's arithmetical powers, as evidenced in his
recent profound disquisitions on the financial state of
the country, forbid LIS to entertain such an extravagant
idea for one moment !

As to the committee selected for the consideration of
the evidence to be adduced for and against the bill, we
are as ignorant of its composition as the Chronicle;
but if consisting of private men we have no apprehen-
sions as to the result.

Notwithstanding all the abuse that has been heaped
upon this measure, we
.are convinced that, if carried
into effect, it will be found gratifying as well as ho-
nourable to its, promoters, and beneficial, through the
Divine blessing, to that class of men whose welfare is
consulted by. its introduction into the House of Com-
mons.