The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-11-15 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Tire insertion. of the well-written appeal of " Aufidius" to the
Conservatives of Liverpool, would. only tend to prejudice the
cause a hich it is designed -to suliserve. The three great
classes of the constituency—the pwrchants—the tradesmen—
and the operatives—have given a definitive expression of
their feelins in favour of the. Hon.; C. J. Canning; and the
certainty of success—lainounting to demonstration—renders
it quite unnecessary to adopt the alternative which our cur-
espondent so ably suggests..
" J. W." is informed that the subject of his communication is
1101 adapted fur discussion in toe columns of a newspaper.
We never meddle with affairs of a private and_ personal
character.
The verses by " A Constant Reader" do not suit us.
The "Punch.and Jedy" affair to which an " Anti-destructive"
alludes, is many degrees below contempt.
" Pedestres" complains—we think very justly--of the abomi-
nable state of the streets in various parts of the town.
The letter of " R. G. I." has been ,received, but we beg to
assure him that the insignificant creatures against whom he
complains are utterly unworthy of his notice. Pertinacity in
• • maintaining a falsehood is not sufficient to induce the public
to give them any degree of credit.
We shall feel obliged for any information from our correspon-
dents respecting the meteoric appearances which were ex-
pected_ to.be.visible on Saturday night.

Abe Liberpool g.,tanbarb.

TUESDAY-MORNING, NOVEMBER 15, 1836.

The demand made. upon our columns by subjects of
deep local, as well as national, interest to the cause of
.conservatisM, is the only reason we have to offer for de-
laying so long the discussion of the question of church
rates, for the extinction of which a mongrel meeting of
dissenters, and nominal churchmen, was lately held in
the city, of London. This is a subject of the first im-
portance to our national church, and, through our national
eturch, to all our political and civil institutions. It is
the first outpost that. its enemies are assailing with a view
to draw nearer their lines, and thereby, ultithately, to
effeCt its Complete destruction. We, therefore, hope to
be indulged with a little patience, whilst we: combat the
piausibre, but unsubstantial, arguments of these enemies
of our establishment.

The leader who harangued the metropolitan. assembly
was .Mr. Charles -Lushington, M.P. He :opened his
sp:ee:.:ll with a very well turned eulogy upon his own libe-
ntfity, which with arch subtlety he also turned into an ar-
gument to prove the justice of the claims they were met
to urge. You have called upon me, a churchman, says
lie, to preside over a meeting of dissenters asking for
concession from That church to which I belong. Is- this
Dot a ilvtiof of !‘ Ole moderation and reasonableness of
your views."

It Is always a,painful 'task. to us to make personal al-
lusions, but: in .the discharge of our sterner duties, and
especially when such. momentous issues &Pend upOn it,
our feelings must bow to justice. A member of the es-
tablished 'church appearing to' advocate a measure de-
struetive.of its acknowledged legitimate rights, is so
great a practical solecisth,such a suicidal picture, that
.we cannot look at it with any feelings of complacency—
a member of the establishment placed at the head of a
phalanx of the direst enemies to the establishment creates
such a confusion" of ideas, that we are hurried_on to al-
roost uncharitable surmises. So far from such an incon-
gruity affording evidence of integrity of purpose on the
part of dissenters; it only serves to exhibit in him that
submits to. it, to-what a depth or degradation man may
fall.

If such language flattered the erect ears of dissenters,
or has made any 'impression upon the weak minds of any
drivellers in:the land, upon us it falls pointless. What!
are we surprised to find Mr. C. Lushington advocating
measures engendered in the agitated mind of dissent?
Should we have been surprised if the next day he had
stood forward the champion of Romanism, and on the
third day spoke, in hi 9 unfired eloquence of liberalism,
in. behalf of the creed of Mahomet ? But though we
value little, and fear less; the authority of-Mr. Lushing-:
ton, and the "ragged regiment" of recreant churchmen
who fought 'under his banners at this metropolitan meet-
tng, we thitik it our bounden duty, which in.these days of
limovatimitwould be criminal to neglect, to expose the
sophistry, and lay bare thetreachery, of the impugners of
our nationaLestablishMent. The principle laid dowt) by
Mr. LU:sliiht(in, and whiCh was made the foundation-
stone upon which .was erected the unterrific batteries of
this 'politico:ecclesiastical legion:WaS; (and Who ever saw
such a piece of dialectic wisdom, fromthe time of Aristo-
tle to that of Saunderson, Duncan, or Watts,) that be-
cause ".we of. the Church of England should, undoubt-
edly, refuse to contribute to any Compulsory payment for
the establishment of dissenters' chapels, or, to provide
clean linen for its service, it is therefore perfectly unjust
that dissenters should be required to contribute, by corn•
pulsory means, to the repair of our churches, or to the
expense of their contingent ministrations." It is possi-
ble that this argument may be weighty upon the mental
shoulders of Mr. Lusliington, and of other men of equally
Weak minds—it is possible that the " therefore" of this
gentleman may carry upon its front the impress of a just
conclusion—and it is only because we know that there
are thousands in our land who have not been disciplined
to correct thinking, and ten thousands who are ready to
embrace error when it fosters their own views, that we
shall expose the folly of this reasoning, and the fatal is-
saes to which it tends. Our readers will then perceive

that:if such a principle were universally recognised, it
Would occasion the complete dismemberment of civil go-
vernment, and carry society back, by one retrogressive
step, to its primitive state.
If it be true and just, that they who forego the hene-
fil,s of an institution ought, "therefore," to be relieved
from supporting it, why then the Society of Friends, of
whorl) we shall always speak with the highest respect,
nught not to he required to pay anything towards the
I,aintenance of the army and navy, because they consci-
entiously disallow war. But, would it be just to give
them the protection, in person and estate, which an army
and navy afford, and not demand from them any contri-
hntionto support Owe brilwai 1:s of our national inde-
- Pendence ? Ought it to suffice us, because they con-
etude that Providence will ever protect the righteous by
the secret exercise of means independent of men, that