The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-11-18 00:00:00

Nov. 18, 1836,

„norastly deemeei an enormous sinecure; but the attempt . 80001. So fard uly ' fromhthat
ci they
when hiet etoo Puldeonborting,e_t Clergymen to
to destroyonly her, that popery might be established on her Pc:t.iftolreumlatnhaotr
ruins, has displayed her true character, invested her with Church' (IYEountland atten,led, he had hiliwdj
thecharacter of a Christian martyr, and covered her perse- ghteard the children the Catechism of the Church of England, and,
where he understood it, endeavoured to explain it in the sense of
tutors with confusion. Then popery offered itself as a lamb, the Clergy,—and in the reading of the Bible also.”
and we were assured that all its recorded atrocities were the As Unitarians disclaim uniformity of belief, it is a difficult
crimes of former ages; but as it felt its strength, it began matter to say what their creedis.lt itsh,ehdo:netvrienre, generally rthe yn
tospeak as a dragon, proving, by perjury in parliament, de rstoodthat th
unanimouseN, agreein rejecting
denying the divinity of our Sa-
.
atone-
and by persectition and blood in Ireland, that its character ment '
and are
is unchanged and unchangeable. Then there was a con-
fusion of pailfres; while large classes of the friends of the
constitution had objects which the destructives were vril-
-I.ing to take in their way ; now the question is brought
to one siMple alternative—tire Protestant Church or
13..°PerY, the English constitution or a republic ?—a ques-
!Lon which allOws no reom for neutrality, compromise, or
Indecision.. By one triumph we shall save the country;
she must perish if we fall! But, happy as these presages
are of a return to sound doctrines, we should be hap-
pier still if we .could accelerate its progress by directing
the attention and engaging the energies of our country-
men in questions that involve their best interests—the
economy of trade, the condition of our manufactories, the
prosperity of agriculture, and, united with, and influen•
tial over all, the monetary state of England. It is the
Subtle, selfish policy of a few turbulent spirits in the land,
in whom there is what Darwin calls a great deal of
"accumulated mobility," to keep up this agitation in the
public mind whatever sacrifice be made. They have no
ships rotting without employment—no half blank bills of
biding—no enginesworking "limited hours"—no freights
to countries where profit is absorbed in fiscal exactions.
No, like other impurities, they can only be kept from
sinking by agitation. Awake, then, ye merchants of
Liverpool! try what can be done for yourselves—what
for your country during the next session, of parliament.
Set an example to the land; and, as ye are the first in
commercial enterprise, be the first to demand protection
to commerce. It is an honourable and praiseworthy
emulation that prompts the mind to that only real pa-
triotism--public happiness. So long as we have this
channel of urging an appeal, you shall never have the
4Pology-to make for neglecting your duty, that you have
not beenttMinded of it.

vieur.
Mr. Rathbone having professed himself to be a Unitarian,
there is reason to believe that these opinions, with respect to
which there is no material disagreement among the members
of that sect, are co-incident with his own. If such be the case,
how can he, as an honest man and a ehristian,—for such we are
persuaded he would be accounted,—reconcile to his conscience
the treachery of the Church Catechism, containing, as that ex-
cellent formulary does, an explicit declaration that " Gud the
Son" hath redeemed mankind ? How can he reconcile this
conduct with that zeal which a sincere belief of the doctrines he
espouses is t alculated to inspire ? Is it consistent in him to ap-
peal to Mr. Horsfall for the corroboration of a statement which
implies that he instructed the children in doctrines which he
cannot hut condemn as erroneous? Is it credible that any one,
possessing any regard for the opinion of the public,—any con-
cern for his own reputation, could teach what would be most
repugnant to his own feelings and convictions,—merely for the
sake of establishing a claim to the character of a man of li-

berality"?
To exhibit this matter in a still stronger light, we would ask'
what would be thought of a Protestant Clergyman, -- Mr.
M'Neile for instance—if he, in the absence of any Roman Catho-
lic Priest or Socinian Councillor from these schools, were to in-
struct the children in the doctrine of transubstantiation or hu-
man perfectibility ? Would not such au outrage upon decency
and consistency procure for him the unequivocal disapprobation
of all good men ? Would not such conduct render hint the object
of universal censure ? No Protestant Minister or layman could
so act, we are convinced, without incurring the merited stigma of
being accounted a hypocrite.
Now, we would *ally appeal to the common sense of the peo-
ple of Liverpool whether such a man is a proper person to be
entrusted with the education of children,—especially in the all
important matter of religion? Is a man who knowingly and
avowedly teaches that which his► own conscience must condemn,
a fit and proper person to be on the Education Committee ?
This is modern liberality with a vengeance ! With such men
as Mr. Rathbone, liberalism and insincerity must certainly be
considered as convertible terms, or he would not be found mak-
ing a shameful dereliction of duty a matter of boast, and claim-
ing the praise of his fellow-councillors for compromising his
religious principles.
It is hard,—if it be not impossible,—to determine whether
the infidelity or the folly of some characters predominates in
their public exhibitions. Let us hope, —it is charitable to do so,—
that, in the case of Mr. Rathbone, than an unchecked i►nagi-

At the adjourned meeting of the Town Council, on
Wednesday last, Mr. Councillor Hope, on introducing a

!motion for the appointment of a committee to consider
the best mode of securing due publicity and uniformity
in the sale of corporate property, took occasion to ani-
madvert on a paragraph which appeared in the Standard
Of the 14th October, relative to the sale of the Globe
Chambers. The objectionable part of the paragraph al-
luded to is that which attributes to some members of the

gination, and a mistaken impulse of feeling, are the secret
springs from which come of his recent extraordinary perform-
ances have arisen.

committee jobbing, in its most objectionable shape, and
exercising an influence quite incompatible with their
boasted professions of purity. We were at the time in
Peesession of sufficient documentary evidence to justify
the suspicion, and our opinion was confirmed by the evi-
deece taken before the special committee appointed, on
the motion of Mr. Councillor Barclay, to enquire into
the particulars of the transaction, and also by the pro-

°eedings in the Town Council on receiving their report.
Before we reply to the attack which Mr. Councillor Hope
has thought proper to make upon the Standard, we shall
lay before our readers the opinions entertained by seve.

rat members of the Council relative to this transaction,
Which proves satisfactorily that we were by no means
Singular in the opinion we expressed.
In the debate which took place on the 30th of Sep-
tember, on receipt of a letter from the Directors of the
Liverpool Tradesmen's Bank, complaining of the deci-
sion of the improvement committee, Mr. Councillor Shiel
"id, "it had been insinuated to him that members of

the Corporation were interested in this transaction." Mr.
Councillor Bolton seconded the motion that the sale be
4/mulled. Mr. Councillor Tayleure thought the best

Way would be to put the land up for sale again. The
?notion for appointing a special committee to investigate
the transaction was supported by Messrs. J. Holmes, Lo-
gan, Thornhill, Harvey, Thornely, Rawdon, M‘Gregor,
1. Holmes, Mellor, Birch, Rushton, H. Hornby, J.
Lawrence, Lassell, T Holt, Earle, Coglan, E. Cropper,
Alison, G. Holt, J. Cropper, Jordan, Duncan, Tayleure,
Heyworth, Moon, Bailey, Barclay, Robinson, Stuart,
BrOwn, T. Smith, and the Mayor, from a conviction that
theie was suTheient ground for inquiry, and that it was
necessary to remove the suspicions entertained by the
Public. Having ourselves perused the correspondence
Which passed between the Directors of the bank and the
inwrovement committee, arid being in possession of se-
veral eorroborativelacts, we were of opinion that a sus.
ilieron of unfair dealing did attach to some members of
the committee. As public journalists, in the exercise of
a public', duty, we fearlessly and honestly expressed our
oPitsion,- and sailed public attention to the record of facts
in 'another column. When the report of the committee
was'presented to the Council, twenty of the members re-,
coaled their votes in favour of Mr. Bolton's motion, that
it be• not confirmed.
such are the facts of the case as they were presented
to the public, and thus the matter dropped.
Our readers will be at a loss to discover in all this the
reason for the charge preferred against us, on two occa-
sions; by Mr. Councillor Hope. He commences his at-
tack by charging us with commenting on the proceed-
ings of the committee in terms of bitter sarcasm and
irony, and undef the influence of a malignant spirit. We
can assure Mr. Councillor Hope that we are by no means
disposed "to establish for ourselves the unenviable dis-
tinction of maligning the conduct of members of the
Council," but at the same time we are determined not to
bo driven from the stern path of duty by the senseless
and malignant attacks. of any man. Was not this ho-
nourable councillor aware, when he made the assertion,
"that there never were any public proceedings more free
from taint of any nature, of any interested Motive, either
direct or indirect, on the part of the members of the corn-
-tnittee than were the proceedings in question"—that .20
members of the Council had expressed a contrary be-
lief, and voted in favour of the land being again offered
for Sale, and submitted to a more honourable competi-
tion-? Mr. Catincillor Hope is, by profession, a liberal,
and in the true spirit of such liberality would fetter pub-
lie opinion by abusing men whom he cannot reprove.
We feel exceedingly obliged to Mr. Hope for his forbear-
ance,, for it-is just possible that had he inflicted a more
severe castigation we could not have survived it. Verily
it is something to be a rafafnled mini-miller. He --would,
if it were in his power, deter us from exposing injustice,
from commenting upon the actions of public men, and
above all from suspecting the motives of our liberal coun-
cillors, and whilst we quietly sailed with the stream, and
allowed error and vice to triumph, he would communi-
cate the cheering intelligence to the Town Council, that
the STANDARD was, at length, bringing forth " the fruits
•
of repentance."

We shall endeavour to profit by the reproof we re-
ceived from some members of the Town Council, at their
meeting on Wednesday, respecting the incorrectness of
our reports. It has been our study to give faithful and
Impartial reports of all public proceedings, and we have
*ecured to ourselves a fair share of public confidence. In
reporting the proceedings of the Town Council we have
occasionally departed from our usual course, from an
unwillingness to expose our liberal Councillors to the
Contempt and scorn of their constituents by reporting at
length their foolish and unmeaning harangues. Our
object has been to give the meaning, although not in the
exact words. But we have failed to give satisfaction to
some few of these Councillors, and are now resolved to
adopt a different course. We perfectly agree with Mr.
Councillor Lawrence Heyworth, that " if a man speaks
nonsense, the public should know it," and for this simple
reason we have reported his speech verbatim. And as
some atonement for past errors, we have printed it in
Italics, and recommend our friends to read it carefully.

In the recent proceedings of the Town Council, under the
head "Education Committee," Mr. Councillor Ilathbone,
'Peaking in defence of the system of education adopted in the
Corporation Schools, is reported to have said that "he had no
I"*ltation in avnwity: himself a Unitarian Dissenter: but he
40, at the came time that he had the confirmation of Mr.
eharl,c TinTsfill, who, he was sorry was not present to hear
hitn out, that ho never brought his sectarian principles into tha t