The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-02-28 00:00:00

mained on the statute-book, so long was it a theory °I
constitution, that the Protestant religion, churcio e 0
government of the country were inviolate, and in'e of
(Cheers, groans, and hisses.) But the momentee tabolished it was tantamount to a declaration that " 0
istence of the Protestant institutions of the count m"
become an open question, and from that moraent„l'e cje
be discussed as any ordinary question, such as "
laws, or the navigation-laws. (Laughter and hisse' re
[A person in the body of the meeting, who vies_,,a
strenuous in his " hissing," was pointed to the 60
by a gentleman on the bench. His worship assns)
that if he again interrupted the proceedings '
mark him ; he would have his ey ]e on him. ttait?j
The rev. gentleman then proceeded to remark 4.egat
desired to acknowledge that provision for the lk°',,,,te
succession to the crown had been made in the eel :aa
but all security as to the maintenance of the other
testant institutions of the country was entirely ;ere
away. (Groans, followed by 'cheers). The measure,
ceated, which was carried in 1829 would never kal!
arried then but for the submission of the Cat"° e
the introduction of this oath. The same oath wad
troduced in 1813, by Calming, but was not then
to be sufficient security. (Uproar). He wished t°ee
the admission which they had just heard, but if the±:o
ters swept away the solemn oaths which were ielPlie
Roman Catholics, they invited an attack upon ?rate
which would soon extend to the throne. It is, 30; 'Lae
under the convictions which I have endeavourea
fectly to express, that I consider this measurean in...tt
on the Protestant character of our constitution. 1 "'";p1
we are called upon to-day to deal with an aggreall,(Yeeee
the Protestant institutions of the country, just aeard
and far more fatal than the so-called Papal agga'-ers
which created so great an excitement, and frighteneArs
Lord John Russell himself from his propriety. (`•Aaf
and cries of " Time.") That aggression was, afterfd
a piece of insolence from without : the present age°
is a proposal from within to destroy the public recOV
of our national protestantism ; a proposal from ava,a
effect in our constitution a fundamental and an °p
change ; for it withdraws the protest against 10,1v4
tained in the Protestant oath on the one hand, and lil,to
the hands of the members of the church of Rowe e
assert her—(great cheering, with groans and yells fr°lo/01
Roman Catholics, which drowned the remainder t
,
sentence). I ask, finally, is this a fit and proper naolefii'
that fundamental change ? (Cries of 'Yes," and ,roe
At this moment we are about, I fear,. to plunge 0
struggle that may yet shake Europe to• its centre' 0
which not one man in this meeting may live to gad
close. And I, for' one, say it with all respect to the 0.0
ings of others, but wishing honestly to express my i$
that it is not the moment in which this Protestant 10 ot
should break her covenant with God. (Cries Of
oh I" coarse shouts and hisses, and derisive laughteTV
the Roman Catholics, and Radicals.) The coveuan lit
individual with his God is a matter sacred, Oa
own soul ; but the covenant of a nation with 1:1
must be contained in her public acts, confessionai
crees ; and I ask whether we are now prepared i°
that covenant—(cries of ' No, no")—which is gi"..°
our open Bible, and which; upon the other hand, 11°-e?
on our part, sealed with many a martyr's blood ? 7
the days in which these oaths, now proposed to bcolf
fished, were enacted as part of the qualifications feted
hers of parliament, God has blessed this country ej )
0
She has arisen to an opulence--(lnterruption,, at
cordant cries of " Time, timer) Since that daya'cg fl
signally shown His favour to• this country by rei'l r• '
0 ton-position never before attained by any counaldi 1
heaven; but I solemnly believe, and, as a ininl"29
CChrist,,be
I feel bound to testify my lief, that we s,
y,
to sena different state of things.l believe we eltol,
to seelhat they only who honour God are honeio AP
Him a and that He will no longer go forth with our V
if we-wantonly and sacrilegiously pace light and cl_.l,
on theliame level in the councils of the nation, Prat 0"'
ourselves the children of indifferentism, and blot oe .$
erase her Protestant Christianity' from the banlirt
England; (Immense cheering, followed by the l'e/'
fire.) 9
Mr. JAMES Triune seconded the-resolution. I,°,l:af:,''
self, he could only wish that the gentlemen Iva," oe,
anxious that the oaths.should he altered, would fe's:a a
a change in their creed and doctrines ; but lie iliesi
think they had a right to ask them to' surrender
_fi eY,,
safeg-uarda a their faith. The famous• letter of I,o.`as
Russell to the Bishop of Durham, showed that his,ooo
ship had no favourable intention towards the ai3O!
Catholics, so that his present attempted side-0'
merely an endeavour to introduce the-Jews into 511/.,
meat. He had great respect for Lord John 11,
(cheers and laughter)—but he thought it did not tgl
him to endeavour to get the Jews into' parliameu
side-wind. (Cheers, hisses, and groans .4:
tlf
Mr. Was. ItiTHISONE rose to move air arnendineaolk•
troducing hie, observations by his characteristic AlO
Mayor," the-peculiarly successful tone •of which r,-, Fr,
mimicked bra wag in the body of the court that too
semblage became convulsed with laughter.. He eel
a hope that they would give him an attentive and.llol
hearing. In the first place, he intended to denlop!A•til,
rev. speaker in .about two sentences. (DerisivelPy
and cheers.) Yes, he intended to demolish everic4
be had said iii :two sentences. He doubted r
the apt d
and sincerity of those who hoped to bolster up auf A 0,.,
by anything but true sectarian principles, (Ghee a irlIA
hisses.) Theresolution he had to move -was,
..01,4
maintenance neither of the religious nor the• polio ti
stitutions of this country depends upon the.adnunis of
of oaths, involving religious tests." (Great chef
hisses, cries of ".bravo," and considerable uproar.)
did
did not like oaths at all, but sorely hisrev. *jot',
Rev. W. Polka), considered the oath proposed le ",,e4:,
John Russell to be enbatituted for the other o'°"coP,'
ciently binding.- He earnestly asked their seriOteel''
deration to thaamendment, repeating thietaas-aer°.ore 1
if he thought- the proposed alteration would ii.!,11 Dea
faith, he should be one of the martyrs:to pat l'ahr.
into the fire, rather than support an ramendinen ch Ott
would check the-Christian Church—he didn't ouriii,l
derstand protestantism—but the whole Christeotiran`'ed V •
—(a prolonged; burst of indignant outcries aria
remainder of the sentence.) alfo7
Mr: W. EARLE' stepped forward to second. thscree
ment, and was greeted by a shower of " halls, ,ea, '4
" order," anda other interruptions. He' stood tior.,
said, as a true Protestant, not as a Pharisaical Pr°l 1,
-(hisses)—but as a Protestant whoa inaintaie'l
opinions, if they were right, independently of All I
persons. - e'
(
Mr. SIMON; barrister, claimed permission t 0 l'.o-
upon the amendment, as a member of the Je',Y,af,i
suasion—(hear, hear)—and, feeling interested, til'ent•,
not merely in: the present measure befdre Parlial fi4
far as respected his own race, but as it asserted an feats
tained the principles of religious liberty. The,otr,
gentleman, proceeded to argue at great length' laas;',i
oaths intended to be altered had notairarealith "-VI
tended to _apply to Jews ; in point of fact that,,K,
'period of their enactment, there were no Jews in •°":ta 1"7,4
they having been expelled from the country cent Vd
fore. The laws rendering such oaths obligator/ P;eoi,
made for securing the country and the legislature sg,lo'
the equivocation and mental reservation charged !?
the Roman Catholics. detest,
The .Mugs said, before putting:the araeialra 4,
wished to draw attention to a paper which "5.,e0,4
handed to him, from gentlemen in.the magiaarate't ce"
who hadbeen unable to obtain admission. into the 00
(Loud cries of " Hear, hear," "Nee no," "Chair',o
" Amendment," &c.) The paper was from ge'▪ '
who were in the Sessions-house; having been..
thither' by his (the Mayor's) placard. calling the tatig
and he. considered that he was only diseharging , e#
impartially by reading it. (Cheers.) The palg,aoo4
this..effect a--" Resolved, that this meeting is (,-edi
that the meeting held in the ,Sessions-house tlerei
decidedly inadequate to obtaana fall, fair, and a
..,
expression of the opinions of.the inhabitants of VV.,
hundreds being assembled and unable to obtain of
sign, and that it is desirable . to. have another raleti,
order to give expression—(hear, loud cheers, anuaf# j
i
"No, no,")—to their opinions on, Lord John Russo
oaths bill, in a place sufficiently adequate to ace°, mit▪ iO
_ all who wish to attend." It had, been proposed (eeciait
the Mayor) that he should call in the police to eft;
avenues of the rooms connected with the courtse*?
he had called the meeting at the Sessions-Ig';
must bear with all its difficulties. (Cheers 44 l'i
worship then put the- (Mr. Rathbone's) amenat7/4
the vote, requiring a second show of hands, thavar
being so evenly bahuaced, before he could dee"' /
the majority.
f Ofl''
The Maxon then, amidst the silent anxiety 0- bell'e
ing, said he had come to the conclusion, in lac ell
Town-clerk agreed. with him, that the amen"'
been carried. tiltafd
This declaration was acted on as a signal fev,
extraordinary and vociferous cheers, in which t" 4'
leaders on the platform heartily joined. ea,
The Marva,-The amendment now takes- °:Stivelr
the original motion, and it is competent &rani! 0
to propose an, amendment on that which ie, ne'' e,
s metion before the meeting. ei
ta,:
Mr. Cnaaamia TURNER rose next to addreela l'. j
ing, and to move a resolution, but the. confaw r
intense that he could not be heard. 04'
Tho Mat Ton several times called upon the tin;
hear Mr. Turner, but still the deafening uproar
tinuedby Radicals and Roman Cotholics. Mr' ~,T1

length gave place to P174/'
The Rev. Dr. MINEILN, whose. appearance, Aiac
by loud cheers from the Protestant party, alo!,1111e
noises from the opposition. For a long per.ll',iicia",,i
doctor could not proceed, during which an 1P :o Cif?
the gallery kept up a series of ferocious yells,:
" He's no townsman !" issued from the or
When the vociferators had exhausted themeega?
Dr. MNBILB asked what they were afca,u,.. bak
had the majority. (Renewed yells.) It wasd
(Cheers and groans.) He could understalt_a°.#
minority making a noise, but why the 1714.7°-, 0,
do so he could not divine.
Several Voices—" They are frightened of I°'
ay, they are so 1" &e., &c. 009
Mr. J. R. JEFFERY, the MAYOE, and othetti7es
entreated them, as they loved fair play, that
give the Rev. Dr. Nicene a hearing. st
Order being at length somewhat partially
IsTimil Ouch al
The Rev. Dr. M' proceeded. Ilea niteJ,
to those gentlemen. (He was again interrupt !d,
was at length enabled to go on.) If I may nt,fat9
a stranger, I was going to make a few &Jr& o,to
what from the gentleman who addressed Via, ten
last, but I cannot and will not persevere 7tte'r)
noise.—The gentleman who told us he was 00.1 a ch
persuasion—(" Ah !" great hooting, &Tns' Nroe,
and who made a very admirable speech. 1, pit
that gentleman, that if Lord John Russet
his present measure to a direct attempt t° T.611,110‘
of parliament to gentlemen of the Jewish P (
would not have been assembled here to.dalt,
Whatever our opinions may be upon that PiT,n's
not have felt it was a subject upon which bed,
should be convened at this time. We w° nt, CO'Y
to leave that matter in the hands of parlianact,, 50,y,
that it does not affect the poiht. But I wisli be
to that gentleman, that, when he alleges ilood
•de-w"
are kept out of our legislature by as' ba 'e
to recollect that, if the British legislataro,
the je
enactment for the rejection or exclusion °„;the 11
cannot be said to be rejected at all. ";,;',ted tb
not entered ? (Cheers.) They bay coPP*AttS
They have kept themselves out. (urry-
.1 A--
. oriel vi "No," "no," "Yeti," "yes," '