The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-02-02 00:00:00

IMPORTANT CORRESPONDENCE

;We stated in our last tliat a letter had been addressed
to Lord Robert Grosvenor by a large number of the
electors of Middlesex, for which count), his lordship is a
candidate, asking his lordship's opinion of the proposed
endowment of the Romish priests. Lord Robert, in his
reply, after stating the courteous terms in which the ques-
tion was put to him, says that he did not explain his senti-
ments previously for two reasons ; first, because he does not
think it likely that the subject will be brought forward at
present ; and, secondly, because that on two occasions he
had indicated his views. • His lordship then goes on as
follows :

"The occasions to which I allude, are, my votes upon
the motion of Lord Ellesmere, then Lord Francis Eger-
ton, made, I believe, in 1827, for the endowment of the
Irish Romanist clergy, and upon the additional grant to
Maynooth College, proposed at a recent period. I made
no objection to the additional grant, but I voted with Mr,
Ward, in order to record my opinion, that the Protestant
establishment in Ireland is more than commensurate with
the requirements of its members; in 1827 I voted with
Lord Ellesmere. Now Ido not attach any exaggerated
merit to political consistency ; one may be as obstinate in
a failing as in a virtue, and could I bring myself to the
conviction that I had erred in these votes, I trust I should
at once confess it. Having, however, attentively and
seriously reconsidered the subject, in its religious not less
than in its political aspect, I am bound to declare *that—
abstaining from any pledge as to detail—holding myself
at liberty, should I then have a seat in Parliament, either
to acquiesce in, or to oppose, upon its own merits, any
measure that may be laid before the house having for its
object the endowment of the Romish clergy in Ireland,—
there may be again, as there were before, propositions to
that effect submitted to the legislature, at a time and un-
der circumstances which will insure my concurrence.

I beg to subscribe myself, with great deference, Sir,
• most obedient and very humble servant,

" ROBERT GROSVENOR
" Mr. Henry Hoare, New-street, Spring-gardens."
To this Mr.
.Hoare replied as follows :

" New-street, Spring .gardens, Jan. 27.
" My Lord,—The gentlemen in conjunction with whom,
and on whose behalf, I addressed your lordship in my
former letter, have requested me to acknowledge the cour-
tesy and frankness with which you have replied to their
inouiry. They have no wish to enter into a controversy

with your lordship, but it is manifestly desirable that both
parties should be correctly understood. They will, there-
fore, now venture to state the intent and meaning which
they gather from your lordship's letter ; and, if I do this,

your lordship for any further reply.
" Your lordship refers us to your votes :-Ist, for Lord
Ellesmere's motion for the endowment of the Romish
clergy in Ireland ; 2d, for the Maynooth endowment of
1845 ; and, 3d, for Mr. Ward's proposed amendment of

that bill

And, if we correctly understand your lordship

you re

es you are prepared

repeat on any fitting occasion.
" We object to each of those votes, and deprecate a re-
petition of them,—first, as members of the united church
-c • .rid seenndly as Protestants.

UI .ungianu anti irciatiu act,"..l, 0,0
"As members of the united church, we view with the
deepest repugnance any proposal to divert funds at present
devoted to the inculcation of pure and Scriptural Chris-

....angerous and anti-senptural error. AnU, wnne
we are not opposed to any reasonable plan of
.church

)rm, we are eon)

e your

that a church establishment of X 500,000 per annum, for
n.tin. of R MO_ -nearly 2.000.000 whereof are Pro-

testants, is to

sive. Even limiting the usefulness of the Irish clergy to
the 1,000,000 of people who are members of the Establish-
., •

•
where a Church possessing a revenue of

),000 can hardly be regardec

within its of
the people.

On various grounds, th'erefore, we earnestly

purposes, any port